Naruto and Hinata had already arrived at the bustling main street.
It was the liveliest time of day in Konoha. Temporary stalls lined both sides of the street, vendors calling out energetically as they sold all kinds of unique goods.
The moment Naruto stepped onto the street, he froze in awe.
The streets, usually wide and calm in the mornings, were now crammed with people several times more crowded than usual.
One stall displayed exotic, finely crafted ornaments that sparkled in the light. Another gave off mouthwatering aromas, selling snacks Naruto had never seen before.
So many items, so many foods he had never encountered in Konoha before his eyes darted everywhere, overwhelmed by the dazzling variety.
"Naruto-kun, it's because people from other ninja villages have come," Hinata explained softly, seeing his astonished expression. "They brought specialties from their own lands. That's why there are so many stalls here. A lot of these things can only be bought in their villages."
"I see!" Naruto exclaimed, suddenly understanding.
At that moment, his gaze fell on a nearby stall, where several exquisite wind chimes decorated with wave patterns swayed gently in the breeze. He couldn't help but stop. "What's this…?"
Hinata followed his eyes and smiled gently. "Those are Wave Wind Chimes, a specialty from the Land of Waves. They're very rare. Do you want one, Naruto-kun? Let's go take a look."
Gathering her courage, she reached out and lightly tugged Naruto's sleeve, leading him toward the stall.
The vendor was a middle-aged man with a Hidden Mist forehead protector. Spotting potential customers, he lifted the chimes and gave them a shake.
A clear, melodious sound rang out, like flowing water trickling over smooth stones. The sound was crisp, refreshing, and soothing to the heart.
Naruto listened with an enchanted expression, his eyes sparkling. "It sounds so beautiful! Like water running right next to my ears."
"Mm." Hinata's heart warmed as she watched him. Seeing Naruto so happy made her happy too.
After carefully looking through the chimes, Hinata finally picked out one shaped like a wave, its surface decorated with a delicate lavender peony pattern. "This one… it would look perfect hanging outside your house."
Naruto blinked in surprise. Before he could react, the stall owner smiled and handed it over. "Young man, good choice. This is my finest wind chime and the last one. It's yours!"
Naruto was stunned, only to glance down and realize that Hinata had already paid.
"Hinata, you " He opened his mouth, but before he could continue, she carefully tucked the chime into her small bag and whispered shyly, "When we get back, we'll hang it under the eaves of your house…"
Naruto froze for a second, then scratched the back of his head and laughed sheepishly. "Okay! Thanks, Hinata."
A warm, unfamiliar feeling welled up in his chest. For the first time, he realized just how thoughtful a girl could be.
Hinata, meanwhile, felt dizzy under Naruto's radiant smile. Flustered, she waved her hands quickly. "N-no, it's nothing…"
The two of them walked on from the wind chime stall, smiles still lingering on their faces.
Soon, the enticing aromas of food reached them again, drifting from the snack stalls of every village.
After only a few steps, Naruto's eyes locked onto his next target skewers grilling over open flames at a Cloud Village stall.
"This smells amazing!" Naruto exclaimed, practically drooling. He turned to Hinata, eyes shining with excitement. "Hinata, should we try some too?"
Looking into his eager, sparkling eyes, Hinata felt her heart melt. She smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah… okay."
The stall owner was a cheerful man from the Hidden Cloud, flipping skewers of meat expertly over the sizzling grill.
"Two little guests, would you like to try the famous Thunder Barbecue from the Land of Lightning?" he greeted them heartily.
"Okay, okay!" Naruto agreed instantly, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
In no time, two skewers of piping-hot grilled meat were handed over.
Naruto wasted no time in biting into his. "Mmm!! Delicious!"
The tender, juicy meat mixed with special spices seemed to melt right on his tongue. His eyes lit up as he chewed. "It's so good!"
The stall owner let out a booming laugh at Naruto's reaction. "Isn't it? You've got good taste, little lady. Your boyfriend can really handle spicy food!"
"C-cough, cough cough !"
