BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE, Arthur needed to get a feel for the place. That was the first step: learning who they were, how they walked and talked, and what mattered to them.
Thanks to the memories of the monks, he already had a good idea of where to start.
The main village was simple. No grand roads or elaborate structures. Just a cluster of small houses built into the earth and topped with thatch. They were like low, semi-subterranean, built from rough wood. There was also no official name for the place, but that didn't matter.
As he moved quietly via his smoke form, he kept to the shadows and watched the villagers go about their daily routines. They seemed busy but unhurried, while many simply focused on their work. Some were tending fields, planting or harvesting crops, while others prepared food for the evening meal.
A few were craftsmen that shaped tools from stone, bone, and metal. Their metalwork was basic, mostly bronze, which made sense given the village's modest means. It wasn't a wealthy place; that much was clear, but it was functional.
Arthur stayed hidden for the most part since he was here to learn, not to interfere. He watched the villagers, noting their simple routines, their conversations, and their mannerisms.
Interestingly, they spoke plainly, without the ornate language or archaic speech he'd expected. Their words were straightforward, in English—modern English, not like the monks' dialect. That surprised him somewhat.
It also explained why the Tailed Beasts had no trouble understanding the language. They must have learned it from the villagers, or at least from the environment.
Once the sun finally set, Arthur began his search elsewhere. He found a quiet spot among some trees and activated his Tamashii. Then he focused on the central area of the village to try and locate that cursed tree.
Yet he came up short.
He couldn't see any chakra emissions coming from anywhere special. So instead, he scoured the area with Sage Mode, hoping to detect some subtle sign. Even then, he found nothing. The natural energy here was pure and untainted, just the way it should be.
"So, Asura really did destroy all of it…" he said to himself.
The thought lingered. Because if the tree was gone, then his journey here was going to be lacking. Still, there was no point dwelling on what wasn't there.
With nothing else to uncover that night, he decided to rest and prepare for the next day.
✟
Morning came quickly.
Arthur set out early, heading toward the burial mounds. These were modest, mound-like structures like small tombs and tumuli that suggested some level of social hierarchy. He had a reason for being here: he needed to find remnants of the monks who had fallen, especially those who might have been important figures in their time.
Who exactly was he looking for? None other than Asura and Indra, of course. Perhaps even Hagoromo's remains, if they had been buried somewhere nearby.
He spent the entire day combing through the burial sites by poking into every nook and cranny. The mounds were old but well-preserved, indicating they had been carefully maintained or at least respected over the years.
Still, after hours of searching, he found nothing. No bones, no relics, no DNA traces. There was absolutely nothing that linked directly to the figures he was seeking.
It wasn't unexpected; burial sites like these often held no clear markers, especially if those buried there had no wealth or significant social standing. If anything, the Ōtsutsuki's corpses might have been cremated. And if that were the case, Arthur, he would likely never be able to resurrect them like he had hoped.
As dusk approached, he sat back to contemplate things. The village was quiet now as the residents began settling in for the night.
His new purpose was clear: he needed to understand this land and its past if he ever wished to uncover what he desired. Only then could he grasp what had happened here, what had been lost, and what might still be found.
With that thought, he prepared to rest, knowing that tomorrow might bring new revelations or new challenges.
✟
The next day, Arthur moved quietly through the grounds by blending into the crowd of visitors and locals alike. His disguise was simple enough: common clothes that didn't draw attention. He also kept his face neutral while watching everything around him.
The estate where the emperor resided was undoubtedly the largest property in the area. But it wasn't like a fortress or a palace. Instead, it was a modest single-story building spread across a few acres. The size and simplicity of the residence told Arthur that the emperor valued practicality over grandeur.
As such, he approached the estate on foot. Once he neared it, he spotted monks patrolling the perimeter. That was expected. Unlike the feudal lords in the ninja world, who relied on armies or guards, this emperor's security was managed by monks.
Arthur subtly scanned the area with his Tamashii before finding a blind spot to sneak inside.
The estate was unsurprisingly rich in natural resources. Fertile land, flowing water, and a variety of plants. Yet, despite his careful search, he found no signs of Kaguya, the Ōtsutsuki, or any remnants of their influence.
