Path Of War-Chapter 353: Just A Game

Warning: This is an abusive Chapter, so we highly recommend not reading it if you or a loved one you know has suffered from domestic abuse, violence, or anything that falls into that category.

Jasper pushed open the door to the Jōnin Station with a casual attitude. His face was neutral, despite the many scowling eyes he received from his co-workers.

Not many liked him. But who was he to care what they thought? Unless someone had the balls to face him one-on-one, then he remained detached.

Inside, he made his way over to the small, cluttered desk at the corner, where a young ninja, probably fresh out of training, was focused on filing paperwork.

Without any ceremony, Jasper pulled out his notepad and pen and began writing about his observation. He reported how there's been no change in Naruto's behaviour, and that there's nothing to honestly report.

The young ninja received the report, nodded, and then scribbled down his words. The lad was clearly used to taking Jasper's simple idea of what a proper report should consist of. But the last time he complained, Jasper threatened him.

Whyever the Hokage even put up with a shinobi like Jasper in the village was beyond anyone's knowledge.

Jasper, feeling that his time was already wasted, decided to wrap it up quickly. Why bother elaborating? This was just a formality, after all. He didn't care about Naruto's condition or story; he just wanted to get things over with and move on to something more interesting.

As he turned to leave, a sudden thought struck him—something to break the dull routine. He had no real reason for it, but lately, he'd been craving a bit of mischief.

Alice was out on her mission, something he knew she wouldn't return from until this evening. So he was free to do as he pleased without her prying eyes.

It was honestly because of her that he refrained from doing anything stupid. But with her not around, the idea of doing something unpredictable, maybe even a little provocative, suddenly seemed appealing.

He paused to look at the nearby bulletin board. Among the mission notices and names, one caught his eye—Sakura Haruno. She was still in the village, working at the medical center.

This character was always busy helping Tsunade. Today, an impulse pushed him to go see her.

As such, he headed toward the medical center. Soon, he spotted her. Sakura was just stepping out of the place, flushed from exertion. So he approached smoothly.

"Hey," he said casually, stopping her in her tracks.

She looked surprised to see him. "Oh! Jasper. What are you doing here?"

"Are you busy? Or do you have a moment?"

Sakura hesitated briefly, then offered a polite smile. "Actually, I just finished training with Lady Tsunade, so I'm not busy at the moment."

Amused, he took a step forward and said, "It's good to know that you're still training in medical ninjutsu and that Mitotic Regen jutsu."

"You know about that?!" she asked with a smile. "Let me guess, Alice told you, huh?"

"Let's not talk about her right now," he replied with a mischievous grin. "Besides, I've always thought you're a little cuter than the other girls around here."

Sakura was caught off guard by his unexpected compliment. Her cheeks warmed, and she looked at him with surprise, unsure whether he was joking or serious.

He seemed to notice her reaction and quickly added, "Do you mind if I share something private with you?"

She hesitated again, then nodded to quell her curiosity. "Sure, what is it?"

"Just come with me," he gestured.

The two started walking together, with Sakura glancing at him from time to time. She was now both curious and felt a sense of wariness.

"So... where are you taking me?" she asked. "I can't stay out too long, just so you know."

"It's a little place I wanted to show you," he vaguely replied. "And don't worry... This'll be quick."

Soon, they arrived at what looked like an old, abandoned cathedral. The building was imposing, with tall, arched windows and a wooden door. The structure looked untouched for years—overgrown vines sprouted through cracks in the stone with dust coating the pews.

She looked around, puzzled as she asked. "What's so important that we had to come all the way out here?"

"It's inside..."

Reluctantly, she stepped through the doorway with him. Inside was quiet—almost eerily so. Some chairs were overturned, dust drifted in the air, and the walls were overgrown with moss. The place had clearly been abandoned for ages, yet there was a strange, haunting beauty to it.

Her gaze wandered and landed on a batch of white flowers growing near the altar. She slowly approached it before kneeling down to carefully touch the petals with a gentle smile.

"I really admire these flowers," she said. "They're so pure and rare. When Ino went missing, I collected them and placed them on her grave every month."

Jasper watched her from behind with a sense of detachment. Ino? Why did he care about a blonde girl like that who was said to be dead when a pink-haired girl was right in front of him?

Without warning, he leaned down slightly and softly said, "Mmm... Your skin is so beautiful."

Sakura stiffened as her eyes widened in surprise. She straightened quickly before stepping back with flushed cheeks; she felt a tad embarrassed due to the suddenness of it all.

"Um... thank you," she managed in an uncertain voice. "I think I should get going."

Jasper's face remained composed, almost amused. "Why's that?"

"Well, you told me you had something private to tell me, but you're acting a little weird, Jasper."

"Oh, come on," he said, stepping closer. Without notice, he forcefully grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to his face. "I just find you interesting right now."

Sakura tried to pull away, but his grip was just too strong for her. No, he was purposely keeping her from escaping. Just then, she felt his breath over her neck as he sniffed her up and down.

"Let go of me!" she screamed, struggling to break free.

