It wasn't long until everyone finished signing the papers. The liability form was a cynical joke since they prevented 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 increased his speed.
'Crimson gaze…'
The foliage seemed to melt away while 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 as his body took on the appearance of a middle-aged ninja with a weathered face. He had also cloaked himself in the familiar dark robes of the Sound Village by sporting the purple rope around his waist.
The final layer of the transformation involved him using the Chakra Disguise technique to replace his signature with that of an animal.
Now he wouldn't be caught if something went wrong. Or so he believed.
Even amidst the canopy, the Orochimaru's chakra stood out like a beacon, leading Arthur directly to his location.
As he approached, he saw the Sannin—still disguised—flanked by two other disguised Sound ninjas. Orochimaru turned to see him, and the two Sound ninjas reached for their weapons.
But Orochimaru held up a hand before they could attack. "Isn't this amusing?"
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. "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 distorted reality.
In the fabricated scene, Orochimaru and his fabricated counterparts were now engaged in a heated physical exchange. The illusion then expanded to encompass the hidden Leaf ninjas positioned around them.
"Move in!" they all heard from atop.
Orochimaru watched 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. But as for Orochimaru? His surprise morphed into something closer to disbelief.
This was Arthur's decisive moment.
"Like I said… They're onto you, Orochimaru."
The disbelief was gone, now replaced by a dangerous stare.
"Explain yourself!" Orochimaru hissed.
"It was Hiruzen Sarutobi; 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?"
"Let's just say they're not the only ones who know of your interested in Sasuke Uchiha. His Sharingan, to be precise." The revelation struck Orochimaru's nerve. "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 to give it 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 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."
"I have my reasons… All I ask is that you follow that 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 echoing voice.
"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 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, 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 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, but 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. Those from earth would undoubtedly seek out Team Dosu to prevent the confrontation, or perhaps they'd stick by Team 7 to anticipate the attack.
The uncertainty was a wrinkle in his thoughts. So he pushed them aside.
There were more important matters, like finding his team to secured a scroll. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to advance.
Because he had ventured out farther than expected, it took him hours of searching. Oddly enough, he hadn't come across any other teams.
That was strange, but he eventually stumbled upon the two seasoned Genin bickering amongst themselves in a small clearing.
"There he is!" the scarred man bellowed. "Why did you run, you little runt?"
"Do you have the scroll?" Arthur asked.
For having ignored them, they hurled accusations at him. Interestingly enough, both of them had failed the first time they tried, hence why they 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." He then smacked his forehead. "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 narrowed his eyes.
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.
Arthur settled into a cold resolve.
"Don't go thinking this was our fault!" the bearded Genin continued scolding. "You're the one responsible for this!"
"Alright then…" Arthur said.
"Alright what?!" the scarred one growled.
"You…" The features on Arthur's 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, a kunai flashed out of Arthur's pouch.
Shank!
The bearded man looked down, only to see blood blossoming into a stain on his chest. Then he slumped to the floor.
The other man 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 work alone…"