Naruto: Hatake's No Misfortune

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"It is possible to die from improper use of your own techniques. Such incidents have happened before."

"Do you think they have the capability to accomplish this task?" Muzan asked, glancing at the medical-nin around him. Sending them to the battlefield for on-site rescues was usually acceptable since medical-nin were often captured rather than killed. They were invaluable due to their ability to save lives, and the training required to produce them was lengthy and expensive. Their ransoms were often exorbitant.

However, this only applied if they didn't encounter particularly dangerous hidden weapons. Chiyo's hidden weapons, however, exceeded the range of what they could handle. Sending them now would result in unnecessary deaths without achieving the desired outcome.

"Let him go."

Everyone instinctively turned toward the voice, realizing it was Orochimaru. He knew Muzan's true identity, and not even the Tailed Beast could kill Muzan. Chiyo's poison and hidden weapons were certainly no match for him.

Even if they wanted to stop Muzan, Orochimaru commanded the entire front line in the Land of Wind. They could only follow Muzan's lead. As his entourage, their duty was to protect him at all times, especially as he moved toward the battlefield's edge where they were likely to encounter enemy shinobi.

The desert's nighttime temperatures were frigid, and the poison hidden beneath the sand required several Jonin to neutralize it carefully. As Muzan advanced rapidly, they gritted their teeth and followed. Fortunately, this area had been cleared of traps and quicksand.

"There are sounds of fighting ahead," one of the sensory-type ninja said, stopping in his tracks. He could detect the sounds of battle not far away.

Several Jonin immediately surrounded Muzan, and even Yamanosatsu instinctively placed himself in front of Muzan, vigilantly scanning the distance. Using his enhanced vision, Yamanosatsu could see even the finest grains of sand in the darkness.

"The ones fighting are Suna-nin. Judging by their movements, they're setting traps under the cover of night," Yamanosatsu reported. He could see several shinobi laying traps, led by a Jonin.

"Rescue our comrades first," Muzan ordered. There were many Konoha shinobi in the area, responsible for patrolling and preventing surprise attacks by Sunagakure.

"Fire Style! Great Fireball Technique!"

Several fireballs landed near the Sand shinobi, forcing them to retreat. Muzan quickly approached the injured Konoha ninjas, using the Mystical Palm Technique to heal them. As he worked, he noticed a black stain on one of their arms.

"The toxins are the same," Muzan observed, handing the injured ninja a detoxification pill. He then turned to Yamanosatsu and commanded, "Eliminate them!"

Since the poison was Chiyo's, the enemy likely didn't have an antidote, but they definitely had firsthand knowledge of the toxin itself.

"Understood, sir!" With the ANBU team moving into action, the battle was over quickly. They surrounded the Sand shinobi, leaving no room for escape.

"Konoha reinforcements are here! Retreat immediately!" the Jonin leading the Suna-nin ordered. "All Chunin and Genin, leave the battlefield now! You can't fight them!"

The Jonin stayed behind to hold off the Konoha forces, but unfortunately for him, his opponent was Yamanosatsu. As a Root ninja, Yamanosatsu could easily annihilate the Sand shinobi team by himself.

"It's too late to run."

The Sand Jonin felt a chill as he faced Yamanosatsu. He noticed a third eye opening on Yamanosatsu's forehead. In that instant, he fell into a trance, one of Yamanosatsu's abilities, perfect for testing on this enemy.

However, to onlookers, the Jonin merely appeared dazed for a moment before Yamanosatsu rushed forward and snapped his neck.

The fleeing Chunin and Genin saw their teacher fall and, in desperation, tried to attack Yamanosatsu.

"Earth Style! Earth Dragon Bullet!"

This was not a technique that Chunin could defend against. In an instant, those following the Jonin turned into a scattered mess of broken limbs.

"Crack!"

"Run! Take the information about Konoha back to the village!" one of the surviving Sand ninjas shouted.

"Boom!"

Yamanosatsu appeared beside him, pulling the ninja underground and crushing him to death. As he turned to face the remaining ninja, he noticed that the enemy was just a child, perhaps seven or eight years old. But this was the battlefield—there were no children here. Anyone who picked up a weapon was an enemy. Yamanosatsu's methods were ruthless, his resolve unwavering.

Even the ANBU members beside him instinctively looked away.

"Kill him!"

The child's weapon, Maki, was a long piece of cloth with kunai attached, but it was no match for Yamanosatsu.

"Go to hell, kid!"

Yamanosatsu reached out to crush the child, but suddenly felt his hand stop. A pale arm had reached out from under a black robe, blocking Yamanosatsu's attack.

"Sir?" Yamanosatsu asked, surprised.

"Don't kill her. I need someone alive," Muzan commanded.

If it were any ordinary Sand child, Muzan wouldn't have stopped Yamanosatsu. But this child's name was Maki, and the purple marks on her face reminded Muzan of Pakura's disciple. After all, Pakura was one of his own. Although Maki wasn't a cannibal, her identity meant Muzan wouldn't let her die so easily.

Yamanosatsu, unaware of Maki's true identity, obediently withdrew his hand. He looked at the little girl in front of him and slowly backed away.

"You're lucky, kid! Run away quickly! If the master changes his mind, you'll die horribly."

The ominous words and Yamanosatsu's sinister smile didn't make Maki retreat. Instead, she drew her weapon and shouted:

"You Konoha scum! I'll make you pay!"

"Foolishness," Muzan said, easily snatching the kunai from her hand. He grabbed her by the neck and pulled her close. Muzan towered over her, and she felt the suffocating pressure of his presence.

In her disoriented state, Maki saw the blood-red eyes beneath Muzan's black robe. She heard a voice call her "worthless" before being thrown into a nearby pile of sand.

"Lord Muzan is too merciful," one of the ANBU members muttered. "It seems to be a common trait among medical-nin."

"I think this girl just graduated. I didn't expect the situation in Sunagakure to be worse than ours."

"If you've got time to talk, keep checking for traps," Muzan instructed, dismissing the situation.

After eliminating all the Sand shinobi setting traps, Muzan picked up one of the hidden weapons left on the ground, observing its crude construction.

"Fortunately, it's coated in poison; otherwise, this thing would be useless."

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