As everyone eagerly awaited Iruka's announcement, they noticed his eyes move toward Arthur.
Iruka then started to approach him as he felt the gazes of the other students turn their heads in his direction.
"Arthur," Iruka said with a kind grin. "Glad you could make it back safely. We heard you went missing. Quite a scare you gave me."
"Sorry for making you worried…"
"No worries," laughed Iruka. "The important thing is you're back." Then he took a headband with the village symbol on it out of his pocket. "The Hokage requested I personally present you with this. Try not to lose it, okay?"
The headband was accepted, and Arthur couldn't help but notice how much softer it was than he initially thought.
Several of his classmates looked at him with genuine confusion.
"Who is he again?" he heard others whispering.
"I dunno; I never noticed him here before."
Arthur chose to ignore them.
"Hey, wear it on your forehead like me," Naruto exclaimed, gesturing to his own head.
Some of the students burst out laughing, while others merely rolled their eyes at Naruto's typical antics.
Iruka grinned and said, "Let's move on, shall we?"
Arthur slipped the headband into the pocket of his robe. He was not required to wear it indoors by any rule. And even if he was, he most certainly wasn't going to strap it on his forehead.
When Naruto saw this, he looked confused. "Need help tying it?" But Arthur ignored him, prompting him to look away in awkwardness.
"Don't mind him," William whispered. "He's probably still shaken up from last night."
"I was just trying to help," pouted Naruto.
Iruka cleared his throat and turned back to face the class. He then gave an overview of what their next step as Genin entailed.
Those from earth, specifically Jasper and Margaret, felt bored listening to the same line. But when he finished, he began announcing the teams.
"For our first team, in team ten, we have Ino Yamanaka, Chōji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara!"
The three were scarcely excited. Shikamaru muttered something about being paired with Ino as Chōji dug through his belongings and took out another bag of chips to eat.
"Next up, Team 9: Alice Yamanaka, Alex Hyūga, and Jasper Ōtsutsuki!"
The announcement was received with a mix of surprise and excitement by the three students he named. They each gave each other confident smiles that clearly said one thing: "We're no doubt the strongest team."
Ironically, there never really was a "Team 9" in the original story. That meant a random Jōnin would be their instructor.
Iruka continued down the list.
Team 8 went to Hinata, Kiba, and Shino Aburame, exactly as Arthur remembered. Things seemed to be flowing in the story's direction. And if that were true.
"For Team 7, we have Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha!"
Sakura let out a loud yelp, thrilled by the teams. But Naruto burst out in dissent.
"What?! Sasuke?" he whimpered, gesturing to the Uchiha. "I wanted to be on a team with Will!"
"Naruto, these teams were based on your performance during the academy," Iruka announced. "You had the lowest scores out of everyone, while Sasuke consistently ranked the highest."
With a pout on his face, Naruto crossed his arms. Unfazed, Sasuke asserted that Naruto shouldn't interfere with him since he was "dead last." The comment almost made Naruto talk. But to everyone's surprise, he sat there in mild frustration.
'That's new,' thought Arthur.
Iruka ignored the quarreling pair and continued on. "Next up, we have Team 6: William Uzumaki, Margaret Senju, and Jada Uchiha.
Like Team 9, such a team never existed.
"Lastly," Iruka went on, "we have Team 5: Arthur and..."
Iruka stated Arthur's teammates, but no one from earth even knew who they were.
At that, Iruka dismissed everyone for the rest of the morning after concluding his announcements. His instructions were for everyone to meet back here later this afternoon so they could meet their Jōnin instructors.
"Hey, man," Jasper said to Arthur, getting up. "They wanted me to tell you that we have another meeting tonight. So if I get in trouble for you not showing up, it's not my fault."
"Duly noted," Arthur smiled.
All the students rushed out of the classroom after saying their final goodbyes. But Arthur lingered behind to wait for the room to clear.
Once he was alone with Iruka, he went up to him and said, "Iruka-sensei, there's something I need to tell you."
"What's wrong, Arthur?"
