Inside the familiar Ichiraku Ramen shop in the Hidden Leaf Village, the warm scent of noodles filled the air.
Behind the kitchen counter, Aren quietly opened the system panel within his mind. A light-blue screen flickered into existence—visible only to him.
His eyes immediately landed on a number in the corner.
The current total emotion value.
And it was less than ten thousand points away from the next upgrade.
A flash of excitement surged through his chest, but he quickly forced himself to stay calm. He glanced around to make sure no one else was around.
Aside from him and Teuchi, the kindly ramen chef, the shop was empty.
With a quick excuse, Aren slipped into the kitchen area and focused entirely on the system interface.
The first system upgrade...
His heart beat a little faster just thinking about it.
What kind of changes will it bring?
Surely it wasn't going to be something simple like raising the cap on how many people he could target in a dream. That would be too plain.
Maybe a new dream mode?
Or brand-new abilities I haven't seen yet?
Suppressing his rising excitement, Aren mentally selected the system store and opened the interface.
The virtual mall bloomed before him, rows of categorized items stretching into the digital distance.
There was everything—ninjutsu scrolls, kekkei genkai, physical body enhancements, unique tools, and props. The variety was dazzling.
His eyes focused on the "Physical Enhancement" category. After purchasing the basic level enhancement previously, he now saw the next option—Intermediate Physical Enhancement—had been unlocked.
He clicked it.
And immediately froze in shock.
The emotional value required for Intermediate Physical Enhancement Level 1 was far beyond what Aren currently had.
Just the price tag alone made him flinch.
"No way I can afford that right now," he muttered under his breath.
With a small shrug, he backed out of the category and began browsing through the rest of the system's virtual store.
He scanned the offensive ninjutsu section briefly but didn't feel compelled to invest more for now. It wasn't like he had even tested the ones he had already redeemed. Without real combat experience, upgrading them any further felt pointless.
No rush, he thought. I'll experiment with the current ones first, then decide what's worth enhancing.
Satisfied that there was nothing he urgently needed, Aren let the shop interface fade away and closed the system panel.
Outside, the sky was gradually shifting into dusk, the light filtering through the ramen shop's windows turning amber.
Aren exhaled and smiled to himself, feeling a rare moment of ease.
Right now, he had enough power to get by.
He could protect himself if necessary. He could do his job. Life was stable, and for the moment, that was enough.
"Alright…"
He stretched his arms overhead and let out a quiet breath.
"That's enough for today. Let's give it everything tonight and try to trigger that upgrade."
Slipping back into the kitchen, Aren straightened his clothes, wiped his hands, and walked out front again with that familiar gentle smile on his face—the smile that made him seem like nothing more than a shy part-timer.
He returned to his spot behind the counter and waited quietly for the evening customers.
…
Night fell.
Naruto returned to his small apartment, his footsteps a little heavier than usual.
The room was dark. He fumbled for the light switch, and after a soft click, the dim yellow light flickered on, casting long shadows across the cramped space.
He fixed himself a bowl of instant noodles, sat down on the floor, and ate slowly.
The silence felt louder than usual.
Everything that had happened during the day lingered in his mind.
Kakashi-sensei always looks lazy... like he doesn't care about anything, Naruto thought. But he's been through so much. He's probably lonelier than anyone realizes.
That thought stayed with him, and for once, Naruto—who was usually cheerful and full of energy—sat quietly in his chair, lost in thought.
He scratched his messy blond hair and murmured, "So Kakashi-sensei is alone too… just like me."
That image—Kakashi standing there with his head lowered, holding the old photo—made Naruto's heart ache.
But at the same time, it made him realize something.
Maybe I'm actually pretty lucky.
Even if he didn't know his parents in real life, at least in his dreams, they were there for him. They smiled, spoke with him, guided him.
And in the real world, there were still people who cared.
Iruka-sensei. The kind uncle and daughter at Ichiraku Ramen. His teammates—Sakura, Sasuke, even Kakashi himself.
