#of course tobirama would be only one who has accurate facts
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lost in the forest - part 29
Masterlist
Summary: Karen is getting it into her head what she must do, although she has no choice but to accept it. It seems not everyone agrees with her point of view.
Pairing: Senju Tobirama/Original Female Character
Tag: #lost in the forest fic
posted on ao3
Word Count: 2.4k
Overall warnings: canon-typical violence, adult content, time skips, angst, kidnapping
It’s not that she was afraid of what the man would say. Hashirama was firm that there was no other way and Madara supported him with, although sexist, very accurate comments due to the type of culture they manage. Of course, she has had her problems before regarding this, but still...
It was the only thing that could be done without breaking that diplomatic bond between both sides.
She gulps thickly. She hasn’t slept well and now, arriving that afternoon, she sees the tension in her muscles.
She snorts indignantly. Karen feels it’s unfair that they’re forcing her to put on this theatre when she didn’t ask for it, so she adjusts her best face as she enters the spot where a bitter Tobirama is waiting for them. “You shouldn’t be up,” she frowns, forgetting and holding back the information of their alleged engagement.
She doesn’t like confronting these things and it is easier to present a report to the council than to show that this affects her.
“I am stronger,” the bitter shinobi frowns to see beyond her. “Hashirama and Madara?”
“They stayed checking the road,” she shrugs gently. “Madara was going to his clan and then come for Izuna.”
“The idiot is already gone.”
“Uh... he didn’t tell.”
“No, he just left.”
“Did you let him go?”
“Yes.”
“Tobirama, he is hurt, like you. Why did you let him go?”
“We are not like you. We have different healing periods, and we were in bed long enough.”
“Seriously...” the girl huffs indignantly to look at an embarrassed Masarato ready to leave. “If you faint or your wounds open, I will rub it in your face.”
“Mph...” the man turns his eyes, not willing to look further in her direction. “How did it go?”
“Apart from the Daimyo’s flirting... good.”
“He did not do anything to you?” he asks harshly.
“No,” she sighs, not knowing how to approach this. “But it was annoying.” Better to be sincere since he’ll find out anyway.
Tobirama looks at her for a long time.
“I’m fine. Hashirama was backing me up.”
“Nothing else happened?” he says with a double tone that she doesn’t completely understand.
“No, we managed to keep the proposal to the maximum, although I had unexpected visitors.”
“...”
“Don’t worry, I took care of it. Though...” She looks around as if waiting for someone to interrupt her comment. “Something happened that involves you,” she states as if she didn’t want to. She may be an adult, but this matter is complicated to deal with.
How could she tell him that his brother practically threw him into being her fiancé just to back up a lie that they clearly must maintain?
But it had to be said. It was either her or Hashirama.
The gesture he made was funny. She would laugh if it weren’t for the fact that she felt internally insulted. She knew she wasn’t pretty, but... why was there so much hatred in his eyes?
──
She doesn’t know what has happened. Hashirama sends scrolls to the house just after she is beginning to resume her routine. The days are quiet, away from the political tension and the move. She sees how people run through the place with hustle and bustle because of the new space they will occupy as soon as everything is settled.
Numbers, contributions and contracts. Those are the ones that constantly abound.
Karen still feels that something is happening far from her ears, and she has not heard anything about her supposed marriage.
“Neesan.” A small boy who barely says a couple of words makes her focus on the present. She smiles when she sees little Matsuo extend his hand to her.
For someone who has been around for a year, he is active, intelligent and attentive.
A true prodigy.
“Hello, Matsuo,” she laughs as she turns him around. His mother still shares a funny look at the pair who meet again after a day.
“As if they haven’t seen each other for a long time,” the woman mocks, continuing with her work. Kaori comes behind while they keep packing some of the things that they will begin to accumulate far from the house. The wood is extensive, the rooms begin to empty.
And soon, Hashirama will transform all this into a lush forest.
Like a plan to erase any indication that the Senju clan was here.
She chuckles just as she puts him down and lets him play a little. “How are you doing?” she asks, sitting down to review the scrolls. Grandma Kaori sits next to her while Mikami does the same for the other.
They both have problems letting go of the past. Kaori more so, as literally her entire life was at this place.
“Many do not want to leave,” the old woman assures. “But we are willing to clear up a place for future generations.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Karen smiles, patting the old woman’s back. “I hope you can move on. I know it’s painful.”
“It is, but it is the price for the change, right?” she laughs hopefully at something that only she knows. “I knew that young Hashirama-sama would make improvements, but this... stopping the war, moving with our allies...” With a proud tone, she looks into the distance. “Their mother would be happy with what her children have achieved.”
Karen had not heard Kaori speak in that manner.
“Matsuo... he will have a good home,” the woman assures. “They have brought us together to have arrange the spaces within the blueprints of the compound,” she clumsily adds since the last words are new in her vocabulary.
“Yes, I helped a little with the original blueprint.” She admits that, although clumsily, she managed to make the base that the infamous Tobirama has improved. She knows the man and envies his ability to comprehend the little she understands of her world and architecture, and he absorbs and adapts it.
Of course, he doesn’t talk to her because of what his brother has told him. He hasn’t mentioned anything about the proposal, much less whether he is upset.
His silence is better... she doesn’t want to know part of what he thinks.
“I see... I had not seen Tobirama-sama so enthusiastic about that. He didn’t understand it at first,” she laughs amused. “He told me I could take the land next to your house.”
“Will I have a house?” said civilian blinks lost with a slight frown.
“Have they not told you?”
“I have not been summoned to see the matter,” she says because in the end, he did not worry about her.
“You have a large patio,” she says amusedly.
“Uh?”
“The young masters have many considerations for you, Karen-san. I just hope you do not abandon us,” Kaori sighs with slight suspicion. “It would be sad for both of them.”
“Mmmm...” Karen wanted to tell them that she doesn’t feel exactly that way, nor is she so sure of surviving outside considering the cons of her unfair situation by not having chakra benefits, but that was water under the bridge, and she prefers to focus on the issue of her own move.
Why haven’t they told her?
──
When she had the time to ask Hashirama, he stopped sharply in his almost empty office while he used his own magic to store things in scrolls, a unique ability that would be beneficial in her world. She always thought how useful it would be, like those capsules in the cartoons that her sister watched as a child.
“Who told you?”
“It doesn’t matter who told me. Rather, why didn’t you tell me?” she frowns lost in this whole issue. “I know I’m a civilian... an intruder in the clan.” It’s been a long time since she felt that way, but it’s the way she perceives this lack of communication.
“It’s not that.”
“Then?”
“Well... we have considered you within the main complex.”
“Oh...” she frowns at this information.
“I know we haven’t talked to you much because of bureaucratic issues and your map bases regarding your location,” the leader accepts looking at her firmly. “I just... well, I thought that wouldn’t bother you.”
“It’s not that it bothers me, but you could have told me, right?”
“You didn’t ask.”
“I know... I’ve been busy developing the first blueprint that I see Tobirama has improved to cover the spots of all the clan members, but it would be nice if you asked me. Maybe I want to be near the forest... or in the middle of the clans... or even living with Mikami-san.”
“You don’t want to be within the main clan?”
“Do I have options?”
“No,” Hashirama says quickly. He sees his mistake, scratching the back of his neck. “You know, we haven’t talked about... your engagement.”
“Uh... it’s a façade. What does that have to do with me being inside the main complex?” she frowns when her hunch indicates otherwise. “Oh...”
“The Daimyo has sent a request for the wedding.”
“Why hadn’t you told me?”
“I told him not to tell you,” someone interrupts their conversation. These stealth ninja skills are annoying when she doesn’t sense them.
“Why?”
“I wanted to talk to you about the deal.”
“Uh...” Karen blinks twice and then sighs to glare at the older Senju, who looks guilty and anxious about it. “Right... we haven’t talked about this.”
“No,” Tobirama looks at his brother. “Hashirama?”
“Within the clan, there is a tradition. The bride and groom must have an engagement party where the dowry is shown,” the elder explains. “Considering the whole move... And what’s more, the Daimyo wants to be present and give his blessing to the future married couple.”
“But it’s a façade,” Karen complains.
“Madara told you that it had to look real. You know it.”
“I had hoped it would be simpler,” the woman snorts indignantly.
“Does it bother you to marry me?” Tobirama doesn’t ask, but he almost sounds sullen. Why is he asking that question? The civilian turns to who look at her strangely.
“It’s not that. Just, taking your time without questioning yourself to put up a façade... personally, I don’t like it, Karen explains with apathy and a touch of sincerity. “What if you want to fall in love? Get married?”
“It will not happen.”
“But...”
“It is for the good of the village. I talked to Hashirama about it, and it does not matter if that ensures the well-being of our home. You already did enough supporting this dream, it is my duty... my payment to do the same for you.”
“It doesn’t seem fair to me, and you know that at the beginning it wasn’t easy for anyone,” Karen keeps up with the conversation.
“It does not bother me,” Tobirama assures. “Now... do you want to continue with this?”
Karen looks at them and sees that they expect something from her. Now she knows how Mito must feel being treated as an object of exchange. “Well... it’s not like I have other options.”
“You can refuse,” Hashirama clarifies.
“Our work will go to waste if I don’t do it. I know I won’t get rid of the Daimyo,” the civilian accepts, looking at the matter logically. “I imagine that’s why you want me to live in the main complex.”
“You will live with me,” Tobirama clarifies. “Just after the wedding.”
“Huh? ...Do we already have a wedding date?”
“After Hashirama’s.”
“Are you already going to marry Mito?” Karen looks surprised by so much information. The leader nods firmly. “Whoa... everything is going so fast,” she snorts indignantly.
“You said it... for the work we have been doing,” Hashirama looks serious about it, but firm.
“I don’t like it.”
“We do not like it,” Tobirama bites from his point. “Nevertheless, it is alright. It is just a façade, but it will have to be done well. We do not want the Daimyo to find out about our lie.”
“Will we sleep together?” she questions, making both boys start coughing quickly. “What?”
“Nothing,” Hashirama cuts off just in time for someone to interrupt their conversation. Karen sees Tobirama slightly uncomfortable with her question. She had to bring up this topic before the matter continued, because the part of telling a lie is believing it, right?
──
“I didn’t think you would accept so easily,” Karen says just when she sees Tobirama sit next to her after arriving from the meeting with Hashirama. She still feels uncomfortable with the solution, but she will work with it. The courtyard is silent and as always, the albino weighs the pros and cons in his mind.
Who would have thought that she would be playing this game with this insolent, annoying and cutting guy who, although he is not as irritating as before, does not seem as husband material, nor does she see herself as wife material.
“There is no other way.”
“Mmmm...” Karen doesn’t look further. “I’m older than you.”
“And?”
“Just, well, if you fall in love with someone, you’ll tell me, right?”
“We will be fictitious spouses,” Tobirama throws mercilessly.
“True... I just wouldn’t want to be someone else’s partner,” she winked, amused by the joke that was lost by the man’s hard blinking. “Seriously, even now you’ll be difficult.”
“I do not have to be easier,” the man frowns.
“Mmmm...” Karen glares at him to sigh. “When will you give the news?”
“After the move.”
“Anything else I should know?”
“We well not sleep together.”
“Oh, that is a relief,” the woman laughs amused, although Tobirama does not look good. “I’m sorry for getting you into this.”
“Hashirama made the lie.”
“Yes, but... if only I weren’t so...” She sighs because she doesn’t know how to explain the issue. She doesn’t feel pretty, much less attractive to be part of the harem of an irritating man.
“You are intelligent. Only a blind person would not realize that.”
“Whoa... you see the intelligence,” the girl laughs. “I hope this doesn’t get out of hand.”
Tobirama doesn’t say anything.
“Then, we well be associates, right?”
“Associates?”
“Yes. Contract partners. Without affection and only benefit.”
“...”
“Tobirama?”
