"Why are you two acting like this all of a sudden?"
Naruto looked at his teammates in confusion.
He noticed that Sasuke and Sakura had suddenly turned serious, both standing up at the same time. The atmosphere shifted from casual to solemn in an instant.
What Naruto hadn't expected at all was…
Sasuke and Sakura bowed deeply to the blond man who had just walked in behind them and greeted him with sincere respect:
"Hello, Hokage!"
Naruto was stunned.
Just moments ago, the three of them had been laughing and joking around how did his friends become so formal all of a sudden?
He turned around in a daze, only to see his father walking toward him with a gentle smile.
Naruto was slow to react. His eyes widened and he pointed a shaky finger at the man as he stammered,
"Huh?! Hokage?! Who?! Uh… Dad?!"
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Uzumaki Naruto detected! Emotional Value +2000!]
Hearing Naruto's startled outburst, Minato couldn't help but chuckle. He waved his hand lightly and said with a warm voice,
"No need to be so formal. It's just a family dinner tonight. Please, make yourselves at home."
He walked forward with calm grace, his gentle gaze sweeping over Sasuke and Sakura before resting on Naruto.
"Sit down, everyone. No need to be nervous."
…
…
In the viewing room.
Sasuke stared at the fading light of the scene on the screen, his expression complicated.
After everything that had happened over the past few days, he had gradually come to understand the nature of this dream world.
Although the events shown here were different from real life, most of them mirrored reality quite closely.
These dreams weren't random fantasies, but glimpses of "another possibility" one that could have happened with just a small change in the past.
Many details aligned with the real world, with only a few key elements shifted but even those shifts made logical sense.
Thinking about this, Sasuke turned to look at Kakashi, who had been silently watching the scenes unfold beside him. He leaned in slightly and asked in a low voice,
"Sensei… is Naruto really the son of the Fourth Hokage? This isn't just some fantasy he really is, isn't he?"
Upon hearing that, Sakura's eyes widened in shock. Clearly, she hadn't fully processed what she just saw.
Kakashi met Sasuke's gaze and silently nodded, his expression confirming everything.
Sakura gasped and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
Her mind was reeling from the realization, her thoughts going completely blank.
"Then… then why is Naruto treated like that in the village?!" Sakura couldn't help but raise her voice, her expression filled with disbelief. "He's clearly the son of a hero, so how… how could this happen?"
The moment Sakura asked her question, silence fell over the audience.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly. His face carried a complicated expression, but he didn't answer right away.
Sasuke's fists clenched tightly on his knees.
Wasn't this the answer he had wanted to know all along?
As the son of the Fourth Hokage, Naruto should have been someone the entire village looked up to.
But in reality, Naruto had been isolated and looked down upon ever since he was a child.
Why?
Just then, the massive screen in front of them flickered twice, gradually becoming translucent.
The dim theater around them slowly faded from view…
The dream had ended.
Behind the scenes, Aren who was hidden from sight unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth into a subtle smile.
[Dream Recipient: Uzumaki Naruto]
[Viewers: Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Hatake Kakashi]
[Total Emotional Value Gained: 15,020 points!]
[Current Emotional Value Balance: 150,731 points!]
[Current Dream Fulfillment Level: Level 2 (205,231 / 200,000)]
[System Upgrade Conditions Met]
[System Upgrading...]
[Dream Master System Upgrade Successful!]
[Please choose one of the following enhancement effects:]
[1. +1 Viewer Slot]
[2. Dream Dungeon Expansion Pack: "Cooking Master Boy"]
[3. 10,000 Emotional Value Points]
Aren glanced at the system's reward options and dismissed the third choice without hesitation.
Seriously? Just 10,000 emotional points?
He already had over 150,000 in his balance. A mere 10,000 didn't even move the needle.
Next, he looked at Option 2 the Dream Dungeon Expansion Pack: "Cooking Master Boy."
Aren touched his chin thoughtfully. The over-the-top scenes of "glowing food" from the anime popped into his mind.
To be honest, it did sound kind of fun.
If I mess around with that expansion pack, maybe I can unlock a few recipes from it… and turn Ichiraku Ramen into the number one spot in the entire ninja world?
Aren smirked at the thought, but in the end, he decisively shifted his gaze back to Option 1.
"Add one viewer slot."
That upgrade was far more practical.
After all, the more people watching the dreams, the more emotional value he could gather.
And right now, that's exactly what Aren needed most.
With that in mind, he didn't hesitate any longer and made his choice.
[Current Dream Fulfillment Level: Level 3 (205,231 / 300,000)]
[Dream Fulfillment Targets: 2]
[Number of Viewers: 4]
[Active Dream Instance Limit: 1]
[Current Dream Instance: "The Flash Never Fades"]
The cold mechanical voice of the system echoed as the panel data quickly refreshed.
Aren nodded with satisfaction.
Now that he had reached Level 3 permissions, more features were unlocked. From now on, he could invite more people into the dream theater at once, dramatically boosting the rate at which he collected emotional value.
He was already thinking ahead who should he invite next to watch the dream?
The next morning.
When Naruto slowly opened his eyes, the scenes from last night's dream continued to play in his mind.
He lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling in a daze, unable to snap out of it.
So much of the dream felt surreal… and yet strangely real at the same time.
Last night, he had finally come to understand his father might actually be the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.
And after realizing that truth, Naruto felt incredibly conflicted.
Twelve years of memories raced through his mind.
Since the moment he could speak, he had lived in isolation never knowing who his parents were.
He had endured the disgusted looks from villagers, craved their acknowledgment, and was always treated like some kind of monster.
But in that dream, everything had been so different.
His parents were still alive.
He was respected by the village.
Even his teammates had looked at him with admiration…
Thinking back on it all, Naruto felt a tightness in his chest.
His heart ached sour and bitter.
He couldn't stay there any longer. Driven by a mix of anxiety and urgency, Naruto jumped out of bed, hurriedly got dressed, and dashed out the door.
A thin mist still hung over the streets of Konoha in the early morning.
Naruto wandered aimlessly, his head down, his thoughts tangled and chaotic.
As he passed through the village center, groups of villagers occasionally walked by.
As usual, when they saw Naruto, their eyes instantly turned wary. Some even instinctively took a few steps back, as if they were avoiding a plague bearer.
Naruto noticed all of it.
Every glance. Every step away.
A deep sense of grievance and frustration welled up in his chest.
I'm the son of the Fourth Hokage!
My father gave his life to protect this village I'm the child of a hero!
So why… why does everyone treat me like this?
Why did no one ever tell me the truth?
What did I do wrong to deserve this?
Lost in thought, Naruto eventually found himself standing in front of a tall, familiar building.
When he looked up, his eyes landed on the bold words:
"Hokage Office."
Startled, he realized that in his restlessness, he had unconsciously made his way to the Hokage Building.
He stood frozen for a moment, then took a deep breath and stepped inside.
Reaching the upper floor where the Hokage's office was located, Naruto sprinted down the corridor straight to the office door.
There was only one thought burning in his mind.
I want answers.
I want to hear the truth from Jiji himself!