章節 95: Ready Player Four
Alice rose from her sleep and walked out of her room in her pajamas.
She was often always the one to wake up before her roommates, Margaret and Jada. Those two were a lot younger than her, so it made her maintain her level of maturity.
She stood on the balcony, the morning sun reflecting off her face. The air was crisp and clean, something she quite enjoyed about this world.
She took a relaxed breath, closed her eyes, and began meditating.
The events of the past couple days replayed in her mind. William revealed to everyone that he had introduced the main character to his father successfully.
On top of that, William had also revealed to Naruto about the boy's true identity as Asura's reincarnation and his mother, Kushina.
It was a rollercoaster of a ride for the main character, but he managed to accept it. Naruto needed to know the truth to understand his place in the world as the hero.
Alice wondered what he was going to do now that he understood the truth. Was he going to secretly run away, or was he simply trying to process the information as things progressed?
When Jasper had heard William's report, he reprimanded William for his idiocrasy in having said the Nine-Tails' name.
"I'm sorry," he apologized at the time. "It just sorta came out."
Everyone assured him that it was alright and that the script might have still been the same even if he hadn't made that mistake.
In present time, Alice opened her eyes and turned her attention to the village below. It was a beautiful sight, the buildings bathed in the morning sunlight. Had it not been for the other players, she might not have known anything more about this world.
After all, she never watched part two of Naruto.
And much like how Arthur chose to be a villain, she knew that she had her own role to play in this grand scheme of things.
She turned back to her apartment after renewing her sense of purpose. She had a clandestine mission that no one else knew about, and she was determined to see it through.
After finishing her morning ritual, she made her way to the Yamanaka clan district.
The Yamanaka clan was renowned for their perfection of mind-based techniques, and she hoped to learn as much as she could from them.
Inoichi, the head of the clan, greeted her warmly. He had always been supportive of her, recognizing her potential as a kunoichi. Ever since his daughter's death, he has been treating her kindlier.
"Are you sure you don't want to move in with us?" he asked, leading her to the clan's training grounds. "Everything will be paid for, and your friends can still be your roommates."
"I'm sure, sir," she said, respectfully declining for the third time this month. "I promise, I'm happy where I am and am really grateful that you helped us find the apartment."
"Well, if you ever change your mind, the offer still stands."
Alice made it to a secluded area filled with various training equipment. She began to practice the clan's secret techniques with a focused attitude.
She meditated, attempting to connect with the minds of other animals and feel their thoughts and emotions. She practiced telepathy, sending messages to distant locations. And she even tried to use the mind transfer technique without being close to a target, but without success.
Hours passed, and Alice continued to practice.
She was determined to perfect these techniques and become the most skilled Yamanaka clan member at an early age.
Unlike the other players, apart from Arthur, her character's clan wasn't as special. But that was from an outsider's perspective. In actuality, she knew that her clan's abilities would be invaluable in her quest to help everyone finish the game.
As the sun began to set, she ended her training session.
Alice felt exhausted mentally but satisfied with her progress. She had made significant strides in her understanding of the spiritual aspects of chakra, as well as expanding the potency of her techniques.
Given more time, she would be able to stand against the best of the best.
She returned to her apartment, preparing herself to meet with Jasper. They had planned a date, a chance to relax and unwind after the intense days they had been through.
What made her so reliable was that she knew where everyone was in the Leaf Village.
How? Alice was a sensory-type ninja. Her sensing ability was just as strong as a Hyūga's Byakugan. She could see almost every familiar chakra signature within the Leaf Village—all eighty thousand citizens.
This ability was known as "Kagura Shingan: The Mind's Eye," having been acquired only a couple weeks ago. It was the exact technique Karin Uzumaki would remembered for three years from now.
As long as Alice recognized the character's chakra signature, she could physically pinpoint their location with near-perfect accuracy.
Jasper was waiting for her in his own apartment. She finished getting ready and walked out to meet him.
