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pi-cat000 · 3 years

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BNHA: Kakashi dimension hops crossover (1)

Summary: Kakashi gets dumbed into the My Hero Academia universe through random plot devise.

Characters: Kakashi Hatake

Fandoms: My Hero Academia and Naruto

WARNINGS: Mentions of violence/injury

Inspired by Unforeseen Mayhem by Aerugonian

Here is their tumblr (all their work is so good)

(NEXT)

...

Kakashi thinks he might have died. He remembers the flash of steel and Obito’s face or maybe it had been Madara. His memory of the events leading up to the attack are hazy after receiving one too many hits to the head. What he does remember is the slowly spinning, hypnotic red of a Sharingan, and the quick build-up then explosion of chakra.

Then there was excruciating pain in his left eye and…darkness…

…

Kakashi opens his remaining, usable eye to gaze up at tall angled structures that stretch into a grey overcast sky. He can’t feel the left side of his face, his limbs are numb and unresponsive, and there is the damp of blood soaking through his hair. The bone-deep ache of chakra exhaustion is so all-encompassing that he can barely lift his hand let alone stop the bleeding. Around him, there are several people yelling in shock and surprise. Civilians he vaguely notes as he clings to consciousness. There is no sign of Madera, Obito or any of Kakashi’s allies for that matter.

When his vision dims for a second time he thinks that this, this would be his last breath. Alone, severely injured, in a foreign location and with only civilians as help? It was a death sentence.

He is wrong in the end.

…

Kakashi wakes up in a strange hospital bed surrounded by the strangest people he has ever seen. He also wakes up covered in bandages, his more serious injures either treated or in various stages of recovery.

The air is dry with a distinct lack of chakra. It is something he would usually only see in a prison cell made to contain dangerous shinobi in which chakra draining fuinjutsu arrays were applied to the walls and floor. There are no fuinjutsu arrays here. This is not a prison cell. For one, there is a large window. Secondly, there is a constant stream of doctors, nurses and other patients moving in, out and around the building. Finally, the door to the room is not locked. It doesn’t even have a lock.

After memorising the comings and goings of the people working in the strange hospital, he takes some time to scout. Even while injured and drained of chakra, he has enough skill and experience to avoid the workers and other sickly people he shares his room with.

The world outside his window is one of cement, concrete and brick, with tall imposing structures covered in reflective glass standing higher than any building he has seen before. The closest point of comparison he has are the buildings in the Hidden-Rain and Stone villages but even those are a loose approximation. The hospital is both similar to Konoha’s main hospital, abet a lot bigger and full of strange equipment and technology. The people, despite their lack of chakra, display odd and inconstant abilities, techniques and physical deformities. One of the doctors has a lizard tail and he catches a glimpse of a man with a wooden block for a head. He sees a woman heal a cut with a simple hand wave. Either he is in an unusually elaborate and detailed genjutsu or he is very far away from Kohoha.

Everything is so odd and strange that he is well and truly stumped, leaving him with nothing else to do but quickly return to his hospital room. At least the weird chakra-less people are non-hostiles and willing to provide much needed medical attention. Though he is, as of yet, uncertain about the purpose or motive behind said medical attention seeing as he was a complete unknown to them.

After some consideration, Kakashi decides to wait. He has no idea how he ended up in the place aside from a loose theory that involved his still healing Kamui Sharingan. Additionally, there was no use trying to get back home with stab wounds, his leg broken, his ribs cracked, his shoulder muscles torn and his chakra levels so pathetically low that he’d probably kill himself if he tried.

He takes solace in the fact that his presence, while probably missed to some extent- he likes to think so anyway- wouldn’t impact the outcome of any major conflict. With Naruto’s stubbornness and Sakura’s tenacity, home would be waiting for him, even if he took a bit of time getting there.

…

After a week of information gathering -ie pretending to be unconscious and listening to conversations- Kakashi concludes that the people operating the hospital are relatively harmless. They seem to be under the mistaken impression that Kakashi is a citizen of their village and thus automatically entitled to medical attention. This is despite his lack of identification or history with the place. Such a thing would never happen in Konoha as even civilians were carefully monitored and tracked. Without identification or relatives/friends to vouch for them, a civilian would more likely be thrown out of the village than given what was surely resource-consuming medical treatment. It is lucky for him that there are apparently so many civilians in this village that their shinobi-equivalent forces couldn’t properly keep track of them all. Another point in favour of it not being any sort of hidden-village or any place he was familiar with.

“Oh, thank goodness!” Says the greying, middle-aged man in a white coat as he approaches Kakashi's bed, “You’re finally awake. How do you feel.”

“Ah…a bit tired,” Kakashi plasters on a confused smile, raising his undamaged hand to rub the back of his head, hunching his shoulders for good measure. The perfect image of a disoriented patient.

“What happened? Where am I?”

There was only so much he could achieve be pretending to be unconscious and snooping around at night. It was time to get a real feel for residents of this strange place and figure out his next move. This meant integrating into the local culture.

“No need to worry. You’re in Hosu General Hospital and you’re well on your way to recovery,” A nod and the doctor moves forward to stand beside his bed, “A little drowsiness is a normal side effect of the pain medication we have you on. Now, if I may have your name?”

“Kakashi.” If they hadn’t recognised the Sharingan when they had bandaged it up, then they most likely wouldn’t recognise his name either.

“Well, Kakashi,” The man says with no hint of acknowledgement, “My name is Wada Yasutoki and I’m here to make sure you are recovering properly. Can you tell me if you are feeling any discomfort or pain at the moment?”

“Hmmm…my arm and leg?”

“Would you be able to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10?”

Kakashi thinks for a second and shrugs, “3.” Honestly, he only notices the pain when he’s consciously paying attention.

Another nod and Doctor Wada fusses about, examining the bandages around his shoulder and then his leg, “Well, they seem to be healing as well as any broken limb, maybe even a bit faster. And the stab wound near your chest is almost completely gone.” A thoughtful hum follows the statement. “If not for your left eye I would say you had a healing or regeneration quirk…hmmm…maybe a passive healing factor linked to your quirk…?” Wada looks to him, waiting for confirmation and Kakashi shrugs. From his nightly snooping he knows that ‘quirk’ is the term for the bloodline ability things the people here had.

The Doctor doesn’t press the matter instead asking, “Is there any discomfort in the left side of your face?”

“No.” Kakashi doesn’t want the people here touching his eye any more than necessary. The fact that it is draining charka at its usual sluggish rate was a sign that it was, at least, somewhat functional and that’s good enough for him. He guesses he should be thankful for landing in a place with medicine advanced enough to save it.

“You had us concerned when you didn’t wake after we saw to all your injuries,” The Doctor continues, “Your left eye took quite a bit of damage and we were worried that there might have been some sort of brain injury. If you feel dizzy, lightheaded or confused please, do not hesitate to call a nurse.”

The man shakes his head and sighs, “Now, I understand if you want a bit of space after going through such a traumatic event but if you could provide any details concerning the predicament that ended with you so badly injured it would be a great help to the investigation.”

Kakashi gives a faked confused hum and smiles apologetically, “Sorry Doctor Wada. I'm having trouble remembering much of anything really.”

“Nothing? No details about the potential assailant at all. What they look like? Their quirk?”

“No. Where is Hosu General Hospital by the way?”

His bland expression obviously causes his doctor some concern as he is subjected to a penlight being shone in his uncovered eye.

“It is located in Hosu City, a ward of Tokyo. Where is the last place you remember being?”

The names mean nothing to him. Kakashi schools his features into one of complete confusion, “I don’t remember.”

It’s not even a lie this time.

After the admission, Doctor Wada only grows more concerned and Kakashi is subjected to many reassurances that it is completely normal to forget a few things after a brain injury and that he shouldn’t worry himself too much. The level of comforting and reassuring is a bit much if he is being honest. Never before has he longed for the cold frowns of Konoha’s medic-nin.

“I’ll have to schedule you in for an MRI. If you’re having trouble recalling basic facts alongside your long-term memories, then there might a serious problem.” The older man finally concludes, having run through an extensive list of questions regarding Kakashi’s history all of which he answers with vague half-truths. Where did he grow up? Somewhere with a lot of trees. Did he have any close relatives? He thinks they might have died when he was little. What does he do for a living? Commission work. Did he have any colleagues? He doesn’t know where they are. So on and so forth.

“It’s a shame your ID and phone were missing when they found you. Stolen by the bastard who put you in this situation no doubt,” the Doctor sighs again, “We might have been able to track down your records. Oh well, we’ll do our best with what we have.”

Kakashi doesn’t speak, pretending to be deep in thought. Mentally, he pats himself on the back for an infiltration gone surprisingly well considering his lack of preparation and the flakiness of the ‘sorry I don’t remember my backstory’ excuse.

“I don’t suppose you remember anything about your quirk,” the doctor asks, “Ocular quirks can have odd effects on brain activity and ability to process information. It might give us a place to start.”

From what he had seen, ‘quirks’ tended to have a specific function but he is still trying to figure out their limits. All he knew for sure was that none of them used chakra.

“It’s called the Sharingan.” He offers to see what the doctor does with the information, “I don’t remember much else about it.”

“Hmmm, ‘copy wheel eye’…it’s a descriptive name at least. Maybe a quirk that deals with memorisation or information recall. I will see if I can find it on the Quirk Registry. Hopefully, that will be enough. ”

Kakashi nods loosely in agreement, filing away the fact that there was a Quirk Registry for later contemplation.

(NEXT)

#bnha #bnha fanfic #mha #hatake kakashi #hero killer arc #crossover fic #dimension travel AU #culture shock #boku no academia #naruto #kakashi headcanons

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candyopala · 3 years

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Stuck in his ways, Chapter 5

Chapter Summary: Y/N’s training begins, but not before she discovers one of Obito’s secrets.

Words: 1.7k

AO3

Please reblog or like if you enjoy, comments are always welcome <3

5:30 in the morning. It is the sixth time Y/N has woken up. This whole concussion thing has messed up her whole sleeping schedule, she tried her best to get some rest, but to no avail. She ended up sleeping for about fourteen or fifteen hours between small intervals, but she feels worse than before.

Y/N drags herself out of bed, makes some coffee, and brushes her teeth, the whole deal. Having a constant roof above her head is nice, she has to admit that. Not having to worry about wild animals and the climate is cool, but the warmth of a bed is the best part of it. Tying her brand new bandana on her forehead, she leaves the small apartment and heads to the training grounds on the outskirts of the village.

She makes her way through the village’s main market, trying to avoid stumbling onto the hundreds of busy people bustling around her. Watching people attend to their duties and following their routines has always been a hobby of hers, she always found interest in seeing people who can afford to do the same thing every day, have some sort of routine. Can she consider herself one of them now? No, maybe not. Ninjas are always doing different missions and whatnot; their routines are as fucked up as a merc’s. Maybe she can become a baker in another life, who knows?

Around the corner, a hand blocking her way surprises her. At the end of it is a medium height man with his hair tucked into some sort of fabric, with bits of brown hair coming out of the sides. The man holds a toothpick between his lips, accompanied by a smug smile and an attitude that instantly annoys Y/N.

“’Sup babygirl, how come I’ve never seen you around?”

“I’ve been busy for the last 26 years”

“Busy living in my dreams, I bet”

“Busy fucking you mom, actually”

The sleazy type is the worst in Y/N’s opinion. Nothing disgusts her more than someone who thinks they’re hot shit just because they’re attractive. She pushes him away and keeps on walking.

“Ouch! Feisty, I like that. I’ll remember ya!” he states as he leaves the scene with a wink and a flick of his toothpick.

This has to be a joke, what a douchebag.

Going back on her way and observing the people, she closes into a mass of messy short black hair. The man has his back turned to her, but by the jonin vest and height, she assumes it could be… no, wait… it could not be! This man is helping an old lady carry a shitload of groceries, he would never be nice enough to do that.

Could it be him!?

From afar, she changes angle to try and catch a glimpse of his face. After much difficulty dodging busy locals, she is able to see clearly and… it’s Obito! Obito Uchiha helping a poor old lady carry her stuff, I wish I had a camera on me. She thinks of approaching him, but she decides against it in favor of watching from a distance to see where this goes.

Turns out the frail woman lives on the other side of town. Obito sure enough has carried all that stuff through the worst climbs Y/N has ever seen on a city. But that was not all: he was being extra nice. He laughed at all her jokes and even smiled back at her. This is grade A entertainment.

When they finally reach her destination, the old lady pulls out a lollypop and gives it to him. Y/N immediately loses her shit, almost falling from the ceiling she is in because of her fit of laughter. Before she can compose herself, she notices a presence behind her. She was discovered, but who cares? She has seen enough. Obito towers above her, trying to look intimidating, but failing to do so since he has a lollipop on his mouth.

“First you invade my house, now you’re following me. Are you sure I’m the one who should be called a creep?”

“Well, you’re right. Maybe I’ll start calling you… Granny Simp Uchiha©, how about that?”

“I hate you”

“Ow, I’m so hurt, oh my god, how could you? But seriously, I didn’t mean to intrude, but when I saw that… I needed to see more to believe it” She states as she breaks into another fit of laughter

“Let’s go, we’re late for training”

“Have you ever been on time a day of your life, though?”

“Never, I’ll probably be late for my own funeral”

“Fair enough. Wait, did you just make a joke that’s not on my expense?”

“Oh no, your dumbassery is influencing me!” He raises his gloved hands ironically

“Shut up”

~”~

They both reach the training grounds at around 7:30, late but not a whole lot, thanks to Obito’s kamui. Obito will have to make some slight modifications on the mission report to avoid Minato’s wrath. After a quick warmup, Obito goes straight to the point:

“How much do you even know about jutsu?”

“Well… I can do that chakra punch, maybe walk on water and trees or release genjutsu, but that’s all.”

“Not even a clone or some substitution jutsu?”

“Nope”

“So you’re basically an academy student with enough brute force to take down S rank criminals… That’s… odd”

Y/N scratches the back of her head, clearly embarrassed by her lack of training. Obito did not expect to have to teach such basic things. I mean, if he wanted to teach people stuff he would have signed up for a job at the academy. He still cannot believe Minato sensei is putting him up to this babysitting job.

He needs to do well on this mission if he wants to get back onto the Hokage’s good side and guarantee his position as the next one. This is his second day with Y/N and things have been insane and… fun? No, he should not be thinking like that. Perhaps he should also go talk with Kushina and ask her to convince sensei to let him go from this one; he was always her favorite after all.

“Granny simp? You ok? Did I disappoint you that much?”

Obito fixes his bandana’s position over his left eye, trying to get himself out of his head. He is here now, so he had better get to work. If he can control himself enough not to put her under a nasty genjutsu for calling him that again, that is.

“Call me that again and I’ll tell everyone that you saw me naked”

“You were not naked, dickhead. And what’s wrong with that?”

“Uhm…?”

“…?”

“Anyway… we’ll start with some cloning jutsu. Have you ever done any seals?”

“Only one or two”

“Try to copy what I’m doing”

“Hey! Stop doing it so fast!”

She honestly seems to be giving her best, but her hand signs are not quite right and the chakra distribution on her network must be all wrong, judging by her failure in producing something that seems to be remotely human. This takes Obito’s memory back to his old academy days, back when he could not do a single clone properly. He would spend whole nights awake training to achieve something passable. Rin helped him a lot back then. The only thing he has ever taught someone was that sexy jutsu to Naruto. To say Kushina was mad was an understatement.

“Concentrate your chakra all along your body, not only on your hands”

“Hum… right, can I get a lollipop after this?”

Four hours later and Y/N has finally mastered two basic jutsu: substitution and cloning. She almost passed out several times due to exhaustion, but thanks to some food pills, she is enduring todays training much better.

Obito has been analyzing her every movement with his sharingan. Looking closely her techniques lack grace, truly a sign of someone who learned everything they know by experience. He needs to fix that too.

Her endurance is also remarkably low. If she were to fight right now, she could do maybe two or three jutsu before passing out, making her rely solely onto her speed and blade habilities. The girl is more of a samurai than a ninja at this point. Examining her file earlier, he noticed that her chakra reserves are not that low as she has stated before, according to the medical department she has an average quantity of it. She just lacks the ability to use it properly.

Some very hard work is in order; it could take some months to get her into decent shape. That would be too much time and effort for Obito, there has to be another way of dealing with this mission quicker.

He did not want to do this, but he will have to talk to Kakashi for some teaching tips. Hell, if he was able to teach anything useful to Naruto he will be able to come up with a routine to help Y/N’s training.

I just hope he doesn’t decide to bother me about this situation…

After dropping Y/N on her house, with much protest from her part, Obito heads to the village’s café to meet with Kakashi Hatake. He knows that the ninja likes to spend his late afternoons reading his porn books accompanied by some coffee, disgusting stuff if you ask Obito. The coffee, that is. He has no formed opinion on porn books.

Approaching the store, he spots his friend’s mass of upward pointing grey hair. Something is different about him, though. Kakashi is usually… a very apathetic person. The look he gave Obito had chills running the Uchiha’s spine, he looked, well, excited.

“Obito! I finally found you! Sit down”

Aliens killed him and this is a body double. Or this is one of Gai’s practical jokes. Obito is honestly stumped.

“Are you ok bakashi?”

“Great! So… who’s the girl?”

Great, just awesome.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”

“Of course you know, everyone is talking about how you were seen walking up and down with some mysterious gal. I’m so happy for you! Finally you’re going to stop being a sad grumpy bachelor! I’ll call dibs on the position of best-man” and suddenly Kakashi jumps up from his seat, coming closer to Obito’s face “Have you guys done it yet? Did she run away from you and now you need my advice? You could use some techniques from Icha I-”

“What the fuck is wrong with you? Those books are rotting your brain, seriously what the hell?”

“So is it true?”

#Obito #Jonin Obito #obito x reader #obito x you #obito uchiha #uchiha obito #uchiha #naruto fanfiction

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ladykissingfish · 3 years

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Waking Up/Morning Routines with the Akatsuki

Sasori

Doesn’t sleep, so he’s literally always awake. Finds nighttime to be his most productive time, as everyone around him is finally quiet and out of the way. If he is impatient to get going on a mission in the morning, or for a meeting to start, he will purposely create a lot of loud noises outside of everyone’s doors, or dropping things in the kitchen, in order to get everyone up and moving.

