Two days later.
After his training, Arthur got up without any pain or aches. He had pushed himself to the limit every time, only to cause his body to bounce back right away.
He was doing well.
Throughout those two days, he had learned how to walk on vertical surfaces and also picked up two basic skills: the transformation jutsu and the high-speed movement technique.
The former enabled him to adopt the physical characteristics of another character, animal, or object. Although helpful, its primary function was to gather intelligence and engage in deception. Even the slightest flaw could give him away.
The latter, sometimes referred to as the body flicker technique, enabled him to move so quickly that he seemed to teleport over various distances. Rather than actual teleportation, he was momentarily accelerating his movements at tremendous speeds by using chakra.
The distance and incline he traveled determine how much chakra was required to traverse the area.
It was simple to practice the hand signs for those techniques since they were heavily overused in this world. But because they were both "E-rank techniques," they weren't worth praising over after learning.
Techniques were categorized according to their level of difficulty and skill requirement. This method of evaluating a ninja's general skills was known as their alphabet ranking system.
Academy students or trainees beginning their ninja journey learned techniques that fell into the most basic rank, E-rank. They served as the fundamental building blocks for more complex forms of jutsu.
D-rank came next. The most active ninjas could use these techniques. Some ninjas, on the other hand, might have focused on a particular kind and only perfected the techniques associated with that rank.
C-rank came after D-rank. They were mainly suitable for intermediate ninjas and were typically harder to perfect than lower-ranked ones, though some highly skilled ninjas could still learn them if they tried hard enough.
B-rank came next. Elite ninjas usually executed techniques in this rank, which called for a high degree of chakra control. They frequently required large chakra reserves and were stated to be very strong.
Even more proficient ninjas could perform the next tier, A-rank—techniques so powerful that even a Kage employed them. Because of their extreme nature, these techniques were sometimes prohibited from being used, often requiring extraordinary chakra control anyway.
Last but not least were the extremely potent secret S-rank techniques that were only available to a select few or a single user. They were frequently regarded as extremely dangerous or challenging to control, and they symbolized the height of jutsu perfection.
It should be noted that this ranking system usually did not apply to Kekkei Genkai or special abilities. And unlike jutsus, they were not grouped according to difficulty but rather were innate qualities or taught abilities that could be quite potent.
Things did not end with technique classifications.
Since this world relied heavily on military might, the ninja villages also had a hierarchical organization.
The Kage, the leader, was at the top and consulted with advisors when making decisions. The Anbu (or secret operatives) and the medical teams were positioned beneath them. Then there were the regular forces, the backbone to every village: academy students. Genin, Chūnin, and Jōnin—every ninja at any age could advance through tests, skills, or merit alone.
The elite of the ninja community were known as Jōnin. They were regarded as super ninjas due to their extreme skill and experience, and they frequently used multiple elemental chakra natures. They also often took on dangerous missions by themselves.
The Leaf Village's Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yūhi, and Kakashi Hatake were the most notable Jōnin in the story.
Two ranks under them are their students, the Genin. Genin were frequently placed in three-person squads with a Jōnin leader to learn the ropes. These teams could stick together even as members rose to the next rank, Chūnin—which was just another rank that gave more privileges to Genin.
Anbu, a special task force of elite ninjas who managed delicate missions for their Kage, was the rank that followed after a Jōnin. The issue with this rank was that it was a secret one, only granted if the right conditions were met.
That was because they were tasked with things like tracking down wanted ninjas and even assassination missions.
Lastly was a village's medical team, the support staff that used medical methods to treat the injured. While some medical ninjas worked in village hospitals, others deployed squads as field medics.
All of this information was in Arthur's head.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, he finally deemed it necessary to move closer to the Leaf Village's location.
While he might seem quite knowledgeable on this world from having read about it, he was still lacking in some regards. He did at least know that the Leaf Village was founded by Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha to bring peace after years of warring clans.
Hashirama, the first Hokage, used his special wood powers to build much of the village's infrastructure less than a century ago.
The residential districts were where ninjas, non-ninjas, and their families resided. There are also multiple training grounds for others to hone their skills. From hospitals, administrative buildings, and restaurants—all were located inside, surrounded by an enormous wall that focused on their citizens' security.
And as an extra layer of protection, a giant, invisible, dome-shaped barrier resided over the forest to alert the guards inside of any unauthorized personnel coming in or out of the village's vicinity.
Arthur had every reason to go to the Leaf Village. He recalled that him and the others were to be dropped off one week prior to the canon story. If that wasn't a lie, that would mean that the main character's ascent would have happened by now.
On top of this, he hadn't contacted any of the other players. They alone were enough reasons to at least pay a visit.
The crisp morning air nipped at him as he set off. A couple of days passed, measured by the rising and setting sun. His food rations had dwindled, replaced by berries and scavenged scraps.
His body was cold, and he felt constant hunger. Yet even this didn't stop him from moving.
Later, a dirt road stretched before him, disappearing into the distance. Two figures stood in the middle, blocking his route. They were large men, clad in mismatched leather clothes and wielding an assortment of crude weapons: a rusty axe, a dented sword, and a club wrapped in barbed wire.
