The screen went dark, plunging the theater back into eerie silence and gloom.
Sasuke and Sakura blinked, confused.
"That's... it?" Sakura muttered, still processing. The dream was dull, but that ending? Way too abrupt!
"Hmph. Lame dream," Sasuke scoffed, arms crossed, though a flicker of doubt lingered in his eyes. Who was that woman at the end?
But Kakashi? Oh, he was shook. The moment the screen blacked out, he shot up like he'd been zapped, body trembling with shock. His dead-fish eye was wide, screaming disbelief.
That voice. That flash of fiery red hair...
No. Impossible. Absolutely impossible!
The fleeting glimpse of crimson locks and that unmistakable fiery yell—it was Kushina!
But how?! Minato-sensei and Kushina-senpai died sealing the Nine-Tails the night Naruto was born. Naruto never met his mom, never knew her face or voice.
So what the hell was that?!
A high-level genjutsu pulling from his memories?
No—Sasuke and Sakura didn't react. They don't know Kushina.
Naruto's subconscious, maybe? Some bloodline connection conjuring her image?
Nope. Subconscious dreams aren't that vivid. The voice, the hair, the vibe—it was too real.
Kakashi's brain was a scrambled mess, questions crashing like a tsunami. This creepy theater, the dream, that impossible cameo—what was behind it?!
[Ding! Emotional spike from Kakashi Hatake! +2000 Emotion Points!]
In the shadows, Shigu grinned like a kid who'd swiped the cookie jar. The system panel's numbers were popping off.
Knew it. Kushina's cameo would break Kakashi.
That was Shigu's masterstroke—yanking Naruto's dream to a halt with his mom's image for maximum emotional whiplash, hitting Kakashi's soft spot like a kunai to the heart.
As Kakashi reeled, a soft, blinding white light flooded the theater.
Buzz—
The glow swallowed everything. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura were hit with dizzying vertigo, their consciousness fading...
Next Second: Konoha, Hatake Residence
Gasp!
Kakashi bolted upright in bed, panting, forehead slick with sweat. He scanned the room—familiar, moonlight spilling across the floor.
Back?
He shook his foggy head, replaying the madness: the creepy theater, the giant screen, Sasuke and Sakura in pajamas, Naruto's dream of being "Naruto-sama," the villagers' cheers... and Kushina.
It felt too real, like it happened seconds ago.
Was it... just a dream?
But if it wasn't, what was it? The ability to pull him, Sasuke, and Sakura into a shared space and broadcast Naruto's dream was god-tier. Unheard of.
And Kushina. How did Naruto know her?
Kakashi's mind was mush. Something big was afoot.
Meanwhile: Uchiha Clan Grounds, Sasuke's Room
"Hmph. Stupid dream," Sasuke grumbled, sitting up, annoyed at his interrupted sleep and cringing at his dream-self's surrender. He shoved it out of his mind and flopped back down.
Haruno Household
"ARGH! NARUTO, YOU IDIOT!" Sakura jolted awake, smashing her pillow into a cotton explosion. The memory of "confessing" to Naruto burned her with shame and rage.
"I'm gonna wreck him tomorrow!"
Ichiraku Ramen Shop, Backroom Closet
Shigu sat smugly, eyeing the system's final tally:
[Dream Target: Naruto Uzumaki]
[Audience: Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Kakashi Hatake]
[Total Emotion Points: 6450!]
"Heh heh heh..." Shigu rubbed his hands like a villain plotting world domination.
"System, open the shop!"
A game-like interface popped up, brimming with options: [Bloodlines], [Ninjutsu], [Taijutsu], [Items], [Special Abilities]...
Resisting the urge to drool over Sharingan, Rinnegan, or Wood Release (priced at a cool million points), Shigu forced himself to focus.
Chill. I'm a zero-talent scrub. Gotta build the basics first.
No point grabbing a Rinnegan if it'd drain him into a husk. Survival and foundations came first.
He browsed [Ninjutsu - Basics] and [Special Abilities - Physical]:
Chakra Refinement Technique: Combines mental and physical energy to produce basic chakra. Cost: 500 Emotion Points.
Chakra Refinement (Advanced Pack): Includes refinement technique, random chakra affinity, boosts efficiency/quality. Cost: 1500 Emotion Points.
Chakra Refinement (High-Tier Pack): Includes refinement technique, three random chakra affinities, greatly boosts efficiency/quality. Cost: 3000 Emotion Points.
...
Chakra Refinement (Ultimate Deluxe Pack): Includes refinement technique, all chakra affinities, massively boosts efficiency/quality. Cost: 300,000 Emotion Points.
"Deluxe pack's too deluxe for my wallet," Shigu muttered. "High-tier's 3000? Pricey, but worth it. Basics first!"
Basic Physical Enhancement (Lv1): Boosts strength, speed, endurance by 5 points. Cost: 1000 Emotion Points.
Basic Physical Enhancement (Lv2): Boosts strength, speed, endurance by 15 points. Cost: 2500 Emotion Points.
Basic Physical Enhancement (Lv3): Boosts strength, speed, endurance by 30 points. Cost: 5000 Emotion Points.
"Physical stats are key. Let's grab Lv1!"
Body Flicker (Lv1): Basic high-speed movement. Cost: 800 Emotion Points.
Three Basic Techniques (Lv1): Includes Substitution, Clone, Transformation. Cost: 1000 Emotion Points.
"Ooh, a bundle deal? Clone and Transformation aren't super useful yet, but basics are basics. Sold!"
[Purchased Chakra Refinement (High-Tier Pack)! Cost: 3000 Emotion Points!]
[Open now?]
"Open it!"
[Opened Chakra Refinement (High-Tier Pack). Gained affinities: Water, Lightning, Yang.]
[Purchased Basic Physical Enhancement (Lv1)! Cost: 1000 Emotion Points!]
[Purchased Three Basic Techniques (Lv1)! Cost: 1000 Emotion Points!]
[Purchased Body Flicker (Lv1)! Cost: 800 Emotion Points!]
[Remaining Emotion Points: 650]
A flood of knowledge hit Shigu like a Rasengan to the brain. Chakra refinement, hand signs, chakra flow for Substitution, Clone, Transformation, and Body Flicker—all seared into his instincts like he'd trained for years.
A warm energy surged through him. His muscles tightened, reflexes sharpened, and his body hummed with newfound strength.
Shigu exhaled, feeling alive. He focused, channeling his new chakra refinement skill. A faint blue trickle flowed through his veins, pooling in his palm.
It was weak, but it was his.
"I DID IT! Your boy's got chakra now!" Shigu whooped, barely containing his hype.
He glanced back at the shop:
Mangekyo Sharingan: Uchiha's ultimate dojutsu, insanely powerful but costly. Cost: 1,000,000 Emotion Points.
Rinnegan: The "God Eye," controls life and death. Cost: 2,000,000 Emotion Points.
Otsutsuki Bloodline: God-tier chakra origins, near-immortal power. Cost: 5,000,000 Emotion Points.
Yeah, nope. Broke as hell.
With only 650 points left, those were pipe dreams. But with chakra and basic skills, he had a foundation to survive the coming chaos.
Keep farming those emotions, and the sky's the limit!