#47 Divine Reward System

Immediately after, Tatsuya and Jiraiya began their next training exercise: walking on water.

Two hours later.

After relentless effort, Naruto finally got the hang of it.

Although he was still a bit unsteady, he could at least stand on the water without falling in. This progress was largely thanks to the foundation he had built during their mission in the Land of Waves a month ago.

While Naruto focused on mastering the technique, Tatsuya was deep in conversation with Jiraiya. Their discussion was filled with meaning, layered with insights that made one think. It was the kind of talk that could change perspectives, a rarity in casual discussions.

This was all thanks to Tatsuya’s extensive reading. His knowledge came from countless books and materials, many of which held hidden depths that most people would never uncover. Some of the files he had studied were encrypted and nearly impossible to access, but he had managed to unlock their secrets.

As soon as Naruto finally stabilized his stance on the water, Jiraiya turned his attention back to him.

"Since you've managed to get this down, it's time for me to teach you a powerful new technique."

"Really?" Naruto's face lit up with excitement. Aside from his Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu and his own natural instincts, he had very few techniques he could rely on in battle.

Jiraiya smirked but held up a hand. "Before that, there's something important you need to understand first."

"What is it?" Naruto asked, tilting his head.

Before Jiraiya could answer, Tatsuya spoke up first.

"You don’t even realize that there's another kind of chakra inside you."

Naruto blinked in confusion, while Jiraiya narrowed his eyes in surprise. However, their reasons for being shocked were entirely different.

"Oh? And how do you know about that?" Jiraiya’s voice carried a cautious edge as he studied Tatsuya carefully.

Only the higher-ranking ninjas who had fought in the past war and some villagers with shinobi families knew about the Nine-Tails being sealed inside Naruto. The information had been strictly withheld from the younger generation.

By all accounts, there was no way Tatsuya should have known.

Even if he had overheard something about the Nine-Tails, understanding that Naruto had two types of chakra inside him was an entirely different matter. This was due to the Fourth Hokage’s sealing technique—the combination of the Four Symbols Seal that created the Eight Trigrams Seal. It allowed the Nine-Tails’ chakra to seep into Naruto’s system when necessary, as a form of protection.

Tatsuya, however, had an answer ready. "During the mission in the Land of Waves, when Naruto fought against one of Zabuza’s subordinates, his chakra turned red."

"Ah… I see," Jiraiya nodded, accepting the explanation.

But then, Tatsuya dropped a bombshell.

"Also… I have it too."

"Huh?" Jiraiya responded absentmindedly. A second later, the meaning of Tatsuya’s words hit him, and his demeanor changed instantly. "Wait—what did you just say?!"

"I said I also have… the red chakra," Tatsuya stated calmly.

Jiraiya’s expression darkened. "Is this kid a Jinchūriki too?"

The thought barely crossed his mind before he dismissed it. If Konoha had another Jinchūriki, he, as one of the Legendary Sannin, would know about it. But if Tatsuya wasn’t a Jinchūriki, then how did he possess tailed beast chakra?

Without wasting another second, Jiraiya reached out, checking Tatsuya’s body for any sealing marks. But he found nothing—no sign of a tailed beast seal at all.

Which left only one possibility.

'Is he lying to me?' Jiraiya wondered, but instead of accusing him outright, he decided to test the waters. "Tatsuya, you’re saying you have the same kind of chakra as Naruto?"

Tatsuya nodded. "If you don’t believe me, watch."

He closed his eyes for a moment, then let his chakra flow. A dark red aura slowly seeped from his body, flickering like flames.

Jiraiya’s eyes widened. "Impossible… he wasn’t lying. He actually has it! And even more shocking… he can control it?!"

At the same time, deep inside Naruto, something stirred. The Nine-Tails, who had been resting within his vessel, suddenly opened its eyes.

"This chakra…" the beast murmured, its fangs slightly bared. "This is the chakra of that Tanuki and the Matatabi."

Its massive eyes gleamed with something akin to recognition—and perhaps even a trace of wariness.

Meanwhile, Tatsuya’s true goal was unfolding perfectly. By demonstrating his power, he was earning Jiraiya’s trust, making the Sannin more inclined to believe that he could help Naruto control his own chakra.

More than that, Tatsuya had an ulterior motive—securing a contract with the toads of Mount Myōboku. And he knew Jiraiya wouldn’t reveal his secret to just anyone.

Jiraiya, still trying to wrap his head around the situation, took a deep breath.

 "Tatsuya, does anyone else know about this?"

"No."

"Good. Keep it that way." Jiraiya’s tone turned serious. "No one else can know about this. Understood?"

"Got it," Tatsuya replied, nodding.

Then, he added with a smirk, "So, Pervy Sage, are you still going to help Naruto control this power?"

