Path Of War

With Jada continuing to hold her own, their enemies had begun to rely on brute numbers, charging en masse to topple her. Yet every rushed, lunging strike met midair with counterattacks that sent men sprawling in all directions.

Once things began to settle, the three found themselves nearing the final moments of the showdown.

The henchmen, now weary and desperate, began to falter. Underestimating their capabilities had cost them dearly.

"Ha!" William triumphantly laughed. "You guys were a cakewalk!"

Jada slowly began to let her guard down upon seeing their success. She stepped forward to stand beside Arthur, looked at the boss, and said, "That's what happens when you mess with families!"

The noise of battle faded, leaving only a haunting silence in the aftermath. The fifty henchmen lay scattered across the lobby, defeated, while their boss, the once intimidating figure, now cowered on the ground, disbelief plastered across his face.

As he stumbled backward, disoriented and panic-stricken, he finally lost his footing and fell to the floor.

The father and daughter, still in shock from that epic turnaround, instinctively ducked behind William, seeking to stay protected.

"Don't worry, you're safe now," William assured them. "We're going to take you back to your mother."

The father, trembling, nodded with gratitude and tears in his eyes.

"Thank you," he choked. "I owe you all so much."

"Eh, you don't have to worry about that," William dismissively shrugged with a smile. "I think you've dealt with enough debt at this point. Ha-ha."

Jada, with her Sharingan still active and her senses sharp, approached the crumpled boss. She lowered herself to meet his gaze, and in that moment, hardened her expression.

"If I ever find out you're doing this again…" she threatened, "I'll hunt you down myself."

Arthur knew better than anyone that her words were more than just a threat but a proclamation.

The boss, visibly terrified, went to his knees, shaking.

"I—I know I did wrong," he stammered, eyes wide with fear and remorse. "I don't deserve to live!"

Touched unexpectedly by his admission, Jada's features softened, and she smiled, letting her Sharingan deactivate as she stood up.

"I forgive you," she gently said. "Just… I hope you find a way to make better use of yourself one day."

She then turned away, but at that moment, the boss's demeanor shifted again. With a sudden, desperate attempt, he lunged forward, producing a kunai he'd hidden in his clothing.

Like a snake, he aimed the blade directly at Jada's head. Just barely hearing him, she turned around and saw the sharp end nearing her eyes. She wouldn't make it!

Then, as if time had slowed down, an icy scoff escaped Arthur's lips: "Hmph..."

He blurred from his position, vanishing from sight as he propelled himself forward, catching the boss square in the face with a devastating palm strike. The force sent the man flying through the wall with a sickening thud that echoed through the building!

Jada's eyes widened in shock. William stood frozen in disbelief. She could have lost a Sharingan or, worse, have died!

The atmosphere shifted dramatically, the thrill of the earlier victory giving way to horror as they stared at the boss's mangled body, half-embedded in the wall, twisted and broken.

"You killed him…" Jada breathed.

Arthur stood, unfazed at what he had done. As he turned around to walk away, he declared, "I never said I was good. Only God is good. That was your third lesson: in this world… never let your guard down."

William glanced at Jada, then back at Arthur. There was a weight to the revelation. Arthur had saved Jada despite the cost. And if Arthur truly had been malevolent, she would likely be dead.

As the commotion subsided, they gathered together, the family still trembling behind William.

The group ventured forth, soon finding themselves back at the village, guiding the father and daughter on their way. Upon reaching their destination, the reunion was raw and emotional.

With tears spilling down their cheeks, the father enveloped his wife and daughter, promising never to let them go again. It was quite the joyous moment.

"Thank you," the father said again, looking up at Arthur, Jada, and William. His gratitude was genuine and profound—something Arthur was not used to in this world. "You've given me my family back. We won't forget this."

"Just make sure to stay together from here on out," Jada replied with a smile.

"The loan company's going to be disbanded," William revealed, "and all debts will be wiped clean."

Tears streamed down the daughter's cheeks as she clung to her mother.

"Thank you so much!" she cried.

As the family shared their tearful embraces, Arthur, Jada, and William exchanged soft glances. It was a bittersweet moment, filled with the aftermath of triumph and horror, all intertwined.

Once the reunion dwindled into quiet, the trio turned their backs, prepared to move on.

Jada spoke up in a sincere tone, saying, "Umm… Hoshikaze-sensei, thank you for saving me back there."

"Don't mention it," Arthur said, dismissively waving off her gratitude.

Yet Jada didn't relent. Instead, she bowed her head, a show of respect, and said, "No, really. I'm in your debt now."

"Oh come on," William muttered under his breath, shaking his head at the scene.

Even he couldn't deny that Arthur had indeed saved Jada's life, and that made it hard to argue the point.

Arthur subtly observed Jada's chakra flow. She truly was grateful, but beyond that, he sensed a burgeoning admiration for his actions in battle—respect shadowed with a hint of aspiration.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," he said in a sharp yet calm tone. "You still have much to learn."

As he walked away, Jada looked up, filled with determination.

"When are we having our next lesson, Hoshikaze-sensei?!" she called out after him.

Arthur didn't break his stride as he simply replied without turning around, "We'll meet again…" Then he vanished.

Some time later at the Leaf Village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi strolled through the streets, nodding amicably at the villagers who offered him warm greetings. Though he was no longer the Hokage, many still revered him.

