Dreamworld

(Edited)

When Fumori Masaki woke up, it was already evening. He stared blankly at the ceiling, his mind still clouded by the vivid remnants of a dream. *Was it really just a dream?* he wondered. The overwhelming amount of information from the dream made his head throb, and it took him some time to process the memories that had come flooding back.

At that moment, Rimi entered the room and noticed Masaki was awake. She paused, then broke into a joyful smile, quickly approaching the bed. "Masaki, you're awake! Hashirama-sama said you'd wake up soon, and you really did!"

Masaki slowly turned his head to look at Rimi, his gaze lingering on her face in silence. His unusual behavior made Rimi uneasy, and she hesitantly called out, "Masaki?"

"...Rimi?" Masaki finally responded, his eyes gradually softening to match Rimi's memory of him.

"Yes, it's me," Rimi sighed in relief. The strangeness she had felt from Masaki moments ago seemed to dissipate.

"I'm a bit thirsty, Rimi. Could you get me some water?" Masaki's voice was hoarse.

Rimi nodded and quickly fetched some water. As she poured it, Masaki silently observed her, his mind a whirl of confusion.

During his coma, Masaki had a dream—a dream where he lived another life in a world vastly different from his own. In that world, there were no ninjas, and many things were beyond his understanding. He had lived under a different name and identity, but what troubled him most were the things he had seen in that world.

He had seen a book—a manga—with familiar names. In it, Konoha Village existed, just as it did in his world. Hashirama was the First Hokage, Tobirama the Second, and the heir of the Sarutobi clan became the Third Hokage. But the events that followed left him even more bewildered—Akatsuki, the Rinnegan, the Ten-Tails, and even the Otsutsuki clan from the distant future. All these revelations shook Masaki to his core. *Could this all be real?* he asked himself. *Or was it just my imagination running wild during the coma?*

But how could mere imagination feel so real? The experience had been so vivid that Masaki started questioning his very identity. Was he still Fumori Masaki, or was he now the person from the dream?

As he pondered, Rimi returned with a glass of water. She handed it to Masaki, who sat up and reached for the cup. But just as he was about to drink, the cup shattered in his hand, spilling water everywhere.

Rimi yelped softly and scolded, "What are you doing? You don't need to use that much force to drink water! You were still feverish earlier."

She hurriedly began changing Masaki's wet clothes. Although she was his fiancée, Rimi couldn't help but feel a bit shy. However, as she removed his shirt, she froze, staring in disbelief at his left side.

Masaki noticed her reaction and frowned. Following her gaze, he saw strange lines etched across his left side—marks he had never seen before. "Rimi, what is this?" he asked, perplexed.

"I—I don't know," Rimi stammered. "I heard Hashirama-sama mention something called a 'sage pattern'... Tobirama-sama said it's something that appears when one reaches Sage Mode." Her voice trembled slightly. She had seen these strange marks before but only on the Hokage himself, and now they had appeared on Masaki.

"Sage pattern? Sage Mode?" The terms were familiar to Masaki. In the manga he had seen, Sage Mode did indeed cause lines to appear on the face, but he had never heard of sage patterns on the body.

*Wait,* Masaki thought, *the curse seal created by that infamous ninja Orochimaru also produced lines on the body. But Orochimaru hasn't been born yet, so how could this appear on me?*

Masaki's confusion deepened. He absentmindedly pressed his hand against the bed, and to his shock, the wooden surface splintered beneath his touch. Fearful of his newfound strength, Masaki froze. His mind, still groggy moments before, was now fully alert. The power within him was far beyond anything he had ever experienced, and he was struggling to control it.

"Rimi," Masaki said cautiously, "you said Hashirama-sama healed me. Could you go and ask him to come over? I don't know what's happening to me, but I think only he can help."

Rimi shook her head. "Hashirama-sama and Tobirama-sama are meeting with the heads of the ninja clans right now. He said he would come by as soon as he's done. It seemed like he had something important to discuss with you."

"Alright, I'll wait," Masaki sighed, then added, "Rimi, could you help me drink some water? I'm afraid I might crush the cup again."

Although Masaki couldn't fully comprehend what was happening, he could feel that something within him had changed. His strength was growing, and the strange lines on his body were gradually spreading. Despite his suspicions about his current condition, he knew that only Hashirama could provide answers.

Rimi didn't hesitate this time. She poured another glass of water and sat beside him on the bed, holding the cup with trembling hands. Though she and Masaki were engaged, they had never been this physically close before. They had always been more like childhood friends than lovers.

But Rimi was a strong-willed girl. After a few deep breaths, she steadied herself and brought the glass to Masaki's lips, watching as he slowly drank.

As Rimi looked at Masaki's calm expression, she couldn't help but wonder when he had become so composed. The Masaki she knew was always more nervous than her, often getting worked up over things that didn't faze her at all.

Just as they finished, Senju Hashirama entered the room, having completed his meeting. He paused, noticing the scene before him, and then chuckled warmly. "Haha, I didn't expect to find the two of you so close. Your relationship seems strong. It might be time to consider marriage. Given your age, it shouldn't be delayed any longer."

"No!" Rimi's cheeks flushed as she quickly explained, "Masaki's been having some issues with his body. He couldn't move easily, so I was just helping him."

"What's the matter?" Hashirama asked, his tone becoming serious.

Rimi quickly recounted what had happened, then unbuttoned Masaki's shirt to show Hashirama the lines that had spread to his neck. Masaki, for his part, could feel his strength continuing to grow, but along with it, an increasing sense of discomfort.

"Hashirama-sama," Masaki said, looking at him with a mix of respect and confusion. The dream had given him a different perspective on Hashirama, but as Fumori Masaki, he still held deep affection for the man who had always been a guiding figure in his life. Despite his inner turmoil, he couldn't help but address Hashirama as he always had.

Hashirama's expression was grave. "I knew your condition was serious, but I didn't expect it to be this severe. If I had come any later, it could have been dangerous."

With that, Hashirama placed his hand on Masaki's body, infusing him with his powerful chakra. Masaki felt something within him being cleansed, and the lines began to recede at an alarming rate. His overwhelming strength diminished, and his physical discomfort eased.

"That's amazing, Hashirama-sama!" Rimi exclaimed in relief, her eyes shining with admiration.

Hashirama exhaled slowly, then turned to Rimi. "Rimi, could you step out for a moment? I need to speak with Masaki alone."

Rimi glanced between the two men, sensing the gravity of the situation. She nodded and bowed to Hashirama before leaving the room.

"Now, Masaki," Hashirama said, his tone serious, "let me explain what's happening to you."