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hauntedhokage · 1 year

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Third Wheel

summary: Sasuke is a cute third wheel that Itachi only slightly regrets allowing to tag along. ao3 link

word count: 2.6k

note: no uchiha massacre, Itachi and reader are both around 18 and Sasuke is like 12 (but still wants to follow his brother around everywhere)

“Are you also going to the festival?”

The question is a silly one, considering Sasuke was watching as he adjusted his obi, but Itachi lets it slide without telling the younger one that he’d asked a question he clearly knew the answer to. As he aged Sasuke had definitely gotten a bit surly, being reminded that he asked stupid questions never helped with the angsty pre-teen mood swings and Itachi had no time to deal with that this evening.

“Yes, Sasuke, I am going to the festival. Are you going with Mother and Father, or your friends?”

“Yeah; I’m meeting Naruto there, but can I go with you?”

That puts Itachi in a conundrum. He wanted to spend time with his brother, since he very rarely did due to his work with the Anbu Corps, but he was also technically going to the festival with someone else. It was definitely a date, could he really bring his kid brother along on a date? Would you mind? Probably not, so long as Sasuke wasn’t annoying. But he was a kid, kids by nature were always a little annoying. It would be worse if Naruto ended up tagging along as a fourth wheel, since his essentially adopted younger brother had no filter, but they were easy to get rid of if needed. He was an Anbu captain and you were a special jonin, you both were more than capable of ditching a couple genin.

“Sasuke, your brother is going on a date tonight, you shouldn’t interfere.” At their mother’s intervention, Sasuke perks up considerably. Interest has been piqued, since Itachi had never so much as shown interest in another person before - at least, not like that. But to be on a date, he had to see the person at the very least.

“A date? With who?”

“A girl I know.” Is all Itachi says, smirk on his face at how immediately frustrated Sasuke gets at the lack of information. “If you’d like to go with me to the festival, that’s fine, but don’t plan on hanging out with me all night.”

“Yeah because I totally want to watch you make out with some girl all night.” That has Itachi rolling his eyes, but taking one look at Sasuke and laughing. The younger is confused, until Itachi gently tugged at the yukata the younger is wearing while saying, “You look like a ghost, little brother. I’ll be leaving in five minutes, if you’re not appropriately dressed and ready then I will leave without you.”

And it’s as he’s opening the door that Sasuke appears, quickly pulling his sandals on while letting Itachi know that he still had thirty seconds and the older sibling couldn’t leave yet. He can hear their mother laughing at them, and that has him smiling as he looks down at his younger brother before leaving the house ahead of him.

“Who is this girl anyway?” Sasuke asks as they walk through the compound, looking up at his brother and very intrigued by the smile on his face. Itachi smiled, but never like that. “Clearly she’s special.”

“She’s a special jonin, I believe you’ve met her before.”

“That doesn’t tell me who she is.”

“You’ll see when we meet up with her before you go on your way.”

Sasuke tries for the duration of their walk to figure out who it was. Admittedly, he didn’t know many of the female jonin nor could he think of any that were Itachi’s age so his attempts at guessing were few. Only to be floored when he sees who is standing by the entrance of the festival, dressed in a dark blue yukata that was decorated in red and white flowers. He knew who you were, you’d led one of his missions when Kakashi was otherwise busy, but he couldn’t think of your name.

“You’re late, Itachi Uchiha,” you scold playfully once they’re close, and Sasuke watches with interest as his brother leans in to kiss your cheek as he greets you simply. He had every ounce of your attention, the younger sibling not even so much as acknowledged yet and that was interesting to Sasuke. Usually he was the sibling who was noticed first, but that was always by Itachi’s design.

“Sorry, I picked up a straggler,” Itachi comments, and you finally look away from him to the younger brother standing just behind him. “Sasuke, don’t be rude.”

“I wasn’t- ugh. Good evening,” he greets, and you’re giggling at the brothers before you give Sasuke your own greeting. “I haven't seen Naruto yet, he’ll probably be late.”

“You can hang out with us until he shows,” you offer as you accept Itachi’s outstretched hand, missing the way the older brother glares at the younger to try and intimidate him into declining the offer. But instead Sasuke smirks, knowing exactly what Itachi was trying to achieve and knowing that he was absolutely going to pay for this later when he accepts the offer. But it’d be worth it; seeing his older brother be a human being and not the perfect son or shinobi was more than worth it.

“You won’t even realize I’m here.”

“I’m going to pretend that you aren’t,” Itachi counters, getting another laugh from you before he starts to lead you through the crowds. “Have you eaten?”

“Not yet, but I’m not hungry,” Sasuke states, only to smile smugly up at his brother when Itachi glares at him. “You asked.”

“Not you. You’re not here, remember?” And then Itachi turns back to you, who watched the exchange with an amused smile. “Are you hungry?”

“I’m with Sasuke on this one. Let’s just walk around for a bit and see where everything is, then we can devise a plan of attack.” Your suggestion is met with a nod from both brothers, and you let Itachi pull you in close before fully entering the crowded walkway.

Sasuke is already bored after just a few minutes of wandering, listening to the older duo talk about recent missions and plans for later days. They weren’t even twenty yet and they talked like his parents did, which was pretty lame. He thought his brother would be more exciting - especially considering who his date was. He remembered you using a killer fire jutsu and being able to fend off five different attackers using taijutsu alone, but here you were clinging to his brother’s arm as you talked to him about the geographical specifics of the Land of Wind. Riveting content.

“Oh, Itachi, there’s a photographer! We should get a picture.”

“I think a picture is a great idea,” Sasuke butts in, earning yet another glare from his brother as you lead them to where the photographer was set up. He didn’t want to be in it, but now that Itachi thought he did, he was absolutely going to be in it. Their mother would love it.

And that’s how he ends up standing on his brother’s right while you lean into Itachi’s left side, posing for the camera like he would a school picture. The photographer requests that they get closer, so Itachi pulls him in with an arm around his shoulder before the flash goes off.

“I hope your eyes are closed,” Itachi mumbles to his brother, and Sasuke rolls his eyes as he looks around. Still no sign of Naruto or anybody he’d actually want to talk to (since he was also trying to avoid Sakura and Ino who he knew would be looking for him), and that has him bothered.

But then he sees the game stalls.

“Think you can beat me at those?” Sasuke challenges, earning a look from his brother as you look between them. Things were officially taking a turn, and you were clearly interested in seeing how this would unfold.

“A challenge, little brother? What’s your wager?”

“Just pride, for now.”

The “for now” has you letting out a soft “oooh”, which has Itachi giving your hand a squeeze before letting Sasuke know that he wasn’t going to lose to a genin at festival games. The challenge was on, and you find yourself watching from the side as they get set up at a kunai throwing game, the first in a row of different game stalls.

“No sharingan,” you call out before they can really get started, and Itachi looks over at you with a disappointed frown. Did he really need the sharingan to prove to his brother who had better aim? Would the sharingan even help against a solitary target that wasn’t a living being? “At least try to play fair.”

“Just be ready to pick out your prize.” Itachi counters, and you shake your head with a smile as he’s handed his dulled throwing weapons. He was so confident, and deservedly so as he was a once in a generation shinobi (perhaps even more rare), but these were just festival games and not necessarily intended for Anbu captains. Itachi wouldn’t need to try so hard to be successful at this game, but you fear he’ll try too hard and see failure for what was perhaps the first time.

Six kunai are thrown, but only four targets sound as if they’d been hit, and you’re moving to stand beside Itachi to see who’d missed. Sasuke had hit all three but Itachi, ever the showoff when he felt he needed to be, had thrown all three at one target and all were angled just right so they’d all land in the bullseye. Around you people chatter in awe at his display while Sasuke calls him a cheater, but you can’t help but smile at this side of Itachi coming out to play in public. This was usually reserved for when he was climbing through your window after midnight, for no reason other than the fact that he could and wanted to see you sooner than he would by using your front door. Drawing attention to himself in public was not something he liked to do at all, but you were going to enjoy his spectacles when he put them on.

“You will be the reason they ban shinobi from these games,” you chide, but Itachi is unfazed as he watches Sasuke pick out a plush frog. That was obviously going to be given to Naruto, but the elder sibling chooses not to comment.

“Your prize, dear?” That was part of this, and you’re looking at the variety with a thoughtful pout. They were all very cute, but you make your decision after a moment since one of the two you couldn’t get - matching with Sasuke would only add fuel to Itachi’s competitive fire and Sasuke’s desire for antics.

“I want a monkey, please.”

“Bet you can’t scoop more goldfish than me.” Sasuke prompts, and you’re quick to turn to the younger brother to shut that down.

“No goldfish,” you decline, accepting the monkey plush Itachi hands over and holding it to your chest as Sasuke huffs. “Depending on how far you two take this, we will all run out of hands to carry these things with. We don’t need to take fish home too.”

And so you continue, watching as Sasuke and Itachi go along the row of game stalls to settle the challenge that had been laid out. Itachi wins every time, and you start handing his winnings out to children since you did not need more than the monkey he’d won at the first game. At what you hope is the final game, you gently tug at Itachi’s arm to get his attention and smile when he looks back at you.

“Could you please let Sasuke win this one?”

“I’m not that kind of brother,” he murmurs, but knows that he’ll melt if you kept looking up at him like that.

“Be that kind of boyfriend, then? He’s not going to leave us until he beats you.”

A moment of consideration before he nods, and your smile widens when he mutters, “The things I’ll do for you.”

And you watch, clutching the monkey to your chest as they get ready to toss rings onto kunai handles. Naturally both Uchiha stand as if they’re preparing to throw a handful of shuriken at a target, which has you smiling to yourself. Shinobi habits never break easily.

“Well this is a surprise,” you hear Mikoto behind you, and look over your shoulder to see the approaching parents of your boyfriend and his younger brother. “I thought Sasuke would be off with Naruto by now.”

“We thought so, too,” you start, looking back as the brothers start throwing rings. “But now they’re competing so I’m sure Sasuke forgot about meeting his friends.”

“What’s the score?” Fugaku asks, and you grin when you see Sasuke celebrating his victory as Itachi looks at you.

“Now it’s officially seven-one. I saved your household from goldfish, too.”

“We appreciate it,” Mikoto laughs, gently squeezing your shoulder as Itachi approaches with your consolation prize: a small weasel stuffed animal. “You took your defeat like a real man, Itachi.”

“Thank you, mother, I wasn’t going to let him win but someone asked nicely.” His arm is around you now, pulling you into his side and you nod your agreement. Sasuke is telling Naruto about how he beat Itachi, and you feel relieved that now you’d finally be able to have your date without a younger sibling whose primary instinct was to annoy his brother.

“Aright, later losers.”

“Manners, Sasuke!” Mikoto scolds, now alerting her youngest son to her presence and that has the boy turning bright red.

“It’s fine, truly. We know who the real loser was tonight anyway,” you assure, and Itachi waves off his brother who is quick to leave to avoid getting into more trouble with his parents.

“Well we’ll let you two go off on your own finally,” Fugaku states, and Itachi nods as he rubs your back while trying to be mindful of your obi. “Have fun, make sure to stop by that photographer.”

“And thank you for letting Sasuke tag along.”

“He was no trouble,” you assure before Itachi excuses you both and pulls you away. “Do you want to beat me at the ring toss to reclaim your pride?”

“I’d let you win,” he declines the offer, and you nod as you hand him your large monkey so you can properly wrap your arms around him. “I didn’t expect Sasuke to be around for so long. I’m sorry that he cut into our time together.”

“Please don’t worry about it,” you request, stopping when he does and looking up at him. He looks worried, and you’re not sure why since you had offered to let Sasuke tag along. “He’s your family, and I know spending time with him means a lot to you too.”

“At some point he’ll be your family, I hope.”

“You’ve gotta get better at the ring toss first,” you tease, laughing when he uses the monkey to mock you. “You’re such a sore loser!”

“I just hope you’ll make it up to me. I lost for you, after all.”

“Did you really want to spend the night with your brother trying to beat you at festival games?”

“No, but I’ve realized that I’ve made quite the error tonight.”

“I truly mean it when I say that I don’t mind that Sasuke was-” you’re cut off by a kiss, one that was truly unique to Itachi. Tender and sweet, his movements languid as he tries to bring you in closer despite the large stuffed animal in his hand making things a bit more difficult.

