#Shinobi Shell

[shinobi-shell]

Shinobi Shell by BYND

[fightinggamegirlfriend]

thinking about Hayate’s reaction to being called ‘a rúnesarc’ (Irish for beloved), I can’t help but think she’d turn into an absolutely blushing mess. Also the word itself live in her head rent free.

[spatio-rift]

what people dont get about karin forgiving sasuke is that its way more than just that he tried to kill her... its the way she is treated just like in kusa by the person most important to her through tobis influence... the way they always dismiss what she has to say, the way they keep manhandling her without any concern for her, the way she ultimately is only useful for them if she can heal and better off dead if she cant do it anymore. it makes me so angry

[raikirikiri]

big fan of obito spending so much time stalking kakashi that he saves his life a few times in the process. kakashi is key to obito’s plans, without kakashi, obito’s whole shtick explodes and suddenly he’s left with no one to punish. so kakashi can’t die. and obito knows he’s a very capable shinobi, oh boy does he fucking know it. but kakashi is also still mortal and mistakes happen and … oops! obito might’ve used kamui to push the hand about to plunge a kunai into kakashi’s back a little to the left!

or oops! kakashi is an idiot and passes out from chakra exhaustion and obito kamuis him closer to a water source/small village! it’s okay, kakashi won’t remember how he got there anyway.

obito has saved kakashi’s life on more than a few occasions and it’s only because kakashi’s suffering has to mean something. he can’t die because then obito really will be alone and everything will feel so much more dull and bleak than it already does. kakashi might be an enemy, might not understand obito if he knew he was alive, but kakashi is the only thing keeping him tethered. so he’ll look after kakashi when he can, spitefully saving his life and watching him grow and change into someone almost unrecognizable. and obito wont be able to take credit for it, at least not all of it because kakashi attributes so much of his life and his nindo to obito already but no one will know that it’s obito that’s kept him alive from the shadow of kamui.

and kakashi will sometimes feel like he’s being watched, sometimes feel like there’s a cruel god out there hellbent on keeping him alive so he can suffer and atone. he’ll look and look but he’ll never see the shell of the boy he once knew still looking after him. it makes him more than a little twitchy if he thinks about it for too long but the feel comes and goes and he learns to live with it because it doesn’t feel hostile and he can differentiate between the omnipotence and the corporeal. sometimes he manages to trick himself into thinking that it’s his old team watching him and cheering him on and it makes him be a little better. work a little harder. want to live a little more. until he remembers that living means going on without them and suddenly, he’s throwing himself into danger and yet the danger never comes and he’s still alive and he’s still being watched. he never tells anyone he’s being watched. it’ll either be taken as a threat or as him needing another psych evaluation that’ll be ignored. so he keeps it to himself and doesn’t let it drive him crazy.

it’s not until the war, until he’s facing the masked man, that the feeling goes away. and suddenly, basically in a blink of his eye, kakashi is hokage. he has two eyes of his own and life is still passing him by. the feeling is gone and it doesn’t come back, not even a little bit. not ever.

oh tragic lovers obito and kakashi, how you make my lament

[werethecurtainsblue]

Recently I rewatched the entirety of Naruto (and read some of my favourite arcs), and I noticed something that I JUST have to talk about. This is a rather lengthy analysis of Naruto and Sasuke’s relationship and mindset, so please bear with me 😭

During my first watch, I was guilty of thinking that Sasuke changed his mind rather abruptly during VOTE 2. I didn’t understand how he abandoned his revolution after one single fight. But on rewatch… damn. Kishi might be a terrorist, but he knew what he was doing with Naruto and Sasuke. (Panels attached for proof?)

Rather lengthy analysis of Naruto, Sasuke, and the foreshadowing for Sasuke's eventual redemption:

It all begins during the ‘Five Kage’ arc (suicide pact my beloved). Naruto’s grand answer to the entire dilemma Nagato and Jiraiya posed to him — how will you find peace? — was just “I'll bear the world's hatred. Then lets both fight and die together?” (Insane behaviour. Someone please give my frog boy a hug).

But then, it goes a little deeper. Then slowly, it all starts to make sense? For Naruto, this was never about protecting Konoha. Not truly (I don't recognize any other patriotic canon gbless). We see him struggling throughout the Five Kage arc, grappling with the questions posed by Pein, and the weight of everything he's learnt about Sasuke. Everything his beloved village has done to the boy he loves.

Because now... Naruto finally understands. He's felt the righteousness of vengeance. He's looked at a man and felt nothing but burning hatred. How could he not? Pein killed his master-Jiraiya.

That's when he understands Sasuke.

Pein's question about how Naruto intends to find peace is far far deeper than just shinobi politics. For Naruto, the question is quite simple. How does he intend to save Sasuke, if he himself is falling into the same pitfalls of revenge. If he 'pulls the trigger', then with what face is he supposed to then ask Sasuke to abandon his revenge. (Man I fucking love the pein arc).

(I would like to point out how Konoha has always treated revenge differently when it comes to other shinobi vs an Uchiha. Shikamaru was not only encouraged, but given state support to avenge his sensei. But Sasuke must abandon the notion of avenging his whole family?)

That is when Naruto finally understands. And it almost destroys him. The Naruto we see in the Five Kage arc - taking beatings for Sasuke, begging the Raikage to spare Sasuke on his knees, having panic attacks and nightmares. Perhaps on some level, Naruto is punishing himself for feeling the same anger and hatred that's come to consume Sasuke. Because he understands, and he has no idea how to get past it.

And that pain of not know how to save Sasuke... it's brutal for him.

In that moment, all hope seems lost. Sasuke descends deeper and deeper into his madness. Naruto is a shell of himself just after his most triumphant moment (Saving Konoha).

And then, we get this:

Naruto's answer to the whole dilemma about peace is self-sacrifice?????????? (Bc ofc it is with this boy. He'd rather die before perpetuating the same cycles).

Naruto has begged and pleaded and taken beatings to protect Sasuke. To somehow try and stop the cycle of hatred by sheer willpower. The lesson? The world... simply doesn't care.

Pein said that 'humans can never understand each other', and perhaps Naruto believes that is because of all the burden, anger, trauma, and hatred they carry. Naruto and Sasuke were victims of that hatred. This world shaped them into who they are, irrevocably.

The answer? Humans can understand each other. Naruto and Sasuke can understand each other. But only free of the constraints that hold them back.

Only in death when Naruto is no longer a Jinchuriki, and Sasuke is no longer the last Uchiha, can they let go of all their suffering and resentment, and truly... truly accept each other. Because Sasuke's pain is too deep. His anger and hatred is... understandable. Naruto gets it now. He gets that he can no longer just ask Sasuke to drop everything and return.

He also... can't not defend Konoha. So the solution he lands on - suicide pact - seems inevitable to Naruto. He almost welcomes the prospect of the two no longer having to shoulder their burdens. A world where Naruto and Sasuke are free to love each other without their pasts haunting them.

Flash-forward to VOTE 2:

After their fated clash. It's exactly as Naruto prophesized. They're both beaten, bloody, and on the brink of dying. The anime goes further, and shows that Sasuke believes they're both dead. And for the first time... The first time since VOTE 1... we see him show explicit care towards Naruto? Because now that they're dead, he can finally breathe. He never hated Naruto. He just couldn't... let him in. Because of his anger. Because of his trauma when it came to Konoha and his clan.

They're no longer an Uchiha and a Jinchuriki. They're Naruto and Sasuke. Orphans. Their closest bonds. Finally, Sasuke is allowed to feel Naruto's pain, and care for him.

Finally, he doesn't need to be strong. Only in death is he free to be Sasuke.

Kishi himself even calls back to the suicide pact moment, tying it all back beautifully.

Again, Naruto thinks they're both dead:

And that's when Sasuke laughs. Now that - believing he was dead - he'd allowed himself to feel all the care and love and affection he had for Naruto. He just cannot go back to the place of isolation he'd been trapped in before.

Perhaps that's why Sasuke was so stubborn about cutting off Naruto. Because he knew that he loved Naruto so deeply that if he let himself feel it, he'd drop everything in an instant for that bond. Now that he's let himself feel it, he can never go back. So he finally lets it all go:

Naruto was always right. In a different way. To finally understand each other and accept each other, they had to let go of all their past and trauma. Perhaps death was the answer. Not literally, but metaphorically.

To all those who claim Sasuke never loved Naruto, or was 'toxic' to him. Sasuke loved Naruto: deeply, unconditionally. He loved him so much that he knew he'd drop all of his revenge in a heart beat for him. But his past... simply wouldn't let him.

In hindsight, the moment Sasuke let Naruto in, he was always going to change his mind. That is what Naruto knew all the way back during Five Kage arc. It's why he stopped chasing after Sasuke, and waited for him to come to him first.

In a twisted way, Sasuke's strong love was exactly the reason why he was so intent on cutting Naruto out. But in the end, I'm just glad my boys worked it out lol.

Anyways, if you read this far, thanks for coming to my ted talk lmao.

(Yes, I was sobbing as I typed this out. I just love them both so much).

[wing-ed-thing]

Leaving the Village with Madara Headcanons

Madaraarnings: No Reader Pronouns, Angst, Name-Calling, Mild Description of Injuries

𓆃 Not as romantic as you think it'll be, and you probably should have known it from the start.

𓆃 Madara had, after all, pinned you down the moment he suspected you knew anything. And odds are, you knew what his reaction would be when you confronted him.

𓆃 "You are leaving," were the three words you spoke, laced with a certain certainty without accusation, and Madara pounced on you right then.

𓆃 And it almost doesn't matter if you swear up and down to keep his secret or demand answers or plead with him if you intend to follow him until the end.

𓆃 And Madara will never know if the only reason you went along with him was because you knew he wouldn't hesitate to silence you right then and there if you were even thinking about stopping him.

𓆃 Whether Madara tells you his reasoning or not, you went along with him against your better judgment. Perhaps because you agreed with his philosophy about the village, or maybe because you just didn't want to lose him.

𓆃 Madara wasn't thinking about you nearly as conscientiously as he allowed you along, barely paying you mind as he made his reckless decisions.

𓆃 He involved you in very little, and most of it was due to the fact that Madara himself didn't know much of what his next moves were.

𓆃 You didn't realize he had devolved to such a state, only focused on his haphazard goals with little regard for others. And perhaps you thought that when things settled down, the two of you would go back to normal.

𓆃 Any help he allowed from you was minimal, the tasks he gave you just the accented dots to his grander plots. A bit of stealing. A bit of staying. A bit of waiting.

𓆃 You had a history, and you thought your relationship was closer. Perhaps you thought you could bring him back. Perhaps you thought you could reason with him or even bring his new dreams to fruition together. And yet, in the days leading up to his attack on the village, Madara didn't seem to even trust you with his goals.

𓆃 He was a raving, paranoid shell of the person you so desperately tried to cling to, and after yet another defeat at the hands of Hashirama, Madara appeared to have disintegrated altogether.

𓆃 He became a shell of a person, barely speaking to you most days as you tended to him. He had sustained heavy wounds during the fight.

You wrapped them with bandages you had stolen off a cart of goods down the road. The little knowledge you might have had about battlefield wound treatment dwarfed in comparison to the extent of Madara's injuries.

