Naruto: Hatake's No Misfortune

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"Kakaka!"

Pulling his two teammates out of the giant snake's attack range, Muzan quickly threw out a few kunai. The kunai clashed against the giant snake's scales, leaving only a few white marks and sparks. Muzan's attack could not penetrate the scales.

"This is a bit troublesome."

He flashed to a large tree, where he could see the overall condition of the giant snake. Noticing Anko and Mari in a state of panic, Muzan shouted loudly:

"Idiots! If you continue like this, you'll really die! Get up and cooperate with me!"

Their attacks did no harm to the giant snake, but Anko had prepared several explosive tags beforehand, which could be crucial.

Under Muzan's roar, Anko and Mari came to their senses. Anko, gritting her teeth, pricked her palm with a kunai, using the pain to overcome her fear. She wanted to prove she was not a liability.

"Mari, get up!"

Grabbing Mari, who was lying on the ground, she knew that failing Orochimaru's test would mean death.

"Muzan, leave the containment to us!" Anko made a bold decision. She and Mari would distract the giant snake. Anko knew that only Muzan could defeat the giant snake.

Orochimaru, atop the giant snake, showed a rare smile. At the same time, the giant snake launched an attack!

"Alright! Leave the giant snake to me!"

With Anko distracting the snake, Muzan wanted to test his own strength.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

Even a C-rank ninjutsu, when driven by Muzan's chakra, still had considerable power. However, the flame, though strong, wasn't enough to harm the giant snake significantly.

Orochimaru's voice came from above, "If you don't master powerful ninjutsu, it's impossible to defeat the giant snake with C-rank jutsu."

"This is not necessarily the case, Lord Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru fell into a state of surprise, recognizing the technique Muzan was about to use. No wonder Tsunade had asked him to take Muzan as his disciple; Muzan had inherited some of Tsunade's ninjutsu.

"Chakra Enhanced Strength!"

With precise chakra control, Muzan concentrated chakra in his fist and unleashed a powerful blow. The punch broke the giant snake's scales, causing blood to ooze out, and the giant snake felt pain.

"Hiss!"

The giant snake, initially suppressed by Orochimaru, left the battlefield upon seeing Muzan's strange power.

With no one suppressing it, the giant snake's ferocity was fully revealed. It opened its bloody mouth, aiming to devour Muzan.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"

A wall with dog head statues blocked the snake's attack, forcing it to avoid the wall.

Muzan noticed his two teammates. Anko's palms were still bleeding, and Mari, pale, forced himself to follow Anko.

"Next, I need your cooperation. My chakra-enhanced strength can only injure the snake, not kill it."

"The giant snake's power lies in its scales and huge body, but it has a fatal weakness where the scales cannot attach. We need to place explosive tags there."

Anko blushed at Muzan's serious tone, wondering if he had any special hobbies. No wonder Kakashi was so skilled at the Thousand-Years of death; it must be because of this eccentricity.

"Pervert!"

"Why do you think I'm a pervert?"

Muzan just wanted to stuff the explosive tag into the giant snake's mouth. Was using firecrackers also considered perverse?

"Don't joke around! This is our only chance. The giant snake's mouth is one of its few weaknesses."

Hearing this, Anko, who was about to refuse, turned completely red, realizing she had misunderstood. She had been influenced by Kakashi's antics!

Muzan took the explosive tag and used the Body Replacement Technique, switching places with a branch as the wall cracked. The giant snake appeared, staring at Anko and Mari.

"Fire Style: Howling Fireball Jutsu!"

A mini fireball shot from Anko's mouth, landing on the giant snake without even sparking, but it successfully provoked it.

The giant snake, angered, turned its body, sweeping through a forest, trying to find the culprit who had hurt it.

Meanwhile, Muzan reached the snake's back, embedding kunai in the gaps between the scales to prevent himself from falling. The snake could not detect Muzan's movements as he climbed towards its head.

At the last moment, Muzan jumped up, connected the explosive tag to a kunai, and threw it into the snake's mouth.

"Boom!"

Flames erupted from the snake's mouth, filling the air with the aroma of burnt flesh. The explosion stunned the giant snake, but Muzan was also hit by the unconscious snake as it collapsed.

---

"Oops! Get out of the way!"

Anko wanted to rush over, but her speed couldn't keep up with the giant snake's fall. She watched in horror as Muzan was crushed underneath.

In the Hokage Building, Tsunade and the Third Hokage looked at the scene unfolding in the Forest of Death. If Sakumo's child died at the hands of Orochimaru's summoned beast, it would become a scandal in Konoha and possibly cost them the support of a powerful ninja.

