#will i ease out on the naruto obsession next year

[inraindrawz]

Art vs. Artist 2020

#art vs artist #art vs artist 2020 #top nine #top nine 2020 #could use some color lol #but it was a good year in the drawing department at least #will i ease out on the naruto obsession next year #not sure

[deidearly]

Kakashi Relationship Headcanons

Guess who’s back with another relationship headcanon today? And as usual, I had a good time writing this one even got slightly carried away, hehe. Enjoy! XX. 

Well— Hatake Kakashi, huh? Dating him would be such a roller coaster ride, tbh. It’s like, one moment he’s so clingy, fragile, so afraid of losing you— but one moment he’s like, “Just do what you need to do. I don’t really care.” This is due to the fact that he’s got a lot of things in his mind and occasionally struggled to sort out his priorities. 

Anyway, of course you’ve complained about his ‘reading-smut-in-public’ issue, especially when you’re together. You two would come up with an agreement somehow. But to piss you off, he’d pretend like you’re the one who’s obsessed with reading smuts.

You’re browsing for some important books and he playfully yelled, “Y/N! Come here, it’s your favorite book— Icha Icha Tactics! My, I know you’ve had four books, but another one won’t hurt, right? Since you love it that much!” making everyone in the bookstore giggled.

He received “Y/N Signature Punch” that day.

To your surprise, he’s not very secretive about his relationship with you. In fact, you’ve caught him frequently use you as an excuse for him to escape some unwanted occasions.

Let’s say Gai was asking Kakashi to fight him like usual— and he wasn’t having it that day. “Gai, with all respect— I would gladly accept your challenge. But can’t you feel the springtime of romance youth is blooming? I must see Y/N immediately.”

Gai’s tearing up.

Don’t worry, he actually went to your place.

“Yo. Can we hang out? I just told Gai that I would come to your place. Please say ‘yes’ to make me less of a jerk, will you?”

Would totally show up in front of your place at an ungodly hour.

At first it surprised you but now you’re used to it.

You just finished your mission, it went pretty well but you felt there were some wasted chances due to your captain’s miscalculation. It’s nearly 2 AM but you caught yourself wide awake, reviewing back your battle– only to got distracted by a knock on your bedroom’s window. Instead of turning your head in surprise, you already knew who it was. To have a little fun for yourself, you ignored the sound, which was later followed by a second knock. Walking over to the window, you saw a silver-haired man with a mask. Although half of his face was covered, it’s obvious that a smile was apparent. “Yo.” he greeted, but you replied with a sigh. “You could actually knock on the door and I’d let you in through the door. It’s something normal people would do, Kakashi.” you grumbled, opening the window for him to get in. “Ah, spare me the lecture!”

So, reverse psychology works best for Kakashi. Like the Icha Icha Tactics– the more you ignore his behavior, he would actually try not to read his book in public like you told him to. But the more you complain, he’d read it in places where he shouldn’t be reading it at all. This method works in almost every cases.

You’ve been dating for weeks, but you haven’t seen his face.

Yes, when kissing, too.

You’ve had enough of kissing fabric. 

You had planned to make a dinner together at his place. He was preparing the dishes and you’re about to finish your cooking, when he suddenly asked, “Hey, Y/N. Have you ever wondered what would I look like under this mask?” You were dying to know actually. So, now you’re stuck with two options: (a) be honest about it, (b) pull out another reverse psychological answer— and you chose the latter. “Huh? Not really,” you shrugged, “I don’t really care so it’s not like I’m eager to see it.” and of course, this was a lie. Kakashi went silent for a while. “Anyway, dinner’s re—“ you swore you could’ve dropped the whole pan when you saw an unfamiliar presence. “Kakashi?” you asked hesitantly. The man looked up with a questioning look, “Why are you blushing?” he replied casually.

“ANYONE WITH A DECENT EYESIGHT WOULD BLUSH TOO, YOU STUPID.”

He’s honestly so heavenly to look at.

Sometimes it’s just too overwhelming to see his whole face, you thought.

It’s safe to say that it’s a privilege to be able to see his face. But due to his immense charm, you’d prefer to have him with a mask on.

“Y/N, I feel naked without my mask—“ , “And I honestly feel like I’m being forced to see an illicit nudity, too. Put your mask on, it’s fine honestly.”

He’s been very good at his job for almost his whole life, a fine shinobi. So, he’s rarely exposed to mundane things, moreover a relationship. Thus, making him quite restrained in expressing himself. Plus, he was labelled with some negative titles, saying how cold-blooded he was and he just decided to live with it. This, obviously, requires a lot of patience.

But he’s determined to change, the first step he took was letting you in— into his life.

It started rocky, though.

He’d say something like how he didn’t care much about you and sadly, he really didn’t.

But as the time went by he realized how your presence has been the one that helped him through it. How you’ve always been there to comfort him, by listening to him, giving him a lot of supports, or simply by reminding him that he’s not completely alone.

And when that moment came, he’s sworn to protect you with all his might.

He had a lot of nightmares, he still does, unfortunately. But when you’re around, your presence eases him up a little.

When you’re not around, however, he’d rather spend all night unhealthily tiring himself until he fall asleep.

His personal favorite would be curling up next to you with his hand around your waist while hiding his face near the crook of your neck as he’s giving you some soft neck kisses.

Again, NECK KISSES.

He had a hard time trying to open up himself fully to you and this applies to romantic gestures, I believe. He surely would take his time to explore you, what you like, and what he likes.

Would shower you with kisses, all over your face without missing a spot. He greatly admires every inches of yourself. 

Body worship, oof.

Lowkey (semi highkey) protective.

Lowkey (semi highkey) a show-off.

Would straight up jump to save you if it’s necessary.

And since he’s a show-off, he lowkey loves PDA— but the soft ones, of course. You two would always get spotted together. He would casually sling his arm around your shoulder or lazily has his hand wrapped around your waist.

Favorite time to spend with you is training together. No matter how many times you’ve told him to “fight with an intent to win” he simply refuses— saying how, he’s “far too powerful” for you.

But deep down he just doesn’t want to hurt you…

Chatting in the middle of a training

“Tsunade-sama hasn’t assigned me any missions lately *throws kunai*” , “Maybe if you threw your kunai accurately, she will. *dodge kunai*” , “Kakashi, shut your pretty mouth up. *throws MORE kunai aggressively*”

When you turned him down while he was showing off his new tricks, though, it weirdly turned him on.

He loves someone powerful, with a right amount of cocky.

Doesn’t talk big. He’s a man of action— his action speaks louder than words!

Doesn’t spoil you that much, though. Because it’s actually him who needs to be spoiled.

Really loves it when you trace your fingers all over his skin— it’s intimately soft, he claimed.

LOVES YOUR SCENT. Has it memorized probably.

He’d prefer someone independent. Someone who could actually take care of themselves instead of relying on him completely. 

Anyone too childish would remind him of Team 7, tbh.

Speaking of Team 7, they would probably be the one to get introduced to you.

Naruto was so shocked to find out that his sensei was capable to develop a romantic feeling towards someone. But he had his doubt— do you really know Kakashi? He started to bombard you with questions to test your knowledge.

“So, do you know what’s Kakashi Sensei’s favorite—“ , “I’ve seen his face. Multiple times.” , “YOU WHAT?”

Complained and sulked about it, “Kakashi Sensei, we’ve trained together for years. How could you?!”

Sakura was confused.

“How? I know he’s probably very handsome under that mask but come on, Y/N, reading smut in public? That’s an absolute no.”

On the contrary, Sasuke was thrilled, internally.

“Yeah. Finally. Old man has someone to annoy besides us. About time.”

He has a pretty bad behavior, too. Unlike Gaara, who’d put an emotionless facade when he’s only in the Kazekage mode, Kakashi would treat you just how he feels like doing it that day. 

Let’s be real, he has so many bottled up feelings inside his heart so it’s not a surprise that someday, somehow, a random painful emotion just hit him— hard, and he shut himself out.

The hospital is the place you immediately visit right after Kakashi’s arrival after a mission because you know he’d be there— reading his book with a few bruises here and there. But this time was a bit different. When he’s hospitalized, he would whine about you not being able to stay more than an hour— but right now you’re puzzled, since he’s been completely silent and avoiding you, answering your questions with a mere shrugs.

Tsunade told you that the mission went pretty well, thanks to Kakashi for eliminating all the enemies on the field, singlehandedly. You automatically knew that it must brought up his past traumas. “Kakashi, it’s not your fault.” you decided to speak, earning a glance from Kakashi, but that’s it. “It’s a mission and you protected all of your comrades!”

“I killed them, Y/N. I didn’t have to, but I did.” he said, with his eyes still glued elsewhere. “Every time I look at my hands, I feel dirty. It reminded me of that—“, “Kakashi, look at me.”

You moved closer to his bed, reaching out your hand and traced your fingers softly on his face. His cheeks were cold, and you could clearly see how he was slightly trembling with teary eyes. “Kakashi, if you didn’t do it— it could’ve been your own comrades. Now they’re safe and sound, thanks to you.”, you paused as he slowly began to move his sight to you. “And if I could meet you way sooner, I would remind you every day that it’s never your fault— it’s never been. You’re a good person, Kakashi. I, and all of us, are forever thankful for the things you’ve done.” you whispered, now wiping a few tears that fell down to his cheeks. A weak smile started to bloom, “I’m forever thankful for you as well, Y/N.”

#naruto #boruto #hatake kakashi #kakashi hatake #kakashi x reader #kakashi x y/n #kakashi headcanons #kakashi imagines #headcanons #kakashi

[aerialflight]

Fic Rec (it's been too long and I read a whole lot of fics)

I've read so many fics these past couple of months and my need to share them to the world has seized me by the throat. Please enjoy and support these fanfic writers! They are the best. XD

-

[Naruto]

Nine-Tailed Foxes are Dead by RowlettLesbian

Ship: Shikamaru/Naruto

For Konoha, it's been one month since the preliminary Chunin exams. For Naruto, it's been six. And he wasn't in Konoha.

At the end of his ordeal, Naruto walks into the Chunin Exam finals without his left arm.

Shikamaru is very concerned. And, eventually, very precious to Naruto as they work together to solve the mysteries of Konoha and bring kindness to the Shinobi world, one adventure at a time.

(I would die for this fic. I know the summary sounds doom and gloom but IT'S NOT. This fic made me fucking cry, I don't think I've ever read a fic that characterized Naruto so right. He's so full of hope and love and develops into the best version of himself and I'm so HERE FOR IT. And it's not just Naruto, Shikamaru is absolutely amazing here along with Kakashi and surprise surprise Ino, I can't BELIEVE it took me this long to stumble across this fic. Also THE WORLDBUILDING IS TO DIE FOR!!! And the plot! Is! So! Interesting! Just, everything about this fic is just amazing so please PLEASE read this!!!)

The End of the Uchiha by RowlettLesbian

Ship: Naruto/Sasuke

“I promise, little electric spirit of this shrine,” he whispered into the soft dirt and fallen leaves, “I will never gain the eyes. I will never pass them on. And I will make sure the eyes end in my brother, so that they can’t hurt anybody anymore. I will be the last Uchiha, and see to the end of the Copy-Wheel Clan. Then all of the hatred here can stop, and my family can rest peacefully. I promise, little shrine.”

Sasuke is more than his brother thinks he is. He's more than any Uchiha has ever been. He will kill his brother, but it will not be vengeance.

It will be mercy.

(Same author as the one above, they are the gift that keeps on giving. Seriously, HOW did I NEVER FIND THESE FICS before now??? One of life's greatest mysteries. The author's sense of humor is so on point here along with the atmospheric writing that's so vivid in the mind. Their writing style is so recognizable to me now and makes me fall into the world they're creating, it's stunning. Sasuke here makes me want to hug him and the idea of him living like a feral ghibli character has me LIVING. Check the tags of the fic, all of it is true, hand to god. Please give all of the author's fics a shot, it's a rabbit hole I'm thankful I fell into!)

mil fantasmas (gritan en calma) by LegaciesandMemories

Post-Tsukuyomi, something in Uchiha Sasuke's mind shatters. The same night, Yamanaka Ino falls asleep and doesn't wake up for 15 days.

---

In which Ino and Sasuke both wake from the aftermath of the Uchiha Massacre with the ability to see ghosts, and no one is prepared for the fallout.

(This fic has arrested my curiosity and eagerness to know what will happen next. These poor kids need so many hugs and Ino is getting the spotlight she deserves. I am so excited for this fic and what it has in store! Please read! XD)

Lichtenberg Figures by Asteroid_Duck (JustThatOneGirl1815)

Name: Kakashi Hatake Rank: Jounin Status: Missing Nin Missing Since: June 15th, 271 AD Note: Flee on Sight . . . Haburashi looked his team in the eyes— three, fresh out of the Academy genin— and resolved to teach them as best as he could. And right now, his lesson was simple: “Stay. Away. From. Kakashi. Hatake.”

(Dimension travel fic with a slice of Kakashi being an absolute troll and dealing with the shitty hand he's been dealt with. Seriously, the man has the worst luck in all of Konoha. Also, the mystery of the other Kakashi's history has me leaning by the edge of my seat, I need to know.)

The Governess by Ysmirel

Ship: Kakashi/OFC

"“What,” he finally asked, “is so funny?”

Ibara bit her lower lip to keep the chuckles in, still smiling and making absolutely no effort to get more space between them, seemingly perfectly at ease within reach of a trained shinobi. Her self-control wasn't all that good, as she ended up snorting and was overcame once again by another fit of laughter. “I just- It's just-” She struggled to speak, trying to catch her breath and wiping away tears of mirth with the hand that wasn't still holding onto his vest. Finally, she looked him in the eye and said, with a smile that was all teeth and without a hint of her previous drunken stupor, “and who's going to believe you?”

As he stood there, stunned by her words and change in demeanor, he realized with dawning horror that she was right."

In which Kakashi finds himself at the other end of the troll shtick, and he doesn't appreciate it all that much.

(It's so hard to find self-insert fics with a fresh concept these days, especially in the naruto fandom. Not that I don't enjoy and devour a lot of self insert fics like it's going out of style, but it's just so nice to find something new and shiny and really damn good. I'm so pumped for this fic and how it's going to develop so please join me in rooting for this fic!)

half a league (until the valley of death) by SpectersShadow117

Kakashi can think of no reason for Sasuke's inexplicable and drastic change in behavior. He doesn't like the desperate, haunted gleam in his student's eyes, and he also doesn't like the nagging feeling that he's missing something very important. Aka: Future Sasuke goes to Past Sasuke and gives him a reality check with Specific Intentions, but as with most Uchiha, his methods leave much to be desired. (Featuring: Childhood trauma FTW, Konoha's shitty care of orphans, and absolutely no one having a fun time.)

