#(with sasuke telling them to leave him alone and that they mean nothing to him then trying to kill naruto)

[everysai]

[eskumii]

soft yandere!genin!sasuke uchiha x reader hcs

TITLE: " BAD ROMANCE " — navi. — read part two.

A/N: i'm clearing out my drafts ,, was in a huge naruto phase when i started this blog!

☆ genin sasuke is pretty mean. he doesn't notice you for your looks, personality, or even your prowess as a young kunoichi. you're just... you. in which, you don't cling to him like sakura does, and you aren't delusional like ino is. you're just okay at first, and there's not much he can go off of when he never really interacts with you. it's nothing personal, really.

☆ although sasuke is typically not a stranger to the prospect of romance, the reason why he doesn't indulge is simply because he fails to understand what romance is. if sasuke is anything, he's aware; of his surroundings, the people in it, and the turmoil that churns inside of him. the more he loves, the more he'll eventually hate, so he gathers that there's no room for it in his life. it's his curse to bear.

☆ genin sasuke would eventually notice you after being placed on team seven together, of course. you're pretty hard to ignore from thereon. in between the bouts of sakura clobbering him and naruto screaming in his face, his eyes are on you. both naruto and sakura wear the extent of their capabilities on their sleeves, but you're hard to read and that intrigues sasuke.

☆ it's not until much later that sasuke notices his feelings for you are much different than before. after all the trouble you've been through together (near death experiences & the dreadful antics of naruto), he feels like he's finally got a foothold on what it is that makes you so interesting. he's not a moron—yes, it would appear that he does like you beyond the "like" that he holds for the rest of team seven. however, it's such a foreign feeling that he's not even sure how to handle it, being that he's never had to deal with it before. does he tell you? does he not? would you even feel the same?

☆ in the end, sasuke shows his fondness for you in more subtle ways. it's not really his style to outright confess. sometimes he'll ask you to spar with him (alone, which he stresses), or he'll happen to have a "spare" tomato (or onigiri, if you don't like tomatoes) on him when you complain about being hungry during missions. if you get ambushed by rogue ninja on a mission, he'll instinctively step in front of you, or if you're out of kunai he'll lend you a couple of his—things like that. he's quite thoughtful when he wants to be.

☆ even under sasuke's merciful tolerance of you, you're not off-limits when it comes to his biting insults and sarcastic comments. normally he doesn't speak much but with you he becomes rather talkative, if you can even call it that. when someone else tries to butt in, sasuke's brooding and murderous glares scare them away. they should really know better than to talk to you when he's around.

☆ sakura obviously hates that you've suddenly become the apple of sasuke's eye when she's been vying after him since their early days at the academy. you're not even that pretty, honestly. but any attempt to sabotage you or make you look like a fool in front of sasuke is thwarted... by sasuke. he always thought of sakura like a whining gnat in his ear so it's amusing to see her cry when he blatantly ignores her for messing with you.

☆ when sasuke leaves the village, you're the first person he visits beforehand. you're asleep but that's just fine; actually, it's perfect because you don't see how he gently caresses your hair and how he gives you a kiss on your forehead. you don't hear him when he finally admits that he likes you. loves you, even. you don't hear him when he says he wishes he could take you with him.

☆ but don't worry, he'll be back for you...

[writingwhimsey]

Married to The Enemy- Shingen Ch. 30

Chapter 30

I sat in a chair in the hospital beside Shingen’s bed. Since arriving at the hospital, Shingen’s room had been a flurry of activity. Doctors and nurses in and out conducting various tests. Shingen followed the instructions well as the staff examined him and drew blood or gave him a shot.

After some time, we had a few moments to ourselves. “How are you feeling?” I asked him, holding his hand.

Shingen smiled at me, no less handsome despite the dark circles beneath his eyes and paleness of his skin. “Hopeful.” He answered.

I returned his smile. “Me, too.” I replied.

“A little tired, too. But nothing I’m not used to.” He added.

“Well, then you should get some rest while you can.” I told him.

“Or I have an alternative that would give me some energy.” Shingen replied, giving me a seductive smile.

I eyed him suspiciously. “And what do you think that is?”

“A kiss from my goddess.” He answered.

I giggled. “Well, I know you must be feeling okay if you can still flirt with me like this.” I said before leaning in and giving him a light peck on the lips. 

Shingen lifted his hand to cup my cheek. “It would be a crime if I ever didn’t take the opportunity to flirt with my wife.” 

Just then there was a knock on the door and then Sasuke and his professor were stepping in. “Pardon us.” Sasuke announced. He had changed into a pair of jeans and a green t-shirt. 

“I was getting this together for you.” Sasaki said, handing me a small purse.

I opened it up and found a wallet, a key, and a cell phone inside. “What’s…”

“The wallet has a prepaid bank card for you to get anything you need. The key is to an apartment close to the hospital, and the cell phone is already set up as your primary contact for here.” Sasaki explained. “And of course for you to contact anyone that you might need or want to as well.”

“My number is also in there already as well.” Sasuke added.

“Right…thank you but that’s…” I tried to protest, at least about the money.

“Think nothing of it.” Sasaki said. “It’s just something to get you started.”

“Professor Sasaki is right, Ava.” Sasuke agreed.

I nodded and then bowed politely at them both. “Thank you.”

“I really have to thank you as well.” Shingen said.

“You can thank me when you’re recovered.” Sasaki replied. “Perhaps by telling me a bit about yourself? It’s not everyday someone I’ve learned about in history just walks into the modern day.”

“So, you still learn about me?” He asked.

“You and everyone else.” Sasuke replied. “Though everyone is completely different from what I expected.”

We all talked for a while longer, making plans before a nurse was coming in to tell us visiting hours were over. I could also tell that Shingen needed the rest. Though a part of me worried about him being here all alone. Would he sleep well in such a strange place? Also…there was a selfish part of me…would I be able to sleep without him?

“Have a good night, Lord Shingen.” Sasuke said waving to Shingen. “You are in the best hands here.”

“Good night, Sasuke.” Shingen replied, waving.

Sasaki had already left. Sasuke turned to me. “I’ll wait for you in the hall, Ava and then show you to the apartment.”

I nodded. “Okay, thanks.”

Shingen and I were soon alone. Well as alone as you could get in a hospital anyways. “Do you need anything before I leave?” I asked, standing beside his bed now.

Shingen opened his arms. “Just to hold you.” He answered. “And a few kisses.”

I smiled as I moved to sit beside him in the bed, wrapping my arms around him as those large arms enclosed around me. He kissed me on the forehead as I slowly settled in, resting my head against his chest, hearing his heartbeat. “Are you gonna be okay here?” I asked. “By yourself I mean.”

“I won’t lie and say that I won’t miss holding you in my arms all night.” Shingen replied. “Will you be alright without me?”

“Well, if you’re not lying, then I won’t lie either…no.” I answered. “I’ve gotten rather used to falling asleep in your arms.”

“I’m glad to know my angel will miss me as much as I will you.” Shingen replied. 

“But this is where you need to be.” I said. “And this is the way I can be sure to have even more nights with you.”

Shingen’s arms tightened around me. “It seems a necessary sacrifice to make. A handful of nights apart for a lifetime’s worth together.”

I nodded. “Yes.” I was then lifting my head up to meet his gaze. Our lips met in a tender kiss. “I love you, Shingen.” I murmured after we broke the kiss.

“I love you, Ava.” Shingen replied before pulling me close for one more kiss.

Slowly, reluctantly we pulled apart. I rose from the bed and bent to give him one last peck. “I’ll be back first thing in the morning.” I said.

“Get some rest, my love.” Shingen told me.

“You, too.” I replied.

I was exiting the room, leaving Shingen alone. Sasuke was waiting in the hall. “Are you ready?” He asked.

I nodded. “I guess, yeah.”

“Will you be okay, Ava?” Sasuke asked.

I nodded. “Yes…I mean I’m going to miss him tonight, but I’ll be okay.”

“You’ll be able to come and go as you please during visiting hours.” Sasuke assured me as we began to leave the hospital. “The apartment building is just this way.”

“Thanks.” I said.

It didn’t take too long before we were arriving at the apartment building. My apartment was on the fifth floor. It was a very simple one bedroom, one bathroom with a small living room and kitchen. It honestly wasn’t too far off from the apartment I used to live in previously. There was a TV and a computer as well for serving my basic entertainment needs.

“There’s some basic food in the fridge.” Sasuke explained. “And I am about three doors down if you need anything.”

“Okay, thanks, Sasuke. For everything, seriously.”

“No problem. I’m glad to help. I’m also really glad Lord Shingen agreed to come.” Sasuke replied.

We spoke a few more moments before Sasuke was leaving. “Welp, time to start exploring, I guess.” I muttered to myself as I looked around the small apartment. I was pleasantly surprised when I found a set of pajamas and some basics in the bathroom.

I decided to take a nice hot shower and then slid into the pajamas. It was a pink button top and matching pink shorts. They were a little on the big side, but they worked. Once I had finished my shower, I realized how tired I was. Between traveling through time and getting Shingen set up in the hospital, I felt drained.

I walked into the bedroom and looked at the bed. It was a double bed and looked rather comfortable…but also rather lonely. I pulled the covers aside and climbed in, resting my head on one pillow and then grabbing the other to hold. “It’s no substitute.” I muttered to myself. “But it’s the best I can do.” 

It was surprising how quickly I had grown accustomed to sleeping next to Shingen. Being wrapped in his warm embrace always made me feel so safe and secure. Breathing in his scent and hearing his heart were both calming and comforting. 

I tried to give myself a little pep talk. “Come on Ava. This is nothing compared to what Shingen must be going through.” I told myself. “He’s in a strange place and all alone right now. At least you’re familiar with the modern day and all that.”

Of course, that only made me worry about Shingen and hope he was getting a good night’s rest in the hospital…which he might have been. Especially if they gave him anything. I let out a sigh as I reached for the phone I had been given. First I set an alarm for relatively early in the morning. I wanted to go to Shingen as soon as possible…of course I was also going to have to buy myself some clothes as well.

Once I had my alarm set, I was searching for some ASMR videos and found some. Though they were relaxing, I still couldn’t shut my mind off or shake the loneliness I felt. So, I made a plan for the next day. I would wake up bright and early, hit a clothing store, and then I would stop by a bakery and find a sweet breakfast to take to the hospital and share with Shingen. I could just picture the smile on his face as he tried some modern sweets.

“Alright, it’s set then. I just need to go to sleep so I can put this plan in motion.” Apparently being a bit lonely made me talk to myself more than I would like to admit. Maybe I should have let Saki come with me…no no, that’s selfish. Yukimura needed her. I just had to be strong for Shingen.

It took about three ASMR videos before I finally fell asleep. At least once I was asleep, I dreamed of being in Shingen’s arms once more. I just had to remember a few nights apart for a lifetime together.

Shingen…

Shingen lay in the hospital bed, trying to sleep. The nurse had come in and turned the lights off and drawn the curtains. Though Shingen could still hear the sounds of the city outside and some light managed to get through.

The advanced technology surrounding him almost seemed like a dream. “Perhaps I died and was blessed to go to Heaven after all.” He murmured. “Though my angel leaving me makes me wonder if it is Hell.”

It was funny to Shingen, how quickly he had grown accustomed to sleeping with Ava in his arms. The feel of her head resting against his chest. Her scent as he buried his nose in the top of her hair. Her warmth pressed against him.

He couldn’t help but to wonder if she was feeling similarly. She had been reluctant to go. “I hope she is able to sleep well.” He spoke to himself.

After a while there was a soft knock on his door and then a nurse came in. “Sorry to bother you, Mr. Takahashi, but I have to check your vitals.” She told him.

“Alright.” Shingen replied.

“Did I wake you?” The nurse asked as she began to check Shingen’s temperature and a few other things. These had all been checked when he had first come in. Apparently they were something they checked periodically at the hospital.

“No. I was awake.” Shingen answered.

The nurse nodded. “Hospitals aren’t the easiest place to sleep. Even if the beds are rather comfortable.”

“It’s…it’s more that I miss my wife.” Shingen replied.

“I read on your chart that you’re married.” The nurse said. “Are you two newlyweds?”

“Yes.” Shingen answered. “Though it is truly amazing how quickly I became accustomed to having her with me every night.”

“I am betting she probably misses you, too.” The nurse said. “We’ll do our best to get you all fixed up and back home with your wife.”

“I appreciate that.” Shingen replied.

“However, rest is important. I can give you a little something that will help you sleep.” She said. She was then getting into a little cart she had brought in with her and pulling out an object Shingen had come to learn was a syringe. 

Earlier a different nurse had put what was called an IV in his arm. This nurse was now injecting the liquid inside the syringe directly into this IV. “It’s still amazing that you can get the medicine directly into the blood like that.” Shingen muttered.

The nurse smiled at him. “Yes. It’s much faster than taking a pill. You should be feeling the effects soon and it should help you drift off to a nice and comfortable sleep.” She told him. “Is there anything else I can get you? Some water or a snack?”

“No, thank you though.” Shingen replied.The nurse was soon leaving. Shingen was once again alone. And the nurse was right. The medication was quickly kicking in and his eyelids were feeling rather heavy.I hope Ava is able to get some sleep. Shingen thought before his eyes closed and sleep claimed him, his dreams taking him to a pleasant meadow where he shared a picnic with Ava and held her close as they shared their sweets.

Taglist: @limonzu @zulablaise @oda-princess @kisara-16 @tele86 @lovely-bubb1es @lucyw260 @selenacosmic

[greatideas-badwriter]

Sacrificed To The Banished Prince Ch. 30

Sakura didn’t want to wake up. In fact, she refused. Mentally, she was aware she was asleep, but did everything she could not to move a muscle or think too hard. If she did, her temporary bliss would be ruined. The princess was dreaming of her husband. She was imagining with all her might that she was warm and comfortable. The delusion was strong enough that she could feel Sasuke’s arms around her and smell his comforting scent. 

‘I’ve missed this more than anything. Please, let me cherish it for just a while longer….’ 

She never thought being separated from another person would physically hurt, but it did. Each minute spent apart from the prince felt torturous. It was like he was the perfect dose of pain medication to manage a chronic ailment. Without him, it was hard to exist. 

Recalling how the last month or so had felt in Sasuke’s absence, the woman couldn’t help but melt into the dream. She buried her face in his shirt, clutching its fabric with trembling hands while tears fell heavily down her face. Even if it was only an illusion, a wonderful dream, Sakura felt safer than she had in a long time. 

The lump in her throat grew to unbearable levels when the prince’s chest moved slower as he took in a deep breath while waking. His arms tightened around her before one of them traveled up to tangle in her hair and hold her closer. She nuzzled in, internally pleading for the affection to never end. It was just as she suspected all those days spent with nothing to do while being held captive. The prince made everything okay with just a simple embrace. It was as though all her problems melted away. All was right within his arms.

“Sakura….” The man’s sweet, raspy voice whispered into her hair. Her tears fell more heavily as she broke into sobs. The good feelings were going away as she began coming to terms with the fact that this wasn’t real. Anytime, she’d be waking up on the cold barn floor, hungry and terrified. 

“I’m sorry,” Sasuke whispered, soothing her hair with slow movements, “I’m so sorry. I’ll never leave you alone like that again.” 

‘...Wait….’ 

The princess slowly opened her eyes. Her breath hitched when she was able to see for the first time in weeks. It was dark, but she could make out the tear stains on her husband’s white shirt. She couldn’t contain her disbelief and struggled to breathe, pushing away so she could properly see. 

Sasuke sat up as well, his dark eyes watery as he searched her face. Sakura wiped fervently at her wet cheeks before cupping his face with shaking hands. There was a dark bruise tarnishing his jaw on the right side, and his left bicep and hand were bandaged, but this was the prince. This was her husband in real life, not a dream. At the moment, it was too much for her. She couldn’t control herself and fumbled to hug him tightly, clinging to him like her life depended on it. 

‘It’s really him. He really came for me.’ 

It took a long time for the woman to calm down enough to release the man and lay back down. When she did, he followed suit while staring as though afraid she’d disappear if he looked away for even a moment. By the glint in his eye, Sakura could tell Sasuke had many things he’d like to say, but words simply weren’t coming. She opened her mouth to attempt speaking for the first time in weeks, only to freeze when she realized it wasn’t Akuma before her. 

It was definitely nighttime, so how…? 

“The demon…. He broke his promise in order to protect you,” Sasuke quietly informed his wife. 

Her mouth closed in surprise, ‘He tried to kill on my behalf? Does that mean Akuma is gone? …I didn’t get to say goodbye….’ A strong sense of sadness washed over Sakura. 

