Minato's hands formed seals.
"Stop him! Stop him!"
Madara roared, his voice cracking from shouting.
He didn't need to guess.
Minato was reverse-summoning Drake.
If Drake arrived here—
Everything would collapse.
The Interception
"Earth Release — Earth Flowing River!"
Hiruzen reacted instantly.
The ground beneath Minato liquefied into a raging mud torrent.
Splash!
Minato's toad hand struck the ground—
But hit flowing mud instead.
The current threw him off balance.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Before he could stabilize, several venomous serpents burst from Orochimaru's sleeve.
Crack!
They bit down—
Only for their fangs to shatter.
"Wood Release — Binding Branches!"
Danzō slammed his palms together.
Wooden roots erupted and wrapped around Minato's body, restraining him tightly.
The toad struggled—
But couldn't break free.
"So close…" Madara murmured.
"You almost succeeded."
He gestured coldly.
"Kill him."
Orochimaru Steps Forward
"I'll do it."
Orochimaru uncorked a vial.
"This is venom from the Corrosive Serpent King. One drop can melt stone."
He tilted the bottle toward Minato's head.
"I'll keep your legs for research."
The liquid dripped—
Sizzle—
Orochimaru froze.
So did everyone else.
The restrained toad—
Turned into mud.
And vanished.
Not Earth Clone
"Earth clone?" Hiruzen whispered.
"No," Danzō muttered. "He doesn't even have Earth affinity."
Orochimaru stepped back slowly.
"…That wasn't Earth Release."
A voice echoed from the other side of the cavern.
Minato stood there calmly.
"You've mastered natural energy," Madara said, narrowing his eyes.
Minato's toad eyes flickered.
"Oh? You know about it too?"
Then realization dawned.
Of course Madara knew.
He fought Hashirama.
He understood Sage power.
"Join me," Madara offered.
"I can spare your life."
Minato's eyes flashed with ridicule.
"When Drake arrives," he replied calmly,
"You can tell him that yourself."
His hands formed the seal again.
He slammed them down.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Then he shouted proudly—
"Come forth—my great disciple!"
Konoha — Meanwhile
Drake had been in an excellent mood.
After "visiting the grassroots," as he liked to call it, morale was high.
Then—
Kushina started following him everywhere.
Office.
Home.
The back mountain.
Even fishing.
Finally, Drake pulled her aside into the forest.
"Kushina-senpai. Let's clear up any misunderstandings."
She bit her lip.
"Then sit."
He sat on a rock.
She stared at him for several seconds.
Then said—
"Let me tell you a story."
Kushina's Story
"Once, there was a woman who took over a young boy's bathhouse."
"The boy thought he was hiring her."
"But she actually wanted it for herself."
Drake smiled faintly.
He understood.
She continued.
"At first, she didn't think much of the boy."
"But her lover kept saying the boy was a genius."
"She grew curious."
"She heard customers talk about him."
"They said he destroyed a thousand elite shinobi alone."
She glanced at him.
He listened quietly.
"Some even asked me if you had a girlfriend."
"I didn't answer."
"Because I found out about you and Minako."
Drake looked at the sky.
"Then I heard Minako and Mikoto discussing… positions."
"Shameless ones. That you taught them."
His expression remained neutral.
"Then Suzune changed."
"And Rin."
"And Anko."
"Everyone around me was talking about you."
"Except me."
She exhaled softly.
"So I switched rooms with Suzune."
"And I slept with you."
Drake froze.
"That night, I realized…"
"After sleeping with someone… you really do start liking them."
She looked straight at him.
"Drake."
"We've slept together three times."
Silence.
Everything clicked.
The red-haired woman he'd woken up holding.
The seventh mysterious encounter.
It was her.
"Now that Minato turned into a toad… my guilt disappeared."
Her voice softened.
Relieved.
Honest.
Vulnerable.
The Summoning
Suddenly—
Drake's expression changed.
BOOM!
Space distorted violently.
Kushina blinked.
"…Where did he go?"
Mountain Graveyard — At the Same Moment
Reality tore open.
Chakra surged like a tidal wave.
A summoning seal exploded beneath Minato.
A figure emerged.
Drake.
He glanced once at the battlefield.
Madara.
Danzō.
Hiruzen.
Orochimaru.
White Zetsu.
All present.
His lips curved faintly.
"Perfect timing."
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