"Since you're going to be staying with us," Naruto pointed, "you better pay your half of the room!"
"Naruto!" Sakura corrected, "You shouldn't be disrespectful to a Chūnin."
Arthur played his part well by laughing. The way he faked his jovial mood was enough to even fool Sasuke. To add on to this act, he reassured the team by pulling out a stack of ryō. Only Naruto and Sakura felt awed by how loaded he was.
As the conversation drew to a close, Sasuke abruptly stood up and walked out of the room. Naruto, taken aback by his friend's abrupt departure, decided to follow.
"Sorry about those two," Sakura sincerely said.
"Don't worry about them. It's good to have a little rivalry among friends."
She nodded but was still feeling a little puzzled. So she admitted, "They've been acting weird lately…"
Arthur patted her shoulder and said, "It's a phase that boys eventually grow out of. Everything'll be okay. Just focus on the race for now."
She smiled after feeling her spirits lifted from his words. "You're right! Haha. Didn't mean to get you involved in our team's emotional side."
"Haha. Again, don't worry about it…"
To her, it was almost as if he truly understood what was going on in her head. From her "inner Sakura" to her devotion to her friends, there wasn't a single thing Arthur hadn't known about both her and Team 7.
✟
For the next hour, he spent the time monitoring the trio from a distance.
They weren't at all what he expected. Or rather, there didn't seem to be anything special about the main cast. And as far as he knew, this was the most pivotal group in the entire franchise.
Like most ninjas, their journey began as inexperienced Genin, facing challenges and growing together. They faced numerous trials, including the Chūnin Exams, Orochimaru's invasion, and the pursuit of Sasuke after his defection.
Despite hardships and setbacks, their bond remained strong toward the end of the story. Naruto's unhealthy determination, Sakura's obsessive behaviour, and Sasuke's inconsistent character development shaped their collectiveness.
To Arthur, they were one of the worst teams in existence and had no idea what the true meaning of friendship even was.
While their story was one of rivalry, they failed to rightly redeem themselves on many occasions.
Those thoughts aside, Arthur was living in their world and had to abide by certain rules if he wanted to make a change. Hence why slaying them early was something he wasn't going to try and ruin.
As he monitored them, the trio eventually separated.
Arthur watched Naruto aimlessly looking for something. The young ninja was clearly looking for a decent ramen shop. When he approached him, Arthur asked if he was really that hungry.
"You bet, but I can't find anywhere selling what I like!"
At that instant, his stomach growled, forcing Arthur to let out a fake chuckle. "Come then. I'll treat you to something good."
The two eventually made it to a nearby ramen shop that Naruto hadn't spotted. As they sat down, Arthur ordered a large bowl of miso ramen for the boy. Naruto, believing Arthur had similar taste, became ecstatic.
That was because that ramen flavour was Naruto's favourite. Arthur, however, disliked that bowl because it was too bitter.
While they waited for their food, he decided to engage Naruto in conversation. "So, how's things been lately?"
"It's been amazing! I've been training hard, and I'm getting stronger every day."
"How could I forget that that was your ninja way? Congrats on making a name for yourself."
Naruto grinned. "Yeah, and it's all thanks to my friends."
"Oh? Doesn't sound like you're referring to your teammates?"
"Well, I mean, they're my friends, too, but I really owe it all to people like my cousin Will."
"Glad you have someone by your side that cares…"
"Yeah… We train together, eat together, sleep together—not to sound weird or anything. But it's like everyone finally understands me!"
"That's a lot of trust, but what do you mean by that exactly?"
Before Naruto could answer, their bowls of ramen appeared. Arthur didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable, so he refrained from probing further, and they ate their ramen peaceably.
The boy continued to talk about his friends, their adventures, and their dreams together. He spoke of the challenges they had faced, the obstacles they had overcome, and the bonds they had forged.
"We're like family," he said. "We've been through a lot together."
"And you never knew your parents, huh?"
Naruto paused to look at his reflection in the soup. Then he smiled and confessed, "No… I guess not. But my friends and cousin told me who they were and how they helped protect the village. When I heard the story, I cried."
Arthur found this intel interesting. First, he put too much trust in people he barely knew. Then there were the implications of him finding out about Minato and Kushina early. The latter hinted that the players also told him about the Nine-Tails' background. Not to mention, Naruto seemed mentally strong compared to his counterpart in the lore.
Arthur, by no means, was going to ask about the Nine-Tails. It wasn't something others normally brought up to the boy. And since there wasn't anything Arthur needed to further know, he decided it was time to finish their meal.
Naruto looked at him with a sense of gratitude and said, "Thanks for the treat, Desmond. Dunno know where I'd have eaten if it wasn't for your help."
