#Shinobi Dreams of Being Hokage

[mazu-art]

Who even is this?

I don’t read “Shinobi Dreams of Being Hokage” so I have no clue who Hinata Hyuga is. Her design for the first part and time skip are both cute. The things I know about Hinata are: her uncle and cousin are pieces of shit, her family trait makes her have milky eyes that she can use to crack her face, and she crushes hard on Shinobi. It’s funny cause I thought for the longest time she was blind, but she is not. “Shinobi” is a strange series, I’d hope to read it in full someday.

[oh-no-its-bird]

Based on this post about Shang Quinghua reincarnating into Naruto as Uchiha Izumi (Itachi's vaguely romantic interest as a kid)

SQH ends up in Naruto with a time limit and a guarantee that he'll die "for realizes" this time unless he somehow manages to become a relevant and important character in a colorful cast of literal hundreds. Oh yeah, and he only has like 13 years before the system expects him to die.

Oops?

The act of surviving would issue a punishment protocol + retract enough points to kill him anyways, so SQH is kinda damned if he do, damned if he dont— unless he somehow manages to get enough points to survive.

So basically SQH has 2 goals:

1. Get enough points to be able to survive their subtraction after he goes against the system and survives the massacre

2. Actually survive the massacre

I think once he survives the massacre he's left with like, literally a SINGLE point left. THE only thing keeping him alive.

From there he grants himself a bit of a break, then realizes he has a golden ticket to character relevance in the form of taking care of Sasuke-- then probably accidentally becomes attached on the way.

Later he'll try to steal some of Sasuke's own character beats by trying very hard to get Orochimaru's attention, then taking Sasuke's place in defecting from Konoha. Very messy, very fun, he is begging the system on his KNEES to know if he's finally done enough to get a pass for this life but the system refuses to tell him SHIT till "the main story is done"

Thanks, system. Really.

Anyways: I think growing up he had to balance whether he wanted to go for the child prodigy route (probably bad for the long run knowing what the village liked to do to them, but good for his narrative, so...?)

He probably dreams of being a desk shinobi, and would also be disgustingly good at it from being head of the logistic peak, but he showed his skills too early in the game and that kind of locked him into being a frontline fighter (he is suffering.)

His own ideal ending for himself is like, being an assistant to the Hokage probably. Very important role !!!! Narrative potential guarenteed!!! Also: he doesn't have to leave the village.

I think he specializes in fuinjutsu and also poisons. He's famous among his peers for being incredibly paranoid and overpacking to SHIT, he carries everything in those bags of his fr. He probably invents some space time storage seal to make a bag of holding

[delirious-donna]

The Oral Lesson

an: the amount of time I spend thinking about these two men and how badly they might share a lover would probably see me on some kind of watch list… it’s more than time I put pen to paper, so to speak. This could be a series, maybe? Perhaps..? Depends on engagement (and I don’t mean likes alone!)

premise: It was meant to be a forbidden fantasy, one that would never become reality, but when you open your eyes to find the Hokage’s loyal guard dog on his knees before you, you know things have changed. However, it would be some time before you realise the enormity of this moment…

pairing: Hokage Kakashi x female reader x ANBU Obito

warnings: canon divergent (Obito always lives in my fics), NSFW throughout, without spoiling everything - its reader receiving oral, power play between the men, reader is married to Kakashi, reader is assumed curvy, touch starved is not the potential name of the series for no reason

There were no two ways about it, this had to be a dream.

The pinnacle of wet dreams that you would reminisce about for months, perhaps years, to come. Except the hand curled lightly around the column of your throat was all too realistic to be fantasy. Too familiar with roughened callouses covering the fingertips and edging the broad palm.

Kakashi Hatake—your husband.

His unique scent of oak-smoked wood chips, and that subtly sweet hint that you had never been able to give a name, filled your nose. At times, you would swear his scent reminded you of the scorched earth after a lightning strike, and it was true right now.

Your eyes flickered open, audibly gasping to see an ANBU shinobi sitting on his haunches before you. The mask was one you were all too familiar with, the painted whorls of the Hokage’s personal guard and you were privileged to know his true name… Obito Uchiha.

This couldn’t be happening. The teasing from moments ago felt like a lifetime passed and you squirmed atop Kakashi’s lap but were unable to escape. Do you really wish to? A small voice in your head said that you should, that what was being suggested was wrong but how badly you had desired this very outcome blew away those prim and proper reservations.

“Her pulse shot through the roof when you looked at her, Obito. I told you that she wanted this…”

You gasped to hear your husband speak about you like this, though the words were not untrue. The hollows of the eye holes shifted from deep midnight pits to blazing crimson orbs that seared your skin with tantalising warm fire without so much as touching you. His breathing was becoming laboured as he sat there, hands laying flat on his thighs in a position of submission.

Obito was only this composed and subservient for one man—your man—and it aroused you to see that there was a strain in his posture to maintain his stance. The threads of his compliance frayed beneath the weight of his desire.

“Kashi,” you breathed, voice barely more than a whisper though your gaze never left Obito’s. Your tongue felt thick and heavy in your mouth, the thin cotton of your dress smothering despite being lightweight and flimsy on your body. The heat of Kakashi’s body beneath you certainly didn’t help matters, nor did the intense fiery blaze you were captivated by.

He hummed in response. “Hm? Something to say, sweetheart? Weren’t you just finishing telling me that you’d let him put his hands and mouth on you if I agreed?”

With an embarrassed moan, you tried to hide your face in the crook of his neck. Mortified beyond belief that Kakashi would so openly admit the hushed words of your most forbidden fantasies, ones you never thought would come to fruition.

“Don’t be shy, my love. Obito feels the same way, although I guess you didn’t know that,” Kakashi drawled with such measured control that you were reminded exactly how he reached this position of power. Not many could act so calmly in high-pressure situations, but Kakashi excelled where others failed. Simply another reason to love him as much as you did.

Obito hadn’t said a word up to this point, not even the smallest sound escaped his mouth and you marvelled at his self-control. The metal arm guards that normally covered his forearms were nowhere to be seen, the same for the grey flak jacket you were accustomed to.

Now, he knelt on the floor in only the standard ANBU dark pants, a black sleeveless compression shirt that covered up to his throat and equally black gloves that ended halfway up his biceps.

You were endlessly fascinated by those biceps.

The way they bulged when his hands curled into fists only to flatten back into some semblance of submission seconds later. Your breathing became harsh watching the action be repeated in an endless loop. Without realising, you pushed yourself upright on Kakashi’s lap, your fingers curling into his forearm each time Obito made his own fists until you made indents with the edges of his nails.

Behind you, Kakashi smiled. “You’ve been rather quiet, Obito… don’t you have anything to say to my wife?”

“I… don’t know if that would be wise, Lord Sixth,” Obito muttered after a long drawn-out moment of silence. His voice was deeper than Kakashi, rougher around the edges and you could hear the forced formality enough to know it grated down his spine to speak this way.

The three of you had shared many casual moments, it was a given since the two men were friends and rivals from years gone past. Heavens, you had cooked for this man. Shared stories of their youth over bottles of wine. Patched rips in his uniform.

Kakashi clicked his tongue. “Lose the airs and graces, you’re not here as my guard. Speak freely and tell my wife how much you covet her.”

You gasped, turning your head to meet charcoal eyes filled with humour, but while you stared, you could make out a darkness that spoke of something else. A power play? It should make you feel vulnerable… used, yet it was quite the opposite.

To be desired by two powerful men, one the Hokage and the other the current highest-ranking ANBU captain in Konoha. Your beloved husband and his best friend, though both would try to deny such a claim. You were damp between your thighs, arousal pooling into the seat of your underwear and it warmed your cheeks until you were certain it was obvious.

“It’s true. I’ve wanted a taste of what you have for some time now. Not that I would have ever done anything about it!” He asserted, eyes never leaving your face whilst he spoke to the man at your back. “But if she is willing and you… are willing to share—”

“Under my supervision and guidance only. Take off the mask, let our pretty girl see you without the guise of an animal,” Kakashi interjected whilst pressing a kiss to your neck.

The animal mask fell to the side, skittering across the floor and out of sight. It left only the man. The scars on his face from years gone by did nothing to detract from how handsome he was. His lips were pleasingly plump, nose nice and straight and those eyes—those beautiful expressive eyes—were easy to fall into and lose yourself entirely. Even without the Sharingan activated, you were drawn to those dark, all-seeing eyes.

“May he touch you, sweetheart? Shall I teach him how to please you? Let us see if he can make you mewl as I can,” he hummed, nipping at your ear and drawing his hands higher to paw lightly at your breasts.

A nod was all you could manage, followed by yet another gasp of alarm when Obito leaned close and kissed the outside of your knee. He’d moved so swiftly that following the movement was impossible.

His touch was delicate, careful as if he worried you’d break if he were to show his true colours. With his assistance, you spread your legs until they bracketed the outside of Kakashi’s beneath you. The man in question gripped at your dress and bunched it higher until your underwear came into view.

Obito appeared transfixed and a vein popped in his temple from tightly he held his jaw. The muscles of his biceps bulged against the snug hold of his long gloves and when he raised a hand to touch your pubic mound through the cotton fabric, you sighed breathily and shifted your hips.

“Is she wet?”

His crimson eyes shot up to yours, searching for permission to reply, and you smiled kindly, a wave of affection forming in your chest. “Y-yes. Right here…” Obito stroked his gloved fingertip over the small damp patch.

“I’m not surprised, she’s been squirming ever since you came in. Perhaps, I should have arranged this sooner,” Kakashi mused quietly whilst leaning back in his chair so your butt was in the air. “Take them off her, please.”

“Kashi, I can…” You tried to free your arms to help shimmy out of the troublesome underwear but a bite to your collarbone silenced you. The sting of sharp canines elicited a slow pant from your throat, your sight growing hazy and before you knew it, a cool breeze played across your bare pussy.

The chill wind didn’t last, it was replaced by warm lips on the inside of your thigh, thick black hair obscuring your view and you clung to Kakashi at the shiver that rippled down your spine. His breathing was steady in your ear, the feel of a smile on your skin whilst Obito pressed kisses, which started gentle, to your plush flesh until they were messy and open-mouthed.

“You can be a little rough with her, she likes it… don’t you, my precious girl?”

Despite his continued presence and hold on your throat and breasts, you jerked in alarm when Kakashi spoke. The implication of the statement had you clenching around air and you heard Obito’s muffled groan when he too noticed.

“Mhm. Please. I’ll tell you if I don’t like something,” you managed after licking your parched lips.

Obito wasted no time in nudging his nose along your labia, smelling you until he couldn’t stand it any longer, and parted your folds with two thick fingers. You could feel all the blood in your body zero in on your core, skin becoming puffy in anticipation. Scintillating wet warmth sent a hiss through your clenched teeth, the path of his tongue along the full length of your slit arching your spine and forcing your heaving breasts further into your husband’s grasp.

The man on his knees glanced up at you through his eyelashes, careful to judge your every movement and noise for possible signs of distress but he found none. The strong muscle created wave-like patterns over your achingly empty hole and passed it to just below your pert clit. It was a sensation you were unaccustomed to, but it scratched an itch you didn’t even know you had.

Your eyes flickered shut, bottom lip caught between your teeth. You were ready to absorb every stroke and touch, every wet-sounding kiss and the melody of three people breathing in tandem, but Kakashi had other ideas. How he even knew your eyes had fallen closed, you weren’t sure, but he withdrew his hand from your chest to click his fingers. It was a soft click, enough to cause your eyes to spring wide and you tilted your head back to meet his hooded gaze.

“You really should watch whilst our guest eats you out, dear, it’s only polite. How is he doing? Make sure he knows what you want.”

His voice was a whole octave lower and you could feel the rigid length of his erection pressed firmly into your lower back. He was turned on by the act he was witnessing and that only served to stoke your fires higher.

As if to prove a point before you could speak, Obito licked across the surface of your clit for the first time. It was barely a kitten lick but it was more than ample to short-circuit your brain. Your brows knitted together, mouth falling into a deep oval of enthralment at being teased like this. In response, your hips undulated only to be trapped in two gloved palms.

“So good… I-I want more,” you admitted with your shuttered stare being met with a blazing inferno that looked more than ready to blow.

Kakashi licked over a fresh mark he’d not long finished sucking into your neck, the act of possession was not lost on anyone in the room and he chuckled softly. “Mhm, give the lady what she wants, Obito. I want to hear how she sounds coming apart by your hand and mouth.”

Obito sat back for a moment, his lips swelling steadily from his actions and skin coated in a thin sheen of your slick. Strands of his black hair stuck to his forehead and you reached forward to brush them back, warmed when he nuzzled into the heart of your palm. You missed the heat of his mouth on you, squirming around to find a position that would alleviate the ache growing rapidly in the pit of your belly.

“Lo—Kakashi, I want to fuck her with my fingers. Is that… uh, is that okay?”

The furious flush that washed over his cheeks was downright adorable, as was how he refused to meet your eye while your husband pretended to ponder. You knew he’d allow it, it was something you had discussed before this even beginning, back when you were certain it would remain a fantasy.

“Who do you wish to fuck with your fingers?” Kakashi prompted, the smile evident in his words and you whined in protest. It earned you a pinch to your nipple, enough to silence you.

Obito cleared his throat, swallowing down his pride in search of what he wanted above all else. “Your wife. I want to fuck your wife with my fingers. Please.” The nicety was forced, his nostrils flaring as if ready for a verbal argument but none came.

“My wife, that’s right. Do as you please, just make her cum nice and loud.”

This side of Kakashi rarely came out—the cool demeanour which spoke of calculating control. It made you weak at the knees, heart in your throat whenever he set those predatory eyes on you and you could well understand Obito’s reaction to the pulse of dominant power. He too was used to being an alpha presence given his line of work, and especially since he chose to become the Hokage’s personal guard. A decision he would never have made for anyone other than Kakashi.

The power play ignited the room with dense tension that felt like swimming through honey, and to realise that you were the object of affection, the reason this was even happening in the first place… you didn’t feel worthy.

However, you had no time to process these thoughts as the man on the floor took his permission with a sharp nod of his head and lunged for you. The poor little mouse was trapped by the jaws of a lion, but this feline was far from going to harm you. Instead, he was gentle despite how eagerly he moved.

His tongue bathed your tender pearl in his spit, lapping it incessantly until he changed directions and suckled you between his lips. You cried out, only to be blindsided by the intrusion of two thick fingers. Whilst you had focused on the mouth set to wring you dry of your bliss, you hadn’t noticed the dance of his fingers which collected your nectar to coat his gloves.

The warm leather rubbed soft friction into your velvet walls, stretching you just right. It felt wonderful, but you couldn’t help but wonder if it would feel more so without the gloves in the way. A small voice in the back of your head boldly decided that you would request his bare hands the next time.

Next time… Would there even be a next time to speak of? You didn’t know, but you could hope.

