In the courtyard, a pure white Rasengan spun silently in Drake's palm, bathing the entire place in pale light.
Minato stood there, completely frozen.
"A genius…?"
Probably not.
In his eyes, if Drake were truly gifted, he wouldn't have scored zero in the Three Basic Techniques and Shuriken Throwing at the Ninja Academy.
"Could it be… because his chakra has no attribute?"
That was the only explanation Minato could come up with.
Drake's chakra was naturally formless, so perhaps it resonated perfectly with the Rasengan itself.
"Looks like even he's stunned by this…"
Seeing the joy spreading across Drake's face, Minato understood.
A bottom-of-the-class loser suddenly mastering an A-rank technique in one go — anyone would be overwhelmed.
And to be fair… Drake was excited.
He had abandoned the Volume Evolution Path for the Rasengan and chosen the far more dangerous route:
Mass Evolution.
Ninjutsu: Rasengan (A-Rank)
Evolution Type: Mass-Oriented
Afterward, Minato gave him one last serious warning.
"You must remember — this is the only ninjutsu you know. Keep it for critical moments only."
"I understand, Sensei."
Drake nodded obediently.
He knew exactly what Minato meant.
Hide your true edge.
On the surface, he was just a reckless taijutsu specialist…
But in reality, he held a lethal trump card.
"You mastered it in one attempt, but that doesn't mean you're done. Continue practicing."
The Next Morning
Crisp birdsong echoed through the courtyard trees.
Drake rose from bed and, as usual, checked his status panel.
Name: Drake
Age: 12
Strength: 456 [Super-Class]
Constitution: 288 [Super-Class]
Agility: 184 [Kage-Level]
Spirit: 160 (80 × 2) [High-Level Immunity]
Chakra Capacity: 1088
Skills: None
Ninjutsu: Rasengan (A-Rank) [Mass Evolution]
Overall Evaluation: Genin
"Spirit doubled today…"
He felt slightly disappointed — only until his eyes dropped further.
Then he frowned.
"Wait… I'm not even 'Trainee Genin' anymore? I'm officially just Genin now?"
"How is that logical?"
Before learning Rasengan, sure — Genin made sense.
But now? With stats like this?
"My worst attribute is still Kage-level… and I'm rated Genin?"
He stared at the panel for a while before his gaze landed on one line:
Skills: None
"Maybe that's it…"
He finally understood.
In the system's eyes, 'skills' referred to fundamentals — shuriken precision, kunai control, combat technique proficiency.
Right now, he was like a world-class nuclear physicist who couldn't do basic arithmetic.
Hopelessly imbalanced.
After an unhurried breakfast, he noticed something unusual.
No summons.
No messages.
No Team Nine assembly order.
"Looks like Sensei handled the rest period."
And indeed — he had.
Hokage Office
Minato stood in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, calmly but firmly arguing his case.
"Lord Hokage, why is it that every other squad receives a rest period except Team Nine?"
"Minato… but Team Nine has the prodigy Kakashi. They can't be treated like ordinary Genin squads," Hiruzen replied patiently.
"Even Jonin squads receive rest. Why are they the exception?"
"You're looping again…"
Hiruzen felt a headache coming on.
Minato wasn't wrong. He was just… inconveniently right.
If it had been any other Jonin, Hiruzen would've dismissed him.
But Minato? Disciple of Jiraiya. Lover of Kushina. Future pillar of the village.
His words couldn't be ignored.
With a weary sigh, Hiruzen finally surrendered.
"Fine. Team Nine gets three days of rest."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage."
Minato was about to leave when he casually added:
"And please approve reimbursement for their 500,000 ryō."
Clack.
The pen slipped from Hiruzen's hand.
"Reimbursement? Five hundred thousand?"
"Yes."
"But doesn't Drake own a bathhouse? Why does he need reimbursement?" Hiruzen frowned.
"That bathhouse can't even reopen properly. He doesn't have renovation funds."
"And that money was his parents' death compensation."
Silence.
This was sensitive territory.
Once 'bereavement funds' entered the conversation, refusal was politically impossible.
Hiruzen scribbled the approval form with visible reluctance and waved Minato away.
"Understood."
After Minato left, Hiruzen leaned back and muttered:
"I never thought… that as Hokage, I'd be played by a Genin…"
He'd processed countless missions in his lifetime.
Never once had a ninja pulled this kind of reimbursement move.
Only Team Nine.
Only Drake.
"Bereavement funds?" he snorted.
Who in their right mind carried that while doing missions?
He knew perfectly well.
That boy had calculated everything.
Training Ground No. 9
Minato arrived with a bright smile.
Team Nine erupted in cheers.
"The money's back. Why are you all just staring at it?" he asked, puzzled.
The bills lay casually atop a rock.
Especially Obito — his eyes were practically glowing with greed.
"Ah… I was just too happy and forgot," Drake said sheepishly, pocketing it.
"Use these three days to train properly."
With that, Minato vanished.
"Split it, split it!" Obito could barely contain himself.
"I'm included too!" Rin quickly added.
"Isn't fifty thousand a little too little?" Kakashi muttered pointedly.
Drake cast him a sideways glance.
"If I hadn't cried to Sensei, you'd get nothing."
Silence.
Then reluctant acceptance.
And so, Team Nine's first great 'financial operation' quietly concluded.
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