As the night wore on, a heavy silence took over the apartment.
Not a single person looked at one another. Because deep down, they knew that once they stepped out, they would be overcome with the idea that they could die.
Alex, the only one not disturbed, scanned their faces and saw the fear behind William's eyes and the anxiety in Margaret's posture. Even Jasper's brooding silence felt unnatural.
"Come on, guys," Alex began, breaking the quiet. "Look, I get it. It's not easy to get past the whole permadeath thing. And it's scary, I know. But let's look at things for what they are. It's not like we're Genin; we're the strongest generation this village has ever seen. Statistically, no one can actually kill us."
He counted off on his fingers. "The average Jōnin is fodder compared to us. The Kage are allies. The only real threats on the board were the Akatsuki and Arthur, and Arthur's been dealt with because we combined our strengths."
"What about the Akatsuki?" Alice challenged.
"The Akatsuki... well, we know their playbook. We know their weaknesses. We know their real names and techniques."
"We aren't invincible, Alex," Jada murmured from her spot.
"No," he conceded. "But we're close. Like, let's be real. Marge, what happened to your confidence? You were literally boasting day and night about how you could solo the Akatsuki."
Margaret felt only a little moved, having forgotten how strong she actually was.
"We also have meta-knowledge," Alex continued. "We can honestly break this world if we tried. Unless you do something incredibly stupid, you're going to survive. And all we gotta do is just stick to the script."
The group absorbed the comfort of his logic. Comradery began to knit them back together. They were a team that had done their best from the beginning. And if they honestly just tried their best, they could survive.
Yet not all of them felt the same way. Jada was inwardly growing distance between everyone. She looked at them. They were talking strategy; they were talking about survival rates and plot progression. They even treated Arthur like a glitch they had patched or a boss they had defeated.
But Jada remembered the look in Arthur's eyes during all of their encounters. Especially during the war. She remembered the desperation he had beneath that cold exterior.
So she simply couldn't share in their relief because it was like a profound sense of loss.
"Hey, guys," she said, standing up. The movement drew their attention. "I'm gonna go for a walk. If that's fine."
"Now?" Margaret asked, looking at the window as if dreading the outside world. "We still have things to talk about."
"I just need some air," Jada said, forcing a smile.
The others allowed this as long as she promised not to do anything hasty.
"I won't," she promised. "Haha."
The laugh sounded brittle to her own ears as she grabbed her sandals and slipped out the door.
Outside, the night air was cool. It bit at her skin, grounding her. She walked without a destination, passing several closed shops.
By the time she reached the academy, she questioned her involvement in this village. Ever since the first day she arrived, she has been helping as many citizens and ninjas alike.
One of her most admirable feats was rescuing Moegi, for which many praised her. The way that little girl looked at her, as if she truly felt Jada was her saviour, felt so real that no one could mimic those emotions.
When she looked at the dark skies, there was no differentiating it from the real thing. The village was peaceful, and the stars were bright. Everything was exactly as she remembered and knew prior to the truth being told.
But her heart felt like lead.
Jada soon entered the academy grounds, where she saw the swing Naruto once sat at. This same swing was where he felt isolated because no one wanted to be friends with him.
She sat down and gripped the chain of it, feeling the cold metal digging into her palm. Now she knew how he felt, the feeling of sadness because everyone else was different.
Then her thoughts drifted to Arthur. She thought about his isolation. He had known about the death condition from the beginning and carried that weight alone while they played ninja.
"Need someone to talk to?" a voice came from behind. Jada jumped, only to see Alice stepping closer. "I saw you looked down before leaving."
"Am I that easy to read?" Jada asked with a small, sad smile.
"A little too transparent, actually. Hiding your feelings isn't one of your best traits, I'm afraid."
Jada sighed as she looked back at the swing. "Do you mind if we walk somewhere else? I can't really think straight here."
"Lead the way…"
They strolled through until eventually reaching a park where the trail wound through trees and past a small pond reflecting the moon. For that whole time, neither of them spoke. The silence was shared, as they both understood that things here were real.
"Alice…" Jada whispered.
"Yeah?"
"What if he had been on our side instead?"
Alice didn't need to ask who 'he' was. There was only one person haunting Jada's thoughts tonight.
Jada then looked up at the moon. "If he had trusted us, none of this would have ever happened."
"Hmm..." Alice pursed her lips, looking at the moon with her. "I don't think he'd ever join us."
Jada was puzzled, turning her attention back. "Huh? What makes you say that?"
Alice froze, seeing her own slip-up. She had spoken with certainty because she had proof, not because she was guessing.
"I..." she stammered. Then she cleared her throat. "Hey, Jada, what do you think of Arthur exactly?"
Jada blinked at the sudden query. "Huh? I mean... I don't really know." The two resumed walking, but slower this time as she gave the question genuine thought. "I have mixed feelings about him right now since he's killed a lot of people I liked."
"But he revived most of them, didn't he?"
"He's not God, Alice… But... I also know he was scared or something. I know he was trying to save himself, and maybe us, in his own twisted way. I don't know... I guess you can say I both love and hate him at the same time. I hate what he did, but I love the friend I thought I had."
Alice watched Jada's profile in the moonlight. The honesty was disarming since Jada was dealing in raw emotion. Because of that, Alice felt the need to reveal something only to her.
"Do you mind if I tell you a secret?" Alice asked after stopping to face her.
Jada looked at her. "Sure, I guess..."