Deidara

Goes through an embarrassing amount of alarm clocks each week, as he will inevitably smash (or blow up) one each morning. Half the time he falls asleep in the clothes he wore the day before, so dressing isn’t really an issue. Meticulously washes his face; will often “borrow” (sneak) Konan’s expensive face scrubs. Will have spent some time brushing out his hair the night before, so that in the morning all he has to do is tie it up. He hates facial hair (thinks it makes him look like “an old man”) so if there’s even a hint of stubble, he will shave. Brushing his teeth takes the longest because, obviously, he has THREE mouths to clean. Also has a weird tic about having uneven fingernails, so will aggressively file until he’s achieved what he considers perfection. Probably spends more time in the bathroom than anyone else; but the other members are used to it (and most times they wake up and are in/out of bathroom before Deidara anyway, so it’s not really an issue). Never feels hungry in the mornings but will grab a rice cake or something easy to eat if going on a mission.

Hidan

Similar to Deidara in that alarm clocks won’t last very long around him. Requests for Konan to wake him (to try and catch a glimpse of some early-morning nips) but ends up with Kakuzu. His habit has always been to commit his Jashin rituals at night, then fall asleep from exhaustion. When he gets up, he’s still covered in the mess that he created the night before, so he’ll head into the shower to wash it all away. Nobody wants to go into the bathroom after Hidan, because of all the blood and gore he leaves around the floor. Zetsu is the only one who will, and he’ll “clean” the mess (HOW he does it is something no one wants to question, and everyone will pretend they didn’t see how he licked his lips when he came out). His activities from the previous night leave him with a monstrously huge appetite in mornings — will raid the fridge for whatever he can get his hands on. Also, mornings are when his mouth is the least foul ((his brain is still catching up)), so it’s the best possible time to try and hold a calm and civil conversation with him.

Kakuzu

Time is money, and you can’t make any money if you’re sleeping. Is an extremely early riser; will be awake hours before anyone else, sitting at kitchen table and going through the Bingo Book for possible bounties to go after in his free time. Might spend some time chatting with the ever-awake Sasori, or sometimes Konan, as they’re the only ones in the Akatsuki that Kakuzu views as having the same kind of calm level-headedness as himself. Isn’t really a big morning-eater but will snack on a variety of berries or maybe a salad; after all these things are heart-healthy and Kakuzu’s got more than the average person, to take care of. However is a huge coffee-drinker and can (and has) go(ne) through an entire pot before anyone else even gets up. He’s a nighttime vs day showerer, so his only bathroom routine usually consists of brushing teeth and combing hair (which is surprisingly long for a man his age). Or, if the coffee catches up to him, spends a good amount of time with the newspaper, “dropping the kids off at the pool”.

Zetsu

Zetsu is rarely “home” at the same time everyone else is, so nobody is really sure of his morning routine. Actually ... nobody is even sure if he sleeps. There’s a lot about Zetsu that nobody is quite 100% sure on, and nobody is eager to find out, either.

Tobi/Obito

Once ready for his own day, Deidara will take on much of a parent’s role in Obito’s morning routine. Not necessarily because he wants to, or because he cares, but because Pein has (unfairly) made it clear that the orange-masked idiot is more or less Deidara’s “responsibility”. Tobi can wake up on his own, which is a plus; but after that it’s an endless litany of Deidara’s voice: “Did you brush your teeth?” “Did you wash your face?” “You’ve got stains all over your shirt; go change your clothes, hm!” However, once the bathroom door is shut, Obito can emerge, and it’s the only time of the day he can truly be himself. He’ll brush his soft hair, he’ll clean and floss his perfect teeth. He’ll stare at himself in the mirror for an infinite amount of time agonizing over the ruined side of his face ... He’ll also vigorously wash the inside and outside of his mask, with soap. When everything’s finished, he’ll put Tobi back on and race to the kitchen, begging Konan (or whoever else is in there) to make him pancakes. His energy will be found annoying (or intolerable) by some of the grumpier members, and will be told repeatedly to “Shut up, kid!”

Pein

Gods don’t sleep, therefore such a thing as getting up in the morning does not exist for Pein. Will only come out of his room once everyone else is awake, to assign missions or tasks for the day.

Konan

Konan is the embodiment of “Don’t talk to me before I’ve had my coffee.” Is very disciplined so will wake on on her own, and EARLY, but is an extremely reluctant riser. It was agreed from the beginning that, being the only woman, Konan would be the only member of the Akatsuki to have her own bathroom. Which is good, because Konan shudders at the thought of anyone seeing her in the morning before she’s done her hair and makeup. Is one of the few members that showers exclusively in the mornings; she can’t start the day without feeling that blast of scarily-hot water on her skin. Also likes to get in a bit of exercise, such as stretching and yoga. If ahead of his own schedule, Tobi will join her for the yoga, as he’s one of the more flexible members of the whole bunch. If in a charitable mood, will make breakfast for everyone, receiving probably the only sincere Thank You’s that any of them have ever uttered.

Kisame

Kisame is half-shark, and therefore does not have the same sort of sleeping routine that full humans do. He will have periods of rest throughout the entire day, as well as at night, but there’s never a time when he goes into a full, deep, out-of-it slumber. In the very early hours of the morning, if not otherwise engaged, he seeks out the nearest freshwater source and goes for a vigorous (and naked) swim. Spends so much time in the water that he sees no need for human trivialities like bathing; although he HAS picked up the habit of brushing his teeth. If somebody has made breakfast at the hideout he will eat it; otherwise he prefers to (again) find a water source, prey on smaller fish, and eat them, raw. Sometimes (although this is very rare) he’ll spend a morning in his room simply reading and sipping tea. He likes to read nature and animal-based books and magazines, and has an insatiable curiosity for learning about other species.

Itachi

An early riser by habit. Has a strong internal clock, and will know what time it is just based on the color of the air coming through the window. Spends his first half-hour of wakefulness in meditation, as it helps to center him for the day ahead. Like Kisame, he is a reader, and might spend some of his morning in the company of a good book. Another daylight-showerer. Spends more time on his hair than one would suspect; the only luxuries he allows himself in life are expensive shampoos, conditioners, and hair cream. Prefers his solitude until called upon to go on a mission, but will have rare bouts of wanting to be around the others, so might join for breakfast. Sometimes he will help Konan prepare it, as he’s a very good cook. Is also the unwitting problem-solver of the group; in the mornings, his door will be knocked on more than anybody else’s, from those seeking his opinion or advice.

#the akatsuki #morning routine #konan #pein #deidara #sasori #hidan #kakuzu #tobi #obito #zetsu #itachi uchiha #kisame

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bloomingtalent · 3 years

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She didn't feel as rested as she wanted to be and it showed in her steps, in her strikes and in how she had trouble concentrating. Sleep might've come easier to her recently but she still had bad nights from time to time, waking up in the middle of the night either due to a bad dream or because she didn't feel as sleepy for a reason she didn't know herself. Letting out a yawn, she stopped her training, picked up her bag from the ground and started to move back towards Konoha. She had tried training with her team in the training grounds but she had been too distracted, always feeling that there was someone else around so she tried training in the forests outside the Leaf today but this didn't go too well either. She has had this strange feeling of seeing someone or something for a few days now, only catching a glimpse of red armor or feet moving rapidly in the distance and she had always dismissed these sightings as either hallucinations due to lack of sleep or the effects of the war. After all this time, she still hurt from what happened in war, whether it was mentally or emotionally. Neji died, her family was still distant to her and life wasn't the same anymore. She wondered if it'd ever go back to the way it was!

Suddenly, the sound of a snapping twig caught her attention and she turned back to see the thing that she had been seeing these past few days passing her by in a blur. But due to the much closer distance, she could actually make out a few features: the hair and the crimson eyes glancing her way - and for a moment, she stood frozen in shock. One second was all it took for Hinata to take a look at the face - the face of a past she was still trying to forget! It was Madara Uchiha! Her mind tried processing what she just saw but it didn't make any sense to her! He was dead! A hand went to her forehead before she shook her head! This was impossible! She was just...seeing things. He wasn't real. And with slight relief, she continued on her way back.

But this wasn't the last time she saw him. The same face greeted her two more times: Once in her own yard as she passed it to exit the Hyuga compound and one more time when she came back from a mission in Suna. And it started to worry her! Maybe she should stop going on missions for some time.

Another day passed and she was surprisingly called to the Hokage's office to investigate something similar: Someone had claimed to have seen Madara in Kumogakure and it was speculated that this could be the workings of the Edo Tensei jutsu. This wasn't in any way better than the illusions she's seen or the possibility of Madara being indeed alive or perhaps even Obito in disguise. So the Hokage has requested her to go investigate immediately and while she wasn't very happy on doing this mission, she couldn't just turn it down. So with a bow, she left the office and went home to prepare a bag with necessities. This took about 20 minutes and soon, she was already out of the village, hoping that this mission wasn't what she thought it was and that the person having seen Madara was just as broken from the war as she was.

@ethcria

#ethcria #rp #naruto rp #hope this is ok #:)

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kusunogatari · 4 years

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[ ObiRyū October | Day Eleven | Barbeque ] [ @abyssaldespair ] [ Uchiha Obito, Suigin Ryū, Hatake Kakashi, Nohara Rin, Jiraiya, Uzumaki Naruto ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ Vulgarity ]

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It’s become a bit of a tradition. The last day of Summer break, before everyone heads back to school, there’s a neighborhood get-together for all of the students, no matter their grade. Hosted at the largest house on the end of the street (which also happens to have an in-ground swimming pool), it’s one of the most anticipated days of the year, even though the day after is rather depressing.

The parents might even enjoy it more than the kids at that point, gaining their school year freedom with their kids shipped off for each weekday.

Though she used to be more into the participation aspect, as a senior in high school now, Ryū is pretty much part of the planning and executing committee alongside her father as hosts. The day before, she helps in pre-preparing all of the food for the barbeque, ensuring the pool is up to snuff and stocked with toys and supplies, and tidying up the yard to place all the outdoor furniture.

“How’s it looking out here?” Jiraiya asks from the porch.

Ryū, down below, is hosing off the dust from all of the lawn chairs. “Good! Almost done! How’s the menu? Do we need to get anything else?”

“We’ve got enough hamburgers and hotdogs to feed an army!” he replies with a signature grin. “Add in the chips and dip, the beans, and the drinks, and we’re good to go. I got a bit more than last year just to be sure. We can always have leftovers for a day or two!”

“Sounds good to me!”

“Pool partyyy!”

Seeing her little brother come flying out the back door, Ryū manages to drop the hose and scoop him up, twirling to help with his momentum. “Not until tomorrow! And you know you can’t go in the pool without your water wings, Naruto! It’s not safe!”

“But I wanna swim!” the four year old rebukes, cheeks puffed in indignation.

“You can! Tomorrow. I thought you were helping Dad in the kitchen, huh?”

“That’s boring,” the little blond mutters. “I don’t wanna make food, I wanna eat it!”

Ryū just laughs. “But you have to make food before you can eat it!”

“Nuh uh, that’s adults’ job!”

Grey eyes roll. “Well you’ll have to cook when you’re an adult, then. And you better learn how before then, huh? Or you won’t know how!”

Still struggling in her grip, Naruto grunts and drops the subject. “Lemme down!”

“Do you promise not to go in the pool?”

“Yeah, I promise!”

“Okay. Go back inside, it’s almost dark.”

Clearly displeased, he nonetheless follows her orders, dragging his bare feet the whole way.

She sighs, then looks over her handiwork. Seems everything on her list is done. The plastic furniture will dry overnight, so she shuts off the hose and then closes the cover on the pool. One last sweep, then inside she goes to help with dinner.

“Excited for tomorrow?” Jiraiya asks, still in the kitchen.

“Yeah! But I’m sad it’ll be the last one for me…”

“Nonsense! You can still participate while you’re in college, kiddo. And then you’ll just be one of the adults dragging your kiddos over, hm?”

Ryū gives him a look. “Getting a bit ahead of yourself, aren’t you?”

“What, I’m not allowed to tease you about grandkids?”

“You don’t need any for a while, you’ve got Naruto to worry about!”

“And he’s gonna need some kiddos to play with!”

She groans, bringing out more supplies from the fridge. “Oh my gosh, Dad…”

He gives a booming laugh. “You’ll get baby fever one of these days. Just do me a favor and finish college first, that’s all I ask.”

“I haven’t even dated anyone yet,” she counters, grinning.

“Much to my disappointment. I haven’t gotten to give anyone the tough, intimidating dad talk yet! I’ve been practicing!”

And so the banter goes as they cook, finishing and calling Naruto down for dinner. After dishes are done, Ryū retreats to her room and her computer. Social media is little more than everyone groaning about heading back to class, and seniors in particular being “so done” with high school already.

Scrolling through her feed, Ryū smiles softly at a post from Rin. Seems she and Kakashi went to the beach today, if her selfie is anything to go by. She’s already confirmed they’re both coming tomorrow. Technically Rin lives a few streets over, but...best friends get to bend the rules. And Kakashi is a few houses down. Then there’s some younger students, like grade schooler Itachi and his little brother Sasuke, who’s best friends with Naruto. Quite a few of his soon-to-be classmates tend to come over, too. Ryū often has to corral them all herself, the self-appointed babysitter.

Rin teases her about it and her mother nature. “Sure you don’t wanna be a daycare worker or something? You’d be great at it! Kids love you.”

“Not sure my energy levels could survive it,” she’d countered with a grin. As much as she likes kids...they’re a ton of work. She gets enough of that handling Naruto whenever she’s home to deal with her godbrother.

Otherwise her feed is just the typical, and Ryū soon abandons it for a bit of game-playing until bedtime. Already she’s prepared for both tomorrow and the day after: the last first day back of high school.

But it still takes her a little while to fall asleep, thinking it all over. Despite Jiraiya’s reassurances otherwise, something still feels really...final about tomorrow. Another stepping stone she won’t be able to come back to. Another year ending, and one beginning.

Either way, she can’t stop the passage of time.

Come morning, she wakes groggy, her lying awake meaning a slow start. No one is supposed to arrive until noon, so at least she has some buffer before having to handle anyone beyond her dad and brother. Breakfast is slogged down with many a yawn before changing into her outfit for the day.

Given there’s going to be swimming, she puts on her suit first: a longline bikini top and a skirt over the bottom piece until she actually decides to take a plunge. Her hair she ties up in a tail, a few shorter locks framing her face alongside her bangs.

By then, she’s finally fully awake, heading back downstairs to help Jiraiya with the last few finishing touches.

“How’s it looking down here?”

“So far so good! You got a lot done last night, thanks.”

Smiling at the praise, Ryū then glances up at a familiar voice. “Rin!”

Grinning ear to ear, the little brunette rushes into the yard, hopping up to cling to her taller friend. “Hiii! Hope you don’t mind that we’re early?”

“Not at all!” Holding Rin up, Ryū just nods to Kakashi rather than wave. “I can’t get over how tan you are. How many times did you go to the beach this Summer?”

“A few,” Rin replies coyly, letting herself be put down onto the grass. “Look, even ‘kashi has a bit of a tan line! And he’s always pale!”

Sighing lightly at his girlfriend’s antics, Kakashi lets her do as she pleases, lifting his sleeve to show the slight change in tone beneath it.

Ryū just laughs. And is then promptly cut off by Naruto running and crashing into Kakashi head-on.

“Oof!”

The girls giggle, Naruto throwing a slew of questions at the teens. As some of his late father’s favorite students at the high school he taught at, Rin and Kakashi are rather close to the little Uzumaki.

“Look how tall you’re getting, Naruto!” Rin praises, scooping him up. “You’re almost as tall as me, aren’t you?”

“He’s got a ways to go yet,” Ryū replies. Rin may be short, but not that short.

“You must be eating your vegetables like I told you to, huh?”

The blond sticks out his tongue. “No way!”

From there, once noon strikes, people begin filing in. All of the neighborhood children and their parents arrive, the large rear yard filling. Ryū opens the pool and it floods with splashing and squealing kids, all watched over carefully by a rotating squad of adults.

Ryū bustles around helping, distributing food and drinks while checking to make sure no one is missing anything. In between, she chats with others from her class, all smiles.

But eventually she notices something seems...off about Rin.

“Hey, you okay?”

She jumps a bit, turning to Ryū sheepishly. “Well, I uh...I might’ve invited somebody.”

“That’s okay! They not here yet?”

“No...I’m afraid he won’t show up...he seemed kinda on the fence about it.”

Ryū’s head tilts curiously. “Too shy, or…?”

“Yeah. And he, um…” Rin bites her lip. “...it’s kinda hard to explain. He’s not very...popular. He tends to butt heads with people sometimes…?”

“Uh, okay…” Ryū can’t help but hesitate. Is this going to cause any problems, or…?

“Maybe he won’t come. I was hoping he would so he could try and ease into things, y’know?”

“Is he new?”

“Well, no. But he had to change schools for a while.”

Something starts to click in Ryū’s head. “...wait...you mean Obito? The one who got in that accident?”

“Yeah! He’s been in a, um...a different school since he fell so behind after the wreck. And it...didn’t go well. Apparently it was pretty rough…”

“...I see…”

“But he’s able to come back this year to graduate with us, if all goes well! So I wanted him to come and sort of...reintroduce himself, you know?”

Ryū nods. “That’s fine.” She remembers that kid, vaguely. Ryū had mostly hung out with Rin back then, mostly only catching glimpses of him back when he’d try to woo her friend. But, well...Rin’s got a boyfriend now, so she doesn’t have much to go off of.

“Just, um...he’s a little rough around the edges now, if...you catch my drift. He had to be, after dealing with all those jerks.”

“Well, so long as he doesn’t cause any trouble, I don’t mind. Let me know if he shows up, and I’ll -”

“Oh! There he is!”

Jolting, Ryū follows Rin’s pointing finger to a figure coming down the sidewalk. His posture is slightly hunched, dressed in an outfit that makes her want to start sweating. Full pants, full shirt...he’s got to be dying! But as he gets closer, Ryū gets the feeling she understands why.

A myriad of scars pepper one side of his face, and she can see them go down under his shirt. Probably from the accident, then...he must want to keep them covered up. His posture is defensive, as though he expects to be attacked at any moment. And when he meets her eyes, there’s a weight behind his gaze she can’t identify...but immediately sympathizes with.

“Obito!” Rin calls in greeting, moving to the fence. A few people stop at her voice, looking to the newcomer uncertainty. “Hey, hey! Remember her?”

Ryū follows, feeling a bit unsure. “Hey,” she greets, flashing a tentative smile.

