The group stayed together to debate their next move.
"Wait!" William said, thinking out loud. "What about the Akatsuki?"
Everyone looked at him with mixed reactions.
"It's likely," Margaret said. "Especially after that John and Kaito guy. Gosh, I want my revenge so bad!"
The others considered this as well. The Akatsuki had always been a threat, but now it seemed they were more active and a little more organized than they should be. If they were indeed behind the recent events, then it would be beyond the levels that a single player could handle.
"The village should know about this," Jada suggested. "I think they deserve to know."
"Agreed," Alice said. "The Hokage should be informed to stay prepared if the Akatsuki's involved."
"Speaking of the village," Alex wondered, looking at Jada, "are the Leaf residents safe?"
Jada closed her eyes to focus on her Flying raijin marks. Then she answered, "Yeah, they're fine. I can't sense anything wrong around them." That was a relief, at least. But Jada's mind was already shifting. "Still, I'd prefer to go and find Jugo, Kimimaro, and Karin first."
"We should check on them," Margaret believed. "But I think we should inform the Hokage first."
"The longer we wait," William added, "the more things could spiral out of control."
Alice looked thoughtful before saying, "Maybe, but I think it's better if someone who knows the situation better should handle that."
"I mean, it's not like I attacked Anko, left the village without perms, then killed Oro," Jasper joked. No one laughed. This made him snort, "Whatever. I've had enough of this mess anyway. Oro was a top-tier threat, and I beat him. Now I'm bored, so I'd prefer to go back to the village."
Everyone knew the truth—defeating Orochimaru was a major feat, even for him. That Sannin had been regarded as one of the strongest in this era, and yet Jasper had outmatched him. Not because Jasper was simply that strong, but because he had foreknowledge.
Had Orochimaru honestly been in his prime, perhaps the outcome might have differed. But that was not in the past.
"Does that mean you'll make the report?" Alice asked.
"Yeah right," Jasper dismissed. "I'd just like some rest until the next big threat comes."
"Are you sure it's not because you're drained from that fight?" Alex teased.
"Course not," Jasper answered. "I can handle weaklings like Jugo if I feel like it."
Jada didn't hesitate to say, "I'm okay with you leaving."
The group then came to the conclusion that it was best to send two back to the village. Orochimaru was indeed the biggest threat in this covert mission, and now that he was dealt with, not everyone was needed here.
Upon deciding that William and Jasper ought to return, William looked surprised, asking, "Why me, too?"
"Because," Alice said, "we'll need someone to report back to the Hokage about what we're doing. Jasper's not exactly the best at that, and you're the most reliable among us."
William hesitated, but he understood that she was right. Jasper was indeed not suited for delivering news. It only made sense for William to go.
As such, Jada had them both turn around and placed her palm on both of their backs. With a flash of her chakra, she teleported them back to the Hidden Leaf Village.
After they vanished, Jada summoned a flying shark as Margaret shifted into her Crow Sage Mode. Alice then gave her the materials she'd gathered from the other hideouts.
"I got a read," Margaret declared, flapping her wings.
The three hopped on the shark and took off into the sky.
Whilst on their journey, Margaret commented, "I'm glad Jasper's finally gone. Ugh… No offense, mom."
"None taken," Alice replied, feeling the same way. "I really don't know what's gotten into him lately."
"He'll be fine," Alex assured. "Everyone has their mood swings once in a while."
As the group pressed on, they each knew time was of the essence. Someone's plans were unfolding, and the longer they waited, the more dangerous things could become.
Their focus was clear: find Sasuke, stop the revival, and prevent the chaos from spreading further.
At the Leaf Village.
William was eager to get things done. He looked around, straightened his posture, and declared his intention clearly to Jasper, "I'll go straight to the Hokage's office and report everything."
"Whatever," Jasper casually said, turning around. "Just don't go telling her how I killed snake-boy."
This made William annoyed. He felt a sting from Jasper's words, like a slap, so he voiced his thoughts: "Ya know, Jasper, you don't have to be a jerk all the time."
Jasper's face twisted into a grin as he slowly turned around with mischievous eyes.
"What're ya gonna do about it?" he challenged.
William's face reddened, and he clenched his fists. "I'm just as strong as you if I try."
Jasper chuckled and said in a smooth tone, "You know why you're so lame? It's because all you do is spend your time in make-believe with Naruto. The main character's just a boy who doesn't know anything?"
William froze. The words hit him hard. He didn't expect Jasper of all people to tell him that inevitable fact. Jasper was more than right.
All William had been doing since he arrived in this world was eat ramen and socially interact with many of the main characters. Sure, he had gotten praises and was looked at as an upright shinobi. But what did that matter when there were other people in this world with foreknowledge as well?
The truth cut deeper than he thought it would.
For a moment, he was speechless. His fists loosened, and he looked away, feeling a strange mix of embarrassment and anger.
Jasper saw the effect he had on William. Without another word, he turned and walked away. His steps echoed down the alley, leaving William standing there, fuming and silent.
