#and iruka has no idea what to do with any of that and ends up just going along with his ideas as a result

[teatitty]

KakaIru bodyswap trope but it's just them going "god you LIVE like this???" about eachother's health because Kakashi is always some kind of chakra drained and Iruka's back is never not hurting in some way so they're both just chronically fatigued and handle it very differently

[mtnikolle]

@flashfictionfridayofficial

Fandom: Naruto

Characters: Kakashi and Iruka

Modern AU, teens

WC: 1048

“So? You gonna come or not?” Iruka blurts to his friend when they meet up at lunch time.

Kakashi isn't quite sure what to make of this question. He doesn't recall talking with Iruka about going somewhere in their recent conversations—and he's pretty sure he didn't accidentally tune him out during any recent rambles, either. He looks at Iruka closely, trying to make heads or tails of it. Iruka is slowly turning red. His posture is getting stiff. And that scowl isn't the one he wears when he's angry, it's the one he wears when he's nervous. Kakashi bites the bullet.

“Where would we be going?” He asks.

Kakashi’s not sure how it's possible, but Iruka turns even redder. And face palms.

“Ummm, sorry. There's a fair in Senju Park this week. Mom said I can go tonight. And stay late, since I did so well on my last report card. So…��� and Iruka takes a big breath in, “…do you want to come with me?”

This is unusual. Not the going out part, they do that all the time. This nervous, blushing, asking-in-person part, rather than a quick text.

“Would this be a date…?” Kakashi asks. And he's not sure how he feels about that.

Iruka goes from bright red to dead pale in an instant.

“N-n-n-no,” he stutters out. “Not— not—”

Yes, it was absolutely meant to be a date.

“Yes.”

💙🍦💜

They meet up at the park a few hours later. Kakashi spent more time than he wants to admit to trying to figure out what to wear. His dad laughed at him. Especially when, in the end, he wore the same basic clothes he usually wears—comfortable jeans, sneakers, tshirt, and comfortable hoodie, but the green one that Iruka likes, rather than the red one he was wearing at school today.

Iruka has changed, too. He's wearing Kakashi's favourite top—the one that shows off his forearms. And suddenly Kakashi realises that he's been looking at Iruka for a while. They've been friends for… well, almost ever. When did this happen? How did Kakashi not realise it before? Kakashi knows exactly how he feels about this now, and he is so, so happy now that Iruka was courageous enough to ask him out tonight.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

They stare at each other kind of awkwardly, which is bullshit because they've known each other forever.

“Shall we…?”

“Yeah.”

Iruka passes him a bright yellow wristband and leads him into the park.

Together they pick some rides to try. Iruka’s a bit of a daredevil, so he wants to go on the Drop of Doom and roller coaster immediately. Kakashi is somewhat less so, so he convinces Iruka that they should warm up with the Octopus and Monster rides, instead. Iruka agrees, and they laugh so hard and have so much fun that it breaks up any awkwardness remaining from their knowledge that this is a date. Kakashi feels really, really okay with that now.

💙🍦💜

An hour of rides later, Kakashi is more than ready for a break. Iruka reluctantly agrees, and they make their way to the food stands and carts that have been set up for the day. They find a truck they both like the look of and stand in line. A long line had to mean good food, right? Kakashi sure hopes so—he’s all about comfort in food and never ventures too far from his favourites.

Between them, the teens consumed one loaded chili dog, the greasiest hamburger Kakashi was sure he'd ever seen, a bucket of poutine, and a giant bear claw. Since the rides hadn't done him in, he is sure the food will. Then Iruka bounces up from the bench they've been resting on.

“There's one more place I want to check out!”

Kakashi isn't sure he can move yet, but he’ll try for Iruka.

“Let's go.”

Iruka helps haul him up from the bench, and Kakashi is surprised he can stand. And then surprised he can walk. He has no idea how Iruka is bouncing around the way he is—Kakashi is sure Iruka ate more than he did!

They meander through the crowd for a while, waving at the occasional classmate they see, but making no move to join any of them, when Kakashi sees the stand a little ways away and balks. It is an ice cream stand. The concept of ice cream now is okay, but this isn't just any ice cream. No, the Golden Scoop is the ice cream shop on the other side of Konoha that Iruka has wanted to try since they opened. Kakashi on the other hand…

The thing is, they make all these weird flavours, and they don't sell vanilla or chocolate at all.

Iruka turns around when he sees Kakashi isn't beside him any more.

“Are you okay, Kakashi?”

Kakashi doesn't want to ruin this for Iruka, but he's honestly not sure if he can make himself go over there. Curry Thai Chili ice cream just isn't something he can make himself eat…

“I don't think I can eat that,” Kakashi explains. “Why don't you go ahead? I'll wait here.”

“Are you too full?”

Iruka is offering him the perfect out, but Kakashi knows him, and if he takes it, then Iruka won't go.

Kakashi wants him to go—Iruka's been wanting to try the Scoop's ice cream for ages. He hesitates to answer. Long enough that Iruka notices. Kakashi watches his face light up with understanding.

“Oh. Oh!”

Iruka holds out his hand to Kakashi.

“Do you trust me?” he asks.

Kakashi knows a trap when he hears one. Or, well, it would be a trap from anyone but Iruka.

“Yes.”

Iruka holds out his hand.

“Take my hand. I know they'll have something you'll like, too.”

Iruka is so sincere when he says it that Kakashi believes him. So he puts his hand in Iruka's and lets Iruka pull him toward the stand.

💙🍦💜

Iruka walks away with a double scoop cone with lobster and strawberry chive flavours. Kakashi ends up with extra virgin olive oil ice cream. Iruka was right, they did have something he likes.

They continue on wandering the fair, looking at the craft vendors, eating their ice cream, but now with fingers slotted together.

[mediumsizedpidegon]

I feel like naruto doesn't get into the fact that naruto had literally no one give a shit about him until like. iruka-sensei? And sure, he was in an orphanage but then we learn that he's had the APARTMENT HE LIVES ALONE IN AS A TWELVE YEAR OLD CHILD THAT THE ENTIRE VILLAGE DESPISES since he was 4 or 5 i think (i will not check this. the timeline of naruto is dumb and makes me cry). and even in orphanage it isn't like the staff there were treating him right. why else would be given his own apartment by the hokage when he's four? i know they let sasuke stay in the house of his dead family and let itty bitty kakashi live alone after his father died but they are The Last Loyal Uchiha and a prodigy respectively. the rules are different compared to naruto himself, i believe.

