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nejislavendereyes · 4 years

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Think Things Through [prt. 1]

Hi, you may have seen this story before- maybe on another account, but I promise. T’was me- When I first wrote this, I didn’t have a Naruto Blog, I had a random one. But upon, making a Naruto Blog, I decided to reupload this story, after editing it a bit. So, please do report, or spam the other blog. I promise it’s the same person.

Also, this was really meant to be a one shot, but it turned into a slice of life with a developing plot soooooo- Anyway, Enjoy loves!

“Come on Naruto, you’ve gotta hit me once. At least one time.” Mei rolled her eyes. “This is so boring.”

“Don’t call me boring!” He snapped, hot headed as always.

“Don’t be boring then.” She taunted.

Naruto let out his usual battle cry and created several dozen clones of himself to surround her. She readied herself and closed her eyes. She pulled a kunai from her bag and drew her sign over it.

“Water style; Copy.” Mei leaped up as the Naruto’s tried to charge her.

Kunai of nearly a hundred pierced each and every Naruto to be seen. Except for the one behind her. He kicked her in the back, sending her back toward the ground, which she easily landed on. She dodged the other Naruto that came at her from behind and kicked him into the real Naruto just ahead of her. As they tumbled through the dirt Mei hurled all her shuriken at them, ripping through the clone and pinning Naruto to a tree.

As Naruto realized what had happened he started yelling and making a fuss as usual. Laughter erupted through the training grounds, only pissing Naruto off more. “At least you hit her once, you’re not a failure Naruto!” Kiba chuckled and Akamaru yipped.

“No, he failed still.” Shikamaru corrected. “Just not completely.”

“It’s not fair fighting you!” Naruto yelled struggling against his restraints. “It’s like fighting Neji!”

Neji scoffed, and crossed his arms. “Hardly.”

“One, you beat Neji, once. Remember? And two, Neji, I know you think you’re hot shit and all, but we’re almost the same level.” Mei defended herself.

“Again, hardly.” He narrowed his eyes at her, his arms crossed. “Just because you can pin Naruto to a tree means nothing. You and I are nowhere near each other in strength.”

“Neji.” TenTen tried to scold him.

“Fine. Care to test that theory?” She was suddenly behind him and went to punch him, but of course he caught her fist. He then threw her back to her original spot and restanced himself, appearing bored by her.

“Oh, come of mister ‘I-have-a-stick-up-my-ass-and-I-like-it-there’. If you can’t take me down, I’ll just assume you’re too weak to do so.” She taunted. “And I supposed that would make me better than you, right?”

Really, she’d never in a million years believe she was better than Neji, in any way. But to pass up an opportunity to tease him and possibly end up with him pressing her to something? That wasn’t about to happen.

There was something about his intensity that made her swoon with cliche heart eyes and all. It’s been that way since they were kids, and she’s given up on trying to build up the courage to confess as well as trying to get over him. She was content with being friends and pretending the feelings didn’t exist.

“Please spar with me Neji.” Mei groaned, irritated that she had to resort to begging.

After a moment, he finally stepped forwards and Mei jumped, cheering that she had won him over but then pouted slightly when he didn’t lose his stance. She rolled her eyes and quickly threw two water made kunai towards him making him jump and dodge. She kept throwing the ice at him until he finally spoke up.

“This is why we aren’t nearly equal. You attack head on, even when you know it won’t work.” Neji told her.

She threw more kunai at him and smirked. “And you always think I don’t plan ahead.”

She winked and dropped into the puddle below her, that’s when Neji realized she had backed him into a small puddle. He jumped away, but only a split second late as her hand already wrapped around his ankle and pulled him through. Suddenly, it appeared that they were standing in the same area just, it seemed duller, the colours were a pastel version of the real world’s and there were no living creatures but themselves.

“You like it?” Mei asked, bringing his attention to herself. “It’s my favourite place to be. No one really knows how to get here.”

“Trapping me here doesn’t secure your victory in this.” Neji said.

“What makes you so sure, Neji?” She smirked. “Look around, there’s nothing but intense chakra here. It’ll be hard for you to tell the difference between mine and this place’s.”

He suddenly jumped out of the way of her water clones trying to pounce on him. And she was right, the place she brought him to was filled with her chakra, it was hard to differentiate anything.

He landed and threw his own shuriken towards her, which she evaded before charging him. She tried to punch him as he did her, but alas neither could land a good enough hit. That is, until Mei managed to duck and strike him in his chest. The blow knocked him off his guard enough for her to kick him to the side.

He rolled along the ground, but easily picked himself up. And found a puddle under his hand, yet he wasn’t falling through. He rolled out of the way of her leg coming down, aimed for his shoulder. “Sorry, not the right water portal. Plus you can’t leave by yourself, I have to pull you through. Without me, you’re stuck.”

He glared at her and swiped at her with his kunai, successfully slicing her thigh as she jumped away. She landed and hissed and the slight burn from her cut, but nevertheless, she stood ready to attack again.

“Byakugan!”

The sudden use of his visual jutsu threw her off, making her stumble. Mei couldn’t help but stare, the veins bulging around his eyes always held her still. She even remembered telling Sakura it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. Whenever he looked at her with it, it rendered her completely useless.

She could see that he was running towards her, but she stuck. Caught like a stupid fly. She watched him grow closer and yet she didn’t move. He easily tackled her, and to her surprise, through the exit puddle. He must’ve found it with his Byakugan.

Their friends gasped as they flew up from seemingly nowhere, soaking wet. Neji quickly flipped them over and slammed Mei to the ground. She tried to punch him, but he hurriedly caught her wrists and pinned them over her head.

“You move too slow to win this battle Mei, give up.” He stopped using his Byakugan, but still held the stern expression.

“I almost had you there.” She grunted, struggled against his grip while some of their friends tried cheering her on. “So, no. I’m not quitting ‘til I get you pinned.”

He sighed. “Give up, or I will hold you here until you do.”

She really didn’t want to lose, this was the closest she’d ever been to beating him, but she couldn’t figure out a way to get out of his hold… So, she closed her eyes and did the first thing that came to mind, and quite possibly the stupidest. Silence took over the training ground as shock traveled every corner. It seemed the earth itself was surprised as the wind stopped as well.

In the center of the training grounds, still laid Mei and Neji, frozen. Hands pinned to the ground, hair full of dirt, both soaking wet… Lips locked together.

Three full minutes were they still, Mei counted. When he didn’t push her away or pull back, she tested the water and pressed her lips a bit harder to his, which he responded with his own added pressure. She tilted her head to deepen the kiss and slid her wrists from his grasp slowly as to not ruin what she had going.

She pressed her hands to his chest, as if to hold his closer, but in reality- “Water style; transfer.” In the blink of an eye their places were switched and Mei had her kunai pressed against his throat. It took everyone a moment to realize that she had Neji Hyuga pinned.

“I think I’ve won.”

He stared at her, surprised for a moment before an unreadable expression painted his face and just let her sit on his chest. In a bursting moment noise filled the world again, birds chirping, the wind rustling the trees, their friends cheering. Still, he stared at her, this time holding her hostage just with his white orbs only.

Thankfully, Naruto yanked her up and broke the suffocating gaze. Their friends surrounded her, congratulating her for beating Neji. Although, it didn’t cross anybody’s mind that the cheering seemed like a bit much. That is until they realized that Neji was retreating from the training area.

Two months. That’s how long it’s been since Neji and Mei spoke.

A month and four days. That’s how long it’s been since Mei hung out with the group, as she believed that Neji wouldn’t come around if she were there.

Four days. That’s how long it’s been since Sakura told her she’d been selected to run a mission… with Neji.

Three days. That’s how long it’s been since she left the village to go on said mission. For three days, they’ve been tracking a bandit group that’s been tormenting villages. In tense silence. At least silence between Neji and Mei.

Finally Sakura stopped. “I can’t take it anymore!” She turned and glared at Mei and then at Neji. “You two need to get over whatever this bullshit is!”

