#shinku yuuhi

[jacksgreysays]

Incidental Equilibrium, 1/? (2020-06-18)

Incidental Equilibrium

In which Ringo is proactive, Zakuro is stubborn, and Tetsuki needs a little help with some legal matters. 

The whole friendship thing? That kind of just happens.

(Or, the Counterpoise and Externality mashup that literally nobody asked for)

~

1) on the matter of becoming genin

It could have gone like this:

The Uzumaki twins attempt the Academy's graduation exam two years before their age mates. Naruto is ambitious, Konran is anxious, and neither of them get what they want.

That's because the Uzumaki twins do not pass the exam. They do not graduate:

She does. He doesn't.

Konran gets put on a team with two boys practically slated for the corps and a jounin who has to be literally dragged into the role of sensei. Ringo and Zakuro are known for not getting along with strangers, but this time they're willing to take the risk. Somehow, perhaps out of spite, the newly formed Team Five actually passes Riichi-sensei's ludicrous test and make him face the consequences.

They are, if not happy, then paving their way toward it.

Naruto gets sent back to the Academy, placed in the class who are slated to graduate next year. Nobody knows him, but they already don't like him--the rumors and Yanagi-sensei's cold demeanor the only information they have to work with. He meets Tetsuki who, even though kindness doesn't come naturally to her, takes a chance and helps him graduate.

They get put on a team with Komadori, a neutral classmate which is the best they can get really, under the command of a displeased Kakashi-sensei.

Like the formation of Team Two, their happiness, if it exists, is temporary.

Ringo and Zakuro help Konran find herself despite everything working against them all. Naruto and Tetsuki learn enough from each other before their divergent destinies tear them apart.

... But becoming genin is only the start.

---

It should have gone like this:

There are no Uzumaki twins. (Perhaps that night of the Kyuubi it was otherwise. Or perhaps a few years later, even, until an ambassador from Cloud saw an unprotected child with bright red hair. Or perhaps it was always as such.) Regardless, there is only Naruto.

Ambitious, he attempts the Academy's graduation exam two years before his age mates and fails.

Ringo and Zakuro, assigned a third teammate they're incapable of cooperating with, also fail their jounin sensei's test. They go to the corps as expected and must learn to become content.

Naruto is placed in Yanagi-sensei's class where nobody knows him or likes him. That stays true the entire year. When it comes time for the graduation exam, he fails again.

Maybe he would have passed with a little help from a classmate, even one ill-suited for kindness, but none take that chance. (And if Yanagi-sensei vaguely remembers a missing student, an orphan who held her own even against clan kids until her mysterious disappearance years ago, well. Orphans disappear in Konoha all the time.)

Naruto is placed in Iruka-sensei's class where destiny finally sinks its teeth into him and doesn't let him go.

Sometimes he's happy, he thinks. He must be.

---

But it actually went like this:

On a random morning a few months before graduation, Ringo's parents talk over breakfast about his future.

"Your cousin Suzuka is due for a promotion soon," Ringo's mom says while he blearily chews on egg and rice. He's not the best after just waking up, true, but he has time still before he needs to train the weakness out of himself.

"She could have an apprentice" she continues, as if he answered verbally. "I can ask her next time I'm on shift with her."

"Would be better than wasting time by going through the corps' prerequisite classes," his dad says, "Honestly, why they don't allow exemptions or testing out of those--so inefficient."

Ringo's dad is of the opinion that simply being part of the Nohara clan means they are naturally better at being medics than outsiders: as if medical knowledge and jutsu were akin to other clans' blood limits or secret techniques.

Maybe they're a little better at memorization and chakra control, but Ringo thinks his advantage has more to do with being raised by and amongst an entire clan of medics than anything he was born with--wait a second...

"Ask Suzuka what?" Ringo asks, belatedly, quickly shaking awareness into his head.

"Ask her to take you as an apprentice, of course," Ringo's mom answers easily, "I won't have you squandering your time in the Medic Corps or, heaven forbid, the Genin Corps."

Ringo blinks, uncomprehending. "I could end up on a jounin led team," he says, mildly.

His parents' response are less mild: his mom's light smile immedately twisting into a harsh frown, while his dad's hands clench into fists.

"No, no, no," his mom says, almost horrified at the idea.

"They'll try to put you on a team with That Man," his dad says, warningly. "It's what happened to your older cousins."

"They failed purposefully, of course. They know better than to trust their safety--much less their education!-- to That Man. But still," Ringo's mom closes her eyes, as if pained by the very thought, "Why the Hokage even tries to put a heartless creature like that in charge of young shinobi--and at the expense of our clan! Oh, no, Ringo, I couldn't lose you, too."

Then she reaches out for his hand, for comfort, and he tries to do his best.

Ringo's not stupid. He knows who That Man is: Comrade Killer Kakashi Hatake. Aunt Rin's murderer.

He doesn't think the Hokage would allow an actual psychopath to teach children, genin though they may be, so Kakashi Hatake can't still be a comrade killer. But he knows better than to bring it up in front of his parents.

It's not a battle he will win and honestly, not one he particularly wants to win. He doesn't want to be on a team lead by the man who killed his aunt--whether murder or manslaughter--and bore no consequences. If anything, and here his mom might have a point, the Hokage's continuous attempt to make a Nohara one of his students has prevented Ringo's cousins from following any career path but the Medic Corps or, apparently if the timing is right, an apprenticeship from another cousin.

