#Shinobi bonds

[lvoryingrid]

Whispers in the Sand

Gaara x fem!Reader

Synopsis: In Sunagakure, (Y/n) befriends Gaara, a boy feared for the beast inside him. Despite the village's scorn, their bond deepens. After Gaara is critically injured, (Y/n) stays by his side. Lady Chiyo sacrifices herself to revive him, and Gaara awakens to (Y/n)'s tearful relief and confession of love, promising a future together.

In the bustling village of Sunagakure, where the sun painted the sandstone buildings in hues of gold, whispers danced like shadows in the dusty streets. Among those murmurs, there lingered a tale that had woven its way into the very fabric of the village—a story of a boy with a beast trapped within him, a tale that had haunted the hearts of the villagers for generations.

(Y/n) had known this story since she was a mere child, her young ears catching the fragments of hushed conversations between elders and the nervous glances exchanged between parents. It was a narrative shrouded in mystery, one that sent shivers down her spine even as she sat by the hearth, listening intently.

The tale spoke of a boy, his name whispered in tones of both fear and pity, who carried within him a beast of unimaginable power. Some said it was a curse bestowed upon him by ancient spirits, while others whispered of dark rituals performed by his own kin. But regardless of its origins, the boy's burden was undeniable—a monstrous force that lay dormant within him, waiting to be unleashed.

His hair blazed like fire, a crimson beacon amidst the mundane, while his eyes, icy and enigmatic, seemed to hold secrets untold. To the villagers, he was the embodiment of fear, a specter of darkness with a name stained by rumors and whispered tales of horror. They whispered of his alleged crimes, of a mother slain by her own son's hand, painting him as a monster lurking in their midst.

Yet, to (Y/n), he was something different. She saw beyond the whispers, beyond the shroud of fear that enveloped him. To her, he was simply a boy, no different from herself, burdened by loneliness and yearning for connection. With courage as fragile as a delicate petal, she approached him one day, her heart pounding against her chest like the drumbeat of a distant storm. Her hand, small and trembling, reached out in a gesture of friendship, offering a lifeline amidst the sea of suspicion and dread.

"Hi, I'm (Y/n)," she uttered softly, her voice a beacon of warmth cutting through the chilling silence that surrounded him like a suffocating mist. In that moment, her smile, genuine and unguarded, illuminated the darkness that had cloaked him for so long, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the shadows of his haunted existence.

In a moment etched in time, he finally surrendered to a glimmer of hope, his lips curving into a smile as he reached out and clasped her hand. In that delicate exchange, a profound bond ignited, weaving their souls together in an unbreakable bond. Despite the relentless storm of disapproval raining down upon them, they stood resolute, united against the world's scorn. Their friendship blossomed, a radiant beacon of resilience amidst the darkness, defying all odds with every shared moment, every whispered secret, every heartfelt laugh.

On that fateful night, the tranquility of the village shattered into chaos as the deafening explosion tore through the air. (Y/n) felt her heart lurch with fear as the ominous sound reverberated through her bones.

The next day, when she laid eyes on him, her heart sank. He was there, but he wasn't the same. The warmth that once radiated from his presence had been extinguished, replaced by an icy, distant demeanor. It was as if a shadow had consumed him, leaving behind only a shell of the person she once knew.

Despite her desperate attempts to reach him, he remained unreachable, lost in the grip of his inner turmoil. His once vibrant eyes now held a haunting emptiness, reflecting the torment of the monster that now consumed him. And as he turned away, ignoring her presence, (Y/n) felt a surge of heartache, realizing that the person she cherished had become the very thing they had all feared.

Years had passed since Gaara of the Desert had become the embodiment of fear in the village, living up to the bleak reputation that the villagers had painted for him. His departure for Konoha to partake in the Chūnin Exams left a bitter taste lingering in the air, with his sand nearly grazing her as she timidly approached to wish him luck.

Upon his return to the village from Konoha, Gaara was scarcely recognizable. The once stoic and aloof figure had softened, radiating an unfamiliar warmth, calmness, and genuine happiness. It was a transformation that caught everyone off guard, especially (Y/n), who had known him in his previous, more hardened state.

Then, one day, he approached her, his eyes betraying a profound sense of remorse and regret. It was a stark contrast to the coldness she had grown accustomed to, and it stirred something within her—a glimmer of hope, perhaps, that there was more to Gaara than the menacing facade he had worn for so long.

"(Y/n)," he spoke, his voice trembling with emotion, each syllable heavy with regret. His words, though soft, echoed with the weight of his remorse. "I'm sorry," he whispered, the apology hanging in the air, laden with the depths of his sorrow.

Tears welled up in (Y/n)'s eyes as she looked at him, her heart overflowing with emotions. "You were always my friend, no matter what," she whispered, a smile gracing her lips as she reached out to him, her hand finding his.

Tears cascaded down (Y/n)'s cheeks like a relentless waterfall as she stood beside Gaara's motionless form, her heart gripped by a vice of anguish and fear. Every fiber of her being rebelled against the thought of losing him, of never again seeing the warmth in his emerald eyes. Their shared memories rushed back to her, not willing them to die off.

As (Y/n) stood beside Gaara's motionless form, her voice trembled with desperation as she pleaded for him to return. "Gaara, please," she whispered, her words a fragile echo in the silent void that surrounded them. Tears streamed down her cheeks, mingling with the sand beneath her feet as she clutched his hand tightly, as if trying to anchor him to the world.

"Come back to us, Gaara," she begged, her voice cracking with emotion. "You're not alone anymore. We're here for you. I'm here for you." Her heart ached with each word, every syllable a testament to the depth of her love and concern for her friend

But Gaara remained still, his form unmoving, as if trapped in a world of his own making. The weight of his inner turmoil seemed insurmountable, a barrier separating him from the world outside.

In the midst of her despair, (Y/n) felt a stirring within her soul as Naruto's voice pierced the heavy silence. His words echoed with a mixture of sadness and anger, mirroring the tumultuous emotions swirling within her own heart.

"Why is it always Gaara?" Naruto's voice rang out, resonating with a raw intensity that demanded attention. He stood beside her, his gaze fixed on Gaara's still form with a depth of emotion that sent shivers down her spine. "How could he die like this?"

As Naruto knelt beside her, his voice quivering with grief and frustration, (Y/n) felt the weight of his words pressing down on her like a heavy burden. She knew the pain he felt, the sense of injustice that threatened to consume them both.

And then, as Lady Chiyo intervened with a voice like the hollow echo of despair "Calm yourself, Uzumaki Naruto." her gaze hollow toward the young boy, (Y/n)'s attention remained fixated on Gaara's pale face, her fingers gently caressing his hair as if to coax him back to consciousness.

But Naruto's anguish erupted into a desperate cry, tearing through the air like a thunderclap. "If you, you damn Sand shinobi didn't put that monster inside Gaara, then..." His accusation hung in the air, a stark reminder of the pain and suffering inflicted upon Gaara by forces beyond his control.

As (Y/n) gently caressed Gaara's fiery red hair, her mind drifted back to a memory not so distant. It was just a while ago when he had shared with her his impending appointment as Kazekage, his eyes alight with determination and hope. "No one deserves it more," she had said, her heart swelling with pride for her friend. But now, as reality settled in, she realized that his newfound responsibilities would inevitably mean less time together.

Her sadness didn't go unnoticed by Gaara, his perceptive gaze catching the subtle shift in her demeanor. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice soft yet laden with concern as he turned to her.

(Y/n) shook her head, a feeble attempt to mask the turmoil within her heart. "It's nothing," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she looked away, unable to meet his gaze.

But Gaara knew her too well to be deceived by her facade. With a gentle touch, he turned her face towards him, his eyes searching hers for answers. "Please, (Y/n)," he urged, his voice a gentle plea. "You can tell me."

For a moment, (Y/n) hesitated, her cheeks a light tint of pink as the weight of her emotions threatened to spill forth like a torrential downpour. But then, with a resigned sigh, she relented, allowing her walls to crumble in the presence of her trusted friend.

"It's just...," her voice faltered, choked with unspoken fears and regrets. "I'm happy for you, Gaara, truly. But... I can't help but feel a sense of loss knowing that we won't be able to spend as much time together."

Her words hung in the air like a fragile thread, tethering them to the reality of their changing circumstances. And as Gaara listened, a mixture of understanding and sadness flickered in his eyes.

"(Y/n)," he began, his voice gentle yet filled with unwavering resolve. "I may have new responsibilities as Kazekage, but that doesn't mean we have to change. You've always been there for me, through thick and thin, and I intend to do the same for you."

As Gaara's words washed over her with sincerity and conviction, (Y/n) felt a rush of emotions swirling within her heart. His reassurance offered her a lifeline amidst the turbulent sea of uncertainty that stretched out before them. In that fleeting moment, as their eyes locked in silent understanding, she couldn't help but feel a flutter of something more than mere friendship stirring within her soul.

For years, (Y/n) had harbored hidden feelings for Gaara, emotions too complex and profound to put into words. She had watched him from afar, admiring his strength and resilience, yet always keeping her own heart guarded, afraid to acknowledge the depth of her affection.

But now, as their hands met in a tender embrace, the walls she had meticulously built around her heart began to crumble. In the warmth of his touch, she found solace, a sense of belonging that she had long yearned for.

As they stood there, bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun, (Y/n) dared to let her guard down, to allow herself to embrace the truth of her feelings. With each beat of her heart, she felt the walls around her heart melting away, replaced by an overwhelming tide of love and longing.

And as Gaara's gaze softened, mirroring the depth of emotion reflected in her own eyes, (Y/n) knew that she was not alone in her silent confession. In the quiet intimacy of their shared moment, they spoke volumes without uttering a single word, their unspoken bond weaving them together in a tapestry of love and understanding.

As (Y/n) was shaken from her trance, she felt Lady Chiyo's presence kneeling beside her. With tear-stained cheeks, (Y/n) looked at the elder woman, her eyes silently pleading for her to intervene, to do something, anything, to save Gaara. "Please," (Y/n) murmured, her voice trembling with desperation as she reached out a hand towards Lady Chiyo.

The older woman nodded solemnly, understanding the unspoken plea in (Y/n)'s gaze. Motioning for her to move away, Lady Chiyo's hands began to glow with a gentle, healing light as she focused her chakra on Gaara's still form. Naruto, also, kneeled beside him, helping Chiyo.

Lady Chiyo's life force flowed into Gaara, her hands glowing with a soft, healing light. The old puppet master, having made the ultimate sacrifice, had given Gaara a second chance. As Gaara's eyes fluttered open, (Y/n) felt her heart swell with gratitude. "(Y/n)?" Gaara's voice was weak but filled with wonder as he looked at her.

Tears streamed down her face as she knelt beside him, her hand finding his. "I'm here, Gaara," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "You're alive. You're safe."

Overwhelmed with relief, she leaned closer, pulling him gently into her arms. She could feel the faint, steady rhythm of his heartbeat, a precious reminder that he was truly back. Gaara, still weak, wrapped his arms around her, finding comfort in her embrace.

The world seemed to blur around them, the intensity of the moment creating a bubble of solace amidst the chaos. Naruto and Sakura watched silently, their own eyes filled with tears of joy and relief.

