#46 Divine Reward System

As the Third Hokage finished speaking, Anko Mitarashi stepped forward, holding a small wooden box. She walked over to the eight contestants, stopping in front of Tatsuya.

"Each of you, take a slip of paper from the box," she instructed.

One by one, they each reached in and pulled out a numbered slip.

Naruto—No. 5, Neji—No. 2, Shino—No. 4, Gaara—No. 7, Sasuke—No. 8, Shikamaru—No. 6, Tatsuya—No. 1, and Kankuro—No. 3. Once everyone had their numbers, Anko stepped back, allowing Ibiki Morino to announce the matchups.

"Here are the matchups for the first round!" Ibiki called out. "First match: Tatsuya (No. 1) versus Neji (No. 2)! Second match: Kankuro (No. 3) versus Shino (No. 4)! Third match: Naruto (No. 5) versus Shikamaru (No. 6)! Fourth match: Gaara (No. 7) versus Sasuke (No. 8)!"

"For the second round," he continued, "the winners of the first two matches will face off, and the winners of the last two matches will fight for the other finalist spot. The final round will determine the overall winner!"

Kankuro exhaled in relief—at least he wasn’t facing Gaara right away. Meanwhile, Sasuke clenched his fists, eyes narrowing toward Gaara. He wanted that fight.

Gaara, however, was unfazed. Even though he wasn’t matched with Tatsuya immediately, he didn’t mind. If Tatsuya was strong enough, they’d meet in the finals. If not—well, he wasn’t worth Gaara’s time anyway.

The Third Hokage surveyed the group. "Before we conclude, does anyone have questions?"

Shikamaru raised a lazy hand. "Yeah. So, if this is an elimination tournament, does that mean only one of us can be promoted to Chunin?"

"Not necessarily," the Hokage answered. "During the official matches, I, along with the Kazekage, the daimyo, and village leaders, will evaluate your performance. Even if you lose in the first round, you may still earn a promotion based on your skills and judgment in battle."

Tatsuya and Sasuke exchanged glances, feeling slightly relieved. They knew, regardless of how hard they tried, defeating Tatsuya would be impossible.

"Then that’s all. See you all in a month!" the Hokage declared. "You’re dismissed!"

With that, the contestants dispersed, each heading off to prepare for the upcoming battles. As Gaara and Temari departed, both shot a glance at Tatsuya—though for different reasons. Gaara anticipated their eventual clash, while Temari couldn’t quite explain her reaction. Something about Tatsuya unsettled her, but she wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was the unwavering confidence he had displayed during their previous fight.

Meanwhile, Tatsuya, Naruto, and Sasuke approached Kakashi. Before their sensei could speak, Tatsuya cut in.

"Kakashi, focus on training Sasuke. I’ll figure things out on my own."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at Tatsuya’s confidence but didn’t argue. He had originally considered sending Tatsuya to train with Might Guy to learn more about the Eight Gates technique. But given Guy’s emotional state due to Rock Lee’s injury, and the fact that he was already mentoring Neji, Kakashi let the matter rest.

Naruto, on the other hand, wasn’t so willing to be passed off.

"Wait! I want to train with you, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi gave a sheepish smile. "I figured you’d say that. So, I’ve already arranged a different mentor for you."

"What?! But why?!" Naruto protested.

"I have things to take care of," Kakashi replied simply.

Naruto’s eyes narrowed. "You just want to train Sasuke!"

Kakashi chuckled. "I found someone even better than me to train you."

Naruto’s curiosity piqued. "Oh yeah? Who?"

Before Kakashi could answer, a voice interrupted from behind. "That would be me!"

Naruto turned and his face instantly fell. "Ugh! No way! The closet pervert?!"

Ebisu adjusted his sunglasses and coughed. "Ahem. I am a highly skilled elite tutor, Naruto."

Naruto groaned, remembering the last time Ebisu tried to train him. "You just wanna stop me from using my Harem Jutsu again, don’t you?"

Ebisu frowned but quickly composed himself. "This time, I’ll treat you to ramen if you behave."

Naruto still didn’t seem convinced—until Tatsuya leaned in and whispered, "Trust me, Naruto. You’re going to gain a lot from this training."

Naruto blinked. "For real?"

"Would I lie to you?"

Reluctantly, Naruto sighed and agreed. With that, Kakashi turned his attention to Sasuke, while Naruto and Tatsuya followed Ebisu.

Later, after enjoying a ramen meal, Ebisu led them to a hot spring.

Naruto frowned. "Wait, why are we here? You better not be peeping, old man."

Ebisu sighed. "Of course not. This is part of your training."

"Training? What kind of training happens in a hot spring?"

"You’re going to learn how to walk on water."

Naruto’s face fell as he remembered his training with Kakashi back in the Land of Waves. Back then, they had only mastered tree-walking. Water-walking was a whole new challenge.