“This is her house! Remember what I was telling you?”

Obito’s eyes flicker over the property, and Ryū feels a sudden surge of self consciousness.

“I remember,” he replies, tone a bit awkward.

“It’s been a long time,” Ryū offers, trying to be friendly. “I’m glad you get to come back this year! I’m sure a lot of people miss you.”

“I doubt it.”

The girls exchange an awkward glance.

“Well...feel free to come in, if you’d like! Dad’s still barbecuing if you’re hungry. He’s a really good cook.”

“Oh please, we all know you prep the food and he just cooks it,” Rin laughs.

“Well, still!”

“...Obito?”

All three of them pause as Kakashi steps up.

“...Kakashi.”

“I...didn’t know you were coming.”

“Rin invited me.”

The couple exchange a look, and Ryū can’t help a small grimace. Seems that particular decision wasn’t discussed.

“...didn’t know that either,” Kakashi replies coolly.

“Didn’t know it was your business who she talks to.”

“So, uh -?” Ryū tries to cut in, only to be drowned out.

“I like to know who my girlfriend talks to, sure. That a problem?”

“Kakashi, please,” Rin murmurs. “Let’s not do this now, okay? Obito’s free to be here. Ryū said so.”

The boys stare at each other a long moment.

“...you’re right. Enjoy the party,” Kakashi then relents before an arm around Rin’s shoulder steers her away.

...well that was awkward.

Nervously itching her arm, Ryū mumbles, “...sorry about that…”

“It’s not your fault,” Obito retorts bluntly. “He’s always been an asshole. Not sure what Rin sees in him.”

“...guess we all have our reasons.”

“I can leave if you want.”

“Wh-? No! Please stay,” Ryū cuts in, her expression falling. “...really, it’s fine. You’re more than welcome here. If Kakashi’s going to be an ass, then...let him. But don’t let that turn you away, okay?” She softens. “...I know it can’t be easy coming back here after so long, so...maybe it would be good to sort of...take today as a test run…?”

Obito sighs, hands in his pockets. “Not sure it’ll make any difference. Everyone’s got their opinions already.”

“...maybe so. But, if it means anything...I’d like to get to know you again.” She offers a smile. “It’s been a long time, and...we didn’t know each other that well before. Maybe this is a good excuse to...try again?”

He looks her over suspiciously before softening a few degrees. “...all right.”

Her smile grows. “Okay! Hungry?”

“...yeah, a little.”

“Come on, we’ve got a whole barbeque going. It’s really good!” Ryū opens the little gate into the yard, letting him through. “So, hamburger or hotdog?”

“...hamburger, I guess.”

“Okay - we’ve got a whole bunch of chip types, too. And beans! We go all-out every Summer for today, so take as much as you want!”

As they approach the table where Jiraiya is serving, Ryū notices a momentary look on Obito’s face: one that says he’s far hungrier than he’s letting on.

...it makes her hesitate, a suspicion growing in her mind. But for now, she lets it slide. “Dad! Got a fresh burger? We’ve got a new arrival!”

Jiraiya looks up. “Sure! Just a minute, almost done with another wave!”

“You can pick all your condiments in the meantime,” Ryū offers with a smile.

A bit hesitant, Obito takes a plate and sheepishly prepares a bun. A mountain of chips follows, along with several scoops of beans.

Watching from over the top of the grill, Jiraiya exchanges a knowing glance with his daughter.

“Ryū, you want to eat? You’ve been running around all day!”

“Okay, sure. One more for me, then!”

“Coming right up.”

Taking up her own plate, Ryū stacks it high. She has indeed been busy up until now. Then Jiraiya gives them each a patty.

“Enjoy!”

“Where do you want to sit?”

“...uh…” Obito glances around.

“We can sit along the poolside if you want and put our feet in! It’s such a pretty day...and all the little kids are out now, so we shouldn’t get splashed!”

“...sure.”

Ryū leads the way, slipping off her sandals and sitting along the pool’s edge. Feet lazily kick through the water. Beside her, Obito kicks off his sneakers, rolling up his pant legs slightly to do the same.

“That’s better, huh?”

He doesn’t reply. Seems he’s too preoccupied with his plate full of food. Obito scarfs it all down like he hasn’t eaten in days. Teenage boys tend to have voracious appetites, but…

Well, she was going to try and talk to him, but...he’s clearly got other priorities. So Ryū goes ahead and eats too, watching as Kakashi and Rin, and Asuma and Kurenai start a water battle. The girls sit on the boys’ shoulder, trying to topple one another over.

“Gonna join in?”

She gives a start at the sudden question. “Huh?”

Obito nods to the pool, chewing another bite before swallowing. “You’ve got your suit on, right?”

“Oh...well, um…” There’s a sheepish pause. “I don’t...have anyone to play that with. But I might swim a bit after my food settles.”

His brow furrows at her answer, but he doesn’t rebuke. “...so how long have Rin and Kakashi been a thing?”

“...two years now, I think? It...took a while. According to Rin, Kakashi was worried about dating affecting his grades and time to work on school stuff.”

Obito scoffs. “Typical. He’s still top of the class anyway, right?”

“Er...yeah. Always has been.”

That earns a sigh. “Mister perfect...gets the girl, gets the grades…”

Unsure what to say, Ryū glances down sheepishly to her plate.

“Heads up!”

Jolting, Ryū barely has time to shout in surprise as Rin and Kakashi’s tower falls toward them. Rin tumbles forward, but Kakashi slams back against them. Water rushes over the pair of them with shocked gasps.

“God damn it, Kakashi!” Obito yells, struggling to his feet.

“It was an accident, Obito!” Kakashi counters, already crossing back to the other side of the pool and ignoring him.

“I’m soaked! You stupid -!”

Looking up at Obito’s strange, sudden silence, Ryū gasps - he’s gone rigid, clearly having some kind of attack. Balance lost, he topples head-first into the pool.

“Obito!” Slipping in over the side, Ryū finds a grip under his arms, hauling his head back above the water to let him gasp for air.

Immediately, the others react. Kakashi and Asuma help lift him up to the concrete walkway around the pool, Ryū turning him on his side in case he needs to cough up any more water. Fishing around in his pockets, she finds what she thought she’d find: a sealed pill bottle. Thankfully it was closed tight enough no water got in. She fishes out a tablet, stuffing it into Obito’s mouth. “Swallow!”

He does so with a little difficulty. And after a painful minute, his body starts to relax.

By then, several adults including Jiriaya have gathered around, the latter looking gravely serious. “Let’s get him inside and dried off.”

As the rest of the teens linger in the pool, shocked, Ryū follows in her father’s shadow. In another room, he trades Obito’s soaked clothes for some spares of his own, throwing the rest into the dryer. Obito is then laid on a couch to regain his head.

Ryū sits right beside him, brows pinched with worry. Her hands fiddle subconsciously with the bottle.

Slowly, color comes back to his cheeks, breathing regulating. His foggy gaze refocuses, and it turns to Ryū. “...h-how did you -?”

“I, um...I-I’d like to be a nurse, so...I read a lot of medical junk online,” she admits softly, a bit sheepish. “So I kinda...knew what to look for. It’s a good thing you had these on you.”

“...good thing you knew what to do with them,” he sighs, head rolling back to stare at the ceiling.

“...you okay?”

“...I will be. Thanks for, uh…” He pauses awkwardly. “...saving my ass.”

“Of course...I’m just glad you’re all right.” After a moment, she hands him the bottle, which he keeps clutched in a hand. “...is that...because of your accident?”

A gusty sigh escapes him. “...yeah. Happens randomly, but...especially when I get stressed.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Not your fault.”

“No, but...I still feel bad. Maybe I...should have let you go home.”

His eyes flicker to their corners at her. “...I’m glad I stayed.”

In turn, she looks up from her lap in surprise.

“Well...hopefully I won’t be too stiff tomorrow. I tend to get locked up after one of these…”

“Maybe you can call the school and -?”

“They don’t care. I’ll be fine.”

“...but -?”

“It’s fine. I’ll live.”

Given all she’s learned (and guessed) about Obito today, Ryū feels her heart clenching for him. The poor guy… “...well, if you need any help, just let me know...okay? I’d be happy to.”

“...thanks.”

By then, the day begins to wind down, and guests start filtering back out the way they came. Near the end, Rin and Kakashi come in.

“...you okay?” Rin asks, wringing her hands.

“Fine.”

“...sorry about all that,” Kakashi mumbles.

“Wouldn’t kill you to be more careful,” Obito counters with a glance.

Kakashi has no rebuke.

“Well, we’ll...see you guys tomorrow,” Rin then offers, still looking nervous.

“Bye guys.” Ryū gives a little wave, watching them go.

“I should head home, too.”

“You sure? Can we give you a lift back?”

“No, I -”

“I’d be happy to. It’d save you the walking.”

“It’ll be good for me to stretch my legs.”

“You won’t, um...there’s no chance you’ll relapse on the way?”

“Probably not.”

Ryū nibbles her lip. “...can I...give you my number, and you can let me know you make it back in one piece?”

“My phone got soaked.”

Oh. “...do you have a landline at home you can call from?”

He gives a huff of a laugh. “Stubborn, aren’t you?”

Her cheeks tinge pink. “...yes.”

“All right, fine. If that’ll stop your mother henning, so be it.”

Ryū walks with him out to the road, watching him like a hawk. “Be careful on your way.”

“Will do. Thanks for the food.”

“...thanks for staying.”

He nods, giving a salute before heading down the sidewalk.

After a pause, Ryū calls, “See you tomorrow?”

Obito stops, looking back. “...yeah!”

A small smile pulls at her lips. Well...maybe today wasn’t a total disaster.

Phew, just barely got this done. Weekend was busier and more exhausting than I figured, so this is...late :’D But better late than never. I wanted to base this in Obito’s bully verse, but idk if I really wrote it well kjdfdkjhg so forgive me, I’m not very learned in writing that kind of thing lol I guess otherwise I...dunno what else to say? I’m very tired :’D Thanks for reading!

#obiryū october #abyssaldespair #uchiha obito #suigin ryū #hatake kakashi #nohara rin #jiraiya #uzumaki naruto #best years of your life [ au ]#vulgarity //

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this-is-my-canon · 4 years

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My @kakaobiweek prompt for today, Cyberpunk

Eyes Toward the Future

Read it on Ao3 here

There were sparks. He was hurt. Blinding flashes had erased all trace of the neon green lights surrounding the warehouse. Gunshots blasted in a deafening cacophony.

This is all Kakashi remembers as he opens his eyes.

His lashes flicker, creating black striations in his vision before the red glow of the room comes into view. Everything is basked in this light, though no form triggers a memory. Machines appearing to be long retired from use surround him with a layer of dust coating them in the mysterious red haze. Kakashi coughs, realizes his ribs are bruised, and tries to rub the aggravated spot.

He can’t move.

As his head lolls on his shoulders, Kakashi gasps. His senses heighten in an instant, brought on by the programming implanted in him. The rank smell of a wet atmosphere and metallic scent of blood fills his nose. Shrouded silhouettes in the distance come into focus, moving toward him. His programming which should’ve allowed this level of clarity before now must’ve been disabled when this all happened.

When this...all happened.

[[MORE]]

His eyes go wide as his gaze sweeps the floor. Bodies litter the cement, shrouded in shadows, but still recognizable in their distinct markings and masks. Kakashi’s team. All of Team Ro accounted for, and their captain suspended by wires, held in a warehouse, accompanied by the hollow laughter of the approaching figures.

He remembers the mission.

To hunt and capture or possibly disable the rogue cyborg threatening Konoha and its infrastructure, along with the people who live here. The Third hadn’t expected them to find the Madara Uchiha himself in this location, or there would have been reinforcements. Kakashi’s team hadn't stood a chance.

“Kakashi Hatake.” The first dark figure emerges from the shadows and peels back his hood to reveal a face framed by a mass of dark disheveled hair, lined with rivets where his cybernetic parts intersect with the human skin with which he was born. His eyes swirl grey and glow as they scan and record Kakashi’s every movement. “I’m surprised your leaders managed to find us. And they sent you.”

Kakashi tries to raise his head to meet those threatening eyes, and then thinks better of it. “Madara...Uchiha.”

He groans as the muscles in his arms and back protest, strained by his current position. His grimace doesn’t go unnoticed, and there’s something like a considerate hum from Madara before the other figure steps forward, patting Kakashi’s cheek with a mockery of fondness.

“Stupid, loyal Kakashi.”

His voice runs through Kakashi like ice. Kakashi doesn’t need the enhancements to pinpoint it. It’s a voice he’s heard since he was a child, which has changed and molded into something ominous and so very different over the years. With its newly acquired robotic undertones, Kakashi only recognizes it now because of how intimately he used to know its owner.

As Obito lifts his hood to reveal a face even more augmented than the voice, Kakashi turns away. He is forced by a cold, metallic hand on his chin to face Obito again. Obito, who once was a child just like him, a child of Konoha and the closest thing Kakashi ever had to a friend, now a cyborg with a grudge, an enemy of the state. His facial structure is relatively unchanged, but his eyes blaze red and swirl as they lock with Kakashi’s. Like his hand, his arm is a metallic structure that looks like it had never been human. Kakashi suspects there is more alteration beneath the clothing, but he’d rather not have his suspicions confirmed. Obito is with Madara. Kakashi doesn't need to know anything more about him.

“You still think they’re right,” Obito says with a sneer before releasing Kakashi’s chin so suddenly he feels his neck jerk and spring back.

Kakashi coughs as his body quivers under the strain. “You won’t get away with what you’re doing forever.”

Madara laughs. “And what does Konoha think we’re doing?”

Obito raises his hand to Madara and gives him a look that begs permission. Madara doesn’t say a word, but Kakashi knows they’re communicating. They have to be linked. The Third had discovered long ago that this was how Madara and his people remained undetected for so long. Any other form of communication, and the ANBU would have had them monitored and found.

After a long moment, Madara raises a brow and looks Kakashi over. “If you think this is wise…”

“Wise?” Obito says with a shrug, approaching Kakashi until they are eye to distinctly red and terrifying eye. “Do I do anything because it’s wise?”

Kakashi recoils from him, unable to extend the gap between them. “If you’re going to kill me, Obito, get it over with.”

Obito snorts. “I’m not killing you, Kakashi. Where would be the fun in that?”

Madara folds his arms across his chest in a grand gesture. “You’ll be our messenger.”

Kakashi struggles with his restraints, deciding whatever they have planned, it can’t be good. His system has had its chance to recharge by now, at least enough to afford him the strength he needs to break free. And he does. The cables around his wrists snap before he drops to the cement floor, his ankles buckling at the impact. He doesn’t take a second to revel in the pain, but scrambles to get away. Obito and Madara both will be nearly impossible to escape, but he has to try.

He runs, throwing busted machines behind him to slow his pursuers, who don’t make nearly as much noise as he expects them to. His eye catches sight of a vertical sliver of sunlight - a doorway. When he reaches for it, everything goes black. Gravity pulls him down and a soft shroud closes tightly around his face until it is near suffocating.

“Soon you’ll see this world as I do,” Obito’s voice rings through his ears before something hits him at the base of the skull.

And then darkness.

———

When Kakashi wakes, he recognizes the familiar comfort of his own bed. He opens his eyes to see the utilitarian room with more clarity and crisp edges than ever before. The cracks along his plastered ceiling, the metallic sheen of his chrome headboard, the blades of the ceiling fan spinning above all vividly clear. When his TV comes on across the room, attuned to his consciousness, the sound is familiar, but the multicolored lights bouncing off the screen are more vivid and with a wider spectrum than Kakashi has ever seen.

Kakashi sits up as a weather man announces Konoha’s weather for the day and signs off for a word from their sponsor, and instantly plops back down. He feels weak, more drained than ever, in spite of apparently waking from sleep. He tries to remember how he got here, but all he can remember is Obito’s altered voice in his ear.

He surges his power, willing himself out of bed with the reserves he has in store. He feels like shit as he pads barefoot across the creaking floorboards, walking like a zombie. Maybe he is a zombie, he thinks briefly as he turns the corner for his bathroom. That would send a message to Konoha.

When he braces two hands on his bathroom sink, glad he’s made it here, Kakashi breathes out and wills his stomach to stop churning. He can’t remember feeling so awful in his life, and he’s had plenty of close calls as one of the Third’s most active ANBU. He raises heavy eyes to the mirror and falters. His knees give out from under him and he drops as he processes what he saw during the momentary glimpse of his reflection. His razor clinks to the floor, batted off the sink’s edge by his arm in the fall. Toilet paper rolls across the bathroom floor, a banner of white across the peeling green linoleum. Kakashi’s hands are shaking as he latches onto the sink’s edges again, determined to face himself in the mirror and confront whatever he sees, whether it was real or not.

As he rises, he takes a deep breath and absorbs what he sees with a stoic expression. His left eye has changed. It matches Obito’s, a whirl of red in complete contrast to Kakashi’s dark grey on the right. And this explains the clarity, the wider spectrum of color, the way he recalls the recent visual of the flashing television lights with a kind of precision he’s never had before. Madara wanted to send a message to Konoha. Kakashi leans forward, pulls his lower lid down with his fingertip to expose the organic inner lining around new inorganic material, inspects it closer, and wonders what message this will send.

“Captain.”

Tenzo’s voice comes from the speaker beside his mirror. Kakashi is thankful he doesn’t have the camera turned on. He doesn’t want to explain this just yet. If he had any choice, he wouldn’t explain this at all. It’s bad enough he has to explain what became of his team and his mission. He’ll have to face Tenzo, the one member on his team who hadn’t been sent into that slaughter, and admit to him how he’s failed all of them.

Kakashi bows his head and curses under his breath.

“Are you there?”

“What, Tenzo?” Kakashi says into his sink, his strained voice echoing off the porcelain.

“Right. Uh. How was…” He pauses. “Never mind. You’re late for your report to Lord Third.” Another pause. “Captain.”

Kakashi sighs. “I heard you. I’m coming.”

His eyes look back at him from the mirror. One composed of his genetic material, the other fashioned by illegal cybertech, gifted to him by Obito Uchiha. He doesn’t know what Madara and Obito are planning with this. He’s hesitant to enter the Tower with this eye. Obito said Kakashi would soon see this world as he does. Whatever Obito sees, Kakashi isn’t letting him see behind the walls of Konoha’s leadership. He reaches into the bureau drawer slotted open outside of his bathroom and pulls from it a leather strap.

It’ll suffice.

