The feeling of thirst settled in.
Arthur didn't need a clock. His body kept a record of its needs, and thirst—this parched dryness—was its way of telling him it was close to dawn.
This was the predictable hour when the guard would return with his meager ration of water. But today, things would be different.
He rose from the floor, having spent the night not just resting but strategizing. The guard's unexpected lapse of vigilance regarding his chains had given him clarity on how to enact a foolhardy plan—one he was daring to try.
Metal echoed down the corridor. Arthur steeled himself, forcing his body into a relaxed posture while his eyes closed in feigned sleep. He pictured his opponent, the guard from the previous day, as slow-witted.
The clang of the cell door jolted him awake as a gruff voice said, "Up, scum. Time for your watery reward before we ship you off."
Arthur feigned sluggishness. The guard opened his cell, unaware that the chains weren't on.
This was it. Arthur carefully analyzed the guard's movements and telegraphed. What he needed was a moment of vulnerability.
As the guard leaned in and his face was inches away, Arthur saw his chance. With a burst of adrenaline, he lunged forward and aimed for the guard's chain.
One sickening thud, and his fist connected cleanly!
The guard grunted, more surprised than hurt. His eyes glazed over as confusion crossing his face. It wasn't enough.
Arthur didn't hesitate. He threw all his weight behind a second blow at the guard's solar plexus.
Bang!
The guard finally doubled over before crumbling to the floor.
Anyone who was given a well-placed strike to their chin, a vital spot, could render that person unconscious.
Arthur's own body, which had experienced a grueling training session, was hard enough to knock out grown men. He wasn't strong yet, but he had taken advantage of the opportunity against a less vigilant enemy.
Now escape was still paramount.
He scrambled over the unconscious guard and fumbled the man's belt until he found multiple keys attached to a ring.
Sorting through them, he found the one that fit into the cell door's lock. If this key could unlock this door, then perhaps the rest would work on others.
But his freedom was a fragile thing. He quickly secured the guard's limbs with the chains that had bound him for far too long. It wouldn't hold forever, but it would buy him some time.
Emerging from the cell, Arthur found himself in what appeared to be a dungeon.
Before rounding any corner, he placed himself along the wall and waited. The corridors stretched like an unending tunnel. He needed to find an exit—a way back to whatever semblance of familiarity existed within this prison.
Finally, a door broke the monotony of the corridor. He approached it and saw what looked like a medical unit inside. It was filled with syringes, bandages, IV bags, and the lot. With furrowed brows, he moved on.
Turning another corner, he heard the faint sound of someone's whimper. It drew him towards a different door. He peered inside it and saw a woman huddled in the corner of the room.
She had long brown hair, freckles, and was streaked with grime down her back. Most of her face was obscured, yet something about her looked familiar.
The woman flinched at the sound of the door opening. Her eyes widened in terror. She cowered further into the corner, faintly saying, "P-please, don't hurt me again."
Arthur remained impassive as he said, "You can relax; I'm not a guard." He then took a step closer as his eyes scanned the room for any potential threats. "Who're you?"
The woman's gaze darted around the room. She scrutinized him carefully until she spoke with a trembling voice, "Please... help me."
"Help you with what?" he countered.
He needed information, not empty pleas.
"Get me out of here... They keep taking me for tests and it hurts."
Arthur's eyes narrowed. Tests? This seemed different from the treatment he'd received. Something was off—something he didn't understand.
"I'll ask again," he demanded, "who are you?"
The woman hesitated nervously as she stammered, "I-I'm just a scientist."
"A scientist?" Arthur repeated, skeptical.
Most scientists didn't cower in fear or beg for help. Let alone find themselves being experimented on.
"Yes," she insisted. "They brought me here against my will."
"What's your name?"
"I'm Yukimi…"
Suddenly, Arthur remembered who she was. Yukimi was a character in the story's filler arc.
