Arthur stepped into his throne room and sat down.
While the initial idea of him staying in the Cloud Village took a different turn, he still had a window of opportunity open for him to return and learn the lightning element.
On the throne, he tapped on the armrest, causing three of his clones to teleport in.
Ryugetsu, John, and Hoshikaze—who needed to stretch after being let out of his chamber—were now present. Kaito was absent due to its ongoing Akatsuki affairs. Nonetheless, this was about gathering information and understanding the depths of the clan he was planning to deal with.
Or perhaps already dealt with since this involved time travel.
Arthur looked at his clones and said, "Share with me your knowledge on the Ōtsutsuki clan."
"Was there not a movie based on this clan?" John wondered.
"Yes," Hoshikaze agreed. "We believe its title was 'The Last.'"
John added, "And who was the main focal point in that movie?"
Ryugetsu answered, "Toneri… Toneri Ōtsutsuki."
Arthur's brow furrowed slightly as he commanded, "Remind us of the movie."
From what was remembered, "The Last: Naruto the Movie" centered around Naruto Uzumaki's love journey during a time between the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War and the epilogue of the series.
The story began with a flashback to Naruto's early days, highlighting his first encounter with Hinata Hyūga and her quiet admiration for him. As the story progressed, it showed how Naruto, now grown and celebrated as a hero, was unaware of Hinata's feelings, which had been quietly blossoming since their childhood.
Meanwhile, a looming celestial threat—the falling moon—became a symbol of the impending disaster that the ninja world needed to confront.
During this tense period, Hinata crafted a red scarf as a gift for Naruto, symbolizing her love, but her shyness kept her from giving it to him. At the same time, Toneri Ōtsutsuki emerged from the moon with plans to destroy the earth using the Tenseigan and a destructive moon.
Toneri's obsession with the "Celestial Decree" and his desire for Hinata, whom he believed should become his bride, added a romantic and villainous layer to the plot.
When Toneri kidnapped Hinata's sister, Hanabi, and attacked the Leaf Village, Naruto and his friends were dispatched on a mission to rescue her and stop Toneri's plans.
As Naruto, Hinata, and their allies ventured into Toneri's moon palace, they faced illusions, emotional trials, and oddly placed battles. Naruto's feelings for Hinata finally surfaced fully when he confessed his love to her in a heartfelt moment.
The climax unfolded like all the other poor movies: the main character delivers a punch that defeats the bad guy and "saves the world."
The movie concluded with a glimpse of Naruto and Hinata's future, celebrating their love, their wedding, and their happy family with their children Boruto and Himawari.
After recalling this story, one thing became clear to Arthur: to learn how to access space-time techniques—especially one as advanced as time travel—he needed to go to the moon.
The moon was a central location for the Ōtsutsuki, and the key to unlocking their secrets lay there.
"So," he said in a cold voice, "how'll we do that…?"
Hoshikaze tilted his head slightly. "First, we need to create a diversion. Something to distract anyone who might stand in our way."
Ryugetsu added, "Surely a simple distraction won't do. We need something more… impactful."
Arthur thought for a moment, then said, "What about Sakura?"
The room fell silent. The mention of a main character in this world often led to trouble when they were interacted with.
And the clones all understood what Arthur was implying: to create a diversion capable of drawing attention away from their true objective, they might need to do something drastic—something that would shake those involved with Sakura.
"That pink-haired little thing?" a voice echoed from within the room. Kaito teleported in. "It would be interesting to have someone around her."
"Good of you to join us," Ryugetsu greeted.
"We take it things are going well with Sasori?" John probed.
Out of all the clones being managed and tasked with important duties, Kaito's was obviously the most dangerous. Hardly anyone knew what the clone was up to except for Arthur.
"Perhaps," Kaito answered.
"Any reason you're agreeing to use someone related to Sakura?" Ryugetsu wondered.
As if the answer wasn't already known: Kaito had a strange disposition against that girl. This feeling had only manifested because, during the time Arthur had beaten Sakura to a pulp, he was disguised as Kaito.
Ergo, Kaito had a natural desire to slay Sakura out of everyone.
"Let's just say we should consider her… significance thus far."
It was quite interesting for Arthur to see his clones discussing these matters. Of course, Kaito wasn't wrong about understanding Sakura better.
From what was remembered, she was still that highly skilled medical ninja that had exceptional chakra control and physical strength.
In her early days, she was an insecure girl who often covered her large forehead to hide her self-consciousness. As she grew older, her use of medical ninjutsu and chakra manipulation made her one of the most respected healers in the ninja world.
Right now, she was progressing a little faster than her original story counterpart. All because of the players, specifically Jada.
If left unchecked, Sakura may very well be the next Tsunade before the start of Shippuden. That Sakura's strength developed enough to shatter structures and harm powerful enemies like Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
"Are we suggesting removing the girl?" Arthur wondered.
"Removing that 'thing,'" Hoshikaze spoke, "would have a long-term effect."
"Exactly," John added, "Eliminating her to cause a simple distraction would be too chaotic in the long run."
"But her connection to the village is noteworthy," Ryugetsu explained.
Kaito, with a trace of cold calculation, added, "Then why not remove someone close to 'it'? Someone who's essential to her?"
The clones paused, then unanimously agreed: "The parents."
"And what do we know of her parents?" Arthur asked.
Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno were their names. Kizashi was a kind and charismatic shinobi, known for his jovial personality and sense of humour. He often teased those around him with puns, which sometimes annoyed his wife.
