Naruto shot up from the bed, his hands instinctively clamping over his ears, as if the sharp pain of being forcefully tugged still lingered there.
He panted heavily, his golden hair a chaotic bird's nest, and a fine sheen of cold sweat even beaded on his forehead.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch…"
Naruto blinked his clear blue eyes blankly, looking around.
What met his gaze was not the Konoha main street bathed in the setting sun from his dream, nor the fleeting, blurry red-haired figure who had angrily tugged his ear.
Instead, it was…
His tiny rental room, cluttered with instant noodle bowls and various 雜物.
A complex scent hung in the air.
Dirty clothes piled up in the corner, unwashed, a few tattered basic Ninja textbooks lay scattered on the table, and outside the window, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
"Huh…?"
Naruto froze.
It took him a good few seconds to finally realize.
"So… it was all a dream just now…"
He dropped his hands from his ears with a hint of disappointment and plopped back onto the bed, his excited emotions gradually calming down.
It was just…
This dream felt so strange.
Naruto scratched his messy golden hair, trying to recall the scenes from his dream.
Unlike his usual dreams, which faded into a vague blur upon waking, every detail of this dream was exceptionally clear, etched into his mind.
As if he had experienced it firsthand.
He remembered being on the training ground, using the incredibly cool Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu to utterly defeat Sasuke, who always acted like he was too good for everyone.
He also remembered that Sasuke had actually, genuinely admitted that he was stronger than him.
Admitted that he was the strongest in Team 7!
Thinking of this, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle foolishly, feeling a surge of delight.
And then!
And then, even more amazing was!
Sakura actually… actually confessed her feelings to him!
And even called him "Naruto-sama"!
And then… he and Sakura went shopping together, and everyone in the Village, even those passersby who usually looked at him with strange eyes… everyone greeted him with a smile!
Warmly saying hello to him!
Praising him! Caring for him!
Naruto closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth curving uncontrollably upwards into a satisfied and blissful, foolish grin.
Ah… it was truly… wonderful!
Although at the very end of the dream, he seemed to have been scolded by a fierce red-haired woman who pulled his ear, and then he suddenly woke up.
But overall, this was definitely the happiest dream he had ever had!
Just as Naruto was still immersed in the afterglow of his beautiful dream, rolling around on the bed with a silly grin—
"RING RING RING!!!"
The old frog alarm clock on his bedside table suddenly let out a deafening, shrill ring.
Naruto jumped in fright and scrambled out of bed to silence the alarm.
He glanced at the time on the alarm clock.
7:55 AM?
"Oh no!!"
The smile on Naruto's face instantly vanished.
"We're supposed to meet at eight! I'm going to be late!"
Today was no ordinary day.
It was the first day Team 7 officially began their Ninja missions.
It was an important step on his great journey towards becoming Hokage.
He absolutely! Absolutely could not be late on the very first day!
"Ahhh! No time!"
Naruto let out a wail, immediately leaped out of bed, and rushed to the bathroom at the fastest speed he had ever moved, hastily splashing water on his face, not even bothering to brush his teeth, grabbing the crumpled orange tracksuit from the table and pulling it on, then casually snatching a carton of nearly expired milk from the fridge, and dashing out the door like a gust of wind, the milk carton still clenched between his teeth.
"I'm leaving!!"
He shouted indistinctly as he ran, even though there was no one else at home.
…
The streets of Konoha in the early morning were already bustling.
Early-rising villagers greeted each other, shops were gradually opening for business, and the aroma of breakfast wafted through the air.
Naruto sprinted through the streets, deftly dodging pedestrians and obstacles, muttering continuously, "I'm going to be late, I'm going to be late!"
Just as he anxiously rounded a street corner, the corner of his eye caught sight of a familiar figure.
"Huh?" Naruto instinctively slowed his pace.
Not far ahead, a young woman dressed in a simple red kimono was walking towards him, holding the hand of a small boy who looked about five or six years old.
Naruto's eyes instantly lit up.
It's her! It's her! It's her!
The auntie from yesterday's dream who was so enthusiastic and told her son to learn from me.
That's right! It's the mother and son!
He remembered clearly that in his dream yesterday, this auntie had chatted with him for a long time, constantly praising him, and her son… seemed to be named… Koichi? Or Yuta?
He didn't expect… to actually meet them in reality?
Could it be that some of the things from yesterday's dream were true?
An indescribable excitement and anticipation surged in Naruto's heart.
The anxiety on his face was instantly replaced by a brilliant smile.
As the mother and son drew closer, Naruto's heart filled with joy. He happily raised his right hand, ready to greet them warmly, just like in his dream.
"Auntie! Good morn—"
However, his greeting was cut short, only half-uttered.
Because, the moment he raised his hand, the red-clad woman, who had initially been smiling, also saw him.
Almost the instant she recognized Naruto's face, the smile on the woman's face vanished without a trace.
In its place was a complex expression, a mixture of fear, disgust, and wariness.
She looked as if she had seen the most inauspicious thing in the world.
"Ah!"
The woman let out a short cry of alarm, instinctively pulling her child tightly behind her to shield him, then, as if fleeing from a plague, she abruptly turned and practically fled, hurrying away in another direction without looking back.
As she walked, she sternly admonished her child:
"Ryota, remember, from now on, if you see that guy, you must stay far away! Never go near him! It will bring misfortune! Do you hear me?!"
"…
…"
The wind, it seemed, had stilled at that moment.
The subtle glances from the surrounding villagers, like countless fine needles, pricked at Naruto.
The smile on Naruto's face, like a lake frozen by ice and snow, solidified and shattered bit by bit.
His right hand, raised high and ready to wave enthusiastically, hung stiffly in mid-air, then, as if all strength had left it, slowly, gradually lowered.
What just happened?
Why…
Why did it turn out like this?
In the dream… it wasn't like this in the dream…
In the dream, she was so warm to me, so kind…
Why… is reality… like this?
A bone-chilling coldness shot up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, instantly freezing the last shred of warmth that had blossomed from his beautiful dream.
Immense disappointment and an indescribable bitterness, like a tide, engulfed him.
He stood rooted to the spot, watching the woman and her child flee in panic, watching the villagers around him with their indifferent, evasive, or subtly hostile gazes…
His throat felt as if something was lodged in it, dry and constricted, unable to utter a single word.
After a long while.
He finally spoke in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible, filled with endless bitterness and self-mockery, murmuring:
"…That's right…"
"This is reality…"
"…Not a dream."
The morning sun, breaking through the clouds, shone down on the bustling streets of Konoha, yet it seemed unable to penetrate the depths of the golden-haired boy's eyes, which had instantly dimmed.