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lexpressobean · 3 years

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Headcanon: The Aburame Clan is Actually just as Bad as The Hyuuga Clan, but Aburame Branches act like Special Tributaries, not Condemmed Slaves

I just love the Aburame clan peeps okay? I love Shino, and Shibi, and Torune, and Muta, and Bug Ninjas are just so up my fucking alley, y'all don't even know. But as I expand my version of Aburame Clan Lore for my own enjoyment, I had a thought. Am I fully invested in this headcanon? Naw, I just thought it might be an interesting take but it's also partially fanfic too. I decided to share it anyways because why not?

Edit: oops I thought I had added a read more line.

••

Despite the obvious consanguinous marriage going on in the NartVerse, Shibi married Kiyo Hibiki (oc #1), a strong and accomplished kunoichi in her own right, but essentially a "village girl" with no historical prestige about her name. This was a rare instance of a complete outsider marrying into the clan, and even rarer, it was out of love. Because of this, Shibi refused to marry his predetermined fiance, which was his 4th cousin (oc #2) named Sarin. Sarin was the older sister of Yasushi (oc #3), who was also the last Formal Master of Kochu and Yoji Aburame's mother.

The main purpose of the coupling was simply a pattern that had developed over the clan's history to keep up the Main Familial line's pedigree in check and favorable. Unlike Dojutsu wielding clans, where Potency of the single Dojutsu is coveted, The Aburame clan has multiple branch families that specialize in certain traits and characteristics that are helpful to an Insect Weilding Shinobi, and many families specialize in specific Insect Usage for generations indefinitely. The Aburame clan is actually HUGE as a result. However, Kikaichu are the most coveted as they live off of and manipulate Chakra. Kikaichu Tolerance is a must for Clanhead Descendants.

Example: Lady Kakine (Shino's Pat. Grandmother/oc #4) was the daughter of the Aburame Clanhead and a Rinkaichu Master of that generation. Lady Kakine had a younger brother named Kachio (oc #5) who became the father of Shikuro Aburame.

Shibi and Shikuro were first cousins, and Shibi has evey ability to tolerate Rinkaichu as well. But like Kakine herself, who was the first "renewal" of that specific trait in a while, he was dismissed from Rinkaichu and was made to focus on Mastery of Kikaichu, the bread and butter of the clan.

The only exceptions to the rule made were if a coupling helped bring prestige to the clan, as with Lady Kakine and Lord Taibi Aburame (oc #6) a non-hive individual (*bad trait*), yet a member who built rapport with the Third Hokage as an accomplished ANBU operative with a special Hanekakushi Summoning (*compensation and benefit* **These were the leaders first bestowed Noble Status too, after defeating the Kamizuru Clan in defense of Konoha**)

***This is why Shibi was the one who took Torune in after Shikuro died. I REFUSE to believe Torune was left a touch starved orphan, LET SHIBI HUG TORUNE***

Because Shibi broke family tradition (not that Sarin minded, she and Shikuro HAD been a thing and also maybe most definitely encouraged Shibi to follow his heart because they were happy for him???) Shino was born with a muddled pedigree that definitely ruined a good amount of the Main Familial Line's poison resistance for one thing (Rinkaichu venom included). However, Kikaichu Tolerance IS what makes the Aburame clan, and has been so heavily emphasized that Shino showed no immediate or latent signs of intolerance. Shino also sparred heavily with other members as a child to test such things, especially with a non-hive member named Chiaki (oc #7), 3 years his senior and a Yellow Hornet/Apoidea specialist. Shino got stung a LOT. But at least he was able to tough it out lmao. That's all the clan elders cared about. Chiaki hated causing Shino pain, but also didn't want to lose more of his own insects to those monstrous Kikaichu than he had too.

Shino is currently recognized as Shibi's heir, but Shino had to WORK SO DAMN HARD to earn that fucking recognition. This is partially why Shino was so... asocial even as a young child, and so full of self doubt and anxiety when it came to simply being able to be CONFIDENT in himself and his abilities. He wasn't hated by his own clan, but older clan members were NOT the most approving of him. But they better have kept their opinions to themselves, because Shibi was an absolute horror to deal with when provoked. Younger clan members absolutely LOVE/D Kiyo and by association, couldn't bring themselves to ever see Shino in a negative light. So his mom was a commoner, what of it!?

Traditionally, Aburame couples with Specializations will have two children when that specific trait/characteristic is chosen to be the next add-on to the Main Familial Line. One child would be offered as a tribute and the other would continue that specific family's legacy. And as it was a pattern among many known and unknown traits of the Aburame clan, members could usually predict when a specific trait/characteristic would be in demand. It is considered an honor to be a Tribute, yet it is also an extremely tense time for the family of the tribute to the say the very least. Not to mention dehumanizing. But that's what makes Shino so special, he was made out of Love <3.

Bonus Headcanons for sticking around this long lol:

•Shibi passed Fire Release to Shino while Kiyo, passed Earth Release to Shino

•Shibi has deep viridian green eyes, Kiyo has bright golden brown eyes, so Shino has shimmering hazel green eyes, or the more flowery version, Shino has Central Heterochromia with outer green and inner brown and brown specks too!

•Shino is quite a literal mix of his parents in general <3

•Shino has a predetermined fiance of his own, but is TRYING to put that shit off for as long as possible. His fiance, Moya (oc #8) highly respects Shino but is in mutual agreement. Her trait is Venom resistance via Exposure, and as an adult works specifically as Konoha Hospital's Resident Toxicologist under Eirou Nara (oc #9), a lead Pharmacist within the Hospital. Shino and Moya have a good, but awkward relationship. If Torune were still alive, he'd ABSOLUTELY tease Shino AND Moya about it.

• I just like creating drama, man, it's kinda fun in it's own way.

So yeah, food for thought. Because as fun as it is play around with Kekkei Genkai in theory, all and all, being part of a clan must totally suck.

#aburame shino #shino aburame #tis i #anime: naruto #shibi aburame #shikuro aburame #torune aburame #yoji aburame #aburame clan #srsly let shibi hug torune #that's probably one of the most important things here lol

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cafeinthemoon · 4 years

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The Senju Brothers finding out their s/o is actually an Uchiha 🔥

This idea was requested by anon days ago (thank you anon, your idea is great, and sorry for the delay! 🙈) and I decided to do it like a list of hcs, but it’s kinda a scenario/narrative, so... it’s something between the two. I’ll be using the same “plot” for both Hashirama and Tobirama, but as you can easily imagine, their reactions will lead the story to different directions lol

Okay, let’s say that s/o deserted from the Uchiha for some serious sh*t or they just disagreed with some of their rules and went to live as an hermit and no one ever heard of them again. The Senjus met them during a mission by accident and they ended up helping each other during a fight, which led them to a friendship. S/o introduced themselves using a fake identity, of course, and told part of their story and the reasons why they were living in that region (like, they told the truth, but hiding names and places, so the Uchihas are never brought to conversation). Later, during a mission when they have to defend the Senjus, s/o shows their Sharingan and OH THE TENSION 🔥🔥🔥

PS: Dear anon, be warned that Tobirama’s part is friking long ok lol

Fandom: Naruto| Senju Brothers

Symbols: 💙 | ◻ | ▶▶

Hashirama

Sorry for this pic but this time we will have some DRAMA

It could be a big problem if the wrong people found out you were an Uchiha. You’ve been there for years, praying to be forgotten by your clan, but there was no way to be sure

This infuriated you more than anything, and it was one of the reasons why you deserted. You were tired of dealing with these battles, these rivalries. You just wanted to live in peace and to be seen as who you were, human. You wanted to be more than just a name

However, the longer you stayed isolated, the more you thought it was impossible. It only changed when you met Hashirama

He proved himself to be an honest man since the start, and to speak the truth you felt some sort of trust in him that you haven’t felt in a long time, even when you knew nothing but his name, Senju

You couldn’t tell if was because of his manners, his way to express himself or his motivations when he fought, but something in him made you believe everything was possible. He filled you with hope again

When you told him your story, he believed you

It was not the case you were lying, but you just couldn’t trust the first person who came to you. Your instinct of self preservation told you not to reveal all the names to a stranger, not until you knew more about him. Like, you sensed you were safe with him alone, but both of you couldn’t ignore the history between your clans

Still you felt bad for not telling everything to him

His mission in that place kept him there for a few days, during which you became good friends. But as time passed, he seemed to create excuses to not leave. At the same time, you got even closer, to the point that your connection couldn’t be called just a friendship anymore

It was when you realized you fell in love, and the feeling was mutual

One day, Hashirama came and said he couldn’t stay any longer. The village needed him, and he was missing his home. At the same time, he didn’t want to leave you. So he invited you to come to the village with him

Your heart was about to explode. You were alone, isolated and hopeless. Now you have not only hope, but love too. And this man wanted to offer you a home, a family and safety. It was too tempting, even for you. You accepted, and even under the risk of being recognized, you came back to your village

When you noticed you weren’t recognized, your fears diminished. You lived in peace by Hashirama’s side, and everything was good

Until that day when you went to a mission together, and during a fight you ran to defend him. You couldn’t control it; your instinct was too strong. Your eyes changed, and Hashirama saw your Sharingan

You saw surprise in his eyes, but also deception. You didn’t tell anything to him for all this time, and he wanted to know why. He had the right to know. He trusted you, he was like an open book to you, so why couldn’t you be the same to him?

When you came back home, it was even hard to breathe between those walls because of the tension. You knew what kind of conversation was waiting for you, and you couldn’t run away

Then you faced your biggest fear: you revealed everything, under the risk of losing the most precious things you had, Hashirama’s love and trust. You told your true name, your entire story and your reasons for deserting from the Uchiha. You told him you wanted to tell everything many times, but you were just terrified of his reaction and what could happen then

You even said he could send you away, or kill you or take you back to your clan’s elders for them to decide what to do with you, for anything was better than facing his hatred and despise

Hashirama remained in silence all the time you spoke. This lack of reaction caught your attention. When you looked at him, you saw he had tears in his eyes 💔

He was disappointed and angry, yes, but you saw in those eyes the willing to forgive you. This man just loved you so much. He couldn’t send you away or do any of the things you suggested. If he did, he wouldn’t forgive himself

So he asked for some time. He needed to process everything he just heard, to understand his own feelings, organize his thoughts and then decide what to do

When you talked again, you said you were going to work to regain his trust. It wasn’t going to be easy, but you were willing to do anything he demanded

When you asked if he was going to tell something to the Uchiha, however, Hashirama said no. Your life could be in danger if he did. Besides, you left them, you no longer shared their values and principles, you didn’t want to be associated with them, and he were going to respect this

Finally, you promise each other you would never let secrets stand between you again ❤

Tobirama

BRACE YOURSELF

You knew that, sooner or later, that was going to happen. When you first met Tobirama and understood of kind of person he was, there was no way for you to think differently. There you had a clever, observing man who would not be easily deceived

Though you met by accident, you managed to work well together, and that was why you managed to overcome your adversary. And he was paying attention to everything you were doing during the fight. Your manners, your fighting style, your experience as a ninja, nothing escaped his eyes

You were certainly a member of a clan, and an important one. Besides, there was your appearance: with your dark hair and your deep eyes, you resembled the majority of the Uchiha people and there was nothing you could do to disguise that. Not showing your Sharingan wouldn’t make a great difference

Plus: Tobirama being a Senju only meant he would recognize an Uchiha just by the way they smell

Right after you both acknowledge each other, he thanked you for helping him but didn’t seem to trust you until you gave him enough information about yourself and the place you lived, which sounded intrusive

Because of your circumstances, you had to be as suspicious as him. And he had his ways to make people talk, so you thought it was better to tell him what you felt safe to share. He listened to you but didn’t make it clear if he believed it or not

That irritated you a bit, but you remembered yourself that he was a shinobi just like you, and a shinobi needs to be perceptive. Besides, you were in fact not telling him everything. But, well, that was none of his business, right?