(Sasuke wanting to change the future out of complete and utter spite has me LIVING. Sasuke is such a Mess here and the twist on the time travel premise is so good and the kid is so Traumatized and Desperate and Not Having A Good Time. Naruto and Sakura developing as better ninjas and Kakashi trying his best makes me want to scream. Also, how Sasuke thinks about Itachi makes me want to cackle. I am 100% down for this. I am rooting for this kid, go get them! XD)

-

[Harry Potter]

fruit loops in time (circle around me) by justprompts

Ships: Harry/Draco, Remus/Sirius

"This is Crabbe, and Goyle," the blonde boy says, pointing at the two boys next to him. "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Ma - "

Ron laughs, and Malfoy immediately bristles.

"Think my name's funny, do you?" Malfoy says, angrily. "No need to ask yours - "

"You're honestly so cute," Ron interrupts, yet again, shaking his head. "So tiny. And so angry, all the time. It's adorable."

Alternatively Ron Weasley, Time Traveller Extraordinaire, is stuck in the same seven year Hogwarts Loop, repeating the same thing over and over again. Naturally, he's so done with everything.

(This is the greatest hp fic I've ever read. I LOVE RON WEASLEY and by the time you read this fic SO WILL YOU!! This is the fic I WISH I have the ability to write. I read this entire fic aloud to my brother and we spent literal hours howling and talking about how utterly insane and incredible this fic is, it's amazing. This is hands down my favorite Ron Weasley. You Can Pry This Fic From My Cold Dead Fingers.)

-

[Boku no Hero Academia]

Kacchan's Cult by Ourliazo

Pro Hero Ground Zero is attacked, originally meant to be de-aged out of existence by a desperate villain but is instead launched into his 14-year-old self.

But Katsuki is a fucking pro so whatever, time to fuck up someone's day. And sure, maybe he's only one man, but that's why he conscripts the entirety of the UA student body into tearing down some criminal empires.

(It's time travel, crack, and Bakugou being his usual explody, competent self. What more in life do you want? Seriously though, please read. I'm obsessed with this fic and having a Good Time!)

Cleaning Crew; Teaching Kids to Value their Safety, for Fun and Profit by Reavv

Takenaka Hideo is a thirty-two year old, in mild desperation for money, who has just been hired as a new janitor for UA's support staff. He has a quirk that lets him find lost objects, a liaison with the police because of it, and desperate desire for competent co-workers.

Oh, and he's already lived a previous life, in a world where quirks and heroes didn't even exist.

Not a big deal, though. It's not like you ever see the janitor playing a big part in action movies. He's here to get paid, and that's it.

On the opposite side of the equation, class 1-A has to wonder at the new UA cryptid that always seems to show up when things are on fire, and who keeps trying to convince them to let the adults handle the fire extinguisher.

(A great deal of fun packed into one fic. That is how I title this fic and nothing will change my mind! Hideo just wants to quietly do his job and not get in the way. I Relate. Please read!)

Poltergeist by WriterGreenReads

Class 1-A is haunted.

Well, not really.

I AM dead, though.

World's friendliest poltergeist, at your service.

(I don't know how I got so sucked into OC fics, but I found some fantastic fics along the way so I have no regrets. The author really tries to push the premise and I just love all the interactions and dynamics that form as the fic gets further in. And the OC character and all the hijinks they get up to cracks me up! At the same time, it's pretty heartwarming and it's practically a friendships galore fic! Definitely recommend it!)

invincible by supercrunch for Engrin

Ship: Bakugou/Midoriya

This is the way the world works: the sun rises in the east. The strong come out on top. Bakugou Katsuki rockets through life like a comet and Midoriya Izuku stumbles after. If he believed in such things Katsuki would say it was written in the stars. That some god of war had looked at him and said this one. That he’d been passed along a line to get his blessings – genius, willpower, fearless ambition – and dropped off on earth.

Then, of course, there is the question of Deku. The spitfire runt. Deku, no matter what the world does to him, never stops hoping.

Until, of course, he eventually does.

(Katsuki broke him. Snapped him in half like a twig and now has to scramble to put Deku back together. “We can do this, Deku," he says slowly. "There are so many mysteries that never got put to bed. Criminals roaming around looking to hurt people and you and me, we can fix that.”

There’s a long pause. The comforter slips a little off Deku’s skinny shoulders and drowns him. “You mean like a team?”

In that split second, Katsuki makes a decision he’s never even considered. He swallows his pride. “Yeah, Deku. We’d be a team.”)

(If there was any other way canon could've gone, this is the story I would've wanted. It's perfect.)

Inadvertent Wilderness Therapy by Cacid

Following an unfortunate encounter with a teleporter on the last day of internships, Bakugou Katsuki and Hakamata Tsunagu spend some quality time in northern Canada.

In no particular order they will: build ugly survival shelters, stalk rabbits, run from polar bears, reflect on the chemical composition of trees, insult each other, and complain about krumholtz.

(THESE TWO. TOGETHER. IN THE WILDERNESS. IN FUCKING CANADA OF ALL PLACES. I still can't believe this fic actually exists and just how INVESTED I became in their relationship. Blue Jeanist instantly became my favorite ranked hero with this fic alone. HIS SENSE OF HUMOR IS TERRIBLE, I LOVE HIM SO MUCH FNIEWOPAF. BAKUGOU DOES TOO. IT'S FUCKING INCREDIBLE. *incoherent screeching into the wild*)

-

[Stranger Things]

Baci D'aria by RabbitDarling

“Love is worth the sum of itself, and nothing more.” ― Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic

Steve learned a lot at his Aunt's side before she passed but his favourite thing she taught him was baci d'aria; special little spells that you created from the heart and put into the food you shared.

In opening his heart and gifts to those around him Steve slowly finds himself a family in a way he never thought he'd get to experience. One by One he collects pre-teens to trail in his wake like ducklings and Steve can't even refute it by the time he realizes what has happened.

(This fic is so soft and Steve is just collecting people and winning them over with his magical food (literally). I am always a sucker for heartwarming, good for the soul fics so if you want to make yourself hungry and feel all warm and gooey inside, read this!)

(Don't Fear) The Reaper by TeaFourTwo

Ship: Steve/Billy

He looks down at the blood on his hands and on the floor and wonders why the memory hasn’t broken yet, why he isn’t back in Starcourt mall with control of his body again, wonders if he's even still alive at all. Is this hell then? Or perhaps purgatory? It certainly isn’t heaven, that’s for sure. None of this makes any sense…but then what's new—nothing in Billy’s life makes sense anymore.

Billy laughs then, loud and long and unhinged. It's the only sound in the whole house, and it bounces off the walls like a fucked up echo, like the world is laughing with him.

“Jesus christ you’re insane…” It’s Max’s voice and it’s shaking. It only makes Billy laugh harder, because Max has it all wrong. Billy isn’t crazy, it’s the rest of the world that’s insane.

--

Billy dies a hero of sorts. He wakes up back in his bed on Saturday morning, the third of November, 1984...nearly nine months earlier.

(Billy is stuck in a time loop and it's slowly driving him crazy. And the fic shows just how much influence Billy did have in the plot and how doomed the world is without him in it. Great character exploration with Billy's character and all the ways he's so messy and human. Definitely recommend it!)

-

[Knives Out]

The Road Less Traveled By by UisceOneLove

Ship: Marta/Ransom

If Harlan wants to leave Ransom to be on his own, fine. He'll show him just what Ransom Drysdale is capable of.

or, where Ransom chooses to prove his abilities through means of the non-homicidal variety and finds himself becoming exactly what Harlan was hoping he would.

(I found this fic out of sheer chance and god, Ransom is just, so fascinating to me as a character. Marta of course is the Best here and I will forever stan her. Seriously, this is such a good fic! Please read!)

-

[Haikyuu!!]

Sky Full of Stars by grilledsquids

The Hinatas are twins. They're practically identical.

But while Shouyou seeks out Karasuno's volleyball team to become the next Little Giant, Natsu is scouted to to play soccer for Shiratorizawa. While Shouyou sets his eyes on playing volleyball at the highest level possible, his sister wonders how much longer she can play soccer... and if it's worth it to keep going.

A Natsu-centric story featuring: Shiratorizawa VBC shenanigans, too many soccer OCs, mild teenage drama, a little bit of plot, and Semi Eita not knowing what a period is.

(It's just!! So cute and wholesome!!! The Shiratorizawa volleyball team is so fleshed out along with the OC characters for the girl's soccer team and I swear, it's been a long while since I've laughed this much at the sheer shenanigans that happen in a fic. It's surprisingly hard to find good gen fics in this fandom so finding this gem made me so happy! If you want a fic that brings a smile to your face, read this!!)

like water by speakingincode

Ship: Oikawa/Kageyama

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi says, and when Tooru looks at him, he can read My best friend’s an idiot off the crease of his eyebrows. “Are you telling me you spent the last three years weirdly obsessed with Kageyama – I still remember the time you made us play him on a dumb whim, you know – and now you’re at his beck and call? Are you okay? What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I’m— I’m not at his beck and call! I said no last week. It’s… It’s like you said. I get bored easily. I saw him at the park a couple weeks after they played Nationals and called him a perfect little tyrant, and he pestered me into spending time with him after,” Tooru says. “I’m not a monster, Iwa-chan. If he wants the company of his cool, handsome ex-upperclassman that badly, who am I to begrudge him?”

Or: Oikawa doesn't know why Kageyama keeps asking to meet him on Saturdays. He also doesn't know why he keeps saying yes.

(The fact this fic is canon-compliant and covers post-canon too makes me want to shout to the heavens. Fucking incredible! One of the best Oikakage fics ever and it's a crime how it's not at the top of the ship tag. Please please read!!)

twist into your shape by kakkoweeb

Ship: Oikawa/Kageyama

The only thing better than sweets were sweets containing paper that told you whether your future would be good or bad--or in Kageyama and Oikawa's case, paper that somehow caused you to live inside each other's bodies.

(Everyone probably already read this fic but it needs to be said, you need to read this fic. How these two try and manage each other's lives and slowly start to care about one another is so beautiful and sincere and I am ready to wrestle anyone to the floor and comply them into reading this fic. Doesn't matter if you like the ship, you will become a fan if you read it, I promise. Please please read!!)

Take the Long Road Home by pepperfield

Ship: Kuroo/Sawamura

When Azumane Asahi goes missing before his engagement meeting with Kozume Kenma, what other option is there but for Daichi to impersonate his brother and fake his way through a first date with Asahi's fiance?

Okay, let's be realistic - there were probably at least four other options.

Unfortunately, Tetsurou couldn't come up with any of them either, so now he's here flirting with Kenma's future husband while trying to keep his web of deceit from collapsing.

It's going to be an eventful day.

(I got obsessed with this ship alongside Oikakage and SO WILL YOU. THE POTENTIAL. THE BANTER. THE FACT THEY'RE BOTH DORKS AND THE FIC HAS IDENTITY SHENANIGANS DANCING ALL OVER IT!! I had so much fun reading this and these two are MEANT TO BE FENIWPAF. If you don't see the potential of this ship, you will now.)

a misunderstanding a day keeps the boyfriend away by bartallen for betuls

Ship: Kuroo/Sawamura

Kuroo doesn’t fall in love hard and fast like many others do – he falls slowly, and very very softly. Most of the times he doesn’t even realise he’s in love with someone until it’s too late.

(Kuroo is the dumbest man alive and I've never related to someone so hard in my life. God help me.)

You like me. by roseknight

Ship: Daishou/Kuroo

Kuroo nearly lived a Daishou-free life, and sometimes he looked back and wondered how much better and how much worse that would've been.

(I didn't even know who Daishou was until I read this fic and now I can't unsee the potential this ship has. I'm a ruined woman and I regret NOTHING.)

Kings of the Road, Kings of the Universe by EzzyDean

Eight magical captains, one bus, an entire summer (and country) waiting for them.

What could possibly go wrong?

(The magic of friendship meets the magic of a summer road trip meets pure magic.)

(CAPTAIN SQUAD IS THE BEST SQUAD SOMEBODY PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SEND ME SOME CAPTAIN SQUAD FICS I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS SQUAD IT'S A PROBLEM AAAAHHHHHH!)

宿縁 : See You Soon by MissKiraBlue

Ship: Oikawa/Kageyama

Upon arriving at the train station of death, an impure soul is granted a second chance at life against his will. Reincarnating into the body of Kageyama Tobio, a 15-year-old boy who recently committed suicide. Tobio's soul will depart at death and the soul needs to slip in to replace it. If the soul's reformation succeeds, he’ll reenter the cycle of rebirth and regain the right to be reborn. He will have three months to accomplish this task.

“Even though you had enough of life,” the soul whispered into the void of the room, “you were still afraid to hurt your hands, Tobio.”

Afraid of giving himself a scar, if he survived.

He touched his pulse and grasped life and couldn’t help but pity Kageyama Tobio.

"You wanted to die and now I’m here making you live again," he whispered into the night.

(I'm not even exaggerating when I say out of all the fics in this entire goddamn, too long list, this is the fic I'm anticipating and heart eyeing the most. It's only starting, but I already cried on chapter fucking 2, the power of this fic, holy shit. The author also wrote the hq time loop Every Tomorrows series, which I have an undying love for and am full on praying for the day it updates, so you KNOW this fic will be just as good. (Anybody who hasn't read this series, where the hell have you been?? Read it!!) Just, everything about this fic hurts me and something in my chest just aches when I read this fic. Go into it blind with an open heart and I swear to you, it's going to change your life. I'm already calling it. Seriously though, please please read!)

-

[Crossover]

Learning to Fly by Asteroid_Duck (JustThatOneGirl1815)

Fandoms: Boku no Hero Academia, Naruto

The number three hero is a walking (well, flying) contradiction in every sense of the word. This includes his teaching skills. Why had Tokoyami agreed to this internship again? Oh right. He’d thought he was actually going to learn something. …….remind him to never be so optimistic again. . . . OR, Kakashi Hatake is reincarnated as the pro hero, Hawks. Tokoyami Fumikage suffers as a result.

(The reincarnation fic I never thought I needed and it's so good!! I've never really paid attention to Tokoyami and this fic sent me headfirst into loving him. Their dynamic is so interesting and I just love how their relationship develops. Also, Kakashi trolling the poor kid made me cackle, it's great! Definitely recommend it!)

Si Vis Pacem by athenoot

Fandoms: Boku no Hero Academia, John Wick

Everything has a price. That's what John has always known and will forever remember, even in death.

Which is pretty ironic considering his current circumstance.

Instead of a grown, scarred, weary body belonging to a man as cruel and broken as him, he's inhabiting a younger, smaller, unblemished one belonging to a child with strangely colored hair, and is living in what seems to be a superhuman society.

Well. May it never be said that John isn't a strategist. He can live with this. Maybe.

(Somewhere out there in the universe, he's certain he could hear the laughter of his enemies from beyond the grave.)

-

Or: John Wick is reincarnated as Midoriya Izuku. The world should probably watch its back.

(This should be one of the crackiest fics I've read in a while, but it's taken so seriously and I'm so HERE FOR THIS. John Wick being John Wick in a world of quirks and heroes is the GREATEST, honestly, he's so badass. Bakugou, I feel for you, you must be so fucking confused lol. Bakugou trying his best to be a good friend is one of the best things about this fic. Trust me, this fic will make your day, promise!)