Jiraiya sighed. "Yeah. But it’s not something that can be done overnight."

He glanced up at the sky. "It’s getting late. Head back for now. We’ll meet here tomorrow."

With that, Jiraiya lifted the unconscious Ebisu over his shoulder and left.

The next day.

Jiraiya led Naruto and Tatsuya to a secluded mountain stream deep in the forest. The place wasn’t chosen randomly—down in the waters below, women would often come to swim, something Jiraiya was all too aware of.

Seeing his pervy grin, Naruto groaned. "Pervy Sage! You said you were going to teach us a new technique! Hurry up!"

Jiraiya sighed dramatically. "You’re such an annoying brat. Why can’t you be more like Tatsuya and just enjoy the scenery for a bit?"

Naruto fumed while Tatsuya just smirked, watching the exchange in amusement.

After finally tearing himself away from the view, Jiraiya got serious again. "Before you learn this new jutsu, you first need to master how to access the red chakra… just like Tatsuya."

Naruto clenched his fists. "Fine! I’ll do it!"

With that, the next stage of their training began.

“Pervy sage, how do you know I have that kind of... chakra in my body?”

Naruto frowned, his confusion evident.

As his voice trailed off, Jiraiya began explaining Naruto's chakra situation.

“Listen, some of the chakra in your body is constantly being used to suppress another chakra—the Nine-Tails' chakra.”

Naruto's eyes widened. “Suppress it?”

Jiraiya nodded. “Yeah. That means you have an enormous chakra reserve, but you can't use it freely. If that seal were removed, the Nine-Tails' chakra would flood out, giving you power a hundred times over.”

Naruto clenched his fists. “So, what you're saying is... I have to use the Nine-Tails' chakra to perform a summoning jutsu?”

“Exactly,” Jiraiya confirmed. “Since summoning requires a lot of chakra, you need to tap into that power.”

Naruto's excitement grew. “Summoning? What kind of jutsu is that?”

“It's a contract between a shinobi and a creature. Once signed, you can summon them whenever you need. It's a type of space-time ninjutsu,” Jiraiya explained.

“That sounds awesome! Teach me now!” Naruto said eagerly.

Jiraiya crossed his arms. “Not so fast, kid. Before that, you need to deplete your normal chakra. Walk on water until you drain it completely. That'll make it easier to bring out the Nine-Tails' chakra.”

Naruto's enthusiasm faltered. “What if I drown?”

Jiraiya chuckled. “Relax, Tatsuya and I are here.”

Naruto sighed. “Fine...” He reluctantly stepped onto the water and began his training.

While Naruto struggled to maintain his balance, Jiraiya and Tatsuya observed the precious research materials near the spring, hiding beneath the bushes, occasionally whispering and making hand gestures as they discussed techniques.

“Look at there,” Jiraiya mused.

“You mean that one? The one with the red thongs?” Tatsuya asked.

Jiraiya grinned. “Best figure among them.”

Tatsuya shook his head. “You really are a pervy sage. Your talent in this area is unmatched.”

“Heh, I’ll take that as a compliment,” Jiraiya said, laughing.

Meanwhile, Naruto's stamina was wearing thin. At first, he managed to stay afloat, but as time passed, he struggled to keep balance.

Thud! Another splash echoed as Naruto fell into the water again.

Tatsuya sighed and pulled him out. “You done yet?”

After resting for a while, Naruto sat up, rubbing his head. Jiraiya smirked. “Looks like your chakra is finally drained. Now we can start summoning.”

Naruto’s exhaustion faded, replaced with excitement. “Finally!”

Jiraiya held up his hand. “Watch carefully.” He bit his thumb, smearing blood onto his palm before pressing it against the ground.

“Summoning Jutsu!”

Boom! A puff of white smoke burst forth, revealing a massive toad. Unlike yesterday's, this one held a scroll in its mouth.

Naruto's eyes sparkled. “It’s the frog from yesterday!”

“Toad!” Jiraiya corrected.

“Same thing,” Naruto shrugged. “Hurry up and teach me already!”

The large toad extended its tongue, slowly unraveling the scroll. Jiraiya pointed at it. “This is the contract for summoning toads. Sign your name in blood, then press your bloody fingerprints below it.”

Naruto nodded, doing as instructed.

Jiraiya continued, “When summoning, focus chakra into your hand and visualize what you want to summon. The hand seals are: Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram.”

With the contract signed, Jiraiya stepped back. “Alright, now you try.”

Naruto cracked his knuckles. “Here goes nothing!” He formed the seals and slammed his palm onto the ground.

“Summoning Jutsu!”

A burst of smoke erupted—but instead of a powerful toad, a tiny tadpole flopped helplessly on the ground.

Tatsuya stifled a laugh while Jiraiya palmed his face. “Oh, boy...”