Chapter 418: Tsk tsk, You're Really Playing a Trick

"Renya Jonin, after many years we are cooperating again."

Chief Commander Nairan Benhe looked at Lian Ye with a smiling face.

The scenes from back then are vivid in my mind; I didn't expect that nearly twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

"Indeed, the war has broken out again," Lian Ye said with some emotion.

Back then, I thought that after the Second World War I could retire and hand everything over to the younger generation, but now I'm still being sent to the Battlefield.

Never mind, thirty-three is the prime of life.

War is war, so be it.

As long as the Third Battle and the Fourth Battle don't send me, it's fine.

He certainly doesn't want to be like Da Ye Mu, still fighting at such an advanced age.

"Renya Jonin, after this war ends, I intend to retire."

Chief Commander Nairan Benhe, having nothing to do, began discussing retirement.

"Nara Commander, you're only in your fifties, why do you want to retire early?"

"When you retire, you'll only be able to lie in a courtyard of a few hundred square meters, basking in the sun, carefree every day—just eating and sleeping, or sleeping and eating."

"Are you truly content with such a decline?"

Lian Ye, looking distressed, said.

Nairan Benhe: "..."

He couldn't help but wonder, is retirement really that terrifying?

No, that guy in front of me seems to have started his retirement life when he was about ten!

I secretly enjoy life, yet I won't let him enjoy it?

This guy, he's so detestable!

"Hehe, Renya Jonin makes a good point," Nairan Benhe nodded in agreement.

Of course, but only on the surface.

Those words are no different from farting.

"Lian Ye, don't mislead the Chief Commander."

Yuanfei Rizhan couldn't stand it any longer and stepped forward to smooth things over.

When it came to willingly sinking, the first person that came to his mind was Lian Ye.

He spends every day in the office handling paperwork until he's exhausted.

After years of diligent work, his position turned out to be just an assistant.

He is often suppressed by Tuan Cang using the Hokage's authority.

Lian Ye, however, enjoys life every day.

By this comparison, he feels his future is bleak.

As long as Tuan Cang doesn't step down for a day, he'll remain a Hokage Assistant!

It seems Tuan Cang has never entertained the thought of retiring.

He feels his day of becoming Hokage is far off.

Fortunately, Tuan Cang once promised him that after serving as Hokage for thirty years, he would retire.

Now a third of that time has already passed.

When Tuan Cang retires, he'll be only in his fifties, the perfect age to become Hokage.

"Lian Yejun, you really don't intend to marry?" Xiaochun Zhuanqin suddenly asked.

Among the former comrades, aside from Lian Ye and Tuan Cang, everyone else has long married and had children.

Yet Lian Ye and Tuan Cang remain single.

This made her can't help but start speculating wildly.

These two definitely have something fishy!

Xiaochun Zhuanqin had noticed decades ago that the friendship between the two was off.

She just never dared to speak up.

Now that they still haven't married, her earlier conjecture is finally confirmed.

For a moment, her gaze at Lian Ye began to sparkle.

Girls love this kind of gossip the most.

Hearing this, everyone's eyes simultaneously fell on Lian Ye.

In his early thirties, still single.

There can't be any hidden matters, right?

That Tuan Cang fellow is equally suspicious!

"Hey, what's with those looks?"

Lian Ye felt uneasy under their stares and finally spoke to explain.

"I'm not interested in women; to be precise, I haven't met any woman who interests me."

"Oh~" Xiaochun Zhuanqin suddenly understood, teasingly said, "Then have you met any man who interests you?"

Lian Ye: "..."

These guys, do they think my orientation is problematic!

Obviously, he didn't guess wrong.

Everyone thinks that way...

"Put aside the disgusting thoughts in your heads; true strong ones aren't interested in love and romance."

Unfortunately, his explanation seemed pale and feeble to several people.

Lian Ye was very helpless about it.

Once some matters are decided, it's hard to make them change.

Fine, just pretend we didn't know.

Anyway, his sexual orientation has no problem at all.

It takes two or three days to reach the battlefield.

Seeing this, Lian Ye realized the chance to meet Ban Daye had arrived.

He casually found an excuse to leave midway.

He sped straight to Ban Daye's hideout.

But to Xiaochun Zhuanqin and the others, someone felt their secret had been uncovered.

Thus, ashamed to face former comrades, they could only choose to evade in this way.

"I didn't expect Lian Ye's orientation to really be a problem!"

"I think he has something going on with Tuan Cang."

"Agreed, I've long felt something was off between the two of them!"

"Tsk tsk, what a delightful game!"

"We can discuss such matters privately, but please don't spread them publicly."

"Understood!"

At that moment, Lian Ye, who was hurrying on the road, didn't know anyone was orchestrating him from behind.

If he were to find out, who knows what he'd think?

Living a clean life all his life, only to be slandered in the end.

Deep underground, dozens of meters down.

"Lord Ban, Uchiha Lianye has left the squad and is rushing toward here."

A Bai Jue poked its head out and said respectfully.

Countless Bai Jue have long infiltrated the Ninja World, constantly supplying Ban with all sorts of information.

Madara Uchiha heard this, and the still surface of his eyes rippled.

"That kid, finally arrived."

He, of course, knew why Lian Ye hadn't come immediately.

That Qianshou Feijian fellow had been watching Lian Ye all along.

He wanted to learn his own news from him, but the kid kept his mouth shut, never revealing a word.

Ban was very satisfied with Lian Ye.

Indeed, he is the only junior he truly values.

Through the Bai Jue, he learned many pieces of information about Konoha Village.

Among them were the circumstances of the Uchiha Clan.

He said nothing about it.

Back then, when he left the village alone, he had already guessed the fate of the Uchiha Clan.

That bunch no longer deserved to be his kin.

"Lord Ban, I've come to find you!"

As time passed, an excited voice echoed from the silent depths underground.

Lian Ye entered, his face flushed with excitement.

"Kid, you finally came," Madara Uchiha said calmly.

Lian Ye noticed Ban's Rinnegan and the ugly Outsider Demon Statue behind him.

"Lord Ban, your eyes?"

He forced himself to suppress his excitement, pretending to look bewildered.

A veteran actor is a veteran actor; he can get into character in less than a second.

"This is the key to realizing the 'Moon's Eye' plan, the Rinnegan!"

Madara Uchiha placed his hand on his eye socket and said gravely.

After lying low for decades, now he could finally achieve Ninja World Peace.

Unfortunately, in his current state he cannot personally carry out the 'Moon's Eye' plan.

His bodily functions have sharply declined; he can only rely on the Outsider Demon Statue to delay aging, nearly becoming a waste like Hashirama.

He believes that awakening the Rinnegan consumed too much vital energy, accelerating his aging.

"Kid, we can now implement the plan."

Madara Uchiha stared intently at Lian Ye, his voice trembling with excitement.