On the other side of the theater, Uchiha Sasuke scanned the dim surroundings with a guarded look. Without a word, he moved toward the center of the back row and sat down in a seat among the emptiness.
His expression was more serious than during his previous visits. His fists rested tensely on his knees, and his dark eyes locked onto the still-black screen ahead. He leaned slightly forward, every muscle taut, like a student determined not to miss a single word in class.
Tonight... I'll watch everything. Every single detail.
He had made up his mind.
The mysterious technique he witnessed in yesterday's dream—the jutsu demonstrated by the Fourth Hokage—had left him in awe.
If I could master that technique...
A glint of fire flickered in Sasuke's eyes.
Just then, a soft scent floated through the air, catching him off guard.
Before he could react, a familiar pink-haired girl quietly slid into the seat beside him.
Sakura Haruno glanced around the theater. Not seeing Naruto anywhere, she breathed a small sigh of relief and smiled faintly. Then, trying to appear calm, she subtly adjusted her seat and leaned just a little closer to Sasuke.
She couldn't help the little flutter in her heart.
During her first two visits, she'd been nervous and frightened.
But now, after coming here multiple times, she'd begun to sense that this strange place didn't seem hostile at all. In fact, it felt more like a giant movie theater. Every time, they sat down and watched a story unfold on the big screen.
And the "movie"... always featured Naruto.
Even so, Sakura still didn't feel any real danger. And compared to that loud, unpredictable Naruto, sitting next to Sasuke like this was... honestly, not bad at all.
Hopefully he won't ask me to move, she thought shyly, trying not to glance at him too obviously.
Sasuke, however, didn't spare her a look.
His attention remained fixed ahead, his mind already replaying the swirling chakra sphere from the previous night.
What's more... as long as she was here, she didn't have to worry about Ino or the other girls clinging to Sasuke. And Naruto, that loudmouth idiot, wasn't anywhere in sight either.
With only Kakashi-sensei present in the front row, this peaceful atmosphere... didn't it feel a little like a date with Sasuke?
The thought made Sakura's face warm up.
She sneaked a sideways glance at Sasuke, who remained stoic and focused on the screen. Her heart fluttered.
Hehe... It's kind of nice watching a movie quietly with Sasuke like this.
While each of the three sat lost in their own thoughts, a black-haired boy stood quietly in the deepest shadows of the theater. His arms were folded, and his eyes watched the others with a thoughtful calm.
He remained unnoticed.
His gaze settled on Sasuke's focused expression, the tightly clenched fists, the fixed stare at the screen ahead. A faint smile curved on the boy's lips.
Sasuke... you've contributed the least emotional value so far.
He chuckled inwardly.
Tonight... it's your turn.
As that thought crossed his mind, a glimmer passed through his dark eyes.
This evening's scene had been prepared especially for him.
Soon, the screen at the front of the theater began to glow.
With a soft flash of light, the dream started to take shape again.
A cozy bedroom came into view. It was small, simple, and warmly lit by the soft morning sun leaking through a narrow gap in the curtains.
Inside the room, Naruto sat up in bed, still half-asleep. His messy blond hair stuck out in all directions. He yawned, rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, and blinked at the sunlight.
"Huh? Morning already?" he mumbled.
Still groggy, he looked around the room.
When Naruto's eyes swept across the familiar photo frame on the bedside table and the messy, lived-in layout of the room, he suddenly froze.
This place...
A spark lit in his mind, and memories of the previous two dreams rushed back in a flash.
That's right!
This is the dream world again!
With excitement surging through him, Naruto leapt out of bed, still in his pajamas, and dashed out of the bedroom wearing his slippers.
The warm aroma of food drifted from the kitchen into the cozy living room.
At the dining table, Minato Namikaze sat calmly sipping miso soup, while Kushina Uzumaki, in a floral apron, moved busily between the stove and countertop. Her long red hair swayed behind her as she worked.
On the table, a delicious spread of breakfast was already laid out—hot sandwiches, golden fried eggs, and a tall glass of milk. It looked like a scene out of a dream.
"Dad! Mom!"
Naruto stood there for a moment, gazing at the sight before him, heart full to bursting. That familiar warmth... that sense of belonging...
He beamed with joy and shouted, "Good morning!"
Minato turned at the sound of his voice and greeted him with a gentle smile.
"Morning, Naruto. You're up early today."
Kushina peeked out from the kitchen and called warmly, "You didn't sleep well, sweetheart? Why are you awake so early?"
Looking at their faces—so full of care and love—Naruto felt an ache in his chest. His eyes stung a little, and he rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.
