Dreams

"Full marks? That's amazing," Sakura murmured, stunned for a moment. "Naruto seems a bit different than before."

Ino was completely dumbfounded. What in the world is going on today? How did that dead last get so strong? she thought.

"Tch, that guy," Kiba Inuzuka said, turning and walking away with his little white dog on his head.

As one of the skip-class trio, he was grateful that Naruto's bottom-ranking score kept his own theoretical grades from being too terrible.

Sasuke looked for a long time before turning and leaving as well, his eyes reflecting the lush trees at the end of the hallway with their usual indifference.

"Sasuke-kun, can we have dinner together after graduation?" A girl, nervously clutching her forehead protector, emerged from a corner of the hallway. She had clearly just passed the exam.

"I have something else. Find someone else," Sasuke Uchiha was a proud person. He wouldn't allow himself to stagnate and intended to go back and train even harder.

The hatred from the clan massacre drove him to live; he had no interest in anything else. Without any hesitation, he refused directly.

Sakura watched from the crowd as the unfamiliar girl at the end of the hallway was rejected by Sasuke. Her heart was filled with a mix of emotions. Suddenly, a hand landed on her shoulder, startling her.

"Ino, what are you doing?"

"Heh heh, stop looking. Sasuke-kun won't go on a date with you alone," Ino said triumphantly, looking at Sakura.

For some reason, Naruto's annoying face flashed through her mind, his obnoxious voice echoing in her ears.

"Sasuke doesn't like women! Women! People!"

"Ahhh!!!! Damn it!" Ino inexplicably clutched her head and squatted on the ground, a mask of pain on her face.

The graduation exam was successfully passed, and Naruto's life returned to its normal rhythm. During the three-day holiday, Naruto ended up lazing around at home for two days.

Naturally, he didn't run into Konohamaru.

On the last day of the holiday, as Naruto was drowsily sleeping, sunlight streamed through the windowpane, warming him.

Suddenly, a blinding light made Naruto frown, and he opened his eyes directly.

An Anbu member wearing an animal mask crouched on a tree branch outside the window. Cold eyes peered through the two holes, and the voice was devoid of emotion.

"Hokage-sama requests your presence."

After speaking, without giving Naruto a chance to react, the Anbu ninja instantly vanished from the spot.

Naruto stared at the ceiling for several minutes before confirming that someone had indeed come. But... where did they go?

"Go..."

"The sun is so warm, it feels so comfortable, like soaking in hot spring water."

"Hot springs..."

Even breaths could be heard, and Naruto fell asleep again.

When he woke up, it was already dark.

The room was unlit, and a dark figure sat at the desk, flipping through Naruto's training plan. The rustling of pages in the dim light was soft. After a while, it suddenly stopped.

"Awake? Naruto." An old and familiar voice sounded, carrying a hint of warmth and kindness.

The moment the light turned on, it illuminated the entire room.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat at the desk with a smile, turning to look at Naruto and smiling. Naruto's brand-new forehead protector, diary, and recipe book were on the table.

"Hokage-sama," Naruto mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

"Didn't you used to call me Grandpa Hokage?" the Third Hokage asked, surprised, then laughed heartily. "What's wrong? Are you feeling distant now that you're a ninja?"

"Heh heh," Naruto said, scratching his head sheepishly. "I'm a qualified ninja now, so calling you that isn't appropriate anymore."

Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and let it go, then asked.

"Did you forget something today?"

"Forget something?" Naruto's gaze was filled with confusion. He thought for a long time before remembering that an Anbu ninja had come and told him to find the Third Hokage.

"Ah! I forgot!"

"You little rascal!" the Third Hokage glanced at him helplessly. "But it's normal for you to rest."

"Did Hokage-sama want to see me about something?" Naruto asked.

"This, it's not really anything important," Hiruzen Sarutobi said. "I wanted to ask about Naruto's future dreams."

"My dream is to lie flat," Naruto said without hesitation.

"Lie flat?" the Third Hokage was confused.

"It means to live a stable and easy life," Naruto explained.

"Are all the young people like this now? I guess I can't keep up with the times," the Third Hokage said self-deprecatingly.

"But didn't Naruto's dream used to be to become Hokage?"

"What would life be like after becoming Hokage? Would it be happy?" Naruto asked.

"Well..." Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed. "It's usually quite busy, and sometimes Konohamaru complains that I can't spend time with him."

"But to protect the village and its people, this responsibility drives me forward, even to the point of risking my life for the village at any time. I think I'm probably happy."

"See, this is the life of a Hokage, it's really tough," Naruto said, sitting cross-legged on the bed. "But I don't want to live such a tiring life. I never want to be looked at with strange eyes again."

"Someone like me, who even has to consider if the shopkeeper will sell me fresh vegetables, won't change much even if I become Hokage."

"If Naruto becomes Hokage, he will surely be loved by the people of the village in the future," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, trying to persuade him.

"But Lord Hokage, I'm doing pretty well right now," Naruto said, holding his head. "If I don't make mistakes and slowly become an ordinary person, everyone will forget their hatred for me."

"I don't know why so many people are hostile towards me, but I want to become a ninja. Perhaps then I won't be looked at like this anymore."

The Third Hokage wanted to say more, but the words got stuck in his throat, and he felt too ashamed to speak them aloud. He understood that it was his negligence that had turned a child into what he was today.

It takes more than a day for the ice to be three feet thick. Naruto was naturally optimistic, and his current state was clearly the result of years of being ostracized.

To change Naruto's attitude, it would likely require slow guidance in the future.

"Naruto, if enemies invade the village and harm the people you care about, what will you do then?" the Third Hokage asked.

Naruto thought about it, pondered for a moment, and then looked at the Third Hokage and said earnestly.

"I don't know."

The Third Hokage left without wasting any more words.

Naruto sat down at the desk the Third Hokage had occupied, stroking his forehead protector, his gaze gradually becoming indifferent. Although this system appeared to be a Slacker System, it was actually competitive.

Naruto could slack off, but his strength would continuously grow. If there were easier ways to become stronger, why wouldn't he slack off?

Slack off himself, and make others compete.

In this terrifying world where strength is everything, without strength, one can only be at the mercy of others.

Tomorrow is the day for team assignments. Kakashi, we'll be meeting soon.