The Mistress

Upon hearing Uchiha Yan's words, the crowd finally dispersed.

Izumi stood behind the throng, gazing at Uchiha Yan like a little fan, the corners of her mouth curling upward slightly.

The moment she sensed Uchiha Yan turning his head, she haughtily turned her own away.

At this moment, Uchiha Yan nodded toward Kakashi.

Kakashi replied indifferently, "Yan, you've really set a difficult problem. Those pieces of trash are likely going to go file a complaint, and I imagine someone is going to have a headache."

His tone was relaxed and tinged with mockery; he clearly did not consider those people his peers.

Hearing Kakashi's words, Uchiha Yan thought to himself: Why don't you just go ahead and recite Sarutobi Hiruzen's ID number?

However, he also realized that the internal strife within Konoha was not limited to the Uchiha and other factions.

As the Hokage's private soldiers, the Anbu were also rife with open and covert struggles.

Uchiha Yan patted Kakashi on the shoulder, his smile carrying a hint of playfulness. "Isn't that why you, the captain, are standing at the front to block for me? Besides, look at these villagers."

He gestured toward the crowd that had yet to fully disperse.

"Isn't 'public sentiment' what the Third Hokage values most? Right now, I am the one the people support."

Listening to these sarcastic words, Kakashi did not refute them.

He simply turned his head to look at the sky, recalling that rainy day after his father committed suicide, and the cold, judgmental glares of the villagers.

Kakashi still did not understand.

The two then went their separate ways.

Uchiha Yan led the Uchiha members to continue their patrol, calculating the time as they walked.

He estimated that in a few more days, the most classic plan would unfold.

As for whether innocent people would be harmed?

Uchiha Yan was not particularly worried.

Because according to his unprofessional judgment, Orochimaru still held a shred of affection for Konoha—though not much, in the original plot of the Konoha Crush Plan, he hadn't targeted civilians.

The Konoha Crush Plan was essentially ninja against ninja.

Even a beast like Orochimaru, who possessed such low moral standards that he used Konoha civilians and ninjas for human experimentation, had only carried out a decapitation strike during the Konoha Crush Plan, choosing to duel the Third Hokage one-on-one.

The ninjas from Sunagakure and the ninjas of Konoha fought right over the heads of the civilians.

No one attacked the civilians, and the Konoha ninjas didn't bother to manage them either.

Nor did anyone blend into the civilian population to disguise themselves as ninjas to launch surprise attacks.

Of course, if they did start attacking civilians, there was nothing Uchiha Yan could do.

Because he wasn't a professional.

In contrast, the "filial son" Uchiha Itachi didn't spare a single old person or child.

In terms of moral standards, he was even worse than Orochimaru.

Naturally, in the world of ninjas, it is often the most shameless who have the last laugh.

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

Because for Nagato, who grew up in a country and village ravaged by war, how much affection could he possibly have for those who treated his homeland as a battlefield?

If he hadn't been talked into a corner by Naruto at the end, Nagato would never have used the Samsara of Heavenly Life.

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

On the patrol route, Uchiha Yan also discovered an interesting phenomenon.

The ninjas from the Land of Rain who had come for the exams were wearing two different types of attire.

One side wore standard ninja gear, while the other wore gas masks.

Neither side looked favorably upon the other, and the tension was palpable.

Perhaps the people from the other ninja villages had received the news.

They were clearly much more restrained, even staying quietly inside the relay station without stepping out.

This made Uchiha Yan's subsequent work much easier.

Hokage Office.

The Eagle-Masked Anbu was lodging a complaint with Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression looked noticeably unpleasant upon hearing his words.

However, this was a critical period, and falling out with the Uchiha was not a good choice.

Thinking of this, he looked up at the Eagle-Masked Anbu, coughed lightly, and said.

"Ah, about this matter... I'm not saying we won't handle it, but must we handle everything? Let me tell you, this matter is essentially a human endeavor; I will find a way."

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

"This matter is neither difficult nor simple. The key lies in how we choose to view it; attitude is of the utmost importance."

"Alright, go back and continue with your duties. I still have several documents to resolve here."

The Eagle-Masked Anbu nodded blankly, feeling utterly dazed.

It wasn't until he had left the Hokage Office that he realized what had happened.

Wasn't he supposed to be reporting on his work?

How did he end up getting kicked out?

However, he glanced back at the Hokage Office, its door now firmly shut.

He swallowed hard, ultimately deciding to abandon the idea of going back in to ask for a solution.

For the next few days, the outsiders from other villages remained well-behaved in Konoha, acting like law-abiding citizens.

As for Danzo, there was still no news of him; he remained completely untraceable.

Early in the morning, Uchiha Yan was awakened by a knocking at his courtyard gate.

He checked the time: nine o'clock.

Rubbing his eyes, he threw on a jacket and walked out.

The morning sun spilled across the courtyard, and Uchiha Yan, still not fully awake and carrying a trace of drowsiness, opened the gate.

The person standing outside made Uchiha Yan's slightly hazy eyes snap into focus.

It was a tall, young woman.

"Kurenai? What are you doing here so early in the morning?"

Kurenai was dressed in casual, home-style clothing. A light purple, form-fitting knit sweater outlined her graceful figure, paired with beige casual trousers and simple cloth shoes.

Seeing Uchiha Yan dressed so casually, Kurenai blushed.

Uchiha Yan had a good physique, lean and muscular.

His abdominal muscles and V-taper were clearly visible.

Seeing this, Kurenai couldn't help but blush as she said, "Why are you dressed so sloppily?"

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

Kurenai rolled her eyes at him with a charming flair and said, "Alright, stop the banter. Let's go inside first."

Uchiha Yan nodded and stepped aside to let her pass.

Kurenai walked straight in. As she brushed past him, Uchiha Yan caught the faint, unique scent of flowers that clung to her.

Kurenai entered the room and frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping across the living room. The once-tidy table was cluttered with leftover teacups, haphazardly piled scrolls, and even two training outfits tossed carelessly onto the sofa.

She sighed helplessly. This wasn't her first time at Uchiha Yan's place, so she was long accustomed to it.

"Honestly... are you trying to live in a garbage dump?"

Kurenai muttered to herself while naturally placing the breakfast she had brought onto the table.

She reached up to tie back the hair draped over her shoulders and began helping to tidy up the room.

Her movements were so practiced that it seemed as if she were the mistress of the house.

Uchiha Yan rubbed his nose and joined in the cleaning.