The land was clean and free of taint or corruption. It was as if whatever connection to what was written in Naruto's had been severed or erased.
Arthur's interest, however, wasn't in the estate itself but in the past that lay beneath it.
Upon entering a dusty room filled with books, he noticed a book left behind on a table. His curiosity was piqued, but he didn't bother to read all of it since it belonged to Tenji, the former emperor who had married Kaguya.
The only thing important was what was in the back pages.
'To my dear cousin Ardian, as I step down from the mantle of emperor, I leave you the crown. I trust in your strength, your compassion, and your wisdom. Our path has always been intertwined by blood, but it is your character that will truly define how your land fosters. Remember, leadership is about power and service to those who look up to you. It is also about listening, understanding, and guiding with both firmness and kindness. I have seen in you the potential to forge a reign that brings prosperity and peace, and I believe that your heart, more than anything, will be the true compass. Carry our legacy with humility and hope, and know that even as I depart, my hopes for our land's bright tomorrow rest with you.'
This book was a memoir, and from what Arthur could tell, it offered little new. It was nothing more than a recounting of Tenji's reign and his marriage to Kaguya. Nothing in it hinted at anything extraordinary, such as the clues about the Ōtsutsuki's remnants.
The other reason Arthur didn't bother reading it was because his focus was on the present: the current emperor, whose name was Ardian. He had learned about Ardian beforehand through the memories of the monks. And just like Tenji's will implied, Ardian was a man of skill with words, a reader and writer, who enjoyed rural games in his downtime.
That told Arthur something about his personality: a ruler who balanced duty with simple pleasures and someone who understood how to wield power without losing touch with what was common.
After leaving this room, Arthur found himself outside a pond filled with koi fish. It was near the main room of the estate, and he could see through the large open windows.
Inside, a meeting was in progress. The emperor was present, seated at a table with what appeared to be merchants. Arthur's eyes caught other figures standing beside the wall. They were monks. Four, to be exact. And one stood out more than the others.
That monk's posture was different; he was more relaxed with what appeared to be sharper senses.
If Arthur were to describe him, he was a fairly tall man of light complexion. He sported a shaved head, apart from a long mohawk of black hair tied in a long ponytail style reaching his lower back. He also wore black nail polish on his fingernails and toenails, five red earrings on the top of each ear, and an additional one at the bottom of each ear.
And above all was the Roman numeral "IV" tattooed below his left eye.
Arthur had never seen a monk dressed like that before. But much like everyone in this time period, Arthur didn't quite recognize anyone.
If anything, that monk was either the head monk or a monastery worker. Perhaps he was even the most influential spiritual figure in the country for all Arthur knew. His chakra level was the highest among everyone present by a significant margin.
Yet even then, Arthur paid him little mind. While yes, the monk was indeed strong. But hardly any of the monks in this time period whose name wasn't Fujin could match Arthur's prowess.
All four monks in the meeting room stood quietly at the side while observing the discussion. The conversation between Ardian and the merchants was about ways to improve trade routes and ensure the flow of goods and resources across the country.
The goal was clear: to prevent famines and droughts and to keep the citizens fed and secure for a long time.
Ardian listened carefully, asking questions and nodding at the right moments. His face seemed quite bored, almost as if he desired to go out and play rather than talk business. Yet that didn't mean that his authority here wasn't showing.
Arthur knew Ardian's type well: the calm, pragmatic leader that focused on the well-being of those around him but also wished to have fun afterwards. There was no sign of reckless ambition or paranoia in leaders like him, which made him more intriguing.
Arthur therefore considered what the best approach to this matter was. His original goal was to simply cast a genjutsu on this emperor, or maybe even slay him to stir things up. Yet all that would just lead to complications.
Instead, he measured their current meeting. The trade routes were vital, but it was the reason behind it: the land desired food for sustenance. If Arthur could tamper with their current supplies, perhaps he could earn the trust of Ardian.
That would make things much easier than slaughtering everyone here.
The meeting eventually drew toward a close, and Ardian excused himself, smiling as he moved to the side to speak privately with one of the merchants. The four monks, meanwhile, remained standing near the wall.
Arthur himself moved away from the pond and toward the estate's perimeter. His next stop would be their storage facility.