“You are annoying.” He just leaves without saying anything else. Karen turns her eyes, uncomfortable with his reaction and worried about having to get married just because they have her in their eyes. ...What would her family say? What would her father say? She retracts a little more, curling up to look at the huge patio.
She wants to cry because she didn’t think it would end up like this. She knows there are worse paths, worse destinations... but she never saw herself marrying someone she doesn’t love and who is difficult to understand.
A marriage just for façade...
A/N: A short chapter to close this saga lol, and commence a new one. As you will see, things did not turn out as she thought they would. Everything has gone down a path that she did not expect, but she has to endure, remembering how weak her position and free will are.
Even so, Karen sees that this is not so bad, because Tobirama assures that he will not do anything else... everything by contract without any kind of extra.
Could it be...?
Thanks for your comments.
Author-chan out!
#lost in the forest fic#warring states period#angst#senju tobirama#tobirama x reader#tobirama x oc#ocs#hashirama senju#naruto#naruto shippuden#naruto fanfiction#uchiha madara
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Burned Love
Anonymous:
That fic with Itachi taking care of his s/o was so cute! X3 Can you do a short fic like that but with Izuna? Thank you!
Rating: G
Pairing: [Uchiha Izuna / Reader]
Tw: none!
Additional Characters: [Uchiha Shisui] [Uchiha Madara]
For the past two weeks, Izuna has been caught between clan issues and Madara’s temper. Due to his responsibilities, the time spent on his relationship with you has been strictly cut, bordering on nullity. Being a dedicated and loving boyfriend, the Uchiha is overflowing with guilt about the situation, and at the first opportunity to free himself, he intends to compensate you in the best way he can think of.
Cooking for you.
But you do remember that Izuna can’t actually cook, right? …
Good luck!
“What should we put first? Rice or water?”
“Why are you asking me? I called you to help me, not to make it more difficult Shisui.”
“I told you I had no idea what to do in a kitchen and you insisted…
"Yeah well, nobody else was available, so shut up and… I don’t know, Do something?”
“How long do we have until [Y/N] arrives?”
“Let me see… about half an hour, yep."
"WHAT?! HOW DUMB ARE YOU TO THINK WE CAN PULL THIS OFF IZUNA?!”
“What’s the problem? Our kitchen guy has our food ready in less time…”
“And why don’t we call him? You’re a fool if you think anything good is going to come of the two of us doing this.”
“Because that wouldn’t be romantic Shisui, use your brain. Tiger mind, tiger mind.”
“I’m only going along with this because you’re my favorite cousin, you know… whatever, let’s do it.”
“Yeah bro, let me turn on the… what’s it called… the thing that throws fire? And it’s for warmth? I can swear we have one…”
“An oven, Izuna. A fucking oven.”
“Are you reading my mind? So… how do you turn it on?”
“Well, I guess with fire in -”
“ Say no more, little cousin, we are Uchihas, remember?”
With all the unfounded confidence in the world, Izuna felt ready. Directing his body to the kitchen artifact, he made the hand seals of the most powerful Katon in the clan, and without any hesitation, fired his expert Jutsu into the oven. Within a minisecond, the entire wall of the kitchen was on fire, and the two Uchihas understood the future that lay ahead if they did not solve the problem.
“ARE YOU INSANE?! HOW CAN YOU THINK OF USING THAT TECHNIQUE INSIDE THE HOUSE, YOU FUCKING PSYCHOPATH!”
“I THOUGHT IT WOULD SPEED UP THE PROCESS, OKAY? MY BAD! WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES! IT CAN HAPPEN TO ALL OF US! DON’T YOU KNOW SOME KIND OF SUITON TO TURN IT OFF?”
“OF COURSE NOT! WHAT ABOUT YOU?! DIDN’T YOU LEARN ANYTHING FROM THAT TOBIRAMA RIVALRY?!”
“WATCH YOUR MOUTH YOU FUCKING IDIOT, I WOULD NEVER STOOP SO LOW AS TO LEARN THE SAME STYLE AS MY ENEMY. WAIT HERE.”
“IZUNA! WHAT THE FUCK! GET BACK HERE BEFORE THE HOUSE FALLS DOWN!”
In the midst of the fire, ashes and heat, Izuna walked as if nothing was happening until he was outside the house, analyzing the street. Quickly, he scanned the surroundings of the Uchiha territory, until he found a group of children playing with enthusiasm at some distance from the obvious chaos. At a steady pace, he walked up to them, and spoke in the sweetest, most childlike tone, perfectly trained for the youngest members of his family.
“What’s up, boys!”
“Izuna-Sama!” they all shouted in unison with great smiles.
“I have a very important question to ask you. Do you think you can answer it for me?”
Different answers were cheered in the air, all positive and excited. The group of young people was always happy to receive Izuna’s attention.
“That’s the way I like it! Now, listen carefully. Madara-Sama gave me a very veeery difficult mission that I could not complete… So I need help from some brave Shinobi to take my place! Tell me, have any of you already learned Suiton’s techniques at the academy?”
Two young kids, almost teenagers, shouted with courage and pride a strong “yes”.
“Very good! Follow me, gentlemen, it’s time to perform your first official mission.”
In more of a hurry to get back to the source of the flames, Izuna pressed on, followed by the children who would save his home. From the short distance, a column of smoke could be seen rising into the sky, and several curious heads were walking by and slowing more than necessary to take a look.
When they reached the door, the Uchiha showed the way to the boys inside. Addressing the small crowd he exclaimed.
“ There is nothing to see. It is a small mission drill, Madara-Sama’s orders. Please disperse, thank you very much. Have a good day!”
His friendly smile disappeared along with all the spectators, and a great concern attacked the features of the irresponsible Izuna. If Madara found out that he was spreading false orders in his name, or that he had set the house on fire, things would end up badly for him.
Without dissimulation, he ran to the kitchen, where Shisui, useless and perplexed by the new company of the infants, looked at them without understanding their presence. In his hand he held a long blanket that was completely burned, while his entire face and clothes were covered in black ash.
"This is the mission, boys. Show your water techniques and kill the fire!”
“Yes ¡Izuna-Sama!”
In order to please and make their superior proud, both children shot large amounts of water from their mouths into the burning wall. Their seals were quick and accurate, and both adult Uchihas were impressed with the future generation of Shinobis their clan had produced.
After the fire was extinguished, smoke took its place, and covered the entire house. The smell of burning was unmistakable and undeniable. The colour black scattered throughout the room was evidence of the facts.
“Good job, kids! Don’t tell Madara-Sama, the report must come only from me for being a bad Shinobi and not being able to complete his mission…”
“Don’t worry, Izuna-Sama, we’ll keep your secret!”
The two children ran out of the house with happiness and joy, feeling fulfilled as Ninjas for being able to help someone important in the clan.
“You set the house on fire, lied to two innocent babies, and involved me in all this, do you really expect Madara not to find out?”
“Shut up you idiot, I don’t plan to be here when my big brother arrives. Clean this up, will you?”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Look at me, L.O.O.K.A.T.M.E., I’m covered in ashes, dust and dirt, I smell bad, and removing traces of this is impossible without the help of another ninja. With all my love for you Izuna, I gotta say: fuck you. See you later”.
With anger and speed, Shisui left the ruined kitchen. After a few seconds, a slamming sound was heard at the front door. A knot formed in Izuna’s throat as he knew he would leave that monstrous scene in the hands of the first Uchiha to set foot in the house.
After taking a shower to eliminate the fact of his person, he heard the second victim arrive. He came down the stairs ready to leave as quickly as possible, and spoke without leaving room for answers when he came across another of his small cousins.
“Little Sasuke! Look I’m really in a hurry and I really have to go. In the kitchen there is a really huge mess that I couldn’t take care of and I really don’t know where it came from. You would really do me a huge favour if you could clean it up, ok? I really love you, bye.”
Passing by a stunned Sasuke who was coming home from training, he managed to slip out of the household without problems. By the time the Uchiha who was left in charge of his mess shouted in anger at finding out the truth, Izuna was too far away from the district to hear him.
With no stops or delays, he headed straight for your house, where he knew you would be preparing to meet him. When he reached the property, he knocked twice on the door with his special knock, the one that characterizes his presence in your home, and he was a little bit reassured to be received by you. Dressed in your house clothes, but with a towel holding your wet hair, a sign that you had just come out of the shower.
“Zuna? I thought it was at your house today… I must really be overdoing it to get confused like this”.
“Yeah, it WAS, at my house [Y/N], but… you know… Uchihas and their intensity… surprises… whatever. Can we stay here?”
Nodding your head as a mocking smile assaulted your face, you allowed him into your home. One of the most entertaining things about the Uchiha family was indeed the intensity of it, and the consequences it ended up creating.
Izuna sat down on the armchair, and when he was comfortable, you placed yourself on his lap in a familiar way.
“What happened this time?”
“I may have set something on fire… and I may have used children to fix it…”
“How long do you think we have until your brother shows up here claiming your head?”
“A full dinner. He was with Hashirama.”
Both laughing, and joining their lips in a soft kiss full of love. You stroked his neck, the back of his head, and ran your fingers through the hair of his ponytail. You noticed that it was poorly tied and somewhat uncombed, and it didn’t take you long to realize that it was thanks to the haste with which Izuna escaped the scene of his crime.
“Come here, you couldn’t even brush your hair Zuna.”
“Well, you know [Y/N], when most of your kitchen is destroyed and your house is full of smoke, there’s not much time to tie your hair.”
Getting off his lap, you sat on his back, where you proceeded to style it calmly. Taking your time and enjoying the beautiful silky feel of his hair in your hands, you tied his ponytail as it would normally look.
“You in the kitchen? And not to steal food before dinner time? What were you trying to do?”
“I… don’t want to explain.”
“Izuna… come on, it’s me. What could be so terrible?”
“I’m ashamed, I don’t want to, okay? Leave me alone.”
A slight shade of red attacked his cheeks, while his arms crossed over his chest just like his brother would, and his gaze went down to the ground.
“Pleaaaaaase?”
“[Y/N]…”
“Please Zuna…”
“Agh, well. I was… I… IwastryingtocoocksomethingforyoubecauseI'vebeenashittyboyfriendlately.”
“I can’t understand when you talk so fast…”
“ You’ re mean.”
“But you love me.”
“Yes, I do. I was trying to cook something for you because I’ve been a shitty boyfriend lately.”
“…Uchiha Izuna… you make me the happiest person in the world every day. Just because you have a job that can’t wait doesn’t make you a bad boyfriend. Come here.”
So, the Uchiha turned to face you, and you joined in a kissing session that lasted a few long minutes. Between caresses and affection, you realized that your ideal place was next to the man who accidentally set his house on fire for you, trying to outdo himself to impress you.
“If you were trying to prepare dinner for me, we should eat to honour your great attempt.”
“Sounds awfully good.”
You both got up and headed to the kitchen. You didn’t let Izuna do much, just as you didn’t let him go near the fire or flammable things. Cutting vegetables and controlling the boiling of some ingredients, the Uchiha felt useful next to you. When your dishes were ready, both of you sat down at your table and devoured what you had prepared together.
After a long hour of chatting, while you were serving dessert for the two of you, a knock on the door brought you out of your bubble of happiness. Three frighteningly loud knocks, which caused the walls to rumble, slammed into your home.
“IZUNAAAAAA! GET OUT OF THERE THIS INSTANT AND COME HERE NOW.”
Madara’s voice was full of anger, rage and violence. Even if your boyfriend’s older brother respected and liked you as his sister-in-law, you were aware that if you did not open the door for him immediately, the man would knock it down, without mercy or care. Reluctantly, you got up without looking at Izuna, and went to your main entrance.
The elder Uchiha must have felt your footsteps approaching, for no more banging was heard. Before opening, you could feel your partner hiding in one of the rooms of your house, hoping that any corner would save him from his brother’s fury.