Sasuke seemed able to read her mind because he assured her quickly, “He is still here. I now have control over when he’s able to arise.” 

A moment of silence passed before he spoke again, changing the subject now that they both had better control over their emotions, “Are you alright?” There was a softness to his voice that hinted he was afraid to hear the answer. 

Sakura studied his face for a moment before nodding, leaning into his gentle touch when he slid his hand between the pillow and her cheek. Warmth met his dark eyes before they fell to her neck, his hand following. Goosebumps rose to her skin at the sensation. 

“You haven’t been able to speak?” 

She shook her head, glad he was able to infer that without an explanation. 

He slid his hand beneath her cheek again, his thumb brushing the corner of her lips as his gaze darkened, “I want to know everything you had to endure.” 

It was then that a certain insinuated question made the atmosphere heavy. Sakura’s heartbeat quickened, tears brimming her eyes once more while she shook her head, ‘He’s worried I was harmed by someone like Hihara again.’ 

An unsteady deep breath came and left the prince. He closed his eyes to calm for a moment before nodding reassuringly at Sakura, his expression less hesitant, “I’m relieved. If such a thing had occurred, I’d-" "Sasuke….” Sakura’s voice was hoarse and quiet. It was a little painful to speak after being silent for so long, not to mention the sheer amount of cold air she’d been breathing. 

She hadn’t meant to rudely interrupt his heartfelt communication, but the topic had brought something very important to mind. 

He closed his mouth, searching her face more attentively. 

She couldn’t speak, then. The lump in her throat, this time from nerves, was too big to swallow. Concern quickly met the man’s features. In hopes of quickly reassuring him that nothing was terribly wrong, Sakura panicked. Unsure what else she could do, she grabbed his uninjured hand and guided it down under the covers, between their bodies. Their gazes remained locked as she hesitantly manipulated his hand so that it pressed flat to her stomach, fingers pointing down. Then, she held it there, pressing her own palm to the back of his hand and attempting to wordlessly communicate with him since her ability to speak had failed. 

It took a few seconds for the confused expression to melt into realization. Then, the cautious feel of his touch became firmer. The prince’s eyes lit up with surprise, “You are…!” 

Sakura nodded, a smile meeting her lips as it was clear the man wasn’t unhappy with the news. 

Sasuke’s brow furrowed, his head shaking a few times. He fumbled to slip his hand beneath her nightgown, pressing his palm flat to her stomach with excitement quickening his breath. He kissed her once, pulling back to try asking for unneeded clarification, “I…We���?” He swallowed hard and retried, his nose brushing against hers, “A child?” 

Sakura nodded, kissing him softly. The prince accepted the affection, moving to wrap his arms around her. When she pulled away from the kiss to smile bashfully at him, he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers. Brimming with relief, the princess did the same. Then, they were silent. 

They were content. 

They were reunited, at last. 

The following sleep was the best rest she’d had since their honeymoon. When she stirred, her entire body was sore, especially her feet. It wasn’t nearly as bad as she expected, though. The doctors explained immediately upon her waking that they’d used the strongest healing potion they could find. It wasn’t enough to completely heal a person, but it ensured no infections would meet her wounds and would hasten the recuperation process. 

As soon as the doctor was finished checking her over, Sasuke rose from the chair he’d been sitting in nearby. He refused to let her out of his sight. In the past, Sakura might’ve found it uncomfortable, but that was before spending over a month as a prisoner. His pretty, dark eyes flickered to the entrance of the large room before he sat on the edge of the bed, taking one of his wife’s hands into his own. 

The heightened emotions from last night had, thankfully, simmered, so his composure was intact. His voice was stable in its usual, soft yet strong way. His face was mostly stoic with just the tiniest glimmer of relief and exhaustion shining through. “Until we discover who ordered your kidnapping, do not tell anyone about the pregnancy.” 

Sakura nodded with a warming face. It was foreign, hearing the man speak on their situation so calmly. In her eyes, it seemed as though the prince was happier than he cared to admit, even to her, about becoming a father. She’d been terrified he’d be distraught, so it was a weight off her shoulders. 

The door to the room burst open to reveal King Madara followed by the first prince and a line of palace staff carrying trays of foods and drinks. “Niece! I’m so relieved to see you safe once more!” The king approached as though he wished to take Sasuke’s spot sitting on the bed’s edge, but the second prince didn’t move a muscle and instead fixed his uncle with a firm stare. 

Sakura bowed her head, “Y-Your-” “Don’t try to speak yet. You’re still healing,” Sasuke cut off her hoarse attempt. 

Itachi chimed in after a moment of awkward silence met the room, “Please, Sister, eat and rest well so your body can heal itself more quickly. We can all talk while you do.” 

Blush heated the woman’s face at his calling her his sister, burning even hotter when a maid politely handed Sasuke a tray full of easy to digest breakfast foods. He glanced at his wife, who shook her head to indicate she didn’t want him to feed her. Wordlessly he handed over the tray before turning his gaze back on his family members, “Is there any news from the interrogators?” 

Sakura slowly ate some oatmeal, not wanting to upset her stomach. ‘Did they manage to capture Hidan and Kakuzu, then? Or is it the farmer and his family?’ She wanted to ask but couldn’t for obvious reasons. 

“Since Kisame is still recovering, we haven’t been able to view his memories. He’s not responding to torture, either,” Madara said, his eyes turning onto the princess every so often as though ensuring she remained present and stable. 

Sasuke asked, “How is Kisame? He mentioned sending us here was costly.” 

Itachi frowned, nodding, “He’s comatose. It’s expected he won’t wake for several days.” 

Sakura vaguely recalled meeting someone with that name. Their appearance escaped her, though. 

Her husband’s brow furrowed, but his older brother cut him off before he could speak, “He knew the consequences of using so much energy. It was his choice, so do not blame yourself.” 

The Uchiha trio’s discussion carried on for a while. Once Sakura had eaten her fill, she turned onto her side and curled up under the blankets. It was difficult to understand how she was still so tired after sleeping for so long. Her eyes drooped as the royal family’s voices floated around the room. A soft hum vibrated her chest when she felt Sasuke slide a hand in between hers so she could hold it. Feeling safe enough to even lay there with her eyes willingly closed was something that’d be considered a luxury little more than a day ago. Sakura lulled in and out of consciousness, only picking up pieces of the words said. 

Home was Sasuke, and she was happy to be home. 

[venerawrites]

Ooh my goodness I saw your post about Sasuke bringing back his S/O from the dead and the brainrot worms just immediately clocked in 😵‍💫 Please please give us a short fic about it! Specifically with the side effects//struggles of bringing someone back from the dead like memory loss, struggle to speak bc of either the previously mentioned memory loss or simple damage to their vocal cords (Ooor I mean, if you wanna go deep into angst bringing out the fact cognitive abilities being damaged at least for a while and the amount of pain they'd feel so they're dependent on him is also fair game)

Another fact that is just VERY angst filled is if they're brought back against their will but unless Sasuke let them go they're stuck there forever

I'll leave it up to you to decide how you wanna go about it though! thank u for your absolute god-like work as always! muah! 😚

author's note: Our brainrot worms must be in sync because the moment I saw your request, this fic basically 'wrote itself'! Thank you so much for the idea and I really hope I did your request justice! <3 <3

warnings: Sasuke is a bit yandere and maybe ooc, but isn't he always? ; death; revival; blood

Wanna know a secret?

People used to say that there was a never chance for me. That with everything that happened - the massacre, the lies, the hatred - I was always bound to become a monster. Poor little boy that witnessed the slaughter of his own family and spend years chasing the shadow of his brother, while slowly drowning in his own self-pity and anger.

But the truth is that it wasn't Itachi or Konoha that made me that way.

It was you.

You, who broke through the walls I've been building for years, leaving me raw and exposed. You, who believed that I could've been... should've been different. You gave me hope, you made me believe that maybe, just maybe, there is a chance for me.

For us.

And suddenly you left me. All alone, like I always have been.

I know you are not going to like what I am about to do. If you were here, you would tell me that this isn't the way. That I am not the person I was before that I am making a mistake by trying to bring you back. You would look at me with those innocent eyes of yours, before lacing your fingers with mine and tell me that I have to let you go.

But you are not here, are you?

Not yet, at least.

And you know I can't let you go. Not now, not ever.

If the cost of having you in my arms again is my soul, I would pay it. If it means burning the world and the heavens, then so be it. I will destroy it all - time, death and everything that separates us - till nothing remains but you and me.

. . .

i.

"-Edu Tensei is the only way-"

The cold edge of Sasuke's blade pressing against his throat was enough of unspoken warning for the white-haired male to know this was not the right answer to the demand he had just received. Closing his eyes, he tried to steady his breathing without letting his composure crack.

This was far from the first time he found himself on the receiving end of Sasuke's anger. Yet this time it felt... different.

Kabuto has spend enough years with the Uchiha to understand how he worked. Despite his cold and stoic demeanor, he had always possessed a dangerously short fuse. The slightest provocation, especially if it was connected to his past, was enough to ignite an inferno of rage. The Yakushi man has observed his evolution firsthand - from a grumpy boy hungry for revenge to a deadly shinobi, who kept swinging back and forth on the edge of his crumbling sanity.

The ninja that stood before him was a version of Sasuke that he has never seen before. There was no fire behind his gaze, only empty, glowing voids, so cold that Kabuto couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine. Unlike the last time he saw him during the war, he looked cold, calculated and controlled.

Too controlled for the white-haired man's liking.

"Sasuke, you have to understand there are limits-"

"I understand more than you think", Sasuke interrupted, his right eye glowing with the Sharingan, while his left one remained hidden, "If Edo Tensei is your only answer, then I have no use of you. You are wasting my time."

The blade was lifted only for a second from Kabuto's throat before it flew toward his Adam's apple. He felt the cold tip slicing his skin, a few drops of warm crimson red blood falling on the floor.

"Wait!", Kabuto blurted out, his head falling back against the wall in a desperate attempt to create some distance between his body and the sword.

Sasuke's hand immediately stopped, but the cold metal did not move away from the cut it has created. Instead, it stayed in place, getting painted in red, while Sasuke his head in a silent command for Kabuto to speak.

"There may be another way...", the Yakushi gulped, his voice barely above a whisper. The Uchiha leaned forward, his only visible eye narrowing just the slightest as he studied the older man's face.

Looking at him almost two years after their last battle, Sasuke felt the bitter taste of anger and desperation mixing in his mouth. How could Kabuto, of all people, be the only person who could help him bring you back? The idea of having his sleazy hands touching your body, experimenting on it... The mere image of him being close to you made him naseous.

Yet he was the one who came here and demanded help. Much to his displeasure, he had no one else to turn to. Orochimaru had left the village, but even if he was here, it was the case that his student has surpassed him long time ago.

"I am giving you ten seconds to explain, before I slash your throat and hang you on this wall to bleed out."

The threat was clear and final, making Kabuto nod his head in a weak agreement. Once the blade was removed from his throat, his fingers immediately moved to touch the cut from which there were still dripping red drops. He pressed his hand against his neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding, while his mind rushed through different possibilities of how to handle the situation.

On one hand, just like Sasuke, he was pardoned for his crimes and was given a second chance to rebuild his life in Konoha. He was a carer in the local orphanage and for the first time since he could remember, he felt somewhat... satisfied. It wasn't his dream job, but it was a job and it was the first step to clearing his image.

On the other hand, he was wise enough not to underestimate the things an Uchiha is ready to do, especially in the name of love.

"It is not a technique I've ever tried before...", Kabuto finally said, his fingers tightening around his throat, "It is a theory I was working on right before the war started. It goes beyond a simple reanimation and unlike Edo Tensei, it does not have any limitation. Once they are back... they will be fully back."

"Fully back...", Sasuke repeated, testing the words on his tongue. The snake-like man in front of him nodded his head, his free hand lifting up to fix the glasses on the tip of his nose.

"With their own will, thoughts and emotions", Kabuto confirmed, one of his eyebrows raising just the slightest, "It will be as if their death never happened. But.."

"But what?", he snapped through gritted teeth. Of course, nothing was ever simple or straightforward with the white-haired shinobi. For all the knowledge and skills he had, he never made anything easy, even when he was serving other people in the past. And while he successfully managed to convince Konoha he has changed, Sasuke had enough experience living and training with him to know the truth.

A snake will always be a snake.

And the mere fact he didn't seem to even try to convince him not to meddle with the world of the dead, was enough of a sigh that his heart remain to be just as dark as it was in the past.

"Like I said, this technique works only in theory", Kabuto said slowly, his gaze moving between the two different eyes of the Uchiha in front of him, "The person that comes back may not... be the one they were before. It may also have consequences not only on them, but on everything and everyone around. Disturbing the natural flow of life like this-"

Sasuke clicked his tongue, his mouth twisting into a displeased frown.

"I didn't come to you to listen to half-hearted warnings and lectures on balance of nature", he snapped impatiently, "Do it or I will find someone else who will - and you know well enough what that means for you."

Almost as if to prove the seriousness behind his threat, the blade pressed itself against Kabuto's throat once again, before moving to the side, successfully cutting a fine line against all four knuckles of the his fingers that were still pressed against his first wound. The man let out a loud hiss, his hand jerking away instinctively.

"I will need time to prepare", he muttered, his jaw clenching in a weak attempt to try and keep his mind away from the stinging pain, "Two days at least."

Sasuke let out a small 'hm' sound, his brain processing the proposed timeline. Every ticking moment without you already felt like a whole eternity passing. Two days was too much, especially since it involved the risk of Kabuto deciding to share his demand with other people. Not that he didn't plan to deal with Konoha soon enough for what they did, but now, for the first time, there was another priority other than revenge - and that was you.

"You have one", he said with finality, before turning around and starting to walk away.

One day. Even for a man who was used to deal with challenging situations and impossible deadlines, this was hard to achieve. Kabuto watched the Uchiha's retreating figure, his chest and head both feeling heavy with the realisation of what he is about to do.

However, he wasn't if Sasuke did.

. . .

ii.

From a far, you looked peacefully asleep. The moonlight that managed to find its way into the room was reflecting through the glass that covered your body, pale highlights dancing across your face and chest. Your fingers were crossed on top of your chest and for a second, Kabuto could swear he could see it moving up and down, as if you were breathing.

He blinked once. Then twice. Yet the illusion did not repeat itself.

He made a few cautious steps toward the see-through casket in the centre on the small hall, his eyes narrowing as he got a better view of your body. Your flawless skin, your carefully combed hair, your neat kimono - Sasuke's determination to bring you back the way he remembered you was clear in every detail. Kabuto had no idea how the dark-haired male did it, or even from where he got such precise knowledge about body preservation, but the sight in front of him was a pure imitation of life.

Almost flawless.

"Is that your work?", he quietly asked, his voice ringing with notes of both admiration and wariness. He kept his distance, his eyes scanning every inch of visible skin, searching for any signs of mistakes in the Uchiha's method. There were none. No signs of decomposing, decay or any imperfections. Putting aside the fact that your skin looked paler than it should be, the sight in front of him was a perfect replica of you, completely untouched by time.

Faint footsteps sounded behind him and he turned his head only to see Sasuke approaching the casket from the other side. He didn't pay any attention to Kabuto, as his gaze was focused on you, his lips pressed into a thin line. His eyes traced every line of your peaceful expression, before his only hand lifted and placed itself on top of the cold glass, right above your face. His fingers twitched, slowly dragging themselves down, as if he was trying to reach out and cradle your cheek.

"It is", he finally responded, his voice unusually calm and almost... soft? Kabuto looked at him with unease, before he moved his attention back to you.

If he was scared of Sasuke yesterday when he had his blade pressed against his throat, he was both terrified and baffled now. It was no secret the Uchiha harboured deep feelings for you - he had met you right before the war and since then he always tried his best to keep you away from harm, even during the times he was one of the most wanted criminals by every Hidden Village. You had been his pillar of support and light through the darkest times of his lives - from his pursuit of revenge on his brother to the brutal realisation of all the lies he has been told through the years. Even during the war, his main motivation was not so much to prove himself as capable leader for Konoha, than keep you save.

Ironically, he actually succeeded. He managed to keep you sheltered from all the horrors and blood the ninja world had to offer. Shortly after he was pardoned, he brought you back to his home village, much to the surprise of all of his fellow shinobi. He never introduced you as officially 'his', but everyone knew you were holding a great significance for him. You were not only his save haven, you were everything - his home, his purpose, his future...

All till the day some Leaf ninjas took you away.