But that's not what Ringo wants for himself. If he enters the Medic Corps, or apprentices under cousin Suzuka, then he won't be able to be on a team with Zakuro.

Maybe a compromise is in order.

...

On a random morning a few months before graduation, Zakuro tries to sneak out of the house only to be caught.

"Zakuro," says Uncle Shinku behind him, and Zakuro tries his best to hold in the annoyed sigh that desperately wants to escape. Last time he didn't, Uncle Shinku lectured him for thirty minutes about how disrespectful and ungrateful he was.

He turns around, "Yeah?"

Uncle Shinku glares. Well, that's just his default face, but it gets more glare-y. "Yes, Uncle," he says flatly, pointedly.

Zakuro holds in another annoyed sigh, "Yes, Uncle Shinku."

The man hums. Zakuro has no idea if that's approval or not.

"You will be graduating from the Academy soon," Uncle Shinku says, which is... true? Obvious? Not something Zakuro knows how to respond to.

He nods. "Yes, Uncle Shinku," he says, because maybe if he just repeats himself, the conversation (does this count?) will be over faster.

"I will not have you shaming us..."

Which is, wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

"Our arrangement with the Kurama clan still holds, for all that their heiress remains... reclusive. I will not have you embarrassing the Yuuhi clan," Uncle Shinku continues.

Great. Cool. This is why Zakuro needs to work on his stealth.

"When you join the Genin Corps, I will turn you into a shinobi worthy of our name, unlike your mother."

He sees an opening. "Thank you, Uncle," Zakuro says swiftly, bowing deep enough so as to hide his scowl. "I will go train so as to improve myself! Please excuse me!" Then, without waiting for a dismissal, Zakuro leaves.

If Uncle Shinku responds, he can't hear it. Not over the angry rush of blood pounding in his ears. He meets eyes with cousin Kurenai, her equally red eyes wide with a complicated mix of relief and guilt.

Why is she even here? She has an apartment. If Zakuro could live away from his asshole of an uncle, he would never set a single foot inside this house.

"Zakuro," she says, quietly, "I wanted to--"

Meanly, he interrupts with a loud, "Good morning cousin!" He spitefully enjoys the twist of annoyance on her face before bolting for the Academy.

It's early still but it's not here and that's all that matters.

If he's lucky, maybe Ringo will be there, too.

...

On a random morning a few months before the end of her fifth Academic year, Tetsuki sits alone in a room in T&I.

She's been here since yesterday afternoon, so by this point any adrenaline and fear have long since been replaced by bitter exhaustion.

And anyway, this is not her first time in T&I, so the novelty has worn off.

Although, at least, the room is nicer. Last time it really felt like an interrogation room: stark walls, hard chair, cold lighting. This time, they've put her in something almost comfortable. There's still an obvious viewing window, though it has a tasteful decorative frame, and she could almost fall asleep in the cushioned seat she's in.

Almost.

She hasn't slept since they brought her here and, ostensibly, she's alone right now. But still, she resists. She can sense at least two other people watching her from the observation room on the other side of that fake mirror--three, maybe. There's two distinct rectangles of body temperature metal standing about a meter apart. Forehead protectors, if she's interpreting it correctly, each with a matching pouch of kunai and assorted weaponry. And while she can't sense a third one, the door knob in that room opened and shut nearly thirty minutes ago with neither of the other two leaving.

So someone who doesn't carry metal on them, maybe? Unless it was just someone delivering a message... better to err on the side of caution.

She sits, exhausted eyes half-lidded, and waits for her fate to be decided.

Last time she was here, she thought no one would care if she disappeared. No one to miss her or notice--certainly no one to speak up if they did--just one of many Konoha orphans who mysteriously vanish.

This time, she knows it to be true.

She knows why she's here, this time around--or, at least, she can make an educated enough guess. Yesterday, Yanagi-sensei and Hinoura-sensei had distributed elemental chakra paper wearing nonconductive gloves. Gleefully, everyone in class grabbed at their papers, eager to find out their elemental nature in hopes that this would lead to lessons in ninjutsu.

Tetsuki didn't have particularly high hopes--such things hardly led to anything as exciting as her classmates would hope, probably just more lectures--but she certainly hadn't expected it to go this badly.

For the most part, everyone's paper reacted in an expected way. A lot of ash from the fire natured people, some crumbled to pieces or soaked through entirely--earth and water respectively. She thinks she saw one or two slice in half; wind natured, which is rare but highly appreciated in Land of Fire.

Hers crinkled.

She thought maybe that just meant she didn't have an elemental nature, there were some classmates whose papers did nothing--Neji Hyuuga for example, but everyone knows that Hyuuga chakra is weird--it wasn't too out there.

That was, perhaps, too optimistic.

Lightning natured chakra isn't unheard of Konoha. That alone would not have gotten her here, surely.

But that combined with her previous visit--where she was interrogated on whether or not she knew Cloud nin and if the light haired, dark skinned boy she used as her henge model was a real person that she knew--probably doesn't look that good.

Her paper crinkled, Yanagi-sensei dismissed everyone for lunch, and Hinoura-sensei brought shinobi wearing the T&I uniform to take her away.

They took her blood, put her in this room, had a sweetly smiling old lady ask her a bunch of questions, and then left her here.

The door to her room opens up. The person that enters is not someone she recognizes.

