Finally, with an additive sense of urgency, he rifled through one final document.
It detailed the training schedules of elite squads preparing for possible confrontations. He might find an opening, a gap in their vigilance, which he could exploit to undermine their systems. Any shred of knowledge gained was akin to a scout report on a battlefield, one that would allow him to plan his next move.
As he absorbed the information and made mental notes, he registered a shift in the atmosphere outside the report center. He could hear distant footsteps approaching, the echo of boots sounding out against the tiled floor.
This was not the time to be discovered.
With fluidity, he coiled underneath the counter to hide himself just as the door swung open.
Two Anbu agents entered, their masks obscuring their features and their voices muffled yet clear. The conversation revolved around reports infiltrating the compound regarding the recent threats posed by the Sound Village.
Arthur strained to capture their words, slipping easily within the fragments of their dialogue.
"...constant vigilance is our course. The Hokage demands nothing less," one agent, a woman, stated.
"Recommended shifts are being organized for border checks. We need to ensure that nothing slips through," replied the male agent. "If even one rogue ninja makes it through, we risk everything. The intel on that Uchiha—that alone is why we are on high alert."
Arthur knew they were hinting at Sasuke; they had not only confirmed his suspicions regarding the previous reports but also validated the imperative of ensuring Sasuke's isolation.
As the agents continued to exchange thoughts, a strategy solidified in Arthur's mind.
They began discussing the Anbu's internal investigations regarding the informants—those nuisances aware of everything taking place within the village. With their current focus on border security, they might overlook the very pulse of ambition beating within, misdirected and anxious.
That could work to his advantage.
"We should also allocate resources to track down the source of where those Sound ninjas came from," the female agent suggested. "If we can nail down their exact location, we might counteract any infiltration attempts effectively."
Information was power, and these Anbu agents held precious threads that could connect Arthur to the Sound Four.
"Agreed," the male agent affirmed. "Let's gather the commanders and develop strategies to expand our protection and also pinpoint the origins of these threats. Our jobs depend on it—and we know the stakes."
As they planned their next moves, Arthur felt the gears turning in his head—a scheme began forming rooted in their collective paranoia. While the Anbu focused on blocking the entrances of the village, he could encroach on the spots they weren't monitoring.
He waited in silence, still coiled beneath the counter, listening as the footsteps of the Anbu agents faded away. They both walked down the hallway before finally vanishing past the compound's heavy doors.
Arthur therefore emerged out of under his makeshift hiding spot. He had to move quickly; every second spent in the building increased the risk of being discovered.
As such, he gathered more documents and turned his attention back to the reports scattered across the table.
As he rifled through them again, a document caught his eye—this one detailed the current roster of active Anbu agents. He delved into the page and found the numbers were staggering. Hundreds of Anbu agents were divided into various teams.
He furrowed his brows when glancing over the name of Team Ro, led by Yamato.
'Yamato?' he mused. 'That ill benign character.'
Though Arthur wasn't accustomed to the franchise, he had a fair bit of knowledge of Team Ro. They were arguably one of the best, if not the best, Anbu teams in the world. At least this was the case in the past when Itachi Uchiha was paired alongside Kakashi and Yamato.
Yamato, also known by his code name "Tenzō," was written to have been a highly skilled shinobi from the Leaf Village who transitioned from an Anbu operative to a Jōnin and a temporary member of Team Kakashi.
His abilities primarily stem from his wood style, techniques derived from the DNA of the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
Yamato's personal upbringing was marked by trauma and experimentation. As a child, he was abducted by Orochimaru, who sought to replicate the first Hokage's Kekkei Genkai by injecting DNA into a group of children. Most of the subjects perished, but Yamato alone survived and escaped.
Because he had lost most of his memories, he was subsequently taken in by Danzō Shimura, who trained him in the Foundation division of the Anbu. Under Danzō, Yamato went by the name "Kinoe" and received rigorous training to eventually become a highly capable ninja.
Despite his allegiance to Danzō's organization, his encounters with Kakashi Hatake provided a contrasting perspective on loyalty and friendship, ultimately leading him to abandon the Foundation's philosophies.
As a member of Team Ro, he developed a respectful and collaborative relationship with Kakashi, learning much from him. His time in the Anbu allowed him to gain unparalleled experience and expertise, making him one of the most outstanding operatives under the third Hokage's rule.
In terms of personality, he balances seriousness with an underlying sense of playfulness. His strict demeanour on missions is complemented by a sense of humour, often using his intimidating presence for comedic effect among his peers.
He tends to emphasize adherence to rules and regulations within a team, which is different compared to Kakashi's more relaxed approaches.
Based on the picture Arthur was seeing, Yamato was exactly as he read about. He has short brown hair and wears the customary attire associated with Anbu members.
Since he wouldn't transition to a Jōnin for another three years from now, he wasn't wearing the traditional flak jacket.
Interestingly, however, his design is reminiscent of the first Hokage, furthering his connection to that legacy.
In due time, this character would be reassigned to Team Kakashi to help manage the volatile Tailed Beast chakra of Naruto Uzumaki.