When neither spoke up, Kiba butted in. “Seriously, you can’t be that butthurt over the fact you lost, right?”

“Yeah, it’s not that big a deal.” Naruto tried.

“I don’t care that I lost!” Neji finally snapped, startling them all. “It’s how.”

“Really?” Mei called. “You’re pissy because I distracted you to win?” She angrily asked.

“No, you kissed me!” He yelled back.

“As a distraction!” She tried.

“Exactly! You don’t kiss your opponent to win the fight!”

“It worked didn’t it!”

“Are you going to kiss each and every person you fight, now!”

“I just might, what would it matter to you!”

Their teammates watched the yelling match with wide eyes. Neji and Mei glared at each other, before turning away from each other, scowls etched on their lips. Now the tension was thicker than it had been before.

“Okay, guys, let’s keep goi-ah!” Sakura suddenly was ripped from the tree branch she was on.

“Sakura!” They all jumped down to where she landed. “You okay?” Mei picked up her friend and cut the string that pulled her down.

“Neji, where are they?” Naruto asked.

“I can’t see them… Wait. Watch out- behind us!” Neji warned.

They all dodged the sharp spears aimed for them. Maybe a dozen pierced the ground where they previously stood. "This is why we don't yell…" Sakura sighed.

"Really not my fault." Mei quickly defended herself as their attackers appeared.

"I don't see how it's not." Neji glared around the bandits.

Before Mei could respond another spear was launched at her. She jumped out of the way but as she landed, she found herself in between two enemies. She dodged the first jabs at her face and turned into water as the second tried to stab her, causing him to stab his comrade.

"Well, damn, did he steal your sandwich? That was just rude." She turned to face the other as she rematerialized. “Now don’t look at me like that. I don’t like ham!”

She ducked past the next stab and barely dodged another. He managed to back her up until she had her back braced against Kiba. They briefly looked over one another’s shoulders before locking onto their opponent again.

Mei quickly drew her sign and grabbed Kiba and they fell through the earth, allowing the enemies to stab each other. As soon as they fell through the puddle, Mei threw Kiba back out another.

“Peekaboo!” Mei reached through a puddle and yanked two through while pulling herself back to the real world. “Oh hello, Sakura. Fancy meeting you here.”

“I will drop kick you in the throat, now is not the time!” Sakura snapped, punching another enemy Mei threw her way.

“So snappy…” Mei grumbled taking her place next to Sakura to fight off enemies from seemingly every which way. “Ah, shit!” Mei yelped, taking a spear to the thigh.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. “Well, if you hadn’t kissed Neji and pissed him off, we’d probably have the upper hand here.”

“Wh-what? You’re saying we don’t have the upper hand?” Mei joked, pulling the spear out and stumbling over her injury.

The group eventually found themselves cutting down the enemies easily. They were beginning to thin out, and before anyone could stop him, Naruto commented on such. But, surprisingly the enemies seemed to stop coming.

Akamaru growled, warning them they still had a few around. “Neji, where are they hiding?” Mei asked. When he didn't answer Mei rolled her eyes. “Neji, come on, be mad at me all you want. But right now we need to work together!”

He sighed. “They keep moving. They are circling us.”

“Kiba.” Naruto called.

“Yeah.” In the blink of an eye they leaped into the trees to try and chase down the enemies, leaving Sakura Neji, and Mei in the clearing. Several smoke bombs flew at them, quickly covering the field and blinding them all. And once again the spears started flying again, much like bobbing for apples except with sharp objects and vital organs.

Uncomfortable with the lack of sight she had, Mei rushed through the smoke towards what she hoped wasn’t an enemy. She made it to the edge of the smoke and coughed turning back to the dark figures she assumed were her teammates.

“Water style; transfer.” Mei placed herself in Sakura’s and Neji’s places, with a clone and herself. Thankfully so, too. Spears tore through her clone and impaled her through her chest. Sakura cried out as Mei was sent flying back into the trees.

“Mei! Mei?” Neji was in front of her in seconds.

Mei wheezed in pain and gagged on her blood. "Don't talk, just breathe!" Sakura dropped to her knees in front of her friend. She tried to breathe through the pain, but breathing only seemed to make it worse. She gripped Neji’s hand and cried while Sakura tried to tell her to relax. The three almost didn’t notice the rest of the team join them.

Sakura tried to give medical aid, but at the moment Sakura couldn’t do much, worried about the enemies rounding them. “We need to get her out of here. How many are left Neji? Kiba?”

Neji looked around and Kiba sniffed the air. “Eight.” They responded quickly.

“Hey, hey! Eyes open, look at me.” Neji ordered Mei, who was slowly losing consciousness.

“Neji, take Mei and get away from here. Go find her some help, we’ll catch up.” Naruto told him.

Neji didn’t argue at all, as he normally would with Naruto’s orders. He simply maneuvered Mei onto his back, wincing when she whined in pain. He rushed off without a second thought, leaving the enemies to his comrades.

For a while it seemed none of them followed him, which yes he found odd, but didn’t waste time to dwell on it. He could feel blood soaking through his shirt at an extreme rate. "You can't die yet, I'm still mad at you, Mei."

She muttered a quite response he didn't catch. “I’ll only forgive you over a bowl of ramen, got it? So you can’t die yet.”

Mei panted and tried to respond, only to choke slightly and drool blood onto his shoulder. “Ramen? To make up for kissing you? Mmm, odd deal…”

“Stop talking, you need to rela-!” Suddenly a paper bomb blew them to the side. He should’ve seen that coming. But instead he was too focused on Mei's bleeding.

Neji pushed himself off a tree he nearly collided with to catch Mei before she hit the ground. Now he could see them, three men circling them. Another smoke bomb exploded in front of him and not a moment later did spears come at him from each direction. He struggled to evade with Mei in his arms but he managed. That is until he stepped into a paper bomb.

"Mei… Mei?"

Neji’s voice pulled her from her sleep, and she was acutely aware of the pain throughout her body. "Relax, I'm not dead yet… Dying yes, but dead. No."

Neji sighed. "Now isn't the time to be funny."

"I'm telling the truth aren't I?" She chuckled, before coughing and groaning.

"They seemed to not want you dead yet, either." Neji noted the wrapping under her shirt. It was a messy wrap but nonetheless, it managed to slow the bleeding.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

For the first time since she woke up, she looked up at him. He was bruised and bloody, no doubt a punching bag for their captors. "I feel like an idiot, Sakura and the boys are out there most likely losing their minds and we're here probably about to die."

"Hey, we're not gonna die. Okay? We'll be fine." Neji quickly hushed her. "They'll find us and we're gonna get out of here and you'll get me that bowl of ramen."

Mei hummed, dizzy. His voice was slowly becoming distant again, and she felt like a nap was definitely in need. But Neji had other ideas. "You shouldn't have taken our places, Mei."

"I panicked…" She understood the underlying problem he was trying to say. "I placed the clone first and then I took the last open space."

"You couldn't have put two clones?" Neji asked.

"I. Got. Scared." She mumbled. "Fuck off."

"You never think anything through, do you?" Neji sighed. "Only favouring water jutsu when fighting, making jokes at the worst times. Replacing people and enduring serious injuries... Kissing me during our spar."

"You always assume that, smarty pants." Mei looked up at her teammate. "I favour water jutsu because there's water everywhere. I make jokes because it distracts everyone even for just a second, you might need that second. I switched places with you guys, cause it was my fault-."

"I yelled too." Neji interrupted her.

"But because I made you upset." Mei added. "And during the sparring, I just wanted to I, uh, just wanted to… kiss you..."

“And you thought training would be the best time to do so?” He narrowed his eyes at her.

“Hey two birds, one stone. Kiss the guy I’ve been crushing on since I was seven and beat him in a match. Hell yeah!” Mei admitted, smiling cheekily before groaning.

The door opened and three men walked in silently. Two stepped next to Neji and Mei while one stood in front of the door. For several minutes they just stood and stared, not even at Mei or Neji, just into the air. Like they were waiting for orders.

