Level Two
Chōji, Sakura, Shino, and Alice had formed quite the unit, and now it was clear that they had come prepared.
From the way her team was positioned, he understood that she had undoubtedly filled them in on the Sound Four's tactics and weaknesses. Their presence spelled trouble for the Sound Four, who were dangerously outmatched.
How did Arthur know this?
Simple: these weren't the typical Genin from the original story. No, they were far different than what he had read about.
Sakura, as already mentioned, was not like her counterpart during this arc. This girl had learned her skills much earlier and was now able to contribute her worth to a team.
Had Arthur not healed her, she wouldn't have been present. And if he hadn't, this encounter would have occurred a lot sooner, only with Hinata in their ranks.
What about Shino Aburame?
Arthur may not have interacted much with this character, but he knew enough about him.
Shino was known for his calm and reserved demeanour, often coming across as enigmatic and sometimes intimidating due to his bug abilities and his tendency to maintain a stoic expression.
He utilized insect-based techniques in combat, relying on a symbiotic relationship with those accursed black beetles that feed on his chakra and help him in battle. And they don't just feed off his chakra; they can feed off others, draining them entirely.
Having grown up alongside Torune Aburame, Shino developed a close, brotherly bond with him. This relationship became significant when Torune offered himself for a special program under Danzō, which led Shino to enhance his skills by cultivating new insect breeds that mirrored Torune's unique insects.
Arthur wasn't entirely sure if this had happened before or after this arc.
What Arthur did know was that Shino had vowed to protect his comrades at all costs. That promise was made after he discovered Kiba's death.
When the Aburame discovered that it was Arthur, he displayed a strong sense of loyalty and connection toward his friends and allies, stating that Arthur didn't belong in the Leaf Village.
As an adult, Shino became an academy teacher. It was an odd job for a character like him, but the writers knew what they were doing: with so many open spots, one of the Rookie Nine had to nurture the next generation of ninjas.
In terms of abilities, Shino excelled in both ninjutsu and taijutsu, demonstrating combat tactics that allowed him to outmanoeuvre opponents.
His command over insects provided him with a distinct advantage in battles; he was capable of both offensive and defensive techniques, as well as scouting and information gathering.
Arthur knew that it was a combined effort of him and Alice that had enabled them to track them down so quickly, and that was with Arthur being careful not to leave any real traces behind.
Then there was Chōji, who had lost both his teammates and was scarred forever. Arthur could tell by the look in that fat boy's eyes that he was very determined to get Sasuke back.
Those two hardly interacted back in the village, yet why did the Akimichi look so serious?
"We're here to take Sasuke back!" he declared.
Kidōmaru laughed derisively and replied, "You think we'd be worried about a bunch of kids from the Leaf? I expected stronger reinforcements than this!"
But the moment Kidōmaru voiced his insult, Alice stepped forward with purpose and called, "Kidōmaru of the East Gate… You use spiders still, right?"
The nonchalant demeanour of the Sound Four shattered in an instant.
Tayuya's eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to her ally and asked, "Do you know her?"
Kidōmaru shook his head. Any enemy who ever met the Sound Four wouldn't know about them because they'd kill them on the spot.
"I've never seen her before," he relayed.
A smug smile spread across Alice's face as she regarded them and said, "I'll only say this once: hand Sasuke over now before things get ugly."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Arthur, but he remained vigilant, masking his chakra effectively. He wore the garb of a Sound ninja, but this was not enough to reveal his identity—nor did Alice know the full extent of his abilities.
"Where's Kimimaro?" she inquired.
Sakon's response was swift. "You've got a lot of nerve bringing his name up here." His voice dripped with malice as he suddenly lunged forward at her. "You're dead!"
Arthur readied himself, anticipating the assault. Before Sakon could reach her, however, he was pinned in place. Then a cloud of bugs swarmed around him. Shino's insect techniques were in full effect, and the sheer force of the insects began consuming his chakra reserves, causing him to falter.
Jirōbō, not one to stand idly by, took immediate action. He charged forward to attack, muscles coiling as he moved, only to meet the force of a chakra-enhanced punch from Sakura that sent him sprawling!
Shock was evident on the faces of the remaining Sound Four. What they had just witnessed was the physical prowess displayed by someone widely considered to be style over substance—Sakura had proven them all wrong!
Distracted by the spectacle, none of them noticed Chōji sneaking up behind Arthur, reaching for the box that held Sasuke within. The rotund boy snickered, "This is too easy!"
Arthur's senses heightened, detecting Chōji's approach. But even as the box changed hands, he did not flinch. He had predicted this move, understanding that they didn't care for a fight and just wanted the Uchiha.
As Chōji sprinted away with the box clutched to his chest, Kidōmaru unleashed a barrage of webbed projectiles towards him: "Ninja art: spider web flower!"
The moment was tense—the projectile webs cut through the forest air, but Alice intervened: "Ninja art: crimson ray formation!"
A red barrier sprang into existence around Chōji, protecting the boy.
Arthur understood something—this technique was typically reserved for ninjas of Kage caliber!