It was Sasuke's fault, really. He knew that the past could not be erased, yet he foolishly believed he may be given the chance to start anew. The wounds he had inflicted to both the village and the people there were wide open and despite the years and his actions during the war, they never truly healed. Beneath the surface of the reluctant acceptance he had received by all the villagers, there was mistrust that changed his whole life in just a few seconds.

He remembered the event quite vividly, despite his attempts to erase it from his mind. Every waking moment it haunted him like a nightmare, clutching its claws into his body and soul and refusing to let go...

You laughing in the kitchen, while he watched you with admiration from the kitchen table, his fingers nervously playing with the small ring box in his pocket.

The two shadows which crossed across the wall almost too fast for him to react.

Sounds of broken glass. Table and chairs thrown to the side.

The sound of his name leaving your lips before you threw yourself behind his body, a chocked out gasp leaving your lips once the sword meant for him pierced your chest.

The way his heart stopped inside his chest, his hand moving almost automatically as he brought the last remaining intruder down before he collapsed next to your body.

Your lifeless eyes, who continued to stare at him, a small tear escaping from one corner and landing in his trembling palm.

Kabuto watched as Sasuke shook his head, bringing himself back to reality. The Uchiha casted one last glance to you, before he clenched his jaw and stepped away from the casket. His steps were rushed and urgent, showing his desperation to pull away from the the memory of that day and his failure to keep you safe.

Silence filled the room and for a while the snake-like man could not hear anything but his own breathing. While not one famous for showing sympathy, there was the tiniest spark of pity inside his eyes as he watched the broken man before him. It was then he understood it didn't matter what he said or how much he warned him about the potential risks involved.

Sasuke Uchiha, the man who was always been swaying on the delicate edge between reasonableness and insanity, has officially lost himself to the latter.

All because of you.

"We need a sacrifice", Kabuto finally said, his body moving toward the small table in the corner, where he left his bag earlier, "A life for a life. You did an outstanding job with preserving their body, but again I cannot guarantee what the side effects may be-"

"You will have your sacrifice by the end of the night", Sasuke interrupted, his usual cold and collected composure back in place. Before the white-haired shinobi could say anything else, he was left alone with the chilling feeling of two cold eyes staring right at his back.

. . .

iii.

The first thing you felt was the cold.

Not just in the air around you - it was inside your skin, creeping its way through your veins. The feeling was if you were being chewed alive, yet once you tried to open your mouth, you found unable to move. Your limbs felt heavy, the muscles - unable to respond. Your mind was slowly crawling its way out of the dizziness, yet your body refused to respond.

Then, you heard it - the faint sound of something moving on top of you and then a muffled voice saying something. You tried to focus on it, forcing your senses to sharpen. The words started to sound clearer and clearer till eventually your brain grasped them.

"Open your eyes."

The words echoed around you, ringing inside your head as you tried your best to do as told. The coldness inside of you felt like a heavy anchor which kept pulling you down while you desperately tried to break through the surface. The voice kept repeating the same thing over and over, becoming louder and clearer.

Suddenly, almost as if a bolt of electricity ran through your spine, your body jolted, your chest raising high in the air as you gasped for air. Your lungs felt like they were on fire as they expanded, the painful sensation spreading through your chest as you chocked in the mix of a saliva and cold air.

Something warm pressed against your cheek and it took you a good minute to realise it was someone's hand. Your eyelids, despite still feeling like stones on your face, fluttered open only to be met with a piercing and blinding white light coming from somewhere above you. Everything felt so distant and muted, as if you were waking up from a dream that has lasted all eternity.

The hand on your face moved, its touch gentle as you felt it cupping your jaw. You blinked rapidly against the harsh brightness, the world around you slowly emerging out of blurriness as a face came into focus above you.

A man. Tall, with sharp features and straight black locks reaching his shoulders. Only one of his eyes was visible, black like onyx and staring at you intensively. He had a few days stubble covering his chin and cheeks, while dark bags decorated the area under his eyes.

Who the hell was that?

And why was he looking at you like that?

You tried to open your mouth, but no sound came out as all you could do is let out a quiet gasp. The man's expression shifted slightly, a spark of concern flashing though his tired face. His fingers moved down from your chin, across one of your arms, before taking your hand in his. The longer he remained touching you, the more panicked your attempts to breathe became.

"It's alright", he murmured softly, his dark brows furrowing as he watched you struggle beneath him, "Just focus on breathing. Everything is alright."

Everything, however, was not alright.

Sasuke watched you eyes flicking between him and your surroundings, the feeling of panic evident in the way your chest rose and fell erratically. He could feel your fingers tensing under his while you slowly started to get control of your limbs, achieving nothing more but a few stirs. The expression on your face, however, was what hurt the most - it was one of pure fear and terror, almost like the day they took you away from him.

"Shh, stay calm", he whispered, yet his words seemed to have the opposite effect as he noticed your weak attempt to squirm away. His jaw clenched as he watched you struggling to come back fully to your senses.

Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong.

Of course, Kabuto has warned him that there will be side effects. That you may be disorientated at first and have problem with moving on your own. He expected you not to remember certain things, like the day you were killed of even some minor events from your life. What he didn't predict, however, was the possibility that you may not remember anything, including him.

His hand withdrew from yours and he casted a fiery glare at Kabuto who was sitting in the corner of the room, rapidly writing something on a piece of paper.

"You said you could bring them FULLY back."

The white-haired ninja did not look up immediately, instead focusing in finishing the report he had started once he saw the first signs of life appearing. In any other event he would probably give more of his energy in addressing the Uchiha's rising anger, however now he felt like he was the one with an advantage. Sasuke may be one of the strongest shinobi alive, but he had nothing on Kabuto's knowledge and skills, especially when it came to the delicate science of reanimation. His experience as the best student of Orochimaru and the man who managed to perfect jutsus like Edu Tensei gave him a dangerous sense of confidence, even in the face of a heartbroken lover who was ready to do anything to bring their soulmate back.

"I did", Kabuto said at last, his voice unusually calm as he attached the pen to the top of the paper before putting it away, "I also told you there will be side effects and you need to be patient. Not that it has ever been your strong suit..."

Sasuke let out a small scoff, his lips curling in disdain as he got to his feet and starting walking toward the other man. The urge to trap him in a genjutsu and force him to experience every single horror he had ever inflicted on other people was growing like a wildfire inside of his chest. Perhaps it was even a fitting punishment for a monster like him, way more deserving to be trapped in a cycle of his own sins than allowed to live peacefully working in an orphanage.

The Uchiha stopped a mere foot from the desk, his fist clenching by his side in an attempt to stop himself for reaching out and doing something he may regret later.

"Fix it."

Kabuto lazily lifted his eyes, one if his eyebrows rising slightly above his glasses.

"Fix it?", he repeated unimpressed, "You speak as if I am a handyman fixing an object. This is a human we are speaking about--"

The words seemed to strike a cord and Sasuke's hand shot forward, slamming onto the desk right next to Kabuto's head. His breathing was sharp and uneven, his anger radiating from every fiber of his being.

"You don't get to act all high and mighty, Kabuto. We have been knowing each other a little too long and a little too well for you to pretend that you can actually consider a person as anything other than an experiment."

Kabuto froze, his eyes instinctively shifting toward you and meeting your gaze. From where you were laying, the scene looked almost like a distorted dream. You heard voices, yet you couldn't understand what were they saying. The fear continued to run inside your veins like a paralyzing venom, leaving you completely helpless in the company of these two unknown men.

The truth was that Kabuto did not care about Sasuke. In fact, given everything he has done, it served him more than right to lose you and rot in guilt and grief all his life. But Kabuto had to agree that he had a right - maybe he was not the best person to be giving him a lecture of the difference between an 'object' and a 'human'. After all, in his eyes they were all the same.

But not you.

You were special. Different. You were not just a mere experiment, far from it actually. You were the culmination of everything he had worked for, the result of years spend in studying, experimenting, theorizing and manipulating. You were the proof he achieved what every great scientist had longed for - a way to cheat death. Completely.

Of course, he wouldn't leave the job half done. Not when he was so close to perfecting his greatest achievement. In his mind, he couldn't even think of the last time he felt so excited and so... alive. Whatever reservations he had because of Sasuke or his recent pardon by Konoha were now forgotten. Instead, all he could see was you. Breathing, blinking, looking around. Your existence defied nature and he felt a strange satisfaction knowing he had achieved what everyone else, even Orochimaru, deemed impossible. It was all way too different from any type of reanimation he tried before.

"The connection between their body and soul is still fragile", Kabuto finally muttered, his golden eyes still locked with yours. Slowly, he stood up from his seat, moving around the dark-haired Uchiha as he approached you. His steps were quiet and measured, as if he was trying not to scare you even more. Tilting his head to the side, he found himself in a strange trance.

"It's a delicate balance, the one of life and death. It can easily tip, especially when one lack patience and appreciation of this beautiful process. I told you this is not just attaching a soul to a vessel, it's about understanding and repairing the bond that connects them. It's about creating a..."

He knelt beside you, his face just centimeters from yours. Edu Tensei has always given these void and empty black eyes to the subjects it revived, an ugly imperfection that reminded that they were not truly alive. But yours... They were just like they were supposed to be when you were alive. Despite being unfocused, there was a spark of life in them.

"... miracle."

As Kabuto finished his sentence he reached out to touch your face, before his wrist was harshly grabbed by Sasuke.

"Don't touch them!"

The air in the room seemed to suddenly grow tenser as you watched the two men hovering above you. Any trace of softness that Kabuto's expression held till now disappeared as he furrowed his brows, his snake-like gaze turning toward Sasuke.

"I fear your demand may be unreasonable, Uchiha. I can't help them, if I am- "

"Your job is to figure out a way to fix your failure and finish the job I asked you to do", Sasuke interrupted impatiently, his grip tightening, "You can do that from your desk."

Kabuto tilted his head, his jaw clenching as he held his ground in the little staring contest he found himself in. After a minute, he roughly pulled his hand, before taking a step back.

"Very well then."

Without another word, he returned to his desk and started to gather the scattered tools he had left in a disarray earlier. He could feel two pairs of eyes burning at the back of his neck, but he refused to acknowledge any of them.

'Such a strong body, yet such a foolish mind', he thought as he put everything in one corner and then simply turned around toward the door. Once again, Sasuke has proved himself incapable of understanding, let alone appreciating, the power of science and what one can achieve with it. Instead he remained a big strong brute, driven by impulse and incapable to open his mind to all the wonders in his world.

As he stepped out of the room, Kabuto glanced back one last time over his shoulder, his golden eyes focusing on yours. He gave you a small smile, almost a friendly one, before shutting the door behind him.

. . .

iv.

The following weeks were like an eternal nightmare, from which neither of you could wake up.

Every day blended into the next, leaving nothing behind by growing frustration and thinning remains of patience. Time felt frozen in this place, as if all three of you were trapped in a constant loop.

For you, the world was a blur - everything was new, yet somewhat familiar. Even the small things, such as walking or playing with your hands, felt foreign and out of place. It was almost like you got into a foreign body and you were left with no choice but to learn how to work with it. It took a full week for you to gain full control over your body, but when you did, it still felt like an insignificant progress.

And what if you could walk, run and do everything you were doing before when your mind remained a dark fog with no clear direction or sense of self? Fractured images kept flashing before your eyes every now and again, leaving you more and more confused. Some felt like memories - stuff that actually has happened once upon a time - but some felt like nothing more than a dream your brain has created in attempt to escape the boringness.

On the other hand, Sasuke was always around. He slept in one room with you, he took you out so you can breathe some fresh air during the day, he brought you food, books and random trinkets to entertain yourself. He rarely kept his distance, and even when he was, you could feel his watchful gaze on the back of your head.

At first, he terrified you. His energy was dark, even sinister in a way. Yet you couldn't help but feel a strange feeling of a familiarity. Sometimes, when you thought he was not looking, you glanced at his profile, studying his face and trying to put the puzzle pieces together of who is he to you. He was a cold man, rarely talking or even responding when you asked him questions, yet he always hovered protectively over you.

And then there was Kabuto. A total opposite of Sasuke.

He was nice - always gently smiling at you, asking if you are okay. There was always a strange softness in his eyes, one that you wouldn't expect from a man with snake-like features like himself. Sometimes he would catch you by yourself and he would make the time to sit down and chat. Most of the time it was about mundane things - the weather, random interesting facts and when he was in a good mood, stories from his past. It took a while for you to be able to reply given your throat burned like an inferno every time you tried to produce any sound during the first week, but slowly you started to respond. At first it was by short words such as "yes", "no" and "do/don't", but soon you started to form full sentences till you relaxed enough to even laugh at some of his silly jokes.

Yet, despite his gentleness and understanding, your inner instinct was screaming at you to be careful. You couldn't tell exactly what, but something with him was ... off. Maybe it was the way his eyes lingered on you too long for your liking or the way his smiling mask quickly shifted into something more sinister when he thought you were not paying attention, but something was making your skin crawl every time he was near you and Sasuke was not.

"What is the relationship between you and Kabuto? Are you... friends?", you asked one night, breaking the peaceful silence that had settle between you and Sasuke. He was sitting on the opposite chair of you, calmly reading a scroll while your attention was focused on the playful dance of the flames in the fireplace.

Sasuke didn't look up immediately, instead using the extra minute to gather his thoughts before he lifted his eyes toward you. His expression remained blank, as it always was around you, but you could see the slightest tension of his shoulder muscles.

"Allies", the answer felt somewhat dishonest as he remained staring at you, "For now."

Picking the strands of the soft rug under your fingers, you searched his face, expecting him to provide a further explanation. Like always, such explanation never came. Instead, his focus returned to the scroll in his hands, his eyes dancing across the piece of paper as he pretended to be very invested in what was written in it.

"But you don't trust him, do you?"

The man snorted at your assumption and you immediately took it as confirmation of what you have suspected. The two have never outright fought in front of you, but there was always a certain tension in the room when both of them were in it. Sasuke always seemed to move closer to you when Kabuto was nearby, his lonely hand resting on the hilt of his sword, ready to react at any given moment.

"Trustworthiness and usefulness usually do not go hand in hand", he said finally, his eyes boring into yours as he started to carefully roll the scroll. You kept your gaze locked with his, unsure what he meant by his answer. It was clear that the the 'usefulness' was somehow connected to you but you still couldn't make a real sense of it. No matter how many times you asked either Sasuke or Kabuto why were you being kept here and why you were subject to so many tests and 'treatments', you were always met with the same answer : "Don't worry about it, it will all come back to you."

"What happens when he is no longer useful?", you asked as you watched him get up from his chair and walk over to the small bed in the corner of the room. While his constant presence around you bothered you at first, you appreciated that he kept some form of distance unlike Kabuto who often was too close to you for your comfort.

For a moment, you thought Sasuke would ignore your question entirely as he just started arranging his blankets and pillow, not showing any interest toward your questioning.

"Then he will be dealt with."

Deep inside you knew that his words should make you feel uncomfortable, worried even. Kabuto has always been kind to you, and it sometimes even felt like he cared for you, in his own strange way. If it wasn't for him, you may still be laying on that cold metal table you woke up on, unable to move or speak.

Yet you couldn't ignore the feeling deep inside your gut that there was a reason for Sasuke's warning. You felt guilty questioning the white-haired male's intentions, but you couldn't shake the feeling he was looking at you as an object opposed to a human. He has been very open to you - he had told you up quite a lot about his own past, including his experiments with people - but instead of appreciating his honesty, you found yourself fearing him. Perhaps this is why you found yourself trying to stay attached to Sasuke's side more often.

Or maybe it was because of these damn flashing images that keep popping in your mind.

Recently they have been coming more and more often. Sometimes they came and went so quickly, it was impossible to catch them. Other times, the lingered, dragging you into a world of unfamiliar faces, places and events. Every time you tried to make sense of them, put them in some kind of order in your mind, they kept blending, creating an even thicker fog of confusion in your head.

You never told Sasuke or Kabuto about it. With so much conflicting emotions and hidden motives, it was hard to tell which one you could trust and which one you could not. One thing you knew for sure - none of the two men were entirely honest. Sasuke, with his cold and collected behaviour, was surely knowing way more than he was letting on about who you were and how did you end up in this labyrinth of broken memories and sense of self. The kind gestures of Kabuto, on the other hand, felt almost disturbing as his eyes followed you like a pray around the hideout.

You were trapped in a rabbit hole of questions, falling deeper and deeper every time a new face or place popped in your mind. The only certainty you had that in this place you had only person you could trust - you. And you had to do everything in your power to get yourself out.

. . .

v.

