Throne Room

"It's time," Hoshikaze declared to Brie.

Arthur had already teleported away as the scientist quickly packed her belongings. Kaito watched as Hoshikaze and the three other clones stepped forward in unison.

Purpose was in their eyes—a reflection of the shared purpose they all harboured.

They all then exited the laboratory.

When they entered a new room that resembled a throne room with tall curtains, their senses sharpened. The room was expansive, adorned with rich textures and bold colours, and it was dominated by a large throne at its center.

As the clones lined up around the chair, Brie positioned herself a few steps back. The scene created a commanding presence. They all just stood there as they prepared for the residents of Sun Stream Plaza to arrive.

Moments later, the doors swung wide, revealing the expected figures.

Koko, the monkey girl, bounded in first. Next came Ryūzetsu, followed closely by Tayuya, Rin, and Kimimaro, who entered with a quiet confidence.

Each of them took a measured moment to study Kaito, and as their eyes fell upon him, some muttered in reverence, "lord Arthur."

Kaito's body remained still. He had expected their reverence since no one save Koko and Brie knew what Arthur's real form looked like.

The room's atmosphere intensified as Tayuya became intrigued by the surrounding figures—especially at Hoshikaze. Throughout her time in this world, she had heard of Hoshikaze, a revered figure, and now she was standing before him.

When Kaito's silence persisted, Brie raised her hand, signaling for the attention of the gathered group.

"Please do not address Kaito as 'lord Arthur,'" she instructed in a firm tone.

"Why not?" Rin questioned, feeling confused.

Koko piped up, "Umm… daddy's real form is much better!"

Her naïve enthusiasm was enough to break any tension.

"Real form?" Tayuya asked as her eyes shifted from Kaito to Brie.

Kaito finally stepped up and faced the assembly.

"What you are looking at is a cloned version of me," he articulated. "My true self will appear when the time is right, and when he does, he will be seen sitting on that chair."

Kimimaro was the first to understand from having once served Orochimaru, who would frequently undergo different appearances.

"So, lord Arthur has assumed a new form," he acknowledged.

"Is that true?" Rin softly inquired as she glanced between Brie and Koko. "Have you both seen our lord in his true form?"

Brie and Koko exchanged a look. A shared understanding passed between them before they both nodded.

"That's a matter for another time," Brie replied, emphasizing the need for discretion.

Ryūzetsu, with his straightforward demeanor asked, "Can we see lord Arthur now?"

At that moment, Kaito returned to his position. Then the curtain that hung behind the throne unfurled and allowed light to flood into the room. A bright glow poured through the window, bathing everything in a golden hue.

Footsteps echoed, but as they turned to look, the figure that entered remained shrouded in the brilliance of the light, with their details obscured.

When the figure finally took a seat on the throne, only its silhouette became visible against the radiant backdrop.

"Is that you, my lord?" Rin called out with hope and uncertainty.

"From this moment forward," Arthur commanded. The sound of his voice rang out from the dark silhouette with authority that chilled and excited everyone in the room. "All of you will obey them…"

Kimimaro understood immediately. The "them" referred to the four clones surrounding the throne.

"What you see before you is me," Arthur continued. "They share the same mind and goals, so hearken unto their words, and all things will continue as they are."

If there was ever a moment to bow down, it would indeed have been now. However, those who knew Arthur understood one essential truth—he resented displays of subservience. The only being to whom one should bow was Jesus Christ, a creed Arthur held firmly in his heart.

In unison, they all said, "Yes, my lord!"

Later in the Water Country.

Kaito stood in an open field, flanked by Ryūzetsu. Before them lay three coffins, which were solemnly arranged on the earth. And looming over them was the Six-Tailed slug.

"Get ready," Kaito said.

With one motion, he kicked the lids off each coffin. They cracked open, revealing the lifeless bodies of notorious Sound ninjas: Jirōbō, Kidōmaru, and Sakon, alongside Ukon with his twin head nestled on the other side.

"Do it," Kaito commanded.

Ryūzetsu inhaled deeply, steeling herself for what she was about to do.

It had taken her significant time and effort to develop her resurrection technique. Unlike before, when she had been limited to reviving only one ninja at a time, she'd now honed her skills to revive as many as three in a single execution.

But with progress came challenges; each request drained her vitality, pulling her closer to death.

She began performing the hand signs required for her technique. Chakra pulsed around her as the chakra from the Six-Tails also coursed through her, amplifying her abilities.

She was acutely aware that this action would have significant repercussions, but the burning desire to fulfill Arthur's wishes outweighed all her concerns.

The air crackled with an intense energy that surged through the three corpses. In a shocking spectacle, arcs of light enveloped them, illuminating the area with a glow.

Kaito shielded his eyes momentarily against the brightness before focusing again on Ryūzetsu, whose face had grown increasingly strained as she exerted herself.

"Return now!" she called out.

Then the glow slowly faded before revealing the resurrected forms of Jirōbō, Kidōmaru, and Sakon. As their eyes opened, they were clearly confused.

But their awareness was short-lived; Ryūzetsu staggered, and her knees buckled under the strain before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.

Kaito could have always caught her, but he let her fall. Her technique had grown more powerful, but it drained her vitality with each use, leaving her vulnerable. Meaning, if she couldn't perform it again, she would be of no use.

Then, as if sensing the change in energy, the Six-Tails spoke with a playful, gurgling sound that rippled through the air: "And who are these ninjas?"

