#Taijutsu type

[colorfulfoxengineer]

[zealctry]

casual reminder that Hidan’s build is athletic.

he’s not bodybuilder buff like, let’s say, Kisame or Kakuzu, but he has enough muscle on him to break a few bones if he sets his mind to it. physically, he’s anything but weak.

[uzchis]

[narutoandanimearemyheart]

RIVALS TO LOVERS! RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS WITH NEJI HYUGA

The reader and Neji most likely met in the Academy when they were both young. Neji was a prodigy of course and excelled in everything. Especially Taijutsu.

However there was another person in his class that had extremely advanced skills in Taijutsu, his only match. You.

The two of you would often get partnered up during spar sessions in the class, and would often come in very close ties which infuriated Neji to no end.

He did not like this at all. He was determined to be the top of the class, and would train extra hard when he got home to secure that spot. He would not be average, nor beaten by some shinobi from some average background, not at all.

He had an intense dislike for you. How were you able to match him in his ability? You weren’t a Hyuga, nor from any special clan whatsoever. So how were you able to beat him when it wasn’t even in your destiny to beat him?

He definitely often makes scathing remarks towards you during your time at the academy, but most of those remarks stem from his own insecurities and anger of not being strong enough.

Eventually when graduation time came, Neji got assigned to his team, but the rivalry with you was still going strong. He doesn’t face you in the Chunin exams but he wished that he did, maybe for old times sake, or to gain the satisfaction of beating you.

Most likely to gain the satisfaction of beating you, and to heal his wounded pride.

However his viewpoint slowly starts to change after his match with Naruto. He finally found peace and realized that people can change their own destinies, which also leads to try and understand you better.

At first when he starts acting more nicer to you, your like “is this the same Neji that I knew???” Yeah he didn’t leave a good impression on you with his condescending remarks, and arrogant behaviour, but he’s grown out of it.

The two of you start hanging out more often once he’s simmered down in his haughtiness, you often train together, and talk about various different topics.

You both find yourselves getting closer together. The regular sparring sessions always seemed to have a tension that never went unnoticed. It was clearly visible to all that saw you both together, but it wasn’t to the two of you.

Neji of course realizes that he has started to feel different things for you, beyond what close friends would feel. At first he tries to ignore those feelings.

He’s scared to get close to someone like that and doesn’t want to make himself vulnerable, in case they either reject his advances or if something bad happens to them.

He is a very stubborn individual and will push down these new feelings of his, and he won’t acknowledge them, you will probably have to be the one to confess to him, and when you do, he can feel his heart start to soar.

Of course he’ll keep a calm look on his face and simply say that he returns your affections, but inside he will be the happiest he’s ever been, and if you look close you will be able to see a faint pink blush on his pale cheeks.

Moving on towards actually dating. Neji is a very polite and courteous boyfriend. He takes “duties” as a lover very seriously. He always tells you to take care of yourself, and brings you things like flowers as gifts.

He still goes full strength on you during sparring as, that’s just how he is, he respects your strength and thinks that going “easy” on you would be disrespectful towards you.

If you are on a mission with him he’s going to be on watch like a hawk. He knows you can take care of yourself but he cares a lot about you and looks out for you too. If you act reckless during the mission, he’s not going to let you live it down for a few days.

He can be soft when he wants to be, sometimes when visiting the Hyuga compound and spending time with him in his room, you’ll both just sit next to each other and enjoy each others presence. He doesn’t strike me as a very physically affectionate type of person, but he would sometimes hold your hand.

His love language is more so acts of service. He likes to show you how much he cares about you, instead of touching you or telling you that he does.

Whether it’s helping you arrange your things, cooking food for you, bringing extra supplies for you during a mission in case you forgot some, he always remembers the little things.

I can definitely see him letting the words “I love you” slip out during an argument though. When you and Neji argue, he’s very stubborn, so even if he is in the wrong, it will take a while to get him to admit that. He’s a very prideful individual. If you are both stubborn then you might go for days without speaking to each other before one of you two caves in.

Neji hates to see you cry. If you cry then he will immediately soften and apologize, he hates seeing you cry that much. If he is the cause of your tears then he feels much guilt, but if someone else is the cause of your tears then whoever they are better sleep with one eye open.

You two were probably arguing about something that wasn’t too significant but, Neji got rather upset about it and of course he never backs down so it was starting to escalate until he blurted out “Well yeah I’m mad!! I’m mad because I love you!”

It suddenly became very quiet between you two, until he started stammering “W-well, I-I” you chuckled and spoke softly “I love you too Neji” and he felt his heart soar, he has officially stopped working. No wonder people say falling in love drives you crazy, because it was most certainly driving him crazy.

Neji is very protective of you, he loves you to the point that he’s sure he’d sacrifice his life for you. He now believes that destinies can indeed be changed, and he’s sure that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you.

You most likely feel the same way, after all, even if he has his flaws how can you not fall in love with him? With the way he treats you and stays true to his words and is one of the most honourable people you know.

Neji Hyuga and you are in love with each other no doubt about that, and the two of you will continue to be in love with each other forevermore. While your relationship does have its ups and downs, one thing about it is that your bond is unbreakable and everlasting.

[dark-konohagakure2]

Hi can you write Teuande and sakura with a young female worker who they like to grop, sexually harrase. And force her to be naked 24/7 around them. Maybe she has clit leash or nipple claps and they always pull her from their like their own dog.

tw: noncon, abuse of power, workplace harassment, degradation, nipple clamps, clit clamps, mild petplay, exhibitionism, manipulation, cunnilingus, age difference

All characters depicted are 18+

Tsunade is very particular about who she allows to be her students. Sakura is her most trusted disciple due to her strength and intelligence, but the Hokage could always use another promising young lady to mold and guide, just not in the ways of medical ninjutsu and taijutsu, instead Tsunade requires someone who can provide something that has been sorely lacking for both women; some entertainment.

Tsunade really knows how to pick them, the kunoichi she picks to train with her and Sakura is a very cute and skilled young lady. Strong, but not strong enough to fight back against the Hokage, not to mention she is a very obedient shinobi. The girl is of course thrilled at the rare opportunity to train with both the Hokage and one of the strongest kunoichi of her own generation, she'd be a fool to turn down such a privilege.

All is well at first, but not for very long. One minute the girl is thanking her Lady for letting her learn underneath the Sannin, the next Tsunade is telling her to remove all her clothes. But not to worry, Tsunade is going to give her a brand new, and much more fitting uniform; a set of nipple clamps and a matching one for her clit. It'll be abundantly clear that she's not here as a student, but as a pet.

Sakura isn't the type to seem like a bully, but she is going to enjoy teasing her underclassmen, enjoying the seniority she has over the new student. The pink haired medical ninja is always looking for an excuse to tug on the clit leash or to tighten the already snug nipple clamps. While not as strict and domineering as Tsunade, Sakura is much more teasing.

"Oh come on! This is just some simple endurance training, hun! So be a good girl and take it before I tell Lady Tsunade how disobedient you've been today."

Tsunade is no better than her student when it comes to being mean to her little student. She'll use her power as both a Sannin and a Kage to force her subordinate to remain naked at all times, even when others are entering the office, Tsunade will even casually play with the young woman's naked body in front of others, this will quickly earn the poor girl quite the reputation, she'll be known throughout the village, and even by a few people in other villages, as Tsunade's obedient little fucktoy.

The humiliation doesn't just stop with the forced nudity and bondage, the two medical nin are very busy women, with Tsunade being the head of the village and Sakura being the head of the medical department, so they need some serious stress relief. It's not rare for the two women to pass her back and forth, forcing her to take turns eating both of them out until they're satisfied, praising her for getting so much better at eating pussy after all her training.

Getting passed around will soon become routine for the poor kunoichi, she'll be used as a reward for any shinobi who does a good job at their missions, she'll mostly be used by those who are close to the two women, such as Shizune and the men of Team 7, her cute body is perfect for boosting the morale of the Leaf jonnin, and it gives the girl the occasional much needed dose of dick, so everyone wins.

Tsunade is still a kind woman however, she's not going to be nothing but cruel to her beloved pet. She'll still be punished if she's a bad girl, bit if she's a very good girl, Tsunade will reward her with affection and pleasure, she'll even occasionally get the girl some gifts, although they aren't always very appreciated...

"You've been very good for me, haven't you? Well I guess that means you get a reward. If you put this collar on then you won't have to worry about me pulling on that cute little clit of yours! Isn't that nice?"

The wannabe medical ninja ended up getting exactly what she's always wanted, albeit in a twisted way. She wanted to be known throughout the entire village, and now she is. Just not for any of her combat of medical abilities...

[mata-aetara-if]

[ DEMO (TBA) ] - [ PINTEREST (TBA) ] - [ PLAYLIST (TBA) ]

🍃 This is the dev blog for my interactive fiction set in the Naruto universe titled Mata Aetara ~!

🍃 Sorry there’s not much here at the moment as the story being written is still SUPER early in development ~!  Please keep in mind I���m new to writing and creating an if so it will take a while for things to come out, and I’m doing this for fun so I don’t want to rush or put any pressure on myself. If you’re still interested in following my progress thank u so much I appreciate it 🥰

🍃 My main blog I will follow/like from: @sweetchaosyk

🍃 My interactive fiction side blog I'm most active on: @stephschoices

Summary & Features:

Slice of life, but make it Naruto. It's been 4 years since The Nine Tailed Fox wreaked havoc on your village, and things have, for the most part returned to normal. You start off playing as a genin who graduated from the academy about a year ago. Your team, and your friends teams have only been taking on the lowest level missions, but it's about time to start taking higher ranking ones! How will you maneuver life in The Hidden Leaf Village?

