Chapter 18

Back in the village everything is looking calm. Gekido is walking out of the hospital when another Jonin dressed the same with short brown hair approaches him. Gekido is looking quite distraught. The Jonin places his hand on Gekido's shoulder.

"How's Ikki doing?" asked the Jonin.

"Better" said Gekido. The two of them begin to walk away from the hospital into town. "I hate him"

"Who?"

"Menma, the bastard really injured him and yet the Third let him off the hook…again! No disciplinary actions on our part are to be taken."

"Yeah, but he must have a reason for that. He knows what he's doing."

"He's becoming senile."

The Jonin gives a concerned look. "Don't say that about Lord Third."

"But it's true. Why else would he not properly punish Menma?

"You know why, with him having the nine tails sealed inside him he—"

"But I'm telling you Eito, he's really pushing it" said Gekido.

"I know, I know, but you have to trust Lord Third, Menma's discipline is to be handled by him and him alone. Anyway we try could trigger the nine tails' release." said the Jonin.

"That doesn't make it right. I mean throwing my student out the window like that and crippling him."

"He's not crippled. The doctors say he'll recover to full health."

"They just told me a month and he might recover to full, MIGHT."

"The point is that he'll recover. That's a good thing."

Gekido looks away. "That doesn't excuse Menma, that damn fox." Eito gives a more concerned look.

"Look" said Eito. "The more you think about it, the more you'll stress yourself out. There's nothing we can do about it now so just drop it."

Gekido takes a deep breath. "I suppose you're right." Gekido takes a deeper breath. "Anyway, how did your new genin team? Did you do the little test? Did they pass?"

"Actually, they never showed up."

Gekido looks at him confused. "…what?"

"They probably overslept. I did tell them the crack of dawn after all. Might be a little early then what they are used to."

"That's just lazy of them. They need to be diligent, on time, ready to start the mission."

Eito gives a sly look. "Like Kakashi?"

Gekido pauses for a moment. He sighs. "Good point, that guy's never on time. He was even late for the Orientation never even getting the chance to pick up his students after we left."

Eito chuckles lightly. "Anyway, I figured I'd stop by their house after lunch to see them."

"That sounds irritating."

"It is. But that's necessary. Although…."

"What?"

Well, I'm not the only one who's students never showed. "Huh?"

"Before running into you I spoke with some of the other Jonin waiting on their students and they never showed up either. They all were missing."

"Wait a minute…are you telling me all the students skipped out on their Genin test?

"No, Asuma and Kurenai both had their students show up and they passed. Though as far as I know, they're the only ones."

"What about Kakashi?"

"Don't know, he's probably still in the middle of testing his students."

Gekido looks at the ground. "Something's not right. One or two I can understand but all but three teams showed up?"

"Well when you put it like that it does sound off putting."

The two continue to walk going past the entrance to a local park. Gekido suddenly stops as he gets a strange whiff of something. He looks into the park getting and eerie feeling.

"Gekido?" said Eito stopping to look back at his friend.

Gekido looks back at Eito. "You smell that?"

Eito takes a big sniff. The smell rushes to his nose. He gives a concerned look. "Blood"

The two share the concerned look and rush into the park. They soon find a blood trail on the grass. It's small barely noticeable.

"This looks recent" said Eito. He places his hand in the blood rubbing his fingers together. He brings his hand close to his face. "A 5 maybe 6 hours ago at most"

"Dammit" said Gekido. He rushes forward following the blood.

"Hey wait, let me contact the others." Gekido in a rush doesn't stop. He continues to follow the blood trail as he finally sees where it's coming from. It appears that there are multiple bodies scattered throughout the area. All of them are dead corpses of various kids. He looks on in horror his whole body shaking.

"What the hell is this?" said Gekido.

Eito catches up. "I just sent word for more Jonin to—" Eito suddenly stops upon seeing the many corpses on the ground. "What?" Eito slowly approaches the bodies. "Kids, all of them are kids. Who would do such a thing?"

"A monster" said Gekido in an aggressive voice. Eito starts to inspect the bodies. Upon getting a closer look he comes to a disturbing realization.

