Iruka's announcement was eagerly awaited.
But then the teacher's eyes moved, focusing on Arthur in the rear corner. Iruka started to approach Arthur as Arthur could feel the gazes of the other students. Everybody in the class had their heads turned in his direction.
"Arthur," Iruka said with a kind grin. "Glad you could make it back safely. We heard you went missing. Quite a scare you gave me."
Arthur gave a curt nod with an unreadable face. He played along because he didn't want to raise suspicions, even though his fake background was hardly news.
"Sorry for making you worried…"
"No worries," laughed Iruka. "The important thing is you're back." Then he took a headband with the village symbol on it out of his pocket. "The Hokage requested I personally present you with this. Try not to lose it, okay?"
The headband was accepted by Arthur. It was much softer and lighter than he had anticipated.
Several of his classmates looked at him with genuine confusion.
"Who is he again?" he heard a few whispers. and "I dunno; I never noticed him honestly."
Arthur chose to ignore them.
"Hey, wear it on your forehead like me," Naruto exclaimed, gesturing to his own head.
Some of the students burst out laughing, while others merely rolled their eyes at Naruto's typical antics. Iruka grinned and said, "Let's move on, shall we?"
Arthur slipped the headband into the pocket of his robe. He was not required to wear it indoors by any rule. And even if he was, he most certainly wasn't going to strap it on his forehead.
When Naruto saw this, he looked confused due to Arthur's behaviour. Either way, Arthur ignored him.
Iruka cleared his throat and turned back to face the class. He gave an overview of what their next step as Genin entailed, and the other players felt bored listening to the same line. But when he finished, he began announcing the teams.
"For our first team, in team ten, we have Ino Yamanaka, Chōji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara!"
The three were scarcely excited. Shikamaru muttered something about being paired with Ino as Chōji dug through his belongings and took out another bag of chips to eat.
"Next up, Team 9! Alice Yamanaka, Alex Hyūga, and Jasper Ōtsutsuki!"
The announcement was received with a mix of surprise and excitement by the three students he named. They each gave each other confident smiles that clearly said one thing: "We're no doubt the strongest team."
Ironically, there never really was a "Team 9" in the original story. That meant a random Jōnin would be their instructor.
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 were true...
"For Team 7," Iruka said, heightening the tension, "we have Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha!"
Sakura let out a loud yelp, thrilled by the teams. But Naruto burst out in dissent.
"What?! Sasuke?" he whimpered, gesturing to the Uchiha. "I wanted to be on a team with Will!"
"Naruto, these teams were based on your performance during the academy," Iruka announced. "You had the lowest scores out of everyone, while Sasuke consistently ranked the highest."
With a pout on his face, Naruto crossed his arms. Unfazed, Sasuke asserted that Naruto shouldn't interfere with him since he was "dead last." Iruka ignored the quarreling pair and continued on.
"Next up, we have Team 6: William Uzumaki, Margaret Senju, and Jada Uchiha.
Like Team 9, such a team never existed.
The three, much like Arthur, showed no signs of surprise. Instead, they wanted to know where Arthur would end up.
"Lastly," Iruka went on, "we have Team 5—Arthur and..."
Iruka stated Arthur's teammates, but none of the players knew who those characters were. 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 dismissed everyone for the rest of the morning after concluding his announcements. His instructions were for everyone to meet back here later this afternoon so they could meet their Jōnin instructors.
"Hey, man," Jasper said, getting up. "They wanted me to tell you that we have another meeting tonight. So if I get in trouble for you not showing up, it's not my fault."
"Duly noted," Arthur smiled.
The pupils rushed out of the classroom after saying their final goodbyes. But Arthur waited for the room to clear, lingering behind. Once he was alone with Iruka, he went up to him and said, "Iruka-sensei, there's something I need to tell you."
"What's wrong, Arthur?"
"I don't think I'm cut out to be a ninja."
"What do you mean?" Iruka asked, clearly surprised. "This is what you've been training for all these years."
"It's not that I haven't been trying; I just don't think I have what it takes," Arthur said, shaking his head. "The danger, the responsibility—it's not what I envisioned for myself."
Iruka's eyes were clouded by disappointment. He was aware of the sacrifice, the pressure, and the ongoing danger of being a ninja. Yet seeing a young Genin like Arthur turn back at the very beginning was disheartening.
"Are you sure?" he softly inquired. "This is a serious decision, and if someone's bullying you into saying this, I—"
"Yes, I'm sure," Arthur resolutely said.
To prove his seriousness, he removed the headband and gestured it to Iruka.
There was a brief pause. Iruka didn't take it. Instead, he grinned and said, "Look, Arthur. You've graduated from the academy. Whether you choose to be a ninja or not, that headband symbolizes an achievement of your hard work; it belongs to you."
Arthur was left speechless. To think he forgot about Iruka's caring nature as a responsible teacher.
"I'll talk to the Hokage about this," Iruka finished, "so you won't have to come meet your instructor."
With a curt nod, Arthur thanked Iruka and left the classroom, keeping the headband.
By the time he reached the building's main doors, he overheard a lot of chatter behind it. It was the other players, and it seemed as if they were waiting on him to discuss the next plan.
Arthur didn't want to waste any time with them right now. So instead, he took the back exit.
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 had anticipated.
Arthur soon made his way to the Leaf Village hospital. There were a few like this building 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 then 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 empty—a storage closet with cleaning supplies.
With another silent command, he reformed his physical body, stepping out of the smoke. In the process of reforming himself, he used the transformation jutsu.
Who he morphed into 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 was a specialized branch of ninja techniques focused on healing injuries and manipulating the body. While its primary use was healing, it could 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 philosophy of medical ninjutsu. As he turned the pages further, illustrations depicted a man's anatomy and his 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 forgotten about it.
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 was a technique that required exceptional reflexes and knowledge of the body's anatomical structure.
By analyzing an opponent's movements and jutsu, the user could predict where they'll be attacked. They then focus chakra on that area, essentially starting preemptive medical treatment to minimize damage.
It required a lot of chakra, depending on the severity of the attack, and not everyone had 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. Each sentence and each diagram was fully understood.
Hours passed until he finally tore himself away from the pages.
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.
So he slipped out of the hospital through a different exit and released the transformation jutsu.
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 with a playful grin on his face. "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. "Sorry, I'll be careful next time."
Margaret moved aside, allowing him to step into the apartment, content that suspicion of him was at an all-time low.
As everyone settled around the couch, the inevitable question came.
"So, Arthur," Alice began, leaning forward, "how'd your team meeting go?"
The room fell silent after Arthur's confession.
"What do you mean you're not joining a team?" Jada worriedly 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. "Actually! If I knew I didn't have to join a team, I would have done the same thing."
"Screw that," Alice berated. "It's the fact he didn't tell any of us, and I don't like that."
"Look," Arthur 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 ninja."
"Support player?" Alex repeated, leaning back. "Oh yeah! I forgot your character excels in support jutsus."
"Can you blame a guy who wants to be our cheerleader?" Jasper teased.
A comment like that was unsettling to hear since the two, Arthur and Jasper, had fought only yesterday, with Jasper upset because Arthur was physically just as strong.
Nonetheless, Arthur faked a laugh to make his statement believable. "I figure I can still be of use when I'm not on the front lines."
William, however, seemed defiant. He grumbled, "But that's not fair! We all agreed on 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 and—"
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."