"No problem. It was nice to catch up with you."
After Naruto left, Arthur verified two things: the young ninja was no longer as naïve or impulsive, and it was clear that his chakra reserves were very high. If Arthur let the boy roam any more in this world, he would reach his prime state much sooner.
But how was the second main character faring? Arthur felt the need to find out.
Later, he found Sasuke by the banks of a lake.
The young ninja was skipping stones. It was a simple act, but Sasuke could never seem to make the stone skip past to the other side. Just then, a large pebble flew past his head and skipped four times on the surface of the water before landing on dry land.
Sasuke turned around to see who could have had the strength to do such a feat. And who he saw was none other than 'Desmond' in a nonchalant pose.
"It's pretty easy if you arc it a certain way," Arthur said, approaching the boy.
As his footsteps muffled the soft grass, Sasuke was assessing him.
"What do you want?" he asked in an informal way.
Arthur didn't let it get to him. Instead, he smiled and said, "I heard you were a skilled Genin in the village. Mind if I give you a few pointers?"
Sasuke shrugged with an indifference barely concealed. So Arthur picked up another stone and tossed it across the lake again. This time, the stone skipped three times before making it to the other side.
Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. How could he not be impressed, for the lake was almost a quarter mile (four tenths of a kilometer)?
"Not bad," he admitted.
Arthur chuckled. "I've had some practice…"
There was a brief silence as the two of them watched the ripples on the water. Then, Arthur broke the silence, saying in a low and serious tone, "I have something to tell you… It's about your clan.
Sasuke's attention was immediately focused on him. "What about it?"
"The third Hokage believed that the Uchiha clan can be rebuilt…"
Sasuke's expression was now more than readable, so Arthur explained the importance of preserving the Uchiha clan's legacy. He spoke of the potential for a new generation of Uchiha, raised in a world without conflict.
Sasuke listened intently, having always felt a deep connection to his clan. The idea of rebuilding it was an emotional one, a spark of hope in his tragic tale after their massacre.
Arthur smiled. "You don't have to blindly put your trust in things… For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?"
He paused to let the words sink in. They were strong sayings, taken directly from Romans 8:24.
"I know all about your curse mark, Sasuke."
Going from his clan to his curse mark made Sasuke feel a tad annoyed. "How do you know about that?"
Arthur shrugged. "Let's just say I have my sources… But if there's something you should know, Orochimaru's the deceiving type. He'll stop at nothing to bring you to him."
"Tell me something I don't know…"
"Looks like you're more informed than I thought."
Sasuke could clearly tell Arthur knew a lot more than he was letting on. But the Uchiha refrained from asking any more questions since his main goal right now was finishing this mission.
When he turned around to look at the two stones that were thrown, he thought how perhaps Arthur wasn't such a bad guy, seeing how much he valued the Uchiha clan's legacy.
"Just angle it fifteen more degrees and throw it with your shoulders," Arthur revealed.
Picking up another stone and doing just that, Sasuke managed to throw it across in just five skips. He was impressing, giving Arthur a cool smirk.
As the sun rose higher into the sky, Arthur eventually left.
There wasn't really much to learn from one of the last remaining Uchiha. Sasuke was just as strong as ever. Because of their last encounter, it caused him to continue training much harder than before.
Regarding his interactions with the others, it was exactly as Arthur expected: nonchalant and distant. Hardly any of them wanted to get near Sasuke because they believed they should focus on his older brother first.
But how was the third main character faring?
Later, Arthur found her on the outskirts of the village. She was gently plucking flowers. The area's scent was idyllic, and her laughter was carried on the gentle breeze like a melody.
Many people on earth disliked this girl for various reasons. Who could blame them? She was written to be quite divisive.
Initially portrayed as weak and overly infatuated, she underwent significant development, becoming a skilled medical ninja. However, her arcs for character development were uneven, and her portrayal often fell short of her potential.
It was her earlier description that became a major point of contention. Her constant pining for Sasuke and lack of notable abilities compared to her teammates alienated many fans.
While she eventually developed into a powerful and capable kunoichi, she often regressed to her old patterns, particularly in her interactions with her teammates. That inconsistency and the perception of wasted potential heavily contributed to her unpopularity.
Regardless of her positive qualities, they were often overshadowed by her unreliable portrayal and the overarching narrative focus on her teammates.
Sakura, as Arthur understood, was rooted in the limitations of her description rather than her inherent flaws. Had she been given more opportunities to shine and more consistent development, she could have been a truly beloved character.
Now that he was interacting with her, her presence was far different compared to seeing her on television or reading about her in novels.
As such, he knew exactly how to sway this little girl.