Second Pillar: It Really Is Great

"Mom... Mom?!"

Sasuke murmured in a low voice, his black pupils suddenly widening.

That was not an image on the screen—it was his mother, standing right before him in the flesh!

"Mom!!"

The next moment, Sasuke could no longer hold back. Tears burst from his eyes.

He spun around and rushed over, throwing himself into Mikoto's embrace. His arms wrapped tightly around his mother, unwilling to ever let go again.

Her familiar fragrance filled his nose, and her warm embrace felt utterly real.

The long-missed scent and warmth made Sasuke's nose sting, and his tears flowed even more fiercely.

Damn it!

Why... why could this dream feel so real?

Is this really a dream?!

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Sasuke Uchiha detected! Emotion points +400!]

Mikoto froze for a moment. Surprised, she lowered her head to look at her son sobbing helplessly in her arms, then hurriedly wiped the tears from his face with gentle hands. "What's wrong, Sasuke?"

Itachi was also startled by Sasuke's sudden behavior.

He scratched his head and looked awkwardly at his mother. "Maybe... it's because of me."

Itachi thought his brother's unusual behavior was because he had always been busy with work and had repeatedly stood Sasuke up, leaving his little brother full of resentment.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," he said quietly, guilt in his voice. "There's been too much going on with the police force lately, so I haven't had time to train with you..."

But before Itachi could finish, Sasuke suddenly released his mother. He turned and firmly shielded her behind him, glaring at Itachi with a face full of vigilance as he shouted, "Mom, watch out for him! This guy... one day, he'll get everyone killed!"

"W-What?"

Mikoto was stunned by Sasuke's sudden words.

Itachi was equally dumbfounded, then showed a helpless, speechless expression. "..."

He was completely baffled.

He had only stood Sasuke up a few times. How had he become some villain who would get everyone killed in Sasuke's eyes?

Mikoto looked at one son in confusion, then turned to Itachi. She had no idea what had caused Sasuke's strange behavior.

In the audience.

Seeing such a vulnerable side of Sasuke, everyone wore different expressions.

Naruto's eyes widened, and his mouth remained open for a long while.

Sasuke, who was usually so cool, arrogant, and indifferent to everyone around him, actually had a side like this?

After his initial shock, Naruto felt a hint of heartache.

After all, having gone through the dream himself, he could understand Sasuke's feelings of regaining what he had lost, only to fear losing it again.

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Naruto Uzumaki detected! Emotion points +200!]

Tears shimmered in Sakura's beautiful eyes, her heart filled with pity.

Seeing Sasuke so vulnerable and helpless for the first time, she could not help turning to Kakashi and asking softly, "Kakashi-sensei, do you know what's going on? Why is Sasuke... like this?"

Kakashi's expression darkened at her words. A trace of regret flashed through his eyes, but he did not answer.

As the Third Hokage's most trusted subordinate and a former ANBU captain, Kakashi naturally knew about the tragedy that had befallen the Uchiha clan.

However, the destruction of the Uchiha clan involved far too much. Sakura and the others were still young, and it was clearly not appropriate to reveal the truth to them now.

Seeing Kakashi shake his head with a grave expression, Sakura could only bite her lip and stop asking. Instead, she continued to look worriedly at Sasuke in the scene.

At the same time, Kakashi was quietly filled with uncertainty.

The dream Sasuke was in seemed exactly the same as the world Naruto had experienced before.

If that was the case, then he could already conclude that someone else was indeed behind this series of bizarre events. It was not something Naruto himself could control.

Who could it be?

Who could simulate an almost real dream world this way, drawing Naruto and Sasuke into it one after the other... and what exactly was their purpose?

Kakashi pondered in silence, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

In the darkness.

Shigure looked toward Kakashi in the audience, whose brows were tightly furrowed, and a knowing smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

As expected of the famed elite jonin...

Shigure gave a soft snort and quickly returned his attention to the screen.

Watching the emotion points constantly soar, he was so delighted that he could barely close his mouth.

As expected of Second Pillar.