——-

When Kakashi crosses through the security checkpoint of the Tower, the alarms, unsurprisingly, blare. The eye has set it off. Unsanctioned cybertech is forbidden in their leader’s headquarters, but Lord Third does want to see Kakashi. Judging by the last urgent message, Kakashi will be drowning in heaps of paperwork for not showing sooner. The eye and him are inseparable at this point though, so he proceeds forward until another ANBU in uniform puts his hand on Kakashi’s chest. Kakashi looks first at the hand, then sends the rookie a glare.

The ANBU behind the machine speaks first. “What do you have there, Captain Hatake?”

Kakashi pats the pack on his hip the woman is eyeing. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“We can’t let-“

“Let him pass,” Tenzo calls from the lighted hallway. When Kakashi looks ahead, Tenzo is jogging toward them. “He’s beyond late for this meeting. Lord Third will have my head if I don’t get my Captain in his office.”

“But-“ the rookie reluctantly backs off as Tenzo pushes his way forward and ushers Kakashi through with a gentle but insistent shove.

“He’s a Captain, Rookie,” the woman says, her voice fading as they acquire some distance. “Leave it alone.”

“Kakashi,” Tenzo says, “what happened?” He squints, frowning as he leans in closer. “And what’s with the-“

Kakashi slaps his hand away before Tenzo can touch the strap angled across his new eye. “Madara happened,” he says, because he knows the name is enough to keep Tenzo’s questions at bay, at least long enough to get them into Hiruzen Sarutobi’s office.

Tenzo gasps and falls into silence, though he broadcasts his anxiety and setting-in despondency loudly enough. When they reach the door, Kakashi feels dizzy. Here he will have to relive the devastation of that mission, not because he is required to report, but because Tenzo deserves to know what happened to his teammates. Konoha needs to know the whereabouts of a criminal like Madara...and Obito. Kakashi’s leadership deserves to know about his new eye and the liability he could be for the ANBU.

“Come in,” Lord Third calls from the other side of the door.

Tenzo meets Kakashi’s gaze before reaching for the handle and pushing the door open. Inside, Lord Third sits on a pillow, his feet tucked beneath him, a kimono wrapped around his person. Smoke pours from the pipe pressed between his cracked lips, clouding the flickering security screens on the ceiling in a milky haze. Two ANBU stand in the shadows at the corner of the room, as if trying to make themselves invisible.

“Ah, Tenzo,” Lord Third says, sending Tenzo a smile before raising a brow at Kakashi. “You finally found him.”

Tenzo huffs a laugh. “Yes, Lord Third.”

“Lord Third,” Kakashi says with a nod and a stilted bow. “Sorry I’m late. You see-“

“The only explanation I want to hear,” Lord Third says abruptly, waving his pipe in a wide circle in the air, “is the one regarding that failed raid. Am I correct in assuming it failed?”

“Yes.”

“And how did that-“

“It was Madara Uchiha,” Tenzo says before Kakashi gets a word in. “He was there.”

The Third’s wrinkled eyes go wide as they turn on Kakashi. “Is this true, Kakashi?”

Kakashi closes his eyes. “He killed them all. Team Ro is gone.”

He waits for the reaction, the scolding, the admonishments. When that doesn’t come, he opens his eyes to see Tenzo gazing at him with concern and Lord Third thoughtfully gnawing on his pipe.

Finally, Lord Third removes his pipe and licks his lips. “All? Except you appear to have escaped Madara unscathed, Kakashi. What aren’t you telling me?”

Kakashi flicks a glance at the ANBU to Lord Third’s right, then the one to his left. “Not quite unscathed.”

Kakashi’s hands are clasped at his front, but he unclasps them to swipe a hand across the pack at his hip. Tenzo perks a brow and meets Kakashi’s eye while Lord Third nods and hums.

“Very well,” Lord Third says before setting his pipe aside and raising both hands. “Leave us.”

“Lord Third!” The ANBU to the right gasps.

“If Captain Hatake, the man I’ve kept by my side for years, suddenly becomes a source of danger to me,” Lord Third says with a hint of mockery in his voice, “I’m sure Tenzo will come to my defense in your absence.”

Tenzo nods, and the pair of ANBU slink out behind them with wary eyes locked on Kakashi. Kakashi heaves a sigh when they’re gone. They may be right to be wary. Kakashi has to be careful here. He raises his hand to the strap covering his eye, but it trembles and lowers against his will. Swallowing his resolve, he tries again, acutely aware of the two sets of eyes intently locked on his face. When he pulls the strap free, he doesn’t immediately open the new eye along with his own. It is not because he is hesitant to reveal it, but he is hesitant of what it can do. He still doesn’t know the extent of its uses, of why Obito gave it to him, why Madara allowed it.

“Kakashi,” Lord Third says, his voice intense and hoarse. “Open your eye.”

He obliges against his better judgement, because his training to follow orders is that engrained at this point in his career. As he takes in the new details of the world around him, the visual cues molding the room into fine precision, he barely has to glance at the others to recognize their shock.

“Captain,” Tenzo breathes.

“A gift,” Kakashi says, tapping his eyelid as he closes the eye, “from Obito.”

“Obito Uchiha,” Lord Third says. “So he was there, too.”

Kakashi hums his agreement.

“Why?” Tenzo blurts. Kakashi shoots him a one-eyed, questioning glance. “Why would he give you...is that...his?”

Kakashi presses his lips into a hard line as Tenzo’s question sinks in, confirming what Kakashi hasn’t even acknowledged to himself that he suspected. And though he hasn’t taken the time to think about it before now, he knows the answer instantly. Flashes of images from places he has never been. Madara Uchiha’s smile looking almost fond. His own eyes, looking back at him from a face full of judgement. These are all in his head, loaded from the memory contained in the eye.

It is his.

Kakashi shrugs and releases a sigh. “He said, soon you’ll see this world as I do.”

“And Madara agreed to this?” Lord Third says.

Kakashi hardens his gaze and meets the old man’s eyes. “I think he plans to use me to infiltrate the ANBU. Lord Third-“

Tenzo gasps and rushes forward. “If he can penetrate our defenses, Konoha will be lost! We can’t-“

“You should remove me from duty,” Kakashi says with regret, shying away from Lord Third’s penetrating gaze. “At least for now.”

“On the contrary,” Lord Third says, making Kakashi snap his gaze back to the old man with both eyes open, “I think we can use this to our advantage.”

Kakashi balks. “Lord Third.”

“Think of the tech, what it can do for Konoha.”

Kakashi closes his eyes, retiring his argument. There is no doubt cybertech can aid Konoha in its battles, and Kakashi will figure out how to manipulate it in no time, as he masters everything else rapidly. It goes against Konoha’s principles, though. This cybertech is part of the very illegal technology they’re fighting against. It dehumanizes its user. It comes with as many flaws and disadvantages as it has advantages. It is dangerous and reckless. But apparently, Kakashi will be using it.

He sighs. “Yes, Lord Third.”

“But the security!” Tenzo interjects.

“I’ll leave that in the ANBU’s hands,” Lord Third says with a proud smile as he reaches for his pipe. “Kakashi, I can’t have you reporting here anymore with that eye. You won’t make it through security and-“

“I’d rather not give Madara the chance to record anything,” Kakashi finishes.

Lord Third nods. “Right. Tenzo will be the go-between. He will contact you with your next mission. And Kakashi. Tenzo.” His voice is solemn as he looks up to meet their eyes. “I’m sorry about your team. Those men and women served Konoha well.”

Kakashi inhales. His chest feels like it’s laced with barbed wire. “Thank you.”

He bows his head as he leaves the office with a solemn Tenzo, who has no words for what’s transpired. Kakashi is relieved about that. He would rather not talk about this. He has cybertech to master. He has new missions to pursue. He will use the illegal implant in his head for the good of Konoha.

——-

The fight against illegal technology wages on in the months to follow. Kakashi is constantly drained by the power of the Sharingan, the tech he now is known far and wide to have mastered. It eats away at his reserves with every use, yet has carried him through close calls more times than he can count. It aids him in the assassinations of conspirators and their families. It aids him time and time again when his teammates fall. Some days, he doesn’t know how he considers himself to be in the right. Yet Konoha continues to make use of his skills and his illicit gift, expecting him to serve. Lord Third frequently requests Sharingan Kakashi’s assistance on the most heinous of missions. He is needed. He is valuable. He is not to step foot in the Tower, because then he would be a liability. The more he is used, the more he understands what Obito must’ve been feeling when he decided to leave Konoha. With the passage of time, Kakashi finds himself growing disillusioned with his state, his government, his leadership.

He sits at his desk now, in the dark, coming down from the adrenaline of another long day of work. An empty bowl of ramen rests beside him with neon chopsticks pointing out his window. Multicolored flashes permeate his room as the computer screen before his eyes flashes an ad with a naked, bent-over woman moaning and screaming while the man behind her slaps his skin against hers again and again, until a bottle of lube spins over them and loudly announces its addition as a new product with dance music blasting in the background. Kakashi recognizes this ad playing before his eyes, but he isn’t fully looking at it. He’s looking more at the red light reflected in the dark corner of the screen, the familiar eye staring back at him. He hunches forward, bracing his elbows on the desk and refusing to meet the eyes of his intruder. He knew he would come eventually. He is resigned to accept whatever happens next. No matter what happens, he feels he deserves it - and worse.

“Sharingan Kakashi,” Obito says, his voice a whisper in the darkness.

Kakashi raises his gaze to the new ad playing on his screen, marking a bookstore’s grand opening. This ad doesn’t have the darkness to permit him a reflection. He can turn around, or he can wait here blindly. He doesn’t move.

“Do you see now?” Obito says, closer this time.

Kakashi hangs his head and tries for a long moment not to break. He fails. A sob racks his chest as his Sharingan eye replays visuals of children smiling and accepting handouts in the slums, runaway teens escaping pursuit as a door is opened for them from a dark alley, stray cats eating from the palm of his hand. But it’s not his hand. His hands are stained with the blood of innocents. It is Obito’s hands he sees, Obito’s memories. They’ve haunted Kakashi as he’s taken them along with him on every vile mission. They’ve made Kakashi see this world more clearly than he ever has.

“Yes,” he chokes. “I’m scum. The lowest of scum. Do your worst. I won’t stop you.”

A hand lands on his shoulder and Kakashi braces for the strike that is bound to come. After seconds have passed with nothing happening, he whips his head up. He whirls around to look over his shoulder and see Obito looking down on him with one eye to match his and another to match the grey whirling tech Kakashi had seen on Madara. His mismatched eyes manage to convey pity.

“You are scum,” Obito says, his words betrayed by the note of fondness in his voice. The hard clank of steel hitting wood alerts Kakashi of the dagger set by his side. “But he trusts you. Your Sharingan can get close.”

Kakashi turns his gaze from the dagger reflecting multicolored dancing lights to the smug look on Obito’s face. It is only by use of his Sharingan that he is able to determine the emotion he sees in Obito’s eyes - not triumph, but sadness. He is sad for Kakashi, even in sight of his win.

Obito squeezes Kakashi’s shoulder. “You know what you have to do.”

Kakashi turns his eyes to the hilt of the dagger and picks it up, turns it over until it reflects a beam of light across his tiny apartment. “You think it’ll make a difference?”

“Doing away with the leadership?” Obito says with a frown and a shrug. “It’s a start. Madara has a vision. I plan to fulfill that vision.”

Kakashi gives him a wry smile. “Too bad I won’t be there to see it come to fruition.”

“You do your part,” Obito says, lowering himself to meet Kakashi eye to eye, “and I’ll do mine.”

Kakashi seizes Obito by the wrist before he can rise again and walk out of his life forever. “Stay.”

Obito eyes Kakashi’s hand and then steadily meets his gaze. “Kakashi. Stupid, loyal Kakashi.”

He leans down and pulls Kakashi in for a kiss. It is tender and gentle, not like anything Kakashi would expect from a rogue criminal. And Kakashi needs more. He grabs a fistful of Obito’s shirt and tugs him forward until their kiss is hard and bruising. Obito’s hands explore Kakashi’s body as he rises from the chair and makes way for the bed.

Because tonight may be Kakashi’s last night in this world. He has seen it clearly now, just in time to leave it, hopefully in time to leave a mark that will overshadow all the violence he has inflicted on it. He can hope for Madara’s future to be a better tomorrow. He will entrust Obito with overseeing the change, because when he is gone, Obito will remain, showing Kakashi the future through his eyes.

#kakaobiweek2020 #Kakashi Hatake #Uchiha Obito #kakaobi #fanfiction #Naruto #cyberpunk #alternate universe

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myaekingheart · 5 years

Text

44. Tsukuyomi

read the scarecrow and the bell on ao3

index | from the beginning | < previous | next >

“Do you feel sorry for your old village?” a voice asked. Two cloaked figures stood at the edge of Konoha’s borders, harbingers of disaster. His companion hesitated a moment, tilting his head skyward toward Hokage Rock. A churning took hold of his stomach, recollections of the past. And then, after a moment, an eventual answer.

“No.”

Rei strapped her sandals on and fixed her hair up into a ponytail as she sat on the edge of Kakashi’s bed. Her lips were drawn taut, her eyes staring ahead with laser focus. The door creaked open. “You’re up early” Kakashi said as he stepped inside. His hair was still wet from a morning shower, and he had yet to put on a shirt. The clock read 5:45am.

“You say that as if I’m incapable of getting up before noon” she replied sharply. “Besides, I have a lot of shit to do today.”

“Oh?” Kakashi asked, sitting beside her. He ruffled his hair, shaking droplets of water onto Rei’s forearm. “What kinds of shit?”

Rei rose from her spot and checked herself in the nearby mirror. “Naru insisted on having a girl’s day, so she’s dragging us to the hot springs. I’d rather not, but she insisted we needed some quality spa time and wouldn’t take no for an answer.” Something shook inside Kakashi at the thought. He and Rei had been growing mildly distant, but the image of her in the springs triggered something that had since been neglected. He tried to get his mind off of it. He didn’t want her to see the vulnerability of his imagination.

He stood up and quickly slipped his shirt on over his head, then zipped his vest up and pulled his mask over his face. “Wait a minute, don’t leave just yet” he said as he tied his headband to his forehead. Rei glanced back at him expectantly, hand hovering over the doorknob. “I’ll walk you there.”

Despite how much she hated the way he seemed to loom over her as they went, a strange feelng began to take root that made her glad he was beside her. Per usual, they displayed no public affection that coul reeal the true nature of their relationship, and yet somehow she felt as if his fingers were invisibly intertwined with hers. There was a sense of protection deep within the looming that both comforted and terrified her.

They were halfway to the hot springs when something finally snapped. A chill ran down Kakashi’s spine, and the faintest ringing of a bell struck his ears. He looked back over his shoulder and caught one quick flash of black and red, the faintest glimpse of a crimson eye. When he turned back to Rei, she was staring at him with widened eyes. Perhaps she had felt it, too.

“Let me know when you make it home” he said quietly, ducking behind a pillar so that no one could see them before they parted ways.

“I will” she said softly. That feeling, that fleeting anxiety, left her paranoid and unhinged. She recognized it as if from some distant dream. It didn’t make any sense, but when she thought too long about it, she was reminded of someone terrifying. Soemone who made her feel so inexplicably nauseous. Itachi.

Kakashi rested a hand on Rei’s shoulder, looking at her with a deep, intense sincerity. “Stay safe. Please” he said. She nodded once, and then he leaned down and tugged his mask down to slowly plant a kiss on her lips.

A sense of warmth enveloped her entire body, momentarily easing her worries. He lingered for a moment longer afterwards, and she looked in his eyes and whispered “You, too.” Her heart pounded as she watched him leave, her arms going numb, as if she could feel the elastic bond between them stretching too thin and ultimately snapping. She spaced out for a moment, caught up in her thoughts, only realizing after snapping back to reality that perhaps he had not alleviated her fears so much as added to them. An unshakable sense of doom crept over her, and she suddenly felt as if the entire world was destined to implode in a matter of hours.

“Looks like someone kissed and made up” a voice then spoke, startling Rei. She turned to find Sekkachi smirking at her, a towel slung over her forearm. Rei stammereda moment, face turning red, before socking her friend in the arm and stomping through the gates as she mumbled something along the lines of Shut the fuck up.

Kakashi stood outside the dango shop with book in hand, but truthfully he couldn’t concentrate. He searched for Sasuke, whose presence he requested and hoped would oblige. Inside, two cloaked figures brooded over their tea. Kakashi wasn’t sure what was to come of this, but he had be prepared for the absolute worst.

Asuma and Kurenai were a welcome distraction, smugly smiling behind his mask as he watched them approach. “You two seem to be getting along” he commented. The kunoichi’s face went bright red, stammering out a half-assed excuse. Deep down, Kakashi took great pride in poking fun at them. As if everyone didn’t already know of their secret romance. He hoped he and Rei weren’t nearly as obvious.

“What are you doing here, aside from catching up on your reading?” Asuma asked. “I thought you didn’t like the sweet stuff.”

“I need to buy something for a grave” Kakashi replied. It was clear through his tone and body language that something was going on; the couple before him exchanged suspicious glances. “Plus, I’m meeting someone here.”

Asuma hollered and slapped Kakashi hard on the back. “Finally got a girlfriend, huh?”

Kakashi looked back at him, unamused. “No” he said. “I’m just waiting on Sasuke.”

“It’s unlike you to be the early one” Asuma commented.

“So, what did you need to pick up for this grave?” Kurenai asked. “Is it for Obito?”

Kakashi clenched his fist at his side. “Yeah…kind of” he replied. His eyes trailed back to the cloaked figures, their bodies tense. Asuman and Kurenai followed his gaze just as Sasuke arrived, looking as agitated as ever.

“It’s not like you to show up early” the by spat. “What’s gives?”

“Well, sometimes things are just too important to run late for” Kakashi replied. A strange feeling echoed through the air, and Sasuke peered inside the shop. The table once occupied now sat empty, nealy full cups of tea still piping hot.

Sasuke huffed. “Let’s eat somewhere else. I’m not really in the mood for sweets.” Asuma and Kurenai met Kakashi’s gaze and knew immediately what must be done. They nodded once, then disappeared. The young Uchiha pursed his lips. “Alright, what’s going on?”

Naru leapt out of the spring grinning, grabbing a towel on her way to tightly hug Rei. “I’m so glad you were able to make it!” she exclaimed. Rei peered over her friend’s shoulder to catch sight of the others already relaxing: Yugao, Tenshi, and Mikazuki.