As you opened, Madara looked at you with a bright Sharingan and an intimidating height. His hair was bristly, and his muscles contracted under the tension.
“Where the fuck is he?”
“Good night, Madara. Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“This is not against you [Y/N], just tell me where he is and -”
“I really don’t know what you’re talking about, Madara, now if you’ll excuse me, my ice cream is melting.”
You were closing the door in his face when a giant hand came in your way and opened it wide. Gently pushing you aside, the Uchiha entered and went inside your house as if it were his own. It did not take him long to find his younger brother and drag him out of hiding by the neck using his arm, without applying more force than necessary.
“Aghgggg [Y/N]! I-M SS-SORRY-Y”
“Shut up and walk, Cassanova, you’ll have a chance to make up the lost time with your partner. After you repair the fucking kitchen.”
Thus, Izuna and Madara disappeared in the night, one brother dragging the other by the neck to the Uchiha district. With a sigh, you closed the door.
“Well… more ice cream for me.”
#uchiha izuna#uchiha mada#uchiha shisui#uchiha clan#izuna x reader#madara x reader#izuna#madara#shisui#x reader#naruto shippuden#naruto imagines#uchiha imagine#izuna scenario#uchiha brothers
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[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Three Hundred Fifty-Nine: Community ]
[ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto ]
[ SasuHina ]
[ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ]
[ AO3 Link ]
“I just...I don’t understand!”
“That’s my point. You don’t. And given your perspective, I’m not sure you ever will.”
“What happened wasn’t the fault of everyone in the village. So why do you blame them?”
“I don’t! I blame them for their complacency! You’ve known the truth since Obito confronted you on the way to Tetsu no Kuni. He told you everything…! What the council, and the Hokage, and Danzō did to my clan. To my brother, to me…! Someone you claim to care about, to understand! But rather than address it - rather than finally come to terms with my goals, and what I needed for closure and justice - it was like you never heard a word. All you cared about was dragging my ass back to Konoha, whether I wanted it or not.”
“Because it’s your home! Your community! Where your friends are! Where your family lived -”
“And died. Or more accurately, were massacred by my own government. No trials, no publicity...just outright murder. You think I wanted to be dragged back to the place where my family was butchered and then sold for parts by Danzō? Where the rest of the council that organized the Uchiha genocide are not only still alive, but in power…? You think I wanted to come back here without any hint of justice? No mention from you, or Sakura, or Kakashi about addressing the massacre. Nothing. Not a word, or a whisper. Because from the time I left, my goals and my pain didn’t matter to you. All that did was your entitlement to my time and person. You call me a friend, but when have you ever done anything to help me accomplish the only goal I’ve had since I was seven years old?”
Naruto, breath heavy with emotion, has no answer.
Sasuke stares back, his own - somehow - calmer. “...you tell me that my friends are here. Maybe they are. But until I get apologies - and action - regarding what befell my clan at the hands of the village you love so much...I can’t call you a friend. My clan was the only thing that mattered to me. Konoha had mistreated them based on the actions of one man for generations. Treated them, at times, as second class citizens. My father’s attempts to have talks regarding the tensions between them were always met with stony silence. He felt he had no choice, for the sake of his people, to rebel against the ones holding them hostage. They held us to Madara’s actions, even as we turned our backs on him and remained loyal to Konoha. Tobirama gave us the police force, but never gave up his suspicion and ire. We were kept in a back corner of the village, separate from everyone. When the Kyūbi attacked, we were blamed. And in the end...we told the truth. It wasn’t us. It was Obito, acting on Madara’s orders. The man we turned against in favor of a village that then never trusted us despite our loyalty. And for that...all but one of us is now dead.
“...I know that the people of Konoha aren’t to blame for the massacre. That lays on the shoulders of four people, two of which are now dead...one of which I had to do myself. So you have a choice, Naruto. You can blindly accept the actions of your village’s council - refuse to do anything to address their crimes - or you can step up and act like the Hokage you want to be. You can look at this injustice, and do something about it.” A dark eye narrows. “...or I will. No more swallowing the truth for Konoha’s benefit. Its foundation is built on the bones of my clan. I will see justice done, one way or another. What side of history do you want to be on?”
“...Sasuke…”
“Until you and the others make up your minds, I don’t want to hear from you. As long as you stand silent on this...you don’t have the right to my time.” Turning on a heel, Sasuke leaves his teammate’s apartment.
He knew it would be pointless. Knew that his team was still too blinded by village loyalty to consider removing the poisoned roots. But on the off chance that he could get some increment of the truth through Naruto’s thick skull, he had to try.
And look where it gets him.
He knows there’s still recovery going on. From the destruction wrought by Pein, from the war...in the grand scheme of things, justice for a crime a decade old - no matter its scale - has to wait.
...but he doesn’t want to wait forever.
Even now, the sting of his team’s inaction and silence after learning what Konoha’s elders had done boils his blood...but he’s working on his temper. Koharu and Homura still have to answer for their actions. Hiruzen and Danzō are dead. Once some kind of justice is done to those who remain...he’ll be satisfied.
...but beyond that, he wants the truth known. The price the Uchiha paid the ultimate price for the stability of the village that betrayed them. He wants every citizen - shinobi and civilian alike - to know just what that stability has cost him. So that it can weigh on them as it weighs on him.
He won’t let this be forgotten. Buried. Lost to time and the sins of a system he will help change.
Outside Naruto’s apartment, the weather has turned overcast, the first few drops of rain beginning to fall as he shuts the door, crouching atop the railing before hopping his way down rooftops and balconies to the street below. It doesn’t bother him. In fact, he finds it more than appropriate.
Even now, the people of Konoha look to him warily, distrust in their eyes. He wonders how those looks will change once they realize what drove him. What still drives him.
...he wonders if they ever will.
Water soon begins to drip from his fringe, the hair bouncing with every release of weight. He doesn’t mind the rain. It’s hardly about to make him ill.
But someone else notices.
“...Sasuke-kun?”
For a sliver of a moment, the name irks him. Sakura still calls him that. But this isn’t Sakura. The tone is far too soft, far more polite than her grating, attention-demanding recitals of his name. Instead, a glance to a nearby shop overhang reveals a growingly-familiar face.
Hyūga Hinata.
Their mutual connections have meant being thrown together rather often since his return a few weeks ago. While she was so unnoticeable before he left he barely knew her, he’s still become aware of how much she’s changed. Possibly the most out of anyone in their year, if he’s to be honest.
“...Hyūga.”
“...um...did you forget an umbrella?”
“Left before I knew I’d need one. It’s not about to kill me.”
“No, but…” Her brow gives a funny little furrow: torn between hesitation and determination. “...would you like to use mine?”
“I’m fine, Hyūga.”
“But -?”
He gives a roll of his eyes alongside a sigh. “...fine. I’m just going home, anyway.”
“O...okay.” Unfurling the thing, she steps up alongside him, and a glance reminds him of how much shorter she is than him. The lavender umbrella is actually fairly wide, and keeps most of the rain off them both.
“Were you...out for a walk?”
“Hm?”
“Well, I just...I noticed you aren’t carrying anything, so…”
“I was visiting Naruto.”
“...oh!”
“It didn’t go well.”
“...oh. I’m...sorry to hear that.”
“He’s just being his typical bullheaded self.” Hinata, as it turns out, is one of the few people most privy to the whole affair. Not that Sasuke minds - if anything, he’s glad to know someone else is aware.
Especially since she’s been a rather vocal voice taking his side.
The Hyūga, after all, are distant relatives of the Uchiha. While he hardly calls them kin, they’re the most similar to his late clan, in both terms of skills and power. And Hinata’s experiences - while hardly to the scale of his own - grant her a unique perspective on the matter...along with an understanding.
She offers a soft sigh. “...may I ask what...was said?”
“He seems to think that I need to relax and just try to adjust back into the village. It’s like he’s not considering my point about the council at all. Something has to be done. I won’t stand for anything less. But it’s like he wants me to just...pretend none of it happened. Waltz around Konoha like I never left. Rejoin the community. Like I can just open up my arms and everything will be how it was. Or...how he thought it was.”
“...Naruto-kun does seem to have a bit of a, um...rose-tinted view of the village’s politics,” Hinata replies, tone a bit dry. “...even after all that happened with the Hyūga, and with Neji-nīsan, he hasn’t approached us about his supposed promise to help us reform the branched clan policy. It’s been Neji and I heading that front. It can’t and w-won’t be so easy for you to adjust back to life in the village...especially when the people responsible for your clan’s genocide are still walking free.”
“Exactly.”
Her gaze averts downward. “...I’m sorry. I w-wish there was a way to make this easier. It’s been said been said before, but...please don’t forget that the Hyūga are with you. We’re prepared to help whatever way we can. But...we can’t act on our own. The other clans need to be made aware. Otherwise...I’m afraid the revelation will spark panic and mistrust.”
“As it should, honestly,” Sasuke mutters. “An entire clan was wiped out without fair trial or a proper audience. Any other clan, should they ever have a grievance severe enough, could be next. Of course...none of them have the relationship with the long-standing Senju-biased power in Konoha that my clan did. But once they know what happened...it’ll be a very real concern.”
“Exactly. So...we have to handle this delicately. But...that does still mean we have to handle it.”
By now, the pair have wandered out toward the clan districts, the Hyūga gates coming up first. The Uchiha clan no longer has a gate: just a large, empty field where the land was re-leveled after Pein’s assault, sans for the house Sasuke’s been built.
After a brief silence, Hinata offers, “...I’m sure Naruto-kun and the others will c-come around. It’s just...complicated. I’m sure they want justice for you. But...we all have our other strings attached we h-have to account for.”
Sasuke sighs. “...I know. But until it’s made known, I’ll never just fit in the way Naruto wants me to. To everyone but a handful, I’m a criminal and a traitor only pardoned due to my ties to the Rokudaime and the village hero.”
Her expression falls. “...it isn’t fair. But...w-we’ll get there. And...hopefully we can help this community rebuild, in ways b-better than it was before. Konoha isn’t perfect, and...addressing its wrongs and shadows is important to help us more forward into a new era of peace. For all of us.”
For some reason, her words seem to really resound in his chest. All of us. Meaning him, too. Rebuild the community...hm…
An idea worming its way into his head, he comes to a stop with her at the Hyūga gate. “...thanks for listening.”
“Any time, Sasuke-kun. Do you...want to take my umbrella with you?”
“I’ll be fine, but thanks. It’s not much further.”
“All right. If you need anything...don’t hesitate to ask, ne?”
For a brief moment, a corner of his mouth flickers. “...I’ll keep that in mind.”
“...enjoy your evening, Sasuke-kun.”
“You too.”
Watching her head into the compound, he then turns and makes to conquer the last distance before home. He feels a lot...calmer now. Funny how talking with her always seems to do that, even if they really don’t talk that much.
...maybe that’s sort of the point.
Still...her words about working on Konoha’s interior have the cogs in his mind turning. There might be something to that...but, one step at a time.
.oOo.
A bit more of my 'canon' verse cuz...that was the first thing to come to mind with this one!
My interpretation for Sasuke in this verse is not just all sunshine and rainbows with his team after the war. I, for one, CANNOT accept the Uchiha massacre just being swept under the rug the way it is in 700+. Cuz let's be real, a boy - man - who fought for justice for more than half his life, for a decade, wouldn't just shrug off genocide because his friend wants him to forget and just...go back and play house with his team that has, in all reality, done very little to support him and justice for his clan even AFTER learning the truth.
Hence doing things my way ;3 (And just as a heads up / reminder, no, I don't debate my view of things in comments, be it plot or characterization or relationships between characters. This is my interpretation. You're free to yours. Debating said topics is not what I'm here to do, since I've gotten some rather confrontational comments on the subject before, lol. This is a fanfic, not a forum for discussion. No likey, take hikey.)
