Bab 81: Reports
Some time later.
Even with the acquisition of two new reanimation summons and four out of the five Treasured Tools, Arthur was still weak.
His journey was far from over, as he needed to understand how things have been fairing lately.
The world of ninjas was very complex. To truly make sense of it, he needed to observe things from where the story took place the most—the Leaf Village.
And to do that, he needed to gather intelligence on where he was in the story. He needed to know where the major players were, what their objectives were, and how his actions might impact the overall balance of power.
With a plan in mind, he activated his Chakra Disguise and Transformation techniques, altering both his chakra and his appearance into that of a nondescript traveler.
He then used the flying raijin to teleport directly to the Hidden Leaf Village.
Upon arrival, he noticed that that village had undergone some changes since his last visit. The destruction left by Orochimaru's invasion was no longer visible. There was also a sense of resilience in the air, a determination from the citizens despite the setback.
Arthur spent the next hours observing the village, his Tamashii constantly scanning the surroundings. To his surprise, he couldn't locate any of the other players' chakra signatures.
Perhaps he could go near their apartments and expand his search there. But he was in a hurry to gather intel; not risk this clandestine mission.
'Jasper left the village with Alice, so maybe the others did too…'
Intrigued, Arthur decided to visit the Jōnin Station. He easily infiltrated the building without raising any alarms.
The recent reports were his target, as it would allow him to understand which arc he was currently in.
When he arrived in a locked storage room, he found what he was looking for.
He spent some time pouring over paperwork, his eyes scanning for any mention of significant events.
The invasion from Orochimaru was, unsurprisingly, the dominant theme.
The reports detailed the chaos and destruction caused by the attack, the bravery of the village's defenders, and the ultimate victory over the Sannin.
But it was the aftermath of the invasion that caught Arthur's attention.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been critically injured in the battle. He had used the Reaper Death Seal technique that claimed two of his clones in order to seal away the reanimated versions of the first and second Hokages—exactly as how things happened in the original.
Arthur found this interesting. There were many controversies as to how the Reaper Death Seal could be used with the Shadow Clone technique. It seemed that in this world, this rule had not been changed.
And what he remembered from this arc was that it was a pivotal moment in the Naruto series.
Orochimaru had sealed off the battlefield with a strong barrier, trapping Hiruzen and him inside. It's then that a climactic confrontation between the former teacher and student ensued.
Orochimaru, having learned the Reanimation technique, summoned the first and second Hokages to aid him. The third Hokage, undeterred, fought back with his own arsenal and strategic brilliance. A fierce then battle unfolded, filled with powerful ninjutsu and shocking revelations.
Their final confrontation ended with Hiruzen sealing the two Kages and Orochimaru's arms using the Reaper Death Seal, thus killing Hiruzen in the process.
This time around was completely different.
As Arthur thoroughly read the reports, he verified that Margaret and William had been involved in that battle, both playing a crucial role!
They had managed to sneak inside the barrier, moments as it finished forming. Trapped with Hiruzen, they fought valiantly against Orochimaru. But once the Sannin summoned the two Kages, things changed.
Hiruzen was forced to summon two clones and use the Reaper Death Seal. While he hadn't died once they dispersed, it left him significantly drained.
William, therefore, summoned a clone of himself. He sent that clone directly to Orochimaru, whom Margaret was trying to subdue. She failed, but the clone managed to get a hold of the Sannin.
It then performed the Reaper Death Seal, attempting to kill Orochimaru!
But the Sannin wasn't a pushover. He had too many tricks up his sleeves, using all manner of techniques to take down Margaret and try to kill William before the ritual could finish.
William, in a fit of desperation, was left with no other choice but to do what Hiruzen had done in the original story—he sealed Orochimaru's arms, preventing the Sannin from using hand signs.
Arthur should have been stunned after reading that, but he remained composed. These two players were falling right into the game, playing make-believe as if they were heroes.
Their level of skill was commendable. Going up against a Reanimation as well as a Sannin was something rare that not every ninja their age could do.
The reports also revealed that Orochimaru had retreated, his plans in ruins. He vowed revenge on them, cursing his way out of the village.
Arthur delved deeper, his eyes scanning the pages for any information that might be relevant.
The reports were filled with details of the aftermath of Orochimaru's invasion, the rebuilding efforts, and the search for missing ninjas.
But one name caught his attention—his own.
To his surprise, a bounty had been placed on his head. The charges were absurdly inflated, a litany of crimes that painted him as a monster.
Desertion, mutiny, treason—the list went on and on. General misconduct, false statements, murder, second-degree assault, espionage, aggravated battery, mayhem, homicide, theriocide (the act of killing an animal), fragging, and collateral damage.
In total, he racked up three and a half million ryō on his head—wanted alive. It was clear that someone was out to get him or at least throw him behind bars.
Most of these charges wouldn't even be a thing had Jada, the only person who saw him commit theriocide, hadn't reported his actions.
'A highly dangerous shinobi,' he read about himself. 'Be cautious of his manipulative tactics, ability to disguise his form, and knowledge of the Leaf Village's system.'
Arthur remained stoic despite the absurdity of the report. He had honestly done nothing wrong. Yet he was being branded a criminal, a threat to society.
It was a clear message—he was not welcomed in the Hidden Leaf Village, let alone the Fire Country.
