#Ino x Sasuke

[a-ghost-that-writes]

Boardwalk Dates

For: @narutorarepaireventhub

Ships: Itachi x Karin, and Sasuke x Ino

Prompt: Day 14, Boardwalk Dates

AU: Modern

Being on the boardwalk at night was a different atmosphere than being on the boardwalk during the day. For one, it was a lot cooler out with the sun gone. The bright neon lights and the different sounds made for a much better aesthetic for the Uchiha brothers Sasuke and Itachi. Ino and Karin didn't mind the nightlife on the boardwalk either. The two couples were there to enjoy what could be done at night and to simply have a good time.

The two couples visited the arcades that were still around, playing different games and winning prizes. Then they of course went on the neon lit amusement park rides that the boardwalk had, starting with the rollercoaster and then the other rides that were available. In Sasuke's opinion, they were a lot more enjoyable at night verses during the day.

They also got a lot of the boardwalk foods: Tenmusu, Melonpan, Korokke, Takoyaki and so many more different things to eat. They also had fun with the photo booth. Ino and Sasuke especially liked making different silly faces with Karin and Itachi. It didn't feel like time was going as fast as it was, the two couples were just caught in the fun and didn't have a care in the world.

To finish the night, they got on the Ferris wheel and watched the fireworks. Ino and Karin agreed that they'll have to do this more often as a tradition. With how much fun they had, it was unanimous that it was definitely worth doing it again.

[lady-draws]

【Ｏｃｅａｎ　Ｂｕｒｓｔ】 | SasuIno

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨 : Ino returns to her hometown after her father’s passing. She’s plagued by the memories of him, but most especially his love for surfing. To feel closer to him one more time, she turns to the mysterious boy who surfs all the time in front of her beach house, hoping he’ll teach her.

Word count: 3.3k+

Warnings: No warnings, angst, sfw

Part 1| Part 2

The piercing beep from the monitor beside the hospital bed speared into Ino’s head, her shaky blurry eyes shifted to the computer to confirm her suspicions, the green flatline on the black screen echoed in her skull. If her father’s limp cold hand in hers wasn’t enough to tell her that he was gone, then this was it.

This was really it.

Why…

…Why did someone so loving, caring and bright have to go out this way?

She jostled in her seat and held onto her bag tighter on instinct, her mother hadn’t always been the best driver, she usually left the driving to Dad. Ino clenched her fists and let out a shaky exhale, bringing her gaze to her mother driving, the brunette sharply wiped her nose and dabbed the corner of eyes before steadying both her hands on the wheel.

‘Mom, are you okay?’ Would’ve been such a stupid thing to say. She just lost her husband of twenty five years to cancer, of course she wasn’t okay and Ino knew that and for some reason she couldn’t find anything to say to console her.

The silence settled in and Ino directed her gaze to the crashing waves across from her, just below them reflecting the orange light from the setting sun in the horizon.

“Um…” Her mother began, her voice cracking, almost shattering Ino’s heart. “It’s really nice that you’re moving in with us— I mean, me. Your room is exactly how you left it, I didn’t touch anything… I’m sure you’d like the place. It may not be as big and bustling as the city but it’s pretty peaceful…”

“It’s okay mom…” Ino smiled, reaching over and resting her hand on her mom’s thigh. “Besides I needed to get away from all the loudness and city people, I’m sure I’d love staying with you.”

Her mother smiled a bit and flashed her a quick gaze, “You’re right… We can even look around, do some stuff together.”

“Yeah,” Ino returned the sentiments, squeezing her mother’s thigh, “We can definitely do that.”

The cool wind pushed Ino’s long blond locks as her mother made her way up the staircase to their beach house. Ino stared at the lights in the distance and the crashing waves behind her home, her skin prickled with goosebumps and strands of hair blocked her gaze.

“Wow… This place hasn’t aged a day.” Ino blinked at the appearance of her home, worn down a little by age, some of the paints chipped and faded, the wooden poles darker as the flower pots in front had some more texture.

“Ino! Come in! I have something to show you!” Called her mother.

The young woman turned on her heel, pulling her gaze from the mesmerizing waters to her mother standing at the door frame.

“Coming!”

Ino climbed up the sandy wooden staircase onto the front porch. She walked into her home and shut the door behind her, the little chimes on it ringing in her ears at the impact, she looked at the purple chimes and grinned.

“Hey! I remember these! Me and Dad made them.” Ino marveled and took the little metal pipes in her hand, feeling their smooth texture. “That time when I was a kid… his friend taught us how…”

“So you remember.” Came her mothers voice from another room and Ino rolled her eyes with a smirk.

“How could I ever forget. We sat on the porch all day trying to make it.” Ino replied and reluctantly pulled away from it. She took slow steps down the living room, admiring the photos on the wall.

Her parents' wedding pictures could be seen, a wonderful beach wedding with tropical flowers her mother grew, timeless expressions of joy on their faces as he kissed her cheek, her legs in the air, long white airy dress complimenting her flushed skin. Ino’s gaze rested on their happy faces prompting a weak smile.

She took slow steps forward admiring the photographs, her father sitting in the backyard hammock with his funny fisher hat, a little sleepy with baby her in his arms fast asleep. There was another with young her kissing his stubbled cheek, his long blond hair packed in twin messy ponytails and clips, he wore the most funny expression that managed to make her laugh. Ino continued walking and admiring the collage of photographs all on their wall, him in the ocean with her, their surfboards in hand, him sleeping on a reclining chair hugging her, she sitting on his shoulders and reaching for the camera.