ANYWHO, it's late, and I gotta head to bed! Thanks for reading~
#sasuhina#uchiha sasuke#hyūga hinata#uzumaki naruto#a light amongst shadows [ canon verse ]#365daysofsasuhina
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Good Enough [Part Two] Sink or Swim [Madara Uchiha]
“I know it’s not my place to ask … but how exactly did this happen to you?”
Kirino – being curious – was referring to the abrasion on her sister’s fair skin. It was an eye sore. She rubbed her finger over it, gauging the impressions until Kururi swiped at her. Serious as it was, she couldn’t help it. Her sister was a feverish mess and for some reason it intrigued her. Then again, it’s very unbecoming of her to act so helpless. She was anything but, in her opinion.
Kururi was tactful, even though her moods changed on a whim. She was also a skilled kunoichi, able to stand toe to toe with even Madara; which is why Kirino thought it was surprising to hear that she yielded to him so easily. Unless, she thought. Maybe she knew.
“Do you plan to answer my question, or continue to pout like a scolded brat?”
Kururi met her eyes in the reflection of the mirror she sat in front of. Her lip curled up into a scowl. “Don’t ridicule me. What’s more, I already told you what happened.”
“Then maybe I should rephrase my question,” Kirino said. She pulled a brush through her sister’s soft, damp hair – the knots were nearly out. “Capable as you are … why let them treat you like they did? Am I to believe that you’ve gone weak.”
“You know that I haven’t. I just don’t exactly know how to explain it. Their actions were baseless, and I let my guard down because … well because I liked the feeling of having Madara covet me.”
The youngest chuckled. “And you said he wasn’t one to court. I warned you; maybe not in those words, but I did.”
“Easy there, baka.” Kururi rolled up her eyes in annoyance. “You have no idea how absurd that sounds. Not once in the many years I’ve known him have I seen him take interest in another person.”
“That’s because you’re not looking with your eyes,” Kirino professed. She drummed the brush against the back of her head to emphasize her point. “Your mind is your strongest ally, but sometimes you overthink things. Take now for instance. You keep telling yourself that Ma-kun doesn’t have an interest in you, and the more you do, the more you believe it. Doesn’t mean that you’re wrong, but there’s something going on between the two of you.”
This made Kururi doubt herself. She always pondered every option; the good and the bad. It could be that along the way she forced herself to ignore the obvious chemistry between Madara and herself. It was him that initiated the kiss with her. In fact, he did it the previous time too. Still, that didn’t excuse the way he treated her this morning. No man, no matter how much Kururi fancied them, would ever manipulate her. Not even Madara Uchiha.
Huffing in annoyance, she curled her arms beneath her chest and glared at the abrasion on her neck. “Even if there is, I just can’t excuse the fact he let Izuna bite me. Marks like this just don’t fade on us.”
“I don’t blame you, but honestly … was it that bad?”
Kururi snorted. “You say such unusual things sometimes.” Taking a minute to reflect on it, she agreed that it was indeed bad. “It hurt horribly, so yes.” Not even Kirino could change her mind about this. Madara was the only person – besides Izuna – to have consumed her chakra. It was a dire situation and even then, she hated it.
“What's more, it feels weird. It reminds me of drowning,” she added quietly. “Fighting to resurface, but I can’t. The current only pulls me further along until I haven’t the strength to move. I feel almost helpless this way.”
“Why not just let go. It might not be so bad given the right cir– ”
Kururi interrupted her. “Don’t say it … just don’t.”
She frankly didn’t want to think about it. Her mind was still not set on what to do. All she knew was that the next time she saw Madara she was going to chew him out for what he did. Betrayed; that was the only word she could think of to define how she felt right now. To even consider letting him use her again made her blood pump harder, keen to beat the hell out of him. Kururi didn’t even know she was clutching her fingers into a fist until Kirino brought her out of her thoughts by yanking her hair.
She whined in protect, shooting the woman a fiery glare. “The hell was that for?”
Fat tears poured from her sister’s round, colorless eyes. “Your chakra is scary when you get mad. It’s making me nervous.”
“Sorry,” Kururi said with embarrassment. Again, she didn’t realize she had been doing it. She did her deep breathing exorcises and waited for Kirino to resume her previous task before stopping them.
Quietness fell over them for a small amount of time until an unrelated thought came to Kirino. She chuckled softly. “If I remember accurately, it was Ma-kun who stole your first kiss.”
Kururi puckered her brow. “We were barely adults back then. I was so unexperienced.” That was a random thing to say.
“That should have been the moment you knew,” Kirino stated with a laugh. She drummed the brush against her sister’s head again. “You may be smart, but sometimes you’re pretty dense. It could be the reason Ma-kun teases you so.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.” Kururi ignored the fact she just called her slow and rolled her eyes. “And since when did you start nicknaming him that? You’ve said it three times now.”
Kirino grinned deliberately. “Since the moment I knew you were in love with him.”
In hindsight, the moment she said this, she should have expected retaliation from her sister, but Kirino being too slow to react was caught in a headlock. She waved her arms frantically, crying as Kururi flicked her head over and over. Luckily for her, a sudden rap at the door made her stop.
“My lady,” called out a gentle voice. “Sorry to disturb you, but Lord Hashirama is here. He wishes to speak with you privately.”
Hashirama!? What could he want? Kururi wondered if his unexpected visit had something to do with earlier. It was possible, which is why she was unsure about letting him in. “Can it wait until tomorrow? It’s sort of late.”
“He said it was urgent. I’m very sorry.”
Kururi huffed in annoyance. She was curious, therefore she decided to see him. “Take him to my workroom. I’ll speak with him there.” She could hear the housemaid retreat down the hallway, and took a moment to make herself look presentable. The wrap she wore was pulled up to her neck and snugly tied to prevent the mark from being seen.
Arising, she said her goodnights and left Kirino alone, unhurriedly walking to her private workroom were Hashirama was patently waiting. Entering, she saw him peering at her pressed flowers. Each one was cased in glass and framed on the wall; a hobby of hers she quite loved.
“Pretty, are they not?”
Hashirama turned and smiled at her. “Exceedingly … but do they stay like this forever?”
“Sadly, no. Eventually their color fades,” Kururi retorted. She watched Hashirama for a brief second, appreciating her work, then deeply sighed. “It’s late, Hashi.”
“Sorry, Kururi. I couldn’t put it off much longer.”
She hummed in wonder. “Have a seat then. Make yourself comfortable.”
“I won’t be long,” he stated. “I’m very busy as of late, but I wanted to stop by and check up on you. Earlier you seemed upset.”
So I was right. He did notice. Kururi masked her uneasiness with a laugh. “Is that all? I’m fine, really. Please don’t worry about my problems.” She took another deep breath. “I’m relieved though. I honestly thought the worst.”
Hashirama puckered a brow. He didn’t buy her front, but he also couldn’t do anything about it either.
She misinterpreted his curious look. “I thought you came here to say that you regretted our decision to nominate Madara.”
His brown eyes widened in shock. “No. Of course not – what would make her say that? I do believe in all honesty that Madara deserves the title of Hokage, but that’s not why I came here to see you. The issue does involve him, though.”
Again, the scarlet haired woman hummed. She motioned for him to continue, intent to hear.
“He’s smitten with you. It’s not a serious matter, but I worry he will make it one. Sometimes he comes off a little possessive,” Hashirama stated all at once. Frankly, he didn’t know how to address it. This seemed to be the only way.
“And you know this how?”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
Kururi scoffed at this. “What do you suggest I do then? Cover my face?”
She was playing the fool; Hashirama knew. He gave her a stern look. “Keep in mind that you are the only female he’s ever shared his life with. It wouldn’t surprise me if now he’s wanting you as just that.”
I doubt that. To keep from arguing with him, Kururi agreed. She frankly didn’t want to think about it anymore. A change in subject was the only solution. “Busy you say. Has it to do with the upcoming election?”
Hashirama took the bait, huffing a sigh of annoyance. “I just want a minute to relax, but Tobirama won’t let me. He would have signed the blank note for me if I had not; he’s too serious about all this.”
“Blank note?”
“The balloting note,” he confirmed. “It’s the paper the council gave you to have Madara sign, since you nominated him. I assumed that was what held you earlier.”
Kururi remembered – only she left in a hurry before she got him to sign it. A dark, foreboding cloud hung over her head. “I completely forgot.” She must have tossed it somewhere as soon as she got back; her desk probably. Hurrying over to it, she set aside clan documents and other unimportant papers, looking for it. A humorous laugh from Hashirama briefly tore her eyes away from the task.
“Hashi, this is serious. The note has to be signed and given to the Elders by morning or else Madara won’t be allowed to run,” she said nervously. “They will assume he declined the offer.” Her mind was racing, but thankfully she found it.
Clutching the note in her hand, she darted towards the bright eyed man. “Please, as a favor. Can you take this to Madara tonight?”
He frowned. Honestly, he would have, but he couldn’t. “I have plan to meet with Tobirama in the morning. He has documents he wants me to look over before the meeting. I’m sorry, Kururi.”
I’ll have to go, she thought. But it’s late. He’s probably in bed. There weren’t many options for her to choose from. Kururi would have to go and wake him up. She couldn’t imagine what kind of foul mood he’d be in.
“At best,” Hashirama interrupted, putting his large hand over her shoulder. “I can keep the council from making their decision at first light, but that is all. I’ll have to reschedule with my brother, but for you, I don’t mind.”
Kururi sighed in relief. “Thank you, Hashi. Let’s be honest though, you agreed because you don’t want to do any work.”
“Am I that obvious?”
She nodded. “I won’t tell. You’re doing me a favor after all.”
His hand squeezed her shoulder; all jokes aside. “You are family. For that I cannot help but to worry about you.”
“Go home and rest, Hashi. I’ll be fine,” Kururi assured him with a fake smile.
She certainly hoped so, but a bad feeling told her otherwise.
Why not let go? How bad could it be to have love?
She wanted to know.
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Ayesha Liveblogs Naruto Shippuden S20 (Pt. 3)
I wonder if going after Karin’s Tsukuyomi bulb was happenstance or whether Tobirama went “I smell an Uzumaki” and had at it
“Just be quiet for a bit” How dare you speak to your father this way Sasuke, Kakashi does nothing but love you
“EVERYONE WILL OWN A DOG. GO GET A DOG, HOKAGE’S DECREE!“ you’ve got my vote, Kiba
Mirai as a baby is an absolute unit and I love it
Shikamaru, getting down on one knee in front of Temari: Will you not marry me?
You know what. All these dreams are extremely realistic. I buy it. A teenage boy would totally dream about kicking his friends’ asses for fun even if he had the opportunity to do anything in the world. 10/10 believability
Sai dreams about being told he has a nice smile and being twirled around by Naruto my boooooy 😭😭😭😭😭😭
“[My Sasori transformer] will be the guardian deity of the Sand” Kankuro pls
Omg Temari’s dream is so cute she wants her little brothers to need her
God the fact Gaara’s dream is about having a happy childhood PICK UP THE PHONE RASA I JUST NEED TO TALK
“Madara, don’t you dare talk about the Uchiha. The only one who has that right, is my big brother.” But he did... murder them, Sasuke. That is a thing that happened. My dear. My dude. He done did it.
Having read Itachi Shinden none of this should be shocking but FUGAKU REALLY YOUR SON IS FOUR WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS
“Listen Itachi, never forget this sight” well he sure won’t now that you’ve given him CHILD PTSD FUGAKU
“We finally have peace, and we must do our best to maintain it” Hmmm.... must you, Fugaku? Is that a thing you must do?
“What is life, anyway?” Damn my existential dread didn’t kick in at least until I was in school, Itachi
Sasuke was such a weird-looking newborn I love him
I wonder how the English dub will deal with the mild implications of inc/est between Itachi and Izumi
Please Mikoto your son is like 6 why are you having him babysit
God I am so used to every version of Itachi having the voice of a grownass man that hearing a child-like voice even when he is 6 is almost off-putting lmao
Full offence Obito but why do you have to be such a little bitch
“Oh good, I knew that you’d be alright” HE’S 6 FUGAKU
Why is Naruto just sitting in a basket on top of his father’s grave??? Who let you do this? Hiruzen what is wrong with you??