Children waved happily, and shopkeepers threw him respectful smiles, their relief evident that he was well after the harrowing events that had almost taken him from them.

Beside him walked Asuma. Their relationship had been tumultuous over the years due to not being able to see eye-to-eye. However, recently, things had begun to change.

The near-death experience Hiruzen faced after his battle with Orochimaru had ignited something within Asuma—a deep-seated desire to reconnect with his father.

Now they were walking alongside one another with a budding camaraderie.

"Tsunade has been doing a fine job at maintaining the village," Hiruzen remarked.

This was truly a sight to behold, for Hiruzen had died before Tsunade became the Hokage. To think he would be seen casually strolling in the village without his Hokage attire on while his own student had stepped up to take the mantle.

Asuma chuckled lightly, quirking an eyebrow. "Yeah, I guess she's keeping the trouble to a minimum. I can't deny that we've been sent out on missions left and right lately."

"Working hard is good for the sake of the village," Hiruzen replied.

There were many times Asuma disagreed with his father's philosophy, but now was not the time to say anything. Instead, he shrugged, looking ahead with a faraway expression.

"At least it gets me out and about," he quipped but then grew quiet.

"That's good to hear," Hiruzen added. "Speaking of work, how's your Genin doing?"

"You mean Chōji?" Asuma wondered. At the mention of his pupil, it brought a frown to his face. "There was an incident during a mission he was a part of. He's been... having nightmares ever since he got back."

"Nightmares?" Hiruzen's eyebrows knitted together. "What kind of mission would have caused this?"

Asuma sighed, running a hand through his hair, brushing away the discontent on his features.

"It was the mission to rescue Sasuke Uchiha," he answered. "Chōji and his team were stopped by a mysterious shinobi from the Sound Village. That guy gave them a real hard time."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Hiruzen apologized. "I'll have a talk with him before looking over the reports."

"Thank you," Asuma added. "I'm sure that would mean a lot, and he's a tough nut to crack, so he'll get back up no matter how dark things get."

That was a reference to his teammates having died back in the Forest of Death.

"Good to hear," Hiruzen nodded. "Resilience is a valuable trait."

Their walk continued as many greeted them with deference.

"How about some tea at my place later?" Hiruzen invited. "I could use some father-son time."

Asuma's expression shifted, reluctantly shaking his head.

"I appreciate it, but I've got a mission to head to in the Hot Spring Village. There have been reports of missing tourists in that area."

Hiruzen's brow furrowed with concern, sensing something off.

"Strange. Some talented ninjas, Jada and William, just returned from there today."

"Oh, yeah…" Asuma muttered, recalling their names. "What was their mission there?"

"I don't know the details; it wasn't an official mission," Hiruzen lightly replied.

"Then I think I'll go talk to them," Asuma decided, "see if they have any intel that might help with my case."

As the two were yet speaking, a figure emerged to greet them: Kurenai. The first thing she did to show her respect was bow to Hiruzen. While it wasn't necessary, he was still, after all, an elder of the village.

"Asuma," she said, "I came to see you off."

"Thanks, Kurenai… I was actually gonna come visit you before."

Hiruzen merely observed their exchanges. Even in his old age, he could see a relationship had formed between them. As his father, it was only right of him to support it.

"You two are doing well, I assume," he said with a smile.

Those words were quite informal, making Kurenai blush as she answered, "Yes, we're doing great, Lord Sarutobi!"

"Please," he said with a dismissive hand, "calling me Hiruzen would make me much more comfortable."

That was more of a traditional way of him wishing for her to get closer to his son so that he could one day call her his daughter-in-law.

After a while, she eventually left, wishing the two well. Before Asuma himself departed, he had to ask, "How're you holding up since you recovered?"

"Me? I'm fine," Hiruzen replied.

But Asuma wasn't so easily swayed. So he asked, "I mean your overall health."

Hiruzen knew everyone wished to know, and had been given simple answers without going through proper medical checks.

"Honestly?" he said. "There have been some ups and downs, but I'm managing."

"Care to explain?" Asuma asked in concern.

Hiruzen's expression turned somber as he gazed at the sky.

"I've had some troubling experiences lately," he admitted. "During my fight against Orochimaru, I couldn't summon Enma."

"Did you try summoning him afterwards?"

"Yes, several times," Hiruzen acknowledged, feeling a tad heavy. "But nothing happened. Not even when I tried summoning something else with a small amount of my chakra."

"That's… strange," Asuma thoughtfully replied. "It might have something to do with irregularities in your chakra flow, maybe something affecting your connection to Enma."

Hiruzen said nothing, contemplating his son's words as he stared into space. He hoped that Asuma was right, that it was simply a temporary issue, but a small seed of doubt buried itself within his mind.

"Just keep an eye on it," Asuma said at last, tilting his head as he regarded his father. "Your chakra should be as strong as ever, considering all you've been through."

"That means a lot coming from my own blood," Hiruzen muttered, forcing a small smile. "I'll take your advice to heart."

With one last glance at his father, Asuma nodded and said, "I'll check in with Jada and William, see if they know anything more then. Take care of yourself, Dad."

"You too, my son. Be careful out there," Hiruzen called after him as Asuma stepped away.