"Kakashi-sensei? You… what's wrong?"
Sakura's confused voice came from beside him, her eyes full of concern.
She and Sasuke had both been startled by Kakashi's sudden outburst.
To them, the scene playing on the screen seemed quite ordinary—just a gentle-looking red-haired woman cooking in a cozy, tidy home. There was nothing shocking about it. So why was their usually composed sensei reacting this way?
But Kakashi didn't answer.
He just stood there, eyes glued to the screen, whispering under his breath.
"This isn't normal at all… not at all…"
Sasuke watched his teacher, rarely seeing such loss of composure. His gaze shifted to the warm, glowing scene on the screen, and something stirred within him.
His fists slowly clenched.
In that house, with its warm lighting and family atmosphere, something long-buried inside him shifted.
Memories flickered—short moments of warmth, of smiling parents, of that stern but caring man who once stood behind him. They pierced through the cold, hardened shell he had built around himself.
Bitterness and rage twisted together in his chest, like thorns around a bleeding heart.
…
On the screen, the Naruto inside the dream was slowly beginning to emerge from his daze.
This clean, bright living room…
The inviting scent of home-cooked food in the air…
And that red-haired woman moving gracefully in the kitchen…
Everything felt so real it was almost overwhelming.
Warm sunlight filtered in through the window, casting a soft glow across the room and brushing against his face like a gentle caress. It felt... safe. Cozy.
The savory smell of simmering meat blended with soy sauce and sugar hung thick in the air. His stomach growled without warning.
'Where... am I? It smells amazing… Wasn't I just sleeping?'
Still lost in confusion, Naruto heard her voice again.
"Naruto, what are you still doing there? Hurry and wash your hands! The food's going to get cold!"
Her voice carried a commanding tone—like someone used to being listened to at the dinner table—but there was something more. Something Naruto had never truly felt in his life.
It was warmth.
It was care.
It was love.
The kind of voice that belonged in a family.
A word slipped from Naruto's lips before he could stop it, rising up from somewhere deep in his heart.
"…Mom."
The moment the word escaped, his eyes widened in disbelief. He clamped a hand over his mouth, stunned at himself.
Did he… really just say that?
I… I just called her… Mom?!
Even Naruto, dense as he could be sometimes, felt the weight of what had just happened.
First, being warmly greeted by villagers on the street…
Now standing in a cozy, sunlit home…
And that red-haired woman—so gentle, so familiar—it all felt too perfect, too real.
"So… this is my dream?"
"And this woman… could she really be… my mom?"
A storm of emotions crashed through him—grief, joy, longing—all at once, flooding his chest like a tidal wave.
Mom!
He was meeting his mother. In a dream, yes—but she was here.
Even though he had never seen her face in real life, something deep inside told him it was her.
That feeling… that invisible thread connecting them… it was unmistakable. It was real.
His heart thudded wildly.
This warmth… this familiarity… this bond… it has to be her. It has to be!
Before he realized it, his nose began to sting.
Hot tears welled up, then spilled over, streaming silently down his cheeks.
He didn't try to stop them.
He didn't want to.
How many years had it been?
Twelve.
For twelve long years, Naruto had dreamed of moments like this—sketching faces in his mind, guessing at what his parents looked like, imagining a home filled with warmth, laughter, and love.
A place where someone would call out, "Dinner's ready!" just for him.
And now...
This scene—the one he had yearned for more than anything—was actually unfolding before his eyes.
Even if it was just a dream...
Even if it would vanish when he woke up...
Right now, Naruto would give anything to make it last forever.
"W-Wah! I got it! I'm coming, Mom!"
His voice cracked as he choked back tears, nodding hard while wiping his face with both sleeves.
Then, with a bright, goofy grin—so dazzling it could outshine the sun—he turned and bolted toward the washroom, stumbling slightly in his rush.
He didn't care how clumsy he looked. He was too happy to care.
He had a mom.
He had a home.
At least… in this dream.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uzumaki Naruto captured! Emotion points +1500!]
In the viewing hall, Sakura and Sasuke watched in silence as Naruto's silly, overjoyed figure nearly ran into the doorframe.
Sakura tilted her head, her brows furrowed slightly. She whispered, "It's just dinner… does he really have to act like that?"
Though she had been startled earlier by Kakashi's reaction, she still couldn't quite grasp Naruto's feelings.
She didn't know what it was like to crave something so deeply, for so long, that even a dream could make you cry.
To Sakura, being called to dinner by your mom… wasn't that just a normal part of daily life?
She didn't understand.
But just as those words left her mouth, Sasuke suddenly turned his head and snapped, his voice sharp and cold, tinged with a fury she had never heard before:
"What do you know?!"
"Eh?!"
