Muscles glistened in the sunlight as Arthur finished his final set of push-ups. He was miles outside from any prying eyes, hidden amongst rough terrain within a secluded training ground.
After he finished, his solid form dissolved into a wispy cloud of smoke. His invisibility was almost flawless.
The afternoon sun was high above the academy building. Arthur drifted through the corridors and lodged himself in the cracks of the ceiling. It was a tight space, but his smoke form allowed him to both hear and see everything around him without raising an alarm.
What made this even better was that he could use the Chakra Disguise technique to disguise his chakra as that of a rat's.
From above, he saw Genin queuing to submit their applications. And just like he suspected, Teams 6, 7, and 9 arrived together. Team Guy was already here, and the scene was all but too familiar.
As things played out, an unexpected pattern occurred.
Rock Lee confessed his love for Sakura, which made William and Naruto laugh. But instead of challenging Sasuke like he was supposed to, he made a sharp turn, directing his youthful exuberance towards Alex!
"You there!" Lee spoke energetically. "I would like to fight you!"
A collective gasp rose from the players. This wasn't at all how the original story played out. Lee wasn't even supposed to challenge anyone until everyone left.
Neji, usually composed, expressed his uneasiness. "Lee," he said in an urgent tone. "Don't."
Lee paused to face him and said, "But, Neji, a challenge is a challenge! I want to test my skills!"
"But, Lee," Tenten smiled, "wasn't it you that said we were to lay low?"
Neji shook his head, his brow furrowed, saying, "This isn't a game, Lee. Alex isn't like me. He's…" Neji hesitated, glancing towards Alex's impassive face, "...stronger."
Lee's eyes widened in disbelief. All his life, Neji had been the paragon of strength, a prodigy of the Hyūga clan. It was clearly Lee's first time hearing that someone was more skilled than him.
And to hear Neji himself acknowledge someone stronger sent a jolt through Lee.
Arthur himself was intrigued. Not at Lee's choice in fighting someone else, but Neji's demeanour.
This Neji was different from the one he expected. The icy arrogance from the preordained narrative was absent, replaced by a sense of responsibility and respect for his teammate.
Arthur immediately understood what had happened. Perhaps, just perhaps, Alex's arrival had subtly altered this Neji. Rather than Naruto using his talk-no-jutsu, it was Alex who intervened early and changed the Hyūga.
The unexpected interruption had broken the momentum of Rock Lee's challenge. He looked at Neji to confirm things, and then at Alex, whose expression remained confident. With a sigh, he conceded and said, "Alright, Neji. Another time then."
Team 7 didn't hide their awkwardness because of Lee's erratic behaviour. Then, to everyone's surprise, Jada stepped forward.
"If no one else wants to," she declared, "I'll be Lee's opponent."
A slow smile spread across Rock Lee's face. He knew for a fact that Jada, like Sasuke, was an Uchiha—a clan that was once considered geniuses.
"A worthy challenger to test my techniques!" Lee yelled, his eyes flashing. "Let us fight outside then, Jada Uchiha!"
Naruto's grin widened. Sasuke, on the other hand, remained silent. His gaze was fixed on Jada's back, curious as to how this would unfold. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of skills she had possessed since the last time they fought.
Sakura felt a pang of jealousy upon seeing his attention on Jada. She huffed, arms crossed, saying, "Honestly, Sasuke, it's just a sparring match. Can't you take your eyes off her for a second?"
Everyone ignored Sakura's childishness as Lee beamed at Jada and yelled, "Excellent! Shall we head outside? There's more room to move freely."
Jada glanced back at Alex and the others, seeking their approval. Alex nodded, William gave her a thumbs-up, and Margaret smiled reassuringly.
Lee even had to look back at Neji, who gave him a perceptible nod. It was clear that, as long as he didn't fight Alex, Neji wasn't interested in what he did.
Satisfied, Jada turned back to Lee, saying, "Lead the way."
Neji, his face unreadable, cast another look at Alex before turning to Tenten.
"Let's go," he murmured, clearly not concerned about witnessing the fight. Tenten followed suit, shooting a questioning glance towards Jada's back.
Naruto, unable to contain his excitement, announced, "C'mon guys, let's go watch!"