“The error wasn’t my brother,” he murmurs against your mouth, and you hum inquisitively. “The error was that I hadn’t properly kissed you yet because I was preoccupied by my brother. I hope that’s been corrected.”

“You’re more than forgiven, but can we go get food now?”

#uchiha itachi #uchiha itachi x reader #itachi uchiha x reader #itachi uchiha #itachi fanfiction #itachi uchiha imagine #itachi uchiha x you #itachi uchiha fluff #uchiha itachi x you #sasuke uchiha

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venerawrites · 11 days

Note

THANK YOU wonderful lovely person for writing for this fandom 😍 so glad you're here!💐

if you feel inspired, may I request some hurt/comfort Sasuke goodness? can be modern au depression or dealing w the aftermath of the truth behind the Uchiha massacre...are there any ways to help him out of a bereft slump or have faith in the future again?

also, your theme and artwork choices are simply gorgeous 🙌🏻 and the delicious angst 🤤

author's note: thank you so much for your beautiful words! I have been waiting to be in the right mood for this one, so I am really sorry you had to wait this long... I really hope you like it, because I always feel like comfort is the hardest for me to write. Thank you for requesting and for the idea! <3

Some people leave your life just as unexpectedly as they show up. They offer nothing but distant memories of shared late evenings and cold tea, which soon make you question your sanity and if they were ever real at all.

Such person was Sasuke Uchiha.

You met him years ago, while he was working for a shady man called Orochimaru and was in pursuit of revenge against his brother. He was not like any boy you've met before: arrogant, proud, constantly tense, and untrusting. Rarely talked about himself, and much preferred to sit in silence, dwelling on his own thoughts, than to voice his feelings and opinions out loud. He always seemed in a hurry, constantly telling you he could stay no longer than an hour before he had to leave again.

To this day you never learned the true intentions behind his visits. The first time it was a simple call for help - sitting on a lone hill between the borders of the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers, he easily mistaken your cottage for an abandoned house where he could seek refuge after being badly wounded.

A terrifying surprise was written on both of your faces once you came back home later that afternoon only to find the black-haired ninja bleeding heavily on your bed. You were no medic, but you used your limited knowledge of herbal medicine to help his recovery as much as you could. In return, he spared your life.

He visited irregularly, but often after this. Sometimes he showed up three times per week, and sometimes months passed before you heard from him again. Sasuke never offered any explanation about where he was or what he was doing, instead often justifying his random appearances as his need for alternative treatment for his scars and wound.

The first few times it made you raise your brows in question - you were not an expert healer, all you knew being tales passed down from your grandmother about the properties of a handful of plants. Yet, you never spilled your suspicion out loud to him, instead quietly finding comfort in his presence.

It was strange how well you got along, your shared love for silence and solitude somehow bringing you together. Most of the time you just sat there, next to each other, quietly sipping your tea and staring at the sky.

Sometimes you caught him glancing at you or curiously inspecting all the pictures and books you had on the shelves around your living room, his lips pressed into a thin line of concentration, while he tried to put the pieces of your life story together in his mind. He never asked you for more other than your name and your age. You never offered anything more either.

It took a few months after his last visit for you to realize he wasn't coming back and that in the end, he was no more than a stranger to you - you didn't know anything about him other than his name, his birth village, and the fact that he wanted to kill his brother. His motives were never revealed, and his ambitions for the future - never shared.

Despite this, it always felt like he was some form of friend to you. There was a silent understanding that both of you carried too much weight on your shoulders and you did not wish to revisit a painful past by re-telling it, instead finding peace in watching the beauty of the stars up the sky or the birds, who migrated to their new home in the late summer afternoons.

Years have passed since then. What you cherished as meaningful moments soon turned into dusty memories, that never reminded you of him outside your dreams. Life continued, despite time staying still - time always felt frozen when you lived a life by yourself, away from all humanity.

So when you found him one day, glaring at you with red eyes, you were both dumbfounded and terrified. He looked at you in a way that screamed hatred, rage, sadness, and pain. For a second you wondered if they were directed at you.

"I didn't know where else to go."

His voice was the total opposite of how he looked - it was small and weak, almost on the verge of breaking.

You quickly stepped aside, an unspoken invitation for him to come into your home. His feet hurried past you and you closed the door after him, immediately walking toward the kitchen to prepare jasmine tea. His favourite. Sasuke didn't like tea, but there was something about the way you prepared it that always eased both his muscles and his nerves.

After a while you came back, holding two white mugs in your hands, only to find him with his head buried in his hands and his knee shaking violently. You quickly sat next to him, before placing the drinks on the table and turning toward him, instinctively placing your hand on his back, rubbing small circles.

"I did it", he said with a hoarse voice, his head still hanging low, his black locks covering his face from you. There was no need for him to say anything else - these three words were enough for you to understand that he has finally achieved his goal. The result, however, seemed not to be what he hoped for.

"I am sorry."

Sasuke finally raised his head, looking at you with narrowed eyes. You could see the trail of dry tears covering his cheeks and you easily assumed he must have cried while you were in the kitchen. His lips were twisted in a scowl and he let out an angry breath through his nose.

"I don't need your pity!"

Despite the aggression in his tone, his eyes started to tear up again and he squeezed his eyelids shut in a poor attempt to stop them from falling.

"I have finally learned the truth", he hissed through gritted teeth, "I finally learned why my brother really did it."

The mention of the word "brother" seemed to trigger something in him and the tears started flowing freely from his eyes, while his lips started to mumble incoherent sentences about the Uchiha Massacre, Konoha, and the orders the elders gave to his brother. It was a mess - he kept referring back to his talks with a man named "Madara" while jumping back and forth between the memories of that bloody night and his plans for destroying the Leaf. It took you a while to piece the chronology together, while the feelings he kept bottling for years just kept erupting, reducing what you once knew as a stoic and controlled man, into a sobbing, raging mess on the floor.

It took around an hour for him to finish his story and for you to quietly absorb every detail, while he poured his heart out to you. The hand that was first rubbing soothing patterns on his back, was laying flat in his palm, while his fingers squeezed it for dear life. It almost looked like he was afraid that you were nothing more than a fruit of his imagination and if he let go, you would disappear into thin air and leave him by himself.

"I will destroy them!", the vow was made once there were no more tears left for him to cry, "They will all pay for what they did to my clan! To Itachi! To ME!

Taking a sip of your tea, you hummed under your breath, before turning towards him. For the whole time he was here, you didn't comment on anything he told you, but you also didn't have the chance to do so, as Sasuke left no time between his voiced thoughts for you to mutter even a word.

"And then what?", the question surprised him and he turned to you with confused expression.

"What do you mean "then what?"

Pulling your hand away, you tilted your head to the side.

"You are going to destroy your village, sacrificing the innocent lives of many, including your old friends, teammates, and teachers", you thought out loud, moving your eyes toward the old map of the world that hung framed on the wall opposite you, "And then what? The Leaf's allies would without question turn against you, and then you are going to have to destroy them too. A bloody path, that would eventually end either in your early death or in pushing someone else to take your path and seek revenge on you."

The more you talked, the lower his brows were furrowing to the point he was staring at you under the dark shade of his frowning face. His face was almost distorted - switching from extreme emotions of sadness and grief to anger and aggression, his whole expression was now twisted in an almost inhuman grimace, a mixture of all.

"None of them are innocent", he huffed, his jaw working, "They were all enjoying a carefree life, because of the sacrifice of my brother... and even then, they still called him a traitor."

There were no words of rebuttal you could offer. You didn't know his life in the village, nor how the people there behaved. Perhaps, the people living there were monsters, who lacked both heart and soul. But weren't they like that everywhere? You may have lived alone and detached from society, but you had enough contact with traveling ninjas - both rogue and village warriors - to know that they were all often fighting for the same cause, it was just their ideas of how it could be achieved that differed.

"And is that something that he would wanted?"

The man lifted his knee and rested his arm on top of it. He seemed to contemplate your question, the muscles on his face twitching every few seconds.

"No", the truth came out as a disappointed sigh. His fingers clenched and you could hear his teeth gritting, before he looked at you with cold eyes.

"But I am not him! I won't repeat the same mistakes!"

Holding his gaze felt almost like staring into the eye of a brewing storm. The determination that he radiated hinted that this is was just the beginning - he still had more hate and more anger to give to the world.

"Yet you seem to repeat your own mistakes over and over", the challenge was bold and even he seemed taken aback. Sasuke rarely got people opposing him - other than Naruto, who always had to have a contrasting opinion - but usually his ideas were met either with encouragement or with silence. His own team was either too scared or too busy with their own worries to question him and his motives, often just nodding their heads at whatever he said.

A dry chuckle left his lips before he rubbed his eyes with his fingers. Every time he came he was met with the comfort of silence, your bond built entirely on the feeling of the safety he felt every time he visited. Now he wondered if that bond was even real - never had he expected that you would actually talk so much, let alone NOT support him.

He imagined that he would just come here, you would make him his favourite tea... and he didn't know what he was thinking when he came here. He didn't plan to tell you any of the truth he learned about his clan's death and Itachi, yet the sentences just kept spilling out of his body, almost like he had no control over it.

"What do you know?", he scoffed, giving you a mocking look, "You live here alone in a cabin in the middle of nowhere."

Sasuke suddenly leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.

"What exactly do you know about the world or even about living? The gravest mistake you probably made was to put too much water in your stupid tea. You know nothing about pain or the real world out there! You know nothing about having everything taken away from you!"

Your expression hardened. You held his furious stare, bravely accepting his poisonous words, which cut deeper and deeper into your soul. Once he finished talking, his breath was rigid once again.

"You will be no different than them", you stated blankly and the man grumbled in response, "The people who pushed your brother to commit these crimes. And I know deep down, you realise that too... Because somewhere out there there is a little kid, who just like you will one day waste his whole life chasing you, dreaming of punishing you, till they become just like you. And the cycle will continue."

His eyes were now back to his original onyx colour, yet the burning sensation they brought to your insides was just the same.

"I didn't come here for you to offer me lessons of morality."

"Why did you come then?"

No answer.

"I offer you nothing, but my honesty", you continued, standing up from your seat, "If you are here to seek support and encouragement for your plans of destroying the lives of thousands of innocent people, you are in the wrong place."

It was definitely a mistake visiting you. He should've known better. Why you, of all people, would understand him?

Grabbing his stuff, he followed your figure into the kitchen. You seemed unbothered by his looming presence behind you, instead focusing on washing the two empty cups. Once you were done, you just rested your hands on the counter, facing the big kitchen window that overlooked the forest. If it wasn't for the faint breathing sound, you would have thought he had left.

"There is light inside you, Sasuke", you finally said, "And no matter how hard you try to fight it, it is there. Don't try to kill it! Use it and spread it in order to bring the change you want to see."

"You don't know me!"

"Maybe not as much as I would like", you shrugged your shoulders, your eyes still gazing at the trees whose branches danced elegantly under the wind, "But I know if you were really that heartless, as you like me to think, you would've drawn that katana you rest your hand on a long time ago."

Sasuke moved his fingers away as if the handle of his weapon suddenly burned his skin and his head dropped low. How did you know, when your back was facing him the whole time?

Before he could raise his question, you started walking toward the door, waving your hand after you.

"Come!"

Not leaving any time for an answer, your form was already outside by the time he could register your simple command and follow it. He was not one to do what others told him to, but his body seemed to act on its own, his steps echoing after yours before his mind could protest.

The man found you sitting on your front steps, a place where you and he have shared countless late nights, just gazing at the sky above you. Like a habit, he sat next to you, easing into the comfort of your old routine without further questioning.

"This area was a village back when my parents were children. It was a small one - only a handful of farmers and herb gatherers", Sasuke looked at you in surprise, before scanning the area. He had never paid attention to the surroundings of your home, noting only the existence of a forest on the right and a large meadow on the left. Now, on a closer inspection, he could see the remaining stones and paths, which were half-covered by moss and too strategically placed around to be just random rocks.

There were remaining memories of buildings now long gone.