“I wish you would’ve told me this was an ANBU thing” Sekkachi scoffed, flanking Rei. “Or else I never would’ve come.”

Naru shook her head as she embraced her comrade. “But we want you here, too, Sekkachi! I want you here!”

All the blood drained from Sekkachi’s face and she quickly shoved Naru off of her. “Alright, yeah, whatever” she said, ripping her towel off and wading into the water. She refused to look Naru in the eyes, or any other part of her body for that matter.

“So I wonder who the new hokage is going to be” Mikazuki said, smoothing her dark hair back to reveal her third eye.

“Do they really have to pick so soon?” Naru asked. “Lord Third only just died, like, a week ago.”

“Konoha needs leadership” Sekkachi said bluntly. “Without a hokage, we’re gonna shit the bed. Especially after the hellfest that was the chunin exams.”

“I overheard in a meeting yesterday something about one of the legendary sannin” Yugao replied. “Apparently the elders had a long discussion about it.”

“Yeah, probably because it takes them fifity years to get out a sentence” Sekkachi said. Naru rolled her eyes.

“I don’t know much about politics” the blonde chimed in, “but I think whoever assumes the position should know what he’s getting into. Lord Third was a great man, this new guy will have some pretty big shoes to fill.”

As they prattled on about current affairs, Rei couldn’t help but feel mildly awkward around so many people. Not to mention the fact that she was naked in front of them. It didn’t matter if they shared a common anatomy. She felt exposed and vulnerable.

“Is it just me” Tenshi then spoke, “Or does anyone else here have the weirdest feeling like you’re being watched?” The girls looked to each other for reassurance, quickly realizing that they felt it, too.

Jiraiya fixed his telescope firmly against his eye and chuckled to himself filthily. “You’ve gotta love the Leaf village!” he shouted from atop a nearby building. He fixed his gaze on a brunette clouded in steam, sultry eyes and curvaceous figure. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she fell straight from the heavens. “The girls here are off the charts!”

“Jiraiya” a firm voice then called. “You’re still playing the buffoon, I see…”

Kakashi squeezed his eyes shut and tried to deal with the pain. Another blade sliced into his abdomen, warm blood pouring down his body. Itachi smirked. “I wonder how much of this someone without the kekkei genkai can take.” That damn word kept pulsing through Kakashi’s head with every thumping heartbeat in his ears. Tsukuyomi. Tsukuyomi. Tsukuyomi.

No amount of downplaying it as “just genjutsu” could dull the pain. Another blade, and everything slowly went black.

Naru sighed happily and rested her head back against the edge of the springs. “I don’t think I ever want to get out” she breathed. “I’ve never felt so relaxed in my entire life.”

The caw of a bird echoed overhead. Yugao pursed her lips. “Well, sorry to cut your relaxation short, but it looks like we’re needed.” She pointed up at the sky, a warning sign circling overhead. A summon for the ANBU black ops and by the looks of it, things weren’t good.

Rei’s heart leapt into her throat. She jumped out of the spring so quickly she scraped her knee on the rocky ledge. A voice told her to be careful, but by then the damage was already done. No matter. It wasn’t important. Her mind leapt back to that feeling from earlier, the paranoia and the sense of impeding doom. She saw it. Kakashi saw it. Something was extremely wrong. She raced inside the bath house, got dressed as quickly as possible, and made a run for it.

Tenshi lifted herself out of the springs with all the finesse of a film star, shaking the water from her hair and sighing. “Clearly grace isn’t her strong suit” she said condescendingly as she watched Rei disappear.

Naru grimaced as she climbed out herself. “Not everyone can be Yukie Fujikaze” she commented, then turned and met eyes with Sekkachi. “Sorry to have cut things so short!” she apologized. “You’re more than welcome to stay if you’d like.”

Face pale and hands shaky, Sekkachi shook her head and began wading toward the bath house. “No use stewing alone. Besides, I’m not feeling so great” she said. Naru extended a hand to help her friend up, but Sekkachi refused to take it. She wrapped her towel around her body quickly and shuffled inside.

Naru watched her quizzically. I wonder what’s gotten into her.

Deep breaths. In…and out. This can’t be happening. Rei stepped foot in the hospital dizzy and disoriented. Three jonin turned toward her, fully aware that this wasn’t going to end well. Hiretsuna, the ditsy receptionist, bounded forward with a clipboard clutched to her chest.

“Hello!” she greeted. “What can I help you with today?”

Rei shoved her out of the way, staggering toward the others. “What’s happened? Where is he?” she asked. Her eyes were wide and unyielding, her hands trembling at her sides. Kurenai and Asuma exchanged confused looks, but it was Guy who stepped forward to apprehend their visitor.

“They’re checking him out right now” he said, placing his hands firmly on Rei’s shoulders. “But I want you to know that he didn’t go down without a fight.”

“Oh…oh god…” Rei whispered. The room swayed back and forth, and then she fell to her knees. Her stomach was doing somersaults, and she buried her face in her hands to hide the hot tears pouring down her cheeks. Guy knelt down beside her and rubbed her back in comfort.

After a few moments, Kurenai crept forward and whispered, “Guy, what exactly is going on here?”

Guy simply swatted her away and whispered back, “I’ll explain later.” As she recoiled, she watched Guy lift Rei to her feet, one arm around her for support, and walk her to a chair nearest the hall of triage rooms where Kakashi had been taken. He sat her down gently, then took the seat beside her, and continued to sit there with her until they received word of their friend’s condition.

Rei’s entire body was shaking. She was drowning in a sea of terrible thoughts. What if Kakashi didn’t make it? What if Itachi had killed him? She nearly vomited at the thought. Guy heard her gag and reminded her to breathe. She thought she had been. “I’ll kill him…” she whispered furiously. “I’ll kill him with my bare hands if I have to…I’ll slaughter Itachi.”

Overhearing, Kurenai and Asuma exchanged glances with one another, and then with Guy, who simply shook his head and averted his eyes. She was filled with so much rage, so much desperation. Her love for Kakashi was truly a wildfire. Just then, the door to one of the triage rooms slid open and a nurse stepped out. Rei leapt to her feet.

“What’s going on? Where is he? I need to see him” the redhead insisted.

The nurse was taken aback a moment, calming only when Guy came up behind Rei and placed a hand on her shoulder. “We’re just concerned is all” he reassured. The nurse nodded and a soft smile flickered on her lips.

“He’s stable” she said, but there was a looming sense of exception in her tone. Rei knew not to get her hopes up too high yet. “However, the effects of the genjutsu that was used on him have rendered him completely comatose and I’m afraid there’s nothing more we at this hospital can do. We will need the help of an expert medical specialist in order for a full recovery.”

The woman’s words lingered in Rei’s brain, swirling around and taunting her. Full recovery. Comatose. Nothing more we can do. Nothing more…

“You son of a--!” Rei erupted, reaching for the nurse. The woman gasped and jumped backward just as Guy lurched forward to hold Rei down. “You’re lying! I know exactly how this shit works!” Rei screamed, tears streaming down her face. “He’s going to be fine, I know he is! He has to be! You’re just not trying hard enough!”

“Rei” Guy shouted sternly, trying to restrain her. It was no use. She squirmed in his arms and wailed maniacally, trying to elbow her way out of Guy’s grasp. People in the waiting room were beginning to stare and grow uncomfortable. Asuma and Kurenai ducked into the hallway to avoid the association. After a solid five minutes of fighting, Rei finally broke down. She fell limp in Guy’s arms and wept pathetically, pounding her fist against the ground. Once he knew she was done being destructive, he loosened his hold and rubbed her back, trying to tell her “Alright, Rei, just try to calm down. Everything is going to be fine.”

But it wasn’t fine. Kakashi was comatose. What if he never woke up? She couldn’t handle it. Konoha police officers arrived ready to respond to the commotion, but Rei refused to move.

“Ma’am, we can do this the easy way or the hard way” one officer said. “Come with us willingly and there won’t be any issues.”

She shook her head. “No…please, just…just let me see him” she whispered. The nurse glanced to the officers and then back to the hysterical girl on the floor, and then to Guy who looked up at her with an expression that said she shouldn’t dare refuse. With a sigh, the nurse dismissed the officers and slid the triage door open.

Rei shuffled inside slowly, fearfully. Guy stayed right behind her, a reassuring presence in an otherwise hellish escapade. And then she saw him. He looked so peaceful, so blank. She squeaked and clapped her hand over her mouth, averting her eyes. “D-do you…do you think he’ll ever wake up?” she asked. She inched nearer, almost terrified as if he was a corpse, and rested her hand against his warm cheek. A part of her expected his eyes to creak open and for him to smile up at her, as if her touch alone was some magic antidote like in childhood fairytales, but she received no response. He was out cold.

The nurse bit her lip and replied in false cheer “Well, there’s always hope!”

Hope, my ass, Rei thought to herself. She didn’t want hope, she wanted answers. Or really, if she was wanting things, she wanted Kakashi to be okay. Conscious. Unaffected. She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. Then, turning to Guy, asked, “Can you do me a favor?”

Kakashi’s apartment felt stuffy, suffocating. Guy rummaged around for the clothing and books Rei had requested she bring, Asuma and Kurenai’s eyes on him all the while.

“Guy, do you care to explain what exactly happened in the hospital?” Kurenai asked.

Guy paused a moment, knowing he wasn’t really at the liberty to divulge such information, but then decided that this was a special circumstance and they had the right to know. “That woman who showed up today and caused a scene was Rei Natsuki. She’s in the ANBU black ops and has known Kakashi her entire life. And she’s his girlfriend.”

There was silence as the two jonin tried to process this. “He never said anything” Kurenai said thoughtfully. “I wonder why not.” Guy looked back at her then with an expression on his face as if to say Maybe for the same reason you two don’t, and the kunoichi immediately shut up.

As Guy peered into Kakashi’s closet, something glinting in the sunlight caught his attention. He moved the clothing out of the way to find tucked away in a box was a tiny gold ring. He understood what was going on immediately, and was overcome with equal parts excitement and terror. Kakashi had big plans, but there was no way for him to fulfill them if he never pulled through.

Just then, the door creaked open and suddenly a voice boomed through the room. “What the hell is going on here?” Sasuke insisted. It was clear something was definitely off. There was no reason for three jonin to be rooting around Kakashi’s apartment.

Guy poked his head out of the closet with a grin pasted on his face. “Not much, really!” he lied. And then their plan faltered.

The streetlights flickered on outside as the sky gradually darkened, but Rei refused to let her eye shut. She couldn’t risk falling asleep should Kakashi wake up. Deep down, however, she knew he wasn’t going to. She tugged back the blankets so she could reach under and lace her fingers with his, desperate for just a spark of response.

How could someone be so cold? So heartless? Sure, Itachi didn’t kill him but the damage was already done. In a way, this was even worse. At least with death, it was definite and quick. There was no uncertainty to it. You’re just gone. But this…this waiting was torture. It hadn’t even been a full 24 hours yet and Rei already felt as if she was going to lose her damn mind. And worse than that, what if all of her waiting was for nothing? No matter how much she tried to shove away the negative thoughts, they always weaseled their way back in. If he was to go, she swore she would have nothing left to live for. She couldn’t stand the thought of going on without him. She would take her own life if it came to that, she was sure of it.

Still, there were so many things they had yet to do. So much life ahead of them. Was this really where their future was meant to end? “Please don’t do this” she whispered, despite knowing he likely couldn’t hear. “Whatever you do…do not leave me this.” She lowered her voice to a growl, begging him to wake up, then punched the floor. It was no use.

As she drifted off, all she could think about was how petty she had been the past few weeks. The hokage’s death had stirred something in her, an anxiety about human mortality and a desperation to defeat death. She had felt so helpless, and she fought every instinct in her body to dwell on it but couldn’t bring herself to stop. She remembered how harsh she had been to Naru, insisting that there’s no use focusing on the past because there was nothing more that could be done. More than anything, however, she remembered her argument with Kakashi. Why was she so damn angry about his daily visits to the cemetery? Perhaps there was something understandable hiding in there, some sort of healthy coping mechanism, but the more she thought about it sitting there beside her unconscious love, the more she realized how stupid she had been. Realistically, she knew she was just projecting. She, too, was shackled to the past with no way of escaping. And now it all would cost them their future together.

In her sleep, she found herself in a pastel paradise, surrounded by clouds and stardust. Where am I? she thought, reaching out toward the abyss. It stretched on and on; she could look but could not touch. And then there was a voice calling her name. She recognized it immediately. She whipped around to find Kakashi approaching her, smiling, maskless, but something was wrong. What’s going on? Where are we? She asked. This is death, he replied. This is the nothingness. She reached out to take his hand but he, too, was unreachable. From the mist then approached Rin and Obito, each taking one of Kakashi’s hands in theirs. They were taking him away from her. This was the end of everything. In an act of desperation, she ripped the kanzashi from the base of her ponytail and made a vertical slice all the way up her forearm. The blood trickled down to the floor, creating a neat little puddle at her feet. Take me with you. I belong to death now. Rin and Obito shook their heads in disdain, beginning to fade away along with Kakashi. No…this isn’t right. Don’t leave me…you can’t leave me! She fell to her knees, covered in her own blood, wailing. Don’t leave me….don’t leave me, Kakashi…don’t leave…

She snapped awake to a figure looming overhead, her face blocked out by the sunshine backlight. Immediately on the defensive, Rei leapt to her feet and whipped her kanzashi out only to be met with the startled gaze of a nurse. “W-what time is it?” Rei gasped, wiping the sweat from her brow.

“It’s 6 in the morning. I’m just here to check his vitals” the nurse explained meekly. She should’ve clocked into work an hour ago but quite frankly, she didn’t give a fuck anymore. She alid her head back down on the edge of the bed and sighed, watching Kakashi’s chest rise and fall slowly.

That afternoon, Guy arrived with Asuma and Kurenai to see how their friend was doing. Kurenai looked around the room with great concern, daring to ask, “Have you been here this entire time?” Rei only nodded. Then, “Have you left his side at all?” Rei shook her head. The saddest look then crossed Kurenai’s face as she turned to Asuma, a silent call that something had to be done.

“Is there anything we can do?” Guy asked, standing beside the redhead. He hated seeing Kakashi like this, almost as much as Rei did. If only there was some way he could snap his fingers and will Kakashi back to life, but he didn’t have that power in him. He could only do the same as Rei: sit and wait.

“No, I-I’m alright, but thank you, Guy” Rei muttered. She reached out and patted his forearm, and in that ation they all saw the way her hand shook. Between that and the pallor of her face, a sudden realization struck Kurenai.

“Rei, have you eaten anything in the past two days?” she asked. The redhead averted her eyes. She didn’t want to answer for fear of facing shame in the truth. Her silence, however, was answer enough. Kurenai drew her hand to her mouth and sighed. She tugged Asuma’s sleeve and then said, “We’ll be back in a little while.” Rei already knew exactly what she was doing, but she didn’t have the energy to protest. She supposed that if Kurenai was willing to go out of her way to bring her food, it would be nothing short of disrespectful not to eat it.

And then they were alone, just Guy and Rei and an unconscious Kakashi. They sat in silence for a long while, the bushy-browed ninja studying his rival’s girlfriend. He watched the way she sat, how her back was arched and her eyes heavy from exhaustion. He doubte she had been sleeping very well, if at all. He admired her dedication, however. A small smile tugged at his lips as he patted her on the back. “I know this hasn’t been easy for you, Rei, but even when he’s unconscious I’m sure Kakashi knows what a great job you’re doing keeping him company!”

For a moment, he was met with no response. And then, slowly, Rei turned to look up at him with teary eyes. “Thank you, Guy…” she whispered hoarsely before finally breaking down. She didn’t want to cry, especially after the scene she caused yesterday, but she couldn’t help herself. She was weak and this was all far too much for her to handle.

Kurenai and Asuma returned a few hours later with a to-go carton of Ichiraku and some gyoza, which Rei happily scarfed down. The three of them stayed a little while longer, but one by one as the streetlights outside flickered on, they left and once again she was all alone.

In the darkness, she took solace in the fact that no one was watching her. Her back ached from sitting up for days on end, and her eyelids were growing heavier. With a sharp inhale, she tugged the covers back and carefully climbed into the hospital bed, curling up beside her boyfriend. She cupped his cheek and stroked the hair out of his face, studied the contours of his body, and held his hand tight against her chest. “I don’t know if you can hear me” she whispered, “but it’s getting pretty lonely here. I-I know you’re right here next to me, but…I miss you. I miss you being awake. I wish…I wish you would just come back to me. Please…please come back to me.” She watched him for a moment longer, resting her head on his chest, until finally she couldn’t restrain herself any longer. Her eyes drooped shut and she fell fast asleep.

Weeks passed with no change. Rei could hear the murmurs of nurses in the hallway, as if they were betting on how much longer she was going to hold out. Joke’s on them, she thought to herself. The only way I’m leaving without Kakashi is on a gurney to the morgue.

“I’m really beginning to worry about you” Naru said one afternoon when she stopped by. “The whole world hasn’t stopped turning just for you, you know. Life is still going on out there.”

Rei rolled her eyes. “I don’t care about any of it” she spat. “Doesn’t mean a thing unless Kakashi is okay.”

Naru pursed her lips, then sighed. “You know, they threatened to remove you from the black ops if you don’t come back to work soon.” She knew Sekkachi had threatened her if she so much as dared to tell Rei what the elders had said, but Naru thought she had a right to know. She needed to know.

Shaking her head, Rei replied, “What’s the point? There’s no hokage to take orders from. Let the village elders die mad about it. They’re old enough, it probably wouldn’t take very long.”

“Rei!” Naru’s face turned bright red. She crossed her arms and approached the doorway. “I know this is a rough time for you but you have to keep your head on your shoulders. I think staying here for weeks on end has screwed with your head. You need to go home and get some rest. At least for tonight. Shower, get some clean clothes. Sleep in an actual bed.”

Rei shook her head. “No” she insisted. “No, the minute I leave will be when he finally wakes up and I can’t…I can’t risk that.”

No matter how much she protested, Naru assured her that Kakashi was well taken care of and Rei had no room to protest. If anything should happen, the hospital would surely notify her, right? She was the closest thing he had to family anyway, even if they weren’t related by blood or marriage. She was still responsible for him in a way. After all, she still held true to the mission Lord Third had assigned to her two years prior. Recent events meant nothing for her duty to Kakashi. The thing that finally convinced her to go, however, was Naru’s insistence that it would be what Kakashi wanted.

