#(also the fact Konoha gets completely ignored is a CRIME)

[itachi-uchiha-deserved-better]

There were seven of them gathered in the tent that was serving as the temporary council chamber while the leaf village was being rebuilt. Kakashi sat at the head of the circular table, looking uncomfortable in the position of authority that had been thrust upon him in Tsunade’s absence. Next to Kakashi on his left was Shikaku Nara, with Shikamaru seated next to his father. On Kakashi’s right side sat Gai, Yamato, Naruto and then finally there was Sakura, sitting opposite Kakashi, wondering when in the hell she had become important enough to warrant an explicit invitation to a council meeting.

The elders, Sakura noted, were not in attendance. Kakashi had placed both of them under guard since Danzo’s treachery at the five Kage summit came to light. It didn’t really come as much of a surprise to Sakura that the Jonin of the village were hesitant to trust them with matters of importance.

Kakashi fiddled with his pen, as he seemed to search for the best way to approach whatever it was that was important enough for him to call a council meeting in the first place. He kept shooting Yamato glances, which Yamato always answered with a quirked eyebrow or a shake of the head, like there was a silent discussion going on between them. Sakura watched the exchange with fascination as she doodled on the note pad in front of her.

“Fine.” Kakashi growled, ending whatever argument he and Yamato were apparently having, “I guess we ought to just get on with it.” He took a breath, put the pen down very carefully, so that it was sitting perfectly straight in front of him. He swept his gaze around the room, locking eyes with each person who sat at the table in turn.

“You know I’m not the type to do things as officially as they should be done. Were it not for the delicate nature of this matter, I’d have left it for Tsunade to deal with when she recovers. Unfortunately, this is a matter that won’t wait until our Hokage is back on her feet.”

The air in the room seemed to grow still and heavy with tension. Everyone seemed to pick up on the carefully chosen words Kakashi used. Our Hokage. Not him. He had no desire to lead them. When Tsunade wakes up. Because none of them wanted to consider the other outcome.

“As you know, Yamato and I were present for the majority of the 5 Kage summit. I believe everyone here has read our reports regarding the proceedings of the summit and Danzo’s attempt at treason. That is not what we are here to discuss. This meeting is in regards to what happened before our arrival at the summit location. About information intentionally withheld from the official reports.”

Sakura observed the room. A large part of her medical training had focused on sharpening her observational skills. Teaching her to pick up on subtle changes around her, so that she can make decisions with the most information possible. So her keen gaze immediately picks up on the way that Shikaku straightened up in his chair as Kakashi admits to withholding information from the official documentation of their mission. She notes how Shikamaru’s gaze snaps to Naruto’s face, then to hers, trying to read the situation the same way that she was. She can almost visualize tangible waves of tension rolling off of Yamato and the worried look that Gai is giving her Sensei. It seemed that he had at least some inkling of what was going on.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure that this information should be shared with anyone. The source is questionable, but Yamato and I agree that given the potential ramifications for the village if the information we’ve been given is accurate, that at least the people in this room need to be aware of it.”

More glances shot around the table. Naruto at Sakura. Sakura at Yamato. Yamato and Gai at Kakashi. Shikaku and Shikamaru at all of them. The silence in the room swelled until Shikaku quietly prompted Kakashi, “please continue.”

“Itachi Uchiha.”

The name sent a shockwave through the room. White hot anger flared in Sakura. Itachi. Sasuke’s older brother. The shinobi who had murdered his entire clan in cold blood, who had tried to kidnap Naruto, who was directly involved with the organization that had killed Gaara, that had destroyed Konoha and caused so much pain to the person that she loved. Even if he didn’t love her back, Sakura could never forgive Itachi for the pain he inflicted on Sasuke.

Naruto was shrinking in his seat, like the name was a heavy weight descending on his shoulders. Shikaku and Shikamaru were both now sitting straight backed in their seats, giving Kakashi their undivided attention. Only Yamato and Gai remained impassive.

“What about the Uchiha?” Shikaku asked as the impact of the name started to settle.

“It seems that there is much more to Itachi’s actions than the village was initially lead to believe. Our information indicates that Itachi held no grudge against his clan. That his crimes, while heinous, were carried out under direct order from village leaders.”

Shikamaru laughed, the sound breaking through the tension like a paper bomb exploding in Sakura’s ears, “You must be joking. You can’t honestly believe that Lord Third would have allowed-“

Shikaku grabbed Shikamaru’s arm, and shooting him a sharp look to silence him.

Kakashi sighed, “I understand your skepticism. Like I said, Yamato and I don’t trust the source of our information, but given Danzo’s treachery and how long that was allowed to go on unnoticed, I don’t think we can dismiss anything outright. By the same token, none of this is to leave this tent. Until we are able to verify or disprove the claim, I want to keep this thing quiet.”

Shikamaru huffed, but Shikaku nodded thoughtfully, “Kakashi, you were his Anbu captain at one point. You probably know the most about Itachi of anyone present. Do you believe it’s possible that he was manipulated into massacring his clansmen?”

Sakura expected Kakashi to answer immediately. The entire thought of the village ordering a man to kill his entire clan was ludicrous.

Wasn’t it?

But Kakashi didn’t answer. One minute passed in silence and still Kakashi was sitting there, glaring down at his pen, unable to answer Shikaku’s question. It was Yamato who eventually spoke up.

“I served alongside Itachi on team Ro. Speaking frankly, I could never wrap my head around it. The Itachi I knew wasn’t capable of harboring that much hatred. Even with the proof right in front of our eyes, I couldn’t make sense of it.”

Sakura breathed in a sharp breath of surprise. Neither Kakashi or Yamato ever really spoke about their Anbu days, so she had been completely ignorant of the fact that they’d both been on a team with Itachi, much less been friends with him.

Did Sasuke know?

Kakashi nodded his head, “I agree with Yamato, Itachi Uchiha’s actions never made sense to me. I accepted that I must have missed the signs back then and once everything was said and done, I tried my best not to think about it. About him. He was my teammate, and I had failed him. But if this is true, then I failed him even worse than I ever could have believed.” Kakashi hung his head and Sakura could see how much this pained him. She could only imagine what he felt, having this ghost of his past being dragged back up to the surface, especially after so much recent pain and loss.

“Regardless of my and Yamato’s personal feelings about the man, there are other factors which lead us to believe that at least parts of the information we were given are true. Danzo did possess a number of Sharingan, including an eye that we can confirm belonged to Shisui Uchiha, who supposedly committed suicide by the Naka. Itachi was, at the time, suspected of murdering his cousin.”

Another pause, as Kakashi allowed the information to sink in. Shikaku was nodding his head in recognition of the name. Shikamaru was studying his father closely. Sakura could hear Naruto grinding his teeth in frustration.

“Alright,” Shikaku tapped his finger on the table, “Lets have it then. The whole story.”

Kakashi obliged, and slowly the story came out, with Yamato jumping in when it seemed that Kakashi was struggling to find the right words. About the plan for a coup d'etat that had been brewing within the Uchiha clan. The orders to spy on the Uchiha, to monitor them for signs of rebellion. Itachi’s assignment to team Ro, and his early promotion to captain under Danzo. About the death of a man named Shisui, who according to this had thrown himself off a cliff only after Danzo had stolen one of his eyes. The coup coming to a head, and Hiruzen asking Itachi to buy time to find a better solution than annihilation, and Itachi being approached later by Danzo, with a promise- that Itachi could ensure his little brother’s survival if he singlehandedly stopped the coup. The implication that if Itachi refused, Danzo would ensure the clan’s destruction, Sasuke and Itachi included.

The clan’s lives for Sasuke’s life. That was the deal that was put forth. And Itachi had accepted.

But it was the final bit of the story that chilled Sakura to her core.

“Hiruzen was aware of Itachi’s orders. While he may not have issued them himself, if our source is to be believed, he also made no effort to intervene. Its true that the Uchiha massacre solved the problem of the coup d'etat once and for all. But the only way it ended without anyone losing faith in Hiruzen was for Itachi to shoulder the blame. If he’d remained in the leaf village, Hiruzen would have been forced to punish him for the massacre. So instead, Hiruzen let Itachi leave the village, left the barrier jutsu formula intact so that Itachi could come and go as long as he remained hidden, and Itachi decided to join the Akatsuki. Not as a missing-nin, but as Konoha’s spy.”

Shikaku hummed, nodding his head, “I never was able to come up with a good reason why Hiruzen left the barrier jutsu formula alone. I assumed he believed that Itachi must not have any more reason to target the leaf, but even then when word came that Itachi had joined the Akatsuki, he ought to have changed it.”

“Right,” Kakashi was rubbing at his temple, probably fighting off a headache. He’d had a number of those since his brush with death at the hands of Pein.

“There are piece that add up. The barrier formula. The fact that the leaf village always had more intelligence on the Akatsuki and their movements than the other villages did. Danzo’s possession of the Uchiha eyes, Shisui’s eye especially. But there are also pieces I cant explain. Like why that bastard locked me in a seventy two hour genjutsu that almost killed me. And the only person who could confirm any of this, as far as I know, has been dead for three years.”

Gai said something in response to that, but Sakura had stopped listening, their voices fading to the background as something started to click in her head.

Konoha’s spy.

Had to stay hidden.

Could come and go as he pleased.

Her mind was spinning. Recalling strange orders issued by Tsunade. Treating a shinobi outside the hospital. Not allowed to use her healing chakra at all, only basic medical skills. The threat of being stripped of her rank as a shinobi if she disobeyed. A strange Anbu who never spoke. Who suppressed his chakra at all times. Who had eerily familiar eyes that always seemed to be filled with something she could never hope to understand.

“Sakura? Sakura are you alright?” Naruto’s hand was on her shoulder, shaking her gently. Tenzo and Kakashi were both watching her with concern, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

The name. Recognition like a bolt of lightning struck her and Sakura stood up so quickly that she sent her chair flying back with a crash.

She felt like she was going to explode. Every eye in the tent was on her, waiting for some kind of explanation for her sudden reaction. How on earth could she not have put it together earlier? Then again, she’d never been given any reason to suspect that Ghost, the strange anbu operative in the blank mask was Sasuke’s older brother.

Tsunade. Tsunade must have known. Her orders were to protect Ghost’s identity, because if Sakura had felt his chakra, even for an instant, she would have recognized the similarities to Sasuke’s, and there was only one other Uchiha left in the world. So many thoughts were crashing around inside Sakura’s mind. Anger. Anger at Ghost…Itachi…for lying to her, even if he had no other choice. It wasn’t like she would have ever helped him before if she knew who he was. She’d have been the first person to turn him in, no matter how much kindness he’d shown her. Anger at Tsunade, for allowing the farce to continue, despite knowing that Itachi had made the only choice he could have. Anger that Hiruzen, for failing to intervene and stop all the pain that the massacre caused. For Sasuke, and for Itachi.

Her eyes met Kakashi’s steady gaze. Her sensei, always so adept at reading what troubled her, waited patiently for her mouth to catch up to her mind.

“You knew?”

“No.” Not a lie. She hadn’t known, “But I’m pretty sure this is the truth. I…” gods above how did she even begin to explain it all? To explain about Ghost, his strange behavior, the bizarre connection they shared.

Tenzo was her saving grace. He seemed to have put some of the pieces together himself.

“The Anbu? The one you told me about?”

Sakura nodded and sank back down into her chair, hugging her arms into herself. The eyes of the group moved off of Sakura, looking to Tenzo for more information.

“Earlier this year, Sakura confided in me about a patient of hers. She wanted to know if I was aware of an Anbu agent whose mask was blank, no markings at all. She told me that Tsunade had asked her to treat him and that the arrangement came with some unusual orders which had her uncomfortable.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, “Are you referring to-“ Kakashi cut off, but Tenzo nodded, clearly understanding the question. Shikamaru grumbled.

“Care to explain for those of us who can’t read your mind?”