"I don't think I'm cut out to be a ninja."
"What do you mean? This what you've been training for all these years."
"It's not that I haven't been trying; I just don't think I have what it takes." Then Arthur lowered his head to feign uninterest. "The dangers a ninja goes through isn't what I envisioned for myself."
Iruka's eyes were clouded by disappointment. He was aware of the sacrifice, the pressure, and the ongoing danger of being a ninja. Yet seeing a young Genin like Arthur turn back at the very beginning was disheartening.
"Are you sure?" he softly inquired. "This is a serious decision, and if someone's bullying you into saying this, I—"
"Yes, I'm sure…"
To prove his seriousness, he took out the headband and gestured it to Iruka.
There was a brief pause. Iruka didn't take it.
Instead, he grinned and said, "Look, Arthur. You've graduated from the academy. Whether you choose to be a ninja or not, that headband symbolizes an achievement of your hard work; it belongs to you."
Arthur was left speechless. To think he forgot about Iruka's caring nature as a responsible teacher.
"I'll talk to the Hokage about this," Iruka finished, "so you won't have to come meet your instructor later today."
With a curt nod, Arthur thanked Iruka and left the classroom.
In the halls, he was sick to his stomach.
His hope was that he could do his own thing without being a slave to the Leaf Village. While yes, he would still be learning every technique available, he did not like the idea of being tied down to an organized system that required him to do missions.
Plus, all this acting was getting on his nerves.
By the time he reached the building's main doors, he overheard a lot of chatter behind it. The voices were from Alex, Margaret, Jada, and Alice. Perhaps they were waiting on him to discuss the next plan.
Arthur didn't want to waste any time with them right now. So instead, he took the back exit.
The moment he was in the clear, he made his way to the Leaf Village hospital.
There were a few like this building scattered in the village, but this one was special.
He slipped through the side entrance that led to the back alley of the hospital. There, he cast a quick glance around to ensure no one was watching.
'Smoke jutsu…'
Gliding in the air, he entered through a conveniently open window on the second floor.
The room inside was empty, and from what he could tell, it was a storage closet with cleaning supplies.
In the process of reforming himself, he used the Transformation technique.
Poof!
Who he had morphed into was that of an average adult male nurse. His clothes had also changed to a standard hospital uniform with a fake ID badge.
After a quick mental adjustment, he walked out with a smile.
If his memory of the Naruto world served him well, this specific hospital housed a vast collection of medical scrolls and books. He just needed to find them without attracting undue attention.
So he navigated the hospital hallways by passing between medical staff and patients on gurneys. The search took him a moment, but he finally spotted it: a discreet sign above a door that read "Personnel Only."
'Perfect…'
Arthur opened the door when the coast was clear, then entered a room lined with towering shelves and leather-bound books. He wandered down the rows while scanning the spines for any indication of medical ninjutsu.
There were books on herbal remedies and anatomical charts, but nothing specifically focused on what he truly needed.
Then, tucked away in a far corner, almost obscured by other volumes, his eyes landed on a large, ornately bound book. Embossed in gold lettering on its worn cover were the words "The Art of Medical Ninjutsu."
Opening it, he verified that this was what he needed.
Medical ninjutsu was a specialized branch of ninja techniques focused on healing injuries and manipulating the body. While its primary use was healing, it could also be applied for other purposes, like creating poisonous gas or using chakra scalpels for internal attacks.
Arthur lifted the book and set it down on a nearby pedestal before cracking it open.
The first few pages were filled with calligraphy that detailed the philosophy of medical ninjutsu. As he turned the pages further, illustrations depicted a man's anatomy and his chakra pathways. The text went deeper into the intricate workings of the body by explaining how chakra could be used to enhance natural healing processes.
Arthur was ahead of the game from already knowing most of this information.
His gaze came across sections describing techniques he vaguely recognized. Such as the "Poison Jutsu," the smaller variant of the technique utilized by Shizune, Tsunade's assistant. There was also the more common "Poison Extraction Jutsu."