A Girl's Mind is a Dangerous Place by clenastia

Fandoms: Naruto, Fairy Tail

Natsu wakes up in Sakura's body. It only gets worse from there. Also known as: In Which Natsu has No Idea what to do with Boobs.

(I binged this in two fucking days, I couldn't put it down. This fic reminded me why I liked fairy tail when I was younger and why Natsu is honestly such a great protagonist, god. And the fic does that thing, you know, the Thing where when two worlds collide, the characters struggle to acclimate and adapt to a completely another world with different rules and mindsets against their own. This fic is seriously one of the best when it comes to that aspect, it's incredible. I am going absolutely feral over here for this fic to update, I'm waiting in the wings, ready to pounce like a tiger, all the metaphors man. For the love of god, read this fic.)

Give me a landscape made of obstacles by Melise

Fandoms: Naruto, Natsume's Book of Friends

Kakashi Hatake isn’t who he says he is.

Because the truth is that he’s actually a youkai in disguise, a wolf spirit named Madara who stumbled across the Hatake clan during the Warring States Period. Intrigued by the shinobi he saw, he’d proposed a temporary alliance in which he would offer the clan protection in exchange for their teachings.

Decades later, Madara is surprised to find himself inadvertently summoned to Konoha by the last living member of the Hatake clan. Sakumo Hatake, who is mourning the recent deaths of his wife and stillborn child, doesn’t want to be alone anymore. So with his permission, Madara takes the place of Sakumo’s deceased son in order to watch over the last Hatake.

(Fusion in which the youkai of Natsume’s Book of Friends all exist in the Naruto world. No knowledge of Natsume’s Book of Friends required).

(Before this fic, I only had a very vague idea of what Natsume's Book of Friends was, and honestly, I still don't know much about it. But I didn't really need to know to get into this fic. I love the worldbuilding and the relationships Kakashi forms, both supernatural and mortal. I love how Kakashi's inhumane ways affect others around him, whether to stress them out or become used to the strange. You can go straight into this fic without knowing anything and absolutely still have a fantastic time. I definitely recommend this so please read!)

#Fanfiction #AO3 #Fic Rec #Fic Rec List #Naruto #Harry Potter #Boku no Hero Academia #Stranger Things #Knives Out #Haikyuu!! #Crossover #John Wick #Fairy Tail #Natsume's Book of Friends

[char-lotteral]

I agree with Kishimoto never trying to use the girls. The hate they get is not fair. I used to defend Sakura back in the days because I hoped kishi would do her justice. When shippuden started I WAS SO HAPPY because I thought this was the start of something great for Sakura and the girls but NOOOOO. Every time, Sasuke showed kishi turned her brainless. If you compare Naruto's actions and Sakura's actions to sasuke, you'd see they're completely different. What's up with that weird fake love confession scene 😭? It makes her look like she was manipulating Naru. JEEZ.

Also he literally had badass Tenten and Temari with cool useful abilities and he didn't use them ?! TF ?! Thank god for modern authors who treat their characters with respect :)

okay2 you know how i am with these longass rants so click readmore and brace yourselves

The way I see it, Sakura's character development in shippuden was always one step forward, two steps back. She gets this really badass scene (like her fight with Sasori and those cool ass medical skills) but is then regressed back into a pining girl in love every time Sauce is on screen or Kishi just throws her in the background YET AGAIN.

I love Sakura's abilities actually. Her brute strength, intelligence, vast knowledge and skill as a medic nin. But what I dislike about her character is how kishi handled her feelings for Sasuke. Naruto and Sakura's obsession with Sasuke was so???? huh??? it was so damn toxic and i never once understood why both Nardo and Sak were so obsessed with him. They were a team for one year???? I mean its great that they care about him alot but Sauce's feelings were kinda valid. His freakin clan died. Id go batshit crazy against my own village too. BUT BESIDES THAT. Both Nart and Sakura's Sasuke obsession was so annoying. 80% of shippuden was literally Keeping up with the Uchihas or Naruto yelling SASUKEH. BUT what irks me so much is the fandom's double standards with both Naruto and Sakura. "Oh Sakura shouldve gotten over her Sasuke obsession" but then turn around and call Naruto's obsession cute and gush about how he's so in love with him!!

Hot take but the only reason why sasunaru is "the most developed ship with the most chemistry" is because theyre both male characters.

I guarantee you if Naruto was a girl and SHE would be the one to have this unhealthy obsession who was chasing around Sasuke, the fandom would shit on Naruto just as much. And if Sasuke were a girl, Sauce would be sidelined like the rest of the female cast and Naruto would have another male character to have a "brotherly bond" with, because thats the only bond Kishimoto is actually good at developing. Yey for male characters having all the screentime and cool assets <333

And about that confession scene, I get her intentions. I really do. I understand that she did that in order to bring him home and that she cares about him but honey, w-why?? Why lie to him about your feelings?? Supposed he DID believe her, then what? then what kishi???? huh??? Some of her fans point the blame on Sai or whatever but I personally dont see why that scene was at all necessary. Maybe to establish Naruto's feelings for her wasnt all that serious? or his maturity? idk man. That scene was such a clusterfuck.

In the end her development in The Last and in Boruto was immaculate. She had one of the best glow ups in the old gen and ironically enough, her character wasn't butchered in Boruto. She got badass scenes she was cheated from in shippuden. I also love how she's finally getting the spotlight she deserves. Unlike the other konoha 12 :,)))

Okay onto the next female character that Kishi completely wasted. My baby. My light. 🙈 AAAHHH HINATAA.

I DONT EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN OKAY2 DEEP BREATHS.

Let me just establish this real quick. Hinata's goal was to get stronger because of Naruto, her goal was never to be with Naruto. She wanted to become someone who is worthy enough to stand beside him, someone whom he can consider as an equal, as a partner. She NEVER once said "marrying Naruto-kun is my all time goal UwU" (if youre one of those weirdos who interpret her character that way, youre immediately invalid, go take a hike)

I personally dont have anything against their crushes but to the point of making their personalities revolve around these guys every time theyre onscreen is so fucking frustrating. And with the way he writes their dialogues is so.damn.cringey. Like that one scene in the war arc with Tsunade and Madara

"I mAy bE a WomAn but I aM nOt WeAAKKKK"

BAAHAHAAHHA WHAT?? Everyone else gets coolass monologues and one liners but thats the best you can come up with Kishi?????? Hilarious.

If im being honest. Hinata's character is actually kinda well written. Not well executed. Dear God no. But with the way he set her story, her personality, her chracterization. She's honestly one of the best written female characters on the show. IMO. By Kishi's standards of writing women ofc. She's hands down one of the most complex characters. Her shy personality wasnt out of the blue, it wasnt a cutesy waifu trait. Her abusive upbringing made her that way. Her trauma turned her that way. So yeah, sue her if she looked up to Naruto as an inspiration when everyone else in her family treated her like dust. Shit on her for having Naruto's love light in her dark when her own damn father wouldnt even look her in the eye and her entire clan shunned her because she was "weak." She doesnt owe her family shit so idgaf what they do with the Hyuga clan. Neji and Hanabi aren't included btw

Im not gonna deny that her role in the show was only as the love interest but tbh for a love interest, Im glad her character wasnt so one dimensional. It just pains me SO MUCHHH how fucking wasted she is. Every time she's with Naruto, they always make her into a damsel in distress. They always feel the need to turn Naruto into the heroic prince. How cute.

LIKE THAT ONE SCENE IN THE LAST WHERE SHE'S THROWN IN THE CAGE?? WHY??? LET NARUTO AND HINA FIGHT THAT FREAKING ALIEN GOD TOGETHER. QUIT WITH THE TOXIC MASCULINITY. WE GET IT. NARUTO'S STRONG. GOOD FOR HIM. NOW LETS SEE HINATA THROW HANDS AND PUT NARUTO IN THE CAGE GODAMMIT

Hnggggg dont get me started with her role in Boruto. She's as relevant as a damn houseplant in the manga. They made her into an invisible trophy wife and "the mc's mother" and we all KNOW what happens to the shounen mc's mother once mc is in need of character development :) Quit putting her in the background. Give us that scene where she won against Hanabi DESPITE being retired for years. Give us that scene where she trains Boruto. GIVE US ANY FIGHT SCENE OF HER WHERE HER POTENTIAL ISNT WASTED WTF?¿

Now if you say that Hinata didnt have development. YOURE INVALID. She came from an abusive household, the shyest girl in her class, her insecurities got in the way of her own confidence, had difficulty of standing up for herself now became a loving mother of two, has the guts to kick her husband out of the house(with whom she couldnt even keep eye contact with when she was a kid) became the strongest hyuga, most supportive wife and mother, and has given her kids the comforting childhood she never had as a kid.

She has one of the most beautiful stories in the show and if you think her personality is only Naruto-kun and big boobs, then im sorry that you cant appreciate such a heartwarming story.

And I agree, killing her would honestly make me feel more at ease than continue to see her suffer because of godawful misogynistic writers. But at least let her die in an epic fight. Please. PLEASEE. She got nerfed so bad, i feel a physical pain every time i think about it

Okay what else. I think Ino got pretty good development. Another wasted potential in shippuden but she's doing good for herself in Boruto. I dont know what Temari is up to. They basically made her into another classic angry mom who beats up her husband for comedy trope. Haha very funny and original! Im not sure with her career, im not that invested in the anime.

Tenten??

oh G O D Tenten. The dirtiest of all. Her jokes about her screentime is so mean and i hate that its true ahsjhs. She was the only female character in OG who's goal wanted to be as strong as Tsunade but what did Kishi do to her?? Sidelined. Forgotten. Irrelevant. Like every damn female on the show :D

Konan shouldnt have died. I blame plot armor. I know in my heart that Konan wouldve kicked Obito's ass if it weren't for Kishi's boomer mindset.

Tsunade had so much hype when she was introduced but died down in the war arc. Madara wiped the floor with the kages. Holy shit. Not only that, but yipee! Naruto is there to save the day AGAIN!!!!

AND UGHHHH If the female characters were given proper treatment then maybe MAYBE all the endgame couples wouldve made fucking sense????¿¿¿

I think that ends my rant. Im not sure how the female characters in Boruto are handled. Except maybe Sarada (she's pretty well executed in the manga imo). But arguably they are sooo much better handled in Boruto than how the old gen girls were. And thats because Kishi isnt anywhere near the new gen female cast. I cant formulate a solid opinion with the other new gen female cast since im not entirely invested in the anime. Not ashamed to admit that I only watch it for the sunshine moments and for Hinata :DD

#and *scene #salty char.txt #char complains about Naruto AGAIN #yey #please end my suffering #i need to leave this fandom what am i still doing here #naruto #day 202 of WTF KISHI #i think i got that out of my system

[grimmjowkurosakidrake]

Losing

Summary: Part four of my Time travel fic: The end is were we begin

Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Sasuke

Lenght: 2,118 Words

Warnings: Some angst, mentions of the curse of hatred as well as mentions of Sasuke not feeling good enough for Sakura.

Quick disclaimer: This chapter was commissioned by the always great @birkastan2018​  who actually helped me to fix my grammar and turning points on the fics!! on my commissions blog @witcheswritings​ !

Previous Itachi and Shisui are waiting for them at the gates of Konoha when they come back. Both are genuinely smiling as they prepare to greet Sasuke and his team.

Back in his timeline, Itachi only wore his Anbu uniform or simple training pants coupled with the customary high collared shirt most of their clan wore on a regular basis. Itachi was never carefree about anything and his clothes were no exception.

Sometimes, if he puts his mind to it, Sasuke can remember with vivid clarity how his older brother used to like sweets but didn’t eat them as much as he should; how he liked festivals but rarely attended any; how he enjoyed playing with the cats roaming around the compound but wasn’t able to spend time just wandering around their home.

Now Itachi has his own cat. A fat, old, female cat named Hime that never plays with him but always purrs when he strokes the sides of her face.

Now, Sasuke can always find his brother drinking tea and eating dango at his favorite shop when he’s not at the compound or the police precinct.

Now he wears colorful and comfortable yukatas almost everyday.

Today he’s wearing a silk, bright blue yukata embroidered with beautiful designs of delicately embroidered gold half moons and waves.

By his side, Shisui is wearing his Anbu uniform. But seeing their placid smiles and the way his cousin’s hand rests on Itachi’s shoulders without care, Sasuke can appreciate how happy and free they’ve become ever since they ended the ongoing feud between the Uchiha and the rest of Konoha.

Sasuke smiles at them, but otherwise tries not to overreact at the sight of his beloved brother (he still has his pride after all).  The days of following his brother around like a puppy are supposed to be behind him.

Naruto is not quite as prideful.

“Itachi-nii!” screams the blond, eagerly running in the direction of the older Uchiha.  He looks small next to the two imposing young adults, though not nearly as malnourished as he looked back in the day. His clothes fit him now and his once bony wrists aren’t as delicate. He’s healthy, not as raggedy looking as before.

A good family can do that to you.  And Naruto’s not the only one who is different. Itachi’s eye bags aren’t as prominent even if he still has wrinkles to show for the years of sleep deprivation he suffered in the past. Shisui’s smile is just as cocky as he remembers, even with the black eyepatch he wears now after Danzo stole his eye from him. 

Sometimes, even Sasuke can admit that his own smile is different than before.  His eyes are softer now; they’re not as sharp and full of hatred. The smiles he can offer now are more genuine than the smiles he could offer to his wife back in his timeline.

Thoughts like this never fail to consume him with guilt when he remembers the brother who put his happiness over his own health, the friend who obsessed over having him near even at the cost of the goals that helped him overcome his neglectful upbringing, and the girl that loved him even when he couldn’t love himself.

Even when he couldn’t return her love like she deserved.

This is why he can’t go back.  This is why he can’t ever regret what he did. 

This is for the best. This is how they will be happy.

“Naruto!” Shisui excitedly plants both of his hands firmly on the blond’s shoulder. “First mission, huh? Did you grow taller?” Naruto beams proudly at this, straightening his back to try and show off his full height.

Which is ridiculous, because he’s still shorter than even Sakura. His head still doesn’t reach Shisui’s collarbones, but Sasuke can see what his cousin means.

Waves represents a turning point in the life of the boy who will become Hokage one day. The moment he stopped being just a rambunctious orphan child running amok through the village that despised him and started to become an actual shinobi.

One who’s seen death, mourned the loss of a dear friend, and even if it was for just a moment - one who’s been made aware of his own weaknesses.

One who’s witnessed the horrors of the shinobi world firsthand and still decided to come back stronger and as eager as ever to become the leader of an entire shinobi village. 

The same could not have been said for Sasuke, back then. Waves for Sasuke was nothing but another point of proof that he was weak.  It just gave him another reason to train harder.