“Ghost,” Tenzo shot back, “It’s a…well for lack of better terms, it’s a ghost story that exists among the Anbu. A few years back a few genin claimed they were saved by an Anbu agent in a blank white mask, who slaughtered the enemy shinobi who were attacking them and then disappeared without a trace. No one believed them, but since then all kinds of stories about the faceless mask have popped up. Most of them are incredibly far fetched, but there are elements that remain consistent throughout. Black hair. Always alone. Never leaves any survivors except for leaf shinobi. Only fights with Kunai and a tanto, never jutsu. At least, none that anyone ever sees. I didn’t think anything of it, but when Sakura mentioned her patient to me, I did some digging. There is a file for an Anbu agent, codename Ghost, but there’s no serial number on the file, and everything in it was encoded.”

Kakashi sighed, “It’s not proof, but that seems pretty damning.” Apparently Kakashi didn’t have any better explanation that Sakura did.

“In that case, there are a few things to address. First and foremost, it is very likely that Sasuke has also been made aware of the fact that his brother acted under orders. I don’t think he knows about Itachi’s identity as an Anbu operative, but we need to be prepared because I’m not sure what kind of effect this information will have on him. The last I knew, Sasuke’s sole focus was on killing his brother for revenge. It’s quite possible that his desire for revenge will shift to target the village, or at least those he feels most responsible for Itachi’s actions.”

Everyone in the tent nodded their agreement.

“The second question is one of what to do about Itachi himself.”

This time no one nodded. It was a momentous question.

“Are you sure we need to do anything at all?” Shikaku asked, trying to be as gentle with the question as possible. Tenzo slammed his hand down on the table and looked like he wanted to throw himself at Shikaku.

“Of course we have to do something! He’s a leaf shinobi! He’s put his life in danger for the past nine years, alone, hated by everyone in order to protect the village. He deserves to know that he isn’t being held responsible for being forced to make an impossible choice when he was thirteen fucking years old!”

“Easy, Tenzo,” Kakashi seemed to be doing his best to keep his tone level, trying not to let his emotions get the better of him while they sorted things out, “You know that I want to see him again as much as you do, as a friend. But we need to consider what’s best for the village. At the least, I don’t think we need to come to a decision right now. Our first priority is to rebuild the village itself. When Tsunade wakes up, I’m sure she’ll have something to say on the matter.”

Sakura clenched her fist and felt her chakra start flowing into them out of instinct. You better believe that she’ll have something to say. I’ll make sure of it.

She pushed herself up from the table. She needed to hit something. Needed to break something. And if she didn’t leave now, she couldn’t be sure what exactly it was she was going to break. Better safe than sorry.

“Sakura? Going somewhere?”

“For a walk,” She hissed, daring anyone to try and stop her as she stormed out of the tent.

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day One Hundred Ninety-Five: A New Spatula ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ] [ AO3 Link ]

There’s a lot of things he has to get used to again. One of them is how to make friends.

Sasuke wasn’t exactly an expert at that, even as a child. He, like many clan children, was kept mostly within his clan’s compound when young, and there hadn’t been many others his age. Most of his time, therefore, was spent with his brother Itachi, and his cousin Shisui.

…ironic how now, they still make up most of his social circle.

The first time he truly met new children his age was his introduction into the shinobi Academy. Though a bright and friendly boy at that age, he was also shy to a degree: meeting new people was a bit daunting. But he did his best to be friendly...ish, but also focus on his studies, rushing home right after classes to then go train. That left little time for making friends.

And then, after only a brief stint in his scholarly career...the massacre took place. Any notion of making friends was lost in a sea of mourning and reclusion. There was no one in his class to turn to...no one knew how he was feeling. No one could understand, could comprehend…!

Even Naruto, in his proclamations of understanding loneliness, knew it to this degree. They were alone...but in vastly different ways. Naruto had no one to miss, no memories to haunt him, no recollection of his family’s death. It was something he would never fully know.

And so...Sasuke withdrew. Became obsessed with his studies, his training...all in an effort to one day kill one of the few people he’d ever fully entrusted his heart to: his brother. Sasuke missed so many milestones of socialization as a child, too bound and focused on his goals. Being assigned a team had been...awkward. Even more so given who they were: a boy that never gave him peace, and a girl who insisted she was in love with someone she’d hardly spoken to, could never understand.

So he did his best to ignore them. Complete what was necessary. Sure, they’d drag him around...and at times, his loneliness meant clinging to them, if only because he had no other option. They weren’t exactly his best-suited company. But in the end...he did his best to stay distant. He didn’t need them. They were distractions. Roadblocks. They’d only drag him down…!

And then he left.

Orochimaru’s was no place to make friends, let alone expect any semblance of normalcy. Taka were necessities. Pieces in his game. Karin was just as bad as Sakura, if not worse. Suigetsu was obnoxious...if not at times witty. Jūgo was tolerable. Quiet, unobtrusive...except for his blind fits of rage. But none of them were his friends. Nor did he want them to be. Need them to be.

The war saw him reunited with team seven. In a way...it was nostalgic. But there was little forgetting - or forgiving - their crimes against him. Ignoring his wishes. His clan’s genocide. The reasons behind it, even when they learned of it. Still they worshiped Konoha, still they thought it the only place he could ever call home. There was so much he wanted to throw away, burn, start over…

But in the end, he was denied.

And now here he is, back in that very village...but things are, admittedly, different. His brother is alive. His cousin never truly died. He has a niece and nephew now. And with his classmates’ help, and the Hyūgas’, they’ve rid the last few orchestrators - the previous council - of their power. Never again can they bring a tragedy like the massacre to fruition.

It’s not everything he wanted...but it’s a start.

He has a few key pieces of his family.

In truth...that’s all he needs.

But that same family has been...gently urging him to try to branch back out. To meet his classmates and start again. Thankfully they all know and understand his apprehensions. None of them expect him to forgive and forget that easily...but nor will they let him simply give up.

The easiest place to start, as it turns out...is someone he haa little to no memory of ever speaking to before defecting.

And that is Hyūga Hinata.

But, in a way, that plays to her advantage. He has no grudge against her. She never did him wrong. And with her in the know of his past, along with her unique perspective...she’s also been the forefront of welcoming him back into their fold.

...it’s been, though he won’t admit it...rather nice.

With the Hyūga allied to their few remaining Uchiha cousins, they see each other plenty. Add in the fact that Sakura and Naruto have paired up, and...well, they’ve been a bit designated to follow them around. Sasuke as their teammate, and Hinata as a...friend.

So, with all of that in place, and making the most logical sense...he’s decided to start here.

“...got any hobbies?”

Perking up as he addresses her, Hinata glances to Sasuke. At the moment, they’re tagging along with Naruto and Sakura - as well as Sai and Ino - on a random little excursion through the village. The girls are yammering over clothes, and...the boys are waiting in apparent agony. Hinata, being frugal, has taken to just sort of...watching. Sasuke, with neither a need to shop nor an inclination to commiserate with Sai or Naruto...does the same.

So, they make small talk.

“Um...I do!” She offers a small smile, heartened to have him initiate a conversation. “I have a small garden in the Hyūga compound...and I pressed the flowers I grow in it. I have a w-whole collection.”

“Flowers, huh?” What a tame, typical, feminine thing. But it suits her, he thinks.

“Mhm! My mother loved them, and...I guess I inherited that.”

Ah, her mother...they haven’t really branched into that part of her past yet, so he carefully skirts it. “...anything else?”

“Well, I love to bake.”

“Oh?”

“Mhm! Cinnamon buns in particular,” Hinata admits, taking a moment to smile behind a hand. “There’s something very...relaxing about it. And I get a treat when it’s done!”

“...mm.” He’s never been big into sweets. But both Itachi and his wife are fans of them, so it’s rather common to see them around. “Good point.”

Okay...he has some ammunition. He can work with that.

A while back, when it was still cold, she’d knitted him a scarf. He’s been waiting for an opportunity to repay her for far too long now. And with a few of her interests in mind, he decides to go shopping.

...but he can’t do that alone. It would be weird. So, he drags his sister-in-law along.

“I don’t want anything too fancy,” he admits, perusing the current shop they’ve peeked into. “But not something too simple, either.”

Thinking that over, she admits the simple is often the best route. After all, you can never have too many of the basics in a hobby like cooking. Directing him to a rack of cooking tools, she lets him browse...and goes off to do her own.

Sasuke stares at all the little gadgets and doodads. In all honesty...he knows very little about cooking. He rarely does anything beyond the absolute basics himself. So, hand hovering, he contemplates them all before just...grabbing one.

A spatula.

Because it’s purple.

And purple reminds him of Hinata.

There...mission accomplished! Getting a little gift bag for it, he parts ways with his sister and instead goes to find Hinata. He’s not about wasting time!

She’s nearby, by some luck, browsing a window while her teammates argue nearby. Apparently she’s tuning them out.

“Hyūga.”

Glancing over, there’s a perk as she spots him. “Sasuke-kun!”

Without a word, he just...hands over the bag.

“...um…?”

“For you. For the scarf you made me.”

“...oh! You didn’t have to…?” Realizing there’s little point in arguing, she accepts, digging through the paper and finding a new spatula.

“...for your, uh...baking,” he offers awkwardly.

A blink, and then...she laughs? Cheeks go a merry pink. “This is perfect! Thank you!”

“You...like it that much?”

“You won’t b-believe this, but…” Another chuckle. “I just broke the handle of my favorite spatula a few days ago! But I’ve been too busy to replace it yet!”

...you’ve got to be kidding. “...well...glad it’ll be useful.”

She gives him a warm smile, cheeks still flushed. “...thank you very much, Sasuke-kun. It’s a very t-thoughtful gift.”

Something warms in his chest at the praise. “...you’re welcome.”

“Now I’ll have to make you something with it, ne?”

Aw, jeez...now he’ll owe her again! “...just nothing too sweet, all right?”

“Deal!”

                                                                .oOo.

     Woo, more random ALAS fluff xD This prompt is...very random, but as Sasuke now knows, also very relevant to a certain new friend!      Not too much else to say, honestly...? Fluff is fluff! But I hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading!

[ravenaveira]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[raendown]

I finally got around to taking part in @dahtwitchi‘s Dick Pic Project! And in time to be allowed my repost of her delicious artwork! The image I am posting is ever so slightly doctored, just cropped a little, but with permission from Twitchi. 

Pairing: MadaraTobirama Word count: 4121 Rated: M Summary: Madara isn't sure what he thinks about being given a third chance at life. He's glad that he has his brother and Hashirama with him, although he's pretty sure he could live without Tobirama being there as well. What really makes things things interesting is all this new technology. He particularly enjoys his new 'cellphone'.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

Rapture On The Lonely Shore

As much as Madara appreciated being given another chance at life, there were still moments when he wondered if this was all just a little too much trouble. He had lived his life – two of them in fact! In that time he had committed his crimes, died for them twice, and seen about as much of the world as he’d thought he would ever want to. Getting dragged back in to the land of the living for a third go around wasn’t really in his plans.

Having both of the Senju brothers tag along for the ride could be nothing but karma trying to kick him in the ass and have a good laugh at him while doing it. Some days not even the fact that Izuna had also clawed his way back to life was worth the aggravation of it all.

Certainly on the surface everything was fine and dandy. The citizens of Konoha had at last reached a point where they were content to ignore him so long as he remained docile and afforded them the same discourtesy. Hashirama had fallen so easily in to the patterns of friendship they enjoyed during the few shorts months he had been able to peacefully exist within the village they built together. Spending his days with Izuna as he had always wanted to was a joy he’d long stopped believing could ever be possible.

The problem, as always, was Tobirama. To an outsider’s point of view it would appear that Tobirama had given up all animosity towards the Uchiha brothers he once carried so much hate for. And that would almost be considered correct, Madara had to admit. After finding themselves alive in a time period far passed their own, all of them had found it much easier to lay down their anger and simply enjoy the time they had been gifted, allowing the sins of the past to stay there and looking forward to the future with lighter hearts. Tobirama spent most of his time these days devoting his mind to the science he’d always loved.

He spent the rest of his time bothering Madara.

