Chapter 26: Change The Path
Muscles glistened in the sunlight as Arthur finished his final set of push-ups. He was miles outside from any prying eyes, hidden amongst rough terrain within a secluded training ground.
After he finished, his solid form dissolved into a wispy cloud of smoke. His invisibility was almost flawless.
The afternoon sun was high above the academy building. Arthur drifted through the corridors and lodged himself in the cracks of the ceiling. It was a tight space, but his smoke form allowed him to both hear and see everything around him without raising an alarm.
What made this even better was that he could use the Chakra Disguise technique to disguise his chakra as that of a rat's.
From above, he saw Genin queuing to submit their applications. And just like he suspected, Teams 6, 7, and 9 arrived together. Team Guy was already here, and the scene was all but too familiar.
As things played out, an unexpected pattern occurred.
Rock Lee confessed his love for Sakura, which made William and Naruto laugh. But instead of challenging Sasuke like he was supposed to, he made a sharp turn, directing his youthful exuberance towards Alex!
"You there!" Lee spoke energetically. "I would like to fight you!"
A collective gasp rose from the players. This wasn't at all how the original story played out. Lee wasn't even supposed to challenge anyone until everyone left.
Neji, usually composed, expressed his uneasiness. "Lee," he said in an urgent tone. "Don't."
Lee paused to face him and said, "But, Neji, a challenge is a challenge! I want to test my skills!"