Naruto: Divine Reward System

No surprise, Kakashi's [Thousand Years of Death] struck Naruto's backside with pinpoint accuracy, sending him flying straight into the water with a loud splash.

Emerging from the lake, Naruto clutched his sore behind, his face twisted in agony. "Ahhh! Damn it, Kakashi-sensei! What the hell was that for?!"

Kakashi, standing calmly on the shore with his hands in his pockets, watched the dripping wet Naruto flail around. "This," he stated matter-of-factly, "is the second lesson of ninja combat—taijutsu."

Naruto groaned, still rubbing his rear. "Yeah, yeah… I get it."

Kakashi's lone visible eye narrowed slightly as he continued, "More importantly, remember this—never, under any circumstances, leave your back open to an opponent."

From his half-buried position in the ground, Sasuke listened to their conversation and let out a frustrated sigh. "Tch. Idiots… both of them."

Naruto, still steaming from the humiliation, wasn't about to let things end there. He sprang up, shaking off the water. "Alright, you asked for it, Kakashi-sensei! I'm gonna show you my strongest jutsu!"

With a determined stance, he clasped his hands together. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A thick cloud of smoke erupted, and when it cleared, eight identical Narutos stood in formation, their eyes blazing with determination.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Shadow clones?"

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock. "Eight solid clones?! This idiot actually knows an advanced jutsu like this?"

Kakashi, however, merely gave a small nod of approval. "Hmm… interesting."

Before anyone could react, all eight Narutos charged at once, surrounding Kakashi from all directions. Seven of them locked onto him while the original rushed in, winding up for a direct punch to the face.

BAM!

The punch landed—hard. But to Naruto's horror, the person he hit wasn't Kakashi at all. It was one of his own clones.

In an instant, Kakashi reappeared behind him, his voice calm but edged with amusement. "Naruto, didn't I just tell you? Don't expose your back so easily."

Naruto stiffened. The moment those words registered, a horrible thought struck him—was Kakashi about to pull that same humiliating move again?!

Panic set in. He spun around wildly, but it was already too late. Kakashi's hands had already formed a seal, and the moment Naruto's gaze met his, his body locked up.

In the next second, the seven clones vanished in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke, still stuck in the ground, narrowed his eyes. "An illusion?"

Under the shade of a tree, Tatsuya observed the scene intently. 'That's ]Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion—Hell Viewing Technique]. A simple but effective illusion that forces the victim to see their worst fear.'

Tatsuya wasn't particularly impressed by this jutsu. 'Not the most practical illusion. It only works on opponents who have fear in their hearts and weak mental resistance. If Naruto weren't so traumatized by that… 'Thousand Years of Death' attack, he probably wouldn't have fallen for it.'

Kakashi, seeing Naruto frozen in his illusion, spoke once more. "This is the third lesson of ninja combat—genjutsu."

His gaze then shifted toward the only person left standing—Tatsuya.

With Sasuke stuck underground and Naruto trapped in an illusion, Tatsuya was the only one who hadn't attempted to steal a bell yet. More interestingly, he showed no signs of concern.

Kakashi studied him curiously. 'Why hasn't he made a move yet? Most students would've tried something by now.'

"Tatsuya," Kakashi called out, "time's almost up. Are you going to make a move or just sit there?"

Tatsuya let out a slow sigh. "Honestly… I was hoping things would turn out differently."

"Oh?" Kakashi tilted his head. "And what do you mean by that?"

"If Sasuke weren't so stubborn… if Naruto weren't so reckless… maybe the three of us could've worked together and actually stood a chance against you."

Kakashi blinked, mildly surprised by his words. 'He really does see things clearly… If they had teamed up, they might've had a shot.'

Tatsuya had a strategy. If he activated his Magnet Release that he obtained from Shukaku's power, he could catch Kakashi off guard and snatch the bells. But he had no intention of doing so. He had a different plan—one that required no effort on his part.

Kakashi crossed his arms. "You're an interesting one, Tatsuya. You might not be the strongest, but you're definitely the smartest of the three."

Kakashi had already reviewed their academy scores before the test. Sasuke had ranked at the top in nearly every subject. Tatsuya, on the other hand, had been mostly below average—except for his perfect execution of the Clone Jutsu during the final exam.

Tatsuya grinned slightly. "I'll take that as a compliment, sensei."

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Kakashi's eye drifted to the book in Tatsuya's hand. "By the way… where did you get that book?"

"Oh, this?" Tatsuya held it up and shook it playfully. "Some old man dropped it on my way here. He had white hair, a weird way of walking, and 'oil' written on his forehead protector. I wanted to return it, but he disappeared before I could."

A long pause.

Kakashi stared at him, his expression unreadable.

'White hair… strange behavior… 'oil' on his forehead protector…' Kakashi's eye twitched slightly.