It wasn’t the same sort of hatred which had existed between them before when Izuna lay buried beneath six feet of earth and neither Tobirama nor Madara could look at each other without seeing the blood of their lost kin. Back then they had both done everything in their power to get in each other’s way, to antagonize and impede and irritate in every way they could just for the pleasure of knowing they had ruined even just a moment of the other’s day.

Now Madara wasn’t sure what he would call it. Without the weight of the world on his shoulders Tobirama seemed to have discovered a new side of himself that very much enjoyed poking fun at other people. He found a great deal of amusement in pulling small pranks and Madara, unfortunately, was his new favorite victim. Even more confusing was that none of it seemed to truly be mean-spirited. Tobirama switched out his reading glasses and put dye in his shampoo bottle, he laughed at the results until he was rubbing his sides with glee and then – amazingly – he would return Madara his things or provide him with the cure for whatever chaos he had caused. Then he returned to his lab until the urge for this new brand of fun rose again.

Several years had already gone by since the Fourth Shinobi War and all of them were fairly well entrenched in their patterns. Izuna in particular still struggled to remember the availability of new technologies like electric stoves and lightbulbs. On his part, Madara had been enamored with the concept of a cellphone since he was first handed one and the concept explained to him. That changed when Tobirama got a cellphone of his own.

Now here he was eyeing the small bar across the lock screen which indicated that he had a new message from “That White Bastard”. Madara sighed, drumming the nails of his other hands against his thigh as he wondered if it was worth his time to open the message. Last time he gave in to curiosity he’d gotten a series of eight picture messages of the same stupid leaf from different angles. Just a dumb waste of his time, something harmless that did nothing more than irritate him yet caused no real offense, that was the basis of all their interactions now. Madara had stopped checking Tobirama’s messages since then and started deleting them on sight but today a pattern had been broken.

Today he had received one picture message followed by no less than fifteen text messages in rapid succession. The constant ding of his phone was both annoying and slightly alarming, holding his attention if only for the way the messages just kept coming all at once. That wasn’t like Tobirama. It was more like Tobirama to wait and send each message in short intervals for maximum irritation value.

With a roll of his eyes and a heavy sigh, Madara unlocked his phone and fumbled around for the messages app. He wouldn’t be able to think about anything else until he solved this mini mystery so he might as well get it over with sooner rather than later. As soon as he opened it, however, he narrowed his eyes in confusion, anxious worry rising up in his throat as he read through the immediately visible messages.

No Seriously Do not I mean it, don’t scroll up If I send you enough messages it won’t be visible Just don’t scroll up I mean it Uchiha Don’t fucking do it If you want to keep your sanity DO NOT SCROLL UP

Madara caught his bottom lip between his teeth and nibbled viciously with indecision. He’d never seen Tobirama come even close to panic before but these messages, the speed with which they had all dropped in one after the other, it felt a lot like panic to him. The last message in particular caught his attention. He wasn’t sure if the wording was meant as a genuine warning or as a some kind of threat but all it had really accomplished was to make him incredibly curious. What could that idiot Senju have possibly sent him that would be followed all of this?

It took exactly half a minute for Madara to cave to his own curiosity. Whatever had been sent to him, it was obvious the Senju didn’t want him to see it. He might be holding amazing blackmail material in the palm of his hand; he would be stupid not to investigate that. Scrolling upwards only increased his confusion at first as it became more and more clear that Tobirama seemed to have sent him something by accident, something he truly did not wish for Madara to see, true panic clear in the messages where he seemed to realize he’d made some sort of mistake.

DON’T LOOK AT IT I DID NOT MEAN TO SEND THIS IMAGE Believe me when I say I meant to send something else This was an accident Do not scroll up Do not look at that image No Seriously

And then Madara found the image itself.

If he had an ounce less self-control he would have thrown his cellphone across the room on mere reflex, an instinctive reaction to the immediate influx of conflicting emotions. Of all the possible things Tobirama might have sent him, even accidentally, an image of the other man in the nude had not even crossed Madara’s mind.

Alright, so Tobirama wasn’t completely nude in the photo, although he might as well have been. His torso was bare and the pants he was wearing were opened to allow his impressive erection to rise out and stand perfectly centered in the frame. Madara couldn’t decide if he wanted to stare at the most delicious cock he’d ever set his poor shamed eyes upon or if he wanted to trace the shape of the tattoo he’d never known about. Tobirama’s pale white skin made a perfect backdrop for the red ink of a tiger to claw its way up and around his shoulder, the stripes of the beast’s arm running down Tobirama’s. The man’s other arm was pulled up behind his head to draw Madara’s eye to the third surprise: apparently Tobirama had seen fit to pierce one of his nipples.

Madara swallowed thickly, both hands clutching his phone so hard the metal casing gave a protesting creak. The part of his brain that had been raised in a war with the Senju was a little disgusted with himself for even entertaining the ideas this image was clearly meant to inspire. Perhaps it wasn’t meant to inspire those ideas in him but the other part of himself, the one that had put the war behind him and was slowly learning to trust again, was already rerouting blood to some very interested parts of his body. A few years ago he might have scowled at this same image with nothing but revulsion. Now he sank deeper in to his couch cushions and palmed the front of his trousers.

Two could play at this game, he thought with a grin. It had taken hours to teach him how to use the camera function on this overly complicated device but it was time he appreciated as well-spent now, reluctantly backing away from the messaging app so he could open up the camera and fiddle until he remembered how to turn it around to face himself. Then he unfastened his pants and pushed them down.

He wasn’t nearly as naked as Tobirama, he noticed. Staring back at the image of himself made him wonder if he should set the scene a little. Maybe take off his shirt? Pose? What expression should he make? Madara shifted and watched his cock bob from side to side, leering at the reflection his own hardness when an idea occurred to him.

It took several tries to get a picture he liked that actually stayed in focus, then several more tries to figure out how to send it back to Tobirama. If he said so himself it was quite an attractive image with him hunkered down in a similar lounging pose as the other man with one of his hands stroking himself and his eyes closed in bliss.

When his phone began to ring he nearly jumped out of his skin. The screen told him that Tobirama was calling him and Madara stared at it for a few seconds, terrified enough that his erection wilted a little. He didn’t think Tobirama would call him. He’d just…actually he had no idea what he’d meant with this stupid idea. Tit for tat? Payback? Mutual teasing with naked bodies? But if he didn’t answer then he ran the risk of Tobirama just popping in with that infernal jutsu of his so Madara accepted the call with one shaking thumb, his other hand still wrapped protectively around his own cock.

“Hello…” he mumbled, unsure of what the protocol was for talking to someone he’d just sent a racy picture of himself to.

“I thought I told you not to look at it.” Tobirama’s voice sounded oddly breathless in his ear. Madara swallowed thickly as his mind supplied him with several possible reasons why. His thumb absently rubbed small circles around the smooth head of his cock, making him shiver.

“You made me curious,” he admitted.

A few beats of silence followed before Tobirama spoke in a husky rasp, “I think I made you hard.”

“Perhaps. And you?” This was all stupid, so stupid, a bad idea shaped from adrenaline and the shock of sudden arousal. The percentage chance of this all blowing up in his face was astronomically high and yet he couldn’t stop his thumb from continuing to trace light circles, closing his eyes and dropping his head back to strain his ears for the sound of Tobirama’s voice. Had the man always had such an attractive voice or had Madara just not been listening properly?

“Madara…what are you doing right now?”

There were a hundred possible answers he could have given, a million different lies he could have told to stop this situation before it got too far out of hand, but the only animosity left between them was harmless pranks because they made Tobirama laugh and Madara had just enough courage to make a leap of faith. He took a chance in a way he never would have done in the world they lived in before.

“Right now? I’m touching myself while I think about that picture you sent me.”

“Oh.” Tobirama cleared his throat but it didn’t erase the fact that they both heard his voice crack. “R-right now. You’re–? Okay.”

“Do you know what would help?” Madara grinned listening to Tobirama’s breathing speed up.

“What?”

“If I could listen to you touching yourself at the same time.”

He never would have guessed how satisfying it would be to hear the hitch in Tobirama’s breath and the stuttering inhale that followed his statement. Madara shifted his grasp on the phone and squirmed as his thumb moved a little faster. Every fiber of his being wanted to move the entire hand, his blood boiling with anticipation at just the thought of it, but he held off for now. How much more satisfying would it be to have Tobirama join him? To listen to each other fall to pieces even though they were half a village apart.

Very likely he would have trouble looking Tobirama in the eye the next time they saw each other but that was a problem to be considered later. He could worry about his own recklessness and the possible fallouts of this after what promised to be a very satisfying orgasm.

“So, what, you would just…if I…?”

“You’re already touching yourself aren’t you?” Madara cut in smugly.

“Are you?”

“Yeah,” he breathed. “Tell me how you’re touching yourself Tobirama.”

The voice in his ear stumbled through a few syllables, clearly having difficulty doing both tasks at once, but finally he managed to say, “Slowly. I like to do it slowly. With light touches at first.”

Madara kept his eyes closed and groaned freely as his hand began to move at last, root to tip, consciously mimicking the things that were being described to him and trying to imagine it was Tobirama’s pale hand working him. Unsurprisingly, it was pretty easy to imagine. He’d never been more thankful for the perfect recall his eyes granted him.

“Never knew you had any other tattoos. If you were here I’d be tracing it with my tongue.” Madara bucked helplessly in to his fist when Tobirama groaned in his ear. He waited to hear something back, silence stretching until he realized the other man either had no idea what to say or was still too embarrassed to say it. Feeling reckless, he continued to speak his mind without thought for the consequences. “And that piercing. You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you? I’d love to get my teeth around that.”

“It was a dare,” Tobirama murmured finally, making him chuckle.

“Dare you to stroke yourself a little faster,” he said darkly. The other man let out a keening sound that sparked down the length of his spine like a jolt of electricity.

When the breathing in his ear started coming in fits and starts Madara swallowed thickly and moved his own hand faster as well, thrilled in a way he couldn’t describe to know that Tobirama had done so at his behest. His other hand absently pressed the phone so hard to the side of his head he feared the screen might crack, unwilling to miss even the slightest sound.

“You’re close, aren’t you?” he asked, grinding the words out between his clenched teeth.

“Fuck – yes – fuck…” Tobirama paused and then he whispered, “I want…to hear youcome.”

Madara groaned again instead of answering. If he had a second hand free he would have reached down between his legs to tease his entrance, maybe spit on his fingers and pressed in with just the tip of one, but to do that he would have to drop the phone. The last thing he was willing to do at that moment was give up the sound of Tobirama right at the edge, so close to glory. So instead he squeezed his eyes closed tighter and constructed the image of the other man on his knees taking Madara in to his mouth, the heat and the suction and the way his red eyes would be narrow and unfocused.

It was just enough. With a violent shudder he came, back arching and teeth grinding, a wordless growl ripping up his throat and immediately echoed from the other end of the call. Madara felt his jaw drop open in a gasp when he realized that Tobirama was coming too, reaching his completion from listening to Madara’s own.  

When the pleasure bordered on pain he let his hand come to rest and slumped backwards against the couch cushions to listen to Tobirama’s panting. His mind was blissfully empty of any thoughts other than how incredibly satisfying that had been, more satisfying than taking care of things himself usually felt. It took several minutes for him to realize that he and Tobirama were sitting in silence and listening to the each other recover in the aftermath. This was a man who, until a half hour ago, he would never thought himself to have any attachment to, had never even considered him as an option. Their shared past had blinded him to any possible attraction before now.

Now he wasn’t sure he would be able to look the man in the eye without wondering what he would taste like in the throes of ecstasy. Madara snapped both eyes open and stared at the ceiling with muted horror as he slowly realized what he’d just done and who he had done it with.

It seemed Tobirama’s mind was following the same paths.

“May I point out,” he heard the man rumble, “that it truly was an accident, me sending you that image.”  

