Path Of War

Dr. Kapoor finally entered the room, her smile a little less practiced this time.

"Excellent," she said, "it looks like you're all done. We can proceed."

The room fell silent, the weight of the moment settling in. Arthur glanced around the group; a diverse mix of personalities united by this moment. He saw curiosity in Alexander's eyes, skepticism from Jada's, and a slight arrogance from Jasper's. Alice herself seemed bored, Margaret was impatient, and William was still enigmatic.

Arthur, whose curiosity was piqued by the strange "Naruto" question, handed his forms along with the rest.

Dr. Kapoor had a smile on her face after verifying all the papers were signed. Clapping her hands, she said, "Wonderful! Now, if you'll all follow me."

The door shut behind them as they were led to the main room. In the center were seven sleek pods, each circling the other.

"This is the Elysian Enclave Mk. II," she announced, her voice filled with pride. "Each one is meticulously calibrated to provide a unique, fully immersive virtual reality experience."

She paused, taking in some of their awed expressions.

"The world you'll be entering is based on a popular Japanese anime series called Naruto."

The room erupted in a cacophony of reactions. Alice scoffed, saying, "Anime? Seriously?"

"A cartoon world?" Jasper wondered with contempt. "I signed up for cutting-edge technology, not playtime."

Arthur, despite his reservations about something that wasn't faith-based, felt a little curious. He had heard of Naruto before but never bothered watching it.

William piped up, asking, "How did Elysium acquire the rights to use Masashi Kishimoto's work?"

Dr. Kapoor's smile was brittle as she said, "Rights? We don't have any rights. Besides, this isn't really Naruto. Call it a game that has similar qualities—nothing taken from anyone else's ideas."

Despite the grumbles and raised eyebrows, a grudging acceptance settled over the group. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and quibbling over the theme wouldn't change that. Each harboured their own reasons for participating, some selfless, some more pragmatic.

One thing was clear: stepping into the virtual world of Naruto, which Arthur himself knew little to nothing about, was a risk everyone was willing to take.

Dr. Kapoor, sensing their acceptance, distributed stacks of paper that detailed what this world would consist of—the chakra system, the different villages, and the ongoing conflict. Arthur scanned the densely packed pages, a growing frown showing itself on his face.

The story of a mischievous orphan named Naruto Uzumaki, ostracized by his village for harbouring a sealed devilish fox within him. That same boy's journey is to become the "Hokage," the leader of his village.

The document continued to delve into the complex social structure of ninja clans, each with their own unique fighting styles and special abilities called "jutsus." They had a special system called chakra, the source of their power, and intricate hand signs used to unleash it.

One particular character, named Sasuke Uchiha, caught Arthur's interest. Sasuke was written to have been a prodigy of the Uchiha clan, a peculiar clan known for their powerful "Sharingan" eye technique and fire manipulation jutsus. His older brother, Itachi Uchiha, massacred their entire clan for complicated reasons. Consumed by his false desire for vengeance against Itachi, Sasuke became consumed, manipulated into abandoning his village for power.

As Arthur skimmed past descriptions of powerful "Tailed Beasts" and legendary battles, he couldn't help but feel a sense of detachment. These characters, these conflicts—they all felt hollow, lacking the moral depth he craved. A pang of disappointment settled in his stomach.

Was this it? Was this the platform he'd been hoping for?

He glanced around the room, catching glimpses of reactions as diverse as the people holding the paper.

Margaret was already halfway through. She seemed to have foreknowledge of what the premise was. No surprise since she was an angsty teenager. Jada was flipping through pages with an optimistic grin. She also seemed to have understood the story well.

Jasper's reaction was intriguing. His lips moved silently as he read. Even William, the reserved type, was sporting a thoughtful frown. Then, as Dr. Kapoor cleared her throat, Arthur understood what had upset William.

"It's important to note," she said, "that the world you'll experience will be a unique iteration of Naruto. While the basic framework remains—the villages, chakra system, et cetera—the story itself will take unforeseen turns. Consider it an alternate timeline, a 'what if' scenario."

This seemed interesting to Arthur. Perhaps he was entering a virtual world that the others seemed all too familiar with; his lack of knowledge wouldn't matter much. That same world they were all entering might be significantly altered.

The low murmur in the room ceased as Dr. Kapoor folded her arms, saying, "Now for the core aspect of your experience. Your mission is simple: survive."

"Survive?" Alice asked, eyes gleaming. "Wait, like fight battles and stuff?"

Dr. Kapoor shook her head, answering, "Not exactly. The virtual environment will be incredibly real. Everything you see, hear, and feel will all be believable. The characters, their emotions, their reactions—all meticulously crafted to create true immersion."

The idea of a ninja world so real that it blurred the line between what was real and what was a simulation felt exhilarating to others but unsettling to Arthur.

"And the story," Dr. Kapoor continued, "it's not static. Our AI is incredibly sophisticated. The narrative will adapt depending on your interactions with the world. The smallest decisions, the choices you make—they can have a cascading effect on the world around you."

Jada, who had been devouring the information sheet about Naruto with surprising speed, raised her hand to ask, "Missions? Do we have to become ninjas and go on quests?"