Tobirama told you he was going to stay in that region for a few days to complete his mission and then go back to his village, where his brother, the Hokage, and his partners were waiting for him. You agreed and you didn’t see each other for a while

Still, you didn’t know why, but you didn’t just forget about him as you did with other people you’ve helped in the past. Something in him caught your attention. Maybe it was the fact that he belonged to your old village, or anything else, you weren’t sure. This man was just… different

Later, you found out he has been gathering information about you with the local people: who you were, where you came from, when you came to live there, what kind of person you were to the people of that place, etc.

Next time you met, you ~casually asked how his mission was going, and if it was about seeking information for his village or for himself. It was so funny to see the blush taking over his face beyond the three red marks. Unable to hide his embarrassment, Tobirama confessed that the people who he talked to had nothing to tell him but the same things you’ve already told him

“Of course they don’t. I’ve told them the same story I’ve told to you”

In the end, Tobirama told you part of what was involved in his mission, and you said you had some information that could be useful. Turned out that you were the most helpful person he could find, and because of your skills and your knowledge (as well as your fighting abilities), his mission was finished half the time it would take

You didn’t understand exactly how or when you started dating. You just did. And when you least expected, you were back to your original village, married to him. It was strange that your life has changed so suddenly: first you were a hermit, away from your land and your clan, alone with a fake name; now you had a true home, loyal friends and a husband that loved and admired you. You used to think you didn’t deserve so much

The possibility of Tobirama finding out you were an Uchiha was always in the back of your mind, specially when you went on missions together

Of course, as time passed, you’ve come to learn to not depend too much on your dojutsu during fights, and your control over your Katon was clearly above the average. Besides, you were sensitive and passionate by nature, which resembled the Uchiha more than any other lineage. One day, Tobirama even said that you were an Uchiha from heart and soul, even more than he thought when he first met you. You didn’t know if it was a compliment, an insult or an invitation to tell the truth

So it wasn’t a great surprise for him when, during that mission, you had to defend him when he got injured and facing the possibility of losing the man you loved was too much for you to control, and your Sharingan appeared. At first you didn’t even think of it, but once you turned to Tobirama to see if he was ok and noticed the way he was looking at you, you realized what just happened

He didn’t talk to you for a long time after you came back home. You didn’t know if he was expecting you to start talking or if he was preparing himself to do so. Not knowing what was going on was killing yourself, so you decided to take the first step

It was the scariest thing you ever did in your life, but also the bravest. You came to him and said you were going to tell him everything. He nodded and waited, and you told him your entire story, since the day you left the clan until the moment you met. You told him your thoughts, your beliefs, your reasons, your feelings, everything. Nothing was kept hidden

When you finished, he didn’t speak for several minutes. You waited as long as you could, but then you decided to ask what he was going to do. You were sort of expecting an explosion of rage and frustration, but what came instead was worse

Through his tone, Tobirama made it clear how much he was disappointed with you, how much he despised your attitude, how disgusting it was for him to live with someone who didn’t have the courage to just come and tell the truth since the start, and that after all that he has seen, he was right to not blindly trust any Uchiha that appears on his way. Seeing him reduce you to the same flaws that led you to desert that clan was so offensive that it infuriated you, and you started a serious fight in the middle of that room

Your Katon and your Suiton almost destroyed your house

After almost killing each other becoming tired of this, you decided that for the best of you two, you had to leave. And if anyone asked, Tobirama could say the truth. At first, he tried to agree with this, but when you were about to pass the door, he held you tight and said he couldn’t just let you leave and carry on with his life as if nothing happened

You knew what was coming next: you crying in his arms > he saying nothing and leading you to your previous place > you making out and sleeping in the middle of the destruction room

In the end you didn’t leave, neither he revealed anything to the people of the village, including the Uchiha (who didn’t seem to remember you anyway). It took time until you restored your relationship, but you did it. In your case, love overcame history

PS: Hashirama came to visit you one day and was aware that a fight took place there, but he was too polite to say something

#naruto #naruto scenarios #naruto requests #hashirama headcanons #hashirama #tobirama #tobirama headcanons #senju #uchiha

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holicanth · 3 years

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Hanging On Threads (2)

@shinoweek 2021 Prompt 3 - Sunset/Canon Divergence

Words: 3.7k

Genre: Angst. Drama. Shinohina. Tragedy

Warnings: -

Additional Tags: Shinohina, Kibahina, Naruhina, family issues, Konoha’s noble clans, nepotisme and collusion.

Author’s Note: I’m so sorry y’all. I’ve been extra busy :( Here’s chapter 2 (?) of my Shino week series. I hope you have a great day :)

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2

It has been 3 days since Shino disappeared from the Aburame compound.

It has also been 3 days since the Konoha elders re-welcomed the Aburames and reintegrated them into society.

Ever since, Shino has been staying at ROOT, hiding undercover while waiting for Danzo's orders.

And with that, Shino is handed the dreadful task of explaining every little detail to Torune.

"I just can't understand your logic, Shino." He says, clenching his fists on the table. "You should know better than to just run away from home like that!"

"What do you think you'll achieve with this?" Torune grits his teeth, "You cant escape this--there's no way Danzo will let you out anymore!"

Guilt that has previously bubbled inside him was now gone. Shino felt close to nothing as he stays cooped in ROOT. No fear. No anxiety. He was obviously feeling full of himself, believing to have won his side of the bargain. As such, none of Torune's words were ringing bells inside his head.

Shino tries to keep his facade well-put.

"How is Uncle Shibi taking the news?"

"I've sent some beetles to Father. I can tell he's doing well even without me. Nothing else will change in the household."

"Not until," Shino's words come to a startled halt. "Until I finish my promise to Danzo."

His brother bangs the table in a display of panic that Shino has never seen. " You don't know what he'll do to you. Shino, you don't know anything..."

His words cut off abruptly. In a split second, Shino senses a tremble in Torune. A slight quiver of his lips.

Torune used to live with them, and had expressed massive gratefulness towards his uncle. Shino didn't realize at that time (he was but merely eight), that more than anything, Torune's sacrifice was addressed more towards Shibi. The boy would do anything to protect his uncle—you can see it in the way he devotes himself to his work.

A kindred sort of regret rose in Shino. To think that he had so easily thrown away the ideal life that Torune had bestowed upon him—and voluntarily at that.

But both of them know that there is no safer alternative.

(It's an inevitable fate, they console themselves. It is a necessary sacrifice.)

"I had to do it for our clan." Shino repeats the fact to his brother. "We were to be killed soon enough. And it would have been Father first."

Shino's eyes flit nervously as he spoke.

"And who do you think would pull the trigger, Shino?"

Torune didn't ask why. Like he knew all of the details already.

Shino glanced around the room, thinking. He already knows the answer. Rather, he's trying to figure out how to word it in a manner that doesn't...offend Torune.

(Shino could list all the names of the ANBU members that have been in contact with particular individuals. Journalists, Governors, Clan heads, people of high posistions. Their agenda was blatant. Shino knows because their names have been whispered in contemplation throughout the Aburame compound.)

"The jonins," Shino says, in a hushed voice. "The jonins will work together with the ANBU. The Sarutobi clan will be extremely involved too."

There is a pattern Shino notices in Konoha's history. It's that the types of people who reign over the village are identical and identifiable amongst each other. A teacher to their student, A blood relative to their predecessor. Lesser clans would do anything to grab ahold of that social circle.

Replacing an unliked noble clan would be one of such tasks.

Torune listens keenly, in a hum that neither denies or confirms it.

"Not only that," He resumes, "There seems to be equal participation from other clans. Such as the Nara. You know they've been looking to steal our research on bugs."

"They're especially interested in yours, Torune."

He doesn't oblige. Torune was aware of this well before he came to ROOT, too. Fear and suspense were not things Torune had to be worried about. But today, he finds that he had to face it--the abject horror of seeing his little brother in a hostage situation. The pure fear of knowing how hopeless he is engulfs him. Was there nothing that Torune can do?

(A shinobi must constantly opress their emotions, follow a strict set of rules that they decide among themselves, and avoid extraneous conflict.

This was the first lesson Danzo had stamped inside Torune's memories.

To disconnect oneself from the act of murder—it was the essence of a shinobi.

Or so Torune thought.)

"I was to be sent as well, Shino." Torune looks down as he breaks the ice. "They want us gone because of our power. Of our potential. They'll take our knowledge and use it to their own benefit. All the research, medicine, poisons and bugs."

(The Aburames are notorious for being mysterious. All done in order to conceal oneself, to prevent oneself from having their secret techniques outed in public. Ensuring, that they stay formidable, underestimated,

and strong.)

"You heard Danzo say it. They think we're weird. Unsanitary. Off-putting. That our secrecy is a form of betrayal, even when we've been constantly obedient to Konoha."

"And will you die as well?" Shino asks cautiously, "After you've killed all of us, will they dispose of you too, Torune?"

A sorrow smile lit up Torune's face. There was, again, no answer. Shino knows—No, he had plenty of ideas already. Torune’s predisposition was already a valid enough reason for Konoha to justify his death. Killed or not, there are many ways to make a man break. Danzo would have his merry time trying out which one of those methods satisfy him best.

What Konoha was capable of bringing unto the Uchiha was just as likely to happen to the Aburames.

(This exchange ended on a heavy note. Nothing Shino says will add or subtract from the issue at hand. Just a hanging air of dread, looming over their clan's future. Both of them did what they had to preserve their clans. To protect those important to them.

But this sense of kinship—to protect those that they love. Is it not what Konoha preaches to their young, too?

Or was it the reason that Konoha wants to tear apart the Aburame family ties?)

A knock on the wooden door brings an end to the brothers' conversation. The Yamanaka boy comes in, head held high.

"Lord Danzo has requested for you, Shino Aburame. Come along, now."

Shino leaves Torune in the room. Torune knows best that he should not interfere lest he wants to live a day beneath the soil.

It can be said that ROOT was an illegal form of bodyguards, acting as Danzo's personal squadron. A blatant display of political corruption, despite Danzo’s "fancy" position as Konoha's elder. The facility was well maintained, and there was never a shortage of child soldiers sent there. The clan leaders know Danzo as a demanding figure.

The Yamanaka boy—Fuu Yamanaka stops to knock at a set of tall doors. Shino stops to ponder whether he was related directly to Ino Yamanaka.

An oddly lit room opens up by Shino, displaying machines, scrolls, and different books that are perfectly arranged inside the giant walls of bookshelves. Danzo stood in the center, on a throne chair that he does not deserve.

"You may leave now, Fuu." He spoke in a low tone.

Something in Shino buzzes as he watch the Yamanaka eye him begrudgingly while he closes the door. The buzzing didn't stop after he went out.

(His bugs were reacting to something. A feeling that Shino doesn't want to name)

"You. You're the son of Shibi Aburame, aren't you?" Danzo sneers, "So the Aburames have a dojutsu now, huh? What a nuisance. What, is your dojutsu like the Uchiha's? Prompted by deep emotional pain?"

(Shino feels the buzzing again. His bugs were on guard, but for what?)

"Does Shibi have this ability, too?"

"No." Shino spouts a half-lie.

"And how did you get your hands on this? Are you saying that it just appeared out of nowhere?"

Danzo was gauging for answers. Shino was never good at communication himself, but he was naturally gifted in speaking conspicuously

"It was always in the Aburame blood. Just forgotten through time. Nothing new."

"And you vermins have been hiding this to yourselves, haven't you? Yet you wonder why Konoha has no trust in you."

"The other clans have aces up their sleeves, too. It's why they call it a Hidden Jutsu."

Shino didn't mean to sound snark. But Danzo himself might not have the mental intelligence to understand sarcasm, so Shino thinks it's okay.

"So this dojutsu of yours—The Senrigan—tell me how this is more useful than the Byakugan."

Shino bit his tongue before answering. Once more, he'll have to cherry-pick his words exceptionally well.

"I transfer my sight to my bugs. Depending on how many bugs there are and how they're aligned, my sight can reach other countries."

"The Senrigan requires one to be perfectly still, but the bugs can collect all sounds, sights, and other details without having their chakra traced. Hiding my chakra under the bug's natural chakra will make them unnoticed by sensors"

Danzo squints his eye, thinking. "Quite the useful spying tool, huh."

