Dream Maker of the Hokage!

In the audience stands—

Naruto watched the scene unfold and immediately scoffed, visibly annoyed.

He muttered under his breath, "Tch, Sasuke's dad isn't that great…"

"My dad is way nicer—he's gentle and kind! He'd never yell at me like that! Sasuke's old man's nothing compared to mine!"

[Ding! Emotional fluctuation detected from Uzumaki Naruto! +200 Emotion Points!]

Sakura tilted her head, staring at the screen where the stern and rigid Fugaku Uchiha appeared, a puzzled look on her face.

"Is that really Sasuke's father? Doesn't feel like it at all… Sasuke's so amazing—why would his dad be so hard on him?"

Hearing that, Kakashi sighed, raising a hand to his forehead.

These brats... are they really my students?

Commenting so bluntly about their elders, without a care in the world.

"Ahem—" Kakashi cleared his throat and reminded them with a serious tone, "It's rude to talk about someone else's father like that. Got it?"

Naruto stuck out his tongue. "Hmph, but I'm not wrong…"

Hiding nearby, Shiyu, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, couldn't help but silently chime in.

Fugaku Uchiha really does have that classic strict-dad energy.

Onscreen:

Ever since stepping into the house, Sasuke had been lost in the quiet joy of having both parents again.

It had been so long since he'd experienced this kind of warmth—a complete family, gathered together for a meal.

The table was filled with his mother's homemade dishes, each one lovingly prepared. The rich aroma of stews, the crispness of fresh vegetables, and the steam rising from the miso soup—

Sasuke stared at it all, wide-eyed.

Trembling slightly, he reached out with his chopsticks, picking up a slice of tomato and placing it into his mouth.

That taste—

Instantly, his tongue was flooded with flavor. His mother's cooking. The same warmth he remembered so vividly.

His throat tightened. His eyes burned. He almost teared up on the spot.

It had been so many years since he'd tasted her food. This wasn't just nostalgia—it was home.

[Ding! Emotional fluctuation detected from Uchiha Sasuke! +600 Emotion Points!]

Across the table, Itachi kept stealing glances at his younger brother, searching for the right moment to speak.

But Sasuke didn't look up once. He was entirely focused on eating, not sparing even a side glance.

Sitting next to the man he once called a traitor—a murderer—made Sasuke feel suffocated. If it weren't for his mother being here, he wouldn't even last a second at the same table as Itachi.

Thankfully, the awkward atmosphere didn't last long.

Before long, Itachi set down his bowl and chopsticks and said apologetically, "I've got a mission this afternoon. I'll be heading out."

Fugaku reached for his forehead protector at the side of the table, tying it on with a grim expression. "The Police Force is calling. I'm heading out with Itachi."

Mikoto nodded gently and stood up, adjusting her husband's collar with practiced care. "Leaving this early again… This time of year, the Police Force is always busy. Be careful, both of you."

Fugaku gave a solemn nod, gently patting the back of her hand in silent farewell.

Itachi moved to the entryway to change shoes.

As he passed by Sasuke, he paused, then murmured, "Sasuke… I'm sorry. When this mission's over, I'll train with you as long as you want."

Sasuke turned his head away, cold and silent.

Itachi let out a quiet sigh and walked out the door with their father.

The sound of the front door opening, then closing, echoed through the house. Silence settled in.

Mikoto stared at the doorway and smiled helplessly. "Every year, it's the same. They're always too busy to even finish a meal…"

Sasuke didn't reply. He kept his head down, quietly scooping rice into his mouth.

Only he knew how precious every second with his mother felt. He couldn't care less about Fugaku or Itachi.

This dream… it feels so real. Even the taste of her cooking—it's exactly the same. Just like I remember... like it's really happening.

After lunch, Sasuke insisted on helping Mikoto clean up, leaving the table spotless.

He then stubbornly refused to leave the house, spending the entire afternoon at her side.

"Sasuke, weren't you supposed to go on a mission this afternoon with Naruto and Sakura? Aren't you going?"

Mikoto chuckled, watching her son hover around her like a shadow.

"Not going!"

Sasuke answered instantly with a smile tugging at his lips. "Who cares about some boring mission? I'd rather stay with you. Nothing else matters more!"

[Ding! Emotional fluctuation detected from Uchiha Sasuke! +500 Emotion Points!]

"You child…" Mikoto shook her head, half exasperated, half delighted, her eyes overflowing with affection.

The two spent the afternoon tending the garden and tidying the house, chatting as they worked.

Sasuke talked endlessly—about training, about his teammates, even about silly little moments—desperately trying to make up for the lost years of mother-son time.

Mikoto listened, smiling so much her eyes crinkled. Then suddenly, something crossed her mind.

"Oh, right! Sasuke, your squad leader is Kakashi, isn't he? What's he like?"

Sweeping the yard, Sasuke replied, "Kakashi-sensei? He's kind of lazy, always late… but he's strong."

Mikoto nodded in relief. "That's good. Just remember—always help your comrades and trust each other, okay?"

"Mm!" Sasuke nodded firmly.

For once, mother and son shared a day of true peace and warmth.

Audience stands.

Naruto stared at the screen, completely losing it.

"Oi, oi, oi! And he had the nerve to say I was lost in a dream?! He's over there grinning like an idiot!"

"That's it?! He's not even better than me! At least I didn't start crying!"

Even Kakashi had to fight back a smirk at that point.

That dopey smile plastered on Sasuke's face? Yeah… it looked exactly like Naruto's.

[Ding! Emotional fluctuation detected from Hatake Kakashi! +100 Emotion Points!]

Meanwhile, Sakura was practically glowing.

"What's wrong with that? I think Sasuke-kun like that is… absolutely adorable!"

"Eh?! That's so unfair!" Naruto stomped his foot in outrage. "Sakura-chan, you're totally biased! I was super adorable—cough, I mean, cool that day too!"

Sakura immediately crossed her arms and glared. "Don't talk to me, you sleaze."

"Eh?!"

Naruto's wail echoed across the viewing platform.

Dream Target this time: Uchiha Sasuke.

Viewers: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Hatake Kakashi.

Total Emotion Value Gained: 35,300 Points.

Current Balance: 81,250 Points.

That night, Shiyu reaped a bountiful harvest.

Watching the emotion meter soar on the system interface, he nearly laughed out loud.

"Not bad at all!"

He clenched his fist, barely able to contain his excitement.

Sasuke alone had contributed nearly 20,000 points!

Damn, milking the Second Pillar is just too satisfying.

Even with the flood of points, Shiyu didn't rush to spend them.

He stretched his arms, feeling a surge of strength course through his body.

At his current level, he could handle his shifts at Ichiraku Ramen with ease and be a big help to Teuchi-san and Ayame.

His mind drifted back to the system shop, where powerful options glittered—advanced bloodlines, forbidden techniques…

Powers once unimaginable… now seemed within reach.

Taking a deep breath, Shiyu resisted the urge to dive into the Kekkei Genkai list right away, a confident grin creeping across his face.

Soon, very soon, he might be able to redeem the power of his dreams.

For now, what he had was enough.

Better to save the points for when the system updated to the Great Dojutsu War version. Then… he'd cash in for something truly unstoppable.