I do not own 'Naruto'
Resolve
Menma looked at the Village of the Mist, it had changed greatly over the last many, many months.
No one hid who or what they were, some actually flaunted it.
People were a lot friendlier to each other, he could feel the positive emotions growing. To bad we can't get stronger from that. He thought. It didn't mean that people forgot about the massacres, far from. They were just doing their best too keep that fire out, each action they took felt like a spark. It help that Menma fed off their negative emotions before something awful could start.
Menma had become something of an Icon to the villagers. The boy who ended the reign of Yagura, a hero. He may have been offered the title Mizukage if he hadn't been so young.
He sighed as he looked over the village again. He helped create something, a new era.
Menma had changed as well. The former nine year old was now ten and still growing.
"You wanted to see us Mei-Chan?" Menma asked.
Menma looked at his fiance, the Fifth Mizukage. She had taken to the job like a natural, it proved she was the right choice.
"Yes, I wanted to talk to you about the Tailed Beast." She spoke "The Sanbi..."
"Isobu." Menma corrected.
"The Isobu and his standing with the village." She spoke. "The council started up again."
Ever since the council found out about the Sanbi being released, they threw a fit. They felt that the village had been weakened by the loss of their weapon. This angered Menma beyond anything Mei had ever seen.
She didn't know that he was thinking of his sister.
They made demands for a new host, for a better Yagura.
It wasn't until Menma threatened to use his Kage favor to disband them that they relented.
"The council wants their weapons back." She sighed, she then gave him a shit-eating grin "They're willing to give into your demands."
Menma demanded that the council give the Tailed Beast freedom from being sealed away. That they be allowed to roam around the Water country without being haunted. In exchange, the Tailed Beast would protect the place that had given them asylum
"Good, we'll tell Isobu immediately." Menma spoke.
"Before you go, I have a mission for you." She spoke, all business. "Involving the Six Tails."
"What?"
She smiled again. "It's done."
Menma was in the assigned waiting spot. It was just on the boarder of Mist, it was considered a good spot for deals.
"What took you so long?" Menma suddenly asked.
"I was making sure that the area was secure." A voice answered "I had to make sure."
"You don't trust the words of the new Mizukage?" Menma asked.
"They sent a child to do their negotiations, I deserve to be skeptical." He replied. "Plus, my...tenant has warned me of you."
Menma turned to look at his acquaintance. His name was Utakata, the host of the Six-Tailed slug.
Utakata was a tall, thin young man with pale golden eyes and brown hair that reaches to his shoulders. In the manga, his eyes were very narrow, but still of a typical size. His side parting let a large portion of his bangs cover the left side of his face. He wore a long, light blue kimono adorned with a small emblem of three bubbles on the back, and a pair of grey pants underneath, with an orange sash. The kimono hung loose, exposing his chest. In it, he carried a bamboo jug filled with a soap solution, and a pipe.
"Let's begin." Menma started "The new Mizukage has decided to offer you a full pardon to return. Even if you refuse, you will no longer be haunted."
"Then why should I return?" He asked suspiciously "And why did you ignore my statement?"
Menma leaned forward as he answered. "What do you know of an organization called Akatsuki?"
He told his fellow host everything about the group. He told them of what he knew of their plans and members. He even told the host of his own tenant and a bit about his plans.
"That-That's a lot to take in." Utakata stated. "Can I have some time to think on it?"
"We can give you up to twenty-four hours." Menma answered.
Menma decided to spend the twenty-four hours with the Three tails. Ever since Yagura's defeat Menma wanted to get to know the turtle as well as possible."
"Really?" Isobu asked "A full pardon for the Six-Tail's host?"
"Yep, when we mentioned it to the council, they hated the idea." Menma spoke "Then we reminded them that they needed as much power as they could get."
"It'll be nice have another demon around." Isobu mentioned.
The reason he had been banished in the first place was because of Yagura. Utakata wouldn't side with the genocide, so the Mizukage didn't want a stronger demon for competition.
"We also got the council to agree to the demands." Menma continued proudly.
The Three tails stared at the boy with his single eye. "You go to such great lengths for me and my kind, why?"
"It's the right thing to do." Menma answered.
The turtle continued his gave on the boy a little longer. He held a clawed fist out to the boy. Menma stared at the limb in wonder.
"You don't have to." Menma spoke. "You already gave us your chakra."
"I'm not giving you chakra." Sanbi spoke "I'm giving you essence, that's what allow you to use our...abilities."
"You still don't..."
"I do." Sanbi answered, cutting in. "You freed me from my prison and future ones, you even helped Yagura in the end. Son saw something in you, I see it to." He explained "He gave you the power of lava, I give you the power of the sea."
Menma didn't argue with the turtle, he bumped fist. He felt the power flow into him without restraint. While Son's lava had a burning passion to it, Isobu's had a relaxed feel.