And last but not least, she recreating a picture from when they were younger but it was her high school graduation, she kissed his cheek as he laughed, tears of joy in his eyes.

“Ino?”

The young woman froze and turned to see her mother standing at the kitchen counter staring at her. She didn’t notice it before but when the tears started falling from her eyes she couldn’t stop it, even if she tried.

“Ino.” Her mother ran towards her and embraced her, hugging her tightly, burying her daughter in her chest as if smoldering her will relieve all the pain and in a way it did. “It’ll be fine, it’s alright. It’s alright.”

Ino clicked her bedroom door open as her mother handed her the key, smiling softly at her daughter, caressing her cheek and admiring her face before pulling away.

“I made sure to clean up your room before you arrived, got you a vase of fresh flowers from the shop. I know how much you like sunflowers.” Her mother smiled and Ino returned the gesture.

“Thank you mom.” Ino walked into the room with her baggage, taking in the surreal nature of a room she once used to stay in before she left for college. A room that exuded nostalgia and of times she would remember and cringe.

It still had some elements of her tastes, like the murals of flowers and water on her walls, plus the shelf of many outdated magazines that was filled with celebrity gossip issues and fashion tips or the vanity her dad built when she started wearing make up, her little sewing machine in the corner.

“Really brings back memories.” Ino laughed, entering into the room and observing the place. She settled her stuff down and turned to her mom, wanting to come forward.

“No it’s okay.” Her mom halted her in her tracks, “You should rest while I go make dinner, go take a bath and when you’re ready come downstairs and have dinner.”

“But mom–“

“No it’s fine, I’ll be fine.” Her mom waved goodbye and quickly left, leaving Ino alone in her room. Ino stood for a while before sitting on the soft clean linen of her bed. She was already tired from a full day of moving, right now she had to focus on arranging her stuff and taking a much needed shower.

“Goodnight baby, see you later.” said her mother before they parted ways, Ino crashed onto her bed, resting on the fluffy dreamy bed that seemed to alleviate all the aches in her body.

She hugged her pillow and quickly browsed on her phone, texting her friends and thanking them for their condolences. She scrolled through her Instagram page and liked some photos before finally switching her phone off and going to sleep.

Soon, she opened her eyes and drowsily looked side to side, why was she awake now? It almost sounded like something was knocking on her window. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, swiftly checking her phone to see the time.

It was 5:15am.

The knock came again and she brought her gaze to her balcony, she gulped and reached for one of her high heels from her shoe rack, silently making her way towards the glass slide-in door. She pulled the door open and braced herself, ready to swing and scream for her life if it called for it, instead all that was there was a branch stuck to the glass, locked in a loop of hitting it because of the wind from the beach.

Ino rolled her eyes and sighed, breaking the old thing off and massaging her temples.

“It’s just a branch… why’d you have to wake me up now.” Ino tossed the thing aside and looked ahead at the shimmering waters before her, her ears filled with the crisp sounds of the blowing winds and crashing waves.

It was a pretty sight to say the least, she crossed her arms and rested on the wooden railing, admiring the ocean her dad loved so much. He used to take her surfing all the time, but Ino wasn’t sure she still remembered how to.

“Huh? What’s that?” Ino paused her pondering and squinted her eyes at the figure that was zipping across the ocean waves effortlessly. The blonde focused on what that figure could be but it was impossible, just as fast as it came it went.

Ino pulled back, her brows curved. “What was that?”

Suddenly, it came gliding back and slid onto the shores. She stood as still as possible, hoping the moonlight wouldn’t give her away, standing below her in the pure white sands of the beach was a person, but specifically a man. A young lithe man from the looks of it, holding a surfboard.

‘Who the hell surfs by this time?’ Ino thought to herself and squinted closer to see who it could be but she couldn’t see his face.

A sigh escaped his form as he stuck his long board into the sand and sat down, resting comfortably.

Ino blinked, taking a step further to get a closer look.

CRACK!

‘Shit!’ Ino winced to herself and looked down to see the branch she threw away earlier, there to exact vengeance and give away her presence.

“Mm?” Came his voice, calm but with an edge, sending her sliding back into her room quietly. Not wanting to be seen by a random stranger by this time.

Ino let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and kept her back glued to the wall. To think she almost got caught, maybe going back to sleep or just mindlessly browsing on her phone was a better idea.

“Hey Ino? Are you heading to the beach?”

“Yeah! Gonna look around!” Ino yelled from below the stairs, walking to the gathering at the beach ahead.

“Okay have fun! Don’t forget to call me when you need help.” Added her mother from the window, resting against the frame and staring at her daughter growing smaller in the distance.

“Okay! No need to worry so much! Not a kid anymore!” Ino waved before disappearing past some stone walls making her mother sigh.

Ino walked around the shops and kiosks, passed the little stands with peoples paintings on display for sale. She greeted and waved at the familiar faces, friends of her dad and people her mother socialized with.

“Ey Ino!” Came a boisterous voice, dragging her name in excitement. Before she could see who it was, she was embraced in a tight hug, swinging her about like she was nothing.

“Aaagh!—uncle Choza!?” Ino widened her eyes at the man wearing a tropical yellow shirt, his red hair, messy and long as usual. He quickly dropped her down and rubbed her shoulder.

“It’s so good to see you back here! To think you’d come here and live with your mother!”

“It’s so hot and you’re all sweaty!” Ino cried, shrugging off her body from the feeling of him, “…and you got it all over me! Social distancing!”

