Yun Yan Really Didn't Care

Hiruzen Sarutobi had guessed that Yun Yan possessed elite jōnin-level strength—and was likely among the stronger ones even within that rank.

It was not that he fully believed Yun Yan's nonsense. Mainly, Yun Yan had always kept a low profile without making a sound, yet he had suddenly killed two Root ninja, one of whom had been an elite jōnin.

But if Hiruzen Sarutobi were to guess that Yun Yan was now Kage-level, he truly could not bring himself to believe it.

The kid was so young. He had spent years outside the village without much in the way of resources or guidance from famous teachers. How could he possibly have grown to the Kage level?

Unless... unless he had obtained the legendary Mangekyō Sharingan!

Hmm... unlikely. The Mangekyō Sharingan had not appeared for who knew how many years. It was practically a legend now.

Though he felt somewhat uneasy, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression remained composed.

Suppressing the many thoughts in his heart, he continued speaking calmly to Yun Yan.

"I see. I never expected that after several years away, Yun Yan, you would have grown to such a degree. It is truly gratifying."

Gratifying? More like worrying.

After muttering that inwardly, Yun Yan lazily brushed Hiruzen Sarutobi off.

"It's nothing, really. My little bit of strength is barely enough to protect myself."

Hearing that and seeing Yun Yan's utterly nonchalant attitude, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help but choke on his breath.

Was this kid showing off, or hinting at something? Such strength was barely enough for self-protection? What a joke. This level of strength was already enough to cause trouble—at the very least, enough to enter the game!

Suppressing his irritation, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued to put on a kindly expression. He wanted this matter over with as soon as possible, preferably turning a major issue into a minor one and a minor one into nothing at all.

Yun Yan seemed to have already seen through Hiruzen Sarutobi's next move. Naturally, he had no intention of indulging him.

After casually kicking one of the Root ninja's corpses again, Yun Yan continued bluntly.

"Lord Hokage, since you now have some understanding of my true strength, there is no need to keep changing the subject.

May I ask, Lord Hokage, what exactly was going on with these two Root ninja? Why did they attack me?

Judging by the way they ambushed me the night before last, they were determined to kill me—the sort who would not rest until I was dead.

I have heard of Root's fearsome reputation. Honestly, being targeted by Root terrified me.

Luckily, I managed to kill these two Root ninja instead, so I hurried back to Konoha to report to you, Lord Hokage, and to seek your protection as well."

All right, that was definitely dripping with sarcasm.

Even Hiruzen Sarutobi, upon hearing those words, felt as though he had eaten something disgusting.

You were terrified after being targeted by Root? You hurried back to seek my protection? Who were you trying to fool?

With the strength to kill two Root ninja without so much as a scratch—though he did not know exactly how Yun Yan had done it, the fact that he had proved he could meant he possessed that ability—and yet he was still here putting on this hypocritical act. Who was he trying to disgust!?

Suppressing the nausea and discomfort in his heart, Hiruzen Sarutobi began evading the issue, resorting to the muddling tactics he had always excelled at.

"Yun Yan, we cannot be one hundred percent certain that these two were Root ninja, can we?

They may have been ninja from another village in disguise, seeking to sow discord and turn Konoha's internal—"

Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could finish, Yun Yan impatiently lifted one of the Root ninja's heads and shoved a kunai into its mouth.

After piercing through the tongue, he immediately yanked it out with brutal force, pulling it long enough for the entire tongue to be exposed before Hiruzen Sarutobi!

To be honest, Yun Yan's actions were violent and cruel enough, and the result was gruesome to behold.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi had been through far too much in his life. He had not been frightened so easily.

Even faced with that horrifying sight, his expression remained calm.

And at a glance, Hiruzen Sarutobi spotted the Tongue Eradication Seal at the root of the Root ninja's tongue.

Now it was over. The evidence was conclusive and beyond dispute.

The moment he saw the Tongue Eradication Seal, Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart sank.

Before, he could have fobbed him off by claiming they were ninja from another village in disguise. But with the Tongue Eradication Seal exposed, that excuse no longer held up at all.