"My grandmother always said that our ancestors were tasked with the responsibility to restore what the Great Nations destroyed", you continued, bringing his attention back to you, "Where the ninja waged war, we followed to take care of the land and bring it back to life. Where the villagers left burned forests after they sought new places to build, we moved to these places to protect the balance between the human world and the natural one."

Sasuke listened patiently, his brows furrowed in confusion. Where were you getting with this story? And more importantly, where were all these people you talked about?

Almost like you've read his mind, your head turned toward him with a small sad smile on your lips.

"Our communities have been destroyed dozens of times and they rebuilt themselves just as many. This village was destroyed before I was even born by a conflict between the Land of Wind and the Land of River, one which had nothing to do with the hard-working people who were guilty only of trying to take care of the forest and wildlife", you looked towards your crossed fingers in your lap, suddenly overwhelmed of the sad destiny your family must have suffered.

"There is no greater sin than the arrogance of a man blinded by revenge. Shinobi keep waging wars with each other, each drop of blood they spill being with price of at least one innocent life. And they keep destroying, blinded by their hate, claiming that they only want to "save the world"", suddenly grabbing his arm, you pointed at the trees with your other hand, before dragging it across the air to the meadow, "But look!"

The onyx eyes followed the movement of your finger, before they rested on your face unimpressed.

"Look at what? Trees and grass?"

You huffed at his words, rolling your eyes.

"You are blind, Sasuke!", your forefinger poked his temple a few times and you could feel him stiffen under your touch, "You watch, but you don't see! It is not just trees and grass!"

When he offered no other reply than a small curling of his lips downwards, you gently grabbed his chin and forcefully turned it ahead again.

"It is life! A life born out of destruction, out of pain", your hand gestured around you once again, "The truth is the world doesn't need saving! It has existed for many, many years before us and will exist for many, many years after us. It is us, humans, that need saving... and not by more blood spilling or fear, or hate, or whatever other false values they try to teach you in your ninja academies."

His muscles finally started to relax under your touch, while he kept staring ahead, finally understanding the meaning of the words that you were saying. The slow realization that destroying Konoha is not the medicine for his bleeding soul was slowly creeping into his mind, suddenly making him confused and unsure.

"What if we can't be saved?", the heavy doubts that kept holding him down finally came to the surface, "What if we just... keep destroying?"

You looked at him in silence, before finally letting go of his arm. The sudden removal of warmth made him involuntarily shiver.

"We will keep destroying", you finally answered, pressing your tongue inside your cheek in thought, "I guess it is in our nature! But we will also rebuild. And we will learn from our past mistakes, making sure that we will not repeat them again."

Signing, you turned toward him, before reaching out for his hand again. All his life, Sasuke always thought he hated physical touch, but now it felt right. It felt like it was a silent promise that everything will somehow be alright.

"Do not go down the same path of hatred, Sasuke. Your destination will keep being the same, no matter how hard you try to avoid it", the corners of your lips curved slightly upwards, "Your pursuit for a better world is noble, but you can't do it alone! The same way this forest and meadow did not just pop in one day by themselves - it took years for them to grow, helped by bees, the birds, and even the wind and the rain... They all did their own part. The same way you need to do yours, alongside your friends."

The silence that followed was long, yet comfortable. His fingers wrapped around your palm, keeping your hand in his, while his mind considered the truth you just spoke. There was a part inside of him - the one that was still hurt and crying - that wanted to convince him that it was all just an empty talk. That he should not give up what he already started.

Another part, however, what seemed to be a louder one and for some reason sounded a lot like his brother's voice in his head, was agreeing with you, shifting the perspective he was looking from.

A long time passed till he spoke again.

"Promise me", there was no trace of anger on his face anymore, just tiredness, "That you will always be clear and honest with me."

You couldn't help the small smile that formed on his lips.

"I promise."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two years have passed since the end of the war and Sasuke was once again on the road, this time accompanied by Sakura. Their final destination was unclear, but the first stop was already set in his mind - the cottage sitting on a hill between the borders of the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers. He has not seen you since that night you opened his eyes to what is really important, but the thought of you never left his mind.

The woman next to him, who still had an unclear status between a teammate and friend, kept trying to make him share where were they going, but was often met either with just silence or with the simple explanation of "someone important". The description make her a bit uneasy, wondering who could have such an impact on Sasuke to want to check on them first thing after he was allowed to leave, but she did not question further, still unsure of how far the man's boundaries lie.

Once they got to the hill, however, her uneasiness grew.

"Sasuke, there is nothing here", she said, looking around the vast field that bordered a forest nearby, "Are you sure that person lived here? Maybe they moved?"

The man did not reply, his body being frozen in place. You were gone, the house was gone, it was just wild nature. He suddenly tensed, once he felt Sakura's hand laying flat between his shoulder blades and running small circles on top of the clothed skin.

Just like you did that night.

Sasuke made a few steps further, before kneeling and touching the ground. While looking the same as the rest at first glance, the grass covering the area where he vividly remembered your house being seemed different... almost greener, yet smaller.

A small parchment of paper poked out of the dirt next to his fingers and he carefully lifted it, revealing a burnt part of the world map that hung on your wall once. The majority of it was gone, but he could clearly make out the names of the Land of Wind, The Land of Rivers, and the Land of Fire. Right in the middle, was a small drawing of a few houses - an indication of where your community once resided. Where you once were.

Sakura peered over his shoulder, looking at the piece of paper with interest.

"There still don't seem to be any indication for a building being here", she noted, before kneeling next to him and caressing the grass with her fingers, "This part of the field was grown by someone. Look, it is a different shade and size from the rest! It is like someone tried to cover the area."

Sasuke stood up, eyes still focused on the piece of paper. There was one, just a brief pencil line, that started from the drawn houses and continued up, till it ended at the burnt end. The man has stared at least a hundred times at the map in your house and he could swear he has never seen this line on it.

"You must have used it to plan where to leave next", he thought to himself. Because deep down he knew you were not dead - everything was left too perfect, including planting seeds in the place which you used to occupy, for him to believe you had met your end.

No, you had to be somewhere out there, rebuilding what shinobi like him have destroyed during the war.

He turned his head toward the sun, watching it slowly dip beyond the horizon. His fingers put the paper in his pocket, before he turned to Sakura, informing her they have to go and find an inn before it gets too dark.

And for Sasuke, such person was you.

cc artwork: Clement Tingry

#sasuke uchiha #sasuke x reader #sasuke uchiha x you #naruto imagines #naruto headcanons #sasuke angst

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ravewoodx · 2 years

Text

Team 7: Kakashi imagine pt 1

(pt2)

The team was grew suspicious of their sensei. It was the little things they started to pick up on that made no sense. He was not the same distant goofball sensei they first met.

It would first start with Kakashi actually showing up on time in the morning to meet before any mission or training. Or how fast he would disappear once they got back to the village. It was odd but it seemed like he was always in a good mood as well. Well better mode then his normal cold self.

“Maybe it’s a clone, and Kakashi sensei was kidnapped.” Naruto said as the three Genin walked to the training field.

“Shut up Naruto! Kakashi Sensei is one of the greatest ninjas of all time.” Sakura cut in trying to get back on topic about actual training.

“Or he’s right. What if it’s a clone and Sensei is waiting for us to figure it out... one of his dumb tests.” Sasuke added in still thinking about how strange their sensei has been. but it has been going on for months, it couldn’t been a shadow clone the whole time.

“You three are late...” Kakashi stated as he watched the three freeze as if they where caught red handed.

“Sensei!” They all answered ready for the intense training ahead of them for the day. When there where no mission training was always brutal. They had to get stronger and smarter.

“Good job, tomorrow we leave at dawn for a B rank mission.” And with that Kakashi headed towards the village.

“He’s 100% a clone.” Naruto yelled falling down on the grass completely drained from the long day.

“I agree... He didn’t even read his stupid book once today.” Sasuke stated.

“I think we should follow him.” Naruto said as the all ran towards the village hopefully not losing him already. The three snuck already the corners and alley following their Sensei at a distance.

“Where do you think he’s going?” Sakura asked as the all leaned against the wall watching him enter a small flower shop. They stared through the window watching Kakashi pick out a bundle of roses. The three where getting along too well as they stalked their teacher through the village.

“What is he doing at the hospital? We didn’t even get two hits on him during training!” Naruto yelled making Sakura smack the back of his head.

“Shhhh! He’ll hear us” She whispered yelled as they watched Kakashi lean against the wall by the entrance.

“Kakashi-kun! what are you doing here?” A voice broke the quiet night air. The three genin gasped as they watched you walk right up to the copy ninja with a huge smile.

“I was thinking since I was gone so early today, I’d treat you for a late dinner.” Kakashi said pulling out the flower from behind his back.

“I told you I would’ve made dinner, but the surgery ran over.” You said taking the flower leaning closer to him.

“My treat, since I was probably the reason you where late this morning.” Kakashi said, his smirk easily showing through the mask as he teased you.

“Thank you Kashi-kun.” You said standing on your tippy toes and pulling his mask down just enough to kiss his cheek.

“And Ramen would be great, Im still sore and tried from last night.” You teased him back as you both fall in step walking towards Ichiraku.

“What!?” all three yelled as they watched the scene unfold in front of them. Kakashi froze knowing exactly who it was as he turned easily finding his three students trying to hide.

“I know your all there.” Kakashi said before they came out from the ally.

“It was all Naruto idea!” Sakura started crossing her arms.

“We thought you where a clone-” Naruto started

“We thought it was a test” Sasuke said over Naruto as they all argued over each other.

“Agh” Kakashi sighed rubbing his forehead. You smiled standing next to him holding on to his arm watching the three. You heard a lot about the three in front of you.

“Why would you think I was a clone?” He asked not assumed by his students.

“You were being all weird.” Naruto yelled as Sasuke smacked the back of his head.

“No he’s in love guys. Grow up!” Sakura augured knowing she should’ve know before they went on like this. Kakashi felt his whole face heat up when he heard you giggling next to him.

“Do you three want to join us for ramen?” You asked smiling down at them. That quickly made them all quiet and agree as they followed the both of you with big smiles.

Kakashi couldn’t help the grin he hide behind his mask as he watched you with the genin. Before he met you, he was completely alone. Everyone around him always died, so he decided to be alone until he died eventually. That was until he met you and you wouldn't leave him alone.

Though you never left his mind either. But now he couldn’t even imagine a life without you. Everything just made sense when he was with you.

“why do you even like Kakashi sensei, he’s a boring old man?” Naruto asked as he shoved more ramen in his mouth.

“How old do you think I am?” Kakashi asked making the rest of you laugh.

Every since that day his students seemed to be more interested in you then him. He loved that you got along with the other most important people in his life, even though they where his three troublesome students.

You would spoil his genin too much, and he knew they liked you way more then they liked him. Anytime you’d pack him lunch, you’d pack them snacks. You made sure to drop off some meals for Naruto and even Sasuke. Sakura seemed to take a huge interest in your job.

“Y/n-chan, I’m home.” Kakashi sighed as he finally got back home, that you moved into months ago. The mission seemed to take an unexpected turn and took longer to get back. He also had to file the mission report with the hokage.

He walked through the house smiling as he smelled the dinner you where cooking. He froze in the door way to the kitchen to find you with Naurto, Sasuke and Sakura. How did they get here before him? How did they even know where he lived?

“Naurto set the table. Sasuke please get the hot water for the tea. Sakura please get the rice.” You yelled over the three as they rushed around the kitchen.

“You listen to her, but not me” He asked laughing as they all sent back remarks.

“I’ve missed you.” Kakashi said before leaning down and pressing a kiss through his mask to your temple.

“Me too.” You said smiling up at him.

“Gross” Naruto yelled out making the other two giggle.

“And why are you three at my house?” He asked taking his usual seat at the table as they all followed to sit.

“Well when you went to do the mission report we ran into Y/n-sama at the market on our way home.” Sakura said as you served them all the fresh dinner you made.

“I invited them for dinner, I didn’t know how long you’d take.” You said smiling up at Kakashi.

“Fair enough.” Kakashi said as they ate dinner. It still amazed the three that they still have never been able to catch a glimpse of his face.

“Thank you for the food Y/N-sama” All three stated as you handed them some packed left overs.

“Naurto, Sasuke, please walk Sakura home first, it is really late.” You said as you embraced them. They both nodded before team 7 made they way out to the village.

