TRT16: Path of a Shinobi by Way of the Moon and a Horse! – By DS Wynne

Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST, Naruto and other properties belong to the respective owners.

Note: This is a multi-genre story. This is also a 1000-plus word edition.

Special Note: This story takes place shortly after the first "Robotech War".

Part 7

Ten minutes earlier…

"I am sure that the intruder or intruders are within the Hidden Rain Village," said the beautiful "Konan", the only female member of the Akatsuki, as she looked over the bay, from the highest building in the village. The village was a massive water purification plant and reservoir that served the needs of Hokkaido and northern Japan, making Amekuni ("Land of Rain") an important prefecture. Konan's specialty jutsu involves the origami method. Meaning, she can use manipulate paper into a powerful shinobi effect.

"All I need is for the rain to stop, in order to find these people…Pain," Konan said, as she glances over towards a pale, young man with orange rain and a blank expression. He had bolts running through parts of his body, and a headband with the village symbol scratched out. However, the most striking about this person were his eyes…

"Right," Pain said, as he utilizes a jutsu to stop the rain. "While you find these intruders, I will use a more appropriate body."

Konan sighs. She knew that all this death dealing was taxing her resolve. However, her faith in Pain's master plan, to bring peace to the world, still remained.

"I must remind you that there is a good possibility that our village defenses have been compromised," Konan said, as she began to break about into paper butterflies.

"If the sources of our predicament are the intruders, then we will deal with them as well," Pain said, as he phased through the walls of his mysterious citadel. "After all, Tobi and Kisame has given me a pair of special gifts for me to utilize, for when the Akatsuki officially sanction the retrieval of the Nine-Tail Demon Fox…from within the boy."

Pause.

"Now, get to work," Pain said, as he disappears inside the building…

"Of course," Konan said, as she begins her search of the intruder.

In the present, now…

"Well, it's up to Ibiki now," Usagi said, as she switches to her other guise. She was referring to the resident chief interrogator of the Hidden Leaf Village…

"You know, I really wish that you didn't interrogate that other guy," Ranma said, as he switches back to his female guise. After all, neither "Ranma Saotome" nor "Usagi Tsukino" was supposed to be in the Hidden Rain Village, which is why "Ranko Tendo" (member of Team Jiraiya) and "Orochimaruko" (rogue S-class kunoichi) were present.

"But, I got him to talk, 'Ranko'," Orochimaruko said nonchalantly.

"I don't think those guys had the kind of information we need," Jiraiya said, as he made sure that one of his toad familiars left to take their prisoners back to the Hidden Leaf Village for additional interrogation.

Ranko gave Jiraiya an expectant look.

"Okay, I could use that information for my latest novel, but still…"

"How come you and Tsunade never hooked up?" Orochimaruko asked.

"Because, she kept hitting me, that's why," Jiraiya sniffed.

"That's because you liked to tease her 'assets', man," Ranko said, as she looked at the base of the forbidden tower. "Anyway, we better find Pain, and end this charade…"

Orochimaruko was about to say something, when she noticed a butterfly origami lying on the ground. She kneels, and picks it up.

"Guys?"
"Yes?" Ranko and Jiraiya said in unison.

"Konan is here."

"What?" Jiraiya said, as he looks around. "Konan is here?"

"There," Ranko said, as she points up towards a blue-haired girl, who was floating on wings made from paper…

"So, we were betrayed by the Snake…twice," Konan said, as she looks down at the trio with cold eyes.

"Konan, you've certainly grown into a fine beauty," Jiraiya said, as he received glares from Ranko. "What? She is, you know."

"Konan, I told Jiraiya about Pain's master plan," Orochimaruko said. "Both you and him need to stand down."

"I don't think so," Konan said, as the three below her were suddenly swarmed by paper, and encased like mummies. Then, three paper Konan(s) formed, the equivalent of the standard 'Clone Jutsu', before each formed blades made from paper…

"Don't think so," Ranko said, as she suddenly appears out of her mummification (using her "Substitution Jutsu"), before blowing a triple fire ball effect (called the "Triple Dragon's Roar Jutsu") that decimated Konan's clones. Meanwhile, Jiraiya emerges from the shadow of his own clone, while Orochimaruko slithers through the grooves of the layered papers that attempted to encase her.

"That wasn't nice, Konan," Jiraiya said with a smirk. "You were never this mean."

"People change, Jiraiya-sensei," Konan said. With that, she points her wings at the group, and rain-down paper death at the trio.

"Vacuum Shuriken Hail!" Ranko said, as she unleashed a volley of Shurikens made from air, and intercepted the attack on her.

"Myriad Snake Net Formation!" Orochimaruko yelled, before she unleashed a torrent of snakes…from her mouth.

"Ew!" Jiraiya said, just before he unleashed his "Toad Oil Attack" upon Konan. Then again, he wondered if the Snake Moon Princess had a gag reflex…

Konan managed to dodges the first two attacks, only to be caught by Jiraiya's. Unable to move, due to the weight of the oil, Jiraiya uses his "Wild Lion's Mane Technique" to bind Konan in place.

"This isn't you, Konan," Jiraiya said.

"Why are you trying to destroy the world?" Ranko asked. "Don't you know that our planet just got through fending off the latest alien attack?"