“I’m glad that you didn’t die” an accurate representation of Itachi’s social skills at all ages
DFhsdjfhkdsjhfk I love that Itachi has accidentally become these kids’ leader
AHHHHH I guess that’s Hana next to Itachi I wanna see the cat ninja and dog ninja fight
“If the fighting can be stopped, I’d like to stop it” Shisui <3
Itachi’s sweet tooth is so goddamn cute ahhhh what a little nerd
Hhgfkhjfhl SASUKE’S PAW ENCYCLOPEDIA THE PREQUEL THIS IS WHAT I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED
“I mean, [ladies] are clueless” “How dare you insult my woman” Turns out the alcohol this cat was drinking was Respect Women Juice
God I love Minazuki-sensei he’s such a mess
“No they blew away in the wind” guess Itachi hasn’t picked up his snitching tendencies yet lmao
Baby Sasuke has acquired a younger voice too I guess. It is real late in the game to be establishing these lmao
Obito. I’m. Stop???? Please. Is this how Kakashi felt during the war
God I love Shisui the tiny ninja detective they really have left off some of the cooler aspects of being a shinobi in all the wild and flashy jutsu like during the Land of Waves arc when Kakashi kept noticing relatively mundane clues
“Shisui picked up on how I felt right from the beginning” welcome to empathy Itachi
“I’ll hand this intel over to Lord Hokage, and he will deliver a just and fair judgment” I like this ANBU vs. ROOT dichotomy but bold of you to assume Hiruzen won’t ultimately let Danzo do whatever he wants lol
Damn what the shit how does Shisui know who the foundation already isn’t he like 12
The animation of this arc is nice but also so weird they really did make Itachi and Shisui’s eyes like half of their face
These wholeass adults getting between by two prepubescents lmao
“A teleportation jutsu has no mass” wait WHAT I have so many questions Shisui what does that MEAN
“I want to you to think of me as your older brother” HELL YEAH HE DOES
Ffgdfkghkjh what an abrupt voice change between age 8 and 11 Itachi
How many times have they animated these same goddamn Itachi scenes
Holy shit it’s like they tried to tell the story of the Itachi Shinden novels and then got bored halfway through gfkhgfkhgkjh
“I’m exhaAAAUsted from my mission” Itachi pls why say it like that
“You have the Mangekyo as well?” Fugaku had a friend???? Unrealistic. Blocked
THEY KIDNAPPED NARUTO??? I DON’T REMEMBER THIS IN ITACHI SHINDEN
Genjutsu but I don’t remember that either ?!?!?! Doesn’t Fugaku spend all of Itachi Shinden being emotionally distant and sending Itachi mixed moral messages
Who is the Fugaku hater on this storyboard staff lmao I’m crying
I have a lot of thoughts about this art direction honestly why is everything in the shadows why are the character models so weird why is Itachi suddenly outside in the lightning for his murder discussion meeting instead of inside the council room if you had to shout over lightning people could hear you
“I challenge you to the high jump” “You’re no match for me” Sasuke you’re the most obnoxious seven-year-old in the world I love it
“There’s something that I’d like you to help me with” a very casual opener when you’re proposing the murder of your entire clan but okay
They really leaned into the horror movie aesthetic huh fair enough
I have some objections to register about Izumi’s death like both options are weird but at least in Itachi Shinden she wasn’t humiliated by Obito begging for Itachi to save her she had a degree of awareness and it was an impactful if strange scene
FUCK THE TOBI VOICE I KNEW IT WAS COMING BUT I’M WHEEZING
Cute new ED but also the idea of Tobirama giving anyone a fistbump amuses me immensely
“Who would’ve thought that that scuzzy bearded jerk would’ve been able to use a taijutsu like that” RUDE but also ‘scuzzy’ jhfjghkjhfgj
Omg that’s so funny they literally gave the former owner of Zabuza’s blade the same voice
This doesn’t make any fucking sense how could Juzo have the executioner’s blade when Zabuza would be like 21 when Itachi was 13 oh my god
“The Hidden Mist doesn’t keep any prisoners” unsurprising but interesting
Is this meant to imply that Juzo is killed and then Zabuza immediately finds the sword and starts a coup because that’s hilarious
Wait how does them fighting the Mizukage make any sense isn’t Yagura under Obito’s control lmao who wrote this
Did Itachi just.... accidentally cripple the Mizukage omg [Zabuza screams in the distance]
Hahahaha I know it’s supposed to be evil but it’s really funny that Kakuzu killed his partner for being too slow
“I wouldn’t know how to cater to your moods” kjfhgkdhfgjh Kakuzu just got wrecked by a thirteen-year-old LMAO
“I’m not sure what to do with you... whether to kill you right now or find a way to use you” KILL OROCHIMARU, ITACHI, IT’S GONNA SAVE YOU A LOT OF TROUBLE
Why the hell would Kabuto be hanging out near the Akatsuki anyway isn’t he in a long term infiltration of the Leaf Village lmao or can Orochimaru summon him like a snake
On what basis does Pain decide these partnerships did Kisame and Sasori take a babysitting course or smth
The cutaway without the “This... is art” scene is almost funnier because it implies Itachi just had to flash his eyes at Deidara and Deidara was like, “HELLO AKATSUKI I AM HERE”
“I wouldn’t mind giving you a taste of my art” [insert ninja sex joke about Deidara’s mouth hands here]
Deidara really should not be old enough to be here by this point in the narrative but this entire arc has been wacky timeline wise
Man it must be fucked up to fight a puppet version of your own corpse
“What I really wanted... was to get a hold of Itachi’s body” you are the definition of stranger danger Orochimaru
From what I remember the video games had Kakuzu and Orochimaru approaching Hidan and not Konan and Itachi but I’m game for any Orochimaru erasure lmao
I’m pretty sure all of that blood was Hidan’s?? World-building whomst
“He licked Kakuzu’s blood” did he though?? Show me his wound Itachi
OMG they’re really heavy-handed with Leaf!Itachi as if we did not just watch a bunch of episodes of Itachi caring about his village like honestly look at this:
Kisame: So even you have feelings for your birthplace, is that it?
Itachi: No. Not at all. [Sasuke, I hope that you’re safe.]
(Me too Itachi 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭)
“It’s been a long time... Saaasuke” could you say his name a little less weirdly please Itachi
You really can’t get mad at Kakashi for teaching Sasuke chidori Itachi like maybe if you would murder less people Kakashi would feel a little less overprotective
God was the only point of animating and voicing these scenes again so that Itachi could mentally apologize every twelve seconds? You know what fair enough, anxiety and depression be like that sometimes
“You still have people who’ll protect you” Oh plot twist Itachi was actually writing a “Nice” list instead of a “Naughty” list and Kakashi, Jiraiya and Naruto are all on it
Oh yeah I kind of forgot that this was all supposed to be like a 5 minute span for Sasuke’s flashback of Itachi’s entire life lmao
You know.... it’s real unclear to me how Obito wakes up from his trance lmao he may not be in a cocoon but he’s certainly exposed to the light
“Be careful. We’re surrounded on all sides by four of his shadows” “Yeah I know that” Yeah, Naruto knows it, but Sasuke’s warning where the Shadow Madaras are entirely for Kakashi and Sakura’s benefit BC HE WORRIES MY BABY BOYYYY
“This chakra is even way stronger than Ten-Tails” I really heard “Tenten” there and I was like, wait what did I miss with Tenten kfhkjhgkjhg
OH GOOD ANOTHER UCHIHA FLESH MOUNTAIN JUST WHAT WE NEEDED
“They’re turned into White Zetsu” I hate this nonsensical bit of world-building it made more sense and felt less weird when they were Hashirama clones like what the fuck
Oh I can’t believe this is making me feel almost bad for Madara did Zetsu really edit the Uchiha Stone Tablet’s Tsukuyomi section to say “Peace Plans” ain’t that how like the CIA entraps people
“Hashirama... where did I go wrong” We’d need a lot more time than you have to unpack that Madara
“Countless nights passed” I mean. Was it countless nights. Because I think it was. A couple hours. This war arc spans like two days. I have spent more human hours on this arc than they’ve spent ninja hours in this war
“I can’t believe such a person existed” neither can I Sasuke it’s almost like she was invented specifically for this arc
For real Obito no offence but like why aren’t you dead it just doesn’t make much sense khkjfdhkjhgkjh
Hmmm not 2 be that gal but Kaguya’s voice is v pleasant on the ears
“Sorry to be so rough with you, Obito” Kakashi. You loving, kind, dumb bitch. He stabbed you THREE TIMES in the past two days you really owe him like -1000 apologies
“This is also one of those times where your body just moves on its own” SASUKE CALLED OUT FOR LOVING HIS COMRADES
“I’ve got to get to Naruto” I love your dedication Minato but I feel as though the loss of both of your arms makes helping more difficult
Kakashi is not NEARLY as surprised about this levitation thing as he should be. I think as this point he’s just like. ‘This might as well happen’
All other things aside Kaguya’s really fun to look at damn
Okay okay okay not to look for too much logic in this ninja show but don’t both Naruto and Sasuke have Six Paths chakra why can only Naruto float is a metaphor for Sasuke’s fall from grace
“I am Kaguya’s child” I can only imagine a Game of Thrones-eque shadow flying out the hooha situation
“Just before the seal took hold, she gave birth to me, in order that she could be restored” I can only assume Kaguya fucked Bitterness and Regret and you know.... fair enough
I gotta tell you Zetsu being the primary narrator of this arc is jarring
Tenji seems kinda nice it’s a shame something terrible will probably happen to him
Say what you will about SP’s animation inconsistencies they can animate some beautiful-ass skies
“Is there anything that you desire” Get u a man like Tenji
Fellas is it gay to sit under the stars with your handmaiden who adores you in comfortable silence
“Even now you’re not scared. That just makes me like you more” take a shot every time a man is Like That (bah dum tss)
“Do Not Touch Me,” wow Kaguya mood
I will clarify I said that BEFORE she exploded the men gkhkjfhgkhh
Tenji, that Aino lady is your subordinate are you really gonna leave her with the creepy That man u are not the man I thought you were
“Just tell him, and I’m sure that Lord Tenji will forgive you” to be fair Aino you could’ve elaborated u were just like ‘yup she killed them’ and left it at that
WOW I RESCIND ALL COMPLIMENTS TO TENJI CALM DOWN DUDE
When life gives u lemons use people as fertilizer for ur infinite lemon tree I guess
Are you telling me 1) Gamamaru has existed since the DAWN OF CHAKRA and 2) He knew all about this Tsukuyomi shit just like. Kept it on the DL. WHAT KINDA WORLD-BUILDING
Okay but for real did the Otsutsuki clan stem like.... all the clans, because there’s the Kaguya clan (through Hamura I guess?), and the Hyuga clan definitely through Hamura, and then the Senju, Uchiha, and Uzumaki through Hagoromo like just how many people did your kids sleep with and for that matter how long ago was this
“A real talking toad! Think people would like it if we caught it and took it home?” Why are Hagoromo and Hamura the cutest things in the world this is the sibling content we deserve
“You’re just a snake oil salesman, and not a very good one” oh I think I love Hamura oh no I would love a character who gets stuck on the moon
Take a shot every time a woman exists to die and make a man sad
“She fell in love with the ruler of this land and in time she became pregnant with the two of you” notice that at no point does Gamamaru say they got married can u believe Kaguya invented premarital sex
You know none of this goes against mine and Sloane’s Kagumo theory
“How can you see so far into a toad’s heart that clearly” Gamamaru and Hagoromo’s interactions are killing me
How much time has passed for Hamura’s hair to grow that long
Hamura @ Kaguya: BROTHERS BEFORE MOTHERS
HOW MUCH TIME HAS PASSED FOR HAGOROMO TO DEVELOP THIS BROW RIDGE SAGE LAND TAKES A TOLL
Tenji doesn’t even appear in this flashback about love and betrayal it’s just Kaguya being bitter bc her gal Aino died they were in lesbians together
Every so often I’m reminded that Kishimoto has a twin brother and I wonder what he thinks about making the twins fight
“You enabled me to awaken the mangekyo sharingan and rinnegan” how do u even have words for those things. Didn’t they just happen right this moment
Wow this is all very Little Shop of Horrors, Momma feeds the tree with people juice and in turn it wants to protect her from harm
“I split the Ten Tails into nine souls” SOULS? HAGOROMO CAN... JUST MAKE SOULS. COULD HE POINT AT GAMAMARU AND SAY “YOU ARE TWO FROGS NOW” AND THAT’D JUST BE TRUE?
