#And then have a cute moment where Naruto and her banter about it. That she fulfilled HIS dream lmaoo

[bonefall]

naruto as a whole is a fucking mess and i say thisas somebody whos read the entireseries 3 times over. “naruto is going to change the system! haha teehee never mind hes not doing anytning about the child soldiers and slave castes and the genocides.” “sasuke can be upset at his brother for committing a genocide but actually genocide against an oppressed bloodline is good if theyre getting uppity and its sanctioned by the government and also have a genetic predisposition to be evil so he should just get over it and be okay with it” “sakura needs to stop obsessing over a guy whos not even interested and become strong for her own sake. actually shes a housewife now”

kishimoto im going to blow you up with my mind

YOU GET IT

For real though I think what they did with Sasuke's arc was one of the most baffling fucking things I've ever seen. "Actually. Your brother who carried out a genocide loved you :( he only put you in the Torment Nexus for several days because uhhh he wanted you to hate him and not find out about the government who ordered it. Everything he ever did was actually to protect you. And Uchihas are actually kinda rotten anyway so it's good an entire GROUP OF PEOPLE died. Don't think about any babies or children who were also slaughtered btw uhh nope all of them were bad."

Sasuke: "Yes I understand. I will now rule the world through fear. Actually nvm Naruto won our fight so, my philosophy is gone now."

Thank goodness that Evil Sasuke killed the three Bad Government Officials before that point, though. We had this whole theme going about toxic structures, cycles of abuse, and how oppressive regimes can propagate themselves even when a leader is well-meaning... but, like, Naruto REALLY wants to be Hokage, so actually if you just kill these Three Bad Governors it's gonna be fine.

There is no need for systemic change. Slave castes and child soldiers are fine. It's ok as long as the president is blonde :)

[thegirlwiththeninjaturtletattoos]

Every Rose Has it's Thorn

-Part 2-

>Part 3

<Part 1

Universe: Teenage Mutant Teenage Turtles (Bayverse aged-up turtles)

Rating: R for swearing mostly MINORS DNI

Raphael x OC (female character)

Tags: Fluff, original character, slow burn romance, mentions of violence

-Rose wakes up after her attack and finds herself in an unfamiliar bed, only to discover and meet her rescuers.

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

I’m dead.

Yes?

Am I dead?

Rose was having a dream about her grandparents and her childhood home when the pain of her injuries began to force her awake. She slowly blinked open her eyes and winced at the sharp stabbing sensation in her ribs and neck. Hell, even her scalp hurt.

Suddenly, she realized she was not in her bed.

Glancing around the room, she took in her surroundings. The room was cement and brick, with red accents everywhere. On a dresser there was a stand holding two sais, and several martial arts books on a bookshelf nearby. There was also workout gear strewn about the room, various weights and even some giant boxing gloves. The bed she was in was covered in silk red sheets and was absolutely huge, to the point that she didn��t know if she could crawl out with her body in the shape it was in after...

Oh yeah, that. 

Rose took a moment to take stock of her injuries, lifting the back the sheets and moving carefully. She was surprised to find that her joggers and over-sized cropped t-shirt were still in good shape, with minimal dirt and blood stains on it. She expected to see her body in shambles as she gingerly raised her shirt over her abdomen, but instead found bandages and gauze, expertly done. She knew she wasn’t in a hospital, but had no memories of the events of last night after getting kicked in the alley.

In a moment her hope shattered and she worried that the two men had kidnapped her, and brought her to some place to be held captive. Panicking, she rolled off the bed without crying out in pain (mostly) and crept towards the door in the corner of the room. Putting an ear to the solid wood, she heard hushed voices arguing.

“Raph, you completely ignored the chain of command yesterday. I understand your reasoning behind it, but you cannot just go against me like that. We are a team.”

“Leo she was gunna die, you think I’m just gunna sit back while you have a cup of tea and think? Somebody had to do somethin’, and you’re just pissed it wasn’t you.”

Another voice cut in over the others.

“Hey when you guys are done with the same argument you have every 20 minutes, can we talk about how cute that girl is? If it wasn’t obvious, diiibs!”

“Shut up, Mikey.” The other voices groaned in unison.

Rose almost laughed out loud at the banter, though still unsure at the situation she now found herself in. These voices didn't sound like the men from last night, but she didn’t remember anyone else in the alley.

All she could remember was the pain from the shoes against her chest, and the feel of the cold blade on her skin. She shuddered, and suddenly her stomach let out a loud growl.

Shit, I never ate yesterday.

The voices hushed, and she cautiously opened the door.

She was most definitely not expecting her rescuers to be giant mutant turtles.

Rose didn’t know how to react; she just stood there silently eyeing them up and down, taking everything in. They were huge. Like crazy tall, muscley, with Naruto gear on like they were ninjas or something.

And despite everything, she felt oddly at ease. 

Weird. 

She knew well enough to trust her gut, though. 

Looking around she couldn't tell exactly where they were, but it definitely seemed like a base of sorts. There was a kitchen nearby, a dining room, and a large living space with huge couches and lots of giant tv screens.

The four turtles were standing in the kitchen staring at her, plates on the table and things still on the stove. She looked over hungrily, and was excited to see pancakes and eggs being prepped.

“Nice to see you've woken up. How are you feeling this morning?” A turtle in a blue bandana spoke first, stepping forward and bowing slightly to her as he spoke. The hilts of the twin katana strapped to his shell glinted as he moved, and she took in the fact that they were all heavily armed.

Qué? Who are these guys?

“I'm Leonardo, pleased to officially meet you. And you are...?”

“Hi-buenos día-ah- good morning." She managed to choke out. Her throat was sore, and the shock wasn’t helping her communication skills. “Ahm, my name’s Rose. Nice to meet you as well. Should I ...assume that you guys came to my rescue last night?”

Leo smiled back at her, eye ridge raised in mild amusement as he watched her face come back to life. She seemed to be taking their existence well. “Ah- yes, we did intervene yesterday. And don't worry, the criminals have been dealt with. I apologize for bringing you here, but with the state of your injuries, we thought it best to make sure you were all right.” He chuckled under his breath and shook his head. "We don't normally take house guests after patrol, but Donnie here insisted." Motioning to his brothers, they all moved from their frozen places around the kitchen, finally relaxing a bit. “These are my brothers; Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo.” 

Donnie was the first to step forward. “How are you feeling this morning, Rose? Have you bled through any bandages, noticed any more swelling?” The purple-banded turtle had a concerned look on his face as he cautiously eyed the bandage on her neck, his tone even and gentle.

“No, I think everything held up okay. Whoever did the bandaging knew what they were doing, gracias.”

“You’re welcome." He smiled, a proud look glinting in his hazel eyes. “That shouldn’t scar, it was a small cut and didn’t bleed much. But let me know if you’re experiencing pain, I have medications that will help.” Donnie walked back to the table, grabbing some breakfast. 

"I do have one question, though." Rose looked over at Leo, who raised an eye ridge at her with a humored look on his face. "Why trust me?"

He cocked a half-smile, still eyeing her. "My brothers were concerned that you wouldn't be in good enough hands with anyone else, and Donnie can be very persuasive when he wants to be."  Leo laughed to himself as he turned to head to the table. "And you cleared the background check." 

Rose nodded with a laugh as she watched him head over to the large wooden surface as the smallest of the four almost ran over to her, tripping over his words and excitedly rambling.

“Yo, I'm Michelangelo, but lovely ladies like you can call me Mikey!” His blue eyes seemed electrified under his orange mask as he went on. “Raph and I were talking about that palm strike you did yesterday, that was awesome! Where did you learn that?!”

Rose chuckled, smile growing as she watched Mikey vibrate in place. “My Dad taught me a few moves when I was a kid. He wanted me to be able to protect myself.” Her smile dropped as she said darkly “much good it did me, I still got my ass beat.” She touched the bandage on her neck and winced.

“ Don’t worry about it babes, we got you from now on. Ass-kicking's free of charge!” Mikey said with a smile, squeezing her arm. “Come on, let’s eat! I figured you could use some good grub!”

Rose followed him over to the table, gingerly sitting down in the large wooden chair that Mikey pulled out for her. There was an empty seat next to her, presumably it belonged to the last brother who still stood watching her with his arms crossed over his chest.

He had been staring since she walked in the room, trying to hide it albeit unsuccessfully.

She had watched him out of the corner of her eye, taking him in. He was the largest of the four, incredibly muscular and mildly intimidating as he looked her over with ice in his gaze. They all wore athletic pants and gear of some sort, but his shorts were cut low enough to draw her eyes down, and she couldn't help but leer as he seemed to do the same. Rose's eyes dragged slowly over him, taking in the wrapping and straps on his arms and legs as her gaze slowly drifted back to his face. His hazel eyes were an almost golden amber color, and he was insanely handsome. Sexy, even.

She couldn’t help but notice the red mask, and put it together that she had slept in his bed last night.

Interesting.

Her eyes remained locked on his as he looked back up at her face, finally making eye contact, but almost seemed to blush as he quickly looked away. She chuckled under her breath; it was charming that such a tough guy would be embarrassed by eye contact alone.

She had to mess with him.

“Are you gunna come sit down or would you rather keep making eyes at me all day?” She called over to him, smirking.

Mikey laughed so hard he almost choked on his eggs.

The look on Ralph’s face was priceless; both surprise and embarrassment coloring his chiseled features. Yes, he had been staring, but he didn’t think she noticed.

She had sharp senses, then- Noted.

He fumbled to find a comeback. “ I, ah- whatever. Not hungry.”

He turned and marched off towards the weight room waving a hand dismissively over his shoulder.

Giggling to herself, Rose dug in to the breakfast Mikey had set in front of her as the brothers looked at her incredulously. They had never seen Raph subdued so effortlessly before, and with an insult too. She took a bite of a pancake and turned to Mikey.

“ Dude. These are freaking delicious. Did you make these?” Mikey nodded, with a gleam of pride on his face. “ You gotta teach me.”

“ Oh hells yeah! Pancake master Mikey in the house!” He laughed, and the both of them began chatting and giggling together as if they had known each other for years. 

Rose was enjoying the moment, though she thought that most sane people would probably be freaking out right about now. She had always been a wild girl, though, seeking adventure and new experiences, so it wasn't that much of a surprise that she had just accepted the situation immediately.

As she listened to Leonardo and Michelangelo tell her of their origin, battles, and life in the sewers, she slowly put their story together.

“So, your ninja mutants who fight crime. Damn, I thought I’d never be surprised again after yesterday. Well, thank you all so much for what you did. Seriously- had you not been there I’d probably be-”

Her words trailed off as she noticed a large furry creature in a shadowed hallway start to move towards them.

“You guys, “she whispered, rising from the table and looking for a weapon. “There is something over there. Please don’t tell me you have mutant roaches down here too.” She felt Leo's hand on her shoulder, guiding her back down to the chair gently, but firmly. She looked up at him, eyes wide. 

“Rose, I can assure you there are no mutant roaches,” Leo said with a laugh, smiling at her antics but still very aware that she was trembling against his palm. “This is our sensei, Master Splinter.”

Splinter came into the light of the main room and gave the woman a welcoming smile. The past years had given him more grey on his snout, and his eyes sparkled at the lively sight at the table in front of him.

Rose eyed him cautiously. 

“No roach here young lady- just an old rat tending his Bonsai garden. Though I may be able to scrounge up some insects if you would prefer...?” Splinter teased gently, eyeing the woman sitting at the breakfast table with his sons.

“Oh, ah- no, please don’t.” She said quickly, standing up from her chair and stepping away from the table. She bowed slightly to the rat and spoke what Japanese she could remember.

She had noticed the Japanese decor around the Lair, and Leo had mentioned that their sensei was from Japan and had studied martial arts with a well-renowned master.

He just left out the detail that he was a giant, talking rat.

“Ohayō gozaimasu Sensei.”

Pleased, Splinter acknowledged her bow and took his place at the table.

“Suwatte kudasai, doko de nihongo o manabu imashita ka?”

Embarrassed, Rose sat back down and fiddled with her earrings on her ear as she felt a flush in her cheeks. Speaking in English, she responded. “Sorry, could you repeat? I only know a few phrases here and there. “

“Of course my dear, I apologize for making you feel embarrassed. I was over eager.” It had been a long time since they had company in the lair, let alone anyone who knew Japanese. April had been busy lately, and didn't have much time to visit.  “I asked where you learned Japanese, are you from Japan?”

Rose sighed. “No, I wish. I spent some time there as a teen with my grandmother. She was visiting friends, and I picked up some words and phrases as we traveled. I would give anything to go back though, it was an amazing experience." She relaxed a little, picking up her fork again to pop another piece of fluffy pancake in her mouth, savoring the sweetness before she went on. "I'm Mexican, actually. My Dad's family came over from a small town called Torreón in the 60s and settled in the Midwest. I moved to New York not too long ago.”

Mikey's eyes popped out his head, but before he could erupt with questions, the rat raised his hand to silence him. “We would love to hear about your travels someday my dear, “he said, eyeing his son. “But perhaps another time. You should be getting back to the surface, it is almost noon.”

“Oh shit, seriously?!” Rose looked down at where her watch usually lay on her wrist, only to remember she forgot to put it on in her rush out of the apartment. That’s right, that whole mess still had to be dealt with.

Great.

“Master Splinter,” Donnie cut in. “Her wounds still need attention; I would prefer she stay here at least for a day so I can monitor her condition. I’m worried about her broken rib-” The rat lifted a hand and Donnie stopped mid-sentence.

“I don’t mind the company; I was only concerned that her life on the surface would be disturbed.” Turning to Rose he smiled, “Stay as long as you like dear. Though, Raphael may argue with the invitation if he has to continue sleeping on the couch.” Laughing to himself, he moved swiftly away from the table and walked upstairs to where a balcony with more plants sat in front of paper sliding doors. Rose smiled as she watched the rat disappear behind the screens, almost silently.

“I like that guy.” She said to herself, not realizing it was out loud.

She heard laughter and looked back at the table to see Mikey snickering at her, sticking her tongue out in protest as she turned to Donnie. “About the medical stuff, what exactly is going on with me?”

“Well, you have a few bruised bones, but one of your ribs is definitely broken. I’m worried about you moving around too much. If you rest and ice the area it should heal in a few weeks, but I’ve been working on a serum combined with the mutagen in our blood that may speed up the healing process. If you’re willing to wait a few days, I may be able to have it ready to test.”

“Wow, ah..sure, why not?” Rose was absolutely blown away; Leo had mentioned that Donnie was incredibly smart, but he clearly was a genius. She could see his lab entrance in the corner of the room, with large screens and equipment everywhere just in front of the dark doorway. This turtle knew what he was talking about, that’s for sure. And oddly enough, she felt like she could trust him. 

She looked back to Donnie, who had an eager smile plastered on his face. Placing a hand on his forearm, she felt his pebbly skin against hers. Theirs was all varying shades of green, but she had a feeling they all had this same texture. It was oddly comforting. She looked back up at the genius, gazing into his beautiful hazel eyes under his glasses. “Thanks, Donnie.”

He blushed and mumbled a “you’re welcome, no problem” before heading over to his lab to disappear behind the door.

She took note of his lean, muscular figure as it padded away, and realized that all four turtles were actually quite attractive in their own way. They were all muscular, and clearly spent most of their free time training and working out. She never thought she would meet anyone else who cared as much about physical fitness besides her, much less four mutants in the sewers underneath NYC.

Leo spoke up, interrupting her thoughts.

“If you’ll be staying here for a few days, will you need to contact your employer or roommates to let them know that you’re okay?” Nothing but concern was written on his face as he gestured in the direction of the living room. “Your belongings are over by the couch if you need them.” Rose felt a sigh of relief as she spotted her bag, neatly laid beside the leg of the couch and seemingly untouched.

“I’m actually self-employed, so I don’t need to call anyone. Thanks for thinking of it though, you’re a sweetheart.” She said the last word to the leader in blue with a playful smile, causing him to blush a little as he got up from the table. His eyes were the brightest blue she had ever seen, the color of his mask making them stand out even more as his oceans swept over her face.

Rose was mesmerized as Leo turned from her; so graceful in his movements as he interacted with his surroundings. It must come from years of calculating movements, needing to be steps ahead of everyone else at all times.

She was grateful to him; he had spent so much time this afternoon answering her many questions, smiling as little things would excite or intrigue her, his eyes twinkling behind his mask as he watched her from across the table. 

Leo was kind, she decided. 

He turned his head over his shoulder to give one last thought before he left her to help Mikey with breakfast clean-up. 

“Since you’re going to be with us for a few days, it might be wise to sort out your living situation with Raph. He’s in the weight room, just down the hall.” When she gave Leo a confused look, he smirked at her. “Just follow the noise, you’ll find it.”

Rose could in fact hear the familiar clink of weights being moved somewhere near the living room, and after crossing to her bag she agreed that she should probably go talk to the big brute.

First thing though, was her phone. She remembered dropping it last night when those men knocked her to the ground, but it was miraculously back in her purse now.

They must’ve looked for it, the sweethearts.

She smiled. Sure, they were mutants, but they were the nicest New Yorkers she’d ever met. Nicer than those bastards last night, that’s for sure. A pang of panic and pain shot through her, and she could feel the tears finally start to well up in her throat. Swallowing, she shook her head and chided herself.

“Nope, nope. We’re not gunna do this. I won’t let them make me cry.” She mumbled to herself, irritated that her body just wanted to fall to the floor in tears. She had spent so much of her young life crying, in pain and miserable; this was nothing. She had already been through hell. She couldn't break down over a little peek into the flames again. 

Instead, she forced herself to focus on the lit-up screen in front of her, looking to see if her ex had sent her anything.

Nope.

The notification screen was empty- no texts, calls, anything. He was done and had clearly moved on already.

Great.

She rolled her eyes at her own disappointment and left her phone and bag where she found them, and headed in the direction of the gym.

[something-like-air]

Mini Ino Ship Fic Rec Post!

this is 100% based off of my own personal preferences, but since Ino ships are the topic today and i dont want to study, i’m making a fic rec post for Ino ship fics that I like! i don’t make these often or ever, so there isn’t any particular order to them, though i’ll group ships together! 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25977838 - Puppet Show by Strangebeautiful. InoKarin, blank period with some fun blackmail! it’s a fun way to bring their characters character--Ino with her connections to T&I, and Karin as--well, Karin. I don’t really see a lot of this pairing, but this fic 100% made them work for me. I mean:  

Ino doesn’t answer immediately, and Karin can sense the blonde’s chakra simmering under the surface. She can almost taste it on her tongue, sweet like ice wine and dangerous as a poison-tipped senbon. They are both sensors of the highest of caliber, which leaves Karin wondering why she is so aware of the roiling storm brewing in the other woman.    

i love it so much. I think about that ice wine description literally all the time. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2887313/ - round and round by queenino. It’s a modern au kibaino based loosely off of Taylor Swift’s “Style.” There’s a lot of push and pull between Ino and Kiba, in a way that feels very authentic to both of their characters--Kiba is reckless and likes to talk, Ino is cruel and a little self-absorbed but in a way that makes their relationship more 🔥 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26668429 - The Kindest Man by saichadelic. Choji/Ino, canon-verse, very domestic and fluffy! There’s also a little shikatema in the background, too! 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/17322797 Daisy Chain by SpicedGold. Just... in general? just please read anything SpicedGold writes, regardless of pairings. this fic specifically is a multichapter fic that focuses on Ino raising Inojin with a learning disability, but of course Sai plays a huge role in it, and there are a lot of great moments between them in this fic, and Sai really stands out as a parent and partner. It also has a sequel fic titled Paper Flowers! 

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13287417/1/ Perfect by milklvr! Mostly Ino-centric, but it gradually becomes InoSai in a very gradual and seamless way. It’s canon compliant, and when InoSai happens, it just feels right. 