Gaara's voice, though weak, carried a newfound determination. "I... I thought I'd never see you again," he murmured, his fingers tightening around her hand.

(Y/n) pulled back slightly to look into his eyes, her heart pounding with a mix of emotions. "I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, Gaara," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Gaara's eyes softened, a flicker of understanding passing between them. "I know," he replied quietly, his gaze holding hers with a depth of emotion he had rarely shown. "Thank you, (Y/n). For everything."

She smiled through her tears, her heart overflowing with unspoken words. "We're in this together, Gaara. No matter what."

Masterlist

[aprito]

sos month 2024 day 4: if only you knew "What you said earlier — that you despise this life, wishing you weren't here... Is that true?" "If only you knew."

Thinking you have to choose between your years long planned and prepared defection and your last minute friend who kind of means everything to you now but wouldn't just up and leave with you has got to suck.

[fogaminghub]

https://www.fogaminghub.com/post/master-the-mibu-rivalry-a-complete-walkthrough-for-rise-of-the-ronin

🌟 Immerse yourself in the world of Rise of the Ronin with our latest blog post on the Mibu Rivalry mission! 🎮✨ 

From taking down Serizawa to building a bond with Isami Kondo, we’ve got all the tips and strategies you need. Level up your gameplay and enjoy the adventure! 🏯��

[badgalsasuke]

My thoughts on the Naruto ending

So I had said I was gonna post about my feelings and thoughts regarding the Naruto finale that might contain a few hot takes for some people, so here it is.

THIS IS GONNA BE A LONG POST.

The Naruto ending is universally disliked, there's not doubt in that. Veteran SNS shippers don't like it because Naruto and Sasuke end up with women they don't love and aren't attracted to, and believe Naruto and Sasuke could've end up "single" with no ships confirmed; younger SNS shippers that weren't there when Naruto was still coming out believe they should've ended up together even though that could have not been plausible due to the manga industry quite conservative practices. Het!shippers on the other hand, believe the ending is bad for two different reasons: the first being that some believe that Narusaku and Sasukarin would've made more sense than SS and NH (some say just Narusaku and Sasuke should've stayed single); the second being that although they like SS and NH and the potential they believe these ships have "but wasn't explored further", Kishimoto can't write romance so he messed up both ships, making them bland and barely romantic.

Another reason why the ending is disliked for non-shipping reasons and mostly by Sasuke stans, is that even though in the couple chapters before the 700th one Naruto and Sasuke talk about changing the shinobi system, we see in Boruto that the system has not been changed at all and instead Naruto and Sasuke are reinforcing it despite all the oppression and suffering they were put through it in its name. We even see Itachi, the man who committed genocide being lauded as a hero for his actions and zero reflection on Konoha as a genocidal State. Oh and the Hyuga clan still practices slavery.

So here I come to say the following: Naruto's ending makes sense.

Now before y'all tear me to pieces let me explain myself. The first time I read the finale I thought it was stupid, one reason being that the ships make no sense no matter the angle you try to look at them and the other reason being that Sasuke was now working for the same State that murdered his clan with Naruto now as the head of that same State and making no changes to the Shinobi system (not a very good look on him, right?), so I thought for many years that the ending sucked.

Then The Last, Boruto and Sasuke Retsuden came out and all I could think was "woah this is all really shit from the butt".

But then one day when I was thinking about the manga as a whole, mostly because I was starting to realize that Kishimoto was being intentional in his writing of Naruto and Sasuke's romantic bond and it wasn't accidental like most of the fandom thinks, I just started connecting dots and trying to make sense of the whole story and seeing how the ending fitted into that. I'm someone that whenever it comes to literary analysis and criticism always tries to think about what was the author intention before I label something as bad because it wasn't my personal preference how something was written.

And that's how I realized what there was theme to the Naruto ending is. It's all about conformity.

Now, don't get me wrong the Naruto ending still has flaws, two big ones in my opinion, which I'll point out further down the post, but what I want to do is show you the forest because I feel the fandom is mostly focused on a couple of trees when it comes to the finale. I want you to see the thread of events Kishimoto created and how he was trying to keep it as in character as possible.

So first things first. If you've read Kishimoto interviews over the years then you would know what was the ending he had envisioned: chapter 698. He talks about how he wanted Naruto and Sasuke to have their final fight, make ammends and change the shinobi system together. He achieved two out those three things he intended.

In a quite controversial interview that most of the fandom likes to ignore, Kishimoto stated that he had no emotional attachement to Naruto and Hinata as a couple and it was Studio Pierrot who had pitched the whole thing about The Last movie. He also states that he decided to make NH endgame after Shippuden had started and he had also considered Narusaku as well, but then in another interview that came later he started saying he had intended to make NH canon since the very beginning. He was constantly contradicting himself in these interviews over the years. Kishimoto has also expressed his distate for SS and Sakura's character in general in different interviews.

So what I personally believe is that Kishimoto's editorial, Shueisha, made him change his statements because saying he had no plans for NH and it was Studio Pierrot idea was quite damaging to the franchise (no wonder the interview got kinda buried too, lol).

I think the biggest challenge for Kishimoto was giving the editorial, the studio and most of the fandom the het!ships they wanted without compromising as much the characters the story of his manga revolves around, Naruto and Sasuke.

So we get to ch. 699 where I believe Kishimoto is laying the ground for the finale we ended up getting.

In ch. 698 it seemed like Naruto and Sasuke had been able to resolve their issues and been able to talk about their feelings for each other. Something Sasuke repeats in ch. 699, a chapter entirely narrated by him. However right at the end of ch. 699 we get what seems to be a regression of what we had seen in the previous chapter.

It is implied that Naruto and Sasuke had an argument off-screen hence why Sasuke thought Naruto would not come to see him and bid him farewell before his atonement journey. What was the argument about is never really explained, some fans speculate Naruto was upset about Sasuke going on an atonement journey considering Naruto had pleaded for Sasuke to not be imprisoned and saw no reason for Sasuke to go on a redemption trip. I personally believe it had something to do with Naruto failing to come to terms with his feelings for Sasuke because, as we see right away, Naruto gives Sasuke back his headband and Sasuke says he'll keep it until they have their real fight which is interesting, to say the least, because didn't we just see their real fight the literal prior chapter? basically, we're being told Naruto and Sasuke haven't been able to truly talk about their feelings and put into words what their relationship really is about hence why Sasuke keeps the headband. As long as Sasuke has the headband, it will mean Naruto hasn't been able to truly accept what he feels for Sasuke. In essence, ch. 699 is Kishimoto retconning ch. 698 to give way to what comes later.

After chapter 700 came out we started getting so much content, both filler and canon, that tries to explain how we got there. Let's start with The Last, the movie that tries to explain how the heck Naruto ended up with Hinata.

The Last is sort of a hybrid, it's written for the most part by Studio Pierrot employees who had the idea in the first place and Kishimoto corrected a few things here and there and is also what for me, makes the ending flawed for one big reason: Naruto's character assassination.

Naruto is a shonen manga that's more focused and concerned on it's emotional battles and communicates it to the audience through it's physical battles rather than the powerscaling stuff Naruto dudebros would have you thinking the manga is actually about. So this means that Naruto, its main character, spends the entire manga learning about his feelings and putting them into words. That's what his story is mainly about; learning to love and to be loved.

The Last undoes this in the stupidest way possible. To give Naruto an excuse on why he always ignored Hinata they intend to make the audience believe it's because "Naruto doesn't know what love is" by writing Naruto not being able to differentiate between loving someone and liking ramen. This is absolute nuts. We know that Naruto understands what is love, what is not love and that love doesn't come out of nowhere, we see that when Sakura fake confesses to Naruto, he's able to spot right away she's not being genuine because he understands those three things. So this is the first flaw of the Naruto ending for me.

The second flaw is the dismissal of Kurama and Naruto's status as a Jinchuuriki. I find the most embarrasing thing about The Last to be that they had to put Naruto through a genjutsu so he could hallucinate "memories of Hinata being there for him but he was too dumb to notice" but it's even worse once you remember that Naruto canonically should not be able to be put through a genjutsu in the first place. Studio Pierrot had to break rules of Kishimoto's universe in order to give NH some mediocre development and to me this will always be the worst part of the finale. If you can't make a ship work within the universe rules, then why make it a thing at all?

Some people didn't like that Hinata is totally useless in the movie, but for me this is not a flaw, as it is entirely in character with who she is in the manga. Making her a mary sue out of nowhere on the other hand, would be a flaw of the story.

Now that I've talked about what I think are the flaws of the Naruto ending, let's talk about the things that work in The Last (and I believe is where Kishimoto put his input) to make the finale make sense. The first one being that Sakura is the one that pushes Naruto to be with Hinata. In the manga we see several times Sakura is insecure about Naruto and Sasuke's bond and being jealous of Naruto's spot in Sasuke's heart. Even Hinata is baffled by Sakura wanting to help her and asks her why she's doing all that because she knows they're not friends. We then see Sakura think about Sasuke (who's also conviniently excluded from the movie) and simply say "we, girls, should support each other", she wants Naruto out of the picture so she can have Sasuke for herself and she succeeded. It's also important to note that once Sakura got what she wanted she no longer pretended to be a friend of Hinata, she didn't even kept close contact with Naruto either as we see in Naruto Gaiden, Sarada and Naruto don't know each other like that at all, if Sakura was being a genuine friend to Hinata and Naruto, she would've kept her family close to Naruto's but she didn't.

One more thing that I find works about The Last is that Naruto doesn't passionately fall in love with Hinata, but instead is constantly guilt-tripped into liking her, which is more true to his character. You have a man already struggling to accept his sexuality, who also has his deceased mother's expectation of marrying a girl and on top of that is a pathological people pleaser, of course he's gonna marry the first girl that tells him she loves him. It makes sense this all happened while Sasuke was not in the village. Naruto panicked about his sexual identity and rushed to marry an "acceptable woman" in the eyes of the people whose approval he craves, as we see in the special chapter Kishimoto wrote that came out after The Last: the villagers fawning over Konoha's hero dating the Hyuga heiress.

Likewise, Sasuke not attending Naruto's wedding helps the ending not be as contrived or out of character of them. Kishimoto never wrote anything on why Sasuke skipped the wedding as far as I can recall, but in the episodes that Studio Pierrot made dedicated to Naruto's wedding we see a Sasuke completely absent and detached from the event, something Naruto dudebros use to dunk on him because that made him a terrible friend from their perspective, but as usual they're not paying attention to the full narrative Kishimoto is creating here.

Making Sasuke be happy for Naruto and attend his wedding and give him a gift and all that crap, would've made het!shippers and Naruto dudebros happy but it would be at the expense of his character and the story Kishimoto was writing. Remember, Sasuke had kept the headband all these time until he could have his real fight with Naruto, meaning he was waiting for Naruto to be honest about his feelings for him, so him not attending Naruto's wedding is a way to communicate to the audience (at least the part that's paying attention) that Sasuke is heartbroken by the news.

