Naruto: I am Uzumaki Naruto and I will become Hokage!
Edelgard: And I am Edelgard von Hresvelg and as Empress of the Adrestian Empire, I shall bring peace!
Naruko: So, how long do you thing they will keep shouting out their promises?
Claude: *flips page in Shinobi Magazine* Eventually.
Edelgard: Shall we create an alliance to bring peace?
Naruto: Damn right! Anyone that's a fan of peace is a friend of mine!
Menma and Dimitri: Idiots. Can we start the chapter already?
Claude and Naruko: Enjoy the chapter everyone!
United I Stand
Chapter Six: Menma and Sakura! Attack on Taki!
"I was lying on the grass of Sunday morning of last week. Indulging in my self-defeat," Naruto sang as he slipped on a white shirt before he tossed a brush to Naruko.
"My mind was thugged, all laced and bugged, all twisted, wrong and beat. A comfortable three feet deep," Naruko sang as she brushed her long ponytails straight before she launched the brush to Menma, who rolled over the couch to grab it and brushed his hair.
"Now the fuzzy stare from not being there on a confusing morning week. Impaired my tribal lunar speak," Menma sang as he brushed his hair to a some-what tamed style then kicked up a pair of orange jeans and tossed it to Naruto, who flipped up a wall and grabbed the pants by the leg with his teeth before he twisted around and sat down on a chair to slip it on.
"And of course you can't become if you only say what you would have done, so I missed a million miles of fun," Naruto sang as he stood up and hopped twice to get his pants on before he kicked over a chair with Menma's black shirt and pants pants on it, where Menma leapt up and surfed on the chair, spinning it slightly as he slipped on his shirt.
"I know it's up for me," Menma sang as he tugged his shirt down and somersaulted off the chair and landed on one foot and kicked up Naruko's orange bra and white shirt with a large orange spiral in front and kicked it to her, where she caught it with her own foot and kicked it into the air.
"If you steal my sunshine," Naruko sang as she pulled off her button down pajama gown then leapt up to slip on her bra then her shirt and when she landed, she caught her thrown black skintight shorts with her foot from Naruto and slipped them on.
She kicked up both of Naruto's orange and white sneakers and round house kicked them to Naruto, who back-flipped and caught the shoes and landed on his feet to put them on.
"Making sure I'm not in too deep," Naruto sang before he pulled a chair by his foot sharply and sent it skidding to Naruko, who flipped on it and caught her black and orange sneakers from Menma.
"If you steal my sunshine," Naruko sang before she kicked her chair back, which made it skid towards the couch where she grabbed her orange shorts and Menma's orange jacket with long black sleeves and tossed it into the air, where Menma flipped over the couch and slipped on his jacket and landed in a crouch.
"Keep me versed and on my feet," Menma said before he reached behind him to the kunai pouches that hung on the wall and tossed two of them to Naruto and Naruko, who caught them and placed them on their right thighs, while Menma did the same.
"If you steal my sunshine," Naruko sang as she slipped on her shorts, where was barely visible beneath her long shirt and tossed on her sleeveless orange jacket with a black star on the back of it. She then tossed Naruto his orange bomber jacket, where he caught it and slipped it on, before she slipped on a belt over her fairly long shirt.
Menma slipped on his black and orange shoes and black fingerless gloves and asked "We got everything?"
"Food Scrolls are in the pouches," Naruto said as he tied his Hiate-ite on right knuckle.
"Along with our recently acquired tents and sleeping bags," Naruko said as she tied her Hiate-ite around her neck.
Menma tied his Hiate-ite around his right sleeve on his bicep and said "Well turn off the radio and lets G-O."
Naruto walked to the radio, which sat in the kitchen and flipped it off with a grin. "Let's jet guys!"
The trio flipped out of their window and wall climbed down their apartment building before they landed on the ground and began to walk towards the gate.
"So I've been thinking," Naruto began. "Should we get our own personal weapons?"
Naruko tilted her head "What brought this on?" she asked him curiously.
"Well think about it, every awesome shinobi has an awesome weapon that everyone knows that theirs. I mean look at the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. Tell me you guys wouldn't want something like that," Naruto said.
"I mean to be fair, they were a damn awesome when we learned about them from Iruka-sensei. You thinking we should all get swords or something?" Naruko asked.
"Not swords, just something that suits us. Like me, I want some badass gauntlets and a huge axe," Naruto said. "What about you guys?"
"Hmm…If I had to choose, I'd take a bo staff or a spear or something. I think it would compliment my Taijutsu style pretty well," Naruko said. "What about you Menma?"
