Capítulo 169: Built Different
"I… I'm sorry," he admitted, clenching his fists and shaking his head, trying to find his balance.
It was apparent that he lost his cool. Not because he was emotionally weak, but because Arthur knew how to exploit those from the Akimichi clan quite well. The things that set them off were comments about their weight.
Chōji himself didn't like the disrespect my former teammates.
Arthur looked at the boy, sensing that he had steadied himself. Trying to use that psychological tactic wouldn't work again.
"We're going to save our friends!" he heard a female voice say.
It was Sakura, screaming as she prepared to jump into the fray.
But instead of directly engaging her, Arthur allowed Koko to bounce off his arms, redirecting the petite monkey-like girl toward Sakura.
"Let's go!" the monkey taunted, darting away at speeds that belied her size and stature. As Sakura swung her fist, Koko evaded, weaving through the air like a nimble acrobat. "Oops! Missed again!" With every failed attempt Sakura made, Koko teased further, laughing lightly. "It's too bad you don't like daddy! You're so pretty!"
Arthur maintained his distance, observing Koko's playful antics. He found himself momentarily puzzled—where did Koko learn about romance?
While amusing, his focus returned to Chōji, who was preparing for another assault.
Dodging punches and kicks from Chōji in his Butterfly Mode required agility that seemed natural to Arthur. Each attack was thwarted, but he soon had to be wary of Shino, who hovered on the periphery, plotting to corner him.
Suddenly, Sakura ground her teeth, summoning her full strength as she launched an overhand punch, one that could shatter the earth.
Astonishingly, she landed the blow—but it wasn't against anything! Koko had managed to catch her fist in her small hands, bearing a grin that made her look adorably mischievous rather than intimidating.
Alice felt concerned as she took note of Koko's strength.
'Sakura, be careful!' she mentally relayed. 'Koko's body is infused with natural energy. She might look small, but she's stronger than she seems.'
But before Sakura could retreat, Koko insisted, "Don't worry! I'm just having fun!"
Amidst this, Shino was preparing for his move. "I'll handle this!" he declared, positioning himself strategically to unleash the power of the Aburame clan.
"Parasitic insect: typhoon!"
Arthur had never seen or heard of this technique before. That's because it was from the Ultimate Ninja III video game!
As a massive swarm of black beetles began to flurry into the sky, creating a hypnotic whirl, the dark cloud of bugs revolved ominously above Arthur, preparing to engulf him. No one could see a thing save the sensors.
"What's happening?" Chōji asked as he watched the spiraling storm of insects.
Yet, as the onslaught approached, Arthur remained calm. In fact, he casually began walking toward the storm. In but a moment's notice, all the bugs washed him clean without dealing a single damage!
Alice and Shino couldn't comprehend it. Why wasn't Arthur being harmed?
Then Shino saw the answer, mentally relaying to the others, 'My beetles can't pinpoint his location! They're trying to eat away at his chakra, but they can't sense him!"
Arthur brushed the bugs off his shoulder as if they were leaves flying in the wind. To the relentless swarm, he seemed indifferent, even charming—he had masked his chakra to make it feel like he had become part of their species, which made them unwilling to attack their own.
Such was the power of the one with advanced chakra control using the chakra disguise technique!
Disbelief ran through Shino's insides. This was seemingly impossible. The only way anyone could achieve that level of bond with his own insects was if they knew what kind of chakra his bugs wouldn't attack.
Arthur, of course, was far from being foolish in this fight. He knew full well of the Aburame clan's abilities.
They're widely known in the Leaf Village for their deep symbiotic relationship with various breeds of insects. At birth, members of the clan are colonized by these insects, which nest beneath their skin, essentially making them living hives.
So long as Arthur changed his chakra signature to match that of their members, he could survive unscathed in this river of bugs like he had formed a relationship with them.
With sense of calmness, he taunted, "Is this really all the Aburame clan has to offer? You're all so useless…"
Shino clenched his jaw, feeling angry at that comment. Alice's mental voice cut through his frustration; 'Focus, Shino! We need to get rid of that monkey! Target her with your insects!'
He nodded, steeling himself. Forcing the bugs to swarm Koko, he commanded them to attack her instead.
'Golden chain: bonding jutsu…'
As the black beetles darted toward her, Arthur swiped his arm, activating his adamantine chains. They erupted, forming a protective barrier around Koko before drawing her back toward him.
"Sorry, daddy," she murmured adorably, lowering her head. "I wasn't able to take down the pink one in time."
With a content nod, he replied, "You met my expectations."
This made her happy. And in that moment, she vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving the battlefield. Had she stayed here longer, the beetles would have ate away at her chakra.
With Koko no longer in the mix, Arthur readied himself for the next round. His demeanour had remained calm and lethal throughout. And with no more support from Koko, it was time to finish things.
His eyes slid toward Shino, honing in on him as his first target. Dashing toward the Aburame, his purpose was clear: he would either kill or incapacitate him swiftly.
Alice sensed the murderous intent.'
Shino!' she warned through the mental connection. 'Shield yourself with your bugs!'
Immediately, Shino began enveloping himself with his swarm, hoping to dampen any incoming assault.