Kizashi was also deeply devoted to his family, especially Sakura, and showed great concern for her well-being. In appearance, he had a kind face with blue eyes, dull-pink hair styled like a cherry blossom, and a darker skin tone compared to his wife and daughter.
Mebuki herself was a serious yet caring woman, often showing her affection through her concern for Sakura. She had shoulder-length blonde hair with a single bang and green eyes and wore a white qipao dress decorated with red circles.
In terms of skill, she actually practiced taijutsu and was capable of defeating a sumo wrestler with a single kick.
She shared a loving relationship with Kizashi, although their personalities often clashed humorously—her more serious demeanour contrasting with his cheerful teasing.
That detail was clear now. Out of all these important facts, one stood out the most: Jada had not marked those characters.
Arthur spent the next few moments sitting on the throne to piece together the plan with his clones. He had not at all told them about the Tailed Beasts knowing his identity, for he desired to see how they would react without that knowledge.
All in all, they formed a devious plan that could be executed quickly. But every moment they delayed risked losing their chance. So they had to start now.
"John," Arthur said. "Start the mission…"
Immediately, John vanished in a flash, heading toward his target.
His destination was a printing shop in the Hidden Ebby Village. It was honestly the only printing shop for miles within the borders of the Land of Birds. And it wasn't a busy spot.
Once John entered, dressed in his white cloak, the employees inside looked up in astonishment and hurried to serve him. Their surprise was expected.
"What have you need of, my lord?" one asked.
"A flyer," John simply said, handing them a note. "Design it in those specifications."
They didn't ask questions. They had learned to read the signs—when someone wearing a white cloak like his came in, it was better to comply. So they quickly set to work, designing a flyer that looked professional and convincing.
The wording was simple but effective: a promotion promising a free vacation for two couples in the Land of Fire, with a luxurious hotel and all-expenses-paid stay for three days.
It was the kind of scam that circulated on earth, but it looked legitimate enough on paper.
As they finished, they packaged the flyer carefully in a fancy box, complete with seals and stamps. But when they returned to the front to hand it over, John was no longer present.
"Where did he go?" asked an employee.
"I dunno, but we gotta get him this… Hey!" The flyer had vanished too. "I did bring it out, right?"
They exchanged confused looks, unsure of what had happened. Only when they stepped outside and saw ryō that was ten times the price of the flyer did they know they had earned favour for their work.
Meanwhile, John appeared in the throne room, where Arthur waited patiently.
Both of their expressions were unreadable as the clone handed over the flyer. Arthur took it, examining the paper with contentment. The flyer was both perfect and convincing—bright coulors, bold promises, and a touch of luxury that was sure to fool anyone who read it.
After John departed, Arthur spent the next two hours monitoring the Leaf Village from his throne. His eyes were closed, watching for any sign of movement or activity.
Finally, he spotted Kizashi Haruno out for a stroll. Arthur opened his eyes, pulled out the flyer, and held it up. With a flicker of chakra, he then teleported the flyer directly to Kizashi's path.
Kizashi was walking, lost in thought, when a piece of paper suddenly floated toward him. He looked up just in time to catch it. The paper was a flyer—bright, colorful, and promising a free vacation.
He blinked in surprise before giving a broad smile.
The flyer had promised a three-day stay in a luxurious hotel, with all expenses paid. All he had to do was show the voucher at the hotel, and the trip was theirs.
A free vacation just like that? One would have to be quite the sucker to fall for a scam like that.
"How wonderful!" Kizashi exclaimed, holding the flyer up as if showing it to someone invisible. "I'm sure Mebuki's gonna love this."
This was just too perfect, he believed. It was too good to be true, and he was actually convinced it was legitimate. Who could blame him when the company was already well-known in the Land of Fire and famous for treating their guests well?
There was no reason to doubt it, or so he thought.
He pocketed the flyer, eager to share the news. When he returned home, he found Mebuki in the kitchen, preparing tea.
"Look at this," Kizashi said, waving the flyer. "A free vacation for three days. All expenses paid. We just have to show this at the hotel."
Mebuki took the flyer and looked over it skeptically.
"Are you sure this is real?" she asked.
"Trust me," he confidently said. "It's a legitimate company. They're known for their hospitality. This is our chance to relax for a few days."
"But what about Sakura?"
"She'll be fine here. I mean, she's old enough to spend a few nights alone."
While they were talking, Sakura entered the room. The two looked at her with mixed expressions.
"What's going on?" she asked.
Kizashi grinned. "Your poppa's the most blessed man in the village, that's what's going on!"
"Huh?" she wondered skeptically.
"I just found a flyer for a free three-day vacation," he smiled, "and you know we're gonna go."
The problem was that Mebuki never said she wanted to go. Mainly because of her daughter's safety. She looked at Sakura, then at her husband, before saying, "I'm not sure yet because that would mean we'd have to leave you home alone for three days."
"Don't worry," Kizashi said. "We'll be back before she even notices we're gone."
Sakura's eyes lit up. "Really? That's great! You should go. I'll be fine here."
Mebuki's brow furrowed. "Are you sure? You don't mind being alone for so long?"
"Not at all," Sakura said, smiling brightly. "Take your time! In fact, you should stay longer if you want. I'll be alright."
Mebuki hesitated before finally understanding why she's so enthusiastic about them leaving: because she wanted to be left alone.
"Sakura," she began, "you should be grateful that we're always around. Not everyone has both of their parents around to care for them, you know."
While this statement was true, Sakura ignored it and instead ran to their room to help them pack.