"Thinking about it, I'd like a bow and arrow," Menma said. "It would be pretty neat to freeze my opponents from afar while piercing them…We should talk to Anko-sensei and Inoichi-sensei about it later."
"Heh, another good idea from Uzumaki Naruto, success!" Naruto exclaimed with a grin. "Now, onto other affairs, once Hinata-chan dates us three, who do you think she would choose to continue dating?"
"Honestly, it could be any one of us," Menma said. "If she liked us in that way."
"At this rate, "Denial" should be your middle name," Naruko noted dryly. "I don't know. I mean I don't think Hinata-chan likes girls."
"I kinda hope she does so I can view a little bit o-" Naruto was interrupted by Menma smacking him upside the head. "Ow! Why?!" Naruto asked.
"I heard something perverted coming and stopped it," Menma said. "God, maybe you should change your name to Miroku."
"After that perverted Monk on Inuyasha?" Naruto asked. "Hmmm not too bad of a name. Uzumaki Miroku…"
"Oh Kami, he's actually thinking about it," Menma muttered. "In all seriousness, if Hinata likes us, you have a strong chance just like Naruto and I. I mean, we are a part of the OG Naruto and that may be just enough for her."
"I suppose but I can honestly see her go for either one of you more than me," Naruko said. "Which is why I think one of you should ask her out first, I go second and then the other one goes last."
"An excellent idea," Naruto said. "I nominate myself to go…last."
"W-What? You want to go last?" Menma asked with surprise.
"Yeah, I mean I personally think she's going to go for Menma since I firmly believe he's closer to the original and she will see that as well. Besides…" Naruto then smirked. "Haven't you heard of "Saving the best for last" Menma?"
"You cocky asshole," Menma noted with an somewhat impressed tone. "Then in that case, I will go first since the better always does."
"Oh-ho-ho, is that a challenge I smell?" Naruko asked as Naruto and Menma smirked at one another. "I shall officiate this challenge then. This outta be good."
"Speaking of good, look who's also awake during this time of morning," Naruto noted as he motioned ahead.
Team Seven was walking ahead of them.
"Oh awesome! Yo Sakura-chan!" Naruko yelled.
Sakura looked back and the trio could see her face morph into a smile before she tapped both Sasuke and Sai to make them slow down, which they obliged, much to Menma's annoyance.
The trio caught up to Team Seven, with Naruko and Sakura sharing a brief high five before Sakura asked "You guys going on a mission too?"
"Yeah, we going to Taki to rescue someone," Naruko said with a grin. "What about you guys?"
"It's some mission to protect some noble woman from these guys, nothing too big," Sakura replied.
"For you maybe," Sasuke grumbled out.
Meanwhile, Sai wrote in his notebook as he said "Kakashi-sensei thinks highly of us in completing this mission. Personally with dickless and fangirl, I think we're bound to fail."
"Sai you moron!" Sakura said before she lifted her hand up to punch Sai but Naruko caught her fist and shook her head.
Sakura frowned at her but took a breath and lowered her arm, something Menma caught with disgust but remained silent.
Sasuke merely remained silent, above petty insults.
"Jeez Sasuke, you just gonna let him insult you like that?" Naruto asked.
"I am superior to him so why should I let his meager insults bother me?" Sasuke asked.
Both Naruto and Menma snorted at this.
"Something funny you two?" Sasuke asked.
"Oh nothing, I didn't think eunuchs could be superior," Naruto noted with grin, which caused Sasuke to halt briefly while Sai let a small smile appear on his face. "But hey, you learn something new every day, right Menma?"
Menma smirked.
"Naruto! Stop talking about Sasuke-kun like that," Sakura shouted as she lifted her arm again to strike him.
"He could talk to Sasuke however he wants, you aren't in control of him nor do you have the right to hit him," Menma's cold voice replied, which caused Sakura to look at him.
"You heard what he said about Sasuke-kun. I'm not going to take that lying down," Sakura replied.
"Oh shit, it's about to come to ahead already," Naruto murmured to Sai, who looked enraptured by this.
"You act as if the Uchiha needs a bodyguard," Menma said. "He is capable of holding his own. Hell, he ignored both insults thrown at him since he's so "Above" them after all. Why can't you let it go? Neither Sai or Naruto are insulting you personally so why want to hit them?"
"They insulted Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed angrily. "He's gone through so much in his life with losing his clan. He doesn't need anyone calling him names or putting him down!"
"Let me clue you in on something," Menma began. "The Uchiha has lost a lot and I won't sit here and act like he hasn't but unless you lived their life, you have no right to think anything about them. All you see is just a mask in that person's image. You don't know what they've lost or what they've been through."
Sakura balled up her fists angrily, which caused Menma to smirk.
