"Finally... graduation day."
Noah yawned and slumped forward on his desk, chin resting on his arms, eyes half-lidded as he waited for Iruka and Mizuki to call his name.
Five years.
Just like that, they were gone.
Back then, after parting with the two Uchiha, Noah had returned home without any particular ceremony. He already knew he wouldn't see them for a long time.
And one of them might never be seen again.
About three months later, the village exploded with news.
Itachi Uchiha had assassinated a high-ranking official, clashed with the Hokage, and defected.
Noah had been stunned-briefly.
Danzo dying was expected. That part made sense.
What didn't make sense was the rumor that the Third Hokage had personally fought Itachi because of his "loyalty" to Danzo.
A few days later, Noah understood.
It was a performance.
A show staged for certain people.
Itachi's "defeat," his "betrayal," his flight from the village-every step had been calculated.
Shisui was the one who told Noah.
He didn't say much. He didn't need to.
The "certain people" were Obito.
And Itachi had entered Akatsuki as a spy.
Noah suspected that during that performance, the Third might not have been acting entirely.
He might have truly tried to kill Itachi.
When Shisui came to see Noah afterward, he looked terrible.
His eyes were dull, unfocused-almost blind.
Overuse of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
To Noah, that problem barely registered.
Unfortunately, Shisui refused help.
"The conflict is over," he said. "I don't need those eyes anymore."
Noah scoffed but didn't press the issue.
He respected personal choice.
And as long as Shisui didn't act recklessly, the Leaf would remain stable for a while.
Besides, Shisui still carried Noah's Holy Light within him.
As long as Noah didn't activate it to annihilate him, that power could deal with most "minor" issues.
Sometimes Noah wondered how he'd become a portable power bank for Uchiha fanatics.
Holy Light healed flesh and spirit-but restoring ocular power?
Was eye power tied to life force?
Noah couldn't figure it out, so he stopped trying.
With an elite jōnin personally guiding him, Noah wasn't about to waste the opportunity.
Over the next five years, his days were split cleanly.
Academy during the day.
Holy Light and Darkness research at home.
With Shisui's help, Noah successfully learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
At first, Shisui refused to teach him.
"You should make friends," Shisui said. "Form bonds."
Noah stared at him.
"I'm not learning anything at school."
"As for bonds... I don't relate to these kids. How exactly am I supposed to bond with them?"
That argument landed-but didn't close the deal.
What finally convinced Shisui was Noah's next line.
"I want to use Shadow Clones to study multiple fields at once."
That did it.
From that day on, Noah's efficiency skyrocketed.
At first, he left a clone at home and went to school himself.
Later, he got bored.
The clone went to school.
He stayed home.
With his absurd chakra reserves, splitting it in half was nothing.
Mental strain?
Ridiculous.
One Shadow Clone meant nothing to him.
Even if ten thousand clones popped at once, Noah was fairly sure he could tank it.
Dormammu had been very generous in that regard.
At night, Shisui trained him.
Though officially a wandering ghost, Shisui still knew the Uchiha district inside and out. Sneaking in was trivial.
That gave Noah access to an absurd amount of material.
Shisui was a good teacher.
Elemental Ninjutsu, tactics, movement-he was solid. Not a "Professor" like the Third, but comfortably at a master's level.
There was only one problem.
Noah's Taijutsu was awful.
Not "below average."
Not "needs work."
Awful.
The kid had terrifying physical stats and chakra reserves that made no sense, but his close-combat technique was painful to watch.
Shisui tried.
He really did.
Eventually, he gave up.
Some people were just built wrong.
Noah's academic bias gave Shisui a persistent headache.
After about three years, Shisui accepted it.
Taijutsu? Forget it.
The kid wouldn't die even if you stabbed him through the heart. Why bother?
Besides, Noah's perception was terrifying.
Sneaking up on him was impossible.
Shisui tried more than once.
He failed every time.
For Noah, Ninjutsu and Body Flicker were enough.
During that time, Shisui noticed something else.
His vision returned.
At first, he thought it was an illusion.
Then he activated the Mangekyō.
And froze.
His eyes were whole.
Fully restored.
"Why did you do this?" Shisui asked.
"Do what?"
"Restore my eyes."
Noah sighed.
"You still don't get it? You have my chakra inside you. Until I activate it to kill you, it's the best supplement in existence."
"Eyes regrowing is nothing. Even if they were ripped out again, they'd grow back."
Shisui had no words.
He never asked Noah to remove the chakra.
He knew better.
The boy valued his own life far too much to take that risk.
And with that chakra, Shisui could operate at full strength again.
He wasn't going to refuse.
One night, after training, Noah suddenly spoke.
"Is there a jutsu that lets you defend perfectly while still attacking?"
"My chakra is massive, but my Taijutsu is terrible. I want insurance."
Shisui stared at him.
"...There is."
Of course there is.
This kid really was obsessed with staying alive.
"It's an Uchiha secret technique," Shisui continued. "You can't learn it."
"No need to worry about it."
Noah barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes.
He figured out the Sharingan three years ago.
Now, with dark-element manipulation alone, he could simulate most of its functions.
Copying jutsu.
Insight.
Genjutsu.
All without his eyes changing at all.
"Can't you show me?" Noah tilted his head.
"Or do you not know it and you're bluffing?"
"...Fine."
Shisui was certain Noah couldn't learn it. But maybe seeing it would inspire something else.
He activated the Mangekyō.
Green chakra surged, forming a rib-cage-like armor.
A partial Susanoo.
Noah watched closely.
Power flow.
Structure.
Ratios.
He memorized everything.
This was basic work for a sorcerer.
He didn't even need help.
Moments later, Noah manifested something similar.
Shisui almost had a heart attack.
A ten-year-old.
No bloodline activation.
No eye change.
And yet-
"How?" Shisui demanded.
"Is it hard?" Noah replied casually. "It's just chakra transformation. Yours is easier to trigger, that's all."
"No-Susanoo requires-"
"Yin Release chakra," Noah interrupted. "Opposite of the Yang chakra I put in you. I was born with both."
Shisui went silent.
He had never believed such a person could exist.
But now one stood in front of him.
For the next two years, Shisui held nothing back.
Noah mastered the technique.
And before either of them noticed-
Five years passed.
"Noah! You're next!"
Iruka's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Coming, Mr. Iruka."
Noah stood up calmly.
Graduation day.
At last.