“We won’t be that far apart,” said Hagoromo, just as his brother was about to teleport to the moon
Side note: Maybe ur crops were failing bc without the moon the tides are all out of whack and you know, the moon was apparently just invented right now
“Time passed, and so did Hagoromo” I love this particular literary device
“Time after time I’d approach the reincarnates of Indra and Ashura” okay so we’re supposed to be down for not only regular reincarnation in Naruto but Indra and Ashura ONLY BEING BORN TO THE SENJU AND UCHIHA CLANS REPEATEDLY WHAT WHO WROTE THIS
Does this mean that people Naruto and Sasuke every 50 years????You’d think the Land of Fire would just. Get used to it
“Just with that alone, a thousands years passed” well at least we have some idea of how much time it’s been since Kaguya era lmao
Ur telling me that this horseshit happened bc Tobirama doesn’t know to leave dead bodies well enough alone
SHHHHH I PREFER THE ZETSU BEING WEIRD HASHIRAMA CLONES
This montage of Zetsu taking credit for everything Madara and Obito did is not appreciated lmao take some responsibility for your actions!!!!
I’m gonna keep harping on this for the rest of the war honestly like where is the ACCOUNTABILITY
“So your teen rebellion continues” LMAO UR NOT WRONG
“I know that this could be our last hurrah, but we gotta give it our best shot” not much of a plan Naruto sweetheart but fair
Tag urself I’m Kakashi’s look of despair at his hormonal students
“And Sasuke? Sorry that my sexy jutsu didn’t work” I was not prepared for the sincerity with which that line was delivered
The Sad Old Man™ energy radiating off Obito is... Immense
“We’re all ready to die” R U THINKING OF RIN BC SHE WAS READY TO DIE OR BC UR READY TO SEE HER EITHER WAY IT’S SAD KAKASHI
“I want to thank you for helping me out. And for helping Sasuke” “No, there’s no need to thank me” this is the first time Obito has been right about something since the age of 13
“I’m not going to waste time on speeches,” said Obito, in the middle of a dramatic speech
Minato..... how did you chop the branch.... with no hands to pick up a kunai???????? What kind of yoga contortion was involved
What I imagine the subtext of this scene to be:
Hagoromo: New old son!!!! I am dad now
Hashirama, whose dad was Butsuma: [choking back tears] Okay
Tobirama: I also hate our father
They’re all taking to this “demi-god pops out of the bottom half of dead ex-comrade” thing pretty well but to be fair they’ve had a complicated day
#ayesha liveblogs nahruto shipduden#liveblogging#ayesha talks anime#naruto series#long post#cutting it off here bc it got long#free meee eng dub
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reading is emotional, part 13
So I read volumes 11, 12, and 13 several months ago, at the end of September, and then real life basically interrupted any attempt to write a reactions summary. So in lieu of that, I'll just pull my initial impressions from a Naruto group chat I participate in:
Jiraiya's intro is horrible - why is he a fan fave again? - but it also overpowers the most important thing in that scene: a foreign seal had been placed on top of Minato's work and was interfering with the original. I mean, wow, so many stories should come from just that. What haven't I seen this utilized by fandom more often? Orochimaru had access to Naruto as a baby, for one.
[One chat member points out that Orochimaru placed his seal on Naruto during the chuunin exam] When did he have time to do that? [another chat member points out that Orochimaru hit Naruto in the stomach to get him out of the way] Is that all it takes to apply a seal? Dammit, that's lame.
Anyway, is it just me, or does it seem pretty clear that Jiraiya was basically MIA in part 1? It doesn't seem as though Sarutobi knew where he was, given that jounin were supposed to report seeing him to command...
Meanwhile, an unstable jinchuuriki is just killing people all over the place - and our one sacrificial jounin is tasked with watching him. Dammit, I forgot how annoying this arc is. There is no chain of command in Konoha. No one seems to know what anyone is doing, ever.
[Chat member asks how Konoha has not fallen apart with no chain of command] I honestly assume ROOT has an actual purpose aside from fluffing Danzo's ego, and that is acting like an actual military. But seriously, nothing about how Konoha is portrayed makes a lick of sense. There should have been teams set to just watching the sand nin, especially Gaara. Jiraiya should have immediately reported for duty to Sarutobi.
Also, it's sort of horrifying how bad a teacher Jiraiya is. I mean, Kakashi is a bad teacher, but at least he never claimed to be good at it. [chat member asks if I'm at the point where Jiraiya throws Naruto off a cliff] Right now he's just trying to help a 12-year-old boy with shit control over his own chakra learn to use demonic chakra instead. In a lot of ways, Jiraiya is actually worse as a teacher, because it's clear that he's able to accurately assess Naruto's weaknesses as a shinobi. He's just uninterested in helping him get better at using his own chakra and not the fox's. I guess I'll have to re-read the early part 2 section, but aside from summoning and the Rasengan, what the hell did Jiraiya ever actually teach Naruto?
Anyway, in the next scene, we get an up-close and personal look at how incompetent Sarutobi was. All these jounin look pretty worried, and for good reason! One of their number is dead, and the Hokage is saying they're going to wait and see. This is a massive disaster in leadership.
Anyway, cut back to the hospital, where Sakura and Ino only show up to play spectator to Lee. It's infuriating. Why even bother having female characters, Kishimoto? I would have found it less insulting if he'd just decided to portray a totally gender-segregated society.
Anyway, I do appreciate that relationship we see between Sarutobi and Anko. I think it's clear that whatever his failures as a leader in the present, he was quite charismatic previously. But god, new leadership is absolutely necessary from a military POV.
...and Jiraiya threw Naruto off a cliff. I think it's safe to say that Tsunade was clearly the best teacher out of the lot of them.
Baki travels back and forth between Sand and Leaf with no chaperone. Because that makes total sense.
And Temari makes the same argument against war and for peace now that kid!Tobirama did 600 chapters later. It's a shame she didn't become Kazekage, but her vagina disqualifies her. [Chat members begin discussing the viability of a Kazekage Temari AU] If Sand's Kages all come from the same family, why the hell would you choose the nutty, psychopathic 12-year-old over his far more stable siblings? I understand it's not a democracy, but there's still an element of choice here. [the chat then considered Kazekage Kankurou] Kankurou's too sensible. Only nutcases become Kage - if half the men in your family had died on the job, you might pass too.
[chat member asks why Jiraiya is so keen on using the fox's chakra when everyone else is adamantly against it] He's an irresponsible weirdo in-universe. Given what we know in part 1, it was staggeringly incompetent: the only other example we see of demonic power is a boy who has killed about a half-dozen people on-screen. The real reason, of course, is that Kishimoto didn't want to do the hard work of developing Naruto's abilities organically, so the unearned superpower it is.
[Same chat member asks how I feel about Sasuke so far] He's not dumb. He actually has a survival instinct of a sort. And call me crazy, but there are a lot of Sasuke = Tsunade parallels there. He's lost literally everything, and there is a deep skepticism of Leaf propaganda that Naruto and Sakura haven't developed yet, and maybe never will. Like Tsunade, he is the scion of a founding clan - the very definition of the insider. That that hasn't saved either of them from tragedy and loss.
Anyway, reading the Neji/Naruto fight was actually the worst because I don't like Neji at all, but Naruto doesn't really deserve to win. Why couldn't Sakura beat Ino in the prelims and then go on to fight Neji? Anyway, I can skim a lot because Kishimoto's fight art isn't very dynamic.
O hai, Kabuto is still at large, still killing ANBU mooks. I definitely have to write the story where Team 7 gets involved with Kakashi's investigation of the mysterious traitor instead of participating in the chuunin exam.
anyway, Naruto shows he has a bit of a brain during Neji's fight. It's a shame this only happens every so often when dictated by the plot, instead of growing organically as part of his character.
What is the point of the Hyuuga? I mean, they have that nifty seal, you'd think the village council would really pressure the main house to ensure the branch members were able to use the entirety of the gentle fist skillset. If I were Danzo, I'd be maneuvering in that direction: hundreds of sealed Hyuuga with the full power of the gentle fist would really augment Leaf's manpower. I can understand the main house keeping the branch house down with superior knowledge of the gentle fist; I can see the main house using the seal to quash rebellion in the branch house; I can't see both, not in a world where the Hyuuga are part of Leaf and have a manpower requisition of some kind they need to fill. Leaf needs soldiers, and deliberately handicapping the ones who serve the village...yeah, if I were Danzo, I would force the issue.
OK, more of Kabuto just wandering around the stands, randomly healing Hinata.
Anyway, time for Neji's monologue. Mostly what I got from this is that Neji actually has no idea what really happened. Apparently, Cloud's Kage came directly to Leaf for the peace treaty, and Hiashi is strong enough to kill a Kage-level opponent. This doesn't even count the fact that the Kage of Cloud is actually in the stands right as Neji is telling Naruto his tragic story. Given that Neji was about 4 when his father dies, that makes sense - he probably cobbled his story together from household gossip.
Anyway, what I got from this is that Gai should have ensured that Neji got the crap beat out of him at least once by a social inferior. This is not the sort of lesson you want occurring during an international event open to the public, and honestly, Neji's overconfidence could have gotten him killed very easily - and not just by his opponents. Talking about Konoha's internal politics in front of outsiders is the sort of thing that involves the secret police...
Anyway, Naruto uses dangerous demonic power to beat up a 14-year-old boy. Jiraiya did not clear his training plan with Sarutobi ahead of time, looking at the unhappy surprise on Sarutobi's face. Also confirmed: the Byakugan can see demonic chakra that is invisible to the regular human eye. Would have been nice to have multiple Hyuuga guards on Gaara, right?
Ugh this Hyuuga bullshit is infuriating. I'm tabling it for another day until I can finish editing my Hyuuga rant post.
Moving on, Raidou's little "shinobi must be punctual" speech makes me think the blatant favoritism we see in canon wasn't appreciated by the Joe Schmoes around Sasuke. Kakashi can do that crap because he's basically been active a million years and is good for it in the clutch, and his co-workers still hate it! Sasuke doesn't have that leeway.
Ah, Shikamaru: one of Naruto's many out-and-out chauvinists.
Anyway, it's pretty annoying that the matches have been set for a month, but not one of these dumb children bothered to do research on their opponents.
Kishimoto again devolves to show, not tell: Shikamaru is apparently the reason the rather weak Team 10 survived the Forest of Death, although how he did so is never explained. It would have been nice to see it, you know?
Oh, that's right. Shikamaru is a genius, who apparently never does shit unless dictated by the plot. So in real life, he'd be like one of those weird child prodigies who end up hermits in Montana, but this is Naruto, that ain't going to happen here.