Like, yeah– Naruto is loud and brash because he wants attention– and never has it unless he provokes others– and almost certainly neurodivergent (I think he has ADHD and depression). He doesn't know any of the theory behind being a shinobi, doesn't even know what chakra is. But Naruto has been criminally neglected, socially isolated and if not physically abused by some people in the village then certainly threatened with it often at the least. I'm more on the side that says that the ANBU can't stop everything and that by ditching them all the time Naruto actually ends up in more Very Bad situations but that aside:

I genuinely believe that Naruto would not know how to read when canon started. I think he doesn't how to use a washing machine (he washes his clothes in the Naka river because no laudromats will accept him). I think he holds his chopsticks wrong. I think he has half-picked up ANBU handsigns and how to mimic other people's voices to an eerie degree but he doesn't know a single thing about nutrition besides what can be obviously observed and tested (ie, if I don't eat something green at least once a week my body will Not Like It). I think he doesn't know ANYTHING about medical care except "if it's popped out, shove it back in the socket," or "wrap it in cloth scraps."

He's can be so quiet and stealthy that the ANBU lose sight and sound of him but he doesn't think unconditional love exists. Or at least, not for him.

I desperately want to see more of a Naruto that is brash and loud and loving and hopeful, yes, but also, once you peel back some layers, extremely eerie. Naruto is an orphan that raised himself in a village that would leave him dead in a ditch at the first opportunity: he is a child that raised himself in enemy territory. He is a child seen as a beast to the ordinary and a weapon to the higher ups. and do you know what people do to beasts and weapons that are unruly and too smart or lazy and useless? they put them down.

there is no way that Naruto is unaware of this. he's a child, but children can be perceptive and Naruto has to be to survive. And it's not like the village is being subtle. so. I want to see a Naruto that is so so aware that the ANBU are both to protect him and destroy him, that the hokage might hesitate, but no one else will. So: here is Naruto, who is a child who is a monster who doesn't want to be put down. who has to be cheerful and stupid and harmless enough to not be a threat, and strong and naive enough to not be useless.

just. just. a Naruto that has had to learn everything on his own, through trial and error, people-watching and his own common sense (naruto's sense is NOT common). And he's good at it because he has to be. He's a mimic through and through– he learns much from the ANBU and the vendors in their market stalls and the conversations that families share with each other. But the problem with being the outsider looking in is that sometimes you fail to see the context. meaning that Naruto has a SHIT TON of just. objective incorrect ideas of why certain things are the way they are. and it's not his fault– his conclusions are completely logical with what he has on hand, but the point is that he doesn't have all the information and he never does, on the outside. meaning: Naruto is a walking talking version of using the wrong equation on your math test and getting the right answer. he has to reverse engineer all this shit! and especially when it comes to jutsu, what's behind the product isn't obvious.

and now we come to the reason i actually made this post. the ridiculous, funny misconceptions i have headcanoned that naruto has, not the heartbreaking rage enducing ones.

the raw meat shame tax. so naruto eats raw meat (because no one has told him that eating raw meat = becoming ill, but he has kurama to take care of that anyway) if he's hungry enough or can't be bothered to cook it. but one time someone came across him during raw meat mealtime and reacted in horror and disgust. then naruto notices that sushi is like. super expensive despite how easy it is to catch fish and that cooked fish is cheaper as well in restaurants. SO naruto comes to the conclusion that eating raw meat must be shameful and taboo and something that can only be done alone or with close family in private BUT people like playing with the taboo so you can have sushi (which has non-raw meat elements to make it less scandalous) at restaurants AS LONG AS you pay an 'eating raw meat in public' tax. this is my most ridiculous headcanon and i love it to bits. like. i believe that out of all of the funny misconceptions naruto has, THIS is the one that is so baffling that it makes sakura just. give up. she leaves the room and walks directly into the Naka river.

what??? is?? the??? difference?? between?? girl?? and?? boy??? look. naruto knows that people can have different equipment: he lives in a bad part of town and is constantly eavesdropping on people. he doesn't just know that people have different equipment, he knows what sex is by the time he's 6. but naruto thinks that it can't be based on that because it's too stupid. like, if it were based on that, why would people cover up that part of themselves and treat it like taboo in public? it would make it really hard to tell who's a girl and who's a boy. naruto keeps coming up with shit and then disproving it over the years and is still unsure. but he nows knows he CANNOT ask people whether they're a boy or a girl because they will get mad.

which leads into clothes/hair aren't gender-specific but they ARE clan or occupation specific. Naruto does show up to class wearing dresses on multiple occasions and doesn't understand why Ino is extra mad at him those times. However the first time he sees someone with a haircut similar to sasuke's he's like 'that's not allowed! he's not part of your clan!' and it takes two hours to for sasuke to find out what the fuck dobe was talking about–

doesn't know what a library due date is. the library doesn't know who stole all the various craft/cooking books that have illustrated steps but they're never getting them back.

unintentional poison eating. naruto's cooking is.... so poisonous. he has eaten everything that looks like it could be eaten in the forest and if it doesn't make him sick then he deems him safe. there are SO many things that naruto forages that would straight up kill anybody else. naruto tries to share his food with team 7 one time because that's love and care babyyy!! and then there's ten minutes of screaming where sasuke and sakura genuinely think this was a murder attempt.

if someone leaves stuff unattended in public for more than half an hour then it's up for grabs and no longer stealing. this is how he gets most of his plants. and his bags. and his winter jacket. also his shoes. this is also how he garners even more hate from the village.

