[Dream Realizer: Uchiha Sasuke]

[Viewers: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Hatake Kakashi, Yamanaka Ino]

[Total Emotional Value Gained: 10,200 points!]

[Current Emotional Value Balance: 341,131 points!]

Current Dream Level: Level 4 (395,631 / 400,000)

"There isn't much room for maneuver inside the Forest of Death, so the harvest was a little smaller this time."

Aren, hidden in the darkness, let out a quiet sigh.

…

The next morning, Naruto woke up.

The dream from the night before still left him confused.

A member of the Uzumaki clan…

Could there really be clansmen alive in the real world?

The image of the red-haired girl from Kusagakure, the one he had met during the Chunin Exam in the dream, lingered vividly in his mind.

Naruto clenched his fists unconsciously, his heartbeat quickening as all traces of drowsiness vanished.

Thinking of her made him even more eager for the real Chunin Exam to begin.

"Oh no!"

Naruto suddenly sprang upright, remembering something crucial.

Last night, Kakashi-sensei had told them he had registered their team for the Chunin Exams and that they could collect the application forms today.

Without a second thought, Naruto jumped out of bed and hastily slipped into his trademark orange tracksuit.

Standing before an old, worn-out mirror, he caught sight of his unruly reflection. His blond hair stuck up in every direction. He reached up and scratched at it with a frown.

The memory of Sakura and Ino mocking his messy look resurfaced in his mind.

Blushing, Naruto rubbed the back of his head and muttered, "Is it really that bad…?"

He rummaged through the drawer and finally dug out a long-forgotten comb. For once, he carefully smoothed out his hair in front of the mirror.

A few minutes later, the boy staring back at him looked completely different.

His golden hair lay neatly in place, giving him a sharper, more energetic look.

Naruto broke into a wide grin, flashing his reflection a bright smile. "Great! Now I look way more handsome!"

He struck a victory pose at the mirror, then turned on his heel and dashed out the door.

The morning air in Konoha was crisp and refreshing.

Naruto drew in a deep breath, savoring the cool breeze. It filled his chest and swept away the last of his sleepiness.

Stretching with a satisfied groan, he broke into a run, heading straight toward Sasuke's house.

Before long, Naruto had dragged Sasuke out, and the two walked together, chatting idly as they went.

Without realizing it, their steps carried them all the way to a small bridge on the outskirts of the village.

A small wooden bridge stretched across the gurgling stream, the morning sunlight filtering through the trees and casting dappled patches of light across its surface.

This was the usual meeting spot for Team 7 and Sakura was already waiting there.

"Morning, Sakura!"

From a distance, Naruto waved energetically, his voice carrying over the water.

Sakura turned at the sound and saw the two boys arriving together. She couldn't help but smile faintly. "Good morning. It's rare for both of you to show up early at the same time."

Naruto hurried forward, scratching the back of his head with a grin. "Hehe, on a day like today, how could I possibly be late?"

As he spoke, he sneaked a quick glance at Sakura's expression.

But Sakura's focus wasn't on him.

She nodded lightly in response and then turned her gaze toward Sasuke with concern in her eyes. "Sasuke-kun, how are you feeling? Did you rest enough last night?"

"I'm fine."

Sasuke shook his head. His eyes were distant, heavy with thought, as if no one could guess what was on his mind.

The images from the dream still lingered, leaving his heart unsettled.

Just then, a burst of white smoke puffed up beside them, and Kakashi appeared, cutting into their greetings.

"You all look lively this morning," he said with a smile.

He reached into his vest, pulling out three forms and holding them up. "Here these are your Chunin Exam application forms."

Sasuke and Sakura each accepted their forms calmly, but Naruto snatched his up eagerly, shouting, "Yes! The Chunin Exam is finally here!"

Kakashi nodded. "If you choose to participate, be at Room 301 in the Ninja Academy before 4 p.m. tomorrow. I have other tasks to attend to, so I'll leave you to it."

And just like that, his figure flickered and vanished, leaving only a wisp of smoke drifting in the air.

"Before 4 p.m. tomorrow, Classroom 301…"

Naruto muttered the details aloud, staring at the crisp application form in his hands. He turned it over and over, eyes sparkling with excitement, as if he couldn't bear to put it down.

Sasuke carefully folded his own form and tucked it into his pocket.

Though his expression remained cool and composed, the faint upward curl of his lips betrayed his inner anticipation. "The Chunin Exam… this will be the perfect chance to test the results of my training."

Sakura, however, stood quietly to the side. She clutched her form in both hands, hesitation clouding her face.

She bit her lip and whispered softly, "I… I'm not sure if I should…"

Sasuke immediately sensed her unease. He turned to her and asked bluntly, "You don't want to take part?"