The thought of training has him considering their female teammate. Seeing Sakura now, she actually looks smaller. Perhaps she feels shy in the presence of the Uchiha clan heads, maybe uncomfortable at being the only one who doesn’t know Itachi or Shisui. As smart as she always is, he’s sure she’s noticed the familiarity between Naruto, Kakashi and his family.

Or, maybe she’s just ashamed of her lack of growth back in Waves. 

After all, she couldn’t do anything other than watch as her teammates risked their lives fighting an S-class missing-nin, standing in the sidelines with the man they were supposed to protect.

Sasuke then decides he can’t hold back when it comes to her growth. 

He loves her just as he did back in his timeline and he wants her to be happy.  He is planning to become a man worthy of being introduced to her parents as a loving boyfriend, and not the traitor who whisked her away from home one day.

Kizashi didn’t like him, Sakura’s mother didn’t either and Tsunade absolutely loathed him.

According to them, he was cold, cruel and not worth a loving bright girl who would do anything to see him happy. In fact, the only two people who ever supported their blooming relationship were Naruto and Sakura herself.

He’s working on loving her more openly now. But the psychotic, still cursed on love and hatred part of his soul, needs her to become stronger, less vulnerable.

Sasuke is an Uchiha, after all, and a part of his soul still carries the curse of hatred.  He knows he couldn’t take it if he lost her somehow.  

He wants her to reach her full potential. He needs her to become the woman able to break mountains, to receive a katana to the gut and just regenerate around it.  

 Her death would destroy him, just like Rin’s death destroyed Obito. He needs to make sure that doesn’t happen.

“Ah, Itachi-sama, Shisui-san” drawls Kakashi, referring to his former Anbu protégés with the formality their titles deserve.

Even when his voice doesn’t sound as respectful, and his eyes planted on his obvious porn book show everything but interest in the two men.

“Kakashi-senpai,” smiles Itachi pleasantly, “Please, just call me Itachi. I’m not the head of the Uchiha right now, just a brother interested in his younger sibling’s first mission.”

“Yeah!” hollers Shisui with enthusiasm. “But who would have thought that little Sasuke would end up on a genin team with his best friend, our former Anbu senpai and…” He stops, gaze falling right on Sakura.

There’s confusion in his eyes. Sasuke understands, as she doesn’t resemble any clan in their village. She could be a foreigner, but no Hokage would allow an outsider to be on a team with the heir of the Uchiha and the Kyuubi child.

So Sasuke makes the introduction.  “This is Sakura Haruno. The one who always beat me at written exams back at the academy.”

Itachi smirks knowingly at his words. 

Those were some dark days for him. When he thought his experience as a Shinobi back in his own timeline was enough to get him perfect grades and yet he was being bested time and time again by a little civilian girl.

He brooded quite a lot.

Shisui never paid much attention to his childish mood swings though, so he’s not aware of his little cousin’s Academy rival.  “Haruno? I’m not quite sure I recognize that clan…”

“It’s a civilian family,” she answers, her small hands holding onto the edges of her dress. “My parents run a bakery.  They opened it when dad couldn’t advance any further up the shinobi ranks.” 

Sakura blushes from her neck to her ears when the older man’s eyes don’t leave her even after that shameful disclosure. 

“The Haruno bakery? Just a few houses down from the Yamanaka flower shop?”

She silently nods.

“Oh!”  Shisui grins widely in recognition. “They have great curry bread there!” He sighs dreamily as if thinking of those savory buns, which eases Sakura’s nerves.

“You must be very skilled,” adds Itachi, “to be put on a team under Kakashi Hatake.”

“Not really,” sighs the pink haired girl dejectedly. “I’m just lucky.”

Naruto scoffs. “Don’t say that, Sakura-chan!” he cries, forcefully cradling Sakura’s face. His lack of respect for any kind of personal boundaries are well known to everyone. “Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei are lucky to have us! I mean, look at us, we fought one of the seven swordsmen and we won! We should be celebrating! Right?” He looks between the Uchiha men and his teacher.

“Of course!” agrees Shisui, easily excited and always hungry. “How about we go out to eat something? Our treat, to celebrate little Sasuke’s first mission.”

“I shouldn’t.” Sakura hesitates with uncertainty in her green eyes. “I should be training,” she says as an afterthought, as she peeks at Sasuke. “I couldn’t do anything to help on our mission.”

“That isn’t tru-” Naruto tries to object, but he’s swiftly interrupted.

“She’s right.” 

Naruto fumes at their teammate’s sharp response, but Sasuke holds firm with his own cold stare before turning to Sakura. “You need to train more. We may not be there the next time you face enemies as strong as Zabuza and Haku.” 

Sasuke knows he’s not planning to leave her. But what comes after the Uchiha massacre was stopped is uncertain terrain. 

The Akatsuki, Madara, Obito, even Orochimaru are more of a threat than they were before because now they’re unknown elements. Sasuke doesn’t know how his actions thus far have changed this timeline going forward, and he can’t leave Sakura’s life at fate’s hands.

“Foolish little brother,” sighs Itachi. “Training after a mission, tired and disheartened won’t do her any good.”  He moves near the girl to place a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Come on, Haruno-san. Even if you’ve lost, you’re still alive and that’s all that matters. You should eat; you could use the energy.”

“We didn’t lose, though” corrects Naruto, crossing his arms and closing his eyes in confusion.

“Sakura-chan did,” clarifies Shisui, his usually flirtatious expression now serious, “She couldn’t help her teammates, because she wasn’t strong enough,” he states bluntly. “Isn’t that right, Sakura-chan?”

He’s smiling, but it’s not a particularly nice nor friendly smile.

“I did,” she realizes. “I did lose.” But then, with greater resolve, she steels herself and bows to her team. “I’m sorry Naruto, Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke-kun! I won’t fail you next time!”

Naruto grins widely and Kakashi smiles through his mask, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. Probably mourning the misfortune of being assigned such passionate young children as his first genin team.

They always crash and burn after all. Time and time again, both love and passion had only proven to be followed by tragedy.

Sasuke just hides his face behind his bangs, still not sure how to react when it comes to the brilliant, resilient girl he’s only now getting to know.

“But for now we eat,” interrupts Itachi, guiding Sakura and her teammates towards Konoha’s shopping district. “We eat, and afterwards we will assess our weaknesses and our strengths.” He smiles while walking towards a spot they’re all familiar with. “After that, we’ll sleep, make sure to get a good night’s rest, and then tomorrow we train.”

Naruto hoots enthusiastically when they arrive at Ichiraku and enters immediately with Shisui, followed by Itachi and Sakura.

But Kakashi and Sasuke linger outside the curtains of the ramen shop. “That was some wise advice from a former Anbu captain,” he muses, while placing a gentle but firm hand on his student’s shoulder. “We would be equally wise to take it.”

Sasuke considers this as they enter the now crowded shop.  He sees Naruto grinning happily as he’s served his first bowl of noodles. At his side, Sakura is smiling at his brother like she used to smile at Ino before their falling out.

Maybe, he thinks, sitting by Naruto’s other side and accepting the pair of chopsticks his best friend offers...

Maybe they’re right. 

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

I hope you liked the fic and speacilly hope @birkastan2018​ liked it <3 

#sasusaku #Sasuke Uchiha #Sakura Haruno #Naruto Uzumaki #Kakashi Hatake #itachi uchiha #shisui uchiha #time travel fic #the end is where we begin #commission #taking commisions #commisionwork

[raendown]

The next chapter of my Amends to the Dead series, commissioned by the wonderful @birkastan2018 who has been amazingly supporting of my works and provided so much inspiration. 

Pairing: None Word count: 4239 Chapter: 1/4 Rated: T+ Summary: Months after the village is built Izuna is near his breaking point. Peace is nice, don't get him wrong, but he could do without the pale shadow that follows behind him everywhere he goes. All he wants is to understand. What the hell is Tobirama's obsession with watching him?

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

KO-FI and commission info in the header! 

Chapter 1

Grey clouds and a dreary sky greet him when Izuna leaves the administration tower this afternoon, a dour forecast for the evening’s weather. Determined to keep a positive attitude, he tells himself that at least it is holding off for now, will hopefully keep itself in check until after he finishes his inspection. That massive dream-headed idiot of a Senju wants a wall around their settlement but as much as Izuna freely agrees with the tactical benefits of such a barrier he is glad Madara has managed to talk the man in to waiting rather than just springing something up out of the ground willy-nilly. Although several clans and minor villages have already emigrated to join them there are still others they hope to bring in to the fold as well. If Hashirama grows a wall around them at their current size it will ostracize any new districts built in the future – not to mention that such a short-sighted buffoon will almost definitely forget to leave room for population growth as the years go on.

Hence why Izuna has saddled himself with the boring task of trudging his way around the outskirts to scope out where they can expand, how far, whether some portions of the surrounding terrain should be left available to grow crops, that sort of thing. Trying to keep his thoughts grand scale, the first thing he does is make the long climb up the mountain face overlooking them all. From there he is granted a wonderful view of all they have built so far and all the space they have to build upon in the future. Izuna does his best to sketch what he sees on several different pieces of paper and includes the surrounding terrain as little symbols. Later he can use these sketches to create different proposals for wall construction.

Considering how often he changes his mind he intends to make at least five copies. He only gets halfway through the fourth before his hand freezes in place and his eyes slowly roll to one side, looking around without actually turning his head. It’s a useless endeavor anyway. Even if he turns all the way around and carefully inspects every inch of the space behind him Izuna knows he will see absolutely nothing.

Tobirama is better than that.

Weirder than the fact that his counterpart has been following him around like a lagging shadow for weeks now is the fact that there doesn’t seem to be a reason for it. The man hasn’t even gone to the trouble of suppressing his chakra. Izuna might not be a sensor type like his brother is but he isn’t so chakra-blind that he can’t tell when someone he’s spent years on the other side of a war from is nearby. He might be tempted to think the other man is mocking him somehow if not for the fact that Tobirama never once alludes to his little stalker habit when they are forced to interact in the tower. If anything his habit worsens during work hours. Very few days go by when Izuna does not turn around to find Tobirama hovering over him or staring intently from across the room.

Knowing that his old rival has been up to the same idiocies all day – just as every other day – is not very comforting but it makes his movements a little less awkward as he decides that he’s taken up enough time loitering here at the top of the cliff. It’s odd, the things one can get used to after being exposed for long enough. Having someone follow him around isn’t exactly comfortable but it’s something he learned to live with as soon as he concluded that it isn’t a statement of the Senju’s lack of trust. Not the clan as a whole, at least.

If there were anyone they don’t trust it would be Madara and no one follows him around. Izuna cannot imagine them wasting their best on him while assigning someone lesser to tailing his more dangerous older brother. The Senju have never been a stupid enemy.

Almost worse than the strangeness of knowing that he is being followed is trying to decide how to act. Izuna packs his sketches away and does everything he can to resist the urge to turn around and search for the face he knows is watching, reflecting that he isn’t actually sure what Tobirama will do if he confronts the man. When this first started Izuna hadn’t really known what to think of it, held off on reacting in any way in case he was misinterpreting something, and now that he knows for sure that the other is following him he realizes he’s let it go on for so long that bringing it up now will only be more awkward. They need to talk about it at some point, obviously. Just maybe not right this second.

Using that excuse only gets less and less valid with every day.

With a grand overview of the village fresh in his mind Izuna refocuses himself on the task at hand and begins drafting a few tentative blueprints in his mind while he scales his way back down the cliff. Halfway down he makes a mental note to suggest they install an easier way to get up here somehow. It doesn’t take a genius to guess that any tourists or visitors will be very interested in the view of a village so important to the history of the five great nations, the first of its kind. Then he pushes the thought away in to the corner of his mind for ‘things to deal with later’; he has much more important business at hand. Before they can welcome any tourism they need to be more solid in their defense of the people already here.

Senju Touka stands in the center of the road leading in to their settlement from the north when he arrives. Izuna is quick to hide the grimace that appears as soon as he catches sight of her. Enemies they might not be any longer but Touka is not likely to ever be his favorite person. Too brash, too hard, and too focused on being a warrior without ever allowing herself to still be a woman. Izuna enjoys a tough skin as much as the next shinobi but he needs friends and lovers who allow themselves to unclench at least once in a while. The woman before him carries a look on her face even when making no expression which tells him she probably hasn’t unclenched since the first time she learned to wield her body as a weapon.

“Nothing to report,” Touka’s voice rings out sharp even when she speaks quietly. He nods once to show that he understands.

“Border inspection,” he grunts back.

“Already? With all the paperwork that goes through the Tower I had guessed it would take at least another week for anyone to even think about doing something useful about their own ideas.” She snorts and this time Izuna allows the grimace that slides back over his face.

With a rueful sigh he shakes his head. “I gave myself the job for just that reason. This needs to get done.”

“Lots of things need to get done,” Touka mumbles dryly. Her eyes flick back down the path and her chin dips to signal someone else. “The others can walk the road; if I’m going to guard the wall when it goes up I’d like to hear your thoughts on where it’s to be built.”

Since there is really no polite way to refuse her Izuna shrugs and turns away without waiting to see if she follows. If she can’t keep up that’s her own problem. He isn’t the one who invited her along. Just as he finishes the thought her footsteps come from behind and her severe face returns to his peripherals with the blank expression of someone waiting to form an opinion.

That gives him an idea, actually, speaking of opinions. As the two of them travel in silence he lets his eyes roam around the terrain on all sides, mentally comparing it to the visual he remembers from above even as another part of his mind races trying to find the wording for how to broach a subject that many still consider sensitive.

“If I may, I’d like to ask about the climate in your clan,” he says eventually. Touka gives no physical reaction, betrayed only by the caution in her tone as she replies.

“You may ask your questions.” He notices that she has promised him no answers.

“Tensions were high for a while after we first merged our territories. Obviously it’s going to take a number of years before our people can coexist with true ease but – for my own clan at least – I’ve noticed massive improvements. What I mean to ask is: what of your own clan?”

“What of them?” Touka grunts.

Careful not to show his temper, Izuna keeps his voice low so it will not carry to other ears following along behind them. “Have the tensions eased in your people? Or do they still fear mine like enemies?”

“Fear isn’t exactly how I would describe it,” his unwanted companion muses. “Caution would be more accurate.”

“Do they distrust us so much?” he presses.

To his utter lack of surprise Touka turns to give him a sharp warning look. “Don’t go looking for trouble where there is none, Uchiha. Our people distrust yours no less than yours return in kind. Like you said yourself, it’s going to take years to erase the effects leftover from generations of war. Those of us who lived through it may never recover entirely. But”-from the corner of one eye he watches her move both hands away from her weapons in a deliberate motion-“we recognize and accept that the Uchiha want this peace to work. “

“Ah. Thank you for your input, Touka-san. I had thought that was how things stand but at this stage assumptions aren’t safe to be relied upon. Let’s change the subject. We’re thinking of building out from the current settlement to allow for growth but I don’t think this particular area would be good for that. Doesn’t the ground here turn in to swamp a few miles out?”

