Naruto: Hatake's No Misfortune

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"Muzan-sama, this is what we found."

It was evident from the relics left by the shinobi of Sunagakure that they carried poison, sealed in small white bottles. When using it, they carefully opened the bottles and applied the poison to their concealed weapons.

One of Muzan's subordinates, opened one of the bottles, fanning the air with his hand as he sniffed lightly at the bottle's mouth.

"This poison... it's familiar."

"You're in luck. It won't take long after I return. I'll be able to develop an antidote," Muzan said. He knew that creating the antidote based on the poison's ingredients wouldn't be too difficult for him.

"Make sure this place is cleaned up. The bodies of the Konoha ninja must be taken away, including the Suna Jonin we killed. They might have valuable information, and we need to hand over his head to the Yamanaka clan for interrogation."

Muzan glanced at Maki, unconscious on the ground. He walked over to her, leaned her against a pile of sand, and draped a coat from one of the dead bodies over her.

However, this scene seemed out of place to the Konoha shinobi. On the battlefield, the usual practice was to execute defeated enemies immediately, especially those from opposing villages.

"Muzan-Sama, we've collected all the poison," another subordinate reported, using a sealing scroll to store the collected vials.

"Let's go, then," Muzan ordered.

Poor Maki, oblivious to what awaited her upon returning, might even become a rogue ninja!

After a day outside the camp, all the shinobi who had ventured out returned and waited quietly for Orochimaru's orders.

At dawn, Muzan led his team back to the camp, encountering Minato's squad at the entrance.

Kakashi and the others noticed Muzan's group. Obito raised his hand to greet him, but Muzan only glanced at them without saying a word.

"What's Muzan's problem? He didn't even say hello. Even if I am his future Hokage competitor, our relationship isn't that bad," Obito grumbled.

"Idiot, Obito," Kakashi muttered, turning Obito's head toward the scene in front of them.

A group of shinobi surrounded Muzan, many of them injured. It was obvious what Muzan had been busy with.

"Look closely," Kakashi instructed.

"Oh... right," Obito mumbled. He didn't care much for Kakashi's stern tone, but when he glanced at Rin, he rolled his eyes dramatically, making her sigh in exasperation.

Before entering the Land of Wind, Konoha had been equipped with various antidotes, allowing Muzan's research to progress quickly.

After some time, he finally held a green potion in his hand—the antidote.

"Test its effects."

They started with the most critically injured. Shinobi physiology is stronger than that of ordinary people, so under the care of multiple medical-nin, the patient clung to life. Without Muzan's potion, that breath of life would have vanished at any moment.

The green medicine was applied to the wound, and they watched as the blood turned a healthy bright red, the stench in the air dissipating.

"My life... it's saved," the shinobi murmured.

The efforts of the night had not been in vain, but many patients still required treatment. Muzan handed over the formula for the antidote to other medical-nin and instructed them to store more of the poison for further study.

Researching poisons and antidotes is challenging. Even for Sunagakure, known for their expertise in poisons, developing a new toxin takes time. After Konoha cracked their poison, Sunagakure wouldn't be able to produce a new one for a while, giving Konoha's shinobi some peace of mind.

"Thank you so much, Doctor Muzan," one of the recovered shinobi said, looking at the wound on his leg, which had healed quickly under Muzan's medical ninjutsu. He had already written a farewell letter, never expecting Muzan to pull him back from the brink of death.

"As expected of Lord Orochimaru's disciple!"

"Just get some rest," Muzan replied.

Per Muzan's instructions, the entire camp was being refurbished, especially to improve insulation. The cold at night was particularly deadly for shinobi who had lost too much blood.

After organizing the camp's medical system, they now waited for the Kumogakure and Sunagakure forces to make their next move. The enemy had gathered an army and was preparing for battle in the desert, but Orochimaru didn't want to engage them yet.

Sunagakure's foundations were weak, and Kumogakure had suffered another severe blow. If the troops clashed now, Iwagakure and Kirigakure wouldn't miss the opportunity to strike.

As Muzan exited the camp, he spotted Obito peeking into the medical area. Muzan instinctively knocked him on the head.

"Ow! That hurts!" Obito yelped.

Only Kakashi noticed Muzan's fist, his eyes twitching. "Looks like Muzan hasn't changed at all. Still loves using his fists."

He pulled them aside since ordinary shinobi couldn't enter the restricted area for the injured. They moved to a more open space.

"Seems like you're having a rough time," Muzan remarked, noticing the tired expressions on their faces.

"More than rough—I almost died in the Land of Wind," Obito complained. The journey through the desert had been grueling, almost unbearable.

"Brother, unless it's absolutely necessary, please avoid the battlefield," Muzan advised, his voice serious.

Compared to Obito's complaints, Kakashi looked more focused. He was following Minato-sensei to investigate Sunagakure's movements. Recently, Suna had been acting strange, possibly preparing to besiege Konoha.

This time, the leader was Chiyo—an elder and legendary figure of Sunagakure.

The problem was that she knew Muzan and Kakashi were in the Konoha camp, so she would definitely aim to kill them.

"Chiyo is here."

While she may have methods to target him, Muzan wasn't easy to kill.

"Instead of worrying about me, you should worry about yourselves. Don't forget, I'm stronger than you. Have you seen the shinobi around me?" Muzan pointed to the group of Jonin nearby. "They're responsible for my safety."

"Do you really think Chiyo can kill me in the camp, surrounded by a group of Jonin?" Muzan slapped Kakashi on the shoulder, seeing the surprise in his eyes.

It was clear that Kakashi hadn't expected these Jonin to be guarding Muzan so closely.

"What a joke!"

They were all shinobi, so why was their treatment so different? Obito looked enviously at the group of Jonin surrounding Muzan, providing 24-hour bodyguard service.

"Muzan, if I want to become a medical ninja now, is it too late?" Obito asked, half-joking.

"You've got time. I'm still missing some materials for my surgery. You can volunteer," Muzan replied, smirking.

As they were talking, a Jonin appeared ahead, shouting at the top of his voice:

"Everyone, gather!"

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