“Finally I get you all to myself.” Kakashi whispered making your jump as he snuck his arms around your waist.

“I need to clean up the kitchen, the dis-” You started but Kakashi cut you off as his mask was pulled down and his lips locked on to yours.

“I’ll take care of it in the morning.” He said as his arms traveled over the curves of your body before his hands gripped your ass. With on swift motion he hitched you up against him, your legs locked around his torso.

“Kashi” You moaned out as he left his lips littered kisses across any exposed skin as he walked you to your shared bedroom.

“Baby” Kakashi groaned back into your mouth not being able to hold himself back anymore.

“A little inpatient are we?” You teased as he stripped off your clothes, his following in suite.

“I’ve missed you, it was a very long mission.” He huffed wasting no time as his hands traveled all over you.

“It was....a week.” You mumbled back into the kiss, pulling him back down.

“A very... very... long week.” He groaned back as your hands found their way down his body.

“And seeing you being domestic does something to me, you know that.” He let out before flipping you over on your knees and arms not wanting to wait any longer.

“Please Kashi-!” You moaned as you felt him fill you up. He was always impatient coming back from missions but this, you weren’t too sure what got into him.

“I’m going to put a baby in you.” He whispered against your ear as he started moving inside of you. You couldn’t say anything as he slammed faster and deeper.

“Ka-kashi” You let out as your eyes rolled back not being able to hold back from his skillful movement. You body melted together perfectly with every movement.

“Hmmm just like that y/n” He said his hands gripped tighter to your hips. His thrusts never slowing down only sending you over the edge. You legs still shaking, face buried in a pillow.

You felt his warm liquid filling you up as he got in a few more sloppy strokes before falling down on top of you. He easily pulled you back against him, breathing heavy.

“Don’t move.” He whispered out as he felt you moving against him, he was still in you.

“I love you Kakashi” You whispered into his chest only to have him hold you tighter.

“I love you too” He said smiling nothing could ruin this moment, not even the sex smelling room and the dishes he still has to do in the morning.

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haruniki · 1 year

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Sakura CUDDLING HEADCANNONS PLEASEEEE 🤗

a/n: tysm for requesting!! I hope this is pleasant to read!! :D also inaccuracies bc it has veen a while since I've watched/read Naruto but I've been in the mood to do some fics for it. Also this is more or less Boruto Sakura at some point so i hope that's okay i just love Boruto Sakura so much, let's pretend that her and Sasuke are divorced or something idk djdbdnsm sorry for this being short!!

Sakura cuddling HCs

Loves cuddle but will not admit it

Sakura is buff, she is a shinobi afterall. So she can offer the best hugs and the best cuddles.

Big Spoon!! While she had thought she was a little spoon, but she found that she enjoyed being the one to encase you with her arms

Prefers cold weather if your both gonna cuddle, as it's better to have blankets and maybe even a movie while cuddling

After long days after missions, is the perfect condition to cuddle in! It's usually late at night when it's a lot cooler, not to mention Sakura is usually tired so after a quick shower she can go right off to sleep with you being held tightly against her

She is also loves holding hands while cuddling, likes being able to trace your knuckles with her thumbs

Talking is also a must, even if it's just small thoughts said out loud. Tell all the gossip that happen while she was gone. Sarada learned a new justu? How nice. Ino has new flowers in the shop? What kind? Maybe they'll look nice on the dinner table. There's a sale coming up at a local grocery store? Maybe they have that one special treat that you both enjoy.

Whatever the case, Sakura likes to cuddle and is one of the best cuddlers ever. 1099404938/10 recommend if you ever need some cuddles!

#.💌.🍓.#sakura is so pretty #like the prettiest #sakura haruno hcs #sakura haruno x reader #sakura haruno #naruto hcs #naruto x reader #naruto sakura #naruto sakura haruno #naruto sakura x reader #naruto sakura haruno x reader #x gn reader #x female reader #x fem!reader #i think im forgetting a tag #uhhhhhh #oh well lmao

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greatideas-badwriter · 20 days

Text

Sacrificed To The Banished Prince Ch. 22

I’ve had some serious computer issues this past week! The chapters I’ve pre-written were somehow deleted, and I’m trying to rewrite them from memory! I apologize for the late and short update, but I wanted to get a chapter out for you guys. For the time being, I’ll return to just one update a week. Sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoy it!

Beauty couldn’t begin to describe Sakura’s appearance. Sasuke couldn’t tear his gaze from his bride’s as they danced their very first dance as a married couple. No longer did her hands shake. While watching her walk down the aisle earlier, the prince was concerned she’d be too overwhelmed to spend much time amidst the guests after the ceremony.

The corner of his lips tugged into something resembling a hint of a smile as he twirled the gorgeous woman, ‘Ever since we kissed, she’s been more relaxed.’

Sakura broke his train of thought by smiling, a vision of purity and grace, “His Majesty planned a beautiful wedding.”

Sasuke nodded, noticing the many other couples joining them on the dance floor, but said nothing because he wasn’t sure what to say.

‘We’re married now. Any time, we’ll be leaving this castle to spend a week alone for the honeymoon,’ his hands unconsciously held his wife’s more firmly, ‘I’m supposed to kill this woman soon.’ Disgust brewed in the pit of his stomach.

She seemed to sense his mood change and allowed herself to be pulled closer so only he’d hear her whisper, “If you’re concerned, we can excuse ourselves soon.”

The pinkette had misunderstood. In her eyes, he was worried about the time, given that the sun would set within the next hour. He didn’t correct her, instead nodding without another word. While enjoying the last few minutes of their wedding dancing, the prince tried to memorize the image before him and the way it felt to hold the fragile woman so shamelessly. Regardless of what happened in the future, he knew that he’d never want to forget this day.

Just as the song ended, the king gently struck the edge of his wine glass with a silver spoon, effectively silencing the room. As though he could read his nephew’s mind, he lifted the glass with a seemingly proud grin and announced, “A toast to the happy couple as they embark on their honeymoon! Let us wish them safe travels!”

Goosebumps rose to Sasuke’s skin as he felt the hundreds of pairs of eyes on them. He didn’t let it show and bowed with his composure fully intact before guiding Sakura out of the massive ballroom. She sighed once they were in the nearby hallway, walking more leisurely, “What a relief….” He made a soft sound of agreement. Given how their life together had gone thus far, it wouldn’t be surprising for something unwanted to interrupt the wedding.

Just when that thought crossed his mind, the couple stopped in their tracks as a familiar voice called out, “A moment, please.”

Turning, the prince’s already souring mood dropped yet another level. Baron Haruno approached with poorly masked irritation. Once close enough, he asked without taking his eyes off his daughter, “May I speak to Sakura alone for a moment?”

Sasuke looked at the woman in question, not missing the sudden tension in her demeanor. She glanced at him with a curt nod, though, so he bowed politely before excusing himself further down the hall and around the corner, where he froze because the man’s hushed voice carried far enough for him to mistakenly eavesdrop.

“If you think my allowing you to live under my roof all these years comes free of cost, you’re sadly mistaken.”

Sasuke’s brow furrowed angrily. He turned, ready to head back around the corner to confront the man who dared speak to Sakura that way, only to stop himself when he continued. “Either you seduce the prince like I asked, or I’ll inform the king of your illegitimacy and have your marriage annulled. You’ll have nowhere to go.”

His blood ran cold as the air became silent. ‘She’s been trying to seduce me all this time?’ He thought back to all she’d done and endured for his sake and shook his head, ‘No. She’s not that type of girl.’

As if confirming his thoughts, Sakura’s voice came, though shaky and quiet, “Do as you please. Even when I’m dead, your son’s reputation will never recover.” She paused before adding more strongly, “That is, if he isn’t caught and put to death before you can rescue him.”

Then, an unmistakable sound met Sasuke’s ears, and this time, he didn’t hold himself back. He turned the corner to see Sakura holding her cheek, Baron Haruno’s hand still raised from having slapped her. One moment he was staring at his wife’s tear-filled eyes, and in the next, he had her father pressed against the wall with a fistful of his shirt and rage burning his blood, “Do you know what the punishment is for harming a princess?” Even to himself, his voice was chilling.

Sakura gasped, “...Sasuke…?”

The prince was too angry to notice her unease, instead pressing harder still so that Baron Haruno’s face paled, “So much as laying a finger on her would would cost you a hand, and you’ve gone as far as committing an act of violence. Should I feed your to the royal family’s hounds?”

Bloodlust with which he was unfamiliar flamed his actions, and he nearly lost control of it when a soft hand touched his back. His eyes widened, blood cooling in realization when Sakura’s voice met his ears, “Can we go now?” He turned his head, meeting her emerald-colored gaze in disbelief. She said softly, almost pleading, “Please. I want to leave.”

‘What am I doing? What was I thinking, acting so violently in front of her? I must be losing my mind…’ Sasuke turned his glare back onto the Baron, holding his terrified gaze one moment more before releasing him and stepping back to speak more calmly, “Be grateful your daughter knows mercy, for I do not, and I will not should you dare stand before either of us in the future.”

Sakura seemed to naturally understand that he was livid and held onto his arm with trembling hands, guiding the way toward the back exit. Their carriage was waiting. Neither spoke until they were safely inside it and on the road.

After a while, the prince stole a glance at his wife. She was looking out the small window as she sat by his side with a small space between them so they weren’t touching. Still in her wedding gown, he admired her elegant and foreign beauty while trying to figure out what to say to ease the tension. To say he was ashamed of his behavior would be putting it lightly. Of all the things he was, a violent man was never one of them. That adjective was saved for The Curse.

‘Will she hate me now? I’ve acted no better than a demon, even if it was a result of her mistreatment.’ Sasuke never wanted her to fear him. He wanted her to see him as someone to be trusted, someone of comfort.

“It was never my intention to seduce you. I simply-” “I know,” he cut Sakura off.

He averted his gaze when she looked his way. His glare met the carpeted floor of the carriage. “I…. Allow me to apologize for losing my composure. I never wanted you to see that side of me.” Being vulnerable with anyone, much less the person he cares about the most, wasn’t easy. Sasuke had never opened up to anyone in his life. It was a foreign idea to the banished prince, but in his heart of hearts, he knew it was the proper thing to do, even if it was uncomfortable.

Sakura didn’t respond for a long time. He couldn’t bring himself to look her way, afraid of what expression she might make.

Eventually, a soft weight met his shoulder, and he nearly jumped in surprise, turning his head to see his wife had fallen asleep. Her head rested against him. For a moment, Sasuke didn’t do anything, but then his anxiety faded, and he sighed warmly.

He gently pulled her closest hand into his and closed his eyes to attempt to get some rest, as well, ‘I know her well enough by now that I shouldn’t doubt her loyalty.’ For the first time in over a decade, the prince felt he was where he was meant to be.

#sasusaku fic #sasusaku fanfiction #uchiha sasuke #sasuke #sasusaku #sasuke uchiha #sasuke x sakura #naruto shippuden fanfiction #narutofanfic #naruto fanfiction #uzumaki naruto #naruto #haruno sakura #sakura #sakura haruno #sakura uchiha

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chameli · 4 months

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9 PEOPLE I'D LIKE TO KNOW BETTER . . .

Tagged by the cutest @tsupertsundere. Thank you so much, Vi! 💕

LAST MOVIE: Khoobsurat (1999) starring Sanjay Dutt & Urmila Matondkar. It was alright – I neither loved nor hated it. But I haven't been in the mood to watch movies lately.

SWEET/SPICY/SAVORY: Spicy, always. If food isn't spicy then I don't feel satisfied after eating it. I even cut up fresh chili peppers and put them in my Wawa sandwiches, lmao.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS?: 🤫

LAST THING I GOOGLED: What the weather is going to be like this week.

CURRENT OBSESSION: Writing! I've been expanding the backstories of my OCs as well as rewriting the stories of my favorite fictional characters. I need to save them (Sasuke) from the unimaginable horrors their original authors put them through.

LAST SONG: Soldier Soldier Meethi Baatein in honor of my favorite SOLDIER, Zack Fair. Yes, I project him onto Bobby in the video. Leave me alone.