“Well, hi, my name is Mei, I’ve been drinking since I was three, family tradition to put sake in the bottles-!” Mei’s joke was cut off as a fist violently introduced itself to her face.

“They don’t talk, and don’t seem to like it when you do.” Neji warned, and just as he said he got elbowed as well.

“Well, that’s boring.” Another punch to the mouth made her whine.

The one standing at the door looked at her. The stare actually made her uncomfortable and squirmed in her seat before she remembered she was tied to a chair. “Many of my men will not come home tonight due to you and your friends.”

Mei raised a brow. “I hope you don’t expect me to say sorry?”

Another blow landed on her cheek. “No, just suffer. But first.” He looked over at Neji and suddenly he was struck in the chest. “You’re friends. Where are they?”

Neji wheezed, but said nothing. He kept his thoughts to himself even as his babysitter continued to beat him senseless. This continued for a few minutes, until finally the one by the door stopped the assault.

“Again I ask. Where are you comrades?” Neji only spit the blood out of his mouth in response. “Fine. Until, he speaks.” He snapped his fingers at Mei and not a second later did an open palm cross her face.

The man left the room, intent on leaving the man to beat Mei for a while. Neji opened his mouth to say something but Mei gave him a hard glare, before her head snapped to the side from the fist bruising her cheek bone. He did his best to keep his mouth closed, and simply shut his eyes to avoid seeing her.

Yet a loud thud made them snap open, to find Mei had been knocked over onto the floor. The man started to kick her in her stomach, her cries of pain had become too much to ignore. The man kicked her onto her back and stomped on her chest, and it seemed like he enjoyed the gurgling sounds Mei made, as she choked on blood.

“I can’t see them!” Neji shouted, halting the abuse. “I can’t see them.”

The man eased off her chest and nodded to Neji’s abuser to go outside and a moment later the other man rejoined them. He looked over at the struggling girl and smirked before looking at Neji. “Well?”

“I can’t see through walls. I couldn’t tell you where they are unless I can see outside. Therefore.” Neji explained.

“You think I’ll just let you walk out there? You could give them a signal to attack.” The man scoffed.

“It’s a risk you’ll have to take if you want to expect their ambush.” Neji tried.

For several minutes, the room was silent, except for the pained wheezing from Mei. Finally the man motioned for Mei to be straightened up and for them both to be untied. “You get three minutes to find them, or she dies.”

They were both pulled from their chairs, Mei with a knife pressed to her throat and Neji’s hands bound. Mei gave him a look, appearing irritated that he was about to give up the team to save her, but Neji only looked at her freed hands. Then she understood.

The men began leading them through a hallway, no doubt towards an exit. The place seemed to be empty except for themselves, thankfully. As they neared a door, Mei made her move.

Mei drew a sign discreetly before she spoke up. “You know, human blood is nearly ninety-two percent water… just a fun fact before I pass out here.” With that she pressed her hands onto the man behind her and whispered her attack. “Water style; possession.”

Mei collapsed to the floor, appearing to have fainted, when really she was kneeling over herself. In the body of the man who was guiding her. She pretended to check her pulse, and looked up to the men ahead of her and shook her head. The leader rolled his eyes, motioned for her to leave the body and continue on.

“Now, you get three minutes or you die.” The man warned Neji who simply glared, yet didn’t try anything.

Not that he would’ve had to, Mei stabbed the man holding Neji and kicked the leader in the face. “Wow, is this what it feels like to be tall?” She gasped, jokingly.

She narrowly avoided a fist to her face by the man that previously held Neji captive. She grabbed his arm and swung him into his leader and yanked Neji away and cut his binds off quickly. He dodged a kunai aimed for his neck and threw two of his own back landing his into the eye of the one she stabbed and into the throat of the leader.

“Being tall isn’t fun anymore.” Mei breathed looking at Neji.

Neji only rolled his eyes and watched as she stabbed her vessel in the chest. She fell to the ground and moments later she gasped and jerked up in her own body again. “Hey, relax.” Neji was quick to grab her.

“I forgot how I felt.” She groaned, all the pain rushing through her at once.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Neji sighed.

“Sorry about what I said earlier.” She said as Neji helped her up.

“Oh you mean, telling me you have liked me since we met?” He teased gently.

“Yes, let’s not repeat it. I only said it because I thought we were going to die.” She groaned.

“So you never planned to tell me? Even after the kiss?” He looked down at her and they stepped through the exit. “Were you gonna let me be mad at you forever?”

“Yep. Well, I didn’t think about the forever part, but yeah.” She chuckled, before wincing in pain.

“You never think about things, do you?” He repeated, pulling her up further over his shoulder as she became limper. “What if I shared feelings for you as well? And never told you, because I wasn’t aware of how you felt?” He asked.

“If you never told me, I wouldn’t have guessed.” She mumbled, sleepily. “But, I think you’d tell someone if you liked them. You’re blunt like that mister straight edge.”

“How mistaken you are, Mei…”

In the middle of the training ground, Lee and Neji were sparring and of course Lee wasn’t doing too amazing. Naruto sat on the ground being his loud self trying to cheer Lee on while Kiba and TenTen were doing the opposite. Shikamaru was grumbling about them all being too loud.

Neji managed to knock Lee down for the third time and sighed. “Lee, you’re not beating me. Let’s call it a day.”

“No way! I’ll win!” Lee argued standing back up.

Suddenly a voice no one had heard for the better part of two weeks echoed through the air. “Try kissing him! It worked for me.”

They all turned to find Sakura and Mei standing, grinning. Fight completely forgotten, Neji walked over to her with determination. He stopped in front of her and just stared at her, as if she wasn’t real. But there she was, real as the grass they stood on.

“You just gonna stand there and stare or say someth-!” He cut her off pressing his lips to hers.

“You owe me a bowl of ramen.” He breathed pulling away slightly.

#neji hyuga #neji hyūga #NEJI ISN'T DEAD #neji hyuuga #neji x oc #neji x reader #neji fanfiction #neji imagine #original character #naruto #naruto uzumaki #naruto shinden #naruto neji #hinata hyuga #hinata naruto #sakura haruno #kiba inuzuka #akamaru #kakashi hatake

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365daysofsasuhina · 4 years

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[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Three Hundred Thirty-Eight: No Remorse ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ] [ AO3 Link ]

It’s one of the questions he’s asked most often...to the point where he’s become - quite frankly - rather exasperated with it.

“Do you regret it?”

‘It’ being a rather vague term, but one way or another, the word typically refers to any or all events from the time he left Konoha, to when he was dragged back. From the moment he’s back within the village, it seems to be the one thing anyone really cares to know about the time he spent outside it.

The simple answer is...no.

But most people aren’t satisfied with that. If he tells them no, and doesn’t explain...they get that look. One that tells him that he really should regret it. That he should be ashamed of the things he did.

At first, such a response doesn’t really bother him. He honestly couldn’t give less of a shit what anyone in Konoha thinks about him, really. Their blind loyalty to a place that’s - in actuality - committed a number of crimes, not just those regarding his clan, leaves him with a rather unfavorable opinion of most of them. Granted, your typical shinobi - let alone civilian - hardly knows about Konoha’s wrongdoings. But even those who do - his team, primarily - don’t really seem to have much concern about confronting them.

Something he isn’t going to let slide.

But that’s to be handled later. For now, he’s still stuck dealing with the dredge of the villagers’ opinions.

Because in reality...he doesn’t regret a single thing he did. Some things he might have done differently given his knowledge...but he also knows there’s no point in such thoughts. There’s no changing the past. And even if there were...the unknown outcomes of such changes may very well be even harder to cope with than his current circumstances.

He does, admittedly, regret killing Itachi. But he also knows it was his brother’s wish: his attempt to keep the peace, keep Sasuke blinded to the dark truths of their village...and end his own suffering. But the elder brother’s death - and the revelations Sasuke received after, from both Obito and Itachi himself - led him to the truth. To his current path.

And he can’t bring himself to regret that.