“Hmm. You say that and yet I cannot think of any other reason for you to possess something…like…that…” Madara’s voice trailed off as a sudden thought washed over him like ice water. Why indeed would Tobirama have taken a photograph like that? Had he meant to send it to someone else? Had he taken it for a another person? His panic was cut short when Tobirama snapped at him, slipping easily in to defensive mode.

“You’ve called me narcissistic many times yourself. If you can’t tell what that image is for then I don’t know how to break the news to you.”

“Well I just thought, you know, if it was meant for…”

“Someone else?”

Madara pulled the phone away from his ear so that he could scowl at it briefly, hoping Tobirama would feel his irritation through their connection. Then he brought it back to say, “Clearly. I seem to remember that Inuzuka boy blathering on about something called ‘dick pics’ while he was trying to explain the camera function to me.”

“It was meant to pander to my preference for exhibitionism when at the time I lacked a partner to exhibit myself for.” He paused, a moment in which Madara strained his ears for more. “I am, in fact, still without a partner. A life partner, I mean. Or, well, that’s a bit presumptuous, clearly not every relationship is meant to last for life but what I mean is–”

“Are you asking me to be your partner?”

“Well I was going to but not if you’re going to interrupt me in that tone.”

“Because you don’t actually hate me or because I got you off over the phone?” Madara huffed, using his sticky hand to wrench his clothing back in to place with something like offense settling in his stomach.

Tobirama echoed his huff. “Impossible man. Just hold on a moment.”

Before Madara had time to question what the man wanted him to hold on for there was a surge of chakra across the room and then he was very glad he’d taken the time to stuff himself back inside his pants. Tobirama’s head swung from side to side as he took in the room he had just appeared in, clearly looking for Madara, and he narrowed his eyes when he spotted his prey.

“Are you deliberately this obtuse or do you somehow go through life with your eyes closed without noticing?” the man demanded, crossing the room with long strides to lean over and brace himself against the back of the couch with one hand, shoving his face right up in to Madara’s.

“I am not obtuse!”

“You can’t even tell when someone is flirting with you!”

“That’s – you’ve been flirting with me!?” Madara shoved the idiot away from himself so that he could rise to his feet with indignation. “What are you, five? A little girl pulling pigtails? You annoy me every chance you get and call it flirting? Not even your stupid lump of a brother is that poorly socialized to think that any sane human being would see your actions as some form of courtship ritual!”

“Would you shut up?”

Tobirama sneered in irritation and then hauled Madara up on to his toes for a searing kiss that cut off all further comments. As much as Madara wanted to cling to his argument that absolutely no flirting had happened, he gave in to Tobirama’s very convincing rebuttal rather quickly. It was hands down the best argument he’d ever lost and he did have to admit that the benefits of going along with this far outweighed the downsides. Actually, he couldn’t think of any downsides at all.

He very deliberately avoided thinking about what Hashirama’s reaction would be to this little development.

Groaning in protest when the delicious lips assaulting his own pulled away, Madara gathered what little cantankerous irritation was left in him and glared up at the man towering over him, a little insulted as he always was whenever he noticed again how much taller Tobirama was than him.

“You did send me that ‘dick pic’ on purpose, didn’t you? I know you did.”

“I maintain that it was an accident.”

“Bullshit.”

Tobirama shrugged. “Believe what you will. Although I should probably mention that I believe it was your brother which started the betting pool on when precisely you would clue in to my attentions. I’m not certain who has the spot for this month but we may wish to be discreet for now.” Madara pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I changed my mind. You’re too much trouble, get out of my house.”

“Hmm, so that’s a no on taking a few more personal photographs? These cellular phones are incredibly useful, wouldn’t you say?”

Madara paused to close his eyes and draw in a deep breath, letting it back out slowly before cracking his eyes open again for a very hard glare. He was sort of hoping his new partner might cower under the force of such a sharp expression but instead the only response he got was a single raised eyebrow.

“I hate you,” he grumbled.

“You’ll love what I can do with my tongue, though.”

“Can I take pictures of that?”

Tobirama didn’t answer him but Madara did notice the other man made sure to grab his cellphone as they stumbled down the hall towards his bedroom.  

He still didn’t understand for what purpose he had been given yet another unearned chance at life. Madara had no idea why he and Izuna and the Senju brothers had all been pulled away from what should have been their final rest. But that mattered less and less with every kiss the two of them shared on their stumbling journey down the hall. There didn’t need to be a reason for any of this; what mattered was the fact that he hardly remembered what it felt like to truly hate someone, that he had the life now he had dreamed of for so many years before.

What mattered was Tobirama and the oddly peaceful feeling of leaning in to his embrace. This new future with its strange technologies was no faultless paradise but it certainly had quite a few perks he very much intended to take advantage of like cellphones, dick pics, and the dimmer switch on the electric lightbulbs in his bedroom. Madara had no idea why he had been granted the life he’d always wanted – but he was happy to finally be happy.

[faintblueivy]

Dialogue challenge: “no, I’m upset my friend doesn’t want to help because he insists on being an idiot” for BoruSara

Okay, tbh, I was not supposed to post this fic until I would have written the second part but I have changed my mind and decided to post this piece.

This might turn into a three shot fanfic.

@kairi-chan I think you intended it to be a humorous one but I don’t have any regrets turning it into an angsty one on purpose. I apologize.😂 And I want to say that they’re twenty-three in this fic.

Matters of the heart

Chapter – 1

Mitsuki’s dilemma

The sound ofthe rustle of the leaves and collective footsteps were the only thing thatcould be heard besides some dampened whispers. The Shinobis of Konoha alongwith some other ninja from other hidden villages were mixed in. They were allheading towards the battlefield.

Battlefield?You ask. Yes, it had been so long since a war took place that people hadstarted to take peace for granted. But all that peace was suddenly disturbed bythe sudden invasion from the outer continents. Despite the Kages trying theirbest to control the situation and prevent the war from breaking out by themeans of negotiations proved fruitless. Instead, the meeting between theleaders for Negotiation was a lure trap, the enemy was desperate to finish offthe most powerful shinobis of the Shinobi world at once under this pretence.

Butthankfully enough, they underestimated the prowess of the Kages and especiallyignored the man who has so dutifully been referred to as the Shadow Hokagecapable of a feat called dimension travelling. In a massive battle on the enemyland, the six Kages emerged victorious and alive from the battlefield back to thehome, but with a cost. The severe injuries that incapacitated most of them,with Naruto Uzumaki having taken the greatest burnt of it.

And theyalso ended up with a crazy enemy unable to accept defeat, the flames ofhumiliation and hunger for power burning and starving them. So, all the capableKages and the all the Kage apprentices came together to mobilise the Shinobialliance again to fight the crisis, with Konoha under the cape of Uchiha Sarada,the soon to be Hokage, who was being supported by the previous Hokage – theRokudaime – Hatake Kakashi.

But the warwas not the cause of Mitsuki’s worry. It was rather the man who has also beenhis team mate for long, currently appointed as the supreme commander of theforce that was being directed towards the battle area. Boruto Uzumaki.

Some of therecent actions of Boruto has had tipped Mitsuki over the edge with the degreeof queerness. He knows Boruto and most of the times he is able to decipherBoruto’s behaviour and reasons behind his actions. But not this time. Somethingwas different in this picture and it felt wrong.

Not realizing how obvious he was being in hisglaring the back of his team mate’s head, he was brought out of thoughts with aheavy tap on his shoulder. His golden orbs flickered towards her amber ones asan unsaid question went between them.

Are you okay?

Mitsukisighed. Chocho Akimichi. They were not very close before but came to know eachother better because the girl was the closest female friend Sarada had. Overthe course of time, they grew accustomed to each other and always lamentedtogether over the fact that their attempts at making Boruto and Sarada realisetheir feelings went down the drain.

All in all,Mitsuki could easily call Chocho his partner in crime and a friend.

Before hecould reply, Boruto’s strong voice echoed through the woods, halting them allin the process.

“Let’s camphere tonight. We have made a good progress today. We’ll be heading out tomorrowmorning.”

The forestsounds dimmed as the buzzing of an army of ninjas moved to follow the orders oftheir commander. Amidst the frantic movements, Boruto simply vanished fromMitsuki’s sight.

…

He washelping with the filling up of the water containers when a familiar presenceappeared.

“Spit itout, snake boy.”

“What do youwant me to spit out, fatty?” He asked nonchalantly.

“Why are youupset? And don’t you dare deny it.” She warned gruffly.

“I don’tneed your help, Chubs.” He retaliated again, some reason insistent on notallowing himself to bring out the cause of his discomfort.

“Fine!” sheyells, “but at least go to that bratty commander of ours, he is your friend,after all, he can help you to do something about that stupid sad face you aremaking. Seriously, that gloominess of yours is quite depressing to watch!”

Mitsukitastes something bitter in his mouth at the name of Boruto.

“Actually, no, I’m upset, and my friend doesn’t want to help because heinsists on being an idiot.”

He says,agitated.

“What? Whatdid he do now?” Chocho asks, unimpressed. Boruto being an idiot isn’t a newsnow a days.

“Well, longstory short, Sarada almost confessed.”

“Oh, Isee….wait! What?! Sarada confessed?!”

“The keywordis ‘almost’, Chocho.” He tells her. But in a fraction of a second, the girl ison him, eyes wide and yells at his face.

“When,where, how??? Tell me everything!”

“I will ifyou give me some space to breath.” He deadpans.

She stumblesback with a little flush on her face but settles back a little.

…

“So, you’re all dismissed.” He raiseshis voice and waves his arm to signal the same. The entire group of ninjasvanishes in a blink of eye.

He sighs and leaves to inform Saradathat the task has been completed.

As he is about to enter her officewhen he senses a weird sort of tension enveloping the entire room, so halts andwatches from the shadows.

Sarada moves around with somedocuments, stealing nervous glances at an oblivious Boruto every now and thenwho was busy with a few scrolls spread all over the table.

Suddenly she readies her posture asif she is going to a battle, her onyx eyes lighting up with determination andMitsuki realised something.

Is she…?

Is she going toconfess?

And then he is unable to stop himselffrom grinning.

Boruto is going to beflabbergasted.

He smirks when Sarada speaks out withiron in her voice.

“Boruto, we need to talk!”

“Hmm…about what?”

Maybe realising what she is about todo, she grows nervous and her eyes dart around everywhere.

“I-I need to tell you something!” sheexclaims fidgeting.

Mitsuki grins even wider.

Just one more step.Just one more!

But he is stunned when Boruto moveslike wind and places a hand over Sarada’s mouth, his normally expressive eyeswere even indecipherable at the moment.

He only thought that goes over andover in Mitsuki’s head is ‘He stoppedher?’

Sarada herself is shocked and looksat Boruto with wide eyes trying to gauge out some explanation to his suddenaction.

“Sarada” he halts and swallows thelump in his throat, “whatever you want to say…let’s save it for another time?After the battle?”

He removes his hand from over hermouth and turns around, his bangs hiding his crystal blue eyes but then rotatesaround again and asks with a slightly distorted smile.

“Let’s go and get some hamburgers?I’m hungry and tired. Mitsuki, you too.” He leaves the office passing Mitsukion his way as Sarada tails behind him. She looks at him with saddened eyes andgives him a heart-breaking smile.

Mitsuki grits his teeth.

He extends his hand and gentlytouches her wrist trying to convey that he feels the same way as her. Theconfusion, the anger, and the disappointment…all of it. His golden gaze getsfixated at the golden haired team mate of theirs in front of him.

What the hell do you thinkyou’re doing Boruto?

…

“A-are youkidding me?” Chocho whispers in disbelief.

Mitsukishakes his head solemnly.

“That idiot!Did he know you hard it must have been for Sarada to finally confess?” Sherages,” in fact especially after he doesn’t have enough guts to be honest withhis feelings!”

She turnsaround angrily and bellows, “I’m going to teach him a lesson and pummel himinto the ground for toying with my best friend’s feelings!” she is about tomarch on when Mitsuki’s hand clasps around her wrist firmly.

“No!” hesays sternly, “Don’t. It’s their problem, let them solve. Matters of the heartcannot be answered by outside interference. I believe that they will find away.” The utmost faith with which he utters those words cause Chocho to stop.