I believe this is why Kishimoto designed adult Sasuke the way he did and makes him dress the way he does as an adult. All black and depressing. I also believe that Sasuke will stop dressing that way the minute he and Naruto have their real fight, if they ever have it, that is.

Additionally, Kishimoto nailed making NH canon before SS would be canon. Naruto, as I stated before, is the one that struggles with his identity and feelings for Sasuke and the one that has the expectations to marry a woman so it makes sense that he would be the one to marry a woman first. SS becoming canon first wouldn't make sense because not only is Sasuke more outspoken about his contempt for Sakura, whereas Naruto remains polite and neutral to Hinata's feelings, but Sasuke also has no reason to be with Sakura if Naruto is still available, in fact, Kishimoto making Sakura be the one to chase Sasuke after Naruto's wedding because Sasuke never came back, as we see it stated in Naruto Gaiden ch. 10, is also in character for both Sasuke and Sakura, instead of writing it the other way around like SS shippers wished, y'know their whole thing about Sasuke coming back to the village for Sakura and apologizing to her because he didn't realize how much he actually loved her because he was trapped in the darkness blah blah blah (I think this is what happens in filler novel Sasuke shinden lol).

If Naruto is not available, then Sasuke is in a very emotionally vulnerable position and Sakura took advantage of that. You see the narrative Kishimoto is creating here? There's a thread to follow on why stuff happened they way it did.

Now, I mentioned before that the theme of the Naruto finale was conformity. Here's where I explain how:

The first thing is Naruto's physical appearance. Kishimoto liked to draw a young Naruto all punk and grunge. He even had already made a design of adult Naruto where Naruto looks, well, cool and HOT.

Yet, for the actual finale he gave us an ugly Naruto, but also a Naruto that looks tired and exhausted. How does this tie with the conformity theme? when Naruto was young he used to go against the rules, defy expectations people had of him, tell authorities to fuck off. Like, when he was told to give up on Sasuke when he was 12, Naruto responded "If giving up on Sasuke makes me wise, I'd rather be fool my entire life", this man was a rebel. But as an adult we see him become the head of State that continues to reproduce the status quo that had once oppressed him. Naruto turned apathetic, his appearance reflects his attitude.

And this is consistent with the narrative Kishimoto's been crafting. Just in the same way Naruto conformed to society's expectation when he married a woman he doesn't love and barely knows, he also conformed and succumbed to the shinobi world status quo. It would *make zero sense* for Naruto to revolutionize the shinobi world while married to princess slaver Hinata Hyuga, that'd be an oxymoron, completely contradictory narrative wise. Certainly, Naruto always struggled to find an ideology, to put it in some way, when it came to Konoha and its ninjas practices and had a messed up perception of its villagers (see: the whole Dark Naruto mini plot) but he still wanted to change the shinobi world WITH SASUKE by his side, once the story established they don't end up together and Sasuke isn't by his side, Naruto doesn't care anymore.

This is why I don't find strange that Kishimoto wrote Naruto oversleeping in the eve of his name day as Hokage, a day Naruto had once dreamt about when he was a child. The spark is gone.

But the spark isn't just gone for Naruto, it's also gone for Kishimoto. Naruto didn't even attend his name day because he was knocked out by Himawari. This is Kishimoto being petty. He spent 15 years writing a story where the goal was to see Naruto become Hokage and he knew how anticipated this moment was and he still went and ruined it for the fans anyway. Naruto dudebros were furious about this, but not once did they stop to wonder about the implications of this, what it said about Kishimoto's relationship with his work if it had gotten to the point he went and "fucked it up".

Naruto cared about the state of the world before he became indifferent to it. This is why when Sasuke stans complain about Naruto not actually caring about Sasuke's trauma but can never really explain why Naruto is like that as an adult. They try to pretend Naruto never cared but this is a lie, kid and teenage Naruto was compassionate to Sasuke's trauma and pain even if he didn't always managed it in the best way possible. So, I always feel like they're missing this particular piece of the puzzle: if Naruto can't be his true self then he cannot change the world and neither can Sasuke.

Because the same thing occurs to Sasuke. One blog once posted that Sasuke not caring about his child is out of character, but Sasuke not caring about Sakura's child is very much in character and I feel that sums up Kishimoto's writing of both adult Sasuke and Naruto. This passiveness you wouldn't imagine from their younger selves, takes a hold of them once they become adults and gradually "get in line" to be a part of the real world. Sasuke doesn't care about his child because he had her with a woman he doesn't even like or respect. Sasuke is stuck in time still holding onto that headband, hoping he and Naruto will one day have their real battle.

Sasuke uses the forehead poke, a gesture he always hated, on his wife and child because he, just like his brother to him, wants to distance himself from them. Sasuke now serves the same village that plotted the mass murder of his clan and family because why not? his brother is lauded as a hero for killing his entire clan after all. Sasuke too, has conformed.

I actually wonder if this is in some way linked to modern Japanese culture. Japanese culture and society are deeply conformist with everybody is always trying to fulfill roles imposed in them, always trying to achieve what is expected of them. It could also be about how adulthood sucks the passion and hopes out of the youth (Kishimoto started writing Naruto when he was 24 and finished when he was in his forties). And of course, the closeting of queer people leading miserable lives as pretenders.

If Sasuke is meant to end up with Sakura and Naruto is meant to end up with Hinata then Kishimoto cannot make them happy marriages and give them happy families, he also cannot keep Naruto and Sasuke as revolutionary outcasts that stand up against the status quo, that fanservice would be out of character and out of theme.

This is what I mean when I say the ending makes sense, once you see the finale is all about conformity the thread of events becomes understandable and more heartbreaking too. You don't have to like it, but I do think we have to understand where is Kishimoto coming from when he wrote it the way he did.

The Naruto fandom wanted black and grey from Kishimoto and that's exactly what Kishimoto gave them, black and grey.

EDIT: I've written more on how the conformity theme starts to become present in the series as far back as in Neji's death, check it out HERE

[actuallysaiyan]

Hey, I notice that your request box is open, mind if I requested a family hcs with Madara, Indra and Izuna?

warnings: mentions of breeding, slight suggestive content, mentions of trauma word count: 0.8k pairings: Indra Otsutsuki x Fem!Reader, Madara Uchiha x Fem!Reader, Izuna x Fem!Reader

Indra

Indra doesn’t realize that he wants to be with you at first. You’re too soft, too sweet. But then he begins to spend more time with you.

The more time he spends with you, the more he falls in love. It takes very little time after that for him to claim you as his and to get you pregnant. He is the first in the Uchiha family to have the blessed(cursed) breeding kink.

While you’re pregnant, he is very overprotective. Stays with you almost all day and all night. He won’t let most people around you. Just the midwives and the doctors.

Once your first child is born, Indra becomes hellbent on making sure the child has a good life. He will raise them so well and be soft and gentle with them.

Seeing you with his baby just makes him even more turned on. He wants to breed you even more, but he understands he needs to give you time to recover.

You’ll be pregnant a lot when you’re with Indra. He takes good care of you and the kids. He won’t make anyone feel left out. But he will possibly favor his first born at times, and they have a very special bond.

The children love to train with him, and even if he can be harsh at times, he does what he can to show them tenderness and affection. His curse of love runs deep within each and everyone of them, even affecting you as well. All in all, Indra is a decent family man.

Madara

Madara is very protective of you. He falls for you so deeply, and he doesn’t intend on sharing you with anyone. Hashirama is the one who officiates your marriage. Then you’re blessed with becoming an Uchiha.

While on your honeymoon, Madara gets you pregnant. He’s so happy and over the moon. He will keep you safe the entire time, not allowing too much excitement nor will you have too many people bothering you.

The Uchiha family will grow immensely with him as the clan head and you as his wife. You will have many children together. He can’t help himself, he finds you so beautiful when you’re pregnant and motherly.

Your children cling to you a lot, as they are a bit afraid of their strong and gruff father. Still, he softens up quite a bit when they spend time with him. And they love their uncle Izuna and uncle Hashirama.

Madara finds himself growing a little too soft at times when his children are begging to play with them. He wants to give them the childhood he never got to experience. But that trauma can sometimes get the best of him.

They all train to become shinobi, but not because they need to fight, but because they want to be shinobi just like him. Madara is very proud of each and every one of them. He’ll give them tips to improve.

Your clan grows more and more, leaving you to have a very happy life with Madara. And the two of you are able to grow old together and just enjoy your lives with your children thriving and becoming the next generation of shinobi.

Izuna

Izuna is shy at first. After surviving the attack from Tobirama, he doesn’t even consider himself worthy of love. He spends his time boozing and whoring around. Then he meets you and his heart only beats for you.

It takes him a long time to realize that he’s allowed to fall in love. When the time comes for you two to get married, his brother is the first person he tells. Madara gives you both his blessings.

Izuna becomes insanely obsessed with breeding you. The Uchiha breeding kink hits him harder than his brother. He is a man on a mission, and you barely remember much from your honeymoon except the color of the bedsheets.

When you return home, you’re already pregnant. And as you continue going through the pregnancy, Izuna becomes insanely protective over you. He’s not letting you out of his sight. He keeps a tight hold on you.

Izuna cries the moment he gets to hold his firstborn. And this is something that continues with each child afterwards. You help the Uchiha clan grow so much, as Izuna pretty much keeps you pregnant.

He’s good with the kids. Having a family has really opened his eyes and made him see how much he’s happier to have been given a second chance at life. They all love their father so much and cling to him.

Izuna enjoys being able to grow old with you by his side and to have all these amazing kids. He knows that no matter what they decide to be when they grow up, he’ll always be there to back them up and support them.

[watermelonsloth]

Miscellaneous Naruto Headcanons

Hanabi is next in line as clan head and Hinata completely cut off her family because she decided she doesn’t want anything to do with the people who wanted nothing to do with her.

Hashirama and Tobirama actually have a really complicated relationship with a lot of mutual resentment. They love each other as family and respect each other as shinobi, but still. Hashirama holds a grudge from the river incident, resents how he was the favorite child of their father, and is frustrated by how he prioritizes utilitarianism over kindness/morality a lot of the time. Tobirama resents how he grew up in his shadow, is jealous of how easily he interacts with others and gets them on his side, and commonly thinks that he makes their lives significantly harder. Do they talk about any of this? Of course not! Hashirama is deeply ashamed of these feelings and Tobirama approaches all of his emotions with an “if I don’t look at it, it doesn’t exist” mentality.

The three shinobi vices come from the sage of six paths, but Tobirama was the one who introduced the shinobi rules.

The fear of aging is incredibly common amongst shinobi. However, it’s less about dying and more about deteriorating; like a weapon rusting or dulling in a way that’s unpreventable and irreversible. Orochimaru’s fear is pretty obvious, part of the reason Sasori both values eternity so much and turned himself into a puppet is this, and Guy goes on about YOUTH!!! all the time because he’s in denial about his own fear, especially since taijutsu specialists are on a shorter clock than most due to muscle deteriorating faster than chakra.

Deidara values ephemeralism so much because he was forced to become a suicide bomber and he used this life philosophy to find value within himself even when he could be ordered to kill himself at a moments notice.