But Arthur was quicker; he activated the first level of the Seven Heavenly Breaths, pushing his speed to a higher peak. He charged, closing the distance before Shino's barricade could fully envelop him.
But before the distance was fully closed, Arthur's target had changed: he ran toward Chōji instead!
Alice's instincts kicked in. Of course Arthur would have gone after him. Chōji was physically the strongest and had still been in Butterfly Mode, making him the biggest prey.
As Arthur kunai was ready to jam into the unsuspecting boy's skull, Alice finally opened her eyes.
"Spiritualization jutsu!"
Her spirit quickly emerged from her body, traversing the space between them at blinding speeds. She was intangible, moving right past the swam of bugs and easily making it toward the two.
Arthur's movements halted abruptly, his eyes furrowing in shock. That instant he felt something tethering not to his chakra but to his spirit. His body collapsed to the ground, caught in that moment of suspended motion.
This was her chance to take control.
As Alice's spirit began, Arthur found himself engulfed in a surreal white void. The surroundings were ethereal, adorned with stars twinkling softly like scattered diamonds across incandescent clouds.
He had seen this place before. This was a deeper level of inner subconscious often shown in the Naruto world when others formed a bond with their chakra.
It felt strangely like a dream—a disorienting realm where the normal laws of reality seemed to ebb away.
Arthur furrowed his brows, growing increasingly irritated at the ridiculousness of being caught in this quandary.
Then, he felt someone's hand pressing against his back. It was Alice attempting to burrow deeper into his consciousness.
"Get lost," he shot as spun around, swiping through the air.
The sheer force of his spirit and chakra sent a shockwave coursing outward, momentarily disorienting her as she wrested control from him.
Arthur felt a jolt as her spirit clashed against his own. He felt her concentration falter for a heartbeat, and with that, she was forced back; the connection severed.
The void disappeared, and he returned to the battlefield.
But as he awoke, everything felt askew. His mental state was in disarray as if he were waking from a nightmare. His instincts were screaming at him to fall back.
The worst surprise greeted him when he noticed his arms were swarmed by black beetles, those parasitic insects slowly draining his chakra like leeches.
His chakra disguise technique had faltered.
'Dang it,' he thought.
There was no way he could afford to use emergencies like entering Sage Mode now, nor could he allow himself to use any other powerful techniques that might reveal his true identity.
Arthur had underestimated Alice by a large margin, and now he was paying the price.
With force, he attempted to push himself up from the ground, but the movement sent another wave of black beetles scattering across his arms, further compromising his strength.
'She was more dangerous than I thought,' he reflected, piecing together the enormity of the fight they'd just engaged in.
He now understood why Alice was considered the fourth strongest player, a rank that should have not been overlooked.
Suddenly, he heard Alice's voice, "Now, Chōji!"
From the corner of his eye, he saw Chōji powering up his Butterfly Bomb technique again, raising his fist high above his head and charging toward him.
Arthur quickly locked eyes on Alice, feeling a strange energy—not chakra—reestablish between them. This was the same technique she used in their last encounter back at the Land of Tea!
Alice watched him with a smirk, knowing that this was over. Then, her gaze faltered when she saw his lips moving.
As Chōji plunged downward, his fist aimed straight at Arthur's position, the ground trembled and cracked beneath the force of his attack. Dust clouds filled the air as his strike impacted with a loud boom, sending tremors rippling outwards like a shockwave.
When the dust finally settled, and things quieted, Sakura peered through the haze.
"Did we get him?" she asked as she searched for any sign of Arthur.
Shino squinted, scanning the area with disbelief. In astonishment, he flatly stated, ""I don't see anyone. He's vanished!"
Alice narrowed her eyes, cautiously walking toward Chōji.
"I'm sorry," he said, filled with remorse. "I should have been faster."
"It's alright," she reassured, shaking her head. "I'm the one that let you down; I didn't know just how strong he was compared to the Sound Four. I'm just glad nobody died."
"Where could he possibly have gone?" Sakura wondered aloud.
Alice sighed, reflecting hard for a moment as she answered, "He was here one minute… and then he whispered something just seconds before Chōji's attack landed…"
Shino leaned in curiously to ask, "What did you hear him whisper?"
Alice's face fell for a second before answering, "He said, 'We'll meet again.'"
The scene shifted, and in the next moment, Arthur found himself reappearing on top of a statue, feeling the cold stone beneath him.
But this wasn't just any statue; it towered in a familiar place—the Valley of the End!
He grimaced, sweat trickling down his face as he wiped it away with the back of his arm. Somehow, he had been able to teleport here using the flying raijin.
It wasn't easy due to his mental facilities having deteriorated. He could barely think right now, let alone form full thoughts.
Had Arthur not discovered this location long ago during his journeys, and placed a flying raijin mark here in case of emergencies, things would have ended very badly for him.
As he looked at his palm, he notice that he was no longer in his transformation as Kaito. Alice had truly been underestimated, able to actually best Arthur during their first battle.
'Dang it,' Arthur thought, trying to focus.
To think that one of the less-known clans talked about among fans could be this strong. Were they really that strong or was Alice's character just built different?
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