Naruto: Hatake's No Misfortune

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"This isn't good!"

Jiraiya shuddered as a chilling sense of danger coursed through him. The intense cold pressing in on them was so potent that even Gamabunta might freeze solid if it caught up.

After leaping out of the courtyard, Jiraiya glanced back at the frozen wasteland. His face, usually confident and brimming with humor, now showed uncharacteristic shock. He murmured:

"Where did Muzan find a monster like this? This power... it doesn't feel like chakra."

Throughout his long years in the ninja world, Jiraiya had encountered countless enemies of varying strength, but the spectacle before him was beyond his comprehension. Muzan stood at the heart of the cold, a figure unmoved by the biting frost.

"I'm affected, but Muzan isn't? How is that possible?" Jiraiya's thoughts raced.

Muzan, however, was not entirely unscathed. His cells, far more active than an ordinary human's, showed signs of frostbite. Yet his regenerative abilities, fueled by his cannibalistic nature, kept him combat-ready.

"Gamabunta, we can't hold back anymore. Let's use the toad oil!" Jiraiya called out.

"Fire Style! Toad Oil Flame Bomb!"

The combined efforts of Jiraiya and Gamabunta unleashed a technique so powerful that it divided the courtyard into two distinct worlds. Ice-white frost clashed against fiery-red flames, and where they met, a massive cloud of steam erupted, obscuring the battlefield.

At that moment, a group of ninjas arrived at the scene. They froze in their tracks, witnessing the chaos unfolding before them.

"What kind of jutsu is that?"

"Wait… isn't that Jiraiya of the Sannin?"

"Jiraiya? One of the legendary Sannin? Which side is he on?"

The ninjas hesitated, unsure whether to intervene. In the seconds they debated, Jiraiya's fiery attack closed in on Muzan.

"That's huge!" one ninja gasped, his voice trembling.

The massive sea of flames roared toward Muzan. Prepared for the attack, Muzan raised his hands.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"

Three massive walls of earth rose before him, reminiscent of Orochimaru's triple Rashomon. Yet Muzan remained wary—Jiraiya's technique was far from ordinary.

The toad oil flame bomb smashed into the first wall, burning through it instantly. Steam hissed as the flames and ice collided, dulling the attack's ferocity but not halting it entirely.

"Boom!"

The explosion sent rocks and fire raining down, forcing the nearby ninjas to retreat. Witnessing Jiraiya's sheer power, they dared not step onto the battlefield.

As the smoke cleared, Jiraiya squinted at the scene below. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"What the—?!"

Muzan stood amidst the wreckage, protected by a cocoon of thorny, blood-red vines. Before the flames had reached him, he had conjured the thorns, their spiked surfaces forming an impenetrable shield. Inside, Muzan shielded Haku—keeping him safe from harm.

"As expected of Jiraiya-sensei," Muzan muttered, a rare note of respect in his voice.

This was the first time Muzan had faced such a powerful Fire Style ninjutsu. With Gamabunta's assistance, Jiraiya's firepower rivaled the greatest in the ninja world.

The thorny shield trembled, and Muzan emerged. Strange black markings covered his face, his transformation into the demon King evident. His bare upper body sprouted grotesque mouths that greedily absorbed natural energy from the surroundings.

Jiraiya, still perched on Gamabunta, tensed at the sight. "What kind of Sage Mode is that?" he muttered.

Though Jiraiya had studied Sage Mode for decades, Muzan's version was unlike anything he had seen. It lacked the toad-like features associated with Mount Myoboku. Instead, Muzan's form exuded pure power—unnatural, terrifying, and otherworldly.

"Be ready, Jiraiya," Gamabunta warned, his massive frame shifting uneasily. "This guy's not normal."

Gamabunta leapt into the air, preparing to crush Muzan beneath his massive weight. But before he could land, Muzan's monstrous form expanded. His body, infused with the power of Sage Mode, had reached a new peak.

"Roar!"

With a guttural cry, Muzan caught Gamabunta mid-descent. The ground trembled as the impossible became reality—Muzan lifted the enormous toad with his bare hands. His sharp claws dug into Gamabunta's flesh, eliciting a pained roar.

Jiraiya's eyes widened. "What strength…" He landed swiftly, drawing his own conclusions. "He's stronger than Tsunade in pure physical power. This is bad."

"Gamabunta, retreat!" Jiraiya shouted, dispelling the summoning jutsu.

Gamabunta vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Jiraiya alone to face Muzan. Undeterred, Jiraiya summoned two smaller toads to assist him.

Muzan's body continued to shift and transform, his presence overwhelming. Three hearts beat within his chest, their rhythm echoing through the courtyard like a war drum. The sound filled Jiraiya with unease.

"What kind of monster have I encountered?" Jiraiya thought grimly, steeling himself for the battle ahead.

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Two toads perched on Jiraiya's shoulders—one on the left, one on the right.

"The two great sages, Fukasaku and Shima," Jiraiya introduced, his tone steady but laced with resolve. "This is my strongest mode—the true power of the Toad Sage."

The trio faced Muzan, who had transformed, his scarlet eyes glowing with an ominous, predatory aura.