As the voice rang out, Ebisu clasped his hands together, channeling chakra to the soles of his feet. Under the watchful eyes of Naruto and Tatsuya, he calmly stepped onto the hot spring’s surface. As a skilled jonin, standing on water was effortless for him—he walked as if on solid ground, his movements smooth and controlled.

Naruto’s eyes widened. "Whoa!"

Ebisu smirked. "Now, you try."

With his prior tree-climbing training, Naruto had a decent grasp of chakra control. However, walking on water required more precision—too much chakra, and he’d be repelled; too little, and he’d sink.

Brimming with confidence, Naruto took a step forward.

Splash!

He plunged straight into the water.

"Agh! It’s so hot!" he yelped, thrashing in the steaming pool.

Ebisu chuckled. "Ah, I forgot to mention—this hot spring is about sixty degrees. Keep failing, and you’ll be boiled like an egg."

Naruto scowled, determination flaring in his eyes. "Hmph! I’ll get this!"

He climbed out and tried again. And again. Each attempt lasted longer than the last, but he still couldn’t hold himself up for long. His control needed work.

As Naruto struggled, Ebisu turned his attention to Tatsuya—only to find him sitting on a rock, eyes half-lidded in boredom.

"Tatsuya! If you’re training under me, no slacking off!" Ebisu scolded.

Tatsuya yawned. "I’m not slacking."

Ebisu scoffed. "I may wear sunglasses, but I’m not blind!"

Tatsuya stretched lazily. "I mean, I’ve already mastered it."

Ebisu blinked. "…Excuse me?"

He had barely finished his demonstration, and Tatsuya hadn’t even attempted it once. Was the boy joking? Even prodigies needed to practice. If he let this slide, he’d look like a fool as an instructor.

"Alright, then show me," Ebisu challenged, crossing his arms.

"Sure, why not? Might as well treat it like a foot massage."

Tatsuya stood, stepped forward, and effortlessly walked across the water’s surface, hands in his pockets as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Ebisu just nodded while watching Tatsuya walk on top of the water with ease.

Kakashi had mentioned Tatsuya’s talent was exceptional, but mastering tree water walking at Tatsuya's age wasn't something that he was able to do when he was at his age.

"Told you I wasn’t lying," Tatsuya said, smirking.

Ebisu was speechless.

Just then, a lecherous chuckle echoed from nearby.

Tatsuya and Naruto turned toward the source—a tall man with long white hair, dressed in red robes, crouched behind a wooden fence. He was peering through a gap, eyes fixed on the women’s side of the hot spring.

Jiraiya.

Ebisu’s expression darkened. "Hmph! I don’t know who you are, but peeping is disgraceful! I won’t allow it!"

With that, he lunged at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya, completely unfazed, casually formed a hand seal. "Summoning Jutsu."

A massive toad materialized before him, easily ten times Ebisu’s size, with a collar bearing the kanji for "loyalty." Before Ebisu could react, the toad’s tongue shot out, wrapping around him and lifting him off the ground.

"Gah! What—?!" Ebisu barely had time to speak before he was flung to the side, knocked unconscious.

Jiraiya dusted off his hands. "Man, so loud. Do you want me to get caught?"

Naruto, who had just pulled himself out of the water, stared in shock. "Did… did the closet perv just get taken out?"

He turned to Tatsuya. "Who is this guy?"

Tatsuya shrugged. "Ask him yourself."

Naruto pointed at Jiraiya. "Hey! Who are you? Why’d you knock out the closet pervert? And what’s with the giant frog?"

Jiraiya huffed. "First of all, that’s a toad. Get it right."

Naruto frowned. "Eh, looks the same to me."

Jiraiya sighed. "Kids these days… Anyway, I suppose an introduction is in order!"

He struck a dramatic pose. "I am the great and legendary Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku! Known far and wide as the one and only—Jiraiya-sennin! Lucky you to meet me!"

Hearing Jiraiya’s grand self-introduction, Naruto furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Toad Sage?"

Tatsuya, on the other hand, couldn't hide his amusement. He had tagged along with Naruto and Ebisu for training solely to wait for Jiraiya to appear.

"Hey, hey, what do you mean, 'Toad Sage'? This closet pervert is supposed to be our teacher, and you made him look like this! What are we supposed to do now?"

"Who told him to interfere while I was collecting precious research material?" Jiraiya said with a shrug.

"Collecting research material?" Naruto repeated, puzzled.

Jiraiya proudly pulled out a book and held it up. "This right here!"

Naruto squinted at the cover and immediately recognized the bold title: Make-Out Paradise.

"Wait a minute… This is that book!"

"Oh? Even a kid like you knows about it? Seems like my reputation precedes me! Heh heh!" Jiraiya grinned.