While she does allow him to change topics without comment Izuna notes the lingering gaze from the corner of her eyes to the corners of his own. He lets her stare. If they truly are allies then he has nothing to fear from a couple of eyes that don’t even have the advantage of a Sharingan. Rumor says this woman is nearly as good with genjutsu as any Uchiha but it would need to be some kind of skill indeed to trap him in an illusion he can’t escape – and besides that there is really no reason for her to do any such thing unless she wants to start another war.

Instead the two of them trade mild opinions on the surrounding land and discuss construction plans all while pretending they don’t notice the acid undertones or the barbs hidden in their words. Much as he is loathe to admit it, by the time they make a half circuit around the village and Touka declares it time for her to turn back he almost finds himself reluctant to see her go. Almost. Sometimes it’s nice to find someone who can withstand the worst of his vitriol. He is still firm on his belief that Touka will never be one of his favorite people but perhaps they can stand each other a little better than he first imagined.

The rest of his patrol around the perimeter is done in silence with no one to talk to but the thoughts inside his own mind, probably the most intelligent conversation he is likely to have all day. Rather than give that Senju woman any reason to look at him funny again Izuna ends his inspection by ducking in between some of the housing built on the fringes like afterthoughts.

He could have done without some of the man’s habits and opinions but if there is one thing Izuna wishes their brothers had actually listened to Tobirama about it’s the road planning. Caught up in their dream as they had been, Madara hadn’t so much held Hashirama back as he had egged the man on to raise frames and rooves without a single thought for the carefully drawn street maps Tobirama had been trying to present them with. Now everyone else pays the price for it as they wind their way through crisscrossing streets that often follow no logical direction whatsoever, haring off towards wherever Hashirama had raised the next home. Surely it can only be the mercy of the kami that made him finally stop and listen to his sibling before he made a similar mess of the village center.

Finding his way through the busy foot traffic is infinitely easier once he reaching the districts where the streets are wider than his own wingspan, leaving plenty of room for Izuna to duck and weave around the gaggle of children chasing each other, wild laughter ringing over the crowds with no regard for the different clans they each belong to.

This, he has come to understand, is the peace that Madara has been dreaming of since they were young boys clinging to each other with all their strength, the last of their siblings and so desperate not to lose any more. In some ways he wishes he had understood earlier. He also hopes that the idiot following along behind him on a nearby rooftop understands the same.

When he reaches the tower Izuna heads straight for his office and rather pointedly shuts the door behind him, relieved to note Tobirama’s distinctive chakra moving off to hopefully be productive somewhere else. How the man gets anything done when he’s following other people around all day is a mystery but Izuna is just as glad to finally be alone. It’s much easier to concentrate on drawing up a few difference proposals for wall construction when he doesn’t have some part of his concentration occupied with the ever-watching eyes over his shoulder.

Unfortunately for all that he’s always been fast at coming up with plans he is also, given the time, a perfectionist. What should only take him a mere twenty minutes to sketch some rough blueprints turns in to nearly two hours of meticulous lines and painstaking notes along the edges of every paper to list the benefits of each different proposal. Izuna is already rolling his eyes at himself by the time he finally drags his body up out of the chair with a firm mental declaration that any further additions will be a waste of time. Only one of these proposals can be chosen as the final plan and the entire council will be looking over it to add their suggestions. No one expects him to think of everything himself.

Seeing Madara roll his eyes as well when he lets himself in to his brother’s office makes him stick out his tongue, a gesture the man returns without pause. Dignity isn’t exactly a concern when they are alone.

“Took you long enough,” is his greeting. “Didn’t you leave to do that just after noon? It shouldn’t have taken you that long just to walk in a big circle and doodle a couple outlines. What did you do, take a nap in a tree somewhere?” Madara tuts and shakes the handle of a brush at him, then he frowns and looks down at the parchment he’s just splattered with ink.

“Pardon me for doing my job well,” Izuna grumbles.

“Well give them here then. Looks like you have several ideas. That’s good, actually. I know it sounds counterintuitive but the bloody elders actually decide faster if we give them more options.”

The two of them share a tired look and Izuna nods understandingly as he tosses his papers on the desk. “Fewer options always means one person picks a favorite right away and another person takes exception to that. Best to let them talk it all out first, I get it.”

Madara spreads the sketches out and fiddles with the end of one, lifting it only to turn his eyes to another.

“Do you have any you’re particularly attached to before I look them over?” he asks.

“No.”

He should know to watch his tone. It’s only a single word but the moment it leaves his mouth Izuna winces, pinned in place under the sudden scrutiny of dark eyes that know him just a little too well.

“You sound upset by something,” Madara notes. “What’s wrong?”

“Ah, I wouldn’t say wrong, precisely. I’m being followed around again and I still don’t like it.” It’s gratifying to see the other man scrunch his face up with distaste. At least he isn’t the only one who finds this situation endlessly odd.

“Still not talking to you about it, I suppose?”

“Not a damn word. Any time I bring it up he just stares at me with these…empty eyes. Honestly sometimes I’m tempted to worry that he’s been possessed by some demon with a grudge against me. Somehow that would make more sense!” Izuna shakes his head, stepping around to slump his body in to the single visitor chair available. Then he squirms uncomfortably as a floral scent wafts up his nose. It’s easy to tell who usually sits in this chair.

Fingers twiddling absently at the edges of the papers spread out on his desk, Madara rolls his eyes at such dramatics but makes no comment on them, which Izuna takes to mean that his sibling agrees in his own way. He wishes he could say he is only being silly and dramatic but deep down he truly believes that Tobirama being possessed by a vengeful spirit would make more sense than for the man to follow him around as though suspicious of his intentions. Still ridiculous, of course, but somehow more plausible.

He hadn’t been stupid enough to believe Hashirama's vague words about recovery during the first few meetings of peace between their people. The longer time went on without the Senju second heir appearing the less anyone had been willing to believe such nonsense but it was the look in Hashirama's eyes which stilled their tongues as the months stretched out in to a full year. Not anger or exasperation, no nervousness that they might be taking offense. What earned their silence both then and now had been the worry in his eyes, the fear for another which he tried so desperately not to let them see, the flash of uncertain terror that shadowed his eyes with every mention of his brother. Izuna has seen that look in the eyes of those who worry for their loved ones even when there is no wound to worry over.

“And he’s not…aggressive?” Madara asks.

“No!” Izuna throws his hands in the air and slumps further in his seat. “At least if he was angry or something I would understand that but this silence and following me around, it’s just weird! I don’t know how I’m supposed to react to it.”

“You could, oh I don’t know, ask him to stop?”

With the bitchiest look he can summon Izuna nods exaggeratedly. “Oh of course, why didn’t I think of that? Ah right. Because I did. And all that accomplished was a big fat load of nothing.”

“There’s no need to be so sarcastic,” his brother grumbles. When Madara turns away to pout Izuna rubs at the space between his brows.

“Do you have any idea what his problem is? Serious question, any idea at all? Has your best friend for life not said anything or dropped any hints? I’m at my wits end here.” What small hope he has is dashed by the shaking of the other man’s head.

Madara shrugs as he says, “Not a clue. It’s weird but Hashirama doesn’t actually talk about his brother very much.”

“You mean they don’t like each other?”

“No, not like that. But every time Tobirama comes up in conversation, if it’s not work related Hashirama will get this really weird look on his face and change the subject. Usually in such a way that I don’t think about it till later. You know how he is, all loud and distracting.”

“He’s certainly not as dumb as he pretends to be,” Izuna agrees.

The two of them sit in silence for a minute or two, thinking of the all the unexpected similarities between the Senju siblings and all the ways they’re still so different. For all that they are both unexpectedly intelligent it seems to be only in their own respective fields. Where Tobirama’s intelligence is nearly unparalleled when it comes to science and political machinations he seems to be quite useless when it comes to human interactions and yet that is where Hashirama shines – earnest Hashirama who can only stare with a blank smile whenever his beloved sibling goes off on some in-depth explanation of a new tax code proposal.

Shaking his head to clear it, Izuna takes a deep breath and decides that sitting around moaning about his own confusion isn’t getting much done. There are still other things he needs to do that day and he can’t do anything of them while staring across the desk at Madara.

Leaving the man to his work is as easy as reminding him that he has a lot of it and suddenly Izuna finds there is no more attention on him, the perfect time to slip out the door and wander slowly back to his own office. It is only his perfectionist nature which leads him to hearing what he does then. Were he anyone else he might shrug it off when he notices the wrappings around his left ankle coming loose, something that can certainly wait until he sits down to be fixed, but he stops instead and leans against the wall just before a turn in the corridor to bend down and fiddle with his ankle. Not until he is already busy unwrapping and retucking does he realize he is in the perfect spot to overhear two people just around the corner.

“Tetsuo thinks maybe they’re having an affair of some kind,” the first voice says, full of scorn for their own words.

“Ridiculous. That icicle and Izuna-sama? Not a chance. They were rivals for years, they’re not going to fall in to bed only a few months after peace was made!” The second voice sounds vaguely familiar, probably a member of his own clan though he can’t quite identify them.

“I never said I believed it!” the first objects. “But it’s weird, right? The way Tobirama-sama just…hovers around him. If they weren’t enemies for years I would say he’s acting like a nervous parent or something with how he watches Izuna-sama’s every move and how he glares at anyone who says something bad about the man.”

To Izuna’s annoyance his possible clan member feels the need to waste time defending his honor with a sharp, “Who’s saying bad things about him?”

“Oh for kami’s sake, that’s not the point.”

“Hmph.”

“But you get what I’m saying, yeah? I know Tetsuo think they’re rolling around together but my theory is a blood oath or something. Maybe Hashirama-sama set him this duty as penance. I heard one of them almost died in the final battle between your clans and everyone knows Tobirama-sama is too fast to go down easy.”

Much as it hurts Izuna’s pride a little to have someone believe him the weaker in any battle, he forces himself to remain still and continue listening. It takes a moment for his prideful clansman to get past the spluttering and rage over the same issue but eventually it fades in to senseless grumbling and a solid declaration that Tobirama was in fact been the one injured during their final clash. Clearly this person hadn’t been present or else they might not so casually reference that moment.

Very few had known how to process the sight of an elder version of his rival appearing only to turn and slaughter his own younger self.

As the two strangers continue to speculate Izuna swallows thickly and turns away to take another route back to his office, finding suddenly that listening in on a conversation he isn’t supposed to hear has lost its appeal. More than ever his curiosity has been peaked, however. He needs to figure this situation out.

Why does Tobirama follow him?

That will have to be dealt with on his own time, however. Later he will pass on what he heard to his brother and they can speculate to their hearts’ content over dinner. For now he has work to do. Work that, so long as he remains shut away within his own office, he can trust that he will be able to do in the silence of solitary.

Only when the work is done will he turn his mind to the problems that he has already let go too far. Surely one more day of ignoring it all cannot hurt anything. He’ll deal with it eventually, of course, but until then Izuna supposes he can hope that ignoring his problems might, by some miracle, simply make them go away.

#rae writes #commission #izuna #tobirama #madara #touka #fanfiction

[theunrealinsomniac]

Right, this was meant to get done last week but life ... sorry @daddywarbats hope you don’t mind the delay lol. Happy Birthday!

145 - I wasn’t going to wait around for you forever

Sakura wasn’t quite sure what she was doing anymore.

Really, she didn’t know. But she supposed, the way life had been the last few years ... the argument could be made she’d lost the thread of what she was meant to be doing a long time ago.

Now she just seemed to be doing. Not thinking every single thing through and worrying about the little pitfalls that could cross her path. Obsessing over things from her past she couldn’t change or even getting in her own way.

She acted, with a little thought where it needed to be applied. Which, she admitted to herself, was probably more often than she thought it was given her husband’s proficiency for thinking absolutely nothing through ever.

But still, definitely less than how much she’d overthink as a teenager and young woman. And during the day she was getting better and better at resisting the urge to overanalyse where it wasn’t necessary.

Not everything was a life or death surgery, or organising the hospital’s budget right down to the office supplies. No, some things were did they want to cook or have takeout tonight? Which weekend did they want to go on a romantic trip next? Sometimes, decisions could be on a whim.

And like she said, she was getting good at that. Work was work, home was home and the two rarely overlapped. However, sometimes home got suddenly much more complicated than work and she was left in the situation she was in now.

Lying awake in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, with her impressive intellect deciding two in the morning was the perfect time to frighten the ever loving hell out of her with nightmare scenarios.

She stared at the ceiling, Naruto’s sleeping back rising and falling next to her, his warm skin close enough she could feel the heat coming off him over the bare skin of her thigh and arm. He shifted, making the mattress groan under his weight slightly and she reminded herself to bring up the idea of one of those memory foam mattresses at breakfast.

He smacked his lips in his sleep and rolled so he was facing her. His features relaxed as he slept soundly on. A little trail of drool coming from the corner of his mouth.

She smiled lightly, reflexively more than anything else. To think the most powerful man on the planet could look so cute when he was sleeping. It was delightfully adorable. 

Her hands went to her stomach, cupping around a metaphorical bump that hadn’t started to show yet. She was only a couple months pregnant after all. She hadn’t started showing with Sachi until well into her second trimester. This new little one was probably going to be a sneaky little submarine too.

Kami, what were they going to do with two children? Sachi had been a surprise, and a happy one at that, but they’d only just got a system into place for how they could still have their lives and be involved parents. Adding a second Uzumaki child to their happy little family was asking for trouble.

And with two little whirlwinds to worry about, the old fears of what could happen to Sachi were now doubled. Yes they were older now, more responsible and mature with experience but still. A new child would mean different challenges and while she was sure Naruto would be more than up to the task ... would she?

What if she couldn’t handle more than one child? What if she wasn’t equipped to be a mom to children who might require different things from her in the way of care?

Part of her was still unsure she was doing things right by Sachi. Their little girl was their world and the idea of letting her down as parents made both Sakura and Naruto white with fear.

It’d be even worse if the ruse she’d been pulling fell apart now. Two children would suffer. And she’d let Naruto down, his endless hope and belief in her would crumble and she wouldn’t know how to handle that.

‘Sakura-chan,’ Naruto said sleepily, his hand reaching out to cup hers, which were gripping at her tummy. He managed to ease her grip and took both of her hands in his one big one. ‘What’s wrong?’

She turned to look at him, his dazzling blue eyes alert and watching her, tinged with concern. He pulled her into a cuddle when she didn’t immediately reply and his body heat enveloped her as they meshed.

‘You’re worried about the new baby right?’ he whispered into her ear as she relaxed against him. ‘Like with Sachi?’

She nodded into his neck as she buried her face there. Stinging tears bristling her cheeks.

‘You’re a wonderful mom,’ Naruto whispered as he wrapped her up tightly. ‘You’ll keep being wonderful with any other babies we have.’

‘What if I’m not?’ Sakura’s voice came out not much louder than a murmur, a tremble of true fear shaking the words. ‘What if I’m just really good at pretending and two babies is too much for the illusion?’