anyone above the age of seven can budget, haggle and save money. Naruto has been living on his own since he was four and he's been in charge of his own budget since then. he is merciless with money because he has to be and thinks that it is a normal thing for children to be capable of since he's doing it just fine after some trial and error. Naruto grudgingly thinks kakashi is smart for trying to foist the bill for ramen off on him every time by disappearing (good way to save money– don't be there when the bill arrives) but ALL of that goodwill evaporates when they go on a mission and kakashi spends the whole budget in the first week. also the image of naruto talking about finances with his teammates in a 'you know how it is' manner in and getting blank fucking stares back is hysterical. however sasuke is in legitimate danger of naruto dragging him through budget boot camp if naruto finds out that sasuke, the fucking clan head-in-waiting of the uchiha, is filthy rich and doesn't know anything about money.

there are three sets of teeth and if you lose an adult tooth you grow it back. this is (unintentionally) kurama's fault actually. naruto ends up with three sets of teeth: useless little baby teeth that he have fully lost by 6, child teeth (which are actually human adult teeth) that are fully lost by 12 and then "adult teeth." "Adult teeth" are nightmarish and are somewhere in between fox and human teeth. and if he loses an adult tooth naruto will grow it back sometime between a week and a month after he lost it.

team seven has never been more confused.

[virtualcarrot]

[KKIR] Modern AU - Teaching Pains Pt3

Part 2

Prompt 3: Crushes

.

Not one to forget his manners, Iruka takes the time to thank Izumo for his update on the latest developments before stomping up the hallway with a resounding scream.

"Kakashi-sensei !”

The door damper at the teachers’ lounge is a familiar enemy to him. He still gives it the good old college try, but as usual there’s only frustration to be found instead of any actual thudding.

Still, his entrance is impactful enough that Suzume takes one look at him, adjusts her glasses, and makes herself scarce.

At the desk he’s claimed for himself, behind a small succulent and a figurine of a brown pug with a vest and headband, Kakashi perks up.

“Iruka-sensei!” he all but chirps in greeting.

“Do not ‘Iruka-sensei’ me, you know what you did. Setting fire to your classroom!” He hears his throat strangle the words in horror even as he says them. “What were you thinking?!”

“That it was an excellent teaching opportunity.’’

“A fire?!”

“In my defense, it was a controlled one.’’

“You had to put it out with a fire extinguisher!”

“Yes? that's what those are for, Iruka-sensei, it's right there in the name.”

For a brief moment, Iruka contemplates committing unspeakable acts of violence.

In the end, he pulls a chair to sag into. The backrest is low, and he sinks down with his legs spread until it meets the back of his neck. With his head thrown back, the sight of the ceiling proves to be a blessedly neutral balm to his frayed nerves.

A bit bright, though.

He throws an arm across his eyes with a groan. “Please tell me you at least cleared it with Hiruzen-sensei.”

A huff of laughter makes him fear the worst.

“I did,” Kakashi says, with the sort of casual mirth which drives Iruka to understand that Hiruzen, distracted by the study of one or another item of his personal collection of ancient books and shodō scrolls, gave some form of blanket approval.

He heaves a long sigh at the thought, slowly unwinding from his outburst. Kakashi lets him be, humming to himself as he jots down something likely unrelated to the grading he’s supposed to be doing, perhaps the answer to a crossword or the solution to one of the outlandish logic puzzles he’s fond of tearing out of magazines. Some fights aren’t worth the bother, Iruka has learned over the months since they started working together. He can let the man have some hobbies. So long as Kakashi’s writing then he’s not busy reading tawdry erotica out in the open.

Iruka lifts his arm tiredly to shoot an accusing look.

“You're going to give me so many gray hairs,” he complains.

Going by the creases of his visible eye, the idea seems to amuse Kakashi greatly. “Can’t say I see what's so wrong about that.”

And, saying that, he tilts his head in a way that makes his own hair flutter.

The sight is almost entrancing, gravity defying spikes catching the light in thin threads of silver. Of course Kakashi doesn't mind having gray hair. It suits him, in a roguish way, gives him an air of distinction that is far too appealing.

Shit.

Iruka’s been getting far too comfortable.

He pulls himself into a more conventional sitting form. Kakashi seems to take that as a sign he’s open to communicate with.

“Admit it,” he taunts, crow’s feet tight at the corner of his eye, “you wish you’d seen it.”

Iruka gives him a flat look to make up for the smile he can't hold back in response and he takes possession of the #1 Dog pencil-holder mug on the desk in retaliation. “I still might. By tonight, someone will have uploaded it, if it hasn’t already been, boasting about having the coolest teacher ever.”

Kakashi’s eye loses all playfulness. “Jealous?” he asks, but it doesn’t sound like a dig at Iruka. If anything, in the sudden weight of his gaze, Iruka could almost see a form of concern.

“No,” Iruka lies, watching the pencils tilt as he turns the mug in his hands. “You’ve been doing good work with the kids, you know,” he adds, because that at least is true. “Naruto’s improved by leaps and bounds thanks to you. I’m glad you’re here.”

When he looks up, Kakashi’s smiling at him again. His expression looks softer, almost fond.

“They do look up to you,” Kakashi says, reaching to pick the mug and replacing it with another, which has been steaming by his elbow. “It’s just easier to work with them in small groups. I leave the wrangling of full classrooms of teens to the professionals. Couldn’t pay me to do it.”

 Iruka brings the mug to his lips, only to pull a face and away. It’s the blasted brew of their terrible coffee maker. “I don’t know how you drink this stuff without any sugar, honestly.”

“It builds strength of character,” Kakashi quips instantly, tugging down his mask as he retrieves his drink. “Which you’ve got more than enough of already,” he adds as if to reassure Iruka, barely hiding a smirk as he drinks.

Iruka can’t help the upturn of his own lips at the words.

“I wouldn’t say you’re lacking,” he says with a huff.

“Clearly you'd be wrong. Haven’t been granted my school trip yet.”

It’s a tired argument but Iruka can’t help the need to make his case yet again. It’s unclear that all parents could pay for it, for starters, and that's not taking into account the students without. While Sasuke’s grades have earned him an additional scholarship, Naruto would be absolutely devastated to be left behind.

“You know we don’t--”

“--have the funds, the school’s open to orphans, the state doesn’t cover that, yes, yes, I know,” Kakashi finishes. There’s mild frustration in his voice but he doesn’t sound argumentative. More like he gets Iruka’s point, for all that he’s not fond of what makes it true.

