"Killing" Minato

A little toad witnessed the whole late-night conversation between the master and his student.

So that was it.

Had Orochimaru poisoned the protein powder?

Jiraiya sighed. Was Orochimaru still so intolerant of others? So full of darkness?

Before Team Minato set out on their mission.

"Obito, take this bucket of protein powder back to Zhengyi." Minato clearly knew it was poisoned. He had no idea why the master and student wanted to kill him, but going after them to demand an explanation wasn't in his nature.

"Please tell Zhengyi that I'm really not his enemy."

Minato wasn't planning to tell Obito about the poison. He was afraid it would ruin the friendship between the two boys. As long as Orochimaru and Zhengyi didn't target Kushina, he could live with anything.

"Yes!!"

Obito took the protein powder. So, could he really return it?

This was whey protein powder! It was produced in such limited quantities that you couldn't buy it even if you had money.

He found a backpack, put it inside, and brought it along.

A treasure! He'd protect it with his life!!

"Oh, right, Sensei. You should eat bananas before a big battle." Obito came back again. Minato assumed he'd returned the powder, so he hadn't mentioned it.

"Bananas?" Minato asked, puzzled.

"Yeah! Bananas replenish fast carbs. Just think of it as a quick energy boost before a fight. You'll have more strength when you face the enemy later." Obito grinned as he peeled one and took a bite.

Minato glanced at Kakashi, who had already turned his back and started eating.

"Eat up, Sensei. We used to eat these all the time before working out at the gym. They really improve your performance."

Obito liked them when they were fully yellow. Those were sweet.

He had no idea whether Zhengyi had done something to offend him, but Zhengyi had actually sent Anko to bring him bananas.

Heh heh heh.

Even if you're apologizing with bananas, I won't forgive you. At most, I'll talk to you a little more.

Rin tried a few too, but didn't dare eat many. She was afraid she'd gain weight.

Ao's share naturally went to Aoshui.

After Obito and Kakashi both vouched for them, Minato started eating too, though he was still only half-convinced.

"Sensei, you shouldn't eat too much if you're going to use the Flying Thunder God. You can have the rest." Minato smiled and handed out all of Ao's share.

The Ao ones didn't taste good, but with a big battle coming up, Obito and Kakashi forced themselves to eat them.

Damn!!!

I feel like I'm bursting with strength.

"The Ao ones don't taste good. I laced them with poison. There was no way either Obito or Kakashi would eat them, since they're both so shrewd. Obito wouldn't give them to Rin, either, so Minato was the only one who'd eat them."

"You're clever as ever, Zhengyi. You even sent bananas as a precaution. I didn't expect Jiraiya to really be spying on me."

"You flatter me. But, Sensei, will your poison really work?"

"Of course. Tsunade gave it to me."

"Shikouyi, it was a drug developed by Tsunade? Then this student is relieved."

"Heh heh heh heh heh heh~~"

"Enough laughing. Come with me and help set up the scene."

"Yes!!"

In a certain forest.

Team Minato ran into Mahiru, an elite Iwagakure jonin. Eager to test his new technique, Chidori, Kakashi moved too fast to see properly and found himself in danger. Minato used the Flying Thunder God to kill Mahiru instantly and save Kakashi.

"You didn't have to save me. I could've killed him with Taijutsu," Kakashi said proudly.

"Kakashi..." Minato had a thousand things he wanted to say, but decided to wait until after the mission.

Still, he was a little puzzled. Why had his chakra felt so hard to use just now?

He voiced his concern, wondering if there was something wrong with the bananas.

"That's normal, Sensei. You ate too many, so you're experiencing a carb crash. Take it easy, and you'll emerge as an even stronger version of yourself!" Obito flexed his muscles. He was feeling a little light-headed too.

If anyone had Byakugan and could see through things, they'd have seen that Obito's muscles were even more developed than Minato's.

"That idiot's right." Kakashi nodded. Yeah, he hadn't performed well just now because he'd had a carb crash.

"I see." Since Kakashi agreed, Minato stopped worrying.

"Next, Sensei will draw the main Iwagakure force's fire."

"Kakashi, you'll lead Obito and Rin as Team 7's captain and destroy the bridge Iwagakure uses to transport its supplies."

"Yes!"

Team Minato split into two groups to carry out their missions.

But barely ten minutes after they parted, Minato's head began to swim. It felt as if he hadn't slept for several nights and someone had forcibly woken him up. He was in a daze from exhaustion.

He wanted to sleep so badly!!

"N-no... this can't be..." Minato realized he could no longer sense his chakra.

The bananas! There was something wrong with the bananas Obito had given him!

But it was too late. He could only collapse to the ground in despair. Just before his mind went blank, he thought he saw someone kick him.

"Why did you kick him?" Orochimaru asked, at a loss.

"I was getting even for you, Sensei," Zhengyi said with a smile.

"Never mind." Orochimaru told Zhengyi to carry Minato.

"Looks like the Hokage is going to be ours." Zhengyi hoisted Minato up, feeling great. But why was a dead man still breathing?

"Sensei, did Tsunade give you fake medicine? Minato's not dead."

He checked Minato's nostrils. Sure enough, he was still breathing.

"Stop talking and follow me."

"Oh."

Then they arrived at an Iwagakure military camp.

The White Zetsu on lookout stared at Orochimaru and Zhengyi, who was carrying Minato. They froze in place.

This wasn't how the story was supposed to go.

It wasn't what Lord Madara had told them.

Wasn't Minato supposed to draw the Rock Ninja's fire, while they joined forces with Iwagakure's shinobi and held him back with their lives?!

Why was the story's main character, Minato, already down?

"I'll give you twenty-five million ryo to make a deal with me. You'll get it once the job's done." Orochimaru addressed the White Zetsu Rock Ninja.

Twenty-five million ryo was his entire laboratory budget.

The White Zetsu Rock Ninja had risen to the top here by being fearless and fighting hard. The other Rock Ninja wouldn't dare move unless he spoke.

"Oh~" So they were going to have Iwagakure kill Minato? He'd finally figured it out. Zhengyi was moved. His teacher had finally come around. It gave him the warm, proud feeling of watching a girl grow up.

"What should we do, Lord Madara? Should we make a deal with him?" The White Zetsu Rock Ninja urgently contacted Madara Uchiha telepathically.

"Uh..." The Underground Elder was still dazed.

He was getting old. His CPU was just a little slow.

Madara still hadn't figured out what was going on.

What was Konoha trying to pull?

Infighting?!