Sunlight roused Arthur awake. The first day of the Chūnin Exams had arrived.
He rose and performed a quick set of stretches. A short breakfast later, he found himself in the gathering hall where the first part of the exams would be held.
Outside the entrance were two unfamiliar figures. Both were middle-aged, judging by their attire. One sported a neatly trimmed beard, the other a scar running down his cheek. They looked annoyed as they surveyed him.
"You Arthur?" the bearded one grunted.
"Yes, I'm him."
The scarred one rolled his eyes. "You're late…"
"Sorry, I—"
"We've been assigned to the same team for the first part of the exams," the scarred one interrupted.
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
The thing he'd forgotten was that solo participation in the Chūnin Exams wasn't allowed. Each Genin needed a team of three. Hiruzen must have been the one to orchestrate this team to allow him entry.
"I understand," he said, a tad amused.
The bearded Chūnin snorted. He then gazed at Arthur's frame and youthful features. "Just make sure you don't drag us down."
Arthur held back a grin. It was clear that these two could see how dense his muscles were underneath his shirt. Seasoned Genin perhaps, but they were utterly oblivious to his capabilities. He couldn't help but picture them as expendables.
"I won't disappoint..."
The scarred Genin scoffed. "See that you don't." He then turned and gestured toward the entrance. "Let's get down to business."
The wooden doors of the exam hall groaned open as Arthur, flanked by his two unenthusiastic teammates, stepped inside. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the familiar faces: the players along with the Rookie Nine.
Who interested him most were Gaara and Kabuto.
Kabuto's presence here meant the other players hadn't acted upon their plan yet, a detail Arthur would have to keep an eye on. As for Gaara, he still had the melancholic look about his face. That could only mean the players failed to rehabilitate him like they had talked about.
Suddenly, Jada's bright smile split her face as she emerged from the crowd. "Arthur!"
He waved at her. "Good to see you here, Jada."
Her gaze fell upon the two Genin flanking him. Amused, she asked, "Who are these guys?"
"Esteemed teammates from the Hokage," he answered.
Jada held back a giggle. She, like the other players watching, knew that he wouldn't be given entry without a team of three. Apparently this was an inside joke they kept from him so he could guess who his teammates would be.
Turns out they had been placing bets on the matter.
"Can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they find out how strong you are," she said in a sympathetic tone. "Well, hope you do great. Oh! I forgot to tell you something." She leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Just got word that Alex, Marge, and Will went straight to the Hokage's office before coming here."
"They already told him?" he asked, feigning surprise.
"Yeah," she confirmed, "and guess what? The Hokage set a trap; he's expecting Orochimaru to make a move in the Forest of Death. That's where they'll ambush him." Jada lowered her voice further. "They also mentioned something about increased surveillance because he's a Sannin and whatnot."
"Sounds like a well-laid plan," he said in a neutral voice. "But what happened with Gaara?"
Jada explained that Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro hadn't actually shown up in the Leaf until now. Because of that, no one was able to talk to either of them in time.
The only explanation for this was the butterfly effect. Since seven new characters were added into this world, even the minor things were bound to change.
"Seems like this could get more fun," Arthur mused.
Jada snorted. "Fun? With all this going on? Fat chance." She then touched his shoulder to reassure him. "We'll all pass the first round, no problem."
Arthur couldn't help but agree. Passing this first round was a mere formality for them.
The next that played out was similar to the original story: Naruto made a grand announcement, and the Sound ninjas harassed Kabuto. None of the players intervened.
Finally, a stern-faced proctor appeared in the room. It was Ibiki Morino, a man with long scars running down his face. He strode toward the front. With a sharp rap of his knuckles against the chalkboard, he commanded attention.
"Listen up!" he barked. "My name is Ibiki Morino, and I'll be overseeing the first part of your Chūnin Exams. Pay close attention, because these rules are not to be broken."
He then began scribbling across the blackboard. Following his rules was a diagram depicting a point system; right answers awarded points, and wrong answers resulted in a deduction. Each negative point chipped away at a potential passing grade to advance. To make things 'fair,' he would freely give out the answer to the last question.
A low murmur rippled through the room as the Genin absorbed the information. Arthur, however, found it mildly boring to see all over again.
This entire charade was simply a front, a way to weed out the truly unprepared. He already knew the passing requirement: survive until the test concluded. Meaning that even if he didn't answer a single question, he'd still pass.
As Ibiki barked out instructions, the Genin sat in their assigned seats, and test papers were distributed.
When Arthur received his own, he noticed something interesting about the questions. These weren't your typical "What chakra nature does fire release belong to?" type of questions. Instead, they were elaborate scenarios riddled with complex variables and statistical analyses.
'If a ninja with a base speed of 12 meters per second throws a kunai with a wind affinity at a 45-degree angle...'
The questions droned on, testing not just knowledge but also the ability to think strategically under pressure.
Pencils scratched against paper as Genin diligently tackled the written test.
Arthur scoffed internally. These questions bordered on the ridiculous. Even an insane fan of this world couldn't answer them with ease.
But this test wasn't about him. Considering the players were looking to take down Orochimaru early, the remaining arcs in the game would greatly affect the end. Now, Arthur couldn't let it happen; he had a plan to stop it.
But right now, there was this test to finish.
'Crimson gaze…'
A faint glow covered his vision as he closed his eyes and saw the answers of everyone in the room.
