Naruto: Divine Reward System

The next day.

Tatsuya and Naruto made their way to the Ninja Academy to submit their information for registration—what was officially called the "Ninja Registration Form."

Once that was done, the Third Hokage summoned Tatsuya to his office.

The old man regarded him with a calm yet inquisitive gaze. "Tatsuya, I have two questions for you. First, how were you able to awaken the Sharingan? And second, how did you know about Mizuki's betrayal?"

Tatsuya had already prepared an answer. "As for my Sharingan… maybe one of my ancestors married into the Uchiha clan." He answered with a casual shrug.

It was a reasonable explanation. After all, distant bloodline awakenings weren't unheard of.

The Hokage stroked his beard. "I see… And what about Mizuki?"

"That's simple. He approached me first before my assessment but I turned him down. After that, he went to Naruto, thinking he'd be easier to manipulate."

Tatsuya had told Naruto and Iruka the same thing last night. And with Mizuki gone, there was no one left to contradict him.

There was no evidence against his words.

The Hokage studied him for a moment before nodding. "You are excellent."

Tatsuya smiled politely. "Hokage-sama, I'm flattered by your praise."

Before the Hokage could respond—

BANG!

The doors burst open with a loud crash, and an energetic voice rang through the office.

"Grandpa! Let's fight!"

Tatsuya didn't even need to turn around. He already knew who it was.

Sure enough, standing there was a young boy with spiky brown hair, his face twisted in determination. It was none other than the Hokage's grandson—Sarutobi Konohamaru.

Unfortunately, his dramatic entrance didn't go as planned. Konohamaru tripped over his own feet and went sprawling onto the floor with a loud thud.

"Ow! That hurt…!"

Right behind him, a tall man in dark glasses and a Konoha headband stepped in. Ebisu, Konohamaru's tutor, sighed in exasperation.

Tatsuya had no interest in the kid, nor in Ebisu for that matter. He wasn't about to stick around for whatever nonsense was about to unfold.

"Hokage-sama, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

The Hokage nodded. "Alright."

As Tatsuya turned to leave, Konohamaru, now standing, watched him curiously. "Grandpa, who was that?"

Before the Hokage could answer, Ebisu spoke up, his tone filled with admiration. "That was Tatsuya. He is the academy student who managed to create fifty-three clones during this year's graduation exam. A prodigy."

"A prodigy?" Konohamaru echoed, his expression darkening slightly. A thought crept into his mind—his grandfather had summoned this Tatsuya alone. Was he grooming him to be the next Hokage?

"No way! The Hokage position belongs to me!"

Determined, Konohamaru turned to his grandfather. "Grandpa, our fight is postponed!"

Without waiting for a response, he darted out of the office, following after Tatsuya at full speed.

—

[T/N: I recommend playing 'Afternoon of Konoha', as the bg music for this part. It will make the mood better! Y'all are welcome!]

Outside, Tatsuya reunited with Naruto, who had been waiting for him. They had already made plans to celebrate with ramen—Naruto's treat this time.

"You really don't have to," Tatsuya said with a smirk.

"No way! I wouldn't have passed the exam without you, so consider it a 'thank you'!"

Tatsuya shrugged. "If you insist."

However, as they started walking, a shadow crept behind them, following at a not-so-subtle distance.

Tatsuya sighed. "Naruto."

"Yeah?"

"We have a tail."

Naruto turned his head slightly and spotted their follower. "Ugh. It's him."

Indeed, Konohamaru was trailing them, peeking from behind a tree with the stealth of a brick.

Tatsuya stopped in his tracks and turned to face him. "Hey, kid. Why are you following us?"

Konohamaru scoffed, crossing his arms. "I'm not following you."

Tatsuya's eyebrow twitched. "Oh? Then why do I see you literally hiding behind a tree in plain sight?"

"Hah! I'm the grandson of the Hokage! You wouldn't dare lay a hand on me!"

Naruto cracked his knuckles, his nerves on his forehead were visible. "Oh yeah? Wanna bet?"

Before Konohamaru could react—

THUNK!

Naruto delivered a solid punch right to his forehead, sending him sprawling onto the ground once again.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! What was that for?!"

"For being annoying," Naruto replied simply.

Turns out, Konohamaru had been following Tatsuya because he saw him as a potential rival. But now, after getting knocked around, he suddenly started admiring him instead.

To Tatsuya's utter confusion, Konohamaru now declared, "Alright! From today on, you're my boss!"

Tatsuya blinked. "Excuse me?"

Naruto gawked. "Hey! What about me?!"

Konohamaru considered for a moment. "Fine, you can be my underling."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "I was here first!"

Tatsuya sighed. "You know what? You two can sort this out. I'm just here for ramen."

And with that, they all made their way to Ichiraku Ramen.

As they ate, they somehow found themselves bonding over food and friendly bickering. Even Konohamaru, now sporting a big lump on forehead, was laughing along with them.

—

After finishing their meal, Naruto showed off his infamous [Sexy Jutsu], much to Konohamaru's delight. The younger boy eagerly begged to be taught the technique, and Naruto was more than happy to oblige.

Tatsuya, meanwhile, sat back, amused at the ridiculousness of it all.

That is—until Ebisu showed up, looking for Konohamaru.

Unfortunately for Ebisu, he never stood a chance against Naruto's absurd combination of [Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu] and [Sexy Jutsu]. The elite tutor collapsed in defeat within seconds, blood gushing from his nose.