"I'll show him!" William finally uttered to no one in particular. "I'll show them all!"
By the time Jasper reached the bottom of his apartment building, he found himself face-to-face with none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi. The former Hokage's eyes were calm but knowing.
"Oh, great," Jasper muttered under his breath.
"Mind if we talk for a moment?" Hiruzen gently asked.
Jasper hesitated, then sighed. "Look, old man, I'm not really in the mood for that right now."
As if he understood, Hiruzen replied, "I can tell. You just arrived back in the village with Will."
"How did you know that?" Jasper cautiously asked.
Hiruzen smiled faintly before admitting, "I was watching through my crystal ball jutsu."
Jasper's heart sank a little. He'd been careless and had forgotten about that technique. Deep down, he'd hoped Hiruzen hadn't overheard him talking about Orochimaru.
Hiruzen's expression softened as he continued, "Jasper, I want you to consider changing your ways. You have more talent than most could hope to achieve. I don't want to see you fall into darkness."
Jasper's brow furrowed as he asked in a voice edged in suspicion, "What the heck are you talking about?"
Despite his disrespectful tone, Hiruzen stayed calm, saying, "You act like a former student of mine. He was destined to be something greater until he turned to evil."
Jasper understood immediately. Hiruzen was about to compare him to Orochimaru. That made him angry.
"Get this through your head, old man," he sharply said. "I don't want to be lectured by you after how you screwed up with Naruto."
Hiruzen's face showed surprise as he asked, "What do you mean?"
"Dude, you let an orphan boy grow up alone, with a demon inside him. You didn't do enough to help him and just left Naruto to fend for himself."
Hiruzen lowered his head and said, "I see you've been talking with Kushina. And I admit, it wasn't the best choice. But like I explained to her, the elders of the village thought it was best for the—"
"Elders?" Jasper interrupted. "You can't just sit here and spout diplomacy. All the kid needed was someone who understood him or helped guide him on a better path."
Hiruzen was silent for a moment, listening. To think Jasper of all people felt so strongly about this. Or was this an attack on Hiruzen and the village for genuinely having messed up on raising Naruto?
Whatever the cause, it made Hiruzen's shoulders heavy as he said, "I see your point. I made mistakes, but I thought I was doing what was best for Naruto."
"Get real," Jasper insulted. "You could have trained him or at least given him a real family."
Hiruzen's expression grew somber. He looked away, as if remembering times he wished he'd done differently. Then suddenly, his face showed regret.
Jasper, however, didn't buy it.
"The next time you want to lecture someone," he said, "go and apologize to everyone you hurt."
Without another word, he turned away and headed for the elevator. As it ascended, he closed his eyes to get lost in thought.
By the time he entered his room, he shut the door and lay in bed.
Just what had gotten into him lately?
Little did anyone know, Jasper was born into a powerful and influential family with a past of control over key parts of the world's economy and politics.
From a young age, after becoming rich, he was told that his future was already set. Someone had to become heir to the Reza group, so he made it his responsibility to inherit his family's wealth.
That promise carried a heavy weight; expectations were high, and the pressure to live up to his family's reputation was constant.
Growing up, his parents were focused on maintaining and expanding the Reza group's influence. They poured their energy into business deals and political alliances, which often made Jasper feel like an afterthought.
Now in this new lifestyle, they would leave him in the care of servants or tutors, expecting him to learn how to run the family affairs someday.
As Jasper got older, the neglect became more apparent. His parents rarely spent quality time with him like they used to. Instead, they discussed plans for the Reza group with people he had never met before across the earth.
When they did interact with him, it was often to remind him of his responsibilities or to test his knowledge about the family's affairs. The emotional warmth that children usually crave was missing, which led Jasper to feel as if he'd just been a tool for the family's ambitions, rather than a loved son.
Even before learning about who Naruto even was, Jasper developed a deep resentment. He saw how the elders in the village, especially those in power, often acted as if their status gave them the right to dismiss or neglect others.
Forget about Danzo, who looked down on those he considered beneath him. It was elders like Hiruzen who believed their position entitled them to ignore the needs of others.
This is what Jasper despised.
He could care two craps about how Naruto was raised. What he valued was leadership since he was planning to take over his entire family one day.
He hated the idea that his own future as heir might come with the same attitude—being raised to see others as lesser or unworthy of respect because of their social standing.
These were facts that not even Alice knew about.
Most blue bloods were born into that lifestyle and walked as such. But Jasper's family inherited their wealth, so he knew what it was like to be financially poor.
The neglect he experienced from his family reinforced his belief that no one should be ignored or dismissed just because they are younger, weaker, or less influential. To him, true strength wasn't just about wealth, power, respect, or fairness, but about knowing how to control it all.
Jasper lacked compassion for others and relished being an influential factor. To expand his influence here in this world, he knew he had to be wrong and perhaps sever ties with the Leaf Village when the time was ripe.
That hope was what drove him and shaped his views to further fuel his desire to stand against the very attitudes he had seen all his life.