Just as Sasuke, in the audience, was about to explode with rage, the dream on the screen underwent a new change.
Uzumaki Naruto was currently being watched with shy admiration by Sakura Haruno, whose eyes were full of pink bubbles.
Sakura's face was flushed with a bashful blush, her hands clasped behind her back, as she awkwardly walked up to Naruto, her voice sickly sweet:
"Nar, Naruto-kun… Oh no! Naruto Young Master!"
At the same time.
Audience.
Sakura: "?????"
Inner Sakura's head was full of pound signs, and she was currently rampaging wildly within Sakura's mind.
On the screen.
Dream Sakura continued in that voice that could wring out water, "Naruto Young Master… you were so cool just now! Sasuke-kun was no match for you at all! You truly are Team 7's… no! You are the strongest Ninja in all of Konoha!"
Naruto was overjoyed, scratching his head awkwardly, his eyes squinting as he said proudly yet shyly, "Well, well… it was just so-so, Sasuke was just too careless."
"No! You don't need to be humble!" Dream Sakura shook her head vigorously, her gaze even more fervent, "In my heart, you have always been the most amazing Ninja. Actually… actually, for a long time now… I, I've already liked Naruto Young Master very, very much!"
As she spoke, she actually mustered the courage to step forward, grab Naruto's hand, and look up at him with eyes that seemed to be dripping with water, boldly confessing, "I like Naruto Young Master the most! Let's go out!"
Naruto: "!!!!"
He froze on the spot as if struck by lightning!
His mind went blank!
L-like me?
Sakura… she actually said she likes me the most?!
Is… is this real?!
I'm not dreaming, am I?
A huge surge of pleasant surprise swept over him like a tsunami!
Making him even forget to breathe for a moment!
After several seconds, Naruto finally reacted, his face flushed red with ecstasy, and he looked at the affectionate Sakura in front of him, feeling as if he were floating.
Happiness came too suddenly!
He tried hard to maintain his persona as a master young master, cleared his throat, and tried to sound calm as he said, "Cough, cough… S-since Sakura-chan you… you've said so much… then, then seeing as you're so sincere… I, I suppose I can consider it… Wahahahaha!!"
In the end, he couldn't hold back, putting his hands on his hips and letting out a world-shaking burst of laughter towards the sky.
Boom!!!
In the audience, the real Sakura Haruno felt her sanity completely annihilated.
She suddenly stood up from her seat, veins bulging on her fair forehead, and her emerald green eyes almost spitting fire!
It was as if she had been possessed by Inner Sakura, and her seemingly delicate pink fists were clenched so tightly they cracked, her knuckles even turning white!
"Naruto!!!! You hopeless idiot dead last!!! How dare you dream such a dream?! Ahhhhhhhh!!! I'm going to kill you!!!"
The girl's roar was filled with endless killing intent!
If she weren't in this bizarre space, she would have immediately rushed forward and beaten Naruto into a pulp.
Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Sakura Haruno captured! Emotion value +1000!!
Compared to Sakura's fury, Sasuke next to her looked disgusted and repulsed, as if he had seen something extremely filthy, and even subconsciously moved away, putting more distance between himself and Sakura.
Boring…
These two idiots…
Kakashi shook his head helplessly, his hand on his forehead.
Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto captured! Emotion value +400!
The dream on the screen continued.
Dream Sakura, whose confession Naruto had "reluctantly" accepted, was now clinging to Naruto's arm like a small bird, cooing in a sickly sweet voice, "That's wonderful! Naruto Young Master, then… then let's go on a date now, I want to go shopping!"
"Of course, no problem, wherever Sakura-chan wants to go, I'll go with you!"
Dream Naruto felt like a winner in life at this moment, waving his hand grandly and agreeing with a heroic air.
So, the two walked hand in hand, sweetly, leaving the training ground and arriving on the bustling main street of Konoha Village.
Soon, Naruto discovered even stranger things.
Usually, when he walked down the street, he was always met with gazes of fear, disgust, wariness, or indifference from the villagers.
It was as if he were some kind of plague or monster, and everyone avoided him.
