Shisui's pupils shrank slightly.
In the shadows, a faint ripple of Chakra betrayed itself for the briefest moment-so brief that an ordinary ninja would have dismissed it as imagination.
But Shisui was not ordinary.
Neither, it seemed, was the boy in front of him.
"...You noticed," Shisui said quietly.
From behind a tree not far away, a second figure stepped out of concealment.
Black hair. Calm eyes. An ANBU mask hanging at his waist rather than worn.
Itachi Uchiha.
He looked at Noah with an expression that was neither hostile nor friendly-only deeply assessing.
"You shouldn't have noticed me," Itachi said.
"And you shouldn't have been there," Noah replied casually, as if they were discussing the weather.
"But here we are."
The forest fell silent.
Even the insects seemed to stop buzzing.
Shisui exhaled slowly. "Itachi, I told you to stay hidden."
"I was hidden," Itachi said calmly. "From you."
His gaze never left Noah.
"Explain," Shisui said, turning back to Noah. "Now."
Noah scratched his cheek, looking vaguely embarrassed.
"I wasn't lying earlier," he said. "My perception really is strong. Strong enough that hiding close to me without killing intent doesn't work very well."
That was technically true.
What he didn't say was that his soul had once mapped entire battlefields across dimensions, or that Chakra-while exotic-was still energy, and energy left traces.
Itachi took a step forward. "You're academy-age. No dojutsu. No sensory clan background. Yet you detected two Uchiha."
"That's why I said Bloodline Limit might not be the right term," Noah said.
"It's... inherited, but not in a way you'd recognize."
Silence again.
Shisui rubbed his forehead. "This is getting complicated."
"It already was," Noah replied. "I just noticed it earlier than most."
Itachi studied him for a long moment, then spoke slowly.
"You saved Shisui. You gave advice that aligns disturbingly well with reality. You possess abnormal Chakra reserves, dual elemental affinity, and a power that can affect others internally."
He paused.
"And you chose to stay hidden."
"Yes," Noah nodded. "Because I like boring days."
That earned him a brief, involuntary blink from Itachi.
Shisui let out a soft laugh. "You really are strange."
Noah shrugged. "So I've been told."
Another pause.
Then Shisui straightened, decision made.
"Fine," he said. "Itachi knows now. That can't be undone."
Itachi inclined his head slightly. "I will not report this. Not yet."
Noah met his gaze. "I appreciate that."
"Don't," Itachi replied. "This isn't kindness. It's caution."
"Fair enough."
Shisui rolled up the remaining scrolls. "You wanted to learn the Body Flicker. I'll teach you the fundamentals. Nothing more."
"That's plenty," Noah said.
"But," Shisui added sharply, "you will not involve yourself in Uchiha affairs. Not the clan, not the village leadership, not Danzo."
"I already said I like boring days," Noah replied.
Itachi watched him closely. "And if boring days end?"
Noah smiled faintly.
"Then I'll survive. Like everyone else."
For a moment, Itachi almost believed him.
Shisui formed a single hand seal. "We start now. Body Flicker isn't about speed-it's about timing. Chakra reinforcement, release, and intent must align perfectly."
Noah nodded, focusing.
Chakra flowed.
Not violently.
Not wastefully.
It moved like water guided by earth-smooth, controlled, heavy with potential.
Shisui's eyes widened just a fraction.
"...You're already halfway there," he murmured.
Noah stepped forward-
-and vanished.
He reappeared three meters away, feet digging slightly into the soil as he absorbed the momentum.
Not fast.
But terrifyingly stable.
Silence.
Shisui stared.
Itachi's expression finally changed.
"...On your first try?" Shisui said slowly.
Noah looked down at his feet, then back up. "Was that wrong?"
"No," Shisui said hoarsely.
"That was... better than most jōnin."
The forest felt suddenly much smaller.
And far more dangerous.