Sakura flinched, startled by his sudden outburst. She turned to him with wide eyes, her voice faltering.
"S-Sasuke-kun… I… I didn't mean…"
She looked confused and hurt, unsure what she'd said to provoke him.
Had she really said something wrong?
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Uchiha Sasuke captured! Emotion points +500!][Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Sakura Haruno captured! Emotion points +200!]
But Sasuke didn't respond. He didn't even glance at her again.
His gaze had already returned to the screen—locked on Naruto.
The blonde idiot, crying with joy just because someone had called him to dinner… it looked ridiculous. And yet, behind Sasuke's cold eyes, something flickered.
A silent pain.
Because out of everyone in that room, perhaps only he could truly understand what Naruto felt in that moment.
Because he, too, had once had it.
A mother's voice calling him to eat. A warm home. A table full of food. Laughter.
He had known that feeling.
And precisely because he had known it… he understood the agony of having it ripped away.
Kakashi quietly observed his two students and let out a soft, weary sigh.
Sakura had grown up in a peaceful home, with both parents by her side. To her, being called to eat was just part of the routine—sometimes even annoying.
But for Naruto and Sasuke…
It was everything they had lost, or never had to begin with.
At her age, Sakura was in that typical rebellious phase—craving freedom, asserting independence. To her, moments like these were just a routine part of life. She couldn't possibly understand the weight behind such a "simple" scene. The quiet warmth of family life meant little to her, but for Naruto and Sasuke, it was something she might never truly comprehend.
And yet, that same warmth on screen—wasn't it also his...
Kakashi looked away for a moment, shook his head slightly.
Forget it.
...
On the screen, the dream continued, bathed in golden light.
Naruto had just finished washing his hands and returned to the table, eyes gleaming as he stared at the mountain of steaming dishes. He could barely hold back his drool.
Just as he reached out to grab his chopsticks—
Click.
The door creaked open softly.
A tall, broad-shouldered figure stepped into the room.
He had short, bright blond hair—just like Naruto's—and wore the standard Konoha green flak vest. His expression was calm and gentle, a constant, warm smile tugging at his lips.
His eyes—clear blue like a summer sky—were soft, yet full of life.
"Am I late?" he asked, his voice smooth and comforting, like a breeze in spring.
Kushina, standing at the kitchen doorway, turned with a radiant smile.
"Not at all. You're just in time," she said warmly. "Hurry up and wash your hands. Dinner's ready. Today, I made Naruto's favorites—braised pork belly and fried chicken—just for our new Genin!"
The man nodded, stepping inside with quiet confidence. Then his eyes gently fell upon the small blond boy standing by the table, frozen in place.
A soft look filled his gaze—filled with pride, love, and the unshakable bond of a father.
"Congratulations, Naruto," he said. "You've finally become a real ninja… Dad is proud of you."
...
In the audience—
If seeing Kushina earlier had stunned Kakashi and shaken his composure...
Then this moment—seeing that man walk through the door—
Was a thunderclap in his heart.
Kakashi felt his heart gripped tightly by an invisible hand; even his breathing stopped!
"Mi... Minato-sensei?!"
That's right!
The man as dazzling as the sun, known as the "Yellow Flash of Konoha," who became the Fourth Hokage at a young age, and was also his—Kakashi's—most revered teacher…
Minato Namikaze!
He actually... also appeared in this dream?
And... as Naruto's father?!
Not only Kushina-senpai... but Minato-sensei too...
This... what exactly...?!
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Kakashi Hatake captured! Emotion points +1000!!]
And this time, it wasn't just Kakashi.
Even Sakura and Sasuke beside him, upon seeing the face of the man who walked in, instantly widened their eyes, showing expressions of disbelief.
"Th-that's..." Sakura's voice trembled.
"Fourth Hokage-sama?!" Sasuke also gasped.
As top students of the Konoha Ninja School, they were naturally very familiar with the Village's history, especially the images of past Hokage:
The statues on the Hokage Rock.
The portraits in textbooks.
The heroic legends circulating in the Village.
The blonde man who walked into Naruto's "home" was clearly that legendary hero who had single-handedly ended the Third Ninja World War and ultimately sacrificed himself to protect the Village—
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze!
"W-why... is Naruto's dad in his dream... the Fourth Hokage-sama?!"Sakura felt her brain completely overload."Could it be... could Naruto be..."
An extremely absurd, yet seemingly all-explaining thought rose uncontrollably in her mind.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Sakura Haruno captured! Emotion points +200!]
Kakashi remained silent, his face extremely grim.
He, of course, knew why.
But this secret… concerned Naruto's safety.It was the highest-classified secret tied to the stability of the entire Konoha.It absolutely could not be known by these two children here!
But...
This dream...
What exactly does it want to do?!