Naruto: Hatake's No Misfortune

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Yamanaka Kumota never expected to be the target of such an opponent. Faced with Muzan's bizarre and deadly strikes, fear paralyzed him. He had seen the devastation before—taijutsu experts like Yamanosatsu had barely withstood the onslaught, showing signs of fractured bones.

As Yamanaka Kumota prepared to evade, an unseen force slammed into him, forcing his body off course. The blow was devastating, leaving him gravely injured.

"Boom!"

Suspended in mid-air, Kumota was struck from behind by Muzan, the pain so intense that he nearly lost consciousness. It was only through sheer willpower that he held on, but his physical state was dire.

His bones were shattered, and his spine was fractured.

With his spine, the pillar of human strength, compromised, Kumota crumpled to the ground, his screams of agony animalistic.

Even Muzan wasn't unscathed, though. The opponent's powerful mental attack forced him into an illusion. The true horror of the **Narakumi no Jutsu** (Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique) lay in its ability to make the enemy confront their deepest fears.

No one is immune to fear; everyone harbors something terrifying deep within. Overcoming it is the key to breaking the jutsu.

"It's now! Kill Muzan!"

Kumota lay abandoned on the ground.

Root was a merciless organization, emotionless in its pursuit of mission objectives. Injured comrades were left behind, and if they impeded the mission, they were killed without hesitation.

Following orders, Yamanosatsu gritted his teeth. The pain in his arm was intense but didn't hinder his ability to fight. As soon as Muzan faltered in the air, Yamanosatsu completed a sequence of hand seals.

**"Doton: Doryū Taiga!"** (Earth Release: Earth Flow River!)

As an Earth Release user, Yamanosatsu was well-versed in Konoha's Earth Style techniques. He aimed to bury Muzan alive.

Muzan's regenerative abilities were extraordinary, akin to the **Byakugō no In** (Strength of a Hundred Seal). Yamanosatsu feared that a single jutsu might not be enough to kill him or might even allow Muzan to escape, so he chose to rely on the crushing power of earth.

No one in the Root unit was dispensable. Even the severely injured Kumota used his last reserves of chakra to ensnare Muzan in a momentary hallucination.

Half of Muzan's body was submerged in the flowing mud, like prey caught in a quagmire. It wouldn't be long before the mud completely consumed him.

But then Muzan's eyes blazed with fury. His sudden resurgence didn't surprise Yamanosatsu—victory was nearly in his grasp. **Aburame Kawaki's** bugs were continuously draining Muzan's chakra. Surely, his reserves must have been almost exhausted.

Then, something went wrong. The mud flow halted.

"What's interfering with my jutsu? Stay alert—something's not right."

Indeed, something was gravely wrong. Aburame Kawaki felt a creeping dread. Her bugs were terrified.

"How is this possible? My bugs… they're afraid of him? What's happening?"

Her chakra-infused insects, bred to fear no creature, now trembled before Muzan.

Inside the illusion, Muzan saw many unsettling things, pushing him dangerously close to losing control.

From the muddy ground, thorny vines erupted from Muzan's body. He turned toward Kumota, who lay writhing in pain, and with a sinister sneer, a vine pierced Kumota's chest through an open wound.

Kumota's face contorted in pain as he felt something corrupting his cells, and he was powerless to stop it.

The forced fusion of his cells was agonizing, his body collapsing under the strain.

"What… what's happening to him?"

Yamanosatsu watched in horror as Kumota writhed in agony. Root members were trained to endure the unendurable, but witnessing one of their own in such torment was shocking, especially for a member of the Yamanaka Clan, masters of mental discipline.

Just as Yamanosatsu moved to check on him, Kumota's body suddenly exploded.

Blood and gore splattered across the battlefield, drenching Yamanosatsu in his comrade's remains.

For the first time, he felt genuine fear.

"What the hell is going on?! You monster! What did you do to Yamanaka Kumota?"

Yamanosatsu, who had survived countless perilous missions and fought against formidable foes, now trembled before Muzan.

Especially now, with Muzan drenched in Kumota's blood, sneering and licking his lips.

"What did I do to him? I simply bestowed great power upon him, but his body was too weak to withstand it."

To contain Muzan's power, willpower was crucial. But more than that, the amount of blood Muzan infused into a body determined its transformation.

If the body wasn't strong enough, the result was inevitable—a grotesque mess of blood and flesh.

"You bastard!"

Yamanosatsu, driven by rage, lost his composure—exactly what Muzan wanted.

Increasing his chakra output, Yamanosatsu made the mud flow more violent, desperately trying to engulf Muzan entirely.

But he misjudged his opponent.

"How long can you keep this up with only one arm?!"

Muzan's nearly indestructible body was unstoppable in close combat, leaving Yamanosatsu helpless.

"I don't believe your chakra is limitless!"

Yamanosatsu wanted to call out to Aburame Kawaki, but she was in even worse condition. The terror in her bugs had sapped her strength. Without them, she was nearly powerless.

"Focus on the enemy, you fool! I'll find an opening to assist!"

Yamanosatsu was their only hope, so Aburame Kawaki retreated to the second line, forced to rely on taijutsu she was unskilled in.

"It's all we can do…"

Yamanosatsu tried once more to trap Muzan with the mud flow, but something was blocking it. The ground beneath them crawled with something sinister.

"Snap!"

As Yamanosatsu attempted to dodge, something struck him from behind, leaving a deep gash. Pain radiated from his ankle, sharp and searing.

"What the hell is this?!"

"Want to know what happened to Yamanaka Kumota? You're about to find out firsthand!"

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"As long as you remain vigilant in battle, Muzan won't catch you off guard."

