After Arthur finished reading, he couldn't help but think how the Yamanaka clan had long been revered for their exceptional mind techniques. Hence, most of their abilities were considered secret. Now that same ability, the ability to forge a direct mental bridge with another's mind, was now in his possession.
The technique was really about connection, and he understood that the ramifications of perfecting the art could be monumental.
But first, he needed to test it.
Since revealing himself to be alive would raise questions, he wouldn't test this newfound skill amongst the villagers. Too many eyes wandered the streets of arguably one of the most fortified villages.
So, after a moment of contemplation, he teleported out of the village and returned to the Water Country.
Anything he did here would be a lot quieter than in the Fire Country. And the chances of encountering a wandering passerby were greater since he understood his country's layout better than most.
So he ventured for hours along the misty landscape until a figure caught his eye: a man, seemingly lost in thought as he walked along the edge of a forest.
With stealth and precision, Arthur shadowed him by staying hidden. Then, when he saw his moment, he performed the correct hand signs.
'Psycho mind transmission jutsu…'
Some chakra coalesced around the man's very mind, and before the man knew it, a sharp pain darted through his consciousness. Then his world faded to black.
Moments later, the unsuspecting passerby awoke—but to an entirely different scene. He found himself sprawled upon a barren, desolate wasteland as the sun burned overhead.
One moment, he was in a misty forest. And now he was in a wasteland?
Panic began its ascent through his veins as he took in the vast emptiness surrounding him. All he could see were the reflections of shimmering heat warping the horizon.
"How did I get here?!" he muttered under his breath.
Suddenly, Arthur stepped forward and stood only a few feet away. Yet he wasn't at all visible to the man. Intrigue whispered through Arthur as he watched the man continue to panic.
A moment passed, and apprehension morphed into instability as the man's breath hitched in his throat. He was in a desert, so he believed, and the idea was finally making him paranoid. Then, as if on cue, he crumbled to the sandy floor and lay there unconscious.
The landscape then twisted and distorted by shifting from barren dunes to grasslands adorned with flowers once more. The breeze returned, but in truth, it had never left—the man simply couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't.
Arthur walked away from his unsuspecting host as he had a fascinating juxtaposition of the experiments he was conducting.
The man would eventually wake up to see the misty forest again.
Arthur, however, was displeased by the results. That was because it felt more like he was using a regular genjutsu. Not once could he even see into the man's mind like the scroll led him to believe.
No, something was wrong. A mere passerby with no chakra control had proven to be too weak. That meant Arthur knew he needed a stronger subject.
So he teleported again, this time to the Mist Village.
As the familiar sensation of being pulled through dimensions subsided, he stood amidst thick fog.
He had hardly ever traversed here on account that this was one of the Five Ninja Nations. Their ninjas were a lot more clever. Albeit, this was still his hidden village, one in which he could command Mei Terumi at any time if he pleased.
After disguising himself, he found a corner of the academy where young students trained. They were throwing kunai and practicing hand signs in the thin air. So he crouched behind an outer wall, scrutinizing their forms, hoping for a promising candidate.
'They all seem to be below normal Genin…' he thought.
After several minutes, he caught sight of a particularly gifted boy; his chakra presence was robust, clearly showing his innate potential.
Arthur didn't recognize him, so he waited patiently for the right moment to arise.
When class finally ended, the students dispersed, and Arthur followed the boy from a distance until they approached a secluded area.
Bang!
A single strike to the back of the head by Arthur, and the boy slumped over. No one had seen it.
Using the Flying raijin, Arthur then transported the boy and himself to a remote clearing beyond the village fringes.
Once there, he cast a genjutsu that cloaked the clearing. Then he watched as the boy stirred, awakening in confusion and fear.
'Psycho mind transmission jutsu…'
The boy's eyes quickly glazed over, revealing confusion that soon turned into a haze.
Now came the tricky part because when performing this technique, it was like a swimmer diving into an expansive ocean. The thoughts of the boy began to surface like ineffable streams flowing into Arthur's own mind.