He's in his fifties maybe, quite old for a shinobi which he must be considering he's in this room and not a prisoner. She's not much of a danger to anyone, given she's only an Academy student, but they wouldn't bring a civilian in. Not that she would have a chance--for him to have survived to his age, he must be quite skilled.

He stares at her and says nothing, so she stays silent as well.

"You are Tetsuki, yes? Of the... Ryokushoku orphanage?" He asks almost hesitantly.

She doesn't know why, he clearly has access to her file. And it's not like a hesitant old man will get them any other answers than the sweetly smiling old lady did.

She nods in response.

"I'm Kunugi Mokume, conservator of the Utsugi clan holdings," he introduces himself. She nods again, because she doesn't know what else to say. "The Utsugi clan has been largely believed to be wiped out during the Night of the Kyuubi. Clearly, that is not the case," he says with a small smile.

She doesn't smile back.

Perhaps chagrined, perhaps not, Kunugi Mokume continues, "Unfortunately, we're under something of a quandary and a deadline on top of that: The decade of reservation is nearly up before the Utsugi clan holdings reverts to Konoha's possession. You are the sole heir but, unfortunately, due to your legal status as a minor your guardian would be the one to receive your inheritance."

Her guardian being the Ryokushoku orphanage, which just goes back to Konoha. Unless...

"Given the news of your possible inheritance, any applications for your adoption would be denied at this time. For your protection," he says.

Sure. Okay then.

"So I started with nothing and I will continue to have nothing," Tetsuki says with a nonchalant shrug.

Kunugi Mokume flinches. She doesn't know why. It's the truth. What is a clan name if there is no family to go with it? And anyway, she has long since abandoned the hope of having one.

"There is one possibility," he says, as if this were some kind of planning session and not just some stranger telling her nonsense after she's spent hours in Konoha's T&I, "If you become a legal adult before this October, you can inherit without any issue."

"Ah, of course. I'll just age a few years right now then," she snipes because she's tired and angry and something in her hates this man more than she's ever hated anything in her life for giving her this hollow, useless hope.

Weirdly enough, that makes Kunugi Mokume smile. "When you become a genin, you become a legal adult in the eyes of Konoha."

Tetsuki stares at him in confusion. "I'm only in my fifth year at the Academy," she says slowly, which, given how frequently her teachers have ratted her out to T&I as a potential spy is frankly a miracle.

He looks back at her, equally confused. "It's been a while since I've been at the Academy," he admits. 

That's fair. He's old. And she knows during wartime the length of Academy schooling is shorter.

"I have another year before my class is up for graduation," she explains. "It won't be in time for this October." She doesn't know why she's bothering, this is all nonsense.

"Maybe your class won't be ready," he argues, "but you could be. If you take the upcoming graduation exam and pass..."

He doesn't need to say any more, but he does anyway. "You have nothing, right? So what do you have to lose?"

~

A/N: I saw this post and I don't know why my brain responded by immediately smashing together two (arguably three? if you include (In)difference) still incomplete concepts as a response but I guess I wanted it enough to write the above.

I may continue this? I don't know.

#jacksgreyson #writing #fanfiction #naruto #incidental equilibrium #externality #counterpoise #tetsuki kaiza #ringo nohara #zakuro yuuhi #konran uzumaki #naruto uzumaki #kakashi hatake #shinku yuuhi #kurenai yuuhi #kunugi mokume #kiyoshi utsugi #(in)difference #could should actually fic

[dosbysilverqueen]

Thank you, as always, for the gift of the last two chapters. I really like Akado as a new character (and I'm SO CURIOUS re: went down in that meeting with 'Yuuhi freaking Shinku' and what Akado thought of it). Did Yuuhi approve those bits of Ebisu's suggestions that got adapted or did Akado just...quietly make it happen? Akado's such an outsider - literally doesn't know how to get around the Tower (or req. a typewriter) - but gets swept up as a planning insider. And that scroll! Reactions 2 use?

It’s been really fun to start looking at characters that aren’t part of the high powered genin->chunin->jounin(-> hokage) track that a lot of our main characters are on and that we see as ‘typical’ for a shinobi, even though they’re probably in the minority. Akado was fun to bring in as someone very non-combat (though obviously with plenty of his own skills and abilities) and @wafflelate, @pepperdoken and @math-is-magic have been doing some great world-building for Yuuhi Shinku.

~Silver Queen

#dreaming of sunshine #asks #idhren #silver queen #chapter 148 #manabu akado #shinku yuuhi #ebisu #meta analysis #recursive fic

[jjgrace42]

Symphonies - Chapter 25

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Can't Teach an Old Soul

"How is she?"

Tsunade jerked awake, snapping up from where she'd been slumped against the tent pole. She forced back a yawn and squinted up at Shinku. "Hmm? Oh, uh." She cleared her throat and shifted forward, leaning over the bedroll. She took a moment to check her student over for the dozenth time before answering. "I can't do anything for how tired she'll be or the headache she'll have when she wakes up, but she'll be alright." She sat back again, dragging a hand down her face. "Any luck?"

"No."

She huffed. "Seriously? There's not a single Uchiha in the entire encampment?"

"Other than yours? No."

"Great. That's just— It's fine. I'll just have to wait until we get back, then. Can't have a five year old lecturing me about her eyes."

"You didn't learn more about the sharingan when you got her as a student?" Shinku clicked his tongue. "I excepted better."