Kakashi’s breath fanned your wildly beating pulse, smearing open-mouthed kisses in between words of encouragement. His voice was your guide when you couldn’t keep your eyes open. When you did finally find the resolve to pry them apart, you found your hand tangled at the roots of Obito’s midnight black hair.

He was working you closer and closer to the point of no return, wet slurps mingled with your moans of more and the steady rhythm of his fingers fucking into you. His wrist rotated suddenly, fingertips brushing that deep area of sensitive tissue that your own fingers could never reach.

“Oh. Fuck… right there. Obito, don’t stop.”

Both men jolted at your keening declarations; Obito glanced up with his chin shiny with the gloss of your making, cheeks flushed from where your thighs had crushed around his head, and Kakashi groaned deep in his throat.

His slender fingers lowered the neck of your dress and repeated the action with the cups of your bra. He licked his thumb and finger and rolled your nipple between, drawing it out taut until you whimpered and struggled. “Ah ah, don’t thrash. Look down and see how well my guard dog is eating you out, beloved.”

You tightened instinctively, squeezing around Obito’s fingers, who doubled down on the pace he stroked you to. His nose ground at the hood of your clit, tongue swiping left and right then up and down. He was losing his restraint, pushing into you only to be met by the force of you rutting your cunt into him. A growl rumbled in his chest at being called a guard dog, but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t stop.

Gods, you wanted to be full. To cum around more than just fingers and feel how they would react to you orgasming on their cock. Did you want your husband or Obito or… both? The thought alone tripped your orgasm into effect. You were barely aware of Obito pulling his wet fingers from your cunt to press his tongue into your fluttering hole instead, intent on catching every drop of your nectar and swallowing it greedily.

Kakashi cooed soft words in your ear, coaxing you through your high and stroking over your hair whilst you sobbed from the overwhelming and continued stimulation from the plush muscle digging into you in search of your slick. Those wet gloved hands gripped into the meat of your thighs, keeping you open and forcing you to endure what he wanted to give.

“Obito, enough. Let our little flower catch her breath.” You heard the command distantly, twitching and still seeking out grounding from your high.

Dazedly, you blinked and moaned anew at the expression written across Obito’s face. His cheeks were ruddy, lips swollen with blood and the lower half of his face streaked with a mixture of your arousal and his spit. His chest heaved with the struggle of retreating, every muscle in his body tense and straining and how badly you wanted to reach out and comfort him.

“Kashi, sweetheart, let me go to him?” You asked softly, turning so your words were in his ear, your lips on his neck. He regarded you with a look of unconditional love, eyes softened with affection and a smile decorating his lips which was a far cry from the cool power play of earlier.

He kissed you on the forehead, fixing your dress to cover your exposed breasts and lowering the hem. A lone finger traced the curve of your jaw, moving to brush over your lips and you caught him by surprise by pressing them to his and savouring the warmth of his mouth.

Kakashi was familiar with being touch-starved, as were you. It was something that helped to bind you together in those early days and you both recognised that Obito was also touch-starved and in need of a demonstration of how welcoming love and affection could be. He nodded, his nose nudging along yours and embracing you with delicate care.

“Show him how amazing it can feel. I trust you, both of you.” Kakashi added those final words loud enough for Obito to hear. His eyebrows pinched in confusion, but he had no time to assess the meaning when you slid from your husband’s lap only to be caught by Obito.

You wound your arms around his neck and settled your head right there in the crook. Twisting your fingers into the hairs at his nape, you pressed kisses to his shoulder until he finally placed his hands on your waist. His touch was unsure, body rigid with nerves and you could understand.

“Thank you, Obito… you made me feel more alive than I thought possible. Let me hold you, it’s okay.”

His chin dipped until his cheek rested on your shoulder and some of the tension drained from his body. It had meant to be a fantasy scenario of being shared but it would be so much more than that in time and you would discover this in the months to come.

For now, you calmed your racing heart and gave the man held in your arms a piece of you that was worth more than any orgasm. All under the watchful and loving eye of your husband, the master strategist…

Taglist: @angelic-muse @actuallysaiyan @angel-teeth @adharadotcom @whatshernameis @rookie98writes @basementqueercock @valleyxdoodles @snapemalfoy @fiestynatureweeb @mel-star636 @karleequinn @he-art-pulp @half-baked-biscuit

[tossawary]

This is a very niche fic idea that I have no solid intention of actually writing, but... "Naruto" has more than a few self-insert fics and some of them are transmigrations into canon characters. Some of them are about OCs who do not want to be a ninja and are desperately trying to get out of it. There's usually some deliciously frustrating tragedy and horror about the brutal and inescapable military system of Konoha.

So, I thought that it would be kind of interesting to do an OC-insert into Sasuke, probably ultimately more comedic than angsty, as the OC tries to fail out of having to become a ninja, but then has to struggle against the fact that a civilian Sasuke would probably be expected to start a new Uchiha clan ASAP. (They probably have to concede to at least becoming a genin for the benefits of legal adulthood of some kind at 12 years old, even if it means being a part of the damn military.)

But even if the OC would personally love to be a parent someday, they cannot condone participating in what's essentially a breeding program for a new generation of Sharingan-wielding super-soldiers. Children who are probably going to be chewed up and spat out by Konoha someday too.

I think it would be neat to have a character treat the Sharingan like a genetic disorder that they don't want a child to suffer. I think it would have been interesting if canon Sasuke had also wrestled with the idea of letting the Sharingan die out. Fuck it, he'll adopt if he wants to be a dad someday. I also think it would be funny to have an OC-insert whose goal is to get a secret vasectomy (body autonomy!) without the leadership of Konoha finding out.

Sasuke, as soon as Sakura becomes a medical nin: "I need you to do me a huge secret favor and NOT be weird about it."

Sakura, also still currently a teenager: "You're asking me to CASTRATE YOU, AT HOME, IN SECRET, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO NOT BE WEIRD ABOUT THIS?!"

(And there's the whole fucking issue of the "Naruto" universe having cloning, so, no, a vasectomy isn't a solid guarantee of getting out of this. But it might buy Sasuke a few years to figure out how to avoid the mad science route too if anyone tries to force marriage on him at any point.)

Even throwing aside the issue of children, even in an AU where the OC-Insert is cool with having bio children, I think it would be really funny to have a Transmigrator Sasuke announcing outright in the first Team 7 meeting that his dream is to retire super early and become a shinobi tradwife to a super strong ninja.

Kakashi: "...What?"

Sasuke, possibly talking out of his ass to troll his team and because he's already spitefully exhausted: "I said what I said. I'm the only Uchiha left to pass on my clan's techniques, so my dream is to be a stay-at-home ninja, supported by a super strong spouse who can protect my family."

I think this would break Naruto and Sakura's brains. ("Marry Hokage Naruto" is not the worst plan that a transmigrator could come up with, probably.) I think that this would be a super funny start to a Team 7 OT3 in which Naruto and Sakura become rivals for the position of Sasuke's shinobi sugar daddy/mommy. (Naruto doesn't consciously realize that he's competing for Sasuke's hand in marriage at first, but he gets it after a few years or so.)

Kakashi is... So Tired. Obito, are you seeing this shit??? What the fuck.

I know some OC-insert / SI-insert into Sasuke fics exist, I just think the funniest plot direction for a transmigrator in this situation would be to completely bail on both the "take revenge on Itachi" and "rebuild the Uchiha clan" dreams in the least macho ways available.

Also, what WOULD Itachi think of Sasuke abruptly deciding to give up on revenge and to become a house husband instead?

[venerawrites]

Can I request Naruto with a single mama? Her little 1 yr old is a little unsure at first but comes to ADORE Naruto. Please and thank you!

Author's note: I am finishing my written assignments for uni this and next week, so I'm being extra slow with the requests, for which I am sorry :( Anyway, this request was super cute and I loved writing it! Hope you enjoy and thank you for requesting!

Becoming a war hero almost overnight sounds like a dream come true for every shinobi. All the years of pain, sweat and blood finally being recognised and appreciated by the people was something that rarely happened through history, and even when it did, most of the time it didn't last long.

But Naruto was no ordinary war hero - he was once the most hated person in Konoha, who despite everything remained loyal to his village and his friends. Filled with hope and ambition for the future, he proved himself as an excellent shinobi and most importantly, a good potential leader. So when Kakashi gave up his position as the Hokage, there was no question about who should be his successor.

Everything in his life fell into place pretty quickly after that - he bought a house, he started volunteering at the academy and the hospital during weekends, and also became the best man to Shikamaru and Temari's wedding. The boy that was once called a "freak" was now the "man of progress" - a symbol of prosperity and inspiration to many children across the Land of Fire. Tales and songs were already written in his name, and to him, it still felt unreal.

With fame came also attention. In the beginning, he loved it. Having women competing for his affection was fun and also very new for him - never has anyone asked him out on a date or given him gifts before. It did stroke his ego and for the first months after he became a Hokage, he entertained such advances. After all he was a single man, so why not? Perhaps one of these women would one day turn out to be the one.

Days became months, months became years and soon he found that almost all of his friends were either married or engaged. So far it never bothered him, but after Sakura and Sasuke came back carrying a child in their arms, he started to seriously think about what he wanted.

Years ago, if anyone has asked him what he seeks in a partner, his answer would've easily been his teammate. But since then a lot has changed, including him. He was more mature and level-headed now, and looking back, he realised what he felt toward the pink-haired kunoichi was not real love, but rather a childish crush. She was his best friend and he had deep respect for her, but even he realised how incompatible their personalities were and how his teenage self had an unrealistic idea of who she actually is.

Naruto was the definition of fire. He often acted based on his emotions and while he was better at self-control than he was before, there were still moments when he slipped up and let his inner thoughts take over his rationality. The last thing he needed was someone who had the same burning soul. Quite the opposite - he yearned for calmness. His heart needed to be both loved and protected by someone who can balance him.

This realisation felt heavier with each day. To have someone by his side soon became a mirage - no matter how often he attempted to give a chance to someone, the spark was just never there. All these women looked differently and talked differently, but ultimately they all gave him the same feeling - emptiness.

"Everything comes with time", Kakashi said to him, when he noticed him sitting by himself at Ino and Sai's wedding. The blonde man just smiled, weakly nodding at his sensei, not having the energy to oppose him. At this point, he wanted nothing more than to just finish his drink and head home to rest for the early morning meeting he had the next day.

Like almost everything in his life, however, this didn't go to plan. He was just about to stand up from his place, when his eyes locked with yours across the room. "She is definitely not from here", he thought, as you directed a small smile at him, lifting your glass in the air, before returning your attention to Ino, who was eagerly explaining her honeymoon plans to you. Naruto assumed you were not a shinobi as well, as he was sure he would've remembered you if he had encountered you in the past.

Before he can think about what he was doing, he was already walking toward the table where you and the bride were sitting. Pulling the chair next to Ino and opposite you, he slumped on it, his eyes dancing between you two.

"Can I join you, ladies?", he asked, despite the fact he already had. You both nodded and he grinned in response, before turning toward Ino and laying his hand on her shoulder:

"Congratulations on your marriage, Ino! Sai is a lucky guy!"

"You bet he is!", she laughed, nudging you with her elbow. Expecting such a response from her, you only rolled your eyes, shaking your head with a small smile. There was no room for disagreement, however - while Ino had quite a personality, she was one of the most kind and sincere people you have ever met. No wonder you became friends so quickly after she was sent to a mission in your village and you preserved that friendship despite the distance and all the years that have passed.

"Oh!", the bride suddenly exclaimed, grabbing your hand and almost shoving it into the blonde man’s face, "Naruto, this is Y/N. She has been my friend for... How many? Almost 10 years now! She is originally from the Curtain Village, but has been travelling for a while now."

"The Curtain Village? Isn't that the capital of Land of Silence?"

"It is", you confirmed, shaking his hand once he put it in yours. Noticing the slight furrow of his brows, you were quick to add with a smirk: "I am not a criminal that is here to blow up a wedding, if that is what you are thinking."

Letting out a scoff, Naruto looked a few times between you and Ino, before laughing nervously. He still hadn't let go of you, continuing to shake your arm up and down.

"What? I-you... I didn't-", he stammered, looking over to the bride for help. It was true a very brief thought of suspicion flashed through his mind hearing where you were from, but how can anyone blame him? The Land of Silence was a country of lawlessness, full with criminals and terrorist, all of them sharing the same hatred for Five Great Shinobi.

"Oh, don't listen to her, she is joking!", Ino laughed, before turning toward you and gently slapping you on the shoulder. Her eyes moved to the middle of the table, above which the Hokage was still holding your hand, his whole face flushed bright red. The minute of silence must have caught the man's attention, because soon after he let go of you, moving his fingers behind his body and nervously scratching his neck.

"Not weird at all", your friend muttered, before turning toward you, "Y/N, this is Naruto! A childhood friend, a war hero, the current Hokage... and also a man who does not know how to act like a normal human being in front of a beautiful woman."

He immediately opened his mouth to protest but was stopped the second your laugh reached his ears. This has to be the most melodic and beautiful sound he has ever heard. Too lost admiring it, he didn't pay any attention to Ino, who excused herself, giving you both a knowing look. He noticed only a few minutes later your shared friend is missing and he mentally cursed himself of how he was behaving. His teenage years were long gone, why couldn't he compose himself like the grown man he is?

"So, Hokage...", the title sounded almost seductive from your lips, "What was a man of such importance doing by himself at the bar? One would think you would be the centre of attention tonight. After the bride and groom, of course."

The tone of your voice combined with the sparkle in your eyes was enough for him to be able to barely keep focus on what you were actually saying. Squirming in his seat, he nervously laughed, wondering for how long were you watching him before he approached you. He must have looked like a complete fool sitting by himself ordering glass after glass and only occasionally being spoken to by the passing guests. Definitely not the impression he wanted to leave.

"I just... needed some time away from people. I didn't know Ino and Sai had THAT many friends", his words made you laugh and he instantly beamed at the sound, happy he was the one causing it.

"What about you? You here with someone?"

The slight nod of your head made his heart drop to his stomach and the corners of his mouth moved downward into a frown. Was it surprising? You were a beautiful woman after all, of course the chances for you to be taken were high. He sure as hell was disappointed though. A tiny part of him was hoping that you were here by yourself and that maybe, just maybe, he would have the chance to get to know you more.

Seeing the way his whole expression darkened, you bit back a smile, nodding your head to the end of the large room. There, in a corner, one baby boy and two little girls, one of which was Sarada, were enthusiastically smashing plastic toys around, being supervised by smiling Sakura.

"I am accompanied by the fine gentleman over there", you pointed to the boy, before laughing, "But I think he may be too occupied at the moment to even remember I exist."

Naruto followed the direction of which your finger was pointing and he suddenly felt his body relax. Oh. You were talking about that type of company.

"Is that your brother?"