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13046582/1/bloom bloom by xiaoyings! it’s post-war saiino told in short snippets. there’s also very cute background platonic inoshikacho moments!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14675085 Blood Botany by ThisCatastrophe. kankuino hanahaki fic with some saiino. OKAY. THIS FIC IS BEAUTIFUL BUT IT HURTS LIKE HELL. IT WILL MESS YOU UP. you will finish this fic and sit by the window for an hour afterwards staring out longingly at nothing. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30257559/ Thin Walls by al_holland. Ino/saku AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES modern au oneshot with some wonderful jealousy and pining. it’s hilarious, filthy, and ino is SO in character i wanna choke her. but like, lovingly. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/12272925/chapters/27893850  I only have twelve bullets, and you’re all gonna have to share by Frostberry. Hidan/Ino, which is a rarepair that works hilariously well here--lots of great banter, and Ino is just harsh enough to match up with Hidan’s brutality and foul mouth. The AU itself is a little hard to define? It’s Naruto-verse in the sense that there’s still chakra and the village is mostly the same, but there are guns and some other modern things. It’s inspired by Deadpool, but I’m not familiar enough with the comics or movie to elaborate on that further! it’s still in progress, but according to the desc, it only has one chapter left to go!

https://www.archiveofourown.org/works/24717271 Surrogate by Clementive! I LOVE this au! It’s a modern au with SasuIno, where Ino is Sasuke’s surrogate mother. Honestly, I think I would love this premise for any pairing, but it fits them especially well--one thing that I really appreciate is how well Ino’s story holds its own against Sasuke’s. He’s a hard character to match in terms of angst and backstory, but Ino’s own story here is a really good compliment to his without really moving outside of the scope of what the au equivalent of her canon backstory would be. 

[achingforthestars]

some things i liked and did not like about the rise of skywalker ***spoilers***

now having seen it and having had the time to sit and talk and collect my thoughts, i have a list of the things i didn’t enjoy and, amongst all this negativity, the things i did. 

contains spoilers of course!

things i did not enjoy:

finding out about palpatine off-screen

so stupid! this was one of the things i disliked the most because of what a cheap, lazy writing choice it was. i wanted to see the characters have to put it together, have to work for it and then when facing palpatine, have it be on their terms instead of his? instead we get him announcing his presence and kylo meeting him in the first 3 minutes. 

treatment of characters

i made a post about this. just so much wrong, so many deserved better, most of all rose, rey and ben. a lot of the characters were treated as afterthoughts. 

implied finn having feelings for rey

dumb. overdone. tired.

knights of ren

felt cheap and underused. learned nothing about them, it was something i was waiting 3 movies for and the final chance to show them was wasted. 

the resistance is back to perfect! 

i understand that this was due to the timeskip, which i guess was necessary, but i felt that it was kind of cheap to not show any sort of struggle. a year has passed and BAM they’re right where they were in TFA. the losses faced in TLJ very much felt erased. 

the pacing

awful. just awful. things felt too rushed or too slow pretty much through the entire movie. 

the visuals

much less well-done than TLJ. the use of colour and light was much weaker in my opinion, the locations more generic, and the imagery lacking. that said, palpatine’s lair was so fittingly creepy, and the reylo moment on kijimi/kylo’s ship with the black and white juxtaposition - those were nice. 

irrelevant or convenient plot elements

zorii bliss was not a necessary character. chewie was conveniently on another transport. d-0, while super cute and funny, was also just a deus ex machina. hux being a spy - could have been entirely removed but oh, finn and poe need to get off the ship somehow. rey’s return to ahch-to was rushed, her interactions with luke could have been on any other planet. she did not need to pilot luke’s x-wing specifically but they forced it. lando - lando was basically a consolation prize for chewie with little relevance. pryde literally could have been replaced with hux and made for a more interesting narrative. 

snoke clones

what the fuck was that?

the fleet

somehow the entirety of the fleet was magically stored, 100% operational and with fully functioning crew, under the crust of some random planet? and every single one of those ships has planet-destroying capabilities? 

the other “fleet”

where the fuck were these allies in TLJ, huh? i get that it’s the last stand and maybe more people showed up because of that but damn. 

leia’s absence was felt

i understand this was not in the control of the creators but truly, i felt like there was a gaping hole where leia should have been. 

the Trio

i enjoyed their banter but it felt inconsistent through the movie. rey and poe didn’t get along one minute, the next they’re fine. if this had been introduced and pushed in previous films, it would have made more sense and felt less hollow. as it stands, it felt like a forced attempt to call back the OT vibes that just fell flat.

rey palpatine

ugh. let’s reduce strength to a bloodline and in the process ignore what was set up in the last movie. yay! also, palpatine fucked someone at some point and that is utterly disgusting. 

rey skywalker

felt forced. she did not need to take the skywalker name.

kylo’s transition to ben.

before anyone jumps on me, i want to clarify that specifically i am referring to the speed of his transition from ruthless supreme leader to full on ben. i loved his redemption, i just wish i could have seen him do it more gradually and with a bit more struggle? he just goes from “i will find you rey and turn you dark like me” to “i am ben solo” so quickly that i found it a bit jarring? 

palpatine’s constantly changing plans. 

kill rey, no wait, take the throne rey, no wait, let me kill you both and take the throne myself. pick one you crusty fuck. 

force dyad

honestly why establish it if you’re going to ignore it in about 2 seconds?

inadequate expression of star wars main themes

the ideas of hope, of redemption, of love and of family - all central to star wars, and none properly delivered on. 

ben’s death. 

heartbreaking. he deserved love and happiness and a life. that’s all i can say about that. however, in a transition to things i liked: if he had to die, i’m really pleased that it was with an act of love. he chose to make a sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice, for his soulmate. i don’t like that he had to die, but i can find peace in the way it happened - on his terms, on the light side, in the arms of the woman he loved.

things i did enjoy (a lot actually):

babu frik

was so fucking funny. that is all. 

c-3po.

also surprisingly funny for a droid i’m usually annoyed by?

jannah

i surprisingly really loved her character. i thought she might be an addition like zorii bliss, but i enjoyed naomi ackie’s acting a lot. she felt much more genuine. however i do think there was a missed opportunity in working on her and finn’s shared background as ex-stromtroopers.

force healing abilities

i thought were super cool! i really liked healing the serpent, it was a nice subversion of the expectation to be trapped and outrunning a monster through a labyrinth of corridors. loved how when rey healed kylo, she healed his scar too. just also it’s always nice to see new things being done with the force.

force fighting. 

it was lovely to see force techniques being used in the lightsaber battles (as compared, for instance, to the throne room fight of TLJ); and also to see force-aided physical feats like jumps that don’t look like naruto-style ninja backflips. definitely felt more real.

poe’s moment in the x-wing

taking in the damage and destruction all around him. i felt the weight he was feeling in that moment.

rey picking herself off the ground

after palpatine drains her and kylo’s life force. i loved her moment of peace and centering, gathering the strength to do what comes next. while i didn’t love the voices of the previous jedi, it made for a lovely sequence of “i’m not done with you yet” and showcases her strength.

the moment with ben and han

gorgeous scene echoing han and ben’s last interaction in TFA. just an amazing callback with such different emotion and the final turning of ben back to the light. i really loved this bit.

adam driver’s acting performance in general.

absolutely the best, the most amazing, performance of the film. if nothing else, the switch from kylo to ben, despite having zero dialogue, should speak for itself. he managed to convey a completely different personality through his mannerisms, physicality and visuals alone. oh, and the death/ressurrection scene! the absolute desperation with which he crawls to the woman he loves. the infinite depth of emotion adam manages to transmit through only his eyes and his facial expressiveness. he deserves an oscar nomination for this in my opinion. 

reylo kiss

i don’t even need to explain this. the smile. the pure happiness, the tender touch, the moment of just love and joy and letting themselves be together, finally. i could not have asked for more of a beautiful first kiss. we’re ignoring what comes after. 

overall impression

tros fell flat. i lived for ben’s redemption and reylo, but this was not enough to make up for the mistreatment of most of the characters, the poorly coordinated and frankly rushed structure, and most importantly, the failure to deliver on its themes of family and hope. i felt like it tried to do too much and achieved too little. 

[onomatophia]

Title: Mistletoe Kiss

Pairing: SasuSaku

A/N: Forgive me, I cannot seem to write a Sasuke-kun that's not OOC.

-

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke turned his head toward his pretty pink-haired team mate who's approaching him.

"How come you're not on top of the Christmas tree? I thought that's where angels belonged," Sakura said and then gave him a wink.

Sasuke felt his face grow hot and scowled at Sakura in reply as he heard Naruto and Ino, who were sitting beside him, snicker at him.

Naruto held a Christmas party in his apartment and because Sasuke is staying with him for a while, he has no choice but to get off his brooding ass and join the party.

"Pardon me," Sakura continued when she finally reached where they all sat and pointed at Sasuke's lap, "But is this seat taken?" she asked then smirked at him.

Naruto and Ino only guffawed when Sasuke all but spewed out his drink and stood up, not quite knowing what to do.

"I'm just gonna," Sasuke started but trailed off uncomfortably when he felt Sakura intensely looking at him and decided to just gesture the way to the kitchen and removed himself from the group.

"Sakura-chan, when will you stop bullying the poor bastard?" Naruto asked, shaking his head at her and trying to hold back his grin.

"When it stops being fun," she answered jokingly and took Sasuke's seat.

Sakura watched Sasuke head to the kitchen with amusement as she continued to drink her beer.

Sasuke-kun, she muses, is really fun to tease. His neck and ears go all red and he gets all awkward and panicky. He's usually cool and composed but whenever she's around, he transforms into this stuttering mess and she decided to take advantage of it.

Sasuke just came back from his two-year sojourn around villages outside Konoha two weeks ago and Sakura has picked up the habit of flirting with him every now and then.

It all started when she and Naruto welcomed Sasuke at the village gates and because she didn't know how to act around him, she just told him a pick up line out of nowhere to ease the tension between them.

"So how are you, Sasuke-kun?" she asked when he turned to acknowledge her presence after a quick banter with Naruto.

Sasuke looked at her for a few seconds and turned away immediately, his ears turning red, "I'm fine," he mumbled.

Sakura, still stupefied that he's here, right in front of her, answered him absentmindedly, "Hey, I didn't ask how you looked!"

There was a moment of silence among the three of them before Sakura realized what she said and she would have been embarrassed if she did not saw the blush creeping into Sasuke-kun's face.

And so the Bullying-Sasuke-kun-Everytime-She-Had-A-Chance project begins.

"You must be tired, Sasuke-kun," she continued, a mischievous smirk forming on her lips.

Sasuke looked at her suspiciously and was about to reply when she cut him off.

"Because you're running through my mind all night," Sakura finished.

Sasuke all but sputtered, trying to form a dignified response and Naruto just gagged at his two best friends.

"It's a good thing you went to see me and get a check up," Sakura blabbered to him one day when he visited her at the hospital, when really, it was just an excuse so he could spend time with her.

"Cause I think you're lacking some Vitamin Me," she continued and then gave him a cheeky grin.