Of course, he was not one to be deterred by such petty obstacles. Whether he was wanted dead or alive, no one was going to stop him from destroying this world.
But why was he being charged with such heinous crimes? Sure, he had done some questionable things, but did a twelve-year-old ninja really pose that much of a threat?
Maybe if that twelve-year-old were Arthur, but they shouldn't have any idea of how dangerous he was.
As he continued reading, he understood why he was deemed a criminal.
He learned of Sasuke Uchiha's injuries, a result of what happens when Arthur warns someone to stand down. The young prodigy had been hospitalized with only minor injuries. Thanks to the curse mark, the boy fared better than the others.
Rock Lee, for instance, had suffered even worse injuries. Arthur's battle against him had caused significant internal bleeding and organ damage. It was so bad that without extensive medical care, he would have died.
His career as a ninja had also ended. At least for now.
The most shocking revelation was the state of Hiruzen. Though he survived the Reaper Death Seal and was hospitalized, his health was gradually deteriorating by the day. Recovery was uncertain.
Village elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, were currently in charge of things. Thankfully, Danzō Shimura was still on house arrest, so he couldn't take the Hokage's position.
While William had also performed the same technique, he had only sealed Orochimaru's arms. That was enough to prevent him from suffering fatally.
Arthur felt no sense of sympathy for any of them. Hiruzen had sacrificed much for his village, and his reward was met with pain and suffering—a reminder of this brutal world.
Arthur continued his research, delving deeper into the reports. He needed to know the fate of the other players, to understand how the events of the past few months had shaped their lives.
The reports revealed that William, because he had helped save the Hokage and seal Orochimaru's arms with a highly advanced sealing technique, had been promoted to a Chūnin.
His bravery and skill had earned him the respect of the village elders.
Margaret, his partner in their epic battle, had also been promoted to a Chūnin. Her skillful healing techniques and summoning of slugs showed everyone how talented she was.
Their combined efforts had not only saved Hiruzen but also saved the village, and their names were now synonymous with heroism.
Arthur felt like ripping the report up. But he restrained himself from doing so.
It was bad to see that they were stepping up to take on the mantle of leadership. Because if they continued living in this world, they could be trapped forever. Or worse.
The reports on Alexander and Jasper were even more surprising.
Alex had also been promoted to a Chūnin. His efforts in helping the villagers during a recent crisis had earned him the respect of everyone. Jasper, on the other hand, had been promoted at Alex's recommendation.
It seemed the two had formed a strong bond, but what was the reason for it?
Arthur was intrigued.
Alex and Jasper didn't seem like the type to get along. Perhaps it was their determination and ability to adapt after discovering he was their enemy.
As he continued his research, he understood that the world of ninjas was constantly changing. Alliances were being forged more than they were being broken.
Evidently, the other players were clearly in pursuit of power to prevent internal struggles. Why else would they seek after things like promotions?
Ranking up in a village was somewhat meaningless. After all, Naruto was able to stop a war as a Genin. Sakura herself did better than most of the cast as a Chūnin.
Still, many secrets were waiting to be uncovered.
One such report claimed that because of the invasion, it had attracted the attention of other shinobi. Among them were Kisame and Itachi, two members of the Akatsuki.
Their presence had forced the Leaf Village to mobilize its forces. A combined effort by Kakashi, Might Guy, Kurenai, Naruto, William, Alex, Alice, and Jasper had managed to drive Kisame and Itachi away.
They clearly didn't want Sasuke involved like last time, so one of them (likely Jada), had stayed behind the mix to keep the Uchiha from meeting his older brother again.
Because of such a great team, they had been able to repel the threat.
It was their foreknowledge that predicted the two Akatsuki members' arrival. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had the strength to unify such a team.
If Arthur recalled correctly, those two managed to infiltrate the village to see the status of the Nine-Tails. While they managed to find Naruto, Sasuke happened to hear of Itachi's return, so he chased after him, only to be met with an embarrassing defeat.
Itachi, as everyone knew, didn't want to fight Sasuke.
But something was odd about this report: Asuma wasn't involved. He was supposed to be in this scene.
Arthur was interested in wondering what had changed.
That's when another report caught his attention: Asuma was on a mission at the moment—a mission to capture Arthur!
The Leaf Village was obviously determined to bring him to justice. He knew that Asuma was a skilled and experienced ninja, a formidable opponent. But that character was also a teacher, a mentor, and a leader.
Qualities for an incompetent character like him only made it easy for Arthur to manipulate.
Arthur himself wondered what a clash with that Jōnin would be like. Perhaps he would spare the ninja in exchange for working as his slave. An interesting thought, but he needed to look bigger than slavery.
Dropping that though, he continued analyzing more information.
Asuma and his team were scattered around the Fire Country looking for Arthur. They consisted of a few elite Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi clansmen. Clearly a vendetta.
Even Chōji was reported to be training to join Asuma's team, determined to bring Arthur to justice.
The others, particularly Jiraiya, were also active in another mission. From what was written, Hiruzen's conditions were so severe that the village required a new Hokage to take his place. The elders, therefore, called Jiraiya. But much like in the original story, Jiraiya refused, recommending someone else for the position.
As such, the mission he was given was to locate the other Sannin, Tsunade Senju.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone