#36 Divine Reward System

“It’s a Grass Ninja!”

Sasuke tensed the moment he saw the female ninja approach. Beside him, Naruto wrinkled his nose and muttered, “Tatsuya, this isn't the fish that was supposed to take the bait, right?”

This so-called [Grass Ninja] didn’t match the [Rain Shinobi] they had expected. Something felt off.

At this moment, [Orochimaru] had yet to reveal his true identity, so Sasuke and Naruto still believed him to be from the [Hidden Sound Village]. Of course, even if he did expose himself, neither of them would recognize him. The legendary "Sannin of Konoha" were figures they had only heard of in passing, never seen in person.

Orochimaru was intrigued by Tatsuya's earlier mention of a [Secret Code]. His serpentine voice slithered through the air, dripping with curiosity.

“Boy,” he said smoothly. “You keep mentioned earlier about this secret code. I’m quite curious—what exactly do you mean by that?”

Tatsuya met his gaze without hesitation. “You and I both know the answer. Why bother asking?”

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged confused glances, but Orochimaru's reaction was far more dramatic. His eyes widened briefly before he masked his shock.

'Could it be... this kid sees through my disguise?' he thought.

But he quickly dismissed the idea. 'Impossible! Even Anko didn’t recognize me. How could a kid fresh out of the Academy do it?'

No, this was just paranoia. He had defected from Konoha long before Itachi’s betrayal and before the Fourth Hokage’s death. In other words, these brats hadn’t even been born back then!

Regaining his composure, Orochimaru decided he would get his answer soon enough. He just needed to capture Tatsuya and interrogate him.

With that thought, he pulled out a scroll.

A large kanji “Earth” was written on it.

There was no mistaking it—this was the [Heaven and Earth Scroll] Orochimaru’s team carried.

Then, to the shock of Sasuke and Naruto, Orochimaru did something grotesque. He tilted his head back and swallowed the scroll whole.

“Now,” he hissed, his lips curling into a sinister smile. “Let the scroll [battle] begin.”

His voice took on a more menacing tone as he raised his hand to his eye, stretching the corner of it unnaturally. The eerie sight made Naruto and Sasuke freeze, their stomachs churn with unease.

Orochimaru was preparing an illusion.

This was the [Hell Viewing Technique]!

The moment he stretched his eye, the genjutsu took hold. Naruto and Sasuke's minds were immediately trapped in a vision of their own gruesome deaths. The horror sent a chill down their spines, rendering them helpless.

But to Orochimaru's surprise, Tatsuya remained unaffected. Even more impressively, he freed Naruto and Sasuke from the illusion with ease.

“Are you two alright?” Tatsuya asked, concern lacing his voice.

Sasuke was still catching his breath but managed to say, “If you hadn’t helped me, I would have thought I was already dead...”

“Yeah, that guy’s terrifying!” Naruto shuddered.

At that moment, the full weight of his own weakness hit him. Compared to Orochimaru, he felt like nothing more than a leaf caught in a storm.

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with intrigue. “You’re quite the interesting one, aren’t you?” he mused.

He had noticed Tatsuya’s abilities back when he had displayed his skill in front of Anko. But now, the boy seemed even more formidable than he had anticipated.

“In that case, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to show you a little something.”

With that, Orochimaru formed a hand seal. Instantly, three monstrous serpents slithered into existence, their massive jaws gaping open as they lunged toward Tatsuya, Sasuke, and Naruto.

Both Sasuke and Naruto froze, their bodies still sluggish from the lingering effects of the genjutsu.

Tatsuya, however, didn’t hesitate. He swiftly formed his own hand seals and unleashed a jutsu.

[Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu]!

This C-rank ninjutsu allowed the caster to unleash multiple fireballs that could be controlled mid-air, making them difficult to evade. But under Tatsuya’s command, the technique reached an entirely new level.

Three enormous fireballs erupted from his mouth, engulfing the serpents in an instant.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The monstrous snakes writhed and screeched before collapsing, their charred bodies still smoking. The air filled with the acrid scent of burnt flesh.

Sasuke stared, stunned.

[Phoenix Fire Jutsu] was an Uchiha clan technique. It was difficult for outsiders to master. Yet Tatsuya had just executed it flawlessly, and with even more power than Sasuke himself.

“What the hell...” Sasuke muttered.

Unbeknownst to him, Tatsuya had memorized the technique back when Sasuke was training in the Land of Waves. Though he didn't use the [Sharingan], his absurd talent allowed him to learn it in an instant and even refine it further.

Improving an existing ninjutsu was a feat that only geniuses could achieve.

Orochimaru, still perched on a tree branch, watched with growing interest. He had underestimated this boy.

“Let’s see how you handle this,” he whispered before executing his next move.

[Hidden Shadow Snake Hands]!

From his sleeves, a swarm of snakes shot out, their fangs bared as they lunged toward Tatsuya.

But Tatsuya remained unfazed.

His hands blurred through seals before he unleashed another powerful jutsu.

[Wind Style: Air Bullet]!

A massive sphere of wind chakra erupted from his mouth, slicing through the air with lethal precision. The incoming snakes were instantly shredded, their bodies severed into countless pieces.

The destructive blast didn’t stop there. It slammed into a tree behind Orochimaru, toppling it with a deafening crash.

Orochimaru had already anticipated the attack and evaded it using [Body Flicker Technique].

Perched atop another tree, he observed the damage, his expression unreadable. But inside, he was rattled.

“This level of power...” he thought, gripping the bark beneath his fingers. “This is no ordinary genin. His strength rivals a Jonin—perhaps even surpasses one.”

Yet, what he had just witnessed was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Because Tatsuya had only been using his standard chakra.

If he tapped into the power of a Tailed Beast...

Orochimaru's lips curled into a sinister grin.

“A child like this... I must have him.”