"Seriously, it's really important. I never even told Jasper." Jada sensed the gravity in Alice's voice, so she gave her full attention. Alice relaxed, trying to find the best words to use. "Arthur and I... We met a few times after that incident in the Land of Tea."
The revelation hit Jada like a slap. "What?"
"After our fight with him as Kaito, I found out he was alive. So when I sensed him entering the village one day, I tracked him down to talk to him in private."
"When? Where?"
"A few times actually. One in the Science Building, and some others inside the country's borders. Listen, Jada. I didn't tell anyone because I tried to get him on our side. I tried to reason with him. But things got out of hand when Marge got rid of Danzo. It changed his plans and only pushed him further away."
Jada stared at her friend as disbelief washed over her. "Alice... I thought we were friends. I thought we were a team." She then began to get upset, which was justified. "Why didn't you tell me before?!"
"I just had a lot on my plate, is all, okay?" Alice pleaded. "I thought if I could convince him, I could bring him back without the drama. I'm only telling you now because you and I are the only ones who don't think he's that bad of a guy."
"I get that," Jada said, taking a step back, "but now I'm hurt. I'm hurt that you kept that secret from me. It feels like... like I'm the only one who doesn't know what's going on. Alex has secrets. Jasper has secrets. You have secrets. Am I just a pawn to you guys?"
"No!" Alice fiercely said. "Listen, I'm sorry, okay? I did it for everyone's safety. If I told Jasper, he would have hunted Arthur down and gotten killed. If I told Alex, he would have had the whole village against him. I was trying to protect the group."
Jada looked at the moonlit floor. This was the second time. First, Arthur kept her in the dark about everything. Now Alice had kept her in the dark about Arthur.
"Safe," she muttered. "Everyone wants to keep me safe. Like I'm a child."
"If you're mad at me, Jada, I—"
"I'm not mad at you," she interrupted, looking Alice in the eyes. "I just... I understood something."
"What is it?"
"I've been thinking about a few things after the war ended," Jada said. "About Arthur. About Hoshikaze. About the lies." Then she took a breath. "I think it would be best if I leave the Leaf Village."
Alice's jaw dropped. "What?!"
"It's not what you think," Jada quickly said. "I'm not abandoning anyone. I'd just rather go out in the world to have some time alone, is all."
"But... why?" Alice asked the stunned. "We just found out we could die here…"
"I know… I just don't understand this world like I thought I did. I only ever lived in the village, while Arthur… he lived outside it." She then looked toward the village gates, invisible in the distance. "I wanna to see what he saw. I want to understand his view and find my own path in this world."
Alice stared at her. She wanted to argue and tell Jada it was too dangerous. But she sensed the chakra flowing in Jada's system—it was steady and calm. "I... I understand."
They resumed walking as the mood shifted. It wasn't lighter, but it was clearer.
"There's something else," Alice said after a moment. "If you're planning on leaving, you need to know our plan for Jasper."
"What plan?"
"After you left the room, Jasper shared how Pain tried to recruit Jasper into joining the Akatsuki. We all think it would be a good idea."
Jada stopped again. "What?! Why?"
"Alex believes it's an advantageous move since the Akatsuki will be the main focal point from now on. Staying here in the village only makes us reactive. But if Jasper's inside…"
"He can feed us intel," Jada knew.
"Exactly. Having one of us in their ranks helps expedite our goals of reaching the end of things. And who better than an Ōtsutsuki, right?"
Jada knew it was reckless, but she also felt more comfortable with someone like Jasper being outside this village. That was considering what he had tried to do to Sakura.
"Is that all I should know?" she wondered.
"No, there's one more thing," Alice said, lowering her voice. "Since Oro's is out of the picture, and Arthur's trapped, Alex plans to convert Kabuto before he can become a Snake Sage."
"How's he gonna do that?"
"He hasn't told anyone the details yet," Alice admitted. "But knowing him… it's likely to work."
Jada didn't quite like the idea of this either. But what was she going to do? Waltz back in the apartment and berate two of the strongest males in the village? They all had skills of aptitude to continue growing stronger. So maybe, just maybe, their plans might work.
The two girls eventually reached the edge of the park. The streetlights ended here, giving way to the shadows of the forest border.
"So you're really going?" Alice asked.
"Yeah, my mind's made up. Tomorrow morning, I'll tell Lady Tsunade so no one gets worried."
"I really wanted us to stick together, you know."
"I know, but I'll be fine," Jada said with a little more confidence. "I still have Flying raijin marks here. If there's ever any problem I can't handle, I can teleport back to the village in a second."
"True," Alice nodded. Then she looked Jada in the eyes. "Can you make me a promise?"
"What is it?"
Alice stepped closer. "Promise me you won't go looking for Arthur's villages."
Jada's heart skipped a beat as she looked at the ground. That was exactly what she had been planning. She wanted to see the nation Arthur built and talk with everyone he had revived.
"Jada!" Alice pressed. "Please promise me that."
Jada looked up and met Alice's gaze. "Okay, okay!"
"Okay, what?!"
"I promise I won't go looking… Mom."
Alice stared at her for a long second. That was the first time in what felt like ages she heard Jada refer to her by her nicknames. Moreover, Alice felt alleviated because Jada's chakra did not once spike to indicate that she was lying.
Jada was telling the truth.
"Good," Alice sighed, relaxing. "I don't want us losing track of anyone from now on."
"You won't lose me," Jada said, hugging her friend. "I'm just taking the scenic route."
"Just stay safe and pay us a visit as often as you can," Alice whispered into her shoulder.
"I will. I promise."