And now, he sat quietly. You both did. The hollowness of the cave tried to make up for the lack of words between you as Madara lay on a bed of leaves and soft mosses you had gathered.

There was nowhere to go. Your main haven would have been the village, the very one you had just burned bridges with. You had underestimated how deeply connected the Land of Fire was and how formidable the forces of the allied clans were.

You weren't sure how you expected it to go, but as you looked at Madara's glazed eyes, you knew it wasn't this.

You and Madara against the world.

You supposed that was what ran through your mind when you had asked him, "What are we going to do next?"

It was a panicked question, one that had taken in your circumstances and stacked them against your odds. You tried to soothe yourself with imaginings of the two of you foraging off the land, traveling across the world without anything holding you back.

That might work.

Might.

Might.

But Madara lay on the ground, not answering your question.

"Madara?" you called softly. His eyes almost glanced your way. "What are we going to do?"

It had been a long time already, about a week of you stealing from carts, treating his wounds the best you could, and smuggling the two of you to shelter as shinobi across the land sought you out.

It had been a long, sobering week. That certainly couldn't have been what Madara had had in mind. He was smart. He had a plan.

But when he answered, you found yourself at a loss.

"You leave..." His voice was low, resentful.

"What?" you crinkled your brow. You weren't sure why tears began to gather in your eyes. He had to have had a plan.

"You leave," Madara repeated, this time more forcefully. He began to sit up, but when you moved to rush to his side, Madara flared his Mangekyo sharingan before falling back on his propped arms. You didn't dare move closer, even as he let out a pained wail of anguish. "You leave! You get out!"

Madara fell onto his back as he let out another cry, like a wounded animal. He contorted his broken body, ripping bandages and injuries alike as he clawed himself up. His sharingan cycled through several patterns as it blipped in and out of his irises.

"Are you too stupid to see that I have lost once more to Hashirama Senju? And you ask me what is next? This is what is next! This is what I have to offer: a life of damnation and banishment!"

Chakra cracked around you, the weak and uncontrolled energy still enough to break surrounding boulders and create a slight tremor in the ground below.

Madara wailed, and you stayed. Quiet.

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

[gingerkunoichii]

this is part 1. i cant post the FULL one on here for some reason but here is the link to the full writing on AO3 ! pairing: dark!shikamaru x female reader

oneshot au set around two years after the fourth shinobi war where Shikaku DIDNT die because he doesn't deserve that

words: 12467 (had to seperate into two parts because it's so long, OOPS.)

warnings: extremely toxic relationship, NSFW smut, swearing, cheating on partners, general scumbag behaviour from both parties, dependancy

summary: you and Shikamaru have been messing around for years now - never making things official, making eachother jealous in sick games, purposefully going back and forth to eachother, arguing, hating, fucking. now after months of not speaking to him after he got a new girlfriend, you decide its time to cause chaos in his life again.

You shifted slightly, propping yourself up on one elbow as your eyes flickered to Shikamaru’s with a glint of mischief - you were here to cause mayhem, to press and push him, to break through that lazy facade he held as always that infuriated and drew you in, you had been obsessed with cracking that shell for a while now. Sometimes it worked, with him fucking you wildly whenever you succeeded and sometimes it failed with you returning to the night. No matter the situation you were in or the man you found yourself with - you found yourself always going back for that sweet release with him specifically, like a drug. You hadn’t spoken to him in months after he did a.. certain thing.. and you reacted in what you thought was a completely reasonable response - he disagreed as he always did, but yet here you were, like a street cat you came and went when you wanted to. You studied him, the dark hair he always wore pulled back into a ponytail, loose and trailing around his neck and shoulders as he blinked steadily waking himself up, and his intense eyes that reminded you of the very deer that the Nara clan tended to, the way he leaned back on his hands with a carefully neutral expression, his dark eyes betraying just a flicker of curiosity. Your lips curved into a faint smirk, one that promised trouble.

“You’re quiet tonight,” you said, your tone light and teasing. “I expected a bit more of that dry wit you’re so fond of..” You drew on your words. You had, as usual when you got bored late at night, invited yourself into the Nara clan compound, and fortunately for you his dad Shikaku had let you in - saying it’s a good thing he has someone like you to ‘keep him on his toes.’ You had invited yourself to his bed like it was your own with your weight upon it waking him up as you threw yourself down - he was not impressed and had sat there in silence, annoyed as he woke himself up, knowing that you being here late at night only meant one thing, trouble.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow but didn’t rise to the bait immediately. Instead, he let out a soft sigh, as if your words were already weighing on him, making him tense. “Maybe I’m just conserving energy y’know, since you decided to come here when I was sleeping..” he said lazily with a yawn - looking over you as you laid at the end of his bed, though his eyes flicked to yours, searching for the game you were obviously trying to play now. She’s always up to something, especially since it’s been months now.

You let your smirk widen as you leaned back fully again against his covers, your hair pooling around you like liquid. He opened one eye to look at you, his expression a mix of exasperation and resignation. “I’m not going to give you the reaction you’re fishing for, you may as well just leave now and let me sleep.” he said flatly.

“Oh, I’m not fishing,” you replied, your tone low and teasing as you leaned slightly closer, touching the covers. “I already know how to get a reaction out of you, Shikamaru. I’m just deciding whether it’s worth the effort tonight.” You had come here with a plan, as you always did. You found it most enjoyable to get a reaction out of the other-wise level-headed Shikamaru - he had already cracked under you multiple times, countless in fact.

His gaze lingered on yours for a moment, his lips twitching into the faintest of smirks despite himself. Troublesome as ever. He shifted slightly, leaning forward as he rested his elbows on his knees, the covers rustling as he moved. “You’re like a hornet.” he said with a sigh as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. “Do you just go around poking at everyone to see what sticks?”

“Only the ones who make it interesting, duh.” You replied smoothly, he had your interest - despite everything that happened, despite your incessant need to toy with him and his need to hurt you too - to try and play with him, to try and outsmart him constantly. “You should take it as a compliment.”

Shikamaru shook his head, though he couldn’t suppress the small chuckle that escaped him. “Yeah, sure. I’ll just add ‘compliment’ to the list of things you’re terrible at giving.” His words were dry, hinting at your previous times with him as you scoffed, not even bothering to satisfy him in responding to it.

You let the moment stretch, enjoying the way his dark eyes remained steady on yours, the way you captivated his attention even if it was late at night and the last time he had actually spoken to you being months ago - even if he was lazy, even as you knew you were testing the limits of his patience. That, after all, was part of the fun. You were here however for anything but to make him comfortable, in fact you relished in making him uncomfortable - in pushing him, which was exactly what you were gonna do. To see if he’d do something, a perpetual game of cat and mouse, though if the cat was much more lazy and had sharper claws than most.

You let out a long, deliberate sigh as you eased back fully onto the bed, your arms stretching upward. Your fingers splayed slightly as if measuring the ceiling, your gaze absently tracing the lines of the wooden beams above. The faintest hint of a smile tugged at your lips as you concocted a way to get underneath his skin, a quiet amusement dancing behind your eyes.

“I really shouldn’t be here,” you said casually, your voice soft and almost wistful as you side eyed him for a reaction with a permanent smirk etched onto your face, anything really. “Especially now that I’m a... ‘thing’ with Naruto hmm? Doesn’t look good at all.” Your tone lingered on the word "thing" as if the very concept were amusing or foreign to you in front of him, such things had never stopped you before. You tilted your head slightly, turning your attention back to Shikamaru, the wooden beams suddenly boring. Your arm lowered, and with a quick flick of your fingers, you poked him lightly in the leg where it was covered near you as if tapping the glass of a fish tank.

Shikamaru didn’t flinch, though his expression turned deadpan as he glanced at you, I knew it, I had heard of months ago, right after I got with Temari  - I had a feeling she’d turn up to gloat eventually, to try and get a reaction, like she always fucking does. He leaned back slightly, letting his head rest against the wall behind his bed. “What, are you expecting me to congratulate you? Feel guilty for letting you stay? I’m not playing this game Y/N.” He yawned, not giving you what you wanted just yet.

You turned your head fully to the side now, your eyes narrowing in mock curiosity, as if he could ever dare to question your intentions. “It’s not a game,” you said, though your smirk betrayed your words. “Just an observation. I shouldn’t be here. Late night visits to a man's house never did anyone any good.” You watched him yawn as you spoke.

Shikamaru let out a slow breath, his gaze lifting toward the ceiling you’d seemingly been measuring moments before. “You say that like it’s some kind of profound statement,” he muttered. “You’ve already decided to be here, so what’s the point in pretending otherwise?” He looked at you with a bored expression, already tired of your shit the more you spoke. You had invaded not only his room but his precious sleep time with your bullshit games.

Your smirk widened slightly. “I suppose you’re right,” you admitted, your tone light and unbothered. “But it’s still fun to see how you react when I say it.. It's new afterall.” You had been doing this for years with him - a constant back and forth, but you still found entertainment in it - how despite however many times you did it he never kicked you out, never actually got sick of you.

He tilted his head to look at you, his dark eyes steady, though there was the faintest flicker of exasperation in his gaze. “And what reaction are you hoping for?” he asked, his voice calm but pointed. “Am I supposed to kick you out? Go tell Naruto that his girl is over at mine? Tell you to stay? Or just sit here and listen while you work through whatever it is you’re avoiding.” He folded his arms over his black shirt - the dim light showing the rumpling of the fabric as he did so.

You chuckled softly at how pointed he was as usual, the sound low and velvety. You enjoyed playing games with the minds of men within the village, finding it the only worthy entertainment nowadays amongst all the seriousness - your games had yet to catch up with you and you were just about fine with that. He also was the only one that matched your mindgames in such a fucked up way. “You always think I’m avoiding something,” you said, your voice carrying a faint teasing lilt. “Maybe I just enjoy your company, huh, Shikamaru?”.

Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head slightly as he looked back toward the ceiling. He spoke finally - his voice quiet but tinged with wry amusement. “Still as predictable as ever.”

Your eyes sparkled as you raised an eyebrow. “Predictable?” you echoed, your smirk sharpening slightly. “Now, that’s a new one.” You sat up slightly, looking him directly into his deep brown eyes. “Careful, Shikamaru. If you start calling me predictable, I might have to try harder to surprise you, maybe I’ll start appearing at yours even later at night to engage in these wonderful chats.” 

He let out a small chuckle. “Troublesome woman,” he muttered again. “You’re already exhausting enough as it is.”

You leaned your head back further on to the mattress, closing your eyes briefly as your smirk softened into something more thoughtful. “Exhausting, maybe,” you murmured, your voice quieter now. “But I doubt you’d let me stay if I wasn’t at least a little entertaining.”

His gaze flicked to you again, lingering for a moment as he weighed your words.You was trouble, no doubt about that, you had a penchant for turning up at the worst times, like when he had started a new relationship, trying to get a reaction out of him, saying the most random shit and observing his reactions like he was some sort of lab rat—but there was something about your presence, your unpredictability, that kept him from telling you to leave no matter what you two went through. Entertaining, huh? That’s one way to put it.

“You’re lucky I don’t mind losing sleep,” he said finally, his tone dry and sarcastic.

