Early morning.
"Hah… Thank goodness Mom didn't say yes."
Naruto sat up on his bed, panting slightly, his hair still messy from sleep. His heart thumped faster than usual as he recalled the dream from the night before.
Engagement…?
Just thinking about that word made his head spin.
He'd only just become a Genin. Why was he suddenly getting married off in his dreams?!
Luckily, in the dream, his mom had gently turned down the offer. Otherwise, Naruto really wouldn't have known how to face Hinata today.
Still, the engagement wasn't what lingered in his mind the most.
What really stuck with him…
Was the training.
Naruto got out of bed and walked over to the corner of the room, where a brand-new rubber ball sat waiting.
He picked it up, weighing it in his palm. It felt exactly like the one from his dream.
Closing his eyes, he focused, replaying the movements from the dream as clearly as he could.
With both hands, he began to channel chakra into the ball.
At first glance, it looked like nothing was happening.
But inside the sphere, invisible forces churned. Chakra spun violently, grinding against the inner walls.
Naruto kept his eyes locked on the ball. Sweat formed on his brow. His expression turned serious.
One minute passed.
Then two.
The room was silent except for Naruto's slow, steady breathing. His hands trembled slightly from the strain, and a creeping sense of fatigue started to settle in.
But he didn't stop.
He clenched his teeth and pushed forward, mind fully focused.
In my dream, I did it so easily…
I know I can do it again!
"Just a little more… I'm almost there"
Bang!
A crisp crack echoed in the room.
Suddenly, thin fractures spread across the surface of the rubber ball then with a final pop, it burst apart in his hands, the pieces scattering onto the floor.
Naruto stared, stunned.
Then he looked down at the broken rubber shards in his palms.
A moment of silence.
And then his face lit up with joy.
"I did it! I actually did it!"
He threw his fist into the air, grinning ear to ear.
"The second stage of training complete!"
A rush of pride swelled in his chest. His hard work, the effort in the dream it had all paid off.
So even in the real world… I can get stronger from what I learned in my dreams.
Naruto sat down slowly, letting the excitement settle.
It hadn't been as smooth as it was in the dream. It had taken a lot more effort, and the chakra flow felt rougher, harder to manage.
But the result was real.
Still, as his heart rate slowed and his head cleared, another thought crept in.
In the dream, I finished this stage of Rasengan training in just half a day… but here in reality, it took much longer.
And even now, my chakra control doesn't feel as steady…
He frowned, staring down at his open palm.
"…Does that mean the me in real life… isn't as good as the me in the dream?"
The idea stung a little.
But just as quickly, Naruto shook it off and grinned.
"So what?! I'll just practice more in my dreams next time!"
That simple, fiery determination lit up his face again.
He casually kicked the broken rubber pieces under the bed, then got up, stretched, and threw on his bright orange jacket.
Ready for the day.
The moment he slid the door open, a burst of crisp morning air rushed in and brushed against his face.
It was a brand-new day and he was already stronger than yesterday.
Naruto jogged briskly through the streets of Konoha, heading toward the training grounds where Team 7 usually met.
The village was fully awake now. Shops were opening, and people were out walking in twos and threes.
As Naruto passed, the familiar looks came.
Stares.
Some curious. Others cold.
Most were wary disgusted even. Eyes that watched him like he was something dangerous… not someone human.
Naruto didn't flinch. He'd seen those looks his whole life.
He curled his lips into a half-smile, more resigned than cheerful.
Yeah… I still like the dream world better.
In his dreams, the villagers would wave at him with smiles and greet him warmly
"Good morning, Lord Naruto!" they'd say.
In that world, he wasn't a nuisance or a threat. He was someone they respected.
Someone they loved.
Naruto shook the thought out of his head and picked up his pace. The whispers and side glances around him faded into background noise.
He didn't have time to dwell on them.
Right now, he just wanted to see his teammates.
He broke into a run.
…
At the training ground.
There was only one person standing at the training ground.
A girl with soft cherry-colored hair, her arms crossed over her chest as she stood quietly beneath the morning sun. The light caught her hair, making it glow faintly.
She looked calm maybe even a little lost in thought.
"Sakura!" Naruto spotted her from a distance.
With no sign of Sasuke in sight, his face lit up with relief. That moody guy hadn't shown up yet, which meant he had a clear shot at chatting with her.
Grinning brightly, Naruto ran toward her. "Good morning!"
Sakura turned at the sound of his voice.
But the moment she saw him, her expression shifted.
Her calm gaze twisted into a deep frown. She took a sharp step back then another and her arms tensed as she recoiled, staring at Naruto like he was something foul she didn't want to touch.
The disgust in her eyes was unmistakable.
Naruto's smile froze mid-step. He came to an awkward halt.
"Huh? Sakura-chan… what's wrong?"
He scratched his head, utterly confused.
Did I do something wrong? I didn't even prank her today…
Sakura let out a harsh snort and turned her head away in a huff.
"Don't act like you don't know," she said coldly. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."
Then, without warning, she turned back and glared at him.
"You scumbag!"
"Huh?" Naruto blinked and scratched his head, utterly baffled. "Scumbag…? Scumbag?! Sakura, are you talking about me?"
"Who else could I be talking about?" she snapped, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at him like he'd just committed a war crime.
