Izumi Uchiha Was Very Worried

Hearing that Izumi had gone out on a mission, Yun Yan did not ask about its details. He only asked about her safety:

"So you were out on a mission, Izumi. Did you run into any danger? Were you hurt?"

Izumi shook her head.

"It was a close call, but I was fine."

"That's good." Yun Yan nodded in relief and smiled again. "I didn't expect you to have become a chunin already, Izumi. You've improved pretty quickly."

Izumi clearly enjoyed Yun Yan's praise, and her eyes narrowed into happy crescents.

"Not at all, not at all. I'm only a chunin. I still have a long way to go.

By the way, Yun Yan, what about you? How have things been for you these past few years?

I remember that before you left Konoha to become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, you had already reached jonin level. What about now?"

When Izumi asked that question, Yun Yan revealed a mysterious yet confident smile.

"Of course I haven't slacked off these past few years. I couldn't, and I wouldn't dare to.

While serving as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, I trained hard while fulfilling my duties. From time to time, I also went out to complete all sorts of missions and gained plenty of experience.

Now, I'm unquestionably a Konoha jonin. As for my strength... take a guess."

Yun Yan threw out that maddening "take a guess" and kicked the ball back to Izumi.

Naturally intrigued by his words, Izumi eagerly began guessing. Her lovely eyes were fixed on Yun Yan with interest as she voiced her guess with a hint of excitement.

"A few years ago, you had already just reached jonin level. Now... don't tell me you already have the strength of an elite jonin?"

"Hmm..." Yun Yan deliberately drew out his voice after a brief pause, playing coy. "If you think I'm an elite jonin, then I'm an elite jonin."

"You really are an elite jonin!?" Izumi was overjoyed. "That's one of the village's highest levels of strength! There aren't even many in our Uchiha Clan! Yun Yan, you're amazing!"

At that moment, Izumi did not hold back her admiration or praise.

Well, forgive the girl for having such limited imagination. After all, in her mind, elite jonin were already masters among masters. Yun Yan reaching elite jonin level was impressive enough.

As for the Kage level above elite jonin... Izumi had never even considered it.

Izumi could not be blamed for that. Yun Yan had always concealed his true self, even from the people closest to him.

Even Izumi had no idea that Yun Yan had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan at such an early age.

If Izumi had known that Yun Yan had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan because of her influence back then, her guess now would certainly have been bolder instead of stopping at elite jonin.

Now, Izumi's excitement continued.

"Wow... an elite jonin. That's incredible. Yun Yan, you're one of Konoha's pillars now!

So... Yun Yan, now that you've returned to Konoha, what are you planning to do next?

Will you... join the Police Force like the other clan members?

Or... enter the clan's upper ranks and work for the clan?"

The two choices Izumi gave were the standard paths for the Uchiha Clan. Generally, capable Uchiha ninja chose one of those two routes.

Either they entered Konoha's Police Force and maintained Konoha's everyday order, which could also be considered serving Konoha.

Or they entered the clan's upper ranks, worked for the clan, and helped handle its various affairs.

Yun Yan chose neither path.

Looking quietly at Izumi, Yun Yan spoke calmly.

"Izumi, I have no plans to join the Police Force, nor do I plan to work for the clan."

"Huh?"

Yun Yan's answer surprised Izumi somewhat, though it was not entirely unexpected.

Izumi understood Yun Yan very well. She knew he had become an orphan at a young age. Back then, the clan had not valued him at all. It had even ignored and ostracized him.

It could be said that Yun Yan had never truly received much kindness from the clan.

Yun Yan had always been someone who clearly distinguished gratitude from resentment, even when it came to his own clan. Since the clan had never helped him, why should he repay it after achieving success?

So although Izumi was a little surprised that Yun Yan did not plan to work for the clan, she could understand it.

As for why Yun Yan did not intend to enter the Police Force, that was simple as well. Yun Yan was already an elite jonin. Sending a ninja of that caliber into the Police Force would be a pity, even a waste of talent.

Think about it. A dignified Konoha elite jonin spending his days maintaining Konoha's everyday order—what else could that be but a waste of his abilities?

