Like Family

"Since you're going to be staying with us," Naruto pointed, "you better pay your half of the room!"

"Naruto!" Sakura corrected, "You shouldn't be disrespectful to a Chūnin."

Arthur laughed, faking his jovial mood quite nicely. He calmed the two by pulling out a stack of ryō. Only those two felt awed by how loaded he was.

As the conversation drew to a close, Sasuke abruptly stood up and walked out of the room. Naruto, taken aback by his friend's abrupt departure, decided to follow.

"Sorry about those two," Sakura sincerely said.

He smiled reassuringly and replied, "Don't worry about them. It's good to have a little rivalry among friends."

She nodded but was still feeling a little puzzled. So she admitted, "They've been acting weird lately…"

Arthur patted her shoulder and said, "It's a phase that boys eventually grow out of. Everything'll be okay. Just focus on the race for now."

She smiled, feeling her spirits lifted. With enthusiasm, she said, "You're right! Haha. Didn't meant to get you involved in our team's emotional side."

He chuckled in response and replied, "I have no doubt about that… But remember, the most important thing is to stay safe. After all, you're still young Genin."

Sakura gave a light smile, feeling renewed by his kind words. To her, it was almost as if he truly understood what was going on in her head.

From her "inner Sakura" to her devotion for her friends, there wasn't a single thing Arthur hadn't known about both her and Team 7.

For the next hour, he spent the time monitoring the trio from a distance. They weren't at all what he expected. Or rather, there didn't seem anything special about the main cast.

As far as he knew, this was the most pivotal group in the entire franchise.

Like most ninjas, their journey began as inexperienced Genins, facing challenges and growing together. The team faced numerous trials, including the Chūnin Exams, Orochimaru's invasion, and the pursuit of Sasuke after his defection.

Despite hardships and setbacks, their bond remained strong toward the end of the story. Naruto's unhealthy determination, Sakura's obsessiveness behaviour, and Sasuke's inconsistent character development shaped their individualities and collectiveness.

To Arthur, they were one of the worst teams in existence and have no idea what the true meaning of friendship is.

While their story is one of rivalry, they failed to rightly redeem themselves on many occasions.

Those thoughts aside, he was living in their world and had to abide by certain rules if he desired to make a change. Hence why slaying them early was something he wasn't going to pass up.

As he followed them, the trio eventually separated.

Arthur watched as Naruto began aimlessly looking for something. The young ninja was clearly on a mission—a mission to find a decent restaurant.

He approached Naruto with a friendly demeanour and casually asked, "Hungry?"

Naruto's face lit up a little. He exclaimed, "You bet, but I can't find anywhere selling what I like!"

At that instant, his stomach growled. Arthur chuckled.

"Come on," he said, leading the way. "I'll treat you to something good."

The two eventually made it to a nearby ramen shop that Naruto hadn't seen. As they sat down, Arthur ordered a large bowl of miso ramen. Naruto was ecstatic to hear that Arthur had similar taste.

In truth, Arthur disliked that flavour. It was too bitter. But garnering the boy's favour was essential.

While they waited for their food, he decided to engage Naruto in conversation.

"So, how's things been lately?" he asked in a casual tone.

Naruto's eyes lit up with enthusiasm as he exclaimed, "It's been amazing! I've been training hard, and I'm getting stronger every day."

Arthur nodded, encouraging the main character to never give up. After all, that was his "ninja way."

"I heard you've been making a name for yourself," he said.

Naruto grinned, replying, "Yeah, thanks to my friends: Alex, Jada, Jasper, Alice, Margaret, and even my cousin Will. They've been helping me a lot, and they've taught me so much."

"They sound like a great group of friends," Arthur commented.

Naruto nodded vigorously and said, "They are! We train together, eat together, and even sleep in the same place sometimes. Seriously, it's like they know everything about me!"

Arthur raised an eyebrow to remark, "That's a lot of trust, but what do you mean by that exactly?"

Before Naruto could answer, their bowls of ramen appeared. Arthur didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable, as if he were trying hard to pry into his business.

As such, they ate their ramen peacefully.

Naruto continued to talk about his friends, their adventures, and their dreams together. He spoke of the challenges they had faced, the obstacles they had overcome, and the bonds they had forged.

"We're like family," he said. "We've been through a lot together."

"It must be nice to have people you can call family after growing up as an orphan."

Naruto paused to look at his reflection in the soup. Then he smiled and confessed, "Yeah… It is. I never knew my dad or mom… My friends and cousin told me who they were and how they helped protect the village. When I heard the story, I cried."

Arthur listened intently, his mind analyzing the information. He could see that Naruto was a very loyal character, one who put too much trust in people who barely knew.

The implications of him finding out about Minato and Kushina early only hinted that the players also told him about the Nine-Tails' background. Not to mention, Naruto seemed mentally strong compared to his counterpart.

Arthur, by no means, was going to ask about the Nine-Tails. It wasn't something others normally brought up to the boy. There wasn't any more he needed to know anyway since he was planning to slay the main character soon.

As they finished their meal, Naruto looked at Arthur with a sense of gratitude.

"Thanks for the treat," he said. "It was really good."

Arthur smiled and replied, "No problem. It was nice to catch up with you."

They walked out of the ramen shop, the day still young.

