At the entrance of the Hokage Tower, both sides faced each other off.
The air was thick with tension.
"Wood Release Drake, you've gone too far," an ANBU said coldly.
Taking the mission scroll was perfectly reasonable. Without it, how were they supposed to know the mission details?
"Oh? I've gone too far?"
Drake shook his head.
"You really have a short memory. You just finished slandering us and already forgot?"
"When did I slander you? I only said we don't want to team up with Squad Nine," the ANBU argued.
"To hell with that!"
Drake snapped.
He grabbed the stack of explosive tags from Rin without hesitation and flung dozens of them forward.
The scene instantly turned chaotic.
"Damn it!"
"Fall back!"
"He's crazy!"
The six ANBU panicked and rushed straight into the Hokage Tower.
They firmly believed Drake was only bluffing.
After all — this was the Hokage Tower! No one would dare detonate explosive tags here!
"Drake, don't set them off! Don't!!!" Rin screamed in panic.
"Move! You idiot!" Anko dragged her away together with Yugao.
"I'm out!" Yamato shouted, already sprinting.
"You'd better think this thro—"
Kakashi didn't even finish the word tower.
Because the explosive tags began glowing.
"...DAMN!"
He turned and ran like his life depended on it.
"Hehe~"
Drake grinned, his figure flashing out of sight.
BOOOOOOM!!!
A deafening explosion shook the entire area.
Flames shot skyward as thick black smoke swallowed the scene.
The ground trembled violently.
When the smoke cleared, half of the Hokage Tower had collapsed.
Hokage Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat there motionless, pen still in hand.
His desk was gone.
The documents? Gone.
Even the floor beneath him had partially disappeared.
THUD!
A chunk of broken ceiling smashed onto his head.
His blank expression slowly turned furious.
"WHO DARED TO BOMB THE HOKAGE TOWER?!"
Elsewhere – Squad Nine
An eerie silence hung over the team.
"…Should I go home and pack? You know, for running away?" Rin muttered.
"Yeah, I should probably grab my money," Yugao added seriously.
"Run? Did you not see how calm Drake is?" Anko scoffed. "He must have a plan."
Though she tried to sound confident, even she was nervous deep down.
"What you did this time really crossed a line…" Kakashi warned.
"I think Drake-senpai did the right thing!" Yamato said enthusiastically.
"They tried to steal our scroll!"
Drake nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad, kid. You're officially part of Squad Nine now."
Then he waved casually.
"Come on. Let's go to the Hokage Tower."
"…WHAT?!"
Everyone stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.
"That's literally walking into a trap!" Kakashi groaned.
"Explain your genius logic first!" Rin demanded.
"Yes! Please explain!" Yugao followed.
"Fine, I admit you're smarter than us," Anko sighed. "Now talk."
Drake pinched the bridge of his nose, disappointed.
"You lot have been with me this long and your brains still haven't evolved?"
He looked up calmly.
"It's simple. Who said the tower was blown up by us?"
Everyone froze.
"Uh… the ANBU saw it?" Anko pointed out.
"Besides them?" Drake asked.
"Just us," Kakashi answered.
"Exactly." Drake smiled. "They say we blew it up — I say they blew it up."
The team fell into deep thought.
But Kakashi quickly spotted the flaw.
"They ran into the Hokage Tower. If they blew it up, they'd be killing themselves."
"Exactly!" Yugao agreed.
"Why would they bomb themselves?"
"Yeah, your logic broke," Anko teased.
Drake chuckled and looked at Yamato.
"And you? What do you think?"
"Uh… I think the six ANBU did it!" Yamato declared seriously.
"…But I also agree with everyone else."
A born politician.
Drake smirked.
"You see? This is where you're all stuck."
He raised a finger.
"You think running inside means they wouldn't bomb it.
Everyone thinks that. Even THEY think that."
"And that's why they exploited that blind spot."
"They ran inside, bombed the tower, and then blamed us."
Silence.
Then outrage erupted.
"Those bastards!"
"So shameless!"
"They framed us?!"
"We're confronting the Hokage!"
"Let's go!"
Squad Nine turned as one, fury blazing.
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