Raising your brow at him, you gave him a small smirk, finding his question cute. There was something about this man that was both extremely sweet, yet attractive - perhaps it was the innocence he radiated, while looking so strong and masculine.

"You are flattering me", your attention moved back to the child, who was now trying to communicate something with Sarada, "This is my son, actually."

"Your son?", his voice came out louder and squeakier than expected and he immediately added, "It's just... you look so young, heh. Not that is a bad thing, you know? You are beautiful! Your son is also beautiful... Not in a creepy way, I mean he looks a lot like you and-"

The words suddenly got stuck in his throat and he loudly gulped, already fearing the disaster he just created. Expecting you to stand up and leave, or maybe even slap him, he was shocked when all you did was to just grab his hand and give it a little squeeze.

"You sure blabber a lot for a Hokage", you joked, before standing up, "Excuse me just for a minute."

Blue eyes followed your body across the room, curiously watching how you picked up the small boy in your arms and placed it on your hips, before making your way back. Now that he was getting closer, Naruto could fully appreciate the striking resemblance the child had with you. You had dressed him in a little blue shirt and black pants, which was complementing your dress with the same colours.

“Wow! He is literally your twin! Dad must be jealous”, he laughed nervously once you were just few feet away. The mention of he word “dad” made your body stiffen and you adjusted your baby’s position, so you can both sit comfortably.

“I doubt that - that man didn't even have the decency to show up for his child's birth, let alone acknowledge his existence .”

The blonde almost chocked on his drink, hitting his chest a few times. Was it bad to feel so good after hearing you say these words? He would never dream of wishing any child to grow up without a father, yet something inside of him felt almost relieved.

"Oh?", his posture relaxed and he raised one eyebrow, "So you are single mother?"

The answer was obvious, but he needed to be 100% sure - the last thing he wanted was to ruin someone's relationship, especially when there is a child involved. The nod of your head and the small smile were the final assurance he needed and without further word, he moved to the seat next to you which was previously occupied by Ino.

The sudden movement startled the baby in your arms and it immediately turned its head to the side, curiously observing the man.

"Hi, little one! My name is Naruto. Oh my, you are very cute!"

Uzumaki was good with kids. Maybe it was because of his friendly appearance or the fact he was full with energy, just like them, but there has not been a single child so far that didn't adore him from the moment they laid their eyes on him. Even Sarada, much to Sasuke's dismay.

The look that your son was giving him, however, was anything but impressed. Staring at him with his big eyes, he didn't even move a muscle, as if he was challenging him to a staring contest.

Can babies even challenge someone? Naruto never thought so, but he could swear the boy's brows furrowed just a bit, enough for him to send a clear message: "I may be cute, but you are not and neither is your attempt to impress my mom."

"He is very shy", you said, bouncing him on your lap. As a result to your constant travels due to your job, he didn't had a lot of interactions with other children or with people in general. Growing up without a father, he was very attached to you and any unknown person was always treated with suspicion.

To you he was just being cautious. To the man to your right, however, he was protective. The look he has given him was not one of a timid child, quite the opposite - he may be small, but he loved his mama and was not about to let a random man come and sweep her off her feet. Even if he was the Hokage himself.

"Well, I would love to get to know him", the man smiled, before lifting his eyes to yours, "and you, of course! Maybe... I can take you out on a dinner or something?"

"No", the word fell out of your child's mouth, before you can even start replying. Naruto looked at him, noticing the small pout that was now formed on his chubby face. Biting his lip, the Uzumaki tried his best to contain his laugh and remain serious. Not that he didn't respect the little man and how he tried to protect you, but he was so small and cute, it was hard to take him seriously.

"Hey, that is not nice!", you said to your son, giving him a look. He, however, didn't even acknowledge you, his whole attention trained on the man next to you.

"I am sorry, he just learned the word "no", and now he keep saying it at the most random times."

The blonde nodded with a smile, knowing that this was definitely NOT a random time.

"But to answer your question, WE would love to go on a dinner with you!", you adjusted the baby in your arms and the shift finally made him look at you. With a smile, you pressed a kiss to his temple, before looking back at the Hokage: "I am staying with Ino for the next three weeks. Pick us up tomorrow at 8?"

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

The next day Naruto was half an hour early to the arranged time. Too scared to knock on the door and look way too eager to see you, he decided to wait outside, almost giving Ino a heart attack once she opened the door and nearly bumped her head in his chest.

"Naruto, what the hell are you doing just standing in front of my door?"

"Uh... Waiting?", he scratched the back of his head nervously, wishing there was a hole in the ground that can swallow him whole. It was not like this was his first date ever, why was he nervous about?

Deep inside he knew the answer - it was not you who was making him anxious, but your son. The way their first interaction went woke something competitive in him and now he was determined to prove himself as a man, good enough to be a partner and a father.

Being the village's hero he hasn’t faced a challenge like this for a while, so while he thought a bit of smooth talking and play time with your child were enough to win your son over, it seemed to make the situation even worse. The child refused to play with him and instead was clinging to you the whole time, giving Naruto such a look, which could only be described as a glare.

"He is not usually like this", you said at the end of your date, when you were both saying your 'goodbyes' in front of Ino's house, "I am really sorry if it made you uncomfortable or-"

Before you can finish, big calloused fingers pressed themselves to your lips, silencing you. You were glad that your son was now asleep, as he saw the gesture, he would surely cry, just like he did every time Naruto tried to grab your hand or touch you in any way during dinner.

"Hey, I think it is completely normal", the blonde let out a short breathy laugh, moving his eyes between the child and your face, "He just want to protect his mother. If I was him, I would be the same..."

Looking down, you carefully considered his words. You avoided dating after your ex left you once he found you are pregnant, so you never had the chance to observe your baby boy around men. But looking at his behaviour now, the Hokage's words made sense.

Thankfully for you, the Uzumaki was not a man who gave up easily. Pressing a kiss to your cheek, he invited you both to go and visit him the next day in the Hokage tower. He promised to give you a tour around and grab a lunch with you during his break.

For the three weeks you were in Konoha, you spend every single day with Naruto. He started going to work extra early, just so he can leave on time to pick you up and show you another one of his favourite spots around Konoha. For everyone around you, it was obvious you were absolutely whipped for one another and all this extra effort from his side seemed almost unnecessary in their eyes. For him, however, it was more than necessary, especially since your shared future was depending on it.

As a teacher, you built your job around travelling - you loved sharing your knowledge with the world, as well gaining new one from each place you visited. Such life was busy and demanding, especially for a single parent, but the pros outweighed the cons significantly.

Naruto refused to directly ask you to move to Konoha permanently, but his intentions were pretty clear - he never missed a chance to point out how good the Academy is, how there is a higher education institution being build right now and how gifted the kids in the village were. In the beginning, you didn't give any indication you were even considering staying, but after a while you started to show your interest in your own way - mainly by asking questions about the job market, the teachers in the Academy and in general the life in Konoha.

His relationship with your son also improved drastically. At first, the child stopped "glaring" at him and actually trusted him to come near you. Then, a few days later, he agreed for the first time to play ball with him and at the end of your walk in the park, he even fell asleep in Naruto's arms. By the time you had to leave, your son was so attached to the blonde, he refused to let go of his neck and go in your arms.

"We need to go, darling", you muttered tiredly, trying to detach him from the Hokage.

"No", he cried even louder, "Mama - bye!"

Letting out a loud laugh, Naruto adjusted the little boy in his arms, so he frees one hand and takes yours in it.

"Maybe mama would consider staying", he said, his grin transforming into a soft smile. Squeezing your fingers between his, he tugged you toward him, wrapping his free hand around your waist.

"I won't force you to stay if you do not want to... but I really, really wish you would consider it! I know we have been knowing each other for weeks, but damn, I am in love with you! And I love this little guy here", he looked over the child in his arms, that was now snuggling in his chest, giving you the biggest puppy eyes, "He does feel like my son. And if you leave... I may have to follow you till you agree to come back. And believe it, I do have some experience with making people come back!"

Letting out a giggle, you raise your brow at his words, the bag on your shoulder already falling down.

"Yeah? You would travel around the whole world just to bring us back to you?"

Closing the distance, he leaned his head to the side, so he can lay a small kiss on your lips. He pressed his forehead to yours, letting out a breath of relief once he heard your bag falling to the floor.

"I will travel to the end of the universe, if it means you will be with me."

cc artowork: Jayison Devadas

[scho17]

@hibiscusseaart

Ren Nohara

Ren and Kks doodles + me yapping ab this AU bc the brain rot has me in a chokehold

close ups so yall dont have to zoom in

I JUST REALIZED THIS WOULD MEAN THAT NARUTO IS TECHNICALLY ALSO THE HATAKE CLAN HEIR URAGHHHH

I NEED TO DRAW HIM WITH ALL THE NINKEN SO SO BADDDDDD

KAKASHI SHARING CLAN LORE BC HE HAS PACK TO CARRY ON HIS CLANS HISTORY AND TRADITIONS BC IT ISN'T JUST HIM ANYMORE SAVE ME SAVE ME

Hatake 'the line ends with me' Kakashi BUT NOT ANYMORE BABY HELL YEAH!! having a spouse and child will do that to you

Now does he really gaf ab tradition? Honestly, probably not but the idea of him not being alone in terms of family/clan is what he deserves (along with a lot of therapy).

HE MAY STILL BE MENTALLY ILL BUT NOT AS BADLY AS THE FIRST TIME AROUND 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Also, the consequences of Naruto having two parents who are both some of the most elite shinobi in Konoha is probably one of the best 'fuck off' deterrents he could have in terms of curbing harassment over his being the nine-tails container.

ALSO ALSO, "I'm gonna be Hokage!" oh and he's wearing those little blue goggles and carrying around the weight of a dead boy's dream without really knowing just how heavy that burden is but still carrying it all the same in the way only optimistic children can. Oh bitch I'm throwing up everywhere. Like yes he's going to bring peace to the shinobi world but he is also giving both his dad's the worst type of heart ache. Seeing doubles because he's so much like Obito but blonde and four times as stubborn.

kkrn trying so hard not to see ghosts in their kid but he's literally a mash up of Minato, Kushina, and Obito. Minato's kindness, Kushina's vitality, and Obito's pure will to be good.

Not saying that ghosts are all they see cause it's very much not. Naruto is still Naruto but sometimes there's that outline of an old memory that just doesn't fade. A little like deja vu I guess. Kakashi and Ren are so glad it's peacetime because even the thought of dandelion blonde beneath a too-big boulder makes breathing that much harder.

I imagine he gets trained an insane amount because both Kakashi and Ren want him to be able to defend himself. Even while it's peacetime, they're shinobi, there's always a risk. So long as Naruto is on active duty he'll always be in danger. With both of his guardians growing up/serving in the third war when they were barely older than Naruto it's practically a given.

Not that I think Naruto would complain about being able to learn jutsu/shinobi skills. He'd probably be stoked about it until he has to spend like four hours straight throwing shuriken and reading survival guides about edible plants. He complains about it. Loudly. mb lil bro half of ninja training is literally just ingraining reflexes and learning the land.

mmm academy-era Naruto going to the memorial stone and ranting about his day to it in the way he's seen both Ren and Kakashi do in the past. That's so cute and sad like "and then Shikamaru slept the whole time but it was supposed to be a GROUP project! Can you believe that!" and Obito is in the bushes nodding his head along like the good uncle he is. (He literally tried to murder Naruto when he was less than an hour old.)

Naruto just talks and talks and talks. About everything and nothing and its probably like the least depressing one-sided conversation Obito has ever heard in front of his grave (looking at you Kakashi, Ren).

I imagine that Naruto kind've treats the stone/Obito's memory fondly. Both Ren and Kakashi talk about him in warm tones and with growing up hearing stories of him it's hard not to feel like he knows him. He's not there, obviously, but if Naruto closes his eyes and imagines that scowling boy in his parent's team photo while he talks it almost feels real. (Honey, you've got a big storm coming.)

To their family, Obito is forever thirteen. He's passionate and has a short fuse. He loves sweets and has eyes and hair darker than the night, he's a sucker for a sob story and helps old ladies with their groceries. Naruto finds it hard not to see a friend in a ghost he's never met.

AA and then post Uchiha Massacre, Naruto just stares at the stone and wonders that if Obito were still here would he be gone too? Man I need to see what's going on in Obito's head during that.

On an unrelated note i wonder where the fuck Jiraiya is in all this. Bro is just out and about doing fuck all as two fourteen year olds take care of his godson and he's running from responsibility😭 i bet he sends guilt money. Ren literally doesn't give a single shit because even if Jiraiya did try for custody he would literally be getting his hands chopped off. No way in hell is Ren letting a pervert like that raise a kid that's a recipe for disaster. The money is nice but Ren could not give less of a fuck ab that mans guilt. Like "oh, you feel bad for not owning up to your God Father title that Minato, my late sensei, entrusted to you? Good."

I need to see Ren and Genma + Anko and Kurenai friendship. They would be a horrible terrible no good amazing friend group. Terrifying when together. Four horsemen of the apocalypse when they have an idea and put their mind to it.

Anyway, what are our opinions on ANBU Ren and Ren meeting 'Sukea' bc that all i've been able to think ab today. Okay, I'm done yapping thanks for listening.

[srs-deep-dives]

Minato & Kushina: A "Deep Dive" Analysis (Section B, Part I)

In our first section we explored Minato and Kushina's love and endurance. In this section we will consider their dream of Hokage and impact on the wider plot.

(Section B) Minato and Kushina as drivers in the world narrative

Note that I said their dream of Hokage, not Minato’s dream of Hokage. Not because they both want to become Hokage, but because, as we established, Hokage is intertwined with their marriage.

(B) I. Minato and Kushina as the image of Hokageship

Chronologically, the first words uttered by both Minato and Kushina concern becoming Hokage. But while similar on the surface, their utterances spring from contrasting motives.

Minato wants to be respected by the village. Kushina wants to not be snubbed. Each is seeking to be acknowledged, but a different form of acknowledgement.

Minato is a once-in-a-generation genius. He will graduate the Academy at 10. He will set the record for the highest ever score on the chūnin written exam. He will be honing the Flying Raijin by the time he is 15-16, by which time Kurama will think of him in respect to the greatest shinobi who ever lived. From this, one can sum that Minato is destined to become Hokage. Yet at the same time, paradoxically, his birth sets him apart.

The non-mention of other Namikazes implies that he is not from a ninja family – or, that he is from a ninja family with no reputation. Either way, Minato is a genius born in an underdog background, and thus has the complete freedom to pursue the Hokage path. And that path he himself has chosen out of desire to be the leader and light of Konoha, his favorite phrase per the databook being 火の影は里を照らす (“the fire’s shadow illuminates the village”).

What is Minato’s sought “respect” then? To be relied upon as THE shinobi who illuminates the village. For Kushina this is not the case. She simply wants to be SOMEbody.

