Path Of War

Everyone anticipated Iruka's announcement. However, his gaze shifted, locking onto Arthur in the back corner.

Arthur could feel the other students' eyes as Iruka began to walk towards him. The entire class had their heads turned in his direction.

"Arthur," Iruka greeted with a warm smile. "Glad you could make it back safely. We heard you went missing—quite a scare, wasn't it?"

Arthur nodded curtly, his expression unreadable. His fabricated background was hardly any news, but he played along, not wanting to draw suspicion.

"No worries," Iruka chuckled. "Important thing is you're back." He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a headband adorned with the village symbol.

"The Hokage requested I personally present you with this," Iruka continued, extending the headband towards him. "Looks like you forgot to pick it up before you disappeared."

Arthur accepted the headband. It was a lot lighter and softer than he expected. He didn't miss the gazes of his classmates, several of whom seemed genuinely confused by his presence. A few whispers reached his ears: "Who is he again?" and "I dunno; I never noticed him honestly."

Arthur ignored them.

"Hey, wear it on your forehead like me," Naruto blurted out, pointing a finger toward his own head.

Snorts of giggles erupted from some of the students, while others simply rolled their eyes at Naruto's usual antics. Before Arthur could respond, Iruka swatted Naruto playfully on the head.

"Easy there, Naruto," Iruka smiled, his tone hinting at exasperation. "Let's move on, shall we?" 

Arthur tucked the headband securely inside his robe pocket. There was no rule stating that he had to wear it indoors.

Iruka turned back in front of the class, clearing his throat. He gave an overview of what entailed their next step as Genin, and the other players felt bored listening to the same line.

When he finished, he said, "For our first team, in team ten, we have Ino Yamanaka, Chōji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara!"

There was hardly any excitement between the three. Chōji reached into his belongings, pulling out another bag of chips to munch on, while Shikamaru muttered something about being paired up with Ino.

"Next up," Iruka continued. "Team 9! Alice Yamanaka, Alex Hyūga, and Jasper Ōtsutsuki!"

The three students he named met the announcement with a mixture of surprise and excitement. They each gave each other confident smiles that clearly said, "We're no doubt the strongest team."

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 was the case...

"For Team 7," Iruka said, drawing out the suspense, "we have Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha!"

An audible yelp escaped Sakura, excited about the teams. Naruto, however, erupted in protest.

"What?! Sasuke?" he whined, pointing at the Uchiha. "I wanted to be on a team with William!"

Iruka chuckled, shaking his head, and explained, "Naruto, these teams are based on your performance during the academy. You had the lowest scores on the written exams, while Sasuke consistently ranked the highest."

Naruto crossed his arms, forming a pout on his face. Sasuke remained unphased, claiming that Naruto shouldn't get in his way since he was "dead last." Ignoring the bickering duo, Iruka moved on.

"Next up, we have Team 6," he announced. In Naruto, such a team never existed. "William Uzumaki, Margaret Senju, and Jada Uchiha."

Much like Arthur, the three didn't at all seem surprised. They were instead wondering where Arthur would be placed.

"Lastly," Iruka continued, "we have Team 5—Arthur and..."

When they heard Arthur's two teammates, none of them recognized who they were. Arthur looked to see a petite girl with brown pigtails and a black-haired boy with a bowl cut—neither of whom were ever seen in the series.

Being assigned to a team filled with unknown characters felt almost fitting, considering he still believed his own character shouldn't even exist, given recent circumstances.

Iruka finished his announcements, dismissing everyone for the remainder of the morning. His instructions were to meet back here later this afternoon, where they'll be introduced to their Jōnin instructors.

The students hurried their goodbyes as they scrambled out of the classroom. Arthur, however, lingered behind, waiting for the room to clear. Once he was alone with Iruka, he approached him hesitantly.

"Iruka-sensei, there's something I need to tell you."

"What's wrong, Arthur?"

"Honestly," he admitted, "I don't think I'm cut out to be a ninja."

Iruka's surprise was evident as he asked, "What do you mean? This is what you've been training for all these years."

Arthur shook his head, replying, "It's not that I haven't been trying; I don't think I have what it takes. The danger, the responsibility—it's not what I envisioned for myself."

Disappointment clouded Iruka's eyes. He understood the pressure of being a ninja, the constant threat of danger, and the sacrifice. Yet seeing a young Genin like Arthur turn back at the very beginning was disheartening.

"Are you sure?" he asked gently. "This is a serious decision, and if someone's bullying you into saying this, I—"

"Yes, I'm sure," Arthur answered with a steely resolve. He removed the headband to give it back.

Iruka hesitated for a moment, then smiled, saying, "Look, Arthur. You've graduated from the academy. Whether you choose the path of a ninja or not, that achievement belongs to you. Keep the headband."

