Danzo never imagined that the one who betrayed him… would be the very spy he had planted himself.
But soon, he realized something was off.
"Impossible. How could Drake know about the Wood Release subject I've been secretly cultivating?"
This was classified information even Hiruzen didn't know — let alone a teenage genin.
He began retracing Drake's movements from the previous day.
"When Team Nine returned, I summoned Drake directly to the barbecue house."
"After that… he went to Minato's residence."
So was it Drake's own initiative?
Or had Minato been using him all along?
A cold realization formed.
"Minato must've used Drake as a cover!"
"That bastard… not only swindled his student's bathhouse, but now he's using the boy as well!"
In Danzo's eyes, Drake was simply too naive — a fool who wouldn't even realize the day Minato sold him out.
"This mission to the Land of Grass… Drake probably won't be coming back."
What a pity.
Such a profitable bathhouse… gone just like that.
With a dark sigh, Danzo crushed the sketch in his hand into a tight ball.
On the Road to the Land of Grass
Team Nine continued forward.
Since they had departed in the afternoon, they hadn't covered much ground before night fell.
Under the flickering light of the campfire, Minato unrolled the map.
"At our current pace, we'll reach the Land of Grass by tomorrow night."
"Before that, I'll reorganize the teams."
Reorganize?
Everyone exchanged glances.
With six members, a reshuffle was indeed possible.
"Drake, Kakashi, and I will form Group One. The rest of you will be Group Two."
The decision dropped like a stone.
"Wait, Sensei!" Obito raised his hand immediately. "You put all the strong ones in one group — even you're in it! Aren't we Group Two just dead weight then?"
"Yeah!" Rin followed up. "Isn't that just the elite squad and the burden squad?"
"So we're the 'emotional support unit'?" Yugao muttered.
"You kids…" Minato chuckled helplessly.
"Our group will enter the Land of Grass and intercept the Iwa forces.
Group Two will remain near the border and gain experience with the defensive division."
In truth, this had been Drake's suggestion.
Dragging too many liabilities into enemy territory would only limit what he could do. Worse, if someone got captured, the moral fallout would be unbearable.
After the assignment, Group Two's morale visibly sank.
Obito walked over quietly.
"Drake… move me to Group One."
"Hm?" Drake raised a brow. "You serious?"
"I'll lose all face if I stay here…"
Drake shook his head in disbelief.
"Be grateful. Trust me."
"What kind of brother are you?!"
"Obito… self-awareness is important. Think about it."
"…You're cruel."
But when Drake told him he had to survive a punch first, Obito instantly backed down.
"Yeah… I think I like Group Two again."
Soon after, Anko appeared.
"Swap me into Group One."
"Nope."
Dismissed instantly.
The Next Morning
As the team resumed travel, Drake casually checked his system.
Ability: Wood Release — Intermediate Control (Trait: Affinity)
He understood the evolution, but the trait shift caught his eye.
Curious, he began observing the roadside trees more carefully.
"Hey, that human's staring at us again."
"So what? He's just passing by."
"What if he snaps your branches?"
"Relax, he's in a hurry."
Drake froze.
He could hear them?
Was this… tree conversation?
"Whoa — watch it! You stepped on me!"
A furious shout erupted from the ground.
Drake nearly jumped out of his skin.
Kakashi had unknowingly crushed a patch of wild grass.
"Damn it… I'm going to lose my mind at this rate."
Drake immediately shut down his focus.
If he kept this up, he'd actually go insane.
Border Outpost
Before nightfall, Team Nine finally arrived at the border outpost near the Land of Grass.
A burly shinobi stepped out to greet them.
"Minato!"
"Choza."
They exchanged a few words and left Group Two behind at the outpost.
"You're still heading in this late?" Choza asked, puzzled. "Isn't that risky?"
"It's fine. Drake here knows the owner of an inn inside the country."
"Oh?" Choza was surprised.
In the Land of Grass, innkeepers were rarely just innkeepers — most were information brokers.
"You know people like that already?" he glanced at Drake.
"Long time no see, Choza-senpai."
"Be careful in there," Choza warned seriously.
Land of Grass – Night
Drake, Kakashi, and Minato entered the territory and quickly found Kenjiro's inn.
But the moment they stepped inside, they froze.
Kenjiro was sprawled on the floor like a dead pig.
Three Iwagakure shinobi sat casually at the counter, flipping through scrolls.
"Hmm?"
They turned in unison.
Kenjiro lifted his head and spotted Drake.
"Drake! Kill them! I have critical intel!"
Whoosh!
Before Drake even moved, Minato and Kakashi had already launched forward.
"Hey, he called me first, you know…"
Too late.
Two of the Iwa shinobi were eliminated in an instant.
The third panicked and began forming hand seals.
"Earth Style — Cr—"
SMACK!
Drake's palm slammed straight into his face, crushing his skull down into his chest.
He collapsed like a sack of grain.
Drake dusted off his hand.
"Next time you form seals — do it faster. That was painful to watch."
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