Deep within the shadowed corners of the auditorium
Aren sat in silence, hidden beneath the layers of darkness. His eyes glinted faintly as he watched the noisy Naruto rant and squirm in his seat.
A chuckle slipped from his lips.
So easy to provoke.
"Of course," Aren murmured softly to himself, "it's all to squeeze out a little more emotional value."
But even he had to admit...
The emotional output from Naruto had started to dip over the past couple of days.
It was ti for a new source.
His eyes sharpened as they shifted to the screen, and the corner of his mouth curled into a wicked grin. "Guess it's Sasuke's turn."
Aren licked his lips in anticipation, as if preparing to taste sothing rare and exciting.
The next act... was just beginning.
Inside the dream.
Sasuke's eyes shot open.
The scenery around him shifted in an instant. Gone was the endless black of sleep now, golden sunlight stread through the familiar shoji doors, painting soft lines across the tatami mat floor.
He sat up quickly and scanned the room.
Wooden beams, simple drawers, the faint scent of incense this was unmistakably his bedroom.
His old room.
The Uchiha compound.
"I'm still the drear today!" he exclaid under his breath, clenching his fists tightly.
A burst of excitent surged across his usually composed face.
[Ding! Uchiha Sasuke's emotional fluctuations are captured! Emotional value 200!]
But as soon as the joy reached his eyes, Sasuke's expression shifted.
Wait.
Naruto... Sakura... even Kakashi-sensei... They're probably watching this right now.
Realizing this, he stiffened and quickly forced himself to calm down.
He cleared his throat, then casually adjusted his posture, trying to put on his usual cool, aloof front.
...As if he hadn't just been grinning like an excited kid on Christmas morning.
But the effort was pointless.
Back in the dream theater, Naruto had seen everything.
That gleam in Sasuke's eye.
That celebratory fist pump.
That tiny, telltale smile that betrayed his excitent.
"Damn you, Sasuke!!" Naruto nearly leapt out of his chair, clenching his fists so tightly they trembled. "You said you didn't want to dream again! You liar!! You two-faced jerk!! I'm totally calling you out tomorrow!"
[Ding! Uzumaki Naruto's emotional fluctuations are captured! Emotional value 200!]
He groaned and fell back in his seat, arms crossed like a sulking child who had just been robbed of a toy.
"Unbelievable! He acted so cool... but he was dying to co back just like !"
Sakura couldn't help but smile, her eyes full of amusent as she glanced at Naruto's flustered expression.
Kakashi also shook his head, flipping a page of his book leisurely.
It was always the sa with these two endlessly competitive, yet secretly the sa deep down.
"When will those two ever calm down…" Sakura sighed in the dim dream theater, watching Naruto fu beside her.
Inside the dream.
Sasuke had no idea his earlier expression had already been caught by everyone outside.
After calming himself down, he gently pushed open the paper door of his bedroom and stepped out into the corridor.
The hallway was quiet and bathed in warm morning light. The scent of damp earth and dew lingered in the air, and the distant calls of birds made the Uchiha compound feel peaceful and calm just like how he rembered it from his childhood.
Sasuke walked quickly toward the living room, expecting to see his mother waiting there like she always did.
But when he stepped inside
He froze.
There were two n in the room.
One of them made his blood boil just by existing.
Sitting quietly at the low table was none other than Uchiha Itachi.
Across from him sat a younger man, one Sasuke didn't imdiately recognize but there was sothing strangely familiar about him.
Sasuke's eyes first locked onto Itachi.
Sharp features. Calm expression. Konoha forehead protector resting neatly on his head. That ever-detached, unreadable air about him.
He wore the standard black, high-collared Uchiha uniform, and sat with his back straight and composed.
Even in a dream, just seeing him again stirred the old resentnt inside Sasuke.
He let out a quiet snort and turned his face away, refusing to et Itachi's eyes.
Then
His gaze drifted toward the other man seated opposite his brother.
This one looked to be in his early twenties, maybe a few years older than Itachi.
He had unruly black hair, strong eyebrows, and a soft yet confident expression. A calm, heroic air clung to him like a second skin.
He wore a sleeveless gray combat vest with faintly glinting armor pads on his chest and shoulders, catching the morning light.
When the young man noticed Sasuke standing there, he turned and smiled warmly at him.
Sasuke blinked.
For a second, he couldn't place him.
Then, mory flooded back and his eyes widened.
That face... that smile...
"Shisui...?" he whispered.
Back in the dream theater.
Naruto squinted at the screen. "Huh? Who's that guy?"
Sakura tilted her head. "He kind of looks like Itachi, but... not really?"
They had no idea who the young man was.
But sitting beside them, Kakashi had recognized him imdiately.
His lone visible eye narrowed.
The grey vest, the armor plating...
That wasn't just any uniform.
It was ANBU gear.
And that young man...
There was only one person that matched the appearance, temperant, and history Kakashi rembered.
Uchiha Shisui.
"Shisui of the Body Flicker…" Kakashi murmured under his breath, his tone suddenly grave.
This dream... was about to get even deeper.
"Shisui... the one with the Body Flicker Technique, and a master of disguise..." Kakashi murmured, still watching the screen intently.
He narrowed his visible eye, analyzing the scene.
