Chapter 103: Successor
Sitting in the opulent office of a grand castle was Arthur disguised as the affluent John Belfort.
He was seen hunched forward with his eyes closed and his arms resting on the desk. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting golden rays across the polished wooden desk where an article from the Leaf Village newspaper sat.
The headline read, "Traitorous Ninja Arthur Bennett Has Died in Battle."
His eyes skimmed over the printed words, detailing how ninjas from the Leaf Village had successfully taken down the traitor known as Arthur Bennett.
Despite the lack of a discovered body, various well-known figures testified to his demise, including the likes of Jasper Ōtsutsuki, Margaret Senju, Alice Yamanaka, Jada Uchiha, and William Uzumaki.
If there was ever a time to chuckle, it would be now. But Arthur often remained passive, knowing that his supposed death was only part of a grander scheme.
'Is this really the best they could come up with?' he mused, setting the article down. The audacity of believing in his death was a delightful twist of fate. 'Dead, untraceable, and... untouchable.'
It was a time to revel in the freedom of it all. Hiding in plain sight would be his sharpest weapon, a golden ticket that allowed him to roam this world unencumbered, evading the very hunters who once pursued him.
The truth couldn't be further from the fact.
Arthur had survived a life-threatening situation. Now he was currently in the safety of the country he owned, the Water Country. And not just anywhere in the country, but in the very castle that belonged to the current feudal lord.
Just then, he heard three knocks on his door before his secretary entered with a slight bow.