In the audience.
Everyone watching the scene unfold on the giant screen was stunned.
Naruto, seated in the front row, broke out in goosebumps. His arms instantly crossed over his chest as if to shield himself.
"Wha What is this!?" he yelped. "Is that… how I looked in Sasuke's dream!?"
His eyes bulged wide with disbelief and visible horror. He twisted in his seat like something was crawling all over him.
"Creepy!! This is seriously creeping me out!"
A chill ran so deeply down Naruto's spine that even his scalp tingled.
[Ding! Uzumaki Naruto's emotional fluctuation detected! Emotional value +300!]
Sakura sat there frozen in silence, completely speechless.
The Naruto on the screen had a soft, handsome face, a warm and hearty smile, and spoke with gentle, respectful manners. The entire vibe he gave off was warm like the sun breaking through on a cold winter day.
This version of Naruto gave her a feeling she had never experienced before.
He was like… the perfect sunny and kind older boy.
Sakura instinctively rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things.
But no the gentle way Naruto had just asked Sasuke about his health was absolutely real. She had seen it clearly.
A chill crept over her too, and then an absurd, wild thought flashed across her mind.
Wait… based on what I said before… if you think about something during the day, it can show up in your dreams at night…
Could it be that… Sasuke… actually likes a guy?
And his favorite person… is Naruto!?
That had to be it! Otherwise, how could Naruto look and act so perfectly in Sasuke's dream?
He was so gentle and admirable that even a girl like her found her heart fluttering just a little!
[Ding! Haruno Sakura's emotional fluctuation detected! Emotional value +500!]
Of the three, only Kakashi remained composed.
He sat quietly, his gaze steady as he watched the warm and well-mannered Naruto on the screen. His expression gradually became more thoughtful more certain.
So his hunch had been correct all along.
This dream world wasn't built entirely on Naruto or Sasuke's will. It had its own logic a structure of its own.
The Naruto appearing in the dream was fundamentally different from the real one. Not just a little different… he was a completely separate person.
And yet, Kakashi didn't find it odd.
In fact, the more he watched, the more familiar this version of Naruto seemed.
Naruto's tone, the way he carried himself, even his smile…
It all reminded Kakashi of someone.
His movements and speech were almost exactly like his former teacher the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
There was no doubt about it.
This Naruto… was like a younger version of Minato.
Inside the dream.
Sasuke was still frozen in place, caught off guard by everything that had just happened. His thoughts were a mess.
It took him a long moment to come back to reality.
He looked at Naruto standing close by, that face full of sincere concern, and Sasuke couldn't help but take a deep breath, trying to adjust to this bizarre version of Naruto.
"I…"
Sasuke opened his mouth, wanting to say I'm fine, but the words got stuck in his throat.
He wasn't used to Naruto acting so gentle. In fact, it completely threw him off. He could only glance away, avoiding Naruto's eyes that were filled with genuine worry.
He raised a hand in an attempt to appear composed and said stiffly, "It's nothing. Just a minor issue. I'll be fine soon."
"You're sure?" Naruto asked, still watching him with that soft expression. "If you're feeling even a little off, you have to let me know."
Seeing that Sasuke was determined to brush it off, Naruto didn't press further. He simply smiled.
"I'm just thinking if you're not feeling well, we might have to postpone our mission."
That line hit Sasuke in a weird way.
The concern was obviously heartfelt… but for some reason, it made his scalp prickle.
Was he touched? Or… creeped out?
"Hey, I said I'm " Sasuke tried to push down the confusion and reply coolly.
But Naruto's gaze was so gentle and serious that Sasuke faltered.
The words never came. He swallowed them with a dry gulp and turned his head.
[Ding! Uchiha Sasuke's emotional fluctuation detected! Emotional value +200!]
Trying to shift the awkward atmosphere, Sasuke cleared his throat and changed the topic. "Ahem… Where's Kakashi-sensei? Didn't we agree to meet early this morning? What time is it now? Why isn't he here yet?"
Hearing that, Sakura puffed out her cheeks and complained, "Exactly! Kakashi-sensei's late again! We were supposed to leave the village for this mission together, and now we've been waiting forever without even a shadow of him!"
