The canopy of the forest pressed down on Arthur as he navigated the dense undergrowth. He emerged into a clearing, the damp forest floor crunching beneath his boots.
Suddenly, a figure emerged within his sensing range. He couldn't help but wonder what this person was doing all the way out here. To understand, he allowed the person to come toward his direction.
From behind a towering oak, the person finally filtered through the leaves.
"Arthur!"
The voice was friendly. It was William.
"Will," Arthur casually greeted. "What are you doing out here?"
Scratching the back of his head, he said, "Actually, this isn't exactly me, more like a shadow clone."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. He had his Tamashii activated a moment ago, yet he still hadn't sensed a hint of deception emanating from the figure. The Shadow Clone technique truly was indistinguishable from the original body.
"You're not just tryna fool me, are you?" Arthur probed.
"Nope," William, or rather, the shadow clone of him, confirmed. "I figured the forest would be a good place to send a few hundred or so clones for some scouting. Ya know, help out the other participants like we agreed."
'Hundred or so?!'
Arthur wasn't surprised. With William's Uzumaki character, his chakra reserves were immense, allowing him to create a vast network of shadow clones. These clones of his were being used effectively, an invaluable asset to help turn the tide of battles and influence the narrative in subtle ways.
"Smart strategy," Arthur said, feigning enthusiasm. "Did you guys find anything interesting?"
"Sure did!" William's clone puffed out his chest. "I sent a couple over to help Karin. I think Jada and Alice came across Kabuto's team to expose him. And here's the biggest surprise: Jasper hunted down Dosu's team by himself."
Arthur was right. The other players were hunting down the opposition to rid the narrative of any plot twists.
"Needless to say, that team won't be bothering anyone anymore," William's clone finished.
"That sounds helpful," Arthur replied without any real conviction.
Jasper managed to take care of Team Dosu by himself. A feat like that was impressive.
Team Dosu wasn't anything like Team 10. They were arguably stronger due to their equipment, which could produce high-level sound techniques.
The two teams fought before with Rock Lee's help. Without Sasuke activating the curse mark, Team 10 could have suffered casual losses.
Next was Karin.
Karin is somewhat of a composite character. Originally a ninja from the Grass Village, she belonged to the Uzumaki clan. Due to this lineage, her mother was forced to heal the village's wounded under constant surveillance.
This eventually led to her death from chakra exhaustion, leaving a young Karin with the same demanding duty.
Karin's story took a drastic turn during a war. Her village was destroyed, and she was almost captured for her Uzumaki heritage. Orochimaru, seeking forbidden techniques at the time, intervened and offered her protection.
Recognizing his interest in her healing abilities, she joined his ranks, assisted in experiments, and eventually became the warden of his Southern Hideout three years from now.
Afterwards, she would team up with Sasuke, who had already defected. She developed a strong, unhealthy crush on him, showing her loyalty toward his goals.
Why she's even worth mentioning is because, not only was she participating in the Exams, she was written to have been saved by Sasuke in the forest, only for her and her team to fail for having exceeded the time limit.
Now, it was William who had saved her.
Arthur had completely forgotten about Karin. He undoubtedly saw the red-head taking the written exams, but her youthful appearance was unidentifiable.
"Speaking of finding things," William's clone continued. "Alex, Marge, and I have already contacted my cousin. We're setting up camp near the center of the forest and waiting for Orochimaru to make his move. But…"
"But what?" Arthur asked.
"It's already been hours since the Exams started, and if I recall correctly, Orochimaru attacked on the first day. So why hasn't he shown up yet?"
Arthur was now certain that Orochimaru had heeded his warning.
"You want me to lead you to them?" offered William's clone.
Arthur shook his head and politely said, "No, I think I'll find them myself. My team and I got separated, so there's that too."
Arthur established a plausible reason for separating from them—to maintain his façade.
William's clone hadn't been smart enough to prove Arthur's claims. Instead, the clone nodded in understanding and said, "Okay, but be careful out there. And if you need anything, just send a smoke signal. I'm sure one of my clones will find it."
Arthur watched the clone dissipate into a puff cloud.
The players' actions wouldn't at all complicate his overall mission. But he needed to remain anonymous and manipulate the events without relying on external forces.
With clarity on the situation, he plunged deeper into the forest, his eyes scanning the treacherous terrain.
Finding his non-existent teammates was a farce, but it served a purpose. It allowed him to maintain his cover and remain a variable in this game.
If anyone were to meet up with him and ask about his missing teammates, the answer was simple—they were attacked and lost their lives. Arthur, the weak support player, was unable to help.
'High-speed jutsu.'
Adrenaline pumping, he tore through the foliage. His enhanced speed, along with his Tamashii, allowed him to traverse the terrain without encountering a single threat.
In less than a day, he emerged from the forest to see the towering walls of the building where the preliminaries would be held.
Scanning the complex, there were already two teams assembled. He spotted Team 8—Kiba, Hinata, and Shino—huddled together, their expressions a mix of nervousness and excitement.
Further down, Team Baki—Gaara, Kankurō, and Temari—stood apart. Nothing about them seemed to have changed, indicating the other players haven't influenced Gaara yet.
It was fortunate that Arthur came early.
The preliminary rounds resulted in too many Genin qualifying for the next round. To address this, the exams implemented a round of randomly selected, one-on-one matches. Here, only the victor advances to the final stage.
This shift in format meant a Genin's success was no longer dependent on their teammates' performance. Arthur, knowing this in advance, found it necessary to eliminate his teammates, for their not arriving would still guarantee his progress.