He doesn’t regret killing Orochimaru. Or his later decision to revive the snake sannin. Getting his teacher out of the way was necessary...just as much as it was to later revive them. Part of him may very well think that having the serpent alive is a risk...but it also was one that, overall, panned out in their favor. Orochimaru has done despicable things...but so too were they instrumental in overcoming obstacles.

Taka...is a difficult subject. Despite his best efforts to remain neutral toward them, there was no fully killing his need to protect people - to connect with them. As much as Karin annoys him, as much as Suigetsu prods at him, and as closely as he has to watch Jūgo...he couldn’t have done what he did without them. They aren’t exactly...friends. He can’t bring himself to call them that, but friend is a difficult subject for him. They’re an odd...in-between.

He certainly doesn’t regret killing Danzō. While he knows the rest of the council won’t receive the same fate - and maybe they don’t quite deserve it like the head of Root did - their actions were the direct allowance of the massacre. Danzō’s greed for their power and his want to remove them from his path was something Sasuke could never forgive - never let go unaddressed.

He had to die.

So, in truth...while some things have been harder for Sasuke to accept than others...he’s had to, really. He’d go mad overthinking it, doubting it all, asking ‘what if’ whenever it gets too quiet. He made his bed, and he’ll lie in it. There’s no getting his clan back. His brother back. His life back.

This is his reality. Regretting it will bring him no peace...no justice.

All he can do now...is move forward.

“Ah -!”

Dragged into a group outing, Sasuke pauses and glances over as one of their troupe seems to stagger. It’s currently him, Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata. The Hyūga has been hanging around the rather-fragmented team seven as of late. And it’s she who seems to crumple mid-step.

Being the fastest among them, it’s Sasuke who reacts first. With an arm around her waist, he keeps her on her feet, dark brows furrowing. There’s a rather violent ripple in her chakra.

Something’s wrong.

“Sakura,” he barks, bluntly but not unkindly.

Noticing as much herself, the rosette wastes no time in approaching. As Sasuke eases Hinata to sit (a bit difficult to do, given their position in the crowded shopping district), Naruto follows up.

“Hinata-chan! What’s wrong?”

“I...I’m fine,” she insists, tone a bit wispy as Sakura puts a hand to her chest, chakra shifting to a jade shade. “It’s just...m-my chest.”

“Your heart? Or your scar?”

“Heart…”

“When was your last cardiology appointment?” Sakura asks, immediately in medic mode.

Sasuke, serving as a bit of a chair at the moment, lets his brow furrow. Wait...her heart? She’s only seventeen, why would she -?

...oh...now he remembers. Their chūnin exams. Her spar against Neji. The blow to her chest that stopped the organ and required her to be evacuated to the hospital. He remembers hearing about her extensive hospital stay, and the weeks of therapy it took to strengthen her heart.

She’d nearly died that day.

“About, um…” She pauses to think. “...two months ago. Everything’s fine. It just f-flares up sometimes. I’ve been told it’s normal, I just need to rest.”

Sakura doesn’t look fully convinced, but relents. “...we better get you home.”

“But -?”

“We’re not about to keep dragging you around when you feel like this!”

“I don’t want to r-ruin it…”

“...I’ll take her home,” Sasuke then offers. “I’m not contributing much as it is. You two stay and finish up. I’ll make sure she gets there safe.”

For a brief moment, something flickers across Sakura’s face. “...all right. But if anything happens, you take her straight to the hospital! No ifs, ands, or buts!”

Hinata almost seems to pout, but doesn’t argue. “...I’m sorry, Sakura-chan.”

“Oh, please - a little outing is a lot less important than your health. Go get some rest. We’ll see you again soon, okay? Take it easy!”

“...I will…” Letting Sasuke carefully haul her back to her feet, Hinata starts leading the way back to her clan’s grounds.

Sasuke keeps his gaze on her from the corner of his unveiled eye, watching for any signs she’s worsening. She seems a bit out of breath, but otherwise passable enough. “...is this from the chūnin exams?”

With a small, weary sigh...Hinata nods. “...my heart is healed, but every so often I have a bout of arrhythmia. It’s never been anything serious, not since my therapy ended. It’s just something I have to deal with. Everyone always makes it so dramatic…”

“People worry about you. And if Sakura’s worried...there’s surely reason to be.”

“It’s been four years. I r-really don’t think I’m going to relapse. My primary medic says I’m fine, and she’s as diligent as they come. I keep up my appointments...everything else is just unnecessary fuss.”

“...all right, then.” He’s not about to argue. But then the other part of Sakura’s questioning surfaces.

“...Sakura said something about a scar…?”

To his surprise, she actually pauses. “...yes.”

He too slows to a stop. “...what was that from?” He likely has no idea - he was gone for quite some time, and odds are he just wasn’t around when it happened.

“...when Akatsuki attacked Konoha, I interfered with Naruto-kun’s fight against their leader.”

Subtly, his eye widens.

“I knew I wasn’t any match...mostly I just w-wanted to be a distraction. Maybe help free him so he could continue the fight. But I was overpowered before he could get loose, and the enemy impaled me with one of his black rods.”

At her words, a memory surfaces: that of Madara turning Tobirama into a pincushion with rods like that. Right before he -

“It went into my side, and...caused a lot of damage. Due to the rush, it was healed over very quickly, and I had a few c-complications that had to be fixed later with further surgeries. The scarring is a bit tight, so...sometimes I have trouble t-twisting my torso. I do yoga and kata to help with flexibility, but...it twinges sometimes. Sakura-chan likely thought that might have been what had me flinch.”

Sasuke considers her for a long moment. They’re still stopped in the middle of a road, currently empty beyond the two of them. “...you got that trying to help Naruto?”

“...yes. After I was stabbed, he flew into a rage...utilized his bijū and got free.”

“...I didn’t realize he cared about you that much.” It’s a blunt statement, but an honest one. From what he can remember...Naruto always called her strange. While Sasuke (and just about everyone else) could see it was due to her crush on him...the blond was always blind.

Hinata, however, doesn’t flinch. Instead, her head bows slightly. “...that was the day I told him I loved him. I don’t k-know if that had anything to do with it. He never mentioned it after that.”

“...wait.” Disbelief slackens his face. “...you confessed to him, risked your life for him...and he said nothing?”

“T-there was a lot more to consider - Akatsuki, the village, and -”

“But even after all this time...he hasn’t answered you?”

“...not directly.” Her tone quiets. “...but I t-think his reply is rather...o-obvious.”

“...that stupid prick,” Sasuke mutters.

“It w-wasn’t his -”

“You don’t regret it?”

His interruption makes her hesitate.

“...nothing? No remorse? I saw what you did during the war...you tried to do it again. All this effort doesn’t feel...wasted?”

She stares at him, expression unreadable. “...Naruto-kun doesn’t feel how I felt. And I h-hardly want him to force it, or...or lie. That doesn’t mean I regret doing what I did. I wanted to protect him. I w-wanted to prove I was strong enough to stand beside him. I might not love him anymore...maybe I never did. Not truly. But I can’t regret risking my own life for someone I care about. Even if we aren’t right for each other...I still care. I still want him safe, and happy. If the choice came up again...I wouldn’t hesitate. Naruto-kun is precious to me. I might not be what I wanted to be to him...but I’m still his friend. His comrade. So no...I don’t regret my choices.” Unblinking, she doesn’t censor herself. “...I thought y-you of all people would understand.”

For some reason...her words sting in a way he doesn’t expect. But rather than feel a need to lash out, or reply with snark...he recoils, suddenly unsure. He never thought her capable of such a remark.

When it’s clear he isn’t going to rebuke, she sighs. “...I’ve given a lot for other people. But I’d never take any of it back. Just because it’s left me in a deficit doesn’t mean I should regret it. I still feel like I made the right choices...even if others might disagree. They’re mine to make...and mine alone.”

“...fair enough.”

A pause.

“...you don’t have to walk me back, I’ll be fine. You probably want to go home.”

