"Your hand-to-hand combat is truly... something else," Kakashi said as they walked, rolling his eyes at Noah. "And you're too reckless, trying to channel that much Chakra through a common weapon."
Noah didn't bother responding. He knew his own situation and didn't want to waste breath on Kakashi.
But it was true-he had been reckless. To ensure the blade's sharpness, he'd funneled Chakra directly into it. While this made the weapon more lethal, it also drastically shortened its lifespan.
There were countless weapon users in the ninja world, but few channeled pure Chakra through them. Kakashi was one of them; before he got the Mirror Wheel Eye as a child, he always used a short sword.
But that weapon had been an heirloom from his father. Would the blade used by the White Fang of the Leaf be some cheap junk? Even so, that specially-crafted blade had shattered. One could imagine how destructive Chakra was to a weapon.
As for letting Zabuza and Haku escape, Kakashi didn't mind too much. He himself had been stunned by Noah's bizarre tactics, let alone a rookie-
Damn it, this kid is not a rookie! Kakashi grumbled internally.
Although Noah had obvious weaknesses, his performance in other areas almost completely covered them. Think about it: even if your combat skills are top-tier, how do you defend against a guy whose speed is terrifyingly fast?
To be honest, if Noah's hand-to-hand skills weren't so garbage-practically useless-Kakashi would have suspected he was his old mentor reincarnated. That terrifying speed and impossibly skilled Body Flicker were truly comparable to his teacher in his younger days.
As for Noah using a Water Clone? Kakashi assumed Shisui had taught him that. He didn't believe Noah could actually copy techniques like he had the Mirror Wheel Eye. But the kid was sharp; he'd thought to detonate a clone to strike the enemy in such a short window. Even Kakashi might not have thought of that.
Battle IQ was very important. Someone with high battle IQ could take down a much stronger opponent. Of course, there was a prerequisite: the gap in strength couldn't be too ridiculous. If it was too large, no amount of smarts would matter.
"By the way, Mr. Hatake, what's our next move?" As they neared Tazuna's home, Noah suddenly asked.
"Our mission was to escort him home, right?"
"Yes," Kakashi nodded. "Strictly speaking, we have completed the mission."
"How can you say that! Mr. Hatake, Noah!" Naruto might be thick-headed, but his mind moved fast sometimes. "If we just leave, and those two ninjas come back, Mr. Tazuna and the others will be in trouble."
"Oh? I didn't expect you to be that smart, moron," Sasuke said, tilting his head at Naruto. "But our mission is finished. It's perfectly normal for us to leave now."
"But, but..."
"All right, Naruto. Let's hear Noah's thoughts." Kakashi immediately silenced Naruto. He wanted to see what decision Noah would make. Leaving wasn't an option; this was a test. He also wanted Naruto and Sasuke to get some action. Otherwise, the trip would have been zero-yield, just a stroll in the woods-which didn't fit Kakashi's plan.
"Actually, Tazuna's worries come from one person: Gato," Noah said, rubbing his chin. "Zabuza is injured and won't be able to attack again for a short while. We can use this time to do something."
"Do what?" Naruto blinked. "What do you plan on doing?"
"You idiot!" Sasuke snapped. "Are you really that dumb or just acting? You were so quick a second ago, and now you're a complete moron?"
"Damn it!" Naruto shot back. "You're the idiot!"
Noah sighed. These two had a weirdly ancient dynamic. Was this what they called a "bromance"?
Shaking his head, Noah laid out his plan. It was simple: while Zabuza recovered, they would raid the enemy's base. No matter how rich or notorious Gato was, he was just an ordinary man.
As for his men? Zabuza was out of commission. Aside from a few wandering rogue ninjas, most were just armed thugs and low-lives. No matter how many there were, they couldn't threaten Noah and the others.
It would also be a good chance for Naruto and the rest to learn how ninjas actually execute a mission.
Several benefits followed. First, if Gato died, Zabuza's contract would be void, meaning he'd have no reason to bother Tazuna anymore. Second, Gato was a tycoon-filthy rich! If Noah and the others raided him, they wouldn't just solve the threat to Tazuna and the village; they could also recover the mission fees that Tazuna owed the Leaf Village.
Kakashi and the others were stunned by Noah's words, especially Sasuke and Naruto. They hadn't thought about doing it that way, and it seemed incredibly effective. Involuntarily, Naruto and Sasuke turned their gazes to Kakashi, eyes full of longing.
Kakashi's lip twitched. Personally, he was against the proposal. Raiding an enemy base was dangerous, especially without specific intel-heaven knew who else might be there. But seeing the looks in their eyes, he thought about it and decided it wasn't impossible.
There was one key factor in this squad: Noah. He was strong-really strong. If he and Noah teamed up, it was like an elite ninja paired with another genius. This combination was usually reserved for high-difficulty missions-the elite ninja protects the genius while the genius gains experience and builds their resume. With this pairing, they could pull off the task.
Thinking this, Kakashi decided it was worth considering. But first, they needed to rest and refit.
Though Kakashi hadn't fainted-in fact, Noah suspected that fainting in the original story had been largely an act-he was indeed tired. After observing them, Kakashi had a general idea of Naruto and Sasuke's strengths and weaknesses. Before executing the mission, he planned to give the two brats some special training. It might not work miracles, but it would make their weaknesses less glaring.
Basic training like water-walking and tree-climbing had already been completed thanks to Noah, but a ninja's training went beyond that. Naruto and Sasuke had complaints, but after Kakashi lured them with, "Don't you want to be as strong as Noah?" they gave in immediately.
Meanwhile, Noah, once again the "golden child" others were compared to, wasn't idle. Kakashi's instruction for Noah was stricter than for Naruto and Sasuke. Since they were doing basics, Noah wouldn't. It would be pointless.
Although Kakashi didn't know exactly how many techniques Shisui had taught Noah, it didn't stop him from teaching things Shisui hadn't-like swordsmanship.
"I'm telling you, can we not waste time on something impossible?" Noah said, holding a brand-new short sword and looking at Kakashi with a speechless expression. "I know my own combat skills. You don't need to waste your breath."
"I'm just curious. Since your speed is so high and your strength isn't weak, how can your combat skills be this bad?" Kakashi rubbed his chin. "Also, your Chakra reserves seem a bit excessive."
"Born with it," Noah rolled his eyes. Then blue Chakra erupted from the blade in his hand.
"Are you sure you want me to attack?"
"Let's see your top speed," Kakashi nodded, revealing his Mirror Wheel Eye. "To carry out a mission like this, we must be aware of everything that could happen before we have clear intel-like whether there are other powerful ninjas besides Zabuza."
There weren't. Do you think this is a fanfiction where Raiga Kurosuki is going to show up?
Noah didn't refuse. He'd been holding back for a long time and wanted to see the limit of his Body Flicker. To reach it, he first had to use one of his other abilities-Holy Light or Dark Energy. Using these two powers to complement his top speed was the best choice.
Noah usually used Dark Energy to fake the Mirror Wheel Eye's power, and his body's passive effects mostly came from Holy Light, so the decision was easy.
He quietly channeled the Holy Light hidden in his body. When it merged slightly with his Chakra, he activated Body Flicker.
Kakashi was already on guard, but a second later, his eyes widened in horror. He could only capture a few blurry afterimages, even with his Mirror Wheel Eye active.
"This-this speed!"
"Urgh..."
"What's wrong?"
"Too fast... I wasn't ready... My stomach doesn't feel so good now..."