‘Then it’s a good thing you’re not alone,’ Naruto said, placing a slow, soft kiss against her cheek. His fingers rubbing a slow circle around her lower back. ‘And even if you were, you’d be amazing. Because you just are.’

‘You’re just saying that because you’re biased,’ Sakura said, kissing his neck gently, the tension in her shoulders easing the more she breathed him in. ‘One of those stupid things you say sometimes because you love me.’

‘Like when you said to me that you weren’t going to wait around for me forever?’ Naruto teased, scratching at her rib. Hard enough to tickle but gentle enough to not cause a reaction. ‘What a crock that was.’

‘Shhh,’ Sakura hissed shakily, a smile trickling across her lips. ‘I was a dramatic teenager who thought I had to play hard to get.’

Naruto kissed her cheek again, slowly and with poignancy. ‘Point still stands babe, you’re talking out your sexy ass and you know it. You’re a great mom and you’ll keep being a great mom because you just are.’

Sakura wrapped her arms around him and sighed deeply into his neck. ‘I’m still scared.’

‘I know,’ Naruto said, cuddling her tight. ‘I’m scared too. Not like I have a lot of examples of fatherhood to draw from, but we got each other’s back. And Sachi’s turning out beautifully so far. We’ll be okay.’

Sakura felt the last of her tension and fear drain from her, as if Naruto’s massaging fingers up and down her back were drawing it out of her, she leant against him more fully, letting her head lay on his shoulder as he rolled onto his back, a strong arm still wrapped around her waist. 

Her leg hooked his instinctively and she sighed into his shoulder. ‘Sorry for waking you.’

‘Shh,’ Naruto said, placing a kiss on her forehead, which still to this day, made her smile bashfully when he did it. ‘You weren’t sleeping anyway. Now rest your eyes babe, Sachi’s gonna have us up in three hours anyway. We’ll need the rest.’

Sakura laughed lightly and nestled in against her husband’s side. 

Yes, she would be okay. 

She had Naruto, everything else didn’t stand a chance against her with him cheering her on.

He was already snoring as her eyelids drooped into blackness.

#narusaku #naruto uzumaki #sakura haruno #sakura uzumaki #was not planning on this direction #but i'll take it #hope you liked it! #daddywarbats #make the writer write

[krd530]

Bakugou and manga’s use of gag abuse

I love reading meta about all my favorite stories. But there’s recently been a weird wave going through the BNHA world that has left me frustrated. I love BNHA for how it addresses so many things that I have wanted addressed in manga since I started reading it, twenty years ago. Also its hero’s! As a major comic book nerd this was like a holy matrimony for me. There are many things I love about the comic (and some things I am a bit frustrated with, Give a girl an ARC!) Izuku being one of them.

He’s awesome and adorable and a good person. I love complicated heroes, but the ones who are simply good people are always my favorite. Coming back to complicated heroes though cough-bakugou-cough, BNHA has a good deal of them too. Bakugou isn’t my favorite character, in fact from a purely I-love-them stand point he’s not even top 5, but as someone obsessed with story structure and themes and tackling complicated subject matter he’s at the top of characters I love to analyze and watch develop.

He’s someone who has gone through life without any major hurtles or deficiencies. He’s handsome, charismatic, smart, athletic and he had been given a quirk that is meant for hero work. Yes, he had to train and use it well, but unlike Minato or Koichi, his quirk easily lead to hero like applications. He never had to struggle to find how to make it work. Like Todoroki, everyone always comments on how versatile, advantageous and powerful his quirk is. Also like Todoroki, there seems to be no down side or weakness associated with it. Sure his arms hurt, but considering Deku’s ability literally shatters his own, I think we’re supposed to take away that Bakugou’s quirk is close to perfect.

But where Todoroki’s own perfect quirk has caused him pain and hardship on every level of his life, Bakugou’s has only advanced and made his own easier. That’s the whole point of his character, to have it all. His one downside being that he has a pretty aggressive personality. Paired with all the ease of his life and that literally no-one who has seen him go too far say anything, his personality and belief in winning has lead him to believe he deserves all these things and that he’s above all the other extra’s to the point that he’s offended when others don’t agree.

In normal society that would probably make him some sort of bully, but more of a mean girl bully than anything else. But in this universe, violence is intertwined in everyday life. Villains are constantly popping up and hurting people and the most respected in society are super charged police. Not politicians, not figures like  or Mother Theresa. Einstein? Take a hike.

Violent people, doing violence for good are the highest honored individuals that everyone looks up to. That’s bound to twist society towards violence and an acceptance of violence as an everyday occurrence. Though that doesn’t make it right and within the universe Bakugou’s violent actions are considered bad by the main protagonist (he says that telling someone to jump off a building is bad, that’s how you know we as readers are supposed to understand the weight of this transgression), but it does explain how Bakugou’s character was able to become so violent and abusive without receiving any consequences from teachers or those who have witnessed his abuse. And he is abusive, Izuku constantly looks scared of Bakugou when he’s being threatened, he verbally tells us when Katsuki goes over the line, theses are important cues and super relevant to what I say next.

Bakugou was not abused at home. He wasn’t. I know that many abuse victims see what happened with the teacher conference and then later with Katsuki saying that violence is how he grew up and think abuse and that’s fine. People can be offended and mad at the author or the material or the making light of a bad situation and have every right.

Narratively though those feelings don’t matter. In manga and anime casual violence like that is common and used as a gag. Just like boys getting nose bleeds at short skirts or low blouses. In real wold context, they are super offensive and not funny but animation often uses preset actions to symbolize something else. Nose bleeds can be the sign of a pervert, Mineta, or of a girl crazed boy that is harmless, Kaminari. It all depends on how you represent the action. 

Violence is the same. If you read Bleach or Naruto or Soul Caliber or DBZ….to infinity, you would understand that when violence is used as a gag its used to show how characters interact when in conflict on a daily basis. When Ichigo’s dad attacks him every day it’s to show how he wants to make sure his son is prepared for the real world but ultimately fails due to his own Neanderthal tendencies, and the number of the teachers punching Naruto on the head due to something he said or did as to show their frustration and how they are vehemently upset and not ok with those actions, similarly when ChiChi hits Goku or one of her kids its meant to give a visual representation of her anger and lecture/punishment. Cartoon characters can’t show nuanced emotion very well and when you’re drawing every panel, being able to wrap up an everyday/non narrative interaction is clutch. These gags are meant to be short cuts for the reader, but if you don’t read a ton of manga or watch a ton of anime those short cuts can be missed or taken out of context. And I know that Bakugou’s treatment is taken out of context because the story tells us that.

Like I said with the nose bleed, different circumstances give different meaning to an action. If the character under abuse looks scared or heartbroken than it’s meant to be interpreted as actual abuse. If the character looks like they usually do, or bashful or angry its a gag meant to convey something else. When we meet Katsuki’s mom its in the middle of a 101 Dalmatian-esque sequence. How parents are like their kids. Mitsuki hitting on the head and harsh words are meant to signify where Bakugo got his personality from. He doesn’t look scared or heartbroken and his fucking teachers don’t say anything to his mother about the abuse. These are two hero’s, if they thought this was abuse they would have said something to her. This absence is another indication that there is nothing narratively wrong here and that the panel was meant to show you the two’s similarities. All Might says something about the warped relationship, but neither go further into it. An indication that its just one of those crazy families and not something more sinister. (My family has often been considered dysfunctional or crazy by others, but we’re just organized chaos, nothing more). If its intended as actual abuse, the character has to look effected in a seriously negative manner and it’s often blatantly called out by the characters or made a larger sequence with implications that something is wrong. 

If its a short sequence like this, with a typical response and no call out as abuse by the characters or narrative than it falls into the category of a gag and the entire context of this encounter colors this as a gag use of abuse.

Now as for her words, Bakugou gets his gruff nature from somewhere, and she immediately after says that she is thankful that he’s back that that she was worried about him. This is the most Katsuki way to express worry that I have seen from another character and I would argue that this is one of the core personality traits that wont go away after he becomes a better person. I have never had a problem with Bakugou expressing his worry through harsh words followed by clear sentiment. The only issues I have with him is his use of force and his cruel words that hold no warmth or care for the person he’s talking to. So once again this panel shows us were Katsuki got his personality from, and unless you want him to become completely whitewashed, super sweet and respectful character, eliminating all of his personality by the end of this series, we should look at this use of language as something that is acceptable. Tactful and empathetic? No, but Katsuki is never that anyways, so the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  

This use of that gag is meant to represent their relationship together. It quickly shows where his explosive personality and ways of emoting come from and hints that his mom is the root of some of his more aggressive world views, like looking at things in terms of winning and loosing and not being able to back down from a conflict, but there’s nothing that says that Katsuki’s more abusive and dark tendencies came from her example. She seemed like a more toned down and well centered Bakugou. And while maybe not the best role model, theres no evidence of an abusive relationship. The fighting and abuse aspect is meant to represent that they clash due to their similarities, but she obviously cares for him and understands him.

As for the part about how he was raised, I took it as him saying my mom’s a foulmouthed, fuck you, aggressive type of person and that’s how I was raised. No kiddie gloves just a straight forward; you fucked up and now you’re going to fix it or else. His wording is almost always far harsher than his actions. He routinely says I’m going to kill you and then doesn’t try to kill the person. He continuously talks about imparting violence and then doesn’t. So why when he says he’s going to physically abuse kids into listening should we take this seriously? He’s extra, but he’s not a complete pyscho, especially after his massive fight with Deku.

 Usually when he says die! Or something to the effect its more of a exclamation than actual wish. So in what world are we all of a sudden taking him at his word? I’ve always taken his token dies and i’ll kill you as an indication of his fuck you personality and almost punk rock disregard.To him, there is no gear except full throttle, so when kids don’t listen you don’t coddle them and talk about it, you make them listen through authority. He says violence, because he always exaggerates his potential actions because he’s extra. And while not ideal, as long as your not physically hurting a kid, this is a way many people choose to parent. By groundings or taking away privileges or making them serve out punishment to reestablish authority. This is how me and my brothers were kept in line. Sitting us down and talking about how we should act and why we should act a certain way, rarely sunk in.

Katsuki recognizes himself in these kids and that was probably how a kid who thought he could do no wrong like him was corralled. Talking all day doesn’t fix shit if the kid refuses to listen. And at no point in this arc did I think Katsuki was going to actually physically harm them. In fact I can’t even find the panels that say that this is how he was raised, but from rereading the arch its obvious the whole way through that he was never going to hurt the kids or physically attack them.

He’s the one who first analyzed that the kids were acting out due to a lack of respect for authority and then came up with the plan for the kids to test themselves against their group without hurting them to reinstate that authority. In no way does he actually act abusive, which considering that his interactions with Deku prove he can, is a pretty big indicator that any learned behavior from his own up bringing wasn’t actually violent. So while he might be super brash abrasive and more inclined towards enforcement over talking, that’s not a sign that he was abused.

And before anyone says that’s not a good way to go about the world, remember that Deku was raised by a soft spoken and emotionally accepting mother and yet he grew up with crazy internalized self worth issues. Bakugou may be scared of failing, but he’s not afraid of valuing himself or standing up for himself. It takes all kinds and there’s no guaranteed way of raising a kid, is what I’m saying and no where in this arc did I pick up on cycle of abuse.

Now back to narrative evidence that the story doesn’t consider Bakugou abused. In addition to short cuts and how the interactions are drawn and framed, the story itself doesn’t lean to this interpretation. His character is meant to represent the one who had it all, but had to learn to be a good person. That’s the cleanest way to get the story that the author is giving us. He has everything, deck has nothing, society will always make excuses for Bakugou and hold Deku unfairly accountable. Look at the tournament, Bakugou won and show cased his awesome power, yet acted like a complete psycho and he got several offers. Deku proved he was smart and resourceful and used his quirk to the best of his ability, but the fact that his quirk was imperfect and flawed and that he was willing to hurt himself to achieve a goal gets him no offers what so ever. Not even an agency that highlights strategy.

More important to the core message though is that Deku struggles are external, proving to the world that he’s worth it, that he will be the greatest hero, where as Bakugous are internal. He has to realize completely by himself that despite his life and society telling him that he is great, that actually he needs to change. And it’s a brutal process, nothing about Bakugou struggling with this realization is easy or clean. He still mercilessly takes things out on Deku and is often still extremely abusive so it is often hard to see his progress from merely his actions, but it is there. This realization and self examination becomes muddied and cheapened if his reason for being abusive comes from anywhere else than society said it was ok.

His story isn’t a cycle of abuse story (that would be Todoroki and Dabi), its a story of how to learn to hold yourself to a standard that isn’t lauded or rewarded by others. Sure we love Deku and All Might escapes Sting’s kill list due to his values, but we are shown time and time again that in this universe morals aren’t considered vital or even very important to succeed. That’s the story, that’s the core of BNHA and the main struggle for the series.

So narratively him being a childhood abuse victim doesn’t fit or add to the story and every characters arc and background is meant to drive the story forward. Which brings me to my last point, the narrative of an abuse cycle within this world.  This universes arc that discusses the dangers of a society that relies on violence when taken in context of family life is already being explored with Todoroki’s family. There is no reason to introduce this to another core character, especially when there are so many facets of this universe for the material to touch on. 

Todoroki also gives an example of when the story takes abuse seriously. There is cannon material of child abuse (Todoroki looks scared and heartbroken in regards to his father) , characters talk about it, its a driving narrative any time his family is on screen, his entire arc revolves around not becoming his old man. Even if the abuse was subtle to everyone else, it’s made very apparent in his arc and in his thought process. Also notice that while Bakugou’s abuse was blatantly in front of his teachers, Todoroki’s abuse is kept carefully out of his teachers view. This because if All Might or Eraserhead saw abuse, they would do something. 

This is how a comic talks about child abuse, there is no reason for child abuse to be inferred or hidden when it comes to a main character. If it occurs it becomes a main part of their arc. Abuse is horrifying and becomes a major factor in a victims life, there’s no glossing over that or saying that it’s not important enough to the person to be mentioned even in their own head. Katsuki never once mentions child abuse or overcoming any kind of issue at home and don’t tell me it’s because he repressed it or doesn’t understand it. If that were the case that there would be hints in his interior monologue that that told us that. But when we see into his head, he discusses where his issues with Deku come from, where his want to be hero comes from, where his realization that winning is the goal in life comes from and never once is his family mentioned. He got his foul mouth and assertive personality from his mom, also maybe his inclination towards being strong and striving to be the best, but his incessant need to win doesn’t come from home it comes from All Might. And his violent attack of Deku comes from his own superiority complex and insecurities of not doing it right. This is explicitly stated. No where does he state that his development as a bully was formed from an example of his parents.

