ARTHUR WATCHED as Jigen punched the seal once. The symbol pulsed, glowing brighter, and then the door slowly opened with a grinding sound. Inside, the vault was dimly lit, revealing a collection of scrolls and a small pile of gold.
In that split second, Arthur used his Tamashii to quickly analyze the contents inside. Surprisingly, the vault contained nothing else extraordinary. There were a few relics that looked more like toys than anything that could benefit Arthur.
Perhaps if Hagoromo's corpse was here, it'd be worth destroying this entire estate for it.
Jigen went inside before quickly returning with a scroll unmistakably marked with the Ōtsutsuki clan's symbol. Then he handed it to Arthur, saying, "This may assist you in understanding ninshū better."
While Arthur did accept, he found himself disappointed since he already knew what was inside the scroll. Jigen wasted no time escorting Arthur out a different route before then being ushered out of the estate. Arthur casually disappeared into the outskirts, where he could use his physical eyes to examine his gain.
The scroll was not at all worth his efforts because he couldn't even read it! It wasn't written in English or Japanese. Instead, strange encryptions filled the pages. He tried to activate his Tamashii eyes, attempting to decode the strange language, but it was beyond his current understanding.
Arthur stared at the scroll, puzzled. The last time he encountered unreadable text in this world was on the Uchiha Stone Tablet, a relic that could only be deciphered with the Sharingan.
Even if he had the Sharingan to try and read whatever was inside, who's to say that a Sharingan was needed? What if this text was simply in another language that only Ōtsutsuki clan members could read? That would be quite the problem.
As such, he briefly considered his options. Instead of wasting time trying to decipher it now, he decided to seal the scroll within the Blade of Chaos. Perhaps, in time, he might find a way to understand it. But for now, it was better to keep it secure.
His mind now returned to his overarching goal. Since he was still here in the Yayoi period, he had the advantage of foreknowledge in advancements. That alone gave him a strategic edge.
✟
Over the next week, Arthur began to build a reputation.
He would arrive at the village just before the sun crested over the distant mountains every morning. Tasks were clear: assist the villagers with their burdens, not to do their work for them, but to make things less draining.
The first couple days were spent observing. He watched the farmers plant rice and noted the irrigation channels, the stone tools, and the way they threshed the crops. It truly was like the Yayoi period, where advanced tools had not yet been utilized.
On the third day, he began to act.
His first task had been rice planting. He approached a group of farmers, all tired but determined. Quietly, he extended his hand, channeling chakra into his palm and then into the soil. With a subtle gesture, he manipulated the roots of rice seedlings, guiding them into the earth. The farmers watched in awe as the seedlings seemed to settle into the ground with less effort than usual.
By channeling chakra into their tools, he made sickles lighter and sharper, reducing the strain of harvesting. When the villagers moved to thresh the rice, he worked beside them, using more chakra to loosen the stalks and separate grains more swiftly.
Such help was given four days in a row. The work was still labourious, but it was less taxing, and they finished each day with much energy left to spare every time.
When night came, Arthur would do what he normally did: train.
Over the next week, he expanded his efforts. He focused on irrigation. Using chakra, he subtly reinforced the channels, sealing leaks and ensuring water flowed steadily. The villagers no longer needed to spend hours repairing broken dikes or hauling water manually. Instead, the fields remained flooded at optimal levels, and planting became smoother.
In the week following, Arthur turned to food processing. He used chakra to accelerate grinding grains and drying crops. His presence meant that villagers could process more food in less time, ensuring a surplus before the coming winter.
They noticed fewer injuries and less fatigue, a relief in their movements. More importantly, their storage units were gradually filling up after Arthur's stunt of destroying them.
As days passed, the villagers' routines shifted. Tasks that once took hours now took minutes. They marveled at the efficiency but said little, wary of seeming overly impressed. Arthur observed their reactions but kept his focus on the work.
That was because Emperor Ardian was nigh at watch to these things.
One day, the emperor approached him with a request. The country's granary was too small, and they needed larger storage for the upcoming harvest. To aid them further, Arthur used chakra to reinforce the wooden structure of the new granary they had begun building, thus strengthening the beams and joints.
When finished, it was sturdier than any they had built before. That meant it was now capable of holding a much larger stockpile.
In the final days, Arthur turned his attention to some of the more basic aspects of their chores: hunting and crafting. He guided a group of hunters, showing them how to track animals more efficiently in the environment.
They found game more easily, and the animals were less frightened, making hunting less dangerous and more productive. He also helped women and children process shells and bones for jewelry. By channeling chakra into their hands, they shaped and polished their materials faster, creating more ornaments than they had before.
