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#23 Divine Reward System
🕑 Added 2025-02-22 04:54:40 +0000 UTCSeeing the group of thugs closing in, Tatsuya smirked and stepped forward, glancing at Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke and I will handle this. Consider it a chance to see how much we’ve improved this past week."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Uh… sure, go ahead."
Just as Tatsuya and Sasuke were preparing to engage, a voice suddenly rang out from behind them.
"I AM HERE!"
A blur of orange shot past, landing dramatically in front of them.
With his arms crossed and a confident grin, Naruto declared, "Uzumaki Naruto, is here to save the day!"
Tatsuya and Sasuke sighed in unison, while Kakashi rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"If we didn’t know him, we’d be embarrassed to admit we did," Kakashi muttered.
Tazuna, however, looked relieved at Naruto’s arrival. "Naruto! What about Tsunami and Inari? Are they safe?"
Naruto puffed out his chest. "Relax, old man! I took care of those two scumbags in no time! Tsunami and Inari are perfectly fine."
Tazuna exhaled in relief. "Thank you, Naruto."
Naruto grinned. "Well, it’s not just me. If it weren’t for the note Tatsuya left behind, I would’ve not been here sooner."
Tazuna turned to Tatsuya, his face filled with gratitude. "I really don’t know how to thank you."
"It’s our mission to protect you, old man. No need to thank us," Tatsuya replied casually.
Naruto nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it’s all in a day’s work for us shinobi!"
Just then, another voice called out.
"And us!"
Everyone turned as a large group of villagers appeared, led by Tsunami and Inari. The sight of them was striking—men and women who had once cowered under Gato’s rule now stood together, their eyes burning with determination.
"Gato, get off our island!" one man shouted.
"Yeah! If you ever come back, we’ll fight you with everything we’ve got!" another added.
"Get out! Get out!" The chant spread through the crowd like wildfire.
Kakashi leaned toward Naruto, eyeing the massive gathering. "This wasn’t your idea, was it?"
Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Nope. It was Tatsuya who told me to talk to Inari."
Kakashi’s gaze flicked to Tatsuya, a mixture of surprise and admiration in his eyes. "Not only is he smart, but he understands how to rally people. Impressive."
On the other side, Gato’s thugs were visibly uneasy. "Boss, there are too many of them. Maybe we should let this one go…?"
"Yeah, they even have shinobi on their side. It’s not worth it!"
Gato clenched his fists. He had never felt fear like this before. These people, who had always been beneath him, were standing up to him. His usual smug expression faltered.
"Tch! You haven't seen the last of me!" he spat. "I’ll let you go for now, but don’t think you’re safe!"
He turned to leave, his men quickly following—until a voice stopped them cold.
"Anyone can leave, but Gato stays."
The air grew heavy. The islanders, the shinobi, and even Gato’s men froze at Tatsuya’s words.
Tazuna hesitated. "Tatsuya… what are you doing?"
Tatsuya's gaze was sharp, unwavering. "If we let him go now, it’s just a matter of time before he returns—if not here, then somewhere else. He will keep exploiting people, keep spreading misery."
The villagers murmured in agreement.
"He’s right."
"Gato must pay!"
"No more suffering because of him!"
Seeing the furious expressions around him, Gato took a step back. "D-Don’t push your luck!" he stammered. "I still have my men!"
Tatsuya smirked and brought his hands together in a familiar seal. "Oh? What about now?"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In an instant, the bridge was swarmed with dozens of Tatsuya’s shadow clones, surrounding Gato and his remaining thugs. The once-confident crime lord’s face turned pale as he realized—there was no escape.
Seeing the overwhelming number of shadow clones surrounding them, Gato was frozen in shock.
Not just him—the hired thugs behind him were equally dumbfounded. They knew shinobi were strong, but this? This was on a whole different level.
Hundreds of identical warriors appeared in an instant. How could they possibly fight against that?
Panic spread through the ranks of Gato’s men. In mere moments, their fighting spirit crumbled, and fear took over.
"Listen up! If you want to live, hand over Gato!"
"Otherwise, none of you are leaving this bridge!"
Tatsuya’s voice rang out, carrying an undeniable authority. His sharp gaze locked onto the mercenaries, daring them to resist.