TAGGING: @shahrukh-khan @singinprincess @amarakaran @bloop-monster @goblinsbriide @nowordsareneeded @poisonyourbreath @bollyspired @nuguflops and anyone else who would like to do it! You can say I tagged you~

#tag game #about me

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ourlittlesecrethoney · 1 year

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All roads lead to you. —BoruSara.

Hello, it's been years since i wrote anything borusara related but i've been in the mood lately and wanted to get this out of my system. Enjoy my small drabble and i may write more in the future. ♥️

Boruto and Sarada had a silent agreement.

No cheesy love confesions, no big romantic scenes were needed between them, their bond slowly developed through the years from childhood friends to rivals to teammates, they basically trusted each other with their lives. Just one look was enough to understand what the other was saying or feeling, that's how close they were.

Hence why they never needed all the fireworks and flying to the moon to know their hearts were one. Besides, they were fighting literal gods and avoiding death and destruction since they were 13, the day didn't have enough hours to spare sometime and go on a date like any other people in love do, so they realized about the depth of their feelings at a very slow pace.

They've been together since babies, both very used to each presence as they were used to see the sun in the sky everyday.

People may wonder when everything changed, that's an easy answer, Boruto could say, after the Momoshiki invasion, when he realized his life goal was to support Sarada as a Hokage and protect her. Of course, he wanted to be like Sasuke, a free spirit roaming around but always helping the village on his own way, however, that would be meaningless if the person in charge wasn't Sarada.

He has witnessed her determination to achieve her goals, all her efforts and late night training sessions just because she felt she didn't give her 100% that day. She has helped him too, as a shoulder to lean on, someone to put him back on track if he got distracted.

He knew Sarada wanted him to be the best version of himself and that's why she called him out whenever he acted reckless, and although they often fought because of that, he knew it was coming from worry.

He had plenty of time to think about what Sarada meant to him the years they were separated, when Boruto left to train and control the new powers he had, but honestly, there wasn't much thinking needed when she was always his priority, heck, 13 year old Boruto knew he wanted to be with her as her support but it took him to be apart and miss her to understand he just didn't want to be a right hand man because she was her teammate and closest friend.

When he thought about his future all he could see was seeing Sarada everyday and bringing her lunch to the Hokage office because he would be damned if he allowed her to develop the same unhealthy habits of his old man, no sir, he was ready to prepare lunch for her everyday and make sure she rested well and was happy. You see, it is not normal to have these thoughts for your just friend, even if he was Mr. Oblivious he wasn't stupid.

Love is not an easy topic and he thought he should be more scared and worried about falling for her best friend, but that wasn't the case.

Falling in love with Sarada felt right, natural, as if it was always meant to be and he wouldn't want to fall for anyone else. A small voice in his head asked the important question "what if she doesn't love me back?", Boruto decided to brush it off and just wait to meet her again.

All those worries went away the moment he laid his eyes on her at the village gates. She waited for him all those years holding in her hand the small bolt necklace he gave her as a promise to see each other again, and the look she gave him was what gave her away. Midnight eyes full of sparkling stars and longing, but the only thing she said was "Welcome home".

He nodded and closed the distance between them with a warm hug whispering on her ear "I'm home now". It was crystal clear, the beating of their hearts matched as much as their souls.

Boruto's POV is so fun to write, lots of Sarada in that blondish head. Should i write my vision of Sarada's pov next? We'll see.

#boruto #boruto naruto next generations #boruto uzumaki #uchiha sarada #sarada #borusara #they're so real #Boruto biggest sarada stan #borusara fanfic #borusara fic #boruto fanfiction #naruto

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tamelee · 10 months

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hi! I really enjoy your art, it has a very unique touch to it that I really like. do you sell prints of your art anywhere?

I've never been much of an artist myself, but lately I've been feeling like I would really like to try and learn how to draw. I know it takes a LOT of practise and that some have a more natural touch to it than others, but do you have any tips for a beginner? where should I start? I have tried reference pics and stuff like that but I never seem to get them right. how can I keep myself motivated when nothing I try turns out the way I imagine it?

sorry if you've already answered something similar to this, I would love to read that too. sending you good vibes and many thanks in advance ✨

Aaaahh thankyou so much! 💕 I don't yet but will soon I'll update on that 🎉🫶

Absolutely!

And wow that's great to hear! I'm really excited for you honestly because it's really fun :3 Well, my ways have always been a little unconventional but most teachers would tell you to pick up a pen and paper and.. just start drawing/doodling with whatever reference you have. Or if you have a pen tablet already, explore the program you're working with. Any kinds of brushes, try them out, try functions the program has- see what it does, make it a fun experience because you can't make any mistakes. It isn't something you have to deliver to anyone, this is practice and this is for you. Put on some music or watch a show on the side that's easy to follow (not one you have to pay close attention to) and just scribble away. You can use an extra program like 'Pureref' (which is free!) that allows you to drag in any references you need on top of your drawing-program or create an extra window where you can drag in any images and rearrange everything just the way you like it, like this:

And then let's try a Sasuke sketch in that pose upper-left corner.

I usually flood the document with a bunch of references in case I need it. (It's always more than I need but I hoard my files a lot 😂.. I think it's a fear of it not being enough "just in case"- but it's okay.) When I'm coloring a sketch, I think of colors beforehand but it kinda depends on my mood. Most of the time I don't bother until I get to the lighting stage. If you feel like you don't really got the hang of using a pen-tablet yet, there is a good tutorial with exercises here. And don't worry at all!!! Because it'll get much easier and easier overtime, just please take care of your hands and stretch gently always. Remember it is never supposed to hurt.

Honestly the way to improve fast with art is... just get obsessed over something 😂 and draw that. Find something you like and enjoy drawing it at least from my understanding that is what happened to many people. For me it's.. well.. If you want to get inspired, go to places, preferably professional spaces and make a board with art in styles you really like. (Or a folder for example!)

This way you can use references to make something and it's a good start/practice ^^! At least it was very helpful for me! If you feel like nothing turns out the way you imagine it, then don't worry about it please.. creating something involves so many steps it is nearly impossible.. or it is impossible actually to have something turn out exactly as you imagine it beforehand. It is more important that the end-result is something that is satisfying which has more to do with the actual process itself. And I know that is not something you might want to hear now but I guess you'd have to experience it? At least for me, every new art I make involves something along the lines of "oh I kinda liked that" or "ew, no, nope, no, not doing that ever again" it's a constant process. Here are some helpful video's for beginners because I think visual inspiration would be more beneficial for you than just a bunch of text from me!

5 FIRST STEPS TO LEARN TO DRAW

HOW TO DRAW SIMPLE FACES

HOW I STUDY DRAWING

Advice for Starting your Art Journey

Extra (not necessarily for beginners):

Why BELIEF Is More Important Than TALENT

How I Reduce TOXIC Perfection As An Artist (Best Drawing Exercise TO Do)

What to do If you aren't Improving

Why it takes so long to get good at art

I hope any of this is helpful to you and I hope you have a nice day 🌷💕! Happy drawing!

#asktamelee #art tips #art tutorial

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not-your-fucking-kacchan · 2 years

Note

I SAW YOUR POST!!!

May I request comfort cuddles with naruto?

I LOVE NARUTO SMMSMSMMDMJDJFJF

Plsplspsls i adore the lil ray of sunshine and i would pick him over sasuke ANY day

Not that i font love our favourite goff emo kid but theres only enough room for one of us in konoha 🤨

Masterlist<3

Naruto x Reader

You sit alone in your room, the curtains closed and your door shut. Your bedroom was an absolute mess, crap littered all over your floor and your desks a mess.

It's the first day you've been back after a mission gone awry, and your twmper has bewn fizzing lately, every little inconvenience chipping away at your patience and your sanity.

One of your teammates, if you can even call them that, had fucked up.

He had fucked up so badly that he ended up giving away their position to the enemy, and they were ambushed. He then proceeded to blame you.

This idiot had told your team that you had left a trail, and were talking to loud, going as far as to say that you had betrayed the team, and that you were a traitor to Konoha.

Thankfully, the rest of the team knew otherwise, but you were absolutely livid. You saw red.

The fight was huge, screaming, crying, kicking, punching... it was chaos. The team was falling apart. But there's almost nothing more infuriating than being gaslit and blamed for someone else's wrongs.

When you finally got home you had torn your room apart, screaming and punching walls out of frustration. By the time you had finally calmed down, your flat was a mess. The walls were cracked and your belongings were strewn across the floor, drawers separated from their desks and thrown across the room.

It's humiliating to have a fucking temper tantrum like a child, but you couldn't help but be violently angry when his lie almost had you kicked from your village with the label of 'traitor' stamped onto your back. Now your team is weary of you. Your reputation has been damaged.

Currently, you lay in your bed, staring at the wall with tired, exhausted eyes, your room pitch black and cold as night. So when Naruto, your precious boyfriend of two years, walks into your appartment using his spare key, he's speechless for a minute. What the hell?

He had only come to check in on you since you hadn't come to see him after your mission, only to find you like this. His heart drops and his expression morphs into one of grief, feeling guilty for not having come seen you sooner, and not knowing what to say.

He simply closes the door behind him and by some miracle manages to make it to your bed, collapsing into the nest of blankets with you. He keeps the room dark, knowing that you prefer it, and that you'd probably want to take a nap.

The blonde's cuddles are out of this world. You've never felt anything quite as warm and comforting as his embrace, because he's just good like that. And when he slides his arms across your waist to pull you closer, resting a hand on your belly and pressing feather light kisses to your neck and shoulder, you don't complain at all.

Tense and strained muscles relax under his comforting touch and you instinctively let out a sigh of relief. He lights up at the response and cuddles you even closer than ever, and you dont see the way blue eyes flutter closed and his expression softens.

He barely says anything. Naruto knows you, and he knows you won't be able to talk about it without feeling like a burden, so he simply tells you he's glad that you're back, that he loves you, and that you can come to him to talk about anything when you're ready.

The rasp of his voice and his quiet tone, communicating that he doesn't want to disturb you has you smiling just barely, already in a much better mood.

How did you get so lucky?

"I love you, too. Thank you... 'm lucky to have you..."

Those words make his day. And his week. And his whole year. What man wouldn't be over the moon to hear that from the woman they love?

So when he cuddles you a little closer and you sleep a little better in his arms, you're not really surprised. And when you wake up, and your room is a little more tidy, the washing is done, and there's a cheery blonde making you breakfast, you fall even harder in love.

For the second time since you've come back, you cry. But they're tears of joy, and Naruto knows how grateful you are to him.

#naruto #naruto x reader #reader insert #naruto imagines #naruto scenarios #comfort #naruto fluff

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riversimmone · 4 months

Text

A Hyuuga's Proposal

RiverOfTheSand

Summary:

Everyone wants a piece of Team Kakashi it seems; from Naruto to Sakura, to Sai and even the wayward Sasuke. All of Konoha was talking about the matchmaking going on with the Shinobi clans, but Sakura's future wasn't up for sale... or so she thought. Massacre Universe.

Notes:

. Cross-posted from fanfiction.net. Second chapter in a series. . Original Author's Notes: I have to apologise to everyone who's reviewed so far: this fic is changing. Originally, it was just to pass the time until I started posting Fallen, but now that I have actually posted it, this one fell to the wayside. I was either going to ignore it or shake it up – chose the latter. I'll increase the rating if it becomes necessary too. Also, the word count will vary (this one's a bit long). If you haven't re-read the A/N for chapter one, I'll reiterate: the only genre on this now is romance, but it's still going to be light-hearted, with the occasional drama that is life. You be the judge on that. So please keep reading. Lovely. n_n

Rated T. Read and review. :)

What was it with the clan heads lately? They were like horny rabbits, without all the cuddly, fluffiness that would make their pest-like manner easier to overlook. This was the third clan leader to formally petition Sakura Haruno in the last twenty-four hours to marry into their family and the strange stares she was getting every day were increasing in number. She felt uncomfortable with all the gossip, the way Ino had been gazing at her lately, in a daze of jealousy and was even ignoring Naruto's "requests" to come see him.

He was the Hokage, but was still having trouble ordering her to do anything. So until he put the words "I order you to…" into his so called requests, she was going to avoid him as well. Her main priorities right now was her work in the hospital and training; she could organise her own future god damn it! The last thing she needed right now was some overbearing man to tell her how to curtsy, when to eat her dinner or what to say at the breakfast table.