"Hehe, no, nothing like that!" he said with a sheepish grin. "It's just... I don't really get the ninjutsu you showed me yesterday, so I wanted to ask you about it."
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto captured! Emotional value +500!]
Minato set his bowl down with a chuckle and gestured for him to come over.
"Oh? You ran all the way in here just for that? Alright, tell me what's confusing you."
Naruto quickly trotted to his father's side and scratched his head, trying to remember.
"You taught me that move yesterday... uh, what was it called again?"
Minato raised his index finger and responded with a teasing grin.
"It's the ultimate secret technique... the Nimbus Ice Stick! Jiraiya Double Shikigan style."
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Kakashi's temple. He stared at the screen in stunned silence.
Just like I thought… Minato-sensei's naming sense really hasn't changed at all.
Haruno Sakura gawked, mouth slightly open. "Wait… that's the real name?"
Even Sasuke's stoic expression cracked. His eyebrows twitched. "That ridiculous name wasn't something Naruto made up?"
Sakura frowned and muttered, "What kind of ninjutsu name is that long? It sounds like a bad joke."
Kakashi sighed and shrugged. "You think that's bad? There are even worse ones out there. You haven't seen anything yet."
Sakura and Sasuke: "...???"
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Hatake Kakashi captured! Emotional value +100!][Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uchiha Sasuke captured! Emotional value +200!][Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Haruno Sakura captured! Emotional value +200!]
—
On screen.
"Yes, yes! That's it!" Naruto clapped his hands in recognition, then muttered to himself with a small pout, "But the name's too long… and hard to pronounce. I can't remember it at all."
Upon hearing this, Kushina turned from the kitchen, her eyebrows twitching.
She strode over and gave Minato a firm poke to the forehead with her finger. "Minato, you're doing this again! Why do you keep giving your techniques such ridiculous names? Do you really expect Naruto to remember that nonsense?"
Minato scratched his head with an awkward chuckle. "Haha… force of habit, I guess."
Kushina turned to Naruto with a gentle smile and crouched slightly to meet his eyes. "Don't worry, Naruto. Just ignore your dad's nonsense. That move only has one real name—it's simple. Just call it… Rasengan."
"Rasengan…" Naruto whispered it a few times under his breath. It rolled off his tongue easily. "Hehe! That's way better! Mom's name sounds so much cooler!"
His whole face lit up, pure happiness radiating from his grin.
Sakura let out a sigh of relief. "Finally, something normal for once! I knew that ridiculous name couldn't be real."
Even Sasuke, who rarely chimed in, nodded faintly in agreement.
Kakashi, however, remained silent, his visible eye watching the screen with growing unease.
Incredible… he thought. Whoever's behind this dream… they know Minato-sensei and Kushina-senpai down to the finest detail.
Even Minato's quirky habit of naming jutsu in overly dramatic ways had been copied to perfection.
For the first time since arriving in the Dream Theater, Kakashi's taut nerves began to relax just a little. Despite how mysterious this phenomenon was, the warmth and familiarity on screen couldn't be faked. Minato and Kushina… they didn't just look real—their every movement, every word, felt like the real thing.
But then—
Wait a second…
A chilling thought crossed Kakashi's mind.
What if they really are Minato-sensei and Kushina-senpai?
His heart skipped a beat. A shiver ran up his spine. Sweat beaded at the nape of his neck.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Hatake Kakashi captured! Emotional value +800!]
—
On screen.
Naruto was about to ask his dad about the second stage of training when Kushina interrupted him with a gentle chuckle.
"Alright, alright. No more ninjutsu talk for now." She walked over and affectionately ruffled his bedhead. "You got up early, huh? Go wash your face, brush your teeth, and change your clothes. Breakfast's ready."
She then raised her spatula with mock seriousness. "Don't forget, we're going to the Uchiha clan's celebration banquet today. Mikoto invited us herself. It's been ages since we last met. We can't keep her waiting!"
—
In the audience.
Whoosh. A chill swept through the dark theater like a blade of wind.
Sasuke suddenly shot to his feet, frozen stiff. His eyes were locked onto the glowing screen.
His usually pitch-black pupils had turned a deep crimson.
Sharingan.
Three tomoe spun in the darkness of his irises, but even the power of his bloodline couldn't calm the storm inside him.
His breathing grew ragged. His shoulders trembled. His clenched fists quivered at his sides.
He had heard what she said.
Kushina… going to the Uchiha celebration banquet… invited by Mikoto…
That name.
That moment.
The past he longed for but could never return to.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uchiha Sasuke captured! Emotional value +2000!]