“It’s not that far.” And he isn’t about to walk away from her rather bold statements. “Besides, Sakura will skin me alive if she finds out I left.”

“...all right.”

They don’t exchange any more words on the way, and Hinata turns back as she passes through the compound gate. “...have a good evening, Sasuke-kun.”

“You too. Get some rest. Remember, doctor’s orders.”

To his surprise, she manages a smile. “I will.” With that, she turns and soon disappears.

Mind full of thoughts he had no intention of entertaining, Sasuke eventually sighs...and turns back toward home.

.oOo.

This isn't QUITE what I want it to be, but...it's late and I don't have time to redo or tinker xD Sasuke, in my mind, fully accepts all of his decisions. Maybe a bit less out of actually finding them to be the best he could have done...and more just doing so for his own peace of mind. Sure, he has things he know he could have done better, but...only AFTER seeing how they played out. For his sanity's sake, he can't regret them. Hinata, on the other hand, feels that she DID do the best she could. And while others might criticize her, especially her actions concerning Naruto, she doesn't regret them. Just because their bond didn't pan out how she'd wanted doesn't mean she'd NOT do her best to help him. He still matters. Her feelings still matter. They've just...changed. But that doesn't change the past, or how she views it. So, two different interpretations. And I think that's an interesting comparison between them! ...but it's also 3 am and I'm tired so maybe that's the only reason I'm so rambly xD Either way, that's all I've got for now, and it's WAY past bedtime lol - thanks for reading!

#sasuhina #uchiha sasuke #hyūga hinata #uzumaki naruto #haruno sakura #a light amongst shadows [ canon verse ]#365daysofsasuhina

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winx2200 · 4 years

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SasuNaru fanfic

Finally finished this. It’s not perfect but I’ll be editing it later. If anyone’s interested in reading this on another site with a better organization I’ll post it on Wattpad with the same name. I’ve never written romance before so excuse the bad use of words and I’m too lazy to edit this rn so you’re stuck with this bad version. Hope y’all enjoy!

Never Truly Gone

Part 2.

Naruto woke up, frowning at the light barely passing through the slim opening of his curtains.

“What time is it?” He asked groggily, not to anyone in particular. Opening a single eye, he felt around for his phone, groaning in glee when he finally found it. Looking at his phone, all his previous drowsiness faded away.

“Ah! I´m going to be late!” He said, getting up and questioning briefly why he was on the floor when he remembered his answer. Though it he was curious as to how his blanket and pillow magically followed him down the stairs. Deciding not to dwell too much on it, he rushed to the bathroom to freshen up before going to a very important village meeting.

He jumped out the window, stumbling upon contact with the roof of his neighbor’s yet still managing to be completely silent, as not to get another noise complaint.

Naruto hopped from roof to roof, waving carelessly to anyone who happened to get a glimpse of him. This wasn’t unusual behavior, the villagers were all accustomed to the Hokage’s care-free nature, even helping to elevate the town’s spirits in times of crisis. It was their daily routine, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Only a few minutes late, Naruto bust into the meeting room breaking the window and landing directly in his chair. In his haste, it almost tipped over, saved by Sakura’s hand.

“Hi everyone!” He smiled, closing his eyes. The council stared at him with disinterest, promptly getting back to what they were discussing prior to his arrival. The only one to say hi to him was Hinata, waving shyly.

“I say we just bust in there, clear them out in one go.” Sakura proposed, crossing her arms.

Shikamaru opened one of his eyes. “How about we do something… less stupid?”

The council began to argue within themselves about what their approach to targeting a group of criminals supposedly living near their area should be. According to rumor’s they were supposed to be fairly strong, one of the main reasons their village would be handling this incident.

“Hey, hey! Calm down.” He said, standing up and waving his arm as if he were talking to a bunch of toddlers.

They immediately quieted down. “Kiba and Shino will scout the place out. If they seem too strong for both of you feel free to call for back up.” Naruto directed, utilizing a more formal tone.

Kiba shrugged. “Seems fun. We’ll get rid of them quickly right Shino?” He joked, jabbing him in the gut with his elbow. “Of course,” Shino stated simply, ignoring the hit he just took.

“Well,” the Hokage clapped, “looks like we finished things here. I’ll be on my way to get breakfast-”

“We’re already done?” Ino asked, disappointed. A few of the more enthusiastic members nodded, wanting to continue the meeting.

“Oh, yeah,” Naruto started, plopping down onto the table, Sakura and Shikamaru distancing themselves from him. “I had someone follow me last night.”

The room got serious, tension beginning to settle in.

“I could sense them but pinpointing them was hard. They seemed relatively passive though. Not really something we should worry about I think.” Naruto scratched his head, picking up the train of his coat and putting it on the table.

“Though… they could be part of the group that’s been causing a ruckus. So that’s why you’re going Kiba… I guess.”

“Thanks!” Kiba boasted.

Ino facepalmed. “Why didn’t you start by this?”

“They could be dangerous…” Shikamaru added.

“I don’t think so,” Naruto said, standing on the table.

“But-” Sakura started.

“No buts. I don’t think we need to pursue them so just focus on your current missions okay?” Naruto cut in, patting Sakura’s head with his foot.

“I- get off me! - guess…” She said, pushing him off the table. The blonde landed on the ground, hardly maintaining his balance. The previous tension was instantly cut due to the silly acts, Hinata giggling at their antics.

“Now that everything is solved. Ramen time!” He yelled, putting his hands in the air and jumping out of the window he broke into, his voice fading as he fell.

The day went by quickly, Kiba and Shino reporting back quickly having already taken care of the group. For safe measure, Naruto commanded a couple of shinobi to take care of the cleanup and monitor the area.

He took an afternoon nap to make up for the lost sleep in the evening, not minding that this could ruin his sleep schedule. When came to it was already sunset, making him wonder why no one had woken him up. It was probably Hinata’s fault anyway, she knew when he needed sleep and told them not to wake him up.

Naruto smiled slightly. He has such good friends.

It was already nine and he had finished all his work so, “Time to go home!” Naruto fist pumped into the air. Outside once again, he felt the air lash at his cheeks, red dust covering them. Naruto facepalmed. “Ugh… I’m so dumb.” He covered his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Indeed you are.” A voice called out of the darkness. Naruto stopped to look towards the source of the sound, but the figure had already moved. He could sense him, but like before, he had no clue where he was. The voice was male, low and husky, the phrase short and simple. It felt familiar, as if he had heard it before, albeit not knowing when or where.

“Hey! Only I can say that!” Naruto yelled, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff.

“As if.” The voice responded, this time coming from another location.

Naruto growled and pursed his lips. “Ah!!! Fight me!” He yelled, completely disregarding that it was nighttime. Another faint voice yelled back, telling him to shut up as there were people who were trying to sleep.

“Sorry!” He said back, his blush not now only just because of the cold.

The figure, wherever he was, began to clap slowly. Naruto’s eyebrows furrowed in anger, his cheeks reddening even more. “Yes, you’re not dumb, very smart indeed.” He hummed in agreement, the amusement visible in his voice.

“I’m not dumb, dumbass.” The voice said.

“Says the idiot.” Naruto shot back.

“Imbecile.”

“Stupid.”

“Dunce.”

“Uh… You… Y-you…”

“Cat got your tongue?” The voice teased.

“Die, you constipated vulture!” Naruto quickly responded.

The figure, unable to contain their anger, flew out of the shadows jumping towards the blonde. Naruto sprung out of the way with ease, smirking at the figure. They were a few feet away apart, both illuminated by separate lamposts for the sake of composition. The stranger wore the same clothes as before, his position seemingly normal, but the slight tension in his posture showing he was prepared for any attacks Naruto planned to make.

“Haha! I got you out of the shadows!” He mocked, putting a hand on his stomach. They just crossed their arms, facing away from Naruto. “Ignoring me now? Hmph, then I will too. Good day, sir.” He joked, walking away from the individual.

Naruto waved, not looking back. “See you later!”

“Are you going to leave just like that?”