She placed her hands on her hips in frustration. "Seriously, he's always late! It's outrageous!"
"Kakashi-sensei… might've run into something urgent," Naruto replied, still calm and composed. His tone was filled with understanding. "Maybe something came up that delayed him. Let's wait a little longer."
Sakura rolled her eyes dramatically. "Naruto, you're the only one who ever believes his excuses! 'I got lost on the road of life.' 'I stopped to help an old lady find her lost cat.' 'I got stuck in front of a tombstone reminiscing'… Every single one is ridiculous!"
Sasuke couldn't help but let out a quiet snort. Arms crossed over his chest, he muttered, "Tch. Kakashi… can't that guy change his habits?"
Even in this dream world… he was still late?
Is this guy really fit to be a teacher?
In the audience.
The person being roasted Kakashi couldn't help but blush slightly. He reached behind his head with an awkward chuckle. "Ahaha… Am I really that bad?"
Watching his students complain about his lateness inside the dream was making him feel caught between laughing and crying.
[Ding! Hatake Kakashi's emotional fluctuation detected! Emotional value +300!]
Sakura and Naruto turned to look at him the moment he spoke and nodded vigorously in unison.
"Kakashi-sensei, you're always late!" Sakura declared without hesitation, exposing him mercilessly.
Naruto followed up with a loud, "Yeah! Exactly!"
Kakashi scratched his cheek, clearly embarrassed by being called out so directly by both of his students.
All he could do was offer a sheepish smile and laugh dryly in response.
Back in the dream.
Kakashi still hadn't shown up.
So the three of them continued waiting at the village gate.
Time ticked by slowly. The slanted morning sun spilled its golden warmth over the quiet road and the three figures standing under it.
After waiting a while, Sasuke turned and looked around, growing more and more impatient.
Just then he froze again.
He spotted Naruto leaning against a nearby tree, a book held in his hands, quietly reading with his head down.
Sasuke's eyes widened, completely dumbfounded.
What… what is this?
There was only one explanation.
This had to be a dream. A very unrealistic one.
In the real world, Naruto couldn't sit still for more than five seconds. The moment he opened a book during class, he'd fall asleep before even turning the page.
And yet here he was in this dream peacefully leaning on a tree, reading alone, even looking… kind of focused?
He seemed fully immersed, like the book had actually pulled him in.
This… was beyond bizarre.
It had to be a dream.
[Ding! Uchiha Sasuke's emotional fluctuation detected! Emotional value +200!]
Sasuke continued to stare at the peaceful, book-reading Naruto in complete disbelief.
After a moment of hesitation, Sasuke couldn't help but take a few steps closer, curious to see exactly what kind of book Naruto was reading.
Noticing Sasuke's approach, Naruto gently closed the book, lifted his head, and offered a small, apologetic smile.
"I saw that you didn't really feel like talking earlier," Naruto said kindly, "so I figured I'd just read something to pass the time."
As he spoke, he held up the book for Sasuke to see. "It's Root Ninja Biography by Jiraiya-senpai. It's really good. My dad recommended it to me and I like it a lot."
"Hmph. I'm not into that stuff," Sasuke replied coldly when he caught a glimpse of the messy title scrawled across the cover.
To him, novels were nothing but a waste of time.
But Naruto didn't mind the reaction at all. He simply kept smiling, calm and warm, and carefully tucked the book away.
"Everyone has different interests," he said easily. "But if you ever change your mind and want to read it, just let me know. I'll lend it to you anytime."
Sasuke was taken aback and didn't know what to say.
He watched silently as Naruto slid the book into his ninja tool pouch. The gesture was so natural, so thoughtful and once again, Sasuke was left speechless by this version of Naruto.
And then, an amusing thought suddenly popped into his head.
Wait… if this is a dream, then the real Naruto is probably sitting out there right now… watching all of this happen.
At that realization, a mischievous smirk slowly tugged at the corners of Sasuke's mouth.
He thought to himself: If that loudmouth dobe saw himself acting like this gentle, polite, reading books what kind of face would he make?
The more he imagined it, the more entertaining it became.
His earlier awkwardness melted away as quiet amusement took over.
This dream might be strange… but it's not without its fun.