Rai_jin
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#21 Divine Reward System
🕑 Added 2025-02-22 04:52:56 +0000 UTCThe moonlight poured down like a silver waterfall, casting a soft glow over the room.
Kakashi stirred and slowly opened his eyes, his body still unable to move. His muscles felt heavy, his chakra reserves depleted. According to his own assessment, it would take at least a week of rest and training before he could properly recover.
"Tch... this really takes a toll on me," he muttered to himself.
This was the consequence of a non-Uchiha overusing the [Sharingan]. If he wanted to overcome this side effect, he would need cells from the First Hokage (Senju Hashirama). But that was easier said than done.
Speaking of which… Did someone need Hashirama’s cells to use [Izanagi]?
The answer was: Yes!
[Izanagi] was an ultimate dojutsu, an even more broken form of genjutsu that blurred the line between reality and illusion. There were two ways to use it:
1. Possessing the [Mangekyō Sharingan], as its enhanced pupil power was strong enough to activate the technique without external assistance.
2. If the user only had a standard [Sharingan], their natural pupil power was insufficient, requiring the enhancement of Hashirama’s cells to activate the technique.
Without these conditions, [Izanagi] was impossible to use!
Madara had used it after his battle with Hashirama, having placed a pre-set [Transcription Seal] on his eye to activate [Izanagi] at the right moment. At that time, he hadn’t yet obtained Hashirama’s cells. Similarly, Itachi had explained how the Uchiha ancestors overused [Izanagi] before their downfall, and they certainly didn’t have access to Hashirama’s cells either. On the other hand, both Danzo and Obito had used [Izanagi] while only having standard [Sharingan]—but both had incorporated Hashirama’s cells into their bodies.
As Kakashi’s vision adjusted to the dim light, the first voice he heard was Naruto’s, loud and full of excitement.
"Kakashi-sensei! You’re finally awake!"
Naruto had been practically bouncing in his seat, waiting for this moment. He had so many questions for Tatsuya, but Tatsuya had refused to answer them until Kakashi was awake. If Naruto had to wait any longer, he might have exploded from impatience.
Not just Naruto—Sasuke had been waiting, too, though he was much better at hiding it. Even Kakashi himself was curious.
Kakashi’s gaze fell on Tatsuya, who looked relaxed despite the obvious tension in the room.
“Tatsuya…” Kakashi started, his voice still slightly weak. “How many gates of the [Eight Gates] have you opened?”
Tatsuya tilted his head slightly, feigning thought. Then he casually replied, “Three.”
Of course, that was a lie.
If he outright admitted that he had already reached the Fifth Gate, Kakashi might again from sheer disbelief. After all, it had only been a few days since Tatsuya had looked at the Scroll of Seals, and now he was supposedly at that level?
It would be nearly impossible to believe.
The [Eight Gates] wasn’t just about technique—it required immense physical conditioning. Without a strong enough body, attempting to open the higher gates would only lead to severe injury, worse, death.
Kakashi studied him for a long moment, then sighed.
‘Even if he says three… This kid’s a freak of nature when it comes to taijutsu.’
There were three primary branches of shinobi techniques: Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu. And just as there were geniuses in ninjutsu and genjutsu, there were also rare prodigies in taijutsu.
Guys like Might Guy and Rock Lee were living proof of that.
But the problem with taijutsu was that talent alone wasn’t enough—it required sheer, relentless hard work. Training taijutsu was grueling, often requiring far more effort than ninjutsu or genjutsu. That was why most shinobi didn’t specialize in it.
Which led to Kakashi’s next statement.
“You should stop trying to open the higher gates,” he warned.
Tatsuya grinned. “Don’t worry, Sensei. I’m just training casually.”
Kakashi’s eyebrow twitched. Casually? This kid was casually training and had already opened the third gate? If that was casual, what did real training look like for him?!
Sasuke and Naruto didn’t react much—they didn’t fully understand just how insane the [Eight Gates] training actually was.
