Chapter 176: Arthur Uchiha

Chapter 176: Arthur Uchiha

(Apollonia Morningstar POV)

I sighed, pushing aside my complicated feelings and reached for the Dragon Ball section. But a tag caught my eye: "Another latest work of the great exiled prince!"

Next to Dragon Ball sat a manga titled "Naruto."

"Hmm..." My curiosity won over, and I picked up the volume, opening to its first page.

As I flipped through and read, something inside me grew increasingly heavy. The protagonist, Naruto, was shunned by everyone around him.

No friends. Struggling with talent. Mocked by his classmates.

It hit too close to home - this was Arthur's story. My eyes began to blur with tears.

I could picture my brother hunched over his desk, pouring his own experiences into Naruto's character. The realization made my chest tight with regret, and tears started rolling down my cheeks.

"Are you okay?"

I'd been so absorbed in the story, so caught up in seeing Arthur in Naruto's struggles, that I hadn't noticed someone speaking to me.

After a moment, I managed a quick nod. "I'm fine."

Reading on, I reached the first Chapter's end - where Naruto refuses to give up and masters the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Then came his touching scenes with Iruka sensei, which only made my tears fall faster.

Without realizing it, I'd drawn a small crowd of concerned onlookers.

"Are you alright there, young lady?" The manga store owner approached carefully.

My hood slipped back, and suddenly the atmosphere changed. Recognition dawned on their faces, followed by immediate fear.

"Oh no, oh no!" The store owner dropped to his knees. "Please, Princess, forgive me for causing you distress!"

The panic spreading through the store made me laugh despite my tears. "It's fine," I assured him, wiping my eyes. "You did nothing wrong."

Relief washed over his face, and I could see others relaxing too.

"The manga just moved me deeply," I explained, then added, "Actually, I'd like several copies of Naruto. I want to share them with my siblings, if that's possible?"

"Of course, of course!" The owner nodded so vigorously he resembled a pecking chicken.

***

Plus, making my character an Uchiha opened interesting possibilities. A survivor of the massacre alongside Sasuke? The potential for awakening the Sharingan was too good to pass up.

"Arthur Uchiha" - it had a nice ring to it. The story practically wrote itself: another survivor carrying the weight of the clan's tragedy.

Of course, if the Creator's Realms didn't have such strict limits on background editing, I could've written myself as an unstoppable powerhouse. But the system only accepted reasonable storylines - an underdog Arthur Uchiha was the most I could manage.

The rules made sense though. Only when a fictional world proved successful in reality could you create a character with a more impressive background. And even then, any powers gained through manufactured backstory rather than actual effort couldn't be carried into the real world anyway.

With a final thought, my consciousness in the Creator's Realms faded, materializing into the Naruto world.

***

(3rd Person POV)

A gentle breeze swept through Konoha's streets under clear blue skies. The village buzzed with energy as young academy students anticipated their upcoming graduation ceremony.

Near the Academy, eager genin candidates clustered together. "Just think - by tomorrow we'll be real shinobi!" a spiky-haired student grinned, adjusting his goggles.

"Can't wait to start actual missions," his friend replied, practicing hand signs.

Away from the excitement, at the quiet training ground near the creek where sunlight danced on water, two boys stood apart from their classmates. Naruto and Arthur repeatedly attempted the basic Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique), their failures mounting with each try.

"Argh!" Naruto collapsed onto the grass after another failed attempt. "How am I supposed to graduate if I can't even make a single clone? Everyone else can do it..."

Arthur also kept attempting the jutsu, but with no success. 'I made this character too incompetent,' he thought ruefully, realizing his own physical strength and ki mastery hadn't carried over to this body.

But that made sense - he couldn't simply import powers gained from Dragon Ball into this world. This was a native body of the Naruto universe after all.

Interestingly, he could sense something similar to ki floating in the air here. He'd been trying to tap into it, but without any luck. The energy felt familiar yet responded differently than what he was used to. He just sighed and turned to Naruto.

The village's treatment of both boys hadn't helped their progress. Naruto faced constant scorn as the Kyuubi Jinchūriki, while Arthur endured suspicion as an Uchiha survivor. The village elders had done their work well, spreading whispers about the demon fox's destruction and the Uchiha clan's alleged treachery.

Seeing Naruto's frustration, Arthur spoke up. "Don't give up, Naruto." He managed a smile. "Maybe we're not naturals at this, but that doesn't mean we can't become Hokage."

It was a dream they shared - Arthur had written this goal into his character's story, knowing it would align him with Naruto's path.

"You're right!" Naruto jumped to his feet, fist raised. "I'll definitely become Hokage! Then everyone will have to acknowledge me!"

Arthur smirked. "You? Heh, sorry, but I'm going to be the one wearing that hat."

Naruto snorted, but his grin showed his appreciation for their friendly rivalry. "No way - that position's mine!"