"Mother?!"
Sasuke's voice trembled. His dark pupils widened in disbelief.
That wasn't some image on a projection screen. That wasn't an illusion. His mother… was standing right there.
"Mother!!"
In the next instant, he couldn't hold it in anymore.
Tears blurred his vision. His feet moved on their own, and he bolted across the field.
He flung himself into Mikoto's arms, burying his face against her chest, arms clutching tightly as if afraid she would disappear if he let go.
The scent soft and familiar wrapped around him. Her warmth was undeniable. This wasn't some trick of the mind… this felt real.
Her heartbeat. Her breath. The gentle hands stroking his back.
Everything.
Sasuke's throat burned. The ache in his chest grew sharper with every second he stayed in her embrace.
How long had it been since he felt this warmth?
Why… why does this dream feel so real?
Is it really just a dream?
His shoulders shook. He couldn't stop crying.
"Hush, Sasuke, what's wrong?" Mikoto gently patted his back, her voice as calm and comforting as ever. "Did your brother bully you again?"
Sasuke bit his lip and didn't answer. He just held on tighter.
He didn't want to think. Didn't want to speak. He only wanted to hold onto this moment, afraid it would vanish at any second.
In the distance, Itachi watched quietly, a soft light in his eyes.
He didn't interrupt.
Let him cry. Let him cling.
Let this dream give him what the world had stolen from him.
Ding! Uchiha Sasuke's emotional fluctuations are captured! Emotional value +400!
Mikoto was momentarily taken aback. Looking down at her son sobbing in her arms, she gently wiped the tears from his cheeks with a hint of concern in her voice."Sasuke... what's wrong?"
Itachi, too, was stunned by Sasuke's sudden breakdown. He scratched his head awkwardly and glanced at their mother."Maybe… this is my fault."
He assumed his younger brother was acting out of frustration perhaps because he'd been constantly tied up with work, leaving Sasuke to train alone.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke," he murmured, guilt creeping into his tone. "The police duties have kept me busy lately… I haven't had time to spar with you "
But before he could finish, Sasuke suddenly let go of his mother and stepped forward, shielding her behind him with both arms outstretched. His face was full of wariness and anger as he stared at his older brother."Mom, stay back! Don't trust him! This guy… one day he'll kill everyone!"
"W-What…?"Mikoto froze, completely caught off guard by Sasuke's fierce warning.
Itachi blinked in confusion, utterly baffled by what just happened.His mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. He didn't know whether to laugh or feel concerned.
"I only stood him up a few times… How did I become some kind of villain in Sasuke's eyes?"
Itachi stood frozen, trying to make sense of what his little brother had just shouted. Meanwhile, Mikoto glanced between her sons, clearly bewildered by the sudden outburst.
She gently placed her hands on Sasuke's shoulders and tried to calm him down."Sasuke… what are you talking about?"
Sasuke didn't answer. His eyes were still locked on Itachi, filled with fear and fury.
…
In the audience.
The scene unfolding on the glowing curtain left the onlookers with complex expressions.
Naruto stared wide-eyed, lips slightly parted, and didn't speak for a long time.
That was Sasuke always cool and aloof, the guy who never showed much emotion or affection for anyone.
And now, he was clinging to his mother and trembling like a lost child.
The shock in Naruto's heart slowly turned into something softer.
He suddenly felt... sympathy.
Having experienced the warmth of his own dream family, Naruto could deeply understand what it felt like to long for love and the pain that came with the fear of losing it again.
[Ding! Uzumaki Naruto's emotional fluctuations are captured! Emotional value +200!]
Sakura's hands were clasped tightly in front of her chest. Her eyes shimmered with tears, and her voice trembled."Sasuke… he's always been alone all this time…"
Her heart ached for him not for the genius who topped the class, but for the lonely boy behind the prideful mask.
Seeing Sasuke so vulnerable and lost for the first time, Sakura's heart twisted with unease. She turned quietly to Kakashi and asked in a soft voice,"Teacher Kakashi… do you know what's going on? Why is Sasuke acting like this?"
Kakashi's gaze dropped slightly. His expression grew solemn, and a flicker of guilt passed through his eye.He didn't answer.
As the Third Hokage's most trusted operative and a former Anbu captain, Kakashi knew the truth all too well.
The Uchiha clan's fall… the massacre… the secrets buried deep within Konoha's walls he had seen it all.
But it wasn't time to share those horrors. Sakura and Naruto were still too young to bear that burden.
So, he simply shook his head with a serious expression.
Sakura bit her lip, frustrated but understanding. She didn't press further and turned back to the glowing dreamscape, eyes filled with worry for Sasuke.
Beside her, Kakashi's thoughts churned.
This dream Sasuke was trapped in it was too vivid, too complete. Just like Naruto's had been.
Which meant this wasn't just coincidence.
There was someone behind all of this. Someone pulling the strings.
Creating dreamscapes that felt real. Forcing Naruto… and now Sasuke… to confront the people they lost, the memories they buried.
But why?
What was the purpose of these dreams?
Who was guiding them?
Kakashi narrowed his eye, a deep unease creeping up his spine.
This wasn't just an accident of the subconscious.
Someone or something was watching them from the shadows.
And it wasn't finished yet.
…
In the darkness.
Aren glanced at Kakashi, who was silently frowning in the audience, his arms crossed as if he were trying to piece together the mystery.
Aren smiled faintly.
As expected of Konoha's top Jonin… sharp instincts.
But unfortunately, not sharp enough.
Aren let out a soft hum of amusement and turned his eyes back to the glowing screen overhead.
