Naruto: Hatake's No Misfortune

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Sounds of activity filled the camp. The tension in the air was palpable. Several shinobi glanced up to see a group of Konoha ninja assembling nearby. 

It was clear: war was imminent.

"Prepare yourself, Kakashi," Muzan said, giving Kakashi a light pat on the shoulder. Due to an unexpected deviation from their original plan, Muzan had stirred up significant unrest in Kirigakure. Now, he wasn't sure what actions Madara Uchiha might take against Obito.

The power that fueled the Uchiha clan's ambitions often led to despair and loss.

No one loved more deeply than the Uchiha. It was through this intense contradiction that their Sharingan could be awakened.

Muzan's gaze shifted to Obito, who stood to the side. With Uchiha Madara lurking in the shadows, Muzan knew better than to act impulsively.

"It's a war. They're mobilizing the ninja army. It seems the other side wants to begin a decisive battle sooner than expected," Kakashi noted. Though his voice was calm, there was a tension in his tone that mirrored the unease everyone felt.

Why had the war started earlier than anticipated? Muzan wondered. Kumogakure had suffered heavy losses, and Suna's forces weren't in a position to launch a strong attack. Yet, here they were, joining forces for an offensive. Could it be that the other villages had also entered the fray?

Muzan's thoughts raced. The war involved too many variables, and it would require a coalition of the remaining Great Nations to give the enemy this level of confidence.

"I'm not sure what's happening on the other fronts," Muzan admitted. As a medical ninja, he wasn't expected to be at the front lines. After the gathering, he was separated from Kakashi.

Their roles were different. As a member of Minato's squad, Kakashi's duty was to scout the battlefield, requiring him to be on the move before the war officially began.

Muzan joined the group of medical ninjas, many of whom had been transferred from the Land of Lightning front. They were familiar with each other, and under Muzan's guidance, they could operate at maximum efficiency.

Orochimaru had given Muzan full command of the medical division, a testament to his trust in Muzan's abilities.

Having experienced war before, the team was no longer as disoriented as they had been during their first deployment.

"The next battle will be different from what we faced in Kumogakure. It's going to be brutal," Muzan warned.

"I'll be assigning a group of battlefield medical teams."

Their mission was to support the Konoha shinobi by forming squads with them and doing everything in their power to keep them alive. This would be a significant challenge for the medical corps.

The battlefield was full of unpredictability, and survival was never guaranteed.

"I'll allocate one-third of our medical personnel to integrate into each ninja squad," Muzan ordered, his tone leaving no room for debate. He noticed the apprehension on many of the medics' faces, something he had anticipated. Though they had endured the last battle under his strategy, this time they would be fighting in the harsh desert, directly engaging the enemy.

To ensure fairness, the team members were chosen by drawing lots. Those who refused to join the battlefield would be treated as deserters and shown no mercy.

No one could be allowed to hinder the war effort.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru was in the camp, discussing strategy with several jounin. Suddenly, distant screams pierced the air, and he briefly considered the possibility of a surprise attack by the Cloud ninjas.

Minato was the first to react, appearing at the scene in an instant. He saw a medical ninja being punished corporally. If it weren't for the impending battle, the consequences would have been even more severe.

"There's no need to concern yourself with this. I've entrusted all medical matters to Muzan, and I'm confident he can handle it," Orochimaru said as he appeared beside Minato, his cold gaze making the surrounding shinobi shiver.

"For the upcoming battle, you will be responsible for dealing with the Third Raikage, with Muzan assisting you."

"What?"

Minato thought he had misheard. Muzan was going to help him confront the Third Raikage? That had to be a joke.

Even if he engaged in direct combat, Minato knew he would lose.

"Rather than having Muzan intervene directly, he will stay back and support you with medical ninjutsu from a distance," Orochimaru explained. The fewer people who knew about Muzan's true capabilities, the safer it would be. Not even Minato was privy to that information.

The Raikage, known as the strongest spear, would find it nearly impossible to kill Muzan. The Raikage lacked large-scale attack techniques and sealing jutsu.

If not for Minato, Orochimaru might have sent Muzan to occupy the Raikage's attention.

A person who couldn't be killed—even if the Raikage fought all night, he wouldn't be able to defeat Muzan.

"Understood," Minato responded. He was an exemplary shinobi, and Orochimaru's orders were to be followed without question.

As the war loomed closer, the battlefield was divided into two fronts.

Kumo ninjas and Suna ninjas were attacking Konoha from both sides, forcing Orochimaru to split his forces to respond.

Muzan led a group to follow Minato. The Kumo ninjas were his old rivals, and after his last scheme, Kumogakure had grown to despise him. Many in the village would likely target Muzan the moment he appeared on the battlefield.

Minato led his team to the front lines to face the powerful Kumo ninjas. The area they entered still bore the scars of a recent battle—dried blood stained the sand.

The blood-stained sand, combined with the oppressive heat, weighed heavily on everyone's spirits.

This was the aftermath of a battle already fought. It was hard to imagine how brutal the fight had been.

"We've already engaged a group of ninjas," Muzan noted, grabbing a handful of sand. He wasn't planning to launch a direct attack at this stage. Despite their aggressive nature, the Kumo ninjas weren't fools. The village had already been drained of much of its strength.

If they suffered too many losses in a direct clash with Konoha, Iwagakure would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to strike.

"At this stage, we're mainly the vanguard. In the next battle, the Ino-Shika-Cho formation will handle frontal combat. I'll keep an eye on the Raikage."

Even Minato, usually as warm as the sun, had a hardened look on his face. The blood on the sand belonged to Konoha's shinobi, and many of his friends had fallen in this war.

Muzan sensed something was wrong as he stared at the blood-stained sand. The battle a few hours ago had been fierce. Even without bodies, it was clear that both sides had suffered losses. But this didn't align with Kumogakure's current strength.

There was something hidden here, something Muzan hadn't yet uncovered.

"Damn! I've missed something," he muttered.

The information they had wasn't comprehensive enough. If Muzan had complete control over the intel, he could have devised a more effective plan.

Looking at Minato, Muzan decided not to overstep his boundaries until he had confirmed the enemy's strategy. The worst thing in war wasn't the enemy—it was incompetent allies.

Muzan was well aware of his reputation. After decimating the Kumo ninja army in a previous battle, many followed his orders without question.

Shikaku, Inoichi, and Choza advanced with their team according to the plan. Meanwhile, Minato's team held back, not immediately joining the fray.

"Where's the problem…" Muzan wondered, deep in thought.

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