Naruto Dream Fulfillment Master!

Chapter 4 Yes, this is reality, not a dream...

Naruto suddenly jumped out of bed, instinctively covering his ears with his hands, as if the pain from being pulled still lingered there.

He was breathing heavily, his golden hair was a mess like a bird's nest, and a fine layer of cold sweat had even seeped from his forehead.

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

Naruto blinked his bright blue eyes blankly and looked around.

What came into view was neither the Konoha Street bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun as he had dreamed, nor the blurry red-haired figure that had angrily grabbed his ear.

But...

The small rented room was piled high with instant noodle bowls and other odds and ends.

A complex smell filled the air.

Dirty clothes that hadn't been washed were piled up in the corner, and several tattered ninja basics books were scattered on the table. The sky outside the window was just beginning to lighten.

"Eh...?"

Naruto was stunned.

Several seconds passed before he belatedly realized what had happened.

"So... it was all a dream..."

Somewhat disappointed, he lowered his hands from his ears, plopped back down on the bed, and his agitated emotions gradually calmed down.

only……

This dream felt so strange.

Naruto scratched his messy blond hair, trying hard to recall the scene from his dream.

Unlike his previous dreams, which he would forget in a blurry way upon waking, this dream was imprinted in his mind with every detail exceptionally clear.

It's as if I've experienced it firsthand.

He remembered how, on the training field, he used the incredibly cool Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to utterly defeat Sasuke, who always acted arrogantly.

He still remembered that Sasuke actually admitted wholeheartedly that he was stronger than him.

Admit that you are the strongest in Class 7!

Thinking of this, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle to himself, feeling a sweet sense of satisfaction.

then!

And what's even more amazing is!

Sakura actually... actually confessed her feelings to me!

He even calls himself "Young Master Naruto"!

And then... he went shopping with Sakura, and everyone in the village, even the passersby who usually looked at him strangely... everyone greeted him with smiles!

Greet him warmly!

Praise him! Show him you care!

Naruto closed his eyes, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up, revealing a satisfied and happy silly smile.

Ah...that's...fantastic!

Although at the end of the dream, it seemed that I was being yelled at by a very fierce red-haired woman who grabbed my ear, and then I suddenly woke up.

But all in all, it was definitely the happiest dream he had ever had!

Just as Naruto was still savoring his sweet dream, rolling around on the bed with a silly grin—

"Ring ring ring!!!"

The old frog alarm clock by the bedside suddenly emitted a deafeningly sharp ringing sound.

Naruto was startled and hurriedly got out of bed to press the alarm clock.

He glanced at the time on the alarm clock.

7:55?

"Oh no!!"

Naruto's smile vanished instantly.

"We were supposed to meet at eight o'clock! We're going to be late!"

Today is an extraordinary day.

It was the first day that their Team 7 officially began their ninja mission.

It was an important step in his great journey toward becoming Hokage.

Absolutely! Absolutely no lateness on the first day!

"Ahhh! It's too late!"

Naruto let out a wail and immediately jumped out of bed. He rushed to the bathroom at the fastest speed he had ever been, washed his face haphazardly, and without even brushing his teeth, grabbed the orange tracksuit he had crumpled on the table and put it on. He then grabbed a carton of milk that was about to expire from the refrigerator, grabbed the carton in his mouth, and dashed out of the house like a gust of wind.

"I'm going out!!"

He shouted incoherently as he ran, even though there was no one else at home.

……

The streets of Konoha were gradually coming alive in the early morning.

The early risers greeted each other, and shops opened one after another, filling the air with the aroma of breakfast.

Naruto sprinted through the streets, nimbly dodging pedestrians and obstacles, constantly muttering, "I'm going to be late! I'm going to be late!"

Just as he was rushing anxiously around a street corner, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

"Huh?" Naruto subconsciously slowed his pace.

Not far ahead, a young woman dressed in a simple red kimono was leading a little boy who looked about five or six years old towards them.

Naruto's eyes lit up instantly.

It's her! It's her! It's definitely her!

The aunt in my dream last night was incredibly warm and even told my son to learn from me.

That's right! It's that mother and son!

He remembered very clearly that in his dream yesterday, this auntie chatted with him for a long time, praising him incessantly. Her son... I think his name was... Koichi? Or Yuta?

I never expected... to actually run into him in real life?

Could it be that some of the things I dreamed about yesterday were real?

An indescribable excitement and anticipation welled up in Naruto's heart.

The anxiety on his face was instantly replaced by a bright smile.

As the mother and son drew closer, Naruto was filled with joy. He happily raised his right hand, ready to greet them warmly, just like in his dream.

"Auntie! Good morning..."

However, his greeting was cut short before he could finish it.

Because, the moment he raised his hand, the woman in red who had been smiling also saw him.

Almost the instant she saw Naruto's face, the woman's smile vanished without a trace.

Instead, a complex expression of fear, disgust, and vigilance was displayed.

She seemed to see the most ominous thing in the world.

"ah!"

The woman let out a short gasp, instinctively pulling her child tightly behind her to protect her. Then, as if avoiding a plague, she turned around abruptly and fled in a panic, quickly leaving in another direction without looking back.

As she walked, she sternly admonished her child:

"Ryota, remember this: if you see that guy again, stay far away from him! Never go near him! It will bring bad luck! Do you hear me?!"

"..."

"..."

The wind seemed to stand still at that moment.

The subtle, almost imperceptible gazes of the surrounding villagers felt like fine needles pricking Naruto.

The smile on Naruto's face, like the surface of a frozen lake, gradually solidified and shattered.

His right hand, which he had raised high in anticipation of a passionate wave, remained frozen in mid-air, and then, as if he had lost all his strength, slowly lowered itself.

What just happened?

Why...

Why is this happening?

In my dream...it wasn't like this in my dream...

In my dream, she was so warm and kind to me...

Why... is reality like this?

A chilling coldness shot from his feet straight to the top of his head, instantly freezing the last trace of warmth that had risen from his beautiful dream.

A profound sense of loss and indescribable bitterness overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

He stood there, watching the woman and child flee in panic, observing the indifferent, evasive, or subtly hostile gazes of the surrounding villagers…

My throat felt like it was blocked by something; it was dry and astringent, and I couldn't say a single word.

a long time.

He then murmured softly, in an almost inaudible voice, filled with endless bitterness and self-mockery:

"...Yes..."

"This is reality..."

"...It's not a dream."

The morning sunlight shone through the clouds onto the bustling streets of Konoha, but it seemed unable to penetrate the depths of the blond boy's eyes, which had dimmed instantly.