The very next second, a glowing screen lit up before his eyes:
[Dream Master System successfully upgraded!][Please choose one of the following enhancements:]
Increase the number of dream targets by +1
Dream Scenario Expansion Pack: Let's & Go!!
All store items permanently 5% off
Shiyu quickly scanned the three options.
"Target slots… expansion pack… discount…" he muttered, already calculating the pros and cons in his head.
When he got to the second option, he couldn't help but roll his eyes and grumble,
"Let's & Go!!? Seriously?! I'm in the Naruto world, man. Who the hell would choose that?"
He even pictured Naruto sprinting down the street with a toy race car screaming "Hurricane Sonic!" and got a full-body cringe.
Hard pass.
Then came the discount. A permanent 5% off sounded pretty decent, but…
"Tempting, sure," Shiyu weighed the options, "but it can't beat unlocking an extra dream target. That's way more practical."
He tapped on option 1 without hesitation.
[Enhancement "Dream Target +1" selected! Dream Master System has upgraded to Level 2!]
As the notification appeared, Shiyu's system interface automatically refreshed:
[Current Dream Level: Lv.2 (100450/200000)]
[Dream Targets: 2]
[Viewers: 3]
[Active Dream Instance Slots: 1]
[Current Dream: Flash Eternal]
"Level 2!" Shiyu's eyes lit up at the sight of the number 2 beside "Dream Targets." A rush of satisfaction hit him.
He examined the new function more closely:"I can now bind two dream targets at the same time. Still, I can only pick one of them to enter the dream each night... meaning I get to choose a different protagonist each day."
He nodded in approval."Nice. More flexibility."
"So, who should be my second dream target?"
His eyes gleamed as an idea formed almost instantly.
"Gotta be Second Pillar."
It wasn't like he hadn't considered other high-emotion candidates in the village—Danzo, Kakashi… guys loaded with emotional trauma.
But back when his system was still Level 1, he'd already tried. His authority simply wasn't enough to pull them in.
Even at Level 2, he still couldn't fully integrate people like Danzo or Kakashi into the dream world.
At best, they could appear as viewers, maybe under some "close associate" label.
So realistically speaking, the best candidate was Sasuke.
"And hey, Second Pillar's not a bad deal at all," Shiyu smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Naruto's emotions alone were enough to get me to Level 2. Now if I toss Sasuke into Flash Eternal, into that rebuilt Uchiha household… How much emotional energy would that net me?"
Sasuke had once been a pampered young master from a complete, loving family.
He'd seen it all ripped away before his eyes. That kind of deep-seated yearning for home, for family, was on a whole different level compared to someone like Naruto, who never had it to begin with.
Losing something you once had always cut deeper than never having it at all.
If Sasuke could relive the warmth of a complete family—even just in a dream…
Shiyu could already imagine the tidal wave of emotion.It might even surpass Naruto's.
— — —
Uchiha District Ruins
Dawn had yet to fully break. A sliver of pale light just barely peeked over the eastern horizon.
Before the crumbling remains of the Uchiha compound, a lone boy had spent the entire night swinging his kunai through the empty courtyard.
Sasuke's movements were sharp, relentless—thrusting and slashing at invisible foes.
Sweat trickled from his forehead down his cheeks, but he didn't even flinch. His eyes burned with a single emotion:
Hatred.
To him, strength was everything. Pain? Fatigue? Meaningless.
I will kill that man.
That vow had never once wavered.
The night had been long, but Uchiha Sasuke pushed through on sheer willpower, refusing to rest, refusing to close his eyes—just to keep himself from falling into that bizarre dream again.
At last, the sky began to lighten, and the first rays of morning sun pierced the darkness, falling gently across his face.
Sasuke finally stopped.
He panted heavily, kunai still in hand.
"...It's morning."
He turned, casting one last glance at the ruins of the Uchiha estate behind him.
His shadow stretched long across the dusty ground, drawn out by the rising sun.
Pocketing the kunai, Sasuke gave his shoulders a quick roll.
He hadn't slept a wink, but rest wasn't on his schedule.He simply splashed some cold water on his face, then turned toward the heart of the village.
— — —
Konoha – Hyūga Residence
Golden light poured in through the lattice windows, casting dappled shadows across the tatami mats.
Hinata stirred under her blankets. Her long lashes fluttered slightly… then she slowly blinked awake.
She gazed up at the familiar beams overhead, still in a sleepy haze, until—
"E-Engaged?!"
Hinata shot upright, her cheeks turning a deep crimson.
Memories from her dream surged back in a wave, flooding her brain.
Instinctively, she clutched both arms across her chest, still in her thin pajamas, face burning with embarrassment.
"W-Why would I… dream about being engaged to Naruto-kun?! How could I dream something like that?!"
She rolled over, burying her face in the blankets, kicking her feet in embarrassment.
Giving Naruto a gift… Her father announcing their engagement…
The whole thing had been utterly outrageous.
Shame flooded her. Her entire dream had been way too bold.
But as Hinata replayed the memory over and over, her panic slowly gave way to confusion.
"Wait… wasn't it Naruto-kun's dream last night?"
She furrowed her brows, lips murmuring as she tried to piece it all together.
"It felt like… I was inside Naruto-kun's dream. Not my own?"
Too many parts of it had felt real. That dark theater-like space. The enormous screen. Watching the movie with Sakura and Kakashi-sensei…
None of it was anything she'd ever dreamed before.
"Right! Sakura and Kakashi-sensei!"
Hinata sat up straight. She suddenly remembered—Sakura had been there in the same viewing room, and so had Kakashi-sensei.
They'd even seemed surprised to see her.
Sakura had kindly explained that they were watching Naruto's dream.
Hinata's brows knitted as more fragments resurfaced.
If it wasn't just a dream… if it was something real—something that truly happened—then surely Sakura and Kakashi-sensei would remember too.
They'd probably understand it far better than she did.
Which meant… maybe she could ask them?
Without wasting another second, Hinata jumped out of bed.
Blushing furiously but determined, she quickly got dressed, ducked her head… and ran out the door.