Because of the emergency recall order, Team Nine dashed back to the village at full speed, abandoning the half-built warehouse without hesitation.
Hokage's Office
"Stop. Only one person enters at a time."
The ANBU guard at the door spoke coldly, blocking their way.
Drake and the others exchanged glances.
Since when did this kind of interrogation style become popular?
"Drake, you go first."
He pushed the door open — and froze for a moment.
Inside weren't just Hiruzen Sarutobi, but also Danzo.
"Close the door," Hiruzen said calmly.
"Drake," Danzo began, his tone severe, "with the Hokage and myself here to back you, answer the following questions truthfully. Do not be afraid. You stand behind the entire village."
"Yes." Drake nodded earnestly.
"Regarding the deaths of the three Root operatives — tell us everything you know!"
Under the gaze of two political giants, Drake adopted a thoughtful, recalling expression.
"We were escorting supplies for Anko. Halfway through the route, we discovered several corpses and two severely wounded Sand ninja."
"Minato wasn't there yet?" Danzo cut in sharply.
"Ah… no. Sensei arrived only after we fired the signal flare."
"I see…"
Danzo and Hiruzen exchanged a glance.
The Interrogations Continue
Second: Obito
"Uchiha Obito!"
Obito nearly jumped out of his skin — Danzo's voice was way too loud.
"Explain how the three Root operatives died."
"Huh?! I didn't see anything!" Obito blurted out.
He wasn't lying.
Drake's punches had been so fast he couldn't track them.
Third: Rin
"Nohara Rin. If you were threatened, you are safe now. Tell us how Minato killed those Root operatives."
"Huh? Sensei arrived later, though…" Rin corrected softly.
Fourth: Kakashi
"Hatake Kakashi. State clearly what happened."
He calmly recounted their escort mission story.
Fifth: Ibiki Morino
Because he wasn't part of Team Nine, the questioning he endured was especially thorough.
But he'd lost teammates to Sand ninja… and Drake had avenged them.
Plus, he'd already been forced to stab those corpses.
There was no chance he'd betray him now.
After the interrogation, Team Nine was informed they could not leave the village for the time being.
Inside the Office Again
Danzo and Hiruzen turned their eyes toward the corner.
SWISH.
A figure stepped forward.
Yamanaka Inoichi.
Head of the Yamanaka clan. A legendary sensory-type shinobi famed for mental arts.
"Inoichi, your conclusion?" Hiruzen asked.
"Three of them were telling the truth — Drake, Uchiha Obito, and Nohara Rin. The other two were lying."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Hiruzen stared.
Danzo looked shaken.
Even Inoichi himself was confused.
Because Drake's statement matched exactly what Kakashi and Ibiki had said.
Yet the readings differed completely.
"Inoichi," Hiruzen frowned, "are you certain your lie-detection technique isn't malfunctioning?"
"It has never failed before," Inoichi replied solemnly.
A Yamanaka mental interrogation never misfired.
And yet… it had this time.
Of course — none of them realized why.
Drake's Super Immunity had completely nullified the mind-reading technique.
The Misinterpretation Begins
BANG!
Danzo slammed the table, face dark with fury.
"I knew it. They're hiding the truth!"
"It had to be Minato!"
"Calm down," Hiruzen warned. "Don't forget — Inoichi confirmed Drake wasn't lying."
"But what if Drake himself was deceived?" Danzo shot back.
That made sense.
Drake had been manipulated — that's why the technique didn't detect deceit.
"There is such a possibility…" Hiruzen admitted.
Danzo pressed forward with his theory:
"Kakashi and Ibiki must have discovered something. Then Minato threatened them. After that, they fabricated a false version of events and misled the other three!"
"You do have a point… but it's still speculation," Hiruzen sighed.
"Speculation? Then explain why those two lied!"
After a brief pause, Hiruzen spoke again:
"Send people to interrogate the two captured Sand ninja at the front lines. And when Minato returns, we'll question him as well."
Training Ground No.9
Team Nine regrouped, Ibiki among them.
"What did they ask you?" Obito asked.
"And you?" Drake countered.
They compared notes, piecing everything together.
Drake sat on a rock, deep in thought.
"Seems… normal?" he muttered.
He didn't know that a Yamanaka clan head had been probing his mind.
He didn't know his Super Immunity had flawlessly blocked it.
And so, in the miracle of misunderstandings…
The true culprit was officially labeled the most innocent person of all.
Ichiraku Ramen
When the team arrived, Teuchi's face instantly darkened.
"You brats ran pretty fast last time!"
He held out his hand expectantly.
Pay up.
"Wait," Drake frowned. "Did we actually eat last time?"
"No, but you ordered! You still pay!"
"We didn't eat. Why should we pay?"
"You ordered it! Got it?!"
"Then bring out the ramen we ordered."
Teuchi: "..."
In the end?
They were thrown out.
"Drake… that was downright vicious," Ibiki muttered in disbelief.
"Noisy. Disappear already." Drake waved him off coldly.
Ibiki walked away.
The moment he turned the corner—
Team Nine sprinted straight back into the ramen shop.
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