Is This Naruto Actually Strong?

In the audience stands.

The real Naruto Uzumaki was practically falling apart.

He sat on pins and needles, constantly squirming in his seat as he stared at the screen with a miserable expression.

Every movement made by the "Naruto" on-screen left him feeling as uncomfortable and awkward as if he had swallowed a bug.

[ Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Naruto Uzumaki detected! Emotion Points +200! ]

Sakura Haruno was equally speechless, her thoughts churning wildly.

She secretly glanced at Naruto beside her and saw him staring straight at the screen with a complicated expression.

Sakura silently sighed, then turned her gaze back to the bright, sunny Naruto on-screen, who was engrossed in his book.

Could Sasuke like boys like that?

Sakura could not stop her thoughts from running wild.

Sasuke normally paid no attention to any girls, and she herself had often been coldly scolded by him because of Naruto.

Now that the Naruto in the dream had become capable and considerate, even she, who had long had a crush on Sasuke, found herself developing a favorable impression of him.

If Sasuke's dream really reflected his subconscious, then didn't that mean...

Did she truly not have even the slightest chance?

Thinking of this, Sakura felt strangely unsettled. She could not tell whether she was disappointed by Sasuke's preferences or shocked by the bizarre situation before her.

[ Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Sakura Haruno detected! Emotion Points +200! ]

Kakashi narrowed his one visible eye slightly as he stared at the book Naruto had just raised on-screen. Suddenly, he understood something.

Tales of a Gutsy Ninja...

Wasn't that Lord Jiraiya's debut novel?

Of course Kakashi knew of that book.

When he had still been a boy, his teacher, Minato Namikaze, had read it and greatly admired the protagonist's unwavering spirit. He had even named his unborn son "Naruto" because of it.

And now, the Naruto in the dream was reading that book, recommended to him by his father...

Kakashi became increasingly certain that this dream world was not merely a simple reflection of reality. It felt as though it had once truly existed.

So real that even details concerning the Fourth Hokage and Lord Jiraiya had been woven into it.

Looking at the blond boy on-screen, whose features were relaxed and whose bearing was confident yet gentle, Kakashi could not help but sigh.

If Naruto had truly grown up by Minato-sensei's side, he would probably have turned out this exceptional...

Inside the dream.

On the other side, Sasuke's gaze remained fixed on Naruto.

Watching Naruto calmly put away his book, a detail he had overlooked suddenly flashed through his mind.

Naruto was said to have graduated from the Ninja Academy at the top of the entire class. He had even surpassed me and pushed me into second place.

At that thought, Sasuke's eyes lit up slightly.

Graduation results from the Ninja Academy did not consist of written exams alone. Taijutsu and practical ninjutsu also accounted for a considerable portion.

Did that mean this Naruto was actually strong?

No. Sasuke's thoughts shifted, and a faintly amused smile curled across his lips. I nearly forgot. On Naruto's first day entering the dream, he defeated the dream version of me.

That dream Sasuke had even willingly admitted that Naruto was the strongest in Team 7.

That idiot Naruto actually dreamed of something like that!

Although it was only a dream, seeing all the unusual traits displayed by Dream Naruto with his own eyes made Sasuke unable to suppress the fighting spirit rising within him.

Perhaps he could use this chance to properly test how strong this Dream Naruto truly was.

With that thought, Sasuke unconsciously clenched his fists, battle intent surging in his chest.

He hesitated no longer and strode toward Naruto.

Seeing Sasuke approach, Naruto smiled and was about to speak when Sasuke suddenly crossed his arms, wore a confident smile, and said, "Naruto, let's have a match!"

Excited light flickered in Sasuke's obsidian eyes, and his entire body radiated fighting spirit.

"Huh?" Naruto was clearly surprised, but he soon showed a look of understanding and nodded with a smile. "Sure. If Sasuke-kun wants to spar, I'll oblige."

Sakura, standing nearby, blinked. She did not seem worried by their sudden challenge at all; instead, an eager expression appeared on her pretty face.

"Wow, Sasuke and Naruto are sparring again?" she said excitedly, stepping aside to clear the space.

Clearly, in this dream world, Naruto and Sasuke sparred frequently and had long since grown used to it.

Naruto smiled and nodded at Sakura, then took his place opposite Sasuke.

The two exchanged a look, and each saw intense battle intent in the other's eyes.

The corners of Sasuke's lips lifted slightly as he slowly assumed a fighting stance.

Naruto, meanwhile, remained calm. His stance was relaxed and composed, as though victory was already in his grasp.

They each extended their right hand and solemnly formed the Sign of Confrontation, announcing the official start of their duel.

In the audience stands.

"W-What?! This guy!"

Seeing Sasuke suddenly challenge the dream version of himself, the real Naruto jumped to his feet and shouted, "How sneaky! That bastard Sasuke is obviously looking for a chance to get revenge!"

Naruto clenched his fists and complained indignantly.

He had watched the dream Sasuke suffer a crushing defeat at his hands, and Sasuke's frustrated expression then had delighted him to no end.

But he had not expected Sasuke to deliberately challenge Dream Naruto in his dream today, hoping to win one back.

