Naruto: Hatake's No Misfortune

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Root Base

"He didn't come?"

Danzo's face remained calm, though a hint of dissatisfaction tinged his tone. Anyone who joined Root was expected to obey his orders without question.

"No matter. The priority now is to stir conflict between the two factions."

Danzo had learned almost immediately about Hatake Sakumo's injury, though the perpetrator remained unknown. To him, it didn't matter. With the Cloud Village envoys soon arriving, Danzo was intent on ensuring his efforts on the front line weren't undermined by peace talks.

A disruption was needed, and assassinating the Cloud Village envoy seemed the most direct route.

"Send a team to eliminate the Cloud Village envoy."

Unaware of who led the Cloud delegation, Danzo might have planned more cautiously if he knew. Muzan, if he had known, would have considered this reckless.

Whether Konoha emerged victorious or not, their forces would be severely depleted. Neighboring villages, especially Iwagakure, wouldn't let such a chance slip by. During the Third Great Ninja War, Iwagakure had temporarily allied with Konoha, but in the ninja world, there were no lasting allies—only enduring interests.

Ōnoki, the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, wouldn't miss the opportunity to exploit Konoha's weakened state, whether by imposing harsh demands or initiating another conflict.

---

When Muzan returned to the Root base, he noticed Danzo standing near the entrance, seemingly waiting. Muzan regarded him with a cool gaze and asked, "Did something happen?"

"Hmph! Why did you refuse the Root mission?" Danzo scrutinized Muzan closely, trying to decipher his motives from his expression. Yet, Danzo was bound to be disappointed.

"I simply didn't feel like it," Muzan replied indifferently. "My joining Root is a collaboration, not subordination. Don't forget the terms of our agreement."

Muzan, slightly taller than Danzo, spoke with a tone that carried authority. If he wished, he could sever ties with Root at any time—Danzo had no leverage over him.

Unmoved, Danzo continued, already suspicious since Muzan had ignored Nara Okishima's summons.

"Fine. But make sure the lab is well managed. Don't say I didn't warn you—things are about to get turbulent in the village. If war breaks out, I'll expect you on the front lines."

Muzan gave no response to the thinly veiled threat, recognizing Danzo's implication. "You must have done something reckless..."

"Indeed! I've arranged for the Cloud Village envoy to never reach Konoha alive," Danzo said with confidence.

Muzan sighed inwardly. If there was a root of darkness in the ninja world, it would undoubtedly be Danzo.

"What gave you the confidence to attempt this?" Muzan thought, though he didn't bother to intervene. Soon, he'd be leaving Konoha; its issues would be for the Hokage to address.

"What a fool."

---

Land of Fire – Border Region

Meanwhile, on the border of the Land of Fire, Dodai led a small team through dense woods. Though Cloud Village sought peace, they needed to secure favorable terms. Their pursuit of peace was driven by depleted resources and heavy losses.

"Lord Dodai, we should reach Konoha by tomorrow."

"This is my first visit to Konoha. I've heard it's the wealthiest of the villages."

"Hmph! I'd say their luxuries have softened their shinobi. Once we've recovered, we'll make them pay."

Though peace was their goal, they carried the stigma of defeat—a bitter label for Cloud's proud warriors.

"When we arrive in Konoha, we'll follow the strategy. You handle the negotiations, and I'll take care of—"

Dodai abruptly halted, sensing murderous intent. Instinctively, he kicked his comrade aside just before several explosive tags detonated in their position.

"Scatter!"

"Melting Release: Rubber Wall!"

A thick, protective wall of rubber materialized, shielding them from the blast. However, their assailants pressed forward.

"Retreat! Head for Konoha!"

With no idea who these attackers were, Dodai had only one option: to flee toward Konoha and seek safety.

---

As evening fell, Konoha's gate guards spotted figures approaching from a distance. They prepared their weapons but were shocked to recognize Cloud ninja.

Word had spread of the Cloud envoys' arrival; how had it come to this?

Of the five ninja accompanying Dodai, only he was unharmed, though visibly fatigued. The enemy had pursued them through the night, halting only once Konoha was in sight.

The other four members were gravely injured, with one in critical condition.

"Alert the Hokage! There's an emergency!"

Kotetsu Hagane, newly on duty, found himself thrust into a tense situation. If any Cloud ninja died within Konoha's borders, it could incite war. Mishandling this could be disastrous.

"You'll wait here. Lord Namikaze Minato will arrive soon and use the Flying Thunder God technique to take you to the hospital!"

Namikaze Minato, busy in his office, quickly rushed to the gate upon hearing the news. Observing the injured, he immediately transported them to the hospital without asking questions.

Dodai, watching over his comrades, eyed Minato warily.

"Lord Dodai, were you attacked as well?" Minato asked cautiously.

Dodai, who had intended to lay blame on Konoha, was caught off-guard by the question. "What do you mean, 'as well'?"

Minato's expression turned serious. "Did you experience something similar?"

"A short time ago, when Lord Sakumo was returning, he was also ambushed. Two members of his team were killed. I suspect it's the same group behind this."

The situation was now highly complex. With the involvement of Cloud's forces, peace negotiations were at risk. For the sake of stability, Minato knew he needed to deflect responsibility away from Konoha.