One moment you were gazing at an old photograph, your brows crunched in confusion, the next one you were on your knees, your hand muffling the loud sobs that threatened to leave your lips.

The image you held in your hands was not one you've seen for the first time. In fact, you have seen it countless of times during your stay here. You have found it accidentally under Sasuke's pillow one day when you were cleaning around the room and while you never asked him about it, you periodically reached out for it, studying it. You were in the middle of it - lips stretched in a wide grin and eyes closed, while a small key was dangling from your pointing finger. Right behind you was Sasuke - his hair just a little bit shorter than now, showing his mismatching eyes who looked directly down at you. His lips were curved into a soft smile, while both his hands held the sides of your stomach.

You had reached the conclusion that you and Sasuke were in some form of relationship a long time ago. Were you simply lovers or something more serious? Were you married? Did you had kids? You didn't know, but you were sure the little glances that he threw your way now and the way he was constantly hovering over you was not things a casual boyfriend would do. So it wasn't the image of you two that triggered this intense reaction in you.

It was the window behind you in the photograph.

The small wooden kitchen window, to which you have not paid any mind till now, but now you couldn't look away from it. The same window you were facing while you were putting away the dishes the day you...

died.

Your knees buckled after you as suddenly you were hit with ton of forgotten memories. One after the other, they kept filling your brain with a rapid speed, making you grip your head with both hands in attempt to stop it all.

Inaho Village. Your parents and brother. Bloodshed.

Growing up with your grandma. Healing lessons. Fire.

Sasuke. Sneaking around before the war.

Moving in together after the war. Konoha.

Death.

.

You were supposed to be dead.

The sudden realisation made your head spin and you fell on your bottom, your eyes filling with tears. The memories kept coming, your tears kept flowing and you could swear time froze.

For how long have you been sitting on this cold, bare floor? It may be a minute, it may be an hour. Or even two.

The sound of a door opening caught your attention and you lifted red, puffy eyes only to meet the shocked ones of your lover.

"Sasuke, what have you done?"

cc artwork: Leo Pold

[allyium-inserts]

If Only... Part 2

Based on Naruto Shippuden. Has canon-level violence and death. Mentions of pregnancy. Very fluffy and angsty. I try to follow the Shippuden storyline as best as I can. There will probably be grammar mistakes. Sorry, it took so long, I’m a senior in college so I’m just trying to graduate right now!

Find Part one here!

At this point no one knows of your relationship with Itachi except for the Akatsuki, only Jiraiya knows that’s because he was gaining intel on the Akatsuki and found out that way. But I know for a fact Tsunade has Anbu watch over your cottage. And that Anbu is Tenzo/ Yamato and you both have a deal to not tell your mother who visits and only steps in when you are in danger (even though you can handle yourself)

The only reason the Akatsuki knows about your relationship is because of Kisame’s slip up and that one-time Hidan tried to get in your pants and when you brought it up to Itachi. Itachi was not happy, and it is safe to say that Hidan will never mess with you or Itachi again. At least not in Itachi’s presence

Although you two are not officially married, he has slipped up and called you his wife when talking to Kisame about you. And Kisame never lets him live that down. And you have slipped up by saying my husband when talking to Sakura or Shizune. And they are so confused because they don’t even know you are seeing someone. I mean Sakura totally thinks you are from that one time, but she couldn't confirm it. 

When Jiraiya and Naruto leave to train, you totally leave with them to travel again cuz you’ve missed traveling around the land and being able to help other people. When Jiraiya almost gets killed by Naruto, you are the one who saves his life. He is very much in debt to you at this point. One Senju almost killed him, while another practically saved him.

But you three diverge and you continue to do your own thing. And while traveling you meet Hidan and Kakazu a lot considering how much Kakazu tries to kill Hidan. Hidan likes to call you his little nurse, but only when Itachi isn’t around because the last time he did. He wished he wasn’t immortal. 

While traveling, Itachi visits and you bring up starting a family because you know for a fact that Itachi to you is like Dan was to Tsunade. Plus, it doesn’t help that both you and Itachi have a feeling that Sasuke will come after him soon. You both go into this long discussion about having children and even though you are both extremely young. You are ready and fully prepared to raise a child on your own.

Itachi would love to have a child with you, and nothing would make him happier than starting a family with someone. Especially after being alone for so long and thinking that he did not deserve love at all. He doesn’t even think he deserves to have the privilege of being a father let own being with you.

You understand his stance and wouldn’t push any further, but he wouldn’t mind trying and if you were to get pregnant then you do and if not, you don’t.

“My Love, after everything I did. You would want to give me that honor?” 

“Of course, Itachi, no matter what happened in the past, you deserve to have a family.”

That absolutely melts him, and he does not understand how he is constantly falling deeper and deeper in love with you because each time he falls and doesn't think he can fall deeper. After this conversation, you both would continue to talk about baby names. And decided that if you were to have a daughter, name her Mikoto after Itachi’s mother. For a boy, you would name him after your late uncle Nawaki. 

During your travels you hear about the civil war in the Land of Rain, so you head that way to provide medical aid to injured civilians and ninja if need be. Getting into the Land of Rain is extremely difficult to begin with, but because you are an “asset” to the Akatsuki, you can get in easily. Although when you tell Pain that you are going to provide for both sides, he was not happy, but killing you would cause him more issues than he needed now, especially since they are preparing their move. 

The people in their Hidden Village often called you The Priestess, which was a name you haven’t heard since you met Itachi all those years ago. During the Civil War, Hanzo had put a few attempts on your life, which did not work. Except there was a very close call where an injured ninja had arrived at your tent. The injuries were serious, so you used a lot of chakras and by the time you were done you were exhausted. In your state of exhaustion, you didn’t realize the ninja had gotten up and threw a kunai through your stomach. When you looked back, he was already dead, and Itachi was standing over his body. You pull the kunai out of your stomach before you start to cough up a lot of blood.

At this point you were bleeding out and your chakra was almost completely depleted. Although your mother had taught you about the Seal of 100 hundreds healing and how to accumulate the chakra. You never truly unlocked it, and you have been accumulating chakra since you were 15. 

Suddenly you feel the wound disappearing and your chakra regenerating quicker than normal.  By the time Itachi moves to you, your stomach wound is practically closed and just blood covers that portion of your shirt. His heart literally dropped when he saw the kunai in your stomach. He literally could not lose you, the only person in his life that showed him what it was like to love again. In his mind, he will always be the one to die first, after all Sasuke is getting stronger.

“Please don’t leave me yet.”

After your near-death experience, you leave the land of rain and begin to head back to Konoha. During your travels, you run into Jiraiya and Naruto. The first thing you do is check on Jiraiya’s wound and ask how the training is going. 

You finally arrive in Konoha and the first thing you do is head back to your cottage near the Nara Forest. To your own surprise, Tsunade, Shizune, Sakura, and Tenzo have kept your home clean and neat. 

On your walk to the village, the first person to recognize you is Sakura, who was picking medical herbs right outside the village. The first thing she noticed was your forehead seal. Her eyes literally lit up and asked about the seal. You answered any questions she had while you both walked into the village straight to the hokage’s office to talk to your mother.

When you arrive at the office, Tsunade is doing paperwork with Shizune. She stops her paperwork to give you a large hug, much like when you initially arrived in Konoha. You talk and discuss your travels as well as how you unlocked your Seal of 100 Healings.

During this time, you have started to help at the Hidden Leaf Hospital. You also grow close to the Nara family, cuz after all you are one of the few people allowed in the forest. You rarely see Itachi at all until about a week before Naruto arrives. 

You are hanging out in your home, cleaning up and getting ready to leave into the forest to collect medical herbs to use. A knock at your door causes you to stop what you are doing and at the door is Itachi. You smile widely because you haven’t seen him in a while and let him in. 

During his visit, he tells you that the Akatsuki are starting their plan and probably will not see him very much or at all until the plan is complete. You nod your head and ask how long he will be staying. And ofc it’s not long but he promised to make the most of it. Because after all you both have a feeling that you wouldn’t see each other again. 

So, his entire visit you guys do nothing but whisper sweet nothings and make love to each other, because after all of this is the last time, you might see Itachi. 

Before he leaves you to try to heal his eyesight, but he denies you and that makes that gut feeling even worse. 

“Please come back to me.”

“I can’t promise that my love.”

The next week, Naruto returns to the village with Jiraiya after training for so long. Once Jiraiya hands Naruto off to Kakashi, he asks you to meet for tea. You meet up with him and discuss his intel on the Akatsuki and want it to mean for you as an “honorary” member of Akatsuki. You refuse to break the confidentiality between Itachi and yourself, so you only listen and don’t tell anything specific other than their plan is starting soon, but don’t know when. With that, you leave some Ryo and leave.  

You don’t hear from any of the Akatsuki until you are talking to a Nara member in the village and a gray piece of paper lands in your hand as a message from Konan. You politely dismiss yourself from the Nara member and head straight to your cottage to prepare a first aid bag. As you leave the cottage, you are met with Tobi, which teleports you to the hideout.

Once you arrive at the hideout, you are met with an extremely injured Deidara, a dead Sasori, and fellow Akatsuki members. You instantly go to work on Deidara and heal him as best as you can. You practically exhaust yourself healing Deidara and nearly pass out from chakra depletion. After like 6 hours of healing, you have healed Deidara the best you could. 

You continue with your life until one day you go to Sakura because you were feeling under the weather. It had been about three weeks since you saw Itachi. As a healing ninja, you had an idea about what was causing the illness. When she confirmed your suspicions, you told her to not tell anyone, not even your mother. 

You heard talk around the village about Akatsuki in the area. You ignore the information and go to the closest collection office to collect some blood and resources. Although technically working with Konoha is a way. While being a mercenary any blood or organs you needed you would go to the collection offices and buy them. Just as you arrived you ran into Shikamaru and his crew. When he asked what you were doing here you brought up how when you were traveling you often used collection offices to get blood and organs. What you weren’t expecting was that Hidan was sitting on the stoop of the office. 

As soon as you walked past, Hidan perked up and was like “Are you to heal me, my little nurse” with that smirk on his face. You simply replied with, “don’t let you know who hear that” and his face paled slightly until he looked behind you. You just walked in and started talking to Kakazu and the Head person about the recent arrivals and cost and stuff. 

Cue the fight scene where Asuma is dying. 

You felt bad about Asuma and how Ino was trying to help him, she looked at you pleadingly as a cue to help her.

“Why are you just standing there? HELP US!”

“He’s already dead Ino.” 

The shock in her eyes as you said that and the anger behind them was something you haven’t seen since the Civil War in the Hidden Rain Village. You felt guilty but she will learn when to stop trying like you did.

“How long have you been working with Akatsuki?”

You didn’t answer at all. You didn’t have to tell Shikamaru how you met them randomly and then fell in love with Kin slayer and is pregnant with his child. You didn’t have to explain how we were practically a mercenary, so it wasn’t uncommon to run into ting. Everyone looked at you in shock and betrayal. 

You simply returned to your cottage and prepared for a transplant that you needed to complete to help a traveling merchant. 

You had been requested by your mother to report to the Hokage’s office, regarding the issue. You wanted to ignore it, but her mother’s ignorance of the situation has gone on too long and now we both needed to answer it. 

As soon as you arrived you heard the screaming from Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji about the situation. They wanted answers and you didn’t blame them. As soon as you walked into the office you and your mother exchanged a look and you sighed. 

“You want answers, here are the answer.”

You explained to them about how you were a traveling healer and that you had run into Itachi and Kisame by chance. And how it wasn’t uncommon to see rogue ninja on the road, and since you weren’t one for affiliations, you healed whoever regardless how terrible they were. You told them everything except your relationship with Itachi and that you were pregnant. After that whole debacle, they were of course still angry for letting Asuma die and the whole situation. You chose to not go to the funeral. 

Cue the Itachi pursuit mission and here’s where it gets angsty…

At this point you are like 2 months pregnant, and slightly showing.

So, when you hear about the mission you of course decide to join regardless of what your mother says, and the people involved are confused until your mother explains to them my connection to Akatsuki and your close relation to Itachi. She didn’t go into detail about our relationship but said it would be helpful. 

Jiraiya and I made eye contact, and you really had a bad feeling about this, and you knew that you had to go regardless of the protest. Tenzo would back you up in going but Sakura was nervous for your child.

During the mission you are stuck with Sakura and the two ninja dogs. Until there was a bright explosion, that captivated us. You instantly start running that way cuz you knew you had to, there was a feeling. After that investigation, you continued with the group until Tobi popped up, you knew why he was there and why there was this pit in your stomach. 

“Tobi, let me through!”

“Tobi only will let Ms. (Y/N) because she gives Tobi candy.”

With that you pushed through unconcerned with the yelling behind and the confusion. Tenzo knew why you had to move forward.  I ran until I caught up with Kisame and Sasuke's crew. You were already crying knowing the outcome today will have, but you just needed to see him. 

“Kisame please… you know I need to see him.”

“You of all people should know why I can’t let you through.”

I’m the last part of the fight. You pushed through Kisame and ran Itachi, the dehydration didn’t matter, the cold numbing your body didn’t matter, and the rawness in your eyes did not matter. All that mattered was Itachi and seeing him alive and telling him about your child. So, he can die knowing about the miracle you two have talked about.

As soon as you arrived at the scene, a scream ripped from your lips, and you stumbled down the rocky surface to meet Itachi. You ignored the stunned boy and instantly fell to the ground, grasping Itachi in your hands. You started healing him in desperation to see his eyes again, to see the love they carry. 

��“Please don’t leave me, please! I can’t live without you, Itachi. I can’t… I can’t raise her by myself!” You sobbed loudly as Tobi, Kisame, and Zenstu appear in front of you. You continued to try and heal him as the sob racked from your body, vision blurry with tears unable to comprehend anything around you. “I know I said I was ready to do this by myself, but I c-can’t, please. Please wake up!” Hoping it was genjustu who continued to try and free yourself. You even used your 100 healing seals just so you could see his brown eyes again. You didn’t care that you might be hurting your child, but you just wanted to hear his voice one more time, see his smile one more time. It was too soon for him to go, he still needed to meet his child, he had to meet his child. “We have to take him,” someone said but you couldn’t figure out who, and next thing you know all you are holding his headband to your chest as another loud scream is ripped from your mouth into the air as the Konoha ninja finally reach you. Ignoring their presence, you continue to sob, not caring who sees or hears because, after all the love of your life, the father of your child had just been ripped away from you. Your throat was raw as you finally feel someone put their cloak over you to try and cover your drenched form. The world was a cruel place, and you can think everything is perfect until it all falls apart. All you say, your throat raw from screaming, turning back to them is,

“He’s gone” 

[riversimmone]

Three's A Crowd - Chapter 2

RiverOfTheSand

Summary:

SasuSaku. He didn't mean to kill that man. He had simply reacted to being attacked. And now Konoha is forced to hunt down the rogue members of Team 7, or risk open war. Eventual NaruHina.

End chapter notes:

A bit ominous? The trouble is just around the corner. Please review and stay tuned! You won't regret it! ^_^

XXX

Read from the beginning. This is a work in progress story you can find on tumblr and AO3 and completed on FF.NET.

[All tumblr posts will be tagged ‘Three’s A Crowd’ with their corresponding chapter for quick and easy access.]

Enjoy. :)

Chapter Two. Calling Card.

Sakura Haruno murmured softly, waking up slowly but surely as she dimly became aware she was in a tree, her back against the trunk and one leg hanging over the edge of the thick branch. It was night, the soft, cool breeze greeting her like an old lover and she smiled slightly. She was used to this, waking up in an unusual position instead of the comfortable bed with feather pillows she'd had growing up.

To her right, she sensed Naruto, seeing him a moment later as her eyes adjusted to the moonlight in the near darkness; Sasuke was several feet in front of her, his back to her, but wide awake. He was the lookout for the hours that passed over midnight, seeing as though he always seemed to sleep the least out of them all. Sakura was about three hours early in waking up to relieving him.

She could tell he knew she was awake now, but was clearly ignoring her.

Sasuke Uchiha was the epitome of his clan: gruff, arrogant, dismissive, and gorgeous. Sakura wondered sometimes if he even liked her, let alone love. When they were alone, with nothing to do but knock about, he could be so considerate, so loving, that she put aside the picture in her head of the brusque young man who left her alone when she was upset and ignored her advances unless he was feeling particularly amorous. They had all lost loved ones to enemy Shinobi, but Sasuke was the only one who had decided to become emotionally disconnected because of it.

Even Naruto had noticed. But no-one actually said anything about it.

Naruto snored in his sleep, louder than the last time, but the pinkette ignored him, her eyes boring into Sasuke's back.

