What Is a Dream For?

"Uchiha Kai, Hyuga Rei, Morino Kei."

A cold voice rang out. Looking toward it, they saw a short-haired man in a high-collared robe standing at the door. His wide collar hid half his face, giving him a gloomy air.

"My name is Aburame Keiichi, and I'll be your instructor. From now on, I'll lead you as Team Seven." With his hands in his pockets, the man strode into the classroom, his voice perfectly calm and giving nothing away.

"Hello, Sensei," the three replied in unison.

A cold voice rang out. Looking toward it, they saw a short-haired man in a high-collared robe standing at the door. His wide collar hid half his face, giving him a gloomy air.

"My name is Aburame Keiichi, and I'll be your instructor. From now on, I'll lead you as Team Seven." With his hands in his pockets, the man strode into the classroom, his voice perfectly calm and giving nothing away.

"Hello, Sensei," the three replied in unison.

"Mm. Come with me." Aburame Keiichi nodded and led the three of them out.

At a training ground somewhere in Konoha.

Four people—one adult and three children—sat cross-legged on the steps, facing one another in silence.

"...What's the teacher doing? Is this some kind of special ritual?"

"No idea. Who knows?" "This is so boring. Are we really just going to sit here the whole time?" Uchiha Kai and the others exchanged looks, communicating silently with practiced ease.

They had already been at the training ground for fifteen minutes. All they'd done was sit there, and Aburame Keiichi hadn't said a word the entire time. No one knew what he was thinking about.

"Uh, what am I supposed to do at a time like this? Should I say something? This is such a hassle. I have no experience with this at all." Despite his stern expression, Aburame Keiichi was panicking inside.

It was his first time serving as an instructor, and he had no idea what he was supposed to do. But for the sake of establishing his authority as a teacher—and his pride—he had no choice but to scowl and act aloof.

"Damn it, looking after kids really isn't my strong suit... I have no idea what to do. I never should've listened to the Third Hokage and agreed to be an instructor."

Aburame Keiichi let out a silent cry in his heart, but his face remained blank.

"Um, Sensei Keiichi, shouldn't we be doing something now?"

At last, Uchiha Kai couldn't take the strange silence anymore. He raised his hand and asked quietly.

"Ah... yeah, right. Say something." Aburame Keiichi stammered.

"Then let's start by introducing ourselves."

"Things like what we like, what we dislike, and what our dreams are."

"I'll go first. Aburame Keiichi. I'm not sure what I like yet. I hate anything troublesome." The man paused, then spoke again.

"As for my dream, I don't have one for now."

"Huh? You didn't say anything at all. Do you really need to keep your personal life so secret, Sensei?" Morino Kei couldn't help poking fun at him.

"Enough. You're next, big guy." Aburame Keiichi glanced at Morino Kei, then spoke.

"Huh? Fine, I'll go."

"Morino Kei. I like all kinds of delicious food, and I like beautiful women with great figures even more..." As he spoke, the boy made a lecherous face and grabbed at the air with both hands.

The other three gave him disgusted looks.

"I hate self-important people. As for my dream..." Morino Kei's expression suddenly turned serious, and his eyes shone with longing.

"I want to become a Medical Ninja as skilled as Lady Tsunade. I'm not very fond of fighting and killing."

"That's a good dream," Aburame Keiichi said approvingly.

The other two weren't surprised at all. They'd known one another for years at the Ninja Academy, after all.

The girl spoke first. As she did, she stole a few glances at Uchiha Kai.

"Hyuga Rei. I like gentle people."

"I hate people who casually dismiss others. As for my dream..."

The girl subconsciously touched the Forehead Protector on her brow, then spoke in a relaxed tone.

"I guess I just want to live my life freely, without worries." She calmly voiced a wish that seemed insignificant to everyone else.

Only Uchiha Kai and Aburame Keiichi turned their gazes toward her, as if lost in thought.