As he reached the "Chakra Dissection Jutsu," he recognized it as the lesser version of the more powerful technique used by Kabuto once.
It came as no surprise that medical ninjutsu used for combat was not listed in the book.
However, two different techniques completely captivated his attention. They were called the "Body Activation Jutsu" and the "Cell Activation Jutsu."
Unlike the less invasive-based techniques he had encountered earlier, these two held potential.
The text explained that the first technique manipulated muscle damage and repaired cycles to heal the user instantly, even after seemingly fatal blows. It could even trick skilled medical ninjas by making the user appear dead for a moment.
Arthur had forgotten about it.
The second technique was reserved for the most delicate surgeries. It required an immense amount of refined chakra control to activate all of a patient's cells simultaneously. This surge in activity triggered the body's natural healing response, allowing it to repair damaged tissues and bone structures even while surgery was ongoing.
If Arthur recalled correctly, Tsunade used this to boost Rock Lee's surgery by eight percent after the latter suffered a career-ending injury from Gaara. It was further improved after Tsunade witnessed Kabuto use a medical technique called "Cellular Activation Jutsu."
Not to confuse the two, the Cellular Activation jutsu was a technique that required exceptional reflexes and knowledge of the body's anatomical structure.
By analyzing an opponent's movements and jutsu, the user could predict where they'll be attacked. They then focus chakra on that area to start preemptive medical treatment that could minimize damage.
It required a lot of chakra, depending on the severity of the attack, and not everyone had the resilience or quick thinking needed to pull it off effectively.
Arthur, however, was different.
Hours passed with him devouring the details of everything useful in the book.
Not a single person had entered during his entire study session. When he finally glanced at the window, he was surprised to see how late it was.
Everyone must have already gathered their teams together and finished their Jōnins' tests.
Arthur slipped out of the hospital through a different exit and released the Transformation jutsu when he was positive no one was around.
Now wasn't the time to contemplate things; he needed to get back to the apartment before anyone noticed his absence.
✟
As he approached the door to the apartment, he knocked, only to be greeted by Margaret with her arms crossed.
"You're late again," she began. "What's your excuse this time?"
Alex poked his head around Margaret with a playful grin on his face. "But he's only five minutes late."
Arthur forced a smile. "Sorry, I'll be careful next time."
Margaret moved aside, allowing him to step in.
As everyone settled around the couch, the inevitable question came.
"So, Arthur," Alice began, "how'd your team meeting go?"
The room fell silent after Arthur's confession.
"What do you mean you're not joining a team?" Jada worriedly asked.
"Yeah, Arthur," chimed in Margaret, "what's going on? Teams are how missions are assigned..." Her voice trailed off, considering things. "Actually! If I knew I didn't have to join a team, I would have done the same thing."
"Screw that," Alice berated. "It's the fact he didn't tell any of us, and I don't like that."
"Look," Arthur began, choosing his words carefully, "it's not that big of a deal. My plan is to be a support player for everyone. Iruka-sensei even let me keep the Genin headband, so I'm still a ninja."
"Support player?" Alex repeated. "Oh yeah! I forgot your character excels in support jutsus."
"Can ya blame a guy who wants to be our cheerleader?" Jasper teased.
A comment like that was unsettling to hear since the two, Arthur and Jasper, had fought only yesterday, with Jasper upset because Arthur was just as strong.
Nonetheless, Arthur faked a laugh to make his statement believable. "I figure I can still be of use when I'm not on the front lines."
William, however, seemed defiant. He grumbled, "But that's not fair! We all agreed on this, and you just get to opt out?"
Arthur understood why he, of all people, felt this way. After all, William had witnessed him fighting Jasper.
But Arthur revealing his true motives wasn't an option.
"It's not that I'm opting out," he gently countered. "I'm looking to help from the sidelines and—"
Jada placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder, interrupting him. Her voice was soothing as she reassured, "We all understand, Arthur. As long as you promise to stick with us, we can all grow stronger, even on separate teams."
"Alright. I promise..."