"Still, we need to make sure you're telling the truth. Take off your glasses."

Shino was taken aback from the sudden request,

"Now."

He does as he's told. The sunglasses are safely kept in his pockets. Shino's eyes were dark under the sunlight, and an even deeper shade of obsidian indoors.

"Let's have you demonstrate your Senrigan, shall we? I've sent Fuu to loiter around Konoha's busy streets. Locate him using the senrigan, and tell me every word he's speaking."

And without further ado, Shino created some hand seals, took a deep breath, and a swarm of kikaichu flew out of his body, travelling through the doors and crevices of the ROOT headquarters before dispersing overground. The emerald hue of Shino's eyes looked stunning in the dark.

Even from a distance, Danzo can sense an intricate, huge web of chakra dispersing from the boy's body, Undulating, stretching outwards, and going back and forth between Shino's body and his bugs. Then, as if on command, the chakra fell silent and Shino lets out a long exhale. He's successfully established the connection.

As Shino stills his senses to callibrate himself to the beetles, he orders them to trace any signs of the familiar Yamanaka chakra signature. He steadily reduces his chakra input. When a preferable balance is reached, Shino waits in silence. Until a bug notifies him of any significant clues

(Go to the streets. He instructs them. Hover around in small swarms and don't terrify the people.

A short pause. Don't bump into anyone that I know, He commands again.)

Danzo watches as the Aburame in front of hin froze into a lotus pose. The stare in his eyes blank, but definitely buzzing with intel and chakra. There is much to be studied with this new forbidden jutsu.

Shino is notified of a sighting near Konoha's marketplace. He checks in with the bug, and once their visions link he can tell that the person had the same chakra signature.

"I've located him." Shino said. "He's using a mask and brown cloak, performing jutsus to the local children."

"And what is he saying?"

Shino tries to concentrate as hard as he can. The hand seals that Fuu was using was something he didn't recognize. Apparently memorizing while the Senrigan is activated proved to be more dizzying than he thought.

"Tori, Uma, Ne, Inu, Ne, Tori, Hitsuji, Tatsu, I, Ushi..." Shino recites slowly, making sure that he isn't wrong. "This is a variant of the Water-style technique. He's forming water spouts from his fingers."

That's absolutely correct, Fuu signals to Danzo, who had been telepathically communicating with him all this time.

"Well done, Shino. You've proven to us that you and your clan can be of use."

And with that Shino scrunches his eyes shut. A little bit disoriented from having to memorize while using the Senrigan. His beetles swiftly fly back to him, bringing him a small amount of chakra they absorbed from the villagers.

"I've done my part in reintegrating the Aburames. Give me a month and things will be back to normal. Are you ready to fulfill your side of the promise?" Danzo asked, as he stood up from his chair.

Shino gulps nervously. He didn't really plan out what to do next. But Shino was a master at lying, and with a countenance that no one can read, he was indecipherable.

"Why did you want us gone in the first place?" Shino asks, not realizing that he had voiced the thoughts out loud.

Danzo Shimura was a man who took the Second Hokage's manifesto to heart. Perhaps a bit too much. Shino had suspected, backed with the evidence and observation of his clansmen, that Danzo was pulling strings that led to the Uchiha massacre. It was easy to connect the dots, especially with Shibi and Shino's ability (they were tasked to clean it up. Shibi was fast in doing so, while Shino tended to the unconscious Sasuke.)

From the very formation of Konoha, the Aburame clan was in charge of the most tedious work. Often times having to deal with the brunt of it while Konoha lives scott-free. Border patrols, cleaning up after crimes, interrogation. The Aburames are efficient, but this efficiency ultimately lead to their public consternation.

"You Aburames are skilled, I must admit." Danzo's croaked voice echoed through the chamber. "So much so that any village would want to use you as weapons."

"And that's all there is to it, really. You bunch are too strong. Too skilled. There's too many unknown factors. The higher-ups have agreed to eliminate these threats. After all, Konoha prides itself in being a friendly nation. Your blood brings filth to our soil."

Shino knows that there is a lie slipped between those words. Danzo was not a friendly type of leader.

"The Four Noble Clans of Konoha are in need of a change. The Uchihas have proven to be evil. It is in Konoha's best interest to discard the bad, and salvage whatever is left. Haven't you noticed? The only reason we keep the Akimichi is because they're dumb enough to be controlled by the Nara and Yamanaka. And the Hyuuga's reputation are held at our mercy. You're smart enough to figure the rest." Danzo says, walking to approach Shino.

What?

Did he hear his words right? The Akimichi clan? All along, Shino had thought that the lucky title of a 'Noble Clan' are given to clans who had body modifications that cannot be replicated by other ninjas. To think that his fellow team had such a scheme hanging around their backs...Shino wants to believe that Team 10's friendship is genuine.

"Tomorrow," Danzo says, patting the chuunin's back, "You will be promoted as Jonin and will be registered as a member of the ANBU. Of course, that's a lie. Because tomorrow I will personally have you run... special errands for me."

Shino gulped. He didn't like the close proximity.

"Make sure you say your goodbyes today. You'll be listed as dead for security reasons."

And with that, Shino is let out of the facility. He finds himself pondering aimlessly on a nearby park bench. Autumn has turned the Konohagakure into a beautiful display of warm colors. The trees looked like they've been covered in a rich, velvet cloak and the air was sublime. Shino wonders how long it'll be till he can bask in this scenery again.

First, he'd visit his father. Then, he'd visit his other family members. After that he'll visit...no one. How could Shino bear to look at his friend's faces after resolving so adamantly to despise them? After convincing himself that they've forgotten him.

(And Shino still hopes. He hopes that somehow someone will notice eventually.)

But he supposes he'll finish his priorities first. Evade a civil war, restore his clan's honor, and the rest will be his secondary concerns. It is dire that he doesn't get emotional, especially in the current state Konoha is in.

He looks at the children, playing games under a nearby tree. They were too young for the academy, of course, but if they were old enough to attend, would they all turn out like him? Cold and efficient?

Shino thinks that he used to be a perfectly good student. A good ninja, but perhaps not so good as a friend. One can see plenty of differences between Shino and the rambunctious Naruto, but do they realize how much he envies his cheerful personality?

(And Shino envies him so much. He's taken the attention of the girl he favors. And now, he has taken everyone's attention away from Shino's disappearance.

Naruto had outshined Shino. As if Shino was a shadow that should not exist.)

He's had enough of the pointless thoughts. It was almost noon and Shino has to hurry home if he wants to say proper goodbyes.

But a shrill bark had frozen him to his seat.

"Akamaru, calm down!" A familiar voice shouted.

Shino jolted at the sound. It was coming from behind him. He senses two people walking by, and a dog beside them. Shino was already certain of who they were.

"Akamaru, what's wrong boy? You shouldn't be barking at strangers." The man—Kiba himself said, as he crouched to rub Akamaru's head.

"Maybe he sees someone, Kiba-kun? I don't think anyone's back home from missions..." Hinata replied, looking around the park.

Oh heavens. If there was anyone who Shino would avoid the most, it'd be these two—Hinata and Kiba. He doesn't want to face them. He doesn't even want to be near them. Alas, everytime Shino denies this thought his heart urges him more and more. To simply turn to them. To tell them everything.

(But who was it really who had decided to forget about him in the first place? No one had bothered to ask where he went after the Chuunin exams.)

Akamaru's barking turned into a soft whine. The canine was visibly confused.

Shino has yet to move from his spot at the bench.

"Come on now. No one is here. You've mistaken him for someone else, buddy." Kiba says, sounding a little harsh for someone who claims to be Akamaru's partner.

(Shino wanted to burst out laughing. Doubting a ninja dog's nose? Especially one who has worked with Shino for years? Kiba was a bad liar.

See, even Akamaru notices! Shino thinks to himself, proud to have concluded that the fault was theirs all along.)

Akamaru still whines when Kiba motions him away from Shino's bench.

"Why are you being so difficult today?!" Kiba grunts, frustrated. "Come on Akamaru, you don't want to upset Hinata on our date!"

Oh.

So it’s like that, huh.

"K-Kiba-kun! Please don't shout in public..." Hinata whimpers, fiddling her thumbs together.

And with a little nudge, Akamaru finally moves on with them. The couple enjoying the beauty of Konoha's Autumn, oblivious to everything behind it.

It took minutes. Hours, even for Shino to compose himself enough to process the ordeal.

And those hours were filled with empty pondering. With words that were on the tip of falling out of his mouth. With feelings that he had not been brave enough to admit before. With the eternal, everlasting regret of not speaking up.

But there was nothing he could do.

A shinobi must constantly suppress their emotions, follow a strict set of rules that they decide among themselves, and avoid extraneous conflict

This is for the best. he repeats to himself. Hinata would be better off without him, he thinks.

(But he could have made her happy too. He would've given everything for her.)

A stroll to wash off these thoughts. Yes, Shino thinks that all he needed was to cool his head, shrug it off, and return to his obligations tomorrow. The warm glow of sunset was eager to mask his unease.

The sunset was particularly shy that day, and had swiftly sank to allow the moon to greet him instead. It's already past six o,clock. He knows that he needs to greet his family, but Shino's distraught conscience told him to look at the sky. The moon was still as luminous as usual.

Shino had always known how beautiful the moon is. How beautiful its pearly shimmer is.

(How gentle her eyes were, radiating such a serene, pure love)

And like an opened dam, suddenly Shino feels his chest aching. Like a hole had opened inside him--one that he can't touch nor see. A hole that, no matter how hard Shino tries, would always engulf him in rain. In a downpour that feels like a thousand needles showering on him.

It feels like such a distant memory. Months ago they were still fine. Hinata was still his comrade. And now, she's floating further away from his grasp. Was there no more space for Shino in her heart?

(But Shino was a fool to believe—

A firefly can't love the moon.

Its language can't be heard,

Its wings can't reach the sky,

Its light can't compare to the sea of stars.

It can only do what a firefly does best.

Illuminate the night in its own glow.

A token of a love that falls on deaf ears.)

By the time Shino reaches the Aburame compound, his tears were already dry. Shibi waits for him near the estate gates, and without speaking a word, held his son in a deep embrace. A fitting greeting for a child who's always been forced to grow up before his time.

Shino was going to stay the night in the estate. Saying goodbyes and packing things up. Of course, no further information would be given—everyone was in a state of wary due to the constant supervision.

He had to console them the best he can. Explain the situation. Share his insights. Assure them that this is his job as the Aburame heir. And for that, he would do everything in his capacity to make sure his loved ones don't perish.

A night is never enough to tell stories. By tomorrow morning, Shibi would have said goodbye to two sons.

#shinowek2021 #Shino Aburame #aburame shino #naruto headcanons #naruto fanfiction #hinata hyuuga #kiba inuzuka #akamaru #Akamaru is the real mvp here #we love some good team angst #also...i rlly like the last sentence i wrote in this one 👁️👁️#also..i like the last sentence i wrote in this one 👁️👁️

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bunny-hoodlum · 4 years

Text

Don't Leave Her(e)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20434955/chapters/48480602

Sasuke follows an Otsutsuki into a world very much like our own.

It lead him farther than he’s ever gone.

A new dimension opened up to him.

He would like to get used to this by now, but no. His Space-Time dojutsu still left him winded.

He stepped out of the side of a building into a narrow alley, the abyssal portal closing behind him.

An assortment of unknown sounds bombarded his senses, so loud they seemed in competition.

Chugging, whirring, whooshing. Blaring horns not unlike the those on the freight ships back home. There were beeps that stuttered and others that dragged on.

Amongst the din was a constant shuffling like a herd in the distance. There too played music with instruments he’d never heard before.

It was rather… chirpy.

A noisy creak alerted him. A door a few feet to Sasuke’s left opened outwards and a man in a white apron and white hat stepped out, trash bag in hand.

But…

Sasuke hadn’t sensed him.

The man took no notice of Sasuke as he headed for the dumpster. Soon as he tossed the bag in and headed for the door, he halted to a stop.

The cook scrutinized him for a good minute.

“Ain’t never seen anyone wear a cape so casually, ‘cept the cosplayers on the bridge. You lost?”