“Huh? Guess I forgot all about that.” Choza rubbed the back of his head as the young woman in front of him wiped herself with a tissue from his kiosk.

“… And it’s good to see you too, yeah I had to return. It would be quite lonely if mom stayed at home just by herself…” Ino looked at the brawny man rubbing his chin, contemplating her words.

“Wouldn’t you be lonely too?”

“What do you mean?”

“…Hmmm, anyways since you’re back, come later in the evening for some good barbecue! We’re having pork and seafood.” Choza snapped his fingers and grinned at her, “…If only Choji and Shikamaru were here, well it’s not a vacation so there’s really no point for them to be here.”

“…Thank you uncle, I’ll be there.” She smiled, her mind filling with the familiar faces of her two childhood best friends, not to mention her dad’s favorite food was pork. “…Yeah…”

Just as Choza was about to leave Ino caught his attention.

“Uncle!” She called.

“Yeah?”

“Is the surfers hut still open?”

“Why yes.” Choza gave a nod and pointed to the shops in the distance, “…Are you interested in riding a big wave?”

“No.” Ino swiftly countered, her cheeks flushed and brows crossed. “You know I haven’t surfed in forever, I don’t think I still know how.”

Choza raised his brows, hands on his wide hips, “I don’t think it’s that easy to forget something you did all the time when you were a kid.”

“Well, only kid Ino would know.” Ino shrugged and left, passing through the paths between and in front of the shops.

Ino stood feet planted in the white sand and stared at the blue crashing waves, the wind caressed her locks as she remained seated on the ground, a place far from where people were. A heavy sigh left her lips, her back pressed against the bark of the coconut tree and she couldn’t help but sink further into the ground.

The chills from the breeze blowing seeped into her bones making her shiver a bit.

“I hate this.” Ino dug her nails into her palm and mumbled to herself. “…I hate it.”

She pulled her knees closer and embraced herself tighter, maybe it’ll make everything feel a little bit better.

Ino mindlessly stared at the ocean waves, in a couple of days he’d be cremated and his ashes would be brought home, just the way he said he wanted it to be. Ino wiped her eyes and sniffled, this was really it, wasn’t it?

It wasn’t a dream she could just wake up from. He was never going to come back and there was nothing she could do about it

“I hate this.”

She aggressively wiped her tears with the heel of her palm and rested her forehead on her knees, embracing herself closer but the pain in her heart remained the same.

Ino wasn’t aware of how much time passed as she sat on the sand, staring thoughtlessly at the horizon of the ocean and the kites in the distance. If she could sink like a stone she probably would, but she wasn’t and all she could do was stay afloat in a place she wanted nothing to do with.

She sat up, body stiffening at the sight right before her.

“D-Dad?” Ino gasped, staring at the lithe figure gliding across the waves in such a familiar way, all those moves and tricks, the balance. It was all her dad’s.

Ino rose to her feet and followed the figure with her gaze, she didn’t realize when her feet started moving, getting her closer to the person. Following across the shore, chasing to keep up with the pace of her dad.

“Dad!” Ino screamed, her feet digging into the sand, running, running as fast as she could.

She swung her arms with each stride, racing to nowhere, chasing a person she could never reach no matter how hard she ran.

“Come back!”

Ino halted in her steps, almost tumbling over her feet.

“…Come back.” She cracked and covered her face, sobbing into it. “…Please don’t leave me.”

Ino fell to her knees into the shore, splashing the waters around on her descent.

“Please! Please I can’t.” Ino hiccuped, staring into the distance, eyes wide as she caught herself from saying another word, the sudden realization of what she just did. Ino knelt in the waters, silent like an abandoned mansion on a hill, the crashing of the waves and the wind blowing into her ears was all she could register.

She tried to get up but she couldn’t, she knelt, stuck in the ground, unable to tear her gaze away from the darkened horizon.

“Hey, get up.” A voice came from behind her, “…The tides are rising, it’s not safe to still be in the waters.”

Ino looked back to see a lithe figure standing with a dark blue surfboard, his eyes were black and he was pale. Ino stared at him trying to formulate words, to pretend she was alright and lie but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

He raised his brows and stared at her, his silence deafening as he tore his gaze away and looked at the dark clouds in the distance. He turned on his feet after some idle contemplation and Ino watched, her mind snapping into reality, she got up from the salty waters and made her way back home, oddly enough they were heading in the same direction.

The black haired man flashed her look and swiftly asked, “Why are you following me.”

“I’m not following you.” Ino clenched her fists, trying to regain her spunk after her mini breakdown from moments ago. She shook her head and walked faster, getting ahead of him so he wouldn’t have to see her face.

He stayed quiet but Ino could feel his gaze on the back of her head and his footsteps behind her. She passed the kiosks and soon turned to look to see him, walking with his gaze ahead. Ino stopped walking and watched him pass her, going in the direction she was heading that was near her house.

“Hey!” She called, gaining his attention, “Who are you!?”

He paused, turning to face her with his long surfboard in hand and black strands sticking to his face, his brows were crossed and eyes centered on her before he chuckled deeply and tilted his head to the side.

“Uchiha Sasuke, second son of Uchiha Fugaku.”

Ino froze a bit upon hearing those names, those were the names of strong political people in the country, anyone who was a citizen knew them. She stood feet planted in the ground aware of the way he was sizing her up, analyzing which behavior she was going to put up now.

“I’m Yamanaka Ino, daughter of Yamanaka Inoichi.”

If he was thinking about anything his expression didn’t give it away, he stood silent for a moment, his face calm yet stoic.