Arthur verified two things: the young ninja had grown since their last encounter. He was no longer as naïve or impulsive. The second thing he learned was how much stronger Naruto's chakra had become.

If Arthur let the boy roam any more in this world, Naruto would reach his prime state much sooner. And if Naruto was stronger, how was the second main character?

Arthur felt the need to find out. After having spent the morning with Naruto, learning about the young ninja's growth and development, it made sense to also focus on Sasuke.

He found Sasuke by the banks of a lake. The young ninja was skipping stones. It was a simple act, but Sasuke could never seem to make the stone skip past to the other side.

Just then, a stone flew past his head and skipped roughly four times on the surface of the water before landing on dry land.

Sasuke turned around to see who could have had the strength to do such a feat. And who he saw was none other than Arthur in a nonchalant pose.

"It's pretty easy if you arc it a certain way," Arthur said, approaching the Uchiha.

As his footsteps muffled the soft grass, Sasuke was assessing him.

"What do you want?" he asked in an informal way.

Arthur didn't let it get to him. Instead, he smiled and said, "I heard you were a skilled Genin in the village. Mind if I give you a few pointers?"

Sasuke shrugged, his indifference barely concealed. Arthur picked up another stone and tossed it across the lake again. This time, the stone skipped three times before making it to the other side.

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise. How could he not be impressed, for the lake was almost a quarter mile (four tenths of a kilometer)?

"Not bad," he admitted.

Arthur chuckled and replied, "I've had some practice…"

There was a brief silence as the two of them watched the ripples on the water. Then, Arthur broke the silence, saying in a low and serious tone, "I have something to tell you."

Sasuke's attention was immediately focused on him. Arthur took a deep breath and said, "It's about your clan."

"What do you know?" the young ninja asked, narrowing his eyes. Arthur could tell by the tone of his voice that it was edgy with a sense of urgency.

"The Hokage believes that the Uchiha clan can be rebuilt," Arthur carefully said. He needed to gauge Sasuke's reaction, and that's exactly what happened.

Sasuke's expression was now more than readable. He felt despair and hope.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Arthur explained the importance of preserving the Uchiha clan's legacy. He spoke of the potential for a new generation of Uchiha, raised in a world without conflict.

Sasuke listened intently. He had always felt a deep connection to his clan, a sense of belonging that had been shattered by the massacre. The idea of rebuilding the Uchiha clan was an emotional one, a spark of hope in his tragic tale.

"How can you put so much trust in something you don't know?" Sasuke asked.

Arthur smiled and answered, "You don't have to blindly put your trust in things… For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?"

He paused, allowing the words to sink in. They were strong sayings, taken directly from Romans 8:24. Then he continued.

"I know about your curse mark, Sasuke. It's a powerful tool, but it comes with a price."

Sasuke didn't want to say anything just yet. The Uchiha wondered who Arthur was, how he knew so much, and why he chose to come here.

Feeling a bit annoyed, Sasuke finally asked, "How do you know about that?"

Arthur shrugged and answered, "Let's just say I have my sources… But if there's something you should know, Orochimaru's the deceiving type. He'll stop at nothing to bring you to him."

Sasuke's interest was piqued, so he asked, "What does he want with me?"

Arthur smiled and said, "I'm not supposed to tell you that, but if you're interested, we can talk about it later."

Sasuke clearly wanted to know now, so he turned around, keeping himself composed. He nodded, understanding that Arthur was holding back information on purpose.

Perhaps Arthur wasn't such a bad guy, seeing how much he valued the Uchiha clan's legacy—so the young Sasuke believed.

As the sun rose higher into the sky, the two continued their conversation. They spoke of things to come, of their dreams and aspirations.

Sasuke rarely spoke about himself, keeping his thoughts in reserve. Yet that hadn't mattered since Arthur knew what they were. And as they talked, a subtle bond began to form between them, one that allowed Sasuke to open up more.

The hour passed, and their talk became quieter, prompting Arthur to leave the Uchiha be.

From what he gathered, Sasuke was as strong as ever. Their last encounter caused the Uchiha to continue training much harder than before. Undoubtedly, the second main character was more skilled than his original self.

It was time to see how the third main character was doing.

Arthur found Sakura on the outskirts of the village, her hands gently plucking flowers. The area's scent was idyllic, and her laughter, carried on the gentle breeze, was like a melody.

Many people disliked this character for various reasons. She was written to be divisive. Initially portrayed as a weak and overly infatuated girl, she underwent significant development, becoming a skilled medical ninja.

However, her character arc was uneven, and her portrayal often falls short of her potential.

It was her earlier characterization that became a major point of contention. Her constant pining for Sasuke and lack of notable abilities compared to her teammates alienated many fans.

While she eventually develops into a powerful and capable kunoichi, her character often regresses to her old patterns, particularly in her interactions with Sasuke. This inconsistency and the perception of wasted potential contributed to her unpopularity.

Regardless of her positive qualities, they are often overshadowed by her unreliable portrayal and the overarching narrative focus on male characters.

Sakura, as Arthur understood, was rooted in the limitations of her description rather than inherent flaws in the character herself. Had she been given more opportunities to shine and a more consistent development, she could have been a truly beloved character.

Now that he was interacting with her, her presence was far different compared to seeing her on television or reading about her in novels.