Need Some Help?

The moment Hoshikaze crossed over, the world shifted, and he got a slight headache. It only took a second for him to sense that he was fully through.

That was quite the risky play, for technically, he was just a clone, meaning he might have acted the same way as those NPCs. Even if he had, however, he was confident that Arthur would come to solve this situation.

Now that he was here and fully moveable, he needed to remain discreet and observe the scenario—Kakashi and Jada's reset pattern. On the eaves of a building, he watched Jada fight against the antagonists.

She was efficiently dispatching them, but there was a certain emptiness in her expression. It was clear she had been caught in the loop for quite some time.

Then once the day ended, Hoshikaze suddenly found himself in the same spot above the village.

"I see…" he said to himself.

Hoshikaze noted the moments where Jada would reach toward escape, however short-lived her attempts were; each time she made a break for it, she reset to her previous position, alongside Kakashi, who, in contrast to Jada's activity, remained unaware of the loop no matter how many times she explained.

This wasn't just a routine pattern; it was a prison. She had been fighting for freedom, yet the barriers brought her right back, time and time again.

Hoshikaze crossed his arms and considered how best to intervene.

"Can you hear me?" he asked aloud, hoping that somehow his message would reach Arthur. He then leaned against the stone wall, listening for any indication of communication, but only met silence. "I guess not…"

It was no wonder Jada hadn't managed to escape yet. All forms of communication were rendered useless while inside this time barrier.

To better solve this, he settled onto a rooftop and crossed his legs in a meditative pose. Closing his eyes, he focused inward and measured his breathing.

With each inhale, he kept himself focused on Christ, and with each exhale, he released tension, casting out any potential doubts.

After a few moments of centering himself, he finally understood: 'This time loop… it's made out of chakra.'

Since chakra was akin to a force, to escape this loop, he would have to confront that force with the same force.

Absorbing the chakra would be the quickest solution, but his arsenal lacked absorption techniques or items that would facilitate such a method.

Even if he did, Jasper's chakra was far too potent anyway. Only Arthur could hope to absorb it.

"No choice then," he concluded, standing up.

It wasn't long until he sifted through the crowd and let himself be known. Jada, spotting him, broke through the herd and dashed to greet him.

Her eyes sparkled with delight at the sight of him—teeming with joy and a hint of disbelief. She had been so consumed in the repetition of loops that his fresh face was as intoxicating as it was reviving.

"Hoshikaze-sensei!" "Is that really you?!"

"It is," he calmly answered.

Then she admitted fast, "I can't tell you how much it means to see another face! You're the first person in my, like, hundredth loop or something!"

"Hundredth loop?" he repeated, ignoring her boisterousness. "How many days have you been here exactly?"

"I stopped counting in the double digits, honestly," she confessed. "But seriously, I can practically predict everything everyone's gonna say and do. You're the only exception."

Then her expression shifted to one of sadness. "But how are you here? And… what happens when the loop resets again? Will you still be here, or have I honestly just gone crazy and am just imagining you?"

"I felt a disturbance and saw you were inside a barrier that distorted time inside. Didn't know exactly what to expect, but now that I'm here, let's solve this together."

There was some hope in Jada's eyes, though it was quickly overshadowed by uncertainty.

"That's nice to hear and all," she said, looking down, "but I don't... I don't know what will happen at the end of this loop. If it resets, you might just disappear like every other NPC… I mean people."

Though Jada didn't know his true nature, he needed her to believe in him, even if he had to play the role for both of their sakes. "Whatever happens, I'm here to help either way."

"Then how do we escape this loop?" she asked, looking at him with more hope.

"It's simple: this time loop utilizes chakra like almost everything else in this world. To break free, we'll have to play out what you normally do until the end. When you feel that moment approaching, we'll channel our chakra and dispel the loop's influence."

For a moment, she stared at him, unaware that an idea like that could even work. "I… I never actually tried that one. When using my Susanoo failed, I was ready to just give up."

"Then let's get started…"

With their plan in place, they made their way through the village towards Kakashi's location. At first, he looked nonchalant, casually looking for clues, but when he noticed Jada approach with Hoshikaze, his interest piqued.

"You must be Hoshikaze from the Land of Waves," Kakashi began. "I heard you won a tournament there."

It came as no surprise to Hoshikaze that his name was known, as well as his appearance being recognized.

"And you must be Kakashi Hatake, the White Fang of the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Well, I see my name's known all over the world now," Kakashi smiled.

The two spoke with respectful tones until Hoshikaze reminded them of their predicament. "It's actually Jada that we need to focus on. She's caught in a time loop, and we're figuring out a way to help her get out."

"A time loop?" Kakashi repeated, glancing at Jada. "Are you sure you don't need me to—?"

"My head's fine, Kakashi-sensei," she interrupted, having heard that line one too many times.

After being surprised, Kakashi was quickly brought up to speed on the matter. Jada had spent many days with him and knew exactly what to say to get him to believe her situation.

"All we have to do," she explained, "is confront the Four Symbol Men again and wait things out."

Kakashi studied her and then Hoshikaze before answering, "I see… then let's not waste any time."

The trio quickly set off toward the warehouse. Soon enough, they formed a strategy with Jada taking charge.

Inside, Ryūgan yawned lazily.

"I'm getting hungry," he said, taking a few steps toward the door. "I'll be right back."

Just before he could leave, a figure with a blindfold emerged from the shadows—Hoshikaze. With a swift movement, he closed the distance and struck like a snake, quickly breaking Ryūgan's trachea and knocking him to the ground.

