The sun was beginning its descent as Jada waited for the last drop of light to filter through the trees. When it did, her eyes widened, and she began gliding toward Arthur.
Each footfall seemed to lift her off the ground rather than press down.
He just stood there, waiting for her approach. Then the moment she closed the distance, bang!
Her initial punch was caught with an effortless palm. But the strike was a feint as she shifted her weight and aimed another attack at his chest.
Bang.
He smacked it away, so she quickly dropped to the ground, and she attempted to sweep his legs.
Swoosh.
He hopped over her in one fluid motion. But she saw this coming and formed a hand sign.
"Water style: raging waves!"
A powerful torrent from her mouth propelled him several feet backward before he gracefully landed. When he looked, she had already closed the distance.
'She's gotten faster…'
He pivoted, executing a spinning kick aimed at her head. Not to his surprise, she evaded the attack with a simple yet effective sidestep. In the same fluid motion, he launched a backhand strike, but she blocked it with a deft twist of her wrist.
He continued to jab at her chest, but his fist slipped past her face as she moved in closer and aimed a palm strike against his chest.
Bang.
He caught her wrist just before it could connect.
They locked eyes for a moment, feeling the tension that thrummed between them.
He had to be careful. One simple error, and he would forever be branded with her Flying raijin mark.
Without breaking eye contact, she used the grip on her wrist to skillfully flip herself upside down. Arthur barely had time to react before she aimed a kick at him. He dodged by moving back. But using her momentum, she planted a palm on the ground and flipped right side up.
Swoosh.
A forward jab from him was missed by an inch. When she leapt back several paces, she gestured nonchalantly for him to come at her again.
Rising to the occasion, he sprinted towards her as his feet shifted in a subtle manner that produced multiple afterimages. Yet she stood resolute with a calm expression.
The first strike was dodged. Two more were ducked. With an aimed kick, she raised her forearm and blocked it. Using her block as leverage, he propelled himself off her arm, twisted in midair, and delivered two more kicks.
Bang-bang.
Both attacks were intercepted. She then kicked him back during his fall, sending him spiraling away.
It became clear to him after he landed: she was dissecting his style and countering with an intuition that felt almost instinctual. The more this fight dragged on, the less of an advantage he would have.
Before he could formulate a new strategy, a second Jada materialized next to her, already rushing toward him. He narrowed his gaze and thought, 'A shadow clone?' Then an immediate realization struck him: 'No, a water clone.'
The instant the clone reached him, it suddenly exploded into a deluge that draped the battlefield in a heavy rain.
Arthur had managed to shield himself by crossing his arms. But just as the moisture settled, he caught sight of the true Jada descending from above with the Totsuka Blade clasped firmly in her hand.
Swoosh!
She missed him by mere inches.
'So she used that clone as a distraction for her to grab her weapon…'
With each swipe of her blade, the blade whooshed near his skin. She pressed her advantage by delivering a flurry of slashes. Arthur sidestepped every incoming attack with apparent calm.
"What's the matter?" she taunted with a smirk. "Afraid to get hit?"
In a sudden shift, Arthur caught her wrist mid-swing and locked his gaze with hers. "You're getting too cocky..."
Then, with a twist, he forced her to relinquish the Totsuka Blade, sending it skidding across the ground. Her brows furrowed at the slip, so she rotated her body, snapping a kick at his jaw.
Bang!
It connected with a thud, but against his forearm, resulting in a deep bruise. He released her wrist and stepped back to reassess his opponent.
'Regenerative healing…'
As the bruise faded, she understood that he had developed a surreal healing technique, one that was not naturally conceived by this world's standards. That meant this fight could drag on for hours if she didn't end his existence quickly.
In their sudden stop, both fighters exchanged silent acknowledgments. He recognized her perfection over the Ferocious Fist taijutsu technique, something capable of breaking bones. Without it, it wouldn't have left such a deep bruise.
She herself was focused on the depth of his durability. "Still won't back down?"
"Never planned to. But keep this up and you'll run out of chakra."
It was a psychological trick, a mind game to throw her off since the Mangekyō Sharingan truly used up a lot of chakra. Then there was the fact she had performed the Flying raijin multiple times already.
Mix that with the techniques she used to chase him; she could collapse from chakra exertion at any moment now. Arthur himself just came from a fight against Team 7. If he wasn't also careful, he could just as easily run out of chakra.