Her full name was Yukimi Iburi, from the forgotten Iburi clan. She was ostracized for her weak smoke technique, a jutsu that allowed her and members of her clan to turn their bodies into natural smoke.
Because of this jutsu, they were unable to go outside, less they fully turned into smoke and died.
Orochimaru, who was involved in this arc, offered her clan a solution—a cursed seal. When Leaf ninjas Kakashi Hatake and Yamato trailed Orochimaru, they discovered the Iburi clan's secret location.
Orochimaru, who was also fleeing the Leaf Village at the time, sought to use Yukimi's blood to help cross the Fire Country's borders. Yukimi eventually discovered this, only to find that he had massacred her entire clan in order to gain their smoke transformation.
His plan proved to be a failure since the only member whose blood was good enough for him to use was Yukimi herself.
Devasted and unstable, she was saved by the aforementioned two ninjas and the spirits of her fallen clanmates. Her jutsu would then be stabilized, allowing her to be free to explore the world she had longed for.
Arthur recalled all these events, which had taken place no more than five years ago. Yukimi wasn't at all a scientist. Or perhaps she was considering that her story ended without any explanations.
A devious thought came to mind. This unexpected encounter wasn't a setback; it was an opportunity. This character could be used.
"Wait here," he ordered.
He turned, exited the room and left her staring in a mix of fear and confusion. But he didn't care.
Instead, he backtracked and searched for the medical supply room. Once he found what he was looking for, he gathered the necessary supplies—bandage rolls, antiseptic solution, and the works.
He then hurried back to Yukimi's cell, where the items were stored safely in a medical bag. When he returned, her eyes widened in surprise.
"What are you doing?" she asked in suspicion.
He ignored her question and unlocked the cell door with the key.
"Come on, he said. "We're leaving."
Together, they navigated the maze. They hadn't come across any guards or security checkpoints. And once they reached the end, they finally found an exit—a heavy metal door leading to the outside world.
Arthur threw the door open to reveal a scene far removed from the dungeon halls.
They stood in a remote clearing, bathed in the morning sun. Birds chirped in the surrounding forest—the complete opposite of what was inside the facility.
He had always envisioned escape, but now was not the time to settle on scenery.
He turned to Yukimi and said, "Follow me."
She looked at him and was unsure of herself. This child had freed her from a nightmare, but his motives remained shrouded.
She was the one to ask for help. Surely, she wouldn't let go of the one who could ensure her survival.
"Alright, but where are we going?" she asked in a small but resolute tone.
Arthur didn't answer. He simply turned and ran towards the dense trees, allowing Yukimi to follow. She was an unexpected addition, and he was going to use her.
They plunged into the dense forest, a welcome change from their prison. Arthur led the way by pushing through the undergrowth. Yukimi followed close behind with ragged breaths.
After hours of running, she finally became exhausted.
The trees had thinned and revealed a sight that made her gasp: a small town nestled in a valley with smoke curling from chimneys.
"We made it," she breathed after sagging against a tree trunk.
She was relieved, but Arthur knew better. In a cold voice, he said, "Not quite. Towns can be dangerous, too. We can't just waltz in."
She frowned, asking, "What do you mean? People live there. They can help us."
He shook his head, responding, "Unless they're slave traders, I doubt it. A town this close to where our prison was would have a way of sniffing out outsiders, especially escapees like us."
Yukimi's face blanched as her initial relief again turned to fear. Was he saying that she had escaped one prison, only to find herself trapped in another?
In a dreadful whisper constricting her throat, she asked, "So what do we do?"
"We stay hidden. For now, at least. Best to scout the area… see if we can find anything or someone who might be of assistance."
Yukimi didn't argue; she was too exhausted and too frightened to formulate a plan of her own. Arthur, however, had a strange sense of purpose, a cold logic that went against her instilled sliver of hope.
He led her deeper into the woods and away from the town's lights until they found a secluded clearing.
Arthur sat down with his back against a tree trunk as his gaze was fixed on the distance. She watched him with a growing curiosity. He was an enigma.
