Shinji opened his eyes.
Sunlight fell on his face. Warm. Dazzling.
He squinted, raised a hand to block it, and then froze.
It was bright outside the window.
It wasn't the grayish daylight of the Hidden Mist, but real, clear sunlight that could illuminate everything with color.
There was a glass of water on the table, poured yesterday, now glistening in the sunlight. The sound of birds chirping came from outside, lively and bustling.
Konoha.
He had returned.
No, strictly speaking, he had woken up.
Shinji sat up and looked down at his hands.
They were still his hands, ordinary size, ordinary lines.
He clenched his fist, his bones popping slightly, and a sense of power traveled from his fingertips to his shoulders.
He sat on the edge of the bed, dazed for a while.
The images from the dream were still spinning in his mind.
Mei Terumī stood on a high platform wearing a shiromuku, the sunlight gilding her entire form.
That one glance she gave him when she turned back—her eyes were slightly red, the corners of her mouth curved.
And the way she knelt on the ground, gripping his hem, her knuckles white, asking him, "Do you really not have any?"
Shinji closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened them again, there was nothing left in them.
It was just a dream.
Or rather, just a simulation.
Perhaps... there really was nothing left. Perhaps.
[Congratulations, host, on completing Dream Life]
[Current simulation rating: S]
[Reward obtained: Sage Body (Beginner)]
By the time that mechanical voice rang in his mind, he was already used to it.
He waited for the voice to finish, then felt his body start to heat up.
It wasn't the heat of a fever; it was a warm, cozy heat seeping out from the gaps in his bones, making him want to stretch.
He looked down at his hands; something was flowing beneath his skin, his veins slightly bulging and then subsiding.
The heat lasted for about ten seconds. Then it vanished.
Shinji stood up and moved his shoulders.
His bones clicked twice. Then he felt it.
His body felt lighter, as if an invisible weight had been lifted.
But at the same time, it felt heavier; every step he took on the ground was as stable as if he had taken root.
He raised his hand and lightly snapped his thumb and middle finger. Snap.
The sound was crisp, like a small pebble hitting a wooden board.
He paused, then walked to the table and picked up the glass of water.
The cup was very ordinary, coarse porcelain, with a small chip at the rim.
He held the cup, feeling the sensation on his fingertips.
The rough porcelain surface, the temperature of the water, the weight of the cup itself.
"So this is the Sage Body..."
Shinji put down the cup.
Then he began to extract Chakra.
This was the basic skill of every Ninja.
He had done it countless times, he could do it with his eyes closed.
But this time was different.
Chakra gushed out like a spring.
Not flowing, but gushing.
It erupted from deep within his body, surging along his meridians, instantly filling places that usually required slow accumulation to fill.
He stood there, feeling that power rampaging inside his body, until it was finally suppressed and tamed by him.
"Finally, I have the ability to pursue my ideals!"
Shinji opened his eyes, full of hope for his future.
Chunin Exams, Hokage, Hidden Mist Village, Hinata...
Hinata.
Shinji froze, because he realized that when he tried to find the place in his memory where he originally kept this name, the first thing to emerge in that position was another stunningly beautiful smiling face.
No matter how time washes over it, she remained so clear and radiant, unforgettable.
Silence, Shinji was silent for a long time.
Until footsteps came from outside the window, someone running past in the corridor, shouting, "Late, I'm late!"
The door next door slammed shut.
In the distance, children were laughing, dogs were barking, and someone was shouting loudly, "Morning!"
The sunlight shone in, falling on him.
Only then did Shinji slowly exhale.
He walked to the window and pushed it open.
The wind blew in from outside, carrying the scent of grass and soil.
The things in the dream: Mei Terumī's gaze, her hand gripping his hem, the question she hadn't finished asking, all were still in his mind.
But they were already distant.
It was like watching a movie from a long time ago; the images were still clear, but the emotions had faded.
Shinji told himself this again in his heart.
Next.
He turned around and looked at the paper on the table.
That was the plan he wrote yesterday, the handwriting was sloppy, but every line was clear.
[Chunin Exams Preparation Plan]
[Step 1: Intelligence gathering. Focus on that pair of siblings from Sunagakure, and the few people from Otogakure]
[Step 2: Combat training. Two hours of extra practice every day, focusing on speed and explosive power]
[Step 3: Tactical reserves. Prepare at least three backup plans]
[Step 4:...]
Step 4 was blank; he hadn't decided what to write yesterday.
Shinji walked over, picked up the pen, and added a few words after that blank line.
[Step 4: Win]
He put down the pen and looked at that word.
Win.
Very simple. Very direct. No explanation needed.
Then he picked up the forehead protector from the table and tied it around his forehead.
The Konoha symbol on the forehead protector shone in the sunlight.
Chunin Exams. Next month.
He pushed the door open and walked into the sunlight.
But just as he reached the dormitory door, his footsteps paused.
A person was standing at the door.
Short grayish-purple hair, white eyes, hands holding a cloth bag, she was looking down at her toes.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up, and her face turned red instantly.
"No, Shinji-kun..."
Hinata.
Shinji froze for a moment, then walked over quickly.
"Why are you here?"
Hinata's voice grew smaller and smaller, her fingers twisting the straps of the cloth bag: "The mission ended... so, I just thought I'd come by to see..."
Shinji looked at Hinata.
She was standing at the door of his dilapidated dormitory, wearing that familiar pink jacket.
Sunlight fell on her, making the girl shine.
Beside her was peeling plaster, a rusty faucet, and a corridor piled with debris.
Hinata stood there, so out of place that she looked like someone who had walked out of a painting.
A rich young lady coming to find a poor boy.
This thought popped into his mind, and Shinji himself was stunned for a moment.
"You..." He opened his mouth, "Have you been waiting long?"
"No, no..."
Hinata shook her head, then, as if remembering something, handed over the cloth bag in her hand: "This... is for you..."
Shinji took the cloth bag and opened it to look.
Inside were a few scrolls and a small bag of things.
The scrolls were for training.
He recognized them; they were the kind sold at the Ninja tool shop, containing basic Chakra circulation route diagrams, suitable for Genin to practice.
He opened the bag of things and took a look; it was a small stack of bills.
Not much, but for a Genin, it wasn't a small amount either.
He looked up at Hinata.
Hinata's face was even redder, red enough to almost smoke.
"I, I heard... that Shinji-kun is participating in the Chunin Exams... Training requires... requires many things... This is what I saved up from doing missions... And these scrolls, they are ones I have used, they have notes inside, maybe, maybe they can help..."
As she spoke, her voice became smaller and smaller, until finally, it was almost inaudible.