Yet the chances of that happening were slim if Arthur's own plans didn't come to fruition.
Then a thought came to him: 'Was it possible that Margaret, boasting that she had acquired wood style, had contact with Yamato?'
If she'd truly allied with someone so strong, it could turn his carefully planned strategy upside down. And the nagging uncertainty remained: did she truly have that Kekkei Genkai, or was it merely bravado?
Pushing aside these thoughts and skimming down the random list of names, he understood that he didn't recognize most of these current members.
'Torune Aburame,' a name he expected to see, was conspicuously absent. This wasn't particularly alarming since everyone knew that the Foundation and Anbu operated as separate entities, run by different factions and minds.
He felt frustration start to creep into his thoughts as the list became duller. He almost gave up on the search for a potential target when he stumbled across a name: Yūgao Uzuki.
As he absorbed this name, he paused, assessing its implications.
Yūgao was not only one of the active members of the Anbu but also the captain of a team called "Team Kokujin."
To be frank, she didn't have an expanded background. So much so that no one ever knew if she stuck with Team Ro after Kakashi (the captain at the time) moved on. A team like Kokujin was never mentioned in the series, but it wasn't hard for Arthur to believe that she would join a new team as its captain.
He remembered her from his previous knowledge, a capable kunoichi entwined in the tragic story of Hayate Gekko, her lost love.
All in all, she looked exactly as he remembered: a young woman with purple hair and brown eyes. As an Anbu member, she wears a cat-like porcelain mask and the standard black and grey Anbu uniform.
This revelation invigorated him; Yūgao's character could provide the perfect bridge into the Anbu community he desperately needed to infiltrate.
Although he hadn't interacted with her before, he already knew enough about her personality to make contact. Of course, Arthur wouldn't be doing so by himself, nor did he plan to do this immediately.
What he first needed to know was what made this Team Kokujin so special.
He scoured further through the document for more details and soon encountered the names of her teammates: Towa and Komachi. Names unknown to him, but that was because he had never played the game titled "Naruto: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2."
Regardless, their names bore little weight in the greater tale he was spinning.
Despite his intimate knowledge of most of the prominent characters, such were the dangers of the world—with lore seeping through lines and designs, creating shadows where they weren't meant to be.
After a short cerebral struggle, he accepted his ignorance about Towa and Komachi.
He sighed internally and thought to himself, 'If Yūgao was truly the key, I should try to secure her loyalty.'
He glanced back at the report on Team Kokujin, jotting down mental notes. After he was done, he stored the papers back exactly as they were before he entered the room.
He then maneuvered away from the facility with a new destination in mind: the Yamanaka clan district.
Getting there was uneventful. And when he arrived, he shifted through the quiet corridors of the compound.
This was only the second time he had been here. The first was many months ago with Alice. It felt like a long time ago, but things in this clan remained the same. That was considering that the clan's only daughter died.
The clan, compared to the others, was quite lush and verdant. Arthur didn't need to inhale deeply to smell the constant sweet arouma wafting from blooming flowers.
But why would he risk approaching a clan notoriously known for having skilled sensors? He knew that coming here posed a risk, so why?
Simple: this clan was highly skilled in mental techniques—an experience that left many a shinobi's sanity unsteady.
Arthur felt a magnetic pull toward the reality ahead of him. The clan's abilities could grant him entry into the minds of various characters he didn't know much about. And if he accomplished that, he could better infiltrate lairs like the Leaf's Anbu Black Ops.
He approached the main building, pausing at the entrance. From here, everything would shift.
Carefully slipping through various doorways, the familiar chatter of clan members loomed around him. Alice was not here. He verified that after scanning the entire compound with his Tamashii. And since that was the case, it was more likely that she was out on a mission away from the village.
Coming here was a wonderful choice.
It's then that Arthur's senses finally found a dimly lit room with something worthwhile. He slipped through the narrow doorway.
Inside were dusty shelves, each lined with scrolls and tomes bound in worn leather. This was the clan's secret library, which held the knowledge of generations, a treasure trove for those daring enough to seek it.
The Yamanaka clan was nothing like the Akimichi clan. Back when Arthur first infiltrated one of the three notable Leaf Village clans, he was unable to find a room like this.
He glided forward, scanning the spines of each scroll, searching for the one that would grant him the ability he craved.
Above all, he sought the "Psycho Mind Transmission" technique, a technique that unlocked the very depths of a ninja's psyche.
Steeling himself, he reached for a scroll that seemed to carry it. Arthur unfurled the scroll carefully. Its script was simple, with a few symbols and straight handwriting.
He began to read, eyes narrowing as he was lost in the texts. The technique promised a gateway into the minds of others—a manipulation of thoughts and emotions—granting the ability to foresee their intentions.
As he delved deeper into how to perform it, he deemed it possible for any ninja to learn. However, performing it was a bit complicated due to the blend of focus and intent.
Of course, it wasn't anything challenging for a ninja like him.
With each line of text, the potential for chaos grew. He knew that perfecting this technique could keep the tides in his favour, wielding the thoughts of others like puppets as opposed to using potent illusions.
Determined, he committed every detail to memory.