"Not good!"

Tsunade immediately wanted to rush over to check the situation, but the Third Hokage held her back, pointing to a spot in the smoke.

"It's too late to rush over now. Let's see how he handles it. Remember, he learned your Strength of a Hundred technique."

Anko and Mari, who were in the forest, rushed into the smoke to pull Muzan out, only to witness an unforgettable sight.

Muzan was indeed pinned down by the giant snake, but he was holding its jaws apart with both hands. His small body seemed to be carrying a mountain. The ground beneath his feet was dented from the immense pressure.

"Get up!"

At this moment, he understood what it meant to be overwhelmingly powerful. With each step, the ground trembled, and then the giant snake was thrown aside. Blood oozed from the muscles under his black robe, giving it a bloody smell. His injuries started healing rapidly, and he gasped as he sat down.

"Fortunately, I am strong. If I were weaker, I would've been smashed into pulp."

Even in this situation, Muzan wasn't too worried. He looked at Anko and Mari, who were rushing over, laughed, and joked:

"Are you shocked by my handsome appearance?"

Ignoring his joke, Mari observed Muzan's condition with a worried look. Anko punched him in the chest and shouted:

"Idiot! Do you know you almost died?"

The force of her punch caused Muzan to wince. As he opened his mouth, Anko immediately shoved a dango into it. The sweet and greasy taste made Muzan grimace.

"I hate eating dango!"

With a puff, the giant snake turned into smoke. Orochimaru's summoned beast was defeated, thanks to the three of them. Muzan felt relieved. He had managed to stuff the explosive tag into the snake's mouth, delivering a fatal blow.

"Clap clap clap!"

From the depths of the Forest of Death, applause echoed. Orochimaru stepped forward, crushing dead branches and broken trees underfoot.

"Congratulations on becoming genin."

"From today on, you can call me sensei."

His gaze swept over Anko and Mari, lingering on Mari for a few seconds.

"I didn't expect the cowardly Mari to pick up a kunai to protect his comrades, but remember, in front of a truly strong person, your so-called protection is just a hindrance."

Mari lowered his head, tears streaming down his face.

"Yes... I know, Orochimaru-sensei..."

Muzan, however, wasn't willing to accept Orochimaru's reprimand without a fight.

"Sensei, you're wrong this time."

"Without my teammates' help, I wouldn't have been able to plant the explosive tag in the snake's mouth."

Orochimaru said nothing, but a dangerous aura like that of a snake surrounded them.

They felt a predatory threat far worse than the giant snake, causing Mari's movements to freeze. But in the next second, the pressure vanished.

"Hahaha!"

Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked their faces. Anko and Mari stiffened, while Muzan felt nauseated.

"Interesting boy. If you don't want to be a burden, just keep up!"

"I hope you can bring some life to this rotting Konoha!"

"Then, my dear students, let me help you become stronger!"

Although Orochimaru had grown increasingly indifferent to life, he still loved the village and hoped to change its decaying atmosphere in his own way. However, after the Third Ninja War, his plans failed, leading him down a path of mad science and eventually to his defection from Konoha.

"Yes! Orochimaru-sensei!"

From today on, they could call Orochimaru sensei, not just a superior.

Muzan also joined the ranks of potential Hokage candidates. Sakumo and Orochimaru were both candidates for Hokage before the Yellow Flash became famous in the ninja world. They supported Konoha together.

Muzan's identity as a Hatake and Orochimaru's disciple, combined with his strength, marked him as the strongest of Konoha's new generation.

If everything went smoothly, the future Fifth Hokage could be him, assuming his father didn't commit suicide and Orochimaru didn't betray Konoha.

Don't doubt Orochimaru's teaching ability. He trained the Sound Four and many young powerful ninjas, proving his competence.

Muzan's foundation was solid; he had controlled chakra since childhood and had a terrifying amount of it. His shortcoming was lacking powerful attack methods. He relied on an explosive tag to defeat the giant snake, highlighting this weakness.

"Whether it's taijutsu or the Hatake sword techniques, your current improvement is slow."

"In addition, you have five chakra natures. I'll teach you various jutsus, even forbidden ones!"

Obsessed with science, Orochimaru invented many forbidden techniques to alter the human body. As for Anko and Mari, they focused on chakra control, training by climbing trees and walking on water.

Orochimaru didn't make them handle D-rank missions. Increasing their experience with higher-level tasks was much more beneficial than weeding.

"Starting tomorrow, we will perform C-rank missions outside the village!"

"Be careful, because we might encounter enemy ninjas!"

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