“…” The wind caressed their hair as his gaze shifted to her home nearby. “…Condolences.”

Ino widened her eyes and watched as he turned on his feet and continued walking away, Ino looked and shook her head before walking to her home, when she reached the crossroads she heard his voice.

“Ino.” He called as she turned to look back at him. “Your father was a powerful chairman and had many advantages that benefited not just him but my family—“

Ino tilted her head to the side, wondering where this conversation was going. Was he planning to make some sort of alliance with her?

“… But neither of those things interest me now, what I want to know is—“ He pointed his finger and stared straight at her. “—If you’re half as good as him when it comes to surfing.”

“What?” Ino blinked at him, confused but at the same time she understood, her father was an amazing surfer.

“I want to know if you have the skills and knowledge he had.” Sasuke added. “Do you?”

Ino shook her head and held her face, “I’m grieving and that’s all you can ask!? Get bent.”

She stormed off, leaving him standing with a somewhat confused look on his face, he nodded to himself and clicked his tongue.

[sasuino-events]

🗣🗣 New Event Coming Up!!! 🔊🔊

It is with great joy that we announce a new event for April!

🌼 SasuIno April Showers Weekend🌼

From April 7th to April 9th so get ready and be prepared! Reblog and share the news 🌼

[mikyapixie]

Naruto Illustration By Kosei Eguchi!!!

[meowmada]

Nothing just this

[tsignpro]

The fact that the light novels said that Ino and Sakura would be soulmates if one of them were a man will always be funny to me.

[ravewoodx]

[inside-lees-mind]

Hii!! I love your writing and was wondering if you could write something w the k13 + ss and whether or not they would catch you if you fell. Mybe also if you jumped into their arms, like that one trend a while back (like if they were holding something but you jump at them, what would they do)/and maybe how they are with trust falls!

Would they catch you if you fell?

This’ll be short and sweet

Naruto Uzumaki

He would catch you if you jumped, but he doesn’t even realize he did.

Then he’s confused because… what just happened?

He slowly puts you down

He’d always catch people in a trust fall too, but he can’t bring himself to fall back when doing a trust fall.

He wants to trust, but he can’t.

Sasuke Uchiha

Depends…

He might step out of the way if he’s not in a good mood or didn’t even process what you were doing.

If he likes you, he’ll likely catch you. Then complain.

Doesn’t trust anybody for a trust fall, but he’ll catch you if you do a trust fall.

Sakura Haruno

Catches you with full intention to do so.

She’ll hold you for a second cuz she’s strong and you don’t bother her.

When she does put you do, she asks what you did that for.

She’ll trust you for a trust fall. She doesn’t trust just anybody, so that’s a compliment.

And of course, she’ll catch you.

Sai

Catches you.

Tells you he read about something like this.

Tells you what it means.

If that’s not what you mean, or if it’s outlandish, you choose rather you slap him or explain to him how that’s not okay. Then probably slap him for his response (I don’t agree with slapping ppl, but canon typical violence guys)

He’ll catch you if you do a trust fall. Thinks it’s good for bonding so he’ll fall too!

Shikamaru Nara

Catches you, but is shocked and like “what??”

Puts you down like immediately.

Somewhere in there, he said “what a drag.”

He’s not doing a trust fall, he doesn’t care.

But if you screamed, “trust fall” and just fell back, he’ll catch you.

Choji Akimichi

Catches you without question. He didn’t fully realize what was going on, but he would do it over and purposely catch you too.

He will carry you around if you want afterwards.

Always catches you in a trust fall.

He trusts you and Shikamaru to catch him in a trust fall, but Shikamaru always loudly complains about it so more so you.

Ino Yamanaka

She catches you, but probably scolds you for just jumping on her.

Like give her some warning??

Especially if she had anything in her hands.

She can’t bring herself to fall back in a trust fall, even if she trusts the person. She’ll shout about not wanting to do it, but eventually she’ll do it to prove herself.

She always catches you, but some people will get dropped if they try.

Kiba Inuzuka

He probably does the same thing to you.

Like “CATCH ME” and a man that is way too big and buff is flying through the air, right at you.

So yeah he’d always catch you, but it comes with a cocky comment about how much you wanna be in his arms. Beware.

Randomly springs trust falls on everybody and gets pissed if they let him fall.

He will catch you.

Shino Aburame

He’ll catch you… but he’s so confused.

Don’t do that again…

He’s a little scared?

Might think something is wrong, but he kinda finds it cute when he finds out there is no real reason for it. Like you jumped in HIS arms? 🥹

He’s not up for the trust fall shit, but he’ll catch you if you do it anyways.

Hinata Hyuga

Catches you, but she is nervous and startled.

She probably says something heroic sounding like “I will never drop you.”

She’s sad when you get down out of her arms.

She’ll trust you in a trust fall and catch you too.

Neji Hyuga

Probably steps back and then gets just a little upset that he didn’t catch you, especially if you get hurt.

That or you knock you both down to the ground.

He’ll tell you that you shouldn’t have done that, but he’s sorry.

Same goes for trust falls.

He’s not doing them though, not unless you annoy him half to death to do it.

Rock Lee

He catches you enthusiastically, probably hugs you tightly too.

Now he’s got an idea, and next time, when you least expect it, he’s gonna do the same thing. He ends up knocking you both to the ground because at the speed he jumped, even if you catch him, you’re both going down…

Another type to scream “TRUST FALL!” And fall, and expect you to catch him. He will get up like nothing and say “let’s try again!” If you don’t catch him

He’ll always catch you though.