Sakura shifted uncomfortably, hesitating before giving a small nod. "Well… I…"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, thinking back to the dream from last night. His voice was calm, analytical. "The Chunin Exams should be team-based. Didn't you notice? Every squad I saw in yesterday's dream was acting in groups of three. If you don't sign up, Naruto and I might not even be allowed to participate."

"What?!"

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "How could it be like that?!"

Naruto, who had been too caught up in his excitement to notice, finally picked up on the tension between them. He hurried over, concern etched on his face. "What's wrong, Sakura?"

But when Sakura saw Naruto's eager, hopeful expression, the words caught in her throat. She couldn't bring herself to say them.

She didn't want to be a burden but did she really have the strength to take part in the Chunin Exams?

It was said that every Chunin Exam brought casualties.

"It's okay."

Sakura suddenly felt a warm hand rest on her shoulder.

She looked up to see Sasuke's steady gaze fixed on her, filled with determination.

"I want you to participate," he said firmly. "Don't worry about your safety. I'll protect you. And you're not weak in fact, in some ways, you're even better than Naruto and me. We'll need you when the time comes."

"S-Sasuke "

Meeting his serious eyes, Sakura's heart skipped a beat. Her cheeks flushed hot, and she felt her breath quicken.

She drew in a few shaky breaths before finally nodding vigorously. "Okay… I understand! I'll do it I'll participate!"

Naruto: "!!!"

What did Sasuke just pull on Sakura behind his back?!

Snapping out of his daze, Naruto immediately thumped his chest with his fist and shouted, "Hey! I'm still here! Don't worry, Sakura, I'll protect you too!"

Sakura blinked at him in surprise then burst into laughter.

Her nervousness vanished instantly. Waving her hands, half shy and half flustered, she said, "Okay, okay! I'll go tomorrow. See you then!"

With her cheeks burning red, Sakura turned and bolted away.

Naruto stared after her, scratching his head in confusion. "Huh? What was that about?"

Sasuke's lips curved into the faintest smile. He turned to Naruto. "Come on. Since we've decided to enter, we'd better prepare properly."

"Oh right!" Naruto quickly nodded, finally catching up.

The two boys then headed back toward their homes.

…

That night, moonlight bathed the quiet streets of Konoha.

Once again, Team 7 gathered in the mysterious Dream Theater.

But this time, the scene projected on the screen was unusually uneventful.

Inside the picture, Team 7 and Karin were shown resting safely in the central tower of the Forest of Death. They had clearly made it through the ordeal without trouble.

With nothing left to "maneuver," Aren decided to take the night off.

[Dream Realizer: Uchiha Sasuke]

[Viewers: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Hatake Kakashi, Yamanaka Ino]

[Total Emotional Value Gained: 4,100 points!]

[Current Emotional Value Balance: 345,231 points!]

[Current Dream Level: Level 4 (399,731 / 400,000)]

Less than three hundred points remained until the next upgrade yet the bar stubbornly refused to rise.

Aren sighed helplessly in the darkness. "Too few targets achieving dreams. With them safe in the tower, there's no room for maneuver. I need to increase the number of targets, and fast."

…

The next morning, the gates of the Ninja Academy bustled with life.

Groups of young shinobi from villages far and wide gathered in clusters of three or five, their eyes bright with ambition, each eager to prove themselves.

Today marked the start of the Chunin Exam preliminaries.

On time, the three members of Team 7 arrived at the academy.

The three of them climbed the stairs. When they reached their destination, they saw a crowd of candidates their age gathered at the end of the corridor, blocking the doorway of a classroom. The group was noisy, voices overlapping in a heated argument.

Looking closer, the sign on the classroom door clearly read "301."

Two tall young men stood directly in front of the door, arms crossed, their expressions calm and dismissive.

From time to time, candidates would step forward to enter the room, only to be rudely blocked by the two men.

One short genin from the Sand Village refused to back down and tried to push his way through.

Thud!

There was a heavy sound, followed by a sharp cry of pain.

The boy was struck in the stomach by a merciless punch and collapsed to the floor, curling up like a shrimp, clutching his abdomen in agony.

The crowd of onlookers erupted in laughter, though none dared to challenge the two guards themselves.

"Damn it, let us through!"

Another boy, this one with a Kusagakure forehead protector, shouted angrily. "This isn't fair!"

But the two young men ignored him entirely. They sneered and curled their lips in disdain.

"If you can't even get past us," one of them drawled, "you can forget about ever becoming Chunin."

Sakura scanned the crowd carefully, her sharp eyes quickly catching something off.

She furrowed her brows and leaned closer to her teammates. "This isn't the third floor… we're still on the second. That 'Room 301' is fake. This has to be a genjutsu trap set by the examiners."

"I get it now!"

Naruto's eyes lit up as realization hit. He punched Sakura's shoulder excitedly and shouted, "That's amazing, Sakura! As expected of you!"

....

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