The moment Aren hit the confirm button, the system panel lit up with a flash of golden light.
[Dream Master System Upgrade Successful!]
A new set of options immediately appeared on-screen:
[Please choose one of the following enhancement effects:]
[1. +1 to the number of individuals who can fulfill their dreams][2. Dream Dungeon Expansion Pack: "Beyblade"][3. All Mall Items Permanently 5% Off]
Aren's eyes scanned the options quickly.
"More dream slots, dungeon expansion… and a discount?"
He rubbed his chin, already weighing the pros and cons in his mind.
But the moment his gaze landed on the second choice, he couldn't help but twitch slightly.
"'Beyblade'? Seriously? What kind of garbage expansion is that?!"
He groaned aloud.
"I'm in the Naruto world! Who in their right mind would want to spin tops here?!"
Aren even imagined a ridiculous scene of Naruto sprinting through the streets yelling "Let it rip!" while launching spinning tops with a chakra-charged launcher.
His expression twisted.
Yeah, no thanks.
That option was an instant pass.
He moved on to the third choice 5% off all items in the system mall.
Tempting? Maybe.
But after some quick mental math, Aren realized that compared to increasing the number of people who could have their dreams fulfilled, a small discount just wasn't worth it.
He didn't hesitate any longer and tapped on the first option.
[Enhancement Effect "+1 Dream Fulfillment Target" selected! Dream Master System Level upgraded to Level 2!]
With that notification, his system panel instantly refreshed and displayed the new data:
[Current Dream Fulfillment Level: Level 2 (100450 / 200000)][Dream Fulfillment Target Count: 2][Number of Viewers: 3][Dream Instance Limit: 1][Current Dream Copy: "The Flash Never Fades"]
"Level 2… finally!"
Aren grinned.
Aren's eyes lit up as he watched the number next to "Dream Fulfillment Target Count" switch to 2.
He could already feel the possibilities expanding.
He studied the upgraded functionality carefully, reading through the fine print on the system panel.
"Two people can now be bound as dream targets, but only one can enter the dream space each night. In other words, I get to pick who the protagonist is for each dream session."
Aren nodded, satisfied. "Nice. More flexibility, more options."
Now came the real question.
"Who should be my second dream target?"
He didn't think long. His eyes gleamed, and a grin stretched across his face.
"It's gotta be Erzhuzi."
He had, of course, considered other candidates.
Konoha was full of emotionally unstable people Danzo, Kakashi… both excellent sources of high emotional value.
But he had already tried during Level 1.
And he knew: even now, at Level 2, people like Danzo or Kakashi were off-limits as main dream targets. His authority just wasn't high enough.
At best, they could be brought in as viewers like "relatives of the dream."
Taking everything into account, the most suitable new target could only be one person
Sasuke.
"Besides, Erzhuzi isn't a bad investment either," Aren grinned, rubbing his hands together with anticipation.
"Just look at what Naruto's emotional value did I made it to Level 2 in no time. Now if I toss Sasuke into the Uchiha clan's home setting in 'The Flash Never Fades' dream…"
He trailed off, already imagining the results.
How much emotional value could I harvest from that kid?
Sasuke wasn't like Naruto. He had once been the pampered young master of a noble clan. He'd known the warmth of a real family and then watched it all vanish in a single night.
The grief, the longing, the trauma… it was all carved deeply into his soul.
Compared to Naruto, who had never experienced a loving family, Sasuke's emotional scars ran differently and arguably deeper.
That kind of devastating loss…
If I give him a dream where he gets it all back his parents, his brother, a normal life again…
Aren's eyes gleamed.
He could already envision it. The emotional storm that would explode from Sasuke's heart might easily surpass Naruto's.
It wouldn't just be valuable.
It would be perfect.
…
Elsewhere
The ruins of the Uchiha clan…
The sky was still dim, the horizon just beginning to glow with a faint trace of pale light.
In front of the crumbling remnants of the Uchiha compound, a lone figure trained silently in the empty courtyard.
Young Sasuke.
He had been out there all night.
His hand gripped a kunai tightly as he thrust, slashed, and struck at invisible enemies again and again.
Sweat dripped from his forehead, trailing down his cheeks, but he didn't stop. He didn't even seem to notice.
His black eyes burned not with exhaustion, but with hatred.
To him, pain and fatigue meant nothing.