Choices you can make:

name

gender, pronouns, & sexuality

hair style, texture, & color

eye color

skin color & details

height

you are the medical-ninja of your team, choose to master it or learn various jutsus

chakra nature

summoning animal (options)

small weapon (options not decided yet)

dads restaurant type (options not decided yet)

RO info & tags below ⬇️

Asahi Uchiha ( x )

he/him

One of your teammates, a member of team 3

From the Hidden Leaf Village

One of your childhood best friends, and the most talented shinobi in your class. With how humble he is you could almost say it happened accidentally though. Prefers only having a few close friends and would go to the end of the Earth for them

Niko Sarutobi ( x )

they/them

One of your teammates, a member of team 3

From the Hidden Leaf Village

Your other childhood best friend! The opposite of Asahi and will make friends wherever they go! Will always put you and Asahi first though! Is also very flexible

Shikako Nara ( x )

she/her

A member of team 5

From the Hidden Leaf Village

A shy girl from the Nara clan. Tends to think her jutsu is never good enough, but her teammates are always there to reassure her!

Inoru Yamanaka ( x )

he/him

A member of team 5

From the Hidden Leaf Village

Not a fan of Asahi, as he thinks he was the best shinobi in your class (he wasn't). Despite that, he is very talented so he has a right to be confident. As he gets older, his confidence and charisma continue to grow

Rona Inuzuka ( x )

she/her

A member of team 13

From the Hidden Leaf Village

Her clan members can be a little chaotic, so she likes to be the responsible one wherever she goes. Safe to say she's the mom friend of your group

Jun Hyuga ( x )

he/him

A member of team 13

From the Hidden Leaf Village

Jun is from the side branch of the Hyuga clan and tends to be quiet and reserved. He is usually uninterested in the antics you and your friends get into

Might Chai ( x )

she/her

A member of team 13

From the Hidden Leaf Village

Chai can perform minimum ninjutsu and prefers taijutsu, just like her father and older brother. She doesn't let that get her down though! She'll do everything possible to show she's a capable kunoichi just like everyone else!

Mokoto Aburame

they/them

A member of team 9

From the Hidden Leaf Village

As long as you don't squish any bugs around them, you'll get along great. Most people call Mokoto creepy, but it's just because they dress in dark colors, don't talk much, and of course, the bugs.

Ryoku (x)

he/him

A member of the sand team

From the Hidden Sand Village

A member of the Kazekages clan, Ryoku was born with their ability to control sand with their chakra. He has a serious personality and will protect his village with his life.

Kougetsu Hozuki ( x )

they/them

A member of the mist team

From the Hidden Mist Village

Kougetsu is an adventurous and unpredictable ninja from the very dangerous Hidden Mist Village. You never know what their next move will be. They like to keep you on your toes.

Important tags to know:

🍃 "ch: [name]" : any info, answered asks, or aesthetics related to the charater

🍃 "ch: [team name/number]" : any info, answered asks, or aesthetics related to the team of characters

🍃 "ro asks" : any reaction / scenario asks answered about the ros

🍃 ".txt" : general text posts about Mata Aetara

🍃 "info" : information regarding Mata Aetara

🍃 "aesthetic" : and posts that give me inspiration about Mata Aetara

🍃 "q" : queued posts

🍃 "my art" : art / edits I've made for Mata Aetara

🍃 "mcs" : any mc art or edits

🍃 "picrew" : any picrews I do of the characters

🍃 "fanart" : any art of the characters

🍃 "irl inspo" : any irl people or places inspo of the characters

🍃 "character design" : official designs of the characters

🍃 "memes" : blank memes i filled out with the characters

[maboroshi-if]

SNote: Maboroshi is intended for 16+ audiences. Strong Violence and Swearing/Cursing will be in the IF. The warning list will be updated as we continue. Intro Post is still being pulled together, so if there are any questions, let me know!

Maboroshi is an Interactive Fiction Game based in the world of Naruto, however, all events within the story span during the end of the First Shinobi War and the beginning of the Second Shinobi War.

Long ago, many years before you were born, the countries of the world were entrenched in warfare for land. Mighty warlords and noblemen wished to expand their territory; however, blood would need to be given in exchange; Unfortunately, for the people of the land, the blood given as payment was not theirs. Instead, shinobi across the lands sacrificed their lives to fulfill the greedy lord’s wishes. Villages would soon be pillaged, children and women would perish from famine, and demonic creatures would rise from the darkest parts of the world to roam the earth. This would later be known as the Warring States Era. 

Twenty years later, all the infighting, battles, and wars would just...cease to exist. No one knows what caused the wars to stop; many believe that an inner deal was made between Daimyo across the land, while others believe something much more sinister is at play. Regardless, the ninja world seems to have finally settled into peace and harmony.

It has been some years since the Warring States Era ended. Villages across the land have been ushered into peace, and the village of Kirigakure is one of them. 

Having just graduated from Ninja Academy, you're now a Genin placed into your forever squad. Focused on growing stronger and building a name for yourself. You set your sights on becoming the strongest nin in your village, and who knows? Maybe you'll even become Mizukage someday. Before that happens, you'll need to pass the Chunin exam, a test that is said to have painted the very soil underneath your feet red.

Exam preparations are put on hold when rumors of war begin spilling across the peninsula. 

Tonari Yuma, a missing-nin from your village once accused of kidnapping and killing five children from all across the Land of Water, has resurfaced as a chieftain in the small village of Kirostache. 

Proclaiming himself to be the rightful Mizukage of the Land of Water. He wages war against Kirigakure and denounces your village as a town full of traitors united in dethroning the Daimyo by the usage of dark means. Your father calls it foolish. There is no way that the Water Daimyo would believe such a basis. 

Or so he hopes.

A conspiracy is brewing in the Land of Water, and you will soon learn that life is not as idealistic as you believed.

Fully customize your character!

I MEAN IT; fully customize them! Choose your 

Hairstyle and type

Hair color is locked to red, but you have the option to pick different shades of red, 

Skin color, 

How you appear to others, 

Eye color, 

Ninja outfit + civilian outfit

Name + Nickname

Gender, 

Genital choice + Body Shape will come in Part 2

Pronouns

Height

Weapon (you can’t use your chakra ALL the time)

Birth Season

Backgrounds are locked based on your chosen clan

More to come soon...

Choose one of three clans to be your paternal lineage

Tsuchigumo: Become Spidewo-(man)! or not. 

Yuki: Possess the Ice Release Kekkai Genkai

Shirogane: Puppet Masters who originate from the land of Wind

Become a master of either Taijutsu, Genjutsu, or Ninjutsu

Or master a combination of all three!

Romance 8 ROs

Three are available for Part 1

Four ROs will be introduced in Part II. The last is a secret RO

Pass the chunin exam!

Failing means your death, so make sure you are ready when you take it.

Complete a bunch of D-rank and C-rank missions; you're only a genin, after all.

Learn forbidden jutsu or stick to a path of purity (aka, do nothing fun!)

Meet some fan favorites as they were when they were alive!

Determine your fighting style: are you more brutal, or do you have finesse?

Or maybe you don't want to fight at all!

Become a Jinchuurki? It could happen 

Choose to become a medic-nin if it suits your fancy!

Izuna Uchiha (M): The Rival A boy shrouded in mystery, he is a constant reminder of your first C-rank mission and what went so terribly wrong. You’ve tried your hardest to make peace with him. But it feels impossible. He's a stranger in your tight-knit village and has found himself to be treated like an outsider. You would feel bad for him; if he weren’t so smug. Replacing one of your squadmates, he has shown an aptitude for warfare and finesse that makes you weary. How can a child who has grown up in a world of peace be so ruthless? Get to know him and you’ll unfortunately find out. 

 Izuna possesses an aptitude for Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu, making himself a triforce. And it makes no sense to you, considering that you hardly see the boy practice! It will be interesting to see how he grows. If he makes it.

Chihiro Inoue (F): The Dreamer

One of your squadmates, she is a loud and outspoken girl with large dreams and big ambitions. Working to become the first female Mizukage, Chihiro often displays headstrongness and an overzealousness that can often get her into trouble. Luckily for her, fortune always seems to work in her favor.

Chihiro possess an extremely high aptitude for Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, calling herself a self-proclaimed weapons master. She gives as good as she gets, and has no problem getting a little dirty.

Tanui Hozuki (M or F): The Jokester

A jokester, they seem to have no desire to become a ninja; but with all that chakra they possess, they are given no choice. Apart of Squad Six, it makes no sense why you seem to run into them all the time, but you find their presence comforting.

You know nothing about their fighting style; only hearing whispers of the ‘wicked’ things that they have summoned from the adults in your village. 

Shinichi Hoshigaki (M): The Lost One/Secret RO

The second member of your original squad. Shinichi is the complete opposite of what you would expect from the Hoshigaki clan. Known for being fierce and aggressive, Shinichi is the exact opposite of the savage reputation that precedes them. Soft and friendly, Shinichi is a gentle soul and abhors the act of violence. But when push comes to shove, he will protect himself and his friends with the vengeance of Asura. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to save him. Or was it?

Shinichi possesses a high aptitude for the sword. Almost on par, if not matching Chihiro in strength and brutality. He favors the Water Release Jutsu; typical for someone coming from his clan. 

Akane Uzumaki: your mother is revered as the five-tailed beast's holy priestess/vessel. Once labeled as one of the strongest Kunoichi in your village, she has settled into domestic life and has left behind a life of adventure. She seems content; however, you catch the sorrowful expression on her face whenever she looks at you.

[[Chooseable Name]]: Your father is a distant cousin of the Water Daimyo, considered a war hero for his actions in a rebellion that lasted almost ten years. He has been given the highest spot in the village as "supporting Kage," only second to the Mizukage himself. 

Hanabi Sugawara: Your sensei; is not what you had expected in a teacher. Seeming to coddle your small team of three more than teaching you. You feel that she is hiding something, something that could put everyone in danger.

