Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Will of Amegakure
**In a Cave South of Amegakure**
*Some people believe fate is inescapable. Others think it's an illusion—a line of events that can't deviate from a set path. But to me, it's a vast ocean: a jumble of past, present, and future flowing like a raging stream, carving its way through time. Each disturbance sends ripples, shockwaves that echo through existence. Those who shape the world ride these waves, reshaping them to their will. Yet, one thing remains certain for all humans: *
*Death is inevitable. *
---
"Huh!? What!?"
Jaden woke with a start, frantically scanning his surroundings. He noticed the sharp bite of tension in his body and glanced down to find himself bound tightly in ninja wire, his equipment nowhere in sight.
"What the hell?! Let me go!" he shouted, thrashing in vain against the restraints.
The wire bit into his skin, leaving shallow cuts. "Ouch! Damn it!" he hissed, his movements ceasing as he realized the wires were designed to cut deeper the more he struggled.
"Great, you're finally awake," said a feminine voice.
Jaden whipped his head toward the sound. In the dim light of the cave, a young kunoichi sat slouched, her posture betraying exhaustion. Her black hair fell in a curtain over one side of her face, and her half-lidded, reddish-purple eyes gave her a perpetually lazy look. She wore a violet battle dress over purple pants, her shinobi sandals glistening faintly with rainwater. A light violet sash hung over her right shoulder, and a yellow choker adorned her neck. Despite her petite frame—she couldn't have been taller than five feet—there was an undeniable presence about her. No doubt she's a woman as those curves don't lie,I know people find Tsunade as the sexiest woman in the show but this woman is more my type.
Jaden cleared his throat. "Who are you? Where are we, and why am I tied up?"
*Whoosh!*
A kunai landed mere inches from his crotch, embedding itself in the ground. Jaden froze, eyes wide.
"Shut it, kid. I'll be the one asking questions," she snapped sounding out each syllable of the word slowly, while leaning in to look more menacing. "What village sent you? What's your mission?"
Jaden gulped. "Hey, I saved your butt—twice, I might add. That's not how you treat your rescuer."
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" She shot back.
The kunoichi's expression faltered for a moment, a flicker of embarrassment crossing her face before she regained her composure. "And I saved you from drowning. So we're even," Shouts the girl arguing with the child.
"Right, but whose fault was it that I passed out in the first place? Oh yeah, it was because I used up all my chakra saving some *ungrateful* kunoichi," Jaden retorted.
"Ungrateful?! I carried your unconscious self all the way here!" she yelled, her face flushing red.
"Wait…" Jaden's eyes widened in realization. "How exactly did you save me from drowning?"
The kunoichi hesitated, glancing away with a faint blush. While doing that weird thing kid Hinata would do when she was embarrassed.
"Oh, no," Jaden said, his grin spreading as the truth dawned on him. "You gave me mouth-to-mouth, didn't you?"
"I had to resuscitate you!" she shouted, flustered.
Jaden gasped theatrically. "Nee-chan, how could you do this to me? It was my first time! Now I'm ruined! I'll never be able to marry!" I break down crying. "Sniffle. Sniffle.."
"W-What?! What are you even talking about?!" she stammered, waving her hands in a panic.
Jaden sniffled dramatically. "Stay away from me, Nee-chan! Who would want me now? My life is over!"
"Married! Huh wait!" Fuyo repeats, not understanding how her interrogation turned into this.
"Would you stop crying already?!" she exclaimed, running over to him in an attempt to calm him down.
Jaden immediately switched to a sly smile. "Oh, you'd marry me, Nee-chan? Well, I guess that's a start."
The kunoichi's face turned beet red. "That's not what I said!"
"Nee-chan that's not good, you have to be responsible for your actions and take responsibility! Sniffle."
"Huff." Fine, just please stop crying.
"Oh, okay great now what's your name wife-chan." Jaden says with a straight face as if he wasn't crying a second ago.
---
The kunoichi finally introduced herself. "My name is Fuyo. I'm a chunin from Amegakure."
Jaden nodded. "Nice to meet you, Fuyo-chan. I'm Jaden Onikuma."
The atmosphere shifted as Fuyo's tone grew serious. "So, Jaden, why did you save me? And who sent you?"
Jaden shrugged. "I saved you because I saw the horrors of the battlefield and I heard you cry out for help. "I couldn't ignore that."
"You saved me… because I asked for help?" Fuyo tilted her head, skeptical. "Huh? I don't believe you. Still you didn't answer my question. Who sent you?" Fuyo narrows her eyes, getting serious.What village are you from?"
