Had Alice seen anything she wasn't supposed to?
Arthur had been so focused on the fight that he hadn't sensed her coming. And if she was here, that meant the other players were also trying to help protect the Leaf Village.
She kept Sasuke's unconscious form close to her chest, while Arthur remained rooted to the spot like a perfect statue.
"Alice," he said in a tone devoid of any warmth, "you don't know anything about what's going on here."
"No, Arthur! It's you who don't know!" she retorted. "I'm trying to help you guys!"
Arthur's gaze held a depth that sent shivers down her spine. He finally said, "Be that as it may, it won't stop me from reaching my own goals."
Alice's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. She was caught in a terrible bind. Revealing her true identity could shatter everything she was trying to achieve.
"Alice… either you join me, or you're against me."
She hesitated, unsure of what to do. Her mind was racing. She knew the risks of aligning herself with a supposed villain, but the alternative—facing Arthur alone—was unthinkable.
Before she could voice her decision, Arthur turned away.
"Wait!" she screamed.
"Don't bother," he whispered. "Give chase, and you'll wind up like that NPC."
With that, he vanished into a plume of smoke, leaving Alice staring after him in stunned silence.
She looked down at Sasuke, his face pale and drawn. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined Arthur to be this strong. He had dispatched Sasuke, a prodigy with a cursed seal power-up, with such ease.
Dread settled in her stomach.
If her strength wasn't enough to stop Sasuke, how could she hope to stand against Arthur now that he was a confirmed enemy?
Navigating the broken cityscape was Arthur. He blurred as he leaped from the jagged remnants of one rooftop to the next.
The Leaf Village, the strongest village in the world, now bears the scars of their recent skirmish. Debris littered the streets, and its buildings stood marred by gaping holes and scorch marks—Orochimaru's work.
Arthur, however, paid little heed to the destruction. His mind was consumed by the events that had just transpired.
The encounter with Sasuke revealed much. The Uchiha prodigy had lived up to the hype. His movements were precise, and his Sharingan presented a formidable challenge.
The Chidori was also aimed at killing, yet Arthur had prevailed.
A victory worth remembering, but it didn't at all highlight his inherent superiority.
It was Arthur's unique training regimen that truly won him the battle. By compressing years of intense physical activity into mere months, he had honed his reflexes and combat skills to an unexpected degree—his movements were instinctive and efficient.
But even with this accelerated training, there was still one major factor: Sasuke had not known much of anything about Arthur. Had he been aware of who he was actually facing, the outcome could have been different.
Arthur had taken advantage of the Uchiha's lack of knowledge. For instance, Sasuke never suspected Arthur's affinity for water. Otherwise, the former would have never used the fireball technique so openly.
The Boltswords had also been a surprise weapon, turning the tide of the battle in Arthur's favour.
The two were scheduled to fight in the first round. If that had happened, Arthur would have never revealed the Boltswords or his Tamashii. But since the Uchiha came to him, there was no holding back.
Curse mark, the Sharingan, copied speed, fire techniques, the Chidori—Arthur was prepared for it all!
Arthur pushed himself further, leaping between rooftops.
Smoke threatened to break his lungs. Given his low chakra, the need for escape became paramount.
His last attack had practically drained him.
Every ninja in the Leaf was currently on high alert, searching for any rogue Sound ninjas who dared attack their village.
Arthur landed gracefully on the next building. Below, he could hear the click-clack of patrolling ninjas racing on the deserted streets.
Glancing down, he spotted a couple dead ninjas with their headbands scattered on the ground. He may not have known the intricacies of this world, but even he understood the significance of a ninja without a headband. It was a declaration of war, a blatant disregard for the village's authority.
Arthur wasn't ready to contribute to that. At least not yet.
He leapt to leave the area when, suddenly, he heard a hiss. Turning his head, he saw a colossal serpent waiting in the shadows!
This wasn't a regular snake, not by a long shot. Its dark green scales glinted menacingly, its forked tongue flicked in and out, and its slitted eyes had told Arthur one thing: it was going to attack.
The snake lunged, and its gaping maw aimed to devour him whole. Arthur twisted his body mid-air with incredible agility, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws.
He landed on a nearby awning with a thud, the cloth ripping under his weight. He then quickly scrambled to his feet and ran into an open home.
Now was not the time to be fighting without enough chakra!
The snake wasn't yielding, bursting through the entrance. Arthur vaulted over a nearby couch, narrowly avoiding another strike.
Every movement he made was calculated by him. He didn't hesitate.
Exploding through the back door, he sprinted through a cluttered backyard, leaping over fences and scrambling through flower beds.
The monstrous snake, surprisingly agile for its size, was hot on his heels. Its thick body slithered over obstacles, crushing them as if they were never there.
Arthur dove into a narrow alleyway, hoping to lose it in the maze of buildings. He rounded a corner, momentarily out of sight.
Was it safe to relax now?
A hiss pierced his ears. The snake's colossal head emerged from the other end of the alley, its forked tongue flicking in Arthur's direction!
Arthur knew then that a simple change of scenery wouldn't deter it. He needed a plan, and fast.
His eyes darted around, searching for an escape route. The snake lunged forward, its immense body breaking the narrow passage. Just as its gaping maw threatened to engulf him whole, he weaved a hand sign.