DEMO (Coming soon) || RO Appearances || Discord (Maybe)

[martialartslover7]

Team Hard Workers United

...I swear, man. These three should have become an alternate team, as soon as Sasuke left the village. Look at the three! Look at them! Casually rocking his green fit!

And if you pick these three in Ultimate Ninja Heroes as a team, you get a hit. And they are called "Hard Workers United". I am not kidding, look it up.

And Rock Lee, the GOAT that he always has been, is the type of best friend you never know you need, until it matters most. And it's not me making it up, after the Five Kage Summit, it was all Rock Lee's idea to pay Naruto a visit, along with the others, as he knew, he still felt so depressed about the entire situation with Sasuke. Maybe it was filler, but it just cemented Lee even harder as THE GOAT, of the entire series.

Need more proof why these three just blend so well together? Here you go.

Plus, I dunno about you guys, but Rock Lee HAS to be THAT person, outside of Naruto, that someone like Hinata truly needs in her life. He always manages to turn misery into positive motivation and strength. Hinata needs that sort of light in her life, especially if she needs to approach someone to perfect her Taijutsu. And toughen up, in general.

*cough* Ahem, definitely not me hinting at a Pre-Shippuden based story, where Hinata is given one whole month to prepare for a rematch with her cousin, Neji, and Naruto and Rock Lee promising to train her, Rocky style. *cough*

But another thing... me being a Sonic fan, these three, just by looking at their personalities and how well they work together, in MANY aspects, to me, are not beating the Team Sonic parallel allegations. Lemme show you.

Team Sonic:

Naruto - Sonic (Speed)

Hinata - Tails (Flying)

Rock Lee - Knuckles (Power)

...Nuff' said.

[patchofgrey]

Head Cannons One-Shot:

Nejiten Headcannon explanations: part one Nejiten Fanfictions by me: ffdotnet | A03

Head cannons: Tenten started realizing her feelings when they repeated the chunnin exams and they are both the jealous type (Neji more than Tenten, though).

Tenten recalled what happened during the chunnin exams as Fuu held onto Neji’s hand. She had just asked the Hyuga to be her friend, so why was the bunhead feeling so uneasy? The byakugan user was a bit taken aback by the girl, unsure of what to say except to request to release his hand. Even now, with them being back in the village and they all had just been promoted…she was still thinking about it. Lee was spouting some exaggerated scene before them as they walked through the village’s main street. The team had quickly gone home to shower and change, now in their civilian wear before meeting back up to spend some time together. The bunhead had fallen quiet, and her face was stoic as they walked. This was a bit unusual for the boys as they had definitely noticed her change in mannerisms. They had exchanged looks briefly before Lee had attempted to open more conversation, which resulted in blunt and not very engaging responses from the bunhead. Even when they went to have a celebratory meal with their sensei, Tenten’s mood had not changed. She ate quietly as Lee and Neji relayed the events that had taken place; from their separation and Tenten handling herself incredibly well, to Neji saving the Kazekage and another kunoichi who had a tailed beast inside of her. Gai praised Neji for having been promoted to jonnin at the young age of seventeen, now no longer a subordinate to their sensei. The Hyuga was rather pleased with the promotion, and yet his eyes kept glancing back towards Tenten who also looked somewhat content with her small smile and nods as they all spoke, but she remained in her own little bubble. This was a bit concerning to the Hyuga, as he worried she was deep in her thoughts and her insecurities were dancing around in her mind with the recent promotion. He would inquire after they finished their team meal. 

“What’s the matter?”

Her amber eyes found his ivory ones as they walked behind Gai and Lee to head back to the main streets of Konoha. The bunhead shook her head and looked forward. This caused Neji’s eyebrows to furrow and his lips pursed tightly. He wasn’t about to let her brush him off as he grabbed her hand and halted her strides. Tenten turned her head to him and shot him a glare.

“What is the matter, Tenten?” he repeated.

“Nothing! Let me go, Neji.” she groaned and attempted to pull her hand out of his grasp.

The prodigy held her hand firmly and pulled her closer to him. He quickly glanced ahead, watching as their sensei and teammate continued on. Clearing his throat, he called to them, stating that he and Tenten would be heading along and to not wait up for them. Gai and Lee looked behind them and nodded curiously at the two of them, watching as Neji held her hand and led her to a side street.

“Lee, what is all this about?’ Gai asked.

Lee hummed and tilted his head in concern. “I…am unsure, Gai-sensei. However, Tenten has been acting strange since we have returned.”

“Why?”

“I will ask Neji. I think he has noticed it as well. If he can get her to talk to him, I am sure he will tell us so we can be of support to her.”

The two taijutsu specialists hummed in unison and continued on their way. Lee was rather surprised that Tenten was in her head at such a time. She seemed very happy when they were promoted and was eager to continue her career with the two of them as a permanent three man cell. They didn’t want to be split up, and with Neji’s promotion, it was more than likely it could happen, unless the Hyuga put a request in to not be a solo jonnin or sensei himself. Maybe that is what Tenten was worried about, he pondered as he walked with his sensei.

Neji held onto her hand, his fingers interlaced with hers as he led her to their team training grounds. Finally releasing her, he looked down and crossed his arms over his chest. Tenten’s eyes went wide and she sucked her teeth. Her hands found her hips and she met his stare; he was waiting for her to start talking.

“Neji, I’m fine-”

“Tenten,” he leaned in. “How long have I known you?”

“What does that-”

“Answer me.” he murmured.

The bun head rolled her eyes as she answered him. It’s been over ten years, she groaned knowing that he knew her very well. Hiding things from him was rather difficult since Neji made it his business to know her business. Why he did this was a mystery to Tenten, but they were best friends and she supposed this was his way to show that he cared amongst other ways. Neji held his stare, waiting for her to throw him a bone. 

“I’m just in a shit mood…” she started.

His eyebrow cocked upwards, a signal for her to continue. She looked away from him.

“It’s stupid. Really it’s nothing…”

“Tenten, if it was nothing, you wouldn’t be in a ‘shit mood’. We all noticed it.” Neji replied. “Well?”

Tenten captured her bottom lip into her teeth. Neji watched as she adjusted her stance, looking everywhere but at him. She was either trying to find a way to get him off o f her back, or she was trying to piece together coherent sentences to express what was going through her head. But Neji waited patiently and had already decided that he would not leave her until he was satisfied with whatever conclusion would come from whatever problem she had.

“That girl,” she huffed finally. “The one that held your hand.”

He hummed in confusion, but then the scene flashed before his eyes of the green haired shinobi they had saved. 

“Okay…and?” he asked.

Tenten rolled her eyes, mumbling again that it was a stupid thing to be annoyed about, and yet, Neji took a step closer to her and encouraged her to speak her mind. She didn’t like how that Fuu girl just grabbed his hand and didn’t let go. Her chest had sunk when he didn’t pull his hand away from her. The smile she had given him annoyed her as well; yes, Fuu was grateful. But she could be grateful without touching him. The Hyuga’s eyes grew wide before a small smile formed on his lips. The bunhead still was not making eye contact with him; he guessed she was a bit embarrassed for being worked up over such a small thing.

“I am still a bit confused as to why you would feel so strongly about that. I told her to let me go.” he stated. “So, why are you still hung up about it?”

In honesty, Tenten was unsure why this bothered her so much. She crossed her arms over her chest and hummed. She hadn’t really seen him interact with other girls before in such a way, in fact, his lack of reaction is what bothered her. 

“I just didn’t like how forward she was with you…in front of me.” 

Ah, there it is. Neji held his hands out to her, his palms exposed. “Tenten, I hold your hand all the time for various reasons.”

“Yeah, but that’s us. That’s how we are. I just didn’t like how she did that, okay?” 

“You are,” he grabbed her hands gently. “Jealous that she held my hand without asking?” 

Her cheeks puffed in silent confirmation at his assumption. This caused Neji to burst out in bright laughter. Well, Tenten did insist that it was something stupid she was thinking about. Shaking his head, he took her hands and laced their fingers together.

“You have nothing to be jealous about.” he said once he had calmed down. 

“Listen,” she looked him in the eyes this time, a blush creeping onto her face. “I know that you know what you look like, which is attractive. I’m just not used to girls coming up to you in such a way so boldly when I’m around. I know you handled it well, it just…bothered me.” 

The Hyuga pressed his forehead against hers, a smile still glued to his face. He found it cute that she was jealous of the attention he was receiving. In a way, he understood where she was coming from. It had just been the two of them when Gai and Lee weren’t around. And the idea of either of them being with other people was unsettling. In a way, Neji felt more uncomfortable with the idea that Tenten may be gone from his side one day; maybe with another person, or just on her own. Her brown eyes looked up at him in surprise at this thought. Neji continued that he knows exactly what she is talking about since he was dealing with it himself.

“What do you mean?” she asked, her interest peaked.

“Well, for starters,” the prodigy used. “You have also been receiving a lot of attention lately from other people, especially tonight.”

Cocking her head to the side, she pursed her lips together in confusion. This reaction caused Neji to look at her in surprise and after a moment he elaborated; he was around her so much that he noticed when other’s eyes would shift to her. They had a mission recently in the desert where they had to attend a formal event in order to collect information for Gaara and Kankuro. Between her charisma and the incredibly fitted dress she wore where her muscular legs were on full display, she was approached by many for attention, and also to dance. Gai and Lee had to hold him back from intervening in any way. He would send glares to anyone else who had a nefarious look in their eye as they attempted to approach her. Or, when he had invited her over to the Hyuga estate for dinner, his cousins would whisper and try to steal glances from her. The prodigy was looming over there the whole time, practically attached to her while she was there. Hinata had to pull him aside and correct him on his facial expressions as his cousin and relatives attempted to interact with her. 

“Tonight,” he murmured. “You were too deep in thought over this to notice the looks you were getting as we walked through the streets.”