Tatsuya shook his head. What a day…

—

Two days passed in a flash. Then, early in the morning, Tatsuya and Naruto arrived at the academy. Today was the "Graduation Briefing Meeting."

Or, in simpler terms—it was time for team assignments.

As soon as Tatsuya entered the room, he could feel the stares. The way his classmates looked at him had changed. Gone was the usual indifference or disdain. Now, some were watching him with admiration. A few of the girls were even sneaking glances his way.

However, when Naruto walked in, there was a collective gasp.

"Wait… Naruto?!"

"Why is he here? I thought only graduates could attend?"

Naruto grinned and tapped his [forehead protector] tied around his head. "Guess what? I passed! I'm officially a ninja now!"

Tatsuya chuckled as Naruto took a seat next to him. Only one seat remained—right next to Sasuke.

As soon as Naruto sat down, an angry voice rang out.

"Naruto! Get up and move! That seat is mine!"

Because Naruto liked Sakura, he was always eager to impress her. But this time, Tatsuya couldn't just sit by and watch. Naruto was his best friend, after all.

"There are plenty of empty seats. Why should Naruto have to move?" Tatsuya's voice was calm, but his sharp gaze landed directly on Sakura, making her freeze.

"I..." Sakura hesitated. If this had been the old Tatsuya—the so-called 'dead last'—she would've shot back without hesitation. But now, he was different. The intensity in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine, making her feel completely out of her depth.

Before the tension could escalate, Iruka's voice cut through the air. "Alright, everyone! Settle down. The briefing is about to start."

Sakura, still flustered, huffed and found another seat. But her glare remained locked onto Tatsuya, full of irritation.

Naruto, watching the exchange, grinned and gave Tatsuya a thumbs-up. "Nice one, Tatsuya! You actually stood up to Sakura!"

Tatsuya smirked. "Some girls need a firm approach."

Naruto blinked, as if processing the words. "Huh... So that's how it works?" He muttered to himself, rubbing his chin. "Maybe I should try that..."

Tatsuya shook his head. "Yeah... Good luck with that."

If Naruto actually tried that approach, his fate was sealed. After all, his biggest obstacle in life was Sakura herself. Why? No need to ask—just blame Kishimoto.

Meanwhile, Iruka continued explaining the path ahead. "From this day forward, you are officially ninjas! But remember, you're still Genin. The real challenges are yet to come. The village will assign you missions, and you'll work in teams of three under a Jōnin instructor."

At the mention of team assignments, everyone started whispering. Some were hopeful, others anxious. Most of the girls prayed to be teamed up with Sasuke. Naruto, of course, wanted to be with Sakura. And Hinata... well, she just wanted to be with Naruto, though she kept those feelings buried deep inside.

Finally, Iruka began the long-awaited announcements. "To balance team strengths, the groups have been carefully arranged. Now, for Team Seven..."

A tense silence filled the room as Iruka continued, "Tokigawa Tatsuya, Naruto Uzumaki... and Sasuke Uchiha."

The reactions were immediate.

Sakura's face fell, devastated that she wasn't on Sasuke's team. Naruto shot to his feet, outraged. "WHAT?! Why do I have to be with that guy?!"

Meanwhile, Sasuke simply clicked his tongue in annoyance. And in the background, Hinata lowered her gaze, disappointment flickering in her pale eyes, though she didn't say a word.

Naruto waved his arms dramatically. "Iruka-sensei, why do I—an amazing student—have to be stuck with Sasuke?!"

Iruka sighed, already expecting this reaction. "Amazing? You barely passed. Sasuke had the highest scores in every subject except Clone Jutsu. You, on the other hand, had the worst scores overall. The teams were made to balance strengths."

Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms. "That's not fair..."

Of course, what Iruka didn't say was that the team selection had been decided long ago. The Third Hokage knew that Naruto and Tatsuya were close and that Tatsuya had a positive influence on him. He hoped that by pairing them together, Naruto's growth would be accelerated.

As for why Tatsuya and Sasuke were grouped together—it was simple. They both possessed the Sharingan, and having them train together would push them to new heights. Their Jōnin instructor had already been pre-selected, someone who could guide them in mastering their abilities.

And that person was none other than Kakashi Hatake—the legendary Copy Ninja.

The Third Hokage also hoped that Tatsuya's presence would help Sasuke emerge from the darkness of his clan's tragic past.

With all that in mind, the team selections made sense. No one could argue against it.

"Alright, next up—Team Eight!" Iruka continued. "Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame, and Kiba Inuzuka."

Hinata cast a longing glance toward Naruto but quickly masked her emotions.

"Team Nine..."

"Team Ten! Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Choji Akimichi."

After finishing the group assignments, Iruka cleared his throat. "Alright, this afternoon, you'll meet your Jōnin instructors. For now, you're dismissed!"

The day flew by, and soon it was time to meet their sensei.

Inside the classroom, Tatsuya, Naruto, and Sasuke sat waiting. Naruto, completely oblivious to the identity of their mentor, fidgeted impatiently.

Tatsuya smirked. "Hey, Naruto, want to make a bet?"

Naruto perked up. "A bet? What kind?"

"If I can guess who our instructor is, you buy me ramen. If I'm wrong, I'll buy you ramen."

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Seriously?! You're on!"

Inside, Naruto was already celebrating. 'Heh, Tatsuya you idiot! There's no way you know! I'm definitely winning this one!'

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