"Gosh, where am I?" the boy's consciousness said.
A barrage of imaginings then cascaded all around like diamonds under the sun. There were layers of memories of friends, of laughter, and of playful pursuits. Everything unfolded like a cinematic reel.
Unlike the first man, this boy was like an open book, allowing Arthur to read every page in mere seconds. He suspected that it was because this boy could at least manipulate chakra, which served as a bridge to see into his mind.
Yet something felt inherently wrong: the boy was fighting back.
"Who are you?" he heard the boy's voice echo.
Arthur grasped for control by urging his internal connection to deepen further. So he added more chakra and felt it flow through him as he pierced deeper into the boy's mind.
Impressions shifted into sharper clarity as the boy's fears flashed like a thundercloud that loomed over him.
"Argh!" he screamed.
Then there was silence.
Arthur had regained full control. Despite all this, something was still wrong. This was not how the Psycho Mind Transmission technique worked.
Arthur suddenly found himself veering away from the telepathic culmination he sought. What transpired next was something entirely different: vivid, colourful bursts of the boy's past unfolding like a story draped across a movie screen.
It was an unexpected revelation, but he understood something the more this technique commenced. Where thoughts should have been dispersed, figures morphed, and soft pastel scenes continued with clashing urgency.
They were but moments of little significance carved persistently into silence: the boy's heartbreak from a lost pet, scrapped plans of getting to the top of the academy, and innocent puzzles swirling amidst clouds of impending responsibility.
It was quite a lot for Arthur to keep up with.
So he pulled back and felt a strange sensation wash over him as clarity sank in.
'That was not the psycho mind transmission jutsu,' he thought. 'No, that was its variant, the eye my reading jutsu…'
The Eye Mind Reading technique was a technique only ever used by one character named "Hanare." She was also a filler character.
From what Arthur knew about her, it was that she was a skilled kunoichi from Jōmae Village. Her past was never expanded on, and her motivations were often difficult to distinguish. Despite her solitary nature, she possessed a deep sense of loyalty and a willingness to sacrifice for those she cared about.
Three years from now, she would be driven by a desire to gather information and protect her unspecified village. This would cause her to attempt an infiltration of the Leaf Village.
However, her encounter with Kakashi Hatake led to a surprising turn of events. Kakashi's kindness and understanding touched her heart, awakening feelings she had long suppressed.
Their interactions revealed a softer side to the vulnerability she had carefully concealed. Despite her efforts to remain detached, she eventually found herself drawn to Kakashi and developed romantic feelings for him.
Torn between loyalty to her village and her growing affection for Kakashi, she ultimately chose love, leading her to sacrifice her own well-being for the sake of the village she had come to call home.
Hanare's story was one many fans felt should have been expanded on. Mainly due to the fact Kakashi, a well-favoured character, now had potential for a romantic interest. Her journey from a solitary spy to a dedicated member of the Leaf Village community also proved that the two could have been a couple.
Perhaps in this world, they could meet again and possibly become lovers.
But did Arthur bother with such trivial matters as love interests? Not even close; he was more focused on perfecting as many of the strongest techniques as this world had to offer.
And right now, he was annoyed. The Eye Mind Reading technique was not as potent as the Psycho Mind Transmission technique.
As such, he allowed the boy's memories to fade back into the depths of his subconscious as he dispelled the jutsu. He then gazed down at the boy, still entranced by the recesses of sleep.
The skill he had originally craved was just out of reach, but this could suffice for now since he could now peer clearly into someone else's mind.
With the last reserves of chakra swirling within him, he returned the boy exactly to where he knew he resided.
✟
Back within his hotel room, Arthur was contemplating his experiences.
Meetings with political heads, documents being signed left and right, and a newly acquired technique—today was well spent. Soon, he would set his sights on none other than Sasuke Uchiha.
Granted, he couldn't contact that Uchiha directly. Those close to him were more or less monitoring the world's second main character with diligence. Yet that didn't mean Arthur couldn't influence things from the shadows like he always has.