Tenten blinked. There was no way she was attracting that much attention. She didn’t consider herself to be such a blinding beauty that people would stop in their tracks to look. But, Neji disagreed wholeheartedly. Yes, he knew he was attractive and he has been aware of it since the academy. Tenten was attractive, she just didn’t see it. In fact, her maturity was the most attractive thing about her and the fact that she hadn’t noticed those looks and heard those comments told him that she was so focused on him and what others were doing to him instead of herself. But in a way, she didn’t have to pay attention to that because Neji was always there. 

“So…what are you trying to say exactly, then?” Tenten asked.

“It is,” his voice got low. “Absolutely infuriating watching these people fawn over you in my presence. Everytime we go out, every time we dress up for something…every time you are yourself, you attract eyes. It’s annoying.”

Tenten gasped at him. He was annoyed by the attention she got? She didn’t have people flinging themselves to her like he did. But she supposed that because he was there, they wouldn’t dare to think about approaching her in such a way. All it took was a look from her Hyuga partner and they would disperse instantly. In a way, she was a bit flattered at his explanation. 

“You…think I’m attractive?” she asked suddenly, her eyes wide.

It was the Hyuga’s turn to stare at her. He did say that, and he was hoping that wasn’t the detail she would fixate on (that was supposed to remain in his head and yet he still said it out loud). The point was, he explained, that he could relate to what she was feeling and wanted to express a similar situation in order to give an example. 

“With that being said,” Neji cleared his throat. “If you ever feel like you like someone else. I would require a heads up, unless you’re looking to be an accessory to murder.”

At this the weapons mistress laughed and hugged him. “Aw, would you be jealous if I did?”

Neji didn’t answer. Instead he wrapped his arms around her body and let out a sigh. He supposed he would be. In fact he would absolutely loathe the idea of Tenten being with someone other than him…in a platonic way? Mentally smacking himself, he held her tighter. No, he knew he liked her more than just a friend. In fact, the boys would tease him endlessly about how close he was with her and had even witnessed the glares he would give people  and the subtle shift in how close he walked next to her, the light touches of leading her by her elbow, or when he rested a hand on her shoulder. He had it bad, Shikamaru had told him. The Hyuga was having some difficulties keeping himself together when it came to Tenten. 

“Look,” Neji said after a while. “You don’t have to worry about that kind of thing anymore. I’ll make sure to act accordingly. But be realistic, okay?”

Tenten nodded against his chest and smiled up at him. She had gotten over it pretty easily, and she repeated that she knew it was a stupid thing to get worked up over. 

“I just don’t like the idea of seeing you with someone else like that, is all…” the bunhead murmured. 

Other than me, her mind screamed at her. At that, Tenten had snapped straight and moved to take a step back. Neji released her due to the sudden movement and asked if she was alright. I don’t like the idea of seeing you with someone else…other than me.

“Tenten?”

Her eyes focused and she rubbed the back of her neck. It had just clicked in her brain why she felt so uneasy about what happened, why she felt so inferior to the others who would admire him in such a way. Her feelings had crossed the line of “best friend” and now landed in the “crush” category. It was dangerous for them, and she had no idea if he even liked her back in such a way (he did, but she didn’t know that currently). Giving him a reassuring pat on his bicep, she didn’t look him directly in the eye as she thanked him for listening to her and quickly pivoting on her heel to head home.

“Wait, I’ll walk with y-” he took a step forward.

“No, no! It’s fine. I’m fine. We are fine.” she exclaimed.

Neji hadn’t seen the blush that was rapidly traveling from her neck to her ears as she made haste in walking out of the training grounds. Conflicted, he wasn’t sure if he was going to follow her after she insisted that she was “fine”. And yet, his feet started moving out of instinct and he was able to catch up with her. They walked in silence as they made their way to Tenten’s apartment. He had offered her his arm to hold as they walked, and smiled softly to himself as her fingers clung to him.

[semi-imaginary-place]

I was thinking about how the girls in Naruto might have progressed as ninja if they'd ever been given actual development.

Ino would make an excellent spy. She's mental ninjutsu oriented, and she's people oriented. She's the gossip queen, she knows everything about anyone. I can so easily see her as an espionage master going under deep cover to do what she does best, knowing other people's business. Super glam spy fits her vibes, she deserves it. The anime suggests an alternate path as she has a filler arc where she apprentices under Tsunade and that's as a mental health specialist. This doesn't fit her quite as well but I do like the idea of her and Sakura working together given how important their rivalry is to each other in the manga.

Sakura was introduced as having excellent potential in genjustsu, and then nothing was done with this. Sasuke became the genjutsu user and Sakura the taijutsu user and this could have been interesting since this is the opposite of their initial introduction but again nothing was done with this. Building off her taijutsu and being able to focus her chakra to a point for super powered attacks, I think Sakura deserves to wield a giant axe, she has one in several of Kishimoto's illustrations. Next would be her to develop her genjutsu potential, Sakura's strength's are her control and intelligence and I'd like to see her fully use those skills. Additionally the manga and characters themselves draw strong parallels between Sasuke and Kakashi as the geniuses of their teams. The parallel that is missed is that Sakura and Kakashi are both people without plot-breakingly powerful kekkai genkai with high intelligence, excellent chakra control, but mediocre chakra pools, and this really could have been explored more. One of the problems Naruto has is that healer is treated as a women's profession, with Sakura its rather hard to avoid however as the manga sets up a strong parallel between the sannin trio and Team 7. One option would be for Sakura not to use her medical knowledge for healing but instead like Kabuto for assassination and special operations. Of Team 7 Sakura is the most suited for ANBU, Naruto is just out of consideration completely and Sasuke has shown himself to be just as stupid and reckless as Naruto. Sakura in Anbu would also further drive the similarities between her and Kakashi.

When will someone remember that Tenten exists. I don't see her 700 epilogue retirement to run a weapon shop necessarily bad. Not everyone has to be a ninja, the problem is when it's always the women who retire from fighting. As a ninja though I think Tenten deserves more swords, like Killer B level or more swords. Tenten's strengths are in her physical abilities and weapon versatility, so she should be able to always pull out the weapon type that would work best against any opponent. I love to see her be a primarily physical fighter this would be my first pick for her, but another option would be to lean more into the sealing scroll side of thing so not just weapons but tools and traps, make Tenten a saboteur.

Hinata, oh Hinata, she deserves so much better. I can see more or less two paths for her. First would be to quit being a ninja, it could work for her. Hinata never really seemed to want to be a ninja, it was always for something else, her clan, Naruto, her friends, but not quite herself. I can very easily her leaving the shinobi life all together, leave ninjas, leave the Hyuuga clan; Hinata deserves it, to lead her own life on her own terms. Hinata had such potential to be an interesting character and its a shame the manga never got into it. She's the eldest of the Hyuuga clan leader but she's overshadowed by both her cousin and her younger sister and ends up passed over for succession, like that is juicy. True growth for the Hyuuga would have been Neji succeeding his uncle as clan head but that's another post. If she stays a ninja I would have like to see come to terms that her clan's kinda bullshit in a lot of ways and what they think of her doesn't matter, becoming a shinobi because she wants that for herself. In line with this personal growth she fighting style should deviate from Hyuuga techniques, maybe she develops her own taijutsu style. Or who knows maybe she becomes a physical therapist between the ability to see chakra and affect it, magic acupuncture. Kurenai is similarly ignored in the manga, but with her mentorship, Hinata has the potential to become essentially a magekiller, specializing in countering and taking down genjutsu users.

I bring up the option of some of the girls retiring because some of the boys should have retired. Hinata should have gotten Choji's character arc, and Choji who hates fighting should have been allowed to quit fighting and run a successful bakery cafe business. Sai deserves to put shinobi life behind him and become a full time artist. Shikamaru starts out like he's going to quit but I'm actually quite fond of his character arc. Yamato is also wasted potential as former human experiment and child soldier, like Sai he should learn how to live in peace, maybe he becomes an architect. We don't see team Taka in chapter 700 but Juugo is so gentle I want a nice civilian life for him.

(idk about Temari I mostly just want her to keep girlbossing and beating people up. Mmm I do think she's make a better Kazekage than Gaara. Gaara is another one I could see quiting being a soldier.)

[colorfulfoxengineer]

Sakura hiden book cover

[natedogx15]

My Ideal Konoha Twelve Team Line-Ups

I got bored and decided to make a post about my ideal Konoha Twelve team line-ups that I think would do best for most to all the character, both students and teachers.

Team 7 Sensei: Kakashi Hatake Students: Sasuke, Hinata, Kiba

This one and Might Guy's teams were a bit on the difficult side because Kakashi and Sasuke have to go hand-in-hand due to Kakashi's Sharigan. But I managed. I think this team fits best because it has a similar dynamic to canon but different due to Hinata's shyness.

I think this dynamic works because two out of the three students will be learning their Clan's fighting style instead of really branching out to begin with. This gives Kakashi more opportunity to train Sasuke while the other two aren't neglected. Kakashi could help Hinata with her self-confidence since I think his easy-going yet hardened personality toward being a Shinobi could work similar to Kurenai's care for Hinata. Kakashi also has a contract with Ninja Dogs and those summons can help Kiba with his training to go with his Clan's training. Plus, Kakashi may be pressured to be a better teacher due to having two Clans hounding on him about their children's training.

In combat, the team is pretty well-rounded, two strong taijutsu users, and two well-rounded individuals that usually stick to using ninjutsu.

Team 8 Sensei: Kurenai Yuhi Students: Sakura, Neji, Choji

Again, I feel like this team has a similar dynamic to Team Seven that could work pretty well in the long run for each of the students. Kurenai is a teacher who likes to be involved in her students' lives and might be able to help them get over their respective issues mentally.

Similar to the last team, this one works well because two out of three members are going to be learning from their Clans, giving Kurenai more opportunity to help Sakura get out of her fangirl phase and become a proper kunoichi. She can also take advantage of Sakura's amazing chakra control to make her into an incredible genjutsu mistress like Kurenai herself. And when Sakura does study under Tsunade, she'll have two teammates that can help her develop her taijutsu skills to go with her super strength.