"So he's showing up here as an active ANBU mber. Interesting..."
His fingers tapped the side of his chair unconsciously.
Which division does he belong to in this dream?
The interrogation unit? Surveillance? Or... sothing deeper?
Back inside the dream.
Though Sasuke was burning with questions inside, he kept a calm front as he entered the living room.
He passed by Itachi with a cold snort, refusing to acknowledge him, treating him as though he were invisible.
Itachi's brows drew together slightly at his little brother's indifference, a faint glimr of helplessness in his eyes.
But he said nothing.
He simply sighed.
Sasuke walked straight past him, his icy expression suddenly softening the mont he reached Shisui.
His whole face lit up.
"Shisui-nii-san!" Sasuke greeted him warmly, voice filled with genuine affection.
It was the kind of tone only reserved for soone truly close to his heart an older brother he could trust.
Even though years had passed, the emotional bond had not dimd.
Back then, Shisui had been the one to teach him basic shuriken techniques, to spend ti with him when Itachi was too busy or too cold.
To Sasuke, he was more than family he was safety.
[Ding! Uchiha Sasuke's emotional fluctuations are captured! Emotional value 200!]
Shisui, who had been quietly speaking with Itachi, looked up in surprise.
His eyes widened.
Wait did Sasuke just call that warmly?
He glanced between the two brothers, blinking rapidly.
"Is this... really Sasuke?" he whispered under his breath.
He could still rember how the kid used to idolize Itachi, tailing him everywhere like a little shadow.
Now?
Now the sa boy was completely ignoring Itachi and walking toward him like a loyal little pup.
Itachi sighed again, massaging the space between his brows.
"Told you," he muttered with a resigned tone. "He doesn't exactly look at the sa way anymore."
Shisui chuckled. "Yeah... seems you weren't exaggerating after all."
Then he stood, brushing the faint creases from his uniform, and turned toward Itachi with a more serious expression.
"All right. I'll head out now," he said.
"No need for you to join on the village sweep. Stay here and spend so ti with your brother."
He pushed aside the empty teacup on the table, clearly ready to take his leave.
As he adjusted his collar, he added with a smile, "The white monster that can mimic people's appearances hasn't caused major trouble yet. I'll go track it down alone."
"There's no need to be alard."
Itachi gave a small nod.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Shisui. Be careful."
The brothers exchanged one last glance serene and full of unspoken trust.
Sasuke stood between them, his heart filled with questions and emotions that were just beginning to surface.
"Don't worry," Shisui said with a confident smile, waving his hand lightly. "I'll take care of that monster in no ti."
Sasuke stood there silently, watching the exchange between his two older brothers with a hint of confusion flickering in his eyes.
A white monster that can transform into other people?
What kind of enemy is that…?
It sounded dangerous, the kind of mission only top shinobi like Shisui would take on. Sasuke's brow furrowed in thought, still trying to wrap his mind around the situation.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Shisui had already walked up to him and ruffled his hair with that familiar brotherly warmth.
"Co on, Sasuke, listen to your brother. Don't be so cold to him, all right?"
Sasuke quickly turned his head away with a frown, brushing Shisui's hand off.
"Who wants to listen to him?" he grumbled.
Shisui chuckled, clearly amused, and didn't take it to heart. With a carefree wave, he strode toward the courtyard door. "Well then, I'm off."
"Shisui-nii-san, take care!" Sasuke called out, quickly following a few steps behind. He stopped at the door and gave a small, formal bow as he watched his brother disappear around the corner of the compound.
The courtyard fell silent once more.
Sasuke remained still, staring off into the empty space Shisui had left behind. A small smile lingered on his lips, glad to know Shisui was alive and well but at the sa ti, a sense of loneliness crept into his chest.
He ca and left so fast...
Still, sothing else occurred to him.
Shisui had told Itachi to stay here with him.
That ans… next ti, even if I don't want to see Itachi, I won't have a choice.
Ugh. Troubleso...
He sighed under his breath and turned around reluctantly, knowing he had to face the last person he wanted to talk to right now.
It was just him and Itachi now.
The quiet in the room stretched between them, heavy and awkward.
Itachi took a few steps forward, closing the distance.
Then, bending slightly to et Sasuke's height, he gave a gentle smile and said, "Sasuke, I have the whole day off today. I thought we could train together. Ninjutsu, if you'd like."
His tone was soft, cautious even filled with the kind of hope that only soone trying to nd sothing broken would have.
He was reaching out.
Trying to rebuild what had been lost between them.
But Sasuke's face fell the mont he heard those words.
Without turning to look at him, he muttered, "Who wants to be accompanied by you?"
His voice was low and cold, tinged with bitterness.
"I don't want it."
He spun on his heel and started to walk out of the room, his back straight and his expression unreadable.
Itachi's smile faltered slightly, and before Sasuke could get too far, he stepped forward and gently grabbed his wrist.
"Sasuke," he said softly, a helpless smile tugging at his lips, "I know I ssed up the other day. I'm sorry."
His voice lowered, more sincere.
"It's been a few days. I thought maybe... you've had so ti to cool off."
Sasuke stopped.
He didn't turn around. He didn't speak.
Just a quiet snort escaped from his nose low, annoyed, but not a refusal.
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