"I think I'm gonna need a second opinion," Sasuke deadpanned.

Most of the time, she didn't even have to tell him some lame pick up line. She just had to intentionally brush their fingers when she hands him a scroll from Kakashi, or she just had to sit beside him closely and stare at him intently or just randomly wink at him when they spar, then bam! Sasuke goes from being a tall scary dude to a blushing and embarrassed teenage girl.

But sometimes, Sasuke-kun can be super dumb.

"If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put 'U' and 'I' together," Sakura told him one time at Ichiraku's while they waited for Naruto.

Sasuke frowned and scrunched his forehead, "Why would you do that? It's hard enough to guess which letter comes next without having to sing the alphabet all over from the start every damn time and now you want to make it even more complicated."

Sakura just stared at him for a long time and laughed at him, "Sasuke-kun, you are an idiot."

"Me? Idiot? I'm not the one who wants to jumble alphabet letters and complicate everyone's lives around here."

-

Sasuke was standing by the kitchen counter and trying to open a beer bottle when he felt someone enter the kitchen. He turned around and saw Sakura by the doorway, looking all pretty with that stupid bright smile of hers, that stupid pastel pink hair, that stupid clear green eyes, and that stupid cute red dress she's wearing paired with a stupid cute boots.

He chastised himself for losing his cool around her earlier for what seemed to be the nth time whenever she flirts with him. She knows just how much she affects him and she's enjoying it.

Sasuke just nodded at her and took a swig from his beer, trying to keep it cool and get his shit together around the girl he wants to spend the rest of his life with likes.

He just continued awkwardly standing there and took a peek at Sakura out of the corner of his eye. He gulped when he heard her approach him slowly, looking as if she was planning something terrible.

"I just came to check on you, Sasuke-kun. You've been gone for quite a while," She said as she neared him.

His heart started pounding when she stood just a feet away from him, looking so beautiful with that smile.

"Sasuke-kun," she whispered.

Sasuke looked around to find that he and Sakura were alone in the kitchen, the sounds of Naruto and Kiba's ruckus muffled outside.

"There's just you and me here, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said and closed the distance between them.

There were only the two of them in the kitchen and he doesn't know if he should feel scared or excited or both.

Sasuke cleared his throat and nervously backed away from Sakura.

Ever since his return home, he and Sakura never really got the chance to be alone together because she was always busy with the hospital while Naruto always pestered him. He doesn't really know what to do when he's around her because there's always this thick air of tension between them.

Yes, they have this unspoken promise of a future together before he left her two years ago but how can it happen if he keeps transforming into a pile of ridiculous mess whenever she's near him?

Sakura stepped forward while giving him a smouldering look that makes him want to pull his hair out of his head. Sasuke looked away and took a step back at the same time that Sakura stepped forward once more.

He was about to take another step behind when his back hit the kitchen counter and Sakura smirked evilly as she started to lean into him, putting her arms on his either side, effectively trapping him.

He could use his powers and disappear anytime or he could just push Sakura away but his body seemed immobile as he was locked into her stare. This woman is dangerous, he thinks.

Sakura looked up and forced out a laugh as she returned her gaze back to him, "Oh wow. How did that mistletoe get here?"

Sasuke looked up and gulped once more when he saw that hanging above them was indeed a mistletoe.

"Y-yes," he replied lamely. He didn't even know what it was that she said.

"There's something I want more than anything right now, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, her gaze turning from his eyes to his lips.

Sasuke could feel his heart hammering loudly in his chest he was afraid that she might actually hear it. Be a man, Sasuke, goddamnit.

"What?" he asked nervously, his gaze at her lips.

"Well, it's the holidays. And it's just the two of us here, Sasuke-kun," she replied.

"Yeah?" Sasuke asked, his mouth suddenly dry.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sakura stood on her tippy toes and whispered to his ear that made him shiver, "I want something hot, something to keep me warm tonight."

Sasuke's eyes widened a little, his pants suddenly tightening. They haven't even gone out on a date yet!

"Sakura, are you sure that this is what you want?" Sasuke choked out, his heart still beating fast in anxiety and anticipation.

"Sasuke-kun, this all I've been thinking about ever since I got here," she said and then smiled seductively at him. "Don't you want it, too?"

Sasuke can't place it but there's something sinister hidden in her smile.

"Here?" Sasuke asked, still looking unsure.

Sakura leaned on him further, her hands reaching for something behind him.

"Of course. Where else?" she asked, her voice husky.

Their faces are only an inch apart and he could feel her breath fanning his cheek. Her lips brushed the shell of his ear that almost made him whimper if not for the years of practiced self restraint. Their eyes are locked into each other as she leaned closer to him. He could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest. He was sure that their lips would meet when suddenly-

Click.

"Do you want marshmallows in your hot cocoa too, Sasuke-kun?"

"What."

Sasuke blinked and saw that Sakura stepped away from him, grinning widely. He then turned around and saw the electric kettle behind him turned on. It must have been the thing she was reaching for while leaning into him earlier.

He frowned and looked back at Sakura again, who was now wearing an innocent look.

Sakura moved around him and picked up two mugs from the dish rack and set them back down at the counter. She stood beside Sasuke, looking as if she's trying not to laugh, "What is it, Sasuke-kun? You look like a puppy who's been denied a treat."

Sasuke grinded his teeth when he finally got back to his senses and realized that she's making fun of him again!

"Well if you want, we could continue whatever it is you're thinking of earlier, Sasuke-kun," Sakura continued and winked at him.

Sasuke could feel the blood rushing to his face and only glared at Sakura in response.

This time, Sakura could not hold it anymore and laughed out loud, "Hahahaha! Forgive me, Sasuke-kun! You're just so cute when you get all flustered!"

"Oh really?" Sasuke asked through gritted teeth while he mustered his fiercest death glare.

Sakura seemed unaffected by what is obviously his burgeoning wrath and only laughed harder and pointed at him continuously. This woman is just not afraid of him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! You looked like a lost puppy earlier!" She kept saying while still laughing.

Sasuke just stood there, his anger at this pretty pink haired teammate who drives him crazy is starting to dissipate as she continued to grace the room with the sound of her laugh. He could feel the side of his lips involuntary lifting up as he gazed at her. Suddenly it doesn't matter that she was laughing at his expense and she kept bruising his ego. The fact that she was laughing uncontrollably, the fact that there was clear joy in her green eyes, and the fact that he was the reason for it makes his heart swell with pride.

And he doesn't know if it's the swig of beer he just drank, or if it's because it's just the two of them here and no one's around or if it's because he's so pathetically smitten with her, but he decided to do the craziest thing.

"Sakura."

Sakura finally stopped laughing and looked at him, smiling widely and the sides of her eyes crinkling, "Yes, Sasu-"

She was cut off when Sasuke pulled her close and descended his face down to hers when she bumped into his chest. Their lips met for a few seconds before Sasuke finally pulled away while he could still stop himself.

Sakura's eyes widened and immediately stepped back, "What? I'm, what? What just happened?"

All of the embarrassment Sasuke felt after the kiss suddenly vanished when he saw her stuttering and blushing and panicking in front of him. She was looking at him disbelievingly and opened and closed her mouth multiple times.

He finally gets why Sakura teases him often. It is indeed fun.

Sasuke smirked and leaned into her, "We're under the mistletoe, remember?" he said huskily. He felt her shiver before he stepped back from her, making him proud of himself.

He then headed out of the kitchen, taking one last look at her, still blushing and shell shocked at what had just transpired.

Who's flustered now, eh?

[konyah]

Gentle Love

Chapter One – Promises

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto

Read on AO3 | Part of Origins series

A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry I took a little break there! I ended up getting pretty sick a few weeks ago, and last week was Golden Week so I spent that traveling (Okinawa, Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, and Tokyo). I’m glad to finally be writing the next part of the Origins series! This will focus on Naruto and Hinata’s relationship, and as of right now, I have 10 chapters planned out. I think this will be the official line up for the next parts in the Origins series: Shikatema, Saino, Metal Lee’s origin story, and Kakairu. Then I’ll work on the NextGen kids. The series is untitled right now, but it will include: Borusara, Shikajin, Mitsuhima, and Konohana. Maybe more as the series continues, but I don’t have any other ships so far in NextGen. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this story!!

--

Four months. It had been four months since the two started officially dating. While she always dreamed about this day, she never thought it would actually happen due to her own anxieties.

However; here she was.

Hinata couldn’t help but to giggle as Naruto told her an incredibly lame joke, her mind wondering how she got lucky to be with such a wonderful man.

“Thank you!” He put his arms out in an exasperated gesture, “When I told that joke to Shikamaru, he said it was stupid and to shut up. For a genius, he doesn’t really keep up with jokes, y’know?”

“Probably because your jokes suck, idiot.”

Naruto and Hinata didn’t even realize that Ino and Sakura were in front of them.

“They do not suck! Hinata thought it was funny.” Naruto squinted his eyes at Ino.

“Out of pity, maybe?” The Yamanaki smirked, hoping to get a rouse out of the other blond.

Sakura rolled her eyes before offering a friendly smile to the couple to change the subject, “So, what are you two up to?” She’d rather not deal with Naruto’s complaining.

“I’m on a date with my foxy lady!” Naruto wrapped his arm around Hinata with a proud smile.

Sakura gagged, while Ino frowned, “Disgusting. Never say that again…”

“Eh? I thought it was cute. It’s a play on words with Kurama, y’know?” He looked over at Hinata, who was also weirded out.

“I-I don’t think it’s cute…” She looked away.

Naruto tapped his finger to his lips, thinking.

“Don’t hurt yourself there, bud.” Ino snickered.

“Oh! I got it.” Ignoring Ino’s remark, Naruto smiled to his girlfriend, “What about Hime?”

Lavender eyes went wide as crimson flushed to her cheeks.

“Aw!” Sakura chuckled with a coo, “She likes that.”

Naruto’s smile spread to his ears as he pulled Hinata into a bear hug, “It’s settled then! She’s my Hime!”

The four talked a bit more, before going on their respective ways. Naruto and Hinata ate at Ichiraku, then he walked her home while holding hands.

“Thanks for taking me out today, Naruto-kun.” She smiled up at him when they stopped outside her clan’s residential gate, “It was a lot of fun.” He nodded with a cheesy smile, “Yeah. Thanks for comin’ with.”

