Chapter 41: I Will Not Fail
The fire crackled merrily as he reviewed the other players.
William: strong, possessing the Rasengan. But Arthur had seen his uncoordinated movements firsthand. The man was a powerhouse in terms of strength but lacked the finesse of a true combatant.
Margaret: cunning and resourceful, with chakra-enhanced strength and an impressive regenerative ability. However, her taijutsu skills were lacking. Against an opponent like Sakura, she should have dominated, yet the fight had been prolonged. She wasn't built for close-quarters combat.
Alice: sweet and kind, but seemingly the weakest link. While she possessed excellent chakra control and a knack for throwing weapons, her overall skillset appeared limited—almost obsolete for this world's standards.
Alexander: an enigma, a walking cheat code. Not only did he wield the Byakugan, but his overall skill surpassed everyone else. Arthur suspected Alex harbored secrets deeper than anyone else.
Jasper: Unruly and power-hungry. What Arthur didn't like about his tactics was that he was doing it out in the open. He reminded Arthur of a young Sasuke, or perhaps a Vegeta, consumed by a desire for strength. Him awakening the Tenseigan wouldn't be a surprise, considering his character.
Jada: her Sharingan was incredible to witness first-hand, but the true threat lay in her ninjutsu. It dwarfed the others in destructive power. However, Arthur sensed her instability—a lack of control over her immense potential.
Lastly, Naruto: one of many other anomalies. Unlike the other NPCs, Naruto seemed to be evolving at an alarming rate, with his taijutsu growing noticeably stronger. Something was different about him that Arthur couldn't quite place.
It was like Naruto knew of the Nine-Tails' existence!
From what Arthur recalled, the main character wouldn't interact with the Nine-Tails until around this time. Even then, the two had a hate-love relationship. In exchange for escaping its seal, the Nine-Tails offered the boy its chakra, seeping him into emotional turmoil.
Say that William, a fan of the series, decided to spoil the main character early and tell Naruto everything. That would spiral the entire story out of synch. More so, Naruto would become a powerhouse NPC.