“I’m not having an argument with a vulture!”

“I’m not a vulture!”

“You look like it with that hair!” Naruto said, not bothering to turn back as the voice faded.

“And you look like you got hit by a thunderbolt!”

Naruto turned around rage bubbling up his throat. But he was met with no one, he couldn’t sense the person anymore. Sort of disappointed, Naruto walked back to his house, his shoulders slightly hunched. The person no doubt got on his nerves, but it was sort of fun, exhilarating even to be able to banter with someone so easily.

It reminded him of a previous relationship he had with somebody he used to know. His heart was doused in guilt, and Sadness threatened to spill over in the form of tears. He shook his head, trying to push his feelings down and think of something else. Like the mysterious person following him around.

His instincts were that they harbored no ill intentions, and that made him even more curious. Why him? The most dangerous person in the village? They must be confident in their abilities then, maybe even on par with his. This, however, was a little more threatening to him. He needed to be strong, to protect his friends.

Rubbing his head, Naruto looked up at the stars. He wondered if Sasuke was looking down on him.

The stranger ran away from the Hokage, a small smirk playing on his lips. It was weird squabbling with his old friends, especially when they had spent so much time apart. For some reason, they still fit perfectly, insults bouncing off each other, neither taking them too seriously.

Not that he’d admit it aloud, but he missed it. He missed being able to simply talk with his - something else he wouldn’t admit aloud - best friend. At least that’s what Naruto probably thought of their relationship. As just… friends. Even if it was a long time ago his feeling never properly went away, the strange sense of hurt and pain in his heart whenever he’d jokingly call them best friend, a feeling of euphoria consuming him anytime he’d see the blonde laugh heartedly at his sarcasm, a slight blush spreading across his cheeks, or when he executed a difficult Jutsu with grace, only to be destroyed by his boasting in the end.

God, he loved it, he loved him. And this time he spent without seeing him made him really realize and accept his feelings after four long stubborn years.

Slapping his cheeks (silently, somehow) Sasuke inhaled sharply. And it hurt. Knowing that they could never be what he wanted, and it was all his fault, not that Naruto would ever like him like that anyway.

#naruto love sasunaru bl yaoi sasuke

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ravenaveira · 5 years

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People that say Taka was the best team/friends for him is like saying a drug addicts friends who are also drug addicts are whats best for them simply because they went along with and encouraged their habit rather than trying to get them help and off a toxic lifestyle

Just because you have friends that support your bad habits doesnt mean their good friends and whats best for you

Friends who try to get you out of that toxic lifestyle to a better place where your clear-headed and healthy THOSE are real friends who want the best for you

I know this is a weird topic to touch on after the previous episode which I'm not downplaying because I thought it was wholesome, but the fact that people blatantly ignore how toxic and unhealthy Taka was for Sasuke AT THE TIME really just rubs me the wrong way

Do I think his relationship with Team 7 perfect? course not, but you can definitely see the difference between how TRUE friends behave and how enablers behave

Whenever Sasuke talked or thought about Team 7 he viewed them like family and precious bonds he had to cut in order to focus on and pursue revenge

Whenever Sasuke talked or thought about Taka he treated them as strictly subordinates, we never see him bothering to interact with them other than pursuing his goals and once they were no longer needed? he discarded and abandoned them without a second thought, he didnt even know Karin was an Uzumaki or that he even met her in the past which shows how little he cared about any of them on a personal level, the only one I can say Sasuke even remotely cared about to that degree is Jugo

None of them tried to empathize with Sasuke, none of them tried to talk to him about his struggles or problems and let him suffer alone, none of them cared for Sasuke to that point and if they did then they had one hell of a way of showing it

So my point? yes I think Sasuke cared somewhat about Taka in his own way and yes I think Taka cared for Sasuke as well I'm not saying they didnt, I'm just saying they didnt care enough

And it seems crazy to me that the same people who complain about the injustices done to Sasuke and his clan are the same one who support Taka and them supporting Sasuke and his crimes against pretty much everyone

Yes killing Danzo was a good thing but it was still a crime, Sasuke and Taka joined Akatsuki and tried to kidnap the 8 tails which was a crime against the Cloud village, Sasuke attacked the 5 kage summit and every single kage there making him an international criminal regardless if his goal was just Danzo it was still a risk of them getting involved, Sasuke just being a rogue ninja joining another rogue ninja is a crime, Sasuke attempting to kill all the 5 kage after the war would have been a crime

Yes some injustices can be resolved through violence but that is not the one and ONLY solution, Sasuke going rogue unfortunately even from a narrative standpoint yea it needed to happen for him to train with a Sanin etc but the only way to resolve Konoha’s injustice was to go through the right channels and expose to corruption that was in it, once Sasuke left and started committing crimes he lost the moral high ground and anything he said or did would easily be ignored and just thought of as another crazed Uchiha who deserved to die

You can argue yes but then Naruto and Kakashi could have said something once they found out but by that point it was like Temari said, it was FAR too late for Sasuke and even with the truth revealed how does that excuse his actions at the summit? against Bee? joining Akatsuki? killing Itachi and Danzo MIGHT have been able to be excused but the rest? there's no way that was getting overlooked even with the corruption exposed Sasuke was still just as much in the wrong now

I'm a huge Sasuke fan but even I can acknowledge that not every single one of his actions was 100% right and just, his actions towards the people who actually wronged him WERE in the right, but his actions in everything that didnt? yes he was in the wrong no ifs ands or buts about it

So for those who think Taka is so much better for Sasuke because they supported his criminal actions [except Jugo I believe he’d be fine either way] but not Team 7 who wanted Sasuke to stop his criminal actions and return to his senses and be in a healthy condition again, truly make me wonder if they actually care about Sasuke’s well being or just think everyone who isnt a yes man to everything Sasuke did somehow dont care about his feelings or the injustices done to him and just wanna change him

Yeah, change him for the BETTER not worse, if anything Taka tried to do the opposite of that but hey I guess being a bad influence is better than being a good one

And listen we can go back and forth all day about Sasuke's situation after the war because I agree wholeheartedly that thats bullshit, but realistically speaking the fact that some things about the Uchiha massacre are unresolved like those two elders even being allowed to breathe, realistically speaking what CAN you really do? the Uchihas are dead and the main man responsible is dead and Hiruzen who failed to stop it is also dead so what would exposing everything do at that point? everyone directly involved is DEAD so exposing it really is pointless even if only to clear Itachi’s name which I'm gonna say something alot of you wont like

But the Uchiha’s were not all innocent victims, atleast not the ones involved and planning the coup, yes they were treated unfairly but does that mean the best approach to fixing this is to overthrow the government? how does that make you look? your proving their suspicions of you right by attempting to be the threat they all think you are, that is NOT how you get your point across and demand justice for your clan by planning a coup that would result in many lives lost including your own

Does that mean do nothing? course not, but if you want their trust then you have to EARN it and if you want justice and equality then go on strike and refuse to serve them until their willing to talk and compromise, seriously the Uchiha was a HUGE asset to Konoha so them refusing to obey and offer their services definitely would have gotten their attention and force them to listen and find a compromise, if that didnt work they could have tried spreading the word to fellow citizens and gain their support as I'm pretty sure not EVERYONE in Konoha felt the same way towards them and would have joined their cause for equality

But no, they chose the path of violence and it resulted in their entire clan's downfall and they end up with NOTHING but a bad name, so what did they gain? absolutely nothing, so was it worth it? NO

So lets stop acting like Konoha’s the big bad villain that did nothing but wrong and the Uchiha’s were pure innocent souls that did nothing wrong to deserve what happened to them because Ima say it THEY DID and their downfall was entirely their own fault for their approach, was it right? of course not genocides never ok and just as the Uchihas could have found another method Konoha could have as well so they were both in the wrong not just one or the other

Itachi also isnt a saint for the same reason the Uchiha’s and Konoha isnt and thats choosing the wrong approach to resolving the problems, there were many other paths he could have chosen but he chose the worst ones every time so just clearing Itachi’s name because of his good intentions wouldnt be right because his methods were beyond fucked up on so many levels

