Muzan was panicking—really panicking.
Even though he knew that Kakashi would survive the Third Great Shinobi War, that didn't make it any easier to watch his little brother march toward danger. In war, nothing was ever guaranteed.
And as for a reckless brat like Kakashi—Muzan wasn't about to indulge him.
"Bang!"
How to vent his anger? Simple—by beating some sense into him.
His fist came down squarely on Kakashi's head. The boy yelped, clutching his skull, and glared up in outrage.
"Damn it, Brother! Why'd you hit me out of nowhere?!"
"Do I need a reason to hit you?"
Muzan raised a brow, gestured as if measuring Kakashi's height—and punched him again.
"If you can beat me, then you can hit me back."
"You asked for it! I'll take you down, Muzan!"
Of course, Kakashi failed miserably. He was soon lying flat, groaning in defeat. But even then, he stubbornly refused to give up on taking the graduation exam the next day.
"You never make things easy for me…"
Muzan sighed. With Kakashi's ability, there was no doubt he could become a genin—but still, the older brother wanted to knock some humility into him first.
"Looks like I'll have to crush that overconfidence a little."
---
The Next Day.
The entire Ninja Academy was buzzing with excitement.
Kakashi Hatake had applied for early graduation—and been approved.
"Damn that Kakashi! Once I awaken my Sharingan, I'm challenging him for sure!"
"Kakashi, my youth burns for you! I'll catch up to your flames one day!"
"As expected of Lord Sakumo's son—what a monster of talent!"
By sunrise, a huge crowd of students had gathered at the rear training ground, eager to witness the legendary exam of Konoha's youngest genius.
Teacher Nobibei personally oversaw the test. Watching the boy stand tall on the field, he couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration.
"Kakashi," he said solemnly, "are you ready for this fight? It could be dangerous. You still have time to back out."
Normal students graduated by performing the Three Basic Jutsu—Transformation, Substitution, and Clone Jutsu.
But for early graduation, there was an additional trial: surviving ten minutes against an actual chūnin-level opponent, to prove one truly had the strength of a genin.
Kakashi, fully geared and focused, shook his head. He'd trained for this moment too long to turn back now.
"I'm ready."
With both hands gripping his kunai, he fixed his gaze on the man approaching—a scarred ninja whose crooked grin twisted across his face.
"Listen, kid," the man growled. "Real ninja battles aren't like your schoolyard games. I won't be holding back."
---
High above, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, watched quietly.
"So the new generation begins with Kakashi Hatake," he murmured. "But who should be his jōnin instructor?"
A prodigy like this needed careful guidance. Yet Hiruzen's own three students—Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru—were either away or unsuited for teaching.
With tensions rising around Konoha and most elite ninja on missions, the choice of Kakashi's mentor would require careful thought.
The proctor, Morio Shuuei, was an experienced field operative—one of the best among Konoha's chūnin.
Holding out for ten minutes against him would be no small feat.
---
"I can't believe that idiot Kakashi's already taking the graduation test…"
Obito Uchiha muttered gloomily, while around him, the entire class wore the same downcast expression.
Muzan turned and scanned their faces, then chuckled softly.
"Why the long faces?"
It wasn't mockery—it was recognition. Kakashi's strength had inspired awe in them all.
"You guys still got a year left," Muzan continued. "Plenty of time to catch up to him."
Asuma scowled.
"Hmph! What do you mean you guys?"
"You'll see soon enough," Muzan said with a faint smile.
---
Back on the field, Morio stood ready. He was eligible for promotion to jōnin and had fought on real battlefields.
In his eyes, these kids didn't belong anywhere near such danger. So, to "teach Kakashi a lesson," he planned to hit hard.
"Shh—shh—shh!"
Three kunai whistled through the air simultaneously.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. With a flick of his wrist, his shuriken met each projectile mid-flight.
Three perfect deflections.
He leapt forward through the dust—"Bang!"—and landed a sharp kick to Morio's arm, forcing the man back a step.
Kakashi seized the opening and twisted, delivering a spinning kick that nearly mirrored Might Guy's signature move.
Watching from the sidelines, Guy's jaw dropped.
"He—he used my move! When did he learn that?!"
"Kakashi's no fool," Muzan said calmly beside him. "You spar together all the time. Of course he'd pick up your habits—and he learns fast."
Muzan's crimson eyes gleamed with quiet amusement as he observed the fight.
So far, Kakashi had struck twice cleanly, pushing Morio onto the defensive.
"Impressive, but this ends now!"
The chūnin's hands blurred through hand seals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A blazing sphere of fire roared toward Kakashi. He abandoned his next strike, rolling aside as the flames seared the ground.
Chakra burned quickly for chūnin-level ninja; few could sustain jutsu for long. Morio switched tactics, pulling a long metal staff from his back.
He slammed it into the earth—"Boom!"—and a stone column erupted under Kakashi's feet, launching him skyward.
"No! Kakashi's in danger!" Rin gasped.
"He'd better not fail this," Obito shouted. "If he does, I'll never forgive him!"
While the others panicked, Muzan only lowered his gaze thoughtfully.
This wasn't like Kakashi at all. Up to now, he'd used only taijutsu and kunai—no ninjutsu, no tricks.
"He's not aiming to endure ten minutes," Muzan murmured.
"He's aiming to win."
Just as he said it, the pillar exploded in dust. Morio struck—only to feel his target vanish into smoke.
"What—?!"
Pain flared at his ankle. He looked down—and froze. Two hands had burst from the ground, gripping his legs.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"
In one fluid motion, Kakashi dragged him under, leaving only Morio's head above the ground.
The realization dawned too late. The match was over.
During the moment Morio had launched his attack, Kakashi had already substituted with a log and used the debris from the explosion as cover to execute a perfect counter.
He had never used ninjutsu earlier—both to conserve chakra and to conceal his true capabilities.
In a real battle, information control was everything.
Morio had underestimated him, seeing only a child—and paid the price for it.
---
From the stands, the Academy students erupted in cheers.
Kakashi Hatake had not just survived ten minutes.
He had defeated his examiner outright.
And thus, on that day, the name of Konoha's youngest genin spread through the village—
while, in the distance, Muzan watched silently, torn between pride and dread.
For he knew this was only the beginning.