“Can you imagine how bothered he would be to find you neglecting your own self care for him?” she asked. “I’m sure he would appreciate you staying by his side all this time, but not at the expense of your own wellbeing. He would want you to go home, to get some rest, and then you can come back when you’re fresh and clean, alright?”

That logic was hard to argue with, and Rei almost resented Naru for pulling such a dirty trick. She notified the nurse at the station that she would be going home for the night, and that she would return early the next morning, and then went on her way feeling guilty all the while.

So long as she kept herself busy, it wasn’t so bad. She took her time showering, scrubbing her skin hard until it shined red and shampooing once, twice, three times over. She dug through her dresser and tried on five different outfits before landing on the right one. And then, when there was nothing else for her to do, she picked up a book. She knew it wouldn’t be much help, and that books always ended up serving as vehicles for a wandering mind, but at least it was something.

Settling into her desk chair, she cracked open a novel she had only started years ago but never read past page 25. As she did so, the bookmark she had placed in there years earlier slipped out and fluttered into one of her drawers. She paused, staring despondently at where it fell, then propped her book open with her forearm as she rummaged around to find it. It was a simple scrap of paper, it didn’t need to be this difficult, and yet as she searched, her fingers found something quite different. She pressed her hand against the cold steel and a shiver ran down her spine. She let her book slap shut, instead devoting all of her attention now to this long lost gem. Rei slowly removed it from the drawer, turning it over in her hands. It was the kakute she had received when she was six, the present she was going to give Kakashi for making jonin. She never did muster enough courage to give it to him. Now she was kicking herself for even forgetting about it. Grandma Teiko would be genuinely disappointed.

As she stared at it, she wondered if it would be well-received. She wondered what Kakashi would think of it, and if he would be more accepting of it now than when he was eight. She thought perhaps so. He was more mature now than he was back then. He had faced far more adversity, and so she assumed he would likely place a higher value in things of sentiment than before. The longer she looked at it, the more an energy began to swell inside of her. She never did officially congratulate him on becoming a jonin at all. What a terrible friend, nonetheless girlfriend. They had been absent for so many moments in one another’s lives, filled with so many missed opportunities. Well, no more. Rising from her seat, Rei tucked the ring into the pouch on her backside and made a firm decision. If and when Kakashi was to wake up, no matter what, she would give him that ring. No more forgetting. No more waiting. It was now or never.

As she made her way to the hospital the next day, she took the long route for no reason in particular. Her anxiety about Kakashi had made it hard to sleep the previous night, and she was eager to get back to him, but at the same time had no idea when he would wake up and she missed the fresh air. Besides, she hadn’t seen her family since before the chaos of the chunin exams and she had heard Kaminoki got hit hard. It was only fair that she make sure everyone was okay.

Grandma Teiko immediately noticed something strange in Rei’s eyes and pulled her aside for a private conversation. “Something’s going on, I can tell. What’s on your mind, girl?” she asked. Rei didn’t exactly want to go through the entire spiel but knew Grandma Teiko of all people deserved an explanation. She sucked in a deep breath and bravely tried her best to explain the situation without crying. She failed and was in tears by the time she explained Kakashi was comatose. Teiko wrapped an arm around her granddaughter and cooed at her softly as if she was a child who had scraped their knee. “Everything will turn out fine” she reassured.

“But how do you know?” Rei asked. On one hand, she understood that Grandma Teiko was trustworthy and, in a way, somewhat clairvoyant, but at the same time a part of her found it hard to feel confident in a happy ending. Kakashi had been out of it for three weeks with no signs of improvement.

“I just know these things. What? Have you stopped trusting the words of an old woman?” Teiko replied.

“No, I just—” Rei started, but her grandmother interrupted.

“Besides” she started, “I’ve heard rumors that they’ve finally found the fifth hokage.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Rei asked. Not that she was ungrateful for the news, of course. Konoha had gone far longer than it needed to without a proper leader, and she hoped that whoever had been appointed would fulfill the position well. But that meant nothing for the fate of Kakashi. Or so she thought.

“Maybe if you didn’t speak so soon, you’d let me finish telling you!” Grandma Teiko snapped. Rei blushed and muttered an apology. “I’ve heard rumors that the new hokage is the sannin herself, Tsunade, who, if you don’t already know, is an expert medic ninja. She can fix Kakashi right up in no time!”

Rei’s heart swelled up into her throat. Was it really that easy? All she needed to do was track down Tsunade and her problems would be solved? This was too much. There was no way it all was that simple. But if it was… It was a chance she just had to take. She bid Grandma Teiko a fond farewell, hugging her tightly and thanking her for the intel, before rushing off to see what else she could find about this Tsunade. She skirted around corners and eavesdropped behind storefronts in hopes of overhearing something—anything—but nobody seemed to have any solid information. At least nothing like Grandma Teiko provided. After roughly an hour of running and searching, she had grown incredibly weary and was almost about to give up when she ran into none other than Might Guy. Perhaps he would know something.

“Tsunade?” he asked. “Naruto’s been off searching for her with Jiraiya these past few weeks and turns out they found her. She’s a legendary medic ninja, and I’m going to ask her to see if she can fix Rock Lee!” It took Rei only a couple seconds to remember who, exactly, Rock Lee was but then memories of the chunin exams flashed in her mind. Perhaps Guy had taken the idea of a protégé a little too far, but no matter. She remembered at least overhearing of the damage the young ninja had sustained in the fight, and she truly hoped he would be alright.

“Do you think she can heal Kakashi, too?” Rei asked. She tried not to let her hope bubble up too high.

“I don’t see why not!” Guy enthused. “If I’m not mistaken, I’m sure Naruto had already insisted she work her magic on him already.” Before he could say another word, Rei leapt up to hug Guy tightly and thanked him over and over again, then rushed off to the hospital with newfound purpose. She didn’t want to think of what may happen if Tsunade was unable to fulfill her promise and fix him. If she was as good as everyone said she was, she would have no excuse to fail in the first place. Rei greeted the nurse on duty in a flash as she raced into the room to find Kakashi laying exactly as he had been all that time. It was eight in the morning, and she wondered when Tsunade would arrive. No matter, she was willing to wait as long as it took.

She seated herself beside Kakashi’s bed and kissed him on the cheek, before pulling the kakute from her pocket and looking it over. She knew logically that he was totally unconscious and that there was no way for him to know what she was doing but still, removing it in front of him even now felt forbidden and like ruining an anticipated surprise. Soon, she thought to herself, then rested her head on the bedside and involuntarily passed out.

When she came to, she heard an unfamiliar voice overhead. “And who is this one?” a woman asked, and Rei knew immediately she was speaking of her.

“This is Rei Natsuki, Kakashi’s girlfriend” the nurse explained. “She’s been here by his side the entire time he’s been in the hospital. She refused to leave him.”

“I see…” the woman said. Rei blinked awake and watched as this strange woman skirted around the hospital bed and began looking Kakashi over.

“Hey, what the fuck do you think you’re doing? Get away from him!” Rei shouted, rising from her seat.

“Excuse me?” the woman asked, gritting her teeth. She was, admittedly, beautiful. And also, erm…well-endowed. “Well, it’s nice to see you’re finally awake” the woman scoffed.

The nurse rested a gentle hand on Rei’s shoulder in an attempt to ease her, whispering, “This is Lady Tsuande, the one you’ve been waiting for.” The moment her name rolled off the nurse’s lips, Rei’s face went bright red. She sank back down into her seat and apologized quietly. The last thing she needed was to ruin Kakashi’s chances of ever waking up solely because she had a short fuse and was quick to judge.

Rei watched with wide eyes as Tsunade smirked and then rested a hand over Kakashi’s forehead. A pale green light pulsated from beneath her palm, healing chakra. And then came the one thing Rei had been waiting for all this time. Kakashi furrowed his brows, flexed his fist. A soft groan escaped his lips, and then his eyes creaked open.

“There he is” Tsunade said triumphantly.

“Huh…? W-what’s going on?” Kakashi slurred, rubbing his head as he sat up. He looked to Tsunade, then her assistant Shizune, and then finally to Rei at his bedside. She stared at him with wide eyes, her mouth slightly ajar, on the verge of tears. “Rei…”

“Kakashi!” she shrieked, then lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him tightly. He could feel her hot tears spilling down her cheeks and onto his back.

“How long have I been out of it?” Kakashi asked, wrapping an arm around Rei as she wept into his shoulder.

“About three weeks!” the nurse chirped. Kakashi’s face went pale. No wonder Rei is so excited to see me. She probably thought I was dead.

As Rei pulled away, Kakashi’s eyes instantly darted to her balled up fist. Her hand was covered in blood. “Rei, what happened?” he asked, gently taking her hand in his. Her cheeks blushed, and she averted her eyes, remembering the kakute.

“I must’ve fallen asleep holding onto something” she replied sheepishly.

“Like what? Broken glass?” Tsunade asked, taking Rei’s hand from Kakashi. She pried her fist open to find the little steel ring in her palm, the spikes having stabbed Rei in her sleep. The sannin arched a brow before instructing Shizune to take Rei to get her hand cleaned up and bandaged. As the brunette carted her to the other end of the room, footsteps pounded down the hall and in burst Naruto Uzumaki.

“So were you able to do it?” Naruto asked. “Did you fix Kakashi-sensei?”

“Well” Tsunade started, “Physically, yes, but I doubt his pride is anywhere near perfect.” Rei’s ears perked up, honing in on the conversation as Shizune cleaned her wound. Tsunade shook her head and placed her hands firmly on her hips. “Disgraceful” she sighed. “To be taken out of the game by two low-life punks like that. I thought you were supposed to be the best.”

Rei gritted her teeth, clenching her fist. Shizune cleared her throat to attract attention back to her. “Um, Miss Natsuki…? You’re making it difficult for me to bandage you up…” she said. Rei relaxed her hand and muttered a half-hearted sorry. Who did this Tsunade think she was? Belitting Kakashi’s abilities like that. Kakashi was the best. Itachi was likely just manipulative and strong. Clearly this woman had no idea what Kakashi was up against.

“Sorry to…disappoint you” Kakashi said, voice low, and it was clear that he was feeling like shit about himself. Rei’s heart ached.

In the meantime, Might Guy had barged into the room with a look of sheer anticipation on his face. He could hardly contain himself. Triumphantly, Naruto raised a fist in the air and shouted, “Alright, that’s Kakashi-sensei! Now one more and you’re all done!”

How many people has this kid been dragging her around to heal? Rei thought to herself. Shizune finished bandaging her hand and smiled softly at the redhead. “Alright, that should do it” she said. She then reached over and lifted the kakute off the counter, looking it over quizzically. “You might want to wash this off with peroxide just to make sure you get all the blood off” she suggested. “There should be some right under here.” Rei watched as she leand down and began rummaging through the cabinet. Before she could find the bottle, however, Tsunade approached the door with her entourage and called for Shizune to join them. The brunette smiled back at Rei apologetically and then ran off. Well, at least her assistant is nice, Rei thought to herself as she watched them disappear, and then Rei and Kakashi were all alone.

A veil of silence draped over the couple in that hospital room. Now that this was all said and done, she almost feared what would happen next. Of course she was more than happy that he was awake and alright, but still. Where were they supposed to go from here?

“Three weeks, huh?” Kakashi then sighed, leaning back in bed. Rei nodded slowly, turning toward him.

“Yeah…” she said, toying with the kakute in her hands. “Three long weeks.”

“Is it true you stayed by my side the entire time?” he asked.

“Well, I mean…not the entire time” Rei said sheepishly. “Naru insisted I go home for some clean clothes and to sleep in an actual bed, but it didn’t really do much good.”

“I see” Kakashi said. He watched as Rei wrapped her bandaged hand gently around the ring and then waded closer, hesitantly sitting on the edge of the bed. “You didn’t have to do that, you know” he then said.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Stay here with me” Kakashi replied. “There wasn’t really any reason for you to.”

“That’s not true” Rei said. “If you were to finally wake up while I was gone…or worse…”

It was the or worse that really caught Kakashi’s attention. Did she really think he was going to die? Of course, he assumed that had he been in her position, he would’ve feared the same. At least she had kept her cool the entire time, as far as he knew. “Thank you, then” he said, reaching out and resting a hand lightly atop hers. “I’m glad you cared enough to stay.”

“Of fucking course!” Rei exclaimed. “You mean the world to me, I wasn’t about to leave you behind in a fucking coma.”

Kakashi chuckled and smiled at her, and Rei’s heart raced. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes and willed herself not to cry. No, not this time. She had already cried enough the past few weeks. And still, after all that time, she had been so terrified that she may never see that masked smile ever again. It was only natural she would get a little choked up, she assumed. Regardless, she refused to let her tears ruin a happy moment.

Kakashi let them revel in each other’s quiet company for a moment longer before his eyes drifted down to her bandaged hand, and his smile quickly faded. “Is your hand alright?” he asked. Rei chewed her bottom lip and nodded vigorously. “How did you hurt it, anyway? What stabbed you?”

Rei considered lying for a moment. In all her confident fanfare from earlier, she hadn’t considered how scary actually giving him the kakute would be. Perhaps a part of her assumed it was highly possible for him to stay asleep forever and she could simply cling to it with a strong sense of remorse for not being braver. But now here he was, wide awake and questioning. She didn’t want to damage their trust, and so she had no choice. Sucking in a deep breath, she replied, “I have something for you. I must have been stressed while I was asleep and squeezed my hand around it too tight. You don’t have to like it, I mean, you can give it back if you don’t want it but I mean…I’ve been holding onto it for a long time, and I was going to give it to you ages ago but never had the guts to, so, uh…yeah.” Kakashi eyed her expectantly. She huffed her bangs out of her face and then slowly unclenched her fist to reveal the ring in her hand, still stained with her blood. Kakashi blinked a few times, then reached out and picked it up, turning it over in his hands.

“Where did you get something like this?” he asked. She truly wasn’t sure if he meant that in a positive or negative connotation. Her anxiety raged.

“It was from Grandma Teiko’s arsenal of weird old stuff” she replied. “I was trying to find a good present for you a long time ago and thought this might be fitting but I don’t know, you don’t have to keep it if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to” Kakashi replied quickly, smiling at her in reassurance. “I want to” he repeated. She watched as he reached over to tug a tissue out of the box near his bed and begin wiping the blood off of it, then slid it onto his left middle finger. He poked the spikes at the end, apparently satisfied with their sharpness. “This could really do some damage.”

“I would hope so” Rei replied. “I mean, that’s what it was made for.”

Kakashi nodded once, then slid the ring off and placed it on the nightstand. “So, you said you’ve held onto this for a long time. How long, exactly?” he asked. That was a loaded question. Did she really want to reveal her original intention? She averted her eyes and began picking at the dirt beneath her fingernail.

“A while…” she replied slowly. She glanced over to find her boyfriend arching a brow. So he wanted a real answer. Alright. She would have to be totally honest. “I was six. You had just been promoted to jonin. I wanted to give you something special to celebrate—I knew everyone else would—but I couldn’t figure out what, so of course I asked Grandma Teiko for advice and she suggested this.”

“What took you so long?” Kakashi then asked, laughing under his breath.

The weight of their broken past lingered on her shoulders. Then, finally, she murmured, “I was scared. Things changed. We…drifted. It didn’t feel appropriate anymore.”

“Oh…” Kakashi said, lowering his gaze. He turned to look at the ring once again, now suddenly catching the inscription on the front. The kanji for love. He hated to think that his child self would’ve likely written it off as a useless gift, shoving it into a drawer someplace and never touching it again. But now he was more mature. Now this gift had meaning. His mind flickered back to the ring he had hidden away in his closet, to his plans for the future. Even as he snuck off to the silversmith to get the ring crafted, he had been so uncertain of whether he was making the wrong decision, if he was moving too fast, if he was out of touch with what Rei wanted. This kakute, however, was a confirmation. A never-ending circle with love written right on the front of it. He reached across the bed and laced his fingers with hers, that smile returning to his face. She looked at him quizzically, uncertainly, as he pulled her closer and pressed his forehead against hers. Her eyes darted down to his lips for a split second, a silent wish, and he obliged. He tugged his mask down and kissed her gently, as if it was the first time, then whispered, “I think this was perfect timing.”

#kakashi hatake #rei natsuki #the scarecrow and the bell #naruto #naruto oc #fanfiction

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kusunokihimea · 5 years

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A 4 years old Reiji is running around the house naked, outside, in the rain. While Obito is making diner. "Well I suppose it's freshening, the weather has been rather hot lately." He says while mixing rice with vegetables.

[ @abyssaldespair ]

She takes her eyes off of him for one minute...and this happens. Popping into the kitchen to look for Reiji - who she was just about to give a bath - Ryū asks, “Obito, have you seen -?”

There’s a flash of giggles below the kitchen window, too tall for her to see him, but Ryū moves to try to catch a glimpse of her son, and...she sees a quick peek of his...bare backside...

...he’s running around outside NAKED?!

“...never mind...I found him,” she deadpans, moving to the front door to try to catch him. Hopefully the neighbors haven’t seen anything...surely no one else is outside in this weather. The last thing she needs is someone chastising them for Reiji’s ‘public indecency’.

Out she goes, taking a few attempts to wrestle him back into the house. “Reiji, you can’t go around outside without any clothes on!”

“But why?”

“Because it’s not polite.”

Cheeks puff in a rebellious pout. “But I was havin’ fun!”

“I know, I know...but now you really need a bath,” his mother counters, pointing to the mud all over his feet and halfway up his legs. “Then we can sit down and have the nice dinner tōchan is making, ne?”

“Okay, okay...”

Ushering him toward the bathroom, Ryū spares her husband a squint. “Next time you notice him doing something like that, maybe try to stop him? I’m all for letting kids be kids, but he’s going to get in trouble if someone spots him!” While Ryū is one of those people who doesn’t understand why nudity is such a taboo (it’s just a body, for goodness’ sake), she also knows laws exist for a reason. “At least tell him to stay in the backyard next time!” Maybe they should invest in a tall fence all the way around their house...and a sprinkler.

