A few days had passed since Lars died.
No one spoke much, and when they did, there wasn't much they could say. Lars's death was a blow that couldn't be undone.
Even if Arthur managed to bring him back someday, it wouldn't happen without the proper DNA. That was the truth. Lars's body was gone, and with him, even his soul was lost.
Nagato was powerful, yes, and Lars was no pushover either. Yet the Akatsuki leader's strength had been overwhelming. The fact that Nagato could kill Lars, someone who had once been considered unstoppable, made the threat of the Akatsuki all the more real.
Meanwhile, outside the personal grief, a new threat loomed: the Bird Country was under threat from a full-scale assault on the western borders.
The Akatsuki had taken the victory over Lars as a sign of weakness, a sign that they could push forward. Confident, perhaps even arrogant, they were ready to end things.
Back in the throne room, the four clones summoned Ashina. Such a shinobi was not to be underestimated in these times.
"Tell us who you recommend to help defend against this attack," Hoshikaze demanded.
Ashina considered before replying, "I believe we use members from our clan."
"And who do you think is strong enough to go against an Akatsuki member?" John asked, already skeptical of the answer.
Ashina paused, weighing his options. Arthur had revived many Uzumakis, but not all of them were fit for combat. Only a few were truly capable of facing Akatsuki's strongest members. Among them, Ashina himself was in the top five strongest Uzumaki.
"I believe that Shigeru and Kaiyo might be the best to send to the frontlines," he finally said.
The clones were familiar with the names. Shigeru and Kaiyo were known for their strength, but how they would perform against the Akatsuki's elite was uncertain.
"Gather everyone," Ryugetsu commanded, leaving no room for argument.
"And ensure the frontlines are heavily fortified," Kaito added, finishing the order.
Ashina agreed before leaving immediately to head to the western borders.
It wasn't long until everyone else was prepared. The forces from Arthur's side had all assembled, and the field was crowded with fighters. Kimimaro and his squad, Sora, Ashina and his clan, and Fugaku and his clan—all ready for battle.
They moved swiftly, setting up defenses, reviewing strategies, and rallying their forces.
Everyone knew this could be the decisive moment.
The Akatsuki's forces had also gathered, from the lowest-ranked members to the Six Paths of Pain. Their numbers were intimidating.
The Rain Village fodder looked eager, some nervous, but mostly keen to end this war here and now. Their confidence was high. And who could blame them when the Akatsuki had won most of the battles that had already passed?
These foot ninjas believed this one would be no different.
On Arthur's side, preparations were equally intense. Everyone was on edge and ready to defend their homeland because, with or without Arthur, they all knew what was at stake.
An Uchiha looked at the approaching enemy and muttered in disdain, "I figured that Itachi would have a bit of decency when facing us."
Another Uchiha responded, "Relax. The Torikage's already informed us that Itachi's weak, so we should have no problems dealing with him."
There was a hint of confidence in his tone, but beneath that, he was still uncertain of things. They had been killed by Itachi before, so they knew just how dangerous he truly was.
From the Uzumaki side, Kaiyo, a small girl, watched the enemy forces. She was petite, in light blue ninja attire, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"They sure look strong!" she eagerly said.
A fellow Uzumaki, Shigeru, was more cautious.
"Calm down," he told her. "We need to be careful. This isn't a game."
They were at war, and this was the climax—the decisive confrontation.
Kaiyo looked at him with defiance and countered, "I was only trying to hype myself up!"
It's then that Fugaku stepped forward from his forces. He faced the enemy from several yards away, standing tall and confident.
"Your army is strong," he loudly proclaimed, "but ours is stronger. Give up now or suffer more losses when this is over."
Pain gladly stepped forward with a cold expression and replied, "You must be from the dead… Where is Arthur, that we may kill him instead?"
The statement drew a snicker from most of Arthur's forces.
Fugaku's voice didn't waver as he said, "Fine! We'll see that you're all buried to the ground!"
That caused many from Fugaku's side to roar in response in a unified cry of defiance.
The tension thickened. It took only one word from Pain for everyone from his side to launch into motion: "Attack."
Arthur's forces followed suit by moving swiftly to defend their positions. Every single one of them with their specialized skills wove past Fugaku to meet the enemy on the field.
And just like that, the battlefield erupted into chaos.
Clashing sounds of weapons, shouted commands, and the roar of fighting filled the air as the sides charged at each other in a storm of movement and violence.
Ashina and his clan fought valiantly by trying to first overwhelm some of the weaker Rain Village members. Fugaku's clan fought with disciplined ferocity by blocking and counterattacking the Rain shinobi.
In the midst of the chaos, some fighters attempted to clash directly with Akatsuki members, only to be met with sudden death.
Among them, Itachi appeared, calm and composed. His sharingan spun, analyzing every movement, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He was backed up with members like Kakuzu, who used his Earth Grudge Fear to easily sweep away any distractions.