As he watched the ever-increasing emotional values flickering on the system panel, the corners of his mouth curled up in delight.
"As expected of the 'Second Pillar'…"
Just one encounter, and Sasuke had already poured out tens of thousands of emotional points.
Aren couldn't help but chuckle to himself, his heart swelling with joy.
He'd heard people joke before that Sasuke Uchiha clan's second son, cold, stubborn, and endlessly brooding was a walking emotional minefield. A man filled with hatred and loneliness. The perfect harvest target.
Now, he had confirmed it with his own eyes.
When he had first awakened the Dream Master System, he'd actually considered choosing Sasuke as his first test subject.
Compared to Naruto, who lived like a golden retriever laughing, yelling, charging through life without a care Sasuke's hatred and obsession were like deep wells. Unshakable. Long-lasting. And incredibly valuable.
Aren's smile deepened.
"Sasuke, you really are the perfect dreamer."
If Sasuke were subjected to an endless cycle of the "Night of Genocide" forced to relive the horror of losing his family again and again, like being trapped on some haunted ghost ship then the emotional values harvested each day would probably skyrocket beyond belief.
But Aren just shrugged casually.
After all, he was a master of dreams, not some vengeful spirit that feasted on nightmares.
…In the field.
Mikoto gently patted Sasuke's back, soothing him with patient, motherly care. Only after a long while did his breathing steady, and his tightly clenched fists finally relax.
"There, there. No more crying," she said softly, wiping away the last of his tears with a tender smile. "Come on, let's go home and have lunch. I made your favorite."
Seeing his brother finally calm down, Itachi stepped forward with a soft voice and offered his hand. "Sasuke, let's go "
But before he could finish, Sasuke suddenly shoved his hand aside and scowled with raw suspicion.
"Don't touch me!" he snapped. "Hmph! I'll be watching you! Don't even think about hurting Mom this time!"
[Ding! Uchiha Sasuke's emotional fluctuations are captured! Emotional value +400!]
Itachi stared at his younger brother in stunned silence, then let out a sigh and gave a helpless smile.
Seriously… his little brother's temper was getting worse by the day.
Maybe next time, he shouldn't be so quick to cancel their training sessions.
Soon, Mikoto gently took Sasuke's hand, and the two walked side by side down the path toward home.
Sunlight filtered through the dense treetops, casting soft patches of gold along the cobbled road. Every so often, they passed other members of the Uchiha clan strolling through the village an old man trimming bonsai by the gate, a group of children playing ninja tag, a couple chatting outside a shop.
Everyone they met greeted Mikoto with smiles and polite nods.
"Sasuke-kun's grown taller again, hasn't he?"
"Back from training with Itachi? Such a diligent young man."
Sasuke bowed slightly in return but said little. His heart was in turmoil.
This ordinary, peaceful world… it felt too real. The quiet streets. The familiar faces. The warmth in the air.
He bit the inside of his cheek as a lump formed in his throat.
How could something this gentle be a dream?
As they approached their home, Sasuke slowed his steps, taking it all in.
But the moment he stepped into the house, a familiar pressure returned.
In the living room, Uchiha Fugaku was already seated at the low dining table, arms folded, his expression serious as always. He wore a dark blue kimono, and even in such casual attire, the pride and authority of the clan head clung to him like a shadow.
Fugaku gave a low grunt of acknowledgment when his wife and son entered.
But as soon as he caught sight of Sasuke's red and swollen eyes, his expression changed.
He frowned deeply.
"Sasuke," his voice was stern, cold, "crying before a meal? You're twelve years old. Still acting like a spoiled child."
His tone grew even more disapproving.
"What a disgrace. You don't act like a son of Uchiha Fugaku at all."
Sasuke stood frozen at the doorway, his fists clenched tight at his sides.
His father's words cut deeper than any blade.
Fugaku's scolding voice echoed through the room, firm and composed. He didn't need to raise his voice his presence alone commanded authority.
Yet, those harsh words that once made Sasuke shrink back now stirred something warm inside his chest.
This was his father.
The real father. Cold on the outside, but never absent. Stern and traditional, yet always present at the table. The man Sasuke had looked up to longed for every day since that night.
He didn't flinch. He didn't cry again.
Instead, Sasuke straightened his posture and answered clearly with a respectful bow.
"Yes, father. I was wrong."
[Ding! Uchiha Sasuke's emotional fluctuations are captured! Emotional value +400! ]
Fugaku raised one eyebrow slightly.
This kid… was smiling?
He stared at Sasuke for a moment, clearly thrown off. Normally, just a single glare would make Sasuke retreat into silence. But now the boy stood tall, full of energy and sincerity. It was unusual so unusual that Fugaku simply snorted and turned away, pretending not to care.
"Hmph."
Mikoto, watching this little back-and-forth, sighed softly and gave her husband a gentle tap on the shoulder.
"Really now, the boy just came back from training, and you greet him with that tone?"
Her voice was full of playful reproach.
Then she turned to Sasuke and wrapped her arms around him again, warmth radiating from her gentle expression. "Come on, wash your face and get ready for dinner. Don't mind your father. He sounds strict, but his heart's as soft as mochi."
Sasuke wiped at his face with the back of his hand and shook his head, smiling up at her.
"It's okay, Mom. I'm fine."
The sadness was still there, buried somewhere deep, but for now… that long-lost sense of family warmth filled his chest.
He hadn't felt this way in years.
And as he looked at the steaming dishes Mikoto had laid out on the table and heard the faint clatter of Itachi putting away his gear in the hallway, a fragile but genuine smile curled on Sasuke's face.
This dream... was dangerously beautiful.
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