So my point is Sasuke was a victim of both sides wrongdoings, Taka didnt help with that at all, Team 7 tried to empathize and tried to understand and console him and save him from himself, its just that Sasuke didnt let them and pushed them away and thats of no fault of theirs since they did try but mainly Sasuke and them being mostly in the dark about everything

Yet Taka knowing almost everything didnt even try to reach out to him or help him cope in any way, Karin you’d think would understand and get through to Sasuke the most, cared more about her lust for him and seeing his ‘smile’ than actually empathizing with him and helping him through the turmoil he was in, Suigetsu made it clear he was out for himself from the start and Jugo is just wholeheartedly loyal to Sasuke no matter what

The fact that in the end, Sasuke makes no attempt to visit them until he needs them for something speaks volumes of his attachment to them, I think Taka thinks more of Sasuke than Sasuke does of them

He didnt even say goodbye to them before he left for his redemption journey nor did he bring them along on his years-long mission which again speaks volumes

So all Im saying is, Taka being the best team for Sasuke and his true friends is complete bull because I have yet to see any argument or reasoning for this be anything other than he chose them and that they went along with everything he did without question

If you have a better reason for why you think this then please share with me I welcome it maybe you can change my mind, but as of right now all the arguments I see is bullshit or occasionally shipping based which isnt a legitimate reason btw, so if you can be civil then I'm all ears

Note: I didnt mention the other Kages because it should be obvious their ways were screwed up as well and ruined a lot of lives, however what does Sasuke’s idea of basically ruling as a dictator resolve? how does that fix and reform the system? Sasuke wont live forever so what happens when he dies? he cant be the enemy that unites everyone once he’s dead and gone it’ll return back to how things were and thus mission failed another Uchiha dies for nothing, Sasuke’s approach to the situation was just a temporary solution not a permanent one and one that wouldnt last long anyway so lets not pretend Sasuke had the best solution to the problem when in all honesty both his and Naruto’s solutions were flawed and it makes sense that they’d work together using both methods rather than one and compromise, again we can argue about Sasuke’s situation after the war all day but fact of the matter is just gotta accept this is what it is and move on, at least Sasuke achieved partially what he wanted which was a bright future for the next generation and the villages to be at peace with one another without the need of a common enemy anymore, are things completely resolved? no, but its progress, and 15 years is nowhere near enough time to fix decades worth of damage so its still a work in progress and will be for a long time

#naruto fandom #anti-taka #pro team 7 #this isnt really anti taka cuz i love suigetsu and jugo #i just dont think their the best team for him #or even the best friends #but their good comrades and im glad their all cool now and not under house arrest like orochimaru lol #i debated whether or not to put this on my main blog or rant one and i decided fuck it im goin for it #this isnt really a rant to begin with but more of me venting about how stupid this is #but hey im open to changing my mind if the arguments made are actually good I'll have no problem admitting i was wrong #but as of now well im confident that wont be happening

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furederiko · 7 years

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It took three episodes to build up my interest, and another three to tear it down apart... *sigh*

As usual, my internet has been acting up all day. To the point that I've already postponed this to go up tomorrow (October 21st). But since the internet gets better, and the post is pretty much done, I've decided to just publish it today despite being a few hours late. Just in case my internet goes bad again during the weekend. Here goes...

05 - "My Secret Identity"

- Remember how the preview in episode 4 teased that Souichi could be working for Faust, and became its traitor? Well... that was undoubtedly misleading. - This episode confirmed that Souichi was the astronaut who discovered Pandora's Box, and indeed triggered the Skywall Disaster (but not on his free will? Hmmm) to steal two of its panels. But he wasn't working for Faust! He delivered one of the panel in exchange for Misora, who was held captive. It explained why and how Misora was able to 'purify' the Smash Essence, because she was part of Faust's experiment. Unfortunately, this also blatantly pointed out the writing's flaw. If being a shut-in was because Misora is still being hunted by Faust, then wouldn't apearing as net idol to search for underground information... recklessly gave herself away? I mean, it's not like she's wearing a mask or significant costume that would disguised her in any way. - At the same time, plot-driver Sawa also had an important discovery. Sentou's past! Ooookay, turns out it was NOT that important. Sentou Kiryuu's real name was Tarou Satou, and he was an eccentric band member alongside his equally goofy and sloppy schoolmate Tatsuya Kishida (played by Tarou Pinboke). Their band was called "Lynks", a name as plain as his real one. I know, right? What an underwhelming reveal. Perhaps the show attempted this reveal to be a comedy, but as I've repeatedly said, humour is definitely its weakest link. Meh... - The more important bit of information was the day he disappeared: September 5th. 'Tarou' was going to test out for a new drug, or something, which might explained how he got abducted by Faust. But of course, before Tatsuya was able to tell more, our baddie Blood Stalk (yes, it's 'Stalk' and not 'Stark') showed up and... ended up snatching him away. Looks like Tatsuya's annoyingly bad dental arrangement was a sign of doom all along. Naturally, he ended up as the episode's MotW/Smash. Predictable much? - Oh well, at least the fight between Build and Stalk was neat. Stalk blocked the former's "VORTEX FINISH" (yes, 'Vortex' and not 'Voltech') very easily, and expressed his desire to see Build... grow stronger. Wait, what? I wonder what truly is Faust's goal here? Hmmm. By the way, Gentoku and Utsumi were at it again. Since Stalk was in the same scene, obviously neither of them was its true identity. There's that. - New Full Bottle debuted. Comic Full Bottle? For a supposed science-based Rider, this show really goes beyond science. Comic didn't fit the biological/tech angle, unless... that's never the case from the start? Could it be, it's our fault for expecting or assuming too much too soon? - Once again, Ryuuga (who indeed is sleeping on the SAME bed. Does the show have so little of a budget, it can't afford separate rooms?) pulled off Comic's Best Match... with Ninja. HUH? "Naruto"-inspired? Thankfully, NinninComic form was impressive both in design and action. I loved the color scheme, and the 'Ninjitsu'-style attacks (like duplication and some others) were cool. This is definitely the most useful form so far. The show was about to end in a good note, until... - Sentou was carelessly caught off guard by Ryuuga once again (no kidding! TWICE already), who knocked him down and turned Tatsuya back into a Smash. Yep, I didn't know that's actually possible. Misora was to be blamed, as she's the one who planted this wrong idea to Ryuuga's simpleton's head. Would Sentou react in a hostile way because of this? The answer is in the next episode...

Overall: This was an underwhelming episode. I was kind of hoping for a powerful reveal about Sentou's past, but it wasn't even that important. Instead, the good part came for Souichi and Misora, who unfortunately were brushed off fairly quickly to pave way for Tatsuya's arrival. The butt-head argument between Tatsuya and Ryuuga was nice and all, as they seemed to by vying for Sentou's attention. But overall, this episode wasn't as strong as the previous three that have managed to grab my attention. So to be honest... I'm disappointed.

06 - "In the Belly of the Beast!"

