Sasuke and Naruto sat on a bench in the Ninja Academy playground.
Sasuke handed him a can of iced Americano.
Naruto took a sip, and his face immediately twisted as he stuck out his tongue at the bitterness.
He wanted to spit it out, but caught a glimpse of Sasuke's unbothered expression from the corner of his eye. He could only feign composure and swallow the coffee.
"You said your dream is to become Hokage?" Sasuke asked.
At the question, Naruto perked right up.
"That's right! I'm definitely going to become a Hokage everyone acknowledges!"
Sasuke gave a slight nod.
Seeing how intently he was listening, Naruto found himself feeling a little uncomfortable.
When other people heard his dream, kids his age usually laughed or sneered, while adults generally ignored him or brushed him off.
But Naruto could tell that Sasuke was genuinely thinking it over—and that he approved of his dream.
"What's wrong?"
Sasuke noticed Naruto's expression.
Naruto narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, mulling it over for a moment before answering honestly. "I thought you'd make fun of me."
"Why would I make fun of you?"
Naruto lowered his head. "Whenever I used to talk about this dream, people would laugh at me for overestimating myself. They thought I was just fantasizing."
A thin mist drifted by, faintly obscuring their view.
"I asked Ao about this once."
Sasuke said, "Is it wishful thinking to talk about a dream that seems too far out of reach? Should I get ready before I act? Or should I just set off recklessly and begin the journey?"
Naruto thought it over. "I guess you should make sure you're fully prepared first, then act."
"That's what most people do."
Sasuke said, "They insist on making enough money before confessing their feelings, or