For that, Iruka can’t help but give him a grateful smile.

“We’re waiting for a grant. Maybe next semester,” he says.

If he’s honest, he’d quite like to go on that school trip to the observatory himself. Kakashi has pretty much sold him on its merits and, well, he’d be a very foolish man indeed to miss the opportunity of listening to a lecture by professor Hatake himself.

He shakes the thought clear from his head, and meets Kakashi’s eye.

“Did you at least re-enable the fire alarm?” he asks and watches Kakashi go very, very still.

“I wouldn't forget something like that,” Kakashi retorts, but already Iruka can see the seed of doubt taking root.

As someone known to triple check the lock on his bike, he sympathizes.

Kakashi pushes up, readjusting his mask. “And on an entirely unrelated note, I must leave you.”

“Do wipe the whiteboard clean while you’re at it,” Iruka says mercilessly, chuckling at the half-hearted wave Kakashi sends over his shoulder.

Then he’s alone.

On the desk, the coffee mug has stopped steaming. Soon, it’ll reach a wasteful point of lukewarm. And while it’s shit coffee, it’s also free energy.

Iruka pulls a few packets of sugar from the unused stash accumulating in Kakashi’s drawer, dumps them into the mug, and resigns himself to his fate.

-

Part 4

@kakairu-rocks

[plagues-and-pansies]

Hello!

This is going to be an informational post concerning my fic a lighthouse in the distance. It'll be a collection general information to help keep track of characters, locations, events, and other odds and ends as needed. I'll update it after every new chapter!

If you guys have any questions or have any ideas about more information I can add, please let me know!

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

Characters (In Order of Appearance):

(Notes on Character Descriptions: listen. listen to me. i do not give two shits what these people’s canonical heights are. they’re all horseshit. they’re gonna be as tall/short as i want them to be and you can’t do anything about it. are you listening to me? i refuse to be four inches taller than the dictator of a militant mercenary company.)

Chapter 1: 

Arata Natsuko, 22 (OC) - 5’5��; short, light brown hair; light grey eyes; fair complexion - main character/love interest, civilian, employed at Uoshin for four years, has been raising her sister Hikaru since their parents died in the Kyuubi attack, works too many hours, embroiders as both a hobby and a way to make extra income, is friends with several regular customers, most of them ninja, closest with Mitarashi Anko

Akimichi Aijirou, 40s (OC) - 6’3”; tall and large like most Akimichi; owns and operates Uohsin; retired shinobi; kind but doesn’t put up from nonsense from staff or customers; dedicated to taking care of his staff, takes pride in offering above average pay and fair employment terms; very protective of his employees

Matsuoka Hisashi, late 20s/early 30s (OC) - 6’0”, one of the bartenders/cooks at Uoshin, kind of like a big beefy older brother, is protective of the waitresses, especially if Aijirou isn’t there, will fight someone if needed, but Aijirou rarely lets him

Mitarashi Anko, 20/21 (CC) - 5’9”

Masumura Mizuki, 20/21 (CC) - 5’11”

Umino Iruka, 20/21 (CC) - 6’0”

Yuhi Kurenai, 22/23 (CC) - 5’11”

Sarutobi Asuma, 23/24 (CC) - 6’3”

Shiranui Genma, 23/24 (CC) - 6’2”

Gekko Hayate, 22/23 (CC) - 6’1”

Namiashi Raidou, 22/23 (CC) - 5’10”

Hatake Kakashi, 22/23 (CC) - 6’2”

Chapter 2:

Kuwamaru-san, 40s (OC) - dark hair; dark eyes; owns the takoyaki stand in the east district markets

Maito Gai, 22/23 (CC) - 6’3”

Arata Hikaru, 8 (OC) - 3’9”; long, dark hair; light grey eyes - attends a temple school in the east district, full of energy, loves animals, especially goldfish, very taken with Anko’s snake summons, can and will make friends with just about anyone, very blunt, loves Natsuko fiercely, will throw hands if needed

Urameshi-san, 60s (OC) - 5’5”; long grey hair; dark eyes; scarred hands; has a slight, right sided limp - owns the converted inn where Natsuko and Hikaru live, helps take care of Hikaru when Natsuko works late, considers Natsuko and Hikaru family, likes to gossip

Shiori, 26/27 (OC) - 5’7”; dark hair; dark eyes - a waitress at Uoshin, doesn’t like washing dishes

Nana, 25/26 (OC) - 5’10”; long blonde hair; brown eyes; very pretty - a waitress at Uoshin, lives two blocks from Natsuko, hesitant about having social relationships with ninja

Sakayo, 30/31 (OC) - 5’5”; light green hair; dark eyes; a waitress at Uoshin, tends to treat the other waitresses like an eternally exasperated older sister

Eiji, 33/34 (OC) - 6’2”; short dark hair; blue eyes - a cook/bartender at Uoshin, quiet, a little standoffish but mostly shy, likes to do his job and go home, but not in an insulting way, keeps his work station in neat order even when the restaurant is busy

Chapter 3:

Yamanaka Mai - 5’8”; short blonde hair; light blue eyes - works for a civilian-focused Yamanaka flower shot, brought the delivery of flowers sent to Natsuko

Tsumiki - One of Anko’s summons, juvenile Xenopeltis (Sunbeam snake), about 2’ long, cannot speak in a human language yet, nonvenomous, will be most suited to infiltration and observation, Sunbeam snakes are adverse to handling and must be cared for with caution

Orochimaru, early/mid 40s (CC) - 6’2”

Yamanaka Ineko, 50s (OC) - 6’3”; mid-length dark blonde hair; dark grey eyes - owns a grocery in the central markets where Uoshin gets most of their food; mother to three children

Nishimura Keiko, mid 20s (OC) - her mother was friends with Natsuko’s mother, asked Natsuko to embroider her wedding kimono, marrying into the Nara clan

Unknown Stalker, late 40s (OC) - 6’0”; short salt and pepper hair; dark eyes - a previous regular customer at Koshikawa, Natsuko’s first place of employment, tried to follow her home, dresses well

Okamoto Miwa, early 20s (OC) - 5’3”; light blue hair; light brown eyes - kunoichi, poor attitude, rude to most people, generally an unpleasant person to work and socialize with

Chapter 4:

Daisuke - One of Anko’s summons, Burmese python, 20ft long, nonvenomous, can speak in human language, but prefers not to, loves to curl up in sunspots, will rid pantries of mice and rats if given the chance

Locations:

Uoshin - a small restaurant/izakaya, owned by Akimichi Aijirou. Can seat about 50 people between tables and the bar; there are also three private dining rooms to the back of the establishment, but are almost always used specifically for ninja instead of civilians, and only upon request. The building is traditional, with a combination of plaster and screened walls, and has several exit points that make it popular with non-civilian customers. 