Your smirk returned as you opened your eyes, your gaze finding his once more. “That’s what I thought,” you said softly, your voice carrying a quiet satisfaction despite his obvious sarcasm. He was the only man to match your energy in any sort of way and now being here you wondered why you had given him the cold shoulder for the past few months, sure he did something fucked up but still, this was exhilarating, a dark toxin. You wondered if you should take a different approach to this, maybe throw yourself at him or something when he knew that you were both now in relationships. You shifted slightly on the bed, your long hair cascading over your shoulders as you propped herself up on one elbow. Your eyes studied Shikamaru’s profile in the dim light, the faintest hint of mischief glinting in their depths as your lips curved into a languid smile. You seemed to savour the stillness of the moment as it allowed you to think - to plan, to watch his reaction, the quiet tension that always lingered between you both.

“Shikamaru,” you said softly, your voice carrying a slow, deliberate edge as your smirk deepened, “do you want to do anything?” Your tone was suggestive, your words calculated as they lingered in the air. You tilted your head slightly, watching him with precision—measuring every subtle shift in his expression, every flicker of reaction.

Shikamaru didn’t move at first, though his fingers twitched slightly where his hands rested on his thighs, the covers making a sound slightly. His dark eyes remained fixed ahead not wanting to observe the taunting ghost at the end of his bed that appeared when he least wanted it to, but his jaw tightened, his thoughts churning beneath the surface. Why does Y/N always push just far enough to test me? He inhaled slowly, carefully schooling his expression before he finally turned his head to meet your gaze.

“And what exactly are you implying?” he asked, his tone calm but edged with dry amusement. His dark eyes locked onto yours, steady despite the quiet challenge in your voice. “You’re the one who came here, idiot. Shouldn’t you have an idea if you’re the one asking?” He yawned again.

Your smirk widened faintly as you leaned back again, your fingers brushing lazily over the fabric of the covers, accidentally touching his leg under there as you did so. Shikamaru tensed slightly. “Oh, I have ideas,” you said lightly, ignoring the fact you just did that, your voice laced with amusement. “But I thought I’d give you the opportunity to surprise me for once, I am always the one with all the surprises, it gets boring really.” 

He studied you for a long moment, his expression unreadable. She’s trying to get a rise out of me again by coming here and telling me that she’s with Naruto - like I even care, she did this all for some sort of revenge anyways. Always testing, always poking at whatever cracks she thinks she can find. He exhaled through his nose, his gaze narrowing slightly.

“And what if I said no?” he replied, his voice steady as he leaned back on his hands. “Would you be disappointed, or would you just find another way to amuse yourself?”

Your eyes glinted as you watched him, the corner of your mouth tugging upward. “Maybe both,” you said smoothly, your tone teasing. “But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it? Seeing how far you’ll let me go before you push back.”

Shikamaru tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharp against yours. “You’re always looking for the boundaries,” he said quietly, his voice carrying an almost resigned edge. “But don’t act surprised when you find them.”

You chuckled softly at his words, thinking of all the implications he could possibly mean - despite this facade of his right now, you knew for a fact he loved this shit as much as you - this sick game you both engaged in every now and then. “I’m never surprised by anything nowadays,” you murmured, your eyes narrowing slightly as you studied him. “Just curious.”

The air between you both thickened again, the tension shifting but never breaking. You let the silence stretch as you lent your head back, your smirk fading into something more calculative. You were careful, as always, you could see the subtle shifts in him, the way his gaze lingered just a little too long for comfort, the faint tension in his posture that spoke louder than any words as he was acutely aware as to why you were here late at night. It was a dance that you’d both done for a few years now.

“Well,” you said finally, your voice light and teasing, “if you’re not going to take me up on the offer, I suppose I’ll have to entertain myself.”

You glanced at him from the corner of your eye with a grin.

Shikamaru leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees again as he let out a slow exhale. His gaze flicked to you, dark eyes narrowed with something sharper now—an edge that wasn’t there before. You always played your games with professional precision, but tonight, it seemed, you had nudged just far enough—constantly talking about your new relationship with his friend.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked, his voice low, steady, but carrying an unmistakable weight of all the times past. His expression remained calm, but there was a flicker of something more—a challenge. This was how he played the game. “Especially now that you’re a ‘thing’ with Naruto.”

Your smirk didn’t falter, though you glimmered with interest as you shifted slightly on the bed, propping yourself up on one elbow again facing him. “And what about it?” you replied smoothly, almost unassumingly as if this conversation was something completely normal, your voice was unbothered. “Are you concerned for him? Or is this your way of deflecting?”

Shikamaru let out a soft, humourless chuckle, shaking his head. “It’s not about me,” he said, his tone sharp enough to cut through your teasing. His gaze locked onto yours, his words slow and deliberate. “How do you think Naruto would react if he knew you were here, huh? In my room, stretched out on my bed, practically begging for attention?”

The smirk on your lips remained - this was more like it, your eyes flickered with something unreadable from his perspective—maybe amusement, maybe a flicker of surprise. You studied him carefully, as if weighing your next move. “Begging?” you echoed, your voice carrying a faint lilt of incredulity. “That’s quite the accusation, Shikamaru. Is that how you see it?”

His jaw tightened as he sat back, folding his arms across his chest. “You tell me,” he said flatly. “You’re the one who came here. The one who’s pushing, testing, playing your games. So tell me, Y/N—what are you looking for? And does it even cross your mind what he’d think if he knew?”

“Perhaps-” you said, lightly tracing your fingers yet again on his covers, there was an edge to your voice now as you felt your game finally being played now rather than ignored. “-but Naruto wouldn’t understand. He’s... straightforward.” You smiled darkly, testing him as you paused before continuing. “Too earnest to grasp the nuances of things like this like you and I.” You tilted your head and hummed at the end of your sentence, your smirk returning as you added, “And you know that as well as I do.”

Shikamaru’s gaze didn’t waver, though his expression darkened slightly as he processed your words. Of course she’d rationalise it like that. Y/N always did. No matter which guy she was with throughout the years, she was always coming back to me like a cat in heat. “And what happens when he does understand?” he asked with a smile, his tone carrying an almost dangerous calm. “When he figures out that all this—” he gestured vaguely toward your body on his bed, “—isn’t as simple as you want him to believe?”

Your smirk widened faintly, you loved the back and forth he would give you - that no matter what weird fucked up shit you did, no matter when you turned up - he would entertain you. Your eyes glinted as you leaned back fully again onto his bed, folding your hands behind your head. “Then I suppose I’ll deal with that when the time comes,” you said smoothly, not really caring if and when Naruto might find out. Most guys knew what they were getting into anyways  with you but did it anyways - out of lust or hope that you’d change you couldn’t tell. You and Shikamaru were real messy and it wasn’t a hidden thing throughout the years. “But for now...” You glanced at him from the corner of your eye, challenging him as you always did, your voice softening into something dangerously playful. “Why don’t you tell me what you’d do if you were in his place?”

Shikamaru’s brows furrowed slightly at your question as he sighed, and for a moment, he said nothing, his dark eyes fixed on you with a quiet intensity. What would I do? The question hung in his mind, unwelcome and intrusive. He didn’t want to play into your games, but the way you looked at him—calculated, challenging, as though daring him to react—made it harder than ever to keep his footing, his clean streak away from you.

Finally, he sighed, leaning forward again as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not Naruto,” he said simply, his voice quiet but firm. “And you already know that Y/N, you know it too well. So stop trying to turn this into some hypothetical. If you’re here, then be here—but don’t drag him into this just to see how I’ll react.”

His words hung in the air, heavy and pointed, as he met your gaze again, daring you to push further.

Your eyes narrowed playfully as you heard his words, your smirk deepening as you slowly sat up, your movements fluid and deliberate. You sat up slowly and leaned closer, moving yourself to sit beside him. The faintest hint of mischief dancing in your gaze as your hand slid lightly along Shikamaru’s arm. Your touch was feather-light, evoking goosebumps from him, deliberate in the way it tested his boundaries without fully crossing them.

“Do you remember?” you asked softly, dragging your words, your voice smooth and teasing, like silk brushing over bare skin. Your fingers traced an idle pattern on his arm, your gaze steady on his. “The last time we were like this... together?” You paused, letting the memory of the last time you both fucked, whenever that was, settle into his head.

Shikamaru’s muscles tensed under your touch, though his expression remained carefully neutral. He turned his head slightly to look at you, his dark eyes narrowing with a mix of exasperation and something darker—something he didn’t care to name and didn’t ever really want to. She’s doing it again. Pushing. Testing. Always seeing how far I’ll go before I push back, before she gets what she wants.

“Of course I remember,” he said flatly, though his voice betrayed a faint edge of irritation. “That’s not exactly something you forget, Y/N.”

Your smirk widened at his response, your fingers trailing just a little higher on his arm as you tilted her head in entertainment, watching him closely. “Good,” you murmured, your tone dropping slightly as you leaned in closer with a whisper, dancing along the line of wrong and right as you usually did. “Because I was starting to think you’d forgotten.”

Shikamaru let out a low sigh, his jaw tightening as he looked away briefly, as if trying to steady himself and his thoughts.  She always knows how to find the cracks, no matter what sort of shield I put up. Always knowing exactly where to press. “I haven’t forgotten,” he said quietly with control, his voice low but steady as he maintained eye contact with heavy lidded eyes in the dim light. “But I’m not sure what you’re trying to prove by bringing it up.”

You chuckled softly, the sound low and velvety as you shifted even closer - shoulder against shoulder now, your smirk never faltering. “Who said I’m trying to prove anything?” you replied, your voice light but laced with an undercurrent of challenge. “Maybe I just wanted to remind you... in case you needed it.” You liked to remind him every few months, to play with his head - for him to play with yours too in a sick sort of way, you liked it. You hated that you liked the hurt, the back and forth of terrible things you’d do to each other - your most recent event of acting out was getting with his friend Naruto in an attempt to hurt him after you caught him kissing Temari.

He turned back to face you, his dark eyes locking onto yours with a quiet intensity. “And why would I need reminding?” he asked, his tone calm but pointed, knowing exactly the point you were getting at - their entire… relationship if you could call it that was them doing this. “You think I’m going to forget the way you play these games?”

Your smirk softened slightly, though your gaze remained sharp, unyielding. “No,” you said simply, your voice low and smooth. “You seem to forget the way you like to play them too though, Shikamaru.” The air between you both thickened, your words lingering in the silence as your hand stilled on his arm, your eyes watched him closely. Shikamaru’s mind raced, torn between the steady logic that urged him to push you away and the undeniable pull of your presence like it always had—the way her voice wrapped around him like a trap he couldn’t escape even if he wanted to. She knows exactly what she’s doing. This sick game between the two of you had gone on for far too long in his opinion - with him purposefully doing things to hurt you, you doing it back ten fold and then him taking it to new levels - if he didn’t pull away it would keep going until mutually assured destruction.He didn’t respond immediately, his gaze lingering on you as if trying to read the thoughts behind your playful expression. Finally, he let out another soft sigh, leaning back on his hands as he shook his head. “Troublesome,” he muttered again simply as he usually did. You leaned your back against the same wall he did, your eyes shimmering with amusement as your smirk curled wider. Your hair fanned against your back, brushing against the wall, and you shifted slightly, the fabric of your skirt brushing against the mattress as you stretched out, languid and deliberate. Your gaze flicked to Shikamaru, locking onto him like a siren does a sailor.