She thinkshow hard it would be for him to hold himself back so that his obviously-in-loveteammates can reach to a proper conclusion regarding their feelings.

And heradmiration for him grows even stronger.

Boruto, you better clear up the messyou have made, shethinks.

***

So don’t forget to tell me what you think of it. Of course I cant write angst as good as @lazymilkshakecolor but i have tried! Hahaha!

You can read my other stories here.

My ffnet and ao3 accounts are here!

[kuriquinn]

An Inch of Gold [11/?]

General Disclaimer

This chapter has been beta-read by: Sakura’s Unicorn

Sasuke hasn’t gone far.

He isn’t sure whether it’s because some logical part of his brain knows it would be a bad idea, or because the feeling in his legs is disappearing. He doesn’t really care, either; there’s too much that he’s trying to wrap his brain around, not least of which being that, apparently, his future child hates him. He can’t deal with that reality just yet, though, because one notion has pushed to the forefront of his mind and is blaring at him in fiery characters.

It isn’t Sakura.

The person he will one day kill to gain the Mangekyō Sharingan which will allow him to defeat his brother and ensure he can safely restore his clan. The person whose only crime will be that he cares for them most in the world.

Not. Sakura.

She will live.

The relief is palpable. Bewilderingly so, actually.

He’s never been completely indifferent to the girl. She’s simply been relegated to a place in his mind where he puts everything he intends to deal with after he kills Itachi. Whatever he might feel toward her now is irrelevant, or so he insists. It’s the same thing he tells himself whenever anyone starts to get close, even if he sometimes forgets.

And it’s just further proof that keeping himself distant from Sakura is the best. Perhaps that’s why she lives.

Based on what he’s experiencing now—a weight lifted from his shoulders and a warmth in his chest—he hasn’t kept as much distance as he thought. His squad, especially Sakura, have come to mean more to him than he will ever admit out loud.

True, she’s damned annoying.

He can’t even remember her before she was trying to conceal her crush on him. And then when she wasn’t. If she just didn’t make a huge deal about it, he might willingly spend time with her. Strictly speaking, she’s the only one on the team whose intelligence is on the same level as his. It wouldn’t be so bad, spending time with a person who could actually discuss topics that go beyond the realm of ramen or erotic fiction.

There’s also the small matter of her being slightly terrifying (he will never, ever, admit this). Sakura’s temper is on a hair-trigger, and Sasuke’s very glad that Naruto is the one she beats on, because he’s seen the bruises. If the moron didn’t have the lucky ability to heal quickly, he’d be in the hospital every other week. Sasuke has enough mental and emotional scarring in his life, he’s fine without adding physical abuse to the pile.

But beyond those minor quirks, Sakura is likeable.

She’s the only truly innocent person he knows. Unlike the rest of Team 7, she has no dark past or horrifying secret. She has never known loss, has never truly hated anyone in her life. No matter the situation, she exudes an aura of approachability that Sasuke could never achieve even with years of practice. Her temper aside, Sakura’s gentleness and kindness are something that make him and Naruto want to protect her from being taken advantage of.

Which is why it makes sense that both he and Naruto, who hides his crush even worse than Sakura does, are both drawn to her, in their own ways.

Except, as it turns out, one day, it will just be Sasuke. One day, that kind, bright girl is going to be his. She will, inexplicably, wait for him to finish his hunt for Itachi, agree to marry him, and then help him restore his—

Sasuke goes rigid. A rush of warmth floods his cheeks and the back of his neck as the implications of this knowledge hit him.

They have a daughter. Possibly other children.

There’s only one way for that to happen, which means he and Sakura, one day, will…

Sasuke can’t help the convulsive swallow of realisation. It’s years before he really needs to worry about that sort of thing, but perhaps he should speak to Kakashi about…practical concerns.

No, scratch that. Kakashi would probably hand him that stupid book of his.

Who the hell is he supposed to talk to about this?

It’s a good thing Sasuke doesn’t make a habit of acknowledging Sakura more often, because he will have a hard time looking her in the eye from now on. Embarrassment aside, he can’t help but feel…hopeful. For the first time in his life—since he can remember, anyhow—a part of him is looking forward to the future.

Only for a second, though because there is a very real, very inescapable truth looming up behind his recent discovery. That he won’t have to kill the girl he (possibly, probably, but will never admit to!) has feelings for.  That there’s still someone out there. Someone whom he will kill to destroy Itachi.

Which raises a whole other issue because who else is there?

He isn’t friends with, or even close to, any of the other kids from their Academy year. As for the adults, he doesn’t really interact with them.

Perhaps he meets someone new in the future?

Except…that makes no sense. He doesn’t crave friendships the way he knows his teammates do. He would never go out of his way to become close to someone. Unless…

Unless he does? Does his future self seek out someone to be close to just for the sake of murdering them one day?

It’s what Itachi would do.

All the warm feelings Sasuke had moments ago are gone now, replaced with a sinking sensation. It’s the same nausea he experienced when he believed it was his destiny to murder Sakura.

If it’s true, and he becomes as cold and calculating as his brother, why would Naruto ever respect him the way Sarada says he does? Why would Kakashi—apparently, the future Hokage—permit someone like that to stay in Konoha? After all, those who betray the people who are precious to them are scum.

And why would Sakura wait for him?

It’s enough that she’s apparently willing to forgive him the fact he will kill his own brother. What does it say about her that she would forgive him for manipulating another person into a close relationship just so that he can kill them? Either she has a secret sociopathic side to her (he dismisses this at once), possesses an impossible—even insane—capacity for forgiveness, or he doesn’t tell her.

Which would explain some of the things Sarada has said. The girl—and it’s still next to impossible to see her as his daughter—has mentioned knowing nothing about his past. The Sasuke of the future apparently hasn’t even explained the Uchiha Massacre to her. What’s to say he also chooses not to tell Sakura what he did—will do—to kill his brother?

The notion is at odds with what Sasuke imagines marriage is supposed to be like. He only had a few short years with his parents, but their partnership was seamless. He knows that there were no secrets between his mother and his father, that they respected each other. In many ways, they provided as strong a team to one another as any active three-man squad. His mother attended every clan meeting with Sasuke’s father, mediated disputes between neighbours on his behalf, and helped him with paperwork. When she wasn’t caring for Itachi and himself, of course.

She once told him of conversations she had with his father about topics neither of them ever mentioned in his presence, so obviously, they communicated somehow.

Except Sasuke remembers nothing spoken.  

There were times he witnessed what looked like entire conversations between the two. Given the fact neither of them ever said a word, he’s not sure they were actual conversations, but it seemed like it…

Is his marriage to Sakura going to be one based on secrets? If so, Sarada’s declaration that he’s a disappointment rings far truer than he’s comfortable with.

But he’s getting ahead of himself. Sasuke wills himself to ignore the convoluted mess of thought and emotion trying to take up residence in his brain. Right now, all that matters is the mission—find an exit, find Sarada’s teammates, and stop this whatever that’s mucking around with time. Then he can safely forget all the complicated stuff and leave it to his future self.

He experiences only a modicum of guilt at that idea; in his view, his future self already has a hell of a lot more than he has. Let him deal with unpleasant truths and conversations. Right now, Sasuke prefers to deal with problems that he can either reason out or punch—not necessarily in that order.

The world filters back into his perception, no longer blocked by messy or complicated notions. He attempts to concentrate on anything but those thoughts—such as the subtle way heat radiates upward from the ground; the whistle of air through the many tunnels which is occasionally interrupted by a scraping, echoing rhythm; or just the smell of the earth. Anything but the—

Anything but the girl that he will marry one day.

“You can’t say that!” he hears Sakura hiss at Sarada.

“Why not?” Sarada challenges. “It’s not like you’re going to say it, even though you obviously want to.”

Sakura scowls at this.

It’s true, she’s torn between defending Sasuke’s character and running after him to make sure he’s all right. While her inner-self grumbles that Sarada didn’t go far enough, she can’t help worrying that the girl’s harsh words might have cut deep.

She knows how Sasuke takes things related to his family to heart. Naruto does as well, and when she glances at him, she sees the conflict in his features as well. Sasuke just insulted him, which isn’t new, but this may be the first time someone outside of Team 7—a technical stranger at that—stood up for him.

Moral grey area or not, however, she doesn’t like how Sarada behaved and something tells her it’s her duty to point that out.

“You are a hypocrite,” she tells the girl plainly. “Saying things like that to Sasuke, yet you haven’t known him for more than a few hours!” Sarada opens her mouth to protest, but Sakura keeps going. “He might be your father one day, but right now, he’s some kid you don’t even know. Would you go up to a stranger and say things like that? Your mother—whoever she is—would be ashamed of you!”

Sarada’s anger fades instantly. In fact, the speed with which she looks contrite and chastised almost makes Sakura take a step back.

“Fine,” she says after a deep breath. “I’ll…talk to him.” She makes a move to follow Sasuke, but adds over her shoulder, a little sulk in her voice, “But I’m not apologising. Because I was right.”

She hurries on ahead, leaving Sakura even more mystified than she was when Sasuke didn’t snap back at Sarada.

Naruto rubs a hand through his hair, expression bemused. “I’d better make sure they don’t kill each other.” He blinks once, mentally going over that statement in his head, and then sniggers. “Wow, I never thought I’d ever say that.”

“You and me both,” Sakura agrees and lets him go. There’s no use in her checking on Sasuke if his future child and his best friend are there to do it. More and more, she’s realising just how superfluous she is, and it’s not a pleasant feeling.

Not the only unpleasant feeling, she decides, becoming aware that she is being watched. Indeed, her sensei is considering her from his position on Bull’s back.

Once again, Kakashi finds himself in the role of having to console a distraught teenaged girl. He would’ve thought he was done with this sort of thing years ago, but it keeps cropping up. It might not a comrade’s death he’s dealing with, but it’s still a young girl who believes her heart is broken.

While it’s tempting to tell Sakura about Sarada, he knows better. Especially with the way today is going. Sakura cares so deeply, with her entire heart; if she knew, she’d just overexcite herself, or do something foolhardy.

He’s still trying to evaluate whether that’s something he has to worry about from Sasuke.

“You’ll be all right,” he tells her instead. “You’re more than the person you care about, you know.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Sakura tells him with a tiny, untrue smile.

“Do what?”

“Try to cheer me up. Naruto did that already.”

“He’s worried about you. I am, too.”

Sakura sighs. “Everyone is so worried about me. It’s nice and all, but I’ll get over it. It’s not like I’m surprised. I mean, we’re thirteen. And I’m not from a prestigious bloodline, like Sasuke and Sarada. Or Naruto now, considering the whole ‘Fourth Hokage’ thing. The odds were never good. I knew that. I’ve been calculating probabilities since I knew how.”

“Sakura—”

“You shouldn’t be talking,” she goes on. “You should be concentrating on healing and getting us out of here. Which, you know, I kind of want to do today at some point.”

“Talking isn’t going to make me pass out,” Kakashi points out wryly.

“Yeah, okay. Well…I can be better at keeping my feelings in check. I don’t need your pity.”

“I’m not pitying you.”

“Then you should be checking up on Sasuke,” she replies, a hint of iron in her voice. She doesn’t want to discuss this. Which Kakashi understands—they’re in a cave where things tend to echo. While Sasuke might be preoccupied with his (more bizarre than usual) family drama, he will (hopefully) put that aside for the mission. Sakura doesn’t want to take the chance of him listening in, worried that he will judge her for her feelings.

“He’s probably dealing with information overload right now,” she continues, insightful as usual. “I bet he doesn’t even know what to do with it. Besides, I know you don’t like me as much as you like the boys, so consider this your free pass, okay?”

Logically, Kakashi should take this as an out. The ninja life is not easy on those who have deep feelings. At the same time, he’s struck painfully by the idea that Sakura believes he doesn’t like her. Or that he doesn’t value her as he does the boys.