"A child from the Hyuga Clan... What a cruel fate. Those ugly old fossils..." Aburame Keiichi cursed inwardly.

The next moment, all three turned their eyes to Uchiha Kai, waiting for the boy to speak.

"Uchiha Kai. I like strawberry-flavored sweets, and I like training and pushing myself to break through my limits."

"I hate stubborn people who think they're always right. As for my dream..." The boy paused, his voice turning serious.

"For now, I hope I can improve the relationship between the Uchiha Clan and the village, so everyone can understand one another."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present froze for a moment, as if they hadn't expected the boy to be so blunt.

"That's a good idea. I hope you can do it." Aburame Keiichi nodded in approval.

"Hey, Kai-kun, that doesn't sound like something an Uchiha would say at all..." The girl drew out her words, teasing him.

"Yeah, yeah." The boy replied helplessly.

The next moment, Aburame Keiichi clapped his hands and said, "All right, that's enough for our brief introduction. That's all for today." Aburame Keiichi stretched and stood up.

"Since it's graduation day, you've probably already made plans to celebrate. I won't waste any more of your precious time. You're dismissed."

"Meet here again tomorrow at eight in the morning. I'll give you your first lesson in becoming a ninja." Aburame Keiichi paused, then let the corner of his mouth curl up slightly.

"One more thing: don't eat breakfast tomorrow." He wagged a finger, then vanished in a flash.

The others were left behind, confused by what Aburame Keiichi meant. Only Uchiha Kai raised his brows, feeling a little excited.

"So? That's it?" Morino Kei asked, looking incredulous.

"Looks like it. Our team leader seems a bit unreliable..." The girl looked worried, as if she could already see the bleak future ahead.

"All in all, he seems like a taciturn airhead..." The boy considered it for a moment, then gave a fair assessment.

"Kai-kun is as blunt as ever," Hyuga Rei praised him without hesitation.

"Isn't that just being secretly perverted..." Morino Kei muttered from the side.

"How disgusting. Could you be a little more civilized, Kei?" The girl mercilessly mocked him.

"You're treating us differently, Rei!"

"I'm not."

"You're being so obvious, and you're still denying it!" The boy shouted in disbelief.

"Yes, I'm mocking you. So what?"

"You're not even pretending anymore!"

"All right, all right. Weren't we going to get barbecue? It's already this late. If we don't hurry, there might not be any seats left. It's graduation day, after all." Uchiha Kai quickly changed the subject.

"Right! I almost forgot the barbecue place is offering a thirty-one percent discount today! If we're late, all we'll get to chew on is the grill. What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Morino Kei's expression lit up as he yelled, then dashed off in a flash.

"Slow down! What's the rush?"

Outside Akimichi Barbecue Restaurant, the street was crowded with people. Conversations and vendors' calls filled the air, making the place feel lively. There was no hint that the village had only just weathered a major crisis.

"Three-Color Dumplings! Three-Color Dumplings on sale! Buy two, get one free! Perfect for sharing with your classmates!"

"Dorayaki, Dorayaki! The kind that makes you crave two after eating one..."

"Oden..." ...

"Boss, three skewers of dumplings!"

"Sure thing. You graduated, Kei. You'll still come by to eat, right?" Morino Kei replied as he took the Three-Color Dumplings the shopkeeper handed him.

"Of course! Becoming a ninja won't stop me from enjoying good food, boss!" As he spoke, the boy swallowed the whole skewer in one bite and chewed enthusiastically.

"You've eaten so much already. Will you still have room for barbecue later?" After watching Morino Kei clear out several shops along the way, the boy finally couldn't help asking.

"Relax, relax. I'm using my dessert stomach right now. When we get to the barbecue, I'll use a different one. No problem at all!" Morino Kei replied, patting his flat stomach.

"Ahaha? Are you a cow or something? You've got a special talent like that?" The girl covered her mouth and giggled, making Morino Kei scowl in protest.