And like I said his narrative purpose in no way deals with past trauma, there is nothing in his past that has gone wrong, he isn’t fighting against a singular point like a parent or legacy, he is fighting against a societal problem. If his mom was abusive, it would register as something that he was struggling against instead of the intangible nature of winning and succeeding that we see. There’s no point in hiding that part of his past if it’s there, no reason for it to be not blatantly addressed or shown. The author doesn’t do delayed reveals, if they talk about something a character is dealing with, then they talk about the whole thing. If they talk about why Bakugou is a bully than they freaking tell you why he is a bully, not some half assed discussion that’s meant to obscure the real reason. This is an ensemble cast story and yes Bakugou is obviously a main character, but the author said this isn’t going to be a crazy long series and that means he can’t spend tons of time on a character who isn’t the main one (and to be honest Deku hasn't had as much time dealing solely with his own issues as Bakugou has)  There are plenty of characters that need time to show their projected character arc, so why would you waste your time discussing in length a characters issues, without doing a complete job of it. Especially since we’ve moved on from that point and we see Bakugou slowly evolving in other arcs.

Its dumb to frame it as “this is the root of the problem and now that he realizes it, this is how he’s adjusting”, for you to only be like, “jk that wasn’t the main problem and all the development you thought you understood, you really didn’t.”

This. Makes. No. Sense.

So on no level - from how manga/anime culturally expresses itself, to narrative contribution, to story structure, to the presence of a clear example of child abuse, to time usage and character development itself - does this interpretation fit.

Like I said though, you can see it as abuse, you can feel uncomfortable at it’s usage, you can get mad that something that you see as horrible is being used as a gag. I agree in many ways, but you can’t use this in meta to explain Bakugou and his actions. The story does not see that as an indicator of abuse, so regardless of how it seems to you, its not cannon. 

And to clarify, this isn’t a mishandling by the author, or a framing issue - where he doesn’t want to discuss Bakugou’s trauma - nor is it trying to make light of abuse. The only shown “abuse” in the comic is a trope - it doesn’t mean what you think it means. When people say its a joke/funny they mean it’s a light hearted use that is routinely used as a way to convey relationships that have nothing to do with violence. That’s what people mean when they say its cultural. Not that culturally systematic violence is seen as funny, but that instances like this mean something different than what you, as a person not accustomed to cues and methods the Japanese community utilize, see. Its a colloquial metaphor that is universally understood by those in the know, but can be misinterpreted by those who can’t recognize it.

So if you feel frustrated that this abuse isn’t getting more attention, that frustration wont go away, because in the world of the series - it’s never happened. And considering how cool and unique Bakugou’s character arc is without an abuse storyline, it really bums me out when all I see people talking about is what this “abuse”  means about his character.

If you want narratives that support past abuse, while only inferring it’s presence or only casually showing its there, I suggest Star Wars with Kylo Ren. Tons of shit implied about Snoke and child abandonment issues with Han and Leia for you to dig your teeth into and is supported by his character arc and inner musings. Also for an extremely subtle use with a hero character I suggest you read some of the pre crisis Wally West stuff. His short return recently also references it and the clear manifestation of his issues from abuse are through out his arc, be it his idealization of Barry and restraint his speed to go slower than him, or his fear of becoming a mentor of bart and therefore pawning him off on the first flash or his own issue with the twins and struggling to be a good dad. Or his relationship with his aunt and the angst of her forgetting him due to speed force timey-wimey stuff. Also how he’s the comedian of the group and constantly makes light of situations/ uses it to diffuse tension, most likely due to growing up with an abusive dad and a negligent mom. I’m getting way off subject, sorry. The point is that there are plenty of stories out there for abuse victims to project and empathize with (Todoroki/Dabi anyone?), but there is no narrative evidence or implication that Bakugo is one of them.

There are not enough stories that touch on privilege within society and how it can lead to villainous actions and thought processes if it’s not addressed or acknowledged. To properly tackle this issue, you can’t give the narrative representation a sympathetic reason for their views and actions. Leaving Bakugou as he was intended is the best way to show and discuss this struggle. We need this dialogue, so stop trying to explain away or give reason for his bad behavior beyond what is given to us. Focus on how he’s going to change instead of rationalizing how he came to be. There are plenty of kids out there who are just like him, bully’s without a reason other than society telling them to be and I want to discuss a story that doesn’t write them off as the villains, but as people who can come to their own realizations and change for the better, in contrast of what our world says will bring them success.

That’s my two cents, it might drag me from my comfortable lurking in the shadows, hopefully not, but I hadn’t come across an argument against abuse that made these points, so I felt the need voice these observations. Also as a kid who came from a family that’s chaotic at best, it really pisses me off when people dictate what kind of family and atmosphere is considered healthy and preach about how it’s absence is the explanation for bullies and abusers. I hate purity rhetoric and Bakugou’s abuse theory seems to stink of it.

#bnha #bnha bakugou #mitsuki bakugou #child abuse #colloquial metaphors #manga #my own two cents #not anti bakugou but no pro either #too much light ::hisses:: #i'm gonna go back in my cave now #katsuki bakugou #mha #somehow star wars and the flash got in here #oops

[lilachaeyo]

Staying in the Shadows (A Naruto Fanfiction) Chapter 3 - Part II.

Part I Chapter 1 Chapter 2 

Jinko remembered the next day to be the worst survival training she had ever done and that's saying something.

Kakashi sensei instructed each of them to grab a bell which were hanging from his jacket. The problem was there were only three bells rather than four. Meaning one of them was going back to the Academy. All they had to do was to attack him with the intent to kill. Everyone hid themselves amongst the trees and the bushes. Everyone except of Naruto. "Okay you and me right here!" he charged at Kakashi. Jinko pinched the bridge of her nose annoyed. Baka!

Before Naruto did any harm, (not that he could have), Kakashi sensei got behind him and poked him in the butt. "Thousand years of death!" he yelled and Naruto was sent flying into the pond. Seeing this everyone got into action and attacked Kakashi. But Kakashi wasn't a layman, he was a Jonin. The four genins were not even in the same league as him even if combined. Each of them tried their best to catch hold of those bells but none succeeded. Although, Sasuke came quite close. Jinko saw from her hiding place in the bushes that he almost had it. His fingers graced them but Kakashi sensei was fast, he moved away quickly. Jinko thought it was now her chance to attack him as he would be caught off guard. She jumped out with her hands balled in a fist. "Hyaaa!" she yelled, but Kakashi quickly blocked her punches with his mere palms, while still focusing on Sasuke. "You're punches are pathetic," he chastised her. Jinko's mouth opened and a gasp left her lips. Jinko had given all her energy into that punch but he didn't even flinch. Jinko put her other hand in her sachet and pulled out a kunai. Her hand moved towards his arm which was holding her fist but Kakashi simply slapped her kunai away. "You expect such attacks to hurt me?" he sighed. He straightened up and let Jinko's hand go. Jinko fell on her butt with a thud. She looked around and found that Sasuke had taken this opportunity to run away. "I'm giving you one more chance," Jinko looked up at Kakashi. "Hide wherever you want. You take this seriously and attack me with all your strength. If you are going to just play around then don't waste your breath." Kakashi then disappeared leaving Jinko on the ground. Jinko couldn't believe he thought she was not taking this seriously. She really wanted to hurt him and take those bells. What did he mean 'stop playing around'? She wasn't. She came at him with the intention to kill, like he asked them to. Suddenly Sakura's scream was heard through the forest ground. Jinko stood up and ran in her direction. She saw Sakura lying on the ground and rushed forward, however Kakashi sensei jumped out of nowhere and aimed his fist at her. Jinko couldn't block his punch and fell to the ground.

This happened many times. Jinko tried to attack Kakashi and he didn't even need look up from his book to block her. She made a clone and attacked him but the clone was as good as her. She couldn't block the attacks of Kakashi either. She had been hit in the stomach twice and once in her upper arm. Kakashi had disappeared and Jinko was heaving. She didn't have anymore chakra left for another attack. She fell to the ground. The sun was above her head and Jinko could hear the faint ringing of the timer. She got up and started walking towards the stumps where they had began their training. It took all of Jinko's strength to not fall over. As she reached the stumps, Jinko saw Naruto tied to one of them. Sakura and Sasuke sitting on his each side of Naruto and Kakashi sensei was standing before them.

"There you are Jinko!" Naruto said as he saw her walking towards them. "I was wondering where you were. We've all been waiting for you." Suddenly, Naruto's stomach growled. "Uh oh, stomach's growling huh? That's too bad," Kakashi said. "Oh by the way, about this exercise, I've decided. I won't send any of you back to the academy."

Jinko couldn't believe her ears. He's not going to send us back, she thought. "I'm going to drop you from the programme. Permanently." Kakashi finished. Naruto and Sakura yelled in disbelief. Sasuke got up and attacked him with a kunai. Kakashi flung him to the ground and stepped on his body with his foot on Sasuke's head and his arm holding Sasuke's behind his back. "You can't step on Sasuke like he is some kind of bug!" Sakura yelled.

Jinko couldn't hear all the commotion around her. All her brain was capable to think currently was that she wasn't going to be a ninja ever in her life. Jinko wasn't surprised. She was pathetic today no wonder he is dropping her.

"You all think it's a game. Did you determine what's the point of this exercise? Why are all of you put in a team and not individually?" Kakashi explained calmly. Not individually? Because a team is supposed to act together. Otherwise they are no good. "Team work," Jinko said looking down at her feet.

"Yes. Team work. If you all had figured that out and worked together you might have taken the bells."

"Wait a minute!" Sakura yelled. "There were only three bells and four of us. If we had worked together only three of us would have the bells and that would lead to group conflict and fights!"

"Exactly. I pitted you against each other. I wanted to see if you could over come that and put your team ahead first. But it didn't even cross your mind," he explained. "Sakura! You were so obsessed with Sasuke when he was gone but you didn't help Naruto who was right in front of you."

He then addressed Naruto, "You, Naruto, do everything alone. Everything." Kakashi then angled his foot which was rested on Sasuke's head, pushing it more against the ground, "And you Sasuke, you think others are so far beneath you they were worthless. Arrogance." Kakashi hissed.

He then looked at Jinko and his eyebrow crease eased. "As for you Jinko," Jinko looked up. "For not having any Ninjutsu or Genjutsu I expected your Taijutsu to be strong. Unfortunately, it wasn't." "I have ninjutsu! I can produce a shadow clone!" Jinko defended herself. Kakashi was taken aback. "Oh. Well. You are too weak then." He scratched the back of his head. Jinko looked down. She remembered what she had said the other day on the rooftop. She wanted to be the best kunoichi. Guess she was just aiming too high.

Kakashi then demonstrated how during a mission the enemy can take someone hostage and one of them can get killed if they didn't follow team work. He also mentioned the heroes who were K.I.A. but Jinko wasn't listening. She was focused on not letting her tears slip from her eyes. She felt hopeless.

"Alright. I'll give you all one more chance," he looked at them. Jinko looked up, her eyes red. "I'll give you three hours to get those bells. Eat your lunch to build up strength but Naruto won't have any. It's your punishment." Kakashi then walked away leaving them with their lunch boxes.

Everyone sat down and opened their lunch. Jinko was staring at her nails. Naruto's stomach growls again. Jinko sighed. "Here. Take it," Jinko offered her lunch. "No. Jinko it's your food, I can't take it," he protested.

"Take it. I'm not hungry anyway." It was true. Jinko wasn't hungry. Her stomach was churning with her need to cry. She felt as if she had even a bite of food, it wouldn't pass through her throat. She held her dumpling towards his mouth. Naruto opened his mouth and took it in whole. Tears flowed down his face and he was being dramatic about how she cares about him and she is his only best friend. Sakura argued that she was going against Kakashi's instructions and might fail the test.

"Let him." Jinko said adamantly. A surge of anger and rebellion was flowing through her. She was angry at herself, her luck and maybe even Kakashi. Jinko didn't know why she was so angry even when it was true and Kakashi didn't mean her any harm. He was just doing his job.

"Jinko is right. We need to work as a team and for that Naruto needs his strength," Sasuke sided with Jinko. He offered his rice balls to Naruto. Seeing this Sakura gave her food too claiming she was on a diet. Naruto began sobbing earnestly about how wonderful friends they are and he was grateful to have them.

The atmosphere changed quickly. There were black clouds surrounding them. Thunder rumbling. Sakura tumbled back with fright. Naruto, Jinko and Sasuke stood still with their eyes wide. "You!" Kakashi jumped out of nowhere. His face to the closest proximity of Naruto's. "You all passed." He said with a closed eyed smile.

"What?" Naruto yelled.

"Yes, you all passed. You helped your team mate when he needed you," Kakashi replied.

"But you said not to feed him?" Sakura asked incredulously.

"Yes. In the shinobi world, you're required to follow your instructions and those who don't are considered scum. But those who leave their comrade behind are even worse than scum," Kakashi explained calmly.

And hence, Team 7 was formed.

Jinko's reminiscence was interrupted when the door to the office opened and the guard from earlier stepped out. "You can go in," he said, holding the door for them.

Mitsuki and Jinko walked in. The room looked quite modest. Almost nothing had changed since she last saw it. The office looked as bland as it did in the earlier days when she used to come with Team 7 for her missions. Two guards were standing near an office desk. Jinko eyed the masked man sitting on a chair in front of the desk, with his signature bored expression. Jinko felt nostalgic for her childhood days but then she remembered those years and how even breathing was painful and the hair on her neck stood up. Mitsuki had shrunken behind her, clutching the obi of her dress.

Jinko bowed her head. "My lord," she said. Jinko hoped she looked presentable. She wanted to make a good impression. Perhaps, to wipe out her first those many years ago. She slid her hand on the sides of her houmongi, hoping to straighten any crease.

Kakashi's eyes never left her. He looked at her from top to toe. The last time he saw her she was only thirteen. And now she stood, seventeen years later, a full grown woman. She turned out good, he thought. After all, the family was of a feudal lord. The yellow colour of her houmongi brought out her black eyes. Her black, silky hair was tied in a bun. His eyes fell on Mitsuki who was clutching her hand. Look at that, she is a mother now.

"Jinko Eguchi."

"Lord Hokage," Jinko bowed. Eguchi? Mitsuki wondered.

"What brings you here?"

"My lord, I wish to admit Mitsuki—," she placed a hand on Mitsuki's back and nudged him forward. "— into the Academy. They don't have ninja schools from where I come from and he has great potential, my lord. I wanted to place him into the guidance of a Leaf shinobi so that he could be great ninja someday."

Kakashi looked at Mitsuki. His pale skin and snake like eyes looked nothing like Jinko at all. "Is he your son?" Kakashi voiced his suspicion.

Jinko looked down, "No, my lord. I'm his guardian." Kakashi kept his stoic face.

"And is that all you want?"

Jinko shook her head. "There's one more thing, lord Hokage. We wish to settle here, me and Mitsuki. If Mitsuki gets admitted in the Academy, I wish to stay with him. It is the duty that I've been assigned and also for personal reasons," Kakashi looked at the floor. "I hope what we ask isn't too much." Jinko finished.

