Just as Sasuke in the audience was about to explode from rage, the dream on the screen shifted again.
Unexpectedly, Naruto was now being watched by Sakura, whose eyes were full of pink, sparkling bubbles.
Dream-Sakura's cheeks were flushed. With both hands behind her back, she sidled up shyly, voice sweet enough to rot teeth.
"N-Naruto-kun… ah, no! Naruto-sama!"
In the audience—
Sakura: "????"
Inner Sakura was already rampaging in her head.
On screen, dream-Sakura continued in a syrupy tone:
"Naruto-sama, that was so cool! Sasuke-kun wasn't even close to your level! You're the strongest in Team Seven—no, the strongest ninja in all of Konoha!"
Naruto was over the moon. He scratched his head, squinting with smug embarrassment.
"H-hehe… it was nothing. Sasuke was just careless."
"No! Don't be modest!" Dream-Sakura shook her head hard, eyes shining hotter. "In my heart, you've always been the greatest ninja. Actually… I've liked you for a long time… really, really liked you, Naruto-sama!"
She gathered her courage, stepped forward, seized his hand, tilted her face up in adoration, and confessed boldly:
"I like you the most! Let's go out with each other!"
Naruto: "!!!!"
He froze like he'd been struck by lightning.
His mind went blank.
She likes me?
Sakura… likes me?!
Is this real?
Am I dreaming?
Joy like a tidal wave swallowed him whole.
For a few seconds he forgot how to breathe.
Then reality hit him and his face turned bright red from ecstasy.
Looking at Sakura gazing at him with pure affection, he felt like he was floating.
Happiness had sucker-punched him out of nowhere.
He tried to keep up a cool "great ninja prince" act, cleared his throat, and forced out a calm voice:
"A-ahem… w-well, since Sakura-chan… you said that… I guess, if you're that sincere… I-I can consider it… Wahahaha!!"
In the end, he couldn't hold it. Hands on hips, he burst into triumphant laughter that shook the heavens.
BOOM.
In the audience, the real Sakura's sanity snapped clean in half.
She sprang from her seat. Veins bulged on her forehead; her green eyes practically shot flames.
It was like Inner Sakura had taken over her body. Her slender fists clenched so hard her knuckles went white.
"NARUTO!!! You hopeless, brain-dead, dead-last idiot! You dare dream something like that?! AAAAAH! I'LL KILL YOU!!!"
Her roar dripped with murderous intent.
If she weren't trapped in this space, she would've rushed the screen and beaten Naruto into a pulp.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Haruno Sakura detected! Emotion Points +1000!]
Beside her, Sasuke wore a disgusted face like he'd stepped in something filthy. He even slid a little farther away.
Pathetic. Those two idiots…
Kakashi rubbed his forehead, helpless.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto detected! Emotion Points +400!]
The dream kept rolling.
Having been "reluctantly accepted," dream-Sakura clung to Naruto's arm like a little bird, whining sweetly:
"Yay! Naruto-sama, then… let's go on a date now! I want to shop!"
"Of course! Wherever you want to go, I'll go with you!"
Dream-Naruto felt like the king of the world. He waved grandly and agreed without hesitation.
Hand in hand, they left the training ground for Konoha's bustling main street.
Soon Naruto noticed something even stranger.
Normally, walking these streets meant getting stared at with fear, disgust, suspicion, or icy indifference.
Like he was a disease. A monster.
Everyone avoided him.
But today…
"Why, isn't that Naruto-sama? You look great this morning!" A vegetable vendor greeted him warmly, even shoving a big red tomato into his hands.
"Naruto-sama, your clothes look old—come by our shop! I'll give you twenty percent off!" The clothing store owner waved cheerfully.
Then—
A gentle woman in a red kimono approached, holding the hand of a five- or six-year-old boy.
She stopped before Naruto, face full of respectful admiration.
"Naruto-sama, good morning." She bowed politely, then tugged her son forward. "Ryōta! Look, this is Naruto-sama. You must take him as your role model. Train hard and become a ninja as amazing as he is—understand?"
The boy nodded, staring up at Naruto with worshipful eyes.
The woman turned back to Naruto, concern softening her voice.
"Naruto-sama, has training been hard lately? Please take care of yourself."
Naruto went completely blank.
He stood there, limbs stiff, feeling like his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
W-what is happening?
They're… smiling at me?
Caring about me?
Praising me?
Calling me "Naruto-sama"?
This…
Since he could remember, he'd never experienced anything like this.
He'd always been the outcast. The monster everyone hated.
A flood of happiness and fulfillment—warm as sunlight—swallowed him.
His eyes grew wet. His vision blurred.
He couldn't tell if this was reality… or an impossibly beautiful dream.
Sure, he vaguely wondered why everyone called him "sama."
But compared to the overwhelming joy of finally being accepted, that tiny question didn't matter at all.
"Y-yes! Thank you for worrying about me!" Naruto wiped his eyes hard, forcing a smile so bright and sincere it hurt. "I'm fine! Training isn't hard at all!"
He walked on, greeting every villager, soaking up the warmth and recognition he had craved his entire life.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto detected! Emotion Points +2000!]
In the audience, Sakura and Sasuke felt nothing special about Naruto being adored like this.
Sasuke had grown up surrounded by praise and fangirls; a scene like this bored him to tears.
Sakura, after her initial rage, also started to yawn.
"Seriously… he's just saying hi over and over. Isn't that boring?" she muttered, even rubbing her eyes.
Only Kakashi watched the screen with a complicated twist in his heart.
He let out a soft sigh.
In that lone visible eye were layers of emotion—relief, pity, helplessness, and a quiet ache.
As someone who knew Naruto's background and the village's real treatment of him, Kakashi understood more than anyone just how cruel the contrast was.
This fake happiness only made reality look harsher.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Hatake Kakashi detected! Emotion Points +500!]
Dream-Naruto remained drunk on bliss.
He felt like he owned the world, like he was the most loved person in the village.
It was so good he never wanted to wake up.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto detected! Emotion Points +100!]
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto detected! Emotion Points +100!]
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto detected! Emotion Points +100!]
…
Emotion Points poured in like a river, and Shigure in the shadows grinned ear to ear.
Then, just as Naruto's happiness peaked and dusk began to fall—
a sudden shift.
As Naruto cheerfully prepared to say goodbye to the last warm villager and head home, a hand appeared out of nowhere behind him and yanked his ear hard.
The pain made him yelp.
"Ow! Who the hell—?! That hurts!"
Before he could turn, a furious yet oddly affectionate woman's voice exploded beside his ear like thunder:
"NARUTO!! I sent you to buy soy sauce! Where did you run off to?! It's dark already and you're still outside?!"
At her shout, Naruto's vision—
like a TV losing signal—
went black.
The dream ended.
-------
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