Path Of War Chapter 257: That’s Impossible

Days turned into weeks, and after the demise of Arthur, the once-thriving Leaf Village seed to stagnate before her eyes.

It was a city that had hosted legendary battles and triumphs, yet Margaret found herself drowning in monotony. Her days consisted of spa treatnts, lazy afternoons spent buried in Jiraiya's "Make Out Paradise" series, and sporadic conversations with characters that felt flat in comparison to the epic battles she used to enjoy watching from the sidelines.

She had imagined witnessing high-stakes missions and intense rivalries firsthand, but the reality was far more mundane.

She couldn't help but reflect on her interactions with the other villagers. Her initial excitent about eting Hinata quickly morphed into disappointnt; Hinata's softness and frailty grated on her nerves.

And if it wasn't for Jada's insistence that Naruto and Hinata were ant to be, Margaret might have impulsively tried to pair Naruto with Sakura—who at least had a touch of fire in her character.

It was infuriating that they were so weak, and Margaret found herself holding back during practice sessions. She recalled her brief attempt at sparring with Sakura, who had been eager to improve under her guidance.

However, she quickly learned that the girl simply wasn't strong enough to keep up with her.

"You've got potential," she'd said, trying to encourage Sakura.

But the truth was that the pink-haired ninja's strength needed so much work that she grew bored during their sessions.

Jōnin were often tied up on missions or engaged in training, leaving Margaret with little to occupy her ti. The village felt sickly sweet. Missions themselves were either mind-numbingly dull or required her to trek across the country for chores that felt unworthy of her ti and effort.

"I could defeat two s-class criminals before lunch if given the chance," she often mused.

Who's to say that she honestly couldn't take on the likes of certain Akatsuki mbers? Yet here she was, languishing in a village where the most exciting thing to happen since her arrival was Orochimaru's invasion.

While she did manage to unleash her sage-enhanced abilities during that battle, taking down the reanimated first and second Hokage with strikes and flair, it had also been disheartening.

The joy of battle had been dulled by the fact that Hiruzen Sarutobi had been inches from death's door, and she felt frustrated as her thoughts turned to the possibility of Orochimaru squealing in defeat.

Each victory was overshadowed by the humdrum routine that followed; even after Tsunade took the helm as Hokage, the few monts she'd caught with her were lackluster at best.

"Excuse , lord fifth," Margaret asked at the ti. "I was wondering if maybe you'd like to train in so advanced dical ninjutsu."

"I really appreciate your tenacity, Margaret, but I'm a little too busy at the mont..."

The only other exciting thing that happened was that special tournant she managed to qualify for. However, her joy there was reduced when she was disqualified for a trait that she couldn't control.

It was bad enough that she had lost, but she didn't get a chance to greet all the notable characters she had rembered. Iruka's insistence also didn't suit her well-being. She had gotten so mad that she honestly wished he would just drop dead.

Who the heck was that Hoshikaze fellow anyway? She had never heard of such a character and was even more irritated when she discovered that a random nobody won.

Why, if that healing rule hadn't been in place, she would have easily triumphed over anyone that ca her way. She was simply that much stronger than the competition.

The only thing that ca out of that tournant was that she announced her lineage. Because of that, everywhere she turned, there was so random bandit constantly harassing her for being a Senju.

It had beco so bad that she had to actually stop going outside of the Leaf Village. Why this had started happening was because her character held a con to it: if the player who chooses the Senju clan and their background is discovered, they'll beco targets for their cells.

With all the frustrations, Margaret began wondering if she could cause her own chaos to stave off boredom. As she toyed with the idea, her mind wandered to the other players.

William was always hanging around Naruto like a fanboy obsessed with a new toy. She didn't quite like William because of that; he was simply too nerdy for her taste.

Jada and her, however, got along great. The forr would often tell her to try to be nice to the others. Of course, Margaret wasn't interested in being kind to anyone who didn't deserve her respect. That was the reason most of the boys found Jada more attractive—she was sweet.

Then there was Alexander, whom Margaret didn't know much about. Alex was deed the strongest, and she didn't like that idea.

How could a Hyūga, who decided to take on the curse mark, possibly be stronger than a Senju with wood style? It just didn't make sense. These players were crazy.

Lastly were Jasper and Alice—two players who had recently returned from their journey. Jasper had a penchant for high-level missions that could potentially lead to exciting encounters, and Alice had always been one for unpredictability.

Perhaps a confrontation with them would shake things up and at least prove to everyone that Margaret was the best in the village.

"I need to do sothing," she softly said to herself. She traced the spines of the books she had read a thousand tis. "I'm a Senju, an enhanced sage for crying out loud! I'm getting cabin fever staring at these walls."

With that, she made her decision.

Margaret quickly grabbed her ninja gear, deciding that a challenge with Jasper was just what she desperately craved. The idea of sparring with Jasper sparked a fire in her, and she nearly ran to where he was supposed to et Alice.

Margaret was done with the monotony of her surroundings. "If this doesn't help, nothing will..."

As she turned a corner, she caught sight of Jasper and Alice standing together, deep in conversation. They still hadn't noticed her, so she marched toward them and scread, "Hey! Jasper! Fight , right here, right now!"

Her fists were clenched at her sides. She refused to be known as the third strongest player; it simply didn't sit right with her.

Jasper turned to her, feeling a tad surprised as he began, "Marge? Uh, I don't think—"

"Don't think," she insisted, interrupting him. "I'm not backing down. I refuse to let anyone think I'm weaker!"