The background was unlike before. Sunlight bathed the training grounds outside the academy. In the center stood Rock Lee, whose muscles tensed with a wide grin, facing Jada, whose dark eyes held a quiet intensity.
"Ready, Jada Uchiha?" he boomed with childlike enthusiasm.
Jada inclined her head slightly and said, "Ready, Lee. I know a lot about you, so I'm looking forward."
Lee's grin faltered for a moment. He was taken aback by that statement. With a flushed look, he repeated, "You know a lot about me?"
"Well… Enough, I guess," she shrugged.
Lee quickly shook his head, brushing the comment aside. In a quirky tone, he said, "Regardless of who we are, let's have a fantastic battle! My heart, however, belongs solely to Sakura-chan!"
Sakura, who was watching, let out a disgusted groan. She was clearly not at all infatuated. Undeterred, Lee blew her a kiss, which ended up comically missing its target.
Naruto stood uncharacteristically still, his gaze locked on the two figures. Arthur noticed this subtle shift in Naruto's demeanour. Perhaps the presence of William, another Uzumaki, and the early formation of friendships had tempered Naruto's usual rambunctiousness.
Regardless of that change, the fight began.
Jada moved with a burst of speed, immediately activating her Sharingan. She met Lee's charge with a steely calmness.
Lee's signature Leaf Whirlwind technique, a slow sweep kick, seemed to slow down in her eyes. She effortlessly sidestepped, leaving Lee spinning in a comical daze.
Lee, surprised by her agility, quickly adapted his attack. He launched into a series of jabs and kicks, aiming for every pressure point he knew. Yet Jada's movements were swift—dodges mirroring his every attack.
He couldn't land a single blow!
The tide turned when she unleashed a technique: the Dancing Leaf Shadow. Her leg shifted into motion, connecting with Lee's chest with a resounding thud. He launched into the air, momentarily stunned.
Arthur knew she had to have learned that move from watching Might Guy. Everyone watching the fight, including Sasuke, whose own Sharingan had activated, was mesmerized.
But after Jada appeared behind Lee to deliver the finishing blow, she held back. Lee gracefully landed, albeit sightly dazed. She could have finished the fight there, but instead, Arthur knew why she hadn't.
Jada was deliberately allowing the narrative to unfold. With her final move, the Dancing Leaf Shadow, she created an opportunity for Sasuke to copy the technique, a pivotal moment in the original storyline.
Jada's sacrifice didn't go unnoticed. Most of the other players cheered for her impressive performance.
"Wow, Jada!" Margaret yelled. "Incredible for someone with the Sharingan, but I would have just knocked him out with one punch to the gut!"
Jasper, equally impressed, added, "It looks like you have some hidden talents, Jada."
Even Sakura, momentarily forgetting her annoyance with Lee, chimed in, "That was a pretty cool move."
Lee, rubbing his chest with a sheepish grin, chuckled.
"Indeed!" he said, still filled with energy. "Never would I have expected my own technique to be used against me! You are quite the formidable opponent, Jada-chan! Perhaps next time I will go all—"
Before he could finish, a figure suddenly appeared in their midst, standing on a giant tortoise. It was Might Guy, making his appearance exactly as Arthur remembered.
Knowing what was likely to happen, he vanished to consider things, his form going unnoticed.
The moon cast its usual glow through the window, blotted out by the girls' apartment lights. Jada, Alex, Jasper, Margaret, William, and a very visible Arthur huddled around the couch.
"Alright, so where were you yesterday, Arthur?" Margaret asked. "We saw everyone registering for the Chūnin Exams, but you were nowhere to be found."
Arthur offered a casual shrug and said, "I don't recall Teams 8 and 10 being there in the story. Oh, and I did register for the Exams. Yesterday, actually."
Some of them had a collective look of surprise on their faces. Jasper, usually the calmest of the group, raised an eyebrow. "Yesterday? Why didn't you say anything?"
Arthur's smile remained unfazed as he replied, "There wasn't much to say. Besides, I figured it would be better to avoid any conflict."
Alice cleared her throat, bringing the conversation back to track before saying, "Right, well, more importantly, you missed the fight between Jada and Lee."