While the three shinobi vices are only taken very seriously amongst groups like the guardian shinobi twelve, it’s still baked into a lot of shinobi life. For example, you can be discharged from anbu for things like drinking, gambling, and paying for prostitutes even if it doesn’t impact your work-life. Some people, like Tsunade and Kurenai, are very against this, arguing “if I’m allowed to kill and die on a battlefield, I should be allowed to cope with that however I want!”

Kurenai is an alcoholic btw.

Tsunade got her gambling habit from Hashirama, but her drinking came from Tobirama.

Yamato is transgender.

While there isn’t much or any stigma against queer relationships, there is a lot of pressure around people having kids. This came from the warring states era when they needed those kids to become soldiers and replace their armies (also child death was very common and having more kids rose the chances of one of them surviving to adulthood).

The first thing Hashirama did as Hokage was outlaw child hunters and give the order that any child hunters encountered on missions should be dealt with with extreme prejudice.

Kekkei genkai hunting and trafficking is disturbingly common.

Sakura, Rock Lee, and TenTen come from civilian clans and started bonding over that during their sparring matches.

Ableism is pretty common within shinobi villages and especially in the Hyuga clan, so Neji went through a period of having to unlearn a lot of his biases while working with Rock Lee.

Rock Lee is considered disabled btw.

Also ableism is one of the reasons why Nagato doesn’t show his body. Because he’s also disabled (can’t walk because of paper bombs, and has severe chronic chakra exhaustion).

The noble clans (Uchiha, Hyuga, Aburame, Akimichi) were the first/founding clans of Konoha. The Senju used to be included, but because they mixed themselves into other clans to the point of dying out, they aren’t anymore.

Despite being memorialized on the shinobi uniform, the Uzumaki clan were never an official clan of Konoha.

The sharingan and mangekyou sharingan were extremely common during the warring states era, but is exceedingly rare in peace times. So much so that Uchiha’s who got it were congratulated (by people both inside and outside the clan) without others remembering that the sharingan is rarely unlocked for a good reason, making them feel even more upset/isolated.

Although people who get married usually still have wedding rings, it is so rare for shinobi to be seen wearing them (considering their job) that they’re viewed as a sign of retirement.

Ino and Karui did not get along at first because Ino takes great pride in clan tradition and Karui thought she was behind the times. They only get along now because they’re both romantics and they respectfully avoid that topic of conversation around each other.

Shino has to be very particular about his doctors to avoid them freaking out them accidentally healing the holes in his skin closed, making long missions away from Konoha all the more complicated and dangerous.

The rookie nine (-Sasuke) all really enjoy the outdoors so they set up a whole park/garden for them to hang out at. Naruto, Sakura, and Ino plant and tend to the flowers. Hinata picks and presses flowers into journals with the date they bloomed, type, and flower meaning written. Shikamaru (and sometimes Choji) likes cloud gazing. Shino and Choji like admiring (and sometimes catching) the bugs they find; Shino appreciates how he can exposition dump about all sorts of insects and Choji will actually listen. Kiba will either run around or take a nap with Akamaru depending on the day. Sakura also sometimes brings a stack of books to read/annotate in the grass.

Ino was the peer leader of their classroom during the academy.

Because Sakura was the introverted friend adopted by the extroverted leader (Ino), when they stopped being friends, Sakura functionally lost all of her friends.

Shino was right behind Sasuke in academics all throughout the academy, resulting in them having a bit of a silent rivalry. Sasuke actually knew Kiba through this because Kiba was one of the few people who acknowledged that Shino existed.

Choji taught Ino and Shikamaru how to cook as team bonding.

Shino and Hinata are pretty close friends after bonding over having to reign in Kiba during their time on team 8.

I guess this is a series now?

[x3luvr]

Love, Lust & Him —

Itachi x Reader

— In which the physical bond between you and Itachi only deepens the longer you're apart. —

a/n: I'm feeling nostalgic, I miss my Naruto era ;(

(Not proofread !!)

It had been so very long since the last time you laid eyes on that crimson, gem-like gaze of his. Nostalgia enveloped your insides as his charcoal locks, which were now grown out longer than you'd last remembered, framed his pale, almost sickly appearance. The man was called many names, a murderer, a threat, a prodigy. However when you stand before him now, watching his cold expression morph into a look of longing, a look of love, the constant pain of distance, many sleepless nights and wondering if he was still alive seem utterly in the past. Itachi Uchiha wasn't just any Shinobi, he was your Shinobi.

"Hi love, It's been a while." His arms wrap so perfectly around your body, almost like their sole purpose was to hold you in them.

"It's been too long Itachi." You reply in a mellow tone, taking in his warm, earthy scent that always felt like home. Most people would bolt in fear at the sight of the Uchiha, but not you, you clung onto him as though he may slip away again if you let go.

“I missed you more than I can put into words." You sighed, as he intertwined his long fingers within your hair.

"You can show me in another way you know?" A hint of tease emerged from his delicate smile. After so much time apart, all you wanted was to feel him more than just surface level, to see the most vulnerable parts of such a powerful man, a man who was seemingly soul-tied to you. Gently pushing the front strands of his hair back onto his ear, you leaned in, breath hitching slightly before meeting his soft, cushion like lips. His body leaned into yours, tracing the silhouette of your hips, with a touch so soft like he was afraid to break you.

Stepping closer towards the bed, you found yourself light headed from the way Itachi's lips grazed over your neck, trailing lower and lower before pausing just before your breasts. "Are you sure about this love?" You knew that if you wanted to stop, he would. However you couldn't help but grin at his unsuccessful attempt at hiding the neediness in his eyes.

"If not with you then who else?" You hushed beside his ear before guiding him on top of you, spreading your legs in order to wrap around his defined waist. Itachi’s breath quivered at your touch against his large, clothed bulge. As his head dropped onto the crook of your neck, you began fiddling with the helm of his shirt, capturing glimpses of his bare chest.

“I’m all yours, do with me as you please.” He almost pleaded once he was left in nothing but his boxers, and you in a pair of underwear. In response, you laced his fingers and placed them on your plush breasts, allowing him to firmly grope you. A moan slipped past your lips as he trailed sloppy kisses down your abdomen. Pealing off the last piece of clothing from your body, two of Itachi’s icy fingers inserted into your already dripping cunt. They were long, and stretched you out as he pumped your walls, observing your features when he curled them or fastened the pace.

The back of your hand strived to cover up the unholy noises which you failed to contain, when all of a sudden the sensation of the Uchiha’s tongue pulsating through your sex hazed you much, much further. “Itachi.. if you continue like this I’ll..” Your words slurred, and as if without conscious thought, your hands passed though your legs and into the dark locks of your beloved. His mouth trailed like clockwork when you felt the rush of blissful climax engulf your body.

Itachi watched as your chest rose and fell with the heavy panting that turned him on more than he’d like to admit. Once you’d reached your senses, the intense yearning for more pulsated through you. Taking the initiative, you crawled onto his lap, straddling him with your bare sex before you felt the sheer size of his cock poking beneath you. Rubbing your cunt back and forth, the soft grunts emerging for Itachi’s flushed face gave you the courage to pull down his boxers. “Are you sure it’ll fit?” You hesitated.

“We’ll make it work love.” Itachi smiled ever so sweetly, before placing you on your back and aligning himself at your entrance. As he pushed in, you gasped at how your walls filled to the brim with his length. “You’re doing so well sweetheart,” he connected his lips against yours, taking in each whimper from the kiss. Once he pulled away with beads of sweat dripping down his body, the sight of his bulge poking at your stomach left you astounded.

The shinobi groaned in pleasure as his hips developed rhythm, pulling in and out with each thrust. Your arms reached for his back, nails digging into his flesh whenever you felt him go in particularly deep. This was the sight you craved for more than anything. To feel Itachi all around you, to have every inch touched by him and him only. His lashes fluttered in your direction, revealing an expression that was filled with so much emotion, yet so little comprehension. His base slammed into you repeatedly until you let out moans of utter satisfaction.

Itachi’s pace faltered once he reached his peak, his eyelids lowered and his groans turn into jagged breaths. The Uchiha’s bare frame laid on top of yours, allowing you to enjoy the comfortable silence whilst you spent time entangled within one another for perhaps the last time. On the inside, you began appreciating how smooth his skin was, the number moles plastered across his face, and even the dusty pink shade of his lips.

For a moment, the still atmosphere was broken when Itachi cupped the side of your face, reaching for your lips once more as he spoke up in a tone laced with nothing but affection and heartache. “Thank you.. for loving me.”

[wing-ed-thing]

Konoha 12 Domestic/Spousal Headcanons

Tags/Warnings: No Reader Pronouns, Boruto Doesn't Exist, No Mentions of Children/Adoption

Completed versions of these headcanons will be linked on the character's name.

𓆃 Choji

THE BEST COOK ON THIS LIST NO ONE CAN COMPARE

Loves bonding over cooking and baking— whatever you like! If there's anything you're ever craving, Choji is taking to the kitchen to make you a gourmet meal as good as any professional chef!

Prime rib, lamb, tartare, croissants, macarons, soups! It doesn't matter your allergies or preferences, Choji can and will make you any food your heart desires.

Offers excellent cuddles. 11/10 squishy and soft.

Is very understanding, a fantastic listener, and naturally positive.

Never lets the romance l die, and after a hard day at work, will feed you ice cream while you rant about your day.

𓆃 Hinata

Traditional wife who has always wanted to be a traditional wife since she was a kid.

Content with cooking, doing laundry, and other domestic work.

Although, because of the society and the way she was brought up, she might feel insecure transitioning out of shinobi life.

While being made to feel weak isn't something Hinata is a stranger to, she is sensitive to comments from others about her domestic life.

Be sure to give her lot of reassurance and validate her work around the house.

𓆃 Ino

Also wanted to be a wife growing up, but the stay-at-home life is clearly not for her.

She'll try it for a period of time after your wedding or union, but she's far too restless for cooking and cleaning.

You supposed that she thought it would be relaxing and aesthetic, but if anything, she's getting frustrated and throwing the potato across the kitchen as soon as it slips out of her hand.

Ino will eventually find important work to do, come home to complain about it over dinner, and buy you something nice in a half-brag about how much more money she's making.

This is, of course, not to say she's bad at housework or doesn't do her share. She's perfectly good at domestic work and does the bulk of it, but the moment you expect it from her is the moment she stops.

𓆃 Kiba

A slob who, if allowed, will live in heaps of trash.

For the bulk of his 20s, he'll be super unsure of the whole settling down thing. You could make a whole bingo chart out of the cliche bachelor lines he spouts.

I'm not really a marriage kinda guy. I don't wanna tie myself down to a ball and chain. I just wanna meet people. I'm looking for someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously. Nah, I'm not looking for a relationship.

That is... until one day he wakes up and desperately wants a family of his own. To an extreme extent. Like his expectations are absolutely insane.

As a husband, you'll need to reevaluate those and have a nice long chat because at the beginning of your relationship he will certainly not be pulling his weight.

𓆃 Lee

Sweet, clingy, loving and sincere man.

Ah, you are the sun, the moon, and the world to Lee. He is constantly thinking of or doing the sweetest possible thing he possibly could for you at any given hour of the day.

Is his execution great? You'd give it a 50/50. Does he ever take a break? NO.