A smile was on his face as he opened the door, unsurprised by her impeccable timing and stunning appearance. He himself looked handsome in his casual attire, and she couldn't help but feel a flutter in her chest.
"You look beautiful," he said, taking her hand.
Alice blushed and replied with a sincere "Thank you."
They spent the evening walking through the village, talking and laughing while construction was still ongoing.
It was a simple pleasure, a moment of romantic peace.
As they walked, she thought about the challenges that lay ahead. Arthur was the focal point of their conversation, but Jasper didn't seem interested in bringing up that name.
"He's another wannabe Obito," he commented.
"I'm sure he has his reasons, don't you think?"
"Ugh… No!"
The two eventually stopped at a small café, ordering tea and dessert.
As they sat there, talking and laughing, she felt lively, always impressed by how well-crafted this world was made.
It might have been a digital realm, but it was very real to the senses.
When the food arrived, the desserts were a sight to behold—a tower of whipped cream, chocolate, and fruit that seemed almost too good to be true.
Alice did little to fight her urges. In this moment, logic took a backseat to indulgence.
With a nod, she speared a forkful of the decadent treat.
The moment the dessert touched her tongue, it was an explosion of flavour, more real than how one would have tasted on earth. The sweetness of the chocolate, the tangy burst of fruit, and the airy lightness of the whipped cream melted together in her mouth. She closed her eyes, savouring the experience.
In that instant, the ninja world outside faded away, replaced by this simple pleasure. Real or not, she didn't care.
Afterwards finishing that delicious bite, she looked at Jasper with affectionate eyes. He returned them, assuring that he did indeed find her pleasing enough to spend time with.
She knew that he was there for her, no matter what. And she would be there for him, too.
As they left the café, the village lights twinkled like stars.
Alice quite liked the Leaf Village. She would make moments like these last, so she held his hand as they walked back to her apartment.
They had spent a pleasant evening together, one that was nothing new.
When they made it up the elevator, they noticed that the building lights were on, signifying the others were waiting inside.
Of course, Alice already knew this. But she had bided her time, desiring to spend more moments with Jasper.
Inside, the others were gathered around the living room. Jada, William, and Margaret were engaged in a random conversation about "crosses," which is nerd talk for pairing two characters from one or more franchises together.
"Naruto and Sakura, easy," Margaret announced.
"No!" Jada disagreed. "Naruto's getting with Hinata whether any of you like it or not."
"What about Naruto and Sasuke?" William suggested. The whole room gave him a loud no.
Their topic ceased as Alice and Jasper walked through the door. Settling in, they all prepared for their meeting.
"Alex just got promoted to a Chūnin," Margaret began.
"Congratulations, dude," Alice said, smiling.
Alexander nodded and expressed his gratitude.
"Thanks," he replied. "And I put in a good word for Jasper."
Jasper grinned, saying, "I knew you wouldn't forget about me."
"Get a room, you two," Margaret laughed. This caused Alice to shove her shoulder. "Ow! I was only kidding!"
The conversation turned to the aftermath of the invasion. They discussed the damage to the village and how their current assignments were going.
"We need to find Tsunade," Jada said. "She's the only one who can help Rock Lee."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Tsunade was the greatest medical ninja in the world, and her expertise was needed now more than ever.
Because of Arthur, they were being forced to trigger the Search for Tsunade arc. This arc was mainly comprised of Jiraiya and Naruto, so it might be a tad dangerous to let the two out their sights.
"I think I should go with Jiraiya," Alex announced. "Naruto's already learned the Rasengan."
"But what about Orochimaru coming after you?" Alice wondered.
"No need to threaten," he answered. "I'm strong enough to take him out anyway."
The room was surprised to hear this. To "take out" a Sannin was no laughing matter.
When Alex first received the curse mark, it was by choice. He had an unruly confidence that he'd be able to control it and turn it in his favour.
"How's that going, by the way?" Margaret wondered.
