RNP Page 36
Page 36
On the other side, at the ruins of the Uchiha clan's territory.
Sasuke pushed open the half-broken courtyard gate, and what greeted his eyes was still a desolate and bleak scene.
The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and the surrounding houses were in ruins. The round fan-shaped family emblem flags painted on the walls had faded and become mottled.
But Sasuke had no time for sentimentality.
He strode across the courtyard and arrived at the towering stone wall in the backyard. Without a moment's hesitation, he began to climb it with his bare hands.
The rough rock face hurt his palms, and beads of sweat quickly seeped from his forehead, sliding down his cheeks under the scorching sun.
But Sasuke gritted his teeth and climbed upwards using both his hands and feet, repeating the training again and again, as if he didn't feel tired at all.
Just thinking about the scene of fighting that man in his dream last night made Sasuke feel a surge of heat rush to his head.
"boom!"
His fist slammed heavily against the rock wall, sending fragments of rock flying everywhere.
Sasuke was hanging from the side of a stone wall several meters off the ground, veins throbbing on his forehead. "Damn it... is it still not working?"
He was panting heavily as he slowly jumped back to the ground from the rock face, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
In his dream, every move he made was insignificant compared to Itachi Uchiha.
He was defeated before he could even touch the hem of his clothes.
That dream may have been a hoax, but Itachi's power was undeniably etched into Sasuke's heart.
That enormous difference in strength was like an insurmountable abyss standing before him.
"Still a long way off..."
Sasuke looked up at the towering rock wall, his eyes filled with resentment and pain.
"Damn it!" The boy lowered his head, his bangs obscuring his eyes. "How could anyone possibly defeat someone of this level?"
He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, then looked up and turned his gaze back to the steep rock face.
Although his body was exhausted, Sasuke's inner drive sharpened his eyes again.
"One day...one day I will defeat you with my own hands! I will wash away the shame of my clan!"
……
night.
Konoha Village gradually returned to tranquility.
The dim streetlights came on, and their soft light streamed through the window into Naruto's bedroom.
Naruto lay on his back in bed, but his mind was in turmoil, and he couldn't fall asleep at all.
After staring blankly at the ceiling for a moment, he suddenly sat up, clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and looked as solemn as if he were praying.
"God, please, please let me see my mom and dad again tonight..."
He silently made a wish in his heart, then took a deep breath, lay back down, and pulled the blanket up to his chin.
He went to bed earlier than usual today, hoping to fall asleep before Sasuke.
Perhaps in this way, it will be his turn to enter the dream tonight.
The thought of possibly seeing his parents from his dreams again filled Naruto with both anticipation and nervousness, making his heart pound.
"Calm down, calm down... You need to fall asleep early..."
He forced himself to relax, closed his eyes, and tried to calm his erratic breathing and heartbeat.
As time went by, fatigue crept in.
Naruto vaguely felt his thoughts gradually drifting away, and drowsiness washed over him like a tide, allowing him to drift off to sleep.
Chapter 41 Sass: Damn, how can Naluto be so handsome?
In the pitch-black, silent, enormous theater, rows of seats stretched into the distance in the dim light.
Naruto suddenly opened his eyes and found himself sitting in the first row of the theater audience.
He looked around blankly, only to find the theater empty, with not a single person in sight, except for him sitting there all alone.
"This is...a theater?"
Naruto was stunned for a moment, then his whole dejected expression disappeared.
There was no familiar, warm bedroom, no sign of Mom and Dad, only a desolate, quiet, and empty seat.
He lowered his head, a deep sense of loss welling up inside him: "So... was last time really the last time...?"
[Ding! Naruto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
[Ding! Naruto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
[Ding! Naruto's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
In the darkness deep within the theater, a figure stood silently, watching the back of the blond boy in the front row.
"How could I let you enter my dream again so quickly? What a drag."
"Having multiple dream-fulfilling goals is great. If Naruto were to have only dreams, his emotional fluctuations would gradually decrease once he became familiar with the dream's context. However, now that Sasuke has joined the fray, both of them are feeling the pressure and competition, which has significantly increased their emotional intensity."
This is what is known as the "catfish effect".
I don’t know how long it took.
A ripple-like wave suddenly spread through the air.
Immediately afterwards, two blurry figures suddenly appeared in the front row of the audience.
Naruto heard a noise beside him and abruptly looked up: "Kakashi-sensei? Sakura?"