#how can i help you today? [ ryū replies ]#white hands of healing [ canon verse ]#abyssaldespair #safeguard these scars [ obiryū || abyssaldespair ]#x''D

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writer-and-artist27 · 5 years

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SST Chapter 22 Preview

Posting this tidbit here because 1) I’m a bit stuck on the chapter and leaving it open for people like @hylianhick and @langwrites to leave feedback if they see it fit, and yes, this is the original chapter 19 that got moved to chapter 22 from finding ideas for Davy and Wendy both, I apologize for pushing it back, and

2) By the time I post this, the next morning shows the world welcoming @abalisk‘s birthday. I meant your present to be more extravagant, Ali-nee, but with so much schoolwork over my head, I’m having to prioritize things to the point of trying not to lose sleep. So, for now, happy birthday. I hope this little thing is enough to tide you over until I get more free time to make you something.

“I can’t believe they decided to party,” Kakashi deadpanned first, arms crossed in spite of the moderately heaped plate of food sitting in front of him. That was currently degrading its serving size with each passing second. Guess he was doing the “eat quietly, don’t show anyone else what’s under the mask” trick again. Of course. “And like animals.”

“…They’re pirates?” I offered helplessly.

Kei was already pinching the bridge of her nose and leaning her head back against the the railing of the ship that kept anyone from falling into the sea behind us. “Tomo-chan. Don’t.”

Don’t what? Hisako said incredulously. She pushed up her glasses to get that old suspicious glare in the lens. Don’t try to justify things? Or don’t try to excuse them?

Instead of asking, all that left my mouth was a measly, “I-I’m sorry.”

Tomoko-chan… Hisako sighed. Not to be the devil’s advocate, but I don’t think that’s the answer she was looking for.

Sure enough, Obito and Kei both were now giving me equally unimpressed stares. “What did I say about apologizing?” Kei started, at the same time Obito shook his head, mouth twitching up in a nervous smile. “Tomo.”

“Uh.” Whoops. “Um.” I needed to work on apologizing. Like, seriously. “Should I stop?”

“THATCH, MORE BOOZE ON THE HOUSE!”

“GOTCHA, POPS!”

The loud clinking of mugs followed, and I glanced down at my own cup of orange juice. The extra apology probably wasn’t necessary, but I found myself saying it anyways. Whether out of shame or habit, I didn’t even know anymore. “Still. I’m sorry. For the trouble.”

Instead of a worded reply, Kei sighed and raised her hand. I wasn’t expecting her to reach over and flick my forehead of all things.

It still stung. Even if it had been a few months. “Ow!”

“Stop apologizing, Tomo,” she said firmly, and a small smile was on her face. Huh? “It’s not any trouble when it looks like you wanted to be here. Don’t you have priorities?” With a roll of her shoulder, she gestured to the party, and I glanced over just to catch a glimpse of Ace-nii twirling Leith-nee around in a clumsy waltz. “Go do what you have to do.” A push and then I was stumbling forward and off of my sitting place. Thankfully not spilling my drink, because this ship did not need to be more of a mess. “We Genin can wait.”

Kakashi huffed loudly through his mask.

“With the resident jackass,” Kei amended.

“Oi.”

Obito’s nervous smile turned into a big grin as he snickered.

Once my orange juice was done with, my hands were already gripping the hem of my skirt. “Kei…”

She smiled again, jerking her head towards the party. “You’re the Princess, Tomo. And princesses have to be there for her people.”

Now she’s just teasing.

Even so, I could already feel my lip quivering before I ran back. I couldn’t go out and be the Princess just yet. Even if it was a nickname, even if everyone on this ship apparently loved me, there was still some people that had and always will have reserved seats in the front row of my heart, and they needed appreciation. All I could see in that split second of running was Kei’s widening black eyes before I fell to my knees and wrapped my arms around her neck, squeezing. “Thank you, Kei,” I confessed, my voice barely caught between my usual coherence and high-pitched uncertainty. “Just, thank you. I’ll be back soon.”

I’m sorry for leaving for seven months, I couldn’t help but think. I’m sorry for leaving you and Team Minato alone.

Hisako patted my head. Dear, it wasn’t your fault.

I still can’t help the way I feel, Hisako. It’s been too long.

My Nobody smiled and nodded. I know. She paused, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose before adding a quieter, Don’t be too hard on yourself.

…No promises.

Honey.

I know. I’ll try, was my way of amending that thought.

Hisako huffed in that way that blatantly said, I don’t believe you, but left it at that.

In the outside world, Kei paused, exhaling slowly before a hand landed on the back of my head. “I know you will.” I could feel her smile from the closeness as her hand patted my hair gently. “Don’t worry about us. You go out and have fun, Tomo.” She pushed at my shoulders enough for me to pull away, and she grinned that familiar crooked smile. “You goofball.”

“Says the dork,” I shot back. I was smiling too. “I can bring back some mochi from the party tables for you later?”

“HEY, HEY, HEY!” Obito immediately shoved his hand between us and I glanced over to see him pout. “What about me?!”

Kakashi raised his hand in the air nearby too.

I blinked. “Am I a delivery girl now?”

Kei rolled her eyes with a snort. “You had a ‘Delivery Service’ back at the cafe, Tomo. I think it’s a given.”

Why, oh why do you set yourself up for these kinds of things, dear? Hisako lamented. And here I thought you’d give yourself a break.

…Nope!

Tomoko-chan.

Nope. Outwardly, I just laughed. “Okay, Obi, I get it. I’ll try to find some cake for you and something like a banana for Kakashi.”

Now it was Kakashi’s turn to give me the evil eye. Or at least a questioning one through what little of his face I could see past his mask and hitai-ite. “…Why a banana?”

“It’s a fruit and you don’t like sweets that much, last I checked?”

Kakashi leaned back against one of the ship’s many masts and simply sighed.

#Seaside Sibling Train #writing #hoshino tomoko #birthday gift #happy birthday Abalisk #keisuke gekko #team minato #uchiha obito #hatake kakashi

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blackkatmagic · 6 years

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A Beginner’s Guide to Vigilante Gardening

(Since I have no idea if I’ll ever get around to finishing this, have the start of Jason Todd/Obito Uchiha. Because what could ever go wrong with that??)

The first thing Jason notices is the greenery.

Crime Alley has never even attempted the urban growth look the upscale parts of Gotham like to cultivate—there are no trees, very few window boxes, not even weeds growing up through the cracks in the sidewalk. It’s grey and grungy and dark, and it’s never changed.

Except it has, because one step to the edge of the nearest rooftop and Jason can see green, scattered thickly over cracked stone.

He stops, immediately suspicious, and ignores the Outlaws’ ship taking off behind him. Roy and Kori don’t need to get involved, not here; Jason’s gotten better about playing nice with other people, but Crime Alley is his territory first and foremost. He knows every inch of it, all the major players, all the little secrets that try to hide in the shadows down here.

And right now, looking down the length of the street, it feels a little like someone wandered into his house and repainted all the walls while he was away.

Jason eyes the cracked paving stones that are acting like planters, spilling plants along the edges of the sidewalk to tangle in the roots of tall fruit trees he knows weren’t there two weeks ago. Vines dangle down over the grime-smeared brickwork, rooted in rooftops that are now covered in verdant gardens, or curl up dented lamp posts and dangle their crop over the street.

And that’s another thing; Jason might know as much about gardening as he does theoretical quantum physics, but he’s pretty sure every damn thing he can see is growing out of season. It’s October, closing in on Halloween, and he thought vegetable season ended with the summer.

If this is Poison Ivy’s doing, it’s a lot more benevolent and also a lot smaller in scale than anything Jason has seen her go for. It seems like her type of job, because some sort of ability with plants was probably involved, but ecoterrorism and street gardening aren’t exactly the same thing.

Frowning, Jason sinks down on his heels at the very edge of the roof, studying the street. People are moving like normal, following routines, but this is Gotham; zombie outbreaks, supervillain attacks, and mass breakouts from Arkham, all on the same day, hardly even manage to stir people. Something that looks like a mild inconvenience at worst? No way in hell will that change anything down here.

Still, even with how benign this looks, Jason isn’t about to trust it. This is Gotham. The vegetables are probably poisoned, or agents of mind control, or part of some other villain plot that’s so stupid there Jason can't get his head far enough up his ass to think of it.

With a disgusted breath, Jason rises and turns, takes two running steps, and leaps lightly across the gap between the roofs, landing on the next building over. He takes a sharp left, flips off a low wall—

And almost fouls his landing as a flash of black catches his eye. Not Bruce—not big enough or dark enough, and Batman doesn’t operate during the day—but fast, past Jason in a blur and gone before he can do more than mark its presence. Still, that glimpse is enough, and Jason changes direction, ducking around a rooftop access and leaping down onto a rattling fire escape to find…

Absolutely nothing. Not a waving curtain, not an open window, not a single person acting more suspiciously than normal. There's a man passed out in the alley below, snoring, and a dead end where the building Jason is on meets the rear of another, but nothing else.

“If Ra’s al Ghul decided to set his fucking ninjas on the city again, I'm going to make him cry,” Jason tells the snoring drunk. “I’ll make the damned Replacement help me. I didn’t come back from the dead for ninja shit.”

The drunk lets out a whistling snore and turns over, but is otherwise unsympathetic. This is why Jason likes the Outlaws: Roy listens and gives unhelpful advice, while Kori laughs at him and gives even more unhelpful advice, usually along the lines of challenge your problem to battle. Which, well. The thought is appreciated, at least. And there’s some form of feedback.

Look at him, being emotionally stable and well-adjusted. Bruce is probably getting hives somewhere.

Smirking to himself, Jason takes one last, careful look around him, sees nothing of note, and decides that chasing random flickers of movement is less helpful than getting down on the street and seeing if anyone’s got ideas about what’s happening. There's a safehouse three blocks down, and Jason decides to shower off the alien slaver blood and start asking questions. The working girls tend to hear everything, and if he’s clean he’s got a better chance of getting some answers.

Besides, it never hurts to be polite.

Bruce definitely has hives, wherever he is, Jason thinks, grinning behind his mask, and heads for his safehouse.

Obito waits until the man in the red helmet is safely out of sight before he drops the genjutsu, grimacing a little at the relief of doing so. This dimension is so developed, with so little natural left, that chakra is hard to come by, and he’s had to teach himself to use it sparingly. Always easy to forget that he actually has a lot of it, that he isn’t still the worthless genin he’ll somehow always think of himself as.

Still, even just the bit of Mokuton he’s used is helping. The air feels lighter here, not quite so choked with pollution, and it’s a relief to be able to breathe without feeling like he’s poisoning his lungs. Even Ame, all wrought metal and stone, had nothing on this place as far as poisoned air goes.

He will say its protectors are just as colorful, though.

Ame had Pein, and here they have the Bat. Obito hasn’t been able to figure out if it’s really a man in the suit, but he assumes so; only humans are that ridiculous, no matter what other creatures populate this world. A well-trained human, even Obito will admit that much, even to him. Most of the people here are civilians, and the first time he saw the little one—Robin—flipping between rooftops like a shinobi, he’d felt…

Joy, probably. Or something like it. Happiness is a foreign emotion after all these years, but it was certainly a relief to see that someone here knew how to move.

This man is new, though. Obito has been here almost a month and never encountered him before, and the strange plane that dropped him was new as well. He knew his surroundings, though; if Obito had been half a second slower, he wouldn’t have had the time to disguise himself.

I didn’t come back from the dead for ninja shit.

There are so many things to consider in that one sentence that Obito doesn’t quite know where to start. Back from the dead is particularly promising, though Obito is fairly certain his circumstances are unique. There's no Sharingan in this world that he can find, no Uchiha, which means no Kamui. No way for someone to get lost between dimensions after they duck out of the afterlife to lend their former teammate and former enemy their eyes one last time. So however the man came back, it must have been something different. Still interesting, but not something Obito needs to find out about immediately.

Ninjas, though—that’s certainly a more immediate concern. If Obito is intruding on some village’s territory, he needs to know. Otherwise he’ll risk being declared a missing-nin, and Obito has had enough of that for one lifetime. Or two, but who’s counting?

Of course, nothing at all says ninjas here operate under the same guidelines as the Elemental Nations, and Obito has more or less given up on expecting things to be even vaguely similar, but it’s probably better to be safe than end up with another bounty on his head.

#a beginner's guide to vigilante gardening #my writing #jason todd #obito #jason x obito #cross

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silverfootstepswrites · 6 years

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title Witness summary The more I know me, the more I hate her. pairing itasaku, tobisaku, hot messes

There was a tipping point each night. When a lull fell over everything. Like raindrops that froze in midair. The sudden silence that settled into the cracks of the moment.

Usually, that was sometime between 2 and 3 in the morning. When the sleepy drunks had stumbled their way home. The clubs had closed their doors, blinking lights gone black for the night. Just the lingering smells of fried food and cheap cologne lingering.

It was the worst part of the night, in her opinion.

Sakura opened her eyes. Itachi lay on his side, facing her. His hair tangling across his face. Raising her left hand, she snapped beside his ear. He didn’t stir. She sat up, tilting her head to the side as she watched his breathing. She grasped his hand, held it up over his face. When she dropped it, it smacked down against his cheek. He frowned a little but didn’t move.

She slid out of bed to get dressed.

Obito met her in Sumida. His mouth covered, scarf pulled up high around his face.

It had been hours since the last train had left. The station was completely deserted. Sakura settled on the opposite end of the bench from him, her hands deep in the pockets of her coat.

“I’m surprised you haven’t tried to run,” she remarked.

“I’m saving you the job of drowning me in the river, I guess,” replied Obito, staring straight ahead. His eyes blank. He slouched down in his seat, legs spread.

Sakura sent out a text. Obito blinked when a bright red dot appeared on his chest. He sighed. When he shifted a little, the light followed him.

“That really isn’t necessary,” he told her.

“Humor me,” she replied. She picked at some lint on the front of her coat. Chin tucked against his chest, Obito nodded.

“Was Madara telling me the truth?” Sakura questioned, “About everything, I mean. No half-truths?”

Obito crossed his legs. Uncrossed them.

“As far as I can tell, yeah.”

“Why was he poking around and trying to make deals behind the Uchiha-gumi’s back? And supporting Yakushi Kabuto?” she went on.

“Don’t you already know that?” Obito retorted.

Sakura raised her pointer finger, flicked it upward. The red dot followed. Landing directly on Obito’s mouth.

“Humor me,” she said one more time.

“He always hated the Fifth. Thought he should have been made head. He kept saying how he would stir shit up to make things more fun. I think he was just trying to start some trouble for everyone. He always said it was easiest to get his way when everyone was distracted,” Obito replied. When Sakura smirked, his eyes flickered over to her. Gaze lingering.

“Okay. Let’s talk Hong Kong. What’ve you learned during your time playing Red Eyes Chiu?” asked Sakura. Obito squinted, rubbing his hands together for warmth. He glanced over at Sakura, who didn’t seem the least bit cold.

“That you’re all rich as hell. But you, especially,” he snorted. This time, she met his gaze. She was still smiling.

“You might be even richer than the Dragon Head of the 24K. Which is ridiculous. Because that guy probably shits gold,” Obito added.

“Why did he leave you in Hong Kong for all those years?” Sakura then asked. She saw the way Obito’s lips twitched. Nostrils flaring.

“Because he could. And because he was a shit brother,” he grumbled. And then he looked over at her, “But he was my brother. And you killed him.” Obito’s eyes were icy as he glared at her. And Sakura’s answering stare was just as frigid.

“He didn’t want you threatening his position. He thought you might want to take over the Kobe-Uchiha’s,” Sakura realized. Obito said nothing.

Sakura huffed out a breath. Watching the white clouds spill from her lips. Dissipating in the air. She turned to him, lips curling upwards.

“Do you want to?” she asked.

Obito snorted. “The Godaime is definitely going to reabsorb us into the Uchiha-gumi. There’s no way he’ll let us run independently after the shit my brother pulled.”

Sakura’s hand slapped down on the bench between them. Leaning in closer. Her eyes narrowing.

“I asked what you want,” she clarified.

Obito froze. Just his throat bobbing as he swallowed.

“....Yeah.”

The corner of her mouth quirked up. She stood, hands in her pockets.

“I’ll be in touch, Obito-kun,” she declared. And when she pulled her hands free, she dropped something into Obito’s lap. She walked away, heels tapping and echoing in the empty train station. The red laser lingered on Obito’s face until she was out of sight. He sat for a long time. Staring into his lap.

Obito put a warmer in each of his pockets. He stopped shivering almost immediately.

Itachi’s eyes opened as she answered the phone.

“Wei? Ah. Yeah. With me,” she said in Cantonese. Her gaze flickered down to him when she felt him shift. He inched across the bed, throwing his arm across her lap. He wormed his arms around her waist, cheek pressing to the outside of her thigh. She patted his head, fingers catching in the snarls in his long hair.

She felt him sigh.

“What about Fai Tsai?” asked Sakura. She watched Itachi’s eyes drift shut. Eyelashes tickling against her skin.

“He’s predictable. Just like you said. Took over part of the bus route. Shook up a bunch of vendors in the night market,” Sai reported. Sakura’s eyebrows rose.

“And?” she prompted.

Sai chuckled. “I took care of them, Boss. No worries.”

She often thought that Sai was like something out of a slasher movie. He wasn’t a bad marksman, and he had studied wushu for a number of years. But his skills with a knife were something to behold. He had mentioned that he had been studying to be a surgeon before he had joined up with Mad Dog Kakashi. And then been passed along to her. She sometimes wondered how his patients would have fared under his care.

“The airport might be a bad idea right now, but Tenten is still in Tokyo, Boss. We could arrange for you to get to Shanghai by boat. And then get you a flight into Hong Kong,” suggested Sai.

Sakura glanced down at Itachi. He was still. Just his side rising and falling with each of his breaths. But just when she thought he might be sleeping again, his eyes fluttered open.

“Arrange for it in two days’ time. I still have a few things I need to take care of. By the way, put the Inuzuka-kai on our blacklist,” she said, her eyes drifting down to her bandaged arm. She was sure that it had scabbed over by now. But it ached whenever she moved her left wrist for any reason. It wasn’t deep enough for there to be nerve damage, but she wouldn’t be doing cartwheels on it anytime soon.

“This is going to drive me crazy. What happened?” asked Itachi later. He sat on the edge of the tub, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Sakura let him take her left hand. Examined the ugly blackish-red line raking up the outside of her forearm. It cleaved the body of the tattooed phoenix in two.

Sakura clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

“I was careless,” she tried to dismiss it. But Itachi held onto her hand. His eyes narrowing.

“With who?” he insisted.

Sakura sighed, trying to avoid his gaze.

