Naruto: Hatake's No Misfortune

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The town lay near the border of the Land of Rivers, bustling with merchants transporting supplies and conducting business. Despite being a border town, it was more prosperous than many port cities in the Land of Wind.

The attire of the townspeople resembled that of the inland residents of the Land of Wind. Many wore veils of tulle over their faces to shield themselves from the harsh desert winds.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Muzan remained clad in his usual black attire. His decision to expose his face drew curious glances from passersby.

At this time, Muzan appeared not as a teenager but as a three- or four-year-old boy. However, Muzan was highly dissatisfied with his current outfit.

"What kind of clothes did that idiot Yamanosatsu pick out for me?!" he fumed.

His attire was excessively luxurious. According to the plan, Yamanosatsu was supposed to find simple children's clothes. Instead, he had splurged on something far more extravagant.

Many merchants and townsfolk mistook Muzan for the child of some noble family, sneaking out to explore the night market while their parents were preoccupied.

Similarly, Muzan's appearance caught the attention of Pakura, the target of this mission.

Pakura had been uneasy ever since she left Sunagakure. Despite her high status in the village, she had been sent on a mission to Kirigakure in the Land of Water, supposedly to form an alliance. Yet, she knew others in the village were better suited for such a diplomatic task—like Yashamaru, who could easily represent the Fourth Kazekage.

Moreover, with her strength, Sunagakure would be at a disadvantage without her, especially with Konoha's forces gathering at the Land of Wind's border, led by Orochimaru. War could break out at any moment. Being sent away at this time raised suspicions, though she hesitated to believe her village would betray her. Sunagakure had only recently stabilized, and she couldn't afford to see it thrown into chaos again.

Still, she proceeded with the mission.

But she was unaware that she was destined to die on this journey.

As she walked through the town, she noticed a child with a lost expression and assumed Muzan had wandered off. As a shinobi focused on her mission, she was about to walk past him, but a sudden, chilling sense of murderous intent stopped her in her tracks.

Her instincts kicked in, and she drew her kunai just in time. The assailant brushed past her with lethal intent.

"Die, brat!"

No one would have suspected that a three- or four-year-old child could possess jounin-level strength. Even Pakura, an elite jounin herself, hesitated to let a child die in front of her. She intercepted the attack, but Yamanosatsu still managed to throw a kunai.

"Ah!"

The kunai pierced Muzan's arm, pinning him to the ground.

Pakura's anger flared. While a shinobi's mission could be ruthless, killing an innocent child crossed the line.

With swift precision, Pakura subdued the attacker, her kunai slicing cleanly through Yamanosatsu's neck. His headless body crumpled to the ground, blood pooling around him.

"Help! Someone's been killed!"

"Go alert the shinobi at the inn! There's a fight happening here!"

"Is this town no longer safe? We should pack up and return to the Land of Rivers!"

Panic spread among the merchants as they hurriedly packed their goods and fled the scene. Only Muzan remained, crying out in pain.

Pakura quickly pulled out the kunai. Despite her hardened nature as a shinobi, she had a soft spot for children.

"The wound is deep; it pierced through his arm," she observed.

Unfortunately, Pakura wasn't skilled in medical ninjutsu, so she could only wrap the injury with the bandages she had on hand.

Just as she was about to take Muzan to a hospital, she heard a familiar voice call out behind her.

"Lady Pakura!"

Two Sunagakure shinobi approached. Since this town was still within the borders of the Land of Wind, it wasn't unusual to encounter shinobi from her village.

"We're here to escort you to the Land of Water," one of them said, bowing slightly. Neither paid much attention to the child clinging to Pakura.

"First, we need to treat this child's wound," Pakura insisted.

She didn't recognize the two shinobi, but that wasn't uncommon. Sunagakure had many ninja, and it was normal not to know everyone personally.

"Understood," one of them replied.

They moved to take Muzan from her arms, but the child clung tightly to Pakura, his bloodied arm showing no sign of releasing his grip.

Pakura found herself in a dilemma. Carrying the child would slow her down, but she couldn't just leave him.

"You're injured. I need to take you to a doctor and find your parents," she said gently.

From Muzan's appearance and attire, she deduced he was likely the child of a noble family. There was a clear difference between noble children and commoners—noble children were often well-fed, with fair skin, and Muzan's clothes were undoubtedly expensive. His parents must be influential figures, and earning their favor could benefit Sunagakure.

"Lady Pakura, we cannot afford any delays in your schedule," one of the shinobi urged, stepping forward to stop her. They could stay behind and hand the child over to a doctor, but Pakura couldn't afford to waste time.

"What?" Pakura asked, her tone sharp.

Her status in Sunagakure was extremely high. She was hailed as a hero by many, with a loyal following. Even the Fourth Kazekage didn't have the authority to command her against her will.

Her suspicion deepened. If this mission was truly about forming an alliance, why was there such urgency?

"Are you questioning my decision?" she asked coldly.

Feeling the intensity of her killing intent, the two shinobi trembled and immediately knelt on the ground.

In the end, Pakura took Muzan to the hospital. After an examination, the doctor confirmed that the child had lost a lot of blood and had fallen into a coma.

Seeing Muzan asleep in her arms, Pakura was at a loss. She instructed the two shinobi to search for his parents, but despite their efforts, they couldn't find any notable figures who had recently arrived in town.

"This is troublesome," she muttered.

Muzan remained unconscious. Pakura, familiar with comas caused by blood loss, knew he needed rest to recover.

With no other choice, she decided to bring Muzan on the ship. As long as they didn't enter Kirigakure, the child wouldn't be in danger.

And so, Pakura appeared on the deck with the child in her arms, and many onlookers mistakenly assumed she was escorting a noble child on an outing.

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