It wasn't long until everyone finished signing the papers. The liability form was a cynical joke, preventing Anko and the Leaf Village from being held accountable for any deaths.
The teams were then distributed scrolls. The scroll Arthur's team received was black. When this was done, each team was ushered toward their designated gate. Arthur's was Gate 30.
"Like we discussed," his scarred teammate said, "we'll stay together while I hold the scroll and…"
Whatever he was mumbling, Arthur honestly didn't hear a word of it. For he had no intention of following them.
"Get ready!" Anko's voice yelled through the clearing. Each team took their positions. "Let the second stage of the exams… begin!"
The gate opened, and Arthur burst forward, leaving his teammates behind. They gave desperate shouts for him to slow down, but he ignored them and increased his speed.
'Crimson gaze…'
The dense foliage seemed to melt away, revealing a variety of chakra signatures within the forest as he hurtled through the undergrowth. Among those signatures, he identified Orochimaru.
Arthur wasn't going to leave the Sannin unchecked.
With one hand sign, he performed the transformation technique. His body took on the appearance of a middle-aged ninja with a weathered face and a scar running down his cheek. He had also cloaked himself in the familiar dark robes of the Sound Village, sporting the purple rope around his waist.
The final layer of the disguise came in the form of chakra manipulation; he carefully masked his own signature using the Chakra Disguise technique, replacing it with that of an animal.
Now he wouldn't be caught if something went wrong. Or so he believed.
Even amidst the thick canopy, the Sannin's powerful aura stood out like a beacon. Arthur's enhanced vision led him unerringly toward Orochimaru's location.
As he approached, he saw the Sannin—still disguised—flanked by two other disguised Sound ninjas.
Orochimaru, hearing his presence, turned. The two Sound ninjas tensed as their hands reached for their weapons. But Orochimaru held up a hand before they could attack. When Arthur fully came into view, Orochimaru had a grin plastered on his face.
"Isn't this amusing?" the snake said.
Arthur knew he had to tread carefully. He also knew that Orochimaru wasn't aware of the ninjas following him. One wrong move, one misplaced word, and the façade would crumble. So he kept a respectful distance as he pointed a finger toward the headband adorning his forehead, the same symbol of a Sound ninja.
"I need to talk to you…"
Orochimaru's smirk widened. This unexpected encounter was clearly intriguing to him. So he tilted his head. "And what does someone from that village have to say to me?"
"There's a new commotion regarding these exams."
Orochimaru chuckled. "That's of no concern to us."
"Perhaps not, but…"
Using his Crimson Gaze's genjutsu, the clearing around them shimmered, distorting reality. In the fabricated scene, Orochimaru and his fabricated counterparts were now engaged in a heated physical exchange.
The illusion then expanded, encompassing the hidden Leaf ninjas positioned around them.
"Move in!" they all heard from atop.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, watching as the fabricated ninja impersonating him caused the Leaf ninjas in hiding to come out. They then rushed past the real Orochimaru and away from the location.
The genjutsu had fooled them completely. Orochimaru's surprise morphed into something closer to disbelief. This was Arthur's decisive moment.
"They're onto you, Orochimaru," he said in a calm voice.
Orochimaru's gaze locked on Arthur. The disbelief was gone, replaced by a dangerous stare. "Explain yourself!"
Arthur met his gaze unflinchingly and said, "Hiruzen knows. He was warned about your… undisclosed arrival at the Chūnin Exams."
There was a moment of silence to let Orochimaru understand that his presence was no longer a secret. The Sannin's eyes narrowed further. But before he could make any accusations, he wanted to test Arthur.
"And who are you to know that?" the snake sneered.
Arthur pressed on. "They know your interest in Sasuke Uchiha. His Sharingan, to be precise." The revelation struck a nerve. His element of surprise was gone before he even knew it. "I know this because someone leaked out that you're trying to get your hands on Sasuke."
Orochimaru studied him with intensity. Arthur, whoever he truly was, seemed to possess a troubling amount of knowledge.
Naturally, Orochimaru calmed himself. A strange sense of pleasure bubbled within as he said, "You're in an interesting position then... Do you truly believe my plans can be seen through so easily?"
This was a test, one to determine if Arthur was actually working for the Leaf.
So Arthur remained emotionless. "They can if you don't adjust them... You want to give Sasuke your curse mark, don't you?" Orochimaru went quiet. "Then wait… Wait until the last moment. Hide in the shadows until you find an opportunity. Then just give it to him without a fight. If you don't, those guarding him will just stop you."
The logic was undeniable. Attacking Sasuke now, with the Leaf ninjas likely on high alert, would be a fool's errand. Arthur's proposition—a delayed yet instant curse mark placement—presented a viable, less risky alternative.
But Orochimaru sensed a hidden motive. "You disguised yourself as someone from the Sound. Heh… You're not one to trust in the slightest."
"Let's just say I have my reasons… All I ask is that you follow my advice. Then you might actually get that Sharingan you desperately want."
