Meanwhile, the three reached a quieter corner of the bowling alley.
"Okay, Naruto," Jada began, "we just wanted to check on how you're doing after… you know."
"I'm doing great!" he said with a cheerful smile returning to his face. "Really! I feel a lot better, so thanks for worrying about me!"
Alice leaned in, tilting her head curiously. "That's good to hear! But can you really not remember anything from that fight?"
Naruto's brow furrowed as he thought back.
"Honestly, it was just a hard-fought battle. I remember things starting to go black, and then…" His voice trailed off, and a soft nostalgia crept onto his features. "I saw my mom and dad before Marge woke me up."
The two girls looked at one another, sensing the weight of that revelation. It was something they hadn't fully considered—how deeply Naruto's parents connected to his battles affected him.
But why were these things happening now and so early? While Alice knew the likely cause, she understood it was best to keep her mouth shut.
"Wow," she breathed. "Well, then, do you think it's possible for us to talk with Kurama? Maybe he has something to share?"
Naruto liked the idea of her referring to his Tailed Beast as a "he" rather than an "it."
He tilted his head, pondering for a moment. "I guess we can try. But how exactly are ya gonna reach him?"
Before he could finish, Alice held Jada's hand and placed her other hand over Naruto's forehead. In an instant, the world around them faded as they plunged into his subconscious.
When the colours settled, they found themselves standing in front of the Nine-Tails' massive cage. This was their first time seeing the beast's form, and it was much larger than either Jada or Alice had envisioned.
The Nine-Tails regarded them with an amused expression.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" it drawled with a terrifying smirk and eyes filled with mischief. "How may I be of service to you three?"
Jada and Alice stood their ground, despite the overwhelming presence of the beast. Although the Nine-Tails was indeed horrifying, there was a certain allure to his power that was difficult to ignore.
Naruto, feeling a sudden urge to defend himself, piped up. "Kurama, be nice!"
The Nine-Tails merely scoffed. "Why should I, brat? Nice isn't my thing."
At that, Jada softly giggled, noticing a small sign of affection in the way Naruto interacted with his Tailed Beast.
"You know," she teased, "it's like you actually like him, Kurama."
The beast's eyes narrowed. "I do not like him! That's absurd!"
Alice couldn't suppress her laughter. "You sure seem to have a soft spot for him, though."
Kurama huffed indignantly, "What nonsense!"
"Sure, whatever you say," Jada playfully said.
"Argh!" the beast said, clearing its throat. "Just tell me why you're here already."
Jada took a step forward and spoke, "We actually have two questions for you."
"Go on…" it encouraged.
"First, do you remember anything about Naruto's attacker?"
At this, Naruto immediately interjected. "Oh, come on. Kurama hardly remembers anything!"
"If you would just remain quiet for a moment," the Nine-Tails growled, "I could concentrate."
But Naruto, unable to contain himself, replied, "See? This is just the way he is!"
The bickering continued for a moment before Alice caught his head and put him in a chokehold.
The Nine-Tails appeared to relish the moment and snickered. "Ah. Finally, someone who knows how to shut you up. But that irritated me more than usual, so I'm not answering your first question."
Naruto shot a glare at both of them, but he kept silent this time.
"Oh great," Jada said, smacking her head. "Could you at least answer our second question?"
"Go on…"
"If we let you out, will you lend Naruto your full strength?"
The beast's smile widened, revealing his sharp teeth. "If you open the seal... Minato and Kushina won't help the boy like last time."
Jada immediately recognized the implication. It was as if the beast was saying that if they removed the seal, he would try and kill the boy since he wouldn't have any help like before.
Some time ago, William had allowed Minato's chakra to manifest in Naruto's seal three years in advance. Not only had the truth been told, but now Naruto had a major head start in his journey.
The second time, when he met his mother, was actually during the tournament. In his fight with Lars, he had become emotional enough to tap into his subconscious again, and without any malice, was able to meet his mother before subduing the Nine-Tails.
But despite all that the Nine-Tails had heard regarding the main character's past and the expectations that he's the prophet who will unite the other Tailed Beasts, the beast still refused to believe that.
Everyone had expected too much, like the Nine-Tails would just fall head over heels for the younger version of Naruto. Perhaps if more won conflicts arose in the boy's narrative, things might have been different.
Jada noted the slight contradiction in the Nine-Tails behaviour, aware that beneath the gruff exterior was a kind of denial about his growing fondness for Naruto.
"Kurama," she gently said, coaxing him. "you're just scared to admit that you really do care."
"Care?" he rebuffed, "What do I care for that impudent brat!"
Jada pinned her gaze on him and said, "I think you're just in denial. But it's okay; we understand."
After a moment, she looked to Alice, giving her a nod. Both girls knew they weren't going to get anywhere with the Nine-Tails at the moment, so they needed to regroup.
With that, they exited Naruto's subconscious, allowing the realm to fade into the familiar sights and sounds of the bowling alley.
Naruto blinked, surprised. What might have been moments for them were just milliseconds to the outside.
"Whoa," Naruto exclaimed, "that was weird. I didn't know you two would—"
"Promise us you won't tell anyone about this," Jada suddenly insisted in an earnest tone. "It's for your own good, and it's not something we want to spread around."