“You’re wrong,” he tells her. “You might not be as strong as they are now, but you can always get stronger. You have a lot of potential and a lot of determination to succeed. Or at least I thought so up until this moment.” He raises an eyebrow at her. “Beyond that, you’re a lot less emotionally damaged than your teammates. Don’t know if you’ve noticed that.”

“Maybe a bit,” she admits with a tiny laugh.

“Good. Then you should also notice that you’re not the one dragging them down. They have their own hang-ups and problems which do that job for them. If they had half your maturity, the whole team would be a lot more effective.”

Sakura blushes.

“That’s not to say you don’t get uncontrollably emotional about certain things,” Kakashi continues, “but that’s something you’ll grow out of. Don’t worry about it. You might wear your feelings openly now, and certain others might not appear to have any, but that will all change. Boys mature, too, and they’ll eventually catch up to where you are.”

His eye rests on Naruto’s retreating back.

“Although…perhaps not. The point is, I don’t ‘like’ the boys any more than I like you,” Kakashi concludes. “You are all my adorable students.”

“Okay,” she whispers quietly. “But…I will be all right. I promise.”

“Yes, you will,” Kakashi’s eye crinkles in a smile.

There’s a bit of a pause.

“So…are we supposed to hug now?” Sakura asks.

“I don’t really do hugs.”

“Good. Because that would be kind of weird.”  

ナルト

Sarada catches up to Sasuke with ease, falling into step beside him.

She scowls, as much at the situation as at him, while he broods and avoids her gaze whenever she turns to glare at him. Both expect the other to speak first, even though she knows from experience that’s futile. This is not the brooding silence she’s used to, but it’s a brooding silence, nonetheless. There’s no point in pushing him to talk if he doesn’t want to.

Naruto apparently never got that memo, even at this age, because he bounds between them.

“So, can you two read each other’s minds or something? ‘Cause this sure doesn’t look like talking to me. It looks like you’re trying to silence each other to death. Which would be kind of cool, but also really bad—believe it! We’re on a mission! Jeez, Sasuke! It’s like I need to tell you everything. You’re always holding me back.”  

Sasuke’s eyes shoot daggers at Naruto, but the blond boy seems entirely unfazed. Sarada imagines that his clenched fist is beginning to spark blue, but before she can say anything, Naruto pulls away from them both. He inclines his head upward and sniffs.

“Hey! I smell water now, too!” He pulls ahead of them, beaming. “I’m going to check it out—but I’m not going too far, so you two better play nice! Don’t make Uncle Naruto separate you!” He chuckles and bounds onward.

They stare at his back, and Sarada thinks he’s way more amused by this whole ‘time travel’ thing than he should be. Uncle Naruto, indeed… And practically baiting her father like that?

“He has a death wish,” she says in surprise and almost resignation. Her childhood fantasies are being crushed all around today.

“Hm.”

Sarada jumps at the unexpected acknowledgement.

Sasuke is back to looking straight ahead, but there’s a little less tension in his gait. As irritating as Naruto’s interruption was, apparently, it broke through some of his gloom. The mutual silence is less menacing, but still awkward. Behind them, Sakura and Kakashi are talking in low voices. Sarada does her best not to listen, but it’s hard considering how sound carries. She wishes Naruto hadn’t left because he could probably have made this whole thing a lot less awkward and—

“You’re just as annoying as she is.”

Sasuke’s words are pitched low, so as not to carry, but Sarada hears them fine. She side-eyes him in disbelief because he did decide to speak first, after all.

She smirks, the gesture amused but bordering on bitter. “Too bad for you—I know for a fact that’s a compliment when you say it.”

“Hn.”

There’s another lengthy silence. She decides to give in this time. “I’m still not apologising.”

“Neither am I.”

“Fine.”

“Good.”

More silence. And then—

“Are you going to tell her?”

Sarada startles at the question. There’s not enough inflexion in it to discern how he wants her to respond, even if she could decide on what to say.

“I want to,” she finally admits. “But it’s not a good idea. She’s very…different now.”

“Hm.”

At this, he abruptly pulls ahead of her and Sarada gets the odd sense that she said the wrong thing. He makes it several paces in front before turning around, looking at her directly for the first time.

“There’s nothing worse than being lied to,” he tells her. “Believing one thing about a person, and then finding out, at the worst possible moment, that it’s nothing but fabrication?” He leaves the question hanging for a second, then resumes walking. “I’m going to make sure that idiot doesn’t get lost.”

Sarada gapes at her his back. It almost sounds like…like he wants her to tell Sakura? Not necessarily because he cares for her (although Sarada is beginning to suspect that he isn’t as indifferent as he pretends). It’s seems…he doesn’t want her to be kept in the dark.

It’s a sentiment Sarada understands only too well. She knows what it’s like to have people keep secrets. She remembers the overwhelming, crushing pain that consumed her when she believed her parents had lied to her. When she concocted a scenario where Sakura wasn’t her mother. And even when the truth came out, she still experienced a sinking, hollow despair because Mama hadn’t told her the real reason for her father’s constant absence.

But who lied to Sasuke?

Sarada doesn’t think it’s anyone on his squad—they don’t appear to have secrets from each other. Except for Naruto being a jinchūriki, of course, but that’s not so much a personal secret as something that affects the fate of Konoha.

In any event, she’s going to have to consider the merits of telling Sakura. Or at least, find out from Kakashi if she can get away with it. By now, two of the four people she was trying to avoid telling, know the truth. It can’t make that much more of a difference, right? Sarada decides to wait until they’re less likely to have the world cave-in on them. If they manage to find another space where it’s relatively safe, she’ll bring it up then.

It feels like an eternity before they finally get out of the winding darkness.

The cavern that Sasuke spoke of before is audible before they see it; the low, rumbling rush of water grows louder until their tunnel opens into a vaulted, natural cavern. Stretching out immediately in front of them is a large, flat space that fronts a subterranean river. The water is black in the darkness, swift eddies visible just beneath the surface. There’s no sign of where it originates from, but on the opposite side of the grotto, the current picks up. At one point, the water may have spilled over into a natural fall, but there’s evidence of human interference. The water on this side of the riverbank seems to be some kind of reservoir, and it meets at what appears to be a makeshift dam. Aged, but functional, equipment is set up along the construction with one mechanism attached to a kind of floodgate. On the other side, where she supposes the waterfall once was, there’s nothing but darkness leading to unfathomable depths.

Naruto is standing there, craning his neck over the abyss. “How far down do you think it goes?”

“How bad do you want to know the answer?” Sasuke replies. The question sounds sinister despite the mild tone.

Sarada sharpens her gaze, noting that the steep slope and natural spillway are lined with algae. There would be nowhere for anyone to hold on to if they fell down that way, chakra grip or not. She shudders.

“That must be how this place is powered,” Sakura observes quietly beside Sarada. She jumps, having not heard her mother appear behind her.

She follows Sakura’s gaze to the makeshift dam and realises she’s right. The only reason for such a thing to be built down here would be to generate power. “Looks like.”

“There’s another tunnel, that way,” Kakashi says, passing them both. He is walking now but hasn’t sent Bull away. The large dog lopes at his side, nose twitching toward the opening Kakashi pointed out. “Is that where you smell people?”

The dog makes a low whuff of agreement and heads in that direction, Kakashi following.

“Looks like we’ll get you back to your team, finally,” Sakura says tentatively.

“Yeah.”

Silence.

Sarada wonders if it’s her destiny to be completely awkward around both her parents in this time.

“How’s your arm?” Sakura asks.

Sarada examines the badly mangled appendage, wincing at the sight. It’s bleeding in a few places where a stitch or two may’ve popped, and it’s covered in dirt from their impromptu escape.

“I think my dad—er, Sasuke was right. I’m probably going to need it cut off.”

Sakura snorts. “Don’t be so melodramatic. The medicine we gave you is keeping the infection down. We just need to clean it up and put it back in a sling. Come on. We can do that now.”

Sarada blinks in surprise as Sakura steers her toward the side of the river. And the award for Spontaneous Personality Change might not be going to Papa after all…

“You’re not going to shove me in the river, are you?” she asks, only half-joking.

“Only if you mouth off again,” Sakura replies sweetly.

They can’t really afford to take more rests than necessary, but if Sarada doesn’t see to her injuries, she won’t be of any use to Team 7. Or her own team, when they find them. That’s probably why Kakashi allows them to fall behind.

Sasuke scopes out the cavern while Naruto takes off his jacket and rummages through his pockets. After a few minutes of labour, he finds what he was looking for—a candy bar—and happily begins to munch on it. Meanwhile, Sakura sets to work on Sarada’s wounds.

“Shouldn’t Kakashi be doing this?” Sarada points out.

“I have the same basic medical training as you do,” Sakura retorts in a clipped tone. “Besides, I watched what he was doing before. It’s really not that difficult.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to insult you. I just…” She trails off, earning a puzzling look.

Sakura sighs. “No, don’t apologise. Today hasn’t exactly been…easy.”

Which is really putting it lightly.

“I won’t lie,” Sakura continues as she works, gently rinsing dirt and blood from the injury. Sarada grits her teeth, but endures the pain. “Finding out that Sasuke’s your father wasn’t what any of us expected when we woke up this morning.” She bites her lip, sheepish. “But it’s also not an excuse.”

Sarada is confused. “Excuse for what?”

“I haven’t been as nice to you as I might’ve been if…” She goes quiet, and Sarada suspects she wants to make sure Sasuke’s not listening in. Sarada’s eyes dart across the cavern at him, where he’s—pretending to be, she suspects—utterly absorbed in examining the dam.

Sakura finally continues, “It’s not your fault that he…that I…” She scowls, more at her herself than at Sarada, and forges ahead with resolve. “I bet your mother’s amazing. She’d have to be.”

“My mother’s the strongest kunoichi in Konoha—maybe the world. She could be Hokage, if she wanted to,” Sarada says loyally, unable to ignore a sense of smugness at the way Sasuke jerks slightly in surprise. She was right. He is pretending not to listen. “There were actually a few times when she was suggested as a successor if something happened to Na—to the current Hokage. Actually, it’s sort of the story for both my parents.” She sighs, a little unenthusiastic now. “I don’t think my father would ever… Well, he said he doesn’t like the idea of his face on a mountain.”

Sakura chuckles at that, and though it sounds a little forced, it’s a welcome sound.

“That doesn’t surprise me.” There’s a beat of silence. It seems almost as if the conversation is over, but then she speaks again. “Your mother…she isn’t Ino, is she?”

Sarada whips her head up in surprise. “What? I can’t tell you that.” Even if she really, really wants to. Kakashi’s too far away for her to ask him, and she just wants to make sure it’s allowed before—

“My knowing that won’t make the world implode,” Sakura cajoles.

“Yeah, but—”

“Just tell me!”

“But Kakashi-sensei—”

“Isn’t even listening. He’s reading that stupid book of his.”

“What? Again?!”

Sarada cranes around to see—and, it’s true.  He’s surreptitiously stuffing the orange book back into his pocket, the jerk.

“Exactly! So, you can tell me, and it’ll be just between the two of us.”

“And Naruto,” the blond boy pipes up, appearing beside them as if by summoning. Unlike Sasuke, he doesn’t even bother to pretend he wasn’t eavesdropping the whole time.

“And Naruto,” Sakura amends, shooting him an annoyed glare. “Who, according to you, is your uncle, so, you should listen to him.”

“That’s… Is that even logic?” Sarada wonders, confused.

“No, but nothing about today has been logical. Now tell me!”

Everyone waits with baiting breath.

Sarada exhales. “No, it’s not her.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Sakura whispers and then barks out a laugh. “Hah! That’s the best news I’ve had all day!”

“I guess that competition you two have isn’t a new thing, is it?”

“It’s not a competition—it’s an epic rivalry,” Sakura sniffs, but then let’s out a single hard laugh. “I guess there’s no real point to it anymore, though. The whole reason for it was… Anyway,” she says, clearing her throat, then considering Sarada. “I hope he doesn’t get mad at me, but we’re going to have to sacrifice some of Sasuke’s shirt. I’m all out of bandages, and you need a new sling.”