"These kids" said Eito. "They're all kids from the graduating class this year. All three of my students are here. And there's Rokin's students and Mili's."

"All dead!" Gekido clenches his fist. "Menma! He's gone too far way too far this time. The third has to punish him for sure."

Eito looks around counting the bodies. "17 bodies" he said. "That leaves 12 students unaccounted for."

"It's got to be Menma. There's no other way it wasn't" Gekido says this confidently.

"But killing, that's not his thing"

Gekido turns to Eito. "He's killed before."

Eito gives him a stern look. "Gekido, there's no proof of that. Besides the Third Hokage said that—"

"Look around you Eito" said Gekido. He points to all the corpses. "Academy students fresh from graduation all dead at our feet; and this happens the same year Menma graduates. This…this is not a coincidence."

Eito looks down at the ground. "Yeah but for you to say that about Menma. He's a trouble maker that's for sure but for him to result to murder and the gruesomeness of this it's—"

"It makes sense for it to be him" said Gekido. "Think about it, 12 students unaccounted for, only four teams pass while the rest are sent back to the academy. With only twelve students left alive, that leaves them as the only ones to become Genin." Gekido looks around as his rage builds more and more. "It's obvious Menma did this to increase his chance of passing the Genin test."

"Gekido, put your issues of Menma aside for a moment. Thinks about all the times he's snapped at people. Think about what he did during test time. Menma would always fail on purpose when Naruto didn't pass. It's not in his nature. Menma's a lot of things but even he wouldn't resort to—" The two of them suddenly hear a cough. They both rush to the source. One of the students have gained consciousness. It appears to be Mariko however, she is badly beaten with bruises all over her body.

"She's still alive" said Gekido.

"S-sensei" said Mariko in a weak voice. "M-M-Menma…hurt…."

"Menma? Menma did this to you?"

"Men…ma…." She passes out.

Gekido holds her tightly as his eyes burn with rage.

Jonin soon arrive at the scene along with the Third Hokage and Iruka. They see the carnage before them.

"How horible" said Iruka.

"Iruka" said the Third, "Get some more men here now!"

"Yes, sir"

"That goes for all of you!"

"Sir" said the Jonin

The Jonin all scatter.

"Gekido" said Eito.

Gekido turns to them holding Mariko in his arms.

"She's alive" said Gekido.

"Leave it to us" said a voice behind them. Two medical ninja come from behind with a stretcher. They take Mariko from Gekido and place her gently on it. "Quickly, we need to get her to the hospital." They ninja gently pick her up and rush out the area. The third looks around at the devastation."

"What could have done all of this?" asked the third

"Menma" said Gekido. "Who else could it be?"

The third pauses deep in thought. "That's not his style"

"Lord Third, there's no way you can excuse this. Menma just murdered the graduating class of this year. He needs to be punished and it must be severely." Gekido continues to stare at the third. He thinks for a moment and blows smoke out his mouth.

"We do not have sufficient enough evidence that point to Menma being the culprit. Punishing him without getting the whole truth would be problematic."

"What?"

"We'll have Menma brought in by Kakashi upon him finishing his Genin test. After which we'll question him thoroughly with Inochi Yamanaka."

"No! Mariko herself admitted Menma is responsible. He needs to be brought in now! You can't give him any excuse for this!"

"And if she's wrong? Are you willing to punish an innocent kid?"

"Menma's is nowhere near innocent. That demon fox is…." The third glares at Gekido who stops himself from saying anything further. "What I mean is that Menma is responsible and guilty. His behavior is evidence enough with how he picks fights with everyone and beats up his fellow classmates. You have to punish him."

"Gekido, look at the bodies. They are all cut with blades. Menma beats up the kids with his fists never using any weapons even if the other kids do. Can you safely say that someone is trying to frame him like last time?"

"Sir, you never found the culprit for that incident and Menma was the only one who was present when that girl died. He's responsible."

The third turns away. "Menma is to be brought to me after his test. That's my final answer." The third walks away. Gekido's fists start to bleed from clenching them too hard.

"Gekido" said Eito. "Let the third handle this. He will do what's right.

Gekido turns rushing past him heading out the park. "Menma will pay for this" he said. "He will pay!"