Hear that roar—seething with resentment, fury, and a storm of other dark emotions.
Hayashi instinctively turned toward the source of the sound.
All he saw was a pale, delicate fist swelling larger and larger in his vision.
Boom!
Completely unprepared, Hayashi took the blow square to the forehead. The impact was like being hit by a battering ram, sending him flying backward.
As he staggered to a stop, the figure came into focus.
"Tsunade?"
A low, amused chuckle left her lips. "So this projection from my subconscious… is finally looking scared."
Tsunade flexed her knuckles, savoring the satisfying thud she'd just delivered. A flicker of doubt crossed her mind—was this really the dream she thought it was?
Ignoring Hayashi, who was recovering a short distance away, she quickly formed a sequence of seals and whispered,
"Release."
Her eyes swept the surroundings. Nothing changed. She exhaled in relief.
Her two ample curves, each larger than her head, swayed slightly with the motion.
"I knew it couldn't be a genjutsu," she murmured. "Just a plain dream… though it feels far too real."
Hayashi rubbed his forehead. To his surprise, despite the devastating force, there was no bleeding, no bruise, not even a hint of pain.
A thought clicked into place. His lips curled into a wicked grin as he stared at her.
"I get it now—this is a lucid dream. And even clearer than last night's."
The way Hayashi's eyes roamed over her made Tsunade's skin prickle. A wave of unease crept up her spine, and goosebumps threatened to rise.
"What did you just say? This is my dream—an illusion from my own mind!" she snapped.
Hayashi just smiled silently and began to walk toward her.
"You perverted idiot! I'm warning you—don't come any closer!"
Despite her fierce tone, she instinctively stepped back. The realization of that small retreat flushed her cheeks with embarrassment and irritation.
Why am I even reacting like this? It's just a dream!
Earlier that morning, Tsunade had asked Shizune to quietly investigate if anyone named Hayashi existed in the shinobi world. But with the slow pace of information gathering and the low priority of the request, intelligence officers had barely begun.
She still knew nothing about who he truly was, so she clung stubbornly to the belief that this was nothing more than a dream.
Resolved, Tsunade charged toward him, fists raised.
Hayashi's excitement spiked. Prey coming to him? In a lucid dream? It was the perfect test of his growing self-mastery.
After all, the sweetest thrill came when subduing prey that fought back.
He met her rush head-on. In a dream, he was untouchable.
Boom!!
A pale fist and a tanned one clashed, the shockwave tearing through the room, blasting away furniture, shattering windows.
"Ah—!"
Within a heartbeat, Tsunade was hurled backward, smashing through the wall.
Hayashi surveyed the wreckage with a slow shake of his head.
In a lucid dream, he was god. And no dream-born character could defy him.
A metallic chime sounded in his mind:
Ding. Tsunade's favorability has reached minus ten points. She is officially the first female character to reach negative ten. Reward: ten skill points.
"No way…" Hayashi muttered, patting his head in disbelief.
But the system never lied.
Which meant… this wasn't a dream?
He glanced around. Birds sang in the distance, flowers swayed in the breeze. A scattering of trees stood nearby, and the ochre soil underfoot was nothing like the terrain of Sunagakure.
"So if this isn't a dream… I didn't just randomly teleport, did I?"
The system's calm voice echoed:
Ding. This is a special ability unlocked when the host upgraded Magnetic Release. When the host sleeps, there's a chance to enter the dreams of a woman he's been thinking about during the day.
Hayashi's eyes widened. "Dream-walking? So that's why it all feels so real—and why her reactions, expressions, even her tone match perfectly."
A greedy thought flashed. "System, redeem Tsunade's favorability fruit right now!"
Ding. Host has not met Tsunade in reality. Dream encounters do not count.
"Tch." Hayashi scratched his head. So dream contact didn't qualify?
"Bastard! How dare you hit me!"
Her voice rang out, sharp and furious. With one hand, Tsunade shoved the massive boulder off her body, rose to her feet, and brushed dust from her eyes.
Her clothing was torn, pale skin flashing through the rips.
Hayashi's gaze darkened—and the beast stirred.
"Heh… after what I did last night, I've already crossed the line with you. A few more times won't make a difference."
His darker instincts fully surfaced. Even knowing this was her dream, he barely held on to reason.
The incident with Mei Yura earlier that afternoon still simmered in his mind, fueling his aggression.
Together, the lust and the lingering anger decided his next move—he would vent it all on Tsunade.
He ignored the thought that she might remember everything upon waking. The system would back him. And he had hundreds of skill points to spare.
Tsunade had just straightened when she noticed him advancing again.
"Stay back! I'm the master of this dream!"
He didn't even slow. With swift, rough precision, he caught her, forcing her arms together.
One-handed, he hoisted her over his shoulder, ignoring her struggles and curses, and carried her into the nearest intact building.
Inside, he locked the door, found two thick hemp ropes, and bound her wrists and ankles.
"This… this is impossible!" she gasped, thrashing. "Rope like this can't hold me—why can't I break free?!"
Hayashi leaned against the wall, watching her roll on the bed, each movement revealing more of her body. His smile was slow, predatory.
"Tsunade," he said, voice low, "don't you know? Dreams work differently. In reality, sure, you could snap those ropes. But here…" He flexed his hand. "Here, I can match your strength—and surpass it."
He stepped closer, shadow falling over her.
"And now… I'm going to teach you a proper lesson."