[As we noted last section, with her motive in these screens, Kushina is never, ever shown pursuing Hokageship. So let us bury all distortions of her as a 'girl boss' who 'had her dream stolen by' the man she loves. And let us bury the demeaning of Minato along with it as some 'male wife' who 'fulfilled his girl's dream because she couldn't.' To the fans who insist that Kushina's character was diminished through Minato becoming Hokage, I leave one question: is it a shame and disgrace for a wife to uplift and support her husband?]

Brought to Konoha from a foreign land, Kushina just wants to fit in. But opposite to prodigy-from-nobody-clan Minato, her bloodline has her shackled to a destiny of rejection.

Which brings us to another thing that Kushina’s hair symbolizes: her ‘otherness.’ We’ve seen this motif with other characters before. Sakura is teased for her big forehead and Hinata is called “Byakugan Monster” for her eyes. Sakura’s source of misery becomes her source of prowess: she hones the Byakugo Seal on that forehead, and it becomes her trump card through which she saves hundreds during the War. Bullied for her “weird, freaky eyes,” Hinata likewise improves her use of the Byakugan, eventually proving her worth as the Hyūga heiress.

Kushina is teased when really, as we’ve observed, her “ugly” “lustrous” hair implicates beauty and strength. But in contrast to Sakura and Hinata, Kushina stands up to her bullies in her own strength (Sakura gains confidence through Ino’s compassion, and Hinata from Naruto). And this contrast is immensely important for, as we’ve established, Kushina’s endurance is the core of Minato’s drive.

Kushina’s endurance, recall, is the reason Minato fell in love with her, and why he calls her the one “that made [him] the Fourth Hokage” (as we'll examine shortly). And Minato’s love is the thing that enables Kushina to overcome fate; to live a life of happiness despite being a jinchūriki. For while Kushina’s endurance draws Minato toward her, it results in her being further set apart as the 'other.' She defends herself; Minato reveres her more; their peers despise her more. The divide between Kushina and their generation grows, held in the title they give her: “Red-hot Habanero.”

She cannot escape her destiny of loneliness. She is doomed for being the jinchūriki; doomed for being a red-haired Uzumaki; and doomed for kicking back through her own efforts. Yet her efforts draw Minato to her, setting Minato apart from their peers in parallel.

What is the importance of this parallel divide? We will get to that shortly. But first there some details to note on Minato's otherness (his distinction from their peers).

Minato as the “Yellow Flash” is directly tied to a Hokage (it is his use and adaptation of Tobirama’s Flying Raijin that earns him fame and fear). Put short, Minato’s earning of Konoha’s respect is already bound to Hokageship: he is, in will, genius and prowess, walking in his forerunners’ footsteps.

Furtherly significant is Kurama’s comparing of Minato to Hashirama. Gaiden opens with Minato escaping Bijū Bombs with the Raijin – a homage to Tobirama. It ends with Minato smiling in front of the rock faces where his own will be beside Hiruzen’s. And framed within these scenes is Kurama’s remark grouping him with Hokage ("A most powerful shinobi ranking alongside First Hokage Hashirama... Unbelievable!").

The Yellow Flash rapidly gains renown in the other nations – to the point of him earning a ‘flee-on-site’ reputation. Feats so formidable that the Tsuchikage accepts a peace treaty, bringing an end to the war with Iwa (episode: The Mask that Hides the Heart).

So Minato in legacy of Second Hokage earns respect within and outside Konoha. And “in his own style” he earns “a most powerful shinobi ranking alongside [First Hokage].” In the Fourth War, the resurrected Tobirama will acknowledge Minato as having surpassed him. Furthermore, Minato modifies his jutsu to create new subsidiary jutsu.

Minato has been, through his whole ninja career, gaining the repute to achieve Hokageship.

Academy-Minato begins walking this road. Hokage-Minato ends the road by accrediting it all to Kushina. Recall our panels back in post one from the chapter Thank You:

There is a slight variation in the anime’s account from “your” man to “a” man (for Japanese has no indirect articles and omits pronouns in conversation). In addition, anime-Minato makes this statement over an image we’ve seen before: his genin-self holding genin-Kushina in his arms the day he'd rescued her. This shot, in addition to the dialogue, is framed from Minato’s viewpoint, inferring that he sees this event and resulting bond with Kushina as the statement’s fruition.

The day Kushina fell for him, in other words – the day (from which) she became his woman – was the very day (from which) she in Minato's own view “made him a man.” What transpired up to that moment? He had been watching her endure. And now he has stepped in to be her strength in a battle that is beyond her.

The differing English translations both capture the essence of Minato’s words. He could not have become Hokage without Kushina – without her ‘making him a man’ who self-sacrificially loves, leads, protects and provides. And he could not have become Hokage without her ‘making him her man’ – without her deciding to be his wife; to selflessly love, support and build him up, bringing out his best. Furthermore, birthing their child, Kushina makes Minato a father. Mirroring this as Hokage, he is the patriarch of the village.

Now onto the importance of the 'otherness' divide: Kushina symbolically ‘qualifies’ Minato to become Hokage through their distinctions from their peers. And these qualifications are reached through two ‘tests,’ if you will, which each center around him saving her.

The first test is our mentioned genin rescue, where Kushina embodies the outsider. Here she is the lowest-esteemed villager, the foreigner shunned by the village. Minato alone notices the trail of her hair she left behind and saves her. Minato alone tells her that she is “one of [them].” He proves that he is devoted to protecting EVERYONE in his village, in a conflict between Konoha and Kumo – a fight between villages.

Most importantly of all, it is in this moment that he wins Kushina’s acknowledgement. The acknowledgement of the hardest-to-win-over villager, the acknowledgement of the outskirt 'other.'

The second test is the teenage rescue, where Kushina is the jinchūriki. Here she represents Konoha’s balance of power in the world. If a village loses its bijū it is vulnerable to destruction by the other nations. Protecting Kushina thus means – in the village context – everything, and is the ultimate test of Minato’s physical, mental and intellectual worthiness. Simply put, all together, it is a test of his own endurance.

Rescue One is the test of acknowledgement, and Rescue Two is the test of endurance. The two qualities underpinning the entirety of one's enablement to become Hokage.

So what have we then? While Minato brings Kushina to breaking the shackles of her destiny, Kushina brings Minato to fulfilling his destiny.

We also see the monumental impact of Kushina’s sealing jutsu. On the night of their deaths, Minato uses two to save the village: the Eight Sign Seal and the Reaper Death Seal. Both of these techniques are Uzumaki clan jutsu taught to Minato by Kushina.

In other words, Kushina indirectly gives Minato the means of saving the village.

[The Reaper Death Seal was designed by Uzumaki to be used by Uzumaki. The caster sacrifices his or her chakra to the Reaper in proportion to the chakra being sealed. If cast by an Uzumaki then – with chakra reserves exceeding an enemy's – that Uzumaki need not die. That Minato sealed half of Kurama away at the cost of his life is a testament to just how much of a powerhouse he is!]

The Reaper Death Seal has even further ties to Hokageship – Hiruzen using it to seal his Edo-forerunners during the Konoha Crush arc. Though it was taught by Kushina, it is known as one of Minato’s signature jutsu, Hiruzen calls it his own “trump jutsu,” and it – literally – unites the first four Hokage in death (the spirits of each, after Hiruzen’s sealing, being trapped in the Reaper’s belly).

So we've examined ‘Hokage’ in relation to Minato and Kushina's oneness. The next post will explore their dream behind the Hokage image.

Section B, Part II here.

[team7-headquarter]

Tsunade is the best written female character in Naruto because she had a life outside her team.

Like, if you can erase the main male characters out of the life of a female character and you still have a female character, that's something.

Who is Rin outside Kakashi and Obito? "Oh she almost became a jinchuuriki—" that event was made do that Kakashi and Obito couple awaken their mangekyou sharingan. Besides being their crush or teammate, who was she?

Kushina was more than a mother and a wife, right? But what happened to her dream of being Hokage? Why did Minato get the job instead? She has something going on for herself, but it was erased even before she died.

Yahiko and Nagato were as lonely as Konan was. At least none of them have anything beside each other, which isn't exactly good, but at least they were equals.

Sakura was someone before Naruto and Sasuke. She had Ino, she had a family— and in Shippuden they treat those things like there's nothing more to it. The focus is her role within Team 7, her role as the girl in the love triangle, her role as a healer that she took because of them. You're telling me that Sasuke and Naruto were gone for years and just trained and waited for them? In the Chunning Exams we were shown how much Ino and Sakura meant for each other, so why downplay it? Why minimize it? All the times Konoha was attacked and you never showed Sakura being worried for her parents? No one ever asked?

I'm so glad for Tsunade in that sense.

Erase her team, who is she?

A Senju. She's the granddaughter of two of the most powerful shinobis to ever exist and she does something with it. It isn't just a mention. She was an older sister and we were able to explore that connection with Nawaki. She was a lover to Dan and we saw her love for him multiple times. Do you want to ease all men in her life? She's a medic nin, the best in the world. She changed the way wars were fought. She has a pet and she has an apprentice, Shizune. The bond between Shizune and Tsunade is deep and developed through the story. She was a rival to grandma Chiyo. She was a sensei to Sakura too, taught her all she knew and trained her so no man could ever step over her again as if nothing. She was a killer. She was freaking Hokage.

If it wasn't for Tsunade, Sakura wouldn't have been allowed to be multidimensional like her. In fact, even after Tsunade, the story kept portraying Sakura like just the female crush, the healer for them to survive, blah blah blah.

They made Kurenai only a mom. Wrote Anko off. Treated the kunoichis of the Konoha 12 as an afterthought. Hell, they gave Sasuke another girl love triangle with Karin. A freaking Uzumaki girl and they did that. At least Temari is as chained to her siblings as they are to her.

If you erase Tsunade, tell me how the female characters of Naruto stand? Because every single male character is someone outside their female friends or lovers or whatever.

What about the girls? What about them?

[aloeverified]

boruto rewrite where the show actually still focuses on the original characters from naruto, but we're seeing them face their struggles that come with being adults in the society they live in and after going through what they did. their children are also in the show and we're given their perspective on the events compared to their parents'.

the overall plot revolves around naruto trying to change the shinobi system. he knows first hand how terrible the repercussions are when children are forced to be soldiers, and now that he's the hokage, he finally has the power to change it.

the only problem is, not everyone agrees with him. many believe by changing the age that shinobi begin their training, they won't be as strong later on and the village will become weaker over the years. not only that, but some people just don't understand why naruto feels this way. they were shinobi all their life and they turned out just fine — why fix what isn't broken?

it causes conflict within the cast and allows us to delve into each character more, showing why they feel the way they do and how their experiences have built up to the person they are.

besides that, other characters get their own storylines as well that connect with the theme of recovering from trauma.

gaara realizes that he's only ever lived for his village — as a soldier, a weapon, the kazekage. he works himself to the bone for his village while ignoring his basic needs, still having not realized he's a human just like everyone else. when he gets shinki, he realizes what it's like to prioritize something; what it's like to nurture and love.

sakura works at a hospital for young shinobi, doubling as both a healer and a therapist of sorts. she listens to the children tell their stories and gives them a shoulder to try on. she saw what being alone did to her teammates and she doesn't want any other child to go through what they did.

during her time at the hospital, she slowly begins to see pieces of herself within her patients. her trauma, which she's always pushed away and ignored, starts to come out. she's forced to face these memories she's always tried to bury deep. she struggles with understanding it as well as feeling validated compared to what naruto and sasuke had to go through.

she also struggles with her marriage to sasuke as she starts to unpack all the terrible things he's done to her. she's knows why he did them and she can justify his actions as much as she wants, but it doesn't change the fact he traumatized and tried to kill her at one point.

hinata's would focus on the hyuga. she's an outsider to them without any power. when she was stripped of her title and allowed to marry naruto, she thought it was a dream come true. she was so confident that hanabi would change the clan, that the branch system would be destroyed and neji wouldn't have died in vain.

only, without hinata, hanabi began to crack under the pressure of the elders and her father until she became just like them. the seal system is still in place, the branch families are still treated as servants.

it's a lot about generational trauma. how no matter how much hinata tried to change things for hanabi, she was always destined to fall into the same path as her father. only by recognizing this and making the changes her family refused to do in the past, are they able to change things.

i think there could also be something about how once, a long time ago, hiashi had wanted to change the hyūga. he wanted to dispel the main/side branch family system so his brother could be free. but overtime, he became complacent — very similar to hanabi.

as for the kids, i would show the differences between them based on how their parents feel about them being raised as soldiers.

for example, shikatema would have no problem with the shinobi system (at first) and their child would be entered into the academy and ready to become a ninja.

boruto, however, was raised by parents who want to change the system and hate the senseless violence, therefore he was not enrolled. this causes him to have some resentments for his parents as he's in the minority of children who aren't attending the ninja academy. he's viewed as a weak and soft-hearted by his companions and he hates it. maybe he goes against his parents and attends the academy in secret somehow.

there's a lot you can do with each character, honestly. i won't go further into it unless asked, but here's my main thoughts. i have a lot of idea with how to conclude the arcs as well, but i'm not sure how people would feel about it.

gaara stepping down as kazekage and leaving suna, sakura divorcing sasuke as she realized she never truly loved him romantically, hinata becoming the hyūga head/disbanding the hyūga, etc. many ideas.

[senjutsunade]

Godaime Characterization

Note: This became a bit too long but I feel will be useful for those who interact with me.

I’ve been meaning to write this for a while, and now that my keyboard’s finally cooperating, it’s time—

My portrayal of Tsunade is that of someone unapologetically snarky and, at times, delightfully full of herself. But this summer, a nagging doubt crept in: am I depicting her right? Or worse, am I letting my own personality bleed into her characterization?

So, I went back to the source. I rewatched every scene of hers in the anime, scrutinized every manga panel featuring her, and came to a glorious conclusion—the woman is a menace. She’s brutal with her words, smug as hell, and absolutely insists on having the last say. Any reservations I had went straight out the window, and my Tsunade officially became the reigning queen of snark.

That left me wondering: why had I doubted myself in the first place? The answer was clear—fandoms. They’re incredible spaces, no question, but sometimes, fanon bleeds into canon so much that the lines blur. Over time, Tsunade’s portrayal shifted. In fanart and fanfiction, she’s often reduced to either the “drunk grandma” trope or a hypersexualized symbol, and somewhere along the way, her canon personality got lost in the shuffle.

But NOT here. Not on this blog. Tsunade is no one’s trope.

Why is she the way she is?

She’s a prodigy, plain and simple. The fandom tends to forget that sometimes. Tsunade became a Genin at six. Six. By the time most kids are learning to tie their shoes, she was already on her way to revolutionizing the medical field—single-handedly, might I add. She defeated Chiyo, the world-renowned poison specialist, while still in her teens. Let that sink in.