"Thank you."
"Aw, isn't this sweet." A third voice spoke.
Menma and Isobu turned to the sound of the voice in shock. Someone had been able to sneak up on them.
Menma saw the source of the voice and paled. He was wearing a long, black cloak with red clouds on it. That was the outfit of Akatsuki.
It was the man with the spiral mask. The one who controlled Yagura. The one who helped killed the Uchiha's.
"You!" Menma shouted, flaring his power.
"Whoa whoa!" He frantically exclaimed "Tobi isn't hear to fight!"
"Then what are you here for?!" Menma snapped.
"Why are you angry at me?" Tobi asked, faking hurt "Tobi is a good boy."
"A good boy?" Menma couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You massacred an entire clan, if that eye's real then it means your clan!" Menma shouted "We then find out that you sent an entire village into a civil war by controlling their Kage! Tobi, you're a bad boy!"
"You know what Tobi has to say to all of that?" He asked happily.
"What?"
He watched as Tobi raised his hands, instead of attacking, he made a gesture.
凸(O)凸
Menma felt as if he were going to lose his mind.
"Enough pleasantries." Tobi spoke in a serious tone "What have you done to my puppet?"
Menma was taken back by the masked man's sudden change. It reminded him to much of that night they first met, how helpless he was. But now things are different. Menma though confidently.
"We freed him." He answered.
"Well then, the Three-Tails is of no use to...me for now." Tobi spoke "I'll come back for it later."
"I'll fight you!" Sanbi cried.
"I see, well then I'll be on my way?" He stated.
"Why come here in the first place?" Menma asked "You could have come for the Sanbi when he was alone."
"I was just the distraction." Tobi answered, gaining his cheery persona "Do you have any salt?"
"...No, why?" Menma asked.
"Well, we're going after a big slug." He answered "Need to put it down."
Menma paled at the hidden message.
Menma was running as fast as he could, it wasn't fast enough. He was heading straight for the Mizukage's office. He burst threw, startling his fiance.
"Menma-Kun!" Mei shouted "What is going on?"
"We need a squad immediately!" Menma spoke.
Mei saw the look on his face and knew something was wrong. With the snap of her finger, an entire squad of ANBU appeared.
"I'm coming with you." She spoke.
"We also need someone to guard the Sanbi!."
"Ao." Mei called.
"Understood."
With nothing more to say, Menma consumed them ANBU and his fiance into the darkness.
They arrived at the spot that Menma met Utakata for the meeting. The place now looked like it had been a battlefield.
"What happened here?" Mei asked.
"Akatsuki." Menma answered.
"Spread out!" Mei ordered. "Search for the Six-Tail's host!"
Menma had went his own way after the order.
He was the lucky one, or unlucky.
He found them.
He saw the outfit before anything, the figures hadn't turned to look at Menma when he arrived. He counted a total of six of them.
Then he saw Utakata on the ground at their feet, the host looked as if he had been on the receiving end of a one-sided war.
"Who are you?" Menma asked.
"I am Pein." One spoke as he turned to look at Menma. "I am God."
Menma froze at the name.
From Orochimaru's notes, Pein was the leader of the entire organization. Unfortunately, the notes had very little information about the man or his skills. Now, as he looked into Pein's eyes, he understood.
The Renningan, the first and most powerful bloodline.
"M-Menma...r-run." Utakata weakly spoke.
"You are Menma?" Pein asked "I've heard of you, you are in the way." He raised his hand "You are in the way of peace."
Almighty Push
Menma felt a sensation wash over him before it vanished. The very trees behind Menma was pushed away by an invisible force, even the roots were torn away.
"We don't know what you're planning." Menma spoke as his fist became lava "But it won't work!"
Lava Style: Great Eruption
The attack lived up to it's name as it flew to Pein and his colleagues. It was as if a molten river was flying towards them.
Without even looking, the cloaked figures jumped. All but one, one with black and spiked piercings in his head.
As the lava fell upon him, he absorbed it. It seemed to simply flow around him before fading into him. When it finally stopped, the man looked up with a pair of Renningan eyes.
"Wha-"
He looked for the other Akatsuki members, only to see that they had scattered. The only ones he could see were Pein and the absorbing man.
"It seems that you are full of surprises." Pein stated "No matter."
A black rod extended from Menma's chest.
The pain from the rod was completely agonizing. It felt as if his body was being was being destroyed from the inside out.
Menma looked behind himself only to see another pair of Renningan. This time in a tall man with long hair.
"Wh-ho a-are you?" Menma asked through the pain.
"I told you." He answered "I am Pein."
Menma was currently impaled into the ground, the ones called Pein had skewered his limbs deep. The invading force never relented.
"Now then, let's see what you know." Pein spoke.
One of the Peins stepped forward and placed a hand on Menma's head. With a tug, he began to pull out an ethereal body.
