A full moon hovered over the village as Arthur shut himself inside his designated quarters.
Alice's earlier explanation of sensory perception and its vulnerabilities was exactly what he needed to train the 'Chakra Disguise' technique. This technique allowed a user to alter their chakra signature, making it appear larger, smaller, located elsewhere, or even keep it entirely hidden.
It could also mimic other people's chakra to further fool sensory types.
However, a sensor could still detect inconsistencies in the disguised chakra if they were skilled enough.
Unlike ninjutsu, which demanded days of practice, the Chakra Disguise technique felt almost intuitive due to its connection to Arthur's support trait.
So he sat down in the center of the room to focus. Closing his eyes, he then concentrated on his chakra's core and saw a blue pool swirling within him. This was his true signature.
Two more vibrant pools were adjacent. On the left was Yukimi's, and on the right was Ranmaru's. Ranmaru's was crimson, but both pools moulded within him as if they were one, separated by rope lanes.
Arthur raised one finger and imagined his chakra transforming. The pool changed, but not quite as he'd planned.
The blue had morphed into a murky green. Like the colour of swamp water.
That wouldn't even fool a normal sensor, let alone a newer one like Alice.
So he tried again.
His chakra returned to its natural state as he pictured a specific shade. The pool turned lime green this time.
While the results were closer, it felt artificial. The colour lacked depth compared to the vibrancy a true pool held. In hindsight, it resembled a crayon drawing compared to a marker sketch—a cheap imitation rather than a believable disguise.
Arthur furrowed his brow. This was harder than he anticipated.
It wasn't just about manipulating the chakra itself but also about replicating the nuances of someone else's signature.
Each person's chakra was unique—a complex blend of texture that defined who they were. He was attempting to mimic something he didn't fully understand, and the limitations were evident.
Undiscouraged, he tried again. And just like that, three hours of concentration flew by.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, but there was a resoluteness in his eyes.
His animated blue pool had undergone a subtle shift. It wasn't blue anymore. Instead, it was a soft, almost buttery yellow. The colour was well-saturated, and the flow of the chakra had no discrepancies.
It worked. It took him awhile to learn, but he had successfully disguised his chakra signature.
With this technique, he could now evade the watchful eyes of sensory ninjas like Alice and potentially remain undetected by advanced techniques such as Hiruzen's Crystal Ball jutsu.
Arthur ended his training there.
✟
Some time later.
The sun was high above the village. Seven days had passed since Arthur unlocked the Chakra Disguise technique, and ever since, he'd been diligently training.
There was hardly a moment when sweat didn't cover his body since he kept pushing himself to the limit, both physically and mentally.
During the day, he played the part of the harmless Genin by spending a large portion of his ryō on food. Every plate of dumplings, every steaming bowl of ramen fueled his secret training.
While his belly did become rounder, it only lasted a few minutes since he was using the Calorie Control technique to convert the excess calories into chakra.
By nightfall, he'd transmute the stored energy and train on two fronts: physical conditioning to improve his taijutsu, and mental exercises to refine his chakra control.
Two people he hardly ever spoke with had approached him one day: Alex and William.
"We have a mission for you," Alex announced at the time.
It was babysitting some unruly puppies at the Inuzuka clan and delivering food across different neighbourhoods.
During that mission, Arthur had also heard news about Jada's encounter with Sasuke.
"She finally got through to Sasuke," William had explained. "Apparently, she convinced him they're both Uchiha and need to be prepared for anything. She didn't tell him the truth about Itachi, though; she just said they should team up to rebuild the clan."
"And how did Sasuke take it?" Arthur wondered at the time.
"He wasn't thrilled," William admitted. "Still pretty distant. But he didn't reject her offer to help. They've been training together, and Jada got completely owned."
Arthur's interest piqued, so he asked what he meant.
"He's totally different," Alex answered. "Jada described him as 'buffed up like crazy.' She said he's way faster and stronger than she remembers him being."
Arthur didn't need much imagination to understand what was happening: Sasuke was likely receiving a significant power boost due to being one of the main characters.
"One more thing," William added, "it's not just Sasuke who's gotten stronger; Naruto seems more powerful, too."
Arthur frowned.
This rapid acceleration in power was concerning. If Naruto and Sasuke continued at this rate, they'd become formidable opponents toward the end.
After receiving all that information, on the last day, a lone figure stood outside Arthur's apartment: Kakashi Hatake.
Kakashi Hatake was a witty man. Though a talented ninja since his youth, his background was marked by hardship. And after his father's suicide, Kakashi became withdrawn to solely follow the rules.
Despite his exceptional skills, he carried the scars of past tragedies with Obito. Even now, he still blamed himself for what happened in the past.
"Arthur," Kakashi greeted.
"Kakashi-sensei…?"
"I have some interesting news for you."
"What is it?"