Why couldn't they just leave her the hell alone?

Sitting on the Tatami mat and scrunching the simple but elegant kimono that she had chosen to wear as a guest in the Hyuuga complex, Sakura forced herself not to curse at the man directly in front of her. After all, he wasn't trying to insult her... right? She'd like to believe he wasn't being obnoxious. To Hiashi Hyuuga, his words must have sounded like he was bestowing a great honour. But she could not and would not agree to his request.

"Hiashi-sama," she said finally, the frustration that was coursing through her concealed from her voice through years of having to deal with Lady Tsunade's strange moods. "I am flattered that you would consider me worthy enough to request this however, and I do not intend this as an insult, only a personal preference, I have no intention of marrying into a Shinobi clan."

She wanted a nice way to say 'I will not marry someone of your side branch family only to have my future children branded with a seal so you and the elders can control their every move'. Somehow, she knew that even this tame version of the obscenities flitting around in her head would not go over well with Hiashi. Sakura had been standing right next to Naruto every step of the way as he looked for every loop hole to the Hyuuga tradition of branding three to five year old children born into the side branch of the clan upon the announcement of the true heir. He had promised this to Neji during their Chunin fight years ago, in a roundabout way, and had no intention of backing down from said promise.

So Hiashi requesting this of her, though it sounded sincere, made her suspicious. The shock on his face was only momentary, and he schooled his features. If he was insulted, he didn't show it.

"Then may I inquire," he asked evenly. "If it is your intention to marry Sasuke Uchiha instead? You said you would not marry into a Shinobi clan, but would that extend to your childhood crush if he were to ask you?"

He was getting way too personal but this whole thing was personal after all. Perhaps Hiashi was taking this to heart, like she'd feared. If she'd learnt nothing else about them, she'd still know that Hyuuga men were prideful, often to a fault. For example, he would let a golden opportunity pass through his fingertips just to keep from having to admit he was wrong. Not that she considered herself some "golden prize" or anything.

Sakura shook her head. "Sasuke will not ask me, and I would not want him to. My decision to avoid ninja clans has nothing to do with him."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow at her. "Then what does it have to do with, if I might ask?"

'Curiosity killed the Hyuuga,' Sakura thought viciously.

He wasn't going to let this go, so she relented. "The state of affairs," she said enigmatically and stood slowly. "If that is all, I have paperwork due for the hospital."

Hiashi hesitated, a sliver of confusion gracing his features before he nodded stoically. "For now."

He watched her leave, mulling over her words. She had not mentioned whether or not she was involved with anyone (which would've been a simple and easy way to avoid being targeted for an arranged marriage), just that it was the state of affairs, which was easily interpreted as "politics". Sakura Haruno was well known for her compassion, for her bleeding heart, so of course she'd want to marry someone she at least felt a connection with. But as far as Hiashi could tell, she wasn't dating anyone, let alone showing interest in the opposite sex. So this, to him, left an opening to exploit.

And his nephew was the perfect clan member for what Hiashi was planning. He wanted her in his clan, needed someone of her calibre. With everything that was happening, the laws the elderly council was pressuring Naruto to enforce, the Hyuuga clan was not going to settle for second rate ninja to marry into their clan. He had, in the beginning, considered marrying his daughters and nephew off within the clan, but with the low numbers, he didn't want to turn into the Uchiha clan – they had developed all kinds of maladies from too much inbreeding.

No, he was smarter than them. And he would do this properly. Sakura Haruno would join the Hyuuga. The former apprentice of the now retired fifth Hokage was a gem in the sea of women who were of age, and all he had to do was figure out how to bring her over to his way of thinking.

Hiashi stood and left his office, striding toward the Bunke domiciles – the homes of the side branch. He had noticed the difference in his nephew lately, whenever Sakura came around to visit Hinata, or on the few occasions she'd come to personally see to the health of the clan leader, as Hiashi had requested of her. These were differences only someone with knowledge of Hyuuga nuances would catch onto, or Neji's team mates – they had spent years getting to know him on their missions, so it was no surprise they knew him better than someone like Sakura Haruno. The chance to have someone of the pinkette's skill and power was not something he would just let pass them by. Neji was infatuated by her, but had said and done nothing about it. This wasn't the Hyuuga way – a man was meant to be forward, respectable and open about his intentions with a woman, not hide them away.

It was time his nephew went after what he wanted.

Hiashi found Neji speaking with a branch member outside their home and both men bowed to him respectfully. Ignoring the other man, he directed his commanding voice to Neji.

"Nephew, come with me."

Neji made no indication in compliance other than to follow his uncle as the older man led the way to his office. It was the middle of the day, so he was surprised that his uncle had approached him. When they trained together, they normally started very early and any other business the older man had with him he usually sent a servant to fetch him for in the afternoon. Curiosity piqued, he closed the shoji door behind him as he entered Hiashi's office and sat down in front of his uncle, kneeling on the Tatami mat.

"It's time Neji," Hiashi said. "You are going to do your duty to your clan and marry within the year, and I have the perfect woman for you."

– A Hyuuga's Proposal –

"Oh my god you're kidding me!" Ino Yamanaka smacked her own forehead. "You are kidding me, right?"

Sakura just laughed. "No Ino pig, I'm not joking. I can really choose."

They were sitting in the living room of Ino's apartment and discussing the recent turn of events in Konoha. The biggest news of course, was the desperation of the Shinobi clans. They were one by one pressing in on their ninja trained children to marry soon, or at least start looking for a husband/wife. It was archaic, but fortunately not something that was fast becoming a cause for mutiny… yet. Naruto was the sixth Hokage, and the old days of the Hokage stepping aside and letting the clans "run amok" as he called it, were over. He would not force something as important as this. Sakura understood – he was head over heels in love with Hinata, and their wedding was only six months away. Being in love was turning him into a hopeful romantic. He wanted everyone to find someone like he had. It made Sakura jealous more than anything. The guy she liked wasn't so easily ensnared.

Ino's parents had wanted her to marry Shikamaru, but he was dating Temari now, and despite the fact that it gave an opening for further movement for the Nara clan into foreign affairs, Shikaku was disgruntled at his son's choice. Still, Shikamaru had every intention of proposing to the blonde sand Kunoichi eventually – the rest of the Konoha twelve had pestered him until he finally admitted to them.

Ino was torn on this – she had recently started liking Shikamaru (once her crush on Sasuke literally blew up in her face). The Yamanaka and Nara clans joining wasn't a bad idea, and she'd gotten her hopes up, to no avail. Her father was refraining from putting pressure on her at the moment (unlike her mother), mostly due to her outspoken views on the matter. So, she'd sort of been looking into the civilian populous since then, though her father was at least adamant about a ninja. Apparently, no husband of hers was going to be incapable of protecting his little girl. Sakura had laughed so hard when she told her that, and actually fell out of her chair. Ino just gaped at the pinkette.

"Why are you surprised?" Sakura asked. "My family isn't a clan, remember."

"But your parents are retired ninja; how can the Haruno family not be aclan? You even have your own symbol."

"It's called a crest, and every��family has one of those pig face," she snapped. "It's a historical fact."

"Your mother's strict though. How did you get out of this?"

Sakura grinned. "I told her I was gay."

Ino frowned, obviously trying to figure out whether she was lying or not and then leant toward her. Sakura's eyes widened as a smirk started to play with the corner of her mouth. Ino's face was mere inches from hers. She sat back and laughed.

"You're not gay."

Sakura felt her face warm. "I never said I was, just that I told my mother I was."

'Actually, like everyone else, she thinks I'm still hung up on Sasuke.'

The wayward member of Team Seven, who had returned to the village almost a year ago wasn't settling in very well but had surprisingly struck up a decent friendship with Sai. Sakura often found them sparring in the training grounds and was shocked the first day she saw them – Sai insulted Sasuke's manhood but the Uchiha just ignored his jab. He didn't seem to care anymore, about anything, or anyone. While Naruto could still be counted as his best friend, and Sakura had integrated herself as a somewhat reluctant friend who he actually seemed to listen to, Sai had him getting up in the mornings to train when the Uchiha would otherwise spend the early hours brooding or just plain sulking.

But there was one change in Sasuke that Sakura could personally claim was because of her: his intent to fulfil his last goal. She didn't love him anymore than he loved her, so she wasn't going there, but she had made a list of both ninja and civilian women who weren't fan girls that she thought he'd look cute walking down the street with. At first, he'd vehemently told her to mind her own business, but the idea had taken a hold of him and he was currently musing on that list, though she'd yet to see him act on it. Still, it wasn't like he was going to have any trouble once he started to take the decision making seriously.

Ino cackled at her friend. "A lie huh? I didn't think you had it in you to fib to the great Mrs Haruno."

"Hardy, har." Sakura pulled a face. "So your parents are taking the choice away from you?"

Ino squirmed. "No, not really. But they are limiting my choices, which I think means they already know now who they want me to marry and are steering me in said ninja's direction."

"Who?"

"I don't know!" She wailed. "I've been trying to get hints out of them, poking and prodding the bloody pair of them! I even followed my mother when some woman I didn't recognise came to the flower shop and they left to go get lunch! I can't figure it out!"

"Who was the woman?"

"Huh?"

"Who was the woman your mother was having lunch with?"

"Oh." Ino rubbed the side of her face gingerly. "It was a friend of a friend of a business acquaintance. They spent the entire lunch talking daffodils and carnations." She sighed. "So forehead, enough about me, who have you got your eye on? You could probably have your pick of the Shinobi hunks out there, huh?"

Sakura felt her face warm. The truth was, there was someone she couldn't get out of her mind, no matter how obnoxious she found him, as well as others… it was embarrassing. However, ever since Hinata had turned Kiba down (unfortunately for him, he'd tried to woo her in a very public spectacle and her attempts to let him down gently had turned disastrous – he should've known she had been waiting for Naruto, the idiot), he'd been coming up to the pinkette a lot. He would compliment her on the slightest thing, like her hair was so cute short, or if she ever got into trouble he'd be able to find her pronto because his favourite scents were vanilla and strawberry… okay, so he was sweet, but she wasn't interested.

It also made her wonder if he knew what he really wanted.

"Has Lee bombarded you yet?" Ino asked, scrutinising her friend's face.

Sakura nodded.

"I hope you let him down easy forehead. He's sweet, but not all there, know what I mean?"

She nodded again, trying to find her voice as she thought about the best way to mention the Hyuuga prodigy to her. Hiashi had seemed confident that she'd say yes, and she was worried he'd seen through her disgust at the way the Hyuuga clan treated the members of their side branch. She'd been daydreaming about Neji for weeks, wondering if he had someone in mind, but never found the courage to ask him. After a mission two months ago, she'd felt like he'd opened up to her, and let down that icy façade when he confessed he held no desire to take Hiashi up on his offer of Hyuuga heir. But the very next day, he'd gone back to the stoic form he was known for. He was like Sasuke, without all the revenge nonsense.

"There is someone!" Ino squealed.

Sakura smiled meekly. But it was nothing she wanted celebrated. No matter how she thought about him, he was a side branch member, and she couldn't stand by and be a part of that kind of subservience. It wasn't in her to be completely obedient to someone because of archaic laws. She bowed to Tsunade, she even gave Naruto a quick bow, (the latter mostly because it still made him uncomfortable to be reminded of how he had the power to order her around), but she had no intention of lowering herself to the level of the Hyuuga clan.

Of course, this decision left her feeling hollow, thinking that if she didn't marry Neji, then some bimbo would take her place and she'd have to live with that for the rest of her life, watching them walk down the streets together, perhaps even delivering their children.

She couldn't make up her mind.

"Okay forehead, dish it out, or I'll rip it out of you."

Sakura rambled a lame excuse and quickly disappeared in a flurry of rose petals. She knew her blonde friend very well, and had no intention of letting her wrangle the identity of her secret crush out of her. But Ino was an incorrigible gossip, and within the next few hours, all of Konoha would know she liked someone.

Sakura had an appointment with Tenten anyway – the weapon's mistress had asked her to meet outside some food stall in the crowded commerce section. It was weird, but she was willing to pay for lunch to have her hear her out. So the pinkette shunshined into the area, found the area and made sure she wasn't late before sensing Tenten's chakra.