The main reason Muzan had successfully injected his blood into Yamanaka Kumota was due to the latter's severe injury. With his spine fractured and body immobilized, he couldn't avoid the attack. If he had been able to move, even a simple kunai strike could have severed Muzan's tendrils.

Yamanosatsu, shaken and losing his composure as a ninja, watched in horror as the ground beneath him began to writhe, tentacles emerging from the earth.

The sight made him realize that the being before him was far from human.

Vines snaked around his legs, pulling him down into the soft soil. The chakra-infused insects in the area had softened the ground, but for Yamanosatsu—already weakened by his injured arm—the mud only further restricted his movements.

Muzan didn't kill him immediately. Instead, he injected a massive amount of blood into Yamanosatsu. In that moment, Yamanosatsu understood why Yamanaka Kumota had writhed in agony.

An unseen force was trying to reshape him, both mentally and physically. The torture was excruciating, and he could feel himself transforming into something monstrous.

Just as his body was about to reach its breaking point, with cracks spreading across his skin like fractured porcelain, Muzan halted the infusion. Yamanosatsu's willpower kept him from exploding.

Crawling out of the quagmire, Yamanosatsu's muscles twitched and squirmed as if something was trying to break free from within. The grotesque movement ceased at the last moment, leaving him in a state of violent hunger.

Without warning, Yamanosatsu turned and attacked Aburame Kawaki, who stood nearby.

"Idiot! It's me, your teammate!"

Aburame Kawaki panicked. Without her insects, she couldn't defeat Muzan on her own. And now, with Yamanosatsu maddened and uncontrollable, she couldn't rely on him either.

Yamanosatsu, now consumed by a primal desire for flesh, targeted her. She tried to call her insects to defend herself, but there wasn't enough time.

In his violent state, Yamanosatsu's reason was completely devoured by bloodlust.

"Ah!"

A scream echoed within the sealed barrier. Yamanosatsu continued his savage attack, not stopping until he had consumed all of Aburame Kawaki's flesh and blood.

Only after the grisly feast did Yamanosatsu regain his senses. The memory of what had just happened sickened him. A chilling realization crept in—he recalled a rumor from the frontlines.

During a battle with the Hidden Cloud Village, there was talk of a terrifying ninja who caused widespread chaos. The monsters born from this chaos were known to devour flesh and blood, spreading panic throughout the camps.

They were called the **Scarlet Eye**.

Now, Yamanosatsu realized the truth—Muzan was the Scarlet Eye.

"You… you… you…"

He wanted to say Muzan's name, but something inside him held him back. A voice in his heart warned him that if he spoke the name aloud, he would die.

"Your Majesty!"

An undeniable force compelled him to submit. Muzan's cold gaze pierced him, and Yamanosatsu felt his body move against his will, forcing him to kneel.

The pressure from Muzan's presence was overwhelming, leaving Yamanosatsu trembling and gasping for air.

As a Root ninja, he had now been turned into Muzan's subordinate through the influence of the demon's blood.

"From this day forth, you are the **Lower Six** of the **Twelve Demon Moons**."

Muzan's voice was cold and absolute. "The only way to leave the Twelve Demon Moons is through death."

Muzan ensured that all members of the Twelve Demon Moons were strong enough to serve him. Though Yamanosatsu was barely useful, his proximity to Danzo made him valuable as a potential spy.

"Yes, my lord!"

At that moment, a dreadful transformation occurred in Yamanosatsu's eyes. The kanji for "Lower Six" appeared on each side, marking his new identity as one of Muzan's Twelve Demon Moons.

"Remember what I've said. You may now test your abilities."

Muzan watched as Yamanosatsu knelt before him. With a swift movement, Muzan severed Yamanosatsu's head. Panicked, Yamanosatsu realized he wasn't dead. He watched in horror as his severed head reattached itself, healing rapidly.

"Of course," Muzan said with a smirk, "along with rapid regeneration, you now possess vampiric abilities. You'll have to explore them further on your own."

The sudden surge of power filled Yamanosatsu with ambition. If he could master these abilities, he could become Danzo's right-hand man…

But Muzan's next words shattered that dream.

"Demons have their weaknesses. Sunlight will kill you instantly."

Seeing the black cloak he wore stained with mud, Muzan calmly washed it and draped it over himself once more.

"Daybreak is near. We need to leave."

Sunlight was the only natural enemy of demons. Without a **Nichirin Blade**, Muzan was vulnerable only to sealing techniques.

"Yes, my lord!"

No one knew what had transpired in the forest. When Yamanosatsu returned to the village, he reported that the mission had failed and that Muzan had escaped the encirclement.

Of course, upon his return, Yamanosatsu was placed under surveillance. Danzo trusted no one and was always cautious of betrayal.

Meanwhile, Muzan lingered briefly before departing. The barrier had lifted, revealing the aftermath. The forest had been burned to ashes, and the landscape had been reshaped by the mudflows.

"I hope Danzo appreciates the gift I left for him."

Before the sun rose, Muzan returned to the village. Danzo kept the events of the Death Forest hidden, ensuring they would never come to light.

Muzan was unconcerned with the aftermath. Upon returning home, he found Shan Jianhe eagerly waiting for him, a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

"Look, look! These are the parts I've manufactured! Assemble them quickly and check their condition!"

Like a thief guarding his spoils, Shan Jianhe carefully unfurled a sealing scroll. As it opened, numerous parts spilled out.

Following Muzan's instructions, the parts were sorted for quick assembly.

The process wasn't complicated, but as Muzan assembled the pieces, he noticed something was off.

"Even a slight deviation in these parts could render the device useless."

Despite the samples showing no issues, the manufactured instruments refused to work.

"You need to contact the factory about this. These are military-grade products. The lives of ninjas on the frontlines depend on them!"

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