Tenten

Catches you and wraps her arms around you as she processes what you did.

She’s startled and maybe even a little alert, but when she pieces it together and realizes it’s you, she slowly puts you down.

She’s willing to do trust falls. She’ll catch you if you catch her. But if you prank her, she will give you that energy back.

Gaara of the Sand

He got startled and the sand blocked you…

He apologizes and probably lightly warns or scolds you about not jumping at him suddenly.

Tells you that you can try again.

He won’t do trust falls, but he’ll catch you with his sand if you do one.

Kankuro of the Sand

He let you fall.

Thought it’d be funny at first, but he’d feel like a total dickhead if you get hurt.

He won’t apologize though, but it’ll be obvious he regrets his decision.

Probably still tells you not to do sudden things like that, or more so, stop putting yourself in danger.

He’s not doing trust falls. If it’s the first time you attempt to jump or fall, again, he’s letting you fall.

Temari of the Sand

She’ll catch you, but immediately puts you down.

Tells you not to jump so suddenly.

Won’t do trust falls, even if she trusts you. Thinks it’s stupid and definitely not happening.

She’ll catch you though, then scold you for doing it.

[narutouzumaki-25]

Naruto Uzumaki ✨️

[theylovevenus]

Here’s the relationship chart for the “main characters” in my modern AU - if this were a show the chart would be at the very beginning before any character development lmao

[martialartslover7]

Why I think Kishimoto isn't sexist, but just VERY tonedeaf and an idiot

Boy, will I have some venting to do today. I mean, at this point, it's not a secret, that Kishimoto has consistently stated that "he can't write women", to save his life. And to this day, for as long as I was a fan of the series, I am going to be absolutely real: This statement is so full of shit. Why? Simple. And allow me to express it in very big capital letters, so that even the last giant mental invalid can understand:

WOMEN ARE HUMAN-BEINGS WITH BREASTS AND A V BETWEEN THEIR LEGS. WHAT TYPE OF "NUANCES" IS THIS GUY TALKING ABOUT? THERE IS NOTHING "COMPLICATED" ABOUT THEM. WHAT NONSENSE IS THIS?

Like, this entire statement is bullshit for a completely reason altogether: Why even reduce his own point to the fact that the shinobi just so happen to be female? This just sounds like excuses on top of excuses, especially considering the competition like One Piece and Bleach, who all have badass, memorable and sometimes, quite well-written characters, that just so happen to be female.

Let's count up a few IPs that I am aware of, written or directed by males, that has some of the most badass, and most memorable females in all of media:

One Piece

Bleach

Soul Eater

Kill la Kill

Jujutsu Kaisen

Code Geass

Persona

Tekken

Street Fighter

SoulCalibur

Fire Emblem (not all of them, some of them, from what I have seen, can be insane jokes)

And so on, and so forth, the list goes on. And you know what all these IPs have in common, that make them stand out, compared to what Naruto does to its females?

THE FEMALES AREN'T GETTING BOGGED DOWN BY IRRITATING, REDUNDANT AND DOWNRIGHT OFFENSIVE TROPES, THAT FLAT-OUT RUIN THEIR POTENTIAL AND APPEAL AS STANDALONE CHARACTERS!

Like, allow me to list up all the tropes, that Kishimoto made use of, while writing the manga, or being involved in the process of writing / directing the anime, along with the movies.

1. Making the women overtly dependant on the male characters

This one, is not as egregious, but it's a good kickstarter. In the context of the world these characters operate in, to me, it does make sense to show that, like in the Edo period of Japan, women were always seen as second-class citizens, always needing to be tied to men somehow, otherwise they are "worthless". Considering the corrupt, militarized system that most of the girls work in, mostly operated by wrinkly, old farts, who enjoy playing god too much, it does remain understandable to me, that they would be hesistant to be 100% committed to the job, and just ask for normal lives...

...BUT...

...it does leave you asking: Why did they choose to be ninjas in the first place, then? To get smitten with the boys (not counting Hinata, by the way, because she was literally forced into this role)? Just applying as literal child soldiers in a war, that they didn't even start to begin with? And yes, I get it, kunoichis excel in areas that male shinobi struggle with, like silent reconnaisance, charming other men, or sometimes women, to tickle information out of them, being healers, but here is the thing: As the Naruto progressed as a story, this pattern kept repeating, every time a female character got introduced, it would fall back on the following checklist:

Is this woman a healer?

Is she obsessed with looking for a boyfriend / a husband?

Is she lacking in combat-based strength, to the point where she needs protection from either of the male characters?

Because, except for the healer bit, which is more of a specialized field, I just brought it up, because I felt it to be awfully noticeable how often the girls requested to be healers, as if they have to fit into such a mold, or they aren't capable as shinobi, the other two questions get repeatedly answered, for pretty much 98% of all female characters, especially by the end of Shippuden.

And don't get me wrong: This is NOT a negative, per se, that they desire a boyfriend, or someone to spend the rest of their days with, this is not what I am complaining about. In fact, a good chunk of ships in the series are hella cute, and I don't want them to go away. Because to an extent, the romance aspect feels genuine, especially between Naruto and Hinata, or Sasuke and Sakura (yeah, fight me on that, I will defend these two as a ship, until I die), or hell, especially Shikamaru and Temari, which are the GOLD standard, of what a good ship needs.

