Noah could hear every word Neji and his team were saying, but he ignored it.
Whatever Might Guy had told them was probably just Kakashi's hearsay. He didn't care. People could say whatever they wanted. Under normal circumstances, their paths wouldn't even cross.
While they whispered, Kabuto Yakushi-the future big boss-made his entrance.
Noah studied him and realized the guy was an incredible actor. His energy wasn't massive, but it was solid, professional-instructor level. Kabuto was an exceptionally skilled spy. Even Kakashi would have to take him seriously in a real fight.
Kabuto's story was a lesson: the ones who survive until the end are often the "old foxes" who know how to stay low. But he was also a cautionary tale. Overconfidence had gotten him eventually-thinking he controlled everything, only to be undone by the very soul he resurrected: Itachi Uchiha.
Watching Kabuto put on a stellar performance-sacrificing a pair of glasses to pretend he'd been caught off guard by low-level Sound Village thugs-Noah was impressed by his restraint. If it had been him, he would have torn those idiots apart long ago.
The Sound Village ninjas looked smug, unaware they had revealed their secret techniques to a room full of competitors before the real combat had begun.
Noah frowned. Wasn't the Sound Village Kabuto's employer's turf? What was his angle? After a moment, he figured it was probably to test Sasuke's actual abilities.
He wasn't sure what Orochimaru was thinking. With the whole Uchiha clan still alive, why focus so obsessively on Sasuke? Was it just a grudge against Itachi? That seemed likely.
There were plenty of spies in the village. Noah knew a few himself. They would report Sasuke's progress to Orochimaru, who might have developed a fixation after hearing the details.
"Typical small-village behavior. Not much going on upstairs," Noah muttered.
He didn't care about politics, but if Orochimaru's people were setting up allies, Noah wouldn't let them off easy. His voice was low-far-away ninjas couldn't hear-but his companions did. Several from nearby major villages nodded; the more arrogant ones shot contemptuous glares toward the Sound ninjas.
"You little punk..."
The Sound ninjas heard him too. Just as trouble seemed inevitable, Ibiki Morino entered, ending the farce abruptly.
Next came the classic first phase: the written exam.
On the surface, it was a paper test. In reality, it was a test of information gathering. High-level ninjas hid among the students, carrying the correct answers.
It didn't matter if students were academic failures-the questions were far beyond a standard novice. Success came from stealing information without the proctors noticing.
Noah didn't need to bother. He had already mastered that knowledge-and more. He didn't need anyone else's paper; he could finish on his own. And with the exam ending in a dramatic twist, he could pass without answering a single question.
"I'll at least write something to keep up appearances," he thought.
Time passed, and Naruto delivered his famous line.
"Alright, I declare that you all pass the first round!"
Noah felt a twinge of pity for the poor souls scared into quitting. But the next phase was far more brutal-truly life-threatening. Weak-willed candidates were better off quitting early.
As Ibiki explained the test's true purpose, Anko Mitarashi burst through the window.
With exaggerated flair, she announced the survivors should follow her to the next phase.
"...."
The entrance was abrupt, over-the-top, and left the candidates stunned. Noah found it refreshing.
"Seventy-eight people? Twenty-six teams made it? That first test was way too easy."
"There are many talented candidates this time."
"Whatever!"
Anko dropped the bombshell: she planned to cut more than half in the next round. Pure psychological warfare-stress-testing judgment and endurance. Those who handled it would stay hyper-vigilant; those who couldn't would quit before the test even began.
Noah noted her outfit, too. A trench coat over form-fitting mesh armor that hid almost nothing. For him, the coat was almost redundant. Professional appreciation, nothing more.
The seventy-eight survivors were led to Training Ground 44-the Forest of Death.
The second phase was a survival challenge. Each team was randomly assigned a scroll-"Heaven" or "Earth." The goal: collect one of each and reach the tower at the center. Only then would they pass.
With twenty-six teams, the best-case scenario was thirteen passing.
"This will definitely weed out more than half," Noah sighed as they entered the forest.
"And the worst part is the uncertainty," Sasuke added. "You could win a fight only to find the other team has the same scroll."
"Uh, what does that mean?" Naruto rubbed his head.
"It means far fewer than half will make it to the finish line," Noah said.
"Let's go. We'll find any target we can and take their scroll."
Noah's cold, efficient tone made Naruto swallow hard. Sasuke nodded seriously, eyes fixed on Noah, clearly worried he'd steal all the glory.
The three moved toward the tower at a leisurely pace. They were lucky-not a single soul in sight, which started to annoy Noah. He began to think they might not find a scroll at all-until Naruto suddenly clutched his stomach and started unbuckling his pants.
"What an idiot. Hopeless," Sasuke muttered, covering his face. He couldn't understand how such a person ended up on his team. Looking at Noah, though, he realized having Naruto around wasn't so bad-at least he wouldn't steal his spotlight.
"Someone's coming," Noah said suddenly.
"One person, masking their presence. Still a bit away."
"Leave this one to me!" Sasuke shouted, jumping at the chance.
"Which direction?"
Noah had no interest in some low-level ninja. He was more focused on Orochimaru, who was bound to appear soon. He was actually looking forward to it. Besides testing his strength, he wanted to squeeze the "Soul Resurrection" technique from him.
Rubbing his chin, Noah considered his approach. Should he use an illusion immediately or play with him a bit first? The latter. Once done, he'd force out the information with an illusion. If that failed, leaving a mark to track him later was fine.
Noah pointed toward the would-be attacker. Sasuke charged off with a battle cry.
At that moment, Noah sensed someone else watching. Stealthy, but the cold, snake-like energy gave them away.
Noah smiled. He knew exactly who it was. Things couldn't be better.
As for the one after Sasuke? Forget it. If Orochimaru could plant a curse on him right in front of Noah, he would have earned it.
"Seriously...is this guy a man or a woman right now? Or both?"