Sakumo Hatake had never taught Muzan how to refine chakra before. But now that Muzan's body had strengthened considerably, Sakumo decided it was finally time to teach him the Hatake clan's chakra extraction method.
The chakra extraction technique taught at the Ninja Academy was only a basic foundation—a method simple enough for civilians to grasp. Every major clan had its own refined version of this process.
That was why children born to shinobi clans were almost always stronger than those without bloodline heritage.
After finishing dinner, Sakumo led his two sons to the Ninja Academy. By the time they arrived, the front courtyard was already crowded with children waiting for their entrance exams.
Muzan's eyes scanned the faces before him—and despite their small size, he recognized several of them immediately:
Asuma Sarutobi, Might Guy, Kurenai Yūhi, Rin Nohara, Obito Uchiha…
So these are the ones who'll become Konoha's "next generation of heroes."
...
"Lord Sakumo, I didn't expect you to bring your children for enrollment as well!"
Not every child could enter the Academy. But the son of the White Fang of Konoha? His acceptance was guaranteed.
Sakumo smiled faintly and gestured toward his sons.
"These two will be in your care, Nobibei."
He handed them over to one of his former subordinates, a man now working as an Academy instructor.
The entrance test lasted about an hour. It was mainly physical assessments and basic written questions. For children from ninja families, though, such tests were mostly a formality—the Academy often opened doors for those of shinobi lineage.
By the end of the exam, the group was sorted into the same class.
---
"Hello everyone! I'm Morita Shūden! I like eating takoyaki, and my dream is to become Hokage!"
"Hello, my name is Hatake Muzan. I like drinking fresh blood, hate sunlight, and my dream is to become a medical-nin."
The classroom went silent.
As soon as Muzan said "fresh blood," combined with the eerie gleam of his crimson eyes under his black hood, several children in the front row burst into tears.
"Idiot brother!" Kakashi groaned, hiding his face behind a book, praying no one would realize they were related.
Even their teacher, Nobibei, stood frozen at the podium, unsure how to react.
"You made Kurenai cry!"
Asuma Sarutobi immediately rushed forward, fist raised in anger. But before he could land a hit, Kakashi reacted—chakra flaring around him instinctively.
Yet before he could intervene—
"Ka!"
There was a sharp sound.
Muzan had effortlessly caught Asuma's arm mid-swing with one hand, completely stopping him in place.
The strength in that grip made Kakashi's breath catch.
When did my brother get this strong…?
"That's enough," Nobibei snapped. "This is a classroom, not a battlefield! Each of you will copy the Will of Fire ten times!"
The teacher's reprimand was firm. He knew both boys' backgrounds—the Hokage's son and the White Fang's son. These were not children an ordinary chūnin instructor could afford to offend.
Muzan released Asuma and smiled faintly.
"Apologies, Nobibei-sensei. I was just joking around. No need to get so tense."
He returned to his seat, ignoring the awestruck stares from the other children.
Nobibei sighed and tried to smooth things over.
"If Hatake Muzan wishes to become a medical-nin, he'll need to work several times harder than others. And more importantly… a true medical-nin must have a compassionate heart."
He delivered the lesson mildly. Truth be told, he didn't take Muzan's ambition seriously.
To most, medical-nin were merely support shinobi—overshadowed by the glory of Hokage and front-line heroes. Without Lady Tsunade, few would even consider them vital.
And besides, Muzan was the White Fang's son. Surely, he would inherit his father's legendary swordsmanship someday.
"Now then, let's begin the lesson!"
The first class wasn't about chakra extraction or kunai throwing, but rather something Konoha held sacred—
the Will of Fire, the ideological foundation said to define the village itself.
Muzan lay half-asleep on his desk, utterly disinterested. To him, this "Will of Fire" was nothing but indoctrination—a sales pitch for loyalty and sacrifice.
At first, perhaps, it had been born of noble intent. For Konoha's future, countless shinobi had gone to the front lines to defend their home.
But by the Third Great Shinobi War, the Will of Fire had twisted into something else.
Children—barely graduated genin—were sent to die on the battlefield.
The warm glow of the Will of Fire could not illuminate Konoha's rot and hypocrisy.
...
The teacher droned on about the village's history: the First Hokage, the Second Hokage… and then, of course, the most revered figure of their time—the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Down in the seats, Asuma puffed out his chest, proudly showing off to Kurenai.
"That's my old man!"
"Cough—don't forget you're a student here," Nobibei retorted, smacking Asuma lightly on the head with a ruler.
When the name "White Fang" came up, all eyes instinctively turned to the quiet boy in black—Hatake Muzan.
That's Sakumo's son?
If not for the fact that he and Kakashi were twins, most of them would've doubted they were even related. Nobody except Sakumo and Kakashi had ever seen Muzan's face beneath the hood.
He was quieter than the Aburame clan themselves.
From the corner, Obito Uchiha stole glances at him. Two sons of the White Fang—one a recognized prodigy capable of wielding all five chakra natures like the Hokage himself, and the other… a supposed weakling.
"Kakashi, is he really your brother?"
"What do you think?" Kakashi said flatly, pulling away. "I hate useless people."
"Damn you, Kakashi! I challenge you to a duel!"
Obito lunged—only to be effortlessly pinned to the ground by Kakashi in a single move.
Watching the scuffle, Nobibei rubbed his temples in exasperation. Why did I retire from the Anbu for this? These kids are impossible.
"Since you're all so energetic," he finally barked, "let's head to the training field. I'll teach you how to throw shuriken and kunai properly!"
As they walked, Nobibei lectured:
"Never underestimate a kunai. On the battlefield, a ninja's chakra is limited. Knowing how to make the most of it matters. Even the Flying Thunder God Technique depends on precise kunai use. And with explosive tags, even a careless jōnin can die if caught off guard."
He looked toward Obito.
"Uchiha Obito! As a member of the Uchiha clan—renowned for your weapon control—show us how it's done!"
"Eh?" Obito froze, taking the kunai nervously. Sure, he was an Uchiha, but he was… well, not exactly the clan's pride.
Predictably, when he threw it, every kunai missed the target.
"Completely useless," Muzan murmured without thinking.
Nobibei, sharp-eared from years as a shinobi, heard every word.
Even if the boy was Sakumo's son, this class didn't need troublemakers. He held out another kunai.
"Since you think he's useless, Hatake Muzan—why don't you demonstrate proper kunai throwing?"
From beneath his hood, Muzan silently accepted the weapon.
Kakashi frowned.
This is bad—he's never trained like a ninja before!
But Muzan only replied calmly:
"Understood, sensei."