Arata Apartment - Located in the East District, third floor apartment in a converted inn owned and run by Urameshi-san, small kitchen with wood panel flooring, small living/family room and small bedroom with tatami flooring, one medium sized closet for storage, sliding glass door leads to a balcony

Ineko’s Shop - located in the central markets, has fresh produce from the Yamanaka farms south of the village, imports other produce, fruits, spices, etc from all over the Elemental Nations

Koshikawa - restaurant in the East District, Natsuko’s first place of employment

Natsuko:

Arata Apartment:

Embroidery Examples:

[watermelonsloth]

It’s Your Turn SNS

It’s been a while since I first talked about making this post and if I’m being honest, it’s because I couldn’t think of what I could say. For a while, I thought I was gonna have to throw in the towel and say I only don’t ship SNS because I choose not to ship it. But I also know that I don’t tend to simply “choose” not to ship something, at least not without reason. Especially since I shipped it in the past and had no reason to suddenly stop (it’s not like I stepped away from the series). So, I kept thinking about it until I’ve come to a conclusion:

SNS may not have anything I consider major issues, but it does have a lot of small problems that add up quickly.

Bring in the bullet list.

It’s very clear that they're meant to have a brotherly bond. I know this is beating a dead horse so I’ll keep this quick. They argue and compete like siblings, Naruto refers to Sasuke as his brother like he refers to Iruka like a father, they are reincarnations of brothers, and they are literally based on siblings. Reader interpretation is more important than authorial intent, but this is rather big elephant in the room for me. Especially since it’s easy to see their relationship as purely familial (easier than seeing it as romantic in many cases).

They have vastly different perspectives. Yes, the story is about them finding understanding, but that also means that most of their interactions show off all the ways they don’t understand each other. They may have both been lonely growing up, but they were lonely in very different ways. Naruto never had a family and was ostracized for no reason, Sasuke watched everything get taken away from him and self isolated. Sasuke had a point during VotE1 and the Pain arc doesn’t nullify their differences. Of course you can get with someone without having identical childhoods, I’m just bringing this up because it’s relevant to them having clashing views of the world. They both want to do good, but they believe in different ways of going about it. It’s not just that they look at the world differently, it’s that they’ve come to different conclusions about how the world works. While this can be a positive, it more often than not causes fights between them in canon and I don’t have enough evidence to believe it wouldn’t cause just as many fights in fanon.

Their fandom can be so annoying. This isn’t actually a point against the ship itself and it’s not fair to hold the fandom against it. But I'm only human and this happens to play a role. I’ve already talked a little about why I don’t like this particular branch of the fandom and I have too many more reasons to reasonably add here, so I’m gonna end this here.

It perpetuates the idea that male relationships can’t be affectionate. Again, this isn’t the ships fault but it plays a role in my opinion so I’m mentioning it. I promise to keep it brief. There’s this idea, at least in the west, that only relationships between two girls can simultaneously be affectionate and platonic. Any relationship that has a boy involved (boy-girl, boy-boy) can’t be because people insist that there has to be some romantic/sexual edge. Insisting that Naruto and Sasuke’s relationship has to be romantic/sexual just adds to this.

They share almost no meaningful conversation. I am a crackshipper so canon isn’t everything to me, but it’s not like I’m burning canon either. I still use it as a reference for characterization and dynamics between characters. Canon makes me question how good of friends these two are and tells me that they can’t work through conflict without throwing hands. They have two canonical, meaningful conversations and they only had one of them because they were too tired to start fighting again. This also isn’t because they as characters struggle to be civil. Naruto and Sasuke have plenty of nonviolent interactions with members of Konoha (+sand siblings) and team Taka respectively. Their relationship is more based on actions than words (which is fine), but can’t they at least share some more words? At times it gives off the impression that they don’t like talking to each other. This is in part due to the genre and Kishimoto skipping over team 7 bonding so I can let this slide, but I’m not gonna forget this.

Their dynamic is more symbolism than substance. This is an add on to my last point, but it’s different enough to separate. When you pull back and ask “what is the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke?”, there’s a slight trend in their relationship having more thematic and symbolic importance than character to character importance. Now, I’m not gonna pretend I don’t like when ships have a lot of symbolic meaning behind them, but I see that symbolism more like sprinkles. Sprinkles are nice to have on the cake and they certainly make it easier to sell the cake, but they aren’t a replacement for the cake. Sometimes when I’ve had a bad day I’ll take a handful of sprinkles, but I prefer a more cake to sprinkle ratio any other time. Granted, this might be due to me not having watched/read Naruto in a while, so maybe I’m forgetting some interactions or some details from certain interactions.

Naruto didn’t actually “save” Sasuke. I’m gonna say something controversial: Naruto and Sakura didn’t save Sasuke, he saved himself. Naruto and Sakura first set off to save Sasuke from Orochimaru, but he left Orochimaru himself. Then they wanted to help him against Itachi (their intentions were actually a little unclear), but Sasuke took out Itachi alone (with a little help from team hebi). Then Sakura went off to kill Sasuke to help Naruto and Naruto wanted to keep the Raikage from having Sasuke killed (though he was more interested in understanding Sasuke at this time), and both failed. Sasuke pulled himself out of his mental crisis and left Obito/Zetsu’s influence, Sasuke took steps to understand his brother, Sasuke asked the Hokage about the village (with the help of taka), Sasuke chose to help the Allies Shinobi Force against Madara/Obito/Kaguya, and Sasuke went on a redemption quest to better understand himself and the world. Naruto wasn’t irrelevant to Sasuke’s journey, but how much did he really help Sasuke? Naruto and Sasuke do influence each other, but it’s almost always passive rather than an active effort to help the other (at least in regards to the times they do have a positive influence on the other).