Sasuke shook his head. “Just passing through.”

The cook craned his head back, looking down his nose. “Uh-huh. From where?”

Sasuke looked to his right, taking note that the alley lead to a brick wall. The building ahead appeared to be five storeys tall, its fire escape evidently unused.

Having no answer, Sasuke strode for the exit.

“Wait. Wait now, hold-” The cook grasped at Sasuke’s left arm, only to come up empty. “-up?” His grip slackened enough for Sasuke to slip through.

Leaving the alleyway had been like emerging from a tunnel of ignorance.

The world opened up to him, blinding at first, then overwhelming with the sheer activity of life all around him.

Thousands of people filled these streets. Phones to their heads and bags in their arms. Vehicles he’d never dreamed before sped along what seemed like a concrete river. Monitors which hung off of the faces of sky-reaching buildings flashed obnoxiously with gleaming faces and polished products.

A monstrous scream accompanied by an enormous shadow swept overhead, spiking his heart rate.

A giant bird?

No. It had a long, conical body with a tail like a shark and blades for wings. It was evidently metal, shining white as it hummed fiercely towards its descent.

An old anecdote from Naruto’s teen years came to mind, the only one where he rode upon a giant flying island turtle. But he doubted Naruto could help him understand this UFO any better, even if he was here.

Upon closer inspection, Sasuke noticed something: It had a bright red emblem on its tail.

A red leaf.

_____

The trail was gone.

Sasuke cursed his luck.

Perhaps they had merely passed through this realm.

But now Sasuke was stranded until his chakra replenished enough for another crossing. At this point, he was more inclined to return home than follow a cold trail.

Sasuke tugged at the collar of his cape, sweat slicking down his skin. The gesture brought more attention to himself, based on the passive stares he was receiving.

Just like back in his world, it was the height of summer.

He was missing the summer solstice festival. He couldn’t promise to go with them. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t like to.

Sakura said she’d send him pictures. She already showed him the yukata Sarada would be wearing. He wouldn’t be able to see the pictures until he got back, though.

The season was the same, but somehow it was much more stifling than he was used to.

Actually, it was a lot more of many things he was used to.

For starters, the roads back in his world are never this crowded. He feels like a minnow swimming against a current of impatient salmon, ready to be tossed out.

How is it that there are this many people existing in a single mile radius, and yet they have no perceivable life force?

He just couldn’t get his head around it.

_____

Sasuke needs to get his bearings.

He needs to prevent the Otsutsuki from feeding off any more God Trees.

What if there was one here?

It was worth to check.

Finding relief away from the crowds, Sasuke stepped into a wide side street. Square stone seats and benches lined the center, offset by a series of shrubs encased in stone boxes.

Shops lined either side, and overhead were diamond-shaped awnings that spanned the entire arcade.

As Sasuke strode past an eatery of sorts, cool mist struck his eyes and mouth.

He jumped back slightly, ignoring the looks from the customers seated in the patio dining area. From the awning of the restaurant was a system of black devices attached by a black wire. From the mouth of these devices spewed a constant production of mist that shrouded much of the patio from the summer heat.

Sasuke reminded himself to move on. And to stop getting surprised by the little things.

He was only bound to run into more.

____

This was the first time he’s seen Sarada since she was born.

She was two now.

Sakura held their toddler, her expression warm and a little exasperated as Sarada grabbed onto his forefinger.

Quite the grip.

Sarada began nomming on his finger.

Oh. That’s what she wanted it for.

“She’s been teething,” Sakura said. “I’ve tried frozen mochi, a homemade anesthetic gel, my parents stopped by with a kokeshi, all with limited success…”

Sasuke smiled at his adorable daughter. The hard bumps of her budding front teeth not unlike a dog’s play-bites, and he felt strangely proud of her. Proud of her health, her growth.

“I’m sorry to leave you with everything, Sakura.”

Deep down, he’d love to trade places with his wife, to experience the same joys and stresses as her.

She waved him off. “We’ve already discussed this. You’re fighting for peace of mind. Someday Sarada-chan will understand.”

Sasuke’s jaw shifted.

Because on his worst days, he hardly understood himself at all.

_____

It’s when Sasuke finally takes a moment to purchase food at a nearby grill stand that he realizes his currency is unrecognizable.

Figures.

He’s concerned he’ll have to make multiple trips back to this world. In which case, he better make the most of his time gathering intelligence.

His phone doesn’t work.

Of course. Why would it?

He has access to Konoha’s main databank; what Shiho and her ever expanding department of coders call 'the Intranet’. But here, nothing.

He thinks his technology may not be up to date, let alone remotely compatible. Another thing to look into, for sure.

Sasuke folds the phone closed and rests his mouth against the flat of his fingers.

His hard stare into the distance gains focus as he registers something. There on the television screen appears to be a familiar face.

But that had to be a mistake.

Sasuke got up from the stone bench and approached the store window displaying various TVs.

One had a drama, not unlike the new form of scripted entertainment cropping up in his world. Another showed a man at a desk and two other men were seated off to the side. There was a martial arts tourney held in an octogonal ring there, horses racing along a dirt oblong on this screen, and six people in brightly colored jumpsuits struggling up a flight of white stairs over on this screen. Why they kept falling down and getting back up, he didn’t understand.

But he imagined Naruto wanting to give it a try.

Ignoring these distractions, the one thing that really pulled at his gaze was the news coverage.

PM Sarutobi Extends Visit to Kumo no Kuni

That was him.

That was really him.

Liver spots and all.

Sarutobi Hiruzen.

He looked so different out of the robes and hat. The dark gray suit was tailored to fit, emphasizing his diminutive stature. He wasn’t that old yet, but he was getting there, and he would likely only continue to shrink.

Just when Sasuke’s imperfect reasoning had begun to toy with the possibility of reincarnation, Hiruzen was shown seated at a conference desk beside none other than A himself.

And the old hard-ass still had both arms.

Sasuke rubbed at forehead, shutting his eyes as he tried to process everything.

His forehead rubbing soon upgraded to firmly knocking against his skull.

No. He didn’t understand it all.

_____

He pressed his mouth to his wife’s small, round shoulder, earning a low, drawn-out moan.

A sharp wail disrupted this evening of stolen kisses and Sakura pulled away, suppressing her groan.

“Let me soothe her. It may be nightmares again.” She said, getting up.

Again, huh? Sasuke wondered what a three year old had to be afraid of.

His hand was on her shoulder in no time. He dipped in for a quick peck. “Get yourself ready for me. I’ll be back in a minute.”

His wife’s blush stirred the want more as she nodded obediently and reclined into bed.

Slipping out into the hallway, he made it to Sarada’s room.

She was standing and clutching at the rails of her crib. Her hiccups were frequent, almost violent and her sobs frantic.

She spotted him in the doorway, and it was like an instant switch. “Papa.” She chirped matter-of-factly.

He always wondered if it had been Sakura’s idea to teach her 'papa’ over anything else.

His father had always been 'Chichi-ue’ to him.

But Sasuke had demurred from taking the mantle of clan head. He had far too much to do. He had been the final Uchiha, the last true heir and he ran their name into the ground with his so-called 'wilding’ as Kakashi-sensei liked to tease. He needed to clean the slate. He needed to earn back his place.

Sasuke lifted Sarada up, inspecting her face for any trace of fear or sadness.

“Papa.” She reached for him, arms waving. She was perfectly fine now. He did say he would only need a minute.

As soon as Sasuke put her down, the pained screams started again. And in a panic, he scooped her up again.

Her big black eyes stared at him expectantly.

What was he supposed to do during this part?

_____

There was a curious amount of disquiet in a world so peaceful that Sasuke had to wonder what prevented it from falling apart at all.

Jashinist Slain after Tokonoha Commissioner General Indicates Group’s hand in The Nines Incident

“… There’s a lot of misconceptions going around about what we worship and the nature of our rituals. But it’s all purely symbolic. We invite people to see for their own eyes that we are not dangerous…”

Sasuke heavily doubted there were any misconceptions.

Former PM Senju Hashirama’s Legacy Brought Into Question

Sasuke wasn’t ready to go down that rabbit hole again.

Uzushio-Hi no Kuni Relations Worsen as the Fifth Anniversary of the Nines Incident Draws Near

“… They refuse to release the full list of the victims names. My daughter was nine months pregnant at the time. I just want to take her home. I just want to bury my daughter…”

Sasuke had the vaguest dread as to what this 'Nines Incident’ meant in this world.

But if there was no monster here like Kurama, then to what scale had been this destruction?

Momochi Zabuza Evades Arrest for Botched Attempt Against LDP’s Oppositional Leader

Apparently some things never change.

Whatever the current climate of unrest seemed to be, he sense no threat of war.

Perhaps this world was too big to suffer as a whole.

Some people may get scratched off, but that’s all it is: A scratch.

Had the massacre never happened and his grandparents passed away of old age, he likely wouldn’t have been able to muster a misty eye. He barely knew them enough at the time to be fond of them.

Sasuke’s world is vast, but the lines between territory and loyalties are clear.

A single domino can topple an entire nation.

Was a single domino enough for this world to fall too?

_____

Night had fallen and the streets had emptied.

The alleys and roadsides took up bedraggled, bearded men resting on their cardboard beds.

But then Sasuke came upon a man in a nice suit, face down in the street. He wasn’t injured, Sasuke soon found. Just black-out drunk.

Sasuke shifted him upright and leaned him against a nearby wooden bench. Sasuke paused to observe his breathing.

It was going to take some getting used to, not being able to sense life in the way that was so innate to him.

A place like this would be absolute hell for Karin.

Sasuke had noticed the CCTVs for some time.

It was better he didn’t perform any strange acrobatics for the time being.

_____

Sasuke toyed with the idea of creating an assumed identity.

He didn’t know how long it would take him to be sure this world wasn’t cultivating a God Tree. He wouldn’t be able to stay anonymous for long.

He would need to adapt to this world’s level of technology, as well. Seeing the wires pulled away from the sides of buildings, suspended instead upon metal spires that looked tadpole tails, he knew there was a difference in the logic of their engineering. If it wasn’t simply ahead of theirs, it was surely done out of necessity and perhaps tradition.

Back home, the wires were visible, running alongside buildings, homes and roofs like arteries.

Shinobi, who often travelled above the ground, had no fear of snagging their ankles or neck. The design, therefore, was their tradition, their necessity.

One final thing he became aware of the sheer amount of individual businesses packed in a single mile radius. Cafes, clothing stores, electronics, furniture, groceries, these things seemed to have fused at the hip, forcing new businesses to build atop them like bricks.

Perhaps commerce was the blood of society in this world.

Perhaps this was what the so-called End of History was to look like.

When all wars are settled, there is nothing else to do but play with money.

_____

An unassuming stone staircase caught his attention, for it lead three flights down into a darkened, verdant park.

The walking path wove like a snake between the trees.

Black metal trash cans stood along the trail here and there. Green dispensers carried rolls of black bags. They sported a sign, showing a stick figure stooping over behind a dog.

Huh. He wondered what that Inuzuka boy would think of this.

Sasuke took a seat on a lone wooden bench. He craned his head back to rest.

But when he closed his eyes, he became unsettled.

Even if he relied on his ears, or that subconscious instinct that told him when he was being watched (an ability he decided that had to be vestigial from being an indirect descendant of Kaguya), his senses still sought out the flickering warmth of chakra.

Closing his eyes felt like he was sinking into a place he could never wake up from.

_____

Something scurried in the distance. Through the bushes. Too big to be a squirrel or stray mutt.

Sasuke lurched upright and there peeking out from behind a tree was a little girl.

She had straight, dark hair in a cropped princess cut style. Her skin was white, her eyes blue, and she couldn’t be older than four or five.

Unsure what to do, Sasuke waved at her.

And she waved back.

Sasuke reached into his vest pocket, digging out four pieces of hard candy in paper wrappers.

Sarada snuck them in when he wasn’t looking.

Black tea flavor. Sakura said they were her favorite.

Sasuke leaned forward, elbow propped on his knee and he held the candy out towards.

In the back of his mind, this gesture felt a little shady to him. If some strange man happened to offer his daughter her favorite candy, he would be inclined to reveal the hilt of his sword.