What I am complaining about though, is that, the series kind of uses this romance aspect as a shield, or excuse, to undermine the female characters, in the long run. Think about it, when was the last time when Sakura, in spite of all the grueling training she had to suffer through to become this strong in the first place, not wanting to be a hindrance to anyone, legitimately kicked ass, after killing Sasori? Not counting the war arc, because this arc is frankly, an inexcuseable mess, and Kishimoto should be ashamed of himself for making it suck this hard for how many asspulls this arc had. Nope, the moment Naruto goes berserk, and Sasuke just... appears... she is reduced to a whimpering mess, who can't stand on her own two feet, and has to be saved by someone. And this happens. ALL. THE. TIME. That's all that happens with her, sure, she heals countless ninjas during the war, but again, healing isn't the only specialty she got:

SHE IS A SHINOBI! SHINOBIS FIGHT! THEY DON'T JUST STAND AROUND LIKE IDIOTS, AND EXPOSING THEMSELVES TO ENEMY FIRE! GET! ON! WITH IT!

I swear, man, this just frustrates me beyond any reason, and the worst part, even someone as awesome as Hinata, who kicked so much ass in Part 1 (especially the filler arcs, don't get smart with me, I watched the anime, suck a small one on that), who had a whole, potential story arc hinted at with Neji, and the issues regarding their entire clan, was reduced to a simple Naruto #1 fangirl for the entire duration of Shippuden, not even the filler could salvage her in any way, and for someone like me, who relates to Hinata on a spiritual level, I find this just so damned pathetic. And whenever I watch The Last, all I could think about was this one coherent thought: You. Had. ONE JOB. Kishimoto. And you failed her. As a standalone character. Causing the entire movie to come off as if you were just shoehorning everything together, as if we only liked Hinata, because of the NaruHina ship. Well, newsflash, it couldn't be further from the truth. So, screw you, and the entire The Last movie.

Plus, I am sure I am speaking on everyone's behalf here: Anko Mitarashi and Tenten were done the MOST dirty by Kishimoto. Nuff' said.

On that note, that brings me to my next point:

2. The angry Karen housewife stereotype

I swear, this meme right here...

And Kushina's entire existence truly proves my point that, Kishimoto is really not doing himself any favors, whenever he says "I don't know how to write women". Oh, but then THIS is your answer? Is this how you see them all, the very second they get married and have kids?

So let me get this straight, the moment a woman, in the Naruto universe, gets married, has kids, and takes care of them, they become:

Aggressive, to the point of physically assaulting their own kids (Kushina definitely would have done so, let's not lie to ourselves, I love her, but this behavior of hers, combined with Sakura's general attitude towards Naruto, would have definitely made him suicidal after a while, if it weren't for the fact, he accepts it in his mom's case, because she doesn't know any better, considering her childhood)

Unpleasant to be around for their husbands (as if, we get guilt-tripped into thinking, the wives are the ones being selfish, wanting their lovers to be home with them, which, by the way, is a serious piece of shit way of thinking, because, they are married for a REASON, and not to stay apart all the time, THEY ARE FAMILY, at least, from how it gets painted as, in Boruto, from what I have seen so far)

Becoming total sociopaths, as if their genuine worries and concerns get painted as something so abnormal and "creepy"

...and this is how you see them all? THIS is your answer? Again, I know, we have ZERO evidence to prove that Kishimoto himself, is sexist in real life, it would be irresponsible of me to put that out there, because I just don't know the guy. I am just saying that, with how the housewives were all written thus far, and how, from Naruto's POV, he began having a fear of angry moms, calling them "scary", and how the females got seriously underrepresented in the course of the story...

...IT DOESN'T DO HIM ANY FAVORS.

I can't even believe I have to say this, because, newsflash, Kishimoto, and I will say it in caps: NOT ALL MOMS IN THE WORLD, ACT LIKE THIS!

They can get mad with us, they are fully in the right to whenever we do something stupid, no matter how old we get, because they will always view us as their babies that they cradled in their arms. But the problem here is: In Boruto, it gets painted as if the moms are the ones in the wrong here, just for being a tiny bit more concerned than others, because again, the world that they live in, is dangerous. And leaving the Otsu*redacted* aside, I can fully sympathize with them, so seeing someone like Boruto himself taking so many liberties being a spoiled, rotten brat, who never suffers serious repurcussions for his behavior (I know, he lost his headband for cheating, but for someone like him, who wished literal DEATH on his own father, just for him not being around enough, needed a way harsher punishment, you just don't say that your parents, dude, this doesn't take a genius to understand, especially since this is Naruto and Hinata we are talking about her), once again, it undermines the females, as if the kids ALWAYS "know better", and they "just suck, because moms are scary". Fuck off. Seriously. This is just disrespectful. No excuses. It shouldn't be written this way. Even more so, because the POV of the mothers gets never tackled, making this seem one-sided.

3. A few romances fall back on tropes, that disrespect not only the girls, but also the guys

OK, I will probably get some flack for saying this, but, regardless of the explainations in one of the Retsuden mangas, the InoSai ship, is perfectly encapsulating to me, how the romance in Naruto isn't without its flaws, and it mostly stems from how some of the characters just never get the privilege of gaining their own story sections about their own individual struggles as standalone characters.

I AM LOOKING RIGHT AT YOU, CHOJI AND KARUI! THEIR ROMANCE IS SO OUT OF LEFT FIELD, IT'S NOT EVEN WORTH JOKING ABOUT, EXCEPT, IT'S LITERALLY A JOKE, DUE TO THEIR NAMES BEING POLAR OPPOSITES TO ONE ANOTHER. HA. HA. HA.

