"The winner—Rock Lee!"
The referee's voice rang out across the arena, and the crowd erupted into cheers.
Sasuke watched from the stands, eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn't expected Lee to be hiding that level of strength. It wasn't just speed or endurance—there was something relentless about the way he fought.
Beside him, Noah Vale clapped lightly, a faint smile on his face.
"Not bad," he said. "That kind of physical control alone… impressive."
To him, Lee's performance was solid—roughly where Noah himself had been not long ago. Pure hand-to-hand skill, pushed to the point where it rivaled more destructive techniques.
Standing next to Sasuke—and looking completely out of place—Noah quickly drew attention.
A blond boy in an orange jacket leaned in, squinting up at him with open curiosity.
"Hey, mister, you know Sasuke?"
Noah glanced down at him. "Met him on the way here. We got along, so I tagged along."
The answer hit harder than expected.
"What?!" the boy blurted out. "Sasuke gets along with people? That's fake. That has to be fake."
His voice carried, drawing the attention of others nearby.
A few of Sasuke's classmates looked over, their eyes lingering on Noah with a mix of curiosity and quiet admiration.
Before the moment could stretch further, someone approached.
A tall man with silver hair and a mask covering the lower half of his face.
"I'm Kakashi Hatake," he said casually. "Sasuke's instructor. Mind telling me who you are?"
Noah turned to face him.
"Just a visitor," he said. "Thought I'd take a look around."
His tone remained relaxed, but there was a slight edge beneath it.
"No need to look at me like I'm about to rob the place."
Kakashi's eye narrowed ever so slightly.
Too calm.
Too casual.
Given everything that had happened recently, especially the incident in the Forest of Death, someone like this showing up next to Sasuke was… concerning.
"Kakashi," Sasuke said from the side, "he's with me."
"Of course, of course," Kakashi replied with an easy shrug. "Just being cautious."
He tilted his head slightly.
"You don't look familiar. And someone like you… I feel like I'd remember. Are you a ninja?"
"No," Noah said plainly. "I don't use chakra. I'm just in decent shape."
That answer only made Kakashi more suspicious.
He didn't feel like an ordinary civilian.
If anything, he felt more dangerous than most trained fighters.
Still, Kakashi kept his tone light.
"Really? I would've guessed otherwise."
Noah shrugged. "Not a ninja. Think of me as… a small-time ruler."
That caught attention immediately.
"A ruler?" the blond boy—Naruto—echoed, eyes wide.
Sasuke sighed quietly and gave a reluctant nod.
Kakashi's posture shifted almost imperceptibly.
In this world, political power still mattered. Even among those with overwhelming strength, a king was still a king.
"Which country?" Kakashi asked. "If this is an official visit, I should inform the Hokage."
"No need," Noah replied. "You've probably never heard of it. I'm here privately. No entourage, no ceremony."
He glanced toward the exit.
"I'll be leaving soon anyway."
He turned back to Sasuke.
"You said there's a bigger event in about a month, right? I'll come back for that."
Then, more casually:
"Show me around. I haven't seen the village yet."
Sasuke nodded quickly, more than happy to leave the situation behind.
After a brief exchange of goodbyes, the two of them exited the arena.
Kakashi watched them go, unease settling in.
After a moment, he sighed.
"Stay here," he told the others.
Then he disappeared, heading straight for the Hokage's office.
Outside, the noise of the arena faded.
Noah walked beside Sasuke for a few seconds before the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
He'd already noticed them.
Three people.
Following at a distance.
Not locals.
Not part of this world's natural flow.
"You wait here," Noah said quietly. "I've got something to take care of."
Sasuke frowned. "What—"
But Noah had already turned, slipping into a narrow side street.
"…This guy," Sasuke muttered, crossing his arms as he stayed put.
The alley was empty.
Or at least, it looked that way.
Noah stopped walking.
Then he turned around.
Three figures stood at the far end.
One of them was encased in full-body armor, metallic plating reflecting the dim light. The other two stood slightly behind him, watching carefully.
The armored man spoke first.
"Which team are you with?" he asked coldly. "Don't think I've seen you before. Didn't expect someone to waste points on cosmetic changes."
Noah tilted his head slightly.
"Team?"
The man on the left scoffed.
"Drop the act. You dressed yourself up to blend in with the locals, didn't you? Trying to pass as one of them so you can take advantage of the situation."
He smirked faintly.
"We've already mapped out every notable figure in this village. You're not on the list."
Then—
His expression froze.
A cold voice echoed in his mind.
He couldn't stop it.
Couldn't block it.
Something had triggered automatically.
Noah caught the shift immediately.
Interesting.
They didn't seem as informed as they thought.
The armored man started to speak again, but his teammate grabbed his arm.
"Wait—" he said quickly. "I think… he's actually one of them."
"One of what?" the armored man snapped. "Speak clearly."
The man hesitated, clearly choosing his words carefully.
"If we don't deal with him…" he said slowly, "…we're going to lose a lot."
The implication was enough.
The other two immediately understood.
Their eyes sharpened.
If this guy was part of the world itself—
Then he couldn't be allowed to know anything.
The tension snapped.
Killing intent filled the alley.
Noah raised his hand slightly, completely unfazed.
"Done talking?" he asked calmly.
His gaze swept across all three of them.
"Good."
A faint smile appeared.
"Now it's my turn."