So the question was...

Izumi's expression became somewhat complicated as she looked at Yun Yan with concern.

"If you're doing neither... then what are you planning to do next, Yun Yan? You can't really just sit at home and live off others, can you? Wouldn't that waste all your abilities?"

Yun Yan smiled faintly.

"Of course not.

Actually, when I first returned to Konoha after receiving my transfer order and met Lord Hokage, I had already decided where to go next. Lord Hokage agreed as well."

Izumi's eyes lit up, and she eagerly pressed him.

"Where are you going next?"

Yun Yan replied calmly.

"ANBU."

"ANBU!?"

Upon hearing those two words, Izumi nearly stood up on the spot.

Her eyes widened round as she could not help confirming it with Yun Yan again.

"Yun Yan, are you sure you want to join ANBU? Konoha's ANBU!?"

"Of course. What other ANBU could it be? It can't be some other ninja village's ANBU, can it?"

"But... ANBU..."

"What about ANBU? Don't forget that I'm an elite jonin. Wouldn't it be a waste if someone as strong as me didn't join ANBU?"

"That's true, but..."

Izumi frowned. She was clearly hesitant and troubled, deeply worried and full of misgivings.

Izumi was now a chunin herself. Though she was not anyone important within the Uchiha Clan, she had some presence and could learn certain internal matters of the clan.

Through those bits of inside information, the perceptive and intelligent Izumi had noticed that her clan's relationship with the village was not good. It could even be said that there was conflict between them.

And ANBU was the core force of Konoha's upper leadership, the Hokage's faction.

Now Yun Yan was going to join ANBU, and Lord Hokage had already agreed. What did that mean...?

Izumi, who had some political awareness, could not help becoming worried.

"ANBU... Brother Shisui is there too, and he's been in ANBU for some time now. I heard he's doing very well there, but..."

"But the clan has begun to suspect Shisui's loyalties, hasn't it?"

Yun Yan took over the words Izumi had left unfinished.

Looking at Yun Yan, Izumi nodded worriedly, confirming that this was indeed the situation.

At that moment, Yun Yan could not help but sneer.

"Heh. Shisui joining ANBU was clearly the result of a compromise between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha's upper leadership. The clan clearly agreed to it back then and even had high hopes for Shisui.

Yet now, because Shisui is doing well in ANBU, those old fools in the clan have begun to question the intentions of the clan's most outstanding talent. That truly is..."

As his sneer trailed off, Yun Yan quietly muttered to himself.

"Though disgusting, those old fools' concerns are not entirely unreasonable. After all, Shisui..."

His final mutter was too quiet, and Izumi across from him did not hear it clearly.

"Huh? What did you say, Yun Yan?"

"Nothing. I was just mocking the clan's ugly intentions."

Izumi did not know how to respond to that.

"This... this can't be helped. After all, during the years you were away, the relationship between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha didn't improve. It only got worse.

After Brother Shisui entered ANBU, he also failed to ease the relationship between the two sides.

Caught between the clan and the village, it's inevitable that he has a hard time handling things."

At this point, Izumi looked at Yun Yan with deep concern.

"Yun Yan, after joining ANBU, you'll probably face circumstances similar to Brother Shisui's."

Yun Yan shook his head decisively.

"Don't worry. I won't. Shisui and I are different."

"Different?"

"Yes, different.

That guy Shisui is indecisive and drags things out. Stuck between the clan and Konoha, he's a complete tangled mess.

Do you think I have that kind of personality?

Hmph. What has the clan to do with me? What has Konoha to do with me?

The clan is merely the place that gave birth to me. No matter what, I cannot escape this bloodline and these eyes. That much I acknowledge.

Konoha is merely the place where I live—or rather, the place that employs me. I am willing to stay only because Konoha has abundant resources and serves my long-term interests. That is all."

Yun Yan spoke such nearly treasonous words so directly.

Listening to him, Izumi's brows furrowed even deeper.

She understood Yun Yan. She knew that this had always been his attitude toward both the clan and Konoha, so there was nothing surprising about it.

However, such an unconventional way of thinking truly made Izumi worry about Yun Yan.