“So, you really won’t do anything with me?” you asked, your voice low, smooth, and teasing. You raised an eyebrow, your tone dancing between playful and provocative. “Here I am, sprawled out on your bed, practically ‘begging for attention,’ as you so eloquently put it. And yet...” You trailed off, your smirk deepening as you tilted your head to watch his reaction. “You’re still just sitting there.”

Shikamaru didn’t move at first, though his jaw tightened slightly, his gaze flicking toward you as if drawn by some invisible force. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees so the back of his head was only visible to you, his dark eyes narrowing as he stared forward into the darkness of his room. She’s relentless. Always pushing, always testing. And she knows exactly how to get under my skin. Y/N relishes in this cycle. It could be a year and she’d still come back for more.

“Are you really that desperate for a reaction?” he asked, his voice low, daring. His tone was calm, but his posture betrayed the tension building beneath the surface.

“Maybe.” You admitted lightly with a playful smile, your fingers idly tracing the edge of the sheets next to your thigh. “But if I really wanted a reaction, I think we both know I’d already have it.” His brow furrowed slightly at your words, he was annoyed - annoyed that you had come back here for this - to sit here and tempt him so he could be the one to blame for your cheating on your new boyfriend yet again, so he would be to blame for cheating on his own girlfriend yet again, not you. His dark eyes narrowed further as he regarded you. “You’re as cocky as always.” he said flatly with a sigh, though there was a faint edge of amusement in his tone - and that’s what you clinged to, the knowing enjoyment that he actually enjoyed this shit as much as you no matter how fucked up it was. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to fall for whatever bullshit you’re playing right now.” “You say that,” you mused, your voice carrying a teasing lilt as you resumed touching his arm gently, “but I think I’ve gotten under your skin more than you’d like to admit, I always do, don’t I Shikamaru?” Your words were sickly sweet like the nectar of a venus fly trap.

Shikamaru’s lips twitched into a faint, humourless smirk as he leaned back slightly, resting his weight on his hands. “Maybe,” he conceded repeating the same word you said with an entertained look on his face, his tone measured. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to give you what you’re looking for.”

Your eyes narrowed slightly as your almost permanent smirk widened, your amusement only growing at his restraint. “And what do you think I’m looking for?” you asked, your voice soft and probing, like a thread pulling at the edges of his composure.

Shikamaru’s dark eyes lingered on you longer this time, the weight of your presence pressing against the carefully constructed walls he’d tried to keep intact. You sat there next to him, your hand purposefully touching him - making that connection, your eyes glinting with amusement, your smirk daring him to act, to cross the line you had so deliberately drawn. His mind churned, torn between the safe choice of walking away and the pull of something undeniable—a gravity that he knew couldn’t entirely resist, no matter what.

She’s like a poison I can’t stop taking. If I let this happen, it’s only going to complicate things more than they already are. Temari had agreed to date me properly when I swore off ever talking with Y/N again, and I agreed - but here she is, again, and here I am again unable to tell her to fuck off. She’s got me under some sort of genjutsu where I keep making the same old fucking mistakes, I swear. His gaze flicked to your lips, then back to your eyes. Damn it all..

He sighed heavily, dragging a hand through his hair, his dark eyes closing briefly as if gathering his resolve as he turned his head away from you. You asked smoothly as you relished in his conflicted silence, your voice carrying a teasing edge. “Are you finally starting to see things my way?”

He simply scoffed, still not answering you as he felt himself unravelling slowly. He couldn’t help it with you, falling into old habits and hurting not only each other with the way you both acted but the people around you both. Temari, who he was dating now. Naruto who you were dating. It never just ended with you two - it was always so fucked.

You were completely emboldened by his silence, knowing what questions are probably flickering through his mind. Shikamaru was a logical man, yet with you he seemed to become stupid - stupid enough to keep this going, stupid enough not to kick you out his room.

“Do you remember the first time we almost had sex, years ago?” you asked softly, your voice smooth and low, like water brushing against his skin. You stared at the back of his head, waiting and knowing he would turn to face you, he couldn’t help himself as much as you couldn’t.

Shikamaru’s shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly, his dark eyes narrowing as he turned his head to glance at you, sitting his back against the wall as his shoulders brushed up against yours again. “Of course I remember,” he said, though his tone was measured and deep. “Why bring that up now?” A stupid question really, he knew exactly why you were bringing it up.

You chuckled softly, as your gaze drifted upward for a moment as if picturing it, your smirk widening faintly. You murmured, your voice dangerously teasing him. “The way you told me—no, in fact, commanded me—to sit on your lap under that big tree.” You paused, your eyes flicking back to him, watching him closely as you continued. His eyes were barely open, through being turned on or tired you couldn’t tell. “You wanted me so badly, that as soon as I sat there I could feel your cock harden beneath me, It throbbed with want and need, for me. I was so innocent back then - as was you. Both uncorrupted really.” you laughed slightly before carrying on, noting that his eyes hadn’t left yours as he listened, it sounded like he was holding his breath. Your smirk softened, your gaze steady and unyielding as you leaned toward him slightly, your voice dropping to a near whisper as if saying some sort of secret. “You didn’t hesitate back then, selfish man.” You tutted at him, maintaining his dark gaze before carrying on speaking “You couldn’t help yourself Shikamaru. Your hands were firm, sure of themselves. The way you touched my thighs slowly underneath my skirt, willing my legs to open slowly with your hands...” You tilted your head slightly, your lips almost grazing his ear as you spoke, your hair falling forward over your shoulder. “You made your way ever so slowly upwards, first only lightly touching me through my pants, before pulling them aside with those long fingers of yours - so deliberately.” You paused, noticing him finally breathing - the dim light cast highlights on his face. He liked it when you were like this, you could tell because he didn’t stop you, didn’t tell you to shut up. “As if you had all the time in the world under that tree, the afternoon sun on us as you slowly rubbed my clit-” you gasped slowly, intimately, half in remembrance of the sensation of his surprisingly skilled fingers massaging you to completion and half to get a reaction out of him, “-bringing me slowly to my corruption as you told me sweetly to trust you, a feeling I chased many times with you. I know you remember Shikamaru..” “You really have no shame, don’t you?” he muttered, his stare burning into your eyes. He was tense, his shoulder warm against yours, the room felt heavy. You laughed at his words, he was right - you didn’t, at least not anymore, not with him. “Tell me you don’t want such things again, there’s no way. I know no matter who you’re with, you haven’t found it the same.” You stared into his eyes, knowing that his control was frayed, broken like a taut string holding weights on either side. Shikamaru’s dark eyes stayed locked on yours, the challenge in your voice hanging heavy in the air. She was right. I had tried fucking Temari multiple times, to get my mind off Y/N - but it had been average. Just sex, no electricity, no all consuming need to absolutely take over the person who laid below him, it was healthy, normal even. Your gaze glinted with quiet satisfaction knowing that his lack of answer confirmed your words, your eyes dared him to act, daring him to step over the line you’d so artfully drawn between you both. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, the silence stretched unbearably, tension crackling as the string of control began to snap.

Finally, he sighed—a rough, frustrated sound—and leaned forward, closing the small distance between you both in a single, deliberate motion. The same old mistakes, huh? I’m a moth to a deadly flame no matter what other light is around me. His hand came up to your cheek, his touch firm and quick as he tilted your face slightly toward him, his dark eyes narrowing as they searched yours.

“You always push,” he said darkly, his voice low and even. “Always testing, always trying to get a reaction. Troublesome woman.” His thumb brushed along your cheekbone, slowly lowering to your jawline, his hand on your neck lightly, your memories flared - moments he had wrapped one of his hands around your neck and held tightly - the other covering your mouth as he had fucked you hard against a tree, memories from a year ago, the reason why being lost on you now. Probably you making him jealous at the time, enjoying the way he acted out.  “And you always act so damn sure of yourself.” You smirked at his words - you had won this time, yet again. As he had before, he would risk everything for you and you the same for him. His hand immediately tightened at your neck when he saw your smirk, making your breath hitch. Before you could respond, he leaned in further, his hand loosening around your throat and sliding to the back of your neck as he tugged you forward hard, his lips meeting yours in a firm, deliberate kiss. The tension snapped immediately and you were both all over each other. The kiss turned hungry, fervent, messy.

You gasped against his lips, your hands instinctively clutching the fabric of his black long sleeved shirt. His hands snaked around your waist, tugging at your clothes already.

Wetness started to pool between your legs as it had countless times before - teasing words and dry humour no longer being spoken - just the familiar sound of his bed creaking slightly beneath the both of you as you both fought for control with kisses.

The thought of how wrong this was sent thrill through you as you kept your eyes closed. So wrong, so right. No one in your life had ever made you feel like this. The intensity of the kiss pulled your focus back to him - the way his lips moved against yours with such an urgency that left your head spinning, forgetting about anything outside this room.  His desire was evident and it made your chest twist darkly - it was fucked up really, you had cheated on every boyfriend you ever had with Shikamaru. His lazy fucking attitude bringing you back each time - the need to be consumed, to consume. He pulled back, your vision hazy with how turned on you were, how badly you wanted him. “You’re one sick bitch Y/N.” His words were quick, heavy with desire - the string had snapped. You laughed, pressing him against the wall quickly as your eyes gleamed with mischief. Without breaking your gaze from him, you slipped forward and straddled him, your knees pressing against his sides and your skirt draped over his lap. Your hands pressed him into the wall. “And?” you finally answered breathlessly. “You want me just as much as I want you. Did you miss me in these months? Hmm?” Shikamaru’s eyes were dark, a familiar sneer appearing on his face. He enjoyed this, he was every bit as fucked up as you, you weren’t the only one who had cheated, fucked around behind peoples backs - he did it too, coming to you each and every time. Pushing, always pushing. His jaw tightened, not answering you - not giving you the satisfaction of hearing it outloud. You was right and he fucking hated that you was, he did miss you. 

--------------------------------------- let me know thoughts and send me some more ideas pllleeease I REALLY ENJOYED writing this, its my first time writing smut and generally writing fanfic - the full thing is available on AO4 which ill link again so you don't have to scroll :)

[delirious-donna]

Soft [Kakashi Hatake]

an: based on some thoughts I had after seeing this beautiful art of Mr Hatake looking a little more soft in physique.

pairing: Kakashi Hatake x female reader

warnings: self ship coded, established relationship with mentions of marriage and a child, rokudaime Kakashi au, fluff, flirting, suggestive at best, body positivity, reader is assumed to be curvy

Kakashi is a strong man. He always has been and probably always will, if he has any say in the matter. However, gone are the days when the defined ridges of his abdominals could cut glass.

The dips of his Adonis belt are less pronounced, and his biceps are still large but not carved from marble as they were even five years ago. A lot had changed but that’s life, and in the end, contentment brought him here.

Gone were the days when he could work out for hours in the early morning, greeting the new day covered in sweat on his way to a much-needed shower before the working day began. Now he had responsibilities to tend to and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

A wife to rouse from slumber, a hard task at the best of times, and a son to watch like a hawk as he propels through the house like a mini tornado with an eye for destruction. There were breakfasts to be made, lunches to be prepped, hair to be wrestled into some semblance of neatness and kisses to be shared. Wet kisses pressed messily to his cheek from his son as he heads out for work. Lingering kisses with his beloved that make him stay a few seconds longer just to taste you thoroughly.

