An emergency jōnin-level meeting was convened in Konoha.
"The radicals of Sunagakure have seized power under Chiyo and installed a new Fourth Kazekage, Rasa. And this newly appointed Kazekage has already turned his sights toward us."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was grave as his gaze swept across the room.
"This sudden Sand invasion of the Land of Rivers is a clear prelude to an attack on the Land of Fire."
"Under these circumstances, I hereby appoint Orochimaru as the Supreme Commander of the frontlines, with full authority over the defensive forces."
As his disciple and most trusted subordinate, Orochimaru was the only one Hiruzen truly felt comfortable entrusting with such a critical role.
With the command structure decided, Hiruzen began assigning reconnaissance tasks, dispatching squads to monitor the movements of other villages and prevent opportunistic strikes.
Minato's Team Nine was among those assigned.
After the meeting, Minato walked out of the Hokage Tower with a sigh.
"I really didn't expect it to come to this again…"
He had previously helped Team Nine dodge this very mission, but this time, he had neither理由 nor power to reject it.
"Minato."
A raspy voice called out behind him.
"Orochimaru-sama," Minato greeted respectfully upon turning around.
"Your Team Nine seems rather carefree. I hear they've been vacationing on the back mountain."
Leaving only that cryptic remark behind, Orochimaru turned and walked away.
Minato stood there, completely baffled.
Vacationing on the back mountain?
Weren't they supposed to be cleaning the bathhouse?
What exactly did he mean?
"Sensei!"
Obito came sprinting over, Kakashi and Rin close behind.
"Hm? Finished the mission?"
"No… Drake is missing!" Obito blurted out, panting.
"We were going to check his house," Rin added anxiously.
"No need," Minato replied with a darkened expression.
He already knew where that brat had gone.
So this is your 'preparing for battle'? Running off to the back mountain for a holiday?
Back Mountain – The Cave
A gentle breeze drifted through the air, the temperature perfectly cool.
Drake lounged in a folding chair, legs crossed, munching on chips.
Crunch, crunch~
Tomato-flavored.
"Now this… this is the life I want…"
What was the point of fighting and killing? This was true peace.
He stretched lazily and reached for his bottle to wet his throat.
…Huh?
Why does it suddenly feel darker?
He opened his eyes — and instantly froze. The bottle clattered to the ground.
"S-Sensei?!"
Minato stood before him, smiling calmly.
"Pretty nice vacation spot you found here, huh?"
Drake's brain completely shut down.
How did he find me?!
And this fast?!
My chips aren't even finished yet!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Obito charged over, fury blazing in his eyes.
"So THIS is where you ran off to! We're scrubbing the bathhouse while you're chilling in the mountains?!"
He dragged Rin forward.
"Look, Rin! This is our great team captain!"
Rin glanced at Drake, disappointment flickering in her eyes.
"This… is a bit much," Kakashi said coldly, arms crossed.
"As captain, you shouldn't abandon your team just to escape the heat."
And look at this setup — snacks, folding chair, even a mosquito net sticking out of his bag.
Drake was escorted back to the village under armed supervision:
Three teammates glowering behind him, teacher leading the way.
Sigh… my luck is absolute trash.
"Must be Danzo who sold me out," he muttered bitterly.
There was no way Minato would've found him otherwise.
Training Ground No. 9
Minato tossed a mission scroll at Drake.
"You leave tomorrow."
"Grass Country is extremely complicated. Under no circumstances are you to approach the border of the Land of Earth."
After emphasizing the key points, Minato vanished in a flash.
No choice. He had a mission too — and he was leaving today.
On the familiar stone, Drake unrolled the scroll. Team Nine gathered around to read it.
The objective was clear:
Disguise yourselves, infiltrate the Grass Country, and obtain intelligence on the movements of the Earth Country's border garrisons.
After everyone finished reading, Drake gave them a moment to think before looking at Kakashi.
"Kakashi. Your thoughts."
Kakashi pondered for a while.
"Sensei warned us not to approach the Earth Country border. Which means our intel must be gathered from within the Grass Country itself."
"Wait, why can't we get close to the border?" Obito cut in.
In his mind, if they needed info about the Earth Country's forces, shouldn't they go straight to the border?
Not just Obito — even Kakashi was struggling to follow the logic.
"Drake, do you know why?" Rin asked too.
Drake looked at the three of them and sighed deeply.
How do you people even survive as ninja?
"It's simple. If we're discovered near the Earth Country border, Iwagakure gets a perfect excuse to declare war. Got it now?"
The moment he finished, understanding dawned on them.
"Oh! Right!" Obito smacked his forehead.
"That makes sense," Kakashi nodded.
"Drake, you're really smart…" Rin's eyes sparkled again.
Drake almost exploded.
Smart? You idiots just don't listen! Sensei practically spelled it out!
Closing the scroll, he announced their meetup time.
Midday and afternoon were too hot —
so they'd assemble at dawn instead.
"Great… no more sleeping in," he muttered.
The Next Morning
Drake woke up and, as usual, checked his status panel.
Name: Drake
Age: 12
Strength: 114 [Kage Level]
Constitution: 144 [Kage Level]
Agility: 184 (92 × 2) [Kage Level]
Spirit: 80 [Intermediate Immunity]
Chakra: 522
Skills: None
Ninjutsu: None
Overall Evaluation: Trainee Genin
He stared at the numbers.
"…Agility reached Kage Level too?"
A slow grin crept onto his face.
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