"Oh, shut up. I asked Sensei, and he said most Uchiha never unlock it until they're nine at least. I thought I had time."

Shinku hummed at that, sitting down. He didn't say anything for a bit. When he did, he asked, "Did you know she could do that?"

Tsunade snorted, looking sideways at him. "Right now, I'm just assuming it's a prodigy thing. Like Orochimaru. Or Jiraiya's brat. Or Jiraiya's brat's brat, whatever his name is."

Shinku frowned. "Hatake?"

"That's the one. I'll probably talk to the brat about it. Jiraiya's brat. Not the brat's brat." She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I told her to stay put."

He snorted. "You're definitely new to being a sensei. They never listen. Although, I might have lost one of mine without her, so I'm sure you can excuse her disobedience. Just this once, right?"

"We'll see. Yours ready to head out in the morning?"

"They will be."

— — — — —

When Tsunade woke again, the bedroll was packed neatly away, and Kyoko was gone. She burst out of the tent in a panic, already calling her student's name. She stopped short, heart pounding.

Kyoko looked up from where she was sitting lotus in front of the fire, cradling a bowl in her lap. She frowned. "Shisho?"

"Oh, good, you're alive," Tsunade said, heaving a sigh. "You're not eating anything too heavy, right?"

Kyoko shook her head and lifted her bowl. "Asuma warmed some stock for us."

Tsunade knelt down with the group and glanced towards Shinku's oldest student. "I'll take another look at you before you go to sleep. I need to make sure you don't get an infection."

Raidou nodded and rubbed at the bandages on his face. He winced and jerked his hand down. "Okay. Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

"We're heading back to the Village in the morning, right?" Kyoko asked. "Or do we need to stay longer to care for the wounded?"

"We've delivered our supplies, and I've done what I can. This division has its own medic-nin. They'll be fine. You, however, need proper rest and recuperation back in the Village. And then a good handful of D-ranks to make sure you know how to actually follow orders."

She frowned. "I know how to—"

"Eat up." Tsunade got to her feet with a groan. "You need to get plenty of rest tonight because I won't be carrying you the whole way home."

— — — — —

"And you're sure about this?"

Tsunade frowned. "I didn't see them, but I believe Suzaku when he says that's what he saw."

"You didn't have her show you?"

"She's recovering from chakra exhaustion. I don't want her to hurt herself."

"Hmm. Of course," Hiruzen murmured. "Four enemy shinobi. That's . . . impressive. For her age and experience. Impressive for a genin at all, really. I'd like to speak with her personally when she brings her report in tomorrow." He looked up from his notes and nodded. "Dismissed."

Tsunade and Shinku bowed and backed from the room. When they opened the doors, their students looked up, and Kyoko was immediately on her feet. "Shisho," she greeted. "Obito and my father are both out of the Village. Shisui is staying with our Obasan."

"Your Obasan," Tsunade echoed. Well, as long as she could speak to an Uchiha. "Alright. Let's get moving, then." She turned and crouched down. "Up you go."

A beat of silence. "I can walk."

"Uh-huh. Up." She grinned when she heard her student's petulant sigh. Once Kyoko was on her back, Tsunade stood and cut a stare to Raidou. "Go easy on your injuries for a bit. Remember to get a check-up at the hospital in a couple days."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama," Raidou mumbled, glancing away.

"Good. Off we go, Tiny."

Kyoko didn't talk as they walked, but when they reached the Compound, she started giving directions. Tsunade faltered as they approached the house, staring at the woman out on the engawa. She swallowed. "Mikoto-hime," she greeted, trying her best to keep the surprise out of her voice.

Mikoto smiled. "Tsunade-san, it's nice to get to finally meet my favorite niece's sensei."

"I'm your only niece." Kyoko started wriggling in an attempt to get down. "Shisho."

Tsunade knelt to let Kyoko down. "Why don't you go inside for a moment?"

Kyoko frowned at her, cutting her with that same sharp look she always did when Tsunade explained something the girl insisted she already knew. When she opened her mouth, clearly to protest, Mikoto cut in. "Shisui is inside having a snack. Itachi is napping, but he's due to wake soon. Go on in." She tilted her head to the side and lifted her tea, smiling through the steam. "He's walking, now. I'm sure you'd love to see that."

And just like that, Kyoko rushed inside.

"Smooth."

"She's very fond of Itachi," Mikoto murmured, sipping at her tea. "Now, what is it that you needed to say to me without her hearing?"

"Right." Tsunade cleared her throat. "I know very little about the sharingan, and I understand, of course, that you wouldn't want to share too many details with someone outside the clan. But given her placement as my student, I thought it best if—"

"Kyoko doesn't have the sharingan, so it shouldn't matter yet," Mikoto cut in sharply. "And you're right. We don't share many details about it."

"She does. Have it, I mean. I haven't seen it yet myself. She's recovering from chakra exhaustion, and I don't know how much strain the dojutsu would put on her. But she has it."

Mikoto frowned. "I see." she sighed and got to her feet. "I'll speak with her. Thank you for bringing her home safe."

— — — — —

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#Symphonies Fanfic #Uchiha Kyoko #Senju Tsunade #Nara Suzaku #Yuuhi Shinku #Yuhi Shinku #Yuuhi Kurenai #Yuhi Kurenai #Namiashi Raidou #Sarutobi Asuma #Uchiha Mikoto #Fanfiction #Fanfic #Naruto Fanfiction #Naruto Fanfic

[jjgrace42]

Symphonies - Chapter 23

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Kill the Rabbit

"Make sure you listen to Tsunade-san. Do as she says."