Alice sighed, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Marge, it's really not a good idea that you fight Jasper. Trust ."

With each word from Alice, Margaret's irritation grew. So she snapped back, "Not a good idea? Why not? I'm not so pushover. If you're scared, just say it!"

"I'm not afraid," Jasper replied with a grin. "It just looks like you don't get it."

"He's right," Alice defended. "Besides, even fighting outside the village could really put you—and the surrounding area—at risk."

Margaret was taken aback by that statent. They insinuated that Jasper was so strong that he could possibly destroy a village.

"What does Jasper have that could put the Leaf Village in danger?" she wondered.

A mischievous grin spread across Jasper's face as he shrugged, leaving the question dangling.

"That doesn't help!" Margaret huffed, turning to Alice. "Everyone at least thinks I'm stronger than you, right, Alice, so what are you two hiding?"

"Even if you're stronger than ," Alice calmly said, "you could never beat Jasper."

"Excuse ?" Margaret shot back, feeling annoyed. This was not going the way she had envisioned. "I've got Slug Sage Mode and wood style for crying out loud!"

"Have you ever faced Alex?" Jasper asked with a cool deanor. She shook her head. "Then enough said..."

But Margaret was not ready to yield. "You fought blockhead Arthur, so what's it going to take?"

Alice noticed the fire in Margaret's eyes. Surrendering to the inevitable, she leaned in and whispered sothing in his ear. Margaret felt curious, eager to know what they were concocting.

Jasper raised an eyebrow as he contemplated the whisper, then nodded.

"Okay," he finally relented. "I'll fight you. et at the outskirts of the village. But you only get one chance."

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" Margaret grinned.

Once at the designated spot, she stretched on the secluded battlefield. They were just far enough away from the village to ensure they wouldn't be disturbed.

"You really think you're gonna win, huh?" Jasper teased, stretching his arms and shoulders.

"Just watch," she said, focusing her chakra into her fists until they glowed blue. "This will be over in one move!"

Before the fight began, she noticed Alice placing a hand over Jasper's forehead with an expression of deep concentration. Then she stepped back and said, "Okay, he's ready..."

Margaret narrowed her eyes, interpreting their synchronization as mockery. "What are you trying to pull?"

"Don't worry," Jasper replied nonchalantly. "I'll be taking you seriously."

"Whatever," she muttered, cranking the intensity of her fist even further.

The surge of chakra created shockwaves that rattled the surrounding leaves. Even the wind was beginning to whip around the trio like a storm.

Alice whistled at the prospect, and in that instant, Margaret launched forward. Jasper simply sidestepped her initial attack as if she were moving in slow motion, scratching his head in the process.

"Ya gotta be faster than that!" he lightly remarked.

She then attempted a kick, putting every ounce of effort into the maneuver. Yet, he dodged once more without even gazing at her. He even looked bored while doing so, brushing back his hair instead.

Determined, she followed up with a barrage of punches, each one amplified with chakra. But he deflected them all, slipping past her attacks like they were nothing.

"You're kidding," she said, unwilling to back down.

With both arms swiping the air, she charged up her chakra throughout her whole body. Now she was serious.

As she closed the gap between them, he narrowed his eyes. Then, she felt a sudden shift in her body; for so reason, she gasped and fell to her knees, finding it hard to breathe. The chakra she had so confidently wielded surged unpredictably, escaping her control.

'What... just happened...?' she asked herself, unable to think.

Jasper noticed her inability to continue and stated, "You're not ready... I could have killed you hundreds of tis over by now. Na... You're one hundred years too early to be challenging ."

Alice then stepped forward, placing a hand on Margaret's shoulder. At that mont, Margaret felt revitalized. She gasped involuntarily, feeling the full rush of sensation flood back to her.

"What did you do?" she managed to rasp. "Just what the heck was that?"

Jasper neglected to answer, not wishing to reveal all his tricks. Alice, however, tried to explain what she sensed, saying, "You didn't have a grip on your chakra distribution; you exerted too much of it too quickly, which nearly put you in danger of his jutsu."

Margaret shuffled back onto her feet, feeling embarrassnt. But sothing else had bothered her.

"How did you know all my moves?" she pressed. "It's like you were just waiting to counter everything I threw at you."

"Babe, I think now, right?" Jasper said to Alice, ignoring Margaret.

"Now what?" she asked, pausing at Alice and Jasper's unusual display. Jasper placed a hand over Alice's head, and in a flash, she vanished into thin air. Margaret beca surprised. "W-where did she go?"

"I sent her back in ti," Jasper nonchalantly replied, as if it were the most everyday occurrence.

"That's impossible! We're in a simulation; you can't manipulate ti like that!"

"Well, you just saw it," he responded.

Just then, Alice reappeared from within a nearby bush, brushing off the leaves.

"Hey, Marge!" she casually greeted as if nothing had happened. "I'm back!"

Margaret's bewildernt deepened. She simply couldn't grasp the implications. "You... you're the sa Alice, right?"

"Of course!" Alice explained. "Well... Actually, I'm the Alice from a few minutes ago. Jasper's Ti Travel technique can send others back in ti up to one day—sothing he hasn't perfected yet. He can even see his chakra signature on those he sends back to tell the difference."

Margaret found herself torn between astonishnt and skepticism. "But how does that make him stronger if he can't go back himself?"

Jasper rely smirked, refusing to answer.