Thinking of all that, the heaviness in his chest began to lift just a little.
Naruto looked out the window at the deep blue sky. The stars were faint, but the village lights flickered warmly in the distance.
He rubbed his face, stood up, and rolled his shoulders.
Time to snap out of it.
"Oh no!"
Naruto slapped his forehead and let out a loud groan.
"I actually forgot to ask Kakashi-sensei about the Rasengan!"
He had gone all the way to see Kakashi that morning with one goal—to get help with the second stage of the Rasengan. But once he was inside, the conversation had completely gone off track. Between old photographs and personal stories, he hadn't even brought it up.
He slumped down in frustration.
"I can't believe I missed my chance…"
With a bitter smile, he rubbed the back of his head. "Forget it. I'll just ask Dad directly when I fall asleep tonight. The dad in my dream is super strong—he definitely knows the trick!"
That thought lifted his spirits again.
He tossed the empty instant noodle container onto the table, hurried over to the bed in just a few steps, and flopped down onto the mattress.
Lying on his back, he stared at the ceiling, blue eyes glowing with renewed determination.
Tonight for sure, he told himself.
No matter what, I'll get the answer to the second stage of the Rasengan. I have to. Then tomorrow, I'll train hard again—and maybe soon I'll be able to master it. I'll show everyone. I'll show Sasuke. I'll show Sakura.
Just thinking about that made his heart race.
He rolled over, wrapped the quilt tightly around himself, and shut his eyes.
"Dad, wait for me," Naruto whispered with a grin. "You have to teach me tonight."
Outside, the sounds of the village slowly faded into the quiet of the night.
Inside the room, the soft rustle of the sheets stilled.
The blond boy's breathing became slow and steady.
And as the world around him faded, a new space began to take shape.
Rows of seats slowly emerged in the darkness.
Sakura slowly opened her eyes.
She had once again returned to this strange place—a dream world that hovered between illusion and reality.
By now, after several experiences like this, she no longer felt the same panic and confusion as before. Her first instinct was to glance around, searching for familiar faces.
"Whew, that's good."
Her tense shoulders relaxed when she saw Kakashi sitting calmly in the seat next to her. She gave him a small, trusting smile.
Kakashi met her eyes and gave a quiet nod. His posture was as relaxed as ever, as if he had long accepted the dream world as part of his nightly routine.
The two of them took their usual seats near the front, waiting patiently for the dream to begin.
But this time… something was different.
Minutes passed, and the giant screen remained dark.
The air was still. Too still.
Sakura looked around, puzzled. "That's strange. Why hasn't it started yet?"
Usually, the moment they arrived, the dream would begin almost immediately. But tonight, the space around them remained silent and dim.
Kakashi's expression shifted as he scanned the auditorium. His brow furrowed.
"Wait... where's Sasuke?"
Only then did they both realize what had been missing this whole time.
Sasuke wasn't there.
Sakura's heart tightened. "I didn't see him all day. He's been acting strange since last night's dream. Do you think something happened?"
Kakashi gently shook his head, his voice steady. "He just went back to the Uchiha compound. He's training hard, but he's not in any danger."
After a short pause, he added, "It's likely… he didn't sleep tonight. So he couldn't enter the dream."
Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. "He didn't sleep? But how long can his body take that...?"
Kakashi didn't answer. He simply let out a quiet sigh and looked out at the empty seats, his expression unreadable.
So Sasuke is staying awake… just to avoid the dream.
The weight in the boy's heart was heavier than Kakashi had thought.
...
In the shadows of the back row, a lone figure watched the empty seats in silence.
A faint flicker passed through his eyes.
[Target "Uchiha Sasuke" is not in a sleeping state. Unable to enter dream space.]
The cold, mechanical voice of the system echoed in Aren's mind, confirming what Kakashi had guessed.
"So he's resisting the dream... by not sleeping?"
Aren narrowed his eyes, thoughtful.
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