Suddenly, he reached for her arm. His touch was surprisingly gentle. She instinctively flinched, but before she could protest, he was already cleaning her wounds with the healing jutsu.
"You're injured," he stated. "Cuts and bruises. Nothing life-threatening."
Yukimi stared at him, speechless before finally asking, "H-how do you know how to do that? Were you a ninja this whole time?"
Arthur finished healing the last of her wounds. His eyes were cold and emotionless. She watched him as a thousand questions swirled in her mind.
Why was he so quiet now?
He had to be a ninja to perform medical ninjutsu. If he wasn't, one thing was for certain: this person had rescued her from her prison.
As they sat in the quiet clearing, things finally settled on them. Pragmatically, Arthur decided it was time to gather information.
"Where are you from?" he asked.
"Honestly?" she replied. "I don't have a home, not really. I was saved five years ago and have been traveling ever since."
Arthur knew what she might have been referring to, but he needed her to elaborate more.
"I, uh," she stumbled, unsure how much to reveal to a stranger. But her gratitude for her freedom prompted her to continue. "I was asleep in my lab one day until I was attacked for not paying my rent on time. They found out that I was special and decided to experiment on me. If it hadn't been for you..." she trailed off with a grateful smile.
"Special?" he asked.
"Yeah... You might not understand."
Arthur watched her, now fully aware of what she had likely been through after her filler story finished. Yukimi wasn't a liar. Perhaps she truly had become a scientist before her imprisonment.
That idea, however, wasn't in his interest. It was the thing that made her special: her Kekkei Genkai.
Kekkei Genkai are special abilities passed down through generations in certain clans. These abilities come from genetic anomalies and manifest in different ways.
They come in distinct types of Kekkei Genkai. One type, like the Sharingan, grants the user unique eyes with special powers, such as seeing through objects or giving them incredible focus.
Another type allows the user to combine basic elements like water and wind to create a new one, such as ice. Finally, some Kekkei Genkai grant unique body manipulation abilities, such as freely controlling bones or absorbing natural energy. That was Yukimi Iburi's Kekkei Genkai.
These abilities make their wielders incredibly powerful but also ostracized. Feared for their deadliness, Kekkei Genkai users are often persecuted or even hunted, despite their own village employing them.
The abilities themselves are highly coveted, with some villages even attempting to steal or transplant them into others.
Arthur knew full well what her clan's Kekkei Genkai was. It allowed one to transform into pure smoke. However, this unnamed ability was far from perfect. Initially, they'd turn into smoke unintentionally or get stuck in that form.
Orochimaru's cursed seal offered some stability, but they remained vulnerable to wind. Transforming while in smoke form meant they'd disperse permanently, which was fatal. Only Yukimi was able to overcome that setback.
Arthur watched her with an unreadable face. It all fits now.
From the moment they escaped, he'd been wondering what he should do with her. Yukimi's story ended the moment she parted ways with Kakashi and Yamato. She was never heard from again.
He could always expand her story, but why would a villain do that?
Sunlight dappled through the leaves and fell on Yukimi's face. She blinked it away with a smile, staying grateful for Arthur's help. He had not only saved her; he also healed her wounds.
She looked down at her arm, whispering a silent thank-you.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over her. She looked up, expecting to see his stoic face, but instead she saw a cold glint in his eyes.
Before she could say anymore, Arthur struck the back of her neck, the world spinning as her vision blurred at the edges. He watched her crumple to the ground, unconscious.
No regret was felt. Only his cold features remained. Unflawed by the ruthless pragmatism that had already taken root in his mind.
Naruto was an unfair world. Those who were strong were inevitably born into power. There was only one way to achieve that power: take it by force.
A name surfaced in Arthur's mind—a character who had been merely a servant to one of the antagonists: Kabuto Yakushi.
Kabuto was a side character who had become a significant asset through the art of cellular transfer. By absorbing the DNA of others, he gained their techniques and their Kekkei Genkai.
