After the mission in the Land of Waves, Noah and the others were granted a long vacation.
For Noah, it was brutal. Kakashi had decided to actually fulfill his duties as a mentor. Even without a mission, their daily training was staggering.
Noah and Naruto didn't mind much-one had Holy Light to "refresh" instantly, the other had the Nine-Tails for healing. Sasuke, however, suffered. He relied purely on his own physical grit. Naruto wasn't doing much better; despite the Nine-Tails, his foundations were abysmal. Life wasn't easy for those two.
Noah didn't complain. The main reason was that Kakashi was clearly supporting him more now, providing a wealth of information on Earth and Water techniques. Noah had already learned much from Shisui, but there were always new tidbits to find.
Beyond that, something truly exciting happened: Noah got his hands on one of the most legendary techniques in the world-the Flying Thunder God Technique!
The scroll burned to ash after one reading, but Noah was ecstatic. He had been wondering how to get it.
"But... why give it to me?"
Noah was cautious, but after some thought, he figured it out. The technique was incredibly hard to learn. In history, only two people had mastered the full combat version. A testament to its difficulty.
It was also a Leaf secret technique, but Noah doubted many could learn it even if it were public. But that was for others, not him. He was already a master of spatial magic. In this universe, he just hadn't found the right "frequency" due to the different power system.
If he weren't worried about getting beaten up, or if he planned to leave the village, he might have tried to "research" Kakashi's eyes by force. Now that the gift was on his doorstep, he wasn't about to turn it down.
"Looks like I don't have to wait for Naruto to learn summoning so I can sneak a peek," Noah thought. "That wouldn't have worked anyway. I need to study it myself. Otherwise, I'd have just waited for Kakashi to summon his dogs."
With the Flying Thunder God Technique in hand, Noah entered study mode.
Honestly, it wasn't difficult. It was like a key that opened the door to spatial understanding in this universe. In just one night, he had regained his old feeling.
Now, Noah didn't have to worry about his safety. Actually, he wouldn't have died anyway, but dying would have been embarrassing.
"Basic movement is covered by the Body Flicker, and now I have the Flying Thunder God," Noah thought, tallying his abilities. "Defense is covered by the Spectral Knight. Dying and being embarrassed is officially off the table. However..."
Was just throwing kunai around going to be boring? And for real defense, that guy Obito had a better trick.
Thinking this, Noah began to adapt the Flying Thunder God Technique to this world's system. It wasn't hard; once the door to space was open to a spatial mage, everything became simple.
Time passed quickly, and the Mid-Level Ninja Exams slowly approached. Signs had been appearing for a while-more "outsiders" in the village, local ninjas returning from long-term missions.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, held an internal meeting asking team leaders if they recommended their novices for the exams. Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma all recommended their teams. This caused some friction with Iruka, but eventually, the Third approved the recommendations. The exams were officially scheduled.
Noah didn't care much about the exams themselves. To him, the only highlight would be Orochimaru's "Vile Reincarnation" show.
However, something unexpected happened.
One day, while heading to a meeting, Noah saw a boy in face paint grabbing a kid by the collar. Naruto and Sakura were standing nearby with two other kids, watching.
Noah felt a bit awkward. Sakura was in a different class now because of him; he wasn't sure how she was doing. But one thing was certain: the dynamic between Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura was still "He loves her, she loves him, and he loves him..." Complicated and hard to understand.
Glancing at Sasuke on the tree, Noah wondered if he should intervene. After some thought, he decided he should. The old man had just given him the Flying Thunder God Technique-whatever his motives, it was a huge benefit. Now that the old man's grandson was about to get smacked, it wouldn't look good if he just watched.
"Hey, you're from the Sand Village, right? I'd advise you not to cause trouble in someone else's village. This is the Leaf, after all. A misunderstanding wouldn't be good," Noah said, strolling over to the face-painted Kankuro.
"Misunderstanding?" Kankuro scoffed, ignoring Noah. "I don't think it's a misunderstanding. This brat bumped into me. He needs to pay."
"Do you know who he is?" Noah stroked his chin. "Also... do you want to die?"
Kankuro's expression soured, but a cruel grin soon appeared. He balled his fist and swung at Konohamaru.
Indeed, ninjas were stubborn. They didn't listen to reason. You had to beat them into a state where they actually considered what you were saying.
Noah's eyes narrowed, and an eerie power emanated from him. The next moment, Kankuro flew like a cannonball, crashing into a distant tree and shaking loose the leaves.
"Kankuro!" Temari cried out, turning. She hadn't seen the move. In the blink of an eye, the Leaf ninja had vanished and Kankuro was airborne.
"Still want to fight?" Noah stood where Kankuro had just been, arms crossed. He tilted his head slightly toward the tree. "The guy in the tree isn't you, Sasuke."
"Sasuke?" Hearing Noah, Sakura turned red and looked where he was pointing. Sure enough, Sasuke was there. But her expression soon changed. Behind Sasuke, a figure hung upside down.
"Sasuke, look out!"
The figure behind Sasuke was a youth with cold eyes, carrying a sand-filled gourd. His most striking feature to Noah was his lack of eyebrows and the symbol for "Love" on his forehead.
"G... Gaara." Temari froze like she had seen a ghost. If Kankuro hadn't been knocked out, he'd probably be reacting the same.
Gaara ignored Temari, focusing on Noah.
"Was it you who hit Kankuro?" he asked coldly.
"Yeah," Noah shrugged. Then, in the next second, he was behind Gaara, whispering, "You want to try too, kid?"
Gaara's eyes flickered, but he quickly regained composure. He didn't strike. Instead, he snorted.
"Temari, get Kankuro. We're leaving. We'll let them go for today."
"That's it?"
Noah knew exactly who this kid was and what he represented. But looking at him like this gave Noah a headache. Compared to Naruto and Sasuke, this kid was far more punchable. And "letting him go"? What a joke. With Noah's survival skills, a fight between him and Gaara would be far from one-sided.
Gaara looked back at Noah. His eyes seemed volatile, as if struggling to restrain something. Finally, he calmed. With a light hop, he joined Temari, who carried the unconscious Kankuro. The three walked away.
That's it? Noah stroked his chin. He had expected Gaara's personality to lead to an immediate brawl, but they just backed off.
Watching them leave, Noah didn't feel like staying either. Looking at the expressions on Sakura and Naruto's faces, he felt like a third wheel.
"I'll let them get back to their 'He loves her, she loves him, and he loves him' story," Noah thought, walking away. He left behind a group of impressed kids.
"I wonder how the time flows here. When I get back, I hope Hermione doesn't kill me."