“I heard you say Inuzuka’s name before,” Itachi told her.

Sakura sighed, head falling against the tile.

“You’re just too smart for me, Kumicho. How am I supposed to lie to you when you’re this hard to fool?” she remarked.

Itachi said nothing. He lowered her hand onto the edge of the tub, getting to his feet.

“Where are you going?” she called after him. She glimpsed him putting on his belt and then his coat as he walked back and forth. He stopped in front of the bathroom door. Hands bracing on either side of the doorway. Eyes black as coal.

“Don’t leave the hotel today,” Itachi told her. And then he was gone.

Sakura smiled. She ran her hands over her thighs. Down her calves. Wincing when the hot water touched her cut.

“Ridiculous man. Telling me what to do,” she laughed to herself.

The past sometimes felt like the pages of a book flipping by too quickly. Some of the days were blurs. Others, she lost completely. Sakura still remembered some events with startling clarity, though. Like the day when she had gotten the koi tattoo.

Orochimaru sat in the room with her, leafing through a magazine as the needle buzzed away. The black walls were covered with photos of past clients. She recognized many of them. Dirty Sam was up there, the intertwined snake and heart on his sternum on display. Hashirama and Tobirama had gotten their matching tattoos of Guan Yu here.

“Boss, you really don’t have to be here,” she told him for the second time. Wincing just a little as she felt the prickling in her skin.

“Nonsense. My cute subordinate was hurt defending me from a savage yakuza. How can I abandon her?” he replied without looking up. He licked the tip of his finger to turn to the next page.

She had come in last week to get the outline done. She liked this tattoo artist. He didn’t ask her stupid questions, or remark on the odd scars on her body. But that’s why a lot of people liked him. He was skilled and he kept his mouth shut. He had even set up mirrors to let her watch him as he did his work.

No one knew Orochimaru’s schedule better than she did. Which was why she was aware of just how busy he was. He was currently trying to get on the Huang Group’s good side. Their access to firearms through the Russians was something everyone envied. There weren’t many guns in Hong Kong, and the people who had them were at an obvious advantage.

“Luckily, I know a pretty girl who already knows their chairman,” Orochimaru had remarked to her weeks ago. Sakura screwed up her face.

“I dated his younger brother. It’s not like we have a real connection,” she had replied. But Orochimaru shook his head.

“Fatboy Huang is surprisingly sentimental. The girlfriend of his dead brother- he’d want to take care of you. Don’t underestimate how powerful someone’s death can be, Jing-Mei,” he had told her.

More than being painful, because it really wasn’t, getting a tattoo done was boring. She dozed off for parts of it, head pillowed on her arms.

Sakura blinked her eyes open when she heard Orochimaru’s footsteps. Polished black shoes crisp against the tile. The needle stopped. She felt the tattoo artist dab at the skin before he rolled back in his chair. Orochimaru leaned over her.

“Hmm...” he simply said.

Sakura twisted her head to look at him.

“It’s quite nice. You’ll like it,” Orochimaru assured her. And she smiled.

“I have to come back a third time to get it colored. I was planning on red,” she told him, putting her head back down. She heard the chair roll over again. The needle buzzing as it touched her skin.

“I look forward to that,” Orochimaru lied to her.

Because he had gone and gotten himself killed a week later.

She had gone back to the tattoo parlor. Gotten the koi filled in in black instead.

Leaning against the side of the tub, Sakura sighed for what felt like the millionth time. She stood and stepped out of the bath. Water trickling off her, pooling onto the tile as she stepped out of the bathroom. Leaving puddles in the shape of her feet as she walked over to the phone. She picked up the receiver to dial a number.

She waited for the line to ring. Two. Three. Four times.

“Hello?”

“Are you busy, Charlie?” she asked. Water dripping down into her eyes. She wiped it away with her free hand.

“Not too busy for you, Aunt Cheng,” he answered.

#eastern suns #writing #itasaku #triad!sakura x yakuza!itachi #tobisaku #triad!au

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kuriquinn · 7 years

Text

Penthesilea [2/?]

Cover & Disclaimer

Chapter Summary: Though they do not combat each other directly again, Sasuke is aware of her in the background. It’s a strange, otherworldly awareness, too, one that he can’t explain. Even when he can’t see her in his periphery, he simply knows she is there.

Author’s Note: A note about the dialogue - if you notice a lack of contractions when people speak sometimes, take a look at who they’re speaking to. If they’re in a formal situation, chances are they’re speaking more formally. If you have two equals/friends talking, they’ll be more informal. I just don’t want to be accused of altering anyone’s character too much :)

Chapter Beta: Sakura’s Unicorn

戦国時代

As he follows Hyūga from the battlefield, Sasuke is unable to keep from glancing down at the woman in his arms. There’s something about her that didn’t register before—a mark on her forehead that he thought was debris. The sight of it worries at his memory, but he has no time to dwell on it before realising something else.

Her chest appears to be moving.

Sasuke pauses mid-step, his body going still as he focusses his attention. A second later, her lips part, and he hears the soft whistle of air between them. There’s another minute movement in his arms.

“You’re alive,” he realises, genuinely mystified. It shouldn’t be possible because he aimed to kill and no one can survive a wound through both the lungs and heart.

“What did you say?” Hyūga asks him. Sasuke barely hears, his knees already folding as he lowers the woman to the ground.

Before his astonished eyes, the mark on her forehead grows, black ribbons snaking across her face and neck, disappearing beneath her armour. He senses a burst of chakra and shifts her to one side, examining the spot where his blade pierced her. He finds beneath the blood-soaked chain and fabric only a thin, puckered red line like a newly scabbed-over wound.

Impossible, he thinks, staring at this woman. This is— But his thoughts stall when he notices her gazing up at him from beneath long lashes, those damned green eyes considering him. Judging him.

There’s another shift and his attention falls to the one hand she suddenly raises. Slowly, she places her fingers against his chest, and he expects the weak, ineffectual push of someone seriously wounded. Instead, he flies several yards backwards, forced to relinquish his grip on her from the power of her shove. Shoulders heaving as she gasps for breath, she picks herself up, eyes never leaving Sasuke’s.

Hyūga wastes no time charging at her in retaliation, Byakugan activated and ready to use jūkan to cut off whatever chakra allows her this inhuman strength. He is foiled by a simple stamp of her foot which splits the earth, disrupting the prodigy’s balance and forcing him to jump back.

Through the dust and debris, Sasuke catches one last glimpse of her—still watching him—before she darts away. He moves to follow, only to find his way barred by Hyūga.

“Move,” he orders.

“Do you know what that was?” Hyūga counters tersely.

“Sōzō Saisei,” Sasuke replies, impatient. “Mitotic regeneration.” Though he’d never seen it in action.

“So, not only is that woman very strong, but she won’t fall in battle. Capturing her as a hostage will be a waste of our time and effort,” Hyūga reminds him. “The only person I’ve ever heard of being capable of that technique is Senju Tsunade.”

“That wasn’t Tsunade,” Sasuke replies.

“Exactly—if she’s passed on her talents to an apprentice, that’s intel your brother will need.”

“Along with why we didn’t know about her before,” Sasuke says thoughtfully, still staring into the space where she disappeared. He must miss something else that Hyūga says because, when he looks up, the pale-eyed man is observing him with calculation. “What?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that expression on your face before.”

Sasuke scowls. “What expression?”

The other man tosses the reply over his shoulder, a throwaway comment that is somehow still laced with suggestion.

“Interest.”

Sasuke quickly turns around and follows him, glowering at his back.

“You’ve obviously been in the field too long,” he tells him. “You’re developing a sense of humour.”

戦国時代

As odd as the incident is, Sasuke pushes his strange reaction to the green-eyed woman to the back of his mind. It’s rather easy given that the same day he encounters her, his older brother is badly injured in battle.

Despite his battle prowess, Itachi cannot lead their troops with his eyes damaged, thus, the duty falls to Sasuke. He has cousins who are older and better suited—determined Obito, or even the reluctant, kind-hearted Shisui—but Sasuke is the heir of the main family after Itachi. He is required by law and custom to assume the responsibilities of commander and general, not just a front-line fighter.

Senju Tsunade quit the battlefield five years earlier to lead from shadows, nominating Uzumaki as her commander. The rumour is that the old age she tries to hide finally caught up with her, but days continue to pass without a formal announcement of her death. Until both the Senju and the Uzumaki are defeated, no one in Sasuke’s clan can rest.

He often directly challenges Uzumaki, hoping that cutting him down will strike such a demoralising blow that his followers will surrender. He knows it’s naïve—they’ve been fighting each other since they were eight, neither able to emerge the victor—but it’s the only strategy that currently makes sense.

And so the weeks pass.

More often, he and Uzumaki end up fighting each other in earnest. They drill away at one another, trading endless blows that would cripple lesser men. Inevitably, before one of them can finish the other, some ally will intervene and drag them home to rest, all to fight another day.

It’s here that Sasuke discovers he hasn’t seen the last of the mysterious woman.

Just as Hyūga is his lieutenant, his second in battle, the woman with the outlandish hair and eyes appears to be Uzumaki’s.

Though they do not battle each other directly again, Sasuke is aware of her in the background. It’s a strange, otherworldly awareness, too, one that he can’t explain. Even when he can’t see her in his periphery, he simply knows she’s there. She flits through the trenches, helping downed soldiers, retrieving the bodies of those who have fallen eternally. She does not fight unless directly challenged, and he sees the results of those bouts in crushed chests and caved-in faces.

The woman’s reluctance doesn’t make her less fierce or effective in her kills, and he wonders at the contradiction there. It’s different from the brutal savagery he knows of Senju Tsunade, and yet, it’s clear this woman has learned her ways.

There are no more Senju left, other than the old woman—which means she had no choice but to find an outsider to pass on her talents. Since neither Shisui nor his spies brought news of her, she was either very well hidden or—implausibly—a civilian that no one accorded any attention.

Whether that means she is simply heir to the Senju techniques, or has been adopted as leader of the defunct clan, Sasuke doesn’t know. Nor, he tells himself, does he care.

He will kill her one day, either way.

戦国時代

The yearly floods make prolonged sieges impossible, and the brief engagements are so bloody that both sides will call a temporary truce for weeks or months at a time. They need to regroup, retraining the recovering wounded and drafting new soldiers into their ranks. Even gathering around the war table and planning strategies is useless because the rising tides are unpredictable; they often change the landscape completely by season’s end.

When they were younger, Sasuke remembers spending these times skipping stones on the river and playing with a civilian boy and his dog. At least, he thought Naruto was a civilian, until they grew older. A tense encounter between their fathers ended that friendship, and since that day, they exist to kill each other.

Sasuke’s brother often fills the lulls in fighting with quiet reflection. When they were both younger, Itachi would try to capitalise on the unofficial ceasefires, trying to convince their clansmen and the enemy to sue for peace. Sometimes, he would come close, too. And then another brawl would break out somewhere over real or imagined insult, and another wave of fighting would begin.

Sasuke sees that hopeful facet of his brother less and less since Izumi died. Childbirth has robbed them of as many good women as battle has ravaged their men, and Itachi is weary now—stoic. If he appreciates the breaks in fighting, he keeps it to himself, resigned to the inevitable return to battle.

It’s different for Sasuke. He is and always has been restless during these periods, never knowing what to do with himself.

As he’s gotten older, he’s expected to spend his free time with the Hyūga’s heiress, Hinata, but he doesn’t. There are negotiations for a marriage between them, a full union between bloodlines which has never happened before. Both clans steadfastly prefer to marry within the clan to keep their kekkei genkai pure. Sasuke is indifferent to the potential match and feels nothing for the woman in question. She is a shy, kind-hearted girl, shielded from the harsh realities of the war by the sacrifices of her branch families. He knows she’ll make a respectable wife—for someone else. A man like Sasuke—with his hands soaked in blood and more effective at ending life than creating it—does not deserve a woman as untarnished as she is.

So, instead of enduring supervised visits in which neither of them make any attempt to speak to or even look at one another, Sasuke explores the outlying villages. There are several which his brother has requisitioned for Uchiha use. These usually have spaces in their environs where he can hone his skills to prepare for the upcoming battles.

It’s in one of these villages where he encounters his mystery woman face-to-face once more.

On a moonless evening after the most recent battle, he wanders the town square where the wounded and dying have been brought. Village women tend to them—wives, mothers, sisters, and lovers who cry in anguish at injuries that won’t heal or have already robbed them of loved ones.

At first, he thinks that she’s just another one of these—dressed like a peasant, hair and forehead covered by a turban. But, by chance, she looks up as he passes by and he stills; Sasuke would recognise those eyes anywhere.

She doesn’t look away when she realises he’s seen her, nor does she try to run; she simply holds his gaze, considering. When she finds whatever she’s looking for, she slowly looks away and returns her attention to the gaping wound in a nameless man’s side.

Every bit of training Sasuke has tells him to strike her down and take her as prisoner, or kill her outright. Instead, he wanders cautiously closer until he looms above her and the unconscious man. His eyes fix on the woman’s hands. They are small and delicate-looking without her gear, but covered in scars—defensive wounds and callouses. Cool green chakra glows against the man’s skin as she knits it back together.

“You are either brave or stupid to come here,” Sasuke tells her quietly, duty-bound to remind her of their respective places. “No one here would question if I killed you where you stand.”

“Death doesn’t frighten me,” she replies, unconcerned.

“How could it, given your talents?”

“Even without them,” she informs him, shaking her head. Her tone is matter-of-fact, and when she looks up again, she’s smiling. There’s a subtle edge to it. “Women have to be strong to survive, in any era.”

“They should be smart, too. Not wandering into rival territory, healing the enemy.”

“The sick and wounded need to be cared for, whatever side of war they’re on,” she maintains. “We kill so many in battle—should we not try to balance those lives somehow?” She tilts her head to one side, looking deceptively innocent and earnest. He gets the sense she truly wants to know his opinion on the matter.

“Who are you?” he blurts out. The question encompasses both her identity and existence.

She chuckles. “In these times, it’s unwise to give one’s name.”

He shifts, annoyed, because he’s the last person who needs to be reminded of this.

“Perhaps you could make one up for me,” she suggests then, pulling away from the man whose side is now whole once more and turning to face Sasuke. “And I could make up one for you.”

“Childish,” he snorts. “Especially considering you already know who I am.” His reputation in battle and tendency to fight Uzumaki have ensured that no one in this land is ignorant of his identity.

“Uchiha Sasuke,” she agrees. She ruminates on something for a moment, before declaring, “I would call you Taka, though. You’re as proud as a hawk, and just as fierce. And with those keen eyes of yours…” Her voice trails off and she gives a little shrug, a tiny smile on her face that makes his stomach tremble inexplicably.

Sasuke scowls at her. There’s nothing about this that he should find endearing. “I have no time for your games, or your disrespect. If you refuse to tell me your name, I will make you tell me—and more besides.”

His hand goes to his katana, and instantly, she moves, jumping several feet back as nimbly as the lioness that graced her somen.

“Please don’t start a fight again so soon,” she suggests, a slight edge to her smile now. “I’m only trying to be friendly. There’s far too little of that in the world these days…Sasuke-kun.”

She disappears in a puff of smoke, leaving nothing but a satchel of medication in her wake.

It would be an easy thing to go after her—even Shunshin leaves traces that can be seen by eyes like his—but he doesn’t move. Instead, he kneels and picks up the small bag, noting enough herbs and balms within to treat most of the wounded in the square.

This woman doesn’t understand the concept of warfare, does she?

Sasuke is completely puzzled by her, unable to understand how someone can be so open in such a dark time. It’s confounding. And annoying.

She’s annoying.

In a way, more than Uzumaki, he decides as he passes the supplies to a nearby healer and walks away.

As he returns to camp, he can’t bar her from his mind. Her uncommon hair and her damned green eyes—the image again reminds him of the cherry blossoms which rain from the sky in the spring.

Haru, he thinks, bemused. Spring.

Then his wits return to him and he angrily shakes his head in denial.

戦国時代

“Did you know that your woman heals our wounded?”

The question seems to confuse Uzumaki because, as he parses Sasuke’s question, he nearly takes a katana to the knee. He only jumps out of the way at the last second, misdirecting the tip of the blade with a hastily raised kunai.

“My woman?” the blue-eyed man echoes. “I don’t have a woman.”

Sasuke rolls his eyes at the other man’s clueless expression. “That doesn’t surprise me in the least.”

“Then why’d you ask me about my woman?!” Uzumaki demands as two of his shadow clones try to ambush Sasuke from behind.

With a wide arc of his katana, he disperses them. “Then what do you call her? The one with the strange hair, who turns the ground into craters and can walk off a sword to the chest.”

He tells himself it’s not admiration in his voice.

“You mean Sakura-chan? She’s not really…” Uzumaki trails off with a snort, and Sasuke blinks, reflecting that his guess as to her name wasn’t that far off. “What’s it to you?”

“Nothing,” Sasuke replies, lunging forward and meeting the other man blade-to-blade. “It’s encouraging to see that treason lingers so high up on your side.”

He tries to catch the other man in a genjutsu, but Uzumaki has always been irritatingly good at snapping himself out of his illusions. Sasuke doesn’t think it’s a natural affinity like the woman—Sakura—possesses, but something else. Uzumaki pulls back at the last second, earning a bloody swipe to his shoulder, but gets out of attack range.

“Sakura’s not a traitor,” he snaps, defensive. “She’s doing her job—she is a medic.”

“A medic who heals the enemy.”

“To her, they’re patients. And maybe she’s hoping that by helping people get a second chance, she might get them to think twice about going back into battle,” Uzumaki informs him. “Which, by the way, wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

“If any of my people left their positions to help the enemy, they’d be tried with desertion and executed,” Sasuke returns.

Rather than get angry or defensive again, Uzumaki simply looks sad. “Sometimes, Sasuke, I don’t think your side wants this war to end.”

The lack of surname, along with the ridiculous suggestion, makes Sasuke snarl and dive forward, charging his sword with electricity.

“If you really believe that, why haven’t you killed me yet?” he sneers. “There’s been many opportunities over the years.”

“I could ask you the same question,” Uzumaki snaps back.

“Give me a few minutes, I will rectify that—usuratonkachi!”

“You—” he splutters. “Promises, promises, asshole!”

And just like that, their momentary lapse into conversation disappears into the usual death-match.

つづく

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#sasusaku fanfic #au fic #Sasuke Uchiha #Sakura Haruno #warring states period #angst #Drama #romance

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