Whether it's breakfast in bed or going on a grocery run to get it off your plate, you're sure to have to put out one fire and learn how to use 20 carrots in your meal prep for the week.

He really tries his best, he just gets a little excited.

𓆃 Naruto

Another slob, although well intended.

Naruto never had a formal family growing up, and so he has little ideas of what's expected.

Much of his idea of what a partnership should be comes from media or stupid things that Shikamaru probably told him on the playground growing up, so you'll have to work together as a team to set expectations.

A lot of what he does for you is in his language (you have to learn that him making you both ramen cups is indeed a romantic gesture for him), but he loves exploring things that you like!

Naruto explores your likes and hobbies in a very genuine and non-performative way. Sharing things you enjoy together will be the foundation of your relationship.

𓆃 Neji

You'll spend your first year of marriage focused heavily on strict boundaries, expectations, and other couples work.

The way Neji was brought up completely fractured his sense of family. Not to mention, no matter what you're like Neji will certainly have to fight with his family in a silent battle over clan politics.

Because even though the Hyuga clan has stopped certain practices, doesn't mean that everyone in the clan is in mutual agreement or share similar attitudes with each other.

This will be a marriage built on structure and meaningful confrontation. Neji is determined to break the cycles of his family to make a healthy life with you.

𓆃 Sakura

Wasn't sure if she'd end up with a partner. She really wanted it, but with everything that happened in her life, she had her doubts.

Most definitely too hard on herself. Sakura pushes herself to almost fall over you to ensure you're pleased. Whether it's housework or cooking, there's a part of her that feels the need to prove her work ethic.

It's the small things with Sakura. Even after a long day at work, she'll still bring you your favorite home for dinner, even if the place is out of the way. She'll stay up an hour later to spend time with you even if she has an early morning.

𓆃 Sasuke

An ironic mix between Naruto and Sakura.

As a kid, Sasuke 100% wanted to be a husband when he grew up. 100% wanted to have a spouse to provide for and had similar dreams that some kids often do when they think about families.

But after the Uchiha Tragedy, much of Sasuke's outlook about his future has been skewed. Any relationship will start off as rather unstable and you can almost count on Sasuke being emotionally distant

It's about how the two of you work through his baggage and his willingness to be vulnerable.

𓆃 Shikamaru

Surprisingly well-adjusted?

He knows how to do basic life skills. Pulls his weight and sometimes even does your tasks. Shikamaru is generally clean and organized.

Where's the problem? He's terrified of commitment.

Most of the relationships in the Nara clan seem to consist of passive Nara men with verbose spouses who have no issue bossing their partners around.

But at the same time, Shikamaru doesn't mind this dynamic. He wants to laze, but he's also almost seemingly afraid of dynamics that allow him to laze.

He'll be just fine around the house, just a bit dramatic if you ever ask him to do anything. He'll get over it.

𓆃 Shino

Great husband and great family to marry into.

Just overall very balanced, if not quiet. The Aburame clan is close, but respectful of each other. You'll never have to deal with nagging in-laws because Shibi has already taken you in as one of his own.

Enjoy fresh meals of produce expertly tended to from the garden.

While Shino has his more talkative side when it comes to people he's close to, he's still quiet by nature. Don't expect that to change just because you've gotten married.

The obvious con is the massive amount of insects that will constantly be around you. You're not allowed to trap them or kill them.

You will have to get used to bugs crawling on you.

𓆃 Tenten

You're always doing something crazy.

You don't think any of the other Konoha 12 ever expected that Tenten would have the most exciting marriage, but look at her now.

You're always innovating, making new things for her business, and taking spontaneous trips to check out crafting techniques.

Anything and everything you set your mind to, you support each other in. There are ten million projects scattered around your home.

You roll up to get-togethers (when they seldom happen), being the most traveled and bringing the most unique gifts.

No one knows what you're going to be up to next.

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

Notes: I apparently had a lot more opinions on all of these characters than I expected. When I make multi-character posts, I like to keep each section sort of short, so if you are interested in more in-depth hcs, tap the underlined name or visit my blog for more.

Sakura, Lee, Choji, Tenten and Sasuke are done at the current moment.

[rokudaimeplease]

“Thanks to you, Iruka sensei, we have guard duty covered with enough shinobi.” “No, that was all you, Kakashi-san.” “No, I didn’t do anything. I just helped a little. It’s all thanks to the bonds Naruto forged. Naruto’s here, and that’s why everyone is here today.”

[itsvenera]

Hello! I'm in love with your work ❤️ I was wondering if you could do a scenario where Gaara's girlfriend/fiancée gets hurt on a mission protecting Kankuro?

author's note: You have the patience of a saint and I am so thankful not only for this amazing idea, but also for your continuing support! I think this became a lit bit more angsty than intended, but I still hope you enjoy! <3

There were many moments in Gaara's life when he felt dislike toward his siblings. Most of them took place in their younger years, during which he was isolated by his father and grew to see them as nothing more than strangers, who just so happened to be related to him by blood.

The turning point in their relationship was his encounter with Naruto. Building bonds at such a late stage was not an easy task - especially since he could tell both Temari and Kankuro were still somewhat scared of him - but he was just as motivated to do it, as he was to prove himself to everyone in Suna. So while it did take some time, he started to get to know his siblings more and get closer to them.

He loved his sister, he truly did. She was smart, strong, and independent and the young Kazekage couldn't be prouder of her. She was the wisest of the three, always there to listen and provide her opinion when he needed it the most. He could trust her with anything that was laying heavy on his heart or mind, and she never judged or criticized him.

The bond he shared with Kankuro, however, was completely different. Gaara considered him as his best friend and right hand, and while he did not admit it out loud, he was closer to him rather than Temari. In his head, he justified it based on the fact that they were both male and that he didn't really have that much time to build a close relationship with Temari, as soon after the war she moved to live in Konoha and live with the Nara.

Since Kankuro was the only one left in Suna, it was only natural for them to grow even closer. Despite their differing views on many topics, sometimes including what is best for the village, the red-haired shinobi trusted him with his life. This was the reason why he was always assigned as your partner when you had to do missions outside Suna - he knew that no matter what, his brother would do anything to protect you.

Or at least he thought he knew.

As he observed your bruised from in front of him, his eyes narrowed once they landed on your arm sling. Your mouth kept moving, but your explanation fell deaf on his ears - all he cared about was the fact you stood before him with a broken arm and numerous cuts and bruises.

"-so we were greatly outnumbered! So my arm was broken in two places, but luckily the nurse said it will be only 12 weeks till-"

"Where is Kankuro right now?", this was the first time he spoke since you started giving him detailed account of what went wrong on the mission and the roughness in his voice did take you by surprise.

Furrowing your brows, you tilted your head to the side, a flicker of annoyance flashing in your eyes. You specifically told your fiancé that his brother was dealing with all the paperwork downstairs, which is why you have decided to come here and attend the debriefing meeting by yourself.

"He is in the office downstairs, doing the-"

Interrupting you once again, Gaara knocked loudly on his desk, his subtle signal that he needs the attention of the guards outside. The door opened and one of them peeked his head inside, bowing slightly as a sign of respect to the village leader.

"Bring Kankuro up here", the Kazekage said, while placing his elbows on the flat surface in front of him, "Now."

The masked guard nodded his head and closed the door without another word. You stood frozen in your place, silently watching him and trying to understand what was up with him. His expression remained stoic, while his shoulders were slightly up, a sign of how tense he was. He couldn't even bring himself to look at you, as his pale eyes remained fixed on the wall behind you.

"What is this about?", your voice was laced with irritation as you rested your free hand on your waist. He briefly glanced at you, before letting out a heavy sigh and closing his eyelids.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

Faking ignorance was definitely not his strong suit and your gritted your teeth in annoyance at his behaviour. Gaara was a fairly mature man - sure, he did had his childish moments sometimes, but given that he did not had a normal childhood, you excused his odd behaviour in the rare moments it occurred. In fact, most of the time it was easy for you to understand what was wrong without him even telling you, as he has never been that good at hiding his emotions.

As you studied him now, however, you were completely lost. The mission was success and while you and Kankuro did get ambushed by eight ninjas at once, you managed to get away relatively uninjured.

Well, if you excluded your broken arm.

"Is that because of my injury?", you felt suddenly enlightened at what the problem may be and given the way his jaw clenched, you knew you hit the jackpot. Gaara has always been fiercely overprotective of you, not only because you were his fiancée, thus making you the target of many rogue ninjas, but also because you were the one person he could not afford to lose.

Before he can reply, there was a faint knock on the door, followed by your partner's low "Enter". The door opened and Kankuro stepped into the room, his lips curving into a small smile once his eyes landed on you. The moment he turned his head to his brother, his whole face fell and he cleared his throat, before bowing his head.

"Kazekage-sama", he greeted in a small voice, almost ashamed. Gaara did not return the greeting, instead moved one of his arms to motion to one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. Understanding his silent request, Kankuro slowly dragged his feet to it, buying himself time to come up with good explanation of what went wrong.

The puppet master may be a lot of things, but stupid was not one of them. The boiling rage behind his brother's eyes was easily recognisable for him, even if his younger sibling was trying to mask it behind a cold and stiff expression.

"What did I tell you before you left?", the Kazekage asked, while leaning forward. Kankuro gulped at the question, focusing his attention to his fidgeting fingers in his lap, while you moved closer to the two males, eager to finally get some clarity.

Did they make some kind of secret deal without you knowing?

"Answer!", Gaara barked, his patience running thin and both you and Kankuro jumped at the unusual loudness of his voice. The Kazekage, who was always so calm and collected, never raised his tone like this.

The painted man cleared his throat, before lifting his gaze and trying to offer a diplomatic response:

"Well, technically you said a lot of stuff..."

The red-headed shinobi scrunched his nose and his lips twisted into a scowl, obviously unhappy with the answer he was given. Sensing there is a storm brewing, you sat on the other available chair next to the puppet master, while your attention kept jumping between the two men. At this point you felt like a third wheel to their discussion, even though it was obvious that you were somehow connected to the topic.

"Is anyone going to tell me what is going on?"

They both ignored you, instead continuing to stare at each other, one with clear distaste, the other one - with shame. One long minute passed, during which you felt all three of you will suffocate because of the rising tension.

"Your future brother-in-law is incompetent and useless fool", Gaara finally broke the silence, moving his focus toward you, "is what is going on."

Without the chance to even assimilate what he just told you, your head whipped to the side once Kankuro slammed his hands on the desk, his face twisted in a mix of frustration and guilt. He glared draggers at his brother, yet the slight tremble of his bottom lip hinted that he was more afraid rather than angry.

“It’s not my fault! I have only one head, you know?! I can’t have my attention and sight at everything! She jumped behind my back and I didn’t even notice her before it was too late!”

Your lover shook his head, a disgusted scoff leaving his lips.

“Thank Kami you don’t have more than one head! You don’t even use this one, I can’t imagine what it would be if you had more”, the mockery in his tone soon left and was replaced by annoyance, “I told you to keep your eye on my fiancée and keep her safe! At. Any. Cost! And here she is, covered in bruises and injuries, with a broken arm!”