The group chat had pretty divergent opinions on the tunnel Shikamaru was using to spread his shadow. For the record, I thought it was a pretty amazing asspull, but that's been my feeling the entire time I've been suffering through this arc, so go figure. I'm still sort of salty about how Shikamaru went from "maladjusted fuckup" to "GENIUS" in the space of one freaking battle. Every time Kishimoto talks about the "ideal chuunin psycho profile", I get an eye tic. In what universe is Shikamaru commander material at this point in canon?
OK, time for Kakashi's dramatic entrance, which is very dramatic.
@hiruma-musouka proposed a while back that Kakashi is a fundamentally avoidant personality, and I can't stop thinking about canon in light of that. So an alternate reading of Kakashi's tardiness for Sasuke's match - Kakashi was actually hoping Sasuke's match would be forfeited due to tardiness, and Sarutobi's weak will foiled his cunning plan!
Gaara casually kills two mooks in plain sight. Where is Leaf's internal security? The only thing I can reconcile is that the Uchiha did all internal security, and given their deaths and the fact that Leaf still seems to be a largely pre-literate society, no group managed to fill the vacuum afterward.
How has Sasuke gotten so much better in a month of training? I don't care if your fancy eyes allow you to mimic moves and see very fast movement, you still need to build up the muscle to actually go fast yourself!
A moment of silence for the people of Sand, who are so familiar with the Ichibi they can tell right away when Gaara lets it possess him totally.
Those panels where Sarutobi and the "Kazekage" are looking at each other are actually pretty good. Ramps up the tension.
The invasion starts, and there is absolutely no coordinated response from the Leaf-nin.
Anyway, Shikamaru pretending to sleep through the invasion of his village is a massive black mark on his record. Like, God save the Nara clan level of black mark. He's technically an adult, he's the heir, he ought to be representing his clan...him trying to sleep through an invasion is a mark of cowardice, and would have terrible repercussions on his family. This is, in fact, the sort of thing that starts complicated succession disputes.
...and we end on Sarutobi, ready to fight all the time.
Anyway, reading this part of the manga sort of solidified why Naruto is a bad character for me, from a writer/author POV. Naruto spends so much time talking about how he understands the villain's pain. The problem is, Naruto's tragic life history never really shows up as a tangible issue in the plot! He's a lonely kid, but good lord, everyone in Leaf is lonely. People are jerks to him in a general way because he's an orphan and poor and stupid, which sucks but happens a lot in real life too. And even though people are jerks to him, we never really see them be cruel to him because he's got a demon in him. Iruka treats him like a wayward student; Sakura is basically his friend in a few months; Kakashi is a sadsack teacher, but he's not singling Naruto out with his awful teaching, and he does trie to find someone competent to instruct him; Sasuke isn't nice to him, but he's no crueler than the rest of Naruto's classmates. Basically, when Naruto talks about how he feels the villain's pain, I'm very meh. Contrast this to the chick version of Naruto, where lots of little girls beat the shit out of each other in the name of friendship: Nanoha. Fate Testarossa is a deeply tragic figure, and you are really, really, rooting for her to move to a better place by the end of that show. Or geez, just the first two episodes of Michiko and Hatchin, which features some truly awful child abuse.
Anyway, I'll post my long-awaited (?) Hyuuga rant later this week, and then I guess it's back to the old grindstone to try and knock out a reread of Naruto volume 14-16 before the new year begins!
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Apples on Trees
To: @will-zeke-thomson
From: @arrowsbane
Title: Apples on Trees
Rating: T
Wordcount: 1313
Prompt: I’d like to see a story about how Tenzou fathered a bunch of kids (doesn’t need to be from one woman or be romantically involved with one at all) because he wanted his wood release to be carried on to future generations.
Notes: I went off on a bit of a tangent here, but hey, it worked. Also, I’m pretty sure I bent the timeline here, but who gives a crap. Ace!Tenzo. 3some!Santa-Shisui-Hana.
Summary: Tenzo never really had a proper family, so it stands to reason that the family he made wasn’t exactly normal. You know what they say about apples and trees – they don’t fall far.
Tenzo never really had a proper family.
He didn’t have a mother and a father, instead he had a mad scientist experimenting on his genetic structure, and an old war-hawk with a serious micro-managing problem.
He didn’t have a grandfather, instead he wound up with a Hokage in the shape of a crooked old man who ripped up one side of Root, and down the other with a ferocity that burnt hotter than foxfire.
He didn’t have a brother or a sister either, instead he got a Kakashi… and he’s pretty sure it’s broken.
So it stands to reason that when he did, eventually, build his own family, it wound up a little… odd.
…
It takes a while, but Tenzo finds himself stood in front of the Hokage, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
“I wish to have offspring,” He states, and the Hokage frowns contemplatively. In the background, Tenzo can hear at least three of the ANBU guards slip from their perches in shock, and a fourth choke on his own spit.
“I see.” The Hokage replies, his tone neutral. Tenzo relaxes in his place, before the Hokage adds.
“But you don’t have much experience with children.”
Tenzo blinks.
“I am both capable of, and able to provide care for infants.” He says, confused. After all, one of his duties for Root was to care for the younger recruits – ensuring they were fed and clothed.
“Nothing beats experience Tenzo,” the Hokage tells him, before grinning cheerfully, and tosses a dossier at Tenzo’s head. He catches it, and opens it warily.
“Hokage-sama?”
“It’ll be very good for you,” the Sandaime replies, “and most amusing for me.”
…
Tenzo finds himself blinking down at his six new companions. Three Genin: Uchiha Shisui, Honda Santa, and Inuzuka Hana - plus three ninken puppies who are tearing apart… something.
His first thought, is that this is not going to work.
…
Fast forward a year or so, and Tenzo finds himself with honest-to-god actual minions who will do anything he says, so long as it involves the humiliation and suffering of somebody very much so not-them. The little voice at the back of his head whispers that this is not quite like having kids, but he has gotten better at handling small people with emotions.
Maybe the Hokage does know what he’s doing after all.
…
His first child is, of course, a daughter. A daughter named Kaede, with maple hair and dark brown eyes and lungs that have more strength than a hurricane. She never seems to sleep either, and so Tenzo and his genin quickly learn to pray for her naptime, because it’s the only time they ever have that is peaceful – unless they take shifts, of course. The only problem with shifts… is that Kaede has a sixth sense for when they try to sneak away and loses it.
It’ll be years before they find out she’s a natural-born sensor with a range that would make the Nidaime weep with jealousy.
There will come a day when missing-nin will flock to Konoha, because they could run and run and run and she would always, always find them.
…
Masaki and Mikio come next, fraternal twins who were apparently demons in a past life, because nowhere is safe once they learn how to crawl. Even Hana’s poor ninken aren’t spared – their tails and ears being pulled at every opportunity.
Hana whimpers whenever it’s her turn to change the nappies, and does so with an honest-to-god clothes peg on her sensitive nose.
Shisui tried to hide… only to be dragged back by his long-suffering girlfriend who is not putting up with his crap goddammit.
[Somewhere in between the Twins being born, and the next kid coming along, Tenzo comes to the conclusion that not only have his brats his puberty – hard – they’ve folded themselves into some kind of threesome. Huh.
In all honesty, he doesn’t care – so long as they keep it to the bedroom, and nothing happens with the kids around.]
Santa… Santa has the strange civilian ability to breeze through child-rearing with an ease that is normally associated with a ninja killing somebody, which is probably why the others hand the kids off to their boyfriend at every opportunity.
It’s terrifying.
And yet, it’s because of this that Tenzo is beyond grateful that the Hokage gave him brats before kids.
…
Naoki.
Where does one even begin to describe this one? An accurate assessment would be to describe him as the second coming of the Shodaime – a genius, but an emotional genius.
He’s been known to catch Jonin in his traps before even making Genin, and yet… he’s also been caught trying to teach various plants and shrubbery how to recognise – and attack – shinobi from other villages.
It seems to work though, because it stops the Hyuuga incident cold when one particular bush of roses wraps a Kumo nin in thorny ropes when said nin tries to kidnap the three-year old heiress.
The Hyuuga take special care to water this bush now, and have been witnessed making many trips to the Yamanaka flower shop to purchase both fertilizer and companions for it – and now the entire compound is surrounded by various colors and species of roses. It’s both beautiful… and deadly.
Tenzo is so proud, he doesn’t even have the words.
Shisui does. He practically keels over giggling about Killer Roses, and asks permission to plant them in the Forest of Death.
Sarutobi actually finds himself considering it…
…
Haruki is his last child (with a glare that can stop a Kage in its tracks and a demeanor that convinces many that he’s the reincarnation of Senju Tobirama), and like all the others, was born with the help of a surrogate.
The only difference being, is that the psychological evaluator clearly flubbed his job and Tenzo found himself on the verge of a custody battle, before the Hokage put his foot down.
Haruki is the only one of the lot who has visitation with his birth mother – and even then it’s carefully monitored; as the birth mother turned out to be a distant, but favoured, cousin of the daimyo.
Haruki also happens to be the only one who would grow up to be an undercover agent for the Daimyo’s court, so there’s that.
…
The kids grow into righteous rage, shaped like small people with big brown eyes and smiles that could cut you as easily as the weapons they wield. As luck would have it, they all present with Mokuton, and Konoha has never had it so easy in the fruit department as orchards of fruit-bearing trees seemingly sprout overnight.
His Genin grow too – Hana becomes a skilled veterinarian and tracker, heads and shoulders above the rest; her puppies are now strong and swift ninken, although they’ll still chew his zori to pieces if given the chance.
Santa goes into the medical field, and specializes in poison and using medical techniques in battle – he’s in charge of the greenhouses too, which makes Tenzo proud as… well, proud as a green-thumbed ninja with successful students.
Shisui… Shisui masters his Sharingan, and becomes famous for his use of the body flicker in battle. So famous in fact, that he’s got a flee-on-sight order for three out of the four other ninja villages.
The only ones who don’t take him seriously are Suna, and that’s because they’re all terrified of meeting Santa in the field.
If only people knew Shisui’s skill came from being a sleep-deprived Genin who just wanted to change a nappy and go back to sleep.
If only.
…
Twelve years after that strange, strange day when Tenzo confronted him with the desire for offspring, the Hokage finds himself beaming with pride as a pack of tiny wood-producing children terrify ninja and civilians’ alike.
It’s almost like having Hashirama-sensei back.
If you enjoyed this piece, why not take a look at other pieces written by the same author on AO3.
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In a Past Life - MadaSaku
In a Past Life
MadaSaku
Written for @madasakuweek
Rated T
Random AU
It is said in ancient mythology that humans had two souls once. They were peaceful creatures, full of joy and warmth and love. But the Gods grew jealous of humans and ripped them in two, cursing them to forever wander for their other half through this life, and then the next.
Many of the Gods found their suffering to be of great amusement, but one Goddess took pity on the poor humans. She could not reverse the damage that had been done, but she granted them the only help she could offer: The Mark.
Much of the legend has been lost to time, but the old stories say that every person has an imprint, unique to them and their missing soul. It is hidden in plain sight, only to be revealed once its twin has been discovered. Only then will one know they have found their other half, their missing piece - their soulmate.
If one believed such myths...
xx
Sakura tried not to stare. She knew in this circumstance she was meant to be seen and not heard even if she was the infamous, respected kunoichi trained under the powerful Godaime, Tsunade. It was all part of the politics, all a part of keeping the peace. At least that’s what her mentor had told her under a dark sky without starlight. Sakura couldn’t say she agreed with the village elders or their motives for signing such a ridiculous treaty, but it was not her place to speak - and so she did not.
Dropping her gaze back to the scroll in her hands, Sakura scanned the document without reading it. It was simply a distraction to keep her from glaring at the occupants - or rather one specific occupant - that sat around the large circular table that had been brought into the Hokage’s office for the occasion. They spoke in calm tones but their voices held a note of strain as they discussed the particulars of the treaty agreement.
At the sound of his voice, Sakura’s gaze drew up again. He sat on the far side, almost completely facing her from where she worked on the opposite side of the room at the low-sitting couch. His eyes, the color of a black hole, bore into the Hokage as he ordered for control over his clan’s old compound.