Because only Root possessed the Tongue Eradication Seal. There was no other source.

Yun Yan had effectively thrown bloody proof right in Hiruzen Sarutobi's face. Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression darkened, and for a moment, he had nothing to say in response.

The old man had fallen silent, but Yun Yan had plenty to say.

Still displaying that tongue to Hiruzen Sarutobi, he stared straight into the Hokage's eyes, his expression turning playful.

"Lord Hokage is perceptive indeed. I trust you can now confirm that these were undoubtedly Root ninja.

Then may I ask whether you can protect an ordinary Konoha jōnin like me? Can you protect me from being killed by Root ninja?

Today, it is a ninja of the Uchiha Clan like me. Tomorrow, Root may set its sights on a ninja of the Hyūga Clan. The day after that, perhaps ninja from some other clan will suffer. Civilian ninja would surely have it even worse.

Root is this arrogant, murdering comrades from its own village. Its crimes are so monstrous, its audacity so outrageous—are you not going to do anything about it? Will you continue keeping one eye open and one eye closed?

If that is truly the case, then I will be rather disheartened.

If this matter gets out, I doubt I will be the only one disheartened. Konoha's other ninja would likely all feel threatened as well.

After all, no one wants to be stabbed in the back by their own comrades while carrying out a mission, or after painstakingly completing one.

If that is what awaits us, then what have we been working so hard for? After protecting Konoha for so long and risking our lives for it, what have we gained in the end?

Therefore, Lord Hokage, I urge you to think carefully..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression immediately turned ugly.

The ANBU ninja hidden around them also changed expression after hearing Yun Yan's words.

Even with Hiruzen Sarutobi's decades of composure, he was somewhat shaken. It was no wonder the surrounding ANBU could not remain calm—Yun Yan's words... had cut straight to the heart.

They did more than cut to the heart. They were a threat.

Yun Yan was practically telling Hiruzen Sarutobi with veiled sarcasm: if you do not give me an explanation, I will expose this matter and make sure everyone knows about it.

At that point, whether Konoha erupted in outrage, whether its ninja became enraged, or whether it even triggered unrest, would no longer be Yun Yan's concern.

Yun Yan did not care. He truly did not care.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was dark as he seemed to gain an initial understanding of Yun Yan's unpredictable nature.

This was someone who feared neither heaven nor earth and cared about nothing. He did not care about making this matter bigger, nor did he care how much turmoil its exposure might cause!

Damn it. It was precisely this fearless temperament, this willingness to tear all pretenses apart, that made him so troublesome.

In a sense, people like this were the hardest for Hiruzen Sarutobi to handle.

Because unlike Konoha's other ninja, they did not have clans and vested interests within Konoha, nor had they been assimilated by the Will of Fire and developed a deep sense of belonging toward the village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not get a grip on people like this.

And if he could not get a grip on them, that meant he could not control them.

As the Hokage, Konoha's supreme ruler and the man with the greatest and most centralized authority, he was unable to control a single jōnin.

That sensation of something slipping beyond his control made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel terrible, stirring frustration and anger within him.

For a moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly raised his head and looked at Yun Yan before him with a slightly cold gaze.

And Yun Yan? He truly feared nothing. He calmly returned Hiruzen Sarutobi's stare.

The two looked at each other, and the atmosphere in the Hokage's office grew utterly stagnant.

Such a situation was truly rare within the Hokage's office.

In all of Konoha, who would dare confront the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, head-on?

Probably only the two elders and Danzō.

And now, there was one more: Uchiha Yunyan.

Seeing this scene and feeling the oppressive atmosphere in the office, the hidden ANBU's hearts pounded wildly. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads, and some even secretly swallowed.

How... was this supposed to end?

After staring at Yun Yan for roughly ten seconds, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to realize that this was someone who could not be swayed by soft or hard tactics.

His head began to ache.

In this situation, he had no better option. He could only find a way to placate this thorn in his side first, then deal with him gradually afterward.

Thus, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a deep sigh. An agonizing helplessness began to show across his entire body, mixed with the weary frailty of old age.