During the past year, Noah did not travel anywhere and instead devoted himself to mastering his various Kekkei Genkai, especially the abilities related to his left eye.
Upon returning home after completing another A-rank mission, Noah felt something was off.
It was not a clear presence. Neither a defined chakra nor a hostile intention. Even so, the sensation persisted.
—It seems someone is spying on me.
He stopped for a moment and scanned his surroundings with his gaze. The streets were full of people coming and going. Nothing out of the ordinary. He did not detect anyone hiding in the shadows nor any anomalous trace. And yet, the discomfort did not disappear.
Noah frowned slightly.
After a few seconds, an idea crossed his mind: the Crystal Ball Jutsu. A specialty of the Third Hokage.
If Hiruzen was watching him, then any misstep would be noticed.
From that day on, Noah became even more careful. He did not change his routine abruptly, but he eliminated any unnecessary actions and limited himself to accepting missions, completing them efficiently, and returning home. Nothing more.
The feeling of being watched did not go away.
A week passed. Then another. He spent an entire month under that silent surveillance.
Then, a notice suddenly reached his hands.
He had been selected as a candidate for the internal evaluation for promotion to jōnin.
Noah read the document calmly.
The rank of jōnin was not just a title. It represented the true elite of the village. In times of war, when tens of thousands of shinobi could be mobilized, jōnin remained few. They were the ones who led, and who made decisions on the battlefield.
Noah closed the notice and put it away without any expression.
—So this was the reason for that constant surveillance.
The evaluation site was hidden under the Hokage's building, in a sealed underground base. When Noah arrived, the first thing he noticed was the contained silence… and the absence of familiar faces.
He looked around calmly.
Among the candidates, there was no shinobi from his generation. Most were elite chūnin, men and women hardened by the years, some already middle-aged.
For a moment, Noah thought he would be completely alone.
Then the door opened again, and a group of three entered the premises.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru.
Upon seeing them, Noah barely raised his gaze. The trio noticed him almost instantly and, without exchanging unnecessary words, approached until they stood beside him.
Because they were close comrades of his sister, Noah had interacted with them more than once over the years. Of the three, the one he got along with best was, ironically, Orochimaru. They shared a similar way of thinking, a scientific curiosity that often led to long and deep discussions when they let themselves go.
But this time, no one spoke.
It was neither the right time nor the right place.
They were all there for the same reason: to be promoted to jōnin.
Among more than three hundred people, Noah stood out inevitably. At barely ten years old, he was the youngest person there by an absurd margin. His height and still-childish face made him stand out as an anomaly among these veterans.
And yet, no one looked at him with contempt.
On the contrary.
The glances that fell upon him were filled with caution, curiosity… and even respect.
The reputation of genius that Noah had built over the years preceded him, and none of those present would make such a basic mistake as underestimating him just because of his young age.
At that moment, the Hokage finally made his appearance on the evaluation grounds.
Hiruzen Sarutobi advanced with a firm step until he stood before the candidates. There was no need for ceremonies or long speeches. Those present were not inexperienced genin, but hardened ninja who understood perfectly what was at stake.
Therefore, he got straight to the point.
—This evaluation will focus on combat strength —he announced in a grave voice—. As long as a candidate's overall combat ability meets the standards, or they possess an outstanding specialization that is difficult to match, they will be considered fit for promotion. More than three hundred shinobi are participating in this evaluation. Only thirty will become jōnin.
A low murmur ran through the room.
—In other words —Hiruzen continued—, only one in ten will pass. Opponents will be assigned by random drawing.
In such a format, ninja with kekkei genkai or inherited secret techniques had an evident advantage over those of common lineage. Although it might seem unfair, this was simply the reality of the shinobi world.
Noah's name soon appeared in the draw.
His first opponent was a middle-aged chūnin, someone he did not recognize.
Both went up to one of the numerous combat fields distributed throughout the base.
The result surprised no one.
After several minutes of direct confrontation, Noah prevailed. He did not use complex ninjutsu or flashy techniques. He simply advanced, dodged, and struck, relying solely on the taijutsu he had obsessively polished over the past few years.
The defeated chūnin ended up sitting on the sand, breathing heavily, his face twisted with frustration and disbelief.
Noah did not give him so much as a glance.
He simply turned around and left the field with a calm step, heading toward his next match.
One by one, the contestants fell.
The matches followed one another without pause, and the names disappeared from the list with relentless regularity. As expected, Noah won his following matches without major complications and advanced steadily to the final round.
By then, the number of participants had been reduced to one hundred.
Among them was Tsunade's group of three.
At that moment, the Hokage slowly advanced to the center of the compound, his lit tobacco pipe between his fingers. He exhaled a puff of smoke before speaking, and his voice resonated clearly in the silent hall.
—All of the people gathered here are some of the best ninja in this village —Hiruzen said with a slight smile—. As Hokage, I do not have enough words to express how proud I am of all of you.
He paused briefly.
—However, the slots for promotion to jōnin are limited. Therefore, we must still go through a final round of evaluation.
The expressions of those present hardened.
Having reached this point meant that the remaining one hundred chūnin were, without exception, outstanding fighters. At this level, no victory was guaranteed. The final round would inevitably be full of fierce confrontations.
—Ahem…
After a light cough, Hiruzen announced:
—Let us begin the final round of evaluation.
The matches resumed.
Once again, Noah advanced without resorting to ninjutsu. One after another, his opponents were overcome solely through taijutsu.
In his last match, his opponent was sent flying out of the arena.
Noah descended from the combat area calmly.
Hiruzen watched the scene in silence and then slowly expelled the smoke he had held in his mouth.
—In the next round —he said without looking away—, arrange a match between that boy… Jiraiya, and the Senju child.
—Yes, Lord Hokage.
Upon hearing the name of his next opponent, Jiraiya stood still for an instant. Then he simply shrugged and stepped up to the ring.
Noah looked up and met his gaze.
He was almost certain that this match had been deliberately arranged by the Hokage.
But he did not give it much thought.
He set aside any unnecessary thoughts and focused all his attention on the impending battle.
Without further preamble, both launched into the attack.