As soon as the compartment was closed, Arthur resolved to teleport himself elsewhere but instead had another thought.
'Flying raijin…'
Suddenly, Koko appeared. She began to run across the walls, still too energetic to reason with. Then something happened. She felt the intensity of the cold air nip at her tiny frame before hugging his legs.
"It's too cold here, daddy!" she said, clinging onto him while shivering.
Perhaps the clash of cold temperatures could counter the pills' effects. But more experimenting would need to be performed to come to a proper conclusion.
"Koko," Arthur said, "how do you feel?"
"Just cold now," she answered, teeth chattering.
"Good. Then I need you to go grab the scrolls for me."
"I will! I promise!" she stammered.
Yet she didn't let go, forcing him to perform the flying raijin once more to teleport her away from the encumbering chill. He then exited the freezing unit to mix in a special liquid in a beaker.
Moments later, she appeared back in the laboratory, not as jittery or energetic as before. This was notable, making him believe the pills aftereffects weren't lethal.
"Look, daddy!" she chirped, "I found them!"
The scrolls he had instructed her to retrieve were special, containing many cells he had acquired during his time in the world. Not once did he keep them on his person since the last thing he needed was to be captured with them, especially considering all that he had collected.
There were four uniquely colored scrolls: brown, white, orange, and blue.
"What are you making?" she asked after scampering to lay the scrolls before him.
"A preservation mixture," he answered while she peered at the beaker with genuine intrigue. "It'll help…" he began, but he remembered she might not fully comprehend his explanation, so he simply added, "…keep things safe."
Koko's eyes widened with curiosity, but he sensed she didn't entirely understand yet. Enthusiastically, she continued to watch as he unfurled the first of the four scrolls, the one that was brown.
With a puff of smoke that dissipated into the air, the remnants inside the scroll materialized into a tangle of clumped-up cells—Kimimaro's. Arthur placed the essence within the beaker, sealing it tightly.
He then moved on to the next scroll, this one white. The remnants inside it were that of a dead albino snake. Koko cringed at the sight before squealing, "Eww! I don't like snakes!"
"Neither do I," Arthur admitted.
He had acquired this specimen after he had liberated Tayuya from Blood Prison. Its lethal essence would serve its own purpose for later experiments, even if it did make those like Koko feel uncomfortable.
Next, he opened the orange scroll, revealing the cells of another individual he had collected. Koko leaned in closer, watching as he placed the contents into their designated container.
The final scroll was blue, and as he unfurled it, he recalled the powerful abilities of those whose lines he sought to analyze—Naruto Uzumaki's and Sasuke Uchiha's.
"I remember this one!" Koko happily chirped. With air quotes, she added, "They're the 'main characters.' "Can I eat it?"
"No," he answered. "They're not for consumption; I need to make sure these cells are properly preserved."
What many in this world didn't understand was that the scrolls were akin to dimensional voids—vessels that could store almost anything indefinitely without decay. While they offered great convenience, there were hazards.
If the scrolls were ever lost or destroyed, whatever was stored would go with them. Arthur recognized the risks too well.
He placed the beakers deep inside the freezing containment while reflecting on the volatility of what lay within.
Why not just implant them directly into myself now? The answer was simple: the cells were incredibly dangerous.
The volatile traits of Kimimaro's cells could easily turn against him, wreaking havoc in his body instead of granting him the power he sought. Similarly, the snakes' properties acted like poison, lethal if mixed improperly.
And as for Naruto's and Sasuke's DNA—without further experimentation beforehand, they would be merely inert, lacking the intended enhancement of their chakras.
Not everyone could simply stick a syringe into themselves and expect to acquire whatever they injected.
What Arthur needed to do first was treat and modify these cells before he incorporated them into himself or anyone else. The green bubbling mixture in the beaker would ensure their preservation, slowing down their deterioration process.
Now that this part of the morning had concluded, he had to move on to other work.
Those who believed that there was nothing for him to do were surely mistaken. A morning like this was nothing special to gawk at, as this was the typical pattern for his extemporaneity. The rest of the day would be the same, a sequence of montages that left no room for impulsiveness.
Sun Stream Plaza was a bastion of scientific inquiry and mechanical innovation, a mania for perfection. But with work came a collection of responsibilities that never seemed to dwindle.
He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, reminding him that it was time to water the plants.
"We still haven't played yet, daddy!"
"Later," he coolly replied. "There are things I need to get done, so don't forget our schedule for today."
"I won't!" Koko replied, scampering away.
His stop was the botanical area again.
After stepping through the modest archway that led to his lush oasis of greenery, he adjusted the irrigation system, ensuring that the automatic sensors were finely calibrated.
In one sun-drenched corner, there was a cluster of orchids. Beneath the soft glow of incandescent lights, they received their food from the simulated sunlight that he had programmed to replicate the natural cycle of day and night.
They were one of the few not to receive natural sunlight.
He knelt down to check the soil, content to find it perfectly moist—not a droplet too much or too little. A quick glance with his Tamashii confirmed all was in order.