The sight that greeted her made her blood run cold.

It was horrifying – Sakura had never felt more terrified in her life. A weight settled in her stomach and she felt like throwing up. Tenten was giggling, holding onto Neji Hyuuga, and he was smiling. He was smiling… while that wasn't out of character, she hadn't seen him do that since Hinata's last birthday party where he'd been pressured to when he greeted her.

She felt the hot tears, unable to stop herself.

'I'm better than this,' she thought, trying to make herself turn around and run in the opposite direction.

Tenten didn't like Neji, did she?

'God.'

She couldn't keep standing here, frozen in shock.

Sakura ran from the sight, not caring about how she looked as the tears streamed down her face. Curious looks blurred in her peripherals and somehow, she made her way back to her apartment, stumbled inside, and sprinted the short distance to her bedroom, slamming the door shut behind herself. She threw herself onto her bed and she sobbed into a pillow.

– A Hyuuga's Proposal –

The next few days passed in a daze. Sakura went through her shifts at the hospital on autopilot, meeting with Sai for breakfast, Sasuke for lunch, and then staying home alone for dinner. On the fourth day, her Uchiha team mate decided to join her for dinner. His excuse – he was hiding from Naruto. The Hokage and Sakura hadn't been in the same room for weeks, so he figured this would be a good place to avoid the baka.

"What did he do now?" Sakura asked, laying out their food as he settled in front of the kotatsu.

"He's trying to set me up with someone called Aika just because her name means 'love song'."

Sakura chuckled. "That's our Naruto." She picked up her spoon and mumbled, "what about the list I wrote out for you?"

Sasuke just shrugged. "Hn."

"That's not an answer Sasuke," Sakura said, sipping at her miso soup. "Did you find the list helpful or not?"

He nodded silently and she smiled at the slight blush on his features. She didn't push him, but after a few minutes of silence, he deemed her respectable enough to know more.

"There is someone who's genetics are quite impressive."

'Typical Uchiha,' Sakura thought, rolling her eyes. "You don't want to see if you could have feelings for her first?"

He shrugged his shoulders, again. "It's not important."

Sakura stared at him and for a moment, he seriously worried she was going to hit him.

She growled. "You are going to marry for love, Sasuke-kun, if it's the last thing you do, because I'll kill you if you don't."

If her slightly high pitched voice wasn't enough, Sakura's glistening eyes pushed Sasuke over the edge.

"What the hell is wrong with you lately?" He snarled. "You're like Naruto without ramen."

'And Sai without anyone to insult,' he added thoughtfully.

She sniffed, stirring the remnants of her dinner and wishing the earth would just swallow her whole. "Did Ino tell you‒"

"Ino doesn't tell me anything," he interrupted, his eyes drifting to the apartment door as though debating whether or not to make a break for it.

Not since he humiliated her – when he'd returned to the village, the blonde had been relentless in trying to win his affections. Sakura warned her, but she wouldn't listen. Now the pinkette was a buffer between them and the trash Ino threw his way went mostly ignored by the Uchiha. He'd never acknowledged her existence before, but now he replaced the disgruntled tolerance of her mere presence with an arrogantly silent cheek; he'd perfected a new multitude of smirks just to annoy the blonde.

"She's been telling everyone I have a secret crush."

Sasuke turned his attention back to her. "I'll kill her if you ask me to."

He didn't ask her who she had feelings for, knowing better than to open that can of worms, but Sasuke had a feeling he was about to find out anyway.

Sakura gave a nervous giggle. "No, I think I'd prefer her as she is; close call though." She looked up at him. "It's Neji."

"Hyuuga?"

"Of course Hyuuga – how many Neji's do we know?"

"What's the problem then?"

"He's with Tenten."

Sasuke frowned. "Tenten…" He wasn't so sure about that. "Are you sure?"

"I saw them together four days ago." She was back to picking at her food. "They looked lovey-dovey."

"Lovey-dovey…"

"Stop copying me Uchiha."

He snorted softly. "Neji Hyuuga does not do lovey-dovey."

"Apparently he does."

"Ask him if they're a couple."

"What? No!"

He almost threatened to go do it himself, but then realised how that sounded. 'I'm spending too much time with Sai.'

"Hn. Whatever."

He would have Sai do it; the irritating artist was good at prying things out of people.

– A Hyuuga's Proposal –

Unfortunately, Sasuke had forgotten the promise that on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Lee would join them for their training. He'd proposed it after overhearing Sai commenting on how uniformed their training regime had become. The idea then was to shake it up, which amounted to Lee interrupting their workout randomly and without his training weights on, to keep them on their toes. Sasuke believed Lee just got a kick out of jumping in between them.

If it wasn't for his vocal "love" for Sakura, Sasuke would think the man was gay.

This meant he couldn't sick Sai on Neji, or even Tenten with Lee hanging around – he was trying to keep his involvement quiet. He considered just waiting until their time was up, but another approach presented itself when Lee decided to do some katas first. Sasuke cocked his head to the side, motioning for Sai to follow him as he put some distance between himself and the crazed, spandex wearing man.

"What is it?" Sai asked. He'd decided to wrap up his wrists when Lee invited himself to their training sessions two weeks ago.

Sasuke wasn't sure how to ask this without sounding like some gossiping girl. "Have you spoken to Sakura lately, about what Ino's been spreading around?"

Sai shook his head, not taking his eyes off his bandages. "Sakura-chan doesn't tell me anything."

Sasuke fingered a kunai, uncomfortable. "She‒"

"Likes Neji-san," Sai interrupted, looking up at him. "It's obvious; whenever he's around she goes quiet and whenever Hinata-san or dickless mention him, she blushes. I read that those are signs of physical attraction."

Sasuke silently berated himself for not noticing. Since his return to the leaf, he'd promised himself he'd pay more attention to what was going on in his former team mate's lives. Sai of all people, seemed to know Sakura more than he did. He shook himself.

"She thinks Neji is dating Tenten."

Sai looked startled. "Really, why?"

"Are you two going to fight or am I just playing with myself?"

Sasuke fought back the urge to scoff at Lee's choice of words and glanced at Sai as the spandex lover walked toward them. Sai stared back at him blankly, but he got the hint. He put on a fake smile and turned on Lee.

"What's up with those idiot team mates of yours?"

"Huh?"

Sai had him talking about it so easily. Apparently, Tenten had had a crush on Neji for years, but the Hyuuga didn't seem to notice – or just said nothing about it. Lee thought it was a waste of youth and had tried to set them up, but Neji was stubborn and kept knocking him out cold every time he tried to interfere.

"He's just in denial," Lee lamented. "One day, he'll realise he and Tenten are meant to be, and Sakura-chan and I will have our double wedd‒"

Sasuke interrupted him, taking a leaf out of Neji's book – hitting him upside the head – but didn't knock him out. "You don't know what you're talking about," he growled.

Lee looked confused for a second, but then his eyes widened in a strange mix of shock and excitement. "So you too have affection for the beautiful blossom. I propose a contest then; whoever wins our sparring match, wins the right to court Sakura Haruno!"

Sai chuckled. "This should be interesting."

– A Hyuuga's Proposal –

As the training ground was being trashed, yet again, Hiashi Hyuuga was taking his own advice and speaking with the Hokage about his stubborn former team mate. He'd have thought Sakura would take the idea of marrying Neji seriously, and not just dismiss it out of hand; he wasn't an expert on the medic, but the chance that she might be willing to agree to an engagement was too good a possibility to pass up. He just had to figure out what was holding her back.

It was after a few minutes of verbally poking and prodding Naruto that it suddenly occurred to him what Sakura's problem with him was. Things had changed, and the pinkette was sadly unaware of it.

"Hokage-sama," Hiashi said wearily. "You did tell Miss Haruno about the missive, didn't you?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well the thing is, she hasn't given me the chance."

Hiashi sighed. "You're the Hokage, she can't ignore your orders."

"Hmm. Well, I haven't actually ordered her to come see me."

The Hyuuga clan leader resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. His oldest daughter was in love with Naruto, he was the sixth Hokage, he was also the only heir of Minato Namikaze… he reminded himself of a few more good reasons not to slap the blonde upside his head before managing to calm down. One would think, having the Hokage agreeing to marry into the family would be enough for Hiashi, but politics wasn't what motivated him. With Naruto and Sakura both, the incentive was strong, and he was willing to admit to being fascinated by it. But what self-respecting clan head wouldn't want two former students to the legendary Sannin in his clan? Hiashi was more concerned right now, how Naruto's absentmindedness had been affecting his nephew. Neji wasn't saying anything, but the fear was becoming painfully real for him. Hiashi took a deep breath.

"With all due respect," he said evenly. "I'm not sure you fully grasp the seriousness of this situation."

"Huh?" Naruto frowned at him.

"Sakura and Neji are in love with each other."

Naruto's eyes widened. "B-both of them?"

"What, you didn't notice?" Hiashi couldn't stop the sarcasm from filtering into his voice, but luckily, his Hokage hadn't noticed.

"No," Naruto said. "I've been very busy, and like I said, Sakura refuses to talk to me."

"Well she needs to know Hokage-sama. This could affect both of their futures."

Naruto nodded. "Yes, yes. Okay, I'll have an ANBU fetch her as soon as possible. Damn," he scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I'm such an idiot."

Hiashi refrained from verbally agreeing with him and bowed. "Now that that's settled, there's also the business of what you promised me."

Naruto blushed. "Yeah, I remember…" He really didn't want to talk with Hiashi about his sex life with Hinata. "Yeah… let's talk babies."

– A Hyuuga's Proposal –

Sasuke left Sai to take care of Lee – the latter was unconscious, slightly singed from a low level Amaterasu and would probably be out cold for the rest of the day. Lee thought that Neji and Tenten would make a good couple, huh? Well then, he had that last jab to the soft tissue on the side of his neck coming – a pressure point he'd learnt about over the years was the coup de grâce in knocking him unconscious.

'Stupid, spandex wearing, bowl haircut freak.'

Of course it served him right, and he would never apologise for that jab.

Sasuke did not have that sage thing that Naruto had going for him, so it would take him longer to find someone as elusive as Neji Hyuuga. Activating his Sharingan on the streets of Konoha was still scaring young children and women alike, so he settled for heading to the Hyuuga estate and tracking him from there. The guards said he'd been out all day, having left with one of his team mates; of course, that meant it was Tenten. The idiot could be anywhere.

It was shortly after lunch when Sasuke ran into Hinata; she knew that her cousin would be in the commerce district right now, and the Uchiha quickly shunshined into the crowded area. From his entrance point, he quickly detected Neji's chakra signal (thanks to some of Lee's early attempts to join his training sessions with Sai – and sometimes Sakura – Sasuke had had the opportunity to memorise the Hyuuga's signature). He unsurprisingly hadn't bothered with it years ago, not concerned about something as trivial as Neji Hyuuga.

Sasuke mused on what he was about to do as he pushed through the crowds.

He did not want to talk to Neji about why he shouldn't be spending time with Tenten. He did not want to sit down and have some man to man talk with Neji about how Sakura was completely in love with him. He did not want to burst into a soliloquy on why the Hyuuga had best right this wrong or die horribly – though that last part was tempting, he preferred to give no warning.

What he wanted to do was try out his new jutsu on the so-called prodigy and leave him bleeding out in his favourite training ground.

But he owed Sakura; she was not only helping him with finding the best candidate to rebuild his clan, but she was keeping it between the two of them. Nobody else knew; not Naruto, not Kakashi, and not Sai. No-one. The least he could do was have one simple talk with Neji about what the stupid Hyuuga was doing to his pink haired team mate.

He pushed aside every instinct to run or flash-step in the opposite direction the moment he finally spotted Neji, outside a small restaurant with Tenten. A flash of rage for both of the brunettes forced Sasuke to close his eyes and focus on his breathing; it wouldn't do well to cause a scene in public. With his last breath (and it probably would be if he didn't start moving) he would keep this as quiet as possible. Just because he felt he owed Sakura didn't mean he wanted the rest of the village to know what he was about to do.

