UCHIHA LIBERATOR (NARUTO X MALE UCHIHA OC)

Chapter 2

Naruto Uzumaki-a boy who kept appearing in my dreams. He lived in Konoha, that much was clear from how often he talked about becoming Hokage. But the strangest part? I was certain there was no Naruto Uzumaki in this village. Was he just a figment of my imagination? Probably. Still, it was concerning that I started dreaming about him after the concussion I got from Kakashi.

It's been two weeks since that incident, and every night, I've had these dreams about Naruto. What's unsettling is how real everything in the dreams feels. Disturbingly real. I say that because some of the things I've seen in these dreams are details I didn't even know existed. For example, Ichiraku Ramen-apparently, it's a pretty famous ramen shop in Konoha, though I've never been there. Not that I could, anyway. Thanks to my house arrest-or rather, compound arrest-I haven't been able to leave to check it out.

The other thing that troubled me was the reflection in the window. I tried looking again, but this time, there was nothing-no reflection at all. Who was he? If this was all just a figment of my imagination, shouldn't I know this boy? Why did he feel so familiar, like I'd known him for years, yet I clearly didn't? The unsettling thought gnawed at me. Was I losing my mind? Should I tell someone? But the idea of a Yamanaka probing around in my head was far more terrifying than whatever strange dreams I was having.

- 3rd person POV -

Fugaku watched his son meditating with a leaf stuck to his forehead. He could tell Ryuichi was distracted, yet the boy still managed to keep the leaf in place-an impressive feat. Most children his age took months to master this exercise, but Ryuichi had done it in just a week. He was a genius, quickly grasping taijutsu and learning new techniques with remarkable speed. Yet, despite his brilliance, Ryuichi didn't stand out as much, especially being so close to Sakumo's son, who was also a prodigy.

Ryuichi suddenly shuddered, causing the leaf to fall from his forehead. He clicked his tongue in frustration. Fugaku raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

"You okay, Ryuichi?" Fugaku asked.

"Yep," Ryuichi quickly replied, placing the leaf back on his forehead. Stupid Yamanakas and their mind-reading abilities, he grumbled to himself.

"You know what, that's enough for today," Fugaku said, snatching the leaf away. "How about we go to that ramen place you mentioned? Your mom, you, and I-it's been a while since we've been there." There was a hint of excitement in Fugaku's voice, a rare sight.

"Sure, dad, I'm down for that. But, you know I can't leave the compound, right?" Ryuichi sighed. The compound arrest wasn't too bad since it was large enough to explore, but he was itching to go outside and see if the things in his dream were real.

"That's fine. We'll make an exception for today... but just today," Fugaku said sternly. "After that, we go back to your punishment.

"That's fine," Ryuichi said, getting up from the ground.

"Your mother will meet us at Ichiraku's directly after her mission," Fugaku added as they both started walking toward the ramen shop.

Ryuichi and Fugaku were greeted by several villagers as they made their way to Ichiraku Ramen. It was a pleasant walk, with the warm weather complementing the friendly atmosphere.

Ichiraku Ramen itself was a modest stall on the side of the road, nothing flashy, but the aroma wafting from inside was heavenly. However, Ryuichi was too distracted to notice. His mind was elsewhere. It's exactly like in my dream... maybe a little older, but everything looks the same. And I've never even been to this part of the village before, he thought, a sense of unease creeping in. What this meant, he wasn't sure.