"I need to counsel this with the others. As you can see, you are outsiders. Though you were a Leaf shinobi Jinko, you aren't now seeing as you don't have your headband. Also, this is a matter of security. It's nothing personal. The elders will discuss it and we will inform you as soon as possible. Till then you could stay in the village as visitors," Kakashi laid back in his chair.

"I understand, my lord." Jinko bowed and turned back to leave. "Oh, and Jinko," Kakashi stopper her. "If the decision is a negative, then you'd have to leave the village the very day. I'd would escort you myself to the village gates."

"Yes." Jinko replied firmly and left the room.

It was clear that he didn't trust her. He would have an ANBU to tail me. I bet he already asked for a background check on us by now, she thought.

"Jinko where will we go now?" Mitsuki asked looking up at her as they walked out of the building.

"We will stay in a hotel till the decision comes," she replied.

"What if they don't allow us to stay?"

"We will cross that bridge when it comes. But for now let's go find Ichiraku ramen shop!" Jinko tugged at Mitsuki's hand and dragged him to the streets of Konoha.

#kakashi hatake #team 7 #naruto shippuden #Naruto #narutouzumaki #sasuke uchiha #sakura haruno #the sixth hokage #the bell test #fanfic #fanfiction #lovestory #new generations #chapter3

[desperatelyseekingroleplay]

general hey all! i’m wren and i’m a 23 y/o grad student in the est time zone. i’ve been rping for over 10 years and am looking for some cool new people to plot and rp with. i’m usually bopping around on social media and love talking to my partners, whether it’s getting to know them or just plotting future events for our characters.

i’m also very ditch-friendly! if you’re tired of me or our rp, totally just ghost me, i’ll get the hint. no need to get all anxious over breaking up with a partner. it’s rping, it’s all chill. if you’re able to, giving me a head’s up that you’re not feeling the rp would be great though! i will absolutely return the courtesy if i’m not feeling it anymore either.

as a quick side note, i will only rp with people over the age of 18, and have a preference for partners over the age of 20! i just feel more comfortable when my partner is around the same age as me.

posts and characters i only write in third person past tense and would prefer for my partner to do the same. i’m very flexible with post lengths, but i tend to be on the wordy side. i’d love it if you could provide four or five paragraphs per post on average, though i absolutely value quality over quantity so post length isn’t a huge concern of mine as long as there’s something to reply to! longer posts are wonderful as well, and i have no issue waxing lengthy posts if that is your preference.

i generally reply at least once a day or once every other day, but even if i’m tied up with work and not able to reply consistently, i’ll absolutely be available to chat. i’ll let you know when i’m busy and love to shoot plot ideas back and forth even when i can’t put aside a chunk of time to reply.

characters! i love playing multiple characters, but having a singular main character is great too. i prefer playing OCs but can also do canons, which i’ll talk about more below. i have no preference about what sort of character you’re playing, that’s your decision! i like to develop new characters for each rp i do, but feel free to bring in old characters if that’s what you want! i like characters that are complex and interesting and not ultra-powerful people – or if they are, you’re able to explore the emotional repercussions of it. if you’re looking for a specific sort of character to play yours against, give me some guidelines before i whip up an OC and i’ll be happy to make someone that fits your needs. i adore creating characters, and like making side or background characters that pass through or come in and out of the plot.

i like creating characters before the plot, rather than the other way around. i have a huge preference for character-driven plots – putting our characters in a setting, and then letting their specific quirks and motivations lead where the rp goes next.

i also can provide rp samples if you’d like to see my writing before we rp!

genres; love and sex so first let me prattle off some original character genres that i love! i will list fandoms later.

• adventure; anything with a band of people coming together and forming a found family, traveling together on the way to a goal with obstacles thrown in their way • fantasy; i adore fantasy, whether it’s magical realism or all out medieval fantasy. world-building is one of my favorite things. sci-fi is great too, but i’m not great when things get too tech-y haha • paranormal/mythical creatures; sort of goes with the fantasy, but i’m always down to rp different species in any sort of setting • fairy tales; i love taking old fairy tales or stories and giving them a unique twist, whether it’s making them #gritty or just tossing them in a different sort of setting • superheroes; people with superpowers using it for good or evil and coming together yesss • romance; romance is great and i’ll discuss that below, but i prefer this to be like a sub-genre • AUs; i love taking a fandom and making it an alternate timeline or AUing it completely. also once we have characters and a rp established, i love love love talking about AUs for our characters. i will AU everything, there is no AU too AUish for me

those are just my favorites so feel free to suggest others, but i will not do slice of life. i just find myself bogged down when there’s not a defined plot, and it doesn’t keep my interest. i also love these things if you’d be interested in tossing any of them in the rp:

• mages • shapeshifters • daemons [like from his dark materials] • people with horns or wings • pirates • dragons

pairings what up what up. i love rps with a dash of romance, whether our characters come in as an awesome couple battle duo, or two dorks realizing they’re developing a crush on each other. either way, i don’t like characters who are not in a relationship immediately getting together – i’m all about the bonding and character development. i do not like rping cishet m/f pairings. bi girl and bi dude falling in love is great. trans man and trans woman falling in love is great. ace woman and a masculine nb person falling in love is great. any other type of lgbtqia+ pairing is great. if you have a general preference for m// or f// just let me know!

i also love anything unconventional, from happy polyamorous couples to obsessive unrequited pining. love triangles are great, conflict is great, anything to keep the relationship fresh and interesting without verging into the realm of over-dramatic. if you’re looking for someone to rp a dark and unhealthy romance with, i am your person. also if you want to rp cute poly couples, i am also that person.

i do not understand doubling. i thought it meant we just play multiple characters (which i love), not that we’re explicitly playing the other person’s LI. i’d rather us just play characters and then see who has chemistry.

for fandoms, i’ll do canon/canon and OC/OC but not canon/OC!

smut smut is totally rad, as long as it’s not the sole focus of the rp. i like the smut to add something to the character, the characters’ relationship, or the plot in addition to just being for porn’s sake. cute smut is great. dark smut is great. getting to do both is even better. i do have a handful of smut-based limits including things like water sports, pedophilia, vore – if you want a complete list just ask when you contact me. themes i would enjoy exploring typically depend on the character and what my partner’s limits are.

limits i don’t have any limits besides the aforementioned smut limits. besides that, i love violence, gore, and swearing. i like exploring dark themes when the rp calls for it. i do not like rping with people who treat trauma, abuse, and psychopathy as personal traits or try to make things obnoxiously dark and gritty. but otherwise everything’s pretty much on the table! if you have any limits please let me know – i have no problem not swearing or avoiding certain topics or fading to black if that is your preference.

fandoms i love many fandoms so if you’re itching for something just ask me about it. the only thing i don’t know squat about is pretty much all anime/manga. except naruto.

but here are the fandoms i do know stuff about and would love to rp! stars denote preference.

dragon age [origins; da2; inquisition] ✩✩✩ dragon age is my favorite thing in the world and i would love someone to rp it with. i have a preference for OCs though would also be up to rping canon characters. rping an OC MC with OC companions is my jam, though i also like exploring what the rest of the world is up to while the main plot is going on. also any AU of dragon age is great – inquisition in a modern setting, kirkwall with a sci-fi twist; universe diverging where the bad guy wins and stuff like that.

pokemon [any gen] ✩✩✩ i am always down for a pokemon rp you have no ideaaa. however i really like my pokemon rps more serious. i like exploring aspects of the pokemon world outside of just being a trainer and getting badges. i like to rp pokemon like they’re intelligent animals, meaning that wild pokemon aren’t so easily tamed and pokemon can get hurt. i’m also so down for crossbreeds/fusions. i have a wide variety plot ideas in mind for pokemon and would love to hear yours!

kingdom hearts [any game] ✩✩ i’ve been on this wild kh binge lately, to ease the ache in my heart that kh3 will probably come out in like 2020. i would love to play OCs or underdeveloped side characters, but i’m all up for canons too. i’ve played all of the games except DDD which i’m working on now. i’d love something in the bbs era, but honestly anything is great. exploring nobodies successfully turned into ansem-heart-holders, the new keyblade warriors to defeat ansem (this guy gets around), or kh1&2 characters during the bbs time is all great. for canon characters sora, aqua, ventus, marluxia, and larxene are the ones i’ve played the most but i’m always looking to branch out.

fallout [any game] ✩ would love to do OCs for this, and admittedly something in the commonwealth would be rad because i’ve played 4 most recently. brotherhood of steel is always great, anything with them is awesome. also stuff with synths that involves questioning what it means to be human and have faith in your own identity/memories w/e w/e would be cool.

final fantasy [IV, VII, VIII, crisis core, advent children, dissidia] ✩ i have this random love for IV, but honestly i am total VII trash. there’s a remake coming out so i’m going to pretend i’m justified.

harry potter [no cursed child] OCs would be great because who doesn’t love a harry potter AU. i honestly don’t have a huge interest in canon characters for this one, unless it’s set in the future.

once upon a time love the concept, hate the execution. would love something that just uses this plot, or we can do some universe diverging.

marvel cinematic universe the mcu is great but i don’t have a lot of ideas for this one – if you’ve got a plot idea you’re itching to do that doesn’t hinge on excessive knowledge of the comic material, lay it on me.

medium i have a super strong preference for rping over email or google docs, and reserving forms of IM for separate chatting and plotting. i can be flexible if you’re super gung-ho about rping over skype or something, but generally i like to keep my posts in a place where they’re all together and i can easily reference them. i have google hangouts and skype for chatting, and can get aim or msn for the dinosaurs who still use that (jk jk). i’m also open to making a joint tumblr blog that we both post our posts on, which i did not know was a thing until very recently!

contact if you’re interested please shoot me a mail at [email protected]! from there we can talk about chatting else where and stuff.

#rp partner wanted #rp partner needed #RP Partner search #RP partner ad #Desperately Seeking Roleplay #Fandom Roleplay #Original RP Wanted #marvel rp request #ouat roleplay #final fantasy roleplay #fallout roleplay #Harr Potter roleplay #Kingdom Hearts Roleplay #pokemon roleplay #dragon age roleplay #submission

[drennalynspast]

[ Halloween 2007 and stuff ]

Monday, Nov. 26, 2007

I haven’t been posting much in my journal lately.  One event I feel like I should discuss is perhaps my first -real- party. That is, involving drinking and stuff. :/ 

I went to a Halloween party in an apartment that was hosted by Jack and his roommates.  People were dressing up in scantily clad outfits.  It was quite funny how the gay guys were more revealing than the females.  Anyways, I was dressed up in some random dress I got at the girl’s section at kohls.  I didn’t really have a costume so I decided to just go as some black/white Lolita ish girl.  Jack’s friend lent me fairy wings to accompany my dress and gloves.  As people were first taking their drinks, Jack and some of his friends were telling me how to drink vodka lulz.  Some people looked at me weird, and Jack told them it was my first time drinking.  I believe I had like about 2 and a half to 3 shots of vodka..plus a couple sips of beer and some Smirnoff.  Jack told me I was trashed at some point.  >.>. 

Yeah, I was dancing with a bunch of gay guys. It didn’t do me any good. But I figured, I don’t have a lot of opportunity to do shit without barriers. Meh what the hell.  My face was also red  damn asian blush.

 Luckily, I didn’t have a hangover, nor did I feel nauseated/sleepy/ get a headache.   A lot of people were tired, but I was fine.  I’m kinda surprised I could tolerate that alcohol considering how small my body is. 

>I met some interesting people.  I like talking to people without any fears.  I inquired about the costumes etc.  There were interesting costume designs.  Overall, it was a worthwhile event to experience.  I was sensible not to overload myself with drinks.  The time seemed to pass by quickly at the party; I had no idea it was already 3 in the morning.

The next day Jack was going to dallas to another party with his school friends.  I was a bit disappointed I couldn’t come along.  The circumstance of my coming would be quite awkward and I don’t want to be a hindrance to people.  I don’t want to be rude and invite myself to parties.though I felt like I invited myself to Jack’s Halloween party.  Hmmm He did mention it to me in previous weeks/months. 

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

I don’t know why I feel so apathetic when it comes to writing journal entries.  There are times where I think about what to say, but when I actually feel like writing. I lose those instant thoughts and emotions. Wow, I am even procrastinating when it comes to writing in my journal. How sad.

------------------------------------- As far as school stuff...i am disappointed in my progress.  It could be worse?  But I know I can do much better.  The results of my goddamn pcat score is also making me feel more miserable. *sigh**sulksulk* killtheaptathykillitkillit  I still haven’t made a close friend at my university either lol.  My roommate and I are getting along.  I think she is perhaps the most sociable of the roommates I have had. Also, I can relate to her than my other past two roommates.  There are times where sometimes, I just want to be alone though and I don’t want to talk to her.  So I have been noticing how sometimes my responses display brevity and disinterest.  I prefer intentional solitude at times.

-------------------------------------- I don’t know how I feel scared or apathetic.  Perhaps I am just anticipating pessimistic outcomes to ease my strife in failed attempts.  Oh lord we have an emo speaking. Stabbyripstabstab.  A couple of weeks til the end of the semester -  I can’t give up.

------------------------------------- I want to draw more.  I haven’t been doing art shit in a while. And now I have started drawing some doodle things..i wish I could have the time to focus on my skill and improve.  It’s like I just want to seclude myself from others and work on my art.  At some point Jack felt suspicious why I was not immediately eager to hang out with him when we both came to our hometown.  Neglecting homework to work on some lineart hmm sounds fun to me. Damn the inspiration/influence.

---------------------------------- Damn anime. Damn anime for being so fucking addictive and wasteful of my life.  I have been spending hours sitting on my nonexistent ass trying to cram all the released episodes up to date. I even managed to read the manga and reached the latest chapter because I can’t get enough of the anime ohshit.  Katekyo hitman reborn, you are evil.  I didn’t even care about it in the first place. Those baby things are ugly..like reborn.  But you can’t help but notice other characters that stand out.  [insert fangirl mode here]  I don’t even care much about naruto and bleach characters anymore. I don’t care about those yaoi doujinshis  (gay pronz manga) much to hunt for them. Reborn is just another one of those anime phases which will eventually settle to a point zero.  Watch it drag to 100+ episodes along with pointless filler episodes.  When anime shit run that long, I get used to waiting for a long time and I lose that obsession spark.  I never thought I could care about yaoi doujinshis much..  I got pretty bored of looking at death note yaoi doujinshis.  But damn, the manga art in hitman reborn is so much better than how they look in the anime

Wow and I am even going as far as drawing freaking reborn fanart. I rarely draw humans or fanart for that matter.  It pisses me off that I suck at drawing humans well.  If I had the skill to draw humans, I’d draw them more and possibly even yaoi stuff I dunno >.<.  If the face doesn’t look attractive to me  ( I mean like uber hot), I feel like my human drawings have failed.  So yeah, this is why fantasy creatures and anthro shit have a prominent occurrence in my art  because I don’t have to worry about facial attractiveness of the characters.  I guess my humans have shown some improvement compared to earlier years. Still not good enough to claim myself and a l33t fan artist.