Dream Maker of the Hokage!

"Yo, good morning everyone." Kakashi strolled over lazily.

The trio was stunned the moment they heard his voice.

Did the sun just rise from the west?

Kakashi-sensei actually showed up early at the meeting spot!

In truth, Kakashi had left unusually early today out of concern for Sasuke's condition.

Upon arriving at the training field and spotting Sasuke already present, he let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Sasuke, are you alright?" Kakashi stepped closer, examining his expression carefully.

Seeing that he merely looked a bit tired but otherwise fine, Kakashi finally relaxed.

"I'm fine," Sasuke muttered, turning his head away.

Kakashi nodded and addressed the group. "Alright then, since we're all here, let's begin today's mission."

The entire morning, Team 7 was sent dashing across town.

Running errands for elderly folks, pet-sitting for wealthy merchants…

All the usual boring D-rank assignments.

Naruto had long grown tired of such monotonous missions. But strangely, today he remained uncharacteristically silent—no yelling, no complaining, no begging Kakashi for a more exciting task.

Because his mind was focused on just one thing:

Finishing the final stage of the Rasengan.

Sasuke, too, was completely out of it.

He had forced himself to stay awake all night. Now, on the verge of exhaustion, his body was screaming in protest.

Even so, he gritted his teeth and held firm, refusing to show weakness.

By midday, after completing several errands, Team 7 finally earned a short break.

As expected, Kakashi led the three to Ichiraku Ramen.

"Yo! All four of you together today?" Teuchi greeted them with a warm smile from behind the counter.

But Naruto wasn't his usual excited self.

He plopped into his seat, arms crossed, cheeks puffed in silent frustration.

Kakashi and Sakura exchanged a knowing smile. Clearly, he was still sulking about Sasuke.

Sasuke, unfazed, sat down right next to Naruto without hesitation and flatly ordered a bowl of soy sauce ramen.

"Boss! Miso ramen with double char siu!" Naruto shot back, raising his voice in defiance.

Soon enough, the ramen arrived.

The four sat in silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

Naruto devoured ten bowls in a row, growing more annoyed with each bite. Sasuke had been acting like he was on edge all day—sullen-faced and dripping with sarcasm.

Finally, Naruto couldn't hold back. "Sasuke, once I master that jutsu, I'm definitely going to beat you. Just you wait!"

Sasuke sneered. "Idiot. Clinging to something like that… You'll never surpass me."

Sakura groaned, covering her face. "Here we go again…"

Even Kakashi sighed. "Alright, now that we're fed, back to missions."

From the kitchen, Shigure peeked out, grinning at their retreating figures.

"Duckbutt… you might wanna be careful with those bold declarations."

Just like always, the rest of Team 7's day was filled with mundane chores.

By the time the sun was setting, they had finally wrapped up their last assignment.

"Phew—finally done!"

Stretching his back, Naruto was more than ready to collapse in bed.

Kakashi eyed the three drenched-in-sweat genin and nodded in satisfaction. "Good work, everyone. That's all for today. Dismissed."

No sooner had he finished than Naruto dashed off, waving behind him.

"Bye, Kakashi-sensei! See ya, Sakura! Sasuke—get ready to lose!"

Sakura chuckled at his disappearing figure. "What's gotten into him today? So much energy all of a sudden."

"Hmph," Sasuke grunted, eyes fixed on where Naruto had vanished, his expression unreadable.

Kakashi looked over. "Heading back to the clan compound tonight?"

Sasuke nodded. "Of course."

"Maybe take the night off from training? Get some sleep…" Kakashi suggested gently, concern lining his tone.

He was genuinely worried Sasuke was pushing himself too hard.

"Not necessary," Sasuke replied curtly, voice sharp with resolve.

Before Kakashi could say more, Sasuke turned and walked off in the opposite direction.

Night fell.

Uchiha Clan Ruins.

The desolate streets lay cloaked in shadow.

Broken remnants of homes stretched along the alleys. Only the stars above pierced the darkness, glinting through shattered rooftops.

Sasuke stood alone before the ruins of his family's courtyard, silent.

At his feet lay seven or eight empty energy drink cans—high-concentration stimulants he had deliberately bought earlier that day.

Even after chugging them all, the drowsiness persisted. His eyelids felt like lead.

"Damn it…"

He pinched his thigh hard, forcing himself awake.

Lifting his head, he stared at the tall stone wall in the center of the courtyard.

Scorched marks and scratches covered its surface—a relic from his childhood training days, when he practiced ninjutsu here with him.

But now, everything had changed. Only he remained.

At the thought of that name—the source of his nightmares—a surge of hatred flooded Sasuke's chest.

He gritted his teeth and lunged forward, planting his feet on the coarse rock as he began scaling the wall, desperate to push himself further.

"Hah… Hah…"

No one knew how long he climbed, but eventually his arms gave out.

With a thud, Sasuke crashed to the ground.

"Tch—"

He landed hard, sweat dripping from his brow, breath ragged.

His whole body throbbed. Every muscle trembled.

Sasuke groaned and tried to stand—but just then, the world spun.

A tidal wave of fatigue surged over him.

"Damn it… not now…"

He shook his head, struggling to stay conscious.

But his body had reached its limit.

After forcing himself through a sleepless night and an entire day of missions, Sasuke could resist no longer.

Sleep took him.

Elsewhere, in Naruto's apartment, things looked very different.

After a hot shower, Naruto flopped onto his bed, refreshed and grinning from ear to ear.

He pulled the blanket over himself, eyes gleaming with excitement.

Staring at the ceiling, he silently hyped himself up:

If I can master the third stage of Rasengan in tonight's dream… then it's mine for real! Sasuke's going to be shocked out of his mind!

Just imagining the moment made him chuckle with anticipation.

He rolled over and hugged his pillow tight, urging himself to fall asleep quickly.

Soon, drowsiness set in. His eyelids grew heavy.

He closed his eyes, letting his thoughts drift…

Who knows how long passed.

But then, faintly, Naruto heard a voice calling to him.

"Naruto?"

…Who's that?

Mom?

Naruto mumbled groggily, "Mom…?"

But when he opened his eyes, he wasn't in the comfort of his bedroom.

Instead, he found himself in a place he didn't recognize at all.

The surroundings were dark and cold. The air was still.

He appeared to be inside a massive indoor space.

In front of him stood an enormous screen—blank and unmoving.

Behind him, rows of seats stretched into the darkness.

Where the heck… was he?

Naruto's eyes snapped open. He jumped to his feet and looked around, heart pounding.

This wasn't what he expected from his dream.

He should've been home, in bed.

So how did he end up… in this creepy theater?