"What? You going to hit me because I disagree with you?" Menma questioned as he stopped and faced her and tapped his face. "Well here I am and unlike Naruto, I'm giving you permission to strike me."
"Sakura-chan…" Naruko warned slowly.
"I sense a fight coming," Sai said while Naruto began to fish around for something. "What are you looking for blond?" Sai asked.
"Some fucking popcorn because it's about to go down," Naruto replied.
"I can create popcorn with my ink if you'd like," Sai suggested.
Naruto stared at him for a moment then said "You…I like you."
"I'm not going to hit you Menma…" Sakura said.
"Oh? Is that because I'm telling you to? Because I seem to remember Naruto telling me you would hit him at a drop of a hat when he did anything you disliked, especially when he insulted the Uchiha," Menma said. "Do I have to insult him as well to get you to do it?"
"Stop egging her on Menma," Naruko said.
"Just because you are friends with her and Naruto can't hold a grudge against her doesn't mean I am either of those things," Menma replied.
"You know what…Then enlighten me Menma. What have you lost?" Sakura asked suddenly, which surprised the entire group.
"Oh shit," both Naruto and Sai said.
"Sakura-chan…You don't want this, just back down," Naruko said.
"No, he wants to stand here and preach down to me, telling me how to feel and what to say and who to defend so I'm going to call him out on his bullshit," Sakura said to Naruko.
"Sakura," Sasuke said. "I do not appreciate being the catalyst for what is going to occur so before things get any more severe, let us just go."
"No Uchiha…" Menma said as his hair shadowed his eyes. "She asked a question right? It's only right to answer her."
Menma then turned his head to Sakura and said "Naruto, Naruko, forgive me but I'm going to spill a few things, I hope you understand."
"Dude, I am so fucking entertained by this, I don't even care, spill it," Naruto said.
'Menma…' Naruko thought. 'I know you ar4e about to snap but at least stick to the story of us being in separate villages and don't go so hard on her…Please?'
Menma didn't respond. Instead, Menma took a step towards Sakura and said "From the moment we were born to a few weeks ago, we were separated and told nothing. Nothing about our past, our family, why everyone hated us, not disliked, not annoyed, hated us. Hated us to the point that we, in separate villages, were sold nothing but rotting and expired foods."
Both Naruto and Naruko could feel anger filling their own veins at the memory of OG Naruto suffering at the hands of the villager's neglect and hatred of them but they remained silent.
"Imagine being alone from day one. Waking up to your caretaker at the orphanage denying you the basic essentials like food and clothing, only to see them willingly give it to the other orphans. Imagine waking up and seeing a look of rage in the eyes of the person that is supposed to take care of you every hour of the day…Imagine watching all the other orphans being hugged and cared for and adopted while you sit there in your own filth being treated better than a mangy cat in the street!" Menma shouted with anger in his voice, which caused Sakura to flinch and look down on to the ground.
But Menma scowled at her "Don't look down. Look me in the fucking eyes and Imagine it Haruno! Imagine being four years old, kicked out of the only home you had and begging the man you look up to for answers about your past. Imagine begging to know if your parents loved you? Did you have a siblings, any other family, a clan or anything?! Imagine begging this man you see as a grandfather about why everyone hates you?! And imagine being told absolutely fucking nothing!" Menma yelled, which caused Sakura to step back.
"Menma…That's enough," Naruko said as tears began to fall from her eyes.
"Imagine being alone in a dingy and rotting apartment for most of your life, clinging to some sort of hope that you had people who cared about you and that they didn't abandon you until one day, you met someone you think likes you and seem to think you're cute but then the very next day, they betray you and humiliate you in front of everyone else when all they said was fucking "Hi" but you're so lonely, so craved for attention, that anything is better than nothing! That you would rather take the abuse because it means someone cares enough to feel something about you when no one did!"
Both Naruto and Naruko flinched at this but Menma continued.
"But that person doesn't see it nor do they care. They just take their abuse out you, the kid no one likes because who is going to defend you? The civilians? The teachers? The other kids? No, that person can see they don't care about you! So for years, you allow them to abuse you because that's all you, the sad, neglected pariah of the village is so used so you decide to say "Well fuck it, might as well give them a reason to hurt me," so you turn to pranking and being the obnoxious clown to at least get people to see you as that than nothing…But all the while, all you ever wanted was to have a friend…A single fucking friend!"
"Now add all of that…And multiply it by three and you're looking at Naruto, at Naruko and at me. We each did something so dangerous that the Hokage had no choice to bring us to together and hope that three lonely, abandoned, disrespected, pariahs can offset one another and finally not be alone…Now ask me Haruno, ask me what not only I, but we have lost, what we had to endure? Ask me!"