Arthur was left speechless. To think the program was this responsive to his actions, as if trying to warm his heart. With a curt nod, he thanked Iruka and left the classroom, keeping the headband.

The moment he was in the clear, he felt sick to his stomach. Playing this fabricated role, this elaborate charade, was more suffocating than he anticipated.

Arthur made his way to the Leaf Village hospital. There were a few like these 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, ensuring no one was watching. Hiding in a tight corner, he performed the smoke jutsu and dissolved into a swirling cloud of vapour.

Gliding in the air, he entered through a conveniently open window on the second floor. The room inside was thankfully empty—a storage closet with cleaning supplies.

With another silent command, he reformed his physical body, stepping out of the smoke with a controlled sigh.

In the process of reforming himself, he used the transformation jutsu. Who he morphed was that of an average adult male nurse. His clothes also changed to a standard hospital uniform with a fake ID badge.

Now for the real challenge.

A quick mental adjustment, and 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.

He navigated the hospital hallways, passing between medical staff and patients on gurneys. His transformed eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for any sign of a dedicated medical library.

Finally, he spotted it—a discreet sign above a door that read "Personnel Only." Perfect.

Arthur opened the door when the coast was clear, entering a room lined with towering shelves and leather-bound books.

He wandered down the rows, 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 leather cover were the words, "The Art of Medical Ninjutsu."

Opening it, he verified that this was it.

Medical ninjutsu is a specialized branch of ninja techniques focused on healing injuries and manipulating the body. While its primary use is healing, it can 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, cracking it open.

The first few pages were filled with calligraphy, detailing the history and philosophy of medical ninjutsu. As he turned the pages further, detailed illustrations depicted a man's anatomy and chakra pathways.

This was completely different from what he saw in the white room before coming here.

The text dove deeper into the intricate workings of the body, explaining how chakra could be used to manipulate and enhance natural healing processes. He was already ahead of the game by knowing most of this information.

His gaze came across sections describing techniques he vaguely recognized. He scanned descriptions of 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 manipulates muscle damage and repair cycles to heal the user instantly, even after seemingly fatal blows. It can even trick skilled medical ninjas by making the user appear dead for a moment, as demonstrated in the second Naruto Shippuden movie.

Arthur had never heard nor seen nor heard of it before, despite reading about the series, but the description held interest.

The second technique was reserved for the most critical and 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 the surgery was ongoing.

If he 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 is a technique that requires exceptional reflexes and knowledge of the body's anatomical structure. By analyzing an opponent's movements and jutsu, the user can predict where they'll be attacked.

They then focus chakra on that area, essentially starting preemptive medical treatment to minimize damage. It requires a lot of chakra, depending on the severity of the attack, and not everyone has the resilience or quick thinking needed to pull it off effectively.

Arthur, however, was different.

He devoured the details of everything useful in the book, absorbing the knowledge necessary to tip the scales in upcoming trials. Immersing himself in the book, each sentence, each diagram was fully understood.

Hours passed until he finally tore himself away from the book.

The silence in the room was almost unsettling. Not a single character had entered during his entire study session.

He glanced at the window, surprised to see how late it was. Everyone must have already gathered their teams together and finished their Jōnins' tests. He slipped out of the hospital through a different exit and released the transformation jutsu, his features morphing back to their usual form.

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 players' apartment, he knocked, only to be greeted by Margaret with her arms crossed, framed in the doorway.

"You're late again," she began. "What's your excuse this time?"

Alex poked his head around Margaret, a playful grin on his face, saying, "He's only five minutes late."

Arthur forced a smile that had a double meaning. Not one of them knew a thing about his recent actions. He stepped into the apartment, content that suspicion of him was at an all-time low.

As they settled around the couch, the inevitable question came.

"So, Arthur," Alice began, leaning forward, "how'd your team meeting go? Who were your teammates?"

The room fell silent after Arthur's confession.

"What do you mean you're not joining a team?" Jasper asked.

Margaret chimed in defensively, asking, "Yeah, Arthur, what's going on? Teams are how missions are assigned, how we train..." Her voice trailed off, considering things. "Honestly, if I knew I didn't have to join a team, I might have just gone solo too!"

"Look," he 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 Genin."

"Support player?" Alex repeated, leaning back. "Oh yeah! I forgot your character excels in support jutsus."

"So… He's like our cheerleader?" Alice teased.

Jasper couldn't help but laugh. Arthur joined in, knowing that his statement was believable.

"I figure I can still be of use when I'm not on the front lines," he said.

William, however, seemed defiant. He grumbled, "But that's not fair! We all trained for 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 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, develop new techniques, or—"

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."

Arthur gave her a sly smile and quipped, "Yeah, alright. I promise."

He already has his own plans and his own way of doing things. Promising himself to help the innocent players break free of this world was akin to him already sticking with them—albeit, on a different path.

For now, he'll continue to play along.