That was just too underhanded!

[ Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Naruto Uzumaki detected! Emotion Points +200! ]

Sakura tilted her head as she watched the two confront each other on-screen. For some reason, a strange thrill welled up in her heart.

She secretly glanced at Naruto beside her and saw that he was staring intently at the scene, looking both nervous and excited.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Naruto on-screen stood facing each other, their gazes blazing. Even the air around them seemed to grow scorching from their fighting spirit.

Sakura's heartbeat suddenly quickened, her cheeks flushing faintly as a strange thought crossed her mind.

Uh, why does this suddenly feel...

She hurriedly shook her head and drove the ridiculous thought from her mind, though she still could not hide the anticipation on her face.

[ Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Sakura Haruno detected! Emotion Points +100! ]

Kakashi rested his chin on one hand and watched the standoff on-screen with great interest, a trace of curiosity in his eyes.

Just how strong was Dream Naruto?

With Minato-sensei's guidance, he was probably no ordinary shinobi.

On-screen.

In a forest clearing, Naruto and Sasuke stood facing each other as a tense, drawn-bow atmosphere spread between them.

A breeze swept past, stirring a few fallen leaves from the ground and sending them spinning between the two.

Sasuke made the first move. He suddenly leaped backward, widening the distance between himself and Naruto.

Naruto did not rush to attack. Instead, he remained standing where he was, calm and composed as he quietly watched Sasuke's movements.

Seeing Naruto refrain from attacking first, Sasuke's expression tightened instead.

The Naruto from reality was reckless and combative. He would have probably shouted and charged straight in long ago.

But the Naruto before him now was steady and unhurried, completely at ease.

That attitude irritated Sasuke somewhat.

Hmph. Is he looking down on me?

Or does he think that by not attacking first, he can disrupt my rhythm?

Sasuke snorted coldly and decided to test the waters first.

He swiftly pulled two shuriken from his ninja pouch, flicked his wrist, and sent two cold flashes whistling straight at Naruto's face!

The two shuriken flew in at tricky angles, yet Naruto remained completely unflustered.

Just as the shuriken arrived, he shifted slightly to the side, narrowly avoiding the two spinning weapons by mere inches.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

Naruto's evasive movement had been clean and sharp, far faster than expected.

His heart trembled slightly.

That fast?

Is this really that dead-last Naruto?

[ Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Sasuke Uchiha detected! Emotion Points +200! ]

Sasuke's gaze darkened.

Two shuriken alone naturally could not accomplish much, but Naruto's composure made him raise his guard.

Then what about this?

He reached into his ninja pouch with both hands and instantly grabbed a large handful of shuriken.

With a low shout from Sasuke, seven or eight shuriken left his hands almost at once, their cold glints screaming through the air!

The shuriken collided with one another at clever angles in midair, changing their trajectories as they attacked Naruto from every direction.

This was the Uchiha clan's unique shuriken throwing technique.

All the shuriken arrived almost simultaneously, making them impossible to guard against!

Facing Sasuke's fierce assault, Naruto remained as calm as ever. Clearly, this was not the first time he had seen such a move.

He shifted his footing and rapidly formed hand seals, shouting in a low voice, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"

At the same time, he flicked out a shuriken of his own!

In an instant, Naruto's single thrown shuriken exploded in midair with a bang, transforming into countless duplicates. A dense swarm of shuriken immediately filled the sky.

After several crisp clangs, every shuriken Sasuke had thrown was knocked to the ground.

The remaining shuriken, however, did not lose momentum. They continued screaming through the air as they bore down on Sasuke himself!

"What?!"

Sasuke's expression changed drastically. He had never expected Naruto to counterattack. He had assumed Naruto would be left scrambling to dodge under his assault.

Yet Naruto had not evaded at all. Instead, he had used ninjutsu to completely counter his attack.

In that instant, Sasuke felt cold flashes closing in around him.

He had no time to think. He quickly drew a kunai and swung it to block, metal clashing in a rapid series as sparks scattered everywhere.

Sasuke barely managed to deflect every incoming shuriken, but his hurried defense left him looking somewhat disheveled, and a trace of cold sweat appeared at his temple.

[ Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Sasuke Uchiha detected! Emotion Points +400! ]

After landing, Sasuke staggered back several steps and stared at Naruto in shock, his chest rising and falling slightly.

He had never imagined that Naruto would use such a difficult technique as the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique to counter him.

Even a chunin needed a certain level of skill to use this technique proficiently. The Naruto from reality could never possibly use such a technically complex ninjutsu.

Yet the Naruto before him had not only used it, but had done so at precisely the right moment, easily neutralizing Sasuke's attack.

Sasuke's heart was still reeling.

If he had not reacted quickly just now, he would probably have been shot full of holes!

He gritted his teeth, forcefully suppressing the shock and faint embarrassment in his heart.

Damn it. I nearly suffered a huge loss because I let my guard down for a moment!

Sasuke silently cursed himself, a vein twitching at his temple.

He stared fixedly at Naruto, and for the first time, the thought of taking this battle seriously rose in his heart.

[ Ding! Emotional fluctuation from Sasuke Uchiha detected! Emotion Points +300! ]