In the quiet audience, Hinata watched the screen with glistening eyes.
Seeing Naruto look so lonely, yet still pushing himself forward with quiet determination it tugged at her heart.
Naruto-kun… have you always been this strong?
Even in a dream, he was still working so hard to grow and improve.
Hinata's eyes sparkled with emotion. Her admiration for him deepened, mingled with a sense of sorrow.
On the other hand, Sakura just shrugged and said casually, "See? In his dream, Naruto is living with his parents. That's probably why his personality seems a bit more stable than usual."
Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, his gaze returning to the screen.
On it, Kushina leaned over from the dining table, gently ruffling Naruto's hair.
"Alright, enough with that gloomy look," she said warmly. "Hurry up and eat before it gets cold. Then go out to the backyard and train your Rasengan. When your dad gets back, he'll definitely want to see how much progress you've made."
"Yeah! You're right!"
The gloom on Naruto's face vanished at once. His smile returned, bright and full of energy. He grabbed a rice ball from the table and devoured it in just a few bites.
"I'll give it everything I've got! When Dad comes back, I'm gonna blow him away with how far I've come!"
As he spoke, Naruto had already finished his breakfast in record time. With Kushina chuckling softly behind him, he darted out the door and sprinted toward the practice field in the backyard.
The yard was set up like a proper training ground rows of wooden targets and sturdy stakes marked it as the place where father and son usually trained together.
Naruto reached into his ninja tool pouch and pulled out a brand-new rubber ball. He held it steady in one hand, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
His eyes burned with determination as he recalled the steps his father had taught him. Slowly, he began gathering chakra into his palm.
A soft hum filled the air as pale blue chakra spiraled and condensed in his hand, vibrating with energy.
Naruto furrowed his brow, fully focused. He kept adjusting the chakra flow, steadily pressing it into the ball.
But just a few seconds later, he felt something shift.
His palm suddenly felt lighter.
With a dull pop, the rubber ball burst apart in his hand shredded pieces flew in every direction.
Naruto stood frozen, staring at the shredded remains of the rubber ball in his hand. Half of it still clung to his palm, the other half scattered across the training ground.
His mouth hung open in disbelief. "D-Did I… finish it?"
He remembered clearly back in the real world, when he was training the second stage of the Rasengan, he had worked at it for an entire day. Even cracking the ball had been painfully difficult.
But just now? With a casual attempt, the ball had shattered completely?
He slowly opened his right hand, staring at his palm, still faintly warm from the chakra flow.
A wave of confusion swept through him.
Why… is it so much easier to train in this dream?
Could it be that the chakra in dreams flowed more smoothly? Was it more cooperative than in reality?
Dozens of thoughts raced through Naruto's head all at once.
He remembered the sensation just moments ago how easily the chakra had spiraled and responded to his will. He whispered to himself, lost in thought:
"I don't know why… but it feels like chakra is easier to control in here. Could this be… my real strength?"
In the audience, Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the scene unfold. He looked thoughtful, his expression turning serious.
He doesn't know it, Kakashi thought, but in the real world, the Nine-Tails sealed inside him constantly interferes with his chakra control.
But here in this dream space Naruto was free of that burden. There were no interruptions, no hidden resistance. He could use his full strength… perhaps even surpass it.
Kakashi's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't be certain just yet, but the implications were shocking.
For now, he kept silent and continued watching.
Beside him, Sakura's eyes widened. "Naruto managed to do that so easily? Kakashi-sensei, is the second stage of the Rasengan… really that simple?"
Kakashi shook his head, his tone growing more serious. "Not at all. In fact, it took the Fourth Hokage three years to develop that jutsu."
Hinata, standing quietly nearby, didn't fully understand the technical details but that didn't matter to her.
She only had eyes for the boy on the screen.
Her gaze sparkled with admiration. Her voice was soft as she murmured, "Naruto-kun is amazing…"
A faint blush rose to her cheeks. Warmth blossomed in her chest, and a gentle, fluttery feeling filled her heart.