"sigh" I let a sigh escape my lips as she seems to be stuck on that question. "Look no one sent me!"
"Really do you really think I'm stupid enough to believe that. Some kid shows up on the battlefield between ninjas. Said child catches up to a Konoha Chunin and proceeds to kill him using some type of Keke Genkei. By the way you moved I can tell you've received ninja training. So you tell me who would believe lie the lie your telling?"
"Okay when she puts it like that. It does sound a bit crazy."
"Huff! Look kid you saved my life, and I'm grateful but I can't turn my back and allow an enemy ninja in the village. Kid or no kid."
"I'm not with any village," Jaden admitted. "I was exiled from Kusagakure. It's… personal."
Fuyo's sharp gaze softened slightly, though she remained on guard. "An exile, huh? That's rare." She sighed. "Alright, fine. But don't think I trust you just yet."
The tension was broken by the growling of Jaden's stomach. He gave her a sheepish look. "Uh, Fuyo-chan, you wouldn't happen to have food, would you?"
Rolling her eyes, Fuyo feeds me a ration bar. "Ah! Nee-chan aren't we moving too fast? I mean we've only just met and now you're already starting to feed me like a Lovey Dovey couple."
The girl blushes it a bit closing her eyes. Then in the next moment stuffs my mouth with the cardboard like substance ninja's having to call food.
"Quit It you little brat, that's not going to work on me again!!" Fuyo says with womanly furry.
*Cough Cough Cough*
"Geez Woman I could have choked on that brick of dehydrated shit!
Fuyo smirked. "It's not that bad."
WATER WOMAN I NEED WATER some
Geez kid you should wash that mouth of yours, I'd think you were from Iwa with all the dirt in your teeth.
Oh, I'm glad you said that you know what could help with the w-water. Need it, chop, chop.
*One cup of water later*
—
"Sigh that's better, thought I was going to die from cow manure." Says a coughing Jaden.
"You're so dramatic it's not that bad." Fuyo looking away only halfway agreeing with her statement.
"Not that bad?" Jaden says in disbelief.
"Day old milk is not that bad. Dried fish is not that bad. But that is going to have you shitting bricks. I should demand reparations from that." Jaden roars with all the furry a child could have.
"Repar what?" Fuyo says confusingly having never heard the term.
"Don't worry about pronouncing it, I'm saying I should get a reward for having to suffer for such a taste." Jaden replies.
"Uh huh a reward? Like what? Do you want a ball to play with or a spinning top" Fuyo tease.
"Oh no I don't need anything fancy like that. I just want something tastier." Jaden says while looking at her.
Fuyo looks at him not understanding what he means. "That ration bar is all I have so your out of luck."
Jaden then stares at her intensely.
"What are you? Why are you staring at me like that." Fuyo says while blushing
Jaden then stares at her intensely.
Jaden starts looking at a source of water around Fuyo's lips
"No! No! No! Quit it kid, your too young to be thinking of such things." Says an embarrassed Fuyo.
"What do you mean I'd thought you could treat me to a meal. Oh! Jaden now realizing what she meant. My nee-chan you should really get your head out the gutter for having such indecent thoughts on such a young boy like myself." Jaden says finding this girl adorable.
So, Fuyo-chan how long was I out for? Jaden say curiously.
"Hmm I'd say you were out for 8 hours. I almost thought you were dead unless I was checking your heartbeat every couple hour." Fuyo puts her finger on her chin thinking about the answer.
Jaden nods his head. 'Makes sense I've been on my feet for the better part of a day while in chunin level fights back-to-back.'
"So Nee-chan can you let me go now, this stuff is really uncomfortable."
Fuyo nods her head. "Right!"
After he's freed and she has calmed down a bit since they met can't help but look at the right side of his face.
After she freed him from the wires, Fuyo couldn't help but glance at the right side of Jaden's face. The once-vivid eye was now covered in a raw, jagged scar.
"You haven't asked about it," Fuyo said softly.
"I don't need to," Jaden replied, his voice subdued. "I already know. I won't be able to see out of that eye again."
Fuyo winced. "I'm sorry. If it wasn't for me…"
"You're right—it *is* your fault," Jaden said bluntly, making her flinch. "But I made the choice to save you, and I don't regret it. I wouldn't have gotten to meet you otherwise."
Tears welled in Fuyo's eyes. She unwound the bandage tied around her waist and approached Jaden. Gently, she wrapped it around his left eye as a makeshift cover.
"Thank you, Jaden," she whispered.
"Anytime, Nee-chan."