Kakashi said heavily, "Calm down, Sasuke. I know you're hurting. But remember—this is just a dream."
But Sasuke couldn't hear him.
He stared at the screen, unable to look away.
The sight of his mother alive, his brother smiling at the gate—
it was like being stabbed again and again. It hurt so much he could barely breathe, yet he couldn't stop watching.
Kakashi saw Sasuke wasn't lashing out further and didn't press him.
His own heart was far from calm.
Itachi's appearance, and everything different about this world, made the dream feel like another possible reality.
If Kakashi's guess was right—
In this dream world, Minato-sensei had resolved the Nine-Tails disaster that night before the mastermind could escape.
Without the fox rampaging under Sharingan control, Konoha wouldn't have blamed the Uchiha.
Minato and Fugaku weren't distant. Kushina and Mikoto were close friends. With Minato mediating, the village and the Uchiha never would've spiraled into irreconcilable conflict.
Minato's strength, combined with the Third Hokage still in power, would've kept both Uchiha hawks and Konoha hardliners in check.
Meaning no hostility.
No coup.
No massacre.
So in this world, Itachi never had to carry blood on his hands.
The Uchiha stayed flourishing. Itachi rose openly by merit.
Kakashi felt something in him stir—soft, hollow, aching.
This dream wasn't just happy.
It was reasonable. Seamless. Real.
Too real to be a child's fantasy.
If Naruto had grown up with parents, free of hatred and isolation…
then being top of the academy would be natural.
Kakashi lowered his gaze with a bitter smile.
…
Shigure watched from the shadows, laughing silently in his heart.
Mere minutes, and Sasuke had already paid out a fortune in emotion points.
On screen, the banquet went on.
At the estate gate, Kushina and Naruto arrived.
"Sasuke! Congratulations!" Kushina called warmly, grinning.
She led Naruto up and greeted the two boys.
Dream-Sasuke stood stiffly at the entrance helping welcome guests. Seeing them, he actually smiled. "Aunt Kushina! Naruto, you're here."
Itachi, beside him, also smiled and nodded. "Aunt Kushina. Long time no see."
His voice was calm and polite, eyes gentle. "Naruto too—welcome."
"Don't be so formal!" Kushina waved cheerfully. "How could we miss a day like this?"
As they spoke, Itachi and Sasuke stepped forward to welcome them in.
Itachi bowed slightly, chatting familiarly with Kushina. "Mom's inside greeting people. She heard you were coming and prepared your favorite osmanthus rice cakes early."
…
…
The next morning.
At the training ground, Naruto arrived humming to himself, still basking in last night's dream.
"Morning!" he waved from a distance at Sasuke and Sakura.
But the greeting was met with something else entirely.
Sasuke spun around, eyes dark and furious.
"Naruto…"
He strode forward, grabbed Naruto by the collar, and slammed him against a tree.
"S-Sasuke?!" Naruto gasped, startled. "What are you doing—?!"
"What am I doing?" Sasuke snarled. "I should be asking what you did!"
Naruto blinked wildly. "I… I didn't do anything!"
Hands up in surrender, he looked genuinely lost.
He couldn't understand it.
Why was Sasuke attacking him first thing in the morning? For what?
"I didn't do anything to you yesterday!"
"Let go of him, Sasuke."
Kakashi appeared beside them like a shadow. He seized Sasuke's arm and dragged him away from Naruto.
"Calm down. What do you think you're doing?"
Sasuke's chest heaved. He didn't strike again, only yanked his arm free and turned away, jaw clenched.
Naruto straightened his wrinkled shirt, sweat beading at his forehead.
"Kakashi-sensei," he muttered, still confused, "is Sasuke okay? He's like a totally different person…"
Kakashi signaled Naruto to wait, then looked to Sasuke.
Sasuke stared aside, refusing to meet their eyes.
Kakashi sighed. "Sasuke, I understand how you feel. But you should also know… a lot of what we saw last night isn't something Naruto himself could know."
He paused, speaking carefully. "In other words, even if Naruto is the dream's main character, the one making that dream may not be Naruto."
Sasuke froze, then looked up sharply. "You mean…"
Once he cooled down, he couldn't deny it.
The old Uchiha district. The details of his parents.
Naruto could never invent those.
Even in the dream, Naruto acted unaware of many things.
Logic told Sasuke Naruto was probably innocent.
But the pain and hope last night had been too intense, and he'd lashed out anyway.
Now, hearing Kakashi say it plainly, his fists slowly loosened and the murderous glare drained out of his eyes.
Naruto was even more confused. "W-wait, Kakashi-sensei, what are you talking about? Dream main character? Stuff I couldn't know? What are you guys even saying?"
He scratched his head, bewildered.
He remembered having an amazing dream.
But from their talk, it sounded like Kakashi and Sasuke had seen it too?
How was that possible?
Kakashi turned to Naruto and spoke gently. "Naruto, don't ask about this right now. And don't think too hard about it."
He patted Naruto's shoulder reassuringly. "Sasuke just acted on impulse. Don't take it to heart."
Naruto blinked and nodded dubiously. "Oh… okay."
He was in too good a mood lately to wrestle with mysteries he didn't understand.
Kakashi looked at all three of them, thought for a beat, then said, "Today's mission is canceled. You're off for the day. Go home and rest."
"Huh?!" Naruto stared. "Why are we suddenly off?"
"Sensei, what—" Sakura started.
Kakashi raised a hand. "Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura. Go back and get your heads straight."
"Hmph." Sasuke snorted and left first, hands in his pockets, disappearing into the trees.
He was too full of turmoil to stay here another second.
Sakura watched him go, one step forward—but didn't chase. She could only stare at his back vanishing into the shade.
Kakashi turned to her kindly. "Don't worry about Sasuke. Let him calm down. You've been through a lot too—go rest early."
"But, Sensei…" Sakura hesitated, then finally nodded. "Okay."
Last night's dream hadn't hit her like it had Sasuke, but it was still a shock.
A day off to process it wasn't a bad thing.
Soon Sakura left as well.
Naruto, left alone and still baffled, could only scratch his head, then wander off to practice his jutsu.
-------
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