From the enemy side, Pain led the charge with his Six Paths spreading out to attack multiple targets. Kaiyo and Shigeru found themselves fighting side by side against these Paths.
Kaiyo's youthful energy pushed her to move quickly by dodging attacks and launching counterstrikes, all while Shigeru stayed close to provide support and shield her when needed.
As the battle raged on, no clear victor was in sight.
The outcome depended on endurance, strategy, and a bit of fortune. So both armies pressed against each other, with neither backing down.
"We fight for our future," Fugaku's words echoed in the background, loud enough to be heard amid the chaos.
As the fighting continued, the four clones watched silently from the throne room, knowing that this conflict would determine everything.
• • •
On the moon, inside a cave, Jasper was still trying to survive.
It had been very difficult for him. But thanks to one thing, he was able to pull through.
[Kaguya's Legacy Activated]
This hidden trait is not only what allowed Jasper to survive but also what was responsible for his many power-ups.
Kaguya's Legacy: so long as the user accepts to become Kaguya's direct descendant, they will gain all of Kaguya's techniques from the get-go. The con, however, was that the user would officially become her next vessel.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was extremely powerful. So powerful it took Hagoromo alongside his brother to defeat her. But Jasper, as power-hungry as he was, could not resist gaining all of Kaguya's powers.
For instance, he could get away with lying—something he'd frequently done when talking with Alice, who herself was a walking lie detector.
And what technique from Kaguya allowed Jasper to survive for so long? Regeneration.
However, not all things were peachy for him. The artificial environment had changed him completely. His skin had taken on a crisp tan that would not fade. And since a scorpion had bitten him, it had forced him to cut his hair and remove the infection.
He hated it, but he lived off termites and bugs.
After weeks here, Jasper could not shake off the thought of Arthur; he couldn't understand how anyone could want to live outside the Leaf Village.
This place was unforgiving.
Without chakra, Jasper would have died long ago. As if he hadn't already thought this many times over, he knew that Arthur had to be alive. If Jasper could survive on the moon like this, Arthur could, too—even after what the other players had done to him.
Arthur was special, and Jasper could no longer deny it.
Because of all this, Jasper believed Arthur was the biggest problem in this world. Anyone who had gone unnoticed for so long simply had to be dangerous.
By the time Jasper awoke from his sleep, he felt more rejuvenated. These weeks had let him finally recover his chakra.
"Good," he said to himself. "Now it's time to make that pretty boy pay."
He then clenched his fist and shot up toward the sky to fly straight for the castle.
When he arrived, he sensed no guards or Toneri. Still, he wouldn't stop looking. If Arthur could sneak into the moon, so could he.
Jasper searched and found what looked like a control room. Five monitors sat on a screen. He knew the moon worked like a surveillance system, so who knew what Toneri watched from here?
Jasper scanned the monitors to look for something useful. He saw a makeshift keyboard and pressed a key that caused all the monitors to turn on.
On the screens, he saw the Leaf Village and four others: Mist, Stone, Cloud, and one unknown village. The Five Great Ninja Nations were under Toneri's watch. But why was the Sand Village missing?
"Hmm?"
Jasper leaned closer to the monitor showing that unknown village. A giant building stood in the center with the words "Joshua 24:15." Jasper didn't know much about the Bible but recognized the reference; he linked it to Arthur's belief as a born again Christian.
"Go figure," Jasper said to himself. Then he saw shinobi gathered around tents. Something felt familiar. Many had red hair or bore the Uchiha clan symbol. "No way…"
Suddenly, the screen flickered. This wasn't live footage but a recording.
As he watched, his anger grew. Almost everyone he thought dead before Naruto's story started was here: Fugaku, Mikoto, and Ashina. What had Arthur been doing while Jasper fought a Sannin?
That's when Jasper saw why the shinobi gathered in tents: a war was raging between two nations. The monitor switched to reveal the enemy: the Rain Village.
"No," he muttered.
More troubling was that the entire Akatsuki was here. They gathered as if ready to attack. Every member was present, except one—Deidara.
What happened to Deidara? Or what had Arthur done to change so much?
Jasper had thought the players caused all these effects, but it was Arthur all along. And if that was the case, Arthur was more than just the biggest threat; he was to be killed no matter what!
The monitor then paused as some Rain Villagers assembled near the western border of the Bird Country. Jasper glanced at the corner. The recording was from days ago. That meant that this war had been going on for some time.
If anything, it was still ongoing.
Jasper didn't hesitate to leave this room to try and look for a way back to earth. Forget about Toneri wanting to take his Byakugan. A war was taking place, and Jasper was not going to let Arthur continue having his way.
It wasn't long until Jasper conveniently found what looked like a teleportation chamber with a portal. Without hesitation, he jumped into the liquid substance, and his body vanished.
Footsteps were then heard entering the room. Someone had been watching him the whole time. It was none other than Toneri, and he was wearing a broad smirk on his face.
