Menma Vs Itachi
Deidara quarreled with the undead duo, and then Sasori also joined in.
The two sides were about to fight each other.
If they were not phantoms, they would have rolled up their sleeves to fight by now.
"Leader!"
At this moment!
Itachi, who was standing on a finger of the Gedo Statue, suddenly said, "Since the newcomer is from my clan, why don't you let me have a try?"
Pain looked at Itachi and nodded after a moment.
Itachi's strength was second to none in the Akatsuki.
If it weren't for his weak physical condition, he would definitely be the strongest under Pain.
In this regard, Pain or rather, Nagato could empathize with Itachi.
After all, his body was not in great condition either.
Pain said, "Then go and test the rookie's strength."
Hearing this, Itachi instantly jumped off the Gedo Statue's fingers and landed not far from Menma.
"Menma... I've never heard of the name."
Itachi said, staring at the guy in front of him as if trying to see past the mask.
"There are plenty of people you haven't heard of. That only shows that you're too ignorant." Menma replied.
"Are you trying to hide your identity by wearing a mask?" Itachi asked.
"No, it's just to avoid unnecessary disturbances in my daily life." Menma said with a faint smile.
"Of course, if the Akatsuki impresses me, I don't mind letting you guys see my real face."
"Tsk~! You Uchihas always act mysterious. Who the hell wants to see what you look like?"
Deidara scoffed from above, looking displeased.
"Stop talking and watch carefully." Sasori said.
"Sasori, who do you think will win?" Deidara asked curiously.
"I don't know."
Sasori replied indifferently, "The rookie defeated Hidan and Kakuzu, which shows he's strong, but Itachi is also formidable. It's hard to say who will win."
"What! Why are the people from the Uchiha clan all so strong? Damn it!" Deidara complained angrily.
At that moment, the two figures below disappeared almost simultaneously.
Clang! Clang!
Immediately after, the sound of kunai clashing filled the air.
Both Itachi and Menma moved at incredible speeds, but upon closer inspection, Menma seemed to have the upper hand in terms of speed and strength.
Boom!
Itachi was forced backward. At the same time, he appeared above Menma.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Technique!"
Multiple fireballs the size of volleyballs rained down toward Menma.
However, facing Itachi's Fire release, Menma just formed a one-handed seal, and a powerful gust of wind erupted from his mouth, instantly blowing out the fireballs.
Itachi's body turned into a flock of crows that scattered.
Itachi reappeared at another location and used another fire release.
Fire release: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique!
A barrage of fireballs and shuriken rained toward Menma.
But Menma was prepared.
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
Boom!
A powerful gust of wind blew Itachi's attack backwards.
The Shurikens embedded themselves into the ground around Menma, but none hit their mark.
"Such accuracy!" Deidara frowned.
However, the next second—
Boom!
One of the shurikens suddenly transformed into Menma, who tried to stab Itachi's back with a kunai.
'I can't dodge!'
Itachi quickly judged that dodging was impossible and immediately used the first form of Susanoo.
Giant red ribs instantly formed around him, blocking Menma's surprise attack.
Clang!
The kunai struck the ribs, causing cracks to appear.
Itachi frowned and used the second form of Susanoo.
More bones grew, forming a skeletal frame that was over a meter tall.
Standing in the center of the Susanoo, Itachi's strange Mangekyō Sharingan stared coldly at Menma.
He said, "The warm-up is over. Show me your true strength."
"Susanoo, heh~!"
Menma sneered but didn't activate his Mangekyō at all. He simply rushed forward.
"Wow~! This rookie is insane!" Deidara shouted.
Sasori frowned.
The Susanoo is the ultimate power of the Uchiha clan.
As an Uchiha, why was Menma not using it?
'Can he not use Susanoo? But that shouldn't be the case, right?' He thought.
Earth Style: Earth Spear!
Cherry Blossom Impact!
In an instant, Menma approached the red Susanoo.
He coated his arm with a hardened earth layer before unleashing Tsunade's strange strength.
Crack~!
With one punch, the red Susanoo's bones shattered.
Even the famed Susanoo couldn't withstand his raw power.
Itachi's eyes widened in shock. He manipulated the Susanoo to retaliate, but Menma dodged effortlessly and shattered the red Susanoo's arm with another punch!
