In the audience.

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged glances, both puzzled and unable to understand why Neji was acting so fanatically.

When they were children, they had heard countless legends about the Fourth Hokage's battle with the Nine-Tails. But since they had never witnessed it themselves, they couldn't truly connect with Neji's reaction. Instead, they were simply filled with confusion.

Hinata felt the same way. She was even more curious about why Brother Neji in the dream had such a drastic change in personality. Wasn't this dream version of Brother Neji far too frivolous?

Normally, he was calm and serious, but here he was showing a fanatical side in public, looking like an entirely different person.

Among them all, only Kakashi seemed thoughtful, as though he had realized something.

The words Neji had just quoted echoed an incident from real life the time when Hinata Hyuga was kidnapped at the age of three.

Back then, an envoy from the Hidden Cloud Village had come under the guise of forming an alliance, but secretly tried to abduct young Hinata from the Hyuga compound. The attempt failed, and the kidnapper was killed on the spot by Hyuga Hiashi.

But the most outrageous part was what followed. Kumogakure shamelessly refused to admit their crime and instead demanded that the Hyuga clan the victims apologize.

Thinking of this, Kakashi let out a quiet sigh.

If Minato-sensei had still been alive back then, there was no way he would have allowed Kumogakure to act with such arrogance.

If the Fourth Hokage had been alive, how could he ever tolerate such an unreasonable demand?

"Well..." Kakashi sighed again, his heart heavy with a mix of nostalgia for his late teacher and the sorrow of old wounds that refused to fade.

[Ding! Hatake Kakashi's emotional fluctuations have been captured! Emotional value +400!]

In the picture.

Hearing Neji speak so passionately about his father, Naruto couldn't help but feel a flicker of pride.

But still, Neji's display felt a little too over the top.

"Is it really necessary to be that worked up?" Naruto muttered to himself.

The words were quiet, but Neji's sharp ears caught them at once.

Neji straightened with a stern expression. His gaze locked firmly on Naruto, and he answered with absolute seriousness, "It is very necessary! The Fourth Hokage not only saved my father, but he also gave me a lifelong goal. My goal is to become a great Hokage like him!"

Neji's powerful declaration rang through the air. Naruto's mouth fell slightly open, caught off guard by Neji's blazing eyes and passionate words.

Around them, everyone else instinctively held their breath, staring at Neji's fervent expression.

For a moment, silence blanketed the scene. Then the dreamscape gradually froze in place, and the lights of the theater slowly dimmed.

[Dream fulfillment target: Uzumaki Naruto]

[Viewers: Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Hyuga Hinata, Hatake Kakashi]

[Total emotional value gained: 33,100 points!]

[Current emotional value balance: 215,431 points!]

Current Dream Level: Level 3 (269,931 / 300,000)

…

The next morning.

Sunlight filtered through the trees, scattering dappled shadows across the forest floor.

After spending the night camping in the wild, Team 7 resumed their journey toward the Land of Waves.

Naruto stirred awake, but the memory of Neji's fiery declaration from last night still echoed in his mind. He couldn't shake it off.

He hadn't expected that Neji's ambition was also to become Hokage and that he was such a devoted admirer of Naruto's father.

Lying on his futon, Naruto recalled the look of admiration on Neji's face and let out a long sigh. His father really was incredible.

The thought filled him with pride and longing. A small smile crept onto his lips, and he whispered to himself, "You want to be Hokage? Hmph, you'll have to beat me first."

A goofy grin spread across his face.

"Naruto! Stop grinning and pack up already!" Kakashi's voice called out in exasperation from nearby.

Naruto jumped, realizing it was already morning, and scrambled to his feet.

"Oh! Coming right now!"

He hurriedly rolled up his sleeping bag, brushed the dirt off his clothes, and bolted over like a gust of wind to rejoin the team.

Soon enough, Kakashi led Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and their client, Dazna, back onto the road.

The winding country path stretched before them. Naruto walked along full of energy, brimming with determination after last night's dream. He couldn't wait to prove his strength in the real world.

But they hadn't gone far before Sasuke gave Naruto a sidelong glance, muttering in irritation, "Dead-last, you completely wasted your chance in that dream yesterday."

"All that effort to get inside and stay for so long... and what did you even do?"

"If it were me, I wouldn't just waste time eating and messing around like you!"

"You jerk!" Naruto snapped, his face burning with embarrassment. "That's my dream, I'll do whatever I want! It's none of your business! Besides..."

Sasuke didn't catch the last part of his mumbling, but Naruto's stubbornness only made him more annoyed. "Hmph. You're hopeless. Anyway, you just threw away an opportunity!"

The two of them bickered fiercely, trading jabs without end. Their quarrel echoed loudly through the empty forest road.

Sakura sighed, holding her forehead helplessly as she walked alongside. "Not again..."

Kakashi trailed lazily behind, his nose buried in his copy of Make-Out Paradise. He glanced up at the two arguing boys, let out a quiet breath, and didn't interfere. By now, he was far too used to their antics.

Just as their argument reached its peak, Sasuke suddenly fell silent. His steps slowed, and his eyes sharpened in alertness.

Naruto, still ranting up ahead, didn't notice the change. "You arrogant jerk! What I did yesterday was "

But when he turned, he froze.

At some point, Sasuke's Sharingan had flared to life, its scarlet tomoe spinning as he locked his gaze on a spot behind Naruto.

Startled, Naruto instinctively turned to look.

There, on the side of the road, stood two unfamiliar black figures.

They were clad in dark cloaks, their faces hidden behind masks shaped like respirators. Most chilling of all, both of their right arms were encased in heavy, dark iron gauntlets.

The two men stood silently in the middle of the path, stiff and unmoving, their lifeless eyes fixed forward like puppets waiting for a command.

"W-what?! Where did these two come from?!"

Naruto's eyes went wide. He hurriedly pulled out a kunai, holding it ready as he braced himself.

They had appeared out of nowhere, and he hadn't sensed a thing.

If Sasuke hadn't noticed them...

Naruto belatedly realized the danger.

The two men's eyes were glassy and vacant, their movements lifeless. It was clear they were under some kind of jutsu, controlled like puppets.

The thought jolted Naruto, and he suddenly spun around toward Sasuke, blurting out, "Sasuke, is it you...?"

From behind, Sakura finally understood what was happening.

Seeing the two strangely dressed figures standing stiffly without resistance, and noticing Sasuke's activated Sharingan, she instantly pieced it together. Her eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands to her chest and cried out, "Sasuke, you're so handsome!"

Her gaze lingered on him, full of admiration.

Kakashi closed his book at last, lifting his head with mild surprise.

In truth, with his keen senses, he had already noticed the murderous intent hiding inside the puddle as they passed earlier. He had long since identified the two attackers concealed there.

But Kakashi had felt no fear. He had planned to simply watch and see how his students would handle it, confident he could protect them and the client at the decisive moment.

What he hadn't expected was that Sasuke would pick up on the threat even faster than he had anticipated, and act with such precision.

"This is the power of the Sharingan, dead-last," Sasuke said coolly as he withdrew his gaze. The corners of his lips lifted in a faint smirk.

"I told you before, going into that dream world was nothing but a waste of time."

"You've been stuck there all this while, and in the end, you've gained nothing at all."

....

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