As Arthur continued to move along the castle walls in his smoke form, the patrolling guards were oblivious to his presence.
He glided along the battlements, eventually reaching the courtyard. Then he coalesced back into his physical form.
He had already assessed his surroundings, noting the patrol patterns of the guards. So using the guards passing by as cover, he swiftly moved to one of them and mimicked their actions at a close distance while they were having a conversation.
One guard paused to speak with his colleague, grumbling about their increasingly rough shifts.
"Ugh, these hours just keep getting worse," he complained, scratching his head in frustration. "I've had to deal with those prisoners screaming all night long. Haven't we had enough of this nonsense?"
"Yeah, I hear ya," his companion replied. "But what can we do? Orders are orders. Just keep your head down and watch your back, especially with the new ones we've got locked up. Ya never know what kind of tricks these guys are hiding."
Arthur was positioned directly behind the guard, to the point he could almost feel the fabric of the man's clothes. Yet the guards continued to talk, unaware of the fact that he was right there.
As the guard finally trekked forward, Arthur moved, mimicking his every motion as if he were the guard's shadow.
Then, he slipped elsewhere while remaining undetected.
"Did ya hear something?"
"Here what?"
The guard scanned the darkness, unable to see anyone. "I guess it was just my imagination."
Elsewhere, Arthur maneuvered around the courtyard while using the guards' movements against them. Not a single footfall echoed his presence, and the shifting shadows served as his cloak. Even the lights, despite shining on him, didn't raise any alarms.
Finally, after evading multiple guards, he approached the barricades where the most dangerous inmates were held.
Arthur truly had not needed to do this, but it helped in preserving his chakra.
Knowing which block and cell to locate, he neared the area where Tayuya was confined.
Just what was so special about this kunoichi that he decided to spend time looking for her? Did he find her pretty? Not even close. Was there any attraction that he could foster? God forbid.
Her story was as average as it got, and he remembered quite a lot about her.
Tayuya was depicted with themes of survival, loyalty, and the complexities of personal relationships against the backdrop of conflict. She could honestly be dissected into several dimensions.
As far back as her profile went, she was originally a prisoner of Orochimaru alongside the other Sound Four, forced into death matches against one another.
Only those who emerged victorious were recognized for their strength in that hideout. And after proving her capabilities, she became one of the elite bodyguards of that snake.
Their loyalty to him was further complicated by the imposition of Kimimaro as their leader, which contradicted much of Orochimaru's ranking system.
Last Arthur recalled, she was personally characterized by her abrasive nature, being a sharp-tongued individual, often blunt and foul-mouthed.
Despite being belligerent, her teammates tolerated her insults with mild irritation. Her masculine demeanour was once contrasted in her fear of Kimimaro after acknowledging his superior strength.
Of course, she did begrudgingly show respect for those who were worthy of it.
In terms of abilities, she used both ninjutsu and genjutsu skills that revolved around sound. Her weapon was her flute, which Arthur verified was already confiscated by the Leaf Village.
All of these facts were mainly remembered thanks to Jirōbō's memories.
The only thing Arthur liked about her, if 'like' was the right word to use, was that she embodied the struggles of loyalty in a world governed by power.
A moment later, Arthur paused by her cell block.
He could barely see her through the bars amidst the darkness: fair skin, slender build, and short stature. She almost looked like a caged beast had he not recognized her untamed dark pink hair.
Even now, she still bore the curse mark.
'Transformation jutsu…'
Tayuya's eyes opened wide, having not expected anyone to come by. "Who's there?!"
"Who else would it be?" Arthur hissed.
"K-Kaito?!"
There were no guards around, and they most certainly weren't scheduled to come to the cells this late. The blocks were also separated, preventing other inmates from either seeing or hearing them.
"Indeed," he answered. "You seem a little perturbed…"
Her initial shock turned to resignation. "You're a prisoner here, too, huh? Figured… You should just accept your fate like the rest of us." Arthur stepped closer, allowing his full presence to be seen. And when she saw that his arms were free from any chains, she was shocked. "You…! You're not cuffed?!"
"So you still have a little semblance left in that head of yours?" Walking forward, his entire frame slipped through the bars, leaving a faint trail of smoke behind. "Now, turn around…"
Tayuya clearly had questioned. But she knew better than to defy the man in front of her, so she obeyed and faced the wall, unsure of what he was planning.
'Tiger, snake, horse, ram, tiger, hare, rat… Curse unsealing jutsu.'
After weaving the appropriate hand signs and placing a palm directly over her neck, an ominous chakra pulsed between them. Then, her curse mark flared brightly as a small, white snake emerged.
"What did you do?!" she asked, turning around in shock.
The snake twisted and coiled, seeking an escape. But in an instant, Arthur drew a kunai and severed its head.
Tayuya was wide-eyed.
Arthur then knelt, collecting its remnants and storing it inside a sealed scroll.
To be quite fair, he wasn't too sure if this would have worked or not.
The Curse Unsealing technique was only used once by Sasuke three years from now on Anko Mitarashi to revive Orochimaru.
Arthur himself didn't have an eidetic memory to recall what the hand signs were, so he had learned it from the Leaf Village prior to coming here.
That white snake earlier was essentially a piece of Orochimaru. Left unchecked, it could possibly make its way back to its creator and relay what it had witnessed here.
Granted, the chances of that were significantly low due to the prison's environment.
"Let's talk about how you failed as Orochimaru's subordinate," Arthur began.
"Huh?"
"You believed you'd amount to something greater, didn't you? But here you are, behind bars, forgotten by him."
"I—"
"Orochimaru no longer needs you, girl. Not when he has others that are far stronger to choose from." Her expression hardened, but as his words penetrated her pride, a crack began to form. "You let him down, just like you let yourself down."
"I didn't fail!" she protested, but he could hear the veneer of the conviction in her voice. "I gave everything I had!"
"Did you now? Do you think that serving a master who will toss you aside when you become a liability is worth it all?"
"But—"
"You've sacrificed so much for a man who forgets your name the moment you become useless."
"Shut your mouth!" she finally shot back. "You don't know anything about me!"
"Oh, but I do…" Then he leaned in closer. "You know the trust more than anyone." When she looked away, he backhanded her across the cheek, sending her to the ground. "Consider that your wake-up call, little girl… Orochimaru never once cared for you, and now I'm here to break you free."