"Is this the man the Great Toad Sage prophesied?" Fukasaku asked, his sharp eyes narrowing at the sight before him.

Jiraiya felt a heavy weight settle in his chest at those words. He had been battling Muzan for some time now, and something about those crimson eyes sparked a deep memory. Could this be the person the Great Toad Sage had warned him about? Initially, Jiraiya had thought Muzan's eyes were like those of the Uchiha, but now, standing before him, he wasn't so sure.

"I'm not certain," Jiraiya admitted, his gaze fixed on his opponent. "But he's powerful. He once trained at Mount Myōboku and mastered Sage Mode to perfection."

Fukasaku's brow furrowed, his senses probing Muzan. Yet, there was no trace of Mount Myōboku's energy lingering in the man's aura. Instead, there was something primal, cold, and insidious—a predator's hunger cloaked in raw power.

"Let's capture him and take him back to Konoha," Shima suggested. "Once this is over, we'll know if he's truly the one from the prophecy."

Muzan's gaze bore into them, unreadable but filled with menace. With the two toad sages amplifying Jiraiya's abilities, the Toad Sage had become a formidable opponent. Muzan knew this fight would not be easy.

"Ha!"

Muzan charged, a blur of speed. The air itself seemed to shudder as he struck. Jiraiya's enhanced perception, bolstered by Fukasaku and Shima, allowed him to anticipate Muzan's movements, but his physical prowess was monstrous.

Boom!

Jiraiya leapt back just in time, narrowly evading a devastating blow. The ground beneath Muzan's strike cracked open, splitting the earth and sending chunks of debris flying.

"If that had hit me, I'd be dead for sure," Jiraiya thought grimly, his mind flashing to the time Tsunade had sent him flying with a single punch. Her strength was legendary, but Muzan's blows were on another level—deadly and relentless.

"Blood Demon Art: Black Blood Triple Thorn!" Muzan roared, dark energy coalescing into deadly projectiles that shot toward Jiraiya.

"Ninpo: Hari Jizo!" Jiraiya called, his hair hardening into iron-like spikes, forming a defensive shield. The black blood struck with a metallic clang but failed to penetrate the barrier.

Muzan smirked. "It's not over yet, Jiraiya-sensei!"

From Muzan's back, grotesque protrusions erupted with a sickening crack, bone-like spears shooting toward the Toad Sage.

"Blood Demon Art: Spinal Stab!"

"Gah!" Jiraiya grunted, reinforcing his defense with Hari Jizo, but Muzan's bone spears were far stronger than his previous attack. The spikes left minor cracks in Jiraiya's shield.

"Rasengan!" Jiraiya lunged forward, slamming the spinning orb of chakra into Muzan's chest. The impact forced Muzan back, but it left Jiraiya breathing heavily, his chakra reserves already waning.

"Those bone spurs... they're like the Kekkei Genkai of the Kaguya clan," Jiraiya muttered, glancing at the shallow cuts on his arms. "How could Muzan possess their abilities?"

The Kaguya clan's brutal techniques were infamous, but Muzan wasn't one of them. Without his Rasengan, Jiraiya knew the spikes could have pierced him through.

Despite the brief reprieve, Jiraiya felt no relief. He hadn't even entered Sage Mode yet, and Muzan was already proving to be a nightmare.

"I need to buy time to gather natural energy," Jiraiya thought, scanning the destroyed courtyard. This was the estate of a noble family in the Land of Fire. If the battle escalated further, the consequences could be catastrophic for Konoha's political alliances.

Muzan, too, calculated his next move. He could sense Jiraiya's intent to enter Sage Mode. If that happened, escaping would become nearly impossible.

The ground shifted as flesh-like vines erupted, snaking toward Jiraiya.

"Katon: Dai Endan!" Jiraiya inhaled deeply, exhaling a massive stream of fire that consumed the approaching vines. Yet, when the smoke cleared, Muzan was gone.

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Deeper inside the mansion, Muzan cradled an unconscious Haku, his expression unreadable. Moving swiftly, he entered Muchuan Hui's chambers.

Muchuan Hui, hearing the distant battle, froze as Muzan appeared before him. The nobleman's gaze flicked to the child Muzan carried, then to the blood splattered on his robes.

"We proceed as planned," Muzan said coldly. "Jiraiya has retreated for now, but we must act swiftly. Konoha will come for us soon enough."

Muchuan Hui nodded, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. "I'll dispatch reinforcements immediately. We can't afford to delay."

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Back in Konoha, Jiraiya sat in the Hokage's office, his arm bandaged from Muzan's bone spears. Around him, the Fourth Hokage, Hatake Sakumo, and Kakashi listened intently to his report.

"There was someone with Muzan," Jiraiya said, his tone grim. "A child who could manipulate ice and snow. His abilities were advanced—elite jonin level, at least."

The Fourth Hokage's brow furrowed. "Ice Release... Could he be from the Yuki clan?"

"Possibly," Jiraiya replied.

"Muzan's Kekkei Genkai might allow him to enhance others," Sakumo speculated, his tone heavy. "If that's the case, his allies are only going to become more dangerous."

The room fell silent, the weight of the situation pressing on them. Muzan wasn't just a lone threat—he was building an army, and Konoha had to prepare for the storm to come.

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