Ranko was referring to the recent war with the giant alien race known as the "Zentraedi".

"I didn't fight aliens, to protect my homeworld, just to see some self-proclaim 'god' finish what those aliens started!"

"Why are you doing this?" Orochimaruko asked.

"And what happened to Nagato?" Jiraiya asked. "Orochimaruko said that Yahiko is with you, as Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki."

Konan turns towards Orochimaruko.

"I bet the old you should have killed the three of us, in order to spare you the trouble that you are facing now," Konan said.

"The 'old' me lost his way when HE became an orphan, Konan," Orochimaruko said. "You and Pain have become just like him."

"But you should have listened to him, right?"

"No, I wouldn't," Jiraiya said. "I knew that you three had great potential. Yes, I head what the Salamander did, but you didn't have to use that tragedy as an excuse to inflict pain on others."

Pause.

"You disappoint me, Konan. Obviously, I and the others failed to teach you the important lesson concerning the 'Will of Fire', so that you could survive the darkest times of your existence."

"It's not too late to change, Konan," Orochimaruko said hopefully. "We can end this peacefully."

Konan looks away, and then back at the group.

"I'm sorry, but it's too late for us…"

"And our path is a righteous one, Jiraiya-sensei," said an orange haired man with a high pony tail. He, like Yahiko, had bolts in his face and body.

"Wait a minute," Ranko said. "This person isn't Yahiko, but his eyes…"

"It's the Rinnigan," Jiraiya said. "But…only Nagato had those eyes."

"He's still Pain," Orochimaruko said. "He might be able to change his form, or have multiple bodies."

"I am but one of many," said Pain, as he clapped his hands. "But no less of a threat. Summoning Jutsu!"

The wall behind Pain suddenly has summoning markings, as a giant crustacean of some kind burst into being. It then began to spew foam into the area where Jiraiya, Ranko and Orochimaruko stood.

"Break!" Jiraiya said, as he and his companions leaped out of the way. Now, all of them were scaling the wall upright.

"That's a weak attack," Ranko said, as she looked at Pain.

"Not for the Toad Sage, it isn't," Pain said. He then glances at Konan.

"Stay back, Konan," Pain said, as he directed the crustacean to attack with great vigor.

"Ah!" Ranko said, as she unleashed a tornado that stops the creature in mid-air.

"Yah!" Jiraiya said, as he uses his hair, using the Wild Lion's Mane Technique to slice the crustacean into pieces, causing the summoned creature to disappear.

Just as Pain was about to strike again, Orochimaruko suddenly appears, using superspeed, to appear in front of Pain.

"You're done," Orochimaruko said, as she opens her mouth again, as shoots out her sword, the Legendary Kusanagi, from her mouth. Pain is immediately impaled into the wall behind him.

"Give it up, Pain," Ranko said. "You can't defeat us all."

"If you think that, then you really don't know my true power," Pain said, as he disappears, leaving a log in his place.

"Dang, a Substitution Jutsu!" Orochimaruko said.

Jiraiya notices that Pain was now on a giant lizard with bulging eyes: a snake-tailed Chameleon.

"Impressive," Jiraiya said. "But you're not the only one to know the Summoning Arts."

"Um, maybe we should hold back a bit, and see what Pain got," Ranko said. "The Rinnigan is a powerful bloodline trait."

"Perhaps, but Pain is facing the greatest warriors on the planet, and a little show of force will back this punk down," Jiraiya said, as he clasped his hands. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Just then, a giant toad appears underneath the Toad Sage. He was different from Gamabunta…

"I am the Toad Sage, a legend among legends-"

The giant toad shifts his stance, causing Jiraiya to fall clumsily, causing Orochimaruko to giggle, while Ranko shakes her head in disbelief.

"You haven't matured at all, Jiraiya-sensei," Pain says.

"Hey, Master Gamaken!" Jiraiya yells. "I was going through my exposition, you know!"

"Sorry, just waking up," Gamaken said, as he twirls his two-prong spear before tapping it on his shield. His coloring was a bit more reddish.

"Humph!"

"Man, this guy is going to need help," Ranko said, as she looks up at Orochimaruko. "Yo, summon Manda."

"You sure?" Orochimaruko said. "You know how temperamental he can get."

"No choice," Ranko said, as she and Orochimaruko bit into their respective thumbs, drew summoning marking on their respective arms, and placed their hands on a flat surface.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Ranko and Orochimaruko said in unison, as summoning marking appeared on the surface of their area where they slapped their palms.

With a puff of smoke, Ranko was on top of her familiar, Byokko, the Celestial White Tiger, while Orochimaruko was on top of Manda, the king of the serpents.

"Wow, it's been a long time, Ranma!" Byokko purred.

"Indeed," Ranko said. "We got a tough opponent this time, one who is an expert on summoning."

"Got it!"

"This better be good, Orochimaruko," Manda said.

"Aw, don't be like that," Orochimaruko said, as she purred. "I fed you well during the war with the bodies of enemy Zentraedi."

"True, true. Okay, let's deal with this cretin."

Konan looks at this display, and then turns towards Pain.

"Pain-"

"I know, Konan," Pain said. "But this battle is far from over."

Tbc.