For the remainder of the night, the only thing she could even think of was how many tis Hoshikaze—not Arthur—had rescued her from her turmoil. When she was looking for a purpose, he proved himself at the tournant.
When she wanted a teacher to help her grow, he taught her things she never knew. When she was inches away from being stabbed, he was the first to co to her rescue. When she was trapped in a ti loop, he was there to break her loose.
And now, when she had no one else to turn to about a sinister matter among her own friends, he was here again, providing necessary comfort.
By the ti the two arose from their sleep, she couldn't help but voice so of her thoughts.
"I seriously can't thank you enough for everything you've done for ," she said, twirling the rose.
"You don't have to thank—"
"But I do!" she suddenly interrupted. "Any ti I'm in so sort of ss I can't handle, I always have my friends to help . You, though..." Her voice trailed off, forgetting that she was to show her sensei respect.
As such, Arthur let her know that she didn't need to explain; he was here to help soone in their ti of need.
Their third day of training was a lot more challenging.
"For this test," he relayed, "you have to get near my space without alerting my senses. If you do, I'll run away, and you'll have to find to try again."
Easier said than done. But trying to sneak up on a guy like Arthur? Doing sothing like that was a one-ti thing.
The forest was quiet as she moved carefully through the underbrush. She knew Arthur was just ahead—standing perfectly still with his blindfold on. But her instincts told her that this didn't matter.
Despite the covering over his eyes, his senses were sharp enough to catch even the tiniest sound or movent. So she had to be extra careful.
She took a deep breath, trying to quiet her nerves. She focused on suppressing her chakra. When she finished, she leapt from afar to reach his surrounding area. Yet before she could even land, he dashed away with the High-Speed Movent technique, leaving her in the dust.
"How did he...?" she berated herself. "He must have heard jump."
Now she had to find where he was again before nightfall.
Two hours later, she discovered his new location: by the edge of a waterfall where the noise was great enough to deter one's hearing.
'Strange,' she thought. 'Did he co here because of what I said?'
Either way, she was going to try a new approach. She summoned a clone to scout ahead, sending it to inch closer while she found a better vantage point. The clone was silent and only moved with the sound of the waterfall.
When it was in a close range, it tunneled underground and began burrowing forward. But just as it got close enough, Arthur's head flicked down, exactly in its direction, and then he ran away.
"There's no way," Jada said after eting up with her clone.
"Um... I sort of forgot to suppress my chakra," the clone admitted.
"What? You idiot!"
Now she was frustrated. To be thwarted by her own self. That was embarrassing.
It took three hours to find him again. This ti, she not only suppressed her chakra beforehand but also made herself an almost silent shadow. She crept behind a tree, then circled, trying to flank him from the side.
But no matter what she did, Arthur's sharp senses always caught her. It was like he knew exactly where she was before she could even get close.
Finally, night ca and their lesson ended.
"Hoshikaze-sensei, this lesson was too hard. How am I supposed to catch you when you can see even with a blindfold on?"
Arthur's voice was calm as he replied, "You've been trying to catch on the ground and under the ground, but you haven't tried the one thing that might surprise ."
"What do you an? I've tried everything!"
"Did you try above ground?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You an like flying? I... I don't know how to do that."
"That's what this lesson was about—to ensure that you have an edge on your opponent at all tis. A true ninja should be able to move in all directions, in every way. On the ground, underground, in the water, underwater, and in the air. Your thinking is too one-sided."
Jada hesitated after the words sank in; she had never thought about that. While yes, she knew that flight was possible in a variety of ways, she hadn't thought she actually needed it.
Who could bla her when her arsenal consisted of all five elents, with many of her ninjutsus being ranked A and S?
"So, I need to be more versatile," she repeated.
"Exactly. A true ninja isn't just a shadow on the ground—they can move through every elent and every space. Simply telling you this wouldn't have borne us any fruit."
Jada looked up at the trees, understanding that her adaptability was indeed lacking. Put her in this sa scenario, but with an enemy, and the enemy would have gotten away every ti.
As the moon rose high, the two stood in a quiet clearing. It was ti for Arthur to leave.
The days spent with Jada might have seed short, but they were well worth it. For he was able to learn more about what the other players were up to. As such, his mind was already plotting the next steps—how to prepare for the likes of Jasper and Alexander.
"That's it, huh?" she softly asked.
He could tell by her tone that she secretly wanted to spend more ti with him. Be for training or simply because she liked being near him.
