Night fell.
A cool breeze swept gently across the rooftops.
Drake and Rin sat side by side on the tiles.
"Drake… why does war exist?"
Rin's gaze seemed distant as she asked a question that had troubled humanity for generations.
Drake glanced at her, thought for a moment, then replied calmly,
"Probably because of desire."
"Desire?" Rin tilted her head in confusion.
"Yes. As long as desire exists, conflict follows. And once conflicts pile up… they turn into war."
Rin half-understood, half-didn't.
But she knew Drake was smart, so his words had to make sense.
"Then… does that mean war can never end?" she asked softly.
"No," Drake answered decisively. "It can end."
"Huh? Didn't you just say desire leads to war?"
"Yes, but I never said war couldn't be erased."
Rin felt her head starting to spin.
So she asked directly,
"Then how do we end war?"
Drake pointed at himself.
"Me."
"…You?" Rin's eyes widened.
"That's right. Once I grow strong enough, war will naturally disappear."
Rin hesitated, trying to find the right words.
In the end, she encouraged him earnestly,
"Drake, I believe in you! You'll definitely become someone as great as the First Hokage!"
"Only as great?" Drake smiled faintly.
"Th-Then… surpass him?" she ventured.
"No."
He shook his head.
"The First Hokage doesn't even qualify to be compared to me."
To Drake, comparing a human to an ant made no sense.
And he wasn't just human — he was something far beyond.
Rin was stunned.
Even though she knew he was probably boasting, at that moment, the domineering aura radiating from him made her heart race.
The Next Morning
Drake stepped out of Rin's house.
Behind him, Rin clung to the doorframe, legs weak and unsteady.
"I'm finished… I have no strength left, and today is the ANBU exam…"
At the Hokage Building Entrance
When Team 9 gathered, Rin immediately became the center of attention.
"Rin, what's wrong? Why are you walking funny?" Red Bean asked suspiciously.
"Did you fall last night?" Yugao added with exaggerated concern.
Kakashi glanced at Rin, then at Drake, who remained perfectly composed.
"Nothing! I just slipped off the roof while enjoying the breeze last night," Rin forced a smile.
Swish!
An ANBU wearing a cat mask appeared.
"Team 9. One missing during the mission, six present."
The team blinked in confusion.
"You got it wrong. We only have five members!" Red Bean corrected.
Then she froze.
Behind the ANBU, a familiar youngster stepped forward.
"Hello, seniors~"
Yamato bowed politely and walked into the lineup.
"You ran off during a mission and now you're back?" Kakashi scoffed.
"Have you no shame?" Red Bean glared down at him coldly.
Yamato lowered his head, unable to reply.
Because what they said… wasn't wrong.
ANBU Exam – Written Test
Location: Hokage conference hall.
Drake unfolded his test paper.
It was nearly half a meter long.
This is way worse than the academy…
Sighing, he began reading.
Question 1
The frontline is critical, and you are only a ninja academy student. You will:
A. Join the frontline
B. Train harder
C. Assist logistics
Drake frowned.
No option for lying flat?
Question 2
You assassinated an important enemy figure. The enemy threatens total war. You will:
A. Go to war with your comrades
B. Sacrifice yourself for peace
C. Flee the village and hide
He almost laughed.
Where's crush everything directly?
Question 3
The duty of ANBU is:
A. Protect the Hokage
B. Oppress civilians
Drake put down his pen.
"What kind of garbage is this?"
He shoved the paper aside and casually crushed his pen into microscopic particles.
The proctor ANBU noticed him.
Drake stared straight back.
ANBU: "?"
Step. Step.
The ANBU walked over, glanced at the blank paper, then back at Drake.
"Wood Release Drake?"
Drake didn't answer. Still just stared.
The ANBU silently took away his exam sheet.
Kakashi glanced over and already knew the result.
He's done for.
"At least last time he got 9 points… this time it's zero," Rin muttered nervously.
"Tch. If you don't know, just say so. Why act so arrogant…" Red Bean scoffed.
"Hey, want mine?" Yugao whispered from behind.
Drake ignored them all.
The quietest person in the room… was Yamato.
Despite being the youngest, he never stopped writing.
Half an hour later
Snore… snore…
Drake had fallen asleep.
The proctor ANBU clenched his fist… then relaxed it again.
Drake opened his eyes just as the test ended.
"Afternoon combat test! Location: Training Ground No. 9!"
The ANBU stormed off with the papers.
Stretching lazily, Drake checked his stats:
Spirit: 5120 (×) [Unknown Tier]
A satisfied smile curved his lips.
Elsewhere — A Desolate Mountain Cave
Outside the cave, Obito staggered over to his sapling and sat down.
Though his body was exhausted, his spirit remained unbroken.
Because here… he had planted hope.
The young tree looked wilted.
So he watered it again gently.
"Little tree… I think I got stronger today."
"I also discovered one of Madara's secrets."
"Can you… pass this information to Drake for me?"
The leaves rustled softly.
And deep underground… destiny silently shifted.
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