"Yo!" Kakashi greeted lazily.
Sakura snorted and muttered "scumbag" under her breath as a greeting.
"Damn it..." Naruto saw the two of them appear and realized that Sasuke was probably dreaming again today. He could only rage helplessly, puffing out his arms and shouting, "Why is it Sasuke again?!"
Seeing this, Kakashi suddenly said, "Naruto, don't be discouraged. Maybe you can see what's happening in the dream through Sasuke's perspective."
Naruto's body trembled as images of his parents flashed through his mind.
Yes, if Sasuke is still dreaming in that world, maybe his parents will appear again.
Thinking of this, his frustration eased slightly, and he couldn't help but turn his gaze to the huge black curtain in front of him.
Just then, the dark screen in front of the theater suddenly lit up with a hiss.
The image gradually appeared, reflecting Sasuke's figure.
In the scene, Sasuke is standing in his own living room.
Standing before him was a beautiful, gentle-looking woman with black hair; she was his mother, Uchiha Mikoto.
Mikoto, seeing her son dawdling, urged him with a wry smile, "Sasuke, why aren't you leaving yet? Aren't you supposed to be on a mission with Naruto and the others today?"
Sasuke lowered his head and muttered softly, "I...I want to stay home with you a little longer, Mom."
Mikoto was taken aback by his words, then chuckled and shook her head: "I really can't do anything with you... I saw you were in a bad mood yesterday, so I made sure you stayed home for the day and even sent someone to inform Kakashi-sensei and the others. I didn't expect you to still be thinking of staying home today!"
She half-jokingly, half-seriously put on a serious face: "You've already become a genin, what's the point of staying at home all day? Alright, hurry up and meet up with your companions, don't keep them waiting too long, understand?"
“But…I…” Sasuke was still somewhat reluctant, but when he met his mother’s slightly stern gaze, he could only nod reluctantly, “Alright, I understand.”
Seeing that her son had finally agreed, Mikoto finally smiled with relief: "That's more like it. Be careful on the road, and stay safe."
Sasuke looked at his mother's gentle smile and felt a warmth in his heart.
He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only whispered, "...I'm leaving."
Mikoto stood in front of the entrance hall, watching Sasuke push open the door and leave. Only when his slender figure disappeared at the alley entrance did she turn away and go back into the house.
Sasuke walked alone on the street after leaving his house, a gentle breeze brushing his face.
He recalled his mother's gentle yet stern expression as she gave him instructions, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
"The mother in my dream... she really looks exactly like the one in my memory."
At that moment, Sasuke suddenly realized a problem.
Where is the meeting point?
Where will Kakashi-sensei from my dreams gather?
Sasuke pondered for a moment: "Since our group didn't change in the dream, the meeting place must still be the same place."
Having made up his mind, he quickly walked along the familiar route from his memory toward the small bridge where Class Seven usually gathered.
Along the way, Sasuke saw all sorts of shops with Uchiha clan crests and flags hanging everywhere, and the streets were bustling with people.
Compared to the desolate and dilapidated Uchiha clan territory in reality, every scene here seems exceptionally precious at this moment.
Many of the shop owners were acquaintances of the Uchiha clan, and when they saw Sasuke pass by, they greeted him warmly: "Young Master Sasuke, are you going on another mission today? Good luck!"
Sasuke smiled and nodded in response, but his heart was filled with turmoil.
Those tribesmen who smiled and spoke to him are no longer alive in reality...
Clenching his fists, Sasuke suppressed the surging emotions in his heart and walked through the crowd to the meeting place he remembered.
Sure enough, Naruto and Sakura were already waiting there.
Sakura was chattering away around Naruto, while Naruto leaned lazily against a tree trunk by the bridge, his hands behind his head, a leisurely smile on his lips, looking exceptionally confident and composed.
Sasuke paused, his brow furrowing involuntarily.
There's something off about Naruto.
Whether it's his demeanor, mannerisms, or overall appearance, he's somewhat different from what I remember.
He looked closely and found that Naruto seemed to be half a head taller than before. This shouldn't be the case, because Naruto in real life is obviously shorter than him!
This Naruto is actually taller than me?
Just as he was wondering, the blond boy in front of him also noticed him.
Naruto was taken aback for a moment, then flashed a bright and gentle smile, walked over side by side with Sakura, and waved to Sasuke, saying, "Good morning, Sasuke-kun!"