"No missions and no quests," Dr. Kapoor smiled. "This is a free-roam experience. Explore the world, interact with the characters, and forge your own path. There are no rules, no limitations. Everything you experience, from the landscapes to the characters' emotions, will feel real. Even..." she paused, a playful glint in her eyes, "physical sensations."

Alex, who had been mostly silent until now, perked up at this. He drawled, asking with a suggestive smirk, "Does that include romantic interactions?"

As Jasper gave Alice a cynical look, William turned red. Dr. Kapoor's smile widened to answer, "Absolutely. As I said, this is a full sensory experience. Whether you choose to pursue those avenues is entirely up to you."

Arthur couldn't care less about useless things like that. His mind was already racing, formulating strategies on how to navigate this new world.

"Before we proceed any further," she said, "I have a question: how many of you are actually familiar with the Naruto series?"

Alex, Jada, Margaret, and William all raised their hands. Jasper remained stubborn at first, but when he glanced around, he let out an audible cough, sheepishly raising his hand. It was clear that the heir to the Reza Group wasn't thrilled about admitting his knowledge of the series.

Alice also raised her hand, saying, "I watched it, but I stopped after... What was it called? Shippuden?"

Shippuden is the second part of the Naruto series. The third, called "Boruto," Naruto's son, continued the franchise. According to the paper they all read, the simulation would consist of both filler arcs and movies. The third series, however, was excluded due to it being an ongoing one.

Margaret's eyes glowed with excitement. This was like a treasure trove for true Naruto fans. William, despite being one of those fanatics, remained stoic. His knowledge was likely greater than Margaret's.

Jada, though initially enthusiastic, offered a sheepish smile, admitting, "I used to be obsessed, but then I grew up."

The comment felt like a direct blow to William and Margaret. Arthur thought it was a wise choice.

While familiarity with Naruto might offer advantages, it could also create biased expectations. Hence why Arthur himself, who was the only one never to have seen the series, could better navigate this ever-shifting world.

Dr. Kapoor clapped her hands, bringing everyone's attention back to her, saying, "Wonderful. We have a diverse range of Naruto knowledge among ourselves. But don't worry, that knowledge will hardly be useful."

What did that mean? Arthur looked to see Jasper furrowing his brows. Alex was perhaps the only excited one upon hearing that unexpected news.

"Are there any questions?"

"Yeah," Alex said. "What kind of characters do we get to be? Like, can we choose our fighting styles or appearances?"

"Ah, that, my dear Alex," she said with a smile, "is a surprise waiting to happen when you enter the pods. We wouldn't want to spoil the fun of discovery, now would we?"

Anticipation filled the group. The unknown always held a certain allure.

Arthur, however, couldn't help but finish reading the information sheet he was holding. As he skimmed the details about jutsus and chakra flow, a peculiar thought struck him. Something was off about the original story.

Dr. Kapoor, seeing Arthur reading, asked, "Something troubling you, Mr. Bennett?"

"Yes," he finally spoke, drawing everyone's attention. "These descriptions don't make sense. For instance, where do they get all the logs from using the substitution jutsu? And again, how is it that this is set in the Edo era, yet they have computers during the Pain Invasion arc? I'm also suspicious of how the main character was hated, despite his father saving the village, and bore the last name 'Uzumaki,' a clan that helped form said village."

A stunned silence descended upon the room.

Margaret, the self-proclaimed Naruto expert, looked pale. Jada's eyes widened in disbelief. Even William, the nerdiest of them all, seemed surprised.

How could they have missed it? It was staring them right in the face all along. And this was only a partial say. Arthur neglected to reveal the more apparent things like unworthy leaders, Naruto's obsession with Sasuke, and more.

Dr. Kapoor, instead of appearing flustered, offered Arthur a slow, impressed smirk. She clapped her hands once, a sly glint in her eyes, saying, "Bravo, Mr. Bennett... You've picked up on the inconsistencies quite quickly. Indeed, as I mentioned earlier, this is not your typical Naruto experience. We've taken the core concepts, the basic framework, and adapted them for a new narrative and a new set of rules. Only some of those inconsistencies were addressed."

"Exactly which ones?" Jasper wondered.

Dr. Kapoor remained silent, giving a professional smile. She was hinting out that they'd have to find out themselves.

"It seems we've covered everything," she announced. "Let's get you settled into your pods."

One by one, they followed her, a mix of apprehension and anticipation swirling on their faces. Arthur, still grappling with the revelation about the altered Naruto universe, entered his pod last.

As he settled in, Dr. Kapoor explained the character selection process.

"The system will analyze your biological and psychological data and generate seven distinct avatars best suited for the program. It's on a first-come, first-served basis."

That made Arthur frown. First-come, first-served? It seemed like an arbitrary, almost whimsical detail, implying that since he was late, he'd have to choose his character last.

She continued, her voice gaining a more serious tone, "There's no time limit within the simulation. Your primary directive, as I mentioned earlier, is to survive, so have fun."

Arthur felt suspicious as he noticed Dr. Kapoor come close to his pod. Her voice was devoid of its earlier cheerfulness.

"Remember," she said, "try not to die... In there, it'll be for real."

The weight of her words slammed into Arthur. Did he hear that correctly? No, he must have heard wrong. But the look she gave him said otherwise—an evil smirk that looked all too serious.

Before he could say anything, the lights within the pod dimmed, plunging him into darkness.