The country east of the land of rice paddies was called the land of hot water, home to the hidden ninja village, Yugakure. They were currently resting just inside the border, with Hashirōn Town as their next stop before leaving again, heading north-east, to the land of frost. Hashirōn Town was only ten miles south-east of the village hidden in hot water. Sakura glanced up, past the canopy of the treetops, and stared at the stars instead of the ignorant Uchiha. They had been careful not to pick a spot to rest that would normally be used by ninja squads. It wasn't an easy life, but it had its perks: no missions other than the ones they set for themselves, no rules, and regulations other than the ones they had agreed upon as a group.

But Sakura missed those things, even if Sasuke and Naruto didn't. Her eyes returned to Sasuke's back and he shifted slightly, as though sensing her stare. She missed Ino Yamanaka, Kakashi Hatake, and the rest of her friends in the rookie nine. The devastation caused at the Chunin exams seemed a life time ago. Kitsúne was her here and now, and she had come to terms with that.

Sakura sighed deeply as Naruto Uzumaki groaned off to her right, distracting her from her thoughts. She tore her eyes away from her raven haired lover again, and frowned at the blonde instead. She could see his face; his expression morphed right in front of her, from annoyance to glazed lust. He grinned and murmured huskily.

"Fuck me… yeah… like that…"

Sakura raised her eyebrows at him, both flustered and irritated. When was he going to grow up? Naruto was only a foot away from her, lying on another thick branch to her right, so she lifted her leg that was dangled over the side and pushed the blonde. He wouldn't wake up, and instead continued with his suggestive comments. Beyond irritated now, she didn't just push him this time; using her body weight as leverage, she shoved Naruto, hard.

He tumbled over the side of the branch, hit a smaller branch underneath it (really, it was just an oversized twig), half-screamed in his sleep and toppled out of sight, onto the forest floor. If the night wasn't already quiet and if it wasn't dangerous to laugh and caw like an idiot, Sakura would've done exactly that. It was so comical, even though she felt a little bad for the blonde. It wasn't the most elegant of descents.

She stuck her head over the side of the branch she was on, ignoring Sasuke now, as he shifted his head slightly to look down at the blonde as well. The pinkette grinned down at her teammate.

Naruto snorted, groggily waking up, and Sakura giggled at him. He looked up, spotted the pinkette, and stood shakily. He climbed the tree again, but moved out of reach of the violent Kunoichi and mumbled at her.

"I'm getting away from you, you feisty bitch."

Sakura giggled again, knowing he wasn't as angry as he sounded. He never was really, just annoyed. She sighed heavily, trying to get comfortable again, her makeshift bed feeling more comfortable than it did when she'd first fallen asleep. Sasuke returned to ignoring her and she closed her eyes, annoyed at him.

They were heading into enemy territory tomorrow, and if he wasn't careful, she planned on making a scene in front of them just to force the Uchiha to cover their tracks. She giggled to herself, though audible by both of her boys. Tomorrow was going to be so much fun.

X X X

Neji Hyuuga watched the sun rise, thinking about the night gone before. He had been trying out some of the local delicacies with his teammates and due to his own aversion to everything spicy, was the only one not passed out from the smorgasbord laid out for them by the innkeeper. So he'd decided to keep an eye out for their quarry, his senses primed and with the occasional activation of his Byakugan. They were in the land of rice paddies, looking for a cold blooded assassin with ninja abilities who was going around and picking off teams that carried the insignia of either Konoha or Kumo.

The problem was, no-one knew who it was, only that it was a lone assassin.

This was a goodwill mission as well – just another way to boost the relations between the leaf and cloud villages. Even the strongest alliance could fall apart with a single act.

Neji sat up straight, as the orange of the sunrise faded. They had left Gakutsuna town, realising that the disreputable people watching them from the alley ways were all ninja. They were not here to get into a brawl with random Shinobi, no matter how much Lee and Guy Sensei had seemed disappointed when Neji reminded them of this. So they'd set up camp in the forest between the seedy town and a tea shop, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. He prodded his team mates awake; Tenten rose last, the laziest of them all.

"Can't we sleep just for a little while longer?" She asked.

"Come on Tenten," Lee roused on her. He was wide awake the moment his eyes opened. "Where's all that indomitable youthful spirit?"

She groaned. "Still with that dinner I ate last night."

Guy laughed. "All these youthful antics are making me want to break a sweat. I recommend–"

"Wait," Neji said seriously. "Nothing wakes Tenten up better than tea."

The brunette Kunoichi shot him a grateful look and he hid his blush at her attention, as he always did. They packed in silence (well, Neji and Tenten did), and moved swiftly. Apparently, they were racing to see who would get to the tea shop first. Neji had long come to terms with the antics of his Sensei and Lee, but it still made him inwardly cringe, every time. He shared a look with Tenten, knowing she felt the same way.

The outside of the tea shop was quiet and stiffening slightly, Neji realised something was wrong. What was it? He glanced at his comrades, at their expressionless faces. That was the problem: there was no aroma of tea coming from this tea shop. Team Guy entered the shop as though they already knew what they were going to find.

The man was a civilian. Neji's Byakugan confirmed he'd never infused his chakra. There was no development whatsoever. He was murdered, the cuts on his body consistent with quick, precise fatal blows; done by one or more kunai. Neji looked the body over. The man was in his seventies and his shirt had been torn off of him in order to carve a symbol onto his exposed torso. It was familiar somehow.

"This is certainly the work of a depraved Shinobi," Lee said softly.

"Guy Sensei," Tenten said tentatively. "I've seen that symbol before, in Lady Tsunade's office. It's a calling card, isn't it?"

Guy nodded sourly, but it was Neji who responded. "Kitsúne."

X X X

[syrupspinner]

i just completed Hypnospace Outlaw

i sincerely love how much the sci-fi genre is just explaining how much sci-fi stuff would suck if it was real

the reason you play hypnospace outlaw is the aesthetic and presentation, just so were all on the same page. the reason this game got your attention is because its a passionate parody of web 1.0, and it does an excellent job of that. i can tell this game was made with a deep nostalgia for what made the past special without being blinded from its flaws (like the viruses and general difficulty to navigate).

the only problem is that im 24

well i shouldnt say thats a problem. just because i dont have nostalgia for what theyre throwing back to doesnt mean the game doesnt stand on its own. i didnt grow up with a ps1 or n64 but i still enjoy that specific form of lowpoly modeling, for example. its just unfortunate that i cant have the same hit of nostalgia that people slightly older than me can, yknow? i wish i could enjoy this game as much as them

again, the game was still very enjoyable. the puzzles start out very grounded, introducing you the the world and how it functions very effectively, before ramping it up with more abstract mechanics and compounding techniques needed to find more results. the only problem i found myself stuck on in an unfun way was figuring out how to decrypt sandwich files. its one of those puzzles that make you feel silly for not getting it earlier, but in my defence... who the hell would program something that esoteric

as an aside, i saw people discussing what genre games like this would be. by "games like this" i mean hypnospace outlaw, outer wilds, rain world, animal well, that kinda thing. i dont think applying one genre is effective, but instead its about how they combine the genres of exploration and puzzle. instead of having all the tools to solve a puzzle when youre presented with it, you have to leave and seek out the solution elsewhere. notably, if the game isnt build to accommodate/encourage this, itd be pretty unfun. these games and their open-ended design manage to skillfully mesh both genres together: the exploration is the puzzle

so yeah, i really enjoyed the game! there arent a lot of games where its just fun to explore the world as its presented, and HO does a fantastic job of that even without considering the puzzle design. i love just reading about the characters and their lives in hypnospace. this games greatest strength is just how charming it is, theres really nothing that matches it in that regard

i also found it really inspiring. i love how much personality all the characters fit into their webpages. maybe someday ill move this blog to neocities just so i can evoke something half as impact

oh no this was all a secret advertisement for neocities wasnt it! well, it worked, im not even mad (yes i know about the page builder)

anyway! the game is worth it for the vibes alone, and the puzzles are a really solid foundation that everything is built on. totally worth buying! the only thing is if youre going for completion, please use a guide to find all the pages, some are hidden way too well. totally worth it, though. if you know what the "thanked" achievement is named after, you know it makes it worth it. also, buzz was hilarious, i love pranks on the player

now im going to spoil the ending, stop reading this is you want to not be spoiled about the ending, because im about to spoil it now. after sasuke

oh my GOD dylan merchant is such a schmuck. maybe ive just lost too much sympathy for venture capitalist techbros, but i cannot spare any positive regard for this guy. like, okay, i get hes the bad guy, but outlaw 1.0 tries sooo hard to make you feel bad for him it wraps back around to being infuriating. the thing is that i have no idea if this is intentional? like, was a guy who let a teenager go to jail and think about how his prank killed 5 innocent people plus his crush apologizing decades later (*after* being caught) with an unfinished video game supposed to be a sincere tug of the heartstrings? "sorry i killed zane before he could stop being an annoying twerp" "sorry i killed rodney, his family smelled like walmart" "sorry i killed mavis, i think that was her name. i got nothing else to say about her" "anyway thanks for playing the 'final' version of the game that killed everyone. you have successfully absolved me of my sins and sent me to heaven. remember to subscribe and hit that bell icon" DUDE how emotionally shallow and self aggrandizing do you have to be you are a child murderer my guy

[cartoonrival]

like sasuke is clearly deeply unhappy in boruto which is fine, i honestly think its GOOD that he's not just like suddenly content with his life and himself after the finale of shippuden, its just also sort of insane that the post canon where he is no longer the focus is one where he's so potently miserable. he's clearly still reluctant to really face konoha. he still feels like an outcast or a bad apple, he still thinks he needs to atone for what he did as a teenager, despite the fact that he's been actively atoning for like a decade. but it'll never be enough. the only person he is not afraid to face and does not think he has failed is naruto, but even then he is still eager to isolate himself again, and i KNOW that its isolating and not just "being by himself" (sasuke has never been an outwardly emotional person (except under major duress), and while i believe a lot of this is repression its also just how he is, so no amount of healing would make him as open as, say, naruto, but i digress) because these are not the words of a happy man. "if she hates me its fine, because at least the future will be bright". "this is also a journey of atonement." naruto WANTS him to stay, believes its been long enough, the people of konoha don't hate him anymore (not sure how true this is but it's what naruto believes/wants to be true), but sasuke says they should stick to what they're meant to do, which means naruto as the hokage, because he is well loved and good with people, and sasuke in the shadows, because he is meant to be alone and unrecognized.

tbc i don't think that sasuke could be happy "settling down," i don't think he DOESNT like being on the move all the time, but the scene with naruto where he leaves konoha without saying goodbye to anybody is clearly not a scene where sasuke is content with his life in the way naruto is. he isn't doing this because he wants to, its because he thinks that he has to suffer in order to be good, and that the people of konoha wouldn't accept him any other way. it IS TRUE that sasuke has always been a big believer in sacrifice for the greater good and wouldn't consider his own happiness to be important compared to the missions he needed to go on, regardless of how deserving of happiness he considered himself to be, but i absolutely refuse to believe that, if he DID believe he deserved it, there has been NO TIME EVER that he could come home and just be regular. just for a little. there is absolutely something that is pushing him out of konoha, unrelated to "i have a mission to go on." there's still a disconnect.

WHICH. unfortunately. brings me to. end of shippuden. he receives a letter from naruto praising him for protecting the village even without being there, he thinks, "maybe it's time to come home." sometime before he comes home, he catches wind that naruto is getting married. he sends a letter with nothing on it other than "congratulations," and he does not come home. for like 4 more years. next time he's home for an extended period of time it's when sakura has already giving birth to sarada and he's helping raise her until she's juuuust old enough to start retaining memories before he fucks off again.

he doesn't want to be around sarada and sakura. he doesn't want them to worry about him or concern themselves with him. he doesn't want to be affectionate with sakura, who clearly DOES want to be affectionate with him. he considers the fact that he and sakura had a kid together to be the thing that most connects them, which is only significant in this case because anyone with eyes can tell that they are not really connected in basically any other way. it's like the ring he gives her in that dino arc. clearly since you wear a ring now to show we're married it means that we're married even though i'm not doing any of the other things a husband should do, but this ring makes up for that. clearly since we have a kid our hearts are connected and we really do love each other, even though i'm not doing any of the other things someone who really loves you would do. you could argue that his refusal to make any contact with sarada and sakura IS out of love, that he's afraid of hurting them and thinks he's protecting them by staying out of their lives (this is most likely what kishimoto intends), but this claim doesn't have any actual PRECEDENT outside of the fact that i'm being told that sasuke apparently loves her, the evidence for that being well they got married and had a kid. off screen.

i think he feels guilty that sarada even exists, because it's his fault she has no dad and it's his fault she inherited the uchiha's massive capacity for grief and love, it's his fault that sakura is raising her alone, and he's running from this because hopefully he can make up for it by doing good for the whole world since he cannot bring himself to make up for it by being there for his wife and daughter. "she has sakura, she'll be fine" because sakura is more her parent than he will ever/could ever be. he doesnt HATE sakura or sarada, to be very clear. he cares about them both as people, he fully respects sakura's strength, is proud when he sees sarada fighting well, he wants her to be happy and wants her to like him, he wishes he could be a better father and husband to her and sakura. just without having to be their father and husband.

boruto is not good unfortunately but due to the fact that naruto IS good and sasuke's characterization is very lovingly done in the original series it's critical to me (because i am not normal) that i figure out how to connect pieces that kishimoto could not be assed to properly connect. he seems to RECOGNIZE that he's betraying sasuke's characterization by making him have a kid w sakura due to the fact that everything sasuke does after that is p much exactly what i would expect him to do if, through some freak incident, he ended up having a kid with sakura. Anywho

[keithisbae1]

The Mershark & Mermaid - Part 4

"Nothing."

"Liar!" Sakura snarls pulling Sarada behind her.

"What did you tell her?"

"I haven't told her anything, I promise." He can't blame her for the way she's acting, he almost did let it slip out that he was her father so maybe it was a good thing Sakura arrived when she did.

"Except a few things about sharks." The young sharkling wouldn't leave him alone until she knew everything about Mersharks. Sarada peered from behind Sakura completely dumbfounded as to why her mother was acting this way.

"Mama, what's going on?" Why did it look like she wanted to kill Mr Sasuke? What was Mama doing here anyway? Sarada was sure she had remained unsuspicious. Moreover, weren't sharks meant to be the ones to do the killing anyway?

"Mr Sasuke is really nice, he told me a bunch of stuff about sharks. He never tried to eat me, I promise." Perhaps she was concerned for her safety. Then why did it seem like these two knew each other, he even called her Sakura.

"Sarada…" Her mother let out a frustrated sigh still glaring at Sasuke, and then she turned to her daughter.

"I've told you to never swim in the deep sea, that it was dangerous."

"But I haven't, I was at my hideout and met Mr Sasuke from above." At this Sakura turned back to Sasuke eyebrow raised.

"Since when do you swim above water?"

"It's getting too crowded down below, each year more sharks are being born so they want us to take the top part as well."

"Of course, they do," great. Now that would mean even Sarada's hideout wasn't a safe place. Who knows how long it'll be before the rest of the reef panic as well. Granted they were still from separate areas, it would take time to adjust.

"Sarada I don't want you anywhere near them."

"Why? I'm a shark too just like them, what's wrong with me learning about myself?"

"Sarada, please I'm-"

"No!" Sarada shook her head furiously moving back. "You never tell me anything! You only think about yourself and don't care about my feelings!"

"Don't talk to your mother that way." That was the first she heard Mr Sasuke raise his voice.

"Why? Why do you care, you're not my dad and she hates you. Why are you defending her? I hate both of you!" And she swam away with tears in her eyes, Sarada thought she could trust Mr Sasuke but he was like every other adult in thinking 'he knew best' when all she wanted was the truth.

"Sarada wait! Now look what you did, are you happy?" Sakura was furious, what was Sarada even doing with him in the first place? Why was he spending time with Sarada when he coldly told her all those years ago that there wasn't anything special between them. How he hated her and even when she chose not to believe it, give him the benefit of the doubt, she had seen him with other sharks.

Sakura swam back that night crying her heart out.

She was about to follow after their daughter until Sasuke tugged on her wrist.

"I'll go."

"You? Why do you get to go?"

"This is my mess, I should take responsibility shouldn't I?"

"Since when did you care? You're the one who wanted nothing to do with me… with us." The mermaid looked down feeling hurt, all the emotions from back then were swelling up inside her. As if they were still fresh.

"I know… and I'll make it right." Sakura scoffed at that.