And once he acquired enough power, he was strong enough to start an entire war!
Arthur wasn't Kabuto; he didn't possess the same techniques or scientific knowledge, but the core principle remained—DNA was power. And Yukimi, with her unique Kekkei Genkai and ability to transform her body into smoke, was a valuable resource.
Arthur kneeled beside her unconscious form, his medical tools in hand.
This wasn't a decision he had taken lightly. But in this twisted world, kindness was a luxury he couldn't afford right now.
So he began by extracting specific tissues, ones most likely to hold the essence of her Kekkei Genkai. Blood spewed across his hands and into IV bags. He worked as his stomach churned with a primal mix of disgust.
This wasn't about sadism; it was about survival, about clawing his way to the top of this food chain.
Hours later.
The once-pristine clearing was now a macabre tableau. It was long past dusk, and the sunlight was seen in eerie twilight. As the last rays of the sun set, he finished.
Arthur surveyed his handiwork. In his hand, he held a vial filled with Yukimi's essence. She had inevitably died due to intense blood loss.
Looking at the vial, he couldn't tell if a cellular transfer would work or not. For instance, if this virtual world's anatomical laws were the same as earth's, then what if his blood type wasn't compatible?
Regardless, he had to try.
Securing the vial and IV bags, he looked at Yukimi's lifeless body. It was all mangled and ripped apart. He had never experienced this much blood on him or anyone before, yet his expression remained the same: still and unmoved.
This world threatened to corrupt him, but he would never forget who he was inside.
Using his bare hands, he dug a hole to store her body in and hide all the tools. It took several more hours, but it was worth hiding any evidence that she ever existed.
Arthur left the clearing behind before moving to a secluded spot.
Here, beneath the forest canopy, he would attempt the unthinkable—the transference of Yukimi's Kekkei Genkai.
He laid out his tools and rehearsed the basic principles: introduce Yukimi's genetic material into his own system and hope that his body will accept it. If he failed, he would attempt to heal himself before any repercussions occurred.
This wasn't a sterile operating room, but he didn't have the patience to consider such things. He had to focus on the task in front of him.
The first step involved creating a viable vector for the transfer. So he retrieved a syringe and drew the essence from the vial and into the syringe. Then he located a vein in the crook of his arm.
This was going to be a delicate procedure. Introducing foreign genetic material directly into the bloodstream could trigger a violent immune response. So much so that the body may reject these alien cells.
He needed a way to bypass this hurdle, a way to trick his body into accepting the new genetic code.
The healing technique was the only way to do it from a non-scientific point of view. All he had to do was suppress rejection during the transplant.
It was a long shot, but it was all he had.
He centered his chakra and channeled it through the syringe and into the vial. The cells inside circulated violently before providing a visual confirmation of his success.
Now came the decisive moment. Without hesitating, he plunged the needle into his vein. The sensation felt like burning wildfire.
He pushed the modified genetic cocktail into his system while saying a silent prayer: "Thus saith the Lord, the Lord's grace is sufficient for me: for the Lord's strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
Suddenly, his vision swam, his muscles spasmed, and the pain spread through his whole body. He then collapsed onto the forest floor, convulsing.
Trying to heal himself and maintain the cellular transfer at the same time was not within his control.
He gritted his teeth before channeling every ounce of his will into forcing his chakra to flow to suppress the rising tide of rejection.
The pain was excruciating!
Time seemed to lose all meaning. Minutes felt like they were stretched into agonizing hours as he fought for control.
Finally, as abruptly as it began, the pain slowly subsided.
He lay gasping on the forest floor. Sweat drenched his clothes and his body trembled with exhaustion. He could now feel the essence circulating perfectly into his bone marrow, merging with new red blood cells.
He flexed his hand and felt a residual chakra pulsing within him. This was it. This was Yukimi's chakra pool, and it is now inside him.
With more time, it should integrate until his body could fully utilize her Kekkei Genkai.