“And if it means anything, I enjoy your jokes.” Hinata giggled as she stepped a little closer to him for a hug. Naruto lovingly wrapped his arms around her shoulders with a playful snort, “Thanks, Hime. That’s because you’re actually smart.”

Their lips met with a smile, only molding for a few moments before separating. Usually, Hinata would say her last goodbyes for the night, but something in her core urged her to kiss him again. (Was it the way his strong arms were wrapped around her? Or his incredibly handsome smile?)

It was slow and gentle, but definitely more heated. His tongue timidly flicked at her lips, which she granted access with a welcoming sigh. For the first time since their first kiss, their tongues met. His hands moved to her warm cheeks to deepen the kiss as hers moved to grasp at the sides of his shirt and pull him closer.

When they parted for air, lilac met with cyan as their noses touched. She noticed that his eyes looked at her in a way that she’d never seen before. Little did she know, her eyes reflected the same feeling.

Swollen lips gently feathered against his one more, quick, time before parting. “Goodnight, Naruto-kun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Y-Yeah…” His eyes never left her until she disappeared behind the gate.

With a content smirk, heart still fluttering, he walked back to his place with his arms behind his neck, whistling a random tune.

Two weeks later

For the first time since dating, Naruto invited Hinata over to his place for dinner. He admitted he wasn’t the best cook, but he had been practicing for her. Even though she was little nervous to be in his room for the first time, she agreed.

It was a small studio-esque apartment. A main room for sleeping with a small table for eating at, a separate bathroom, and a kitchenette area. Despite him cleaning a bit, the room was still a little unorganized.

She thought it was comforting; it reminded her of him. Especially the un-made bed she was sitting on.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a pan crashing to the floor, followed by a string of swear words. Hinata looked up right as he turned around, a giant, steaming, water stain on his stomach. He quickly ripped his shirt off while still cursing.

“Naruto-kun!” She quickly stood up, “Go sit down, I’ll get a wet rag.”

After placing the cool towel over him (followed by a satisfied “aaaaaah”), she let out a chuckle, “At least it’s not blistering, so it isn’t too serious. Does it still hurt?” She was sitting on the bed; her hips close to his.

“A little…” He playfully frowned, “You should kiss it better.”

Naruto expected Hinata to blush and cover her face – it was always so adorable when she did that. Instead, her cheeks only flushed a light pink as she gazed into his eyes. Slowly, she tucked her hair behind the ear closest to him and bent down to gently kiss his tattoo, under the towel, where the burn was.

He gulped as innocent eyes looked up at him after the quick kiss. Pink cheeks turned red as she realized how that just looked to him. Though, it wasn’t out of embarrassment. She felt it too. Feeling a little confident, Hinata slowly moved her face to his for a kiss. This time, she didn’t even need to back away before the kiss heated up. Her tongue ran along the roof of his mouth, earning a needy moan in response. Naruto carefully sat up to encourage Hinata to lay on her back, which she obliged. Her hands explored his shirtless torso as fingers danced across taut muscles. He didn’t care that the cool cloth fell to the floor.

Her touches only ignited the fire in his belly, and it took all of his strength to ignore Kurama’s crude joke (something along the lines of “about time, virgin”).  

Naruto began to kiss down her slim neck and fingers weaved into blond strands. However, her eyes snapped open when she felt his hands at the hem of her shirt, slowly pulling the fabric up. He got it to the top of her stomach before she swiftly pushed his shoulders up.

“N-Naruto-kun…” Her head was spinning with a mixture of emotions, “W-Wait…”

Naruto swallowed as hot breaths left his lips, “What’s the matter, Hinata? Do ya wanna stop?”

She thought for a moment before guiltily nodding, “I-I’m sorry…” Tears formed in the corner of her eyes, “But I want to wait until marriage before going any further. I know it’s not fair since you’re already shirtless, and I know you really want to bu-“

Naruto brought a finger up to her lips, “It’s okay, Hime. You don’t need to explain yourself.” He offered a genuine smile, “Just saying no is enough for me. But I guess we should talk about this more, huh? What are ya comfy with?” The jinchuuriki casually lowered Hinata’s shirt so her stomach was covered again.

Hinata really appreciated that – both the action and his words, “Kissing… like we were before… was fine.” She looked away with a blush, “Especially my neck…”

Naruto raised one eyebrow with a devilish smirk, “So ya like it when I kiss your neck?” Hinata sucked in a breath of air as she felt his nose tickle the skin there. “Like this?”

She was expecting a kiss, but instead jumped when he blew a raspberry instead. She squealed with laughter as he continued. “Or maybe here?” He moved to the opposite side as she squirmed in his arms.

“N-Naruto-kun! Stop it!” Her stomach quivered with laughter, “I-I can’t breathe!”

He chuckled while pulling back to kiss the tip of her nose, “Don’t stress about telling me what you’re comfortable with, okay? I want you to be happy, y’know?”

She nodded with a smile, grateful Naruto was so understanding, “Okay. I promise.”

“Now, where were we?” He leaned down, letting his lips touch hers without kissing.

Just as Hinata rested her hand at the back of Naruto’s neck and leaned up to kiss him, her stomach loudly growled.

Naruto laughed as Hinata blushed, “I guess we should eat dinner first, y’know?”

Months Later

It had already been over a year since the two started dating, and Naruto felt it was time for him to propose to her. He felt that’s what she wanted – when they’d walk by dress shops, she would look at the window longingly (she thought he didn’t notice), and she blushed a deep shade of maroon when people inquired about when they’d get married.

So, in front of him, sat: Kiba, Shino, Kurenai, Sakura, and Ino.

“You want to propose to her?!” Sakura smiled, “About time! She’s only been madly in love with you since the Academy.”

“Right,” Naruto nodded, “I know I want to, but I just don’t know how to. I’ve been thinkin’ about this for weeks, y’know? No ideas.”

Kiba snickered, “Knowing you, you would write “Marry Me?” on a container of cup noodles.”

“No, he’d spell it out on the ground with a bunch of cups.” Sakura chimed in with his banter.

“Eh?!” Naruto was shocked, “Do you think that’d be okay? Would she like that? I know I’d say yes to that kind of proposal.”

Ino moaned with annoyance, “No no no! It has to be romantic… Oh! Fireworks would be cool! Have them write it out!”

“Ooooh! That’d be cool!” Naruto put his fist in his hand.

“Hold up,” Kurenai crossed her arms with a chuckle, “Think about who he’s proposing to. Hinata isn’t that flashy. Think smaller and more intimate.”

“Oh, right…” Naruto let out a disappointed sigh and slumped his shoulders dramatically, “Man, this is so difficult.”

“Have you talked to her dad? Or Hanabi.” Shino quietly spoke up, “They know her best.”

“That’s a great idea, Shino!” He put his hand on Shino’s shoulder, “Thanks!”

Before anyone could say anything, Naruto ran off towards the Hyuga residence. Lucky for him, Hinata was out on a mission and wouldn’t be back until the next day.

Once inside, Naruto froze up a bit. He knew that Hiashi didn’t hate Naruto – in fact, he thought Naruto was a great partner for Hinata. Not only was he strong, but he helped her become more confident. Still, the idea of asking about proposing to Hinata made him nervous. Would he think it was too soon?

Defaulting to what he had seen in movies, Naruto bowed his head to the floor in front of Hiashi and Hanabi.

“I-I’ll be honest, I’m not really sure how to go about this. But, I, uh, really love Hinata, y’know. And I want to ask her to marry me. I promise to protect her with my life, even when I become Hokage one day. She’s the sun of my world, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

“Naruto, lift your head.” Hiashi spoke with a flat tone. Naruto heard from Hinata how the man used to be harsh to her and Hanabi as children. He was expecting the man to fight him for the right to marry Hinata.

He gulped, expecting to fight or for rejection. Hiashi glanced at Hanabi, who nodded back.

“Hinata isn’t my property; you don’t have to ask permission to marry her.” He offered a comforting smile, “I trust her judgement, and I trust you.”

Naruto smiled to where his teeth were showing, “Thank you!”

“How are you going to propose?” Hanabi giggled, excited. She knew her sister would be incredibly happy by this.

“That’s the thing.” His smile slightly faded, “I don’t know how to. I want it to be special, but I know she doesn’t like over-the-top, y’know?”

“Oh!” Hanabi turned to her father, “Mom’s old necklace. You gave it to her at your wedding, right, Dad? I think sis would love getting that.”

Hiashi nodded, then stood up to walk to the little shrine in the room dedicated to his late wife, “That’s right.” He carefully picked up the emerald necklace, then walked over to Naruto. “Hold out your hand.”

Once Naruto did, Hiashi placed it in his palm, “Hinata always loved this necklace. After her mother passed away, I would occasionally catch her touching the jewel, as if Hinata were still holding her hand. I think my wife would want you to give this to her.”

Naruto was almost speechless, “A-Are you sure?”

Hiashi nodded, blinking away the tears that threatened to spill.

Before Naruto left, at the front door, Hiashi spoke up again, “Take good care of her.”

The blond smiled, “It’s a promise.”

A week later.

Naruto decided it was time. He planned out the perfect date – with the help of Hanabi, of course.

They started out the evening at Hinata’s favorite restaurant, which served Zanzai soup. It was one of her favorite dishes, and she claimed it almost tasted like her mom’s. While the restaurant with a little pricier than they usually went to, Naruto confirmed that it was okay since he’d been going on a lot of missions recently, so he had the extra money.

After, the main garden park of Konoha was illuminated with beautiful lights as the weather became colder. Besides the fairy lights and full moon, it was completely dark outside. At one point, Hinata shivered due to a frigid breeze. Naruto kindly wrapped his scarf around her neck. Hinata protested while puffing her cheeks out in a pout, claiming she made the scarf for him to use. Compromising, she wrapped half of it around him as well. They had to walk in each other’s arms, which worked for warmth and comfort.

“Oh, hey, I wanted to give ya somethin’.” Naruto stepped in front of his girlfriend.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Hinata frowned, “You don’t need to buy me things, Naruto-kun.”

“Ah, no. I didn’t buy this.” He chuckled, hand shakedly reaching into his back pocket. Hinata thought it was because of the temperature. When he brought his hand up, the item fell. Acting fast, Hinata was able to catch it.

Idiot… Naruto cursed at himself.

“T-This is…” She looked down at the necklace, then back up at him, “Where did you get this? How?”  

“Your dad.” He awkwardly held her arms as she looked at the jewelry, “He said it’d be a good gift to give ya when I propose.”