Then Naruto leaned forward. “Tatsuya, Tatsuya! How did you learn [Magnet Release]?”
Tatsuya shrugged. “I dunno. I just can.”
Kakashi cut in. “[Kekkei Genkai] can come in two forms—one is inherited through bloodline, and the other can be obtained through training. Based on what Tatsuya just said, his [Magnet Release] was something he was born with.”
He glanced at Tatsuya thoughtfully. “Since he has two Kekkei Genkai, that means somewhere in his ancestry, there was a [Magnet Release] user. As for his [Sharingan]… it likely comes from an Uchiha ancestor.”
Naruto and Kakashi had gotten their answers. Now, all eyes turned to Sasuke, who had been quiet until now. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.
“Tatsuya… How did you know how to awaken the [Sharingan]?”
Tatsuya smirked. “Easy.”
He leaned back, arms behind his head. “That night, when I saw Iruka-sensei get injured and was forced to face a life-or-death situation, my eyes just activated.”
Sasuke frowned. “And you made me try the same method.”
“Yup. And it worked, didn’t it?”
Sasuke clicked his tongue but didn’t argue. Tatsuya’s explanation made sense, even if it felt a little too convenient.
Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. “That’s actually a common trigger. Emotional stress, especially during life-threatening moments, often awakens the Sharingan.”
With all of his answers lined up, Kakashi sat back and let out a deep breath.
'This kid… is a monster.'
Sasuke, Naruto, and even Kakashi himself were beginning to realize that Tatsuya was anything but ordinary.
A moment later, Naruto turned his attention to Kakashi, his blue eyes filled with curiosity.
“Sensei… why do you only have one Sharingan?”
The room went silent.
Tatsuya had carefully avoided bringing up the full story behind Kakashi’s eye, but Naruto’s direct question couldn’t be ignored.
Kakashi blinked, caught off guard by the sudden inquiry. For a moment, he seemed lost in thought. Then, he let out a quiet sigh.
“…I’ll tell you when you become Chūnin.”
Naruto groaned. “Aww, come on!”
Sasuke scowled. “Tch. That’s a long way off.”
Tatsuya smirked to himself. If only they knew… In the original timeline, Naruto and Sasuke wouldn’t learn the full truth until Obito showed up.
That meant they had a long wait ahead of them.
When Tatsuya and the others finished their conversation, Tazuna heard that Kakashi had woken up and came to check on him.
"Kakashi-san, you're awake! How are you feeling?" Tazuna asked with concern.
Kakashi gave a tired but reassuring smile. "I’ll be fine. Just need a few days of rest."
"That’s good to hear!" Tazuna sighed in relief before adding, "You should stay at my house while you recover. There's still some time before the bridge is completed."
Kakashi nodded. "Then, I’ll take you up on that offer."
Tazuna waved a hand dismissively. "No need for formalities! You're here to protect me, so providing food and shelter is the least I can do."
Naruto, who had been listening in, suddenly perked up. "Hey, old man! Is there anything fun to do around here?"
Having never left Konoha before, Naruto was eager to explore the outside world.
Tazuna chuckled. "Of course! If you're interested, my daughter can show you around tomorrow."
Naruto's face lit up, but before he could celebrate, Kakashi cut in with a firm voice. "Naruto, now isn’t the time to be goofing off."
"Huh?" Naruto blinked in confusion. "Kakashi-sensei, haven’t we already taken care of all the enemies? What’s there to worry about?"
Kakashi’s expression turned serious. "We've only dealt with Zabuza and Haku. But Gato is a powerful and wealthy man. If he decides to hire stronger shinobi, we could be in real trouble."
Naruto frowned, scratching his head. "So... what are we supposed to do about it?"
Sasuke crossed his arms and muttered, "You’re injured, Kakashi. What else can we do?"