She’s also a Senju. One utterly spoiled by her grandfather. Shinobi royalty, through and through, treated as such from the moment she could walk. The “Hime” title isn’t just for kicks—it holds weight. Even Danzō uses it, and we all know he doesn’t do respect lightly. Tsunade was used to getting her way from an early age and rarely, if ever, heard the word “no.”

Her teammates? Just as guilty. Watch any scene with the three of them, and you’ll see it. Jiraiya and Orochimaru practically invented the art of indulging her. No matter how outrageous or dramatic she was being, they always gave in. They solidified her Hime lifestyle long before anyone else could question it.

And then there’s her clan name—that privilege that few in Konoha could dream of having. When she decided she was done with shinobi life and walked away, leaving the village to wander the world, what happened? Nothing. No hunter-nin were sent after her. Anyone else would’ve had a team on their trail within days, but not her. Being a Senju gave her a free pass.

Here’s the thing: Tsunade likes to have her way. Always has. But the difference? She’s got the skillset to back it up. Honestly, who in their right mind would dare to challenge her?

The Konoha I write is a far cry from the idealized version often found in most fan portrayals. There are no shining heroes here—save for Naruto, the outlier. My depiction leans heavily into the grim reality of what it means to be a shinobi.

What are shinobi, truly? They are assassins, thieves, spies, saboteurs, and manipulators, trained from childhood to master the art of psychological warfare. They operate in shadows, their hands stained with blood, their morality twisted into shapes that serve their purpose. Their loyalty isn’t to some lofty ideal of justice—it’s to their Hokage and their nation. Konoha and Hi no Kuni come first. Always.

To protect those, no act is too foul, no line too sacred. Once they fasten that hitai-ate, they cease to be individuals with their own wants or friendships. They become weapons—willing, obedient tools forged in fire and duty. On missions, there is no room for personal morality, no hesitation over relationships or past bonds. A shinobi of Konoha will burn villages, poison wells, and manipulate lives if the mission demands it.

This is the shinobi world—cutthroat, ruthless, and unrelenting. My Konoha basking in sunlight is more an illusion; in truth, it thrives in the shadows, because that’s what it takes to survive.

As the leader of such people, my Tsunade is no heroine. Her loyalty lies with Konoha—her homeland, her inheritance, her duty—and she will protect it at any cost. This is the essence of leadership in a world as brutal as theirs.

Take, for example, the moment she places a bomb seal on Kakashi and sends him to Hiruko, knowing full well it could mean his death. She hates it but goes through with it. Doesn't hesitate—not because she’s heartless, but because the mission demands it. Protecting Konoha always comes first, no matter the personal toll.

Then there’s Jiraiya. Sending him to Ame wasn’t a decision she made lightly, but it was one she made without faltering. He was the best suited for the mission, and as Hokage, her duty was to assign it. Even when it meant sending her oldest friend to what might as well have been his grave. She hated it, but it was her duty to send the best person for the job, even if it was her best friend.

Tsunade’s choices aren’t about heroism; they’re about survival. That’s the cold reality of leading shinobi.

As Hokage, Tsunade isn’t here to coddle her shinobi. She doesn’t have the luxury of being soft or overly kind—not like Sarutobi was. Her leadership is harsh, but fair, grounded in the cold reality of their world. Konoha’s survival depends on it.

The village has lost too much—too many shinobi, too many elite warriors. The wars, the Kyuubi attack, the Uchiha Massacre, the Suna/Oto invasion… each loss has chipped away at Konoha's strength. The names they’ve lost are legendary: Hatake Sakumo, Kato Dan, Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Fugaku, Orochimaru, Uchiha Shisui, and Uchiha Itachi—shinobi who had the power to solidify Konoha’s reputation as the greatest force in the shinobi world. Now? That power is gone.

Tsunade doesn’t have the luxury to be kind. She doesn’t have the luxury to be gentle. Every decision, every action, must be ruthlessly pragmatic. Konoha can’t show weakness. If it does, every other nation will pounce. They’ll capitalize on it—crush that illusion of Konoha's might.

After their defeat in the Third Shinobi war, Kumo and Iwa were desperate for the chance to topple Konoha. Tsunade knows this better than anyone. And she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure the village’s strength isn’t seen as anything less than absolute.

Her personality as Hokage is often reduced to that of an angry, impatient, sullen woman. That’s the general consensus, isn’t it?

Let’s break that down.

Yes, she’s angry. But why?

It’s because the state of Konoha when she returns as Godaime is a direct affront to everything she’s ever stood for. Konoha is barely hanging on, and it terrifies her. The administration? A disaster. The hospital? Using techniques she’d deemed redundant and inferior more than twenty years ago. The village infrastructure? In shambles. The elite shinobi? Either dead or too wounded to serve. Konoha is bleeding out in every sense of the word, and no one is acknowledging the scale of the damage.

They’re broke. The shinobi who remain are spread thin, and they can’t take missions fast enough. Refusing missions? It’s not an option. The clients they depend on would abandon them, and with that would come the collapse of Konoha’s reputation, its economy, and its power. The other villages are hungry, and they would use this vulnerability to tear them apart.

So what does she do? She sends exhausted, overworked shinobi—people who don’t even know her, who are only loyal to the Hokage title she was suddenly thrust into—on missions. No breaks. No recovery. Physically drained, mentally shattered. Tsunade KNOWS how dangerous it is, how damaging this will be. She knows this could ruin any future relationships with these nin, but she has no other choice.

For Konoha’s survival, for the survival of the Will of Fire and everything it stands for, she has to bury her compassion, stifle the medic within her, and step into a role she never wanted.

Because sometimes, survival doesn’t care about what you want. It only cares about what you’re willing to sacrifice. As a war veteran, she understands that.

She lacks patience. Why? Because while all of this is happening—while her focus should be on pulling Konoha from the brink—the damn council insists on getting in her way. They act like they can push her around, like they can dictate the way things are done—the way things have always been done. Politics. She hates that shit. She doesn’t have time to deal with their petty games. But the village is still unstable. The system is crumbling. So she grits her teeth and tolerates their interference, for now. She knows that once she has a firmer grasp on things, once Konoha is breathing again, she’ll finally be able to shove them all out of her way and take control. Until then, it’s just another battle to survive.

She is sullen. Why? Because in a matter of days, her world has been reduced to a narrow, suffocating window. She’s always been a free spirit—wild, untamed, the kind of woman who craved freedom, who spent the last two decades roaming, choosing her own pace, living without the burden of responsibility. Now, she’s shackled to duty. She understands the weight of the job, the honor, the privilege of the seat her ancestors once held. She respects it, gives it her damned best. But it’s a duty she never wanted. And that realization eats at her, slowly, like a poison she can’t spit out. It takes its toll, grinding her down, moment by moment. This was her brother's dream. Her lovers dream. Her having it is a double edged knife.

She’s back in a village that mirrors the one she left behind, yet it feels so alien. So many faces are missing—comrades, friends, family—gone, never to return. Does anyone else realize that an entire generation—her generation—never made it home from the war? That she’s one of the few survivors, one of the handful of nin out of hundreds? Do they understand the emptiness that lingers in the village, the gaping hole left by those who used to fill it? She does. And it fucking hurts. She barely recognizes anyone here anymore. The ones she does know—Shikaku, Inoichi, Choza, Kakashi, Genma—she remembers them as bumbling, clumsy Gennin and Chūnin. Not as the adults they’ve become. It’s… disorienting. The sharp, bitter jolt of seeing them as grown nin. Something she didn’t expect.

She’s fucking irritated. The state of the village, the crumbling infrastructure, the political cesspool she’s had to wade into—it’s all too much. And it's endless. Paperwork and reports pile up like a mountain she has to climb every damn day. She's forced to get reacquainted with the village she once knew so well, only to realize that it’s changed in ways she could never have imagined. The entire structure has shifted since her absence. The leadership, the economic landscape, the political networks—everything has morphed into something she never trained for, never prepared for.

She was never meant to be Hokage. Hell, she was never trained to be Hokage. She’s a medic, a fighter, a leader by force of will, not by political maneuvering. But now, she’s thrust into this position without warning, without preparation. She’s forced to navigate through a maze of alliances and rivalries, figure out the intricacies of the village’s economy—an economy that’s buckling under the weight of too many wars, too many lost resources—and the cold, calculating clan politics that lurk in the background, waiting to seize any opportunity to further their own agendas.

On top of all this, she has to ensure the day-to-day operations of the village run smoothly. Shinobi still need missions. The people still need security. The economy still needs to turn, even as it teeters on the brink of collapse. All this responsibility weighs on her shoulders, with resources running dangerously low, and no clear path forward.

She’s brilliant, yes. But this? This is a goddamn nightmare. Balancing all these responsibilities with nothing but her sharp instincts and raw determination? It’s like trying to juggle a thousand knives with only one hand. And the worst part? She can’t let it show.

In light of all this—

For most of her shinobi, Tsunade is a no-nonsense, iron-fisted leader. Loyalty isn’t just expected; it’s demanded. Unquestioning. Absolute. These are her subordinates, not her friends, and they will respect that distinction. She doesn’t have the time, the patience, or the luxury to coddle them. Her expectations are high, and she won’t tolerate the slightest hint of insubordination. They’re tools, necessary for the survival of the village—and they better damn well know their place. The fact that the name of each nin that never returns home from mission is carved on her heart is a secret she shares with no other. The longer the list becomes, the less she sleeps.

Then, there are the nin who eventually become part of her inner circle—

The ones who get to see beyond the Hokage title, those fools she’s somewhat at ease with. The idiots who can get away with being obnoxious and absurd around her. They take the brunt of her endless snark and biting insults—don’t mistake it, though, there’s no permanent damage. Just enough to keep them in line and remind them who they’re dealing with. It’s the price they pay for being in her somewhat trusted circle. But then they of course know when to abuse their freedom and when to bow before their leader's will with no questions asked. Tsunade trusts them to know this.

Among this circle, the most prominent is Kakashi—her right hand. She considers him one of her closest friends, despite his tendency to be an irritating enigma. Then there’s Shizune, often seen as Tsunade’s assistant, but her actual role goes far beyond that—she’s an advisor, head of the Hospital, and reformist, shaping the place into something Tsunade would approve of.

Shikaku enters the fold next, stepping up as her left hand, a level-headed voice in the storm.

Then, her guards—Genma, Raido, and Iwashi. They’re stuck with her now, so she may as well make it worth her while to torment them. Genma, in particular, becomes her favorite target. He gets away with being far more obnoxious than the others, but also endures the brunt of her snark and absurd demands.

Anko, the ever-persistent menace, forces her way onto the list. Tsunade doesn’t have the energy to kick her off, so she stays—reluctantly. It’s not like Tsunade can’t handle her, but sometimes, the headache isn’t worth it.

Gai. His eyebrows will forever make Tsunade cringe. And if he cries one more damn time about how much he respects her “power of youth,” she’s going to be the one to make him lose all his hair. She has her limits, and that? That is crossing them.

Izumo and Kotetsu—her favorite jesters. Reliable idiots, the pair of them. She has a soft spot for them. Why? She doesn’t know. She just does, dammit.

Ibiki—Tsunade works closely with the stoic man for weeks and learns to appreciate his dark humor. The man’s got a decent alcohol tolerance, and Tsunade takes a twisted satisfaction in watching him terrorize his subordinates. A kindred spirit if there ever was one.

Shikamaru—Goodness, the Nara kid had no right to be as damn tactical as he was. Besides, he was the only one who could balance out Naruto’s absolute stupidity. Some days, she wonders if the kid's maturity came straight from his smarts or his sheer exhaustion from putting up with everyone else’s nonsense.

_

@konohagakurekakashi & @minaa-munch I finally got around to this after forever. Cold medicine gives me twitchy fingers. xD

[usuratongaychi]

Drawings + Rants + Headcanons/Naruto AU

i finally had some time to draw my versions of tean seven (minus kakashi). im gonna detail more of my AU later in the post but here are the designs and some notes.

For sasuke, in one of my other posts i had the theory that sasuke keeps his hair short to avoid resembling itachi, and thats why it is longer in time skip, because he is coming to terms with his trauma and still loves itachi. I also gave him similar creases to itachi, just from stress.

tbh im not too sure about this naruto design…but at least he isnt balding like before💀.

for sakura, i actually really like her older design, so i just drew her working. she would have her hair up and i gave her sakura blossom hair pins and eyeshadow.

also i havent drawn in forever so..thats why its messy.

(the rest of this is me rambling on..)

Now for changes i made to the story:

1. Narusasu endgame (yk im a stan)

I would have both of them be joint hokages, so technically both are the 7th. I know Sasuke is referred to as the shadow hokage, but that doesn’t really entail anything. I think it’s important because Sasuke would know just how important reform is for the village and shinobi system, but since people are still suspicious of Uchihas, Naruto would be the face. This fulfills Naruto’s dream, which when you really think about it, his dream was just to be loved, not really to be a politician. Naruto has seen how unfair and corrupt their society is, so he would completely work with Sasuke to make sure things like Danzo and Hiruzen’s corruption, child soldiers, hyuuga slavery and the “Uchiha Incident” dont happen again. I could explain more of this in a later post.

2. I would have Hinata look up to Sakura more, instead of Naruto.

I think it makes a bit more sense, Sakura is brave, outspoken and independent, just like Hinata wants to be. I would have Sakura be her first friend, since she can’t stand to see people be excluded or alone. That leads me into changes I would make for Sakura’s story.

3. Sakura. In the original, I would keep her kind of bratty attitude until things get serious in the Zabuza arc. Seeing her close friends so close to death, while not being able to help much would challenge her to become a protector. This also gives motivation for her to learn healing and medicine when Tsunade comes around. Sakura would be the “rock” or “glue” of team seven, which makes sense because she is the only one of them that came from a stable home.

Sakura initially resents Sasuke for betraying the team, but seeing how dedicated Naruto is to saving him, she decides its worth it to help bring him back. Besides if she didn’t, naruto would just endager himself trying.

4. Sasuke. I would have Sasuke after he realizes Itachi was manipulated into a genocide to protect the village, still go through him “i’m gonna destroy the village” phase, but when Naruto defeats him, they make a promise to change things, so no one else will have to suffer like that. I would also show more of the psychological effects of witnessing Itachi’s murders. One of my headcanons is that he’s pretty thin, since trauma survivors tend to have chronic stomach pains. He’s probably pretty paranoid about others betraying him, so he does it to them first (probably why he pushes naruto away so much). Sasuke is also probably still ostracized or “othered” for being an uchiha, since that is what the village is told about them. People still pity him, but dont come near him.