The little girl stepped out from behind the tree.

She took one little step. Hesitated. Then another little step. She repeated this pattern, when halfway her eyes brightened and she ran up to him.

She reached for the candy, her hand hovering short of grabbing one while her big eyes implored him for his approval.

“They’re for you, from my daughter. She told me sweets should be shared amongst friends.” A total fabrication, but how else was she going to trust him?

The little girl plucked a single candy from his palm and fished it out of its paper wrapper, then popped it in her mouth.

She then grabbed another one and held it out towards him.

Oh yeah. He did say sweets should be shared amongst friends.

Pocketing the other two pieces, he accepted the candy from her. He gazed at it reluctantly. He’s had these in his pocket for over a week. A gift from Sarada, perhaps even a bribe in her mind to get him to stay. For him, they were precious keepsakes.

Well, it wasn’t like he was never going to see her again.

Sasuke worked the candy from its wrapper with his thumb, popped it into his mouth and let the flavor meld onto his saliva. It was pleasant and smooth, not too sweet at all. An unassuming treat.

The little girl’s face began to scrunch and droop, as if she were working on a cough drop instead.

“Don’t like it?”

She shrugged. Through a mouthful of darkened saliva, she said. “Not sweet enough.”

“Hn. What’s your name?” Sasuke began to cautiously eye the toddler. Her lavender pants were soaked with muddied water from the knees down. Her white shoes were caked in mud as well. Her elbows were scuffed, giving him the impression that she must have fallen. Her skin and her hair were otherwise clean, showing that she was not like those downtrodden men from earlier.

It must be that she was only gone recently enough that her family wasn’t looking for her yet. But that would change soon if he didn’t act.

She looked at him funny for asking. “Hinata.”

In this world full of coincidences, time seemed to slow to a halt.

And in the brief seconds when her eyes would close, a round, timid face from his childhood replaced hers with perfect sameness.

“How old are you?”

She thrusted four fingers towards him.

He hoped this wasn’t somehow her.

“Is your birthday soon?”

She shook her head. “Too hot. Us'lly snow comes out to celebrate with me.”

No. This was just a coincidence. She couldn’t possibly be who he thought she was.

She scooted towards him, hands clutching the edges of his cape. He stiffened, hoping she wouldn’t see the scabbard angled against his back.

“Aniki, you taking me back to daddy now?”

Sasuke clasped his hand over hers and nodded.

_____

Sasuke stood in the hallway, holding Sarada against him as Sakura slipped her shoes on in the genkan.

“I’m not going to be gone long, but you sure you’re going to be okay with her?”

“She’s sleeping.” What was there to worry about?

Sakura brushed her bangs aside, looking torn between leaving him or staying.

They were short on groceries. Sakura’s director duties at the children’s clinic had cut into the little free time she had, and his appearance today had been spontaneous to say the least.

“Okay.” She finally said. “I’m leaving now.”

“Take care.”

This was all he could do really.

Sakura knew what they needed, what they usually stocked up on when he wasn’t around. She most likely felt compelled to pick up extra things now that he was here. And with his self-imposed penance, he wasn’t going to be much help carrying all of that back from the marketplace had he gone instead.

This was all that he could do.

_____

Hinata’s resting against him just like Sarada was that day. She seems to have taken to him quite easily.

It’s calming, going for a walk like this. He thinks of doing with this Sarada some day, before she got too big of course, with Sakura’s hand curled around his bicep.

Their village was beautiful, and there’s so much to try and explore. He keeps hearing about it. It’s Naruto’s pride and joy to share how it was evolving, expanding. Rokudaime must be proud, too. He tries to say he’s just a holdover Hokage until Naruto is ready, but no one was going to let Kakashi talk himself down like that.

Every day something new sprouted up to the point that an official newsletter had begun to circulate through the village. Naruto told him the first time he, Hinata and Boruto had waited in the longest line ever for the new bakery that had debuted right across Dango-ya.

Sasuke understood right away: Competition is good for growth.

The city lights greeted them as he drew closer to the shops he had ventured passed during his first hours. Their windows were darkened however, and he believed it was well past business hours.

But in a place this developed, he was banking on one thing: Finding a convenience store.

Konoha was beginning to have shops like these.

Naruto wrote him once, (back at a time when neither of them were quite accustomed to their phones just yet), and he had gone on and on about the selection of instant ramen he had discovered on their shelves.

He sounded just like his twelve-year-old self. As excitable and single-minded as ever.

Hinata started to squirm against his shoulder. She was getting antsy.

“You hungry?” He asked.

“Mmhm.”

She hadn’t been able to tell him much about her home or where it was, but taking her sullied state into account, he felt he could narrow it down. This place was like a paved island. His search would have to begin outside of its limits.

“How come you weren’t scared of me?”

She shrugs. “I have a lotta big brothers. You look like them.”

Interesting. Sasuke tried to picture Hiashi with a whole brood of boys. In that picture, Neji stormed in, fending off anyone who would dare replace him as her most beloved brother.

Sasuke had heard from Naruto how the reformed branch member had become so fiercely protective of his younger cousin. To think the key to Neji’s freedom from hate had been one withheld letter penned to him by his father. Why it had been revealed so late, Sasuke failed to understand. But for all the pain Sasuke had caused, he kind of envied Neji for being able to make it back home so easily.

“So what do you mean I look like them?”

Bright white lights beamed out of a squat building, their white and blue sign shining just as brightly.

“They wear dark clothes, their hair is dark, the faces they make are dark.”

“They scowl at you?”

They crossed the parking out and entered inside. A synthetic bell tone welcomed them.

“Not at me. I seen them look mean at someone else’s brothers.”

“Hn.”

They began to peruse the shelves. Sasuke considered finding something that Sarada would enjoy.

Royal Milk Tea Biscuits? Matcha Chews?

Hinata pointed at a row of packaged cinnamon rolls, and Sasuke frowned.

He picked it up in a hurry and the moment the cashier stepped outside the back door, Sasuke slipped out the front.

Just a pile of coincidences, he reminded himself.

_____

There was a booth up ahead, lonely and a little out of place.

A man in uniform idled inside on a chair, his legs pointed out towards the street. His clothes were shades of blue, dark pants and dark vest, pale dress shirt and a dark, brimmed hat with a golden emblem on the center.

Hinata stirred and pointed towards the man. “He knows my daddy!”

Sasuke slowed, wary of catching the man’s suspicion. “Does he?”

Hinata nodded vigorously. “They’re in my house all the time.”

What the hell does that mean?

The closer Sasuke neared, the more his gut told him what kind of person this was: Law Enforcement.

“Aniki, he can help us.”

“Yeah, I know…”

It would be the quickest, most sane thing to do. But it wasn’t in the cards right now.

They’d want ID, a home address…

“Sorry Hinata-chan, but we can’t trust him.”

She peered up at him for a beat before settling back down. “Okay. My daddy says that, too.”

Sasuke kept his head down, forcing himself to make it past detection.

Naruto had come to him one day on behalf of Rokudaime. They wanted to reinvigorate the police force, build it up to its former glory. Sandaime had long relied on ANBU to keep the order, and Godaime after him, but that was no longer viable.

Because the police force was no longer being placed upon a single clan, they were working on the interviewing process, as well as reviewing the previous standard of regulations. A copy of the citizen registry, alongside an old compilation of past arrest records found in his father’s preserved study had given him significant insight for updating those regulations.

The last thing Sasuke needed was to get detained. Kamui wasn’t even an option, not unless the situation were truly dire.

“Where’s your daughter?” Hinata asked out of the blue.

“She’s at home.”

“And what are you doing here?”

“I’m working.”

“Oh.”

_____

In his attempts to have more presence in Sarada’s life, this too has been occurring just as frequently.

The first time he heads for the genkan, his sandals are missing.

He finds them in the storage room.

The next time they’re missing, Sakura screeches.

They’re in the toilet.

The next time they’re in the trash, soaked in melon juice and forcibly hidden beneath discarded egg shells, bok choy stalks, and styrofoam meat trays.

Sakura gets mad.

He doesn’t.

Sarada stops hiding his shoes.

So when he slips them on, a tiny crawling sensation lances up his spine. He stares down at the mess. He’s just pushed pudding everywhere, and it’s oozing between his bare toes.

When Sakura holds up Sarada towards him with an expectant glare, he pokes his wife’s forehead then Sarada’s, and takes his leave.

He didn’t know that was the wrong thing to do until the most recent incident.

His shoes are missing again.

They find Sarada in the backyard. She’s shoving large rocks down the high-tops of his right sandal. She’s thought this through. They’re too large to slide out of the cutouts on their own.

“SARADA!” Sakura scolds, marching towards their daughter.

Sarada whirls around on them in a panic. She grabs the left sandal, which has not been stuffed with rocks, and chucks it across the backyard with a bitter shout.

Sasuke grasps his wife’s wrist before she reaches their daughter, and it was the wrong thing to do.

“Are you going to do something this time?!” She wrenches her wrist free. His lack of response, his obvious lack of awareness earns his wife’s full ire. “Stop trying to be her friend. You are her father.”

“She’s little.”

“She’s being a brat. And you know why this keeps happening?!” Sakura grips his hand and hard. “Every time you’re here, you undermine me. She thinks its okay because you act the same no matter what she does. Is that fair? Is it fair that I have to be the bad guy all the time?”

His chest constricts. Any rebuttals he had were void as soon as he felt them on his tongue.

It startled him, the feeling that layers of happy illusions were peeling down all around him.

Sakura’s changed. Motherhood’s changed her. Of course it would. Of course she would know these things that he doesn’t know anything about. Of course.

But they became a mother and father at the same time. He thought… He thought that was it. Like he’d just been moved into a new squad with a higher promotion.

“I’m sorry-”

“Sasuke, I know. You’re always sorry. I know.”

Yeah. He was sorry his wife was still married to a teenager. He was sorry that he’s been disrupting the space she’s created for their daughter to grow in. Sorry he has nothing to contribute.

“Sasuke.” She urged. But she wasn’t giving up on him. She was trying to put him on the right path.

But he was still scared.

He didn’t want to be the bad guy, either.

“What should I do?”

Her grip softened. “Just be firm with her. She knows better than to disrespect someone else’ property.”

“Does she?”

“Yes. She plays with Choji’s girl. I’ve talked with you about this.”

“Yeah.” He doesn’t remember this at all.

'Firm’ she says. Right, his mother had been firm with him before. His father, instead, withheld praised Sasuke knew he deserved. They loved him, he knows. He isn’t mad. But when he recalls how he felt back then, he had doubts towards them. He felt like he wasn’t good enough for his father, that he was a needy nuisance towards his brother, that mom didn’t need to rely on him nearly as much as she did on Itachi’s successes.

In a single instance, he could cause his daughter as much pain as those moments had for him.

And he would carry that knowledge with him forever.

Sasuke stepped off the engawa and approached his little girl. He crouched down before her, holding her gaze like he was staring down ten thousand poison-tipped senbon.

“Sarada-chan, no matter what you do, you can’t stop me from leaving.” Straight facts. A three-foot tall four year couldn’t stop a shinobi of his caliber.

But that wasn’t what Sarada wanted to hear.

And that’s not how she heard it at all.

Her eyes widened, trembling. They were glassy with tears.

He moved forward to course correct, to hug her, to love her, but she stomped off for the discarded sandal.

Picking it up, she gives a running start and throws it even farther away, right into Sakura’s rose bushes.

Sarada ran off.

“SARADA! Sasuke, hold on, I’ll get her! Sarada!” Sakura sprinted off their property. It didn’t take long for her to scoop up their screaming toddler.

He watched his wife in a daze as she scolded Sarada so expertly, and in that moment he thinks that his and Naruto’s childhood roles have truly reversed.

No longer was Sasuke a natural at whatever he set out to do.

He was the useless one.

_____

“Are we going to walk there?”

Sasuke’s brows furrowed. “Is it too far?” Walking is the only way I get around. He wasn’t sure how Kamui would work on a powerless human, either.