"I will."

"Get plenty of sleep when you can. The better rested you are, the more alert you'll be. It's safer that way, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you have everything? Your kunai?"

"Yes."

"Your rations?"

"Yes."

"What about—"

"She'll be fine," Tsunade interrupted. "I'll be keeping an eye on her."

Kagami glanced up at her. Then he sighed and braced the back of Kyoko's head, tilting his forehead against hers. "Okay. Alright. Just be careful for me, Kyoko-chan. Come home safe."

"I will," she murmured. When he didn't move, she twisted her hands in his sleeves. "Tousan, I need to go meet my team. I don't want to be late."

"Right." His hands shook as he pulled away and smiled tightly. "I love you."

"I know." She forced herself to let go and smile. "You tell me all the time."

"Just making sure."

Kyoko nodded and grabbed at her tanto harness for need of something to hold onto. "I love you too." She stepped back and glanced towards Tsunade, who was watching her with arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. "I'm ready."

Tsunade nodded once. "Alright, Tiny, let's check up on that shunshin of yours." She disappeared.

Kyoko focused on molding her chakra and following. She left quickly so she wouldn't have to look at her father's worried face again. When she made it to the gates, Tsunade was already talking to the other jonin there. Kyoko glanced across his students and straightened. She bowed her head. "You must be Team Shinku. I'm Uchiha Kyoko."

"You're like three," one of them said. Asuma. He . . . actually wasn't hard to look at. It had been years since she'd seen him, anyway. Since anyone had seen him. But when his teammate elbowed him sharply, drawing her attention, Kyoko stilled and forgot how to breathe. Asuma, meanwhile, rubbed his side and shot Raidou a dirty look. "What was that for? It's true!"

"You don't have to be mean about it," Raidou muttered. He looked back towards Kyoko and hesitated. "Though, I thought we were going with another team."

"This is the team," Shinku interrupted, turning away from his conversation. "She is a fellow shinobi, and I expect you to treat her as such. Now that Tsunade-san is here and we have our supplies, we can go. Is everyone ready?"

Kyoko glanced past him at the road leading away from Konoha. She was as ready as she could be.

— — — — —

Asuma, Kurenai, and Shinku were easy. She'd barely known the former, had never had more than a tentative relationship with the second, and had only seen the last a couple times before he died during the Kyuubi Attack. There were memories there, yes.

But none of them were Raidou.

Kyoko kept to Tsunade's side as they traveled, listening to her lectures on anatomy or answering pop quizzes about how to treat various injuries and ailments. She did her best to stay focused and ignore the others, but that was impossible. Asuma was loud and blunt, Kurenai was rude and curious, and Raidou was anxious and friendly.

"If you're a genin, then how come you don't have a team?" Asuma asked, interrupting Kyoko's listing of the bones in the body.

"You're pretty young to be a genin anyway," Kurenai mused. "Maybe they just didn't want your teammates to feel like babysitters."

"That's not fair," Raidou protested. "You seem very nice, Kyoko-chan. And I don't feel like a babysitter at all.

Later, Kyoko was practicing her chakra control with the thread Tsunade had given her when Kurenai leaned in real close, squinting at her hands. "Whatever you're trying to do, it's not working."

"It's a training exercise," Kyoko said. "I have to make the string stand straight with my chakra."

"Tch, that's boring." Asuma wrinkled his nose. "For a little kid, you sure don't seem to have fun that much."

"People have fun in different ways," Raidou cut in. "And there's nothing wrong with training."

Each and every time, Kyoko knew she should thank him. But it was still hard to look at his face—unmarred, unmasked—and so she didn't.

— — — — —

"You know, if I remember right, your father was very clear about you getting some sleep."

Kyoko looked back over her shoulder. Tsunade was standing in the tent entrance, one hand on her hip and the other holding back the flap. "I will," Kyoko murmured. She turned back, head tilted up at the sky.

Tsunade sighed loudly. "Alright, Tiny." She sat down next to her student with a heavy groan. "Want to tell me why you've been so quiet?"

"Quiet?"

"Two days here, and you hardly said a thing to the rest of the team."

"I've been focused."

"Hmm. Any particular reason why you're out here instead of resting?"

Kyoko hummed at that, clasping her hands together and still staring upward. "My father likes to tell this story. He says it was my mother's favorite. The one about the rabbit."

"Rabbit?" Tsunade squinted and followed Kyoko's gaze up into the sky. "What rabbit?"

"In the moon." Kyoko pointed for a moment before letting her hand drop. "In the story, Tsukuyomi Otoko comes down from his home on the moon disguised as a beggar."

"A beggar?" Tsunade interrupted. "Why a beggar? Why is a god coming down here anyway?"

"He was lonely." Kyoko shrugged. "Everyone gets lonely sometimes."

"And the beggar disguise?"

Kyoko frowned. "I don't . . . know."

Tsunade tilted her head at her, raising an eyebrow. "Okay. So he comes down. What happens next?"

"He travels. And while he's traveling, he meets a fox, a monkey, and a rabbit and asks for some food."

"From the animals."