Hearing his words, your jaw fell. Now it was your turn to look at him with disgust. Did he think you were that weak and unskilled, he had to ask his brother to supervise you?

“Wait”, you closed your eyes , trying to gather all your thoughts together, “You ask him to keep his eye on me?”

The note of disbelief in your voice finally caught the attention of both males and they exchanged a look, before turning toward you. Gaara's face softened and he cleared his throat, but the moment he opened his mouth to answer, Kankuro beat him to it.

"You bet he was - "Don't let her out of your sight!"; "Don't let her fight unless absolutely necessary!"; "Make sure to escort her everywhere she goes", the puppet master recited the list of orders given to him by his brother. With each sentence, your breathing became more and more rigid, while your lover burned holes at the other man's head.

Did he take you for some kind of helpless damsel in distress that needs constant protection? Of course, as the partner of the Kazekage you knew it would be hard to separate your personal life from your work, but you always tried your best to keep things between you professional on the workplace. Learning he has been giving directions to Kankuro behind your back, when he specifically promised you that he would treat you as any other sand shinobi, did feel like a low blow.

"I can't believe you!", you scoffed, turning your attention back to Gaara, "You promised me you won't interfere in my missions!"

"It's not like that", your lover sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was worried about you, was that a crime? The world out there was dangerous, especially since he had enemies everywhere and the fact you did not seem to appreciate this frustrated him to no end. Why can't you just understand?

"Should I leave?", Kankuro looked between you awkwardly, his hands already gripping the edge of the stool so he can lift himself. Deep down he knew that maybe he did say more than he was supposed to. So far he always kept the arrangements he had with his brother private, but as he felt almost cornered by you and him, it wall just... slipped out.

The Kazekage nodded his head, but not before mouthing "I am not done with you" to his sibling. Once the door closed and you were left alone in the room, his focus landed back on your fuming form.

"My love-"

"You promised!", you interrupted before he can butter you up and make you question the reasonableness of your anger, "Do you doubt my skills as a shinobi? Do you not trust I can handle myself?"

He winced at the tone of your voice and he briefly glanced at your arm sling, before looking back into your eyes. Taking a deep breath, he stood from his chair and walked around his desk, so he can sit at the place previously occupied by Kankuro next to you. While his hands itched to reach out to you and just take you in a hug, he held himself back, choosing to rest his palms on his knees instead.

"Love, you are one of the most skilled and powerful sand shinobi", he started, carefully choosing each word, "I know you can handle both yourself and your team! But I am worried about you - you are the fiancée of the Kazekage, the dangers are-"

You shook your head interrupting him once again mid-sentence. Pressing your tongue against your cheek, you tried to control the urge to just stand up and leave. He had shared his worries with you before and while you understood his point of view, you felt like he didn't even try to get yours.

"Do you know how embarrassing this is? No wonder everyone in the team treats me strangely", you huffed, "I am your fiancée, but I also your subordinate and you are my leader and employer. You can't just... interfere with my work like this!"

Leaning back against the chair, you buried your head in your hand and waited for the long excuse which you knew was coming. It was not the first time you have discussed this and you also suspected it won't be the last.

"You are right. I shouldn't have done that", he said after a minute of silence, "I am sorry."

Here it goes-wait! ... Did he really said he was sorry?

Lifting your head almost cautiously you eyed him with a mix of suspicion and surprise, not expecting for him to apologize. While he was often good at self-reflection, it was no secret that apologizing was not really Gaara's thing- in the rare occasions when he was wrong, he always found a way to justify his decisions and actions, because the truth is, he did always have good intentions.

"Are you really?", the question came out sharper than you intended and once you saw him flinch back, you reached for his hand, your anger disappearing almost immediately. You rubbed small circles on his skin with your thumb, while you decided to be honest with how you felt.

"Look, I am just... Other ninjas are already thinking that I do get special treatment because we are together. And when you specifically ask them to act as my protectors, even if it is just your brother, it doesn't really help my case. I can take care of myself."

Gaara's pale eyes fell down to your broken arm before lifting to your face again, one invisible brow raising. You clicked your tongue while rolling your eyes at him.

"Hey, don't give me that look! I saved my teammate as any shinobi would do!"

He looked at you for a few seconds, before finally letting out a sigh and he brought your hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on top. His lips lingered there for a few seconds, before he pulled away, resting his chin on your intertwined fingers.

"I hate seeing you hurt", he finally admitted, "But you are right, I just... I can't help but think the worst every time you go away. I can't lose you! I really can't!"

"And you won't!", you squeezed his hand lovingly, your voice falling down to a whisper, "But I need you to trust me. Okay?"

The corners of his mouth twitched into a small smile and he leaned forward, placing his forehead to yours. If there was one thing you both hated doing, it was fighting. You felt his arms sneaking around your shoulders, carefully pulling you closer to him so he avoids hurting you. Before you can fully relax in his embrace, however, you lifted your head, searching his eyes:

"And no more scolding for Kankuro."

His body tensed and his expression twisted in disatisdaction.

"But-"

"No", you gave him one of 'your looks' and he watched you with a blank expression for a while, before he let out a huff and slowly nodded his head.

"Fine."

Little did you know, that while there was no scolding, their "talk" did take a long, long time afterwards... and maybe Kankuro was forced to give a few secret additional promises.

cc artwork: Ankush Sharma

[captainsquiddd]

Do you have your on interpretation on the Chaotix backstory like before they met and how they became detectives?

okay soooo short answer: not really!! i have a bunch of ideas for their individual upbringings and how they found each other, but i don’t have anything concrete yet for my own personal headcanons :3

yapping & ideas below the cut! ^^

for vector, i like to think maybe he was perusing music! DJing was his main way of making money because it is a LOT harder to do detective work without a group.

for espio, i really like the idea of him coming from a ninja group, like the shinobi clan from the archie comics. in this way, he viewed his family as more of a hierarchy. less of people to care for you, and more of people to respect. i imagine his parents felt more like teachers at times, so finding a true familial bond in the chaotix was. WEIRD for him. in a good way!

as for charmy?? oh boy 😭😭 i like the idea that he might be a runaway prince like in archie, but i also enjoy the idea of him just being another raggedy kid out on the street that espio & vector scooped up into their little detective gang. i think charmy doesn’t remember a lot before the chaotix, so he views espio & vector as his kinda-dad-kinda-brothers.

thank you for the ask! and sorry for the long reply, and for me taking FOREVER to respond 😭💔 i’ll try and do better but i genuinely forget the are here and then never make the doodles ahhh

[doudouma]

“you have 3 WIVES and a HUSBAND?!”

what it’s like being uzui’s husband!reader with his wives!

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◆ greetings, my lovely lotuses! thank you so much for all 97 votes! with the winning option on my poll, uzui and his 3 wives & husband, please enjoy♡〜

there are no warnings, my dear lotus.

reader is male.❀ 〜

a/n : i had a feeling these headcanons would win the poll, especially since it seems unique〜 apologies if these may come out as short !

╚══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╝

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚

ooo… such a beautiful relationship〜!

being tengen’s husband… such a delightful thing..

mainly because you have a loving husband AND loving wives♡

with a side of chaos due to makio and suma, never a boring day

as the second man, it’ll be a semi-unspoken rule to help tengen out with the ladies, to help balance things out.

he’s outnumbered by women, after all〜

and they would certainly help you out too! with anything as well, they wouldn’t mind.

you most likely met tengen by being a shinobi or demon slayer. especially since the wives are kunoichi.

they all wouldn’t treat you no different from how they treat each other, and they all say “i love you” in their own way♡

“my flamboyant m/n.. you returned back to me after your mission, and saved countless of lives. you’re a very strong man, im very proud of you.” (pats head)

“i appreciate the things you do for me, so i helped you out with things you needed done today. i wanted to return the favor for you, m/n.♡”

“m/n, m/n!!!! i’m so glad you’re back, why didn’t you return sooner?! do you know how worried you had me?! i was trying not to think of your grave so soon!!!”

“i said i didn’t need any help with the laundry, you know!!!! i could’ve done it myself, it was my job, not yours, m/n!!! ..but thanks.”

the wives love to do your hair, cook with you, talk about their day, and absolutely love to cuddle!♡

tengen would love gift you things with meaning, do small things for you that you forgot, making jokes and teasing you, talking about anything while you two cook for the wives, and love to cuddle too!♡

sometimes the wives forget theres only one of you, so coming home from a mission with all of them ecstatic to see you.. can be a bit overwhelming.

tengen to the rescue!

tengen would usually step in and calm them down, and the five of you would reunite once again in peace〜

he would also be very excited about being put on missions with you!

he’d protect you with his life, and would internally melt if you protected him. even while he tells you to prioritize your life over his♡

on times where you, tengen and the wives all go on missions together, it’s quite fun, and you all feel safer together than apart.

the hashiras may never hear the end of his flamboyant husband, and he’d constantly boast about you! even if you’re right next to him.. he doesn’t care.

i know for a fact rengoku will tell tengen, “you have too many spouses!” my, my rengoku

he wouldn’t mind rengokus jokes, because he knows you’re happy with him and he’s happy with you!

he absolutely adores the fact that you and the wives bond so well, the wives loves you way more than he thought they would!

of course not in a bad way. it makes him feel so happy inside, a very soft feeling of comfort.

if someone ever wronged you, you best believe you’d have four people behind you ready to fight! and since you love them, you’ll fight for them too.

you all have each others backs, no matter the circumstance of any kind, and would go unmeasurable lengths for one another.

such a true strong bond of mutual love and trust. nothing and no one will be able to separate you all♡

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚ ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚

wow, wow…. this took way longer than i expected!! lotuses, my heavy apologies, i’ve been busy with other things. surprisingly this was a little hard to write, and brung out a side in me that i didn’t know existed of being a uzui fan… thank you for your patience, my precious flowers❀

psps… send requests〜!

[ultfreakme]

I am just 120 episodes into Naruto but I've been plagued by this for a while so whatever.

Is Naruto x Sasuke gay on purpose or gay on accident? I think the answer is weird mix of both. Naruto is a story for a teenage male demographic and WSJ manga are geared towards appealing to masculinity. Masculinity as a trait in men is often a performance for men. Men don't try to seek the approval of any other gender for their masculinity. Other genders, primarily women, are accessories to increase masculinity but that is not who has the final say that matters in terms of true masculinity because [deep sigh.......] we live in a patriarchy, you get the drill.

The existence of women as accessory means their opinions, thoughts, contributions are just as frivolous in the eyes of this masculinity performance and they therefore recede into the background. This, on top of general misogyny and patriarchal beliefs leads to women and anyone of any other gender to straight up vanish from the story. They are insignificant, therefore their relationship with the men are also insignificant.

Naruto's entire premise is built on outperforming masculinity against each other. The Shinobi world values power, only men and boys are allowed to be powerful because "girls are weak and don't have the same amount of drive to push themselves as the booooooysss doooo".

Naruto and Sasuke's bickering rivalry is at the center of it all. Combat and power is acknowledgement. The story is so, beautiful in how it doesn't even try to pretend to be bigger than this. Strength gives you power, agency, respect, love, anything a man can want, even the leadership over a whole village! Combat prowess and power are therefore the only means by which people, more specifically the boys and men of this show communicate.