“Yuh-huh. I was home with mommy. Then I was on a plane with mommy. Now I’m here… without mommy.”

Sasuke was about to ask what was a plane, until the last part.

“I thought we were looking for your dad.”

“Yes. Look only for dad.”

“But what about your mom? You were with her last, you shouldn’t run away.” He recalled the last time he saw Sarada bolting out the backyard. He wondered if he was causing not just resentment towards him, but towards Sakura as well. She didn’t deserve what was happening to her. He really hoped Sarada would understand some day.

A little fist came down on his shoulder and she began to kick. “She did it first! I want my daddy!” She flopped face-first against his shoulder, her frustration palpable.

“Okay, okay.” Sasuke awkwardly bounced her in his arm, something he happened to recall Sakura doing back when Sarada was much smaller.

“You don’t know where we are.” Hinata said.

“No.”

“I don’t know where we are.” She said.

“It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.”

“Nobody knows where we are.”

Sasuke bit down his tongue.

If he wasn’t careful, that part may not be true for very long.

#naruto fanfiction #sasuke uchiha #sarada #sakura haruno #sasusaku #hinata hyuga #Hinata Hyuuga #boruto era #modern au #worldhopping #multiverse #twoshot

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prince-everhard · 6 years

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a mini rec list of the best damn Naruto fics I’ve ever read

BELIEVE IT!

just wanted to compile and recommend a list of some of the (IMO) best Naruto fanfics out there. this list is pretty Sakura-centric because that’s where my taste runs, but there are a handful that aren’t all about my favorite kunoichi

Kill Your Heroes by Evil is a Relative Term Author’s summary: It's time to stop waiting for other people to save you. A story about fear, resilience, and Sakura. Reader’s notes: This is such a complex and magnificent look at Sakura and her growth as a character. It does veer towards YMMV territory as the plot progresses, but it’s not a wild and unexplained jump of skill and story.

One Small Step by Shawny Wong Author’s summary: What if Hinata had actually found the courage to approach Naruto at the Academy? How would befriending him change their lives? Drastic changes are the result of one small step. NaruHina. Written for the Thirty Kisses community on Live Journal. Reader’s notes: Hinata is literally the best and this is such a satisfying read.

The Eyes Have It by Shana the Short Author’s summary: [FANOWRIMO CHALLENGE] Most people seem to think that developing a doujutsu is a wondrous, unspeakably lucky occurrence. Considering that she now has to deal with an ability she has no idea how to use, family drama, fashion crises, and the world's most rude and vulgar doctor, on top of getting to know her new genin team just after graduation...needless to say, Sakura begs to differ. Reader’s notes: Preteens written like actual preteens, new dojutsu, excellent OCs!

One Small Kindness by DigitalTart Author’s summary: Uchiha Mikoto takes the hand of an outcast child, and with it rewrites the destiny of her clan. AU. *SEQUEL UP* Reader’s notes: I am all about some non-massacre AUs, and Mikoto being a badass and a housewife has me SOLD.

Isosceles by Lady Silvamord Author’s summary: Three genii. Three corners of one triangle. A collection of NejiSakuShika works. Latest entry: twenty-five drabbles, regarding our favorite couple... Reader’s notes: The fic of many fics aka gift that keeps on giving. My multishipping heart is pleased.

The Gloves and Her by Cella N Author’s summary: When she's 12 years old, she takes pride in having the softest hands. At 15, she puts on black gloves and doesn't take them off. SAKURA. On growth, and beauty, and life. Reader’s notes: I just really love how Sakura’s development is written. It’s beautiful and poetic without feeling stuffy.

#naruto #fanfic #fic rec

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amateurwriterforfun · 6 years

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Of Grandfathers and Reminiscence

This is my first ever fic. It will probably be a two-shot.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Credits to Masashi Kishimoto

Beta read by Ombree

Where Sarada and Madara, along with Obito, discuss the issue of Sarada's parentage, particularly about her mother; Madara complains, and Obito bears the brunt of it.

Implied Sasusaku, and hint of Madatsu.

Note: I am using the premise that the revived dead characters in this story doesn’t remember the time they spent in the Pure Land, and made up the relation between the Second Mizukage and the Hozuki brothers since I have no idea if they were related in canon.

Takes place after Gaiden. Semi-au. Canon divergence.

It had been a week since the anomalous portal to the afterlife opened and sucked in a very particular group of people back to the world of the living, four of the dead Hokage and two of the most known Uchiha — Madara and Obito. Madara’s presence is the one to cause hackles to rise within one of the Neo-Sannin.

Sakura knows Madara to be a changed man prior to his death during the war, but she is still not comfortable with him around and does not want to take any chances now that she has a daughter to take care of by herself. Sasuke has yet to return from the mission and it's up to her to protect their daughter until he finally comes back. This new development, she has no doubt, will make his return happen sooner.

Naruto, for his part, is accepting of all the individuals. The years have not changed him much. He is still very optimistic and trusting. He is the one that arranges where they are to stay until they have found a solution to the problem. A thorough investigation of the portal leaves everyone scratching their heads on what it could be, why it had appeared, and why of all people only the four dead Hokage and the two Uchiha have been brought back.

The two Uchiha are automatically selected to stay with their kin, while the Hokage stay in a single apartment. Sakura does not mind Obito and while she accepts Madara’s presence she is still wary of him. She is certain that Obito will help if Madara goes out of his way to cause havoc. Still, seeing as the man is indifferent to everything, she is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Now here they are a week later. The two Uchiha spend their time lounging in the living room while Sarada and Sakura are out for the day. Madara and Obito are watching the television and getting updated with the latest events and whatever shows that grab their attention.

It is during Madara’s hundredth rant about how trashy the show’s plot and characters are when Sarada comes home from training. Obito, who had retreated earlier to the kitchen to serve himself some snacks and avoid hearing the older Uchiha’s complaints, silently thanks the heavens for a new distraction. Madara himself turns off the television, already bored out of his wits and looking for a new entertainment.

“I’m home!” Sarada calls out to the new house occupants.

“Welcome back!” Obito replies cheerfully returning from the kitchen carrying a jar of cookies, and sitting besides Madara on the circular couch.

“Hn.” Madara nods to his descendant.

Sarada sits to Obito’s left, exhausted and too tired to go to her room. Obito passes her some of the cookies, which she gratefully accepts. He sets the jar on the glass table before asking Sarada about her day.

“How was your training today?”

Sarada shrugs. “It was okay, I guess. It’s still the same old routine with Boruto being an idiot and Mitsuki smiling in the background.”

Obito chuckles at this. “So he really is his father’s son. Naruto was also quite the troublemaker back in those days. I’ve heard he defaced the monument as a child.”

Sarada perks up at this. “Really? Can you tell me more?”

“I can’t tell you more. You have to ask your mother about his antics when he was a child. She was his former teammate.”

“Eh, but why? Weren’t you present in the village back then?”

“No.”

“Why?”

Both the Uchiha exchange glances, and Obito uncomfortably replies, “Well, I really can’t tell you that.”

It is an arranged rule of the household to not tell Sarada about anything that may lead to the discovery of the truth behind the massacre. Sakura had made sure that the new occupants knew not to spill anything. It is, she says, something to be discussed only after she is old enough to handle the truth. Neither men disagree with her. That is why they try their best to control what they say around Sarada.

Before anything else is said, Madara butts in, “Why are you wearing glasses? It is uncommon for an Uchiha to wear them.”

“Tch. Have you forgotten the Uchiha to be prone to blindness?” Obito sneers.

Frowning, Madara replies, “I know that, brat. I also know that it only happens after overusing the Mangekyo Sharingan. Surely you haven’t forgotten that fact?”

Obito scowls, “Of course I haven’t. However, it is still possible that there were Uchiha who suffered with the same ailment back in the day.”

With an eyebrow raised, Madara notes, “In my day, there were no Uchiha who wear glasses.”

“Yeah, because in your day there were no glasses, only blind Uchiha — you included,” Obito bits back icily.

This comment spurs a heated argument between the two men. Sarada smiles, watching their antics, opting to watch from the sidelines in silence.

A few exchange words later, Madara turns to Sarada. “Hm. In any case, I do hope this will not hinder the development of our clan’s famed dojutsu.”

At that, Sarada answers. “......uh, well, I already obtained the Sharingan.”

The two older Uchiha focus their attention on her, intrigued.

“How did that happen?” Obito asks.

“Well.....”

Sarada tells them all about her experiences: her father’s absence, her mother’s secrecy and the discovery of the controversial photo that had her questioning everything about her mother’s true identity.

She shows them the photo in question with both men scrutinizing it like a hawk.

“Let me make sure I understand this, but are you saying that a woman wearing an identical glasses to yours, and who was next to your father.... was the cause of why you questioned who your true mother is?”

Obito shifts on the couch, clutching the photo in his right hand.

Madara on the other hand, is frozen in disbelief.

“Uh, yeah,” Sarada answers sheepishly.

A tense silence permeates the room. Sarada glances at the two men and finds them giving her mix reactions.

Obito is offering her a pandering smile with a smidgen of pity and amusement in his eyes.

Madara still remains frozen with his mouth hanging open. She strains her eyes to look at him more carefully, and notices him having mini seizures. The shock must be so great to elicit that reaction from him, she muses. Then again, he could also just be an overly dramatic an individual. She never thought the legendary Uchiha clan head would be such a drama king.

(If only she knew....)

In the end, Madara unfreezes and breaks the silence. “Please tell me I did not hear that correctly.”

Obito groans and face-palms with the hand holding the picture. “No, we really did hear that correctly.”

“Are you telling me you doubted your mother’s identity all because a pair of glasses, worn by a woman standing next to your father, look identical to yours?! Of all the — !”

“Whoa! Stop right there! We get it okay?! That was crazy, and I’m sure Sarada knows that now! Cut her some slack! She was upset at that time! She wasn’t thinking straight!”

“Hmph! The next generation of the Uchiha is hopeless!”

“Like you were hopeless?”

“Do you think you’re in any position to talk?”

“As they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“I’ll have you know, I’m much better than — ”

While the men bicker about the sheer wrongness of that situation and all about being an Uchiha and whatnot, Sarada is so embarrassed she wants to either flee or for the ground to swallow her up. Now that she thought about it, her reasoning really had been stupid. At that time, she had been so distraught she didn’t stop to think if her idea is logical. All that mattered to her then was the woman’s glasses.

‘Stupid glasses!’

No wonder her mother called her silly. Hearing her reason for doubting her parentage must have been ridiculous to both her parents. The thought embarrasses her even more.

While she is busy contemplating about her mistake, both men finishes their banter. With a huff, they now turn back their attention to her.

“Listen,” Obito starts, “We, your parents — particularly your father — and I, can’t blame you for your mistake — except for our grouchy ancestor — because we’ve been there too. It may not be the same, but your loneliness must have been grave enough for you to take such a measure just to find out more about yourself. Don’t worry about doing stupid things under such circumstances. Our clan is not exactly known for making logical conclusions while experiencing such events.”

Patting her head with his left hand, he continues, “If it makes you feel better, I witnessed first hand the depths of your parents’ bond during the war. Your father was trapped in another dimension, and your mother and I rescued him with all our might. We were able to find him but had run out of chakra before he could escape that dimension. Just when we thought that all of our efforts were all for naught, your father’s rinnegan teleported him to us. He switched places with your mother’s vest which she discarded earlier due to an acid outbreak from one of the dimensions we opened. It was at that point that I witnessed how strong their feelings were for each other.”

Obito smiles with a hint of longing in his eyes. “Your father caught your mother after she collapsed from the exhaustion and held her to him. I swear I had never seen such an intense connection exchanged with just a single eye contact. It gave me the impression that they were engaged in a conversation without words; that they understood each other so much there were no words needed. The way they looked at each other made me feel like I intruded a rather private moment meant to be shared only by them.”

It made me feel jealous, you know? I had always longed for a connection like that, but alas, some things were just not meant to be,” Obito sighs sadly, removing his hand, and slouching on the couch.

The other two occupants in the room can see the pain Obito doesn’t say. Sarada feels sad for him. She knows there is a story behind it, but she doesn’t pry. It is simply not the time for such inquiries.