'Wait a minute… Was Jiraiya-sama back in town?!'

After some speculation, Kakashi was convinced that the 'old man' Tatsuya mentioned was [Jiraiya].

"Tatsuya, just so you know… I actually know this 'old man' that you've met."

"Oh?" Tatsuya tilted his head. "That so?"

Kakashi nodded, his tone turning casual. "Yep. And if you hand me that book, I'll make sure it gets back to its rightful owner."

Tatsuya narrowed his eyes slightly. "Really now?"

"Of course!" Kakashi placed a hand on his chest, feigning sincerity. "As a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, why would I lie to a kid? It's just a book. What reason would I have to deceive you?"

Tatsuya still looked skeptical, so Kakashi added, "If you don't believe me, I can take you to see him in a few days."

"Well, in that case, I'll leave it to you, Sensei."

With a small smirk, Tatsuya handed over the book. Kakashi, ever the cautious shinobi, accepted it but remained wary of Tatsuya. The kid was sharp—too sharp. He had to keep an eye on him. It'd be embarrassing to let his guard down and get outplayed by a genin.

Taking the book, Kakashi gave a nonchalant smile. "Much appreciated."

With that settled, Tatsuya turned and made his way to Naruto, dispelling the genjutsu with a precise tap on his forehead.

Naruto blinked rapidly, his expression dazed. "Ugh… Tatsuya? What just happened?"

"You were caught in an illusion," Tatsuya replied. "Rest up for a second. I'm gonna get Sasuke out, then I'll explain."

As Tatsuya walked over to where Sasuke was buried, Kakashi finally relaxed. With both Naruto and Sasuke incapacitated, there was no more immediate threat. His gaze drifted downward, settling on the book now in his hands.

[Icha Icha Paradise: Step-sis is stuck, I must help her... Vol #1...]

Curiosity sparked in Kakashi's mind. He flipped it open, but the moment he did, something unexpected happened—a single leaf fell out.

At first, he didn't think much of it. Tatsuya had been sitting under a tree earlier, after all. But as the leaf landed against his waist, his instincts screamed at him—something wasn't right.

The next second, the leaf transformed into a figure.

Tatsuya.

Kakashi's eyes widened. "What—?!"

Before he could react, Tatsuya's hand flicked forward, snatching the bells right off his belt.

Clink!

The faint jingle of metal rang out as Tatsuya landed gracefully a few steps in front of him, holding the bells between his fingers.

With a confident smirk, he looked up at Kakashi. "Looks like I win, Sensei."

Kakashi stood there, momentarily stunned. It wasn't until Tatsuya spoke again that he let out a sigh and shook his head.

"Gotta hand it to you… I didn't see that coming."

He placed his hands on his hips and chuckled. "Tatsuya, you're the first student to ever take a bell from me."

Naruto, now fully recovered, gawked at the scene. Sasuke, who had just been unearthed by Tatsuya's clone, also stared in disbelief.

"No way…" Naruto muttered. "You actually got it?"

Sasuke clenched his fists, his pride taking a hit. He had always considered himself the best, yet here Tatsuya was—outplaying them both. It wasn't raw strength that won him the bells. It was intelligence. Strategy.

And that stung.

Still, Sasuke swallowed his frustration and forced himself to focus. There was something more pressing now—the promotion.

Only two bells. And both were in Tatsuya's hands.

A sinking realization hit Sasuke. 'Tatsuya and Naruto are close. He'll definitely give one to him.' If that happened, Sasuke would be the one eliminated and sent back to the Academy.

At that moment, Kakashi spoke up, confirming his fears.

"Tatsuya, now that you have both bells, it means you've passed." He gestured toward Naruto and Sasuke. "As I said before, one bell allows a student to advance. That means you get to choose who moves on with you."

Naruto and Sasuke turned to Tatsuya, waiting for his decision.

Naruto was certain he'd be chosen. Sasuke, on the other hand, expected to be cast aside.

But Tatsuya's answer shocked them both.

"Only kids make choices like that." He crossed his arms. "I've already graduated. So either we all pass, or none of us do."

Kakashi's visible eye widened slightly. "Oh? And why's that?"

"It's simple." Tatsuya's expression turned serious. "We're a team now."

"As a team, we succeed together, or we fail together."

He pointed at Naruto and Sasuke. "If it weren't for them, you wouldn't have used up so much chakra. If they hadn't been distracted, you wouldn't have let your guard down. That gave me the perfect opportunity."

"They were a part of this, too. Even if they didn't mean to be."

Silence hung in the air.

Kakashi stared at Tatsuya, completely taken aback. He hadn't expected such insight from a twelve-year-old.

'This kid…'

For the first time that day, Kakashi smiled—a real one.

"Well then," he said, closing his book, "looks like you guys finally understand."

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