Now came the idea of handling Koko's insatiable desire to eat the plants while he wasn't around. To ensure that no further damages occurred, he encased the electric circuits in materials, blending function with beauty.
As he adjusted the frequency settings to ensure optimal light distribution among the plants, he knew that it would only somewhat stop her mischievous little teeth from gnawing on his herbs.
With the plants nurtured and the machines attuned, he would now have to inspect the wind turbines.
He made his way across the plaza, passing various support structures until he was outside. These turbines were the linchpin that supplied energy throughout his domain.
As he reached the turbine chamber, he visually examined it to ensure that kinetic energy was still churning into electricity and fueling every corner of the plaza.
If a power company were to estimate the cost to run this plaza based on the electricity being emitted, they would charge him approximately one hundred sixty thousand dollars a year, which was twenty thousand rupees or six hundred seventy-two thousand pesos.
He climbed the staircase and reached the viewing platform to overlook the jungle. Watching blades cut through the air, he noticed one turbine shifting imperceptibly in its frame. It was subtle, so much so that no one could have spotted that minute change.
Arthur was not going to take the chance. He returned down to investigate.
In the back of his mind, he'd already executed a sequence of deductions. A rough branch—one that had possibly fallen during a recent change in weather—might be causing friction against the mechanism.
The turbines demanded attention; they were like clockwork that could not afford a misstep.
After a scrupulous inspection, reworking bolts and smoothing edges, every detail came into alignment. Things like these were mildly irritating, considering that anything could jeopardize his work.
Perhaps it was Koko who had decided to swing into the turbine area. Or maybe a large, flying insect got trapped before leaving.
Shaking off the intrusion, he went into Ryūzetsu's room. For a former Anbu to oversleep only meant how much at peace she was in.
A loud ringing flooded her ears. When she arose, there was no one to be seen. She looked out from her luxurious room and saw how high the sun was, prompting her to see that she had overslept.
"Oh crap!" she said, flipping out of her covers.
In but a moment's time, she ran into the bathroom and came out fully dressed. What she was supposed to do was take care of those giant snakes slithering their way into the jungle.
Arthur himself returned to his laboratory, shifting gears to the most crucial part of his daily routine—designing devices.
It was apparent that he had to always construct something. What if a threat deemed improbable came crashing in? While that might not happen, he didn't forget his mistake during the finals when he was publicly announced for having slain Ino and Shikamaru.
So to think that something like the Akatsuki trying to unwittingly crash his territory wasn't so hard to believe. Memories were still fresh from the last time they had discovered his presence in the Water Country.
Taking action, he began sketching out the plans for specialized alarm systems, fortified resistive barriers, and sealing tags throughout the jungle.
It would require detailed knowledge of both the flora and fauna that resided among his bastion, but he ensured every nook and cranny was equipped for potential breaches.
The sealing tags, in particular, were experimental, able to cast a protective aura over select areas—detecting intruders and triggering alarms that everyone inside the plaza would feel.
For Arthur, destruction was always around the corner, but not without pragmatic solutions.
As he was working, the doors whooshed open to reveal Brie entering in. She had always gravitated towards his equipment she'd rarely seen, but she knew that asking him anything while he was focused on a spectrum of scientific instruments would be pointless.
"Are the tests conclusive?" he asked, without meeting her gaze.
"Yes," he responded, "most are quite promising! Just a few more adjustments, and I think we could change the clone's chakra absorption capabilities."
"Good," Arthur nodded, not needing to ask anymore.
Of course he was always monitoring his own work when he got the chance. Having Brie around to aid was only critical when he wasn't in the plaza.
He paused momentarily, surveying the other residents who had just returned to the plaza—Rin and Tayuya.
Because he had ensured their comfort with shelter, running water, and even mirrors, it provided them with respite from their hard work. Unlike Koko, who preferred explorations in the wild, they understood the balance within the plaza, surrendering to the tranquility and rejuvenation it provided.
While he would like to question them on their progress, he had to oversee the internal systems. The daunting weight of being the sole architect revealed his inflexible essence to ensure his own survival.
Could Koko be trusted to clean and repair any damages? Could Ryūzetsu maintain personnel functions or perform the duties of a contractor when specialized repairs were needed?
Or how about Tayuya? Could she be responsible enough to mow, trim, and prune out the overgrown greenery roundabout? Then there was frail Rin. Could she operate a control system or find the switch to shut off the alarms after a bug triggered them?
In the moments between inspection and execution, Arthur was the one who had to safeguard this plaza that he had painstakingly crafted.
He anchored himself against the machinery, fixing his gaze at the heart of this sanctuary. The present moment held almost everything he needed to ensure his prosperity.
Yet there was no denying that at any moment, someone or something could waltz in and bring it all into destruction. Would he yield? Surely not? Could he falter if things were trodden down? Nay, for he would not lose faith.
Today was just one sequence of events that he regularly underwent. Perhaps, just perhaps, evil waited at the edge of this carefully sculpted paradise—but he was ready. Always ready.