Leaving the Senju clan compound, Hikari strolled leisurely down the road.
As he watched the bustling crowds around him, his feet instinctively carried him toward Ichiraku Ramen.
It wasn’t mealtime yet, but teasing Ayame was always a good option.
Hikari, who was on his way, stopped and looked in the direction of the voice.
At some point, Ayame had appeared there, her eyes sparkling with joy as she looked at him.
’No way it’s such a coincidence!’
’Just as I was thinking about Ayame, here she is. Have I awakened some kind of wish-fulfillment ability lately?’
’If that’s true, then if Kurenai shows up right now, I’ll believe it for sure!’
Muttering in his heart, Hikari glanced around, then cheerfully waved at her. "Hey, Ayame, good to see you!"
"Hikari, how could you just go and get married out of nowhere!" Ayame jogged over to his side, her once-joyful eyes now tinged with a hint of resentment.
Hikari coughed. What could he even say?
Honestly, this sudden marriage felt bizarre to him too.
And as for these women, he...
"Hikari, why are you here?" Another woman’s voice rang out, and Hikari froze.
’An illusion, it’s gotta be an illusion!’
Though he tried to reassure himself, Hikari distinctly felt that it was Kurenai.
Turning around, there she was—Yūhi Kurenai, dressed in her signature red-and-white jōnin outfit, standing not far away. Her ruby-like eyes shimmered with a mix of anticipation and hesitation.
Though contradictory, Hikari could feel both emotions clearly in her gaze.
"I was waiting here for you!" He said, looking at Kurenai, his unease growing stronger. "If I’m not wrong, Tsunade will come running out of the Senju compound next."
"Hikari, what are you talking about?" Ayame blinked at him in confusion. "Come home with me. I have so much I want to tell you—private things!"
"No, Hikari is coming with me! I also have things I need to tell him!" Kurenai quickly moved to his other side, hugging his arm and trying to pull him home.
Hikari ignored their quarrel and instead looked into the distance.
Tsunade was rushing toward him from the Senju compound. Her face, free of drunkenness, was sharp and sober.
"Hikari, come with me. I’ve already dealt with Shizune. Tonight, you’ll finally know the true meaning of ecstasy!"
Hearing her words nearly shattered Hikari’s sense of morality.
He chuckled at the absurdity.
"No wonder I felt something was wrong. So it’s all an illusion! To preserve the image I have of you all in my heart, I’ll ask you to disappear now."
At this moment, Hikari could have chosen to embrace both Kurenai and Ayame, head into the Senju compound, and with Tsunade and Shizune, indulge in a wild one-man-four-women battle.
Hikari shook his head and looked up at the sky.
The dazzling sunlight appeared to him like a glowing disc—radiant yet suspiciously false.
His arms loosened, and Kurenai, Ayame, and Tsunade vanished.
The crowded street also dissolved into nothingness.
Looking up, the Hokage Rock stood tall, and the Fourth Hokage’s smile was as bright as ever.
"The Fourth’s house should be around here, right?"
Hikari closed his eyes, and the memory of the Fourth Hokage’s small home surfaced in his mind.
Opening his eyes again—
"Hikari, you’re here! Come on in, we’ve all been waiting for you!"
Minato waved warmly at him.
Beside him stood a smug Kakashi, a disgruntled Obito, a flustered Rin, and Kushina scolding Naruto.
It was everything he had dreamed of.
"If only this were real... how wonderful it would be."
"Hikari, come quickly!" Minato continued calling.
"Minato-sama, please go ahead and eat without me!" Hikari waved with a smile. "I’ve got something to do at home. I’ll head back first!"
Even in a dream, he didn’t want things to get awkward.
Turning away, Hikari leapt to the rooftops, dashing toward his home.
At that moment, the entire world faded into dull gray, leaving only his house in full vibrant color.
Soon, he stood before his familiar front door. Raising his hand, he hesitated to knock.
"Are you hesitating, Hikari-senpai?" New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝕟𝕖𝕥
The door opened to reveal Kurama Yakumo. She looked noticeably different from before; her eyes, in particular, now sparkled like a galaxy and seemed to hold countless secrets.
"So my guess was right after all."
Hikari’s gaze remained calm as he looked at her.
"This really is a beautiful world... I almost didn’t want to leave it."
"Wouldn’t staying here be better?" Yakumo stepped forward, gently wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. "Here, I’ll always be with you. Not just me—Kurenai-sensei, Tsunade, Ayame... Any woman you want, I can bring to you. Here, you’ll enjoy life’s greatest pleasures."
"Such a terrifying temptation..." Hikari lightly embraced her. "But I don’t want to live a meaningless life. If everything is perfect, then to me, that’s a nightmare. People must endure hardships. Besides... do you really feel happy keeping me trapped here ?"
"I am happy!" Yakumo’s voice overflowed with joy. "For me, reality or illusion doesn’t matter. As long as you stay with me, that’s what’s most important."
Hikari was at a loss for words.
The two of them quietly leaned into each other, simply feeling time pass.
"But what if I want to leave this place?" Hikari finally voiced his thought.
If Yakumo refused, they would inevitably clash.
"If that’s what you want, Hikari-senpai, I’ll respect it!" Yakumo agreed instantly, so quickly that Hikari doubted his own ears.
"From a certain point of view, life itself is just an illusion. Decades pass in a flash—childhood, youth, adulthood, old age, and finally death."
"Instead of all that, why not stay here with me for eternity? And if you feel lonely with only me here, I can bring others into this world too."
"As long as you wish it, I can pull all of Konoha, the Land of Fire, even the entire shinobi world, into this place with us..."
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