Tatsuya, who had been quiet up until now, smirked slightly. He already had a good idea of what Kakashi had in mind.
Kakashi chuckled. "That’s simple. You’re going to train."
"Train?!" Naruto and Sasuke said in unison, their eyes widening.
Kakashi nodded. "Since I won’t be fighting for a while, I can use this time to guide you. You need to be prepared in case another enemy shows up."
Just as Kakashi finished speaking, a young boy walked into the room, his expression filled with doubt. He scoffed, crossing his arms. "It’s pointless. There's no way you can beat Gato."
The boy’s mother, Tsunami, turned toward him with concern. "Inari—"
Before she could say anything, Naruto cut in. "Hey, kid! Don’t underestimate us!"
Naruto stood up, placing his hands on his hips. "Someday, I’m gonna be the greatest ninja ever! A real hero, just like my name—Naruto Uzumaki!"
Inari barely reacted, his lips curling in disdain. "Heroes don’t exist. Anyone who believes that is just a fool."
With that, he turned and walked out of the room, heading straight for his own.
Naruto, still annoyed, followed him, only to pause outside Inari’s room. He could hear the boy softly crying. For a moment, Naruto's frustration faded, replaced by something more understanding. He knew this kind of pain—the kind that left you feeling powerless. It reminded him of his own childhood.
But... things had changed for him.
Because ever since he met Tatsuya, things had started to turn around. Naruto clenched his fists, making a silent promise to himself. He wasn’t going to let Inari keep thinking that way forever.
The next morning, Kakashi, leaning on a pair of crutches, led Naruto, Sasuke, and Tatsuya to a dense forest.
"Alright, today marks the start of your training," Kakashi announced.
Naruto's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Finally! What are we learning?! Some awesome new jutsu?!"
He had one goal in mind—getting stronger than Sasuke.
Kakashi gave a small smile. "First, let’s talk about the basics: Chakra."
Naruto groaned. "Ugh… boring!"
Ignoring him, Kakashi began explaining how chakra was formed and how it was used for jutsu. Naruto struggled to follow the explanation—it was too complicated, too technical. This was exactly why he had trouble with advanced ninjutsu. He could never get the chakra control just right.
Sasuke, on the other hand, was listening intently, absorbing the information. Tatsuya stood quietly, already aware of everything Kakashi was saying.
Finally, Kakashi got to the point. "In short, you guys don’t have full control over your chakra yet. That’s why your jutsu is sometimes strong and sometimes weak."
Naruto, who had zoned out, perked up at this. "Okay… so what do we do about it?"
Kakashi smirked. "You’re going to climb trees."
Naruto blinked. "Huh? Climbing trees? That’s it?"
"Not with your hands," Kakashi clarified, his single visible eye narrowing. "You’re going to climb using only your feet."
At that moment, Tatsuya, who had been silent, finally spoke up. "I get it. It’s a chakra control exercise. We have to focus chakra into our feet to stick to the tree."
Sasuke and Naruto turned to look at him in surprise, while Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"You’re sharp," Kakashi said approvingly. "That’s exactly right."
Naruto scratched his head. "Wait, wait, wait. How’d you figure that out so fast?!"
Tatsuya shrugged. "It’s just common sense. Kakashi-sensei said this is training, so obviously it’s not just about climbing. And think about it—our hands are used to forming hand signs, so they already have fine chakra control. Our feet, on the other hand, don’t. That’s why standing on water is so hard."
Naruto thought about the battle yesterday—how Kakashi and Zabuza could stand on water while he couldn’t. "Ohhh! So that’s why…"
Kakashi silently nodded, impressed by Tatsuya’s reasoning. Sasuke, meanwhile, scowled. It was annoying how easily Tatsuya figured things out.
"Alright then," Kakashi said. "Since Tatsuya already understands the concept, I’ll demonstrate."
Just as he was about to step forward, Tatsuya suddenly spoke again.
"Sensei, you’re still recovering. Let me do it."