As long as he became stronger…
As long as he could kill that man
He would never waver.
Not even for a second.
The night had been long and cold, but Sasuke forced himself to stay awake through it all, driven by the fire in his heart.
He couldn't allow himself to rest.
He didn't want to be seduced by dreams false comfort he no longer believed in.
Only when the first faint rays of dawn broke through the gloom and cast a golden sheen across his face did he finally pause.
"Hah… it's morning," he murmured, his breath ragged.
Sasuke stared at the slowly rising sun, his tense nerves finally beginning to ease.
"The night's over," he whispered to himself. "I didn't fall into that strange dream again…"
A small flicker of relief passed through his eyes.
He turned, casting a long look at the abandoned and crumbling Uchiha compound behind him.
The warm morning light stretched his shadow far across the cracked ground, as if trying to anchor him to a home that no longer existed.
Sasuke sheathed his kunai and rolled his shoulders, stretching out the stiffness in his limbs.
Even after staying up all night, he had no intention of resting.
He splashed some cold water on his face from a nearby basin, wiped it dry, and started walking toward the village.
The ruins of the Uchiha clan were set apart from the center of Konoha isolated, quiet.
But now, the village was just beginning to stir. It was the perfect time to head in.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side of the village
Hyuga Mansion, Konoha Village.
The soft morning sunlight streamed through the wooden lattice windows, casting a patchwork of warm shadows across the tatami floor.
Hinata Hyuga lay curled up on her small futon, her long lashes fluttering gently as she stirred from sleep.
She slowly opened her misty eyes and stared at the familiar ceiling beams above.
For a few seconds, she simply blinked.
Then suddenly her entire body jolted upright.
"E-Engagement?!"
Her voice came out in a gasp, barely above a whisper.
Her pretty face flushed crimson in an instant, and vivid memories of the dream from the night before came flooding back like a tidal wave.
She clapped both hands over her burning cheeks, her whole body trembling in embarrassment.
"H-How could I dream about… g-getting engaged to Naruto-kun?!" she whispered frantically, voice muffled behind her fingers. "Why would I have that kind of dream?!"
It was too much.
Way too much.
She remembered every detail.
Giving Naruto a gift… standing beside her father… and her father proposing a marriage between her and Naruto?
Hinata let out a squeaky sound and rolled around on the bed, hugging her quilt tightly as she buried her face in it. Her legs kicked helplessly beneath the covers.
It was just too bold.
Too direct.
Too unlike her.
She tossed and turned for a while, squirming under the weight of her own imagination… until a sudden thought struck her.
Wait… No.
Last night…
Was that really my dream?
Hinata sat frozen on her futon, her fingers lightly gripping the edge of her blanket.
She quietly repeated to herself, "Last night… I think… Naruto-kun was the one dreaming, and I… I was watching his dream?"
Her brows knitted slightly.
The whole experience had been so strange so vivid that she couldn't tell if it had truly been her dream, or if she had somehow stepped into Naruto's mind.
The sensations were too real.
Especially that eerie, dark space… the enormous screen… sitting in a theater-like room with Sakura and Kakashi-sensei, watching everything unfold like a movie.
That wasn't the kind of thing she usually dreamed about.
"Wait… Sakura and Kakashi-sensei!" Hinata suddenly sat up straighter.
That's right! They were both there last night!
They had clearly been just as surprised as she was when she appeared in that strange place. Sakura had even told her said that they were watching Naruto's dream together.
This wasn't a simple, silly fantasy from her imagination.
Hinata's heartbeat quickened again, but now it wasn't just from embarrassment.
It was from the growing certainty that
That dream was real.
Hinata's frown deepened as she pieced the memories together.
If that really wasn't a normal dream…
If it was something real some shared experience then Sakura and Kakashi-sensei would remember it too.
They had both been there.
Maybe I should ask them…
Maybe they know what actually happened last night.
Her heart pounded nervously at the thought, but this time it wasn't from embarrassment.
It was curiosity.
Determination.
If there was something strange going on with Naruto's dreams, she wanted to understand it. And she couldn't just keep pretending it was all in her head.
Without another moment's hesitation, Hinata sprang out of bed.
She didn't even have time to dwell on how flustered she felt she quickly changed into her usual clothes, barely remembering to tie her sash straight.
Head lowered, she opened the door and bolted outside.
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