Dodai, on the other hand, sought to blame Konoha to secure greater reparations for Cloud.

"Hmph! You owe us an explanation. The attack occurred within Konoha's borders, and you were aware of our arrival. Such carelessness is unacceptable!"

"I even suspect Konoha orchestrated this whole incident!"

Dodai, however, restrained himself. He was in Konoha, his comrades were hurt, and he needed their assistance. Any drastic moves would have to wait.

---

Because Muzan refused a mission request from Root, Danzo avoided direct confrontation but subtly targeted Muzan in various ways.

In Muzan's laboratory within Root headquarters, frequent visits from other members reduced his supply of experimental materials, significantly slowing his human experiments.

Naturally, Muzan didn't confront Danzo openly. Danzo saw this as a form of submission, though Muzan didn't care much about the materials.

As usual, after finishing his experiments, Muzan would head to Konoha Hospital to check on patients and train Kabuto in medical ninjutsu. Kabuto's medical knowledge had grown well-structured, and he could even offer insights in certain areas.

Particularly in ninja chakra and the nervous system, Kabuto was seen as a prodigy. Some doctors secretly believed Kabuto might one day surpass Muzan's achievements.

Today, however, a tense discussion filled Konoha Hospital. News of an attack on Kumogakure ninjas had even reached the Hokage!

"These Kumo ninjas are really lucky! Why did they survive the attack only to come here for treatment? They're nothing but trouble!"

"What can we do? Lord Hokage ordered us to treat them."

"Feels like a conspiracy. Lord Sakumo was also attacked recently, and two of his teammates died. Someone's targeting Konoha."

Muzan, knowing the truth, stayed silent. His tension with Danzo hadn't yet come to a breaking point.

The injured Kumo envoys were placed in a private room. As soon as Muzan arrived, a medical ninja informed him his presence was needed.

After all, Muzan was Konoha's top medical ninja after Tsunade. But the Kumo ninjas didn't realize their misfortunes were partly Muzan's doing.

One-third of the Kumo squad had died in the explosion, and the Third Raikage himself had fallen to Muzan and his team.

Entering the ward, Muzan found one Kumo ninja in a coma and the others stable.

"Muzan Hatake!"

One of the injured Kumo ninjas, Oishihe, grabbed a kunai, glaring with hatred. If Muzan came closer, he was ready to strike, even if it cost his life.

"Idiot, I'm not interested in you," Muzan sneered, teleporting to Oishihe's side.

Blue chakra glowed in Muzan's hand, hovering near Oishihe's neck, poised to slice it open.

Furious at Muzan's contempt, Oishihe lunged with the kunai.

"Die!"

But before he could strike, a hand gripped Oishihe's wrist, stopping him cold.

"Is that all you've got?"

Muzan's sheer strength overpowered the injured ninja with ease.

Crack!

"Argh!"

Muzan crushed Oishihe's wrist, while the other two Kumo ninjas jumped up to defend him.

Boom!

Muzan tossed Oishihe into the others, sending them tumbling to the floor.

The commotion drew the attention of nearby medical staff, who hurried to the scene just in time to see Muzan 'disciplining' the Kumo ninjas. They stayed silent, treating the injuries as accidents.

"You Kumo ninjas need to be careful. This is a hospital, not a training ground!"

"They probably fell out of bed again. Time to reapply those bandages."

"These young folks sure have energy."

With that, they left.

"I'll teach you this once: Konoha isn't a place where you can do as you like."

Handling three injured Jonin was nothing to Muzan. Were it not for the Hokage's orders, he'd have dealt with them permanently by now.

Muzan quickly used medical ninjutsu to stimulate cell regeneration, healing Oishihe's broken wrist within moments. Even if someone like Dudai tried to accuse him, Muzan had ensured there'd be no evidence.

Just as Muzan finished with the Kumo ninjas, the door swung open. A small figure stepped in—Kabuto, with his round glasses, prepared to greet Muzan.

"Muzan-sensei, be careful!"

Oishihe, struggling to his feet despite his injuries, gripped his kunai and took a desperate stab at Muzan.

With the Body Flicker Technique, Kabuto swiftly moved behind Muzan, ready to defend him. Though he hadn't mastered the chakra scalpel, Kabuto used chakra to disrupt Oishihe's nervous system, leaving his arm hanging limp.

Muzan had noticed Oishihe's movements but allowed Kabuto to handle it. If Kabuto hadn't acted, Muzan would have deemed him unworthy as a disciple.

Kabuto passed the test. His quick response showed Muzan's training was paying off, proving him a reliable ally.

"Well done, Kabuto, but you need to refine your chakra control. Keep practicing."

"Yes, Muzan-sensei."

Muzan didn't scold Kabuto. Instead, he positioned him out of the Kumo ninjas' reach, then looked down at Oishihe, writhing on the ground.

"How dare you harm us! This will ruin the peace talks for sure!" Oishihe growled, defiant even in defeat.

Kabuto's attack had severed Oishihe's nerves, but he still threatened Muzan.

Unfazed, Muzan pressed his foot against Oishihe's face, making it clear he could end him at any time.

Boom!

Suddenly, the door shattered, sending splinters across the room.

"Muzan! You cannot bully the Kumo ninjas!"

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