5. Naruto. 😭I actually made up a whole theory on why Hiruzen didn’t take great care of naruto, bc to me it just doesn’t make sense. it’s kinda a dumb theory and doesn’t rlly have anything to do with canon, but- what if Minato wanted to expose the corruption in the hidden leaf and get rid of the foundation, so as a sort of revenge, or just general distaste for Minato, Hiruzen doesn’t really provide for Naruto. 🤷‍♀️idk. A change I would make is to have naruto mature more to match his age. Like ofc it makes sense for him to act out for attention esp when he was younger, but i feel like past shippuden..he didn’t really mature at all? maybe thats just me. I’ll probably have more stuff to add for him, i’ll think of it later or put it in my headcanons post.

😭im so tired yall i will make a better post later on.

[themidnightguardian]

Day 2: Trust Issues -- Naruto & Kakashi

gen | slight AU taking place the day of team assignments | Warnings: childhood neglect & trauma, mentioned attempted child murder, (justified?) paranoia & trust issues

Whumptober 2024 Masterlist

---

Naruto didn’t care much for the sensei Team 7 had been assigned. The lateness was one thing—annoying, but bearable—but there was something shifty about him that raised all kinds of red flags in Naruto’s mind. The mask, the fake-ass eye-crinkle, the utter bullshit he’d spewed about his “likes, dislikes, and dreams.”

Naruto used to think anyone with a Konoha headband could be trusted—at least to an extent. Maybe they didn’t like him, because no one liked Naruto, and maybe they wouldn’t go out of their way to help him, but he used to think, at the very least, that Konoha shinobi were safe. Pretty stupidly trusting of him, in hindsight, but he’d never had reason to think otherwise.

Until Mizuki-sensei tricked him into stealing the scroll of forbidden jutsus, and then tried to kill him. It was a floodgate of bullshit coming out all at once, because he’d learned about the kyuubi, learned that was the reason most of the adults in the village couldn’t stand him—why people trashed his apartment and called him names in the street and refused to sell to him.

There was a pang of betrayal whenever he thought about the Hokage now, too. For so long, Hokage-Jiji was the only one Naruto could rely on, the only person he’d ever felt was looking out for him. Naruto couldn’t decide between being grateful, or feeling hurt—because it had never been about Naruto, but the kyuubi. And the Hokage had hidden so much from him, Naruto wasn’t sure if anything he said was true. Or if it was just more lies stacked on top of each other.

No, the only person in the world he knew he could trust without hesitation now was Iruka-sensei, because he had proved he was on Naruto’s side. Because you didn’t take a fuma shuriken to the back for someone you didn’t like at least a little.

But Hatake was an unknown, and that meant Naruto had to be careful.

So when Hatake ordered them all to share their own likes, dislikes, and dreams, Naruto rambled some nonsense that sounded enough like the truth that no one would call him on it, and enough of a lie that it couldn’t be used against him.

And when Hatake told them there would be a survival test in the morning, Naruto couldn’t help but think of Mizuki-sensei’s “special test” and felt some mix of exhaustion and dread and resignation sink into his bones.

Sasuke and Sakura left the moment Hatake dismissed them, but Naruto stayed behind. He could make himself anxious waiting for the other shoe to drop, or—

Or he could just do it himself.

“Are you going to try to kill me, too?” Naruto asked, blunt enough that it actually made Hatake rear back, actually made something like panic crack the otherwise impenetrable blank mask he’d been putting up the whole time.

“What?” he croaked out.

“Like that bastard, Mizuki. ‘Cause if you are, let’s just get it over with now. There’s no need to drag Sakura-chan or Sasuke-teme into it.”

Sasuke might be an arrogant jackass, and Sakura was as mean as she was pretty, but Naruto wouldn’t put either of them in danger. He wouldn’t let either of them get hurt just because they had the misfortune of being on the same team as him.

Naruto ignored the tremble of his hands by clenching them into fists, ignored the faint wobble of his lip by baring his teeth. He was a real shinobi now, and real shinobi weren’t afraid.

Except Hatake was a real shinobi—a jounin, even—and he had gone white as a ghost. “No. Naruto, no. I—fuck. No. I’m not going to—” He took a shuddering breath. “That’s not going to happen.”

Naruto just narrowed his eyes. Hatake sounded sincere—sounded shaken—but Naruto had been wrong about people before.

Still, there had been plenty of opportunity for him to attack, and he hadn’t taken it. Maybe Hatake was the type to play the long game? That seemed…like a huge waste of time, if Naruto was being honest, but he’d have to be vigilant, just in case.

“Sure,” Naruto said, relaxing a little, but not fully.

If anything, Hatake’s expression cracked further, but he nodded and, without another word, disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto waited to make sure he was truly alone before he slumped back down on the roof. So his new sensei was harder to read than anyone else Naruto had ever met. He sighed, throwing an arm over his eyes.

I’ll just have to get stronger, then.

[oh-no-its-bird]

TMA naruto au time buckle up,

Jon should get to be a half Uchiha bastard who has an infamously hard time controlling his sharingan.

His mangekyo (which he gets very very young when he accidentally leads a bully to their death at the hands of a nukenin with a love of spiders) basically acts as his beholding abilities and can allow him to compel people to sit still and answer anything he asks of them, which gets really messy when you consider a) shinobi society is built on secrets, and b) he has a really hard time turning it off

His visions absoloutley fucked but whatever bloodline his father was from seems to have caused the deterioration of his eyes to stop where it is— and is also the cause of why he has extra difficulty w it's flip switch

Anyways, Inuzuka Daisy or Hatake Daisy, I can't decide. Either way shes wolf coded as fuck and also in a similar boat of being absoloutley shit at controlling her bloodline. She and Jon are so problem child coded, and I think part of the reason she hates him as kids is bc she sees a lot of herself in him but like, at her worst. All of her issues but he just lays down and takes it when she fights tooth and nail against anyone who so much looks at her wrong. They are opposite ends of the spectrum and she's hyper aware of it

I think that when they're older they should get to go on a mission together and basically the whole coffin thing happens but with like an enemy nin w an earth chakra type.

Mmm alternatively tho, sprinkle in hints of the dreaded fears and play w the beasts and yokai of naruto canon, pull some spooky shit.

They get in over their heads, coffin happens, Jon goes back for her then we end with them both just kind of looking at eachother like "there are things in this world we can not comprehend."

Mmm, naruto version of the fears,,, that could be fun. Incorporate the bijuu maybe, idk

Anyways, Daisy hates Jon, coffin time happens and Jon escapes but then goes back for her (if she's a Hatake, this could also play interestingly w parallels to Kakashi) and they come out of the whole thing having Seen Thing(tm) and are irriversably changed and also now very much edging into co-dependant besties territory

Can u tell I'm a big fan of the Daisy and Jon besties agenda bc I so am

Moving on to the others ->

I want to say civilian Martin? I don't have much for him tbh, it'd be cool if he was like distantly related to Haku tho. Give him the cool ice mirror bloodline limit or whatever bc smthn smthn the lonely.

Mmm ok acrually hear me out: civilian Martin who's trying very hard to avoid shinobi things. He's actually a defected Kiri nin who forged a new identity for himself and fled to Konoha to start a new life after the bloodline hunts back in Kiri killed his whole family (except for Haku, but he doesn't know he's still alive) He's trying very hard to fly under the radar, but I doubt he'll succeed for long

I want him to look like all those fun lonely avatar fan arts of him w the sharp teeth, white streaked hair, dulled looking skin and kinda fishy vibes overall actually, but like he uses a seal to keep a permanant henge on him to look normal bc hes very visibly Kiri otherwise

Tim is giving me Yamanaka vibes for some reason. I like that also bc then we could possibly get him and Jon working together in T&I, which like yay parallel to how they used to work together before the archives

Sasha is giving me civilian born shinobi vibes, I think she should get to work in the hokage tower. Paper pusher with big dreams of moving up the latter and really being someone one day. She has her eyes dead set on a position in the Hokage's office

Basira is ,,, somewhere. You really can't have Daisy without her that's just illegal but I'm not too sure where to put her. Civilian born Basira kinda suits her but I'm ngl I'm kinda eyeing Nara Basira. Wait no fuck ok, Nara Basira and she was on a 3 man unit with Tim at one point, now they just need a Akimichi to complete the narashikacho trifecta there

She totally works in T&I now, or maybe with the Uchiha police force? It's like 90% Uchiha but I'm pretty sure some other clans are spotted here in there among them, and if they're not, I mean, I don't actually give a shit so .

I don't know if this is one of those aus where canon is still there but we're just adding tma characters into the mix or if it's just vague naruto setting but tma characters are our focus / replacing the main cast. But I think it's the first. If it was the second tho I'd say Elias as Danzo in a heartbeat

But since it's the first, Nara Elias who got a mysterious eye transplant years ago that seemed to have changed his personality entirley (were totally keeping the body hopping shit, rip the real Nara Elias who's been dead for years)

He's a slimy politician who works closely with Danzo

Ok so main narrative:

I'm thinking the coffin thing happens with Daisy and Jon, and now they're kind of eyes open to the existence of whatever version of the fears exist in this world. Jon is Jon and can't let sleeping dogs lie, and Daisy is Daisy and does her twitchy "there's something dangerous out there I can't control/don't know about" thing so she's really not stopping him, but she is helping him be more smart about it. Sometimes. They're both kind of lose canons tbh holy shit this is gonna be a disaster

So Jon gets kind of obsessed w whatever the FUCK that was, and Elias smells blood in the water and approaches

Idk what's going on with Elias but he's still body hopping bitch boy Jonah here. He's very involved in the fears, and he's had his eyes on Jon for a while. You see, the way that avatars manifest in Naruto world is that sometimes they'll often show their influence through bloodlines— Nara the dark, Yamanaka the beholding, Inuzuka the hunt, it's all there if you look for it.

Those in 'the know' believe that all bloodline limits came from the fears— sometimes their influence shows more than others. And very very rarley, that influence becomes a a bit more... potent, than in others.

Elias believes that Jon is one such instance of this, his strange mangekyo being so painfully and terrifyingly beholding coded, far more than his clansmen who's own mangekyo tend to branch off lightly into territories of different fears.

Jon (and Daisy, but Elias has a clear favorite here) running into such a strong instance of the buried, which is rare on its own, has only made Elias even more interested, taking it as some sort of sign that there really is something especially odd about Jon's unusually strong link to the fears.

Anyways, Elias sponsoring Jon's investigation into the fears, their links to the bijuu, how they interact with chakra and if they might truly be the source of modern bloodline limits.

Konoha secret supernatural task force (not to be confused with ROOT or ANBU) meant to monitor the fears influence in Konoha,,,

(God, of course Elias couldn't help but make his own fucking secret service in opposition to ROOT. He couldn't let Danzo upstage him)

Just like how ANBU has their shoulder seal and ROOT the tongue seal, I'm thinking their seal is a stylized eye on the back of their neck, which ofc Elias is always watching through, rip

Oh fuck, actually give me seal master Elias and his special spy seals he can watch and listen through. It's not a power thing it's just a specialization thing— he has his own eye tattoo that allows him to directly see through all his seals at any time.

Anyways we're calling this organization ARCHIVE bc I am a simple gal. Don't ask what it's supposed to stand for in verse, idk

Idk who else should be in it, or if it should be like ground up and Daisy and Jon are the first. Wait what the fuck am I saying, Gertrude and Gerry obviously. Michael Shelly too, can't forget him

Toss in Mike Crew and Jude Perry also just bc I like them. Maybe Nikola and an Aburame Jane Prentiss? But also idk if I'd want to put them in the position where they're technically working under Elias, I feel like that just doesn't fit. Better to leave them out in the wold to run into instead for conflict. Except Mike Crew, who is my favorite little guy and who should get to be here on loan from Elias' friend and Daimyo's court shinobi, Simon Fairchild

Honestly be funny if Kakashi was in it at one point just bc then he'd have been in all 3 konoha secret services and honestly? Hilarious. Someone give that guy a fucking break oh my god

Obviously Tim, Sasha, Martin and Basira all eventually join in, tho idk how. Maybe Jon is actually asked who would be a good choice for it? Jon says Tim and Daisy says Basira, then they both kinda eye Sasha who's been very fucking vocal ab needing just a chance to get her claws into the hooks of the Konoha power ladder and reccomend her too

Martin is the tricky one, I'm thinking Elias somehow finds out ab his Kiri background and has always wanted to poke more at the lonley's very visible connection to many kiri bloodlines— but Martin's in particular. So he kinda blackmails him into it, but framed in a more friendly "I'll make sure you don't have to hide anymore, I can secure your place in Konoha even with your ancestry :)"

Also maybe he was impressed by Martin's disguise seals, that'd be neat. Seal master Martin but he's Martin so he's like "Ah, I'm really not that good at it :("

(Jon is infuriated by his seemingly natural talent then even more infuriated when it becomes clear he's actual shit at most other shinobi things)

Ok so peddle it back to Mr Jonah eye fuckery Magnus here -> he was once like Jon. A man born into a clan w a link to the beholding, with a light eye themed bloodline limit. But he was born with a stronger tie to their patron than the others, strong enough to recognize they had a patron at all. And by feeding into it (don't ask me how I have no clue) he was able to strengthen that tie, gaining more power, and the ability to body hop through eyes

And he looks at Jon and wonders if he can replicate that in him. Groom him into something closer to their god, then feed him to the beholding to further his own power, which seems to have stagnated in growth.

I think also there's just a good amount of spite for ROOT and hunger for political power that he might get from ARCHIVE, and Jon is a clear fit for it, so like. Add him to the pile !!

I have a couple more vague thoughts for this -> the archive tunnels correlating to ROOT tunnels, the real Elias being childhood friends w Danzo and Hiruzen before Magnus took his body, Madara off in his cave somewhere being influenced by a Zetsu who serves the fears instead of Kaguya, etc.

But I'll leave it here for now, thank u for ur time

[honeykngdom]

sentimental motives | iruka umino

Pairing: Iruka Umino x 19+f!reader Synopsis: Iruka hasn’t been able to stop thinking about the young Sarutobi woman he spent Halloween with; he’s completely enamoured with you. How had he never noticed you like this before? Here’s the catch: Konohamaru doesn’t appear too happy with the budding relationship between you and the Academy instructor. WC: suggestive themes; kissing, Iruka gets handsy. Word Count: 5.3k A/N: A continuation of the caretaker! ngl I fell in love with the idea of Iruka pining over a Sarutobi, and felt like I needed to carry on writing little pieces for the pairing!! Obsessed with Iruka being a soft and charming man, spoiling you rotten, using flowers to convey his emotions.

Read part one here!

When you were six, you dreamed of being a powerful Kunoichi. You would chant your name from the end of your bed, pose in the mirror of your bathroom, and imagine the most grandiose scenarios as you made your way through the village to the Academy. But you didn’t know the reality of this shinobi life. You didn’t understand what it meant to devote yourself to the cause. To protect the village. 

In retrospect, at the age of six, you hadn’t imagined that you would be escorting three new genin to the Academy seventeen years later. You walked behind Konohamaru and his friends as they rambled on about how they, too, would someday save the village and be labelled as great heroes. To make a difference. 

