Naruto shot up from his bed, his hands instinctively clutching his ears as if the pain from being yanked still lingered.
He was panting hard. His golden hair looked like a chaotic bird's nest, and a cold sweat clung to his forehead in small beads.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch..."
Naruto blinked his bright blue eyes in confusion, slowly taking in his surroundings.
But what he saw wasn't the main street of Konoha glowing in the dream's sunset, nor the blurry red-haired woman who had angrily tugged his ear just before everything went dark.
What lay before him instead was...
His tiny rental room.
It was cramped and messy, filled with the scattered remnants of his daily life—empty instant noodle cups, worn-down supplies, and clutter everywhere.
A strange mix of smells lingered in the air.
In the corner, a pile of dirty laundry was beginning to form its own ecosystem, and a few tattered basic ninja textbooks were left open on the desk. Through the window, the faint light of dawn was just beginning to touch the sky.
"Huh...?"
Naruto froze.
It took several seconds before realization finally sank in.
"So... it was all a dream..."
He let his hands fall away from his ears, slumping back into bed with a disappointed sigh. The burst of excitement that had filled his chest moments ago slowly faded.
And yet...
There was something odd about that dream.
Naruto scratched his messy blond hair, trying to recall the scenes.
Unlike his usual dreams that faded like smoke the moment he opened his eyes, this one had remained crystal clear, burned into his memory.
Every detail was vivid—like something he had truly experienced.
He remembered standing in the training ground, using the incredibly cool Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu to wipe the floor with Sasuke, the guy who always acted superior to everyone else.
He also remembered something unbelievable—Sasuke had actually, genuinely admitted that he was stronger than him.Sasuke had said it out loud. That Naruto was the strongest in Team 7!
Thinking about it made Naruto chuckle like a fool, delight bubbling up inside him.
And then—Even more amazing—Sakura had confessed her feelings to him!
She actually said she liked him!She even called him "Naruto-sama!"
And after that… they had gone shopping together.
What stunned him the most was how everyone in the Village treated him.The passersby, the shopkeepers, the villagers who usually avoided him or looked away coldly…Every one of them smiled at him.Greeted him warmly.Praised him.Cared about him.
Naruto closed his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curved upward into a goofy, blissful smile.
Ah… that dream… it was just too good to be true.
Even if, in the end, a fierce red-haired woman had suddenly pulled his ear and scolded him before everything faded to black…
Overall, it was definitely the happiest dream he had ever had!
Still rolling around on his bed with a silly grin plastered on his face, Naruto was completely lost in the warmth of it all—
"RING RING RING!!!"
His old frog-shaped alarm clock let out a piercing screech.
"Ahhh!!" Naruto yelped, bolting upright and fumbling to shut it off.
He glanced at the time on the clock.
7:55 AM?!
The smile on his face instantly vanished.
"We're supposed to meet at eight! I'm going to be late!"
Today wasn't just any day.
It was the first day that Team 7 would begin their official ninja missions.
A huge step—The start of his journey toward becoming Hokage!
He absolutely could not be late on the very first day!
"Ahhh! No time!!"
Naruto wailed, leaping out of bed. He dashed to the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face without even thinking of brushing his teeth. Then, he yanked his rumpled orange tracksuit off the chair and threw it on in a hurry.
Next, he grabbed a carton of nearly expired milk from the fridge, clenched it between his teeth, and flew out the door like a streak of orange lightning.
"I'm leaaaving!!" he shouted, his voice muffled through the carton—Even though there was no one home to hear him.
…
The morning streets of Konoha were already alive with activity.
Villagers greeted each other, shops opened their doors one by one, and the scent of freshly steamed buns, grilled fish, and ramen floated on the breeze.
Naruto darted through the crowds, weaving between people and carts with practiced speed, mumbling nonstop between pants of breath, "I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!"
Then, just as he turned a corner, something caught his eye.
"Huh?" Naruto slowed down without thinking.
Up ahead, a familiar sight made him blink in surprise.
A young woman in a red kimono was walking toward him, holding the hand of a small boy who looked to be about five or six.
Naruto's eyes widened with recognition.
It's her!
The same lady from his dream yesterday!
The one who had praised him—Told her son to look up to him—Treated him like he mattered.
That's right! It's her… and her kid too!
He remembered it clearly—In yesterday's dream, that kind aunt had chatted with him for a long time, her words full of warmth and praise.Her son… what was his name again? Koichi? Or maybe Yuta?
Naruto wasn't sure.But he never expected to see them in real life.Right here, on the streets of Konoha.
Could it be… that some part of the dream had actually come true?
A flicker of hope ignited in his chest, swelling rapidly into joy.The nervousness from rushing earlier completely melted away, replaced by a radiant, eager smile.
As the mother and child walked closer, Naruto's heart beat faster.He raised his hand cheerfully, just like in the dream, ready to greet her.
"Auntie! Good morn—"
But before he could finish the sentence—The woman saw him.
And everything changed.
The pleasant look on her face disappeared in an instant.Her smile froze, then collapsed into something dark—Fear. Disgust. Alarm.
She looked at Naruto as if he were some cursed omen.
"Ah!"
She gasped and instinctively yanked her son behind her, shielding him tightly.Then, without a word of acknowledgment or apology, she turned and hurried off in the opposite direction, almost as if running from danger.
As she walked away, her voice was cold and sharp.
"Ryota, remember this. If you ever see that boy again, stay far away. Don't talk to him. Don't even look at him. He's bad luck. Do you hear me?!"
…
…
The morning breeze seemed to vanish in that instant.Everything went quiet.
Naruto's hand slowly fell back to his side.His smile faded, bit by bit.
He stood there, stunned—The warmth in his chest already gone.
And all around him, villagers who had seen the scene unfold glanced his way.Some quickly looked away.Others didn't bother hiding the unease in their eyes.
Those looks—Like needles.Dozens, hundreds of them.Piercing his skin, one by one.
But Naruto didn't move.He couldn't.
His heart… just hurt too much.
The smile on Naruto's face, like a lake suddenly sealed by winter's ice, froze—and then, piece by piece, crumbled.
His right hand, once lifted high to wave with joy, now hung awkwardly in mid-air.Then, as if all strength had drained from his body, it slowly, slowly dropped.
What… just happened?
Why?
Why did things turn out like this?
In the dream… it hadn't been like this.
In the dream, she had been so gentle to him.So kind. So warm.
Why… was reality like this?
A coldness, sharp and bitter, crept up from the soles of his feet, spreading through every part of him, freezing the last trace of warmth born from that beautiful dream.
A crushing disappointment, heavy and suffocating, surged over him like a relentless tide.He stood motionless, watching the woman and her child flee in panic.Watching the surrounding villagers steal glances at him—some indifferent, some evading his eyes, and others openly wary or cold.
His throat tightened.It felt blocked, parched, unable to make a sound.
After what felt like forever, he finally opened his mouth.His voice was so faint it nearly dissolved into the wind, laced with bitter self-mockery.
"…That's right…"
"This is reality…"
"…Not a dream."
Above him, the morning sun broke through the clouds and cast its golden light across the lively streets of Konoha.But that light failed to reach the boy's eyes—Eyes that had dimmed in an instant.