Uchiha Madara. What a sad excuse for a Founding Father, Sakura thought.
He looked like he was ready for battle rather than peace as he sat straight-backed, dressed in the very same well-worn, crimson armor he had worn during his war against Konoha only a few months prior. Tsunade and the other medics weren’t entirely sure why he and Senju Hashirama had survived Kabuto’s Reincarnation Summoning, but after a thorough examination by Tsunade herself, she had confirmed that the two men were no longer bound by the summoning and had been left in their world with their souls intact. They were now a part of their reality.
Of course, the other nations had immediately demanded Madara’s head but after Tsunade and her grandfather, Hashirama, had reasoned the world they know wouldn’t have survived given Madara’s interference in preventing the rise of Kaguya, the other nation leaders had relented. Which is how they all found themselves in this room to begin with.
Silently Sakura observed Madara as he spoke. There was a note of authority in his voice as he discussed his needs and desires with the other members gathered. The air of madness that had surrounded him while she and her teammates faced off against him on the battlefield had faded to be replaced with an unwavering dominance that was felt by everyone in the room. It wasn’t suffocating but his power still demanded respect - even from someone like Sakura who still refused to see him as anything but a monster. She would not forget their battle so easily.
It wasn’t until Madara met her gaze that she realized she had been glaring in thought. His midnight eyes clashed against her forest green orbs but she didn’t flinch away as he silently observed her from across the room. His expression was unreadable, betraying none of his thoughts, and silently they stared as the discussion continued.
It briefly crossed her mind how similar he and Sasuke looked with their sleek, black hair and the aristocratic features passed down from their clan’s ancestors. Their eyes were similar in shape as well but while Sasuke’s usually shined with annoyance or amusement, Madara’s were calculating - guarded even. The Uchiha Founder would have been stunning - if not for the fact he was the spawn of Satan. Or perhaps Satan himself.
Narrowing her eyes a fraction more, Sakura finally returned her attention back to the scroll. She signed the bottom of it and furled it up before she set it down in her completed pile and stood silently. Without casting a glance at the conference table, she quietly exited the Hokage’s office. There was no way she could complete her work with her anger simmering just below the surface and instead she considered what appealed for lunch as she rolled the different restaurants nearby around in her head.
In her haste, she missed the pair of eyes that followed her.
xx
Cold air greeted Sakura as she entered the Hokage’s Tower. With the summer sun cast high into the sky, the cooler temperature was a relief against her overheated skin and she shifted the heavy, medical texts in her hand to swipe away the beads of sweat that had gathered along her hairline.
Behind the guard desk, Shikamaru sat with his feet propped on the tabletop and his fingers laced behind his short, spiky ponytail. He cracked an eye open at her entrance only to immediately close it again upon recognizing her. She smiled fondly at the older male and shook her head minutely but let him be as she passed the desk and continued towards the staircase that would lead her down to the vast library held beneath the building.
Her footsteps echoed softly against the concrete steps only falling silent when she reached the familiar library door. Sakura pushed the old wood open, its hinges groaning quietly with the force before she slipped inside and automatically made for the shelves reserved purely for literature on medicine and healing. It was small in comparison to the rest of the sections on military tactics and defense, but with one of the greatest healers in the world as Hokage, it was filled with far more recent and accurate information.
Silently Sakura ran her fingers across the backs of the many texts until she located the appropriate spots for the books she had borrowed. She slipped them back onto the shelf before she continued reading the titles. Tsunade had informed her some days ago that Konoha and Suna had exchanged some texts and she was interested to see if any new medical journals had been delivered in the shipment. She was still itching to get her fingers on Chiyo’s knowledge on poisons she had left behind after her death.
After pulling a few journals from the shelves, Sakura settled in as she leaned back against the tall bookshelves. For some time, she read in peace with only her textbooks to keep her company. A few more sat stacked on the table next to her, but she was in no hurry to rush through them. She was currently unneeded at the hospital until later that night and it was far too hot out for her teammates to search her out for a spar.
From elsewhere in the library, she could hear the soft shuffling and murmurs of other shinobi. It wasn’t uncommon for others to wander through the wide variety of literature but they mostly lingered in the large sections reserved for military tactics and so she paid them no mind. However, her attention was stolen from the thick pages in her hands as the hushed whispers of two distinct voices reached her ears.
“Madara, you ask too much.”
“I only ask what is deserved to me. That which is my birthright.”
“You should be gracious. The Hokage has pardoned you. That should be enough.”
Even without the use of his name, Sakura would have recognized Madara’s cool, unyielding tone. It took her a moment longer to identify the other as Hashirama’s but once she did, her interest piqued and she straightened unconsciously as she strained to hear their conversation.
“Do not speak to me about being gracious,” Madara nearly growled. “My Clan has been stigmatized ever since Konoha’s founding, no thanks to your brother.”
Hashirama paused. “I admit Tobirama made mistakes in his time as Hokage, but he only ever had good intentions.”
“He killed my brother,” Madara retorted.
“And you nearly had me commit suicide as justice. We can sit here and point fingers, but all of us made mistakes in the end while trying to find some resemblance of peace. You and I are no longer enemies here, Madara.”
“We may not be enemies but do not make the mistake of thinking we are on the same side.”
Even out of sight, Sakura could feel the displeasure rolling off the Uchiha Founder in waves. Only her well-trained ears allowed her to hear the almost silent pad of footsteps a moment before Madara stepped past the bookcase she was currently leaning against. He caught sight of her out of the corner of his eyes and stopped abruptly as he angled his head to look at her, his irritation still palpable in the air. Knowing there was no point in pretending that she hadn’t overhear their conversation, Sakura met his eyes evenly, her expression void of any thoughts or judgments.
Neither of them spoke as they studied the other, but the awkward pause was quickly broken as Hashirama joined them. “Madara-.”
Sakura shifted her gaze to the Shodai Hokage as he halted beside Madara as he too suddenly became aware of their audience. Even with their expressions carefully masked, Sakura was only too mindful she had overheard a conversation she had no business hearing, but she refrained from apologizing. After all, she was just visiting the library.
It was a moment before Sakura nodded respectfully. “Senju-sama.”
“Haruno-san,” Hashirama greeted.
Even to her observant gaze, it was difficult to read his expression and he turned away from her to glance at Madara. “This conversation is not over.”
The Uchiha head said nothing and Hashirama nodded politely to her again before he made his exit.
Alone with Madara again, Sakura met his gaze coolly. It was so unusual to see him clothed in anything other than battle armor that she found herself taking a second-look at his shinobi pants and the long-sleeved, black shirt she could only assume held the Uchiha emblem on the back. He had rolled his sleeved up to his elbows on account of the summer heat but she wondered how he still wasn’t overheated. Perhaps his heart really was made of ice.
The thought made the corner of her mouth twitch in amusement but she quickly bit it back, still keenly aware of Madara’s observant gaze. It caused her skin to prickle uncomfortable but she refused to flinch away from this man.
“Do you tend to make a habit of masking your chakra within the village?” Madara finally asked.
“After being attacked within these walls so many times, yes I make it a habit. If you wanted somewhere to speak privately, I suggest that perhaps you do so in a private area.”
Sakura didn’t even attempt to hide the cool venom in her voice. They were both aware of her feelings towards him and she didn’t respect the older male enough to even attempt to pretend otherwise. She had hoped her openness would compel Madara to leave her in peace, but it seemed her words had the opposite effect for he inclined his head curiously. “You do not care for me very much.”
“And here I was trying so hard to hide it,” she smiled sarcastically.
“Why?”
A cynical laugh passed her lips before she shot him a look. “Would you like me to list the reasons chronologically or by most serious offense first?”
“I do not recall ever committing a crime against you personally.”
Straightening, Sakura pushed herself off the bookshelf to face Madara fully, her expression mildly incredulous. “You attacked me and my team.”
“We were at war,” he said simply.
“You were at war!”
Her sharp retort echoed off the books lining the shelves, stunning them into silence. She met his cool, unwavering stare with narrowed, emerald eyes as the pent up rage and resentment she held towards the man before her coiled like an angry snake inside her chest. Madara simply observed her, his expression unreadable.
“Hashirama is right,” Sakura eventually said, her voice quiet in comparison to her outburst only moments before but no less hostile. “There are many shinobi inside these walls that don’t believe you should be pardoned. You should be gracious.”
With a note of finality, she snapped the heavy, medical book closed before she slid it back into its place upon the shelves and pivoted on her heels. In hindsight, Sakura should have known better than to turn her back on such a powerful shinobi, for one moment she was stalking away from him and the next she was pinned against the shelves, her shoulder blades and lower back pressing uncomfortably into the books.
Madara towered over her, all strength and dominance and danger as he used his larger frame to keep her immobilized. His sudden proximity stunned her and kept her from immediately channeling chakra into her arms and forcing distance between them as she stared wide eyed.
“You are naive to think that it was only upon my request that I returned to the village.”
His warm breath ghosted over the shell of her ear, causing a shiver to race down her spine. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she weighed his meaning, but she refused to allow herself to believe that there was another reason the Hokage had asked for the Founder’s return. He was trying to manipulate her.
“I don’t believe you,” she hissed.
“Why else would I come back?”
She had no answer and the lack of knowing stirred her anger again. “Get off me.”
Snaking her hands between them, Sakura made to shove Madara away but he quickly grabbed her hand and pinned it above her head. The moment their wrists touched, something happened. A shock went through her body, igniting the blood in her veins and setting her body on fire as powerful recollection coursed through her.
Chest-aching grief and pure, blinding love warred within her as vague but emotional memories flooded her mind. She couldn’t make out the images but in that moment, she could just as well recall her past lives and all the times Madara had courted her, all the times he had comforted her and all the times he had hurt her.
Loss struck her like a blow to the gut and would have left her doubled over if not for the fact she found her body unable to move. He had died - time and time again. Once in battle as a warrior trying to protect her and the kingdom they resided in, and then again in an assassination as he slept at night as a kind ruler of their village. In the last life, he had come to her as a patient. She had fought so hard to save his disease-ridden body but the closer they grew, the further his sickness had progressed. She had watched his last breath.
The losses were nearly unbearable. Sakura couldn’t breathe.
But the pain slowly gave way to warmth as forgotten love surged through her and warmed her from her toes to the ends of her finger tips. He had been her lover over and over again, in every life they had ever lived. He was her groom, her husband, and the father to her first child and another first child in the next life. He was kind and compassionate, and though they had both taken many faces and just as many names, it was still him.
And as quickly as they came, the memories faded until Sakura was once again standing in the library with Madara. He was just as still as her, neither of them daring to move, daring to breathe as the rush of emotion dwindled.
As a child, Sakura had heard the stories of how the Gods had torn humans in two to forever search for their other half who shared their same mark. Back then, she had daydreamed about finding the one who had followed her through every life, fantasized about what it would be like after finding her true love, but she had long forgotten those fairytales. Until now.
Sakura was suddenly hyper aware of the hand that was still clasped within Madara’s and the firmness of his chest where it pressed against hers. She could feel every silent draw of breath he made, every beat of his heart, and through the sunlit, dusty air of the library, their eyes met.
Another moment passed before Madara spoke, “We are…”
“No,” Sakura interrupted before he could finish. With the fight gone from his body, she easily slipped out of his hold and put some distance between them. She eyed him warily, his own expression mildly bewildered and a hint curious. The look put her on edge and she took another defensive step back.
“Not you,” she said slowly. “Anyone but you.”
tbc...?
#madasaku#madara#sakura#idk if I'll come back to this#maybe one day#it was just a stir of the moment thing#and I have so many other projects i'm working on#but it's always fun#to write that your soulmate is someone you actually hate#and then watching them kinda shift their opinion of them over time#my writing#madasaku weekend#in a past life#soulmates au#au
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