In combat, it's a pretty decent unit. The two genjutsu users can trap the enemy for the taijutsu users to close the distance and finish them off.

Team 9 Sensei: Might Guy Students: Rock Lee, Shino, Ino

This one was another team that gave me trouble because I had to make the teams while keeping in mind that Lee has to be on Guy's team. I think it came out pretty well and could work as a different type of the Ino-Shika-Cho formation.

Like the last two, this team will have two people that learn more from their Clans, giving Might Guy the chance to teach Lee while the other two aren't as neglected. He'll also be the type of person that will force Ino out of the fangirl mindset through his training methods. Shino is a character I think really works for any team due to his nature.

Like I said, in combat, this team could work similar to the Ino-Shika-Cho formation but with better tracking thanks to Shino. Guy and Lee can keep the enemy back while Shino can pin people down with his bugs so Ino can use her family Jutsu. Then Guy and Lee go for the finisher.

Team 10 Sensei: Asuma Sarutobi Students: Naruto, Shikamaru, Tenten

Funny enough, this is the first team I created. I like the team dynamic here because I think each student can learn a lot from Asuma and the atmosphere feels like it would be the friendliest of the four.

This team can really play on each other's strengths. Tenten will only benefit from being with Asuma because he can teach her Chakra Flow and possibly other techniques to enhance the danger of her weapons. Asuma had already taught Naruto before in canon and is one of the few in Konoha with a Wind Nature like him. Plus, I headcanon that Asuma is like an uncle to Naruto. Shikamaru will be learning from his family mostly but he has a good relationship with Asuma and his brains will help a lot with the team. Not to mention, if Naruto learns how to share his chakra early, it'll help his teammates' weaknesses from not having massive chakra reserves. This means Tenten can better user her weapons that require large amounts of chakra to use, like the Bashōsen, while Shikamaru will have more chakra to use his Shadow Possession jutsu constantly.

In combat, this is a pretty well-rounded team that focuses on close-range. Asuma is a strong close-range combatant with some ninjutsu options. Shikamaru is smart and can make up strategies while pinning the enemy. Naruto can also make creative plans and overwhelm the opponent with Shadow Clones to at least divert their attention for Shikamaru to trap them. Tenten would make good support with her weapons but a strong fighter close-range when she learns Chakra Flow.

[araived]

My absolute favourite sunshine boy

He is totally the type to help grandmas cross the street! He and small Obito would get along lol

Didn't intend on being a shinobi but somehow picked up the cursed seal of Sukuna

Has just so much chakra. Special technique: divergent fist!

Is a taijutsu beast. Also in utter awe of Gai

He and Deidara could compare mouth hands ahaha

Bonds with Naruto. They can learn Rasengan together!

[mixelation]

i was thinking about reborn au & the iwa chunin exams and i..... genuinely do not know what tori can actually do?? cut also contains me whining about timing of events

okay, so my timeline:

i usually do everything timeline-wise relevant to team 7's age, so: itachi is ~5 years older than sasuke, which makes tori ~4 years older. i headcanon the hyuuga affair as being part of the end of the third shinobi war, so tori would be ~7 when that happened.

the ame trio prevent a lot of fighting happening in rain country, so sound is actually a lot worse off than the original timeline (although tori... doesn't know this). her adoptive clan is having SEVERE supply issues so she doesn't actually get much instruction with anything metal until orochimaru officially unites the sound country clans into oto. i'm debating the effect of ame not being the stage for war having the effect of making it last longer, so tori is anywhere from 8 to 10 when suddenly she's part of oto

i'm not sure what orochimaru implements in terms of training? the Vibe i was going for is that he wants to improve childhood training because his next move is going to be icing out (or murdering) the adults bc he wants a hoard of shinobi who are 100% loyal to him. idk, maybe he unites them before the end of the war and sends a lot of adults to their deaths. so tori might have actual instruction from like 7-8?

i don't think tori actually LIKES most training. she doesn't super care about being a badass; she wants to research how chakra works and make a lot of insane seals to test her theories. so she taps out of training whenever she can in oto, which becomes increasingly often as she's given more independence as a researcher.

i think orochimaru would base any training program on the konoha academy curriculum, so tori definitely knows the basic 3 jutsu. since she spends all her time thinking about chakra, i think i'll let her have pretty good instincts on how to mold chakra. she rarely struggles to learn ninjutsu, but she doesn't have a ton of chakra and she doesn't have a lot of motivation or teachers available. no one's formally taught her treewalking bc anything beyond the basic training in oto is sort of chaotic and she doesn't have a built in family structure to learn it from, so she's self-taught (she self-taught wrong LMAO) and also she didn't really bother with it until she fled oto. i'm going to let her know some techniques which are TECHNICALLY medical but she learned from orochimaru to do surgery in the name of science. she doesn't like using them in combat because they're..... messy

i think orochimaru is the type to make children fight each other. tori relies a lot of children just being kind of stupid rather than any actual combat skills, but as she gets older this strategy works less well. her taijutsu is therefore....... iffy. for weapons she's most competent with a staff (from the ol' bamboo pole days) but she doesn't like it bc it's very Sound Country(tm) and she doesn't really identify as an Oto-nin. her aim with a kunai is... okay?

With Team 4, I think Kushina really quickly is like "okay, so this team is about making sure tori can hit someone properly (and me teaching this one transport seal to her for the mission)" and tori just doesn't think this is very fair. why aren't you teaching her MORE seals, instead? They only get ~3 months so i don't think she makes insane progress, but she gets better!!

tori's fighting style is very "i will seem harmless until very suddenly I Am Not" so she gets kind of into trying to come up with a technique that gives her a one-hit kill. for this she turns to misapplied medical jutsu and kushina is just like "wow, horrifying, keep it up."

(fuinjutsu is actually pretty tricky to incorporate into active combat, because even if you have pre-made seals, it'll take you a hot second to active them, which is often a hot second too many)

tori's skills are all over the place in a way that seems completely illogical unless you ARE her, and also her measuring stick is Akatsuki, so tori is like "oh yeah, no, i think the average genin could obliterate me?" but the SECOND she realizes that winning her first tournament match means she'll fight itachi, she's like "actually i am going to dedicate my whole month of training to that fight" with the assumption she'll just win against unknown genin #2. whatever, tori knows what a real threat looks like

(also, a WEIRD part of the team 4 dynamic from an outsider's POV is that itachi and deidara don't, like.... disrespect tori? yeah her taijutsu is horrific but also she's INCREDIBLY skilled in a handful of other areas and they're acutely aware of this, but like. they shouldn't be LMAO)

anyway, i want them to run into sasori on a mission, and ORIGINALLY i was going to make this their one c-rank pre-exam. but also i think the exam is the turning point for minakushi to be like "ONE OF US" wrt deidara & tori, and i think "buddies with sasori????" would uuuuh not fly (at least with mianto) until after this turning point. so my new concept for their pre-exam c-rank is they run into chump shinobi and kushina is like "NO TORI HAS TO FIGHT THEM" even though literally any other member of team 4 could win in their sleep. she believes in you, tori!!!

so i think the sasori mission happens post exam? i'm not 100% sure how team 4 functions post-exam. it seems like kind of a waste to have itachi & deidara running c-ranks (esp itachi since he already has a record with konoha), but maybe minato is like "hey buddy..... so upon reflection and reviewing a lot of your files, maybe you should have friends your age??" so then the Point of Team 4 becomes integrating tori & deidara into konoha, and they take progressively more insane missions. the missions get more insane & less frequent as they figure out their own paths. itachi steadily starts getting tapped for ANBU again and tori starts rotating in R&D and gets strong armed into field medic training. i think deidara..... would also go into R&D, because his art is technically jutsu development. this is the funniest thing that's ever happened to tori

tori STILL doesn't like training but she has to log a certain number of hours to maintain her status as an active shinobi and her main sparring partners are like. insane s-rank people. so.............

(tori: I AM GOING TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH NORMAL PEOPLE (makes enemies instead) how)

[general--winter]

Genin Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, Naruto having to fight the reader in the chunin examin (They and the reader are in love with each other.)

author's note: This is so tragic why would you do this to them. It was always the end of the world when you had to face off against your crush in a game or something at that age, huh? I wrote this from the perspective of the reader being from Konoha as well. I hope you like it!

rating: general

fandom: naruto

pairings: genin!uzumaki naruto x gn!reader, genin!uchiha sasuke x gn!reader, genin!haruno sakura x gn!reader, genin!hyuga hinata x gn!reader

word count: 947

warnings: canon-typical violence

summary: The genins have to face off against their crush in the one-on-one battles at the chunin exams.

Uzumaki Naruto

Oh, sweet summer child genin Naruto. I had the biggest crush on him when I was watching the show as a kid. I think even if he was up against someone he had a crush on in the chunin exams, he wouldn’t hold anything back for his sake and their own. The exams are for you to get stronger and show your skills off, after all!

Beforehand, though, would be different. Naruto, for all intents and purposes in part 1, was quite down bad for any person he had a crush on. Seeing your two names on the screen would for sure send him into a flustered shock. He would get that sly grin on his face, and say to you, “I’m not lettin’ anyone stop me from winning, not even you! I’ll make sure not to hurt you, though, you know?”

The fight would be a ferocious but still friendly spar, contrasting from the killing intent a lot of the other participants went in with like Gaara and the Sound Four. You both would give it your all, running yourselves even more ragged, However, in the end Naruto’s Shadow Clones and taijutsu would prove a bit too much and the ref would call you down for the count after a particularly solid blow.

He would help you off of the ground and congratulate you for such a tough-to-win battle. Afterwards, he’d probably turn away from everyone else, grinning and giggling at the realization that he got to hold your hand for a second. 