I’m not certain they could help each other with their problems. Moving outside of canon and into fanon, the question becomes “how could Naruto and Sasuke help each other grow?” The answer is: I’m not sure, actually. According to my interpretations of the characters, these are their greatest remaining flaws as of the end of the narrative: Naruto struggles with prioritizing (this includes prioritizing his perspective over others, the few over the many, and others over himself to the point of detriment) and Sasuke still needs to find a sense of peace. While it’s not impossible that they could help each other, I’m gonna press x to doubt. Sasuke isn’t the best at prioritizing either, but, more importantly, because of his different perspective, his solution would probably involve Naruto changing his values. Naruto doesn’t need his values to change, he needs to figure out what he wants and what’s most important to him. Also, Naruto is a good person to go to to make you question your life, but I don’t think he’d be the best at helping anyone find peace, especially someone as different as Sasuke. Yes, Naruto and Sasuke are capable of improving on their own (if they’re given a push in the right direction because neither are all that introspective), but is it so bad that I’d prefer them being in a relationship that helps them improve if they’re in a relationship at all?

So, yeah.

I’m sure I could come up with an additional point here or there, but those would probably edge even further into personal taste (I say as if this isn’t all according to my interpretation and opinion). In conclusion, the ship is fine, I guess, but it isn’t my cup of tea. It just has too many points going against it for me.

[justice4sasuke]

Before I get into this I wanted to say someone said on one of my posts about Naruto and One Piece that they didn't feel their was a point in comparing them and I wanted to say my intention isn't really to compare Naruto and One Piece. My point is that Naruto is a standard shounen with some good ideas and points but is overall not very good and has lots of writing issues. One Piece is a standard shounen that is very well written with fewer issues. And because all of my problems with people on here seem to stem from people wanting to read Naruto differently than intended to make it look better I want to use One Piece as an example of what something that is just good writing on its own merits looks like.

Anyway, Iruka says chapter one that he thinks Naruto's struggles have given him empathy and I think that is funny because to me Naruto has never been a character with any emotional intelligence or kindness to be seen in him. The only time he has interest in other's emotions or feelings is when he can relate them to his own experience and this is 1. never addressed as a problem Naruto has and 2. is a consistent theme throughout the manga. Not only that but he never seems to be able to do anything helpful when he finds people like that (which could be an interesting commentary on Naruto's inability with personal interactions but once again the manga doesn't make note of it). Think how he treats Inari, think encouraging Hinata to fight Neji even though it endangered her because it personally triggered him, think how he ends up fighting Gaara and saying he will fight Sasuke after saying he relates to them (not that I think he's wrong for fighting Gaara since...he's attacking the village just, Choices Kishimoto for doing that more than once).

Now let me show an example of the main character for one understanding someone else's feelings and for two, shock and awe, helping them. Generally Luffy isn't a character anyone would describe using the word "intelligence" for on first blush, but reading the manga you will see in a lot of situations Luffy is actually incredibly emotionally intelligent. And honestly I think it's kind of funny that Kishimoto bothers making Iruka specifically says Naruto has empathy when he doesn't show it at least in a helpful way meanwhile no one says anything about Luffy being kind yet...here we are...just being shown things instead of told.

Anyway, here's the example. This one is from early in the manga and I chose one that involves a whale instead of a person just to really drive the point home.

The crew meets (and gets eaten by...look it's a whole thing okay) a whale (Laboon) and the lighthouse watcher/former doctor/whale caretaker (once again...it's a whole thing), Crocus, tells them the story of how this whale was waiting for his friends, a different pirate crew, to sail around the world and return to him, but it's been 50 years and Crocus believes the crew has abandoned the whale and Laboon, disbelieving this, rams his head against the Red Line (it's a land mass that circles the entire world...listen I can't be explaining the intricacies of OP's world building just for this post), seriously injuring himself in his attempts to break through and find his friends. Luffy, for lack of anything else to do I guess (if he could just intuit the problem and do something about it without listening to a whole ass tale he would, trust), listens though as usual the energy he's giving is "no thoughts, head empty".

But the next thing you know! Luffy has broken of the ship's mast (for some reason...) and is running up the whale to stab the mast into Laboon's latest slamming-his-head-into-a-wall-of-earth wound (in case you can't tell I'm not showing all the panels thus all the explaining).

Laboon is in pain and attacks, but Luffy fights back.

Luffy stops the fight by declaring it a draw!

Well, it looks like their match isn't settled so they will have to fight some other time. Luffy declares that they are rivals and after they sail around the world (like Laboon's previous crew of pirate friends) they will come back and Luffy and Laboon can have a rematch.

Luffy even paints their...uh, his version of their Jolly Roger on Laboon's head where his scars are and says he can't ram his head against the Red Line because that will erase the contract. This gives something else for Laboon to look forward to rather than him needlessly waiting for his friends to return. And it works! Every time we see Laboon in little asides or cover stories after this he is happily waiting for the Straw Hats at the lighthouse with Crocus. (And in case anyone was wondering his pirate friends and the Straw Hats can't just bring him with them because he's a giant fucking whale and they are circling the entire globe through dangerous waters, also the sky, also the bottom of the ocean, also fighting the government, also getting flung across the globe, and various islands.)

And what really REALLY touches me about this exchange is that Luffy knows he can't replace Laboon's previous pirate crew of friends. He can't just say "I'll be your friend" to fix this. So instead he positions himself as Laboon's rival, not replacing the friends Laboon is still waiting for or belittling his bond with them (and trust me...it's a bond 😢). And in case you're wondering does this somehow connect to Luffy's sad past and that's why he's doing this??? No. His sad backstory isn't anything like this. He's just doing it because it's the kind thing to do and if you're trying to do something and Luffy likes you he will do everything he can to help you.