Ryūgan's eyes widened in disbelief before he hit the floor, dead.

"What just happened?!" Kujaku gasped, taking a step back while studying Hoshikaze with curiosity and caution.

"Wait!" Hōki alerted. "I know this person… You're Hoshikaze…"

"I'm not the only famous shinobi here," Hoshikaze coolly replied.

Before Hōki could respond, Kakashi appeared out of nowhere with his Lightning Blade technique in hand.

"Goodbye!" he declared, piercing Suiko from behind.

Kujaku shouted, swinging her double-edged swords toward Kakashi to create a gust of wind. But Jada, knowing she would do this, seized the opportunity.

"Fire style: fireball jutsu!"

A burst of flames was shot the instant her wind formed, engulfing Kujaku entirely. It was an instant kill.

Hōki reached for his black fire sword. But even after he drew it, the trio were already in perfect synchronization, executing their final assault.

"Lightning beast running jutsu!" Kakashi declared, sending out a lightning hound towards Hōki.

"Fire style: dragon flame jutsu!" Jada shouted, unleashing a torrent of fire.

"Water style: water dragon jutsu…" Hoshikaze added, sending a massive water dragon spiraling toward him.

The combined collision of their techniques overwhelmed Hōki in a dazzling explosion of elemental power, sealing their victory with an awe-inspiring display of ninjutsu.

When night finally came, the trio gathered around a small fire just outside the heart of town. The villagers were asleep after celebrating their victory, and the only sounds that could be heard were the crackling flames.

"It's almost time, right?" Kakashi reminded, turning to Jada.

"Yeah…" she replied, trying to stay hopeful.

She wasn't quite sure whether Hoshikaze's plan would work or not, but it was the best shot she had.

As such, Hoshikaze straightened himself. They would need to draw on the entirety of their chakra, a feat that required no small amount of confidence and skill. Kakashi himself would remain slightly afar off to observe their actions from a distance.

While he wouldn't aid them directly, he would remain faithful.

The time finally came.

"Get ready…" Hoshikaze said, grounding himself.

"Yeah!" Jada assured, mimicking his movements.

He channeled chakra through his body, focusing on the ebb and flow until he felt it rising and gathering. As he expelled it outward, strands of it erupted from him and enveloped him in a cocoon of luminous light. His hair floated in the stream, causing Kakashi to be amazed at his level of control.

Beside him, Jada followed suit with her chakra flaring as she joined him in this pivotal moment.

Their combined forces caused the air to radiate in a spectacle of power coalescing against the darkness.

Kakashi couldn't have been more proud of her.

"Now," Hoshikaze urged.

The surge of chakra intensified between the two and swirled around them like a tempestuous storm. They had reached a tipping point with their wills entwined.

Every sinew in Jada's being urged her to push further and go all out for their final stand.

Kakashi broke a sweat, magnified by how those two could maintain such a high level of chakra exertion.

As their chakra reached the apex, Hoshikaze's blindfold tore to shreds. The rift pulsed brighter and the world around them began bending in response. So he channeled their combined chakra into a singular pulse that sent shockwaves reverberating outward.

"AHHHH!" they screamed in unison while pouring everything into their combined efforts.

A radiant burst of chakra erupted from their bodies and created a vortex that illuminated the void around them. Jada could feel the strain in her limbs. The fatigue that had haunted every loop crept in, but she had to hold on.

Then, a bright light engulfed them, blinding in its brilliance, and in that moment, the village around them shifted. The time barrier shuddered, fractured, and crumbled beneath the might of their collaboration.

As their chakra continued to surge, the air began to quake violently. Then the backdrop of Takumi Village distorted and collapsed into itself, revealing a smothering black void—an encroaching abyss that swallowed everything in its wake.

The earth beneath them splintered and left them clinging to a crumbling surface that seemed to be falling away.

Jada struggled to keep the flow of her chakra steady. It was running low and inching toward depletion.

"Hoshikaze!" she cried. "I don't think I can…!"

With all her might, she continued to unleash her chakra and shove every ounce of her will into the fray. For a fleeting moment, they soared on a wave of their energy, suspended in the air while fighting against a reality that sought to engulf them.

Then Jada let out a loud gasp, unable to continue. In a harrowing instant, she fell, dropping into the endless void below and was unable to see anything but falling debris.

The sensation of falling was surreal in the blend of darkness. As the void pulled her deeper, she felt a strange calm—she felt liberated, freed from the confines of her looping existence.

'I'm okay…' she thought to herself.

She reflected on her time in this world—the bonds forged, the heroes she had met, the adventures that had filled her with inspiration. It was worth it as she recalled every fleeting moment that had meant something.

'I'm happy—happy to have met Naruto and happy that I got to spend so much time here. I just wish I could have stayed… a little longer.'

But just as she reconciled her fate, she felt a sudden warmth wrap around her. Before she could comprehend what was happening, strong arms caught her from behind, yanking her back toward the light.

"Need some help?" Hoshikaze coolly asked.

His grip was firm, and he flew upward against the consuming void. As they broke through the oppressive shroud, Jada caught her breath, feeling currents of chakra swell around them while the darkness receded faster than it formed.

Streaks of brilliant light fractured through the void, and slowly, Takumi Village began to materialize around them once again. Buildings reshaped themselves as if the village were rebirthing itself.

Sensing the ground beneath her solidify, her eyes could hardly believe it. She looked around at the familiar sights and noted that the moon was in a different position, as if no loop had ever taken place.