This is when she realized he was shaking out of nerves, not because he was chilly.

“Eh???” She let out a surprised gasp.

“Will you marry me?” His voice was barely a whisper – as if they were in a crowded room, and he wanted to tell her something private.

Hinata’s eyes closed as she began to cry. Naruto’s went wide, fearful that he asked too soon. Before he can apologize, she tightly wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Yes!” She nodded into his chest, as more tears fell, “Absolutely, yes! Yes, yes, yes times a hundred!”

Relieved, Naruto returned the hug. Their lips met passionately without hesitation, smiling through the kiss.

With still shaky hands, Naruto carefully helped put the necklace on his fiancée. Their eyes met, both filled with joy.

“I love you, Hime.”

She smiled, “I love you, dear.”

Next Chapter

[dropintomanga]

Visiting Crunchyroll Expo - A Glimpse of Otaku Culture’s Future in the Bay Area

After disappearing from the fan convention scene for a year, I decided to make my return to anime conventions by going all the way across the country for the debut con from North America’s premier anime streaming service. Crunchyroll Expo was touted as a convention that would spice things up, compared to most anime conventions. Although it felt like a regular anime convention and I didn’t notice any subtleties that made the con stand out, CR Expo got me back into the game in good fashion.

The first thing I liked when going there was how the crowds weren’t too bad on the 1st day. There was foot traffic, but it wasn’t hectic. Walking around was smooth. The convention center it was held at, the Santa Clara Convention Center, was enough for the event. The area outside the convention was absolutely gorgeous. It was hot, but being in California has a funny way of making you appreciate nature.

I got to check out only 1 panel on the 1st day, “But Have You Read the Manga?” The panelists, Anime News Network’s Mike Toole, Anime News Network’s Jacob Chapman, and voice actor/Youtuber ProZD all spoke about various anime adaptations of their favorite manga series. They mentioned notable series like A Silent Voice, Parasyte, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Mob Psycho 100, and Fruits Basket. All 3 praised and criticized what medium was better for certain series. But as some fans may tell you, there was a huge elephant in the room - Fullmetal Alchemist. The panel suddenly become a friendly war about which version of FMA (manga, Brotherhood, 2003 anime series) was better. All the panelists noted FMA’s status as perhaps THE manga that sparks fans to tell other fans to read the manga because it’s “better.” They encouraged manga fans to be friendly but not demanding when recommending the original source material to their friends.

As someone who prefers manga to anime with few exceptions, I learned that maybe if people just want to watch the anime, then just let them. I don’t need to be a total hipster or elitist about it, even though I do wish people read more comics in general.

On the 2nd day, I got to check out my first CRX Chat, which is basically a 15-minute presentation on any topic related to Japanese pop culture. The CRX Chat I attended was “Why Manga Matters” by Dallas Middaugh, Crunchyroll’s head of content management who used to work for Viz Media, Kodansha Comics, and Seven Seas Entertainment. He went over briefly about the history of comics and then to the early 20th century. Dallas also made a point about how a psychiatrist blamed American comics for ruining the lives of children, which stalled the growth of American comics. In Japan, no such thing happened. It was basically a matter of time allowance that made manga a force in creating anime that fans love.

Boy, am I glad I’m on the right side in terms of psychology for once. It just sucked that 15 minutes was the limit for such a chat because Dallas knows A LOT about manga publishing. I spoke to him afterwards and he said he was amazed he kept the presentation in such a small time frame.

I checked out the “Manga Publishing 101″ panel afterwards. It was a basic panel featuring Crunchyroll Manga, Japanime/Manga University, VIZ Media, and Dark Horse Comics, but I still learned a bit about the thought process from how the  U.S. manga publishers did things. They did make a note that an anime adaptation of a manga doesn’t always mean success for the manga in question. Some described success stories for titles (Princess Jellyfish, Goodnight Punpun, Attack on Titan) they couldn’t have predicted. What sort of surprised me was the publishers stating that they don’t make as much money when compared to the bookstores and distributors. It reminded me of the saying, “The ones digging for gold aren’t the ones getting rich; it’s the ones selling the shovels.”

I did ask a question about Golden Kamuy, a title that Viz Media licensed and one that’s gotten the attention of a lot of internet users, because the Viz representative mentioned how historical manga don’t seem to sell well in the U.S. when talking about what series manga publishers won’t bring over stateside. Her answer was basically personal tastes and memes, which pretty much describes the series in a nutshell. 

I later went to CR Expo’s Main Stage for 3 of its biggest guests, Johnny Weir, Kore Yamazaki, and Yoshitaka Amano, to end my day. Weir was an interesting guest, as his association with anime was tied to being a fan of Yuri on Ice!! He talked about his life and career. The fan Q&A segment was unique as almost all the fans asked questions about figure skating. Only the last question was related to anime, as it was about which other anime Weir liked.

Afterwards, Kore Yamazaki the creator of The Ancient Magus Bride, came out, along with her editor. This was a fun panel because Yamazaki drew 1 page of Chapter 41 on stage and fans got to witness light banter between a mangaka and their respective editor. There was a cute moment where Yamazaki’s editor praised her in front of everyone by telling her that she makes amazing manga. I want to see more of mangaka & editors together working on ongoing manga (if possible) in future cons honestly. You don’t really get to see this a whole lot, so it was refreshing to see.

Yoshitaka Amano drew an easel on stage in his panel and it was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. He had an art exhibit of his works in Vampire Hunter D and Final Fantasy. I regret not seeing him when he was in New York Comic-Con for several years. Amano is a boss.

On the last day, I only attended 1 CRX Chat, “Action as Storytelling” by Crunchyroll’s Nate Ming. It was pretty informative as he went into what makes action effective. He listed several movies and anime that use action well to tell the story the author wanted. Nate praised Rock Lee as a character who helps provide transition to bigger moments or showcase how powerful certain characters. Lee’s an important placeholder whose losses matter a lot. What Nate said about Lee earned brownie points from me. He listed his action series recommendations, which included Hajime no Ippo, Haikyuu!!, Gintama, and My Hero Academia.

Speaking of My Hero Academia, that was the most popular cosplay at the con. I thought it was about time since the 1st season didn’t have much to generate a huge fan reaction. We finally have our new Naruto.

Overall, I felt Crunchyroll Expo had a solid debut. The Bay Area needed a grand anime convention that can rival the likes of Anime Expo. Hey, it’s more interesting if a NorCal vs. SoCal battle happened for anime cons. I do like the idea of CRX Chats as they aren’t as intense as panels. You also don’t have to deal with awkward questions from fans. The staff did a great job in making sure things were organized. 

I think the only major concern I have was regarding the lack of manga on sale at the con. I overheard someone saying they wanted to buy copies of The Ancient Magus Bride at the con, but no vendor at CR Expo was selling them. The obligatory Kinokuniya Bookstore booth didn’t have any manga on sale. This felt like such a lost opportunity. I get that Crunchyroll’s main focus is on anime, but If there was a short talk about why manga matters, then show it. If manga publishers have officially stated in San Diego Comic-Con 2017 that there’s a growing demand for manga in conventions, why not have more of it next year and beyond? Dark Horse did have a panel at CR Expo this year and I figured the US manga publishers were exhausted due to all the summer conventions that happened, so I’ll give them a break.

I do want to go to CR Expo next year and contribute to a growing manga presence if I can. Even though I had to balance con commitments with family commitments, CR Expo was a fun experience where I got to see old friends, met new people, had good food, and remembered how much fun being a observant of fandom was. I’ve been lucky to be able to go to a gorgeous state like California. I treat Northern California as my 2nd home now.

This experience was a mini training arc for what perhaps will be an intense yet interesting time where “content wars” will have a grand effect on anime/manga fandom. 

For the Guts in me who finds some peace in despair, I say bring it on. 

Here are some pictures of cosplayers from CR Expo I enjoyed seeing.

[wickermallow]

Top Ten Naruto Ships

Ooh, fun! I was tagged by @mschifknight  

Let’s see.... I have to break down my actual ships now to see which ones are just “what-ifs” and which ones are like, legitimate “I would die for these” haha

1: Sasuhina

I mean duh, it would have to be. Haven’t written real fic for any other pairing yet, so that must mean these cuties are close to my heart. Seriously though, I love their potential dynamic. I know we saw nothing of them together in canon but that just makes me even more curious! Think of all the ways potential interactions could go; there are infinite possibilities.

2: Shikatem

Listen. I love these guys. I loved them since their first interaction. Such sizzle! Such tension! Two of the smartest, most talented ninja in a spicy showdown that could only end in love! I love their banter and their kid is cute too :D Also Temari is one of my fav Naruto ladies. Stylish and strong.

3. Nejiten

If I could rewrite at least one thing in Naruto, it would be Neji’s ending. He didn’t deserve that! It was so unnecessary. I really felt like Neji and Tenten had such a deep bond. He was always working to support her and she quietly helped him along too. Great rapport. One of my fav moments in one of the games was after a conversation with Team Gai and Neji’s thinking to himself how he wants to buy Tenten sweets because she’s feeling upset. Gah, too cute!

4. Narusaku

I still get frustrated about this. I feel like Naruto and Sakura really grew and bonded while Sasuke was gone. They were a broken team and were left struggling... but they took care of each other. Naruto acted like a good a lot of the time, but you can really tell how much he knew and cared for her, especially in the scene where she confesses to him in an attempt to make him abandon Sasuke. He could have been terrible to her, or gotten angry, but he was just sad. They did their best to encourage each other and their shared charming obnoxiousness was so cute.

5. Gaahina

(why are there no real gifs of these two? ah well, have an old drawing of them instead)

I’m Hinata multi-shipper trash, I know. I just feel like her personality could interact well with a lot of different people! (I also multiship Naruto though, so it’s not like, weird or anything haha) Gaahina was first suggested by my sister when we were watching it together and the more I thought about it, the cuter it seemed! Both of them are so polite and sweet. I think they’d really work hard to take care of their loved ones together and also heal from their respective family damages. I want to write a fic of them so bad! 

6. Minato and Kushina

Gaaaahhhh power couple goals <3 They loved each other soooo much and I cried violently when Naruto was learning the truth about their deaths. I wanted my happy family to be together forever, dang it! They deserved happiness! There isn’t much to be said, since we all know the gist. But goodness, what a lovely couple.

