In the audience.
Hinata's face burned hot as she watched the scene on the screen, where the "her" in the dream was greeting Naruto with perfect poise. A deep blush spread quickly across her cheeks.
Why… why was the me in Naruto's dream visiting him again?
And that version of me… she acts like such a refined young lady.
Hinata felt both shy and panicked at once. She never imagined that in Naruto's mind, she would appear so dignified and elegant. The thought left her flustered beyond belief.
[Ding! Hinata Hyuga's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +400!]
Sakura, too, was stunned by the scene on the screen.
She shot a quick glance at the real Hinata beside her, only to find the girl exactly as she remembered head lowered, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes. There was none of the calm, graceful bearing of the young lady in Naruto's dream.
Sakura couldn't help but curl her lips and mutter with annoyance, "Honestly, Naruto… staging this kind of drama in his dream again? Is he going to propose marriage this time too?"
[Ding! Haruno Sakura's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +200!]
Hinata nearly covered her face with her hands on the spot. Hearing the word marriage proposal made her entire body tense up with embarrassment, though her wide, panicked eyes still peeked nervously at the glowing screen.
Sasuke, meanwhile, glared at the display, his expression dark with frustration. He cursed Naruto inwardly for squandering such a chance.
Naruto is such an idiot. He wasted such a perfect opportunity!
The dream world is an ideal place for training. His father is the Fourth Hokage!
And yet this fool only ever dreams about this kind of nonsense. What a complete waste.
If it were me, I would never throw away such a precious opportunity.
In fact, Sasuke even thought to himself with conviction: if he were the one having this dream, he would never do anything so stupid.
It should be me dreaming this dream!
[Ding! Uchiha Sasuke's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +300!]
From the back row, Kakashi silently observed. His eye narrowed thoughtfully as he nodded to himself.
As he had suspected, the development of the dream was closely tied to the audience present.
Hinata had shown up tonight so naturally, Hinata appeared in Naruto's dream.
Just as he thought.
…
In the picture.
Inside the living room, Naruto stood frozen, scratching the back of his head in a daze, completely unsure of what to do next.
Kushina gave Hinata a gentle, apologetic smile and said kindly, "Hinata, please excuse me for a moment."
After saying that, Kushina quickly walked over to Naruto, grabbed his arm, and pulled him into the corner. She leaned close and whispered anxiously, "Naruto, why are you just standing there? Go entertain little Hinata!"
"E-entertain? How do I entertain…? I don't know how!" Naruto muttered in confusion, scratching his head as his mother dragged him aside.
Seeing her son's clueless look, Kushina rolled her eyes. She reached into her apron pocket, pulled out a few bills, and shoved them into his hand. "Take Hinata out somewhere go shopping, grab some food, watch a movie, anything! Just don't let a girl sit at home bored, understand?"
"Eh? Go shopping?" Naruto's mouth fell open. He looked reluctant. "I…"
[Ding! Uzumaki Naruto's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +300!]
He pouted under his breath. In truth, he just wanted to stay home with his mom. What was so fun about shopping anyway?
"Why are you spouting so much nonsense!" Kushina glared at him, hands on her hips. "If I tell you to go, then go! Don't forget what the Hyuga clan head mentioned last time."
"But didn't you reject them last time…" Naruto muttered.
He remembered it clearly his mother had turned down the Hyuga's marriage proposal in person. So why was she suddenly pushing him to spend time with Hinata now?
Kushina blinked in surprise at his words, then sighed softly. She raised her hand and poked his forehead. "Idiot! The reason I refused back then was because I didn't want your life decided by an arranged marriage. That doesn't mean you can't build a relationship with Hinata on your own. You two already get along well why would I ever object to that?"
She paused for a moment, then added gently, "Besides, look at Hinata. She's such a sweet, sensible girl…"
Naruto stumbled back a step from the forehead poke, rubbing his head with a confused expression. "Oh…"
He didn't fully understand the deeper meaning behind his mother's words, but at least one thing was clear Kushina didn't object to him and Hinata being close.
Even so, Naruto's heart pounded nervously. He was still… still a little…
Kushina didn't press further. With a knowing smile, she gave him a light push back toward Hinata and raised her voice in a cheerful tone. "That's settled then! Naruto, take Hinata out for a walk and show her a good time. Don't worry about me."
She winked playfully at Hinata. "Hinata, I'll be counting on you to keep an eye on my Naruto."
Hinata's face turned rosy pink, and she quickly bowed her head. "A-Auntie, Naruto-kun is so amazing already. I should be the one grateful for your care…"
Naruto opened his mouth, wanting to protest, but Kushina was already pushing him straight toward the door.
And so, under his mother's repeated urging and pointed looks, Naruto had no choice but to lead Hinata out of the house.
The two of them walked side by side out of the yard, a heavy silence lingering between them for a long while.
At the doorway, Kushina stood watching their retreating backs. She shook her head helplessly, a smile tugging at her lips. "This idiot son of mine… he really doesn't get it at all! Hah… I'll never understand it. Minato was so smooth at coaxing girls back in the day!"
In the audience.
Hinata's hands tightened nervously as she watched the scene on the screen the dream version of herself walking beside Naruto so naturally. Her heart thumped, and she felt too embarrassed to look directly.
The "me" in Naruto's dream can walk with him so easily…
Her cheeks glowed red, and she lowered her head, overcome with shyness.
But then, almost against her will, she lifted her eyes to look at the two figures again. A daring thought slipped into her heart.
Should I… should I try to be brave enough to invite Naruto out with me too?
I can't always lose to my dream self!
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, a flicker of determination appeared in Hinata's pale eyes.
[Ding! Hinata Hyuga's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +200!]
"Hmph!"
A cold snort suddenly echoed nearby, snapping Hinata out of her swirling thoughts.
Sasuke glared at the screen, his expression dark and brooding. His voice dripped with jealousy and disdain as he muttered, "The dream world is such a perfect place for training, and yet he wastes it on useless dreams!"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became.
"Tch… shopping with girls?! That idiot Naruto… wasting such a golden opportunity!"
His lip curled into a sneer as he added coldly, "Naruto, is this really all you can dream of? With talent like that, you're not even worthy of dreaming!"
[Ding! Uchiha Sasuke's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +500!]
What a waste.
If it were me, I'd never throw away such a chance.
This kind of dream should belong to me!
Sasuke's brows knitted together in open disdain, his dissatisfaction with Naruto's "inaction" growing stronger by the second.
Meanwhile, Kushina's cheerful words about Minato's charm drifted clearly into the audience's ears.
Sakura's curiosity was instantly piqued. She leaned closer to Kakashi and whispered, "Kakashi-sensei, was the Fourth Hokage really good at courting girls? He was so handsome… I bet lots of girls must have chased after him back then, right?"
"Huh?"
Kakashi froze at the sudden question, nearly dropping the book in his hand.
He hadn't expected Sakura to bring that up and found himself at a loss for words.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was his revered teacher. And while it was true many girls had admired him in the past, Kakashi was hardly in a position to gossip about his mentor's private life in front of the younger generation.
He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "This… how would I know…"
[Ding! Hatake Kakashi's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +300!]