The Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, slowly blew out a puff of smoke, took the pipe from his lips, and put it aside. He walked to the table and made a hand seal.
A crystal ball was suspended in front of the Third Hokage, clearly projecting the real-time scene of Konoha Village. In the picture, Team 7 was carrying out a commission to catch a cat.
"Damn cat! Don't run!"
Naruto panted as he shuttled through the woods, reaching out to catch the fat cat that was escaping nimbly in front of him, while complaining to Kakashi behind him, "Why are there always such boring tasks! I'm a man who wants to become Hokage; what's the point of catching cats all day long!"
Kakashi wore a mask, and the single eye exposed was curved into a crescent: "D-rank missions are also missions, Naruto. Every new Genin must start from the basics."
"Hmm..." Naruto pouted, muttered unconvinced, and continued to chase.
With a leap, he finally tackled the plump orange cat, holding it firmly in his arms. "Ha! I got you!"
"Meow!"
The cat reluctantly swung its claws, scratching Naruto's face with several red marks. Naruto howled in pain, nearly losing his grip.
The Third Hokage, watching from afar, couldn't help but chuckle at the scene.
After observing through the crystal ball for a while, he noticed that Naruto's spirits seemed more cheerful than before, and he was working extra hard on his mission.
It seemed that the mysterious dream hadn't negatively impacted Naruto but had instead made him more motivated. Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded slightly, feeling slightly relieved.
He waved his hand, and the image in the crystal ball slowly dissipated. As Kakashi had reported, Naruto hadn't shown any abnormalities for the time being.
However... the Third Hokage turned and stood by the window, his hands behind his back, gazing at the statue of the Fourth Hokage on Hokage Rock. A hint of solemnity still hung between his graying brows.
"Unheard-of secret techniques..." Sarutobi Hiruzen muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming. "He who hides in the shadows, what is your purpose?"
After a long pause, he sighed and sank back into his office chair.
The sun set, and the day's mission was over.
"Ah, I'm so exhausted..."
Naruto trudged home, his head drooping, his whole body apathetic. That afternoon, Team 7 completed several commissions issued by the village. Catching cats, weeding, cleaning the river...all trivial, D-rank tasks.
After a long day of toiling, they didn't even see a single glimpse of a decent enemy. For Naruto, this was even more frustrating than failing his training.
"Damn it! Another day of wasting time!" Naruto angrily kicked a pebble from the roadside, muttering, "When will I get a more serious mission? At this rate, my chances of becoming Hokage will be a distant dream..."
A moment later, he returned to his apartment. Pushing open the door, the dimly lit room was deserted, a sight he'd long since grown accustomed to. Naruto casually tossed his forehead protector and jacket onto the sofa and headed straight for the bedroom, where he pulled out two prepared practice tools.
One was a rubber ball filled with water, the other a solid rubber ball.
Naruto gripped the water ball tightly, took a deep breath, and began to focus his chakra. Soon, with a soft snap, the ball exploded, sending a spray of water everywhere.
"Phew, that went well." Naruto shook his wet hands, tossing the shattered ball aside.
Now came the climax. He sat cross-legged on the floor, placing the undamaged rubber ball before him. He pressed his hands against its sides, closed his eyes, and recalled his father's demonstration of the second stage last night.
"Let the chakra be more concentrated, spin faster..."
Naruto muttered, striving to adjust the flow of chakra within his body, slowly applying pressure with his hands.
One second, two seconds... after a moment, a subtle vibration spread through his palms. A slight dent appeared on the rubber ball's surface, a faint buzzing sound emanating.
"That's it!"
Naruto cheered, about to increase his strength, but suddenly, he felt his chakra uncontrollably unleashed, collapsing from his palm with a thud. Without the chakra's support, the rubber ball instantly rebounded to its original shape, tumbling a long way from Naruto's grasp.
"Damn it!" Naruto pounded his fist on the floor in frustration, gasping in pain. "It didn't seem so difficult in my dreams!"
He stood up, retrieved the ball, and covered it with his hands again.
However, hours of continuous training had already drained his energy. His chakra was nearly depleted, and his muscles ached. Despite his efforts, Naruto still couldn't crack the ball like a water balloon.
"Huh... Huh..."
He collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, beads of sweat dripping down his cheeks and onto the floor.
No, let's stop here for today...
Naruto's vision darkened, and no matter how reluctant he was, he had to give up for now. He dragged his heavy body onto the bed, casually pulling the covers over him and collapsing.
The moment he closed his eyes, he couldn't help but secretly hope.
If I could see my father again in my dreams tonight, I would definitely ask him for the secrets of the second stage...
Exhaustion washed over him like a tide, and soon, Naruto's breathing became long and steady, and he fell into a deep sleep.
In the dream theater.
In the pitch-black silence of the vast theater, ripples suddenly appeared in the void. Then, three blurry figures appeared in the front row of the audience.
Kakashi was the first to adjust to the light, confirming that he was once again in this mysterious space.
He showed no sign of nervousness but instead walked calmly to the center seat in the first row and sat down, relaxing as if he were on his own sofa.
He rested his chin on one hand, gazing at the dim screen before him with a leisurely expression.
Sure enough, it happened again.
This matter has already been reported to the Third Hokage, and with the Hokage personally investigating, clues to the mastermind should be found soon...
Thinking of this, Kakashi simply waited quietly for the "movie" to begin.
_____________
40+ early chapters: patreon.com/Reborn_noob