But today…
"Oh! Isn't that Naruto Young Master? You look well today." A vegetable vendor aunt saw him and immediately greeted him warmly, even handing him a large, red tomato.
"Naruto Young Master, isn't it time for new clothes? Come take a look at our shop, we'll give you twenty percent off!" The clothing store owner also smiled and waved at him.
Even…
A gentle woman in a red kimono, holding a five or six-year-old boy, actively walked up to Naruto, her face filled with immense respect and admiration.
"Naruto Young Master, hello." The woman first bowed respectfully, then pulled the somewhat timid little boy beside her and said to him, "Ryota! Look, this is Naruto Young Master. You must take Naruto Young Master as your role model from now on, train hard, and become an amazing Ninja like him! Do you understand?"
The little boy nodded, half-understanding, and looked at Naruto with eyes full of adoration.
The woman then turned to Naruto, asking with concern, "Naruto Young Master, is your training difficult lately? You must take care of yourself!"
Naruto was completely stunned.
He stood rooted to the spot, flustered, feeling as if his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
What… what's going on?
The villagers… are all smiling at me?
They're… caring about me?
They're… praising me?
And calling me… Naruto Young Master?
This… this…
Since he could remember, he had never experienced such treatment.
He had always been the one rejected, isolated, and treated as a monster.
An indescribable sense of happiness and satisfaction, like the warmest tide, instantly engulfed him.
His eyes involuntarily welled up, and his vision began to blur.
He even had trouble distinguishing whether this was reality or a dream too beautiful to be true?
Although he also vaguely felt it was strange why everyone called him "Young Master"?
However, compared to this small question, the immense joy and happiness brought by the villagers' dramatic change in attitude were simply too strong!
"Yes! Yes! Thank you, Auntie, for your concern! I feel great! Training isn't hard either!"
Naruto came back to his senses, vigorously wiping his eyes, a radiant and sincere smile blooming on his face, as he clumsily yet incredibly happily responded to every villager who greeted him and expressed goodwill.
He walked and strolled, greeting every villager enthusiastically, basking in this longed-for warmth and acceptance.
Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto captured! Emotion value +2000!
In the audience.
Sakura and Sasuke felt nothing special about the scene of Naruto being so beloved.
Sasuke had grown up with the praise of his clan and the adoration of girls, so he was long accustomed to such scenes, even finding them annoying.
As for Sakura, after her initial anger, she also found this scene a bit boring.
"Honestly… just greeting people like this, isn't it boring?" she mumbled, even yawning.
Only Kakashi, looking at Naruto on the screen, who was smiling like an idiot, had mixed feelings in his heart.
He sighed softly, his visible eye filled with complex emotions.
There was relief, sympathy, helplessness, and a touch of sadness.
As one of the few who knew Naruto's background and his true treatment in the Village, Kakashi knew better than anyone how ironic everything in Naruto's dream was when contrasted with reality.
This false happiness only highlighted the cruelty of reality even more.
Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Kakashi Hatake captured! Emotion value +500!
Naruto in the dream was still immersed in immense happiness.
He felt as if he owned the whole world, becoming the most popular person in the Village.
This feeling was so wonderful that he didn't want to wake up.
He happily interacted with the villagers, sharing his joy, and time seemed to fly by.
Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto captured! Emotion value +100!
Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto captured! Emotion value +100!
Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto captured! Emotion value +100!
Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto captured! Emotion value +100!
The emotion values flowed in like water, making Shigure, hidden in the shadows, grin from ear to ear.
Just as Naruto's happiness reached its peak, and the sky gradually darkened.
A sudden change occurred!
Just as Naruto was cheerfully preparing to bid farewell to the last enthusiastic villager and head home,
A hand, without warning, reached out from behind him and grabbed his ear!
The force was so great that Naruto winced in pain.
"Ow! Who is it?! Ow ow ow!"
Just as he was about to turn around to see who was so bold as to pull "Naruto Young Master's" ear, an angry yet doting female voice, like a clap of thunder, rang in his ear:
"Nar—u—to—!! I sent you to get some soy sauce! Where did you go?! It's already dark and you're not home yet!!"
Accompanying this roar, the scene before Naruto's eyes…
Went black instantly, like a television losing its signal.
The dream ended.