To become Hokage.

Of all the people to love your father unconditionally, it was Konohamaru. It was thanks to his love and admiration that you still felt your father’s presence. His dream to become Hokage resonated deeply with you, and filled you with pride. How could you not love him unconditionally?

You’d be lying if you said you hadn’t decided to join your nephew and his friends this morning because you were eager to catch a moment with Iruka. It had been two weeks since you rolled your ankle and Iruka saved the day, and after spending the better part of an entire afternoon with him, you were aching to get another moment alone.

As the Academy gates came into view, the tightness in your chest was replaced with a sudden nervousness in the pit of your stomach. You could see him so clearly, standing alongside Ebisu as they greeted the youth that trailed in one behind the other for another day of shinobi learning. 

“See you later, Auntie!” Konohamaru called back to you with a wave, running off to join a few of his classmates through the gates. You stopped where he left you, just a few feet away from where the entrance sat. But at the sound of his voice and the mention of you, Iruka’s ears began to burn at the tips. 

Breathe, Iruka, he thought pitifully to himself. 

“Hello, sensei.” It was silly how unnatural it felt, the flirtatious undertone in your voice. 

Iruka looked over his shoulder to where you stood, his stoic features melting with recognition. He glanced briefly down to your right foot as he left Ebisu near the gate and made his way over to you. “You’re in better shape, I see. No longer a hop-along.” 

You looked down at the ankle he referred to and shrugged coyly. “I had an amazing caretaker. His company surely helped ease any discomfort.” 

Iruka, slightly embarrassed by your confession, scratched the back of his neck lightly and chuckled. “I’m glad to hear it. What brings you to this neck of the woods? Eager to reminisce about the good-ole-days?” 

“Moegi asked me to join them on their walk this morning,” you explained casually. Admittedly, you were perched on your building stoop just waiting for the trio to make their way by. Moegi had taken a liking to you over the last three years since becoming friends with Konohamaru; you had been banking on her incessant need to chat specifically to aid you in getting to the Academy this morning. 

Iruka glanced over to where the children gathered and chuckled again. Though he’d never say it outloud, he was quite happy that you decided to tag along. “I see. Well, you know you’re always welcome to stop by – with or without the accompaniment of the children.” He added thoughtfully, leering downwards with a playful expression. 

“Alright,” you licked your lips in defeat, bracing your palms on your hips, “you caught me. I may or may not have come with ulterior motives.” 

Intrigued, Iruka tilted his head to the side in curiosity. It was hard to ignore the flutter in your stomach when his gaze felt so heavy. “Consider me interested. What’s on your mind?” 

The next bit came out rushed and had you cowering beneath his stare. “I’d like to spend an afternoon with you, if you can spare the time. I was thinking maybe we could get some ramen?” 

The subtle lift in Iruka’s mouth was all the answer you needed. Spending time with the other jōnin proved useful; Kakashi had a big mouth, and per Kakashi, Naruto loved ramen and Iruka loved to treat him to it after every mission. Given that one tradition had been full-stopped the last time the pair of you spent time together – much to Konohamaru’s dismay – you figured this time, paying homage to one of his traditions may bring more success. 

Honestly, you were looking for any reason to listen to more of his stories. Truth be told, there was something so soothing about the reverberation of Iruka’s voice. 

You felt the lingering weight of eyes watching you closely, coupled with whispers that burned the tips of your ears. Distracted, you reared your head to view the ensemble of genin standing outside of the front of the Academy’s gates. Amidst the excitement, you caught your nephew's eyes in the thick of the gossiping pupils — one cocked brow and a scowl so deep, he looked like a spitting image of Asuma, and you knew that look well. 

Konohamaru was pissed. 

A soft touch pulled your attention back; Iruka placed a hand on your arm and had given the space it rested a gentle squeeze. “How about Sunday at two?” 

“Great,” you returned to feeling like a school-girl, locking your hands behind your back with a smile, “works for me. I’ll see you then.” 

If there was one thing Iruka enjoyed, it was a bouquet of fresh flowers. In fact, it became a monthly errand to stop by the Yamanaka flower shop to visit Ino and peruse whatever was new. For a long while, Ino refused to believe that the Academy instructor was simply popping in for his own pleasure. She was certain, particularly as a young girl, that the man had hidden afflictions for someone in the village. 

Ino imagined the woman was a civilian; that the pair met in secret and shared private moments of tenderness together. She envisioned Iruka presenting each of the bouquets she made every month as a gift, and she worked hard to ensure every bouquet was more beautiful than the last. Yet, no matter how often she prodded, the instructor never wavered from his story: the flowers were for him, because he found them beautiful and enjoyed their scent. Iruka thought it was endearing for a little while – that was until he found Ino sneaking around places she ought not to be in hopes of finding him meeting up with this so-called ‘secret lover’. 

One harsh chastizing later, and Ino no longer believed there was a woman she created bouquets for. Truthfully, the realization made her heart sink. Ino loved love, loved expressions of it and displays of affection. For Iruka-sensei, she wanted nothing more than for the instructor to find someone to share his kindness with. 

Today appeared no different from the last seven years. When Iruka entered the shop with a patient expression, Ino smiled at him from behind the counter. He waited by the tulips while she finished assisting another customer, a young woman in search of an appropriate bundle to bring to a friend who had fallen ill and was in the infirmary. Ino was masterful in her craft, able to satisfy the girl in a timely fashion and soon enough, the blonde was standing next to Iruka with a knowing look. 

“Same as usual?” The kunoichi asked cheerily, already reaching for a handful of red poppies – they just so happened to be Iruka’s favourite. “The daffodils are ready, too. I think they would look lovely with the poppies.” 

“I agree.” Iruka nodded with a smile, watching the teen amble over to another corner of the shop to begin pulling together various fillers. Mostly baby’s breath, as always. She knew him well. 

He waited as she cut the stems and began to organize them intricately before tying them together with a thin white satin ribbon. Just before Ino was finished assembling the latest centrepiece for his dining table, Iruka cleared his throat and interrupted her work. 

“I forgot to mention that I need two bouquet’s today.” He emphasized the plural by holding up two long digits, nervously meeting her large blue eyes. 

Ino stood confused for only a fraction of a second; instead of immediately jumping to any conclusions or turning to her typical playful banter, she lifted a single brow and questioned, “Oh?” 

The next part was difficult for him, mostly because he hated that he felt he needed to explain himself. But knowing Ino’s sleuthing abilities, if he tried to hide it at this point, it would be futile. She would come to know eventually, the determined young thing. And admittedly, Iruka wanted this done right. He always assumed that when this day came, it would be the Yamanaka girl to procure only the most exquisite bouquet for him to give. 

And then, Iruka thought that maybe he didn’t have to explain himself outwardly. There was a high probability that she would know exactly what the purpose of the bouquet was for, but that didn’t mean the instructor needed to divulge any information. Just enough to satisfy her, he supposed. 

“Gardenias, please. And whatever you think would pair nicely with it.”

The girl's eyes widened in excitement, and instantly Iruka regretted having said anything at all. Too late, he thought when she nearly leaped over the counter to where they kept the gardenias. “I’m thinking hibiscus. Maybe a little lavender?” Ino peered sideways at the man. 

Iruka shook his head quickly. “No lavender, not yet.”  

The pout she attempted to conceal was disappointing. “How about some iris?”

He thought for a moment, his own eyes wandering over to where the bushels sat neatly just a few feet to their left. Iruka nodded once, then turned sharply on his heel and returned to the counter. Now, he noticed Ino took a significantly greater amount of time assembling the second bouquet; in other words, Iruka was correct in choosing to put his faith in the young girl for this specific venture. 

He allowed himself a brief moment to relax. 

A few streets over, Ayame was nearly as excited as you were for the prospect of spending the afternoon with the village’s favourite genin instructor. In an effort to stave off any lingering insecurities, you arrived thirty-minutes early to divulge your heart to the brunette on the other side of the serving counter. 

“How do you think Konohamaru’s gonna take it?” Ayame asked with large eyes, working around a clean bowl with a dry cloth. 

You could sense the presence before you heard him. Konohamaru hadn’t quite mastered the art of moving undetected, although it was cute he still tried. “What do you think you’re doing?” 

A knowing look was exchanged with Ayame; speak of the devil and he shall appear. You swivelled around on the stool, leaning forward until you were at his eye-level. “What are you talking about, Konohamaru?” 

“Don’t treat me like I’m stupid,” he retorted, “I’m not a little kid anymore. I see Asuma and Kurenai when they’re together, and everyone knows by now that they’re definitely a thing –” you were a little surprised with just how much knowledge the brat had, “and you look at him just the same!” 

You shook your head in confusion, unsure of where your nephew was going with this new information. “Rewind kid, look at who like what?” 

“Iruka-sensi! You look at Iruka-sensi just like Kurenai looks at Asuma. And I’ve gotta say, I’m not too happy about it.” Konohamaru claimed, folding his arms indignantly across his chest. 

You felt a rush of heat flood up your neck as you snapped yourself upright. The nerve of this kid. “Listen here, you little stink,” you growled, tugging on the bottom of his scarf, “who I look at and how I look at them is my business. And frankly, the way you feel about it isn’t going to change anything.” 

Konohamaru smacked your hand away, his dark eyebrows knitting together as his face returned to a sour expression. “You’re just doing this to make me mad.” 

Unbelievable. 

“Are you serious?” You deadpanned. “You think I asked out one of your instructors to upset you? Deliberately?”

“You already ditched me on Halloween to spend the day with him,” hearing the words come from Konohamaru’s mouth had you in a fit of guilt. Your mouth went dry. Suddenly, you were unable to maintain eye contact with him. “Yeah, I heard. Udon was in the village square when he saw Iruka carrying you around on his back. And I overheard Ebisu-sensei say that he was with a bunch of the jōnin later that night, and he sounded particularly interested when he mentioned that he saw you and Iruka getting friendly.” 

By the time he was finished with his little tirade, your face was flushed bright crimson. In so little words, so much information was given – starting with the fact Ebisu, of all people, had caught you being overly affectionate with the renowned Academy teacher. 

Damn it, you figured it was more discreet. 

A sigh, “Konohamaru, I can explain —” 

“Incoming.” Ayame hissed from behind the counter, averting your gaze up to where Iruka’s tall frame could be seen walking up the street. He wore an easy-going smile and appeared composed as ever; as he passed by familiar faces, he would nod to them. You couldn’t help but smile. Then, you saw the brown paper bundled in his arms; you recognized the packaging and another bout of heat washed over your features. Iruka brought you flowers. 

Konohamaru groaned before he glared up at you one last time. “I don’t like this at all.” 

He didn’t stick around to greet the man, leaving the instructor slightly confused as he perched himself on a stool next to you. “Where’s he running off to?” 

“Training. As always.” You answered quickly, offering him a reassuring grin. 

“I hope I’m not too late,” Iruka offered an apologetic simper as he held out the bouquet, “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting, but I thought it might be rude of me to show up empty handed.”

“No, you’re right on time.” You reassured him, bringing the bouquet to your nose excitedly. “You really didn’t have to do this.” 

The chūnin didn’t even look embarrassed when he replied, “I wanted to. Besides, a dutiful caretaker would have delivered you flowers during your recovery. I should have bought you a second bouquet to make up for it, really.” 

A part of you wanted to claim that was nonsense, but decided that the sentiment was thoughtful, and that was what drew you to him in the first place  Perhaps it meant that he had been thinking of you, just as you had been thinking of him. Instead, you smiled gratefully and reached over to give his hand a gentle squeeze. 

“Thank you, they’re beautiful.” 

Iruka spent little time reviewing the menu before he put in his own order, and within the next ten minutes, steaming bowls were placed in front of the two of you. The pair of you spent over an hour chatting just at Ichiraku’s; Iruka ate several bowls of miso ramen with plenty of pork, and you couldn't help but watch admiringly as he gulped down the last of his broth. It had been a long time since you had spent time with a man who appeared to love hot broth as much as you did, given that you no longer spent much time with Asuma. The thought didn’t sadden you as it normally would have – perhaps good company could cure all sorts of loneliness. 

The afternoon sun was hot, its rays beaming down into the village core as you walked closely next to Iruka’s side. Once again, the domesticity of spending time with the chūnin like this had you lost in a daydream of what could be. Weekend afternoons spent browsing the market, watching dusky pink sunsets from the comfort of your studio apartment while you shared a meal, late nights spent held in each other's arms to stave off the bitter cold —

For now, you felt privileged enough to be sharing just this one afternoon alone with him. 

Unbeknownst to you, Iruka was lost in a trail of his own subconscious desires as you led him through the various shops set up across the village. Watching you peruse the plethora of trinkets stirred something inside of him that he couldn’t quite put a finger on; there was something so alluring about such a mundane action that the instructor just didn’t understand. Iruka noticed that you clung to the bouquet in your arms as though you feared they may disappear at any given moment — he found it endearing. He enjoyed standing close to you as your eyes wandered over the cases filled with pretty gems and bracelets. If he timed it just right, he was able to catch the scent of your perfume mixed with a hint of your shampoo – a scent that recently had become a favourite of his own, since the first time he caught wind of it. 

Iruka decided he loved the way your hair appeared three shades lighter when in the sunlight, and envied the way your eyes seemed to glow in the same manner. Your voice carried so easily over the hustle and commotion in the streets, making it nearly impossible for him to lose you in the crowds. The subtle traces of sweat that lingered at the base of your neck only seemed to heighten his arousal — as a response, he kept his hands bound tightly into fists in his pockets. The temptation was all the same, but the least he could do was allot some restraint while in the public’s eye. You were still a Sarutobi, after all – that came with a reputation, one he would be damned to tarnish with such basic primal urges. 

In spite of his attentive gaze fixated on you, Iruka was dreadfully aware of the number of eyes that lingered one second too long as the two of you walked together through the market. The questioning eyes of his colleagues were one thing – that much he could handle. But as you neared the Yamanaka flower shop, Iruka all but fell to his knees with anxiety. Surely Ino would have much to say, seeing the top of her bouquet in your arms.

It was surprising that as you admired a bundle of roses outside the shop's doors, Ino simply observed from her place behind the counter. Iruka watched her gaze settle on your frame as you bent forwards to inhale deeply; the blonde kunoichi smiled in recognition at the sight of her sensei’s younger sibling. The academy instructor deduced that hiding it from Asuma now would be futile; Ino was bound to drop the ball sooner or later. 

It was nearly sunset by the time the two of you sat down on a bench away from the excitement of the market and core. You bit into another piece of dango, pulling the chewy ball from the skewer with a satisfied hum as Iruka polished off the last of his own.

“You didn’t have to treat me to this, too, you know.” You tried to sound disappointed but failed miserably.