Both, however, weren't going to give up.
The two moved at the same pace, meeting in the center before exchanging another round of blows at lightning speed. Each punch and each kick was blocked or evaded by the other.
She aimed her fist at his chest; he responded with his hand meeting hers. She went for multiple kicks; he blocked them all with his wrists. She bobbed her head at his jabs; he gave her no room to breathe.
Suddenly, bang!
An impact by both of them was absorbed with their fists.
He was impressed by her speed and agility. If he was going to land a good hit on her and come out of this alive, he had to adjust his tactics.
The two continued to clash in what seemed like a stalemate. When she noticed his movements changed, she unleashed a flurry of blows. Arthur blocked each one of them, hardly breaking a sweat.
Now she had to change her strategy. So she disappeared from sight before reappearing behind him with electricity coursing through her palm.
"Lightning blade!"
Arthur twisted his body to avoid the blow. He then countered with a kick, but she was ready as she ceased her technique and blocked it with her forearm.
Neither fighter was able to gain a decisive advantage.
As their epic clashes continued, the sunset began casting long shadows across the grassland. Night was falling quickly, and Jada's breaths were finally becoming ragged. Yet Arthur was still calm throughout.
The two eventually stood at the heart of the scene.
'Her chakra's almost done,' he knew. 'It's about time I end things...'
Just then, he felt something odd inside her figure as stillness fell over her. Slowly, she closed her eyes, and a subtle shift occurred.
"Arthur… You leave me no choice."
He felt it before seeing it: a framework of rose-coloured chakra began taking shape around her. Bones materialized to form an ethereal outline of a colossal figure. As the process continued, muscles and organs began to form, filling out the skeletal frame. The figure then quickly grew larger and more defined until it stood before Jada like a towering guardian.
"This is my Susanoo…!"
The Susanoo, an Uchiha's ultimate power that Arthur's only read about.
It was a humanoid avatar written to only be summoned by those who possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan in both eyes. It also acted as an extension of the user's will, protecting them and amplifying their offensive capabilities.
Only the worthiest of Uchihas could use it, and each Susanoo possessed unique characteristics, reflecting their individual personalities or fighting styles.
Itachi's was known for its defensive capabilities, equipped with the Yata Mirror and the Totsuka Blade. Sasuke's, which wouldn't be acquired for another three years from now, was more aggressive, with a focus on using a crossbow. Madara's was the largest and most destructive, something that most who've seen it at least once eventually die on the spot.
While the technique offered excellent protection and offensive potential, it was not without its limitations. It was vulnerable to attacks that bypassed its physical form, such as genjutsu or long-range ninjutsu. Additionally, maintaining a Susanoo for extended periods could drain the user's chakra reserves to dangerous levels.
Despite these drawbacks, it remained a symbol of the Uchiha clan's power and a technique reserved for only the greatest.
Now Jada would be talked about in their history books. Not just as a user of it but also as the first woman recorded to draw it out.
When the sun finally dipped below the horizon, leaving only the pink glow from her Susanoo to radiate across the grassland, Arthur stood there, listening to the sound of its flames flutter in the air.
Her Susanoo just stared at him behind a hood obscuring its face. Its eyes were glowing with the same intensity as Jada's as it protected her like an armoured knight.
This thing was almost as terrifying as being in the presence of a Tailed Beast. And yet, there was a sense of melancholy in it, a reminder of how she even obtained this level of power.
Was she truly engulfed in a pattern of hatred, a curse that was nothing more than superstition? Not even on earth did Arthur believe in curses. They existed, but he was and still is a faithful man, constantly praying in Jesus's name to thwart all manner of evil.
So why was this woman so bent on killing him? It was different than when Sasuke expressed his hatred of him earlier. Even the many clansmen from the Leaf had limits to their resentment toward him.
All these things ran through his mind in less than a fraction of a second. If she didn't want to open her eyes to the truth, then he would stop at nothing to ensure his own survival. Because those that were not with him were against him, and those seeking to murder him were enemies.
Arthur relaxed himself, taking a subtle breath. He then looked up at the starry-filled sky. After being in this world for so long, he had forgotten the real nature of man. These last few months here felt like years, constantly maneuvering his way around ninjas with minimal knowledge of how things truly worked.
Now that another person was yet again showing clear signs of malice, he remembered just how dark mankind's hearts were.
"Alright then, Jada… Let's see your true power."