Birdsong filled the air.
Team Nine packed up and prepared to continue their return to the village.
"Drake, were these slogans put up by you?" Minato Namikaze asked, glancing at the slogans nailed into the tree trunks.
"Not me," Drake shook his head.
"The wording was Obito's idea. Ibiki was the one who nailed them up."
Obito stumbled mid-step.
Ibiki Morino's face went pitch-black as he turned around and walked straight back into the supply station.
"Sensei, your complexion looks a lot better," Drake joked.
"Does it?" Minato touched his face.
"Feels like it. At least my chakra's mostly recovered—and the green's faded."
"Let's hurry," Shikaku Nara urged.
"We should be back by noon."
Thud!
The moment he finished speaking, his foot caught on something and he face-planted.
"Who did that? Who tripped me?!" Shikaku shouted, spitting dirt as he stood up.
He looked around.
No one was even close.
"Shikaku… did you just trip by yourself?" Chōza Akimichi asked, confused.
"There's no one near you," Inoichi Yamanaka added.
"No," Shikaku said firmly.
"Someone grabbed my ankle."
He looked toward Team Nine.
No one reacted.
Drake, in particular, was standing the farthest away.
It was him.
He had White Zetsu do it.
Shikaku was certain.
All I did was urge him to move faster—and he's this petty?
I didn't even complain about last night yet!
On the Road
Drake glanced at his status panel.
Ability: Ultimate Perception (10,000 meters)
"So my perception finally counts as 'decent,'" he muttered.
With a thought, he activated it.
Hummm—
In an instant, everything within ten kilometers flooded his mind.
At the same time, chakra drained continuously.
"…That's a huge cost."
He was surprised.
Barely over ten seconds—and nearly one-thousandth of his chakra was gone.
Drake shut it off, now understanding the ability much better.
Noon · Konoha
They finally returned.
"I'll go report the mission. You all can—"
Minato suddenly stopped.
He almost forgot.
Team Nine was no longer under his command—they belonged to ANBU now.
"Sensei, we're heading out," Drake waved casually.
"I'm going back to the clan!" Obito said excitedly.
Drake glanced at him but didn't bother exposing the truth.
Back home, Drake watered the two trees in his yard.
Rustle… rustle…
The trees responded warmly, expressing gratitude.
"White Zetsu."
Sitting down, Drake called out.
Zzz—
"Drake-sama," White Zetsu emerged from the ground.
"You can create clones, right?" Drake asked.
He'd already guessed as much from the chakra-transfer incident.
"Yes, but my clones are weaker than the main body," White Zetsu replied honestly.
"Make one."
White Zetsu's body writhed—
then split, forming another White Zetsu.
Drake placed a hand on the clone's shoulder.
After a moment, he understood.
"So that's it… this is basically a Wood-Release clone."
To Drake, White Zetsu's clones were nearly identical to Wood clones—
the only difference being reduced strength.
"Make several spores."
"Yes, Drake-sama."
Zzz—
Several spores were produced and placed into Drake's hands.
"I have a task for you," Drake said calmly, channeling chakra.
"Split into more clones. Then gather the ANBU in the base hall."
"What about Team Nine?" White Zetsu asked.
"Don't call them. Only ANBU outside Team Nine."
White Zetsu paused.
"…Drake-sama, are you planning to—"
"Kill them," Drake said flatly.
"Replace them all with your clones."
White Zetsu's eyes shone with worship.
As expected of Drake-sama.
That way, ANBU would become entirely ours.
Afternoon · ANBU Base
Vice-Captain Fire Luli issued an order:
All ANBU report to base immediately.
Team Nine received nothing.
Everyone else did.
Drake entered the ANBU base.
In the hall, eight ANBU stood assembled.
"Strange… why did only Drake show up from Team Nine?" someone whispered.
But it was only mild curiosity.
After all, Drake was the true authority.
Whether others came didn't matter.
Moments later, "Luli" appeared.
"I have an important announcement," she said slowly, scanning the room.
"…That announcement is—"
"Please die."
Shock exploded across their faces.
"You broke your promise!"
They had already boarded Team Nine's ship—
And now Drake was turning on them?!
They all knew the truth.
Luli was a puppet.
Drake was the real one in charge.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Drake moved like a shadow, killing them all in an instant.
Zzz—
White Zetsu clones emerged, wrapping the bodies.
In moments—
They were replaced.
Ten minutes later, Drake walked out of the base.
"Farewell, Drake-sama!"
At the gate, ANBU bowed respectfully.
Hokage Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi finished writing a scroll and handed it to Danzō Shimura.
"Danzō. This negotiation mission… I'm counting on you," Hiruzen said gravely.
With a three-nation alliance pressing in, Konoha needed to win over one side—or face collapse.
They'd lost a day, but it wasn't too late.
Danzō snorted.
"When hasn't the village crisis relied on me?"
Then he added coldly:
"I want all of ANBU to escort me."
Hiruzen hesitated.
Then nodded.
"…Fine. I agree."
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