Uchiha Sasuke

Before Itachi traumatized him yet again, Sasuke at this point was actually learning how to kind of open up to people. I think his crush would be extremely well hidden underneath his bad attitude. He’s not the type to let people know his true emotions very quickly. Your names would show up on the screen, and he would simply step forward, ready to engage in a spar.

Sasuke wouldn’t hold back, but obviously if you’re not an enemy he has no reason to severely hurt you. You knew that he was unable to use ninjutsu, so you attempted to use this to your advantage to win the match.

After fighting hard, Sasuke would end up catching you in a taijutsu combo that knocked you down hard, the ref calling you out. Sasuke would stay standing as you got up to make sure you were alright, then bowing his head slightly to you. “Good match. You’ve improved quite a bit, but still not enough to beat me,” he would comment before walking off to join the rest of the genin.

Underneath that cool, teenage edgelord personality, though, his heart was racing from more than just the physical activity he did. He’s just particularly good at hiding it!

Haruno Sakura

Sakura, in the Forest of Death, just had her true awakening moment as a kunoichi. The last thing on her mind is you, but of course you’re the name to pop up with hers on the board above. I could personally see her struggling a little bit with this, does she want to hurt you and push past you? Before her experience, in the exams, I think there’s a chance she would lose resolve here, not wanting to fight the person of her affections. But here, while still hesitant, she’s ready to fight for her position and her honor as a young shinobi.

You two would line up to fight and immediately begin on signal from the ref. You were friends with Sakura, so seeing as you two sparred frequently, you could tell she was holding something back unconsciously. You decided to goad her on a little, to make sure the fight was fair.

Are they kidding me? They think I’m not taking this seriously! Go and crush them, who cares if they’re cute! her inner thoughts would ring. Whatever was restraining her would go away, and you two would exchange ninjutsu and taijutsu back and forth. At the end, however, Sakura barely manages to knock you flat down, advancing to the next round while ragged herself.

Sakura would tease you a bit after helping you get up at the end of the match, some banter ensuing between the two of you. Inside, she would be squealing in delight at getting more of your attention, even though she just smacked you down.

Hyuga Hinata

My sweet, sweet child genin Hinata… Against her crush in the chunin exams, I’m not sure how she would fare. Her painfully shy and reserved attitude may interrupt her thinking process during a fight. Seeing your name on the board with hers would make her face erupt into a fierce blush.

You would meet Hinata on the field, the ref signaling for you to start. She wouldn’t make a move, though, just looking at you in a defensive stance. Her fighting style the entire time would be defensive, trying her best to push off your moves. Since she’s not fighting Neji, I doubt there would be a reason for her to really have her moment yet, so you would eventually win after wearing her down.

After the fight, you would ask her what had happened. The two of you were on missions together before, you had seen her beat down some opponents of your skill level with her Byakugan skills. “I-I’m not sure… I don’t know… Please, let me have a moment,” she would mutter, covering her entire face with her hands and facing away from you.

Wandering away, you would be slightly concerned about Hinata, but all that was on her mind was you, how she hoped you would win the tournament now in her honor.

[ereawrites]

Book Club (Kakashi Hatake)

Chapter 2 - Another Ambush, Poorly Executed

You learn very quickly that Naruto Uzumaki has a big mouth.

word count 5.7k (chapter 2/9 - 7.6k words total)

read it on ao3 here

Kakashi arrives on time, for once. Part of you is a little disappointed - your genin only left an hour ago, and since you had them up at the asscrack of dawn, you were hopeful you'd be able to squeeze in a nap before Kakashi arrived to spar. You'd even spent extra time choosing a particularly comfortable tree to lean back against. As it is, you're only just finishing your lunch when you sense his chakra in the forest behind you. 

"Good afternoon, Kakashi!", you call out through a mouthful of rice once he's within earshot. "Surely my watch is broken!"

"Aah... is my reputation really that bad?"

You snicker as he drops down from a branch, landing with his hands in his pockets. "I've heard rumours that Tsunade-sama has included in your file you're to be told missions start an hour earlier than they actually do." Lady Tsunade has taken fantastically to her role as Hokage, but you still see a shadow of worry pass over Kakashi. No doubt he's reminded of Orochimaru; you've heard rumours about the Uchiha boy, too, that are perhaps best to steer away from.

Kakashi is back to his usual, blank-faced self before you can think of something to say. "Well, old age slows you down, so they say." 

You scowl at him and push to your feet. "We're the same age, Hatake. Didn't you ever learn not to call a lady old?" Unfortunately, you back gives a resounding pop when you straighten, which you feel rather takes the threat out of your words. He chuckles.

"You're slower getting up than you used to be.", Kakashi notes, not unkindly. You toss another scowl, along with your flak jacket, freeing up your arms to really stretch out the tension from your morning training session. 

"Hey, my genin are getting stronger! Sometimes I actually have to try when we're sparring now. It's weird. And exhausting. I'm just counting down the days 'til they pass the Chuunin exams and I can get some peace and quiet." A few rolls of your neck have you feeling much better; you take back your jacket from Kakashi, then crouch to strap your weapons pouches back on.

He begins to prepare himself, too, rewrapping his bandages and checking his pockets. "I saw them in the market on my way here. You have the Inuzuka girl, don't you? She's... very loud. Almost as much Naruto."

"Keiko-", you groan fondly, "She's insane, Kakashi. I've never known a kid to be so utterly crazy. If I ever came up against her in a real battle I think I'd just kill myself to save the headache." He hums in sympathy - from what you've heard, his own team are even more of a handful. Since you started teaching Keiko basic fire-type chakra control, she's developed a particular affinity for blowing things up. You've since been instructed to keep these training sessions away from trees, homes, and anything else remotely flammable. But she's also an incredibly sweet kid when you aren't chasing her around, and her companion Aomaru is a real cutie.

Kakashi tosses his flak jacket against the base of a tree trunk, and you're pretty sure you see Icha Icha poking out one of the pockets. Come to think of it, it is pretty hot now the sun is up. You leave your own jacket next to his, then peel off your long-sleeve too, leaving you in a tank top that exposes the scar of your old ANBU tattoo. His eye flickers over it knowingly. You'd left the organisation just a few months after him, released back onto regular duty after the Uchiha massacre left the village short on jonin, and readjusting proved a challenge for both of you. You rub a palm over the faded skin there, and decide to put it out of your mind.

"Shall we focus on Taijutsu today?", you suggest brightly, leading the way onto the pitch. 

"You sounded far too much like Gai just now."

You cackle, throwing yourself into a high somersault, and perform several flips before landing on the other side of the midway line to Kakashi. "It's because I'm so youthful and energetic, rival! All I need now is the green jumpsuit!"

"Stop it-", he grumbles, pinching his nose. "-I was looking forward to a training session that wouldn't leave me with a headache for once."

You grin. "When I'm finished with you, your whole body will be aching." You didn't even really mean that as an innuendo, but you're still pleasantly surprised to see how he stiffens for a split second. "So, Taijutsu?"

"Alright, then.", he nods, then he's vaulting into in the air and over your head and landing behind you without a sound, and you're sensing his familiar chakra start to thrum before you've even spun to meet him.

He throws a punch at the back of your head and you sidestep it, turning in to a high kick that he easily dodges; then he's coming at you again, a barrage of punches that you deflect and dodge and catch, barely even breathing hard. He's so relentless you have no chances to hit back, effortlessly guarding himself even as he rains down strikes on your forearms. It feels good to train like this, your movements flowing like water as you dance around him. You were always agile, even when you were a kid and you didn't even know what Taijutsu was. Sharingan no Kakashi is quick, but you are too. 

The next time he strikes high you feint left, then right, watching his eye flash to keep up with you - there, he's watching your feet instead of your hands - you catch his wrist and use his momentum to pull his arm past your head, turning and driving your other elbow up into his ribcage. Kakashi grunts, twists free of you, and all of a sudden there's a foot driving into the back of your knee. You drop but manage to keep your balance, rolling around him and springing back to your feet just as he's on you again.

"It isn't like you to focus so much on offence-", you state matter-of-factly, letting him continue to bear down on you in the hopes of tiring him out a little. "You always let your opponents come to you, back in ANBU."

Kakashi doesn't so much as look at your face. "In those situations, I knew nothing about my opponents. It was better to stand back and let them reveal their weaknesses on their own." He's pressing you back so hard that you have no choice but to give ground. The trees are behind you and the sun is glinting off his hitai-ate and he mixes in a low kick, forcing you to leap backwards. At least he's starting to sound just slightly out of breath.

"On the other hand, I know how you fight. We've been teammates on enough missions for me to know your patterns." He says this as if he's discussing the weather, and not ramping up the intensity to push you backwards even faster. You cast out your chakra behind you and are instantly met with forest: he has you backed up against a solid tree trunk - you move as quickly as you can, darting left and pushing chakra from the soles of your feet to give you an explosive boost, flitting into the empty space behind him-

He catches you.

Kakashi's hand is around your neck and he's got you pressed against the tree trunk. "For example.", he continues, eye turned up in a smile. "You always go left when you're cornered." 

...Damn. You do, don't you?

Despite your irritation at being read so easily, despite the fact you'd be dead if this was real, you laugh. Old enough to have a bad back, but at least not so old you can't learn. Kakashi's fingers are right up against your pulse point, surprisingly gentle considering the force with which he'd thrown you into the tree, and they loosen even more as you laugh. Now. You bring your knee up and kick him away square in the chest. It buys you enough time to slip into the cover of the forest, even if you're certain he let you land that hit on purpose.

The fight continues as you chase each other halfway around the forest and back again. You're determined to be more aggressive now, and to prove that you know him just as well as he knows you. So you hurl yourself at him over and over again, hardly letting him dodge around one tree before you're dropping on him from the boughs of the next, grappling with him when you reach clearings, even going so far as to drop a particularly large branch onto his head at one point.