“I figure, in the big scheme of things, he’s probably not concerned about his shirt right now,” Sarada points out.

Sakura nods, thoughtful. With a kunai, she carefully cuts and tears a long strip of blue fabric away from the bottom of the shirt. Sarada notes she’s careful not to rip the uchiwa symbol though, which is an oddly touching gesture.

“There’s something that’s been bugging me,” Naruto says, watching Sakura fashion a sling for Sarada. “Before, when you were telling us those embarrassing stories to make us trust you—you didn’t say anything about Sakura.”

“Well…I…” She’s not sure how to deal with this question. The reason she didn’t say anything about Sakura was because Mama tells her a lot about herself—more personal and embarrassing things than what she knows about the others. She doesn’t think her mother would appreciate her revealing some of those secrets.

“That’s just not fair,” Naruto continues.

“Shut up, Naruto,” Sakura orders, a tight smile on her face.

“No, seriously! We need to hear something embarrassing about her, too!”

“It’s not like I’ve hidden anything from you. We go on missions in close quarters all the time, so you guys already know all the really personal stuff.”

“Yeah, but Sarada wouldn’t.”

“Well, maybe she doesn’t spend much time with me,” Sakura suggests lightly; the effect is ruined by the pained note in her voice. “I mean, she’d have to with Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei and you. You guys are her father, her father’s teacher, and her father’s best friend.”

“Tch.” Sasuke’s no longer pretending not to listen in.

“She has to be close to you guys, but that doesn’t mean she is with me. I’m just…” She trails off, as if can’t find the right words to explain exactly what she is. That expression makes Sarada’s stomach clench because she suspects what her mother is imagining about herself right now.

Naruto appears to be on the same train of thought.

“You’re not,” he tells her. “Whatever you’re thinking, you’re not. Sarada knows you. Right, Sarada?”

Two sides of Sarada are at war. The practical one who understands Kakashi’s wish to limit information exchange, is fighting with the emotional one. The one who finds it imperative that her mother lose that pained expression on her face right now.

They’re going to forget anyhow, right?

“Not necessarily,” Sakura says quietly. “I might not have ever met her.”

“What? Why would you say that?!” Naruto demands.

“Because I could be—”

“You pad your bra!” Sarada blurts out desperately.

“What?!” Naruto and Sakura chorus, in various states of dismay.

“You didn’t get proper breasts until you were fourteen, and they were still small, so you—”

“Stop it!” Sakura shouts, frantic. “Stop talking right now!”

“Aw, man,” Naruto complains. “So, you’re gonna be flat-chested for another two—”

“Shut up, Naruto!” Sakura howls, drawing back and smacks him in the head. Even without the strength she will one day have, the force is impressive. He ends up staggering backward toward the tunnel they came from, past a suspiciously red-faced Sasuke.

“Why would you say something like that?” Sakura howls at Sarada.

“I’m sorry! It was the first thing I could come up with”

It’s the first topic that comes to mind because it’s the last thing she and her mother discussed before she left on this mission.

“Why would I even tell you that?!”

“Because we know each other really well,” Sarada says, mentally trying to sort out what she can and cannot reveal. The result is a sudden outpouring of nervous babble. “You’re my best friend! Well, adult friend. Well, okay, so, I never really got along with the other kids my age, because…I’m an Uchiha, and…other reasons. And Chōchō’s kind of…flaky, even if she’s my best friend. I love her and all, but she’s kind of a diva, which is…annoying. But, in the future, you and me, we get along.  Whenever I had problems at school, you were the one who helped me deal with them and everything. And you always listen to everything I have to say and try to comfort me when I’m sad. And when I was little, you’d take me to the park and…and…”

She’s trying desperately to come up with information, or at least information that she’s allowed to share. At which point, she shoots a desperate look at Kakashi, asking his permission. There’s a twitch beneath his mask, like he’s trying to hold fast. Sarada’s heart leaps at this, because she recognises that twitch. It’s the same one she used to see when she cajoled an extra bedtime story out of him when he babysat. Or when she convinced him to take her to get dango before bringing her home for supper.

“Hey, that’s kinda cool,” Naruto is saying, massaging the blossoming bruise from his teammate’s assault. “Sounds like I was right before! I bet you become a teacher, Sakura. Kind of like Iruka-sensei. That wouldn’t be so bad—”

Snkt!   

Naruto’s words are cut off by a sudden yelp of surprise and pain. Everyone watches in horror as four short, curved claws punch through his left shoulder. The sound of tearing flesh fills the air as the sharp blades dig deeper. There’s barely time for anyone to react as he’s thrown clear across the room, blood spraying.

In the space behind where he stood, a figure looms. Bones poke through his skin and tattered clothing, gashes seep across his face and body. The parts of him that aren’t sticky with blood and dirt are slowly covered by a growing curse mark. Gaunt, haunted eyes, like a wild animal glare out at them, hungry and malevolent.

Apparently, one of the experiments survived the cave-in.

つづく

Comments and constructive criticism are much appreciated, and very motivating! For more information about supporting my original, non-fandom related works, you’re welcome to check out my ko-fi tipjar, or my patreon page KuriWorlds.

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[mirage-05]

Horrors of Battle - Boruto Fanfic

Author’s note: Here is a little something I just couldn’t get out of my mind since I saw episode 13 of the Boruto series, and we finally got around to let it out with my friend @eleanor-devil in a short RP :D We thought it might be... interesting if the final battle of this arc took a turn like this and hope you enjoy it! Of course, favorites, reblogs and comments are always appreciated. Ehm... song suggestion for this fic is “Ready for Battle” from the new Boruto OST xD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUggPyCnEgw ... "C'mon, class rep... surely you must know something about how to stop this... this monster!..." Boruto was trying not to let it show, how literally terrified he felt... Things just took a decisively worst turn... Sumire had a change of heart - finally... but not before starting the detonation process... they were bruised and battered from the battle previously, and even the three of them couldn't both hold off the Nue and try to close the portal at the same time... "I'm sorry..." the purple haired girl genuinely sounded like she meant it. "Th... the Nue was not supposed to be stopped... once it is engaged, there is no turning back..." "No... no, there has to-" "There is a way." an almost... indifferent voice interrupted then, and both Boruto and Sumire turned to look at Mitsuki, who was just gazing at the monster calmly, as if the world as they know it wasn't going to end in a matter of time.

"Mitsuki...?" the blond muttered as he eyed the boy that just a few moments ago was only focused on ending Sumire's life... without muttering another word Mitsuki walked ahead of them just a few steps and his eyes never left the Nue's threatening eyes. The beast was growling at him but for some reason, it didn't raise its paw against him.

"Turns out there is another way to stop the Nue... without ending the user's life." He didn't turn to face them, Boruto felt sweat run down his face and his body... somehow grew cold when Mitsuki finally turned to look at him, still with those indifferent eyes. "Can you re-open the portal Boruto...?"

"I..." the blond started to say, but for a moment didn't continue, something about this... just didn't feel right, even though what his blue haired friend was saying was completely lost on him... Although then, it was no surprise, Mitsuki was indeed full of mysteries... A small frown came across his features. "What are you planning to do...?"

"Can you?"

"Answer me, Mitsuki." he said, his voice becoming slightly strained as he noticed how the blue haired boy just stepped aside his question. He didn't even notice his hands slowly curling into fists.

Mitsuki just continued looking at him for a few seconds more and then he turned back to look at the Nue... indeed what a great beast stood before him... ready to blow them all away... "I am going to seal it away... before the bomb goes off."

Both the other two's eyes widened at the words.

"But that's..." Sumire started.

"It's not impossible." He was stating facts, his tone didn't change.

"I don't care if it's impossible or not, you are not going to do that!" Boruto was loud... again... which just made Mitsuki smile a little...

"I'm just a clone, relax..." He... wasn't lying... technically speaking.

"C-clones... can't do everything the original can do..." Boruto said, although he wasn't exactly sure... his clones could use the Gentle Fist - well, as best as he could, anyway... but... to actually use the amount of chakra that's required to seal this beast...?

He turned around to look at Sumire, but the girl didn't seem to know much better than him...

"They can." came Mitsuki's voice right behind him then, and he put a hand on his shoulder... almost reassuring. "Of course the effects are not as strong as the original but... it will do." And then he gave one of his smiles... one Boruto was never sure if it was genuine or not... "Trust me."

Boruto looked between both Mitsukis... he wasn't... sure if he should believe this or not but the touch of the Mitsuki behind him felt as real as the other times he had done the same.

"There is not much time left." The Mitsuki facing the Nue quickly did the hand signs and put both his palms on the ground where a sealing mark appeared and spread through the place. A purple light started filling the marks. "Open the portal now, and go." It was pretty much an order...

Boruto gulped before taking a step back and hoping his eye would do what it had done back there... last time it happened right after he had contact with Mitsuki and Sumire at the same time... was that the answer to reopen it?

With the little time they have... he really didn't have any choice but to improvise. With a wordless nod towards Mitsuki's clone, he grabbed the class rep's hand, felt her tense slightly at the touch... he knew she didn't feel worthy of going back to Konoha... that made him only tighten his grip a little harder, he was NOT going to let go of her, not like this...

"Well... here goes nothing..." he mumbled as he closed his eyes for a minute, and his right eye shone momentarily with blinding white light as he reopened them...

Mitsuki's face softened into another smile as he saw Boruto, Sumire and... the other Mitsuki disappear through the portal... 'Boruto...' he thought, his mind suddenly, weirdly at peace as the purple light began covering the whole area now, engulfing the Nue and also himself... 'Sometimes... you just can't save everyone...'

Those words... although unheard by Boruto, made the blond feel his heart tightening... trying to tell him something as the light of the portal engulfed them and threw the three young students back on the top of the Hokage's monument with a loud thud.

Boruto quickly looked up and saw the same purple light from the seal shining through the now small opening of the portal until it disappeared in thin air. He was shaking... why though...? They were safe... the village was safe, the Nue had been sealed... so... why...?

He looked around, Sumire was getting up, she seemed fine. But when he looked at Mitsuki, expecting to see him standing up as well... he saw him turning completely white slowly... until it vanished into thousands of snakes...

And everything came to a stop... literally, the world stopped spinning as Boruto just stared at where his friend... was, is... he... he was there... he was supposed to be there...! A cold dread gripped his heart and he felt his breath getting caught in his throat as he tried to understand, to make some sense out of it...

He heard an almost inaudible gasp as Sumire too, no doubt glanced around.

"N-no, what...?" the words that tumbled out of his mouth felt so feeble... so weak... so unlike him, who felt so brave just minutes ago, facing that monster...

"No, no... NO!" he yelled, turning around, REFUSING to even think about any alternative... "MITSUKI!!!" he cried out at the top of his lungs, frantic, terrified... now truly feeling horror down to his very bones...

He breathed... or tried to breath, he had to find a way to go back in there! It wasn't even a matter of discussion, he HAD to go back in there no matter what... the problem was... his eye was not responding...

"Come on you stupid eye WORK!!" he was yelling at himself at this point, he felt angry, sad, he felt in every imaginable way! He then turned to the purple haired girl. "Class Rep...! Use it, use that chakra, my eye will work on that!"

"Boruto-kun... I... I can't..." she stammered.

"What do you mean?!" he didn't mean to yell at the girl but he was just... so distraught right now...

The girl hesitated. "With the Nue gone... I don't have access to that chakra anymore..."

"No... God dammit!" Out of the sheer need to do something, Boruto brought his hands together. "Kagebunshin no jutsu!!"

He wasn't in his right mind, he didn't even know if that would work, heck he didn't give two fucks! "Activate your eyes!" he ordered them, he didn't mean to sound harsh... but he just didn't care. "We are going to force open that portal if we need to!"

The clones just quickly glanced at one another, their expressions sad... it almost made the blond want to smack them, this was not the time to be sad, this was time for action!!

"I'm sorry..." one of the clones, decidedly soft in contrast of all of the times he bickered with his replicas. "We... can't..."

