Minato Namikaze stood quietly as Hiruzen Sarutobi lowered his head in deep thought.
The room fell into silence.
After a long while, Hiruzen finally looked up, worry evident on his face.
"Minato… since the Mist has also entered the war, relying solely on the Uchiha clan won't be enough to hold the line."
He sighed, his tone heavy.
"You are to depart immediately and reinforce the Uchiha forces at the border."
Minato was stunned.
Hadn't they already agreed that he would escort the Third to the Land of Grass for negotiations?
How did it suddenly turn into fighting the Mist ninjas instead?
But the situation was urgent. He didn't dwell on it.
"I request to bring Drake with me," Minato proposed.
With Drake present, Minato was confident the Mist offensive would be crushed quickly.
"No," Hiruzen refused outright.
"I plan to have Drake go to the Land of Grass for negotiations."
"…You want him to negotiate with Iwagakure alone?" Minato's expression turned strange.
"That's right."
"…Understood."
To be honest, Minato felt that the Third might not yet realize how terrifying Drake's 'negotiations' could be.
Sending Drake to negotiate with the Tsuchikage?
There was a very real chance it would end in disaster.
After Leaving the Hokage Office
Minato went to the back mountain—but Drake wasn't there.
"I was hoping to remind him of a few things… Where did he run off to now?"
Shaking his head, Minato left.
ANBU Base
When Drake learned that he alone was being sent to the Land of Grass, he was completely dumbfounded.
"Are you sure the Third wants me to go alone?" Drake asked, looking at White Zetsu.
"Yes," White Zetsu replied respectfully.
"The Third Hokage said he must remain in the village, and that you will represent him."
"…Seems like the Third really trusts me," Drake said, rubbing his chin.
"Where's Sensei Minato?"
Drake had originally planned to bring Minato along.
"Minato Namikaze has already left the village."
"Oh?"
After a moment's thought, Drake guessed where Minato had gone.
Most likely, the Third had sent him to deal with the Mist forces.
"Damn it… that old bastard can't even let me rest for a while. Always dumping missions on me."
Cursing under his breath, Drake grabbed his sword and left.
He tossed the blade into the air, leapt onto it—
Whoosh!
The sword tore through the sky, streaking toward the Land of Grass.
Eastern Border of the Land of Fire
On a barren mountaintop—
Danzo Shimura stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant battlefield.
"Danzo, you've done well,"
Uchiha Madara said as he walked up.
"To convince the Fourth Mizukage to launch a surprise attack on the Land of Fire's border…"
"This is nothing," Danzo replied smugly.
"Negotiation is my specialty."
Then he added coldly,
"And I also know that Kirigakure has captured the Three-Tails and is preparing to deploy it on the battlefield."
"Oh? They've already captured it?" Madara nodded in realization.
"No wonder the Mist dares to attack."
But soon, regret appeared on Madara's face.
"Such a pity. If you had defected to me earlier, the encirclement plan against Konoha might have succeeded."
A faint, mocking smile flashed across Danzo's lips.
In Danzo's eyes, the aged Madara had long since lost most of his power, relying only on schemes and manipulation.
An outdated relic like this thinks he can make me stronger?
What kind of confidence is that?
As if sensing Danzo's thoughts, Madara suddenly turned his head.
"Danzo… you think I should've been eliminated by this era, don't you?"
"…What?" Danzo froze.
"How could he know my thoughts?"
"You think I no longer have the power to destroy Konoha, correct?" Madara continued calmly.
"Isn't that the case?" Danzo shot back.
"You're truly foolish, Danzo," Madara said, shaking his head in pity.
"What did you say?!" Danzo's face darkened.
Calling me stupid?
You've been hiding like a rat for decades—what gives you the right?
Madara sighed lightly.
"Then let me ask you something."
"Why do you think your Root organization betrayed you?"
"That wasn't Root!" Danzo snapped.
"That was ANBU in disguise!"
"You're wrong," Madara said flatly.
"Your Root was already slaughtered by Drake."
"…What?!" Danzo shook his head violently.
"Impossible!"
Drake was his agent.
Even if he was forced to obey ANBU's Liuli, he was still—at least nominally—Danzo's subordinate.
Drake wiping out Root?
How could that be possible?
Sizzle—
At that moment, Black Zetsu emerged from the ground.
"Lord Madara, the latest intelligence from the Land of Grass."
"Oh?"
Madara opened the scroll, skimmed it, then let out a cold chuckle.
"Danzo… take a look yourself."
He tossed the scroll over.
Slap.
Danzo grabbed it and read quickly.
With each line, his expression grew darker.
"Drake… single-handedly annihilated Iwagakure's elite force?"
He couldn't believe it.
In his mind, Drake was at most jōnin-level.
Even with Wood Release, how strong could a twelve-year-old be?
Madara sneered and continued his merciless assault.
"Danzo, you truly believed that because you treated Drake as a pawn, he belonged to you?"
"Ridiculous."
"You never understood how cunning—or how terrifying—that brat really is."
"You still think it was Hiruzen Sarutobi who expelled you from Konoha?"
"No… it was Drake."
Each word struck Danzo like a spike through the heart.
In that instant, memories flooded back—
Orochimaru's defection.
The massive explosion on the back mountain.
Root being wiped out.
Being hunted down by Uchiha Fugaku himself.
Everything lined up.
"…Drake!"
Danzo's face twisted with uncontrollable killing intent.
"I swear—"
"I will tear you apart, skin and bone!"
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