Kakashi reached into his pocket and produced a form. "This is an application for the upcoming Chūnin Exams. The Hokage personally requested I deliver it to you after he saw you met the requirements…"
Arthur knew that Hiruzen had been keeping tabs on him. No surprise since Arthur decided not to unregister his name as a shinobi.
"Not an everyday occurrence," Kakashi finished, "especially for someone without a Jōnin instructor."
Those words didn't feel like praise. Nonetheless, Arthur lowered himself while feigning interest. "I'm honoured."
Kakashi's visible eye remained neutral. "I look forward to seeing how you perform."
Arthur almost scoffed. "Appreciate your thinking highly of me, but I'm not sure I'm cut out for those kinds of high-pressure situations."
Kakashi remained silent for a moment. If there was anyone who could see through façades, he was one of them.
"I also heard," he said, his voice dropping a notch, "that you attempted to resign your duties as a ninja."
Arthur wasn't the least bit surprised that someone like Kakashi knew. After all, during the team announcements, all the Jōnin were watching via Hiruzen's crystal ball.
"Sometimes things change, Kakashi-sensei. If others believe I can do something, I may as well try, right?"
Kakashi simply nodded to show that he had understood. "Glad to hear you making the right choices. Well, I guess I better be going then…"
In a swirl of leaves, he vanished, leaving Arthur alone with the application.
That same day, Arthur went to the academy.
He knew that tomorrow this place would be buzzing with activity. So not wishing to participate in that part of the story, he had decided it was better to come early.
At the registration office on the third floor was Iruka, hunched over paperwork behind the counter.
He looked up as Arthur approached. "Didn't expect to see anyone here today."
"Just getting a jump start," Arthur replied, offering a charming smile. "Heard about the Chūnin Exams and figured, why not submit my application early?"
Iruka chuckled. "You sure? I'm not confident that now's the right time for you. Ugh! I mean all of you."
Arthur knew why Iruka was acting so protective. This teacher had done the same in the original story after believing the Rookie Nine were too weak to participate.
"I thought you'd be happy for me?" Arthur claimed.
Iruka was taken aback. "I am happy for you, and I'm glad you decided to pursue your career as a ninja. The issue is that the exams aren't at all like the academy... And to be frank, I don't agree that my students should be participating this early."
His students? Arthur suppressed a sigh.
There was no use talking to this ninja. So Arthur stayed true to signing up.
"Guess there's nothing I can do to change your mind then," Iruka confessed.
After signing the forms, Arthur left the academy. Tomorrow, he would return to witness a pivotal moment: the staged brawl between Rock Lee, Naruto, and Sasuke.
From what Arthur remembered in the story, Izumo and Kotetsu transformed to act as gatekeepers to prevent anyone from entering the second floor. But the Genin saw through the illusion placed on the sign.
A situation almost escalated into a fight between Sasuke and Neji. That is until Rock Lee intervened to calm everyone down.
That display of composure surprised Sasuke, who didn't expect Lee to be capable at first. Lee used that opportunity to profess his love for Sakura before singling out Sasuke and challenging him to a duel to test his skills against an Uchiha.
Naruto, feeling ignored, tried to fight Lee first but was quickly defeated in one move.
Sasuke accepted the challenge and attacked Lee, but Lee's taijutsu was too fast for his Sharingan to be effective. Just as Lee was about to deliver a finishing blow, Might Guy appeared on a giant turtle to stop him since he was going to use the 'Primary Lotus' on an ally of the Leaf.
After Guy left, Lee revealed that Neji Hyūga was actually the strongest Genin.
Arthur remembered not just that scene well, but also Team Guy.
Team Guy was written as quite the passionate team in the Leaf Village. Led by the ever-enthusiastic Might Guy, their bond was fueled by a dash of eccentricity.
Rock Lee stood out for his exceptional taijutsu skills since he lacked the ability to use ninjutsu or genjutsu. He constantly strove to prove himself as a splendid ninja, making his hardworking nature infectious.
Neji Hyūga was already mentioned as a prodigy from the Hyūga clan who possessed the Byakugan. Initially burdened by his clan's belief in a predetermined fate, he undergoes a transformation after fighting with Naruto.
Of course, that didn't need to be done since Alex claimed to have already taken care of the Hyūga.
Apart from that, Neji was said to be a skilled strategist with a calm demeanour, often acting as a counterpoint to Lee's exuberance. And despite their contrasting personalities, they share a deep respect for each other.
Tenten, the team's sole kunoichi, specialized in wielding weapons. Though initially exasperated by Guy and Lee's antics, she possessed a strong sense of loyalty for her teammates.
Finally, there was Might Guy himself.
Renowned for his never-ending enthusiasm and his signature 'nice guy' pose, he was a firm believer in the "power of youth." And despite his occasional goofiness, he was what it meant to be a taijutsu perfectionist.
Since almost everything had been going according to the original story so far, every old and new teams would be participating in the Chūnin Exams. That would mean Lee's earlier belief that Neji was the strongest Genin would be superseded by someone else.
Arthur was willing to see just who that was.