"It's all just a game..." At those words, he gripped her shirt and tore it down to her bra. "So let's just have a little fun... Sakura."

It's at this point she fully understood what was going to happen: she was going to be ravished.

"Stop it, please!"

As his hands crept closer to her face, a sharp voice rang out: "What are you doing?!"

Jasper froze in place. Slowly, he turned around to see the unexpected guest. Standing there, a few meters away, was Jada. Her face was a picture of shock and fury, with eyes flashing with anger, frustration, and disappointment.

Crap, he thought. He had completely forgotten that Jada had given almost everyone important enough Flying raijin papers to monitor.

"Relax," he said, raising his hands slightly in a calming gesture. Sakura quickly ran toward her side. "I was just having a little fun."

Jada's voice was more forceful as she said, "I saw the whole thing, and Jasper... That did not look like fun. That was crossing the line."

He chuckled, leaning back slightly. "Oh, come on. It's just a bit of entertainment. It's not like it's illegal here."

She didn't look convinced, so she narrowed her eyes and said, "Do you have any idea how that looked?"

"I... It's okay, Jada," Sakura managed. "I'm—"

"No, Sakura!" Jada interrupted. "Who knows what would have happened had I not stepped in?"

Jasper's smile didn't fade. Despite having forgotten about the Flying raijin, he dismissively shrugged, "Relax, Jada. It was all for immersion; I just wanted to feel like I was really there, like Dr. Kapoor said."

Her eyes hardened. "Game or not, Jasper, you went too far and almost crossed a line you shouldn't have."

That made Jasper's jaw tighten. His irritation flared, and he snapped in a dangerous voice, "Watch who you're talking to, girl..."

Jada's expression remained steady. She wasn't backing down.

"I'm not scared of you, and I'm not afraid to tell Alice what I saw. You want to act like a tough guy? Fine. But don't expect me to just stand here and accept your crap."

With a voice edged with a challenge and pride flaring, he said, "I think you forgot which one of us is stronger..."

Then his stance shifted, ready for a fight if she pushed him. Before either could escalate further, Sakura quickly stepped a little forward while holding her tattered shirt.

"Stop it! Don't fight!" Her voice was shaky but firm. "It was... It was my mistake for coming here in the first place."

But Jada was already on edge; she wasn't going to buy any excuses from Sakura to prevent this. Everyone remained silent as the tension rose indefinitely. Neither Jasper nor Jada moved. Sakura held her breath, unsure what was about to happen.

Then, suddenly, both of them surged forward, meeting in the middle!

Jasper moved first, catching Jada's initial punch in his palm, inches from his face. Her other hand shot out as she palmed his chest. His teeth clenched, but he held firm as he spun to the side and kicked her ribs.

Jada staggered but recovered quickly. Still close, she jabbed him in the stomach and punched him in the face hard enough to make him slide back. But before he could react, she swung her leg up and delivered a high kick to his chin.

A loud "bang!" was heard as he was knocked into the wall. He pushed himself up, stubborn as ever.

"You know," he said, "that kinda hurt..."

At those words, he generated a ball of purple electricity in his palms. Before she knew it, he appeared in her blind spot and struck her side.

"Argh!" she screamed.

When she recovered, she looked at him with anger as blood trickled from her lips. Then her own body crackled with blue electricity. Without warning, she jumped forward, aiming a low kick to sweep him off his feet.

He flipped over her, landing behind her. But when he spun around, he was met with a lightning-fast punch—so quick it knocked him back several feet. He regained his stance and launched up to deliver a dropkick, but it missed. So he went for a backhand, but she caught his forearm, and the two locked eyes.

"You're pretty strong," he smirked. "No... You've gotten better. I'm starting to have a little fun."

Purple electricity again crackled between them that sent shockwaves to knock Jada back. Before she could recover, he kicked her in the gut, forcing her to her knees. Her forearm shot up as he spun around to kick her head.

While Jada kept her guard up, Sakura did not like seeing her friends fight.

"Stop fighting, please!" she begged in a strained voice.

But Jasper was already shifting into another attack. Before it could land, Jada raised her whole leg and kicked him down, crashing him into debris. She then leapt back to cover some ground.

"Just give up already!" she demanded.

The dust settled, and he slowly pushed himself up, shaking his head to clear the dizziness. He then looked up at her with bloodstained lips.

With a smirk, he kicked a pile of old wood and debris in her direction. She knocked it aside with ease, but that was just a distraction. Jasper appeared at her blind spot in an instant and grabbed her by the abdomen to unleash a massive jolt of purple electricity that made her scream.

Her body convulsed as the shock sent her tumbling onto her knees.

"Don't tell me that's all you got," he taunted. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

Just as she was gasping for oxygen, his body surged again with even more purple lightning. Just then, a commanding voice cut through the chaos: "Stop right there!"

Jasper turned sharply. Standing across from him was Alice with a serious expression. He cut off his chakra immediately and raised his hands defensively, as if trying to appear innocent.

"Babe," he said with a falsely innocent tone. "It's not what you think; I wasn't doing anything."

Alice was far from convinced.

"I don't know what's going on," she said, "but you and I are gonna have a talk... now!"