Naruto wants to get stronger not to impress Sakura. No, no, she's obviously secondary, her affection is the prize. Naruto ACTUALLY wants to get stronger to beat Sasuke. Not just beat him, to get him to acknowledge his masculinity. This isn't a gay thing, this is just how guys interact irl. They put on a whole performance where they act like they feel nothing around their guy friends when you know you saw that dude acting very different with the girls and the gays and the theys.

BUT. But if Naruto(the show) was just this, the homosexual subtext underlying Naruto and Sasuke wouldn't exist. Nay. There is more. While all of this is accidental subconscious systematic things working to shape their relationship, there is a deeply intentional aspect as well.

Naruto and Sasuke's relationship is the only thing that matters. Their bond is deep, profound, they acknowledge each other and they are the reason they have each gained that ever-coveted power.

More importantly, the emotions, the gushy-mushy totally manly bro trust me feelings are only verbalized and acknowledge with one another. I've heard Kishimoto wrote this story to center around the ways in which these two support one another, guide one another. They are the emotional crux, the heart.

You perform masculinity for this one guy and one guy only, you feel anything real only with this guy. What do you get? ROMANTIC TENSION. Intentional or not, the extent of it can vary however much but this is how you do it. It doesn't matter if you didn't know the recipe to making cake crepe and accidentally made pancakes. You've got a fucking pancake. Naruto and Sasuke's relationship accidentally stumbled right into a romantic dynamic from the get-go. Idc about author intentionality and what the man and his editors have said (death of the author yada yada). The text of Naruto is just, this.

[maoam]

sakura was chosen by a senju. i don’t care about bloodlines or soul brothers or even the fact naruto as a show was going to be focused on naruto (i already know please don’t bring that up, lemme have my breadcrumbs)

sakura haruno, a clanless shinobi child of few talents yet a cunning intellect, was chosen by princess tsunade senju, the direct descendant of hashirama, the founder of the leaf village. she was one of the last people to be taught everything by a senju. she is tsunade’s heir, her pride. tsunade taught her to be senju in everything but blood in spite of sakura’s lack of clan connections.

i just… don’t you see how marvelous that plot point was?? kishimoto created a genius arc and never explored it lol. sakura as the chosen senju heir puts her in direct conflict with sasuke uchiha, the last of the uchihas.

imagine madara using that plot to twist sasuke even further. imagine sakura going to kill sasuke out of love but him twisting it into a generational conflict neither of them are old enough to understand. imagine a battle between them: sasuke with all of his uchiha expertise and sakura with the last of senju’s teachings. imagine the opposing imagery and unlike naruto’s bond with sasuke, sakura and sasuke aren’t parallels. they aren’t two sides of the same coin. they aren’t reflections. they are fundamentally different which makes their reconciliation more poignant. it’s two people learning to create and exist in a new world of their, a bond forged by sheer stubbornness and longing

Imagine Sasuke longing for a shallow girl he had no bond with. How marvelous. Kishi truly fumbled here.

"Cunning intellect"

Like during land of waves where Naruto and Sasuke did all the work and strategy and she sat on her ass? Like during forest of death when she did nothing but failed traps? Like during her fight with Ino where she made no attempt at strategy and was outsmarted by Ino? Like during the second bell test when Naruto was the one who came up with a strategy to get the bells? Like when she was used as a puppet? When she got knocked out by Kabuto's ass and fourtails? When she got stabbed by Madara because she rushed into battle to nurture her fragile ego and then saw she had no clue of his power? Or something else?

[bree-peasant]

The Magic Lake - a Kakashi x fem!Reader One Shot

Author's note: I'm back with a cheesy, fluffy Kk fic. I've had many one shots in the works, but this is the one I managed to finish, so I really hope you like it!

Word count: 2.7k

Sunmary: Y/N and Kakashi are childhood best friends who've lost touch. Can a chance encounter many years later repair a broken bond?

Warnings: some nudity, but it's not very explicit

Happy reading! ♡

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You and Kakashi had been neighbours. Born less than a year apart (Kakashi was the younger one and you never failed to remind him of that), you quickly became inseparable. From innocent child's play, to training together while you both attended the Academy, the two of you would spend any spare moment together, creating a bond that nothing could shatter. Or so you thought.

Kakashi quickly overtook you in his ninja capabilities, showcasing a rare talent. At first, that only motivated you to try and keep up with him, but the more you grew, the more you realised the shinobi life wasn't meant for you. Your comrades and teachers alike, would often poke fun at your delicate hands and your careful movements, making you rethink your choice of career. Kakashi always supported you, trying to convince you not to give up on becoming a shinobi. You even went as far as to graduate from the Academy, but after that, you were done.

Your relationship with him didn't change immediately. You were both still devoted to the friendship as ever, making sure that every spare moment was spent together, either swimming, play-fighting, or reading in a comfortable silence. You'd talk about the future together, making naive promises to stay in each other's lives forever, certain in your childish minds that you'd fulfil these oaths.

When Sakumo died, your family welcomed Kakashi, who had already felt like their second child anyway. You wanted to console him, support him through his grief, but you already felt your best friend drifting away. You hoped it was only temporary and tried to ignore your growing worry.

He was your first kiss. A very innocent one at that, but it still brought butterflies to your stomach every time you thought of it for days after. He was leaving on his first ever long-term mission, and without thinking, you planted a peck on his lips as the two of you were saying goodbye. Kakashi looked awfully flustered, a bright red spreading on his cheeks, visible despite his mask. He'd hugged you tight after that, promising to return safely. To you.

You supposed both of you were too young to understand the feelings that grew between you; to distinguish where the deep-rooted friendship ended, and something else began. So, when he came back, things remained the same for awhile, neither of you sure how to approach the subject. With time, though, Kakashi's life took him on a very different path from your own. One that was so riddled with grief and regret, that he withdrew in himself, began avoiding you and your family, taking on more missions, being aloof and cold when around you. The more he rose in rank, the more he was away, risking his life over and over again, and when he did come back to the village, he stayed away.

It broke your heart to see the change in him. You tried to plead your way back into the friendship, but it seemed too far gone to be retrieved. Eventually, you had to make peace with how things stood between you, and you silently withdrew, hoping that someday, Kakashi would come back to you.

Now, 20-some years later, you were running a sewing shop in the village, putting your concentrated and graceful hand movements to good use. You were renowned in the village for your needlepoint work, even making garments for nobility outside of Konoha. You hadn't seen Kakashi in years, bar the occasional chance encounter, when you'd awkwardly greet each other and quickly move on. But something in you would break at the sight of him still. You never put a name to the feeling, convincing yourself that what happened long ago no longer mattered. You'd moved on with your life, you'd made other friends, had other lovers, but in truth, a part of you missed your childhood best friend desperately.

It had been a long day at work, the summer heat sweltering in the shop, drops of sweat trickling down the nape of your neck as you worked. By the evening, you were utterly exhausted, but the thought of returning to your stuffy flat was too repulsive to face.

You decided to grab some food to go and take a stroll outside the village, in an attempt to find a cooler spot. By now, the sun was starting to set, the night promising some respite from the blistering heat. You walked aimlessly, allowing your feet to dictate the direction, your mind caught up in tomorrow's affairs. The summer season was a busy one for your shop, with many orders coming through, and you were beginning to feel overwhelmed with all the work you had coming your way.

Pulling yourself out of these cumbersome thoughts, you stopped to take a look at your surroundings. You'd reached a small clearing, not far from the village walls, with a narrow, clear-blue lake in the middle of it. You immediately recognised it, surprised that your subconscious had taken you there of all places. You and Kakashi used to swim in the lake whenever chance occurred in summer, even taking a cold dip or two in the cooler seasons. It had been the centre of many happy memories the two of you shared, basking in the sun, chattering and laughing till your voices became hoarse. You hadn't visited it in years, plagued by sorrow at the loss of what once was. But you found yourself smiling at those memories now, glad that they had happened.

Although night was settling in, the air was still hot from the day's relentless sun, forcing you to consider a swim.

"For old time's sake." You thought to yourself, coming closer to the body of water. You took off your shoes and dipped a toe in, pleased by the slight cool of the water. You looked around, darkness now becoming thicker. There was no one in sight, nor any sound, bar the croaking of frogs and chirping of crickets. Deciding it was safe to shed your clothes in their entirety, you slowly submerged yourself in the water, dipping your head under for that much desired relief.

You felt your body instantly relax, turning over to lie on your back and stare at the stars for a while, grateful for this respite. You weren't sure how much time had passed when you heard footsteps approaching. You quickly shifted position to hide your nakedness under the dark water, when you saw a figure approaching from the path. When he stepped into the moon's light around the clearing, to your astonishment, it was none other than Kakashi. He spotted your head floating above the water, a sound of surprise escaping his masked lips.

"My apologies, Y/N. I didn't expect to find anyone here! It's usually quiet at this time." The way he spoke your name sent a shiver down your spine. You hadn't heard it fall from his lips in so long.

"Do you come here often?" You replied, raising a curious brow.

"Whenever I have the time." He stood motionless, close to the edge, unsure whether to turn back or not. "It's a place of very fond memories for me." He added in a slightly softer, hushed tone.

You blushed at those words, glad for the darkness that enveloped you. There was something so fated in your meeting tonight, that you wanted to allow it to continue.

"Well, if you don't mind the company, you're welcome to join me." You said without thinking your words over too much.

Kakashi hesitated for a moment. He felt almost enchanted, standing there, looking over your figure in the water. After so many years, it felt both odd and somehow right to be there with you tonight. Finally, he allowed himself to relax, deciding to follow whatever magic had brought you together again. He took his jōnin vest off, grateful that you swam away and turned your back to give him his privacy. He already felt his cheeks grow hot, from just seeing you, hoping the moonlight was too weak to reveal them. He continued to pull layers off himself, stopping at his boxers, unsure what the correct thing to do was. Noticing your pile of clothes by the water, with your panties at the top, he shed his own and jumped into the lake in one fell swoop.

You turned at the splash, drops of water hitting your face. With pretend annoyance, you waited for him to emerge and splashed him, giggling afterwards at his sullen expression.

"Can't a man enjoy a peaceful swim?!" He said, feigning his own frustration, only to catch you at your most vulnerable and splash you right back. You both laughed then, flicking bits of water at each other, trying old tricks, falling into an easy companionship, like no time had passed at all.

"Look what I've learned!" You said, diving head first in the water, positioning your hands on the bottom and popping your legs out in a handstand.

"That's nothing!" Kakashi said once you'd emerged from the water, proceeding to mimic your act.

As his legs broke through the surface, you swam over and pushed them, so he'd lose balance, forcing him to quickly resurface.

"Hey! You cheated!" He scolded you in almost a childish tone, making you laugh.

"I'm older, so I can do what I want!" You responded, mirroring his tone.

"Oh, is that so?" A sly smirk spreading on his lips. "We'll just see about that." With those words, he sprang on you like a cat, submerging your head under water. Kakashi was completely wrapped up in your old games, so without thinking, he wrapped his arms around your body, pulling you out and above the water, just to throw you back some distance away.