Your love never wavered for the silver-haired shinobi, and even now as darker grey peppers throughout the messy strands, you still found them as enticing to run your fingers through as you always had. Age was especially kind to Kakashi, the lines around his eyes were from laughter and not stress and the weight of his responsibilities no longer dragged down his shoulders and slumped his spine.

It was amazing how easy it was to deal with the daily grind that accompanied his role when he knew he would return to the love and warmth that was his home. Everything was easier when love was in the mix, who knew?

So yes, he wasn’t as trim anymore. There was a slight pudge to his stomach and you could grab a good portion of his sides in the midst of being railed into the mattress, but fuck, was it sexy.

The silver hairs that formed his happy trail now extended higher towards his belly button and his butt hugged his sweatpants a little tighter and fuller than before. You had never shied away from the attraction you felt for him, but now it made Kakashi chuckle when you eyed him like some tasty treat to be devoured whole.

“See something you like, sweetheart?”

“Damn right, I do. When did you start getting even more handsome? Should be criminal this late in life.”

He huffed a laugh, eyes narrowing at your teasing words and the insinuation that he was getting on in years. He was still in the prime of his life, far from past it and he’d remind you of that.

“Well…” he murmured against the shell of your ear. “You know how fond I am of your softness.” Kakashi trailed his calloused fingertips over the gentle swell of your stomach, stopping to massage your hips and waist. “Thought you’d like to snuggle with someone a little less unyielding.”

How quickly your hands wandered across the expanse of his strong abdomen, a fingertip tracing the muscles. A familiar melody forced his eyelids to droop low, the hum in your throat as enchanting as the very first time he heard it.

You took your time in exploring a body you were intimately familiar with, pawing at him like the needy feline you always were until two strong arms banded around your waist.

“I might be a little more soft, but I’m still the man you fell for and I can still carry you to the bedroom with ease.”

Your chin dipped in agreement, gaze lifting to meet the desire swirling in his charcoal eyes. “Your heart has always been soft, Kakashi, whether you knew it or not. Your body simply matches it now and I’ll love you no matter what shape you take.”

[cyb-by-lang]

Cascade (part 4)

And here we have the internship beginning.

(Kei notes some divergences from what happened in Shell Game in her narration as we go. For the most part, these can be attributed to having way less time to meet up with her teammates and get them acclimated to Japan.)

Sorry, Ingenium.

After saying goodbye to the other students at the Musutafu train station, neither Kei or Iida talked during the trip to Hosu City. 

While it wasn’t that uncommon for Kei to zone out completely on public transit, Iida would’ve said something out of politeness at the very least. There wasn’t that much of a crowd on the late morning train compared to either rush hour. They’d even both managed to find seats rather than clutching the overhead handles or the various vertical handholds. 

Instead, Kei dug a book out of her non-regulation backpack and read with her forearms leaning on her costume’s carry case. Every once in a while, she’d either shoot a deadly glare at someone trying to approach the more-recognizable Iida or look at her classmate in concern. The former scared off interlopers, while the latter had no apparent effect. 

Iida just sat there, like a super-tense robot. 

Kei wasn’t even as close to him as Midoriya and Uraraka were, so directly asking how Iida felt…didn’t quite work, in her head. She didn’t have the kind of rapport where she could just say what was on her mind. Or punch it out of him and remain friends after. That was a Gai thing. 

And we would not want that. 

Though guess being genuinely me could still go worse. With a sigh, Kei turned her attention back to her light novel. Hopefully, some fictional violence would take her mind off some of the impending actual violence for a while. 

Before she knew it, they were walking out into bright sunshine in a city Kei had patrolled once. Just not as herself.

Manual, the Normal Hero, turned out to be a plain-faced man with a generic ocean theme to his costume. His visored helmet even had a fin top, though nothing functional. Practical white boots, yellow gloves, and a skintight shirt divided evenly between blue and white rounded out the look. He greeted his case-toting interns with a smile and a wave and didn’t seem at all awkward about it. Manual didn’t seem to mind that Iida’s behavior and countenance was a little terse or that Kei tried to stay in Iida’s shadow all the way from the train station to his pro agency. 

While Kei’s counterfeit Quirk was stronger than his by orders of magnitude, Manual was really no weaker than the average Kiri-nin. Like most shinobi, he relied on water already present in his environment to do his work, but in a city, he was never that far from a fire hydrant. More importantly, operating in an urban environment usually gave him a lot of pro hero allies within shouting distance. 

For all intents and purposes, he was an ordinary pro hero with ordinary responsibilities in a city with a serious serial killer infestation. 

Kei felt kind of bad for him, because both of his interns brought ulterior motives along with their literal baggage. Not bad enough to confess to anything, of course, but the thought lingered.

“Well, now that you’ve both arrived safely, let’s get you situated.” Manual didn’t have the same kind of winning smile as, say, All Might, but he didn’t really need it. He beckoned them to follow him into the building. “To cut down on the commute somewhat, my agency will provide room and board for the week. We also have locker rooms so you can get changed quickly for our first patrol. Meal breaks may vary a little depending on what’s happening in the field, but we’ll take good care of you.” 

“Thank you, Manual-sensei,” Iida managed with a third of his usual bombast.  Still, he bowed. 

Kei clasped both hands over her costume case and mirrored him. “We’ll be sure to learn a lot from you this week, Manual-sensei.” 

“I have no doubt!” 

Kei’s borrowed room was smaller than her apartment’s bedroom, but it didn’t need to really be more than a cot and bathroom access to make her happy. Manual’s agency even had on-site laundry service, so the backpack she’d brought along would suffice for the entire week. Locking the door behind her, she quickly stripped out of her UA uniform and made the change to her “hero” costume. 

Unlike some hero students who a) thought out their requests and b) chose a company that could take criticism, Kei dreaded looking at what she’d be wearing for most of this week.  Even now, the design was a short, sleeveless kimono in dark blue wave patterns, long (unarmored) gloves that reached her biceps and only covered one finger apiece. It’d taken a round of angry revision notes to even get ultra-lightweight armor incorporated into the torso keep her vital organs covered. 

Maybe they’d only given ground because Kei destroyed the first iteration “by accident” during the USJ incident. She’d probably never know. It fell on the cot with a faint rattle, though, so at least the nano-whatever weave chainmail component was still there. 

Might as well get it over with. Kei took a deep breath and checked on the rest of the costume. 

While the boots included shinguards, the designers went with a tabi look for the actual shoe component. The pants appeared to be basically skintight swimming trunks, probably because her listed Quirk incorporated so much water manipulation. And for some fucking reason, there was an obi with a massive bow on the back, trailing behind her as she walked. Kei was going to trip and eat pavement because of that thing someday. 

Overall, what Kei pulled out of the case had barely been changed. She just got an extra belt with some pockets for stowing things like utility knives and little adhesive bandages for civilian boo-boos. 

When Kei inevitably did an about-face and started her career of villainy as Cascade, the City Drowner, she’d start with the support company and knock their building down brick by brick. Yes, a safer bet would be to go to UA’s Support Department and demand revisions from people who weren’t so obstinate, but it would be so satisfying. Vindictively. 

Still, she put it on. Including the hitai-ate that wasn’t Konoha’s. And the makeup to downplay her scar. The goal here was to appear as normal as possible—as a hero hopeful—to anyone observing her and not rock any boats. Certainly not literal ones, either. No matter how much looking at her reflection in the provided mirror felt wrong. 

“All right.” Kei clapped her hands together to shock herself awake. She closed her costume case and took a deep breath. “I can do this.” 

Kei emerged from her temporary quarters feeling as awkward as she had during the Sports Festival, but no longer concealed by her official gym uniform and a whole crowd of similarly-dressed kids. There was no more camouflage to be had. 

“Ah, Gekkō-san, right on time.” Manual got up from his desk and waved. “Once Iida-kun is ready to go, we can take on your first patrol as young hero-hopefuls.” 

“Thanks, Manual-sensei.” Kei crossed her arms as they settled in to wait for Iida in the agency’s lobby. It didn’t really help cover her discomfort, but it did make her feel slightly better. 

“Hm, that reminds me—what’s your hero name? I don’t remember seeing it on your paperwork.” 

“Oh. It’s, um, Cascade. The Mist Hero.” Ugh, I sound like such a fake. Kei managed to mutter a rather lackluster explanation involving deadlines, not really enunciating any of it. 

Manual gave her a thumbs-up likely meant to inspire confidence in the downtrodden.  “That’s all right, Gekkō-san. I’ll just be sure to use it so you can get used to how it feels. I’m sure you’ll live up to the aspirations embodied by that name!” 

More like live down to them. Heroes like Manual were so painfully earnest it made Kei’s hair want to stand on end. What did she do with that? “That’s…nice of you to say…”

“Well, here’s one more nice thing then: I think your hero costume looks good.” 

Kei winced. She felt her whole body lean into that scrap of honesty and hated it just a little. 

“I take it you don’t?” 

“…No, Manual-sensei. It doesn’t feel like me.” Because it wasn’t. Not really. 

“Maybe one of the goals you can work on for this internship can involve that, then.” Manual suggested it like it wasn’t a big deal. “Feeling comfortable with yourself.” 

To be fair, it probably wouldn’t be an important issue once Kei got into an actual fight. Most of the distractions faded away once her blood was up and there was someone who needed a beatdown. 

But in the meantime? Uuuuuugh. 

Thankfully, there was a shiny and chrome option right there. Manual also noticed, then waved, “Oh, Iida-kun! Over here.” 

Iida’s full-on Ingenium look was so much more complicated—visually and emotionally—and storied than Kei’s ongoing fight with support companies. He got to look like either a sentai villain or a turbo mecha, and his armor theoretically deflected attacks before he had to see if they’d bounce of his bones. It was one of the reasons that Iida was completely jacked, apparently. Besides, well, the whole running lifestyle. His hero outfit also came with a helmet that almost entirely concealed his face—except for his eyes—and made his voice echo in a simultaneously cool and kinda creepy way. 

Iida really should’ve taken a better internship somewhere else. Anywhere else. 

“Manual-sensei, I’m ready for duty,” Iida said firmly, despite Kei’s doubts. He was so serious about this that he didn’t even swing his arms for emphasis. “Please lead the way.” 

“Of course. Come along, you two.” 

Patrol as a concept was…fine. 

Mostly boring. 

Kei didn’t exactly mind walking all over cities. A lot of what Hosu citizens wanted out of their local heroes was a token showing. If that meant they also got help taking in their laundry or rescuing cats from trees, so much the better. She did a lot of the same things in Konoha when just starting out as an adorable little genin. There was little expectation of violence in broad daylight. Even petty criminals—those stubborn or uncreative enough to strike without any stealth consideration—were lying low for the moment. 

Basically, the point was deterrence. Though the Hero Killer had earned that title, he didn’t attack groups of heroes. No, he hunted solo operators. Or maybe just whoever separated from the pack, regardless of specifics. Now the city was crawling with potential fights and potential victims. 

Kei mostly hoped Iida didn’t plan to shove his way into the ring. When Ingenium was attacked, he’d been running ahead of his sidekicks and fought a guy specialized in close combat in a blind alleyway. Obito barely managed to get him to the hospital afterward, and if not for Kakashi’s tracking abilities, they might never have found him at all. From what Kei’s teammates said about it, there was a real chance Iida Senior would never get the full use of his left arm back. And the engine in it was probably beyond repair. 