Dodging it easily, Kakashi stares up at you. "That poor tree might miss that branch.", he deadpans, shoulders rising and falling rapidly with the weight of his panting breaths. He's stalling for time, but you're honestly glad of the break.

"Call it a casualty of war.", you say mournfully, too tired to think of a cleverer comeback. Your chest is heaving. Kakashi has always had more stamina than you, and the heat isn't helping even under the green-tinged shade of the tree canopy. A bead of sweat rolls from your hairline and all the way down your neck. There's no two ways about it, you're considerably more tired than Kakashi - but you're having so much fun. You haven't faced up against him properly since you were kids, and it's nice (if not a little strange) to see how far you've both come.

"Want to call it a day?", the silver-haired jonin calls. Clearly he can see how exhausted you are, and he sounds pretty tired too. You don't even pretend to consider his offer. He's already one-upped you, and you're no Gai, but you're not willing to accept any kind of defeat from a man who reads smut in public.

Instead, you pull a kunai from your pouch. "Absolutely not." Then you launch at him, and the fight continues. Sparks fly between your kunai with every strike, the sound of metal against metal and heavy breaths the only sound in the forest. Kakashi manages to back you up against another tree, but this time you jump and go over his head - he's smiling at you when you land, still smiling when he kicks you in the ribs, but it vanishes from his eye when you put a blast of chakra into your next palm strike and send him crashing back into that very same trunk. The forest is going to be ruined if you're not careful. Perhaps you can blame Keiko.

The battle has you dancing through the trees for what feels like only the blink of an eye, but by the time you're back out on the training pitch, the sun is lower in the sky than you remember. Every muscle in your body is screaming out in agony. You keep coming at him, pleased that even this tired your kunai is barely more than a quick glint in the sunlight. When the flow of motion takes you onto the river that rushes along the western edge of the pitch, you welcome it, pushing chakra from the soles of your feet and relishing in the cool breeze that comes off the water. Kakashi doesn't even cause the water to ripple when he chases you - an impressive display of chakra control even at your level.

Against a different opponent, you would hope to distract them from their chakra control, force them to plunge into the river rather than take a direct hit. But Kakashi doesn't so much as stagger when you go back on the offensive, not even when you sweep at his legs and he somersaults backwards onto the deeper water. It's frustrating, especially when you're this exhausted. So, you kick up a spray of water right into his face, a frankly childish move your genin have resorted to before.

He emerges looking distinctly like a wet dog, shaking his hair in a way that would be endearing if you weren't so focused on dashing forward into a shoulder strike; Kakashi lets you barge right into his chest, absorbing the impact, and he's wrapping his arms around you and then throwing you up over his head and it's all you can do to stay afloat as your back slams against the water - this is it, he's got you, you're too worn out and sweaty to roll away, so you just stare up at him and he - hang on, did he just glance at your chest? - the desperate wave of chakra you sent out to cushion your impact must have knocked his off balance because he's falling, one foot plunging into the river - you have your kunai at his throat before he's even on his knees.

"A draw?", you suggest, still on your back, practically gasping for breath. This is the best you can hope for against an opponent like him.

Kakashi is kneeling behind you, one hand on each side of your head, throat pulsing against the point of your blade. He's blank-faced for a moment, then blinks. "Alright, then." 

You gladly drop your kunai, roll onto your stomach, and push to your feet with all the grace of an especially fat old dog. Kakashi's hand finds your bicep to give you a welcome boost. "I'd hate to have you as a sensei. I think I'd die if I had to fight like that every day.", you groan. As tough as you can be on your team, you've heard that Kakashi is much worse. It's a relief to get back onto solid ground and let your chakra melt away.

"Your endurance is really quite good, you know.", Kakashi replies. Although you do know, you can't help but feel flattered.

"Well, I must be getting lazy in my old age.", you tease, glad to see a sheepish crinkle to his eye. He brings both hands up in a mock surrender, hunching over, and he looks for all the world like a bedraggled cat with his floppy, dripping hair and one wet trouser leg. No doubt you look just as ridiculous - covered in sweat, with twigs in your hair and bruises already starting to form on your arms. Both of you are walking much more slowly than tiredness calls for.

By the time you reach the pile of your things, all you're really thinking about is a hot shower, and maybe a trip to the ramen stand this evening. You toss Kakashi his flak jacket and are reaching for your water container when you remember what you saw in his pocket earlier. "So, how are you finding that action novel?"

Kakashi splutters through his own mouthful of water. You quirk a concerned eyebrow at him as he pounds his chest. "Hah... I haven't had much time for reading this week, you know, my genin team have really been keeping me busy."

"That's a shame-", you shrug nonchalantly, starting to bundle your things into your backpack. You'll walk home without your jacket and enjoy the sun, you decide. "I'm looking forward to reading it. Take your time, though!" You don't want to seem too pushy and let him realise you're teasing him. "Right now I should really be focusing on preparing my team for the chuunin exams-"

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!!!"

The shout comes from the direction of town. You whip your head around and see a shock of orange racing across the training pitch. Kakashi barely has time to groan under his breath before Naruto Uzumaki screeches to a halt in front of you both.

"SENSEI! We've been waiting for you since noon, and we didn't even bring lunch!". The boy's blonde hair is sticking up haphazardly all at odd angles. "I only had one cup of instant ramen for breakfast, too!"

Kakashi doesn't react to the loud rumble of Naruto's stomach, and doesn't question how he found the two of you. "You see - well, I was helping (name)-san here catch a cat."

Naruto narrows his eyes and puts his hands on his hips. You're strangely reminded of Iruka Umino. "A cat? Then why have you been swimming?!".

Kakashi looks like he wishes he'd used his katon to dry off. A droplet of water rolls from his hair down his mask. "This was a special kind of cat that can control chakra to walk on water. That's why (name)-san needed my help."

His grey eye turns onto you, impressively blank, but you read the silent plea in it regardless. Naruto seems to notice you for the first time. "...Yes. The Hokage brought a shinobi cat back from her travels. He's very dear to her." You're pretty sure Tsunade-sama hates cats. Surely Naruto won't be fooled by this-

"Hmm...", he grumbles, seemingly accepting your poker face as trustworthy. Then his face splits into a wide grin, Kakashi's lateness apparently forgotten. "I'm great at catching cats. You should have got me to do it, Sensei!"

Kakashi pats Naruto on the head. "Well, we didn't catch him today. Your training session can be to find him before midnight." Poor Naruto suddenly seems so determined, you nearly laugh, but just about manage to turn it into a dignified cough that reminds the boy of your presence. 

"Say, who are you, ne-san? I don't think I've seen you before!". It's entirely possible you're the only person in Konoha who Naruto hasn't pranked, yelled at, or otherwise inconvenienced. Your paths have simply never crossed. There are many people who would call this good luck. 

You're careful not to say anything too incriminating: you know what your own genin are like, and this Uzumaki boy already seems just as troublesome in the way that children tend to be. "An old friend of your sensei - we went to the academy together, actually."

"HUH?!", he yells, arms flying up in the air. "No way you're the same age as Kakashi-sensei! You're so young and cute and you don't even have grey hair like Kakashi-sensei, I say! How-"

Kakashi claps a hand over Naruto's mouth, making a valiant effort to ignore the boy's muffled noises of indignation. "We should get going now so Sakura and Sasuke aren't waiting. That cat could be halfway to the Land of Fire border by now!" Naruto stops squirming just long enough for Kakashi to release him, and he starts to race off in the direction from which he came - then spins on his heel, splutters on the dust cloud he kicks up, and sprints back to you.

"Sorry, ne-san, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Naruto Uzumaki!", he chirps, sticking out a palm. You see Kakashi smile out the corner of your eye.

You can't help but smile too as you shake his hand. How could anyone ever be cruel to this boy? He's so infectiously energetic, and he definitely gets bonus points for calling you cute. "Naruto Uzumaki, huh? I'll be sure to remember that name." 

He looks so delighted you nearly melt. Kakashi waves at you before they both disappear in the direction of the village; you smile all the way back to your apartment.

Konoha in the evening may be your favourite thing in the world. The sun is just setting when you leave your apartment, lighting the Hokage monument up gold and casting the streets of the village in a warm orange light. You're sore off your training session but a hot shower has done wonders to take the sting out of the pain, leaving you with the kind of ache reminiscent of a hard day's work. After your shower, you had opted to dress in simple civilian clothes: a light sweater and loose trousers, with your favourite pair of sandals. It's been a while since you've had a whole evening to yourself.

The street lights begin to come on as you walk to the market square, restaurants and bars switching on their neon signs, and porch lights flick on outside homes. You catch sight of a mother cuffing her academy-age son around the ear, scolding him for not being home in time for dinner. If your genin have any sense, they'll have already eaten and will be preparing for bed right now. They're going to be focusing on chakra control tomorrow - on the water, far away from anything they can set on fire - and you've got no intentions of letting them leave until they can at least cross the river.

Thankfully, there's an empty seat at your favourite ramen stand, despite how busy the marketplace is. The chef knows your order without even asking, and you're left with a few minutes to take in the atmosphere while he prepares it. Once the shops shut for the day, street food vendors move in with their carts, and the square fills with academy students and jonin and civilians alike. You spy the old man who runs the grocery store, the blacksmith's apprentice who makes the best kunai, and an old classmate's new wife looking incredibly pregnant. You'll have to drop by and offer them your congratulations soon, you note - it seems like only yesterday you were dragging Kurenai onto the dance floor at their wedding.

The ramen is good, as always, and you slurp it down noisily, as always. You're halfway through a mouthful of boiled egg when you get the feeling you're being watched. Your first instinct is to look over at the old woman next to you, apologise for eating too loudly - but she's unbothered, her nose buried in a gardening book. Huh. You suppose it could have just been someone in the market recognising you. The prickling on the back of your neck disappears just as fast as it came, so you go back to your meal. 