"Right. So the fox goes and catches him some fish. The monkey brings him some fruit. But the rabbit can only get him some grass and worries that isn't enough. So he tells the beggar to build a fire and, once he does, throws himself in it as his own food offering."

Tsunade huffed out a laugh. "You dad tells you this story? How often do you have nightmares, Tiny?"

"That's not the point. The point is that the rabbit doesn't burn up. Instead, Tsukuyomi Otoko saves him and takes him back to the moon." Kyoko pointed again. "And if you look, you can see him."

Tsunade looked up at the full moon, squinting. "Huh." She chuckled and looked back down, dropping a hand to Kyoko's head and mussing her hair. "You're a weird kid. You know that?" With a sigh, she climbed to her feet. "Come on. I'll keep watch, but you need some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow."

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#Symphonies Fanfic #Uchiha Kyoko #Uchiha Kagami #Senju Tsunade #Yuuhi Shinku #Yuhi Shinku #Yuuhi Kurenai #Yuhi Kurenai #Namiashi Raidou #Sarutobi Asuma #Fanfiction #Fanfic #Naruto Fanfiction #Naruto Fanfic

[jacksgreysays]

Hisoka!AU of DOS, Rokudaime(whoever you pick to end up with that job in this verse), A Steady Hand (NOTE: For Hisoka!AU, see Recursive forum pg 489 #14,655 - Snapshots From The Past Of Hisoka by donahermurphy pg 489 #14,665 - A Meeting While Fleeing The Garden & Desert by Tirfarthuan pg 491 #14,716 - A Name & A Gift Passed On by Tirfarthuan)

A/N: Thanks for the biblio [1+2, 3], dona--I did not know who Hisoka was before this, so those helped a lot! I did, also, have to reread the Lone Wolf 'verse since from what I understand Hisoka is an AU of that 'verse specifically? If not, please let me know.

Anyway, on rereading Lone Wolf 'verse, here are the facts that I gleaned:

Danzo is Hokage

Hiruzen died of "natural causes" several years before canon

Kakashi "betrayed the village" somehow and is being called Comrade-Killer more prevalently than canon

Asuma is probably dead

Yuuhi Shinku isn't an entire dick (since Uchiha Uzume can think about him without an automatic insult attached)

Shin is still alive (but very slowly dying)

and Kurenai is helping the Uchiha at the very least cover up a meeting with Kakashi outside of the village.

The facts of the Hisoka!AU are:

Shikako was taken to be ROOT

in order to protect those she cared about she mentally/spiritually maimed herself to the point where she no longer counted as "a Shikako" to Gelel

her partner for the final exam was Sai

she escaped/convinced Sai that the point of the final exam was to fake her death and became a fishmonger on the coast of Wind

when Shikako!Prime leaves via Gelel she "wakes up" from said previous mental/spiritual maiming

Kakashi finds her and they're a lovely wolf and cub pair who aim to kill Danzo (and get rid of their loneliness and maybe heal)

... okay, now that I typed all that out, did you mean Hisoka!AU of canon DoS instead of the Hisoka!AU of the Lone Wolf 'verse? Because those are different things, I think. But I kinda figured Hisoka!AU was intrinsically tied to the Lone Wolf 'verse, so, uh, here's a couple of ideas I had in mind:

1) Akimichi Chouza as Rokudaime.

Because after the absolute worst sort of "warmongering, self-cannibalizing, Konoha first" bullshit that Danzo spewed, the village needs someone who recognizes that being the village leader means making and protecting a home worth living in, not just a harsh taskmaster sending his soldiers out to die.

I considered Shikaku!Rokudaime for a similar sort of reason, but it's not as thematic and, also on a personal level, he can't. In a Hisoka!AU, he has to reconcile the fact that he gave one of his children--willingly or not, even if Danzo wiped his memory later--to a man who he already knew would exploit her horrendously. Maybe he didn't know the full extent of ROOT's training (surely not the final exam) but the fact that he was apprehensive and still went through with it is not a good look.

Even if Hisoka and Kakashi do not return to the village proper (and part of me is like, hey! They shouldn't! And I will go into that more in a little bit) he has to make amends to at least her, if not both of them, and he can't be Hokage and bound to prioritize the village over her if he ever wants to succeed.

Chouza, on the other hand, is the only one of the three who never made that decision (I'm still a little side-eyeing the Yamanaka clan, because surely a clan whose whole deal is KNOWING WHEN MENTAL SHENANIGANS IS GOING ON should have seen that with Fu, especially since he was allowed to keep his name and also, probably, had to have clan training to learn the clan jutsu, but maybe it wasn't Inoichi who made that deal? Maybe it was his predecessor. Either way, still mega sketch. I'm a little hand-wavy with Shibi and the Aburame because I headcanon that the Kyuubi largely wiped out what power they had the most out of any of the clans and they were like. Desperate to survive. And didn't have allied clans to bolster them.) And yes, probably that's because as far as fighting styles are concerned, they rely on their clan jutsu which is very recognizable and thus not great for ANBU (in the same way that I imagine the Inuzuka aren't often recruited into ANBU) but it's still a notable fact. The Akimichi are trustworthy pillars of the village and have been since the beginning.

And it helps that of the Nidaime's team, Akimichi Torifu was one of two of the full six who didn't turn into an old corruptible asshole. Sure, we don't necessarily know what happened to him, but he wasn't specifically seen as an old corruptible asshole so I think he's winning. It reflects well on his clan as a whole. Also, given my headcanon of the Akimichi actively cultivating their ties with civilians and also possibly the Daimyo's family they have, alongside military might, financial and political clout.