The Naruto-kun in this dream… he's so strong, so confident…
Hinata gazed at the blond boy bathed in warm morning light on the screen. He was brimming with energy and determination.
If you really look closely, she thought, he even seems… more handsome than the real Naruto-kun.
Her white eyes reflected his image his spirited smile, his focused movements. Even the corners of her own eyes softened with a quiet smile.
"...Naruto-kun, you seem so different today," she murmured, lost in thought.
"Huh?" Sakura turned to look at Hinata, her expression caught somewhere between amused and confused. "Different how? Isn't he still the same last-place goofball?"
"Um…" Hinata's face flushed pink as she realized she'd spoken aloud. She waved her hands quickly in embarrassment. "N-no, I didn't mean it like that. I meant… in the dream, Naruto-kun just seems a bit more handsome and full of life…"
"Wait, what?" Sakura blinked. "Naruto… handsome?"
She repeated the word like it was completely foreign. Her face twisted slightly in disbelief she could hardly process that someone had actually put "Naruto" and "handsome" in the same sentence.
Instantly, her mind conjured an image of the real Naruto
Always grinning foolishly, loud, messy, running around in an unzipped jacket and with bedhead…
But then she glanced back at the Naruto on the screen.
His clothes were tidy, his hair was combed, and he stood tall with a confident, easy smile. His whole presence radiated warmth and energy. Even his posture seemed more mature.
The class clown, the underachiever… suddenly looked like a real young hero.
Sakura let out a short snort and turned her head away, clearly refusing to admit that Naruto could ever be considered handsome.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation detected from Haruno Sakura! Emotional Value +100!][Ding! Emotional fluctuation detected from Hyuga Hinata! Emotional Value +200!]
Back on the screen, Naruto still looked puzzled by his sudden progress.
He stood in place, deep in thought, just about to try again when his mother's voice echoed from inside the house:
"Naruto someone's at the door! Go answer it!"
Naruto called back in a loud voice, quickly brushed the dust from his hands, and jogged out of the backyard toward the front door of the mansion.
The doorbell was still ringing by the time he reached the entryway. Whoever was outside seemed persistent.
"Who would be visiting this early in the morning?" Naruto muttered, scratching his head. He was a little confused, but reached out anyway and turned the doorknob.
As the door creaked open, Naruto's eyes widened in surprise at the sight waiting outside.
Standing outside the front door was none other than the dignified yet composed head of the Hyuga clan Hyuga Hiashi.
Just half a step behind him stood his eldest daughter, Hinata.
Hiashi wore a flowing dark kimono, wide-sleeved with white fabric trimmed in elegant clan patterns. His long, dark-purple hair fell neatly down his back like a cascade of ink. His hands were folded behind him, posture straight as a pine, and the polished Leaf forehead protector resting above his pale eyes gave him a calm yet imposing air.
But unlike his usual stern demeanor when lecturing clan members, Hiashi now wore a gentle, almost warm expression. His sharp eyes softened as he looked at the boy in the doorway Naruto, who stood frozen in surprise.
Behind him, young Hinata seemed nervous, her gaze flitting about Naruto's home with quiet curiosity.
She stood respectfully behind her father, holding a rectangular gift box wrapped neatly in silk. Her small fingers gripped it carefully as she peeked shyly from behind the fabric, stealing a glance at Naruto.
"Good morning, Naruto," Hiashi said with a slight nod, his tone polite. "Apologies for the sudden visit. I've brought my daughter with me today. I hope we're not intruding."
Naruto blinked and snapped out of his daze. For a second, he almost blurted out something like, Isn't she that shy girl from class?
But then he remembered if Mom heard him say something like that, he'd get scolded for being rude.
He quickly waved his hands and awkwardly tried to explain, "Uh um… my dad isn't home right now… But my mom's here!"
For some reason, unlike his usual habit of casually calling people by weird nicknames, Naruto suddenly wanted to sound polite especially with his mom listening somewhere nearby.
He scratched the back of his head and forced a sheepish grin. "If you're looking for my dad, he… he should be back later…"