When the time comes to pay, you find yourself having to dig around in your coin purse for an embarrassingly long time. "Sorry...", you laugh, finally fishing out enough money to put down on the counter. "I guess it's time I take my team on another mission, right?". The chef smiles wordlessly and hands you a tub containing a few dango sticks; he's never been much for chat, but you've always tried anyway and it seems he enjoys it more than he's let on. 

That sensation strikes you again when you duck out of the stand, and you know that someone is trying very hard to keep their eyes on you through the crowd. There's a kunai under your sweater, but you don't reach for it just yet. It could very well just be a civilian who has had a few too many drinks and doesn't realise how much he's staring, you reason. You just hope whoever it is doesn't follow you. God... You just want to eat your snack in peace.

Of course they follow you. Of course they do, because Kami forbid you just want one quiet fucking evening. They follow you through six wrong turns, two instances of doubling back on yourself, and even a shortcut through a hedgerow. You finally give up and cast out your chakra in the middle of a small park. Whoever it is obviously hasn't really thought this through, because three distinct chakra signatures slam you in the face without any effort at all. There's one that simmers as if on edge, one bright and bubbly, and-

"Naruto?", you say aloud, turning to see a tuft of yellow hair poking out over a flower bush. A small hand tugs him down and you hear a yelp. Satisfied that whatever's going on here is no threat to you, you shove another dango ball into your mouth. "Get out from behind there, come on."

He pops up, flushed bright red and stammering out excuses. "What a coincidence seeing you here, ne-san! I was just-"

"All of you.", you insist. Naruto's eyes widen comically and his mouth drops open. There's a shuffling from behind the bush, and then a pink-haired girl emerges, managing to look quite dignified if not a little sheepish. She grabs Naruto under the arm and hauls him towards you - then the last one appears, the Uchiha boy, walking five steps behind and clearly trying very hard to look like he has nothing to do with them.

You just stare at them as you chew for a moment, relishing in how each of them blushes slightly. "So, Naruto - did you ever catch that cat?"

His eyes light up at the opportunity to change the subject. "Not yet! Kakashi-sensei told us we had to keep looking until midnight, but he fell asleep, so we snuck away to-"

The pink-haired girl elbows him in the ribcage. "We were just coming to get some food to take back and share with Kakashi-sensei.", she finishes, smiling sweetly at you. "Naruto said he recognised you and wanted to say hello!"

"Well, that explains why you were hiding.", you reply. Her eyebrow twitches but she does an impressive job of maintaining her smile. Naruto, on the other hand, dissolves back into frantic excuses.

"I wanted to... to try and scare you, I say-"

"This must be your team, Naruto." You pat him on the shoulder to console him. It's funny teasing these kids, but you're worried he might spontaneously combust in a moment, and you're not really annoyed beyond the distraction from your dessert. "Why don't you introduce us?"

"This is (name)-san!", he half-yells. Naruto then jabs a finger at the Uchiha, who is still staring very hard at the ground. "That's Sasuke! He's in a bad mood because I was faster than him today." You think Sasuke may burn holes into the earth with his eyes.

"And I'm Sakura Haruno!", the girl says. You're starting to recall her more the longer you look at her.

"Sakura... I remember seeing you at the chuunin exams." Your own team had been disqualified in the second round, but you'd still taken them to watch the individual battles. Sakura's smile drops into an expression of disappointment. "I thought you were very brave." 

She preens under the compliment. Naruto, in a fashion which you've already come to predict, starts jumping around and demanding to know why you didn't think he was brave. Sakura smacks him once again - you're really starting to like her. "Just face it, Naruto! I'm braver than you, even a jonin thinks so!"

"A jonin? She doesn't look like one...", Sasuke finally speaks up, dark eyes taking in your outfit and snack with a hint of disdain. Back in your genin days, you had an Uchiha teammate, Ichiro. Sasuke has definitely inherited the clan's talent for withering looks; if you were a different woman, you might have been embarrassed. As it is, you brush the crumbs off the front of your sweater and laugh. Sakura looks as though she might pass out.

"Haaahhhh! Don't be so blunt, Sasuke-kun!"

Well, she definitely has a crush on him. 

Sasuke huffs, and looks you hard in the eye for a moment. "Whatever. I really don't get what all the fuss is about. I'm going home." He vaults up onto the rooftops with a speed surprising for his age, and vanishes into the twilight. Oh, he's an Uchiha, alright.

"You've been making a fuss over me, have you?", you turn back to Naruto, cocking an inquisitive eyebrow. "Surely your sensei won't have been pleased you weren't paying attention to training."

Naruto sniffs. "He's a silly old man who doesn't pay attention himself! He just sat under a tree with his eyes closed for most of it."

Sakura is suddenly inching closer to you, all sweetness and innocence. "Naruto says that you and Kakashi-sensei searched for Tsunade-sama's cat earlier this afternoon, (name)-san..."

You quickly pray that this girl never decides to go into the interrogation unit. It's crystal clear what game she's trying to play. But those seven years in ANBU have left you with, at the very least, a great poker face. You nod and allow her to continue. Naruto leans in conspiratorially as she probes. "He's never told us much about his life. Aaaaand we've never seen him around a woman before... Are you guys maybe-"

Kakashi claps a hand down onto each of their heads and they scream. Sakura goes pink enough to match her hair, and Naruto wraps his hands around Kakashi's wrist, swinging wildly under his grip. He must have shunshined here because even you get a bit of a shock, reflexively starting to reach for your kunai, but you're quickly doubled over with laughter instead. Kakashi catches your eye; you can see him smiling at you through his mask before he spins his students to face him.

"Hello there, Sakura, Naruto.", he says, smile gone and voice expressionless. "I'm very sorry for napping all the way until midnight."

"You didn't-"

Sakura kicks Naruto in the shin. "We're sorry, Kakashi-sensei. We couldn't find the cat and it was Naruto's idea to go home."

Naruto kicks her back. "No, it was Sasuke!"

Kakashi pretends to look around, humming to himself. "Well, that makes sense, since Sasuke is the only one who seems to actually be at home. Can't you see that (name)-san is just trying to have a peaceful evening?"

They both have the good manners to look bashfully at their feet, although you doubt they're really ashamed. You catch Kakashi's eye over their heads and mouth, come on, they're just kids.

He rolls his eye and releases his grip on their heads. Kakashi has a reputation amongst the jonin instructors for being a hardass with his students, but you can see how much he cares for them too, and you try to never judge a sensei's relationship with their team. He seems to have wrangled them pretty well considering how strong each of their personalities are. "Go home and get some sleep. We can start an hour earlier tomorrow because of tonight's antics.", he instructs, smiling at them brightly for the first time. 

They both groan, say a quick goodbye to you, and then walk away griping at each other. Kakashi sighs. "I hope they didn't give you too much trouble."

"Not at all. I actually think they're pretty funny.", you admit. This is more excitement than you'd planned for your evening, but it's nice to see kids being kids (and a pleasant surprise to see Kakashi again, if you're honest). "Especially that crush of Sakura's."

You've both started walking in the direction of the residential sector, feet falling in tandem. "Maa, it's been more troublesome than funny. She's struggled to keep her feelings separate from her performance in the past." 

"Oh, don't be such a cynic, Kakashi! Don't you remember what it was like to be young and in love?", you tease, waving a finger at him. His breath hitches a little bit, you think. "She'll be oblivious to everything else until she's twenty. Has she even realised how much Naruto likes her?"

Kakashi chuckles. "Not yet. Although, I think she has some competition in you."

"Me?", you exclaim, nearly choking on air. "I don't think so. He's met me once and I was literally a mess."

"Teenage minds.", he shrugs. You've reached the point where the path branches off, one street leading to your apartment block and the opposite to Kakashi's - but he doesn't head off just yet, instead choosing to tip his head up and watch the last rays of light warm the top of the Hokage monument. You join him, a strange feeling twisting in your gut when you see that they've started to put up the scaffolding for Tsunade-sama's carving. The street is empty, just you and him and the setting sun.

"Can you blame him?", you ask softly, when the comfortable silence has stretched out for a few long moments. Kakashi tilts his head at you, seemingly coming back to reality. Your mouth starts to curl up into a smirk. "For having a crush on me?"

This time, he blushes fast and hard, all the way up to the tips of his ears. You raise your eyebrows expectantly and cross your arms. Kakashi doesn't say anything, but a tiny wheeze escapes his lips, and his fingers furl and unfurl several times.

You don't let him flounder for too long - this is an objectively nice moment, and you don't want to ruin it by risking him passing out and hitting his head. "Kami, Kakashi, I'm only joking! You've already called me old today, so you can't possibly say anything worse."

Kakashi laughs, a proper one and not his normal quiet chuckle, in a way that has warmth spreading on your cheeks too. You must hold his gaze for just a second too long, because he's quickly turning back to the monument. "Thank you for helping me out with that cat story."

"That's okay. But I have to ask - are you just late to mess with your students?"

"...Sometimes.", he concedes. "But sometimes I'm late for more important reasons."

"Like spending time with an old friend?", you suggest, voice lilting back into light-heartedness. You want so badly to poke him, but hold yourself back on the grounds that you are not Sakura Haruno with her teenage crush. 

"I was thinking something more along the lines of encountering a particularly friendly dog."

You gasp and clutch your hands to your heart. Kakashi turns to you again, eye twinkling under the streetlamps. "Well, that does it! I'm going home. And don't bother using me as an excuse next time you oversleep!"

The sound of his laughter follows you up onto the rooftop - a shorter route home, now that the tiredness of the day is really hitting you. He remains stood in the middle of the empty street, watching you closely, and he's obviously smiling so you feel too bad to rush off without a goodbye. "Goodnight, old man!", you call down.

Kakashi raises one hand in a wave, and you feel his eye on you until you're out of sight, his chakra warm and golden like the sun.