[chrononautintraining]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for the tag @lindirs-gaze!

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

78

2. what’s your total ao3 word count?

1,216,174

3. what fandoms do you write for?

My current hyperfixation is The Untamed/Modao Zushi, but I write for whatever. I've got a lot of one shots for properties I think are neat like Welcome to Nightvale or Parks and Rec.

4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Passion for Mushrooms, Mountain Flowers, The Seedling, Family's Just Another Word for Something Left To Lose, and In Town for the Wedding. Four in Hobbit/LotR fandom and one Naruto.

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I really try to. I appreciate feedback so much. When I'm in a funk it really brightens my mood, so I want to respond and build community with readers not just drop a story. And sometimes I go months without checking my inbox which makes me feel awkward about replying. It's a mix.

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Interestingly, Family's Just Another Word For Something Left To Lose, according to some readers. It's ambiguous at the end and *a lot* of people think Kakashi dies, which is not at all my intent. I was paralleling the same scene with Iruka in the anime, and Iruka survives. It did not occur to me that the ambiguity would be what so many people took away.

The one I wrote that's intentionally angsty at the end is all i hear is your gear, which has no happy intentions and is all just about Crowley being a demon in hell.

7. what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

So much of my stuff is romance with a traditional HEA ending, but weirdly the ending I like most is A Spy in the Shire. It's a happy ending for this one oc dwarf, but in the broader context of the series I think it both emphasizes the Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies AU happiness as well as justifying the many sacrifices made in canon.

8. do you get hate on any fics?

yeah for sure. And I am sensitive about it. If it hits me when I'm already feeling low, I usually have to stay away from fandom spaces for a while and I often lose the motivation to write at all. It sucks. Some of it I can brush off more easily, like the Iruka/Kakashi shippers who come onto my fic to make fun of the way Mighty Guy looks and try to pick a fight. They are likely children and I just don't engage. But the people who criticize my writing or a specific story for reasons they are happy to detail can be harder to ignore.

This is of course a very different thing than the helpful folks who point out that I've once again mixed up desert and dessert. Y'all are lovely and I appreciate the help.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

Yes, as the mood strikes. ...the kind I'm in the mood for? Almost always romantic stuff between a major pairing.

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Listen. Ron Swanson and Wolverine would be very good friends, actually. My Parks and Rec / X-men crossover is not crazy.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! One of my Naruto fics is available in Chinese and two of my Modao Zushi stories can be read in Russian. As I speak neither language, I can only assume the translators did an awesome job of making my writing smarter, funnier, and sexier than it is in English.

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I find the idea of collaborating interesting.

14. what’s your all time favorite ship?

This is not how my brain works. I pretty much constantly have a Current Obsession and then pairings I still enjoy. Right now, Wangxian invented love, but I'll always enjoy revisiting a certain romance involving Mister Spock or the Leverage Pretzels and Beer OT3.

15. what’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I desperately want to finish my Zombie Criminal Minds series, particularly because being able to revisit it will mark the end of my pandemic / outbreak related brain gremlins.

16. what are your writing strengths?

speling

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

I'd like to do more with humor. I feel like I frequently manage to provoke a sensible chuckle, but I've read fics that make me crack up. Someday, I'd like to write a really Terry Pratchett style laugh-a-minute story.

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Sometimes you gotta do it, because it's in keeping with the canon, but it's always best to do sparingly. If it's longer than a greeting or an honorific, I like to translate directly within the narrative or use a footnote.

19. first fandom you wrote for?

Slayers. Yes, I was that anime kid in high school.

20. favorite fic you’ve written?

My favorite child? Well, I've never really cared for Pit Stop...

I suppose, back against a wall, I enjoy the world building in None So Blind. We just don't spend enough time in dwarven spaces that aren't complete ruins in the canon. Coupled with thoughts on fantasy accessibility and the classic trope of tripping a romantic lead into a pile of literal pig shit, I just like it. Good work, 2018!me.

If you'd like to play, please pretend I tagged you! For the meme, I'll invite @youhideastar, @primtheamazing, and @sunshine304

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Halloween AU where kakashi used to dress up but stopped once Rin died until he gets his own genin team bc they make him dress up in a team costume.

He used to do it begrudgingly.

First because it was Minato’s idea of team bonding.

Then because Obito and Rin really loved it and he didn’t want to be that much of a party pooper

Then because it was something Rin still loved and helped them bond even when Kakashi struggled sometimes to be close with her

Then, Rin was gone and Kakashi had no one left to dress up with so he just gave up. What was the point? Gai tried to get him back into it, but it had never been their thing and he wasn’t going to push for it to become their thing when Kakashi always had such fond memories of doing it with his old teammates.

For years he just skips out. He still goes to the halloween party that Konoha holds for its shinobi, he just doesn’t put any effort into dressing up. What’s the point when his teammates arn’t there to enjoy it with him?

Then it happens. Team seven become genin’s and their first halloween party rolls around.

Kakashi expects the kids to want to dress up (except maybe Sasuke). What he doesn’t expect is to see Naruto and Sakura storming toward him (with Sasuke dragging his feet behind) informing him that they have a team costume and that he HAS to wear his part of it

Poor man is getting flashbacks to Minato, Obito and Rin where he was never expecting to get them. He’s not ok.

The kids hand him his costume the next day and much to his amusement, it’s a scarecrow costume. It’s confirmation that his team has the same terrible humor as him and he is a bery proud sensei

The day of the halloween party is a big deal. Naruto shows up dressed as a ‘naruto swirl’ sakura as a cherry blossom and Sasuke as an Uchiha fan. Kakashi is, if course, a scarecrow

Everyone is laughing their butts off at Team seven’s costume choice. It’s a hit and they somehow end up winning the costume contest that Iruka decided to organize for ‘most ridiculous and well thought out costume’

Kakashi ends up buying them lunch at Ichiraku the next day as a silent thank you for making him enjoy dressing up for halloween again

[teatitty]

In my ideal version of IruGai friendship Gai would ask Iruka to spar with him and Iruka would go "Fuck no. You'd lay me on my ass in five minutes max I'm not that suicidal" and Gai would just end up laughing at him while complimenting him for having such self-awareness of his own limits. And then he'd get Iruka to join him on his morning walk instead and before Iruka realises what's happening they're going on regular morning walks every weekend and sometimes this means actual walking and sometimes it means 'being the referee/chosen spectator for Gai and Kakashi's challenges' which also means it sometimes becomes 'how the fuck did Gai get me involved in a food eating contest against an Akimichi!?'