7. Yahiko and Konan

Oh, look, more tears. Yahiko was a really, really good kid. He wanted to do his best to change the world for the better, and because of everyone else’s foolishness and greed, he died. Konan is another of my fav ladies. She really did so much behind the scenes work, and her trap for Tobi was insanely creative and well-thought-out. I wish we’d seen a better end/remembrance for her efforts and sacrifices. They were so sweet together and I would’ve liked to see them get a happier ending. 

8. Itahina

I am an easily-pleased person. Either of the Uchiha with Hinata is a fun experiment. Itachi’s cooler but somehow dorkier personality would be so fun to bounce off of Hinata’s meekness. One of my fav fics is an Itahina! (It’s Dreamcatcher by Airyo, you should go read it.)

9. LeeSaku

I just wish she would have given him the slightest chance! Lee is a 100% effort type of guy and I feel like he would’ve really spoiled Sakura and she deserves that, after all she’s been through. Also, I think they look cute together, hehe

 ♥（ﾉ´∀`）

10.  Tsunade and literally any of the potential relationships she could have had

Seriously. I love Tsunade and I’m so sad she was alone in the end. Everyone she’d ever loved died! What the heck, that’s so sad! #giveTsunadeadatefriend2k17

Bonus: Itachi x Peace and Happiness

Let the man rest.

This was really fun! Thank you for tagging me :D I tag all of my Naruto followers! Tell me about your ships!

[vesperlionheart]

Under the Rabbit’s Moon 2

Part 1

Her next unsolicited invader wasn’t another Senju boy, but surprisingly it was one of the Uchiha’s brood. Not nearly as young as Kawarama, the older Uchiha child was able to see through her first genjutsu with no problem, and even managed to dismantle her second layer of illusion. Sakura held herself back from the third layer, watching to see if he would catch it.

He didn’t, and it was with much snickering that Sakura helped herself to the snoring child who looked pretty enough to put on a coin.

“Careful, Sakura sama, at this rate you’re going to want your own if you keep collecting little boys from the bushes,” one of the sentry nin volunteers teased her.

“Why would I want that when they just seem to grow on trees? I can pick them off whenever I want.” Sakura cradled the child in her arms, noting his weight was greater than Kawarama’s and his body was more developed. He looked so much like Sasuke when he was that age.

Sakura couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to let this one go.

There was a stream that fed into her camp from the mountains, and along the way there was a pleasant sort of bend that Sakura liked to visit when she needed to leave her settlement behind and pretend she didn’t hid herself in layers of genjutsu just to be safe while she waited to find some direction in life.

It was at this same river bend that Sakura sat down to figure out exactly how many years it had been sine she ripped open the moon goddess’s chrysalis and cheated death. That had been three years and eight months ago, making her older than she first figured.

It was also at this same river bend that Sakura felt safe enough to stretch her limits and find how far she could take the stolen power before it snapped back on her like a rubber band.

There was a well of new potential in her, but Sakura still had the same limits of chakra. Many of the things she now had the ability to do, were beyond her practical control because they used too much chakra. She had so little to spare in comparison to people like Naruto or Sasuke. Yeah, her control was perfect, but her potential was limited.

Sakura found her favorite spot and set Izuna down against a tree’s trunk. He mumbled something in his sleep that sounded like his brother’s name and it was cute enough to make her giggle. He really did remind her of Sasuke and she wondered if it was a unique Uchiha trait for younger brothers to worship their elder brothers.

 Just like Sasuke.

Discarding her sandals and hiking up her simple cloth kimono Sakura waded into the water. It lapped at her knees and she could almost touch it with her fingertips without bending down. It was cool on her skin.

In the quiet Sakura pooled chakra into her eyes and looked down at herself in the water. Her reflection was warped as she looked through what she thought were seven different layers of colored glass. The world was a mess and she blinked, tearing up and staggering before her vision focused. She felt herself emptying as she struggled to maintain the mutation of two Rinnegan. A cold sweat broke out and then sakura felt her limit come up and the swirling purple light fled her eyes in a flash of what felt like knives.

Sakura cursed, wiping her face with shaking hands, once dipped into the waters. Too much, it was too much. She had only maintained the Rinnegan for a maximum of nineteen seconds, and the first few seconds were blurry and unfocused as her physical eyes went through the mutation. Her body wasn’t suited to it. She was living in stolen power, after all.

‘It’s too bad you’re so stupid, but thank god you’re compatible.’

Sakura froze and swore the water shifted into ice around. She turned sharply in the water, searching for the voice, hating how much it sounded like her inner self from so many years ago.

‘Who was that?’ Sakura screamed inside her mind as she turned slowly and looked over her surroundings with a ninja’s eye. The Uchiha boy was still out like a light by the tree, breathing easy. As she turned the surface of the water rippled.

‘It’s been a long time since we’ve talked. Feeling lost?’

Sakura stepped back and looked down at her reflection in the water. She was staring down at herself, but her reflection was a body of black, outlined in white with the familiar markings tattooed across the forehead. Inner cooed and blew a fake kiss.

‘What is this?’ Sakura seethed in mental frustration, falling too easily back into the inner banter she was once so fluid in. She knew how to talk to herself.  ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Keeping you from killing yourself, obviously. You’re going to end up dying an immortal’s death if you keep trying to summon those eyes. You don’t like to try anything small, do you? Really, out of all the stupid eyes you just had to want the hardest.’

‘It grants the user the most power, and it’s the most useful.’

‘Yeah, and you need it? Look around, cupcake, you’re in the boonies living the life of a hermit. What you gonna do? Summon a demon fox to cuddle on lonely nights? You’re pathetic.’

‘You’re insulting yourself.’

‘It’s my job, remember. I’m you. I’m your will. I’m here to make you the best you that you could possibly be. Also, it just hurts to watch you be so stupid.’

Sakura felt her cheeks burn, knowing that she was both right and wrong. ’What did I do that was so stupid, huh?’

‘You can’t use the Rinnegan in your eyes, stupid. They’re not genetically compatible.’

‘I don’t need that. Kaguya gave me this chakra power. I’m like Naruto and Sasuke were. I can just magically-‘

‘Don’t lie to yourself, you’re lying to me. You’re not like either of those two and you know it.’

Sakura staggered back in the water, back until the backs of her legs hit a bank of rocks. She pulled herself up and let her legs dangle in the water. She hated how her reflection followed. She wanted to run away from the water, but she knew she couldn’t. She knew she had to stay and listen to the end.

‘How am I different?’ Sakura asked after a long time, her voice nearly cracking.

‘Heritage. They have the DNA that allows them to adapt those skills. You know this. It may seem like magic, but I know you remember hearing about this back when Naruto and Sasuke fought her.’

‘But I can use it.’

Inner just sent Sakura a look and it was enough to remind Sakura that she was arguing with herself. There was no point in lying. It would not end well.

“What do I do?” she asked out loud, not caring if it was an unnecessary action. She wanted to voice her worry.

‘What do you want? You really want to use the Rinnegan out of all the available abilities? What about the wood controlling? What about that third eye you’re keeping closed up behind your Yin seal? Those would be easier to manage.’

‘I want to do this.’

‘Why?’

Sakura truly didn’t know, and that was likely why Inner was asking. ‘I’m not a Hyuga or an Uchiha, those eyes are meant for them, but I feel like I could claim this Rinnegan for myself. It’s not so vividly linked in my memories to the boy who died  for his cousin or the teammate who was killed next to me.’

Inner is silent for a moment before shifting in the water. There are no ripples, she is only a manifestation of illusion from Sakura’s will.

‘The Rinnegan grants the wielder a wide range of abilities without any known chakra requirement to keep the eyes active. Certain abilities are only available to the original owner of the dōjutsu, but possession of even a single transplanted Rinnegan can grant overwhelming power, you just can’t manage it with eyes that aren’t compatible.’

‘You haven’t told me anything new.’

Inner sighed, looking exhausted. ‘You’re going to have to manipulate the genetic foundation of your eyes or cultivate new ones, like, maybe in your hands or something. I’ve seen that done.’

And it was weird because Sakura had never seen that done. Only Deidara of the Akatsuki had an ability where on his palms he had mouths that could mold clay and infuse them with explosives. But Sakura had never seen anyone with eyes on their hands.

‘It’s not one of your memories, but one of Kaguya’s memories,’ Inner explained. ‘It’s also how I know so much more than you.’

Sakura felt the truth of it, but turned her mind away from those moon colored feelings that hid deep inside her. Kaguya had put so much of herself into Sakura. Since waking up, Sakura had done all she could to cut away the woman’s influence and block out as much as she could.

‘What is the memory of?’ Sakura asked after a while.

‘It’s this guy who had eyes on the palms of his hands. He was born with the genetic mutation, but manipulating the base makeup of an eye from nothing is easier than transforming the subpar eyes you already have.’

‘Yeah, that sounds super easy.’

‘You can hold the Rinnegan for nineteen seconds. That can be enough time to make something out of nothing.’

Inner pushed forward into Sakura’s mind and she felt the pressure of a thought puncture her mental identity.  She saw a man she recognized as the sage of six paths forming a world between his hands. It was unsettling and unnerving, but Sakura managed.

’By using his Yang chakra, the essence of physical energy, along with his Yin chakra, the essence of spiritual energy, Hagoromo had the ability to create form from nothingness with a mere thought to bring it to life. Guess who’s already a master of Yin and Yang chakra.’

Sakura felt the pressure on her forehead and for once was confident it was from her seal and not the third eye that slept behind her seal. Yin and Yang chakra…her natural affinities were for earth and water, but under the training of Tsunade she had studied, trained in, and mastered both Yin and Yang chakra, becoming one of the few people alive to do so. Or at least, at the time she had been. In this odd day and age Sakura didn’t know who could do what. She was so out of it.

‘Let me think.’

Sakura pulled her legs up under her and sat in a lotus position, not caring it it was improper as long as she wore a kimono. The Uchiha boy was dead asleep behind her and she was alone. Her brain was a vice of memory and she drowned in it, mixing theory with recall.

“Creation Rebirth,” she said out loud after a long while.

Tsunade’s legendary jutsu would create the conditions so that the body’s cell division is forcibly stimulated by proteins, reconstructing all organs and all tissues making up the human body. However, when combined with the Creation of All Things Technique, she could stimulate growth from a single cell in both palms.

In addition to that, the Creation of All Things Technique would eliminate the only known downside to creation rebirth. She wouldn’t have to fear splitting her own cells so often because she could generate new ones, effectively rendering her-

“Uuuugh.”