"Yes we can!" Boruto reacted stubbornly, trying to ignore the stinging feeling in his eyes, in his throat... and in his heart too... "W-we can do it if we just put our minds to it!" His voice sounded even desperate, on the verge of breaking...

"I'm sorry..." another clone repeated, and his look was also one of sadness. "We can't use a jutsu you didn't plan ahead... we can't use that eye technique..."

"No! We have to!" he insisted.

The other clone shook his head. "We can't do that... he is gone..."

The feared words said by none other than his own clone... it made the original shake in fear as the tears finally came down his cheeks. His arms fell limp at the sides of his body, his teeth clenched... and the clones disappeared in clouds of smoke.

"No..." he whispered, Sumire didn't know what to say...

'You don't know the true horrors of battle...' The words told to him by his father echoed in the blond's head again and again... the true horrors of battle... was this what he meant...? Losing a friend...?

It was all too much... too much for him to bear... Boruto shut his eyes tightly, letting more tears fall down as his right hand clenched around his shirt, right where his heart is... it hurt... so much...

He let out a huge, loud cry of anguish as he fell down on his knees, and started sobbing, uncontrollably... Why...? How was this even fair?!

He didn't even notice the sounds of more and more people gathering around them... until he heard the familiar voice...

"What's going on here?!"

He had never felt more glad in his life to hear his father's voice...

Two ANBU surrounded Sumire, one of them holding her arms behind her back. She didn't fight back. "Sumire Shigaraki, you will be taken into custody for practicing crimes against the Hidden Leaf." She just nodded, she kept her head down.

"Boruto..." Naruto knelt down in front of his son and put his hands on the boy's shoulders, he was clearly worried... he was shaking...

"It hurts..." the boy whispered, his voice completely broken.

Naruto frowned. "Are you hurt...?!"

"He's gone... dad he is gone..." the boy just hid his face in his father's arms.

"What... who...?" Naruto was at a complete loss of what to do or even say as Boruto just shook his head, his seemingly endless tears started dampening his outfit... The hokage quickly looked around, there was no sign of the Nue, no sign of even his chakra... What had happened...?

"M..." his son choked on the word as he tried to speak, Naruto didn't remember the last time he saw him like that... "Mitsuki..." he whispered, his hands tightening on the hokage's robes. "H-he... sealed the Nue away... H-he's... g-gone..." and words were once again lost to the younger blond, he couldn't continue... he didn't know how to... how to deal with this crushing pain...

[gayanime]

“Akaashi can you pass me the bottle?” Bokuto said while walking towards the bench. Akaashi remained frozen on the spot mid sip with his eyes a little wide (though no one could tell because that boy has one hell of a poker face)

“Nevermind I got it” and saying so Bokuto went back to talk to Konoha.

All Akaashi could think right now was ‘What the fuck did I DO??’

The way Konoha was looking at Akaashi seemed like he was asking the same question.

Never in the two years of knowing Bokuto (not even the first time they met) had Bokuto ever said Akaashi’s name properly. It was always a variation of it ranging from ‘Akaaashiii’ to ‘Aughkaaasshiiiiiii’ (that one time he had an expresso. Who thought it was a good idea to expose Bokuto to caffeine ?!) Not even when Bokuto was mad did he say it properly. And today suddenly when nothing remotely conflicting had happened between them (at least according to him) Bokuto  goes and says it properly.

AO3

Akaashi looked at Bokuto trying to gauge his body language to see if he was upset and if he could get any clues as to what happened. However Bokuto looked normal and was not showing any symptoms of a potential dejected mode. Bokuto suddenly turned his head towards him catching him staring and beamed at him.

This was actually more unnerving. Bokuto was mad enough to say his name properly but was pretending everything was alright. It was very unlike him to be passive aggressive like this. He literally yells at any and everyone if he is upset. This seemed even more serious than he thought.

During another water break Konoha came upto Akaashi while Bokuto was (purposefully)annoying  Washio. “Soooo, what heinous crime did you commit?”

Akaashi looked at Konoha and then sighed “I have literally no idea. He doesn’t even seem upset. He is acting all normal but hasn’t even once asked me to compliment him. He hasn’t told me any animal facts or about some crazy thing he and Kuroo did over the weekend. It is as if he is being passive aggressive pretending that everything is alright but by doing all this he is hinting that I fucked up somewhere and should know what I did. And I have no clue”

“Wow dude, you sound like distressed boyfriend who has no idea what he did when his girlfriend says ‘I am fine’”

Akaashi gives him an unimpressed look. Konoha was enjoying this too much.

At the same time Komi joined them. “So Akaashi, what did you do?”

“He has no clue” Konoha answered for him.

“How can you screw up so bad and have no clue what you did? And here I thought Bokuto was the dense one.”

“Fuck off” Akaashi scowls and leaves the group.

Onaga comes over to Akaashi and starts “So Akaashi, what-“

And Akaashi turns around muttering ‘no. nope. Not dealing with this’. He knew he needed to talk to Bokuto but Bokuto seemed to be talking to everyone except him (though he was cordial and beamed at him whenever they did actually talk)

Yukie and Bokuto were close friends and food buddies (No seriously. Yukie out-ate Bokuto on many occasions. She was terrifying) Akaashi walks up to her after practice but before he could open his mouth she gives him an unimpressed look “Akaashi what the fuck did you do?”

There goes his hope. “Why does everyone thinks it is my fault??” Yukie gives him another look. “Listen, I literally came here to ask you whether you knew why Bokuto was upset! I have no idea what happened. We had nothing remotely resembling an argument.”

Yukie furrows her brow. “Oh. That is concerning. Have you talked to him?”

“No, not yet. I guess I will talk to him during lunch.”

Akaashi nodded to her and started walking back to class still thinking.

Bokuto was not in his class. For over one and a half year Bokuto always came to his class to chat/annoy/shout excitedly at him till their teacher came and yelled at Bokuto to leave and go to his own class. Akaashi seriously started wondering what he had done. He tried to retrace all their interactions over the past week. However, he came up with nothing. He could hardly concentrate on his classes.

Lunch bell rang and Akaashi almost ran towards Bokuto’s class (almost. He still had appearances to keep). Just when he reached the classroom he heard Bokuto’s loud booming laughter. Akaashi peeked from the door and saw Bokuto sitting among a group of guys from his class. He recognized one being from the basketball club. Bokuto looked as if he had no intention of getting up and joining Akaashi in his class for lunch as he had already started eating.

This was not good. Akaashi left the classroom before Bokuto could see him and trudged towards his own class. If this kept going on he would have to resort to his last option. Calling a certain pain-in-the-ass cat captain who also happened to be Bokuto’s best friend. Akaashi hoped things wouldn’t come down to that.

After school Akaashi changed to his gym clothes and entered the gym to find Bokuto already warming up. Bokuto looked at him and started “Oh Akaashi! I got the test results for that English exam you helped me with and I actually got a B in it! Thanks so much for your help man! I was so sure I was going to fail! Hey Saaruuuu, heard you got confessed to today! Oyaoya why don’t you tell us about it Sa~ruuu~” he sings and just like that their conversation is over. Akaashi sees Saru trying to ignore Bokuto (and failing) but all he can feel is a heavy feeling in his chest. Like some heavy sadness had made it’s home in his heart.

Everyone thought that Bokuto was an overbearing idiot and that Akaashi suffered the most because of him. However, the truth was, and this is something everyone who Bokuto is friends with can confirm, that Bokuto is an extremely affectionate and loving person. Sure he is an idiot and sure he sometimes thinks too highly (or too lowly, depending on his mood) of himself, but Bokuto is extremely honest and sincere. He never has hidden motives and is genuinely helpful and caring. And Akaashi has the most experience in that. For some reason Akaashi himself could never phathom, Bokuto admired Akaashi the moment they met. He would always fish compliments from him and would want Akaashi to validate him. At first Akaashi would do all of this since Bokuto was his senpai and was honestly impressive in terms of volleyball skills but as time went Akaashi realized that it was necessary for him to be blunt and sassy with Bokuto to keep him grounded. That the only way for Bokuto to get out of his dejected mode was not through compliments but through actions (like him hitting a spike than someone telling him he is amazing). And for Bokuto to actually be able to do this he needed someone who was straightforward rather than someone who would pity-compliment him. And as time went Akaashi started to take on the role of that person. However, as Akaashi started to become Bokuto’s  favourite person, he also started to get used to Bokuto’s compliments, his affections and his attention. Akaashi was one person who could have Bokuto’s complete attention and who Bokuto would choose over most to give attention (though there was a slight competition with a certain cat).

So now suddenly not being the centre of Bokuto’s attention, Bokuto just talking to him casually like any other person threw Akaashi off balance. He was not certain what was happening, just that he didn’t like it. To think back, Akaashi always thought that Bokuto chattering at him the entire day about what dream he had to the bug he saw the other day was a little tiresome. But now that it was taken away, he felt that he strangely missed it. ‘Yup. I may have Stockholm syndrome’ Akaashi sighed to himself and started warming up.

Practice was weird. Bokuto was in a good form and there were many hey hey hey’s but none of them were directed towards Akaashi. Even the coaches looked at Akaashi in confusion but he just ignored them. He thought he would talk to Bokuto during the extra practice they normally did. At the end of practice when everyone left and with only Bokuto and Akaashi remaining Bokuto turned towards him and said, “ Hey Akaashi. You don’t really need to stay after practice for me you know. I am sure you have tests and exams to study for so it is okay if you don’t join me.” And Bokuto started picking up stray volleyballs to put them in the basket so that he can use them all again.

For the second time that day Akaashi froze. This… this was completely unexpected. Never has Bokuto ever asked him to not join him for practice. In fact he would badger him with requests, bribe him with food and has at times even pulled up the captain card. For him to ask Akaashi to leave… he actually felt like crying. He wanted to tell Bokuto he didn’t mind staying here with him but didn’t think he could deal with all of this right now. So he just said, “Very well Bokuto-san. I will take your leave for today. I will see you tomorrow.” and almost ran out of the gym. He didn’t look back to see Bokuto looking at his retreating form with an oddly sad expression.

By the time Akaashi reached the locker room thankfully everyone had left. He didn’t think he could deal with everyone’s questions right now. Akaashi just sat on a bench hunched. He didn’t know what was wrong with Bokuto. But though the goal in the morning was to find out what he did and apologize to Bokuto, right now he could care least about it. He felt very hurt. And angry. Normally Bokuto would never back down from any confrontation. So if there was anything he was angry about why hadn’t he talked to him about it? Why was Bokuto treating him like this, like he was nothing more than a casual teammate? He didn’t even mention anything about how he didn’t have lunch with Akaashi. And now asking him to not join the extra practice? Akaashi felt angry and double the amount of hurt. And confused. Because it was just one day of Bokuto acting like this. Just one missed lunch. Just one missed practice. Why was he making such a big deal about it? Bokuto was not obligated to do everything with him. Did he really have any right to be angry with him? Bokuto was perfectly civil and friendly with Akaashi the whole day (but not like normal his mind supplied). He hadn’t said anything rude to him nor did he ignore him (or pay attention to him. Akaashi’s mind was very unhelpful). Bokuto had no reason to treat Akaashi in a special way (even though he did so all this time) and for that matter Akaashi had no right to expect that kind of treatment from him. Sure Akaashi was not just a teammate to Bokuto. He was also a friend, a good friend even. But so was Konoha, so was Washio. And they didn’t get angry at Bokuto for missing lunch with them (he actually had done that many times in favour of having lunch with Akaashi or simply forgetting he was supposed to get lunch with them) nor did they get angry or hurt that Bokuto didn’t ask them to join him for extra practice (they were relieved). So was HE the one making a big deal out of it? Was he the one expecting too much?

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“Man I have seen how you are with Akaashi! And boy aren’t you clingy! Seriously you should give him some space! You can’t just be glued to him 24/7. He has a life of his own, his own friend group and his own stuff to do! Don’t you think that you are kinda restricting him from having his own social group because you are with him constantly? It could get suffocating!”

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