"Yeah, that's it for now," he responded. "Tell —what do you think you need to work on next while I'm away?"
She looked at him with earnest eyes and said, "I think I need to get better at, well, everything. Especially when I'm under pressure. Sotis I feel like I lose focus, and I can't keep my emotions steady." She paused. "And I want to learn how to fly."
"Recognizing your weaknesses is the first step," he approved. "Keep practicing in those areas, and you'll be able to stand up against the tougher opponents in your path."
Jada brushed her to the side with her hand, feeling accomplished with the ti spent. The only thing she wanted to do now was give him one of her Flying raijin papers.
"Please take it, Hoshikaze-sensei. Almost all my friends have them just in case. That way, I can always be there for them. Especially Naruto when Will's not around."
Arthur knew better than to accept this without a bit of caution. So he played it off, saying, "So you're trying to spy on twenty-four seven, is that right?"
"N... No! It's not like I'd be looking at you while you took a shower or anything!"
"Huh...?"
"Th... That slipped out!"
Arthur gladly accepted the paper but then put it inside a scroll. This would prevent her from sensing it unless he ever pulled it out. Jada, of course, would prefer that he didn't do this. But after that slip-up, she knew not to push things.
"There's sothing else I'd like to ask you," he added after a beat. "How's your romance going with William?"
Jada's face instantly flushed crimson. Her cheeks turned red, and her eyes widened as if she'd been caught off guard.
Why did Arthur ntion him of all people? Was it because she brought up his na?
She opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. For a mont, she thought she'd misunderstood. But Arthur's calm expression made her see he might have thought they were dating.
"N-no," she quickly stamred, shaking her head. "We're just friends. That's all."
Arthur gave an amused smile. "Just friends, huh?"
She fidgeted with her hands and tried to hide her embarrassnt.
"I know he likes and all," she said hurriedly. But I see him more like an older brother than anything."
"You say that as if you're younger than him," he smoothly pointed out.
Jada blinked, having forgotten their age in this world. "Well... technically I am."
Arthur chuckled softly, making her face darken more.
"Interesting," he mused. "So, what would you do if he ever asked you out?"
Jada hesitated again, then looked down with pink cheeks. Whatever Arthur was playing out, she refused to be shy about it.
"I... I don't know. I guess I'd have to tell him honestly. I don't want to hurt him, but I also don't want to lead him on. And I'm not doing any of this on purpose."
Arthur gave a small, practiced smile before offering her a piece of advice: "If he truly likes you, then he'll understand your feelings so long as you're honest with yourself."
"That makes sense. I guess I just didn't want to hurt him if he ever looked at that way."
After this conversation, she felt more at ease. It had felt like a while since she'd been this open to anyone apart from her group. Moreover, she was grateful for his advice.
Then she thought about how she could get back at him for making her cheeks burn in embarrassnt. So she asked, "So, how many kunoichi won have you dated?"
In response, Arthur slowly removed his blindfold to reveal just how calm he was. Then he said, "You're a little too young to know that, virgin girl."
Her face shot up with a deep shade as her face burned even hotter than before. "How do you...?! Who told you that?!"
Arthur's smile slightly grew; his acting was solid. He looked her straight in the eyes and casually answered, "I didn't until now."
Jada stared at him, stunned. "You... you!"
She looked flustered, searching for words, but he just gave her a small, amused look. To keep control of the situation, he flicked his hand, causing a bouquet of jade roses to appear in his hand.
They were simple, delicate, and unexpectedly charming.
"Water these for ," he said, handing her the bouquet. "It'll help ease your worries about your troubles."
Jada looked down at the flowers with cheeks still tingling. She accepted them quietly before brushing their soft petals. "Thank you. I'll be sure to take care of them until I see you again."
Arthur nodded, sensing the mont was drawing to a close.
"Take care of yourself," he said, beginning his walk. "Keep training, and stay sharp."
She just stood there, contemplating how quickly those three days went. Was he really just going to leave her again? As he was already ters away, she called out, "Thank you again, sensei. I promise to make you proud!"
Arthur paused, glancing back with a faint smirk. Whatever she had said almost sounded like a little girl's confession. Either way, with a smooth stride, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving her smiling in the quiet woods.
She looked down at the flowers once more, feeling a strange warmth in her chest. The week had started with doubts and worries, but now she felt renewed. She knew she still had a long way to go, but with soone like Arthur guiding her, she believed she could beco stronger—not just in power, but in understanding of her world.
As such, she clutched the bouquet close and whispered, "I'll do my best."
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