They weren't ninjas, at least not in the traditional sense. Rather, they looked like petty bandits.
Arthur did not like bandits. Either way, he wasn't trying to stir any trouble right now. That was until he noticed what was on their person: bags bulging with what appeared to be stolen goods.
As they neared him, he stood right in their way.
"Best move if ya don't want any problems, kid," one with an orange jacket declared.
Kid? He had almost forgotten that he was in a child's body. And even though they towered over him, they looked quite small in his eyes.
"Identify yourselves," he demanded.
The two bandits exchanged a look of amusement. "Identify ourselves? What kind of game are you playing, kid?"
When Arthur hadn't answered, their amusement faded, replaced by annoyance. The other bandit, a tall, burly man with a missing tooth, hefted his club menacingly. "This kid's clearly got a problem."
He was clearly twice the size of Arthur. But Arthur didn't back down. Instead, he met the bandit's gaze with eyes devoid of any fear.
"I'll say it again: identify yourselves…"
"Look here, little boy; we don't appreciate being questioned like that. Now, if you know what's good for ya, you'll get outta of our way."
With a quick hand sign, Arthur performed the high-speed movement technique. He was upon them before they could react. The first bandit, caught off guard, barely raised his axe before Arthur slammed a chakra-enhanced fist into his chest.
Bang!
The impact sent the man sprawling backward. The second bandit, however, reacted with a roar, swinging his club wildly. Arthur sidestepped the clumsy attack. Then he grabbed the bandit's wrist with one hand and held him pinned down with a vise grip.
"Let go!" the bandit bellowed, struggling against Arthur's might.
Arthur ignored him and focused on his chakra control. The bandit managed to twist his body and swing his club again. There was a sickening crack when it connected. But when the bandit looked, his entire weapon had been stopped by Arthur's forearm!
A scream of pain ripped from the bandit's throat as his arm buckled. Arthur didn't hesitate. With a swift kick, he sent him crashing onto the dirt road, whimpering in pain next to his unconscious comrade.
The entire fight had taken less than a minute.
Arthur stood tall as his gaze fixed on the two groaning figures at his feet. These men, bandits by trade, lacked the honed reflexes and preemptive awareness of the grueling training he had undergone.
They relied on brute force, which could be countered with a combination of speed and power. It wasn't that Arthur was strong; they were simply too weak.
Arthur reached into his satchel, knowing what had to be done. He threw two knives in quick succession. Each one found its mark: one inside the bandit's skull and the other in the second bandit's throat.
Both had died.
Arthur hadn't planned on killing them. That's why he asked them to identify themselves. If he had recognized their names, he would have let them go after taking their stuff. But they chose to be stubborn, so their punishment was death.
Ideally, he also found them worthy of testing his new strength. The results were sufficient, to say the least.
Now that they were dead, he rummaged through their bags. What he found was exactly what he needed: food rations, a canteen filled with water, and four hundred ryō.
Oddly enough, there was also a set of clothes with a picture inside the pocket. He verified that this was either the younger brother, one of the bandits, or their son.
"Pathetic…"
Gathering their bodies and belongings, he set about burying them. It was a grim task, but he managed to dig a hole deep enough to deter scavengers and wild animals before throwing them and his unneeded belongings inside.
After finishing, he turned his attention to the new set of clothes. They were a tad dusty, but they were his size: an orange jacket with a hood, black trousers, and matching sandals ninjas typically wore.
It wasn't the flashiest attire, but it was certainly more practical than his ragged tunic that he'd been wearing for what felt like weeks.
Some time later, the Leaf Village finally came into view. It was a towering wall, but something wasn't right: he should've been stopped after entering the village's barrier long before making it this far. Yet he'd walked straight through without a hitch.
Why hadn't the barrier been activated? He could only think of two reasons: it was inactive, or his chakra signature was already registered in the village, making him a welcomed citizen. The latter made the most sense.
When he finally got to the village gates, two figures clad in familiar green flak jackets stood guard. Arthur recognized them: Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, the ever-present gate guards. They were minor characters, having only proved their worth in the second part of the story.
As he approached, Kotetsu, a man with a strip of bandage running across the bridge of his nose, spoke first: "Halt! You need to identify yourself before we let you in."
Arthur needed to be this careful, so he said, "Arthur... Arthur Bennett."
Silence followed. Kotetsu exchanged looks with Izumo.
"Arthur Bennett? You've been missing for over a week. Where have you been?"
Now Arthur understood that his character did indeed have some type of story. He wondered if it was the same as the others.
"Lost..." he said, "I got lost in the woods for days. I can't tell you how I ended up so far from the village."
He kept his gaze fixed on the guards, avoiding any mention of the barrier or the strange circumstances of his arrival. It was honestly just an excuse, for which he'd already discarded the satchel along with most of the other items to hide what he had been truly doing.
Kotetsu and Izumo looked a tad skeptical. They clearly weren't convinced, but Arthur held his ground, saying, "Thankfully, I came across a river and ate out in the wild."
The tension eased a little.
"Well, since you're here now," Kotetsu said, "we'll file a report on your return."
Stepping aside, they allowed him to enter the village.