Naruko and Naruto slowly looked to Sakura, who had a stunned expression on her face but the duo could see tears building up in her eyes. "That's what I thought," Menma said before he turned and walked away.
"I-Is he telling the truth?" Sakura asked. "…N-Naruto…Is he telling the truth?"
"Yeah…He is…" Naruto admitted softly.
"W-Why didn't you tell me? All this time I…" Sakura stammered as she fell to her knees.
"I just don't know how to hold a grudge. I was a pest to you and I deserved every hit that I got," Naruto said with a smile.
"N-No! Don't brush this off like its nothing!" Sakura exclaimed tearfully. "You felt like this your whole life…And I…I added on to it…When he spoke about that person betraying you…I did exactly that…"
"You did but we all experienced that," Naruto said. "And like I said, I don't hold grudges. If I did, I wouldn't get anywhere."
"You are a bigger person than I blond," Sai said.
"I…I…" Sakura whispered as tears fell from her eyes but it Naruto knelt down in front of her and brought her into his arms in a light hug, which Sakura returned as she began to sob.
"To think you three experienced that…" Sasuke said to Naruko. "I lost my clan but at least the villagers like me and the council protect me…To think you three didn't have that and was separated. It's eye-opening…"
"We've been through a lot and it's a sore point with us but Menma…He took it a lot harsher than most of us," Naruko said as she watched Sakura sob against Naruto's chest.
"If it is worth anything, I'm sorry," Sasuke said.
"It's fine. Hakuna Matata. It means no worries," Naruko replied.
"It's okay Sakura-chan…I'll talk to Menma. It wasn't fair for him to say all of that to you," Naruto said as she patted Sakura's back.
Sakura shook her head and murmured "No…I deserved to hear the truth…I needed to hear it…"
"We can talk about this when we come back, okay?" Naruto asked gently.
Sakura pulled away and wiped her eyes and nodded.
"We need to get moving to our training field Sakura," Sasuke said softly as Naruto stood up.
"Well, it's been dramatic but I gotta run. Come on Naruko," Naruto said before the two walked off after Menma, who was nearly out of sight of the Uzumaki Duo.
"You guys are on time. Impressive," Anko noted proudly once the Uzumaki Trio stood in front of her.
"Thanks, Gotta be ready for our first mission," Naruto said. "We would have been earlier had something not happened…"
Naruto shot a look to Menma, who looked at his nails with a bored expression.
"Lot of orange between you three," Inoichi noted.
"Um…Did you not see OG Naruto?" Naruko questioned with a humored tone.
"I-I did but at least you guys have more color?" Inoichi questioned himself. He then shook his head and said "Well, you guys are all stocked and ready to go?"
"Got our tents, sleeping bags, kunai, shuriken, the works," Naruto said proudly.
"Very good. Now, it'll take a day and a half to get to Taki so we're going to go top speed, got it?" Inoichi questioned. The trio nodded with excitement on their faces. With a smile, Inoichi said "Then let Team Eleven's first official mission…Begin!"
And with those words, the five speed off past the gate and onto their first mission.
The Sun was starting to set when Team Eleven made it to the outskirts of Takigakure no Sato and the squad looked as tired as they felt but the first thing that stunned the Uzumaki Trio was the large tree that seemed to stretch into the sky above.
"Holy hell…" Naruto breathed out. "This thing is huge!"
"How did that happen?" Naruko asked with a stunned expression on her face.
"There is a myth that the tree holds a special property that can boost ones abilities," Anko said. "If the myth is true, then it would cause the tree to be as big as it is. Admittedly, this is only my second time seeing it and it looks bigger than the last time…"
"Come on, there is a cave that acts as the entrance to this village," Inoichi told them. The squad quickly found the cave entrance and walked into it and after various twists and turns, Team Eleven found themselves walking out of the exit to the sight of a large lake.
In front of the cave was a bridge that lead to the gate of a fairly large village that surrounded the large tree, which was currently letting in dull orange sunbeams through its thick leaves and branches, causing the village to seemingly glow.
"And this is Takigakure no Sato…" Inoichi said with relief but it was then he noticed that there was a lot of smoke rising from the village.
Then the sounds of combat was heard against the breeze of the wind, horrifying both Anko and Inoichi. "The village, it is under attack," Anko said to Inoichi.
"We need to move, now!" Inoichi commanded.
Edelgard: And that is the end of this chapter. Menma. You sure took the opportunity to tear that girl down.
Menma: She deserved it. Simple as that.
Naruto: Could you have not been a dick about it?
Dimitri: Sometimes, you have to hear the truth, even if you can't handle it. She needed to see that she was just another sword in your back.
Claude and Naruko: harsh.