Naruto didn't quite understand what they wanted to keep a secret. He honestly didn't like when they randomly acted like they knew what was going to happen next without telling him. By now, however, he was used to it.
"Okay, fine," he relented. "I won't say a word!"
Once back at the bowling lane, the group had shifted its energy to laughter and good-natured taunts. For the moment, Naruto was laughing again, surrounded by friends, and Jada wouldn't have it any other way.
"Hey, you guys," William called out. "Hope you don't mind, but I brought some extra snacks from the concession stand!"
Both Naruto's and Chōji's faces lit up at the prospect of food. Sakura watched them as her earlier concerns faded slightly. Perhaps William was right; perhaps Naruto was going to be okay after all.
Once the event ended and everyone went their separate ways, Jada redirected her attention toward something more significant.
Upon leaving the Leaf Village, she weaved her way through the terrain of the Fire Country. Hours passed as she trekked through the greenery and routes that led her deeper into the wilderness until eventually she reached a secluded clearing.
This spot had become a secret meeting of sorts, a place where she could do what she pleased without unneeded attention.
Once settled, she retrieved a scroll from her bag, unfurling it carefully. She then focused her chakra and performed a single hand sign.
"Scroll communication jutsu!"
As she infused the scroll with her chakra, she began to write on its surface. "It's me," she had written as she watched the ink disappear.
"Jada! I'm at the Hidden Rain Village. What's going on?" the words appeared a moment later. It brought her relief.
"I need to speak with you in person. Are you free?" she quickly wrote, hoping for a favourable answer.
To her delight, the reply soon faded onto the scroll: "I am. I'll be there shortly."
Now it was time to use the Flying raijin she had given this individual during their last conversation.
Almost instantly after activating the technique, Itachi Uchiha appeared beside her.
"Jada…" he said in a warm tone against the chill of isolation. His normally stoic demeanour softened with a genuine smile. "It's good to see you."
She felt her heart swell with excitement. "It's good to see you, too, Itachi."
This meeting wasn't just any meeting. The two have spoken many times. They had a deep understanding of one another after she had told him everything about his past, and their bond went beyond that of clan members.
She was fully aware of the story of Itachi Uchiha. He was more than just a fictional character to her; his tragic past was both admirable and unsettling.
Oddly enough, she couldn't deny that he was a fool too.
Itachi was Mikoto and Fugaku Uchiha's firstborn son. The atrocities of the Third Shinobi World War plagued his early years. He became a pacifist who committed himself to becoming a "ninja among ninjas" after witnessing the destruction at the age of four, which left scars on his heart.
Overwhelmed by the violence all around him, he dreamed of a world free from war. Even before he became a big brother at the age of five, when Sasuke was born, such resolve started to take shape.
Soon after, he met Shisui, with whom he would form a close relationship akin to that of family.
He enrolled in the academy at the age of six, where his unparalleled abilities astounded everyone. He graduated at an unusually young age, and his teachers hailed him as the best they had ever taught.
When Jada thought of him at that age, so talented but so weighed down by expectations, she couldn't help but feel sad.
However, because of the traumatic repercussions, she was unable to exalt his past.
Itachi's achievements as he rose through the ranks made his family, particularly his father, proud. He walked a lonely path, though, and Jada knew painfully well that he lacked the wisdom of a Hokage.
Few understood, in spite of the admiration, how much he longed for peace or how alone his talent had made him.
He joined the Anbu when he was eleven years old and advanced through the ranks swiftly, displaying even greater abilities than his contemporaries. Leaders of Leaf Village took notice of him, but the attention he received was accompanied by a growing sense of alienation.
Jada thought it was tragic that Itachi's heart was burdened with the knowledge of the impending conflict that loomed over the entire clan, while Sasuke loved his older brother. Itachi's beliefs were ripped apart by their plans to overthrow the village government and the village where they had previously lived.
Perhaps more than anyone else, he realized that such a rebellion would only feed the hatred and spark another conflict. It's civil this time.
He did not, however, shirk the responsibility of being a double agent, risking his allegiance in order to keep his brother and his village safe. Itachi was compelled by Shisui's terrible destiny to take his friend's eye and use it at a later date when there was less sadness.
Itachi was twelve when the terrible time came when he had to make the unthinkable decision to either join the Uchiha and put countless others in danger or to put an end to his own family in order to spare more suffering.
A clan collapsed as a result of his fateful choice. Because he had to portray himself as the villain in front of Sasuke in order to set his brother on a path to retribution, Jada felt terrible for him.
The history of the ninja world was shaped by the night of the Uchiha massacre.
Jada found it difficult to comprehend the extent of Itachi's anguish to learn that he had killed his own parents, but they passed away peacefully and with love in their last words. He had been given a mission that cost him everything, but it gave Sasuke hope that he would one day exact revenge on their family by dying at the hands of his younger brother.
Jada realized that Itachi was the antagonist to many as she thought back on his tale—his extraordinary talent, the weight of familial loyalty, and his sacrifice for peace. To her, however, he was a lonely tragic hero who had come to save the world from the same vicious cycle of hatred that had engulfed their clan.
This time, he had help.
He was certain that Jada would be the one to help balance out the issues in the Leaf Village when he first met her following Orochimaru's abortive invasion.
And after she was able to expose Madara Uchiha's involvement and Danzo Shimura's schemes, how could he not believe her?