Gato’s heart pounded as the ultimatum sank in. His usual smugness was nowhere to be seen. The men who had sworn loyalty to him just moments ago were now looking at each other, silently weighing their options.
They didn’t need to say a word. The answer was already in their eyes.
Gato saw the shift immediately and panicked. Without hesitation, he turned and bolted toward the boat, desperate to escape.
But he was too slow.
"Gato! Where do you think you’re going?!"
A loud, commanding voice rang out, and all eyes snapped back to him. In that instant, the remaining mercenaries made their choice.
"Boss Gato… sorry!"
"Yeah, Boss. If handing you over means we get to live, then it’s not a bad trade."
"Besides, after all the horrible things you’ve done, consider this your one chance to do something good."
One by one, the mercenaries turned on him, forcing him to the ground. Gato’s face contorted in rage and terror as he thrashed against their grip. But it was useless.
For once, he was powerless.
"No! Don’t kill me!" he screamed. "I’ll give you all my money! Every single ryo! Just let me go!"
But the villagers of the Land of Waves stood firm. His words meant nothing to them.
This was the man who had terrorized their home, beaten their hero, and driven them into despair. No amount of wealth could erase the suffering he had caused.
One of the mercenaries, who had once followed Gato without question, tightened his grip on his sword. He hesitated for only a moment before making his decision.
Gato barely had time to scream before it was over.
His lifeless body crumpled to the ground, the very people he had once commanded now turning away from him without a second thought. The villagers of the Land of Waves stared at the scene in silence, the weight of years of oppression finally lifted.
Tazuna exhaled slowly, an inexplicable emotion rising in his chest. "Kaiza… you’ve been avenged."
Inari, standing beside him, clenched his fists, tears brimming in his eyes. "Dad… we finally did it."
The remaining mercenaries wasted no time. They scrambled onto the nearest boat, eager to put as much distance between themselves and Tatsuya’s team as possible. None of them dared to look back, fearing the shinobi’s wrath.
With Gato gone, the Land of Waves was finally free.
A triumphant cheer erupted from the villagers. They shouted their gratitude, their voices filled with uncontainable joy.
"We did it!"
"Our home is ours again!"
"Tatsuya, Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi—you’re our heroes!"
Naruto grinned and turned to Inari. "See? I told you heroes exist."
Inari wiped his eyes and nodded firmly. "Yeah… and he’s just like my dad!"
As the celebrations continued, the bridge—now a symbol of hope—stood tall against the horizon. Life in the Land of Waves would never be the same again.
Two weeks later, after tireless work from the villagers, the bridge was finally completed. To commemorate their victory and to honor their heroes, Tazuna stepped forward with a heartfelt announcement.
"This bridge… it’ll be known as the Great Tatsuya Bridge."
No one objected. Not a single person.
Because, without him, the Land of Waves would still be living in fear.
The day after the bridge’s completion, Team 7 prepared to leave. As they stood at the edge of the village, Tsunami approached them with a warm smile.
"Tatsuya, everyone, please visit again when you have time. Inari adores you all."
Naruto scratched his nose and chuckled. "Heh, don’t worry, we’ll be back."
Inari, tears brimming in his eyes, watched as his heroes disappeared into the distance. "Come back soon!" he called out.
A few days later, Team 7 finally returned to Konoha after nearly a month away. The moment they arrived, Naruto and Tatsuya bolted straight for Ichiraku Ramen.
"I haven’t had real ramen in weeks!" Naruto groaned. "I’m gonna eat ten bowls!"
Teuchi, the shop owner, chuckled. "Welcome back, you two. Extra servings for the heroes of the Land of Waves!"
Even Sasuke, who had originally scoffed at the idea of ramen, found himself nodding in agreement. "…It does smell good."
Meanwhile, Kakashi made his way to the Hokage’s office to report their mission. When he spoke about Tatsuya’s leadership, Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back, deep in thought.
"Kakashi, no doubt about it—this child is Konoha’s future. Guide him well."
Kakashi nodded. "I will."
After Kakashi left, the Third Hokage gazed out of his window, lost in thought. A name came to mind, a legend that had long since passed.
The God of Shinobi—the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
"Could he be the next one?" Hiruzen murmured to himself, picturing Tatsuya’s potential in the upcoming Chunin Exams.
Only time would tell.