"Yeah," William agreed. "She was amazing!"
Jada remained modest and deflected the praise with a wave of her hand, saying, "It was nothing special. Lee's a formidable character."
The true purpose of their meeting, however, was not a simple sparring match. Margaret shifted the topic to something new.
"Come on, let's get down to business," she urged. "We need a plan to stop Orochimaru and rehabilitate Gaara."
Alex, who had been unusually quiet throughout the conversation, finally spoke, saying, "I actually already have a plan."
Heads swiveled in his direction.
"A plan?" Alice repeated, leaning forward with bated breath. "Do tell."
"We let Hiruzen know about it, of course."
Jada's and Margaret's eyes widened in disbelief. William was equally stunned.
"Tell the Hokage?" Jasper blurted. "Are you crazy? How do we even explain it?"
Alex remained composed as he said, "We explain our suspicions about the newly formed Sound Village, Orochimaru's connection to them, and the danger they pose."
Arthur couldn't help but understand how clever of an idea this was. He would have surely agreed if he was playing the hero like some of them were.
Hiruzen was bound to believe their story. The players carried a weight of knowledge about the entire Naruto universe. They knew the plot, the motivations, and, most importantly, when to change things.
"And what about Gaara?" William inquired with concern. "We can't exactly tell him we know he's the One-Tailed Jinchūriki, can we?"
"No, of course not," Margaret replied. "But we can subtlety expose Orochimaru, disguised as their Kazekage. Perhaps mention things to Baki."
Baki was Gaara's Jōnin instructor.
A thoughtful silence descended upon the room. Arthur watched as the gears turned in their minds, analyzing the potential risks and rewards of Alex's plan. He knew what Hiruzen's likely course of action would be.
Hiruzen wouldn't act immediately. He'd wait, observe, and then, most likely, attempt an ambush during the second stage of the Exams—the Forest of Death.
Arthur suppressed a sigh.
"Alright," Alice finally said in a firm voice. "It's a risky plan, but it's the only one we have. We don't tell Hiruzen everything, but we do tell him what he needs to know."
Everyone in the group agreed. As they delved deeper into the specifics of Alex's plan, they knew he wouldn't be able to play his role for long.
Their plan, while interesting, seemed naively optimistic. Telling Hiruzen was one thing, but changing the story by this much was another. Sasuke wouldn't receive the curse mark, thus preventing the curse mark's power from brainwashing him to leave the village.
Arthur knew from his studies of the original story that Hiruzen would likely wait until the last possible moment to intervene, hoping to catch Orochimaru off guard in the Forest of Death.
"And what about Kabuto?" Jada asked. "We don't exactly have any concrete proof of his involvement, do we?"
Alex offered a determined smile before countering, "We have proof; we know Orochimaru's past, his ambitions, and his connection to the Sound Village. Surely, the Hokage will understand things when we reveal Kabuto's from the Leaf Orphanage."
"So who's gonna help save Gaara?" William wondered.
Everyone knew that taking on Orochimaru alone wouldn't be an easy task, but their resolve toward Gaara seemed to be a motivator.
Jasper interjected, saying, "We need to be smart about this, Willy-Boy. Just let Naruto handle Gaara like he did before. We don't need a strategy."
Most of the players were fixated on the "Willy- Boy" insult.
"How about we let Arthur take on Gaara alone?" he added.
Arthur figured Jasper would try to prove him. Humbling himself, he reminded the group that his skills were suited for a collected team effort. The response was met with reassurance.
To further turn things in his favour, he said, "There might be a way to neutralize Gaara's sand without resorting to violence." He paused, letting the suspense hang heavy in the air. "Tell him the truth about Yashamaru and Karura."
His words impressed the others. Not because the idea was great, but because he mentioned Gaara's mother and uncle by name. Arthur was annoyed at himself that he let that slip without meaning to.
The meeting continued late into the night, with a mix of anxieties and hopes swirling within the cramped apartment. They knew the road ahead would be fraught with danger if they made a mistake, but for the first time, they all agreed on one thing: they would change the path no matter what.
Yet the question remained: Whose path would blossom into the right one? Only time will tell.