Yes, the Sound Four had used it to guard outsiders from Orochimaru's fight with Hiruzen, but they needed all four of their combined strengths just to form it. Alice's capabilities far exceeded what any of them could muster.
After watching her enact that barrier, Arthur just stood there.
These Sound Four were undoubtedly out of their league. Only two techniques had been used: the first to bind Sakon and the second to protect Chōji—she was well beyond their expectations.
But her keen intuition lingered over the strange absence of movement from Arthur. Why hadn't he reacted amid all that was unfolding? Why was he allowing events to happen this way? Just who was he?
While Chōji sprinted back toward Alice, confident in their strategy, the box in his hands, their supposed prize, began to rattle ominously before it imploded into dozens of spiders!
The sudden transformation left Alice staring at the swarm with disbelief.
"What the—?" Chōji stammered as the spiders scattered, confusing the team.
Suddenly, Arthur's body also imploded into a swarm of spiders, revealing they had been merely Kidōmaru's spider clones the entire time. The real Arthur had slipped away before they had ever arrived!
The chakra disguise technique truly was an underrated technique for moments of distraction.
With the sudden burst of arachnids diverting attention, Sakon seized the opportunity. Though the bugs had been consuming his chakra, he managed to free himself from the bind and clear them away from his body.
"Kaito was right!" he shouted, rallying his comrades. "We can't hold back!"
In unison, the Sound Four knew what had to be done. They each activated their individual curse marks, causing dark chakra to swirl around them.
Tayuya's transformation was the first to manifest. Her skin darkened to a deep shade of brown, and two black markings slashed across her face beneath her eyes. Her hair elongated to her thighs, shifting from red to pink. Horns sprouted from her head as she flexed her power.
"You stinking rats don't know what you just walked into!" she taunted in a more menacing tone.
Next, Jirōbō's transformation erupted forth. His skin shifted to a dark red hue as he was engulfed by the chakra of the cursed mark. With a roar, he flexed his massive muscles, feeling the power coursing through him.
"Let's see if you can handle this!" he growled, the ground trembling beneath his weight.
Ukon immediately raised his head behind Sakon's. The twins harmonized their transformation, their bodies beginning to shimmer. Their forms blurred for a moment before reassembling into an intimidating sight, their skin turning darker and spiky armour appearing on their bodies.
Kidōmaru was the last to transform. The change was abrupt and striking; his skin darkened to a deep red, elongated canines, and sharp nails protruded from his hands.
As his hair turned grey and lengthened, he revealed the single eye on his forehead, now wide open to help sharpen the accuracy of his bow and arrows. He smirked, fingers twitching as he pulled them out.
"Let's play a little game, shall we?" he sneered in confidence.
As each of their transformations completed, Alice remained surprisingly calm, taking in the dramatic changes around her without flinching.
She surveyed the scene with a cool demeanour, knowing what each of her adversaries carried.
Opposite from her, Sakura stood frozen in place. Reflexively, she clutched her face as nausea gripped her.
"Just what the heck are they?" she wondered, her eyes wide with horror at their monstrous forms.
"Stay focused, Sakura!" Shino alerted. "We can handle them."
"You guys may have gotten a power-up," Chōji shouted, "but we won't back down!"
At a distance, Arthur stood elsewhere. His Tamashii was well in range to help reassess the situation.
With their transformations, the Sound Four now possessed a great deal of strength to tip the balance of the fight.
"Like a bunch of side characters are gonna stop us from taking Sasuke back," Alice declared.
Her spirits had greatly uplifted the others. But that comment only angered her enemies. With new strength, the Sound Four charged forward!
As the battlefield erupted with action, Alice was quick to shout commands.
"Shino, keep an eye on Sakon. Sakura, be ready for Jirōbō. Chōji—hold back and provide support!"
Shino nodded resolutely, channeling his insects as they swarmed toward Sakon, scaling his form in an attempt to sever the connection to his boosted chakra.
Sakura, prepared for the worst, steadied herself against the threat of Jirōbō, knowing that she would have to respond with agility and strategy, not just strength.
Arthur watched along the periphery of the battlefield. He could practically feel all their chakra from this distance, and it was quite electrifying. He needed to remain critical and identify their weaknesses.
As Chōji launched himself towards the fray to join Alice, blasting past various techniques, an alarmed thought struck him, nearly halting his momentum: "If Sasuke's not here, where is he?!"
Tayuya's powers flared as she shouted, "He's the last thing that should be on your mind!"
As the Sound Four clashed with Alice's team, Arthur took a moment to recalibrate his strategies. He needed to be ready for when it counted most, to set the stage in case there was an unknown variable.
He could run, but there'd be no point. That tracking team would catch up to him in no time. More importantly, Sasuke's awakening wasn't ready yet.
The fight raged on, each moment filled with uncertainty as blows were traded and techniques erupted.
Jirōbō roared as he confronted Sakura head-on, intent on claiming victory. She found the giant difficult to find an opening to attack.
Despite how hard the Sound Four were fighting, there was something odd about this battle. What began as uncertainty shifted to certainty—Alice's team was not breaking ranks.