"Go for it, Justin!" Nathan shouted as soon as the draw was announced. Noah gave a nod, adding his quiet encouragement.
Justin looked confident.
He didn't ignore their support-he gave a slight nod and jumped straight onto the stage.
Noah stroked his chin, amused.
"They're not even trying to hide it."
Many watching noticed, but no one called it improper. This was the Leaf, their home turf. Loyalty was expected. Besides, with a randomized draw, proving foul play would be impossible; questioning it would only make someone look petty.
Yet there was another possibility: the Leaf might suspect Yoroi was a spy and planned to use Justin to deal with him.
In the original timeline, Justin had been hindered by a cursed mark and couldn't unleash his full power, yet he still defeated Yoroi quickly. Now, he was different.
He hadn't met the Orochimaru-Noah had intercepted him-so he'd never been bitten or cursed. He was at full strength.
Yoroi stood no chance. And if Justin went all out, he could easily kill him.
Noah didn't warn him. Who knew what would happen if Justin "unnecessarily killed" a fellow village ninja in a preliminary match? Watching the Third Hokage on the balcony, Noah wondered if he was overthinking-or if online theories had biased him.
The match didn't last long. A full-throttle Justin easily knocked Yoroi unconscious without taking his life.
No surprise. Justin recognized the Leaf now, aside from his obsession with killing his brother and restoring his clan's honor. He wouldn't kill a fellow villager unless absolutely necessary.
The next matches were unremarkable.
It proved preliminaries were needed. The ninjas who survived the forest varied in strength. Some didn't belong on the grand stage; letting them advance would embarrass the village.
As matches continued, the right people moved forward, and the weak were weeded out.
By chance-or perhaps because Sakura wasn't there and Ino's chances against Noah were nonexistent-they spared the Yamanaka clan's pride.
Ino was paired with timid Hinata. The result? Another double knockout.
"This had to be rigged," Noah muttered.
There was no forehead-to-forehead strike this time, making the draw illogical. Still, it was for the best. The final matches would have been too brutal for these two girls. In the original story, they were eliminated anyway. This was kinder. At least Hinata wasn't beaten by Neji.
"So, what's next? Hinata's done. Who will Neji face? Probably some unlucky Sound Ninja."
Noah glanced at the three Sound Ninjas nearby. They looked rough.
After being sabotaged by Noah in the first phase, their trump cards were known, and the forest had beaten them down. They barely made it through, surviving as subordinates of the Orochimaru.
Ignoring them, Noah looked at the screen. Neji's opponent was one of those unlucky Sound Ninja.
Noah didn't need to watch.
How could an injured Sound Ninja beat a pristine Neji? Using his Byakugan and Gentle Fist, Neji sent the Sound Ninja straight to the hospital.
"Now what?" Noah wondered, arms crossed.
"Will I have to fight the 'Panda-eyes' (Gaara)?"
The answer came quickly: Noah vs. Lee.
Him? Noah watched Lee celebrate wildly with Guy, as if the match was already won. Anyone who knew them understood why. Lee wanted this fight-he respected the opponent.
"This is interesting... but if Lee is fighting me, I wonder who gets the Panda-eyes."
Noah glanced at the Sound Ninjas. Probably another of them.
The Grass Ninjas hadn't returned-likely wiped out by the Orochimaru. The Rain Ninjas were gone too. That left a few small-village ninjas. The Sound team was still intact, so the small-fry would be sacrificed if slots were tight.
But that wasn't Noah's concern. He focused on the present.
Facing Lee might be fun. Noah was his perfect counter. At least this time, Lee wouldn't have his bones crushed by Gaara.
With a glance at the arena, Noah instantly appeared in the center.
The audience froze. Even the Third Hokage's eyelids twitched.
"Competitor Lee, please enter the arena!" Hayate called out, regaining composure, though he doubted Lee's chances.
Lee had been so busy talking with Guy he forgot the match had started. He hurried down, apologizing to Noah, who had been waiting. He hadn't even noticed Noah enter the ring.
"My apologies!"
"It's fine."
Both were from the Leaf, and Lee wasn't a bad kid. Noah waved him off.
As Lee assumed an offensive stance, Noah smiled.
He knew everything about Lee. Unfortunately for the boy, Noah was his hard counter. Noah was too fast, now fully mastering spatial power in this universe.
"Your student looks confident, Kakashi," Guy said, approaching his rival.
"He's worthy, but he'll regret underestimating my student, even if he defeated Zabuza."
Kakashi, seeing Guy's teeth and thumbs-up, felt a cold sweat. He stepped back.
"Don't worry. Noah isn't underestimating him. He always looks like that."
"Always like that?" Guy mused. "I can't believe he defeated and persuaded Zabuza like that. Interesting."
Kakashi gave an awkward laugh. The Third had shared this during an elite meeting. Everyone knew Zabuza's reputation. For a fresh graduate like Noah to pull that off was terrifying.
That was without mentioning Noah's "First Clan" ancestry.
Even so, Noah was already famous among elites, though unknown to most. Leaders like Kakashi and Guy knew the Third was watching. For a common-born ninja to achieve this proved immense talent.
Perhaps the Third wanted to see this match himself.
The elite ninjas knew it. The Third watched silently, low-profile. His presence alone made every participant perform at their best.
The Third was curious.
Lee was young, relying entirely on physical arts, likely to inherit Guy's mantle.
Noah? Noah was more incredible-and inexplicable.