"What an incredible match! As expected of Kakashi!"
"Did I really just see a student from the Academy defeat a full-fledged ninja?!"
"Unbelievable! What a thrilling fight!"
The arena roared with excitement as Kakashi basked in his victory.
He could hardly contain his pride—he was now an official genin.
For once, he felt like he had surpassed his older brother.
He was already imagining the smug look on Muzan's face when he went home to brag.
But before he could even step off the field, a familiar black-robed figure walked straight onto the arena.
"You… why are you here?"
Kakashi blinked in surprise. He thought Muzan had come to congratulate him—
until he heard his brother's calm, steady voice announce something that silenced the entire training ground.
"Teacher Nobibei, I'd like to request a supplementary test.
I'm applying for graduation as well—to become a full-fledged genin."
The crowd froze. Dozens of eyes shifted from Kakashi to the dark-robed boy standing in the center of the arena.
Up in the stands, Nobibei-sensei looked utterly stunned. He was about to refuse—after all, the exams were already over—
when a masked ANBU operative appeared at his side, bowing respectfully and handing over a scroll.
"Orders from the Hokage," the ANBU said.
"Permission granted. Proceed with Hatake Muzan's test immediately."
"What?!"
Nobibei's jaw dropped. For a moment, he just stared at Muzan, his expression unreadable.
Then he nodded sharply.
"Understood."
As it turned out, Muzan had gone straight to the Hokage's office the night before,
formally requesting permission to take the graduation exam alongside his brother.
Now, standing in the same arena, he was calm and certain.
"If you wish to back out, this is your last chance," Nobibei warned, his tone heavy.
But Muzan simply nodded, unfazed by the teacher's pressure.
"I'm ready. Please begin, Teacher Nobibei."
Nobibei exhaled and raised his hand.
"Very well. The supplementary graduation exam for Hatake Muzan will now commence."
He summoned a ninja from the waiting area—a lean man with a scar down his cheek, clad in a standard-issue vest.
"Your opponent will be this man, a qualified genin."
Nobii knew Muzan was gifted—he'd heard of his chakra control and medical skill.
But in the Academy, Muzan had never shown much interest in taijutsu or offensive jutsu.
He spent nearly all his time in the hospital or practicing medical chakra precision.
Could someone like that really defeat a trained genin in combat?
"Hatake Muzan, my name is Nozawa Itsuki," the man said politely, bowing slightly.
"I'm one of the soldiers you treated at the hospital. Because my injuries were light, the Hokage assigned me to be your examiner.
But don't expect me to hold back."
Itsuki had seen war firsthand. He knew mercy could kill—if Muzan didn't have the strength to protect himself, he'd only die faster on the battlefield.
So, he intended to fight at full force—to teach the boy the meaning of power.
Muzan chuckled under his breath.
"Hah… I didn't expect to meet one of my own patients.
If I'd known, I would've left your wounds half-healed—kept you in bed a little longer."
The voice under the black hood was still that of a boy, but as Itsuki watched, a sudden chill swept over the field.
An aura of killing intent—pure, suffocating—burst from Muzan's body.
Itsuki instinctively stepped back.
For a heartbeat, it didn't feel like he was facing a child anymore,
but a predator—cold, ancient, and lethal.
"Get ready," Muzan said quietly.
"I'm starting."
And in that instant, the balance of power flipped.
Muzan wasn't the challenger anymore. He was the hunter.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A roaring inferno surged from Muzan's lips, scorching the ground black.
The flames were massive—easily twice the size of a standard Great Fireball.
Itsuki barely avoided being incinerated, darting away with a Body Flicker jutsu.
Wherever the fire passed, the ground cracked and smoked, leaving molten streaks of heat.
"So you're opening with ninjutsu, huh?" Itsuki called out.
"Let me teach you something, boy. On the battlefield, you conserve your chakra—or you die."
"Are you… lecturing me?" Muzan asked mildly.
That single sentence silenced him.
Before Itsuki could retort, Muzan blurred—his body vanished in a burst of speed.
A split second later, he was right in front of him.
"Crack!"
Itsuki barely managed to block with his forearms before a shockwave sent him flying.
Even through the guard, his muscles screamed in pain.
He crashed into the dirt—only for his body to burst into smoke. A Substitution Jutsu.
Reappearing a few meters away, Itsuki panted, brushing dust from his face.
"That was close…"
He'd nearly been kicked out of the arena entirely.
The boy's strength was far beyond expectation.
In that brief exchange, Itsuki realized something alarming—Muzan truly had the power of a genin.
If not for his greater battle experience, he might already have lost.
"Impressive," Itsuki admitted. "No wonder they call you Konoha's youngest medical-nin."
Muzan didn't answer. He stopped advancing, exhaling slowly.
Beneath the shadow of his hood, his expression was unreadable—until his voice dropped, cold and rough.
"If that's all you've got… you've already lost."
Then his chakra flared.
A faint blue light began coursing over his body,
stimulating his cells—
a technique reminiscent of the Lightning Release Armor used by the Raikage.
Though weaker in scale, Muzan's version was unique: a byproduct of his inhuman physiology, his flesh thrumming with power far beyond a normal human's limits.
"Why is he… glowing?"
"He looks so cool! He's actually overpowering a genin!"
"Damn it—Muzan, Kakashi—just wait till I awaken my Sharingan!"
The students watching from the sidelines were in awe.
None of them understood what kind of energy surrounded Muzan—
but Teacher Nobibei did.
He could sense the vast amount of chakra coiled within the boy.
Even C-rank jutsu came to him effortlessly.
"What a terrifying prodigy… Nozawa Itsuki's in danger."
And indeed, Muzan's speed and power spiked sharply.
In mere moments, his barrage of taijutsu overwhelmed Itsuki completely.
Each kick tore through the air like a whip—his strikes precise, merciless.
Itsuki stumbled backward, his uniform shredded under the assault, until he was cornered.
Desperate, he formed a quick string of hand seals.
"Earth Style: Petrifying Jutsu!"
A coating of grey rock spread over his body, reinforcing his defenses.
But reality was cruel.
"Bang!"
One kick sent him crashing into the wall, rock shell cracking apart like thin glass.
And then—Muzan did something that made the entire audience gasp.
He raised one hand—
and began performing one-handed seals.
Such precision required absolute mastery of chakra control.
Even among Konoha's elite, only a handful of veteran jōnin could do it.
Yet this boy—barely out of the Academy—executed it with effortless grace.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
A sharp gust erupted from his palm, compressing into a slicing wave of air.
It roared across the arena like a blade of wind—
and the test was about to become a demonstration of power that Konoha would never forget.