Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Noah standing before him.
The young man's words were staggering: he had merely "tried" to fuse elemental attributes and ended up manifesting Wood Style-a power that no one had truly mastered since the First Hokage.
For a brief moment, the man hailed as the "Professor" of the shinobi world-master of all five elemental natures and nearly every known jutsu-felt as if his own talent were being mocked.
If a Bloodline Limit were that easy to develop, would he, Hiruzen Sarutobi, not possess a single one himself?
But his focus quickly shifted to the "special power" Noah had mentioned. To the Third Hokage, that energy was the key. A force capable of reattaching severed limbs, brimming with vitality. It had to be Yang Release.
After a long pause, the Third could only suck uselessly on his broken pipe, smacking his lips to satisfy the craving. "To what extent have you developed your Wood Style?"
"It doesn't feel very powerful," Noah replied thoughtfully. "If I have enough chakra, I could grow a forest. Though... it feels more useful for construction than combat."
Hiruzen nodded, feeling a measure of normalcy return. If Wood Style were that easy to weaponize, it would insult its legendary status. This level of proficiency was believable.
The rebirth of a Wood Style user in the Hidden Leaf was monumental. As Hokage, he was elated-but teaching Noah posed a problem. The only other Wood Style user was Yamato, and his version had limits.
Shaking his head, Hiruzen concluded that Yamato's experience, however modest, was still better than nothing. He couldn't let such talent go to waste.
He set the official matters aside and began a simple conversation. Like a kindly grandfather, he asked Noah about his studies and dreams.
The exchange was ordinary, yet it revealed much: Noah's gratitude toward teachers, his harmony with peers, his deep-rooted affection for the village.
Noah's bonds with the village were forming naturally. Combined with the connection to Shisui, Hiruzen resolved to protect this boy.
"After the preliminaries, come find me... and tell no one."
Noah paused for two seconds, then nodded.
The Third Hokage smiled, turning to lead Noah back to the arena, unaware that everything was unfolding exactly as Noah had planned.
Noah chuckled inwardly. Since he had begun making waves, he might as well ride them to the end.
The preliminary rounds of the third stage of the Chunin Exams concluded quickly.
Noah's duel with Rock Lee had been the highlight. Other matches went largely as expected, though the Gaara-Lee spectacle had been disrupted by Noah's prior intervention. Gaara ended up facing a hapless Sound Ninja, who was crushed effortlessly.
With preliminaries finished, the winners drew lots for the final tournament.
Noah checked his slip. His opponent? Gaara of the Sand.
His lip twitched. Of course-they were giving him the toughest nut to crack. Was the draw random, or a subtle test of his limits?
In the original timeline, Sasuke had faced Gaara. Even with Chidori, the gap in power was obvious. Noah, however, didn't need to worry. Full-power or not, he felt he could handle himself. If it became a hassle, he could always run-he was confident in that skill.
The candidates received a month-long break to train or gather information.
Noah planned to rest at home. The Hokage had requested a meeting, but that could wait; tomorrow would be sufficient. He was curious how the old man intended to sway him, but one day's wait wasn't a problem.
He also wanted to check on Shisui. They hadn't met in days-Noah had been busy with missions and the exams.
He wondered if the Hokage and others knew about Orochimaru. During their private meeting, the Hokage hadn't asked a word. Perhaps they had noticed something-Noah's battle with Orochimaru, though not massive, had exceeded typical Genin capabilities. Or maybe they only knew via Anko, without knowing who fought. Either way, identifying Noah from the minimal evidence would be difficult-and he didn't care.
That evening, Noah met Shisui. The man led his usual quiet life, though something had changed: his Sharingan had undergone a subtle evolution, his visual prowess steadily improving.
Noah was surprised. Was this a step toward the "All-Encompassing Circle"? If so, his Holy Light had proven a powerful "energy bank."
A devious idea struck Noah. While he couldn't fully recover his strength-especially in this world-condensing a "Seed of Light" would be simple.
"Maybe I can make a few Seeds of Light and stir things up," he thought. "They can be sensed and attracted anywhere, and since I brought Holy Light with me, a few Seeds could make things very interesting."
Shisui remained unaware. He didn't care about Noah's performance-failure was impossible in his eyes. If Noah somehow ruined the exam, that would be the real shock. They sparred briefly, and Shisui then stopped.
"By the way, are you coming to watch my exam?" Noah asked. He wasn't fully satisfied with the light session, but he paused. "It might be boring, but it beats doing nothing."
"I might not be able to get in," Shisui replied, stretching. "Don't tell me you haven't realized the essence of these Chunin Exams."
"No?" Noah shrugged. "You could easily disguise yourself as an Anbu. You've done it before. Besides, I have a feeling something is going to happen. I ran into... a very disgusting guy in the forest."
"A disgusting guy?" Shisui frowned. "What kind of person?"
"He's snake-like and extremely dangerous. More importantly, he seems to have designs on Sasuke Uchiha."
"Designs on Sasuke?"