What's going on? He thought as he panicked.
"Relax as I reach deep and grab hold of what make you, you." Pein answered.
"We need an adult."
"Relax." Another Pein spoke. "I'm only stealing your soul."
Pein had to admit he was shocked, the boy was resisting well. He seemed to be doing so unintentionally.
Mito... He wanted his last thought to be happy.
This very thought caused Pein to stop his actions.
"You are the brother of the Nine-Tail's host." Pein stated.
Menma froze, Pein had knowledge of his sister.
"No, we won't let you touch her!" Menma shouted.
He called forth all the darkness he could to surround the area, consuming him as well as the Peins. Only one Pein seemed to be able to push the darkness away."
"It is useless, darkness is gravity pulling in the light." Pein explained "I control gravity."
"What are you?" Pein another asked.
"A protective big brother!" Menma shouted as he began levitating into the air. "Swifter then the snow leopards, more fierce then the evening wolves. Fear me, for armored with her love, I posses the strength to fight a God."
"And a God you do face."
Menma raised his arms out to the Heavens.
Catalysm
The affects were immediate.
Mei felt Menma's chakra flare, along with several others. This person wasn't resonating any demonic chakra, but it was just as powerful.
This is not good. She thought.
She and her entire squad prayed that they arrived on time.
Menma laid there in pain of the last attack. His body was too broken to move and his chakra was spent. He looked at his target.
Three of the Peins was unscathed, two of the others had converged around him to protect him. He watched as the one they protected begin to revive the other Peins.
The main Pein loomed over him.
"Why do you resist?" He asked.
"We fight so she can go on." Menma answered calmly "We're just a protective big brother."
Pein looked at the landscape around him, it was true devastation.
"Do you know why you failed?" He asked.
"If you're about to say how it's futile to resist a God, you'd better just kill me now." Menma ordered.
"You lack the pain." Pein stated. "You're heart was limited while you were in Mist." He gestured to the landscape "This was the resolve you needed."
"...You saw our memories." Menma guessed.
"Yes."
The Pein that was protected had finished reviving the others. Now he and the rest stood over Menma. From the air he pulled out a cloak, a cloak with blue whirlpools.
He dropped it onto Menma's broken figure.
"I know almost everything about you Menma." Another Pein spoke "I will let you live, your plan coerces with our own."
"So you want us to join you?" Menma asked.
"You will not." It was a fact "But you too wish to create a world of peace, but you do it for the ones you care for. We will let you continue on, we will have our final showdown at another time."
"Why not kill us now?"
"...I am not Itachi."
With nothing more to say, the left.
When Menma woke up, he was in the Mizukage's office.
"Menma-Kun!" Mei cried.
"We're okay Mei." Menma spoke.
She saw that he wasn't okay, far from it. The look on his face was the one she had whenever she thought the war would never end. It was the look of helplessness and defeat.
"I know something that might cheer you up." She thought "It's finished."
Menma perked up when he heard her say those words.
"Can we see it?" He asked excitedly.
Mei smiled, he was returning to his old self. She had to remind herself that he was still a kid, they had short attention spans.
She handed him the object.
She'll love it. He thought. Plus, I have a second gift to give her. He felt as if he should be thanking Pein.
Menma opened a 'door' to a certain room in Konaha.
He dropped the gifts inside.
Mito walked into her room with a heavy heart. It had been another hard day for her, but she kept smiling. Her brother would want her to be happy.
When she looked at her bed she saw something under her blanket. When she pulled it back, she was amazed.
A sword, that's what it was. A katana made from the hardest steel available. It had a blue handle with three whirlpool images flowing down the blade.
It was attached to a cloak with the same designs. She tried it on, it fit perfectly.
There was a note.
Dear Mito.
I do everything I can to protect you because I love you. I want you to be able to protect yourself because I love you.
Always thinking of you.
Love, Menma
Mito's eyes widened.
"Who the hell is Menma?"
Menma's head snapped up, he realized a major error he made. He was currently packing everything he would need into a sealing scroll. That was the sight Mei walked in on.
"Where are you going?" She asked.
"We've been neglecting our mission." Menma spoke "We need to get back on track."
Mei was sad to see him pack. "You don't need to leave." She stated "You can train and work from Mist."
"We can't Mei-Chan." Menma spoke sadly "We'd...only slow down on our goals."
He knew the words had hurt her, he basically called her a distraction. He finished packing without meeting her gaze.
He was finished, she stood out of his way as he passed. As he passed her he whispered. Just three tiny words that brought a smile to her face and heart.
"...I love you too." She whispered back.
Menma was off to raise hell. But before he could.
Review
'True Ninja' will be coming slow since this is getting more/better reviews.
SPOILER ALERT BELOW.
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SOMEONE DID 'SOMETHING' TO MITO.