Noah's claim of being bad at martial arts was hard to believe, yet it was the truth.
He didn't see any shame in it. Admitting a weakness was fine; stubbornly denying it was the real problem.
Still, given his speed and reaction time, nobody was buying it. How could someone that fast not be a specialist?
Kakashi assumed the kid was just trying to save his teacher's face, which only made him more frustrated. The entire battle had been an exercise in annoyance.
As an Elite Ninja, using high-level combat techniques against his own students was more than just embarrassing.
And as an Elite of the Leaf who had seen too much tragedy, he had sworn never to turn his full lethality on his own kind. Because of this, he had only used the Water Dragon to counter Noah's, relying otherwise on clones and basic combat. He hadn't even uncovered his special eye.
Yet this obscure kid not only had an absurd amount of energy but was also lightning-fast.
Most importantly, he was a Sensory Ninja. He could pinpoint Kakashi's location with ease and possessed a freakish level of insight-telling real from fake almost instantly.
It felt a lot like fighting someone with the Eye Technique, yet the kid's eyes were normal, and there was no trace of Uchiha blood in his lineage.
Looking at the bells in the boy's hand, Kakashi didn't know what to say. He had intended to ask how Noah would divide the two bells among the three of them. But now, he didn't feel like making things difficult anymore.
Noah's performance had exceeded every expectation. Kakashi was already wondering how he was going to train a kid like this.
He simply declared, "You pass," and walked away.
The move left even Noah a bit stunned.
"That's it?" Noah looked at the bells, puzzled. "I thought he'd ask about the distribution. I had a whole speech ready."
Noah felt a bit played. He'd put real thought into the moral dilemma. But looking back, he realized the question would have been redundant. The moment Naruto acted foolishly and he and Sasuke stood by him, the team had already demonstrated the "character" Kakashi was looking for.
As for strength? It wasn't the priority. Kakashi probably hadn't expected them to show much anyway.
But then Noah had pulled this stunt. A Body Flicker of that caliber was enough to make even an Elite Ninja take notice. Rare, if not unique, for someone of that age. And being from a commoner background made one think of a certain other person.
Between the energy reserves and the technical skill, Kakashi decided that instead of wasting time scaring them, he'd let them go so he could report this to the Third Hokage immediately.
Noah figured as much. They had passed; there was no need to dwell on it.
"Wait, we passed?" Naruto was still dazed. "But I didn't do anything!"
"Idiot," Sasuke snapped at the dim-witted Naruto, though his gaze lingered on Noah with a complex expression.
Sasuke was feeling a whirlwind of emotions. When he had been downed earlier, he'd watched as Noah tried to protect them while facing Kakashi. He had felt hopeless. He'd even thought that being sent back to the Academy was so shameful he'd rather just end it all.
But then Noah had actually held his own against an Elite Ninja and swiped the bells. Sasuke was relieved not to be a failure, but he was also ashamed. As an Uchiha, he'd essentially been carried to a passing grade without doing a single thing.
"Guess we passed," Noah said, tossing the bells into the water and stretching. "Let's go. Why are we still here? Sasuke, as the wealthy Uchiha heir, shouldn't you be treating us to a celebratory meal?"
"You..." Sasuke didn't know how to respond. The guy was a massive headache. After a moment, he nodded. His father had told him to make nice with his classmates, especially his future teammates. Even if he wasn't thrilled about Noah constantly outshining him-or about being stuck with an idiot like Naruto-Sasuke was still a "good kid" at heart. For all his brooding, he followed directions.
"Is that so?" In the Leader's office, the Third Hokage puffed on his pipe, looking at Kakashi. "To get such high praise from you... this kid really is something else."
"He's far from simple, Lord Hokage," Kakashi said seriously. "His insight, his use of the Body Flicker, and his grasp of techniques are incredible. He's surpassed every peer his age. All he lacks is experience."
Just as Noah suspected, Kakashi had gone straight to the Third to report. Noah felt a bit too powerful to ignore. His record was too clean-if it hadn't been so perfect, Kakashi would have suspected he was a foreign spy.
Ever since the fall of the shadow organization "Root," many of their dark secrets had come to light. Using war orphans as spies was one of their common tactics, and those spies usually met grisly ends. The Leaf had mostly stopped the practice, a decision supported by the majority of the Elite Ninjas.
Noah's sudden brilliance made Kakashi wary of those old ways; he had to be careful.
"You're worried about him, aren't you?" the Third smiled dismissively.
"Actually, I only learned the boy's secret yesterday. It involves someone... someone who is supposed to be dead."
"Someone?" Kakashi frowned.
"Lord Hokage, if it's classified..."
"It's fine. You should know," the Third sighed. "Everyone else, out. I need to speak with Kakashi in private."
"Yes, sir." At the command, several masked guards appeared, bowed, and vanished.
Kakashi's headache was getting worse. It seemed none of his three students were simple. Naruto was the son of the Fourth-his own mentor-and a living weapon. Then there was the son of the Uchiha head. And now the "simplest" one was turning out to be a mystery too.
"Tell me, do you remember Shisui Uchiha?" the Third asked slowly once they were alone.
Kakashi's eyes widened. If Noah had been there, he'd have been stunned too. Very few people knew Shisui was still alive.
"Shisui... 'Shisui of the Body Flicker'?" Kakashi regained his composure. "Wasn't he killed by Itachi?"
"No, it wasn't Itachi who attacked him," the Third sighed. "It was Danzo."
"This..." Kakashi was reeling. "What happened?"
The Third puffed his pipe and slowly explained the events of years ago. Enough time had passed, and as more of Danzo's crimes were exposed, the Third was perhaps looking to distance himself from them. He chose to tell the truth. He spoke of Danzo's views on the Uchiha and the tragedy of Shisui.
The news left Kakashi dazed. He knew the village and the Uchiha had been in a mess back then. As the Third explained, Kakashi finally understood: Itachi had saved Shisui and decided to use Shisui's influence to salvage the relationship between the village and the clan.
As for the attack on Danzo, it was because Danzo had stolen Shisui's eye-an eye required for a specific technique. Itachi's "betrayal" was part of a mission the Third didn't intend to elaborate on.
"I see," Kakashi nodded. "Did Itachi tell you all this?"
"Yes, he gave us the intel on Shisui," the Third confirmed. "He asked us not to disturb Shisui, who wanted to live in peace and protect the Leaf from the shadows. Shisui's technique worked, and that's why the Uchiha are what they are today."
Kakashi nodded. He knew how strong Shisui was, and the village certainly owed him. Leaving him alone was only fair. But he was still confused.
"What does Shisui have to do with Noah?"
"They are likely master and apprentice," the Third sighed. "The boy's sensory abilities are so sharp he can bypass our surveillance. If I hadn't accidentally caught him using a raven to send a message to Shisui last night, I never would have made the connection!"