Madara, on the other hand, feels guilty. He knows exactly who Obito refers to and his role in it. He is basically the reason why the younger male is in pain. With guilt-ridden eyes, he reaches out and places his hand on the other male’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry.”

Obito is surprised. He doesn’t take the older man to be capable of such a gesture at all, knowing him to be too arrogant for such an act. Yet here he is, handing him an apology that he knows is long overdue.

He states rather skeptically, brow lifting, “I didn’t take you to be the type to apologize.”

The other man removes his hand, crosses it, and dismissively replies, “Don’t get used to it.”

Sarada witnesses the exchange between the older Uchiha but doesn’t understand the significance behind it. She guesses it is one of those things she is not, yet, meant to know.

She is a bit irritated that everyone still hides things from her. Yet, her heart also flutters by knowing that her parents’ love is so obvious even from an outsider’s standpoint.

“Enough about me. Let’s focus on this ridiculous debacle first. It has been resolved, yes?" Madara levels his stare on his granddaughter.

Sarada nods.

“Tell us the rest of the story. Full details. Now.”

So Sarada continues to recount the rest of the events. She tells them on how she tries to confront her father about the truth and gets no answer; on how someone attacks them — who is later defeated by her mom with a single punch (this she boasts proudly) — and sucks her mother in a portal and kidnaps her; and the trip to a certain snake Sannin, Orochimaru. It is there that she gets the chance to speak with one of the people pictured in the photo and have a DNA test by comparing her sample to that of the umbilical cord found in the mystery woman’s desk thought to belong to the woman.

The result of the test states perfect match, much to her devastation. Lord Seventh consoles her and prevents her from abandoning everything. Bonds, he says, are not just about blood. It is about forming connections that transcends it. He makes her realize that the bond she shares with her “mother” is the real thing, even if she believes that she isn’t her daughter at that moment. That strengthens her resolve to save her. She later demonstrates the same chakra control that her mother has, defeating many clones by punching the ground, to her astonishment.

After defeating the enemies, her mother once again clarifies to her that she really is her bonafide daughter, a claim she no longer doubts after her show of strength. She remembers how it was said that there are only two people capable of using chakra to enhance their strength, her mother being one of them. According to Aunt Shizune, it requires perfect chakra control to pull off. She also states that the control needed is something that can’t be obtained through simple training, it has to be inherited.

With that thought, she turns to her father to ask him if he ever feels connected to her mother. His affirmation of “because we have you, Sarada” is enough a confirmation that she really is not someone else’s daughter, and that her parents love each other with her as the proof of it.

That is the time all doubts are laid to rest.

With the story concluded, Madara begins to ask his questions. “You said someone tested your sample, is that person a medic-nin? Was he qualified to perform such a test?”

The question catches Sarada off guard. “I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

"What did he look like?” Obito questions.

“He has pale hair and sharp teeth.”

Obito instantly recognizes the person. He recalls Sasuke’s team to have a member fitting that description. If he is not mistaken, Sarada is referring to a certain Hozuki who was the younger brother of the former leader of the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Mangetsu Hozuki.

“Ah, you’re talking about Suigetsu Hozuki, and he is definitely not a medic.”

He looks back at the photo and points out said man to his ancestor.

“A Hozuki huh. I remember the second Mizukage to be a Hozuki. Are they perhaps closely related?” Madara shots this question to Obito.

“Yes. A direct ancestor I believe.”

“I see.”

He turns to Sarada, “That was your second mistake; the first was the glasses as proof. It still disgusts me recalling that, by the way. You let someone who didn’t know what they were doing to help you do the test. That is why he read the results wrong. You said it is a perfect match, yes? Well then, let me educate you. A parent-child DNA will normally result in a fifty-fifty match: one half from the mother, and the other half from the father’s genes. A perfect match indicates that your DNA was tested against itself. This means that the sample used did not come from that glasses woman but came from you.

Here’s a lesson: never trust idiots who are out of their field to guide you in life-changing events. The results are disastrous, as you proved in your situation.”

Obito quietly laughs at that one. The irony behind that statement doesn’t pass him unnoticed.

Judging by Madara’s glare on him, he can tell the older man knows what he’s thinking, not that he cares.

After his silent laughter ceases, Obito quips in, “That is true. You would have had better luck asking Orochimaru himself. Why didn’t you?”

“Both Papa and Lord Seventh occupied his attention asking about our attacker whom he called as Shin Uchiha - one of his experiments if I remember correctly — and I thought asking one of the people in the photo would be more ideal.”

“Shin Uchiha?” Madara drawls.

Sarada nods. “Yes. He possessed the Sharingan; literally covering his upper body with it. I don’t know much about it though. When he used it, he opened a that could teleport him, and could easily exchange places with one of his mini clones.”

“Ah, it’s almost just like my Kamui then.”

“Kamui?” Sarada looks up questioningly at Obito.

“Yes. That is the ability of my Mangekyo Sharingan. It is unique with every Uchiha. Your father himself has the ability to manipulate Amaterasu, a flame that doesn’t die until it consumes its target.”

Sarada stares at his eyes in fascination.

Obito smiles and continues, “Let’s talk about that later. Let me just say that I agree with Madara here. That was not a very good move on your part — part of it anyway. You should’ve secured a more qualified individual for it. But I understand why you chose him. As one of the people found in the photo, you naturally assumed he had answers.

Your third mistake was to use a random sample found in someone’s desk. I take it that you were not certain who it belonged to and just assumed it was from the glasses woman, who, by the way is named Karin Uzumaki, and just used it, correct?”

Sarada nods and takes note of the woman’s name casually mentioned. Madara raises an eyebrow. “Another Uzumaki? It’s astounding how the Uchiha, Senju and Uzumaki are closely intertwined even until this day.”

Obito turns to him and chuckles, “Yeah, well it certainly proves Naruto’s statement to be true, at least a bit. I believe the blood connections between the three clans also played a part in it. Their fates have made them close to each other because of that, even if those connections had been tainted by conflicts throughout the centuries. Thankfully, the later generations reformed that into a better one free of hatred. Then again, the Uzumaki and Senju clans have been in good relations since your time — probably longer, being from the same progenitor.

In Sasuke’s case, he was a teammate of both Naruto and Karin at different times. He formed a bond with them that lasted in the present. His wife, Sakura, was the apprentice of Tsunade Senju. In other words, a Senju was responsible for training the new Uchiha matriarch. It’s astonishing how fate works.”

Shrugging, he locks eyes with Sarada again. “There is a reason why it is taught that one should not just jump to conclusions without proper knowledge. One must have adequate evidences and strong foundations to base any claims they have to justify how they reached their conclusions. It is even more important in the scientific and medical field. A simple mistake can be disastrous in an research or experiment, or even kill a patient, and in your case, nearly turns you away from your family.”

Madara adds his two cents in. “Yes. Apart from that, you and that brainless Hozuki just broke one of the basic etiquette and manners. You touched someone else’s property without their knowledge and consent. That is rude and intrusive. I certainly hope that this incident helped you learn another lesson: only touch someone’s property with their consent and supervision. Had you done that, things may have ended differently and that woman — Karin was it? — would have been the one to tell you the truth. Speaking of the woman, where was she when that happened?”

Sarada slumps on the couch and sighs. “She was away then. Suigetsu-san told me she was in one of Orochimaru-san’s other bases, so she wasn’t there when that happened.”

“No wonder it got out of hand.” Madara shakes his head. He still can’t wrap his head around one of his kin using glasses — glasses of all things! — to start their emotional journey to obtain the sharingan. With an exasperated sigh, he says. “I expected little from the new generation. I did not think it was possible to be disappointed with such a low standard in place. I shouldn’t have been surprised. It’s such a shame,” he pinches the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache forming.

Sarada cringes and her mood once again plummets. Madara, sensing her growing more upset, stands up to approach her. He is not one for comfort, but his grandchild’s distress pulls at his heart similar in a way to how Izuna once elicited the need to be comforted during the rare times he found him in tears.

A hand lands on her head, patting her. She jolts back and sees Madara kneeling in front of her, a soft look in his eyes. She didn’t even see him move!

“A shame indeed, but one that would not be traded for the world. You are a precious child, not only as a new hope for the future of the clan but also for all the people who love you. I can see that your mother loves you very much. I have no doubt your father is the same.”

He cups her face with the hand that was once on her head, turning it left to right, scrutinizing every part of it; his eyes hard once again.

“Hm. You really should have checked your bases first before you went on that silly endeavor — as beneficial as that turned out to be — starting with your physical appearance. Has no one ever told you who you bore resemblance to?”

“Lord Seventh did. He told me I resemble my father in looks and my mother in personality.” Sarada gazes back uncomfortably with the sharpness of his scrutiny on her.

“He is not wrong, but he is also not entirely correct. You inherited your father’s eye and hair color, but everything else is that of your mother’s. In fact, this forehead,” he pokes her none too gently on said area, “should have been your first indicator of your mother’s genes. Sasuke did not have a billboard brow for a forehead, and neither does that glasses woman. Why you had bypass this trait in favor of the glasses baffles me.”

He is about to add more when he notices Sarada’s dazed look, complete with a blush. Frowning, he pokes her forehead again.

“What is with that look child? Have you suddenly gone ill realizing the depths of your stupidity?”

No reply.

“Oi!” he barks when Sarada shows no sign of getting out of her daydreaming.

This snaps Sarada out of her reverie. Giggling, she replies to her now concerned ancestor. “It’s nothing. It’s just the forehead poke is papa’s way of expressing his affection to mama and I. She even once called it better than a kiss when I asked her many years ago.”

Madara is taken aback by her answer and is about to reply when Obito reminds them of his presence by laughing out loud.

“Better than a kiss?” he grins rather mischievously, wagging his eyebrows, “I thought it would be something more naughty, and involves the bedroom.”

Madara’s eye twitches.

Feeling playful, Sarada smirks evilly. Madara, seeing the smirk, is suddenly feeling a sense of apprehension and foreboding that he will not like what is to come.......

“Yeah, I actually told mama she’s dirty when she first said that. She was so embarrassed her face was all red! She denied it rather vehemently too!”

......and he’s right.

“What?!?” Madara’s screams of disbelief is followed by Obito’s bouts of laughter and Sarada’s giggles. His irritation of the situation reaches new heights. Knowing that his descendant activates her dojutsu because of a misunderstanding over glasses is one thing.

But this?

Unacceptable.

By scrutinizing her words, he can see one fact that stands out: her mother doesn’t seem to be surprised by her knowledge of sex, just that the statement is met with embarrassed denial.

Therefore, the one to corrupt Sarada at a young age is none other than her mother.

Madara grits his teeth, damn that woman!

He is about to go on a tirade about bad mothers and the corruption of children when Obito adds more fuel to the fire.

“Your mom’s been teaching you about the birds and the bees that young? Unbelievable!”

“Inappropriate!” Madara snaps, standing up and with his hands on his hips, glares at Obito’s curled up body on the couch. "She should not have taught such things for young children! Where is her sense of propriety? And what of teaching the new generation the concept of proper decorum and chastity?”

Obito waves those concerns off, “We kill and do dirty jobs even as young as four years old. I don’t see what’s the issue with knowing adult things that can be useful in the long run and reproduction nor do I understand why it got your panties on a bunch, you senile old man.”

“Of course you would not understand, stupid brat. Had Sarada been someone else, I would not protest to whatever her mother teaches her. But she is an Uchiha and therefore should be a perfect role model of what a proper young lady should be! She has no place knowing such vulgar things until she’s way older! Young ladies in my day certainly held no knowledge about the activities between men and women until marriage. I expected the same in this generation but once again, my expectations have been ruined!”

“Well that’s the problem right there — we are not in your day, people are not expected to follow your expectations, and most of all, you no longer have the authority to dictate what is best for this family since your defection more than a century ago.”

Obito internally winces. That is a low blow, he knows. Madara’s face shows traces of hurt in it for a second and disappears in the next but that is enough to show that Obito’s words have affected the other man. He refuses to feel guilty, however. It is best that the elder Uchiha finally gets it into his head that such concerns no longer warrant his attention, in his opinion.