“We’ll mostly be patrolling the local area so you can get a feel for how this works,” Manual said, living up to his name. “Later, we’ll branch out.” 

“Yes, Manual-sensei!” 

Still, Kei did miss running across rooftops with her friends. Her job today, though, was to stay firmly bound by gravity and societal expectations. And not hunt down Stain like the slippery bastard he was. 

So, Kei patrolled. Mostly, this entailed following Manual like a duckling while making sure Iida didn’t stray. Though that last part wasn’t said aloud. 

Broken up by meals, breaks, and gentle encouragement from their pro mentor, the first day passed peacefully. Almost too peacefully for Kei to sleep soundly that night. 

But the next day was similar, despite her worries. The absolute highlight of the entire eight-hour stretch was when Manual asked her to create water for him to manipulate and put out a car that had hit a light pole and caught fire. Iida managed to keep the victims calm while alerting emergency services, who then had to cut the driver out of the vehicle. Overall, it was a good deed and only ruined progress during rush hour for twenty minutes more than usual. 

And then, the third day. Honestly, Kei would’ve called it superstition if trouble had waited one more day into their internship, but it wasn’t to be.

On the third day, the patrol shift split between a morning and afternoon set. While Manual did lead Kei and Iida around until lunch, the next few hours after that involved a little bit of training and a lot of paperwork. According to Manual, almost everything pro heroes were responsible for involved forms in triplicate, and they’d be lucky if computers got involved at all. A lot of the smaller agencies loved their carbon paper. Even snagging the time for a nap amid the flurry of bureaucracy didn’t really improve Kei’s opinion of the whole thing. 

Suffice to say that when it was time to head out just before sunset, Kei was happy to see the sky again.

“We’ll be patrolling Kyoto a little later tonight,” Manual explained as they went. “Sorry this is so monotonous.” 

“No, it’s better this way,” Iida replied. 

Kei nodded along, taking a moment to yawn and stretch before a potential third night of nothing much. 

Instead of just continuing to walk until their feet all fell off, Manual drew up short and turned toward Iida. An unusually serious look was on his face. “Hey, Iida-kun. This is kind of hard to ask, but you’re after the Hero Killer, aren’t you?”

Iida startled. “How did you…?”

Manual’s expression went sheepish and self-deprecating laugh popped out of him. “I couldn’t think of any other reason you’d come to my agency.” Then his brain seemed to catch up with his mouth. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m glad you did, but…you shouldn’t be pursuing personal grudges.” 

Good thing someone wants to talk about that. 

“We heroes don’t have the authority to arrest people or punish them. The only reason we’re allowed to use our Quirks is because of the regulations put on them,” Manual pointed out. 

…Though that part’s still bullshit. 

“That’s why, no matter what their reason might be, a hero must not use their Quirk for themselves.” Manual actually glared at Iida. “If a pro hero used their powers solely for their own ends, it would be a very serious crime.” 

Iida lowered his head just the slightest bit, as though shamed. Just a bit. 

Conscious of the awkward atmosphere, Kei coughed to remind them both that she was still present. 

With that tiny reminder, Manual’s seriousness cracked. Using the kind of choppy hand gestures that Iida normally did, he stumbled his way through his attempt to downplay how serious he’d been. “I’m not saying the Hero Killer isn’t incredibly guilty! You just seem like the really earnest type, you know? I’d hate for you to focus on one goal and ignore everything else.” 

Like Iida doesn’t have tunnel vision fit for a train. 

“Thank you,” Iida said, giving nothing away. “I appreciate your concern.” 

Yeah, that wasn’t an actual concession. That was a very careful sidestep. 

“Oh, it’s fine as long as you get what I’m saying.” Manual turned to lead them onward. “So, we good?” 

He totally missed the way Iida’s fists clenched at his sides, the tension in his shoulders, or the weight still dragging him down. Or, if he did notice, Manual didn’t have the tools necessary to deal with Iida’s bellyful of vengeance before the Hero Killer finally put in an appearance. 

Kei tapped Iida’s armor with her knuckles as she passed, since he was falling a little bit behind. 

“Gekkō-san, what is it?” 

“Let me know before you do something reckless,” Kei told him, pitching her voice carefully enough that Manual’s helmet wouldn’t let him catch it. “Don’t just run off.” 

Iida didn’t say anything in reply. It was like he couldn’t acknowledge her concern without exploding, and thus needed to keep his focus entirely on putting one foot in front of the other. If it made him rude, maybe he’d be able to apologize for it later. When he felt better. 

But Iida also didn’t notice the tracking seal she'd just pasted to his black bodysuit, which Kei figured made up for that. 

[voidsentprinces]

something something something, Urianger the man who was a recluse, who grew into an advance recluse only truly coming out of his shell when talking and provoked by a woman whose name was Moon Bride. The man who heard of her fall and vowed to bring ruin and terror to Ascians wherever they maybe who produced her lineage white auracite to face Lahabrea, Igeyohrm and Emet-Selch. And after all was said and done was chosen by the Moon's Denizens, the Loporitts. To teach them of Eitheirys just as Moenbryda asked him about his tomes and learned from him since her parents were often busy working on the Ragnarok's future flight from her young age onward. Urianger, the chosen of the moon both from the woman he adored and by Hydaelyn's creations.

Thancred Waters, a street urchin turned scholar when he was adopted by the grandfatherly Louisoix while pick pocketing him in Limsa Lominsa. Who learned to use his mind and skills as an underdog to impress even the seasoned shinobi of Doma's resistance. Who, in a capital bereft of water, brought water to those downtrodden and without hope. Who adopted Minfilia with F'lhaminn. Who sought her safety through his own means while never meeting her until she became the Circle of Knowledge's head. Who lost sight and aether channeling when he sacrificed himself in the sewer river beneath Ul'dah to grant her escape. To awaken in the forest and found himself now surrounded by river, streams, and water fall aplenty but nowhere was Minfilia. Taken away by Flow at the last moment to become the Voice of the Mother. Thancred Waters, the man always with the odds against him. Warriors of Darkness, Zenos yae Galvus, Ran'jit. Who would grant hope and provide an oasis for Ryne after a time. Allowing her to also cut her way through the dark with his gunblade to save Gaia from it. The Oracle of Light becoming the beacon of hope and aid in the creation of the aetherically rich Eden, Novrandt could look towards from then on. Waters both leading and gathering to be succor for all. Thancred Waters the man with a street level view raised to scholarly loft ridges, possessed by demons, abandoned by the Goddess, and yet ever moving forward and when he stagnated. He found a way forward to break and become a flowing river of hope once more. To sacrifice himself in Ultima Thule for the good of all. To grant aid to Garlemald which he was the ruin of through rumors and gossip. Becoming the life blood of nations much like Minfilia became part of the aetherstream and the Voice of the Goddess.

Both men going forward to Tural to grant wisdom of heavens and waters to Koana. Grant him the ability to see his people, hear their thoughts, and know their feelings. Koana a man who tried to appear an enlightened, pragmatic and stoic scholar to bring innovation to Tural. But deep in his hearts of hearts wore his heart on his sleeve and cared do deeply for his sister, Wuk Lamat. He would cast his chance at the throne aside and track her down at a moments notice. Accepting the wisdom of Urianger and Thancred and making a pact with Thavnair to call down Vrtra and his brood to aid in the defense of Tural from Zoraal Ja. And who embraces his sisters love for his people as openly and welcoming as Galool Ja Ja did. Ramble ramble ramble.

[no-nic]

the collector 🗡🧿

mementos of dead loved ones

okay so. i may have a worldbuilding disease. this was supposed to be just a kakasaku kiri alternate universe for kinktober. unfortunatelly it spawned a question: what is going on in konoha?

kakashi is born in kiri -> no kakashi on team minato -> another prickly genius for obito to fixate on -> thanks to sakumo being a kiri shinobi a branch house hyuga has a career ending injury that leads to her having a child (working name hiroto) that ends up on this team 7 in kakashi's place... (deep breath, can't stop now, we're saving rin) kannabi bridge mission, hiroto loses an eye, gets obito's new sharingan -> terrible dojutsu drama back in konoha -> hiroto is kidnapped in the sanbi incident -> violently gifts eye to rin (genjutsu & "low on chakra so you need to use it") -> ends self with hyuga cursed seal -> mangekyo sharingan for both watchers

rin has studied hiroto's implant so her sharingan can be turned off but it has the typical bulging byakugan veins.

minato and kushina die on schedule. rin is left with hiraishin kunai (that don't work for her; mostly whips it out for intimidation) and more keepsakes.

bingo books list her as the Collector. it's only slightly better than Friend Killer.

what were you expecting from the girl who collects sea shells? 🐚✨

#pink tsunami au; this wasn't supposed to be about her

[arabella0001]

cn: explicit sexual content [nsfw / 18+], fluff, vaginal fingering. itachi uchiha x oc

᭝ a/n: know that this smut part is actually from the fanfiction I've been writing for some time with itachi. i'll leave you a small summary below. here's the whole story so far

᭝ summary: In a world shaped by conflict, moral ambiguity, and personal struggles, a determined shinobi, striving to heal and change the world as best she can, crosses paths with Itachi Uchiha—a man burdened by a past of sacrifice and betrayal. As their bond deepens, their growing closeness challenges everything they thought they understood about connection, sacrifice, and forgiveness. While their inner conflicts become a constant tug-of-war between her idealism and the harsh realities Itachi has lived through.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . ✦ . 　

Chapter 9 - Unraveled 爱

Unexpectedly, Itachi was nothing like the man she had grown accustomed to. The one who wielded restraint like an ironclad shield, who moved with the grace of an untouchable force. No, this was different. This was something far more unhinged, far more ravenous.

His hand slipped beneath the fabric of her pants, the warmth of his palm pressing against her, cupping with a possessive ease. A breathless moan escaped her throat, unbidden, slipping between them like a confession.

His gaze, bottomless and unreadable, absorbed every reaction she gave him, drinking her in like a force he refused to resist. One hand remained firmly around her wrist, holding her in place, as if anchoring her to him.

Leaning in, he exhaled against the shell of her ear,

"For once, you're not fighting me."

His breath ghosted over her neck, sending a trail of goosebumps down her spine. Her pupils dilated at the teasing provocation, her body betraying her despite the battle within her mind. But she couldn’t find the words—her legs trembled slightly as his fingers moved with agonizing slowness over her, even with the thin layer of fabric separating them. And still, he could feel just how ruined she already was for him.

His fingers trailed up, capturing her chin between them, tilting her face with the kind of quiet dominance that made her stomach coil. His voice was softer this time, but no less commanding.

"Tell me. What is it that you want from me?"

She let out a breath that was almost a laugh, but it trembled at the edges, betraying her. Still, her pride coiled in her words,

"You know me better than I know myself, Itachi." She paused, her lips curving into something playful, something wickedly challenging, as she leaned in, whispering against him— "So tell me. What do I want?"

His response was silent, a small twitch in his lips and with a fluid motion, he turned her, pressing her against him. A gasp slipped from her mouth as his teeth grazed her earlobe, soothed immediately by his lips.

"Then we're on the same page.”