A slow smile spread across the Sannin's face. "While I appreciate this… notice… You made a mistake coming here."
Arthur responded by turning around. But the moment he did, he felt the monstrous sensation of a serpent about to devour him. Orochimaru then swiped at his torso with a kunai, only to see his figure fade in the wind.
It was an illusion.
Leaves swirled around the Sound ninjas, rising to the sky. Their faces showed a shocked expression as the air was filled with Arthur's voice, echoing: "You'd best heed my warning... Orochimaru…"
Hours into the jungle's night, far from the snake, Arthur considered that recent encounter.
Orochimaru, a Sannin, would have surely broken his genjutsu had he noticed that he was also trapped inside it from the beginning. But for now, Arthur hoped that he had managed to nudge Orochimaru's plans in a favourable direction.
As Arthur remained stationary, he thought to himself, 'What would true Naruto fans like Jada do in this situation?'
The answer was clear: protect the objective.
Orochimaru's expendable force, his Sound team, was the biggest threat to the narrative's integrity. Those teams were Team Dosu and Team Kabuto.
Team Dosu was a trio of Genin from the Sound Village secretly working for Orochimaru. They signed up for the exams with the mission to both test Sasuke's abilities and try to eliminate him.
Led by Dosu Kinuta, the team utilized sound-based techniques due to Orochimaru's modifications. Though they failed to kill Sasuke in the original story and ultimately became expendable in Orochimaru's schemes, Dosu met his demise by Gaara, while Kin and Zaku were sacrificed during the invasion to revive the first and second Hokages.
As for Team Kabuto, unlike Team Dosu, they focused solely on gathering intel on Sasuke. Disguised as Leaf Genin, this team consisted of Kabuto, who would first help Team 7 advance and then withdraw before the preliminaries; Yoroi Akadō, who lost to Sasuke in the first match; and Misumi Tsurugi, who met defeat by Kankuro in the later matches.
Their unnamed Jōnin made scattered appearances throughout the series, and their fates remained unclear.
Arthur's mind wandered to Team 7. He knew Team Dosu would likely attack Team 7, regardless of whether Sasuke received the curse mark or not. The players, with their knowledge of the plot, would undoubtedly seek out Team Dosu to prevent the confrontation, or perhaps they'd stick by Team 7, anticipating the attack.
The uncertainty was a wrinkle in his thoughts. So he pushed them aside.
There were bigger fish to fry. He needed to find his team and ensure they secured a scroll. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to advance.
Finding them would be easy thanks to his Crimson Gaze. Or so he thought.
Because he had ventured out farther than expected, it took him hours of searching. Oddly enough, he hadn't come across any other teams. This was strange.
He eventually stumbled upon the two seasoned Genin bickering amongst themselves in a small clearing.
"There he is!" a disgruntled voice bellowed. "Why did you run, you little runt?"
Arthur ignored the man's tirade and instead asked, "Do you have the scroll?"
They grumbled and hurled accusations at him, reminding him that these exams weren't like the academy. Interestingly enough, both of them had failed the first time they tried and were absolutely livid after Arthur had abandoned them.
"Look," he said, "I'm sorry, but I had a plan and—"
"Shut your mouth!" the bearded one yelled. "I thought this was going to be smoother this year, but boy was I wrong. I should have known being paired with a kid would lower my chances of becoming a Chūnin."
"It's alright so long as we have our scroll," Arthur tried assuring.
"It's not, you idiot!" scolded the scarred Genin. "We lost our scroll trying to look for you!"
Arthur raised an eyebrow. Apparently, the two Genin had been ambushed by a strange kid, a blonde-haired girl, and an overweight boy. The description matched perfectly for only one team: Team 10.
Now Arthur's jaw clenched in frustration. It was one thing losing their scroll, but it was another losing their scroll to three of the main cast.
Team 10, despite looking seemingly harmless, were formidable ninjas, especially with Shikamaru. Them obtaining two scrolls this early was also a significant deviation from the narrative.
This was by no means funny anymore. Arthur's stomach churned with frustration until it settled into a cold resolve.
"Don't go thinking this was our fault!" the bearded Genin continued scolding. Arthur's teammates were bickering at him, treating him as if he were a child, and stating that it was his burden that they lost the scroll. "You're a complete and utter fool!"
Arthur had heard enough.
"Alright," he said, his voice betraying none of his anger.
"Alright what?!" the scarred one growled.
"You…" The features on his face darkened. "You things were left with one task, but you let a bunch of kids outdo you?"
"You dare talk to us that—"
Before the bearded man could finish, Arthur reached into his pouch. A kunai flashed out of his hand before either of the two could see it.
The bearded man crumpled to the ground with a choked gasp, blood blossoming into a stain on his chest.
The other Genin stammered, "What... what the heck are you doing?!"
"Don't you get it by now?" Arthur said, tilting his head to reveal his glowing eyes. "I workalone."