Over the past few days, Kakashi had been suffering…
while somehow enjoying it at the same time.
Because of Muzan’s suggestion, Might Gai challenged him to spar almost every single day.
Even though he lost every time.
“Damn you, Muzan!
This is all your fault!
That green watermelon-head actually ambushed me while I was using the bathroom!” Kakashi was so furious that he didn’t even bother calling him “Nii-san.” Right now, all he wanted was revenge.
He wanted to beat Muzan up.
“Oh, don’t say that.” “So?
You’ve finally seen what a hardworking genius looks like.” “Feeling the pressure yet?” Muzan caught the faint scent of blood.
It was obvious Kakashi hadn’t come away unscathed from today’s fight with Gai.
To help his little brother become stronger, Muzan decided to teach him an incredibly powerful technique.
“The Hatake clan’s strongest move isn’t our swordsmanship.” “It’s a secret technique called the Thousand Years of Death.” “Today, your Nii-san will teach you how to use it.” “Really?” “It’s even stronger than the Hatake Sword Technique?” After sparring with Gai several times, Kakashi could clearly feel his rival improving at an astonishing pace.
At this rate…
Before long, Gai would be able to fight him on equal footing.
Just as Muzan was about to pass down the profound secrets of the Thousand Years of Death…
A powerful voice came from the doorway.
“Enough nonsense!” Sakumo entered the room with a dark expression, glaring at his two sons.
Sometimes he genuinely wondered how he had ended up raising such strange children.
He had worked incredibly hard to build the Hatake clan’s reputation.
He absolutely refused to let these two destroy it.
Still…
When he looked at Muzan, his expression softened.
“For the time being, continue training seriously under Kaizen.” “And you two little troublemakers…” “The way you’ve been behaving at school, you’ll never make any friends.” “Learn how to get along with people.” Sakumo sighed like any worried father.
His greatest fear wasn’t battle.
It was that both of his sons would grow up unable to find wives, ending the Hatake bloodline forever.
“I still don’t understand why I have to attend school.” “I could already apply to take the Genin exam.” Every day he was forced to spend time playing with a group of little kids.
Especially that girl, Nohara Rin, who kept trying to talk to him.
And then there was that idiot Obito.
“Now isn’t the right time.” As a Kage-level shinobi, Sakumo could already sense the growing tension between the Great Villages.
Conflict would likely break out before long.
Becoming a Genin now was simply too dangerous.
“Where the leaves dance, the Fire burns on.” Even if war came…
People like him would be the first to stand on the battlefield.
He placed dinner on the table.
After an exhausting day, everyone deserved a proper meal and a good night’s rest.
“By the way…” “Where’s the rabbit meat?” Kakashi clearly remembered Muzan buying a rabbit from the pet shop on the way home.
He had been looking forward to rabbit for dinner.
Instead…
There wasn’t a single piece of meat on the table.
“The rabbit?” “I’m using it for an experiment.” “You already know my kekkei genkai has awakened.” “I wanted to test something.” Muzan stood up and carried the rabbit out from behind the door.
As the frightened animal trembled uncontrollably, Sakumo once again felt the same dangerous presence he had sensed before.
It seemed…
Muzan’s kekkei genkai was far more terrifying than he’d imagined.
As for whether the Hatake clan truly possessed a hidden bloodline…
Sakumo was only in his early thirties.
He could always have a few more children.
Perhaps the Hatake clan would become a bloodline clan after all.
The rabbit desperately tried to escape.
Then…
A mouth suddenly opened in the center of Muzan’s palm.
It bit into the rabbit’s body.
“What kind of horrifying technique is that?!” Kakashi stared at the mouth in horror, goosebumps covering his body.
“Don’t overreact.” “There are all kinds of kekkei genkai.” “Some of them can alter the user’s body.” Unlike Kakashi, Sakumo wasn’t particularly surprised.
There were countless varieties of kekkei genkai.
He had witnessed even stranger ones.
Take the Kaguya clan’s Shikotsumyaku, for example.
That had long surpassed the limits of ordinary humans.
The mouth wasn’t there to devour the rabbit.
The moment its fangs pierced the rabbit’s flesh, Muzan’s blood flowed directly into the animal.
Within seconds…
The rabbit’s body began expanding at an alarming speed.
Sakumo immediately rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and stepped in front of his two sons, watching the mutation with absolute vigilance.
It could no longer be called a rabbit.
Empowered by Muzan’s blood, its body swelled until it was nearly the size of a wild boar.
Its eyes filled with violent madness.
It had become a beast driven solely by instinct.
Whether human or animal…
Every creature transformed into a demon experienced a period of complete insanity.
During that stage, they acted purely on instinct.
Fortunately…
They remained completely under Muzan’s control.
“Don’t worry.” “The rabbit’s body can’t handle the power.” The instant he finished speaking…
The rabbit exploded into a shower of blood.
“…It failed.” Looking at the room covered in blood, Sakumo wasn’t shocked.
The power itself was simply too overwhelming.
A tiny rabbit surviving even a few seconds after receiving that blood was already a miracle.
Still…
From his perspective, this kekkei genkai seemed better suited for support.
It strengthened others.
It didn’t appear to enhance Muzan himself at all.
Worried his son might become discouraged, Sakumo reached over to ruffle his hair.
Muzan calmly stepped aside and avoided his hand.
Sakumo assumed he was simply upset.
“Don’t lose heart.” “One failure won’t decide your future.” “A shinobi’s strength isn’t determined by a single ability.” “Practice the Hatake Sword Technique properly.” “Your future achievements won’t be any less impressive.” “I think you’ve misunderstood, Father.” “I’m not disappointed.” What a joke.
He simply wasn’t used to being treated like a little child and having his head patted.
As for the failed experiment…
The problem wasn’t that his kekkei genkai was weak.
Quite the opposite.
The rabbit simply couldn’t withstand its power.
More importantly…
Every demon he created remained under his absolute control.
Just imagining the strength of the Twelve Kizuki and their terrifying regenerative abilities…
This was an unparalleled bloodline.
Although excitement surged within him, Muzan quickly calmed himself.
Then he glanced around the room.
The entire house was a disaster.
Immediately, he put on a pale, exhausted expression.
“Father…” “It seems using my kekkei genkai has some side effects.” “I’m not feeling very well.” “I’ll head back to my room and rest.” Sakumo had only just opened his mouth to answer…
When Muzan grabbed Kakashi by the wrist and sprinted straight out the door.
“You little brat!” “Get back here and clean this room!” “Those two idiots…” Despite his angry shouting, Sakumo couldn’t hide the smile on his face.
Now that Muzan possessed his own unique power…
It was finally time to teach him the Hatake Sword Technique.
Outside, beneath the moonlight, Kakashi silently looked at his older brother.
The two of them shared the same silver hair.
After hesitating for a long moment, he finally spoke.
“What’s wrong, Kakashi?” “Nii-san…” “If possible…” “I’d like to spar with you.” After spending the past several days together, Kakashi had keenly noticed that Muzan was changing dramatically.
Especially during class.
He had watched Muzan continuously controlling his chakra for an entire afternoon.
Without stopping once.
Just how enormous were his chakra reserves?
Perhaps…
The older brother he had always underestimated…
Was actually a truly powerful shinobi.