Naruto: Hatake's No Misfortune

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"Flash".

The person who arrived was none other than Namikaze Minato.

Minato didn't know what had caused Muzan's shift in mentality, but he understood that a single misstep could be catastrophic.

Having witnessed Muzan perform A-rank ninjutsu, Minato realized that, as Sakumo's son, Muzan would be difficult to defeat, even with the two of them.

"Flying Thunder God!"

Several kunai, marked with the Flying Thunder God seal, blocked Muzan's path. As one of the kunai came close to him, Minato instantly appeared in front of Muzan.

"Rasengan!"

The Rasengan, combined with Minato's lightning-fast movement, was a formidable force. Muzan felt the pressure as the Rasengan connected with him.

"As expected of the Yellow Flash of the Hidden Leaf."

"Blood Demon Art: Flesh-Eating and Devouring!"

The spot where the Rasengan hit began to heal rapidly, and a hideous, monstrous mouth formed, its sinister teeth snapping at Minato's arm.

At the critical moment, Minato used the second stage of the Flying Thunder God to escape Muzan's reach.

Having narrowly evaded, Minato was taken aback by Muzan's regenerative abilities. Observing the strange transformation, he asked in shock:

"Is this one of Orochimaru's human experiments? Or a Kekkei Genkai ability?"

He turned to Hatake Sakumo, hoping he might know about Muzan's powers, as dealing with this would be problematic otherwise.

"It's a Kekkei Genkai, but I don't know the specifics."

Sakumo usually spent his time on missions, and after the war, Muzan had been training under Orochimaru. Beyond what he remembered from Muzan's childhood, Sakumo had little knowledge of his current abilities.

In the distance, a fireball descended, igniting the surrounding trees with intense heat.

Sakumo and Minato instinctively took several steps back, wary of the new threat.

"Lord Muzan, my apologies for the delay."

Pakura, her body ablaze, landed gracefully and stood respectfully behind Muzan, suppressing her fiery aura.

"You're just in time; now it's two against two."

Although Minato and Sakumo didn't recognize the newcomer, her formidable power was unmistakable.

What had Muzan been up to outside the village? Why was such a powerful figure now serving him?

By this time, Pakura had undergone the demon bloodline transformation, making her nearly unrecognizable to all but those closest to her. With her fiery, reddish complexion, she stood out ominously.

"Namikaze Minato is yours. Make sure he doesn't interfere with me."

Muzan's gaze focused on Minato, wary of the Fourth Hokage's potential to use sealing techniques as a last resort. Muzan wanted to avoid any encounters with the Shinigami until he fully understood its power.

"Yes, Lord Muzan."

Facing Konoha's renowned Yellow Flash, Pakura, who had recently conquered the Land of Waves, relished the opportunity to prove her strength.

"Blood Demon Art: Scorching Flames!"

Flames erupted from Pakura's feet, cracking the ground beneath her. Blazing fires shot upward, transforming the area into a fiery inferno.

The intense heat could incinerate any life around it, even causing Kage-level shinobi to hesitate before stepping into the flames.

"Rasengan!"

Minato's Rasengan spun ferociously, distorting the air as it tried to draw in the flames. But as long as Pakura stood, the fire would keep spreading.

"Her attitude has become fiery too," Muzan mused, watching Pakura's display. He was reluctant to stay within the flames but impressed by her ability to expand the Blood Demon Art's power.

The Blood Demon Art had evolved. Against such relentless flames, even experienced shinobi would struggle to get close.

"This is troublesome. If I don't take my father down here, escaping will be difficult."

Muzan's eyes flashed with resolve. He needed to disable Sakumo without harming him fatally.

"Slash!"

Muzan didn't need to swing his sword; Sakumo sensed the danger instinctively and raised his weapon to parry the strike.

"Invisible attack."

The vibrations on Sakumo's blade confirmed the attack was real.

Whip-like marks appeared on the ground as countless invisible slashes rained down on Sakumo.

"Slash!"

The onslaught forced Sakumo to abandon his offensive and focus solely on defense.

"Lightning Release: Thunderbolt!"

Hatake Sakumo wasn't only a master swordsman. Known as the White Fang, he was also highly skilled in ninjutsu, true to the Hatake legacy.

Blue lightning streaked along the ground. Muzan leaped to avoid it, creating a gap in his whip-like assault, which allowed Sakumo an opening.

"Cut!"

"Clang!"

A section of Muzan's demonic blade, forged from flesh and blood, was severed. It fell to the ground, still dripping blood, as though alive.

The blade had pierced Muzan's chest, staining his clothes red with blood.

Seeing the brutal wound he'd inflicted, Sakumo hesitated. But, determined to stop Muzan, he pressed on.

"I hope you won't resent this. Please, come back peacefully."

"Not at all. After all, a wound like this… is quite not serious for me..."

Muzan trailed off as his body began regenerating. If not for the blood on his clothes, one might doubt he'd been struck at all.

"You cannot defeat me. My ability doesn't just empower others; it enhances me too."

As Muzan spoke, his demonic sword reformed, nourished by his flesh and blood. As long as he lived, his blade remained unbreakable.

Muzan could reshape the weapon at will, gaining unpredictable advantages.

In their next clash, Muzan caught Sakumo's sword between his own demonic blades, then used his Blood Demon Art to extend the length of his weapon, slicing Sakumo's shoulder.

Even a veteran shinobi like Sakumo was struggling against Muzan's bizarre techniques, the tide of battle turning against him.