"Why… so you can take Sarada away from me. This is why I didn't tell her anything, you'll only do more harm than good." She knew what he was doing, to take her precious baby away to spite her more. Maybe live with another mershark so they can pretend to be a happy family.

Break both their hearts and afterwards… afterwards… Sakura bit her lip at the look Sasuke was giving.

No, he wasn't like that. He wouldn't hurt Sarada, she can see it plastered all over his face. With the way, they locked eyes. He was hurt and tired so so tired like she was.

"Are you going to tell her?"

"She should know… it's because of all these secrets that she's been hurting."

Why did he always have to be right? Sakura can still remember Sarada's sad expression every time she tried to change or remained silent about the subject. It was only natural for the sharkling to ask, especially when all who she was surrounded by were mermaids and mermen. How different they were and in comparison to the young ones Sarada was bigger, had grey scales, gill slits across her neck and a dorsal fin on her back.

She even looked different from her own mother.

Bringing up the past wasn't easy, let alone having to explain it. Sakura had always planned to explain everything when Sarada was older. So that she would understand and it would be easier, but who was she kidding? It would have been impossible to keep it a secret for so long.

"Fine, just… promise me you won't hurt her. Not like with me, she deserves to have you in her life it's all she's ever wanted and be… happy."

Even with all the pain, he caused her, if it would make Sarada happy. If he could be a good father, be there for her and part of their daughter's life.

That would be enough.

Sasuke thanked Sakura and awkwardly swam past to find their daughter, he meant every word he said in making it up to them.

The two of them.

~~~

It didn't take long for Sasuke to catch up to Sarada or find her. Especially when they had their own little secret hideout, it was further down but no one disturbed him here given his reputation which is why it was a safe option for them to meet. It was also where he and Sakura had their 'meetings.'

"Go away!" Sarada huffed sitting further in the cave. It was big enough to fit a mermaid and sharkling in but too small for a mershark like him.

"Not until you talk to me." Sasuke sat outside on a rock in front of the cave.

"I already did now go away!" He huffed amused. Talk about deja vu.

"You are just like your mother, she used to mope in the caves too whenever we got into an argument." Knowing full well he couldn't fit in the cave and would make him converse with her outside.

It was… something to say the least.

"This is unfair."

"Not my problem!"

"Your being childish, how am I supposed to talk to you properly when I can't even see you."

"You're the one who called me fat! Now go away, I don't even want to look at you." Her voice echoed inside.

"You are aware this is shark territory right? And that wasn't what I meant, I was trying… to...to give you a compliment…" And look how that backfired, he should have never taken such advice from his brother… not that Itachi really knew he was seeing a mermaid. Perhaps that's why calling her plumpy wasn't the best compliment. Sakura was still sulking inside the cave.

"I find that hard to believe. And for this being a shark territory why do you have such small caves?" Why indeed… to protect the sharklings maybe? Or most likely it was because they scared away whoever was living here first.

Either way, Sasuke hated it.

"You know my Mama?" Sarada's little head peeked out curious. Did this mean he would tell her more about them? Sasuke smiled softly patting the spot next to him, which she eagerly accepted and sat down curious. Her eyes were slightly puffy from the crying earlier.

Of course, she wanted to know.

"Ah, I did. We were… friends." They had never established an actual relationship and the term friends with benefits didn't exactly sit right knowing she would ask him or someone else what that meant.

"You were friends with my Mama? Even though you're a shark?" Sarada was starting to put all the little pieces in place. Her expression frowned in concentration on what that would mean, Sasuke decided to spare her little brain and tell her.

If she hated him, he wouldn't blame her. He would too.

"Ah, I'm your… your… your father…" He waited for the explosion, for her to hit and hate him and say that she didn't want anything to do with him again. After everything he did, he deserved to be. Sarada's eyes widened and she turned to look at him.

"Father? So your my… my real Papa… like for real real?" Her eyes brightened with glee and joy.

"I wouldn't joke about such matters Sarada. I know I abandoned and left your mother and you but-" She stopped him mid-sentence by swimming in front of him and hugging her Papa, she really was tiny in comparison to him. And to forgive him so easily? It was almost scary. Sarada looked up at him beaming.

"Finally I always wanted to meet you." Sarada did have her suspicions deep down, they looked way too much alike for it to just be the fact they were both mersharks. However, with everything Inojin mentioned, the young sharkling tried to deny it, not wanting to get her hopes up. She wished for it to be true, yes but didn't expect it to be a reality.

Sarada then pulled away from him suddenly looking hurt and sad.

"But why did you hurt Mama all those years ago? Mama is really nice and friendly, she doesn't deserve that. Do you really hate her?" There would be a lot of questions, Sasuke should have expected it.

"Sarada…" How was he supposed to answer that?

"You remember me telling you about mersharks and mermaids right, how he… I should have eaten your mother. We're two different species. I'm the predator and she's my prey."

"But… you didn't. And you must have loved Mama right? You two had me!"

"Pardon?" How did she… she was far too young to know about mating.

"My friend Inojin said his Mama said that we're here because when a mermaid and merman love each other very much their love is so big and then poof! They have an egg." Sarada smiled brightly as if that explained everything.

"Unless it's different for sharks?"

So that's how.

"Ah…no… your right…"

Yeah, it was best to leave it as that. She'll know the truth someday.

"I do love her."

"Then why did you hurt her? Why lie, lying is really bad Papa."

Papa… that was going to take a while to get used to.

"Weren't you also lying Sarada?" He teased poking her forehead. Sarada pouted rubbing the spot.

"My lie is different! No one was telling me anything." She huffed crossing her claws, there was a lot of Sakura within her.

"Once you get older… you'll understand."

"I don't see why mermaids and sharks can't be together. I'm friends with them." Sasuke wasn't sure if her naïvety was a good thing or not.

"Even if that wasn't the only thing stopping us, I've hurt your mother too much. It's up to her if she wants to forgive me or not." Although that wouldn't stop him from trying, Sarada looked a little deflated but tried to stay positive.

"You still looooove her though."

"I think right now, you should go back and apologise to your mother. You have no idea how worried she's been." Hmm maybe her Papa did have a point but she was happy seeing the slight blush on his cheeks.

"Okay." She'll prove it to them.

~~~

"Hmm, I know I dropped it around here somewhere…" Tenten looked around, it was too dangerous to be here. She knew that sharks could be anywhere but she had to find her bracelet, it was all that her mother had left her.

Besides, if Sakura could come and go as she please (even if it was because of Sasuke) then hopefully that meant she could too.

"Ah look what we got here." Tenten froze on the spot as not one nor two but five sharks surrounded her. Great, why did this have to happen to her? The mermaid tried to look for a way out.

"Such a pretty red tail you have, what a waste." They all laughed until a larger figure appeared behind them.

"Enough, don't you know whose territory you are under?"

"Ah, Mr Hyuga sir I'm so sorry. This would never happen again." The sharks were a blubbering mess but he just tsked.

"Make sure it doesn't." And they all scampered away, heh what cowards. That is until Tenten got a good look at him.

Holy shit he's huge.

He had a long large silvery tail and his hair was longer and prettier than hers. How unfair! Perhaps it was a mershark thing. Yet somehow she wasn't frightened like the other sharks. Instead, she was more bewitched, with the silver tail and eyes she guessed he must be a Hyuga.

Well, that was what they said.

Was he really planning to eat her instead?

"I believe you're looking for this." And in his claw was her yellow beaded bracelet.

How did he find it?

"Uh… yeah um thank you?"

"Don't overthink it."

Never mind, why did the assholes always have to be the good-looking ones.

"You're a friend of pinky's correct?"

Pinky?

"I believe you mean Sakura?"

"Whatever, there's a deal we've made with the Uchiha." Uchiha? Was he talking about Sasuke?

"Under no circumstance must she or any of her friends be harmed, even if YOU were the ones who come across our paths."

What?

"Why's that?"

"He's powerful, and a hassle to deal with. He won't make things difficult for us if we follow his request. That is the only reason you are alive remember that."

Ouch, rude much.

But he hated her, didn't he? Betrayed her trust.

Perhaps there was more to the story than meets the eye. Maybe she could find out more?

"Can you-"

"Uncle Neji, there you are! We've been looking all over for you!" Boruto and Mitsuki swam over to him in a hurry. The young sharkling then looked over at Tenten, he'd never seen her before.

"Uncle Neji, who's she? Is she your girlfriend?" Boruto looked at the mermaid, she looked really pretty but he couldn't understand why he would have never met her.

Oh how cutely naive young sharklings were.

"Don't be ridiculous Boruto." Neji coughed shooing him. "Shouldn't you be bothering your father?"

"Yeah, but I want to play with you today and so does Mitsuki."

"You know Boruto a shark and mermaid can't be together." Mitsuki pointed out.

"Eh? Why?" The young shark asked confused.

I should really get out of here. TenTen took the opportunity to swim away. She didn't need any more hassle. Perhaps she could go back later and find out more about what Sasuke was up to.

For Sakura's sake at least, but getting a Hyuga to talk would be tricky.

Still, at least she knew she was safe with him.

[raveneira]

Ugh...are ppl really this dumb?

Warning: Anti KawaSumi/BoruSara post, dont like dont read.

Are idiots really believing Sumire is gonna pretend to like Kawaki because of the omnipotence bs? let alone that she might actually start to like Kawaki while pretending? gah yall are delusional...the same ppl who claim to like her character dont even understand her character at all if you believe that bullshit.

Wtf sense does that even make? just because Kawaki swapped lives with Boruto doesnt mean they literally swapped everything about them even down to their romantic feelings, theres no telling how much of their memories are altered, that remains to be seen since we’ve only got a glimpse through Sasuke but that doesnt account for everyone else.

But lets say it is a complete swap and everything that applied to Boruto now applies to Kawaki, wtf does that have to do with Kawaki? HE knows her feelings arent for him so whats your point? if anything Sumire pretending to like him will just piss him off cuz 

1 he knows she doesnt actually like him and 

2 because hes not fkin interested

Plus despite popular belief, Sumire is not a good actress when it comes to hiding her feelings [literally everyone knows despite her attempts at hiding it], she is always sweating and nervous af, Kawaki would see right through her if she tried to play the 'Kawaki-kun' card because you cant fake romantic feelings [in the Narutoverse, Sakura tried and everyone saw right through it even the ppl who werent in on it] so he'd catch on that shes fakin it regardless.

You cannot fake this, she cannot look at Kawaki and pretend to feel the same love and gratitude that she had for Boruto and be convincing she just cant, because everytime shes looked at Kawaki since finding out he killed Boruto she has been nothing but scared and nervous around him.

Now that he has everyone out to kill Boruto, do you honestly think shes gonna be able to look Kawaki in the eye like she loves him when she couldnt even look at him before without getting ptsd flashbacks? get tf outta here man.

If anything I see Sarada being able to fake it more than her, she never feared Kawaki nor Boruto so she’d be able to look him dead in the eye without flinching if she had to, but we all know this writings not that generous.

Shes better off just not even trying to fake that, its not like Sumire acted that much different around Boruto than she normally did so she could just be casual with Kawaki and nothing will look off, and if by some very VERY unlikely chance, Kawaki asks her if she likes him just to see the full extent of Adas control, its not like she would just confess that she does cuz she hasnt even confessed to Boruto yet, that and she told Kawaki to keep it a secret, so if she fked up and said yes to try and 'pretend' shes inlove with him, Kawaki would have to be stupid af not to know shes unaffected and playin him.

Sarada pretending to like Kawaki is even more unlikely than Sumire since she never had feelings for Boruto from the get go [not confirmed ones anyway] so if she truly did have feelings for him then now would be the time to reveal it because if Sumire feels like she has to 'pretend' to like Kawaki to not expose shes unaffected by Ada who, as these fools claim, KNOWS Sumire and Sarada love Boruto, then Sarada would have to pretend too.

So now would be the best time to confirm it once and for all, lets say Sumire pretends but Sarada doesnt, Ada should get suspicious and ask something along the lines of 'whats the matter? I thought you liked him too?' of course it depends on the context of the conversation but you get the point, she'd question why Sumire is reacting while Sarada isnt, which would confirm Ada did indeed see that Sarada has romantic feelings for Boruto.

But if they dont do that and continue to leave it up in the air, then Im gonna laugh cuz these bozos swear they winnin when they keep bein left in limbo just like everyone else, which for the ‘main couple’ and the ‘obvious endgame’ is highly suspicious, Naruto was able to make Sakura and Hinatas feelings known so why not Sarada? literally nothing changes if they do, so to keep leaving it up in the air when it doesnt need to be is legitimate cause for question because why NOT confirm her feelings? it doesnt ruin the suspense because we’d still have to wait to see how Boruto feels so why not just confirm Sarada’s side already? thats the part yall dont wanna talk about because yall know its suspicious, so you brush it off with ‘well they dont need to cuz its obvious’ or ‘Mitsuki/Ada already confirmed it′ when they are the LEAST reliable ppl to go to for romantic confirmation.

In fact, I’d say the fact that those are your biggest and only real go tos for proof her feelings are confirmed actually makes BoruSara look that much more flimsy because these are your sources.

If those are your sources for proof then those are some sorry excuses for hard evidence.

Anyway this isnt about BoruSara as much as it is about the delusion theory that Sumire is actually gonna try to pretend to like Kawaki, let alone be successful, or even more ridiculous, actually fall for him in the process.

The notion of Sarada pretending too is even more ridiculous, but if she does then atleast yall will finally have some actual hard evidence that she does infact like Boruto, but if not then keep relying on these half assed sources from ppl who dont even understand their own feelings, but you think they can clearly understand someone elses.

This headcanon of yalls isnt a legitimate theory based on any canon fact other than ‘their lives are switched so she has to fake liking him’, its just a last ditch hope to keep an ACTUAL dead ship alive because yes, ksu really is dead but this aint the post for that convo.

Whether or not KawaSara is dead [because I know yall gonna bring it up] depends entirely on how the timeskip kicks off, but ksu died before the timeskip even started but again thats a topic for another day.

If Im wrong Im wrong but I’ve been right so far in regards to Sumire and Kawakis relationship so I dont doubt Im gonna be right again because SOMEHOW me, a non fan, understands Sumire better than alot of her supposed ‘fans’

[eighthmelody]

Come, walk this road with me

Paused at the threshold, Sasuke becomes suddenly aware of the weight of his value in his eyes.

The first time Anko gets the drop on him, he’s dripping wet in a bath-towel in his own home. Looming over him, she presses the knife to his throat for emphasis before releasing her grip on his hair and pushing him away. She tells him to get dressed.

“We need to talk.”

When he asks her what she thinks she’s doing in his house, she nods at the entrance to his bedroom. “Window’s wide open. That can be dangerous.”

***********

She’s in-and-out of his life, a ghost passing through. She never waits for an invitation; they both know he’d never offer one anyway. Sakura had been onto something when she’d compared her to Naruto. They both know how to get under his skin, but at least Naruto has the common decency to leave him alone when he’s at home.

“Had any bad dreams lately?”

He doesn’t answer her; he’s learned he doesn’t need to when she’s making a point.

“I still have them, to this day. Nasty ones too. They’ve gotten worse ever since he reared his ugly head again. Sometimes, I wake up in a cold sweat, screaming like everything is still fresh.”

He stays the course, knowing eventually she’ll drop the crazy-woman facade and speak to him candidly. Sasuke doesn’t know why she even bothers keeping up the act around him.

“Look, kid. I’m not spending all this time around you because I’m bored and have nothing better to do, but if you think my little visits are annoying, just wait until he comes back around for you.”

“I don’t care what he wants.”

“You say that, but he’s a persistent guy. He knows how to get in your head. He already has, hasn’t he?”

He feels her eyes on the back of his head, niggling and invasive. He reaches for his apartment door. Behind him, she shuffles her weight as she leaves her place at his open window.

“This isn’t just about you. It never was. When he comes for you -and he will- it won’t be a peaceful bargain. A lot of people are willing to stand in his way to protect you, because it means protecting this Village in the grander scheme of things. Keep that in mind, okay kid?”

Paused at the threshold, Sasuke becomes suddenly aware of the weight of his value in his eyes.

***********

Mitarashi Anko will never know what it’s like to be alone in this world, he surmises, to be alone and know that it’s all your fault. She’ll never know how much it hurts to know that things could have been different, could have been better, had he only been strong enough. . .

“How would you know anything about how I feel?”

Sasuke’s heart is in his ears. His fingers grip the side of the refrigerator; it’s the only thing keeping him grounded. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to be betrayed by someone you trusted and looked up to!? You weren’t there! You didn’t see how I had to beg for my life from my own brother!”