"Of course I do! That’s not a serious novel!" Naruto shouted angrily. He had seen Kakashi reading it on multiple occasions. In fact, during their survival training, Tatsuya had even written a parody of it, which Naruto still remembered vividly.

"Material, my foot! You're just a pervert!"

After bickering for a while, Naruto finally ran out of breath and got straight to the point.

"Enough of this! What about our training?"

"Training?" Jiraiya murmured, then scratched his chin. "Oh, you mean walking on water?"

"So you do get it!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing at him with a triumphant smirk. "That means you’re our new trainer!"

From Naruto’s perspective, Jiraiya was obviously much stronger than Ebisu. And honestly, he hadn’t been thrilled about Ebisu’s training methods anyway.

"I hate bratty punks like you," Jiraiya said, crossing his arms. "Also, I have no interest in men."

Naruto blinked, caught completely off guard. He had no idea how to respond to that.

Seeing Naruto flustered, Tatsuya smirked. "Naruto, this guy is a total pervert. Isn't your Sexy Jutsu the perfect weapon against him?"

"Oh! Why didn’t I think of that?!" Naruto's expression shifted as inspiration struck. He turned to Jiraiya with a mischievous grin. "Alright, pervy sage, what do you think of this?"

Poof! A cloud of white smoke burst around Naruto. When it cleared, there stood a gorgeous, curvaceous woman—completely nude!

Jiraiya's reaction was instant. His face turned red, and a massive nosebleed gushed from his nostrils.

"This... this is amazing!" he stammered, barely able to contain himself. "I love it!"

"Hah! I knew it!" Naruto smirked.

Jiraiya wiped the blood from his nose and grinned. "Quick, tell me the name of that jutsu!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "It’s called Sexy Jutsu, obviously!"

Jiraiya let out a hearty laugh. "You, my boy, are a genius!"

Seeing that Jiraiya had taken the bait, Naruto pressed his advantage, striking an even more seductive pose. In the sweetest voice he could muster, he purred, "Sooo, about our training?"

Jiraiya stroked his chin, pretending to consider it. "Hmm... well, alright. But on one condition!"

"What condition?" Naruto asked warily.

"Whenever we're together, you must always stay in that form!"

Naruto's eye twitched. "You are a super pervert!"

"No, no! It’s purely for artistic inspiration!"

"I don't care! Not happening!" Naruto huffed, crossing his arms.

Jiraiya chuckled. "Alright, alright, I was just kidding. Let’s get started with training."

"For real?!" Naruto’s eyes lit up.

"Of course! I, the great Toad Sage, always keep my promises!"

"Awesome! Tatsuya, we did it!"

But before Naruto could celebrate too much, Jiraiya raised a hand. "Hold it right there, kid. I said I’d train you, not him."

Jiraiya turned to Tatsuya, clearly unimpressed. He had no intention of taking on extra students so easily.

"Why not?!" Naruto demanded.

Jiraiya smirked. "Because you had Sexy Jutsu, which convinced me. What does he have?"

Naruto blinked. "Uh..." Then, his eyes widened. "Wait! Pervy sage, weren’t you just talking about gathering material?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Well then, you’ll love this! Tatsuya wrote a Make-Out Paradise fan sequel, and Kakashi-sensei treasures it like a priceless gem!"

"...You’re joking." Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "No way a kid could write something like that."

"It’s true! There's only one copy in existence!"

"I don’t believe it."

Tatsuya, who had been silent this whole time, finally spoke up. "Actually... I wrote a second volume."

"Volume two?!" Naruto asked, stunned.

Tatsuya nodded. "Kakashi loved the first one so much, he kept pestering me for more. So, I wrote the next part."

With a smirk, Tatsuya reached into his bag and pulled out a neatly bound book. He held it out deliberately, making sure Jiraiya got a good look.

The moment Jiraiya saw the title, his eyes gleamed with interest.

Icha Icha Paradise: Step-sis is stuck, I must help her... Vol #2

His fingers twitched, eager to snatch it away.

"Let me see that!" he demanded. "If it really inspires me, maybe I’ll consider taking you on, too."

Without hesitation, Jiraiya grabbed the book and flipped it open. Within seconds, he was completely absorbed, flipping through the pages at lightning speed.

Minutes passed. Naruto and Tatsuya exchanged looks.

"Uh... Pervy sage?" Naruto called.

Jiraiya snapped out of his trance, pretending to be composed. "Not bad. I suppose I can see a hint of inspiration in it."

Naruto smirked. "So does that mean you’ll train both of us?"

Jiraiya sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. But I have one more condition."

"What now?" Tatsuya asked.

Jiraiya grinned. "You have to give me Volume One and every future volume you write. I need all the inspiration I can get."

Tatsuya smirked. "Deal."

Jiraiya stuffed the book into his bag like a prized possession and clapped his hands together. "Alright, enough talking! Time to start training!"