Personally, to me, Sai is not that interesting of a character to me, I was never able to connect with him in any way, despite the importance he had in the story, alluding to the ROOT Anbu under Danzo's leadership.

But his "romance" with Ino, was seriously pushing it to me, not only because, it just regresses Ino's entire character, pushing her back into this mold that she is only interested in brooding, mentally ill edgelords like Sasuke, which paints her a shallow person, but it just paints Sai himself, as a stand-in for Sasuke, too, which undermines his own character, unintentionally. There are so many things wrong with their overall dynamic, I can't even put it properly into words.

And don't think, InoSai are the only exception to this rule. As much as it pains me to say this, NaruHina and SasuSaku are also affected by this, not as severe, but it's still pretty noticeable.

NaruHina

The fact that, with NaruHina, we needed an entire freaking movie, which, frankly, should have never happened, had they done a better job at utilizing Hinata as her own character, with Naruto present to help her out with her clan, and it all hinged on Naruto himself regressing as a character too, needing to be put in a fucking Genjutsu, just to see how he "truly felt" about Hinata... I am sorry, what is this? I mean, from a writing standpoint, this is just straight-up BAD. It's clichéd, it's painting Hinata as a damsel in distress, needing to be saved by Naruto, and Naruto himself being pardoned with "he is just dense", and overall, you can really tell, this is all just hamfisted into a single movie, because they needed to desperately convince us: Look, this is a thing. They are together now. Now play the emotional music, because that's all it needs.

Listen, I know Naruto never had a clear grasp on his own emotions, but the overall pay-off, to me, is just not there, no matter how hard I try. It just feels hollow, I don't feel happy with this. Because, for this to ship to work, they had to go through all these extra lengths to regress them both first, as individual characters, just so they can shut the lid on the whole thing. Made even worse by how this confession of Hinata during the Pain Invasion arc, was never brought up again to Naruto, until the freaking movie, and I still don't understand why. I know he didn't "ignore" her, but why does he fail to recognize Hinata's love confession, but the moment Sakura drops by to confess to him, too, he immediately calls it BS? Please. Make it make sense.

SasuSaku

Listen, nothing will stop me from loving these two as one, they deserve the peace amongst themselves, but the problem is, like InoSai, it falls back on the trope of, the girl bearing this mindset of "I can fix him", and while Sakura certainly did succeed... hear me out:

This is a purely universal thing now, this isn't just applying to SasuSaku. Otherwise, both ships have a solid foundation, ruined by shit writing. Nothing else to say.

That moment of Ino crying for Sasuke, really made me realize: Kishimoto really is clueless, not just about women, but men, too.

Because, again, for how often some of the girls bore this mindset of "I need me some brooding hunk of meat", essentially, desiring a man that knowingly treats them like crap, just so they can bear the delusion of "I can fix him", while downplaying and belittling the "uncool" guys like Choji, Rock Lee, or hell, even Naruto or Kiba, guys who, for the most part, have a solid grasp on their moral compass and their self-worth, denouncing their advances with "ew, no", is honestly disgusting to me. Like, come on, man, they aren't as cool as the edgelord teammates, but why downplay them so hard in the presence of the girls? Don't they deserve love too? Why belittle them for their eccentricities, it not only paints the girls in a bad light, but it straight up mocks the male "goofball" teammates for being the way they are. In short: NO ONE IS THE WINNER HERE.

Phew, OK, I hope, I made my point, loud and clear now. Because these points have been bothering me for a VERY long time now, and look, correct me if I am wrong. I am never 100% foolproof, so if I left out anything, feel free to correct me.

I needed to vent about this, because I felt so genuinely pissed off for how underpowered and underepresented the girls are, and how unkind and unforgiving the writing was to them, overall.

Peace.

[cocostyles]

Let her go — Naruto Uzumaki

pairing: Naruto Uzumaki x fem uchiha reader!

word count: 1457 k

summary: You decide to leave Konoha

warnings; angst, english is not my first language.

part one

The days following Naruto's betrayal were a torture. You couldn't leave your house, yet you hated it. You hated that your bed smelled like him, and that every corner of the house held memories of when you were happy, haunting you. You hadn’t spoken to anyone else, not even Sakura, your childhood friend, who you thought was one of the few people who understood the weight of what you were facing. After all, you needed space, a break from everything that reminded you of him and the relationship with the man you thought would become your husband—one that ended when you least expected it.

That’s when you decided to leave the village. Not as an escape, but as an act of self-love. You needed to rest from everything, and most importantly, from him. So, without giving yourself time to regret it, you packed the essentials and left a note for the few who needed to know, including Kakashi, who had always been a father figure and wise mentor in your life. The idea of visiting Temari, an old friend from the Shinobi Alliance, seemed perfect. You knew she would welcome you with open arms in the Hidden Sand Village.

You left the village in the middle of the night, with no turning back.

The weight of guilt began to consume Naruto the moment he heard you were gone. He didn’t understand how it had gotten to this point. He had spent countless nights thinking about how to fix things between you, but always putting it off for tomorrow, for later. And now, "later" didn’t exist, because you were already gone.

That morning, when he entered his office with dark circles under his eyes and red-rimmed lids, the first thing he saw was the note you had left. A couple of lines sealing the goodbye, and between them, a deep pain that pierced his chest like a dagger. "I need some time, Naruto. I need to heal."

The Hokage stared at the letter, his hands trembling as he held it, but he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t stay still while you were slipping away. Rage and pain merged into one feeling: desperation. He had to find you. It didn’t matter at what cost.