A referee supervises these preliminary matches, and other Genin are highly encouraged to observe. Watching these fights allows them to learn strategies and techniques from their peers, potentially giving them an advantage in their own upcoming matches.
To further aid their preparation, finalists are informed of their first-round opponent after the preliminaries. This valuable information gives them a month to strategize and tailor their training specifically for their designated competitor.
The final stage of the Exams is a true test of individual strength and skill. This extended wait also serves another purpose—it allows news of the exciting matchups to spread, generating greater anticipation and publicity for the grand event.
The finals themselves mirror the preliminary round's structure. Genin engages in one-on-one tournament battles, each overseen by a dedicated referee.
The final round is when Orochimaru invades the Leaf, forcing the complete cancellation of the finals. Orochimaru possibly wouldn't be able to attack, so Arthur needed to stay vigilant.
Now, here in the preliminary stage, he unfurled the white and black scrolls. As expected, a puff of smoke erupted from each scroll, solidifying into a single figure. It was a woman with sharp features and piercing eyes.
"What?" the woman barked. "You guys made it already."
Arthur hadn't recognized this character. If anything, she was likely the Jōnin assigned to his team for them to qualify.
"Please, sensei," he addressed, the appropriate honorific. "As you can see, I'm the only one that made it."
The woman glanced at him wearily and asked, "Where are your other teammates?"
"We were separated," he claimed. "They're probably on their way, but they were attacked, so I left in case the other teams would get our scrolls."
She grunted unhappily and declared, "They better show up soon. The next round starts in four days. And if they're not here, you won't be able to qualify."
She left no room for argument.
Arthur feigned disappointment and said, "I hope they make it then."
His acting skills had never crumbled under scrutiny. He wasn't at all a pathologic liar, but he did know how to hide the truth by using his words carefully.
The Jōnin, seemingly appeased by his concern, nodded curtly and said, "They wouldn't dare miss such an important event." She then gestured to a secluded room on the arena's perimeter. "Go wait inside. There's food and a bathroom. Try not to cause any trouble."
Arthur bowed, saying, "Thank you, sensei. I won't disappoint you."
He didn't even bother asking her name, not finding it all important. Instead, he moved to the designated room and relaxed himself.
The next four days went by quickly.
Not a single moment had Arthur left his room. Training also wasn't an option since there were cameras in place. His primary concern was the impact of various absences.
The narrative dictated a specific sequence of events during the preliminaries. Team 10 not only qualified, but they also went up against Team Dosu. Arthur was certain Team Dosu and Team Kabuto wouldn't be around.
Ergo, the entire sequence would be thrown into disarray.
He spent countless hours thinking over what would transpire. Could another team take their place? Would the preliminaries be redesigned altogether? And did Orochimaru get captured?
Interactions with Team Baki and Team 8 were kept to a minimum, mere exchanges of tense greetings and wary glances. There was no jovial camaraderie whatsoever.
Finally, the monotony ended when he heard a voice on the intercom: "All participants, please report to the main hall for the official announcement."
The next phase was about to begin, and with it, the first major deviation from the established narrative.
He rose from his perch, his muscles protesting from inactivity. Following the flow of the crowd, he joined a single-file line that snaked its way towards the front.
He caught glimpses of familiar faces as he shuffled forward. Team 7, with an unusually serious-looking Sasuke sporting three distinct black commas etched onto his pale neck, stood huddled together.
Arthur's influence had paid off—Orochimaru, despite being discovered, had managed to give Sasuke the cursed mark. He couldn't tell when or how, but what mattered was that it was given.
Further down the line, a group of six caught his eye. They were Team 6 (Alex, Jasper, and Alice) and Team 9 (William, Jada, and Margaret). Their faces were a mask of conflicting emotions—sadness, confusion, and something akin to anger.
Arthur remained calm. They were looking at him, their gazes heavy with unspoken questions.
Had someone connected the dots? Did one of them suspect Arthur's involvement in the Forest of Death? Or had Arthur's lack of teammates alerted them and piqued their interest?
The possibility sent a thrill down his spine. He needed to maintain his anonymity to avoid drawing attention before he could manipulate the events further.
He couldn't risk an exchange with the players. Not yet.
Instead, he focused his attention on the massive structure, a raised platform, whose surface was polished to a mirror sheen. A second level, accessed by a series of winding staircases, ringed the platform, serving as a vantage point for spectators.
This was the stage for the upcoming battles.
As the line snaked closer to the entrance, figures could already be seen in front of the platform, overlooking the crowd.
"Now the Hokage will explain the third test!" Anko yelled. "Listen up and take his words to heart!"
Exactly like everyone remembered, Hiruzen announced the philosophies and true nature of the Exams. There were murmurs and outbursts from various characters.
Finally, the proctor, Hayate Gekkō, stepped forward.
Hayate was a young Jōnin with a sickly appearance. Despite having short brown hair and dark eyes, his most noticeable features were the dark circles and constant cough that made him seem perpetually unwell.
He wore the standard ninja outfit with a flak jacket and a forehead protector used as a bandana. If Arthur recalled correctly, Hayate died at the hands of Baki after hearing the former having a conversation with Kabuto about invading the Leaf.
"We still have too many applicants," Hayate announced. "Under the traditional rules of the Exam, we have to have a preliminary test…" He coughed before continuing. "To reduce the number of applicants who'll proceed to the third Exam."
Because of this rule, those without a team could still participate since the preliminaries involved individual fights. All eyes settled on the only two this rule pertained to—Arthur Bennett and Chōji Akimichi.