In the eye-of-the-storm, Sasuke finds himself pleased by how caught off-guard Anko is by his outburst. People always are. It’s all the same; it’s always the same. They’re all alike, ignorant and apathetic. They think he can just wipe his memory clean, like it isn’t stained by the blood of his family.

He watches through heavy-breaths as she shrugs down her tense shoulders with a pregnant sigh, eyes fixing on the sink as she fishes for a reply. Her lips twist upwards in a bitter smile that she eventually turns on him.

“I might know . . .something of it.”

She stares into him, fingers clasping her shoulder as she moves towards him.

He glares back, jaw clenched.

“Orochimaru . . .the man who ransacked this place and killed Lord Third. . .he was my teacher. Branded me with that same seal and left me for dead on an island a long way from here.” Before him, Anko bows low enough for him to see the seal hidden beneath her long-collared jacket.

They observe each other, and for a brief moment, the boy feels convinced that if anyone is bearing the self-same weight that he is then it must be this woman. In that transient flicker of time, he muses that if there is but one person that truly understands the maelstrom of agony and helplessness brewing in his stomach, it’s the one who has spent a lifetime fleeing from the looming shadow of her treacherous teacher.

He relaxes his arm, ignoring the way his fingers and wrist ache, and finds the pattern of his kitchen flooring far more sympathetic than Anko’s face.

Sasuke doesn’t like it; he has never liked feeling exposed. He refuses to acknowledge their similarity, because the moment that he admits that the malignant growth he nurses is anything like Anko’s then he has to admit that there is another possible route for him to take besides complete and total amputation.

“There is no one on this earth more deserving of death than Uchiha Itachi. No one.”

He expects her to rebuttal, but instead when Anko shrugs, excuses herself, and leaves him to himself for the night, he’s surprised by how heavy the air of silence she leaves in her wake is.

***********

Uchiha Itachi graduated from the Academy at age seven. He was promoted to Chuunin at age ten. By the time he was thirteen-years-old, he was running top-rank missions as an ANBU Black OPs. He was the jewel of the Uchiha clan, his father’s pride-and-joy. . .and his murderer.

Sasuke recites this like a liturgy in the training field, letting it be his focus as he channels chakra through his arm. Electrical heat sparks from his palms, dancing along the tips of his fingers. Power colors the bark of the surrounding trees a blinding blue. He charges forward, feels all his pinpoint rage tear through age-old wood, breath tight in his chest until he releases it with a crescendoing roar. He doesn’t stop until he hears wood cracking above him and the tree begins to bend forward.

Sasuke yanks his hand out of the bark and leaps away, inhaling the smell of burning wood. Above him, branches jostle, leaves hissing in the friction. Sasuke hears her whistle before he feels her chakra burst to life.

“That’s a neat little trick. Did Kakashi teach you that?”

Sasuke doesn’t have to glean long to find her lounging in the boughs some feet above him.

“Bet something like that drains you dry fast, doesn’t it? How many times can you do that?”

He studies her briefly, watches the way she leans forward to observe the damage from the safety of her perch, thumb in her mouth as she thinks.

“Does he know you’ve been stalking me?”

Anko pouts, eyes still scanning the cavity in the devastated tree. “Maybe,” she sings. “ . . Why? You gonna tell on me?” She faces him then, mouth cracked to show friendly teeth. Sasuke feels his breath coil in his chest at the challenge.

“No. I can handle you myself.”

To this, Anko throws her head back and crows so loudly that it puts Naruto’s obnoxious laughter to shame.

***********

Later, long after she’d caught her breath and insisted on helping him dress his burn wound, she chides him for trying such a taxing technique without supervision.

“You can’t carry-on alone forever, kiddo. That was Itachi’s mistake. . .”

***********

Some memories are more painful than others. Somehow, the memory of riding Itachi’s back all the way to the dango stand and sharing dumplings is one of the most painful of all. He wonders, often times, how much of it all was an act. . .

Only once does she ever offer him a stick of dango. When he frowns at the treat, she shrugs. “More for me then.” Sasuke feels his lips pull back in a grimace as she shoves the whole stick in her mouth and draws it out clean of everything but sticky residue.

It’s the happiest he’s ever seen her.

“Do you want to kill him?”

“Orochimaru?” She chews around the name and then swallows. “ . . .Yeah. . .Probably about as bad as you want Itachi.”

“Then stay out of my way.”

Anko takes a sip from her sweet-bean soup and then clears her throat. “I’m not in your way, Sasuke. I’m in his.”

He scowls at the notion that he needs protecting, that he’s too much of a child to know that this thing that burns through his body when he has a nightmare has strings attached. How stupid does she think he is?

“Tch! What does he want, anyway?”

Three, gluttonous gulps, and she’s drained her drink, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. She doesn’t look at him as she crushes the can flat with her fingers.

“To live forever. . .”

***********

Kakashi finds out some time afterwards.

Sasuke suspects that he always knew.

He never says anything to Sasuke about it, but Anko’s visits stop, and the next time he sees her on the open-streets, she ignores him.

That night, Sasuke closes his window and locks it for good measure.

He doesn’t feel safe.

[naruhinalife555]

is bullshit

"Okay I got that NS isn't eny better. But is certainly BETTER than what we got. I know people will say that it wouldn't work but for gots sake. Naruto and Sakura have been through it together until the end "

No no you are wrong NS isn't better from what we got it is really wouldn't working and people is right NaruSaku is big trash Naruto and Sakura does not have been through it together until the end Naruto never wanted yo be with Sakura in reality is not was his main !! You can look in your self

"If Sakura were to marry someone it should've bee someone who loves her whom she can be herself"

Is big crup in this case Naruto not love her at all if Naruto was love Sakura like you are saying he is was ready to do all for her even to dead but not he is not did it like in cases of Hinata here was more meaning!

What is the meaning Sakura be her self?? You can't forced your feelings!! She even can't to support in Naruto 😔

either love or not you are talking about forced but on purpose you want sakura to lie to herself and love naruto by force

"Naruto he is deserved the girl that he loved on his own choice and not whom he is was guilt trippeld into loving. And NH fans can argue howhere they like. " is not chang the fact that your bullshit he loved her he is just not realized it "!!

like i said sakura she is never was naruto's choice hinata and naruto were meant to be together since before the manga. hinata was invented before sakura naruto didn't fall in love with hinata in movie because i can find at least one evidence that naruto noticed hinata long before before the movie nothing was out of guilt tripeld. I want to know give me at least one proof that naruto has a desire to get sakura so they can be a couple because if he loved her he wouldn't hold hinata's hand in her presence and in front of an entire audience

"excuse will never make sence consedring that apparentliy Naruto never know what love is so how if can this actually in true?Naruto is Dumb but not THAT dumb"

There is no excuse here I will say it again it was said at least 3 times by kishimoto that naruto doesn't understand love that much naruto also admits it himself when he breaks up with his father. so stop the to distort manga. Again there is the fact that Naruto doesn't really want Sakura because he jokes that she is his girlfriend, he is never serious about her and then he thinks about Hinata it doesn't make sense!

"you are just trying to delude your self so bad is hurts to wotch some with SS. maybe sasuke did some sort affecion for sakura in the very begining nut the flew out the window quickly."

Don't even dare to say this it sasusaku she is shit just like narusaku Any ship that comes with Sakura is garbage

And let be for real the wrost things that even happens to sakura and hinata characther are their one side obsesion with man how (should'vn) never loved them in the first place

Well really Hinata's love is not an obsession with Naruto and you should understand that once and for all Hinata is not obsessed with him she just loved Naruto and it's not that she forced him to be with her and do things for her right? The one who is deluding himself here is you! It's just a bunch of lies If Naruto loved someone else Hinata would let him go with her

she is not as obsessive as Sakura Naruto and Hinata always supported each othe

Evryting could't been avoided if kishi wasn't moeny hungry and would'ev ended it naruto became hokage.

Who are you, you piece of shit, to tell a man how to finish his work? You are an anarchist and inconsiderate Kishi did what he did and it has nothing to do with him being hungry for money there is nothing like that his whole manga was built the way he wanted.

first write your own manga and then talk if you knew Naruto's character You should have known the author wouldn't leave him alone and you are should read the manga instead of watching the stinking filler of Your ship.

You would understand that being Hokage wasn't enough naruto he didn't want to be alone because he was alone all his life. When did Naruto really fight for Sakura?

atonement for Kishimoto you don't have an iota of genius than what he has the main thing is you are criticizing the manga go fuck Naruhina forever.

I don't understand how people send Naruto if such a violent woman and say they have chemistry with her he went through everything together

[hellbubu]

Gardenia for the flower language writing prompt?

Hello, dear 💞

Ao3

Ask game

Gardenia (How everyone found out)

Naruto was at the Hokage’s residence. Sasuke was cooking dinner as Kakashi helped him. The scene looked far too domestic for what he previously associated with Sasuke.

Kakashi and Sasuke danced around the kitchen, passing each other utensils without the other even needing to ask. They handed each other spices and ingredients.

"Y'know, I never thought I'd see you being so domestic with someone, bastard." Naruto grinned at Sasuke. Sasuke looked back at him with an impassive expression before rolling his eyes." I'm glad you aren't a hermit or something. Next thing I know, you might get yourself a girlfriend!"

Naruto left after dinner, leaving Kakashi and Sasuke alone.

"How can he say that we're acting so domestic and say that I should get a girlfriend in the same breath?" Sasuke sipped his tea." Did he lose his last brain cell or something?"

Kakashi flicked his nose." Don't be so mean. He means well."

Naruto didn't connect the dots – Sasuke moving in with Kakashi, their domesticity, and the looks they thought they were secretly sharing – until a couple of weeks after that dinner.

Kakashi was treating them to lunch at Ichiraku's after their monthly team training session. There weren't enough seats. Sakura had suggested eating somewhere else, but Sasuke just plopped himself on Kakashi’s lap and told her that they were already there and he wasn't in the mood to hear Naruto’s whining.

Something about the scene bothered Naruto. He couldn't even enjoy his ramen because of it! The gears slowly turned in his head until a light bulb went off in his head.

"Sasuke, you bastard!" Naruto was all over Sasuke within less than a second.

"What?"

"When were you planning to tell me you are dating Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hm. Took you long enough to figure it out, dumbass." Sasuke kept eating as if nothing happened while Naruto kept screaming. Having spent so much time with Suigetsu and Karin helped him hone the skill of tuning out screaming.

[theheirofthesharingan]

Itachi haters being super confident in their anger, but being so outrageously wrong is so comical that I just can't. I'm blocked by this person too, so I'll be using the excerpts from your response. Hopefully you won't mind.

"This guy willingly betrayed his own people and family, selling them out to the government who wanted to destroy them all."

Uchiha clan was a victim of Konoha, but by no means innocent. Konoha did not want to "destroy" Uchiha. Textually, there's no evidence that Uchiha were even discriminated. Obito says they were, but manga doesn't even support that claim. But let's just suppose they were, they (read: their leaders) created their own troubles. Itachi had no business being in Anbu and spying for either side. But while his haters will scream on top of their lungs to tell us that Konoha sucks, they want to simp for the clan so bad that them using a literal child for their political gains doesn't look bad to them.

He knew about Obito and that he was behind the 9-Tails attack but said nothing to anyone. He discriminated against his own people and slaughtered them all to the last child.

Danzo knew that too. Danzo and Obito were most likely working together. Itachi didn't know the man going by the name was not Madara. No way Konoha had an army or any kind of resources to counter Madara. He would only have invited more trouble by revealing Madara was spying on them.

When Uchiha planned the coup, they didn't care about the children either. Fugaku didn't care about his own child either. Uchiha clan's massacre was Danzo, Fugaku, Hiruzen's fault with Madara and Tobirama being the founding members of this tragedy. Leave Itachi alone.

He cast Tsukuyomi on his own parents and brutally murdered them, tortured his own little brother beyond imagine with one torture session putting Sasuke in a fucking coma, one he would've never gotten out of if it wasn't for that bitch Tsunade and that's the only good Tsunade did in the series."

This is the IQ of an Itachi hater? When did he cast Tsukuyomi on his parents? Sasuke would have gotten out of his coma, just like Tsunade did too. Tsunade provided a quick healing. That's all.

"Itachi thought he was wiser and more noble than his own people, which was pure and utter arrogance. When brought back as an edo, he said that a 7-year-old Sasuke could've changed the clan.

When does he say he's better than others? When does he act like that? Proof? He's being constantly harassed by the adults of his clan, used by his parents, and has his best friend committing suicide before him. You want him to be sweet and kind? Dude, what?

He called himself Itachi Uchiha of Konoha and that he specifically had no regrets he was a massive piece of shit in life and death."

He also says "Konoha has its darkness and flaws" paraphrasing it, but that doesn't help you with your hate, does it?

When does he say he has no regret? He's constantly telling Sasuke he regrets his decisions. Oh wait. You're talking about the mistranslations? That's what that it. A freaking mistranslation. It's no one's fault that you believe a mistranslated phrase to the actual words used in the original language.

None of his plans make any kind of fucking sense. He wanted to save Konoha from war even though the other villages wouldn't have attacked for their own reasons.

How do you know other villages wouldn't have invaded? How is this person ignoring that Obito was working as well (by his own admission) for war and that he'd done it already with the nine tails attack.

So Itachi saved Konoha from zero potential wars, especially when none of the other villages attacked after Obito's, Orochimaru's, and Pain's assaults in the series.

The reason Konoha wasn't targeted after the kyuubi attack was because it was after a year of ending the war. The reason Konoha wasn't invaded after Orochimaru's attack was because they weren't destabilised enough and also had Suna as an ally. The reason they weren't attacked after Pain's assault was because Konoha had defeated the Akatsuki leader, Sasuke was an international criminal and joined the Akatsuki, and Obito had declared war. They all essentially came together to defeat their common enemies. Why would they waste time killing each other?

He practically sent Sasuke gift wrapped to Orochimaru or Danzo. He knew about Obito and Pain's plans and yet did nothing about them, which just screwed over Konoha immensely.

Did he? Sasuke was in Konoha surrounded by people who cared about him. Sasuke leaves because he's attacked by Sound Four. Itachi's job in the Akatsuki is not to send messages to Konoha. It was to keep an eye on the organization so they don't attack Konoha. While he took care of that, he ensured Naruto was strong enough, so if the village was ever attacked, Naruto wouldn't be in a vulnerable position. There is no evidence that he was supposed to pass any kind of information back to Konoha.

He was never a prodigy or anything, unlike Sasuke. His fights are just him using genjutsu on his opponents and overpowering them with it, which just childish and stupid. He pulled Susanoo, Mirror Yata, and the Tsoka Blade out of his ass

Except Koshimoto is REPEATEDLY telling us he's a prodigy. Everyone at the Academy keeps telling us Itachi was something else altogether. The biggest reason of Sasuke's insecurity is that he's always compared to Itachi and he's never good enough. But his fans want to argue with what's written in the original text?

This fucker is all over the place and doesn't make sense. Dushman-e-jaan has posts that go into greater detail about how this guy doesn't make sense, and I recommend you read them as she does an infinitely better job at explaining my dislike for Itachi than I have."

Imagine simping for a bully who loves to harass people and offer unsolicited criticism just because you have an access to the internet.

I dislike Tobirama, but never thought I'd be using this for an Uchiha fanatic. LMAO.

Your opinion? https://www.tumblr.com/dranosh-haran-of-paleoworld/766237407554273280/why-do-you-hate-itachi-so-much?source=share

Had to use a different browser because this pleasant person has me blocked lol anyway.

TL;DR: Itachi had no right to do the things he did, but he also had no choice. Even if adult onlookers could come up with choices, he was a child trapped in a mindset his authority figures hammered into him in his formative years, and then he was put under additional duress. Come the fuck on.

"This guy willingly betrayed his own people and family, selling them out to the government who wanted to destroy them all."

"Willingly" when talking about a 11-12-year-old brainwashed, groomed, traumatized child under duress is kinda wild. Yes, Naruto is all about normalizing child soldiers, but there's a line and that's Itachi having his horrible "milestones" at an age where others are still in school.

And it's not treason to report a conspiracy to commit, well, treason.

More after the break. Enjoy this screencap of a literal child and one of the many adults who chose to fail him.

