On the hillside.
The remaining Konoha genin squads had fallen into an uneasy silence.
Just moments ago, during the exchange of attacks across the river, six more shinobi had been killed — and many others injured.
Obito tightened the bandage around his arm, gritting his teeth as he glanced around again.
Still no sign of Kakashi or Drake.
"Stop looking. They're probably carrying out a secret mission," Anko said quietly.
"They must've infiltrated the Land of Hot Water," Rin added in a low voice.
At that moment, Ibiki Morino and Hayate Gekko approached.
"Have you seen Yugao?" Hayate asked, worry etched into his pale face.
When no one answered, his concern only deepened.
Truth be told, many squads had already guessed the situation.
This joint assault was most likely a smokescreen — cover for an infiltration team.
Suddenly—
Anko sprang to her feet, rubbing her eyes violently.
"There! Look east!"
Everyone turned.
In the eastern sky, a towering mushroom cloud was rising slowly into the heavens.
"Rumble… rumble…"
A dull roar followed, like distant thunder rolling across the land.
"Was that Drake?! Did they do that?" Obito's eyes lit up.
"That scale… they definitely blew up the Cloud's supply depot!" Ibiki clenched his fists, trembling with excitement.
"Yugao's with them too…" Hayate murmured, pride slipping into his voice.
"I'll go tell sensei!" Rin exclaimed, rushing down the slope.
When she reached the ridge, she found Minato already staring at the distant mushroom cloud.
"That size… the Cloud depot must've been massive…"
His eyes narrowed as he made his assessment.
"This is the perfect time to lift their spirits."
The squads were exhausted, shaken — this was exactly the moment they needed hope.
Minato stepped forward.
Every pair of eyes turned toward him.
On the wind-swept hillside, he surveyed the surviving genin and cleared his throat.
"Shinobi of Konoha — our sacrifices were not in vain!"
He pointed toward the rising mushroom cloud behind him.
"That was our infiltration team! They successfully destroyed the Cloud Village's supply depot!"
"Your comrades did not die for nothing!"
Morale surged instantly.
"Minato-sensei! I heard that Drake — that dead-last — is part of that squad?" Ebisu stood up, clearly unconvinced.
"Dead-last?" Minato shook his head with a faint smile.
"You're all mistaken. Drake is no dead-last."
"He is a genius — a shinobi even more talented than Kakashi."
"What?!"
"Drake… a genius?"
"That's impossible!"
"No way!"
Disbelief rippled through the ranks.
Especially Might Guy.
He clearly remembered that Drake's academy scores had been even worse than his. How could someone like that suddenly be called a genius?
Seeing their expressions, Minato chuckled softly.
"I understand how hard this is to believe."
For two years straight, Drake had firmly held last place in the academy — an unshakable record.
It was like being told your lifelong beggar neighbour was actually a billionaire.
Anyone would struggle to accept it.
So Minato dropped a bombshell.
"Drake's taijutsu has already reached jōnin level. He once killed a Special Jōnin with a single blow."
"Taijutsu?"
"So that's it…"
"He trained his body instead of ninjutsu?"
"Taijutsu, huh…"
Unlike the others, Might Guy's eyes ignited with burning fervour.
"So Drake has chosen the path of the body… just like me!"
Everything finally made sense.
After all, the guy's ninjutsu scores were absolute zero.
Watching morale skyrocket, Minato spoke again.
"Treat your wounds quickly. We may need to move out and retrieve the infiltration team soon."
Several kilometres away, on a mountain ridge near the explosion site.
Drake, Kakashi, and Yugao regrouped.
"Kakashi, dinner's on you tonight."
"And Yugao, go scout the base of the mountain."
Lying casually on a rock, Drake issued his orders without a shred of urgency.
Kakashi and Yugao exchanged bewildered looks.
"Wait, Drake — shouldn't we return immediately?" Kakashi insisted.
"The depot's already destroyed."
"If the main Cloud force arrives, we'll be discovered. Sensory-type shinobi will definitely be with them."
"Yeah… we could just eat back at camp…" Yugao added weakly.
Drake narrowed his eyes slowly.
"Return? Why would we return?"
"I didn't come all this way just to leave."
Both of them froze.
"You're not thinking of staying here to keep sabotaging their supply lines… are you?" Kakashi asked, disbelief heavy in his voice.
"Exactly." Drake nodded casually.
If you're going to cripple a supply line, you don't stop at one strike.
One depot can be rebuilt.
But systematic destruction? That breaks an army.
"This won't work." Kakashi shook his head.
"Oh? And why not?"
"This only succeeded because they weren't prepared. Next time, there'll be minefields, explosive tag traps everywhere. Your speed advantage won't matter."
Drake sat up slowly, eyes sharp and calm.
He looked at Kakashi… then Yugao.
"You two go back."
"I'm staying."
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