Whether Hermione would skin Noah alive was probably a moot point.
Noah had wandered this world for twelve or thirteen years, yet he had a nagging suspicion that less than a year had passed in his home universe.
It was a strange, almost nonsensical feeling, but as a tenth-tier mage, he trusted his intuition.
Still, one thing nagged at him: he genuinely missed Hermione, missed Lady Haven, missed everything about his old life.
Usually indifferent to time, the realization hit him when he paused to reflect.
After a moment, he decided it was best to suppress those thoughts.
Staying in this world to re-evaluate his knowledge was an opportunity of unimaginable value.
At the very least, his understanding of his old spells now far exceeded anything he could have imagined before arriving here.
"Well, it won't be much longer anyway," Noah sighed.
"Seeing everything through a new power system... unforgettable."
Aside from occasional loneliness, life wasn't bad.
This universe was entertaining, full of things to keep him occupied.
Lost in thought, he arrived at the meeting point.
He knew Kakashi would be late-he always was-but Noah didn't mind.
It was nice to clear his mind.
Naruto and Sasuke soon came running up.
"Yo? You guys are early," Noah asked, propping his head on his hand.
"Aren't you going to chat with Sakura?"
"Boring woman," Sasuke replied, leaning against a wall.
"I'd rather train than waste time talking to her. If I can't beat you, how can I reclaim the lost glory of the Uchiha clan?"
As if beating me would magically reclaim your glory, Noah thought, almost rolling his eyes.
But then he realized-somehow, he'd insulted himself in that mental loop.
The thought made him want to laugh and cry simultaneously. He ignored it and turned to Naruto.
"What about you?"
"Sakura has to go to a meeting. It's a shame."
"Aha? Isn't she taking the Journeyman Exam?"
"Her instructor didn't sign her up."
Noah nodded.
As a civilian-background ninja, Sakura had returned to the typical commoner path once her role as team mediator ended.
Her instructor's job was to acclimate new graduates to ninja life before sending them out.
The Journeyman Exam was rare, showcasing the village's strength-other major villages were sending candidates. Even the Wind Shadow might attend.
Civilian ninjas like Sakura were naturally excluded.
For her, promotion would come gradually through missions and energy accumulation.
Noah shook his head.
He'd effectively changed Sakura's life, but he didn't care.
He had already saved the Uchiha clan. One girl's altered fate was a minor trade-off. Positive versus negative outcomes.
"Ah, you're all here," Kakashi said, arriving just as they chatted.
"Sorry, sorry. Got lost on the road of life."
He squinted and rubbed his white hair, but no one paid attention.
Kakashi's reputation as the village's biggest procrastinator was well-known. Naruto and Sasuke had grown used to it; Noah expected it.
After awkward laughter, Kakashi got to the point.
"So, here's the deal: I recommended the three of you for the Journeyman Exam."
"I already knew that," Sasuke said, lips curling in boredom.
The Uchiha always knew these things.
Naruto, however, looked genuinely surprised.
Kakashi, pleased to find someone to play along, explained the exam details before dismissing them.
From his perspective, the three kids weren't cute at all.
His job was done. They would show up.
Five days later, all three arrived on time.
Kakashi praised them but reminded them: "If even one is missing, the team is disqualified."
A subtle hint: this exam was a team effort.
With Noah around-already capable of taking down elite instructors-the exam was almost a formality.
Naruto grumbled about not being told sooner but was buzzing with excitement.
Registration was in Room 301 of the Academy, easy to find.
Arriving early, Noah and the others didn't see other freshmen, nor Lee's performance on the second floor.
Noah didn't mind. It saved them trouble.
No awkward confessions or silly nicknames to deal with.
As for a fight between Lee and Sasuke? Noah tilted his head.
He wasn't sure Sasuke would lose now.
Originally, Sasuke had trained aimlessly, driven by revenge. Without running off to the snake-like villain, he might not have reached full potential.
Now, with the Uchiha's resources, Sasuke had guidance.
Legendary villains weren't involved, but no one understood the Uchiha better than the Uchiha.
Their greatest strength? Not combat, not jutsus, not secret techniques. Their eyes.
Properly trained, Sasuke could rival anyone-even without three years with a traitor.
The three found seats.
The room was mostly empty.
More people trickled in, including familiar faces.
"What a drag. Didn't expect you guys here too," Shikamaru Nara said, lazy as ever.
Ino went straight to Sasuke.
Choji waved while munching chips.
"Shikamaru, Choji, you're here?" Naruto said, annoyed by Sasuke's popularity but happy for familiar faces.
"Yeah, a pain," Shikamaru said, sitting next to Noah.
"Asuma recommended us. Didn't want to come, but didn't want to get chewed out either."
Naruto was thrilled when Kiba and Hinata's team arrived.
Everyone knew each other, plenty to talk about.
The freshmen chatted, ignoring other candidates.
Then Kabuto Yakushi stepped in, giving a masterclass in acting.
Noah watched, head propped up, offering no comment. His goal: enjoy the show.
Someone watching him from the shadows caught his attention.
"Is it them?"
Following intuition, he locked eyes with Neji Hyuga's team.
"Such sharp perception..."
Before he could react, Rock Lee and Neji whispered.
"Is that him? Looks sharp!"
Tenten smiled, openly sizing Noah up.
"Got us noticed," Neji muttered.
"No, he sensed us long before."
"As expected of Teacher Guy's genius... so many geniuses in this freshman class. Title's cheap now."
Neji was the undisputed genius of his year.
This year's freshmen drew interest only for Sasuke-the top graduate, Uchiha rival, and genius.
Teacher Guy had also mentioned Noah.
A commoner ninja with no background, low-profile, unremarkable in school.
Tenten and Lee were confused. Neji uninterested.
Compared to an Uchiha genius, Noah seemed just a slightly talented commoner.