Drake's words, combined with Minato's subtle support, pushed Orochimaru into deep contemplation.
What Orochimaru was considering went far beyond surface-level grudges.
He was thinking about one thing only — power and position.
"If I hadn't been the supreme commander on the front lines, Danzo probably wouldn't have acted like this..."
"Did my control over the battlefield make him feel threatened?"
"Or perhaps, by getting rid of me, he could finally pave the way to becoming the next Hokage?"
As these thoughts formed, Orochimaru recalled Minato's earlier words.
After Orochimaru defected, Danzo immediately shifted his attention toward Minato.
If Orochimaru had once been the prime candidate for Fourth Hokage, then after his betrayal, Minato clearly became the most likely successor.
"Then it won't be long before Minato also leaves the village..."
Orochimaru muttered to himself.
A bitter smile formed on his lips.
"So it seems… the sacrifices of power are not only Hatake Sakumo, but me as well…"
Those words made Kakashi's body stiffen instantly.
After that brief emotional release, Orochimaru shook his head, as if losing interest in everything.
"Minato… if you ever leave the village, come find me."
His gaze shifted toward Anko in the distance.
"Anko… Team Nine isn't bad at all."
Hissssss—
His body dissolved into countless pale snakes, slithering into the earth.
Silence returned.
Night Camp
Team Nine continued forward, but Kakashi's silence deepened, and Anko seemed just as withdrawn.
"Hey… Drake," Obito whispered, leaning over.
"Kakashi's dad… he wasn't really a traitor, was he?"
"What do you think?" Drake replied calmly.
That single question shut Obito up completely.
Later that night, the team rested around a campfire.
Minato wanted to speak with Kakashi but couldn't find the right moment.
Turning his head, he noticed Drake leaning casually against a tree, muttering to himself.
He was talking to the trees again.
"Brother Tree, got any juicy intel for me today?"
Tree: "I need water."
"Anything else?"
Tree: "Fertilizer would be nice too."
"I swear, I'll chop you down."
Tree: "What kind of intel do you want?"
After a long back-and-forth, Drake sighed.
This tree was useless. All nonsense, no valuable information.
Suddenly, Kakashi approached.
"Drake."
"Hm?"
Drake blinked. This was unexpected.
Kakashi's eyes were cold, distant.
"You once said the Third Hokage was shortsighted."
"At the time, I didn't believe you."
"And now?" Drake asked.
"Now I do."
His voice carried a sharp chill.
"I used to only see the towering forest… never the corpses buried beneath the roots."
He stared up at the stars.
"It's not too late to understand that," Drake replied quietly.
Not long after, another figure took Kakashi's place.
Anko sat down beside Drake, lips pressed tight.
"Danzo is rotten to the core."
Her voice dripped with anger.
"Stay away from him from now on, okay? If he tries to pull you in again, don't go."
"And if he threatens you, tell Minato-sensei!"
"Don't act recklessly, alright?"
Drake nodded.
Soon after, Minato himself arrived.
"This is the mission report. Take a look and see if anything should be added."
He handed over the scroll and sat down as well.
Reading through it, Drake felt a slight warmth in his chest.
There wasn't a single mention of his Wood Release.
But both of them knew — this secret wouldn't remain hidden long.
Soon, those three factions would report everything.
"Sensei, my Wood Release can be made public," Drake said calmly.
Minato blinked. "You've decided?"
"Yes. I now have the capital to reveal it."
Minato studied his student carefully, then smiled faintly.
"So… you're still holding back something else."
"I am."
"And I know it?" Minato tilted his head.
After thinking for a moment, one possibility came to mind.
"The Rasengan?"
"Yes." Drake nodded.
Minato chuckled softly.
"Drake, Rasengan is powerful, but it's still close-range. Compared to Wood Release, it's far less dominant on the battlefield."
His expression grew serious.
"My advice: focus on developing your Wood Release further, and polish your taijutsu. That will bring true growth."
Drake listened carefully and nodded in agreement.
His real trump card was indeed the Rasengan — though its name had long vanished beneath endless attribute doubling.
Morning
The next day, Team Nine resumed their return journey.
Along the way, Drake casually opened his status panel.
Name: Drake
Age: 12
Strength: 1832 ✦ [Sub-Kage Tier]
Vitality: 2304 [Sage Level]
Agility: 186 [Kage Tier]
Spirit: 2560 [Divine Immunity]
Chakra: 6882
Techniques: None
Ninjutsu: Planetary Devastation (S+) [Quality Evolution]
Ability: Advanced Wood Release Control (Trait: Affinity)
Overall Evaluation: Genin
"Strength doubled again…"
Drake slowly clenched his fist.
A terrifying sensation of power surged through his arm — like a tidal wave waiting to be unleashed.
"How strong… is my punch now?"
His gaze drifted toward Obito's back — then he shook his head.
Let's not test it on him.
He bent down and picked up a pebble instead.
Slowing his pace, Drake allowed distance to form between himself and the squad.
Power surged through his arm.
The pebble left his fingers.
WHOOSH!!
A piercing sonic shriek split the air — like a drill piercing the eardrum.
BOOOOOOM!!
A deafening explosion erupted at the foot of the mountain.
"Enemy attack!"
"Stay alert!"
Minato's expression sharpened instantly.
Kakashi went straight into combat stance.
The rest of the squad drew their kunai.
Only Drake continued walking calmly, hands in his pockets, as he rejoined the group.
"False alarm," he said lazily.
"Just testing something."
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