Anyway, while a possible Tsunade as Rokudaime would have similar vibes (and does, you know, match canon and have those canon reasons for working) in terms of "healing the village" etc. etc. This is a Tsunade whose most bitter cynicism was proven right? And there's no inspirational Naruto to convince her otherwise. And also, Tsunade shouldn't HAVE to clean up Danzo's mess. Like, the minuscule obligation she had to clean up Hiruzen's mess does not apply to Danzo. (It's a little like... Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were raised to be the ultimate team to take over for Hiruzen except they didn't know it and were dysfunctional. The fact that Hiruzen's death was by Orochimaru's hand and between her and Jiraiya she is the better choice is the only reason why she has that slight obligation to go back to Konoha. Whereas, with Danzo? FUCK THAT NOISE. That's a mess the village needs to resolve on their own. THEY'RE the ones who let it get so bad. THEY'RE the ones who need to deal with it)

And also, another reason why I don't really want Tsunade as Rokudaime is because I kind of like the idea of Kakashi and Hisoka sort of orbiting/paralleling her and Shizune. Like, there's a not-so-secret society of Konoha expatriates who aren't actually missing-nin and both love and hate the village and Tsunade is exasperatedly fond of those two disasters whereas she is sickened by the village. Maybe one day it will have fixed itself enough that she'll go back and visit and whip their Medic Corps into shape, but that is not any time soon!

Also, also, also, and I don't know if you remember this, dona, but in your In Which Someone Attempts to Kidnap Shikamaru, Instead, Inoichi brings up something called the Regency Protocol with Ino in regards to Danzo kidnapping Shikako and brainwashing Shikaku to forget and originally I thought it was some kind of Ino-Shika-Cho contingency plan where the three clans take over the village BECAUSE DANZO IS KIDNAPPING AND MURDERING CHILDREN AND THE SANDAIME WAS LETTING IT HAPPEN ON HIS WATCH? And of the three clans, the Akimichi really do have the traditional fighting prowess to wear the hat, so that's part of this too.

I just think an Akimichi Hokage would be pretty chill about it. Like. They wear power well and are good at managing people without crushing them in the fist of tyranny.

---

2) Maito Gai as Rokudaime.

This one actually for similar reasons as Chouza. Although, in terms of lineage, Gai could be Shichidaime, not that we're particularly holding to that Hokage teacher-student lineage so much.

In terms of semi-parallels where canon goes Tsunade to Kakashi, that means Gai also is a candidate. And in regards to showing the village/world a new kind of Hokage, he's as far from Danzo as one could get. He's straightforward and kind and draws out the potential from everyone and honestly real great but also wouldn't send someone into a mission he himself wouldn't do. Obviously, being a Hokage would mean delegating and sending shinobi on missions, but he would never send them out to die just because. Yes there are risky missions, but he would send those best suited to succeed with every tool available to them so they can succeed. Whereas Danzo would just throw bodies at a problem and kill the survivors for not doing it good enough.

The main difference between a Rokudaime Gai vs Rokudaime Chouza is that Gai's Konoha would rely less on the clan system. Of his three students, two were not from clans and the third is from the Hyuuga Branch (AND YOU KNOW FOR SURE THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING FINALLY ADDRESSED BY A HOKAGE BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK). Yes, his sensei was Akimichi Chouza, but neither of his teammates were clan either. A Konoha under the rule of Rokudaime Gai is a Konoha that builds up those who don't have the same infrastructure as clans, who strengthens civilian-born and clan-born alike, who make sure that talented civilian-born students aren't only noticed by predatory old men who can sweep there existences under the rug.

Because truly one of the many ways that Danzo's weird self-hating megalomania harmed the village was by draining away the talented civilian-borns of Konoha. He who hated that the Shimura were a near-civilian clan, committed the worst crimes against those who could have proved that bloodline wasn't everything. He was so obsessed with the power of the Sharingan that it became a self fulfilling prophecy. Any talented non-bloodline student who could have proven a challenge were stolen and smothered before they could prove themselves.

Because imagine this: one day some random student with the ubiquitous last name of Satou or Tanaka or Honda beats Uchiha Itachi in a spar. Maybe its an accident. Maybe they got lucky. Maybe Itachi wasn't taking them seriously (after all, what could some no name civilian born do to him?). But those maybes don't matter. Satou or Tanaka or Honda gets in one good hit. Surprises the prodigy of the Uchiha clan. Knocks him out.

The teacher takes a note of it. Talks about it in the teacher's lounge. One of Danzo's spies brings news of that notable spar.

By the next week--maybe even the next day--Satou or Tanaka or Honda is gone. No one beats Uchiha Itachi in a spar anymore. And ROOT adds another nameless, faceless soldier to its ranks.

BUT NONE OF THAT HAPPENS UNDER HOKAGE MAITO GAI. Because it is civilians that make Konoha a village and not just a loose coalition of clans. Because a name and a bloodline are not necessary to make a person great.

3) And here's the angsty/semi-bleak option: Yuuhi Kurenai as Rokudaime.

And I wrote a little bit for it, but I'm a little... mreh... about it because it does revolve a lot around the various men in her life which I'm not exactly proud of, tbh, but aaaaaaaaaagh this is endemic to a lot of Naruto fic. D:<

Yuuhi Kurenai is nobody's first choice.