Before she could process, he lifted her, weightless in his hold, and moved—his cloak fluttering around them as he leapt from stone to stone. The night blurred past in fleeting shadows, the wind slipping through her hair as she clung to him, her heart pounding not from the speed, but from him.

It was only when they reached his hidden refuge that her breath caught for another reason.

“You can put me down, you now?”

He turned his gaze toward her, catching that contradiction in her expression—vulnerability edged with defiance. His fingers remained ghosting over her skin, a lingering presence, even as he came to a halt before the door. Without a word, his free hand lifted, fingers weaving through the air with practiced precision, forming a jutsu that sent a faint shimmer rippling through the seals barring the entrance.

No turning back from this.

A whisper of chakra, a flicker of movement—then the barrier shattered, dissolving soundlessly into the night. Only then did he release his hold on her, but not entirely. Not until they had crossed the threshold, not until the bed was within reach. He let her go only when her back met the soft, unexpectedly delicate sheets beneath her.

Silence wrapped around them, thick and weighted. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat colliding with the suffocating stillness he left in his wake.

A small, hidden sanctuary carved between the rocks, distant from Akatsuki’s lairs, yet never too close to Konoha. A space just for him, for the fleeting illusion of solitude.

The dim glow of a single lamp cast soft shadows along the rough stone walls, revealing a modest desk stacked with books, their pages worn from restless hands, alongside neatly arranged scrolls filled with his own meticulous handwriting. A small cabinet stood in the corner, partially open, revealing folded garments—practical, unassuming. Beside it, an assortment of teas, a teapot resting on a low table, a single cup placed beside it. The scent of chamomile and mint lingered in the air, gentle but grounding, an unexpected contrast to the world outside.

His silence only makes her heart pound harder, an erratic rhythm against her ribs, uncertain and unrelenting. Unbeknownst to her, Itachi is caught in a tempest of emotions—an internal war between the instinct to guard himself and the quiet surrender of allowing her in.

For years, this place had been his only refuge, the one fragment of the world untouched by bloodshed and betrayal. And now, he has let her step inside, has trusted her enough to witness the last remnant of what he call home.

She barely noticed her own movements as her gaze wandered, cataloging the space, the small details that made up a life he had never shared with another. A dozen unspoken questions formed at the edges of her mind—about him, about his past, about the kind of person he was beneath all the layers of secrecy.

But none of them left her lips because then she looked at him. And he was already looking at her, remembering why she was here in the first place.

Oh.

He strips off his shirt completely, revealing his sculpted form under the dim light, while her gaze unabashedly devours him. A chain with multiple rings gleams against his firm neck, accentuating the chiseled lines of his chest and abs—each muscle meticulously defined. Scattered across his skin, faded scars stitched over time only amplify his already undeniable allure. A warrior’s body—worn, disciplined, breathtaking. Her throat went dry.

Noticing the way she looks at him, Itachi reacts instinctively, shifting until he hovers over her. His movements are slow, deliberate, carried by a primal longing that coils between them. His hands move to undress her gently, never breaking eye contact, their unspoken connection thick with an overwhelming intensity. No words are needed—every glance conveys just how much they both want this.

His lips begin to trace over every sensitive part of her skin, each touch coaxing increasingly louder sounds of pleasure from her. His tongue moves along the curve of her neck, down between her breasts, over her stomach—until he catches her off guard, placing an open-mouthed kiss followed by a teasing bite. A sharp jolt of pleasure pools between her legs, heat dripping from her in response.

“Fuck,” she gasps, unable to hold back.

Her mind is utterly vulnerable, completely under his control, though no genjutsu has been cast. This is real. His hand slides up, lifting her leg to grant himself better access to kiss her more, then his other hand finally rids her of the last piece of clothing keeping her from him. Her legs tremble, thighs parting instinctively, anticipation churning in her stomach as he takes a moment to look at her—fully exposed beneath him.

She didn’t even hear him whisper “Beautiful” because her thoughts can catch up, his lips return to hers, the kiss fragile yet overwhelmed by the sheer force of their desire. Their tongues clash, deepening the exchange as if trying to consume one another. Her fingers tangle into his long, silky hair, tightening slightly, making him part his lips further.

She seizes the opportunity, pushing the kiss even deeper, her legs locking around his waist to pull him closer.

“I want you so much.”

The sound he makes in response sends another surge of heat through her, the raw need in it thrilling her further. Their bodies grind against each other, friction building until Itachi loses patience, unwilling to waste another second. His fingers slip between her thighs, brushing over her slick heat, teasing at first—

His gaze fixes on her as she moans continuously, the sounds only intensifying when he adds another finger, stretching and preparing her. Her walls clench around him so tightly that it nearly aches, but he doesn’t stop, not until he sees the tears forming beneath her lashes, spilling over as she chokes out—

“Please, please, please…”

His restraint shatters. Any semblance of control he once had dissolves with her, yet all he can focus on is how desperately he wants to make her feel good. His thumb brushes against her lips while his mouth returns to her throat, kissing, tasting, unraveling her completely.

“Itachi— I-I can’t. I can’t anymore,” she whimpers, lost in the overwhelming sensations.

But he doesn’t let up. If anything, he pushes her further, something almost wicked flickering in his expression—not malicious, but reveling in her vulnerability, in the way she surrenders to him so completely.

His breath fans over her skin as he moves closer to her ear.

“What can’t you do anymore?”

She nearly comes undone right then and there at the sound of his voice alone, fingers still working her over, pressing against that perfect spot over and over again. Her frustration mixes with pleasure, a symphony of moans and whimpers spilling from her lips.

“Inside me. Now.”

A faint smirk ghosts against her ear, but she’s too lost to see it.

With trembling hands, she reaches for him, undoing his pants slowly. Her gaze is utterly feral when her fingers slide over the hard outline beneath his boxers, watching the way his expression finally cracks, brows furrowing, breath hitching. The moment her hand slips past the fabric, stroking him, his entire body tenses.

He lets her have control for only a few seconds before pulling her hand away, ridding himself of his pants in one swift movement, as if he refuses to let the moment slip away. Settling between her legs, their bodies align effortlessly—

She helps him position himself, and before either of them can brace for it, they both gasp, completely taken aback as he thrusts inside, filling her entirely.

She pants, chest heaving, barely able to process the sensation before Itachi lifts her leg, sinking even deeper. The sharp contrast of pain and pleasure has her clinging to him, urging him wordlessly to move, to give her more.

“Oh my God. Move, please, please—”

Itachi sets a slow, deliberate rhythm, allowing her to adjust, though it takes every ounce of restraint not to lose himself instantly. For someone renowned for his strength, for his unshakable control, it’s almost amusing how much effort it takes not to come undone right then and there.

For a brief moment, he releases her leg, his hands roaming, one skimming over her breasts, teasing before squeezing, drawing more pleasure from her. His palm glides upward, fingers gently cradling her cheek. Her legs tighten around him, arms pulling him closer, pushing him impossibly deeper inside her.

His free hand tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

Look at me.

Forced to meet his gaze, she sees something in his eyes that terrifies her more than anything. Something raw, something dangerous—something far too close to love.

I can’t. I can’t.

Overwhelmed, overstimulated, her heart slams against her ribcage as Itachi’s pace quickens, thrusting into her with increasing intensity.

“Fuck—fuck, I’m so close, Itachi. I’m so close—”

Desperation seeps into her moans, her cries growing louder, needier. Itachi kisses her deeply, swallowing her sounds as his hand moves between them, pressing against her sensitive spot, sending her spiraling toward the edge.

Her body begins to writhe, trembling uncontrollably, her face painted with an expression of pure astonishment—overflowing with love and pleasure—as she locks eyes with him, crying out his name. And in that moment, Itachi can think of nothing else but how he has never witnessed anything more beautiful.

Feeling the rhythmic contractions of her climax, the way her walls pulse and tighten around him, forces him to grit his teeth, his restraint hanging by a fragile thread. A few more thrusts, dangerously close to the edge, and then—he spills onto her stomach, his breath ragged, hair falling over his damp skin. Strands of ink-black locks frame his face, his mouth slightly open, chest heaving. And as she watches him, utterly undone above her, she finds herself thinking the exact same thing—she has never seen anything more beautiful than him.

They stare at each other for what feels like an eternity, neither able to speak, the weight of the moment pressing down on them. The intensity between them lingers, raw and unfiltered, as if the world itself has momentarily ceased to exist outside of this shared space.

Eventually, Itachi's gaze drifts over her exhausted, disheveled form. Without a word, he rises, disappearing momentarily before returning with a warm, damp towel. He moves with quiet care, gently wiping her down, his touch impossibly soft.

A single tear slips down her cheek, her heartbeat still erratic, making it impossible to voice the overwhelming emotions surging through her.

Before she can process anything further, he pulls her into his arms, firm and resolute, leaving her no room to resist. She barely has time to react as he holds her close, the silence between them thick with meaning.

For a moment, they do nothing but look at each other.

Slowly, with an almost reverent tenderness, he brushes the loose strands of hair from her face, fingertips ghosting over her features—tracing, memorizing, worshipping in the most subtle of ways.

She pulls away slightly, too overwhelmed by everything, her thoughts spiraling into anxious uncertainty. Her breathing remains uneven, her gaze dropping to the floor, unable to meet his eyes.

She shifts as if to step away—but before she can, his fingers wrap gently around her wrist, halting her movement.

Itachi, his voice calm and almost vulnerable.

“Stay.”

[oxygen537art]

you're too kind, thank you so much!! 😭

I'm honestly having a hard time finding my own art style, so my current hyper fixation is yours, but as I've said I promise I'm just trying to learn and develop from it,

but great advice! it's just that I don't think I know of an artists that combine realistic with anime as good as you-

do you have any artists that inspire you?

and never stop rambling, I personally love love LOVE when you do, 🤭💕💞

You're very welcome! I completely understand the struggle of finding your own style; it's a journey we all go through ( *ˊ꒳ˋ*)

I did mention some artists in my another post, but to specifically answer your question about people who blend realism and anime… I've made a new list, so hopefully, you'll find something cool to look at.

❗The list also includes NSFW artists

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

Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in Shell, Angel's Egg, etc.)

Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Paprika, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, etc.)

Yasuhiro Nightow (Trigun, Blood Blockade Battlefront, etc.)

Yutaka Nanten (Cowboy Bebop)

Kentarou Miura (Berserk) (I'm sorry, but I had to add this since, like, six people said my Tomura design kinda looks like Griffith, lol)

Hajime Isayama (Attack on Titan)

Takeshi Obata (Death Note, Platinum End, etc.)

Takehiko Inoue (Vagabond, Slam Dunk)

Yusuke Murata (Onepunchman, Donten Prism Solar Car, etc. )

Masakazu Katsura (ZETMAN, character designs for Tiger & Bunny, etc.)

Hamaguri (Shepherd House Hotel, etc.)

Tsubasa Yamaguchi (Blue Period)

Hozumi (Sayonara Sorcier, The Inn of Lost Things, etc. )

Yuuto Sano (Gokurakugai, etc.)

Akane Shimizu (Cells at Work!)

Boichi (Origin, etc.)

Naoki Urasawa (Pluto, Monster)

Kenichi Tachibana (Terra Formars, GIGANTIS)

Byung Jin Kim (Jackals)

Kento Matsuura (Tokyo Shinobi Squad, Phantom Seer, etc.)