Itachi was 11 when he joined the ANBU, 12 when he killed the clan. His incompetent piece of shit father dragged him into a "kill or be killed" situation at 4, and he already had the muscle memory of slitting throats ON REFLEX?? What the everloving fuck did Fugaku do to his toddler? He was encouraged to leave school and enter the field for more death and horror at 8. All for the alleged greater good that was peddled to children and adults more aggressively than America's magical sky cloth. Fugaku and Danzo played a grooming tug-o-war with a literal prepub child and actively, deliberately, had him believe the weight of the world rested on his 3 inch shoulders. The fuck did anyone think was gonna happen when Itachi joined the ANBU everyone encouraged him to join, and did the work he was taught to admire - BY Fugaku, by the way. Fugaku wanted a peacemaker, then tried to start a war. Hm.

Also, Itachi didn't "sell out" his clan. If I know a family member is about to start something with predictably catastrophic ramifications, like, you know, a glorified terrorist invasion ("coup"), I have a moral obligation to report that. "Family" does not matter. Blood, water, starting a war is something you deserve to have sabotaged. And if you're willing to kill, you better be ready to be killed. Everyone who cheered for the coup willingly risked death and willingly doomed their families. "Bloodless revolution" my ass, that is delusional. As if Konoha is just gonna accept Fugaku after a COUP!? Fucking TREASON!? Oppressed or not, you sow violence, you reap violence, and public perception matters. The public's perception of the Uchiha coup would probably be *checks notes* treason :)

"His own people"? They all treated him like a trophy and an attack dog when they didn't outright abuse him for speaking his mind, when he was clearly old enough to let them exploit him. All they had for him was demands to make them proud and bring them glory, at the cost of his well-being. Chapter by chapter in Itachi Shinden, you can watch him wither and crumble. When Itachi's comrade was killed when he was 8, Fugaku literally said "He'll get over it" while his boy was falling apart in the next room. Those are not "his own people", they're one big, bubbling cunt stew with very few exceptions, judging by the novel.

Whether the government wanted to destroy the Uchiha clan or whether it was racist or oppressive ultimately doesn't matter when the active threat to world peace and countless lives is coming from the other side. Two things can be true at the same time, so yeah Konoha sucked, but also yeah, the Uchiha posed a threat. The clan's lives weren't in danger when they decided to endanger everyone over discrimination that isn't even as egregious as what fat people on airplanes have to deal with. Defunding the police (LMAO), not letting a latent traitor run for president, surveillance, and a dedicated, OPEN compound none of the other clans who got one bitched about. Wow, what a compelling reason to set the world on fire!

Yes, Konoha failed the clan, yes, Konoha is scum for that. But two wrongs don't make a right. I'm tired of this whole nonsense of "they're oppressed so they're allowed to act like total barbarians and be the next oppressor". I'm tired on a personal level which you can probably guess.

This is not a responsible adult:

"He knew about Obito and that he was behind the 9-Tails attack but said nothing to anyone. He discriminated against his own people and slaughtered them all to the last child."

He should definitely have reported Obito. But calling his actions against the clan discrimination is like saying the German police discriminates against that Berlin-based crime family because it happens to be a BIPOC minority. THEY ALSO HAPPEN TO BE THE FUCKING MOB. Of course, most Uchihas probably weren't active combatants and didn't deserve to die, but as horrible as it is, strategically, Danzo had a point when he said there could be no potential avengers.

Plus, outsiders like to focus on numbers as if more dead people means more suffering, but this isn't true. Just because 99 people suffer and die with me, doesn't mean each of us suffers and dies 100-fold. Sasuke was based when he said Itachi should have killed him, too. Outsiders don't want to accept this because it IS horrible, but sparing a young child after killing his whole family, is not kind. What would've awaited any children Itachi spared? The village that ordered their parents' slaughter? A world that clearly doesn't want them and will come after them at the first chance? Yeah sounds ever so fucking merciful. Just because unaffected gawkers think preserving a unique cultural or genetic group is the most important thing, doesn't mean the people actually affected have such priorities when literally staring death or a life of pain in the face.

"He cast Tsukuyomi on his own parents and brutally murdered them, tortured his own little brother beyond imagine with one torture session putting Sasuke in a fucking coma, one he would've never gotten out of if it wasn't for that bitch Tsunade and that's the only good Tsunade did in the series."

When did he cast Tsukuyomi on his parents? And "brutally", well, they surrendered and he cut them down rather quickly. All murders are brutal. Should he have raided the local vet and injected them with anaesthetics first? He was a 12-year-old child, crying, shaking, probably exhausted and barely coherent after having killed all the others, and looking at his final victims, his parents, comforting him. Striking them down quickly was the best for everyone involved at that point, anything more elaborate, "more gentle", would have prolonged this horror. Also what did Tsunade do wrong, and if Itachi hadn't knocked Sasuke out for a while, he would have gotten himself killed. The Tsukuyomi was overkill, 100%.

"Itachi thought he was wiser and more noble than his own people, which was pure and utter arrogance. When brought back as an edo, he said that a 7-year-old Sasuke could've changed the clan. He called himself Itachi Uchiha of Konoha and that he specifically had no regrets he was a massive piece of shit in life and death."

This is called interpretation. Yes, he was an arrogant child, he admitted this, Shisui told him, adults told him. But being an ass at the dawn of puberty doesn't invalidate the fact that he WAS smarter than most and the Uchiha uprising WAS a problem, and the clan was infinitely more arrogant than him for thinking they could just take power and that's the end of it. They were delusional. Being 11 when pointing this out doesn't mean he's wrong.

Vilifying him for calling himself "Itachi Uchiha of Konoha" is silly. Many nations will do horrible things behind the scenes to keep the peace, and just because Sasuke and Itachi were the tragic and ever so pretty victims of this, doesn't make Konoha worse than others. It is a place people actually live in. A place people call home and have a right to call home and feel safe and thrive in. Itachi did what he was forced to do by both sides, to protect people's home and peace, not to get headpats from Danzo and Hiruzen.

He also never said he didn't regret the massacre. The fact that he said he wished he would have confided in Sasuke, the fact of him telling Naruto, Sasuke, and Kabuto that he was wrong to try and solve everything on his own, all suggest he wishes it had been different. His words when he dissolves are "Mou miren ha nai", which can be interpreted as regretting nothing, but this is usually meant in a sense of unfinished business. Itachi could not un-kill the clan. Danzo was dead. What more could he do that he could still have "miren" about? Personally, I think he shouldn't have undone the whole Edo Tensei because he kinda owed Sasuke to stick around and fight the other Edo Tenseis manually, but that's not the point.

Actual footage of Itachi alone with his thoughts, probably:

"None of his plans make any kind of fucking sense. He wanted to save Konoha from war even though the other villages wouldn't have attacked for their own reasons."

Kindly look at Syria, Sudan, or Yemen, because the civil war the Uchiha were sure to start, would have been bad enough, you absolute pinecone. But I agree, Itachi's plans were mostly shit, but who taught him any kind of life skills or coping mechanisms? He wasn't parented, he wasn't guided, he was a trained attack dog. He never grew up mentally because when you're not allowed to feel like a child, know what being a child is, how are you gonna know when you're supposed to be all grown up and smart? He treated his suicide by Sasuke like a playdate. He toyed with him. He was a typical old soul, trauma and paralysis masquerading as maturity and composure. It's very apparent in the novels how helpless and small he felt. When the FUCK did he get a chance to unlearn his helplessness on one hand, and the world resting on his shoulders on the other? Itachi was deranged, but not by his own doing. A 4 to 12-year-old child is not responsible for their poor life "choices".

"So Itachi saved Konoha from zero potential wars, especially when none of the other villages attacked after Obito's, Orochimaru's, and Pain's assaults in the series."

I wasn't aware Itachi's Sharingan could accurately predict the future. He stopped the civil war that was certain to happen and that he could stop. Not a single ninja has ever been expected to fix the whole world and the few who expected it of themselves were even more deranged than Itachi. Why hold a 12-year-old to a higher standard just because he's foolish enough to do so himself? Right until Shisui died, Itachi clung to his naive dream of becoming the greatest ninja to stop all wars. And then, both Fugaku and Danzo demanded he be that, when Shisui's death just had him realize how helpless he is. And then, there was a war looming on the horizon that he COULD prevent.

"He practically sent Sasuke gift wrapped to Orochimaru or Danzo. He knew about Obito and Pain's plans and yet did nothing about them, which just screwed over Konoha immensely."

Yeah he fucked up with Orochimaru, and this was one of the things he could have predicted after Orochimaru tried it with him. Not killing Orochimaru when he had both cause and opportunity, was bafflingly stupid and I'll chalk it up to plot armour since Itachi will kill his own mother to protect Sasuke.

He was also a useless spy in Akatsuki, yes. He aided and abetted in several Kage and Jinchuuriki assassinations, all to keep a cover of questionable use.

We do have to grant him that he needed to stay alive to give Sasuke deserved closure. He didn't even know Obito wasn't Madara, so I don't expect him to have known much about Pain's abilities. Given he allegedly ties with Jiraiya and we all know what Pain did to him, Sasuke would not have gotten his revenge. As for Danzo, can we not underestimate him please? He had to be worn down into self-destruction by Sasuke, and when Itachi attacked him in the novel after getting the MS, he was immediately stopped.

"He was never a prodigy or anything, unlike Sasuke. His fights are just him using genjutsu on his opponents and overpowering them with it, which just childish and stupid. He pulled Susanoo, Mirror Yata, and the Tsoka Blade out of his ass."

I agree Susano'o and its rigs were asspull done to compete with DBZ ratings, but how was he not a prodigy when he was recommended for graduation at 8? Poor writing or not, the canon fact is that Itachi was way ahead of his peers and many adults. We can't blame a character's personality in one moment, then bad writing the next. All writing boils down to creating the character's reality and all facts written by the author are equally valid.

Calling genjutsu childish and stupid is silly as you can apply this to all jutsu. Naruto's army of clones is arguably more ridiculous than mastering an otherwise underdiscussed technique at a level that has people like Kakashi scared. Personally, I think the big noisy techniques like Kisame's water jutsus and Hashirama's Slaparama are a lot more childish and geared towards hollering little boys. Itachi's fighting style is elegant and super duper gay.

"This fucker is all over the place and doesn't make sense. Dushman-e-jaan has posts that go into greater detail about how this guy doesn't make sense, and I recommend you read them as she does an infinitely better job at explaining my dislike for Itachi than I have."

Dushman explicitly supports this:

But thinks Konoha is worse for allegedly being this:

In other words, Doucheman is fine with making 0 sense whatsoever as long as they can virtue-signal for fascists if they know how to sell the underdog act.

[maoam]

A little about the words Naruto and Sasuke use (especially during VoTE 1 & 2)

I’ve been meaning to talk about this but I think it’s important how Naruto and Sasuke use different terms when addressing each other. I think it shows a different levels of confusion in how they are aware of the nature of their bond.

NAKAMA (comrade)

When Naruto is trying to plead, he uses the word 仲間 (nakama) which means comrade, and eventhough it's sometimes translated as friend in different shonen series, you can be nakama without necessarily being friends. The word is referred to as being part of a group or community in a plural sense. Shikamaru says he doesn’t particularly like Sasuke but he considers Sasuke nakama because they are both Konoha shinobi. Naruto is telling Sasuke to consider all of them because they are his comrades from Konoha, he is asking Sasuke how can he shrug off this connection like it's nothing.

*Nakama is also the word Sasuke uses when referring to Naruto and Sakura as comrades (and I assume this applies also to Kakashi even if he is not there) he doesn't want to lose when they are facing Gaara. Sasuke has never referred to Sakura as any other word than nakama, which is another reason why the way he addresses Naruto so dramatically speaks volumes*

SHITASHII TOMO (intimate friend)

Sasuke rejects the idea of "playing" with the Konoha crowd but when Naruto asks was everything meaningless between them, he tells Naruto no and adds:

You have become... my closest friend Ore ni totte omae wa, mottomo shitashii tomo ni natta.

shitashii tomo = closest friend 最も  (mottomo) most, extremely 親しい ( shitashī ) intimate, really close

What's interesting is that shitashī as a word already means really close or intimate and is used in front of tomo to show that the relationship is very deep and important, but Sasuke adds "mottomo" which means "extremely". He is very serious about his feelings!

TOMODACHI (friend)

(First picture) We became friends. (Second picture) (I'm) your friend! (Third picture) Because you're my friend!

There are a lot of different words for "friend" in Japanese. Naruto uses 友達 (tomodachi) when addressing Sasuke (unlike Sasuke). I'd say tomodachi is the most common and casual word for a friend, it isn’t polite or honorific Japanese, and one can use it in everyday casual conversations. It is not polite like yuujin and it also doesn't refer to specifically really close friend like shinyuu.

To me, the way Sasuke addresses Naruto so dramatically while Naruto, despite his actions being dramatic, addresses Sasuke almost casually is peculiar. I'm not sure what to make of it. Tomodachi is again the word Naruto offers Sasuke after their final battle, and Sasuke doesn't seem too happy. It's only after Naruto says he just can't bear watch him suffer because it hurts, can't leave Sasuke alone, that Sasuke finally relaxes and seems content.

KYOUDAI (brother, sibling)

(First picture:) I wonder if being with you is how having a brother feels like. (Second picture:) Naruto considers you to almost be his own brother... that's what I heard from Sakura-san. - I only have one brother, the one I want to kill. (Third picture:) *Unfortunately I don’t have the raw for this volume, but I checked the anime and the chapter title and Naruto indeed uses kyoudai again*

Naruto refers to Sasuke as 兄弟 (kyoudai) when he is wondering if their relationship is that of brothers/siblings during VoTE 1 and also when he is talking to Itachi and telling him he's a better brother to Sasuke than Itachi ever was. But interestingly, when Naruto confronts Sasuke in Kage Summit arc he refers to him as his friend. During war arc, Naruto acknowledges him and Sasuke aren't really brothers, but they are friends.

* Important to note here is that Sasuke never agrees to Naruto’s musing of them possibly being like brothers, and he even tells Sai he only has one brother. Sasuke sticks to his ‘intimate friend’ til the end and never changes it. This shows that since Sasuke had a family and a brother, he can tell his feelings towards Naruto aren’t brotherly. Naruto on the other hand, didn’t have a family, or anyone to teach him different relationships, so he has to learn by himself.*

But back to Hagoromo:

(Naruto says:)

オレとサスケは本当の兄弟じゃねけど...仲直りは出来ると思うんだ.

Ore to Sasuke wa hontō no kyōdai ja nee kedo... Nakanaori wa dekiru to omou nda.

Even though Sasuke and I aren't really siblings...I think we can make peace.

*This part, I understood as Naruto explaining to Hagoromo that even if they aren't brothers like Ashura and Indra, he believes they can fix things, reconcile and end the hatred since they’re friends.*

(Sasuke says:)

イタチ 亡き今 やっ とオレは 一人になったように思えた...だがナル��...あいつ だけは斬っておかなければならない.

Itachi naki ima yatto ore wa hitori ni natta youni omoeta...Daga Naruto... Aitsu dake wa kitte o kanakereba naranai.

Now that Itachi is dead, I thought that I became completely alone... But Naruto... I must only kill (literally cut) him.

*Sasuke is referring to cutting Naruto from himself so he can be truly alone*

(Hagoromo asks why Sasuke needs to cut Naruto off/why Naruto thinks he can make peace with Sasuke:)

(Naruto says:)

オレ達 かなりの友達だから.

Ore-tachi kanari no tomodachi dakara.

Because we're quite good friends.

かなり = quite, fairly

(Sasuke says)

オレにとって奴は...最も親しい友のままでいる から だ.

Ore ni totte yatsu wa...Mottomo shitashii tomo no mama de irukarada.

As for me, he...because he remains my extremely close friend/most intimate friend.

最も = (mottomo) most, extremely 親しい (shitashii) intimate, really close

What interests me is how they use different words. Naruto keeps using the more casual tomodachi while Sasuke keeps using the more dramatic mottomo shitashii tomo. Sasuke is more honest about his feelings maybe?

YUIITSU

(Sasuke says:)

じゃあね... オレの唯一の友よ!

Jaa ne... Ore no yuiitsu no tomo yo!

See ya.. my only... friend!

(Naruto says:)

その唯一がオレだからよ.

Sono yuiitsu ga ore dakara yo.

Because I'm (your) only one.

This is interesting because while Sasuke uses the word tomo for friend here, when he asks why Naruto won't give up Naruto says "Because I'm (your) only one" without the friend... maybe he just didn't add it, but I do think the choice to not include it is peculiar and makes this sound even more dramatic. 😏 When it comes to Sasuke, I can’t for the life of me understand how people can think Sakura is extremely important to him when the manga made a clear point that Naruto dying would leave him alone, because Naruto is ‘the only one’. Ignoring this is just lack of reading comprehension or denial.