In just one encounter, he had contributed over ten thousand emotion points.

Shigure could not help chuckling, wild with delight.

He had always said that Second Pillar, burdened by deep suffering and hatred, was the perfect cash crop. Sure enough, he had been right.

In fact, when he had first activated the system, he had considered making Sasuke his first test subject.

Compared to Naruto, who was carefree and cheerful all day, the hatred and obsession in Sasuke's heart were obviously much more likely to trigger huge emotional fluctuations.

If he set up a special endless loop of the Night of the Clan Massacre for Sasuke, letting him repeatedly experience the agony of losing his loved ones like in Triangle, he could probably harvest a considerable amount of emotion points every day.

But then again, Shigure shrugged.

After all, he was a dream maker, not some evil ghost who created nightmares.

In the scene.

Mikoto gently patted Sasuke's back and comforted him for quite a while before finally calming his agitated emotions somewhat.

"Alright, alright, don't cry anymore." She gently wiped away Sasuke's tears and said softly, "Come on, let's go home and eat."

Seeing that his brother had calmed down, Itachi stepped forward to lend a hand. "Sasuke, let's head back first—"

But the moment Sasuke saw Itachi approach, he immediately flung away his hand. Turning his head, he glared fiercely at him. "Don't touch me! Hmph, I'll be watching you! This time, don't even think about doing anything to Mom!"

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Sasuke Uchiha detected! Emotion points +400!]

Seeing his younger brother puffed up in anger, Itachi smiled helplessly and thought that Sasuke really did have quite a temper...

It seemed he could not casually stand him up anymore.

Soon, Mikoto took Sasuke's hand, and mother and son headed home together.

Sunlight filtered through the lush canopies lining both sides of the road, casting dappled shadows. On the small paths of the clan grounds, groups of Uchiha clan members could be seen from time to time.

Along the way, every clan member they encountered warmly greeted Mikoto and Sasuke, asking after Sasuke's well-being.

Watching these ordinary yet warm scenes, Sasuke felt his nose sting again.

The peaceful life created by this dream felt so real that he was nearly unable to distinguish truth from illusion...

After returning home, the moment he stepped into the living room, Sasuke saw that his father, Fugaku Uchiha, had already been waiting at the dining table for quite some time.

Fugaku wore loose casual clothes and sat with his arms crossed. When he saw his wife and sons return, he merely gave a low "Mm" in greeting.

But when his gaze fell upon Sasuke's face, his brows immediately furrowed.

Sasuke was gripping the doorframe, his eyes red and swollen. He had clearly been crying not long ago.

"What a disgrace!"

Fugaku's face darkened. "Crying before you've even eaten, Sasuke? You're already twelve years old, yet you're still shedding tears like a child. What kind of behavior is that?"

"How embarrassing! You're nothing like my son, Fugaku Uchiha!"

Fugaku reprimanded him sternly, his voice imposing even without anger.

Though his words were harsh, Sasuke felt a long-lost warmth seep into his heart.

That stern tone, that familiar manner of speaking—this truly was his father!

Not only did Sasuke show no fear or grievance, he actually smiled through his tears and nodded solemnly. "Yes, Father. I was wrong."

[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Sasuke Uchiha detected! Emotion points +400!]

Fugaku raised his brow in surprise.

This youngest son of his was usually terrified of him. Whenever he put on even the slightest stern expression, the brat would immediately become quiet as a mouse.

Yet today, Sasuke had actually smiled and admitted his mistake?

Fugaku gave Sasuke a suspicious look, let out a low snort, and said nothing more.

Seeing her husband scold their son with a stern face the moment he came home, Mikoto could not help lightly smacking him in reproach. "Honestly, the child just finished training. Don't be so harsh."

Then she lovingly put an arm around Sasuke. "Come on, go wash your face and get ready to eat. Ignore your father. He has a sharp tongue but a soft heart."

Sasuke shook his head and sniffed. "It's okay, Mom. I'm fine."

A long-lost smile bloomed on his face again, and he looked full of spirit.