(She was Asuma's first choice, and he was hers, and that had nothing to do with either of their fathers. Except now Asuma is--)

Her father wanted a son. A proper heir. Someone to elevate the prestige of the Yuuhi clan.

(In another universe, Yuuhi Shinku will think the only way his daughter can benefit the clan is through marriage, not her own merits. In this universe Yuuhi Shinku is a little bit more open minded enough to make do. He's still a dick, but not as much of one as he could've been. This puts Kurenai in an interesting position.)

The Uchiha clan are pursuing another ally with a little more fire power, a little more name recognition, and all the intimidation and influence that entails.

(But look at where that got Kakashi, exiled and with his reputation in tatters. Look at Gai who so eagerly and overtly wants to follow. Look at Asuma who--)

The rest of the village would prefer someone who didn't look so much like the clan of would be traitors. Someone who didn't have black hair and piercing red eyes. Someone who didn't specialize in genjutsu, an art for liars.

(Oh, but they were fine quietly suffering under a man who lied and stole and murdered. A man who manipulated and cheated and framed others for his crimes. A man who ruined everything he touched and Asuma tried to stop him, gods, but then he--)

And the world doesn't quite know what to do with a Hokage like her. Or a Kage that is a her, for that matter.

Yuuhi Kurenai is nobody's first choice.

But that's fine. She can make do.

She can make miracles out of nothing.

So the thought process to get to a Rokudaime Kurenai went kind of like such. Obviously, the Uchiha would prefer an Uchiha Hokage. However that largely depends on whether they succeed in their coup or not. There's the distinct possibility that Kakashi plus Shikako!Prime or Kakashi plus Hisoka will just kill Danzo and then leave, forcing the rest of the village deal with the consequences... AS THEY SHOULD... and thus also sort of cutting the coup off at the knees.

If the coup doesn't succeed (whether out of failure or because Kakashi and a Shikako kills Danzo first before they're prepared to do the rest of the coup) then if the political climate actually matches the one they perceive themselves being in (although, I don't think the Uchiha are as hated as they think they are, but its hard for them to see that isolated as they've been forced to be) then they're unlikely to get an Uchiha Hokage especially if news of them actually seeking an alliance with Comrade-Killer Hatake Kakashi comes out. Much less the aborted/failed coup. 

Anyway, no Uchiha Hokage without a successful coup... although, if there were a successful coup, the three Uchiha I would think would be even feasible would be Fugaku--boring, bland, but that's what they know. Shisui--friendly, well liked by those outside the clan, has an international reputation. Mikoto--this is largely based on fanon/headcanon, but she was ANBU Captain? That's pretty neat.

But, uh, to get back to the no Uchiha Hokage... Kakashi's reputation is still in tatters. Maito Gai could be a good option, but while his lack of clan is a good thing for future Konoha, he doesn't quite have the political backing necessary to get there. (Namikaze Minato was an undisputed war hero. Maito Gai hasn't quite proven himself that level yet)

If its brought up that the Ino-Shika-Cho were compromised (ie, Shikaku would have worked closely with Hokage Danzo as the Jounin Commander and also one of Danzo's top ROOT agents is Yamanaka Fu) then even Chouza's candidacy would be suspect.

The village wants Tsunade. But Tsunade does not want it. I have no fucking idea what Jiraiya has been up to, but if he didn't want the hat after Hiruzen died he sure as fuck won't want it after whatever Danzo's done with it.

The Hokage's Council is suspect. Yuuhi Shinku, for all that he is similarly important to the infrastructure of Konoha while also not being part of Danzo's corruption (in another universe, he very well would have been, desperate for power), isn't actually that strong and is old, besides. (The village has had enough of old men entrenched in positions of power telling them what to do).

But he does have a daughter. Genjutsu specialist, yes, but with potential and room to grow. And Sarutobi Asuma loved her (and, fuck, what a shitty campaign to run on, the would-have-been-widow of the Sandaime's son, but you know Shinku would be ruthless in pushing that. Remember, not as much of a dick in other 'verses, but still a dick) so she has that tether to the old regime, tentative as it is.

No one really has any major objections, but no one is really all that gung-ho about it either (except for maybe Anko who will punch all detractors in the face and may very well be a one woman Hokage's Guard).

Kurenai least of all. Because she doesn't want to be Hokage, but she'd rather step up and do it than watch her village tear itself apart even further. And maybe she doesn't know who she is just yet, and maybe it sucks that she's going to have to discover that while also being Hokage, but gods she's going to try her best because at least she knows what Danzo was doing was wrong and that there's no way she can do worse than him unless she just actively slaughtered children in the street.

...

Hm, yeah, kinda bleak ending. But as I said. The Rokudaime Kurenai one is the angsty-bleak option. I mean, it gets more hopeful, but it is a struggle I think for both her and the village.

I know its not a proper ficlet fill, dona, but hope you enjoyed this brain storm / meta anyway. :D 

#jacksgreyson #donapoetrypassion #prompt response #brainstorm #meta analysis #writing #fanfiction #could should actually fic #dreaming of sunshine #naruto #the many gardens of shikabane-hime #hisoka #lone wolf #chouza akimichi #maito gai #kurenai yuuhi #kakashi hatake #shikako nara #danzo shimura #shikaku nara #tsunade senju #shinku yuuhi #asuma sarutobi