"Fine, duh," he laughed. "You don't see me trying to abandon the village or anything. Haha."
"I'll go too," William added. "I can help with the search."
The conversation turned to Alex's earlier comment about him being strong enough to fend off Orochimaru.
"Where's this confidence suddenly coming from?" Alice wondered with interest.
Alex pondered before answering, "Hmm… Come to think of it, I'm not sure that we ever established which of us is the strongest. I suggest we find out."
"Good," Jasper agreed. "Been meaning to kick William's butt."
The comment made William wince slightly.
"I meant without violence," Alex corrected.
Everyone find this act harmless as Alice pulled out a drawing board from the back. Margaret was taken aback, clearly unaware that they had one in the apartment. This made them all laugh at her poor awareness.
Alice began to list everyone's names, including Arthur's.
"Show of hands," Alex said. "Who all thinks Arthur's the strongest?"
Not a single one of them raised their hands. Whether it was by spite or logic, each of them had their own reasons as to why Arthur wasn't even close to being the top player among them.
One by one, they cast their votes as Alex went down the list of names.
Arthur and Alice received no votes. Alex received one vote from Jada. Jada herself received one vote from William, which had prompted Jasper to call him a "simp." Jasper received two votes, of which one was from Alice and the other himself. Margaret received one vote, which was from herself. And lastly, William received one vote from Alex, which shocked the others.
"Okay," Alice said, dragging that word, "we've all got mixed opinions."
"She's right," Alex added. "Let's all determine what each other player has so we can make the right call. Will, you start. Why'd you vote for Jada?"
Alice made sure that Jasper wouldn't interrupt him while he spoke.
He explained that Jada's arsenal consisted of having the Mangekyō Sharingan which paired nicely with the Susanoo. Given her Uchiha bloodline, she's got a natural affinity for fire, allowing her to learn all the other elemental natures faster.
"Simpin' hard!" Jasper commented.
"Jasper!" Alice said, reprimanding him.
"Thank you, Will," Jada said, ignoring Jasper's rudeness. "But I've only recently learned how to activate the Susanoo. I've hardly even trained my Sharingan after I first unlocked the Mangekyō."
"Oh," he said, feeling disappointed and a tad embarrassed.
"Tell us why you voted for Alex, then," Alice said.
"What about me?!" Margaret blurted out. After constantly emphasizing her prowess as a Senju, she wanted to express a valid reason why she was the best player.
"Fine…" Alice yielded.
Margaret was happy as she explained that she had finally awakened her Kekkei Genkai, wood style. This was a shocking revelation to many who hadn't already known. Some questioned if she committed the taboo of using Hashirama's or Yamato's cells.
She denied all allegations.
"I'm basically Hashirama and Tsunade combined now!" she boasted.
Margaret was truly an unparalleled force now that she'd acquired wood style. That gave ultimate defensive and offensive techniques as well as medical ninjutsu to be even more invincible.
Imagine a ninja capable of creating vast forests to protect allies while simultaneously healing them and bolstering their strength. The ability to manipulate that amount of wood on a massive scale, coupled with slugs, Sage Mode, and vast chakra, was insanity.
Such a fusion allowed her to virtually adapt to any situation, making her the ultimate kunoichi and healer.
"There ya have it," she finished. "I'm the strongest."
"I disagree," Jasper intervened. "Did you forget I'm an Ōtsutsuki?"
Alice couldn't help but back his claims. This caused Margaret to doubt, wondering if he truly was on her level.
She decided to inquire what exactly he meant by him being an Ōtsutsuki, to which he didn't feel like sharing.
Only Alice knew about Jasper's goals and his hidden techniques. She might not have known everything about the Narutoverse, but she did know about him.
They were dating, after all.
To quell anyone's suspicions on why he was the strongest player, she said that Jasper was like Margaret, but that he was a combination of multiple characters as opposed to just two.
That shut Margaret up.
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