“Think about it — had we remained dead, would you have the power to dictate the affairs of the family? No, you wouldn’t . Besides, Sakura knows what she’s doing. She probably thought it best to tell Sarada the truth about where babies come from. I’ve read from one of her magazines that it’s more ideal to teach children about sex when they ask that dreaded question. Something about it preventing risky behavior later on as teens,” Obito continues, stretching his body on the couch.

Seeing Madara’s skeptically look, he asserts, “In any case, it definitely help remove the awkwardness regarding that topic, don’t you think?”

“Hmph! It would have been better if she had given a much different explanation. Surely the typical story of the birds and the bees would have been enough.”

“Well she didn’t, and Sarada learned about sex far earlier than kids her age. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

“I will have a word with Sakura about this. This is unacceptable! I will not see the future Uchiha being exposed to vulgar and obscene concepts so young.”

Obito sits up, shaking his head. Staring at the other man straight in the eyes, he asks, “What will you do? Intimidate her? Don’t bother. She’s one of the only four people who faced Kaguya and lived to tell the tale. Right now, you are nowhere near as powerful as you were when you obtained the same powers as the Sage of the Six Paths. Your current strength is just as you were prior to obtaining Hashirama’s cells and therefore not as threatening a figure in comparison to Kaguya and even your Sage of the Six Paths form. Moreover, she already surpassed her mentor Tsunade during the war and she was seventeen at the time. Imagine how strong she is now. She is also quite confident of her strength. Your intimidation tactic will only be rendered useless if you do confront her about this matter.”

A thought suddenly surfaces and a grin crosses his face from the new idea forming on his head.

“Although I would love to see you two duck it out. I wonder who’ll win. Who knows, maybe she’ll give you one of the worst thrashing ever.”

“Tch, you wish. No one can compare to the fights I had against Hashirama. No woman can change that no matter how strong she is.” A sneer crosses Madara’s face at the thought of a mere woman giving him a challenge.

The image of Hashirama’s granddaughter crosses his mind. The fierceness she has shown against him, her strength that surpasses the Raikage, and the healing jutsu that allows her to fight on the front line despite being a medic. Prior to that point, he didn’t believe anyone to be capable of healing themselves. Hashirama being the only exception, as he always was . But a slip of a woman proves him wrong.

She may not have the same strength as that of her grandfather’s, but what she does have is impressive on its own. He, at the very least, can recognize strength when he sees it and her display of power during the war deserves his recognition. He is also intrigued by the seal on her forehead that allows her to regenerate. Even though it is not of the same caliber as Hashirama’s, the fact that she can regenerate at all is remarkable.

The only reason she lost against him aside from the obvious gap in power was thanks to her bisection in his hands, after all.

‘Hn,’ a contemplative gleam apparent in his eyes ‘perhaps there is a bit of truth in Obito’s words.’

“Well, this is one story I hope will never reach the ears of the Senju although the chances of that happening is slim with Naruto himself probably telling them.” The man in question breaks his train of thoughts.

He groans. Now that is something he certainly does not want Hashirama to know, even worse Tobirama. He can only imagine that blasted man’s reaction if he were to know about this.

When the world is against you, you have to persevere. Yeah, the beta changes may not be as accurate as the one on ff but I try. I made the changes manually, unlike the one posted on ff so there may be alterations here that is not the same in there.

Here is the ff link

Edit: I appreciate any readers on this. It doesn’t matter what you do so long as you’re comfortable with my fic. It’s enough for me.

#sasusaku #madara uchiha #sarada uchiha #obito uchiha #uchiha family #fanfiction #first ever fic #madatsu

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i-am-made-of-memoriies · 6 years

Text

Portals, Clones, and Time Travel. Oh My!

A/N: This is a Boruto time travel fic that I spontaneously wrote at like 3:00 in the morning. I was inspired by KuriQuinn’s Inch of Gold.

Summary: Team Konohamaru and Team 7 both get trapped in a time-neutral dimension. Follow the six genin through battles with evil masterminds, slight family drama, and Mitsuki being the weird-ass kid we all thought he was.

Sarada reached for her katana and activated her sharingan. The mission was supposed to be a simple C rank escort, but nothing ever goes right with her team now does it. They had recently found themselves in the middle of an interdimensional, possibly time warping incident that required her father Sasuke Uchiha to use the extent of his rinnegan just to keep them from zipping off into some random dimension. Oh, right, there were also enemy ninjas from the original escort mission and Sarada was in charge of getting rid of all of them and watching out for dimensional holes with her sharingan.

“Boruto, Mitsuki!” She exclaimed, jabbing her sword behind her and impaling the incoming enemy, “Avoid the area 30 feet to your left. I’m not sure, but I think it’s a portal!”

Boruto and Mitsuki nodded and ran back over to Sasuke, lending him more chakra. Sarada’s attacks were slowing after the myriad of enemies she had taken down. They honestly seemed endless. Sarada wasn’t the only one tiring out. Sasuke was having difficulties keeping the seemingly infinite amount of portals from opening and sucking them all into abysmal nothingness. Or maybe a warzone, or some time in the future. The point was, they were seriously fucked and they were running out of ways to fix it.

🝯🝯

Life was a crap ton calmer on Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke’s side. No dimensional holes and portals opening at random, no endless army of enemy ninja, just one knucklehead and a subtle portal that not even Kakashi of the sharingan noticed.

“Hurry up usuratonkachi.” Sasuke said, scanning the area with his sharingan, “Let’s finish this stupid mission and be done with it. All we need is a few of these chakra-replenishing plants and we’re done. Don’t screw this up.”

“Yeah Naruto!” Sakura announced, dealing him a knock on the back of his head.

“I’m coming ya know!” Naruto whined, rubbing the spot where Sakura hit him.

“Wait.” Sasuke said abruptly, “Something’s off.”

“I agree.” Kakashi replied, “Be on the lookout, I don’t know how to describe it, but there’s just-something.”

“I-is it a genjutsu?” Sakura asked worriedly, preparing to dispel it, “Kai!”

Nothing happened.

“I don’t know what it is but keep your guard up.” Kakashi warned.

Right as he was finished speaking, Naruto came bounding toward Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura. He overshot, being the klutz he was known to be, and fell face first into… a crack in the air?!

“Naruto you idiot!” Sakura screeched, “What did you do?!”

A blinding light consumed the team of genin as Sakura screamed insults at Naruto.

🝯🝯

Sasuke’s chakra was depleting rapidly, forcing him to leave a few portals open. Unfortunately, the second group of unsuspecting genin walked straight into an open one.

“Papa!” Sarada screamed as the bright light consumed her and her teammates.

Sarada squeezed her onyx eyes closed, secretly hoping this was all a nightmare. When she opened her eyes, she was laying on the forest ground. It seemed to be night in this dimension, yet it was pleasantly warm. She blinked several times, and looked around. There were her teammates, sprawled on the grassy ground, unconscious. And three other kids. One of the kids, sat up groggily, eyes half closed.

“What the fuck just happened.” The raven haired child asked quietly.

Sarada gasped upon realizing that this foul-mouthed, duckbutt-haired kid was her father. As a child of course.

“P-What are you doing here?!” She exclaimed, careful not to reveal her identity.

“Who are you?” Young Sasuke asked, taking a defensive stance, “You seem to be a Konoha ninja yet I’ve never seen you in the village.”

“I could say the same about you.” Sarada replied, wanting to confirm that this ninja was really her father, “You wear the Uchiha crest. Do you possess the sharingan?”

“Hn.” Sasuke replied, demonstrating his dojutsu, “How am I supposed to prove that you are not an enemy?”

Sarada assessed her situation. There was no way in hell it was safe to reveal her identity now so that was out of the question. But the Hokage seemed like decent proof.

“The Hokage of Konoha right now is Tsunade Senju.” Sarada replied.

“Anyone could find that out. Tell me something less obvious.”

“Her pig’s name is Tonton.” Sarada was suddenly insanely grateful for all the uncomfortable time she spent with Grandma Tsunade and all of her mom’s endless rants about her brutal training.

Sasuke raised one eyebrow and let his guard down, “I’ll trust you for now but if you do anything suspicious, I will not be afraid to end you.”

“Okay then, no need to be so intense shannaro!”

Sasuke’s eyes widened, “Only Sakura says that. What are you hiding?!”

“Fine!” Sarada exclaimed, “I’m a huge Sakura fan and actually adopted her catchphrase while learning about her. It’s really embarrassing!” Sarada almost enjoyed lying to her father, especially since he seemed to believe it wholeheartedly.

Sasuke muttered something under his breath along the lines of ‘girls tend to be like that’ and responded with a bitter ‘fine’.

Sarada sighed and went to go wake her teammates up. She was about to turn around when she realized she had the Uchiha symbol emblazoned on her back. She walked backwards slowly, grabbed Boruto’s jacket from his unconscious body, draped it over her, and proceeded to wake him up.

“Boruto!” She whispered, “Wake up but don’t you dare say a thing. And whatever you do, don’t say dattebane, got it?”

Boruto’s eyes fluttered open as he nodded confusedly.

“Whatever you say Sarada.” He muttered, “Hey where’s my jacket-why are you wearing it?!”

“Look around closely and you’ll understand.”

Boruto scanned the area, gasped, and nodded quickly. “Yeah. I get it.”

Sarada sighed and went to go wake Mitsuki up.

“Wake up.” She said, pulling him to his feet, “Knowing you, you already know what’s going on so I trust you not to say anything stupid.”

Mitsuki nodded in understanding.

“Hello Sasuke Uchiha!” He said pleasantly.

Sasuke turned around abruptly, “How do you know my name?”

“Why everyone knows about the Uchiha prodigy now don’t they?” Mitsuki responded, still smiling brightly.

“Sasuke?” A sweet, quiet voice asked, “What happened?”

The young girl stood up slowly. “Who are you guys?” She asked, eyeing Sarada, Boruto, and Mitsuki.

“I’m Sarada.” Sarada stated, “That’s Boruto, and that’s Mitsuki.”

The pinkette nodded in acknowledgment and walked over to Naruto who she proceeded to beat up.

“Naruto you idiot!” She yelled, “This is all your stupid fault! Kakashi-sensei specifically said to be careful but no you rush off and pull us into this stupid mess!”

“Owww!” Naruto whined, “Sakura-chan, that hurt! Wait, where are we?”

“Probably in another dimension.” Boruto replied, “Unc-Sensei was umm talking about weird portals showing up around where we were so it only makes sense.”

“Whoah. So is this like the ghost dimension or something?” Naruto asked, a clueless smile spreading across his face.

“Of course not dummy!” Sakura replied, punching him in the arm.

“Why are you always hurting me Sakura?”

“Yeah, why are you always hurting him ma-Sakura?” Sarada asked, butting in.

“You don’t know anything about him.” Sakura shot back, flipping her long pink hair, “Trust me, if you knew what he was like, you’d be punching him too.”

Sarada smirked, “Fine then. I’ll take your word for it.”

“All this small talk is great and all,” Boruto started, “But why don’t we address the elephant in the room. How the hell did we get here?”

“Well there was this light and-” Naruto started, but was interrupted by Mitsuki.

“Sorry to interrupt, but it’s obvious that someone is manipulating these portals. And not to reveal too much, I assure you, we’re from different timelines.” He stated, still smiling, “I presume some mastermind wants to find a time-neutral zone and take all the enemies from the past and future and pitch them against each other, causing a devastating war.”

The genin looked frankly taken aback.

“How on earth did you find all this information?!” Boruto exclaimed, “And if you knew before all this, why the fuck didn’t you tell us?!”

“Because it wasn’t pertinent.” He replied.

“How is an all out, annihilating potential war not pertinent?” Sarada asked, looking extremely confused.

“Well I didn’t think it would actually happen. See, my parent was talking about how he had overheard some plans for this years ago. Since it hadn’t happened since then, I really couldn’t assume it would happen now.”

“The ton of spontaneously opening portals wasn’t proof enough?!” Boruto spat, always questioning his teammates antics.

“Shut up you three.” Sasuke commanded, “Someone’s here.”

(For chapter 2, click here)

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