Sakura startled, not used to the sound of another human. She turned quickly, sliding backwards on the rocks and into the water on a startled shout. Even though it wasn’t deep, Sakura’s standing was shaky and she felt her ankles twist and lift in the riverbed, sending the rest of her into the water with a cry of complaint.

“Are you okay?”

Sakura looked up at the concerned face of a Sasuke Uchiha look alike and nearly whimpered. She felt her face flush and she almost reached up to hide her blazing cheeks before remembering that this wasn’t Sasuke and she wasn’t the little girl who once was so head over heels for the loner Uchiha. Also, she was the adult and he was the child. Who cares if she slipped a little?

“I-I’m okay. I just was startled. I heard you wake up after so much quiet.”

Sakura grabbed the edge of the rock outcropping and started to pull herself up. Her kimono clung to her in weighted chunks. She didn’t doubt she looked miserable.

“I am sorry. I do not recall falling asleep in this area.” He looked away from her to take another glance about his surroundings.

“Yeah, I almost didn’t see you when I came by this way. Sorry, did I wake you?” Sakura lied.

She didn’t look too out of place. She could pass as a simple town girl doing chores. One good thing about the misogyny in the old ages was no one suspected women of much. He wouldn’t think much of her.

“No.” He blinked, looking her over once more. “Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.”

Sakura huffed and fisted her hands over her hips. “Wow, you’re rude. I’m the one who lives in this area, little boy. You’re the one I’ve never seen around here. This here is my favorite creek. I do plenty of my chores here and I’ve never noticed a kid before. What’s your name anyway?”

The Uchiha puffed up and seemed to hold himself with dignity as he stared down at her from the ledge. “I’m an Uchiha, woman. I am the noble son of the main family, Uchiha Izuna. Who are you?”

“Sakura.” She smiled and spoke so innocently. “You’re pretty young to be out by yourself. Your mom or dad around? Maybe an older brother or something?”

Izuna flushed. “I’m old enough to fight. I’m a ninja in my father’s company. Don’t treat me like a child.”

“You are a child.” Sakura folded her arms in front of her chest and kept smiling, enjoying the way Sasuke Lookalike Izuna Uchiha flustered at her tone and words. He seemed to not hear them often from members outside the clan.

“Stop it,” he actually whined. “I’m not a child, don’t treat me like one.”

It was enough to actually make her laugh. “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to make you angry. I’m not good with avoiding hurt feelings when it comes to people I just met. I have a bad habit, they tell me. But, what are you even doing out here. You seem like too big a deal for a watering hole like this.”

“I thought you said this was a creek.”

Sakura felt her brow quirk in agitation. “Uh, same thing.”

“No, they’re not.”

“Whatever. What are you doing here? It doesn’t change the nature of my question.”

Izuna crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. “I can’t tell you. It’s top secret.”

“You’re lost, aren’t you?”

His face turned a deadly shade of pink. “No! I was looking for someone.”

“No one else lives out her, kid. If you need help finding your way you don’t have to be embarassed.” Sakura waved her hand in front of her face, grinning in spite of her resolve to keep up the act. It was too much fun teasing the boy.

“I told you I was looking for someone, I’m not lost, and I know I was close because I fell asleep for no reason.”

Sakura stared blankly and let the silence between them grow awkward. Izuna whimpered, face heating further until it became too much and he cried out in embarrassment, turning on his heel and running off into the trees.    

Sakura watched until he was no longer visible and then chuckled out loud. “Wow, he is too cute. Someone better watch out or else the women will run all over themselves for him one day.”  

It was a month before she saw any more children, and the child that came to her hedge was Tobirama. She didn’t go out to greet him, but let her genjutsu work on it’s own. Unlike the others, Tobirama knew better than to underestimate her simple terrain and stay sensitive. He sensed her genjutsu, tried to dispel it, but only found another layer, and then another layer, until his doubt was a layer all on it’s own.

He stopped before he could fall asleep, turned, and left on his own.

Sakura wouldn’t admit to being disappointed, but the way the others in her sanctuary teased her meant she hadn’t needed to admit to anything.

One of the nursing mothers teased Sakura over the wash with a knowing smile. “Don’t worry. Miko’s boy will be just as captivating when he’s born. You can stalk him then.”

[original-character-archives]

[used Rinmaru avatar creator]

Name: Rei Age & Date of birth: 12 (in most of my snippets with him, in some his age changes but never younger than 10); July 20th Species: human Gender: Male Fandom: Naruto Warning: Mentions of child abuse, slavery

Biography: Narihari Clan was a small, fairly insignificant clan, that existed during the Warring State Period. They have heard about a Clan that possessed ability to master Senjutsu, and as a last attempt to gain power, they hired another shinobi and managed to kidnap young boy from that Clan. One of Narihari women got pregnant with his child before they released him, doing their best to not reveal their identities. Unfortunately, Narihari didn’t know that part of the ability was to passively absorb Natural Chakra. Since Rei’s mother didn’t have any protection from it, it slowly affected and destroyed her body, causing her to give birth to early. She died and Rei was born with damaged chakra pathways. It was determined very quickly that Rei will never posses enough Chakra to make him even an average shinobi. It was decided to keep him alive only in hopes that one day he will be able to successfully pass the genes. As Rei was useless until the time he was old enough to sire a child, he was put to servants work as soon as he learned how to walk and coordinate his movements. First it was mostly cleaning and cooking, later he was assigned to the Clan’s Head. Many members of the Clan blamed him for the death of his mother, who was one of the stronger ones. While no one dared to kill him, any harm that didn’t carry down the line was ignored. Rei very quickly learned that to stay mostly out of harms way was to not draw attention to himself. He fulfilled all his orders to the best of his abilities, often managing ridiculous requests; when he wasn’t needed he hid in the shadows and corners of the room; and when other kids bullied him, they got bored if he didn’t show any reaction. It caused him to be easily overlooked when not needed, and he often was forgotten during meals or that he was given an order without ending date. Faced with all that, Rei grew up unable to express the very few of his emotions that he understood. His unmoving, blank expression ended up one of the reason why his Clan avoided him. “Spoils go to the winner” was the inner rule for the battles. Rei saw himself as a possession of the Clan, the Head especially, so when he witnessed them being killed, his mind momentarily assigned the position of his master to the shinobi that took down the Head. One Senju Tobirama. Rei was dismissed as non-threatening and Tobirama had implied, in a talk with his clans-mate, that there was a village close by. Still, when they left toward Senju compound, Rei followed them. He arrived there few days later, exhausted from the trek, but not showing it. Senju were truly baffled by his behaviour, especially since one of his old, still binding orders was not to speak unless given permission. It didn’t take long for both Tobirama and Hashirama to understand Rei’s situation, and on Hashirama’s insistence, Tobirama agreed to ‘keep’ Rei in hopes that one day Rei will independence. It backfired spectacularly. Faced with new, completely different treatment from Tobirama and Senju Clan, and armed in permission to decide his life for himself, Rei swore to serve Tobirama for the rest of his life. Appearance: Rei is small compared to other boys his age or considering the height of his parent. He has shaggy, uneven brown hair (he used to cut them very short with a knife and then ignored them until they got too long again; now Touka makes him keep them longer but still shaggy as he looks ‘cute’ like that), tanned skin and plain face, his most distinguishing feature being orange eyes. He’s mostly seen wearing simple, blue-green shirt and blue haori with lighter trimming and tied with black sash, together with dark blue pants that reaches half-way to his calves. Later, he was given a pair of black, fingerless gloves from Tobirama. He also wears a pair of normal sandals and covers the exposed skin on his legs with bandages. Personality: Growing up the way he did, Rei developed calm and quiet personality. It’s very hard to unsettle him and even harder to make him show it. He accept everything in stride and never tries to deny what’s happening around him, no matter how unpleasant. One of his defense mechanism back when he still lived with his Clan, was to observe people and guess their orders, making it possible for him to do them faster and sometimes before they were even said. It gave him ability to read people within moments of meeting them and to be able to accurately judge their personality, something Tobirama likes to utilize. Rei is also a pragmatic person, as analysing the situation and coming up with most practical course of action can speed up the process. At the same time, since he was often given strange requests, he learned to think outside the box, sometimes coming up with unusual solutions for a problem. Being able to talk freely and living with Senju, where friendly banter is a default way of speaking, taught him how to have his way with words. He was taught to recognize his own feelings, though he never shown any of them, to Hashirama’s biggest chagrin. He learned though, how to express them through action, especially the dislike for people. He prank them often twisting the meaning of their orders for him. He also comes up with ridiculous name for them, usually involving their titles, positions or characteristics. The more he doesn’t like them, the sillier the name. For some reason, Rei keeps on using only third person, both singular and plural, when speaking, which sometimes drives people around him crazy (Madara does not appreciate being called “Spotted fan” four time in one sentence). Rei can stay objective to any situation, even those involving Tobirama, in order to come up with best tactic.

Favourite: Tobirama, peace, beans, shogi, training. If Rei was a dragon, his hoard would consist of praises and rare smiles he got from Tobirama.

Least Favourite:  Madara, being the centre of attention, poetry

Strengths and Weaknesses: Rei’s analytic and observant nature, as well as his plain looks and ability to hide his presence, gives him edge over judging and spying on people. Despite his chakra pathways being damaged, with sufficient training he learned to use the basics like walking on water, setting up traps and augmenting his body. He still posses his father’s Clan’s ability to absorb Natural Chakra, allowing him to use Senjutsu. He seems to have an affinity for Water and slightly less for Lightning. He has below average reserves of his own Chakra, making it harder for him to use long-term jutsus or one that require bigger amounts of Chakra, though he does have perfect control over what he does have. The neglect left him smaller and physically weak, he also lacks empathy. Despite being able to read people, at the beginning he often failed to predict their actions, as he looked for most practical action, while humans don’t always pick that choice. He got better at this, but still humans sometimes surprise him. Rei’s inability to show either true or false emotions excludes him from any undercover work. He’s also often told his gaze is unnerving. Additional notes: Rei is still a work in progress, since I have a lot to learn about Naruto universe. There is and will be more info about Rei on my blog’s page ‘Mun and Muses’ -> 'Rei’, or add /rei after the blog url

Fanart/fanwork and any comments on Rei are more than welcome (especially comments, be it tips or pointing out errors, he’s honestly the sweetest of my OCs and I want to make him right)