"I can't believe it! You're such a clueless goofball normally, but in your dreams you're actually that shameless?"
"D-Dream?!" Naruto froze.
Wait a minute how could she possibly know about his dream?
That wasn't possible… was it?
He stared at her, stunned, feeling like he was missing several pieces of a puzzle. "What are you talking about…?"
But Sakura didn't bother explaining.
She just gave him one more icy look like he was a garbage can she regretted walking past and crossed her arms with a loud hmph.
Naruto stood there, uneasy under her glare. He wanted to ask more, but before he could
Footsteps.
Another presence approached from behind.
Sakura's expression shifted in an instant. The frown vanished, replaced by a bright, affectionate smile.
She raised her hand and waved past Naruto. "Good morning, Sasuke!"
Naruto turned, and sure enough…
There he was.
Uchiha Sasuke, expression as sour as ever, walking toward them.
But something was off.
Naruto squinted. There were dark circles under Sasuke's eyes two faint shadows that hadn't been there yesterday.
Sasuke? Looking tired? That's new…
Before Naruto could say anything, Sakura had already rushed to Sasuke's side, her tone soft and sweet.
"Sasuke, are you alright? You look like you didn't sleep well last night!"
The concern in her voice practically dripped off every syllable.
Naruto felt a sour twist in his chest watching Sakura fawn over Sasuke like that.
He stomped over, scowling, and glanced pointedly at the dark circles under Sasuke's eyes.
"Heh. What happened to you?" he said, trying to sound casual but clearly itching to jab. "Don't tell me you had a nightmare about losing to me last night and couldn't sleep?"
He grinned, arms crossed smugly.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"Tch. Idiot," he muttered, brushing past Naruto with a flick of his hand.
I'm not like you, Sasuke thought to himself, his brows knitting. Addicted to fake dreams…
I resisted it. I stayed awake. I trained.
Even so… he still remembered how close he'd come to dozing off right before dawn.
And that unsettling, creeping sensation…
…
Not far from the training ground, in the shadow of a tall wall, a slim figure crouched low, peeking out.
Hinata.
Her slender fingers clenched tightly around the edge of the wall, and her face was flushed bright red.
N-No… I can't go out there. I'm too embarrassed!
She peeked again.
There he was Naruto, standing in the sunlight.
And the moment she saw him, her mind was ambushed by vivid images from the night before.
The dream.
The gift.
The engagement proposal.
Oh no…
Her cheeks burned even hotter.
That dream… it's still too much…!
Even though all those bold, ridiculous things in the dream were done by the "Hinata in the dream," she had still been there.
Still felt everything.
And now, just thinking about it made her want to crawl into a hole and disappear forever.
She had come here today with a plan.
She was going to pull Sakura aside quietly, early in the morning, before too many people were around and ask her about what really happened last night.
But just as she was gathering her courage… Naruto had appeared out of nowhere.
And now?
There was no way she could step out.
All she could do was crouch there, hiding behind the wall, nervously clutching the stone corner and peeking like a guilty child.
So embarrassing…
And just when Hinata was panicking and debating whether to run away or stay hidden, a familiar voice chirped behind her
"Big Sis Hinata, are you spying on Naruto again~?"
"Ah!"
Hinata nearly jumped out of her skin.
She whirled around in shock and there was Hanabi, standing behind her with a wide grin, arms folded and eyes glinting with mischief.
"H-Hanabi?!"
Hinata's entire face turned bright red.
"I-I wasn't peeking! Don't say weird things!"
Hanabi giggled. "You're saying that, but your face is sooo red~"
"I !"
Hinata's voice cracked as she stumbled over her words, unable to form a proper denial. Flustered and on the verge of fainting, she did the only thing she could think of
She grabbed her little sister's hand and fled the scene in a panic.
"Come on! No more nonsense let's just go home!!"
The two sisters dashed through the village, Hinata dragging Hanabi behind her in a flustered retreat.
It wasn't until they arrived back at the Hyuga residence and Hinata dove straight into her bed, pulling the quilt over her head that her racing heart began to settle.
"Hah… Hanabi is so ugh…"
She buried herself deeper under the covers, only her wide, anxious eyes peeking out from beneath the folds.
Her thoughts drifted back to the training ground just moments ago.
Sakura and Naruto, standing together.
Even though Sakura had seemed angry… they still looked like they belonged beside each other.
Hinata's chest tightened.
She bit her lip, a soft sadness blooming inside her. Maybe it was disappointment. Maybe something else.
A small, wistful smile curved at the corner of her lips as she reached up to touch her still-warm cheek.
That dream last night…
If she hadn't experienced it herself, she never would have believed it was real.
And yet… it had felt real. All of it.
Her thoughts turned to the strange and mysterious Dream Theater that eerie, dark space, the huge screen, the chairs, the watchers.
If I can go back there tonight…
Maybe I can talk to Sakura again.
Maybe I can ask Kakashi-sensei what's really going on.
Keep supporting me with you comments and if you like the story please drop a power stone and your support is very much appreciated.
Want to read chapters ahead , share your fandom thoughts, or just fuel my translation caffeine habit? or if you want to support me please Join me on Patreon here! :
patreon.com/Keep_ItUp