Without a second thought, he gave orders to use the village’s resources for an urgent mission. Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi would be sent to find you and bring you back—no matter what it took, he thought. He couldn’t lose you.

Before he could act, his three friends arrived at his office. All three looked at him seriously, their faces reflecting the same concern, though the tone of their words was something Naruto didn’t expect.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sasuke said firmly, crossing his arms as he approached, letting him know it was one of the stupidest ideas he had ever had, and that was saying a lot.

He wasn’t going to interfere because you had asked him not to, but the fury was boiling in his chest, ready to explode against his best friend. How dare he hurt his sister?

"What are you talking about, Sasuke? She’s gone, your sister! I need to find her!" Naruto replied, his voice shaking with frustration.

Kakashi intervened calmly, seeing Sasuke start to approach Naruto, as he always did, but this time his tone was more serious. He wasn’t happy with his student; you were like a daughter to him, and Naruto had messed up.

"You can’t use the village’s resources like this, Naruto. This isn’t an emergency mission. You need to think carefully before you act. I know lately you seem to be thinking with another head, but calm down and stop acting like a child. Face the consequences of your actions."

Sakura, seeing the chaos in Naruto’s eyes, put a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him. But her words were harsh, and Naruto felt them like a direct blow, as did all his friends.

"Naruto, you know. You’ve failed, and what she needs isn’t for you to chase her. She asked for space, and you have to respect that. You can’t force her to come back. Sometimes, love isn’t enough to heal what’s been broken. And that’s something you need to understand."

The Hokage was exhausted, emotionally overwhelmed. In his mind, he couldn’t stop thinking about you, about what he had done wrong, about how he had failed you time and again. But those words, as harsh as they were necessary, made him think, even though he didn’t like them. Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi weren’t wrong.

"You can’t make her come back to your side just because you want it, Naruto" Kakashi continued, his voice calmer than before but still direct. "She left because she needed space to heal. And if there’s even an ounce of affection for her in you, you’ll have to give her that space, even though it hurts."

Naruto looked at his friends, his face filled with frustration and regret. For so long, he had been so focused on his role as Hokage that he had lost sight of what really mattered. He had taken for granted that the love of his life would always be there, waiting for him. And now that he needed her, he didn’t know how to reach her.

"So, what am I supposed to do?" he asked, his voice broken. "Just let her go? Let her leave without doing anything?"

Sasuke stepped forward, his face impassive, but there was a harshness in his words that left no room for doubt.

"It’s not that you have to do "nothing." But you need to learn to listen, Naruto. Sometimes, being the best ninja in the world doesn’t make you the best man, and it certainly doesn’t make you smart. You have to understand that what she needs now is time, and you’re not going to win her back by pressuring her. You failed yourself by not being there for her when she needed you most. Now, give my sister the respect she deserves at last"

Sakura nodded firmly, looking at Naruto with a bit of sadness in her eyes.

"Do whatever it takes to show you’re capable of changing, Naruto. But don’t do it at her expense. If you really want to get her back, start by being the man she deserves, not the one you’ve been until now."

Kakashi closed the conversation with a serious but conciliatory tone.

"You have to let her go, for now. And when the right time comes, when she’s healed, that will be when you can fight for her again. But not with urgency, nor desperation, but with the maturity you’ve lacked until now."

Naruto stayed silent. He didn’t know if he could bear to wait, but he understood what his friends were telling him. He had to be strong in a different way, a way he had never considered before. And maybe that was the hardest part of all.

With a deep sigh, Naruto nodded slowly.

"Alright. I won’t look for her... but I’m not giving up. I’m going to be better, not just for her, but for me."

Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi looked at him without saying anything more, knowing this was the first step. But they also knew that, in the end, only time would tell if Naruto could truly change enough to heal the wound he had caused himself.

And as they walked away, Naruto stayed alone in his office again, staring at the note in his hands. The road to redemption wouldn’t be easy, but at least now he knew he wasn’t alone on this journey.

The desert was vast and silent, but there was something comforting in its immensity. When you arrived in Suna, Temari was waiting for you at the main entrance. Her serious expression softened when she saw you, and without needing words, she hugged you tightly.

"Looks like you need more than just a change of air, huh?" Temari said with a touch of humor, trying to lighten the mood.

"Something like that" you replied with a faint smile, grateful that she wasn’t asking too many questions right away.

Temari took you to her home and, as always, was the perfect host. For the first few days, she let you rest and adapt to the peaceful, hot rhythm of the village. It wasn’t until the third night that you began to open up. You told her what had happened with Naruto, the pain of seeing him distance himself, and finally, the betrayal. Temari listened attentively, and while she wasn’t the emotional type, her presence was a balm for your wound.

"You’re stronger than you think" Temari said in the end. "This doesn’t define you. But you need time to find yourself."

It was then that she suggested you talk to her brother, Gaara. At first, you hesitated, but you remembered that he had always had a unique perspective on life and pain. His own story was a testament to how the deepest wounds could be transformed into something powerful.

Maybe you should try it...

[pikiikimaro]

Posting here cause um >_< shameless self promo

I have preorders in my shop rn..! Some gaalee things and some other character things!! Yay💕

My shop closes Nov. 29 so I can have these all made and shipped out hopefully before February! And to anyone outside the us… sorry about shipping,,,

[kankuroplease]

Multisaku Saku/OC Silliness pt 1

[mikyapixie]

❄️❄️❄️

[nonoel-28]

*Shikamaru and Naruto sitting in jail together*

Naruto: So who should we call?

Shikamaru: I’d call Temari, but I feel safer in jail.