Iruka wanted to comment on the way your demeanour changed around the cashier; the way the woman behind the counter observed the two of you with minor disdain, the way you ripped the dessert from the woman’s hand with such venom — it was dizzying how you turned around a fraction of a second later to him with round doe eyes and a sweet smile. 

“I figured you were making a suggestion after the fifth time we walked by the stall.” He mused, watching you finish the remainder of your dessert with a soft grin. “Besides, it’s not like you put up much of a fight.” 

Embarrassed, you peered sideways at him, “I’m grateful all the same.” 

“I know.” 

Regrettably, the setting sun invited in a cool breeze and the day appeared to be coming to an end. When you mentioned something about getting home to put the flowers in some water, you couldn’t help but notice a shift in Iruka. He walked slower, now, and despite previously only having the courage to guide you through the shops with a gentle hand placed strategically between your shoulder blades, he now conducted you forward to the hill that led back to your apartment with that same hand spread evenly across your lower back. 

As you reached the stoop of your building, you faltered when reaching for your keys. As much as you knew the night had to come to an eventual end, you couldn’t help feeling disappointed. The confidence you previously harboured no longer appeared to be leading you through the motions of your date; ultimately, you conceded you would have better luck next time. 

“I really enjoy your company, Iruka,” you said quietly, lowering your eyes down to the buttons on his vest, “I hope we can spend more Sunday’s like this.”

Iruka’s response was automatic. He lifted a single digit to the underside of your chin, brushing his thumb gently across the span of your bottom lip before lowering his face down. With a subtle tilt, he inched your face upwards until your lips connected. You were pleasantly surprised with the force; in all the times you envisioned this moment, Iruka harbouring dominance was not something that had come to mind. Yet, you melted into his tall frame and allowed the hand free of the bouquet to grip one of the lapels of his vest in the same hungry manner as his arm that now held you firmly against his body. You were thankful for the vice grip Iruka had on you; your knees began to feel weak, and between the erratic beating of your heart in your chest and the ringing in your ears, you weren’t entirely sure you would be able to keep yourself upright much longer. 

Iruka, on the other hand, never felt more in control. It was rejuvenating to feel so sure of himself. He’d been thinking about this moment nonstop since you curled into his side while sharing a booth at the pub on Halloween. Watching your tired eyes fight the urge to fall asleep while surrounded by a full room of people had him itching to escort you back to your apartment, just as he promised. He wanted to see you home safely. From the moment he placed his arm around you and inadvertently smelled the top of your head, he felt incredibly protective of you. It was there he decided his new favourite scent was your shampoo.  It was a foreign feeling to Iruka, but one he was determined to understand. 

Iruka was nervous to pursue anything at first. You were a Sarutobi, after all – what could he have to offer you? Over the duration of the last two weeks, Iruka decided that he would work hard to become a man worthy of you rather than denying himself such a simple pleasure. It had been fourteen gruelling days not being able to speak with you, but he needed to be sure. 

Iruka couldn’t help but smile when the sigh tumbled past your lips; the sound almost as delicious as the cherry chapstick you wore that softened your lips. He removed his mouth from yours, but remained close. His hand at your chin moved to push back the hair from your face, his opposite hand already pressed firmly into the lower portion of your back. 

“I’m sorry, I should have asked first.” Iruka huffed against your lips, his chest rising and falling with each heaving breath he took. “But I was scared if I did ask, I would lose my nerve.” 

This time, it was you who reconnected your mouths together, having stood up on your tip-toes to throw your arms around his neck in a hungry manner. The way he leaned you backwards under the awning until your back hit the brick surely hid you from any witnesses that may have been wandering by during this time of the evening; truthfully, it made the engagement all the more enthralling. 

In a feverish haste, you quietly breathed a moan into his mouth as a large, warm hand gripped tightly at your hip, his thumb caressing the exposed skin just above the waistband of your skirt. God, how intoxicating —

With great reluctance, Iruka disconnected himself with a disgruntled sigh. If he had it his way, he could kiss you forever, never take another breath and die happy in your arms. But he couldn’t be selfish with you any longer, deciding that the time spent apart from you would be much, much shorter than the last. 

And the quiet whimper that follows the swift disconnection is all the answer Iruka needs. Smiling mostly to himself, the man towers over your frame and brings his hands up to fix various pieces of your hair. With the heat of the day, its uniformed strands had begun to curl in unruly patterns. It brought a certain youthfulness to your features Iruka couldn’t help but appreciate. 

“When can I see you again?” Voice husky in its inquiry, Iruka’s gaze didn’t falter from your own as he swam in your half-hooded eyes. 

“Tomorrow evening.” You replied; it wasn’t a suggestion but rather an expectation. 

The man appeared to understand the desire that clung to your demand, and nodded dutifully. 

He caught your free hand in his own, bringing your slender digits up to his lips to press a warm kiss against your knuckles. His mouth broke into a soft smile just underneath the warm flesh, eyes closing for just a fraction of a second as he then pressed his nose to the inside of your wrist to inhale deeply. It was curious, the way his shoulders appeared to visibility relax with the action. 

“Sweet dreams, Sarutobi.” He whispered against the skin, and in the next moment, he disappeared into the darkness of the night. 

Remnants of sleep tugged at the corners of your mind as the jarring call of your name continued to pull you from slumber. The sun came in dimly through half-risen blinds, windows left open through the night to provide some fresh air to the otherwise stuffy studio where you resided. You could hear the faint chirps of morning birds in the treetops, leaves rustling in the gentle breeze that accompanied their cheery tune. 

“Auntie!” 

Your eyes slowly peeled open, staring blankly up at the ceiling with a slow exhale. Looking over to your bedside table, the numbers read 7:49AM; you groaned out in exasperation and threw an arm back over your eyes. What was the brat doing here?

“Auntie, come on! It’ll only take a few minutes!”

Your limbs moved reluctantly, slowly pulling yourself into an upright seated position. Your eyes now fixed themselves on the window with a petulant glare, unable to contain your annoyance with being disturbed so early. After another short minute of deep breathing, you stood and ambled over to the window sill. 

“I need to talk to you!” You glared down at your nephew, who stood on a rock just outside of the front steps of your apartment. “Get down here!” 

What could he possibly want this early in the morning? You wondered, stifling a yawn with one hand as the other drew open the curtains wider. 

“Yeah, yeah, in a minute.” You huffed out in annoyance, turning to locate where you had thrown your pajama bottoms in the darkness of the night. When the young boy called out to you again in frustration, it took everything in you not to snap back in response. He certainly hadn’t mastered patience, that was for sure.

You joined him in the early morning sun, and despite not having been awake for more than five minutes, you welcomed the warmth of the sun’s rays; your nephew carried a lunchbox in his timid hands, goggles not quite seated properly on the top of his head. If you didn’t know him any better, you would have thought he appeared anxious. 

“Yes, Konohamaru?”

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” Konohamaru started, looking down at his feet in embarrassment. 

“You’re sorry?” 

The young preteen nodded hastily. “After I left you at Ichiraku’s, I spent the whole day following you and Iruka-sensei around.” He let his shoulders drop in defeat, a sigh of his own procuring from deep in his chest. “I noticed something.” 

 Curious, you cocked your head to the side. “Oh yeah? What’s that?” 

“Iruka looks at you the same way Asuma looks at Kurenai.”

You blinked slowly, carefully considering your nephew's words. You knew exactly which look he was referring to — the one Asuma only wore whenever he walked next to Kurenai. It was protective, and yet, your brother never looked more at peace. An unlikely combination, but it was an expression he wore exquisitely whenever the pair were together. 

“Also, I may or may not have seen something I shouldn’t have,” Konohamaru’s cheeks deepened further as he lifted a hand to scratch the back of his neck, “but I gotta say, I didn’t think Iruka-sensei could be so handsy. I mean, what was up with that kiss, anyway?” 

Stunned, you swallowed thickly. “K-kiss?” 

“If that’s even what you want to call it – it looked more like face-sucking to me.” 

“Konohamaru!” You chided loudly before shoving your hand overtop of his mouth in a hurried manner, looking anxiously around you to see if anyone else had overheard. “Will you keep your mouth shut? That’s private!”

“Could’ve fooled me.” He mumbled under your hand, his hot breath slicking your hand. Ugh, gross.

“I’m not kidding, Konohamaru,” you sighed, “you can’t say anything to anyone. Especially Asuma.” 

The boy laughed. “That’s useless. Uncle Asuma’s gonna know something’s up, he always does.” 

You thought back to the previous night, reeling through the actions of the day spent with the instructor. Surely an impression was left with various individuals throughout the village, seeing the two wandering around so closely together with a bouquet in your arms. What else were they to assume? Undoubtedly, the entire market took to gossiping about the scene that played out before them: Hiruzen’s girl was finally entertaining one of the young men in the village, how exciting. 

You sighed petulantly, feeling your shoulders crumble in on themselves. The laughter that came from the young boy next to you was irritating, but you let it pass. If you expected any opportunity to explain it to Asuma first, you needed your nephew on your side. 

“What Asuma doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right, Konohamaru?” 

The boy threw you a coy smile. “Nice try, Auntie.” 

“Taiyaki for the next two months.” You offered quickly, knowing that he likely wouldn’t pass up the opportunity. 

Fiendishly, Konohamaru fixed his hand on his chin as though he were in deep thought, eyes leering up to the sky. After a short deliberation, he shook his head. “Make it six, and I’ll consider it.” 

Irritated, you grumbled, “You’ll take two and be grateful, you stink.” 

“Six months, and I’ll swing by your place every morning to let you escort me to the Academy. Just to see Iruka-sensei.” The mocking tone in which he drew out the instructor's name had you wincing with regret already. But it was tempting. 

You conceded with a nod, “Fine. Six months, and not a single day longer.” 

Konohamaru grinned in triumph, his hands coming up to rest behind his head. “Well, better go get ready. I’ve gotta be at the gates in less than twenty-minutes!”  

[inanewmoon]

Leaf's Ranma AU - Character Profile Hibiki Ryoga

Born and raised in a small Hibiki Village on the border of Fire Country, Ryoga is the young heir to a local shinobi clan the village is named after. Long term subordinates to the Hokage and Konoha, the Hibiki Clan still usually trains their own shinobi without sending them to Konoha’s academy. While they have no official shinobi academy of their own, the Hibiki’s training regiment is notoriously demanding of physical excellence, and they have been known to occasionally take up outsider students for a fee. Rumors of such dealings with missing-nin, are of course, unfounded. The Hibikis are thought to be quite distantly related to the Inuzuka, although neither Clan has ever officially acknowledged it. They possess no special blood limit, but for exceptional physical conditioning and a prevalence of sharp canines. The clan also has a boar summoning contract, the most famous summoner being Taiga Hibiki, Ryoga’s father and current clan head. Not much is publicly known about a training accident when Ryoga was ten years old, but it did involve a pair of out-of-village visitors, a break-in into Taiga’s home and the great warrior boar Katsunishiki demolishing at least two houses in the ensuing chaos.

Currently twelve years of age, Hibiki Ryoga was sent by his parents to join the Konoha forces, to reaffirm old commitments and strengthen the ties between the Hibiki Clan and Konoha proper.

Known mission history - three D-ranks and a single C-rank.

Currently part of Team Yamato (also known as Team Four), with Tendo Ranma and Tendo Akane as his teammates. The newly minted team is yet to take their first mission.

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Art by the wonderful @beedokart 💙💙💙 See also https://linktr.ee/fernvbedek. I'll eventually ask her to draw all of the team four, be patient 💙 For Tendo Ranma, look here. And Tendo Akane is here

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This has been a draft of Hibki Ryoga's profile for the Merger AU in which I have transplanted a handful of Ranma characters into Naruto (Dreaming of Sunshine) universe.

I suspect that the knowledge of Dreaming of Sunshine is not gonna be needed, but I didn't wanna remove Shikako from the setting, since she's very dear to my heart. 💙 Leaf's Ranma... coming to an archive of our own... someday in the future.

This is part of a larger effort to showcase more of my writing, and an attempt to force myself to sit down and write. 💙

[rogue205]

Rant Number …… who knows

Another unpopular opinion here, I’m assuming.

So I recently got back on the Naruto train again after my latest break as I have done several times over the years. And as an adult, a few things jumped at me more than when I enjoyed this in my younger years and refused to be silenced.

1.) Naruto is very pointlessly OVERpowered to a STUPID degree. I mean, I get it, he’s the protagonist but with him around, everyone else just needs to retire from/not even train to become a Shinobi because he’s there. Oh, “at least they took away his God-Mode after the war”. Well, yeah. The least they could do. Him being the protagonist also sucks for me because I find a lot of his mannerisms really annoying. “Talk-no-Jutsu” is stupid too, like did NO ONE else ever consider that? No? It only works because it’s the protagonist, got it. Do NOT get me started on the fact that during Part 1, Naruto is basically between 12 and 13 years old and he had already created a jutsu that turns him into a sexy naked girl. God, I don’t even want to know why he thought of that. Even if it’s possibly Jiraiya’s influence, that’s almost even more disturbing.

2.) I don’t get everyone being so terrified of Itachi. He’s one of my favourite characters, not gonna lie, but people clearly more powerful than him are scared of him. Why? Seems the most consistent reason is the creators have a hard-on for either the Uchiha Clan or just Itachi in general. He definitely is a highly ranked ninja, no doubt but come on.

3.) Kakashi was nerfed at the end to to a large degree. And he’s my #1 favourite character so this annoyed the ever-loving hell out of me. I’d think losing the Sharingan like that should have actually AMPLIFIED his chakra reserves now that this almost parasitical thing isn’t constantly draining him anymore but nope! Can’t have him be MORE cooler and badass than the story’s central character! Even though he already is, let’s get real. I mean, his father was confirmed to be on the same level(if not higher than) the ‘legendary’ Sannin in terms of power so why stunt Kakashi like this? To make the new generation look better and more powerful than they are. (Same deal with Gai, honestly. At least he got to go out by handing Madara his own hind quarters.) Skipping over the 10-15 years Kakashi served as Hokage just so they could rush into Naruto’s bugged me too. Who else wishes we got a FULL series of Kakashi Gaiden? So many missed opportunities.

4.) Apparently any kid who has dreams of becoming the Hokage but doesn’t have a link to or is related to previous Hokages can just forget it. I noticed this before but Imma post it for old time’s sake. I mean seriously…

First/Second: Brothers

Third: trained by the previous

Fourth: Student of the Third’s student and only because said student didn’t want the position

Fifth: Descended from First and trained by Third

Sixth: trained by Fourth

Seventh: Son of Fourth, ‘distantly related’ to Fifth(overpowered much) and trained by Sixth

And now it seems people are of the opinion that the eighth Kage could be Sarutobi’s grandson, Naruto’s kid or Sasuke/Sakura’s kid with a few others tossed in. I wonder why every kid in the Academy isn’t fighting tooth and nail to get onto any possible “Team 7” since that seems to be the lucky one if you want to progress in Shinobi politics.

My rant.