Of course, all this chakra he was using wouldn't last in their possession, nor would it benefit them since no one here, save the monks, knew how to properly manipulate it.
When the weeks drew to a close, the village held a small gathering where elders expressed their gratitude. Their words would even reach the emperor's ears.
"Your help has changed our way of living," they would say.
"We are grateful. Your presence has profited us greatly."
Arthur remained humble throughout, not even offering them a smile for his work.
As he was about to leave the village that evening to go train, he was abruptly stopped by a monk, who stated that the emperor desired a meeting with him. Now Arthur knew that he had achieved his goal: favour with the emperor to gain influence in the land.
All this had been done with quiet effort.
It wasn't long until Arthur was once again in Ardian's presence. Today, however, it was just those two and the emperor's faithful steward, who stood next to Ardian sitting on the throne.
Arthur listened quietly as Ardian expressed his gratitude once again. The emperor's tone was a tad more than respectful this time as he made an expected request: he wanted Arthur to join him as a personal bodyguard and stand alongside Jigen and the monks who served the emperor directly.
It was an offer of high honour, but Arthur declined without hesitation. That made Ardian's face fall. He had hoped that, after everything Arthur had done, the young child might accept. Still, he pressed on, trying to understand.
"Tell me," he softly said, "what is it that you seek in return for your efforts? What would satisfy you? I am willing to give what I can."
"I need nothing in return, your majesty," replied Arthur humbly.
This response seemed to intrigue Ardian even more. How could such a person freely help the whole country without asking for anything? The emperor studied Arthur carefully, sensing there was more to the boy's words. Surely, someone with such power and independence had desires—something they aimed for beyond simple altruism.
That's not to say that an esteemed emperor did not at least wonder if perhaps Arthur was hiding something or if he truly was the simple wanderer he claimed to be.
What he recalled was that Arthur requested to dig the land. Yet what Ardian didn't know was that Arthur had secretly tried without anyone knowing, and the results came up short.
Before Ardian could press further, a guard burst into the room. The man was breathless, sweating, and clearly panicked.
"Your majesty!" he gasped. "Fujin… Fujin is coming here with an army and is headed directly to the estate as we speak!"
The room fell silent. Ardian's eyes widened in shock. Arthur's own interest piqued. It had been a while since he'd heard of Fujin's name.
"Why is this monk treading on neutral ground?" Ardian demanded.
"Fujin's land was partly destroyed," the guard answered, voice trembling. "He seeks new territory, and he's willing to fight for it."
The irony was not lost on Arthur in the slightest. It was he, after all, who had helped cause the destruction of Fujin's land—intentionally or not. Now his actions had set off a chain reaction.
"What shall we do, your majesty?" the guard anxiously asked.
Ardian was visibly shaken. His land had been peaceful for decades. No one had ever dared to invade it before. The idea of an attack was alarming. Then he heard Arthur say, "Leave Fujin and his army to me…"
When Fujin directed his attention to Arthur, he saw the face of a calm boy, whose expression did not waver. Even both the steward's eyes and the guard's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You…" Ardian stuttered, quickly rising from his seat. "No, you alone are not strong enough." Then he rushed to the guard. "Send for the monks at the neighbouring shrines! Send them letters of our need. We cannot let this invasion stand!"
He was about to give commands when he turned to Arthur and told him to stay where he was. But when Ardian looked back, Arthur was already gone. "Where did he go?!" Ardian asked the guard and the steward. Yet both looked equally puzzled.
✟
Elsewhere, Arthur was moving swiftly through the trees, leaping from branch to branch with ease. He was eager to see how much his strength had grown since arriving in this time period. Fujin was said to be formidable, possessing the Sharingan and other powerful techniques.
That meant Arthur might face a challenge.
But he also knew better than to rush blindly into a fight. Fujin's army was large, disciplined, and equipped with ninjutsu that could rival or surpass Jōnin from his time. If who's to say Fujin hadn't captured another Tailed Beast since they last met?
That would only be advantageous for Arthur.
Arthur's own strategy was simple: cut off the head, and the body would follow. He didn't need to defeat every monk. He only needed to eliminate Fujin himself. If he could do that, the rest would fall apart.
He paused on a branch, looking out over the approaching army's direction. Arthur had plenty of tricks up his sleeve that could turn the tide. But he also had a gut feeling that this fight would be different.
Fujin was no ordinary monk. Still, Arthur was confident. He had come this far by adapting and seizing virtually every opportunity in front of him. This confrontation should be no different.