When Hiruzen Sarutobi heard this, the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a look of growing seriousness.
He nodded slowly. "Yes. I've found some clues."
As he spoke, he gently set aside the crystal ball in his hand, stood up, and continued, "To investigate the strange phenomenon you mentioned, I've spent the past few days poring over the village's ancient secret scrolls and records. In the end, I uncovered something... similar."
Kakashi listened intently, not daring to interrupt.
Hiruzen's tone deepened. "There's an old account of a forbidden technique. It describes a jutsu that allows the user to enter another person's dreams manipulating their thoughts, stealing information, and even taking their life. However…"
He paused, his brows furrowing tightly.
"…According to the texts, this technique requires a large amount of the target's chakra. Each time someone is drawn into the dream, a portion of their life force is siphoned away."
Even as an elite shinobi, Kakashi couldn't help but gasp. "A forbidden technique like that really exists? If Naruto keeps getting pulled into those strange dreams, does that mean his chakra could be drained bit by bit until his life runs out?"
Hiruzen nodded slowly. "That's the theory. But Kakashi, don't panic just yet. What I'm talking about is a legend passed down from hundreds of years ago. There's no telling whether it's entirely true. Besides, this technique has been lost for generations. We can't be certain it's the same thing Naruto is experiencing."
He raised his hand, gesturing for Kakashi to calm down. "That's why I wanted to ask you has Naruto shown any unusual symptoms lately? Anything like fatigue or a sudden drop in chakra levels?"
Kakashi thought for a moment before replying in a serious tone, "No. So far, Naruto seems perfectly fine. His energy is normal, and his chakra is steady."
Hiruzen let out a slow breath, some of the tension in his shoulders easing. "That's reassuring."
Kakashi gave a small nod, his expression softening slightly.
But just then, Hiruzen narrowed his eyes with a hint of deeper meaning. "By the way, Kakashi... I've noticed that Naruto appears to be practicing the Rasengan recently."
"Ah " Kakashi's pupils contracted slightly. He fell silent.
Hiruzen picked up the pipe resting on the table, took a gentle puff, and exhaled a slow stream of smoke. His cloudy, aged eyes never left Kakashi's face.
"That jutsu was developed by the Fourth Hokage, wasn't it? Don't you think... it's a bit too soon to be teaching him that?"
Kakashi wasn't sure whether the Hokage had picked up on something unusual or simply believed Naruto wasn't ready to learn the technique.
"Hokage-sama…" Kakashi began, but stopped. He didn't know how to explain.
He hadn't taught Naruto the Rasengan. But the fact remained Naruto could use it now.
If he kept this hidden, Hiruzen's suspicions would only deepen.
After a brief pause, Kakashi took a deep breath, his expression firming with resolve.
"Hokage-sama, this has to do with... a strange dream."
"Oh?" Hiruzen's eyes sharpened. "Tell me everything."
Kakashi's voice was steady and serious. "Naruto didn't learn the Rasengan from me. He learned it from... the Fourth Hokage himself."
As soon as those words left Kakashi's mouth, Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand trembled violently, nearly dropping the pipe from his fingers.
His eyes widened in disbelief. "Who did you say? The Fourth Hokage? Minato…?"
"Yes." Kakashi nodded firmly. "It was the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze my teacher. He taught Naruto the Rasengan… in a dream."
For a moment, silence settled over the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen stared in astonishment at the subordinate who had always been calm and composed. He couldn't help but wonder if he had misheard.
He frowned deeply. "Kakashi… are you sure you're not under some kind of genjutsu? Maybe you're confusing dreams with reality. Minato has been gone for many years now."
Kakashi gave a bitter smile. "Hokage-sama, I'm fully conscious. That's exactly why I felt this matter was too important to keep to myself."
"Everything happened within a dream. Naruto didn't practice Rasengan in the real world, but inside that mysterious dream and the person who guided him was none other than Lord Fourth."
Kakashi then recounted everything that had occurred over the past few days concerning the "dream incidents," including what had happened the previous night: how it wasn't Naruto who entered the dream, but Sasuke while Naruto had become the observer.
Hiruzen listened in silence, his expression growing increasingly shocked with each passing word.
After leaving the Hokage's office, Naruto trudged home with slumped shoulders, his mood heavy.
The moment he opened the door, a strong smell rushed out and hit his nose.
On the dining table sat several half-eaten cups of instant ramen. Empty milk cartons were stacked in the corner like a leaning tower. His bed was a mess the blanket twisted up and tossed aside like a discarded rag.
"Ugh…" Naruto wrinkled his nose.
Only then did he realize how long it had been since he cleaned up his place.
At the same time, the image of the warm and cozy home from his dream the night before floated into his mind.
The spotless floor, everything neatly arranged, clean and tidy sheets and blankets… even the bedroom felt sunny.
Thinking of that and looking back at the chaotic room in front of him, Naruto couldn't help but pout, a wave of disappointment washing over him.
"If only… my real home could be like it was in that dream…" he muttered, sighing with a wry smile.
But the smile didn't last long.
Instead of just sitting around fantasizing, wouldn't it be better to actually do something about it?
"All right! First step clean up the room!"
Naruto slapped his cheeks with both hands to get himself pumped up.
Naruto rolled up his sleeves and got to work cleaning his room.
He started by gathering all the scattered trash from the floor and tossing it into the waste bin. Then, he poured out the leftover soup from the instant noodles and washed the bowls and chopsticks until they were spotless.
Next, he grabbed a rag and wiped down the dusty table and windowsill, followed by carefully mopping the floor from corner to corner.
Inside the small room, the boy moved about non-stop, focused on every little task.
No one knew how much time had passed, but by the time Naruto set the broom aside, the entire room looked brand new.
The garbage was gone, the stains scrubbed away, and the sour smell lingering in the air had disappeared completely.
It still wasn't as warm and cozy as the dream home where his parents had been by his side… but at the very least, this little place now looked clean and comforting to the eyes.
Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow, and suddenly, an idea popped into his head. He immediately started rearranging the furniture.
He pushed the small single bed closer to the window with all his strength and moved the bedside lamp onto the low cabinet sitting on the right side of the bed.
After making the adjustments, he took a few steps back, narrowed his eyes, and observed the bedroom's new layout.
Yeah after the change, it kind of resembled the bedroom from the dream.
Satisfied, Naruto plopped down on the bed, laced his hands behind his head, and stared up at the slightly yellowed ceiling above. A smile crept across his face.
"Hehe… you know, it really does feel a lot nicer when it's tidy."
He imagined that if the mom from his dream could see how clean his room was now, she would definitely give him a proud, warm smile.
Thinking that made the corners of his mouth curve up just a bit more.
If only... my mom were really here…