"Let's see what you do for me," he whispered. "Jasper…"
On earth, the moment Jasper's feet touched the ground, he took to the skies toward the source of the conflict. His rage was a firestorm inside him, so hot it had burned away the pupils in his eyes, leaving only a swirling vortex of purple chakra.
As he flew, the air around him crackled from the power he was giving off.
He was just a few miles away when he felt it: a massive, unstable fluctuation of chakra, pulsing and collapsing in the distance. It was a sign of a fight, a big one, so he pushed himself faster.
"I won't let you get away with this, punk!" he muttered to himself.
After he flew past the treeline, he finally saw it. The entire battlefield lay before him: a war between Arthur's forces and the Akatsuki.
The sight was overwhelming. He saw Itachi locked in battle with the very clan he had once slaughtered. Then he saw Pain using his Rinnegan abilities to pick off the Uzumaki clan one by one. Afterwards, he saw Konan, Hidan, Kakuzu, and all the Akatsuki members fighting against opponents like the former Sound Ninja Five.
It was a massacre, to say the least. The battlefield was like a sea of chaos and death.
Hardly anyone noticed his arrival. He was just another powerful presence in a place already full of powerful beings.
It was a slight that only fueled his anger. He wanted to kill everyone here and destroy this entire field.
As such, he descended to the ground and looked around.
Epic battles raged everywhere. He saw the bodies of the fallen, the wounded, and the dying. He saw the faces of shinobi and kunoichi filled with terror and fury. More importantly, he saw that this was the result of Arthur's grand design.
"How the heck did he do this?" Jasper asked himself. If Arthur were to win this war, it'd be a disaster. The world would be under his control, and Jasper couldn't allow that. Not after everything that had happened. "That punk bastard!"
A few heads turned in his direction.
"Who the heck is that?!" Kaiyo shouted, looking in his direction.
Jasper didn't hesitate. He began to draw purple lightning into his hands, putting his rage at its peak. He was going to kill everyone here and wipe the slate clean.
While he was in the middle of drawing up more lightning, a figure suddenly appeared before him and grabbed his wrist.
"Stop!" she said.
He stared at the figure in disbelief. It was Jada. He hadn't seen her in what felt like a lifetime.
"What the...?!" he asked.
"Jasper, whatever's going on, you have to stop and—"
"How the heck did you know I was here?" he interrupted.
The answer came to him like a jolt. The only way she could have found him so quickly, in this chaotic place, was if she had used the Flying raijin. He looked at his wrist, then at her.
"You..." he began in a dangerous tone. "You placed a mark on me?!"
Jada didn't respond. She looked around, confused by the scene around her. The war, the death, the chaos—it was all too much. Why was there so much fighting taking place? How had this happened? Why was the Akatsuki involved?
Her eyes scanned the field, and she saw faces she hadn't seen in a long time—faces that were supposed to be dead.
It was then that she understood. This was a bigger deal than she had considered.
"How did..." she started to ask, but Jasper ripped his wrist from her grip.
"Get off me!" he screamed.
"What the heck's your problem?" she screamed back in frustration.
"Ya know what my problem is?" he said as his body levitated into the air. "My problem is people like you. My problem is when I let myself lounge around weaklings that don't know anything."
When he reached his full height, Truthseeker Orbs were summoned and began orbiting around him. They then came together in the center of his chest, creating a single, massive orb.
The entire battlefield, every Akatsuki, Uchiha, and Uzumaki, could see it: the beacon of destruction, the "Final Truthseeker Orb!"
"And I've had enough of it!" Jasper roared.
"What the heck is that?" Kakuzu wondered, having never seen this before.
Everyone on the field stopped fighting as they looked up at the sky and at the massive orb. Jada tried to activate her Susanoo, but the sheer force of Jasper's technique was nullifying her very concentration.
"Jasper, stop!" she screamed.
But who was he to listen to her? In fact, she was going to be his main target.
"Time for you all to die!" he hollered as he dove down, ready to nuke the battlefield.
A flash of light consumed everything in sight the moment Jada blinked. Then silence.
…
Something had happened: the Final Truthseeker Orb had begun shattering like glass.
As Jada's vision returned, she could make out the shape of a person with long brown hair whipping in the wind. She strained to see more, to understand what was happening, but a sudden gleam of light hit her eyes so that all she could see was the figure's back.
"Hey!" Hidan yelled in confusion. "What happened to that thing in the sky?"
Then they all saw it: a man standing on the ground, blocking Jasper's arm.
"It's... it's him!" a shinobi yelled, with a voice filled with fear.
"H-he's the one the higher-ups were talking about," another said with shaking fingers as he pointed at the man.
"So he finally decided to show up," Pain announced, seeing the man lower his arms to reveal his face.
Jasper looked at the man square in the eyes and was simply amazed by the sheer confidence he exuded.
This was him who had brought all of them here, the man who had been responsible for this war, the man who was now standing at the center of it all: Arthur Bennett!
"Good to see you."