Arthur was taken into the snake's mouth!
There was a crunch, followed by a frustrated hiss. The snake recoiled, thrashing its head in an attempt to dislodge what was in its belly.
Spitting out fluid, it was revealed to be a foreign object, a giant plank that Arthur had substituted with just in time.
The snake looked around, its tongue attempting to taste the air for any trace of its prey. With a final, disgruntled hiss, it retreated into the larger street, its form disappearing from sight.
Arthur slumped against a wall, his body trembling with exertion.
But surviving a giant snake felt almost meaningless. He had used what was left in his chakra reserves to escape, leaving him feeling drained and vulnerable.
He was practically running on fumes!
Taking a moment to think, he considered why this snake had attacked him. Then it dawned on him.
With a slow shift in motion, he ripped the Leaf headband from his arm and crushed the metal with a satisfying bend.
There was no use for it anymore anyway.
This world seemed determined to throw everything it had at him, and without his full strength, he wouldn't survive for long.
Finding a safe haven and replenishing his reserves were now a necessity. Calming his nerves, Arthur pushed himself off the wall and walked away, his mind already calculating his next move.
Sweat dripped from Arthur's brow as he made it to a safe path that would lead him to his destination: the Science Building.
His stamina had recovered greatly, but his chakra was still very low. Reaching the building meant access to chakra pills, a food source used to help replenish even the most drained reserves.
When he made it close to the entrance, a lone figure stood, searching for enemies. Arthur squinted to verify the character—Rock Lee, the bushy-browed taijutsu specialist, clad in his trademark green jumpsuit.
"Arthur?" he said upon noticing him. "What are you doing here?"
Arthur groaned internally. That was his question to ask.
Dealing with anyone right now was a burden, and Lee, with his loyalty to the Leaf, was particularly unwelcome.
"Move," Arthur demanded. "I don't need you here."
Lee didn't budge. Confusion and something akin to betrayal warred in his eyes.
"Arthur," he said in a tight voice, "they… they say you killed Ino and Shikamaru. Is it true?"
Arthur's brows furrowed. He understood Lee's need for answers, but all he craved right now was a chance to replenish his chakra and disappear.
"I said move," he repeated with a more dangerous edge. "Or I'll make you."
Lee set his jaw. With a swift motion, he ripped off his leg weights, the metal forming a crater against the floor.
"No, Arthur," he declared in a firm voice. "Not until we get to the bottom of this!"
Arthur wanted sight after once again coming across another character on his path. Fighting Lee, a taijutsu-only specialist, was at least doable, even without chakra.
But a fight now would only waste more energy, and the thought of explaining his actions and justifying them even to someone like Lee felt arduous.
He stretched his neck and said, "So be it… Just so you know, Lee, I gave them a choice, much like I gave you one."
Those words hit Lee hard. It not only confused him, but Arthur also implied that he had indeed killed his fellow Genin members!
Lee launched himself at Arthur. He spun mid-air, his leg flashing out in a heel strike aimed at Arthur's temple.
Arthur reacted on pure instinct, his forearm snapping up to block the blow just as Lee's heel connected with a thud. The block held.
Seizing the opportunity, Arthur's same hand clamped down on Lee's exposed shin. He hurled the surprised Lee over his shoulder, but Lee reacted quickly, acrobatically twisting his body mid-air to perform a perfect somersault.
He landed on his feet in a crouch, barely a breath lost.
Lee then shot forward once more. He launched himself into a jump, aiming a punch at Arthur's face. But in mid-flight, the punch morphed into a spinning side kick, with the heel of his foot aiming for Arthur's head.
Arthur didn't even need to block. He sidestepped the spinning kick with grace, leaving Lee exposed for a split second.
But Lee didn't falter. He landed with a roll, spinning on his heel, and unleashed a rising kick aimed at Arthur's chin.
Arthur's palm shot out, catching Lee's ankle with surprising ease. Before he could react, Arthur forced the leg back down, sending him sprawling towards the ground.
Anticipating Arthur's next move, he used the momentum of the fall to launch himself into a low sweep, aiming to knock Arthur off his feet. Arthur leaped upwards just as Lee's leg swept through empty space.
Landing back on his feet, Arthur watched as Lee whipped out a kunai. But Arthur knew Lee's true strength lay in his taijutsu.
The kunai was a sign of Lee's desperation!
With a swift movement, Arthur disarmed Lee, the weapon lodging itself on the dirt. Lee, momentarily surprised, stumbled forward. Arthur seized the opportunity, using a swift leg sweep to send Lee straight to the ground.
But even as Lee lay there, vulnerable to Arthur's next attack, he didn't surrender. With a surprising burst of strength, he rolled away just as Arthur's foot came crashing down, aiming to pin him.
"Not bad," Arthur commented. "But…"
Arthur leapt forward, aiming a second stomp at the rolling Lee. He missed as Lee continued to roll away.
Using the momentum of his roll, he pushed himself off the ground in a powerful kick-flip moments before a third stomp could land on him.
He stood there, panting, his eyes locked on Arthur, his spirit unbroken. The fight felt a tad odd to him, almost one-sided.
Why was he breathing hard despite Arthur not having broken a sweat?!
'Seven heavenly breaths: first activation... So long as I have this, chakra is a thing of the past.'