William hadn't written a single thing, already knowing how to pass. What intrigued Arthur was Naruto. Not only had the main character not written anything, but he was also very calm while sitting next to Hinata.
There was only one reason for it: someone told him how the first part of the exam would be.
Looking at Jada, Alex, and Jasper, their papers were being filled. All of their answers were different, but it was clear they had used their respective dōjutsus to copy from nearby proctors disguised as participants.
Alice and Margaret were also busy writing. Neither of them, except maybe Alice, had a sure-fire way of copying someone else's test. It would be improbable for those two to know any of the questions, considering a calculator would be needed.
Arthur could only speculate that they were just engrossed in the exam.
Regardless, there was only one character to cheat off of to guarantee him a pass: Shikamaru Nara.
Shikamaru, infamous for his laziness but unparalleled strategic genius, was stated to have been the only Genin to become a Chūnin. Of course, others, like Sasuke, would have also officially ranked up had it not been for Orochimaru's intervention.
It didn't matter if the answers were covered or if a proctor walked by. Arthur's Crimson Gaze was no laughing matter.
In just under thirty minutes, with an unreadable expression, he finished copying all of Shikamaru's answers.
A collective sigh of relief filled the room as Ibiki eventually declared the written test over.
"This test," he announced, "was designed to gauge your information-gathering skills and mental stamina. It wasn't just about facts, but how you process them under pressure." He paused, letting his words sink in. "There was, however, no answer to the last question. Anyone who didn't get caught cheating has passed this stage."
Just as Arthur expected, everyone from the players to even his own team passed the first stage like normal. The only reason why he bothered to answer was to increase his chances at becoming a Chūnin. That would then allow him more freedom outside of the village one day.
Naruto practically leaped out of his seat, crowing, "Yeah! Alright! We did it! We passed!"
The celebratory mood was short-lived as a sudden crash shattered the window, sending shards of glass flying. A woman with purple hair stood amidst the debris. It was Anko Mitarashi, a Special Jōnin known for her boisterousness.
She was also the one in charge of the second stage of the exams.
"Well, well, well," she drawled. "Ibiki, you let way too many of them pass!"
"What can I say?" he smiled. "This year's Genin are formidable."
"When I'm done with them, their numbers will be cut by more than half."
Arthur anticipated a short break between the written test and the second stage, perhaps even a week, to allow the Genin to recover and strategize like in the story. But they were only given an hour before immediately commencing the next stage.
When they all regrouped, Anko, all smiles and danger, led the Genin out of the exam hall and toward the gates of the 44th Training Ground, also known as the notorious Forest of Death.
The group gazed upon the dense foliage that swallowed the sunlight whole, casting an unsettling shadow over the entrance.
As Anko laid down the rules—two scrolls, a three-man team, survival for five days—a wave of nervous excitement washed over the assembled Genin.
Things were simple to remember. The second stage of the exams threw three-man Genin teams into a brutal survival competition within the ten-kilometer (twelve-mile) forest.
It was really meant to test teamwork, resourcefulness, and fighting skills.
Each team received either a white scroll or a black scroll, and their objective was to reach a central tower within five days while possessing both scrolls. Teams were free to acquire the opposite scroll through force, trade, or even wait near the tower to snatch it from others.
The forest itself was a dangerous place with natural hazards and no outside help. Teams even had to sign waivers acknowledging the risks, as injuries and even death were a big possibility.
While losing a scroll didn't mean immediate disqualification, it did add pressure to find another before time ran out.
Arthur looked around to see William and Alex conversing with Team 7. Their whispers carried a sense of urgency. And though Arthur couldn't discern the exact words, he understood the gist of their conversation: a warning about Orochimaru's presence and a plan to expose the villain.
Suddenly, a figure caught Arthur's eye at the edge of the crowd: a young man with long, smooth black hair and dark eyes, clad in a traditional straw hat and a simple grey jumpsuit, stood with two of his teammates.
They made eye contact as the scene became still. Then, it was as if an orchestra started playing that only they could hear.
Arthur stood straight with his gaze locked on the unassuming figure. The man's eyes held Arthur captive. Under the surface normalcy, a slithering darkness showed itself—reptilian irises glinting under the hat.
It was as if a monstrous wyvern was staring at Arthur. He could almost feel the heat radiating off the predator as it sized up its prey.
And who was this predator? None other than Orochimaru.
Arthur raised his eyes once, breaking the scene. No sweat, no fear—only the reminder that opposing characters like this one stood tall in this world, while he remained at the bottom.
As Anko finished detailing the final rule, Arthur kept a subtle eye on Orochimaru's team. While yes, it was Orochimaru, the Sannin was in disguise as a ninja from the Hidden Grass Village, someone he had murdered during that hour intermission.
Calling out a Sannin like Orochimaru in the middle of the exam would be tantamount to starting a massacre. Hiruzen, it seemed, had opted for a more discreet approach by isolating the enemy first before he could make his move.
Arthur surmised that the Hokage had likely stationed a contingent of skilled ninjas within the forest, tasked with capturing or eliminating the rogue Sannin when the opportunity arose.
If anything, these skilled ninjas were likely watching the Sannin right this moment.
To confirm his suspicions, Arthur activated his Crimson Gaze.
His gaze swept past the dense canopy of the forest, penetrating the foliage. There they were, scattered amongst the trees: several figures with strong chakra signatures, all positioned close to both Team 7 and the disguised Orochimaru.
If Arthur's plan was to help the Sannin, he would have a troubled time doing so.