Gege Akutami (Jujutsu Kaisen) (but I actually mean anime art style)

STARember (Heaven Official's Blessing)

Tutu (The Spirit Queen)

@/shigeru_no_hrak on Twitter

@/Flanvii on Twitter (@/Flanvii01 on Tumblr, but I'm too shy to tag them there 👉👈)

[NSFW] Unko Yoshida (Unky) @/ddnnkkbb1241 on Twitter + You can also easily find their dojinshis

[NSFW] @/zaria_ranmaru on Twitter

@/haban35 on Twitter and Bluesky (nsfw: @/hb35_drw)

[NSFW] @/babeyxiao on Twitter

[NSFW] @/kirashion on Twitter

[NSFW] @/samegorou_62 on Twitter

[NSFW] @/DDuckdlk on Twitter

Etc. Seriously, I could go on forever. Just check out who these artists follow and repost.

You can also find what you're looking for in the manhwa. Especially if you check out the popular NSFW BL stuff. Here are some artists I like:

[NSFW] Pluto (Dear door)

[NSFW] Brothers without a tomorrow (Taming the Tiger, Smyrna & Capri, etc.)

[NSFW] Kang Ji Young (King's Maker, etc.)

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

Okay, so this is just my take, but if anyone has anything to add, feel free to drop a reply

[narutobookshelf]

Your Kink is Not My Kink (And That's Okay, I'm Judging You For Entirely Different Reasons)

AO3 link in the replies

Wordcount: ~1.2k

Characters: Kakashi, Iruka, Genma, and Supporting Cast

Ships: KakaIru

Rating: T

Other Tags: Established Relationship, Light Sexual Humor, Pre-Naruto Shippuden

Summary: Not everyone has the same definition of "sexy"

-

Like an alarming number of things, it's Genma's fault.

Well, "fault" implies that something went wrong. It's more like Genma started it.

(Kakashi is possessive but not so possessive as to call people flirting with his maybe-boyfriend, who may or may not have even realized that they are dating yet, a problem. Especially because it means he gets to watch Iruka-sensei yell at them all. Which is almost as good as watching him yell at Kakashi.)

Either way, the Academy has a half-day, and Kakashi is on medical leave for three days after being poisoned, so obviously the correct choice of activities is to hang out in the ceiling of the mission room with the ANBU detail and watch Iruka. Tiger is on duty today and she is glaring at him from behind her mask, so he knows he is loitering effectively. He's also pretty sure she knows why he is there, but she hasn't tried to stab him in his sleep yet, and that is basically permission. (He won't go so far as to say it's indicative of her blessing. He knows she doesn't approve. But also they both know that if she stabs him Iruka will yell. And she doesn't like that nearly as much as Kakashi does.)

So Kakashi is lurking in the ceiling across from Tiger, who is radiating quiet seething rage, and Deer, who is radiating general confusion, watching the slow bustle of a relatively quiet day at the missions desk. Occasionally Iruka glares up at him, always knowing exactly where he is despite how much Kakashi has moved or suppressed his chakra and its delightful. Like their own little game. He’s fascinated by this revelation.

It’s not long before Genma shows up, trailing a team of chuunin who mostly look shell-shocked or exhausted. Both very common states after having been on a mission with Genma.

Genma flounces right up to the desk and drops a scroll in front of Iruka. It is so thoroughly doused with offensively pungent perfume that Kakashi, the full height of the room away, has to fight the urge to sneeze. Deer does sneeze, which both confirms that they are new, and means that either they are an Inuzuka or it really does smell as strongly as he feels like it does.

Iruka’s face is wrinkled up and he’s breathing shallowly. “What is this?” He pokes the scroll with his pen, rather than touch it with his fingers. Smart.

Genma leans over the table with a smirk and a wink. “Isn’t it obvious?”

The vein in Iruka’s forehead is already pulsing. “It smells like a brothel.”

“Probably because it’s been in one.” Genma says cheerfully, nudging it closer to Iruka’s clipboard. The chuunin sharing the table moves their chair slightly further away. Not nearly far enough to be out of the danger zone.

Genma continues, cheerfully uncaring. “You should come with me next time, Sensei. Use that sexy teacher voice of yours, maybe break out the ruler and tell me I’ve been naughty.”

In the doorway, Team Ten stops dead in their tracks. Asuma looks caught between amused and disgusted, while the newest generation of InoShikaCho look unilaterally horrified. Shikamaru turns around and walks back out while Chouji looks at the chip in his hand and actually puts it back in the bag. Ino just looks like she wants to hit someone but doesn’t know who. She settles for Chouji. Kakashi sees why she and Sakura are...friends??? now.

It’s the presence of his former students that is Iruka’s undoing. Kakashi has seen him brush similar jokes off many times with no more than an eye roll and maybe some shouting but he makes eye contact with Team Ten and immediately descents into flustered sputtering.

The most fatal thing any shinobi can do is show weakness.

Genma’s eyes light up with delight.

-

For the entire rest of the day, almost every tokujo and jounin who darkens the mission room door is on a mission of their own and that mission is to hit on teacher. Genma had to have called in actual favors to get Anko to show up before five the day after she got back to the village. She looks like she just rolled out of bed when she stretches herself out over the desk surface, purring some frankly obscene suggestions in Iruka’s direction.

Iruka hits her on the head with his clipboard and she leaves laughing.

Iruka does eventually regain his composure, sometime around the fourth time Genma climbs back up to look in the window at the chaos he has wrought, but no amount of shouting can get them to stop. By the time his shift is over he looks ready to flee.

And flee he does.

Kakashi meets him at the door to the tower and wanders along beside him as he rushes down the street, avoiding eye contact with everybody. Kakashi makes cheerful eye contact and waves and says hello, only glaring once at a particularly bold chuunin who thought he could stare at Iruka’s ass.

Iruka grumbles the whole way, keeping it under his breath until they are toeing off their sandals in the entryway to his apartment, when he finally raises his voice. “-Completely unprofessional and doesn’t even make any sense anyway. It’s so stupid the absolute nonsense .”

Kakashi makes bland noises of agreement and pulls the hiyajiru he’d made yesterday out of the fridge. Iruka is hungry enough the complaints stop while they eat, and Kakashi enjoys the leisure of a meal without having to yank his mask up and down at lightning speed.

It’s after they’ve eaten, when Iruka is gathering the dishes to wash them that Kakashi brings it back up. He pulls his mask back up, extracts Icha Icha from its pocket and flips to a random page. “You don’t seem impressed by people being hot for teacher?” He says, his voice full of false innocence.

Iruka drops the bowls and spoons in the sink and turns around to glare. “There is absolutely nothing sexy about teaching.”

Kakashi makes a mock-thoughtful noise, maintaining unabashed eye-contact as his face shifts up into a smile. “I don’t know about that. The authority, the competence, the discipline. The appeal is very understandable, in my opinion.” He’s genuinely mildly curious. Iruka doesn’t generally take things too seriously, outside of the will of fire. Even things that people think should be taken more seriously.

Iruka’s scowl intensifies and begins to resemble a pout not dissimilar to a sulky Naruto. So that’s where that expression came from. “This,” he says suddenly, tapping one of the pockets on his flack jacket, “is my tissues pocket.”

Kakashi raises an eyebrow and places Icha Icha on the table.

“And this,” another pocket, “is my wet wipes pocket.”

“A good ninja must always be prepared.” Kakashi nods his head solemnly.

“And this,” Iruka flips open the pouch and extracts a suspiciously soggy bundle that he reaches across to deposit next to Kakashi’s abandoned novel. “Is my used tissues and wet wipes pocket.”

And that was the day that Iruka got to see the rare sight of Hatake Kakashi recoiling in visible disgust.

[haganekotetsu-archive]

The (Tama) Hagane Clan

shout out to @plipplopthecountess for reminding me that I never posted Kotetsu's family here!

Some info about them under the cut

Yoshiko Hagane - Appointed Hagane bodyguard to the Kamizuki clan matriarch, Yoshiko was an incredibly skilled blacksmith that took a lot of pride in her work and made lots of different weapons for Izumo's mother. She recognized her affinity for the shinobi lifestyle and promptly denounced it in favor of sticking with her own mother and father's wishes of perpetuating the Hagane civilian militia. Yoshiko was a skilled genjutsu user, Earth-style user, and cunning enough to craft her own specialized weapons that focused on razor wire and razor chains. She met her demise shortly after giving birth to Kotetsu. She died protecting her Kamizuki.

Okisato Hagane - Formerly Okisato Shimura, baby cousin to Danzo Shimura, he defected from his clan for wanting to live the life of a civilian and not follow in the chaotic and unstable warpath that came with the shinobi lifestyle. Stumbling into Yoshiko was a happy blessing as the two of them met at a weapons stall she was running during a festival. Okisato had little interest in the art of war and found himself more interested in the process of metalworking and blacksmithing, which Yoshiko held a lot of knowledge for. What started with admiration and respect for her skills and knowledge swiftly turned into a cavity-inducing love story. It would only be two years before he'd propose to her with a ring he crafted with his own two hands and take her last name. The giant clam shell that would later become his weapon of choice to pass down to his son was originally a wedding gift from his cousin. Danzo said it would be the last fish he'd ever catch in his life since he'd found the more lucrative means of obtaining money and societal notoriety by risking his life as a shinobi like their fathers had. After telling Okisato he was an embarrassment not worthy of the Shimura name, Danzo and Okisato would never acknowledge each other's existence from that day forth.

Kimiko Hagane - Firstborn, older sister and the only sibling to Kotetsu, Kimiko is eight years older than Kotetsu and was planned to be the only child Yoshiko and Okisato had together. Creator of one part of the Twin Fang kunai blades Kotestu now carries on him, her chakra still remains in the original blade Kotetsu used in order to make its twin counterpart for his partner Izumo. Kimiko would die at the hands of her appointed Kamizuki's uncle at the age of 16. She was found out as a member of a rebellious group who planned to stage a coup on the Kamizuki clan. She refused to give up a single member's name and perished while her little brother watched from his hiding spot.

"Tama Hagane" - Meaning "Precious Metal", Tama is the added title for Kotetsu's specific branch of the Hagane line. Since Hagane-made weapons were so popular and sought after, some Hagane started adding extra titles to their last name to distinguish themselves from one another. A Tama Hagane weapon was usually one used in conjunction with chains, ropes,or other means of lengthening the weapon's area of effect. Rope darts, kusarigama, nun chucks, meteor hammers, surujin, and three sectioned staves were prided staples of Tama Hagane creation.

[irukaka]

new kakairu fic is up!! featuring bad dreams, worse emotional constipation, and two very stubborn people who are determined to crack through each other’s shells. hope y’all enjoy :)

until we reach morning (2878 words) by flipthebits Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Naruto (Anime & Manga) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka Characters: Hatake Kakashi, Umino Iruka Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Kakashi and Iruka are the type of couple where both are like, hmm well I have way too much baggage so I'm gonna hold all of this myself, and both are also like STOP BEING AN IDIOT LET ME HELP YOU, Two peas in a little trauma pod Summary:

If you sleep beside a shinobi, sooner or later, you’re bound to see echoes of their past.

Kakashi and Iruka have their first nightmares in front of each other, and both are about as talented at accepting help as a rock. Luckily, their partners are just as stubborn as they are.