Naruto, who had been devouring his skewer, choked so hard at the word boyfriend that he nearly swallowed the meat straight down his windpipe.
His face turned bright red as he flailed his arms frantically. "N-no, no! We "
Beside him, Hinata's hands trembled as she held her own skewer. Her entire face, even her ears, turned crimson.
"I-I… we're not…" she tried to stammer out, her voice barely louder than a whisper. But the words stuck in her throat, too soft for anyone to hear clearly.
Seeing the two of them in such a state, the stall owner laughed even louder. "Hahaha, alright, alright. If it's not true, it's not true. Forget I said anything!"
After that, the two of them continued sampling snacks from every corner of the marketplace.
Crispy dried cactus from the Sand Village, stone-baked rice cakes from Iwagakure, and even secret octopus balls from the Mist Village…
Naruto praised each dish with childlike enthusiasm. He never imagined he could eat so many delicious things even in a dream.
Though her face was still flushed pink, Hinata plucked up the courage to tug Naruto gently toward stall after stall, making sure he had a chance to taste everything.
Whenever she wanted to buy something, Hinata always asked Naruto's opinion first in her soft, gentle voice before quietly paying. Her words were light as the spring breeze, making the whole atmosphere feel warm and pleasant.
Naruto never imagined spending time with a girl could be so simple… and so enjoyable.
He stole a glance at Hinata beside him. She was carefully dabbing a handkerchief at the corner of her mouth, wiping away a spot of sauce, her expression focused and graceful.
Naruto's heart gave a sudden skip, and his cheeks grew warm.
He quickly snapped his gaze away, forcing himself not to stare.
But unbidden, another girl's image flashed through his mind.
Sakura so different from Hinata in every way.
Every time he was with Sakura, he either got scolded or smacked…
Just remembering how Sakura usually disciplined him made Naruto shiver, cold sweat breaking out across his back.
[Ding! Uzumaki Naruto's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +200!]
He shrank his neck reflexively.
Naruto quickly shook his head, casting aside those "painful memories," and went back to happily enjoying this rare moment of leisure.
Sakura looked at the sweet scene of Naruto and Hinata sharing food, laughing and chatting together. For some reason, an inexplicable sadness welled up in her chest.
She crossed her arms and muttered, "Hmph, what kind of dream is Naruto having this time…"
But even as she said that, a faint unease tugged at her heart.
Naruto has always revolved around me… yet I've never once given him the kind of gentle smile that Hinata gives him in his dream…
[Ding! Haruno Sakura's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +500!]
Hinata, on the other hand, was brimming with excitement as she watched the dream version of herself boldly pulling Naruto to try food stalls with a bright smile.
If the me in the dream can do that, why can't I do it in reality?
She quietly clenched her fists, her pale eyes shimmering with determination.
I'll try inviting Naruto to go shopping… or even just to eat ramen together later.
No matter what, I can't lose to my dream self!
Meanwhile, Sasuke frowned, his irritation rising as he glared at the scene. "Shopping and eating! That's all you're doing in this dream? You can eat in reality too! The dream world is wasted on you just to snack and wander around?!"
His voice grew sharper, anger bursting out.
"Uzumaki, where are you even going with this?!"
[Ding! Uchiha Sasuke's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +700!]
Kakashi, meanwhile, studied the screen with quiet curiosity.
His single eye swept over the dazzling variety of goods displayed along the streets and the pedestrians dressed in headbands and clothes from all kinds of ninja villages.
He touched his chin, murmuring thoughtfully, "Interesting…"
With his vast experience, he immediately recognized that the merchants and shinobi clearly came from different villages.
The scale of Konoha's prosperity in this dream was far too great.
Thinking of that, Kakashi's eye glinted with surprise and admiration.
He knew that the real Konoha Village was busy preparing for the upcoming Chunin Exams. And since they were co-hosting with the Sand Village this year, the number of foreign shinobi arriving had already far exceeded previous years.
But even then, compared to this dream where it looked as though every village had gathered together, the real scene seemed much smaller in scale.
Kakashi let out a quiet, amused smile.
The Fire Country in this dream was truly overwhelming in its power.