Neji noticed his arrival, but Tenten was too busy giggling about something to realise another person was suddenly standing on the other side of her crush. Now, Sasuke had nothing against the weapons mistress (other than this debacle with Sakura), but when she gave a rather raucous cackle he let out an involuntary groan. Now both of them were staring at him.

"Yes, Sasuke?" Tenten asked, pulling Neji closer.

He ignored her. "Neji, we need to talk."

"What's this about?" The Hyuuga asked.

"Sakura."

Tenten glared at him and something hit Sasuke – she knew about the pinkette's affections. How? Sai had figured it out because he spent time around Sakura and made a point to scrutinise everyone around him at all times – all a part of his desire to understand every aspect of human interactions.

"Sorry," Tenten said sweetly. "But Neji promised me‒"

"I didn't ask you," Sasuke said evenly, without looking at her.

Neji looked torn between defending his team mate and getting away from her as quickly as possible. Sasuke didn't feel sorry for him, not really, but felt the need to help him out with that last part.

"Neji," Sasuke repeated, ignoring the brunette and the glare on her face as he again interrupted her attempts to drag the object of her affections to Kami knew where. "Can we talk?" He glanced at Tenten as she lost her glare, looking worried. "Alone?"

– A Hyuuga's Proposal –

Naruto finally summoned Sakura in the middle of the night, waiting until she'd finished an exhausting eight hour surgery and was too tired to hit him before he told her what he'd been trying to tell her all along. Hiashi Hyuuga had agreed to the amendments that the Hokage had proposed and removing the caged bird seal from the Hyuuga customs had just been the first step.

Sakura listened in rapt silence as Naruto and Hiashi both ran over the changes with her and she fought back the urge to grin like a maniac as the practises she'd most abhorred about Hyuuga politics were listed amongst the changes. Hiashi topped it off with asking her again if she would consider marrying his nephew.

Sakura didn't respond.

She was gone before the last word had left his mouth.

"That went well," Naruto said, nodding his head. "I think that went well." He yawned. "Okay, I'm going back to bed."

He disappeared, and Hiashi was left wondering if insanity was contagious.

Sakura flash-stepped outside, and kept to the rooftops as she made her way to the Hyuuga estate. If she waited until dawn, Tenten would beat her there, and the pinkette was finally realising that the girl had set her up to see her with Neji that day in the market place.

It didn't matter.

The only thing she cared about was finding out if Sasuke had been right all along.

The birds were out, she was happy, though nervous, and once she arrived at the compound, Sakura waited to be let in. Neji was an early riser, and as an orange light peeked over the horizon, she found him meditating in the gardens; next to the koi pond, he looked amazing, wearing only trouser pants. His muscles were lean, toned, and gave her cause to stop in her tracks.

"Sakura-san?"

She flushed as he turned to stare at her and climbed slowly to his feet.

"Are you looking for Hinata?"

"No Neji, I'm not."

He quirked an eyebrow at her casual greeting. "Then who?"

The gods didn't care that she hadn't bothered to ask him if he really was interested in Tenten. A loose rock tripped her as she made to walk toward him and Neji instinctively reached out to catch her.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "N-no. I wanted to ask you something Neji, so please be honest with me."

"Of course Sakura-san."

"Just Sakura," she said, and cleared her throat. But the words 'do you like Tenten?' didn't come. Instead, she tumbled out the first thing that came to mind. "Will you marry me?"

– A Hyuuga's Proposal –

The months flew by, Sakura almost strangled the entire hospital staff, but finally it was happening. She still couldn't believe she proposed to Neji, and not the other way around. And he wouldn't let her forget it. They said their vows, made the crowd sigh with their lingering kiss, and she made a mental note not to let it get out that she had literally fallen into Neji's arms moments before their first kiss.

Ino caught the bouquet, Naruto and Hinata were the first to congratulate them on their new status, and Sai pushed Sasuke into the middle of the dance floor where the Uchiha was promptly mobbed by girls wanting to dance with him. Yamato stood in the corner, chatting up every woman who came within a metre of him, and Kakashi was already drunk when he disappeared somewhere with Anko – he had even forgotten to leave a gift for the happy couple on his way out.

Neji still lamented that Tenten didn't come to the wedding; Lee and Gai were important to him, but he could only stand them for so long without Tenten to buffer them. He still couldn't believe what had happened.

Sakura slid her arms up and around Neji's neck as they moved onto the dance floor, deepening the smile that had graced her face from the moment he'd accepted her proposal. He could barely breathe, hardly believing that she was holding him so close, swaying her hips to the music as though attempting to seduce her. She would get that opportunity later, and he was looking forward to it.

Neji lowered his head, touching her forehead to his. "I love you."

She inhaled deeply. "I love you more."

Dark eyes followed them as they held onto each other. He'd finally gotten free of that mob Sai had pushed on him and Sasuke wasn't sulking or brooding: for the first time in years, he was… happy. He watched his former team mate as she started her new life with the only person in all of Konoha other than himself who people still thought of as an ice cube (Sai surprisingly, wasn't on that list… he couldn't understand why).

Maybe Sakura was right: he really should marry for love.

X X X

#NejiSaku #Neji x Sakura #fanfiction #my ao3 #All images are not mine

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the12thnightproject · 2 years

Text

The Challenge

Title: The Challenge

Requested by: @ikemendaniel

Prompt: Kabedon

Characters: Ieyasu & Sasuke (background, Masamune, Mai)

Spicy but SFW

Word Count: 1200

Heat.

At the end, that’s all there is. A fire in the blood, flames that radiate outward from the core. Lips tingle, numbing to sensation. Sasuke and Ieyasu are both bathed in sweat, breathing heavily. Panting…

Brown eyes meet green ones, without the barrier of the glasses that Sasuke tossed aside moments ago. There is pain, and through the pain a hint of euphoria. “Yield,” Ieyasu manages to find the breath to gasp. “Tell me you yield.”

Sasuke stays as expressionless as always, though a sheen of perspiration covers his face. “More,” is all he says.

How did we get here? Was it half an hour ago, when the heat was still merely a pleasant burn? Was it the moment when Sasuke had Ieyasu kabedon’d against the castle walls, and pleaded for one tiny favor? Or was it earlier that day when Sasuke was seized by a desire…

Earlier that day…

“You want Ieyasu’s… autograph?” Mai couldn’t prevent herself from gaping at her friend, who had dropped in on her (literally) and announced his quest.

“I er, might be the founding member of the Tokugawa Ieyasu appreciation society at Kyoto University. An autograph… and perhaps some personal item, such as a scrap of material, a lock of his hair…” Sasuke’s eyes had a faraway look in them. Mai cleared her throat. “Yes, a lock of his hair.”

It wasn’t the craziest thing she had ever heard of, and since she needed to deliver a kimono to Ieyasu anyway, she allowed Sasuke to accompany her.

That might have been all there was to it, but as it turned out, Ieyasu was not in the mood to sign a piece of paper, let alone allow Sasuke to touch his hair. In fact, after accepting the kimono from Mai, he thanked her and strode off without a word.

Sasuke followed.

Ieyasu walked faster.

As did Sasuke.

The situation mushroomed from there, with Ieyasu breaking into a run, and Sasuke chasing after him. Alarmed, and worried for both their sakes, Mai hurried off to find Masamune, in the hope that he could arbitrate a settlement.

By the time Masamune and Mai caught up with them again, Ieyasu was backed up against the castle wall while Sasuke loomed against him ominously. “Just a tiny snip of hair. I’ll take it from the back, and no one will be able to tell.”

“As if anyone could tell anyway,” Masamune said quietly to Mai. “The lad’s hair resembles a lionfish, even in the best of circu- oof!” He rubbed his stomach where Mai had just elbowed him. “Kitten!” He glared at her reproachfully.

“Help them out, please! I don’t want this to escalate.” Mai doubted that Sasuke would dare harm his idol, but Ieyasu was unpredictable.

Masamune waded in and soon had the two separated. “Lad, Sasuke’s request is a bit odd, but harmless. Just give him some hair, and he’ll go away.”

But Ieyasu’s stubborn mode had been activated, and he was in no way interested in giving anything to Sasuke. “Don’t be ridiculous. I won’t even give him one hair. Who knows what he’s going to do it?”

Meanwhile, Sasuke, having gotten this close to Ieyasu did not want to waste the opportunity. “I’m willing to work for the chance. We could spar for it?”

“No!” The objection came from peace-loving Mai.

Determined, Sasuke threw out desperate suggestions. “Ground spike hopscotch? Ceiling races through the castle? Throwing star dodgeball? Hot sauce challenge?”

“No. No. No. N- er…” Ieyasu paused, his interest caught. “What is this hot sauce challenge?”

“The Hot Sauce Challenge is a popular game from our… village.” Sasuke paused to find a non-anachronistic explanation. “It involves the consumption of increasingly spicier foods.”

“Um, Sasuke?” Mai tapped his shoulder. “You should probably know that-“

But it was too late. Sensing a chance to be free of the pesty ninja forever, Ieyasu agreed to the competition. “If I win, you promise to never bother me again? To never look at me again?”

“I promise, Lord Ieyasu.” Sasuke bowed to him.

At that, Masamune willingly offered his services as sauce provider. He spent the afternoon in the kitchen, in his element, as laughing to himself he crafted wicked (and yet still tasty, if he said so himself) bowls of hot sauces.

The contest began slowly at first, with neither challenger even needing to resort to the milk that Keiji (who still had those goats) had provided.

As each container of sauce was set in front of them, they stared into each others eyes, drank the sauce straight from sake cups, then slammed the cups back on the table as if they were doing shots of liquor, rather than liquid death.

“Refreshing,” Ieyasu remarked early on the in the competition, as he downed a cup of sauce that was more than fifty percent karashi.

Sasuke gulped his own sauce without even a twitch to betray the fact that his esophagus was on fire. Although the mist in front of his eyes was slightly concern- oh. His glasses had fogged up. Carefully, he set them aside.

The sun set, the room darkened. Wasabi sauce… yuzukosho… shichimi togarashi… Then the first casualty - it was neither Sasuke or Ieyasu, but kitchen-helper Mitsunari, who accidentally rubbed his eyes and had to be attended to by Mai and Hideyoshi.

But neither competitor would yield, even after a dish made almost purely of sansho pepper. The sauce’s delayed response caused Sasuke’s lips to tingle, and he was certain Ieyasu was suffering the same, for he was rubbing his thumb across his lower lip. He could feel sweat trickling between his shoulder blades and his nose had been running through the last four sauces.

And so, now… we return to the beginning, which is also the end…

“Yield,” Ieyasu says, and for a moment, a brief hopeful moment, Sasuke thinks that Ieyasu is yielding to him. But the man continues, “Tell me you yield.”

Not today, Satan. Sasuke hasn’t endured four years of Kenshin’s training, four years of pickled plums, four years of sake-soaked nights to be defeated by hot sauce. “More.”

“Are you certain, lads?” Masamune stands over them – both men are red faced, sweating, breathing through their mouths. Brows and faces are mopped with hand towels, milk is sipped, determination is renewed.

Ieyasu slaps his hand on the table. He can no longer speak.

Masamune sets the last dish on the table. “I call it… Dragon’s Breath.”

There’s a long … long… pause…

Before with barely a tremble to their hands, they dump the sauce into their mouths, swallowing it as fast as humanly possible.

It’s like drinking lava. The molten shot races down their throats, like a scorpion on a water slide.

Neither speaks.

Neither screams.

Neither can scream… their vocal cords have been temporarily cauterized.

Instead, they only stare at each other in mutual agony. And… maybe… mutual respect?

“That’s it.” Masamune clears away the dishes. He worries that anything hotter might literally rip out their guts. “I declare this competition a draw. Congratulations.”

Without a word, Ieyasu gets to his feet, bows to Sasuke, and walks away.

When Sasuke can move again… it’s to grab the hand towel that Ieyasu has left behind. Carefully, he folds it up and tucks it into his kimono.

It’s been a good day.

#ikemen sengoku #ikesen sasuke #ikesen ieyasu #ikemen sasuke #ikemen ieyasu #fanfiction #cursed bingo #follower celebration #anniversary celebration #cybird ikemen series #ikesen masamune #ikesen hideyoshi #ikesen mai #ikesen mitsunari #ikesen keiji

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