Kaito turned his attention back to the creatures before him, assessing their regained awareness.

"These are former members of a Sannin named Orochimaru," he said, keeping his tone neutral.

The Six-Tails let out a low, bubbling laugh as its body shifted. "Orochimaru? I don't even know who that is!"

The creature seemed amused, but Kaito scoffed lightly, unperturbed.

"How many more dead ninjas do you plan to revive?" the beast asked with amusement.

"At present? Just a few," Kaito answered.

But in truth, Arthur had plans to revive them in the hundreds!

As Ryūzetsu lay unconscious, Kaito performed the Flying raijin. Each coffin housing the Sound ninjas, including Ryūzetsu, was all teleported, leaving the scene with only the Six-Tails behind.

In an instant, the backdrop of the Water Country was replaced by the atmosphere of Sun Stream Plaza. They had materialized in the plaza courtyard. Ryūzetsu herself had been returned elsewhere.

Kaito then turned to Jirōbō, Kidōmaru, and Sakon as they exited their coffins. They had clearly not been conscious enough to have recognized that there was a Tailed Beast in their presence moments ago.

"Welcome back," Kaito said.

"Where are we?" Jirōbō grunted, shaking his head as if awakening from a long-held slumber.

"Sun Stream Plaza," Kaito replied. "You've been summoned to serve a new lord, and you're here to assist me and my allies so that your skills may be put to good use."

"New lord?" Kidōmaru incredulously repeated while glancing at Kaito and the others.

Sakon looked down at the ground before feeling the presence of his twin brother. The situation turned clearer as he asked, "So we're really back from… the dead?"

"Back and ready to work," Kaito insisted with an unyielding tone.

The silence that followed was heavy, as if they were processing the enormity of their new existence.

Kaito couldn't just see their rebellious eyes; he could also feel it. How many would just accept that they had died, only to be returned back and told they were going to be serving someone they'd never seen?

It's then Tayuya approached with a serious expression. She nodded her head in acknowledgment, having already been told about her task.

"Tayuya?" Kidōmaru spoke. "Is that y—?"

Before he could even ask, she let out a wave of chakra that made them kneel. The pressure was too much for them to bear, so they couldn't even move!

"Don't speak, stinking rats," she demanded.

What they didn't know was that Kimimaro and her were tasked to bring these individuals up to speed with the new subtleties of the plaza and the collective mission.

"Are we really trusting the likes of them?" she inquired, looking at Kaito. "They can't even stand this much."

Now it became clear just how effective Arthur's training was; he had increased Tayuya's skills so much that her former comrades couldn't even match her anymore. And these were considered Orochimaru's "elite" bodyguards!

It's then Kaito replied, "Ryugetsu will be in charge of mentally educating them with the Evil Illusion Flattery technique if they fail to obey."

"Good point," she conceded, glancing at the three. "And I assume Hoshikaze will be the one to improve their combat skills and familiarize them with their weapons again?"

"Exactly…"

It's then that Tayuya released her chakra, allowing them a moment of respite. They each gasped, wondering just what sort of situation they had gotten themselves into. Clearly they had questions, but deep down inside, they'd feel her force if they dared to speak out of line again.

Kaito unfurled a scroll from behind his back. It opened to reveal a beautifully crafted bow—nicely curved and sleek, a perfect weapon for an archer.

The craftsmanship was exquisite, reflecting both function and art while betraying an expertise that was rare in this part of the world.

"Looks like lord Arthur's made you a new weapon," Tayuya teased while smirking at Kidōmaru.

Little did she know that it was not he, but the clone John Belfort, who had crafted the bow.

As the former Sound ninjas marveled at its design, Kaito seized the moment to make his departure. He quietly slipped away to where he would need to report to Arthur on the results.

The throne room felt as much a sanctuary as a place of power. Arthur himself sat upon the throne with his fist resting against his chin while staring thoughtfully into the distance.

When Kaito arrived, his eyes fell upon the clone.

"It's quite resourceful to have real clones around the plaza now, isn't it?" Kaito began, catching the shift in Arthur's demeanour. "You're no longer burdened with handling every single task by yourself."

"Indeed," Arthur replied. "With the additional clones, my workload is halved, and productivity's doubled. Progress is happening at an exponential rate. But let's not lose sight of potential setbacks."

Most would have thought it strange or even creepy to be talking to a clone of themselves. Yet it was second nature to a man like Arthur.

Though these clones took different appearances, they were still him at heart. There was no need to worry or even think about acts of rebellion. Even if one of them were captured and interrogated, they each had a Flying raijin mark on them, solidifying their utmost obedience.

Then there was their level of skills. While they all carried the majority of their creator's techniques, they each understood not to use certain ones in public.

For instance, most of them, like Hoshikaze, could perform the Flying raijin, as that was how they were born. But not all of them could bring about the Uzumaki chains like Kaito.

How Arthur managed that was by removing certain cells during their creation.

John Belfort strictly adhered to water style and ice style; Kaito strictly fought with chains; Hoshikaze was more of a taijutsu and genjutsu specialist; and lastly, Ryugetsu excelled in smoke style and the Gift of the Hermit chakra.

"Are you ready?" he asked, sensing Kaito's willingness to dive into their next task.

Kaito firmly nodded as he answered, "I am…"

With a quick pulse of chakra, Arthur teleported both himself and Kaito to the outskirts of the Rain Village.