You emerged, spitting out water and cackling, admitting defeat. Suddenly, you were aware Kakashi had grown silent, his gaze lingering on you. Both of you now came to the realisation that you were no longer two kids, but grown adults, who were naked in the water. You finally took in his features, new to you since you hadn't seen him unmasked for years. He'd grown handsome, with thin lips that always seemed to hint at a grin. He kept his scarred eye closed, but you recognised the look in his charcoal one, wild and stubborn still. Perhaps he hadn't changed that much.

Kakashi, in turn, studied you too. You'd always been tall for a girl, but he noted how your shape had become more feminine with time, rounder in its edges. Your hair was still as wild as when he used to pull on it to get the advantage, but your face seemed softer, happier than he remembered seeing it last.

You stood in silence for a moment, each caught in their own thoughts of times passed. Eventually, you felt the chill of awkwardness, your feelings jumping between the familiarity of your old friendship, and the strangeness of the person who stood in front of you now. You shook your head, not wanting to drown out the magic that had held you until now. You weren't ready to let go of the moment just yet.

"I've..." You bit your lip for a second, unsure you could say what was truly on your mind. "I've missed you, Kakashi." You finally spoke, darting your eyes away from him.

Your words caught him by surprise, yet soothed his soul like a balm. He'd been thinking the same with so much sadness, not daring to hope that you could salvage what was lost.

He smiled to himself, although he wasn't sure what to say in response.

"You know..." He said, the thought coming out before he could decide if it was good or not. "I had the biggest crush on you growing up."

Your eyes immediately found their way back to his face, trying to read his expression in the pale light. He had a small smile playing on his lips, his gaze downward cast, following the specks of light on the water's surface.

"What?" You managed to whisper, almost in laughter, confused by where the conversation was headed.

"Yeah..." He let out a soft chuckle, reaching to scratch the back of his head. "I was so worried about ruining our friendship, that I never did anything about it... But I've always wondered what would've happened if I had been brave enough to tell you." He trailed off, still not daring to look at you.

You remained silent for a moment, trying to decide on a response. It seemed tonight was about honesty, so once again, you let yourself go along with the flow.

"I liked you too... as more than a friend." You added, shyness taking over. It was ridiculous, you were in your late twenties, standing naked in a lake with a handsome man, but somehow you'd reverted back to your childhood inexperience.

Kakashi finally looked your way, mesmerised by how pretty you looked with your pale reflection mirrored in the water. Was it possible that after all these years, there was still a chance at reconciliation? He wasn't sure.

"Do you think we would've stayed together? If we'd admitted our feelings?" You asked, regret hushing your voice.

"I don't know..." He replied, looking away again. "But I've carried you with me all these years, Y/N. I never forgot about you."

There was so much sincerity in his voice, that you felt like sobbing.

"Why did you never reach out, Kakashi? I waited... for you." Remorse, mingled with grief as you spoke.

"I didn't want to poison you like I did with others." He sighed, his shoulders slouching. "I thought you were better off without me. Then time went on, and it became harder and harder to approach you, so I didn't."

Unnoticed, the current had swayed you both closer, standing at an arm's length from one another. You stared at his silver hair, glistening in the moonlight, catching yourself in a dream about running your fingers through it. Kakashi in turn, lifted his gaze to your lips, made silky by the drops of water, wishing he could cup your cheek and pull you closer. Neither of you moved.

"I was never better off without you." You whispered, nothing better coming to mind to soothe his guilt. "I wanted to be there for you. To be your friend, if nothing more." You paused, taking a breath in to calm your nerves. The air felt thick, despite the coolness of the water around you. You felt both flushed, and a chill in the back of your neck.

"You were my world, Kakashi." You finally said, your voice so quiet, you weren't sure he would hear you. "And I've not felt whole since you left."

He stared at you in disbelief, unable to comprehend how he, of all people, could have had such influence over you. How could he have been so blind, so afraid, to look for you sooner? Had he lost his chance?

"Y/N... do you think there is still a way we could..." You waited eagerly to hear his words, but as he spoke, you felt a slight nudge by the current, making you lose your footing. You stumbled forward in the water, falling right into Kakashi's arms. He held you stiffly for a moment, your eyes wide in surprise, mirroring his black one.

Suddenly, you felt his body relax, as he pulled you in closer. You parted your lips to let his crash onto them in a kiss that bore no resemblance to the one you had shared as kids. Your arms moved of their own volition, wrapping around his neck, fingers weaving themselves in his silver hair. Chest pressed to chest, he held you tighter, as if afraid that you'd slip away from him. Your kisses tasted like the minerals in the lake water, wet and sweet. You remained entangled in each other like this for a while, lost in a moment that felt both familiar and entirely new. As you finally pulled away from each other, still remaining close, unbeknownst to the other, you shared the thought that perhaps it wasn't too late for the two of you.

"Will you go on a date with me, Y/N?" Kakashi said, a drunken smile playing on his lips. The man couldn't believe how happy he was at that moment.

You let out a soft chuckle, giving him a kiss on the cheek and whispering to him:

"I thought you'd never ask!"

[bones4thecats]

Hello, I would like to request an imagine with a reader Mitsuri Kanroji or Shinobi Kocho( Kimetsu no Yaiba) with the characters Scarabia, Leona and Malleus please

Having A Shinobu/Mitsuri! S/O

Type of Writing: Request Name: Having A Shinobu/Mitsuri! S/O Characters: Kalim Al-Asim, Jamil Viper, Leona Kingscholar, and Malleus Draconia Requester: @marinahavik

A/N: This is a mixture of both Shinobu and Mitsuri as the readers, with two having Shinobu and the other two having Mitsuri by what I think would fit best. Anyways, enjoy!

⚠️ TW: Manga/Mugen Train Spoilers! Slight swearing, mentions of death and self-doubt ⚠️

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Shinobu Kocho! Reader ; Basic Headcanons

☀️ Kalim, as we all know, is danger prone. You on the other hand, are far more trained and adept to your surroundings and the poisons that come near you

☀️ Your smile is something that Kalim also adores, but when he notices that whenever someone asks about your family, he begins to suspect that there is something behind your smile that you don't want the others, including him, seeing

☀️ When he does find out about your past and how your sister died, the housewarden of Scarabia tears up and hugs you tightly, reminding you of Tanjiro after your fellow hashira, Rengoku, passed away

☀️ He really wants to meet your estate's members, and when they come by to visit you, probably due to a mission nearby, he admires Uzui and Mitsuri the most

☀️ You give him a genuine smile as he tells Tanjiro and the rest of the Kamaboko Squad stories of his childhood and his homeland of Scaling Sands

What do you think of Shinobu Kocho! Reader?

" I love her so much! Her smile is so cute! But, the way she teases Jamil does seem to make him become slightly annoyed… I wonder why. "

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Mitsuri Kanroji! Reader ; Basic Headcanons

🐍 When Jamil first met you, he was alarmed by how loving and kind you were

🐍 Like, how in the name of the Great Sevens did you end up getting organized into a college for dark-magic users? You seem to fit Royal Sword Academy far more

🐍 It's not that he hates how happy-go-lucky you are, in fact he loves that part of you. You’re like the sun to his moon. But, the way you effortlessly show off yourself just for others to google at annoys him to no end

🐍 He's not mad at you, rather he's mad at the others. They know you are together, so why are they trying to ask you out in front of him?

🐍 Anyways, when you had first brought your family to Night Raven College, his parents and yours bonded well, sharing the familiarity of their oldest child being strong at a young age, though Jamil was more magic while yours was physically

🐍 Speaking of your strength; Jamil loves it to no end.

🐍 He knows that you suffer from the curse of self-doubt, as he does himself in some areas. So, whenever he sees you doubting yourself, he comforts you and speaks of how sweet and gorgeous you are, no matter the body type or what decorates your skin. After all, beauty is on the inside just as much as the outside

What do you think of Mitsuri Kanroji! Reader?

" She's quite a bit of everything mixed into the most beautiful person ever made. Their personality is astounding and just the way she effortlessly takes care of Kalim to help me out is great. Though, her appetite is quite difficult to keep up with. Thankfully she knows how to cook and bake just as well as I do. Speaking of which, she made these amazing mochi the other day- "

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Shinobu Kocho! Reader ; Basic Headcanons

🦁 He was initially annoyed by you

🦁 You just seemed to appear so arrogant because of your constant teasing remarks to him and others and your sly smile was not helping his views on you increase

🦁 But, whenever and however you to had got together, he always is latched to your back. At least when your not busy

🦁 Leona may not seem like he does, but he listens to every explanation on the poisons you are either working on to heal your fellow Demon Slayers or to learn about in order to heal them

🦁 As a beastman, Leona has very good hearing and a excellent sense of smell. So, whenever you come back and he smells the scent of another on you, he gets pissy. The same goes if he were to find a male ZENITSU clinging and asking for your hand in marriage

🦁 You love to tease him, and it’s so gosh darn easy to do so. When you see his form stiffen at your words, you just go on. But, if you were to see his tail swaying and smacking against the ground or any nearby surface as his ears lay flat, you back away and tell him you were joking

🦁 When you had decided to tell Leona about your sister and everything that you were planning, he was extremely upset at first. But, after a while, he grew to understand, making you swear to at least find a secondary option

🦁 He knew you weren't, but he hoped you at least tried for him

What do you think of Shinobu Kocho! Reader?

" They're alright, I suppose. Their teasing does get annoying, but I can't lie. They’re real good with a, uh, whatever the hell their blade was called - a nichirin. But, I do hope their plan works with another route, I can’t stand the though of losin 'em in that way… I hope that bastard upper two dies painfully though… fuck him. "

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Mitsuri Kanroji! Reader ; Basic Headcanons

🐉 He, much like other Night Raven College students, believed that you belonged at Royal Sword Academy because of your personality

🐉 But, seeing you lunge into gear and protect Silver, Sebek, Lilia, and himself from Leona's oncoming overblot-filled attacks made him look at you in a slightly different light

🐉 You were an amazing person by nature. Your kindness and adoration of all things you deemed cute (which was nearly everything), made Malleus gently smile at you for the first time

🐉 He normally lays his head in your lap as you mess around with his hair, normally taking the back pieces and braiding it to match your own, this action normally makes Sebek upset, but Malleus loves it

🐉 Along with that, seeing how strong you are makes him overjoyed with pride in his lover. After all, normally no pure human can take down a half-fae such as Sebek with as much ease as you had

🐉 Your appetite is something that Malleus also likes. As a fae, he has quite the stomach as well, so seeing you absolutely mash down the delicacy you call mochi makes stars form in Malleus' eyes while tinges of fear get struck in other Diasomnia members

🐉 Whenever he sees you doubting yourself, your dragon-fae lover comes behind you and hugs you while his tail wraps around your leg, lightly squeezing your calf and thigh in reassurance; you were perfect in his eyes

What do you think of Mitsuri Kanroji! Reader?

" They are by-far the most interesting human I have met in my elongated life. Their sense of character is admirable, just seeing their smile makes my once-lonely existence light up with a delightful mixture of joy and love. I just wish they would see themselves in just as much of a shining light as I do. "