- Let's continue. Unnecessary long 'previous episode' review aside, how would you expect Sentou to react for Ryuuga's action? Well... not as 'fun' nor 'tense' as I had imagined. Perhaps because Sentou had less memory with Tatsuya, and had spent more time with Ryuuga instead? Hmmm. - Ryuuga's plan actually worked. Re-Smash-ed Tatsuya wandered back to Faust secret base! But sadly Build had to come and save his ass again, which led to their bickering scene (with a touch of fist-fight). This was however, an important scene. We got to see that the Build Driver somehow only worked with Sentou, as Ryuuga got electrocuted when he tried to use it. It led Sentou to tinker a sentient gadget called Cross-Z Dragon for Ryuuga, so he could utilize the power of his Dragon Full Bottle. Yep, it's definitely the second step for him to become Kamen Rider Cross-Z (that's the official romanization). For now however, it worked as some sort of pet/babysitter... that has the ability to suck poison from Ryuuga's body. CONVENIENT! - Hazard Level? Night Rogue felt Blood Stalk has been trying to raise Build's level, and didn't seem pleased about it. These Faust duo are definitely toying with Build... and also Ryuuga (Stalk openly used plural for Build) in their own way. But what for? I still couldn't get it. - Hey, Sentou's working at the Institute! Now that's a rare sight. LOL. Seeing his employee hard at work, Gentoku openly shared more information about Takumi Katsuragi, and about the gas emitting from Sky Wall that they branded as Nebula Gas. Utsumi seemed unsure to hand out Katsuragi's research to Sentou, but Gentoku didn't mind. And responded with a... suspicious smile? He's totally up for something here. Could he be secretly leading Sentou to pinpoint the... Faust Lab? That seemed to be the case. Cunning Gentoku totally knew more than he should've. Was he in cahoots with Stalk? - Sentou and Ryuuga discovered the base. It's the lab where they were experimented on! Home sweet home, huh? It's interesting that only halfway through episode 6, and we've already in the enemy's headquarters. This was FAST, so Sentou's identity arc might be wrapped pretty soon. But this show have got to be kidding me! The lab was on the verge of exploding (following Build's berserk against Stalk), and the Faust soldiers were trying to transport the other victims of human experiment... yet Sentou and Ryuuga went into a long emotional private talk instead? YIKES. This show tends to choose bad timing for this kind of scene, and this might be the most ridiculous example. It's like audience was expected to assume that time froze or something like that, until they've done their heart to heart talk... *sigh*. - The episode ended in a more baffling manner. After being rescued, Tatsuya opened up that Sentou could have been the real culprit in Katsuragi's supposed-murder. How so? Because Tatsuya dropped him off at Katsuragi's apartment, precisely an hour before Ryuuga arrived there. It could be an attempt for a cliffhanger, but it felt forced instead. And it got more irritating, as Blood Stalk walked into a brand new Faust lab facility while talking in the phone with... *drumrolls* Gentoku. Nope, that's not where it annoyed me. It's what was shown afterwards in the preview! Because... wait for it, following a commerical break that somehow included the Faust "Trans-Steam Gun" and "Steam Blade" in it (Over-Time's fansub didn't include this, but it was in broadcast), we got to see Gentoku using a Full Bottle, revealing that he is... *sigh*

Overall: Way to go, TOEI! You always ruin the fun of discovery by showing too much on the next episode's preview, and you've done it again with this one. To put it worse, the startlingly problematic second half was just part of other major issues I had with this episode. It felt messy and well, missed out plenty of potentials to actually surprise audience in a positive way. That exaggerated chit-chat scene between Sawa and Misora about boyfriends, extras (those other victims) who ridiculously acted very poorly, and Sentou's supposed emotional explosion that never felt believable? And then that spoilerish preview? What a bummer... *sigh*.

07 - "The True Face of Night Rogue"

- Let's address the biggest, gigantic elephant in the room right away. Gentoku Himuro. The charming Gentoku who sleazily tried to harrass Sawa while spreading suspicious smirks and grunts every now and then, is indeed, totally, undeniably Night Rogue. So basically, this series does the complete obvious, by rehashing the exact same trope of last year (remember Kamen Rider Genm?). This is well... such a let-down, because I admittedly expected it to be different, if not better. Unlike Build's brother show Kyuranger that continues to prove its forte of being enjoyable and unexpectedly surprising over and over again, Build is sequing through the predictable path instead. - Not sure how I feel about it, but this reveal officially made Gentoku's entire movements more and more confusing to follow. Is Night Rogue really the leader of Faust? Then why would he follow Stalk's every order, as if he's the second in command? Before this, we saw him being fascinated with Stalk's action, and then in this episode, they butted heads and got into a disagreement. He claimed to Sentou that he fired Katsuragi for doing illegal human experiments, but he obviously has been doing it himself. What's that about? Does he have dual personality? - I understood that he's aiming to build Kamen Rider for military purposes. But if he has known Sentou is Build from the beginning, why have he and Utsumi been pretending in the Institute that they didn't have a clue? Spilling out details one after another, leaking information to the 'enemy', while in various occasions looked so desperate to capture them (Gentoku's weird reaction in episode 5 in particular, just felt all wrong). Inconsistent much? Hmmm... could he be intentionally toying with Build? Didn't seem so, and that's... pointless anyway. Not to mention, WHY OH WHY? Build kept using new Full Bottles (doesn't take a genius to figure out that he has Misora who can purify them, as well as the Pandora's Panel that Faust is looking for), then why didn't Gentoku just follow him to Cafe Nascita, and scored multiple jackpots? He DID easily follow Sentou and Ryuuga to stop them from going to the dry-soiled Hokuto region, right? Confusing! *sigh* - I guess Gentoku's first transformation sequence and the "MIST MATCH" tagline was meant to look cool, but it sure didn't feel that way and came off as unnecessarily flashy. Interestingly, he outpaced Ryuuga to become the official 2nd rider of the show. A fact that made me speechless. - Also, I'm calling it now. Blood Stalk is none other than Katsuragi. Who else, right? Why on Earth would his actor be promoted into a recurring cast recently. It signaled that he's way more important than just mere cameo (remember Kamen Rider Para-DX?). The way Stalk boldly proclaimed Takumi to be the founder of Faust, was way too suspicious anyway. Just like Gaim and Ex-Aid, looks like everyone who's not comic reliefs might end up becoming a Rider. - Thankfully, Takumi's mother Kyoka Katsuragi (played by Komura Hiro) became a highlight to this episode. Ignoring the odd facts that led Sentou to Hokuto (how would Takumi even bothered to give out obvious hints via his logs, one that would shockingly be deduced as anagram? How is that even scientific? Also, another cosplay joke for Ryuuga... *sigh*), the drama bit between the middle-aged local teacher and Ryuuga was moving. This was the woman who thought of Ryuuga as her son's killer, but had to swallow the bitter pill when she learned who was truly the evil one. - There were other good points. Cross-Z Dragon was the episode's MVP, by aiding in the battle against that child-based Smash. I also digged the fact that the Rocket Full Bottle actually belonged to Stalk, and was not Sentou's to begin with. The switched ownership was neat, and shook things up a little. Ryuuga and his knack for Best Matches was another delight to see. - RocketPanda form however? Not a good looking form that resembled "Kamen Rider Fourze" too much, but in an ugly way. And the show once again broke its own rule, this time through the reversed naming order. Another inconsistency?

Overall: On one hand, the show 'succeeded' in trying to make audience continue guessing whether Gentoku is Rogue or not. On the other hand, the road towards that was shaky, flawed, and the outcome was merely another underwhelming 'Meh' at best. It didn't feel like a surprising twist, simply because the show didn't even try to smartfully plotted it as one. Heck, it was already openly revealed on the preview *sigh*. I developed good faith after seeing how the show evolved from episode 2 to 4, yet it took episode 5 to 7 to burn them all down and left me bitter in disappointment. With poorly handled characters, shift of tones that doesn't flow well, and writings that feel surprisingly sloppy, this show just does not feel enjoyable and promising to me anymore. Many have pointed out that it might be too early to drop a Tokusatsu show around this number of episodes, because things usually gets better and only truly shapes up in the second arc. But I'm not sure I have the patience to go much farther... *sigh. For now, I'll stick around for just another 2 episodes. If my interest isn't picking up by then, I'm definitely shelving this series for good. That's not a threat, by the way. Just an acknowledgement that this show is just... NOT my BEST MATCH. Next Episode: That hedgehog is on FIREEEEE... PS: Eiji & Ankh! Dark-haired Takeru!! Human-Kouta!!! And Gentarou!!!! At least that "Kamen Rider Heisei Generations FINAL" movie looks like an interesting mash-ups...

Episode 05 Score: 7,3 out of 10 Episode 06 Score: 7,1 out of 10 Episode 07 Score: 6,9 out of 10

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Kamen Rider Build" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

#tokusatsu #kamen rider #kamen rider build #review

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