Entangled with Pakura, Minato noticed Sakumo's predicament. He knew they couldn't keep fighting like this or Muzan might escape from Konoha.

Creating some distance, Minato quickly formed hand seals, summoning a large cloud of smoke.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Gamabunta, not only Jiraiya's summon but also an ally of Namikaze Minato, appeared in a flash.

"Gamabunta, you must stop Muzan. Don't let him escape Konoha!"

Gamabunta, taken aback to see Muzan, who had previously visited Mount Myoboku, nodded at Minato's command.

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Gamabunta's massive form landed with a thud, sending tremors across the battlefield.

The moment he appeared, Muzan was already in motion. If only Orochimaru had shared the summoning jutsu with him, he could have attempted to summon a serpent from Ryūchi Cave. Once this crisis was over, he resolved to find a suitable summoning technique and experiment with integrating demon blood into the summoned creatures—although he would need to account for potential issues with the creatures' intelligence. After all, combining demonic bloodlust with a beast's natural ferocity could prove more dangerous than beneficial.

"Gamabunta, still haven't learned your lesson from last time?" Muzan taunted.

Knowing that his blade would be less effective against such a massive summon, Muzan chose to rely on his raw strength, launching a powerful punch. The area was already engulfed in flames from Pakura's fire, making it impossible for the toad to use his oil techniques effectively.

"Ready for this?"

Muzan wasted no time. As he lowered his head, a demonic mask began to form on his face.

"Sage Mode… using Mount Myōboku's power against me?" Gamabunta muttered, exhaling smoke from his pipe as he assessed his opponent.

He'd faced Muzan before and knew how dangerous he was. Now, with Muzan's newly acquired Sage Mode, the battle would be even tougher.

"Blood Demon Art: Black Blood Trifoliate Thorn!"

Dark, thorny tendrils erupted from Muzan, charged with natural energy, reaching toward Gamabunta with the intent to bind and crush him.

Hatake Sakumo, observing from the sidelines, was stunned by Muzan's abilities. At this rate, only a team effort with Gamabunta could contain Muzan.

Gamabunta's twin giant short blades clashed with the thorns, slicing through them. But as the pieces fell to the ground, Muzan simply smirked.

"This is only the beginning!"

"Blood Demon Art: Flesh-Eating Devourer!"

The severed thorns on the ground morphed, forming grotesque, toothy mouths that began biting into Gamabunta's flesh.

"Damn it!" Gamabunta cursed as the thorns wound around him like a deadly serpent.

Despite his blades, he couldn't cut the thorns fast enough. The more he struggled, the tighter they constricted, drawing his blood and growing even stronger. Gamabunta's body was covered in wounds, his strength fading.

"These things just won't die!"

Trapped, Gamabunta's once-powerful attacks lost their force. Observing this, Minato reluctantly released the summoning jutsu, dispelling Gamabunta and freeing him from the deadly bind.

"Farewell, father!" Muzan muttered as Sakumo, now without backup, was unable to prevent his escape.

On the other side, Pakura intensified her flames, raising a pillar of fire that engulfed Minato, preventing him from using the Flying Thunder God technique.

Escaping the blazing scene, Muzan headed toward the Forest of Death, aiming to reach the Land of Waves.

ANBU operatives arrived soon after, following the trail of destruction. All they found was a charred wasteland, thick with the smell of scorched earth.

Minato's face darkened. The chaos of tonight's events was second only to the Nine-Tails' attack. Not only had they lost valuable comrades, but they also now had two powerful new enemies.

"Declare Orochimaru and Hatake Muzan as S-Class rogue ninjas! All ANBU units are to hunt them down!"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" The ANBU operatives quickly dispersed to track any trace of Muzan.

Watching Muzan escape into the Forest of Death, Sakumo felt a deep sense of regret. He knew today's events would resonate across the ninja world, bringing turmoil.

"I hope he won't face too much danger out there," he murmured, uncertain when or how they might meet again.

News of the battle spread quickly, its impact rippling across the ninja world. While Muzan had escaped with minimal loss, Orochimaru's betrayal was a blow to Konoha, given his power and reputation.

Outside the Forest of Death, Muzan and Pakura successfully evaded pursuit. As they reviewed the map, Pakura reported, "The lab in the Land of Waves has been secured, but our activities are drawing attention."

Pakura handled the matters in the Land of Waves, while Yamanosatsu dealt with local nuisances. They had already killed many in this period, alerting some of the investigating ninjas.

"As long as the lab remains operational, everything else is secondary," Muzan replied, indifferent to minor setbacks. Conquering his weakness to sunlight was his priority; achieving that would place him among the world's top shinobi.

"Have you heard from Kakuzu?"

Pakura paused before responding, "Kakuzu? He hasn't shown up."

"Hmm," Muzan murmured, He had some ideas about how to recruit Kakuzu.

"Kakuzu's abilities could greatly enhance our organization."

They made their way through the outskirts of Konoha, reaching towns where bounty hunters gathered. Muzan shifted his appearance, holding a freshly severed head that spoke in eerie whispers:

"Lord Muzan's plan is sure to enrage Kakuzu."

For someone like Kakuzu, who valued wealth above all, blocking his financial routes was akin to a direct attack. But Muzan had already prepared his strategy. Once this was resolved, he intended to approach Kakuzu, utilizing trade routes and new funding methods.

At this moment, Kakuzu remained unaware of the scheme unfolding around him.

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