Under the tree at Training Ground No. 9, rain continued to fall softly.
Drake pulled Kushina down to sit beside him.
He had to.
If he didn't hold her arm, she might bolt at any moment.
The toad before them—covered in swollen bumps and crowned with a tuft of blond hair—lowered its head.
Minato began to explain.
How It Happened
"It was my greed…"
Regret flickered in his amphibian eyes.
"When we went to Mount Myōboku, I secretly absorbed a trace of natural energy."
"At the time, I controlled it easily."
"So I thought… I could handle more."
Drake pieced it together quickly.
During the chaos of Chibaku Tensei—
Minato must have taken advantage of the distraction to draw in senjutsu energy.
Back in Konoha, emboldened by that initial success, he attempted further absorption.
And now—
He was a toad.
"You should be grateful you didn't turn into stone," Drake said calmly.
Minato blinked in surprise.
"You knew?"
"Last night," Minato continued, "I almost petrified. I had no choice but to push the transformation toward a toad instead."
"You distributed the natural energy evenly across your body to avoid imbalance," Drake deduced.
"Yes."
Kushina tried very hard to adjust.
She truly did.
But every time she looked at him—
Her stomach churned.
Diagnosis
Drake placed his hand on Minato's head.
He examined the chakra structure carefully.
Moments later, he withdrew.
"It's complete."
"The natural energy already reshaped your body at the cellular level."
"There's nothing left to extract."
Minato sighed.
"I expected that."
"That's why I hid under a concealment barrier."
He didn't want anyone seeing him like this.
"If you had contacted me last night," Drake said quietly, "I could've extracted it before the transformation finalized."
Minato shook his head.
"You've never absorbed natural energy before—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Because Drake's eyes had changed.
Dark pigmentation formed around them.
Natural energy flowed steadily.
Perfectly balanced.
"You… mastered it?"
Drake shrugged lightly.
"It's not that difficult."
Minato could only stare.
"You truly are a genius."
Regret hit him again.
If he had gone to Drake sooner—
But it was too late.
A Decision
Silence lingered beneath the rain.
Then Minato spoke.
"I want to go to Mount Myōboku."
His gaze shifted toward Kushina.
"When I'm gone… take care of her."
Kushina gripped Drake's sleeve tighter.
Drake didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he thought.
"There may be a way to restore you."
Minato's eyes widened.
"There is?"
"Two methods."
"Tell me."
Method One — Rebirth
"I extract a portion of your remaining unaltered tissue."
"I cultivate a new human body."
"Then I transfer your consciousness into it."
"As the body grows, your spirit integrates fully."
Minato understood instantly.
He would start again.
As a child.
It meant over a decade before adulthood.
"And the second method?" he asked quietly.
Method Two — Death and Resurrection
Drake's tone remained calm.
"I kill you."
"Summon you via Impure World Reincarnation in your human form."
"Then I locate a Rinnegan user to revive you properly."
The rain seemed louder for a moment.
Minato stared.
Kushina covered her mouth.
"…Rinnegan?"
Drake nodded.
"It exists."
Kushina hesitated.
"…Kurama says you're lying."
Drake slowly turned his head.
"Lying?"
"Kurama says no human currently possesses the Rinnegan."
Drake's voice became dangerously even.
"Tell Kurama to stay quiet."
"Or I'll squeeze it."
Kushina immediately shut her eyes internally.
Kurama pretended to sleep.
Very convincingly.
The Choice
Minato considered carefully.
If even the Nine-Tails denied the existence of a current Rinnegan wielder—
Then the second method was unrealistic.
He inhaled slowly.
"I choose the first."
Then he looked at Drake with complete sincerity.
"Take care of Kushina."
"Minato…" Kushina's expression was conflicted.
"We'll meet again in ten or fifteen years," Minato said softly.
He gazed at her tenderly.
"…Mm—ugh."
Kushina quickly turned her head away.
The toad sighed.
"…Yes. My appearance is a severe disadvantage."
Drake almost smiled.
Rain continued to fall.
The era quietly shifted once more.
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