Cherry Blossom Fist!
"Yata Mirror!"
Realizing that the Susanoo couldn't endure, Itachi revealed one of his trump cards—the Yata Mirror.
A round, mystical shield formed in front of him.
Boom!
Menma's fist slammed into the Yata Mirror.
This time, the attack was blocked.
The powerful defense of the Yata Mirror nullified the impact while simultaneously reflecting the force back at Menma.
"He's... fine?!"
Itachi was shocked.
The Yata Mirror can transfer the force back to the attacker.
Menma had taken the force of his own punch, yet he looked completely unfazed.
"Amazing!!"
"Yata Mirror, huh? Not bad!"
Menma smirked before vanishing again.
A relentless assault followed. While Yata Mirror's defense was formidable, it only protected Itachi from one direction.
Menma's speed overwhelmed Itachi, who gradually struggled to keep up with him.
A few minutes later
Bang!!!
Itachi's Susanoo shattered.
Though Itachi wasn't gravely injured, blood and tears streamed from his eyes.
His Mangekyō Sharingan had been used for far too long and he could no longer sustain the use of Susanoo.
If not for the arm made of White Zetsu cells he had received from Obito, he wouldn't have dared to use the Mangekyō so recklessly today.
Even then, it wasn't enough.
Compared to Obito, whose body was infused with high-grade White Zetsu cells, Itachi's diluted version was laughably weak.
"Ahem~!"
Coughing, Itachi struggled to his feet.
His illness and extreme chakra depletion left him weakened. He had lost.
Though he still had some trump cards left like the Totsuka Blade and Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, he wouldn't use them unless absolutely necessary.
"You're strong,"
Menma said, "But your body is too weak."
Hearing this, Itachi could only smile bitterly.
"Itachi, return." Pain commanded.
Pain descended and motioned for Itachi to step aside.
"Do you need a break?" Pain asked.
"No, that was just a warm-up," Menma replied smugly.
"This rookie is too arrogant!" Deidara scoffed.
Though he enjoyed seeing Itachi lose, Menma's arrogance irritated him.
Itachi returned to the Gedo Statue.
As soon as he returned, Kisame asked, "Are you alright, Itachi-san?"
"I'm just a bit drained."
Itachi replied, glancing at his White Zetsu arm.
'What are you really up to, Madara?' He thought.
He no longer focused on the battle below as his unease about the White Zetsu cells overshadowed his concern about the battle below.
'Why did Madara give me this White Zetsu arm?'
The White Zetsu cells that can somewhat minimize the side effects of the Mangekyo are a treasure for the Uchihas who have awakened the Mangekyo.
But there are only a handfu. Uchihas in the world. Also, awakening the Mangekyo is not a piece of cake.
Madara has a ton of this White Zetsu Cells.
Also, how could Madara live this long?
Did the White Zetsu cells play a role in this?
With all the thoughts that filled his mind, Itachi couldn't focus on the battle.
Meanwhile, Menma and Pain began their fight.
The two sides first competed in Taijutsu.
Although Pain's taijutsu was formidable, it still fell far short to Menma.
Even though Ryosuke had deliberately restrained his physical strength while posing as Uchiha Menma, the difference between them still remained vast.
Whether it was Itachi earlier or Pain now, neither could match Menma in sheer physical prowess.
With a single strike, Menma forced Pain back.
He said with disdain, "Is this the strength of the Akatsuki's leader?"
He mocked, "Don't tell me those Rinnegan eyes of yours are just for show."
Pain's expression remained cold.
He said coldly, "If you're so impatient, then I'll grant you your wish."
The next moment—
Just as Menma lunged forward, Pain calmly extended his hand.
"Shinra Tensei!"
Boom!
A terrifying repulsive force erupted, sending Menma skidding backward.
Before he could recover, Pain raised his hand once more.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
A sudden gravitational pull yanked Menma toward him in an instant.
"Chakra Blossom Impact!"
"Shinra Tensei!"
The two forces collided mid-air in a violent clash.
The shockwave blasted outward, shaking the battlefield.
When the dust settled, the viewers realized that Menma was the one who had been pushed back, though only by a few steps.