[kakairu-shrine]

Fourth Year Anniversary!

Today is my fourth anniversary as a KakaIru creator! Normally, I share a bunch of statistics; but this time, I’d like to reflect on the past year, and some of the things I have planned for the future, instead.

Firstly, I don’t think I have created as much this year as the other years, as a lot has happened irl; and a good chunk of my writing time was taken away because I just got so overwhelmed with life, and I found it hard to think.

It’s sad, because I absolutely love writing, and have so many ideas that I want to get out there; but I just couldn’t manage it as much as I wanted to.

I am proud to say, though, that I managed to write 25 fics, with a total word count of 121 926 words (having calculated that just now, I’m actually impressed I wrote so much – I wasn’t really expecting to reach over 100k!)!

Out of all of the new fics, I think my favourite one is my WIP, Linked (CW: NSFW & some dark chapters), which is the fic I wanted to write to celebrate reaching a milestone of 100 fics on ao3, where I got people to tell me what they wanted me to write.

You guys gave me so many suggestions with characters and tropes that you liked; and I was excited to challenge myself by including all of the tied number one votes, rather than choosing just one/ doing a revote.

Sadly, I haven’t finished it yet, and have only done 19/28 chapters (approx. 45.4k words); but that brings me to my future plans.

I really love the story so far, of Kakashi and Iruka being handcuffed together and having to figure out how to free themselves, as well as everything else I have planned for it; and I am going to pick up on it again, and aim to have it complete before my next anniversary (but hopefully even earlier!).

I also want to finish another WIP I suddenly stopped after 14/23 chapters (approx. 19.8k words), The Rift (CW: Dark), which I started in the first KakaIru Maze Challenge I ran, Into The Ancient World. I had gotten the prompt ‘Afterlife’; and started a story about Kakashi dying, and trying to find his way back home, while Iruka stays by his side at the hospital.

It’s an idea I’ve had since I was a kid, but I could never settle on the characters I wanted, and had never finished any stories at the time, so it was just something I daydreamed about; but I have grown as a writer since then, and want to finally turn the dream into a reality, and share it with everyone!

There is one more main project that I’ll be working on this year, too; but it is massive, and I can’t say when I’ll finish it. It’s like a choose-your-own-adventure, combined with an otome game; and Iruka, who will be the main character, can end up with one of four ships, depending on the choices he makes throughout the story 👀

I have planned it out entirely, and just need to finish writing it out; but with the amount of options I’ve added throughout the fic (over 100, if I remember correctly), there is going to be a lot of writing to do (I’d say at least 80k words), so, as much as I want to finish & share it, I probably won’t be able to do that this year. But it is something I’m very excited about!

Those are the main things I want to focus on, but I will more than likely write other fics when I get inspired, and/or add to some of my series; especially Family Adventures, which is my dad kakairu series featuring Kaito, their genius son, and In A Land Far, Far Away, my Star Wars AU where Kakashi gives refugees Iruka & Naruto the life they deserve ❤️

That’s all for now. Thank you guys for all your support so far! I really appreciate all the kudos, likes, and reblogs; and every single comment I get really puts a smile on my face, and makes my day ❤️💕

I look forward to spending another year with you!

[cosplayinamerica]

Cosplayer @trinityren City: Denver, CO

During this time, the thing that kept me going was cosplay and the support of my parents and my friends. The same friends that agreed to cosplay with me and participate in the competition that year!

I wanted to put my skills to the test by making five CLAMP cosplay because I absolutely love CLAMP. The Sakura-viewing outfits were always one that I was attracted to because they were downright beautiful and I wanted to feel pretty for once in my life.

Since there were five of us, I ended up taking Sayoron-Li and doing his outfit again only opposite, as in the series he finds his own opposite clone, if you want to call it that.

I entered us in the Intermediate level of Nan Desu Kan's cosplay competition because I thought that's all I would ever be able to do. And while I didn't win any awards that year. I got cornered by my new friends from the department and was told I wouldn't be allowed to compete anymore if I didn't move up to Master's level.

That was the push I needed to really expand not only my skills, but my confidence.

I started cosplaying in 2003. My high school best friend and I learned about anime cons and we were just about to start our sophomore year of high school. I was 15 at the time. We had learned about Otakon in Baltimore, MD and looked online and saw everyone in costumes, so we thought it was required! That very first year, I cosplayed Iruka from Naruto and while at the time I thought it was needed to go to a con, I soon fell in love with the art form. I grew up in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) with my dad, which was medieval reenactment, and got interested in a lot of the things shown there. So to me, cosplay was building on that interest with something I loved, which was anime. I learned that you could cosplay literally anything, so while I love anime, I got drawn more and more to video games because of their complex outfits. When I DO make something from anime, I put my own spin on things to make a 2D animation look amazing in 3D

Since then, my cosplay career has blossomed. I've won multiple well-deserved awards in Master's level, I've judged many cosplay competitions with the idea of being 100% positive, I've started to work for a group within the state that promotes an inclusive environment, and I've made so many friends in the community that further cements that EVERYONE can cosplay, no matter what.

[biggie-chcese]

Y'know what, that's a great point! I like this outcome a lot more than what I proposed because it does still solve the issues I have while sticking to Yomi's pre-established themes. (full game spoilers again)

Though, slight correction: I actually didn't mean to say at any point that what Yomi does in canon should count for the labyrinth. But I did (glaringly) forget to say I wish he was more involved- as in he bit off slightly more than he could chew while trying to be the slippery little cockroach he is, and ended up being a proper accomplice, counting just enough for the labyrinth like the Aetheria Academy girls do.

Also... regarding your Servan comment, it's Yomi's intent that differs him from Servan- his end goal was to have Huesca killed. That's indisputable. Meanwhile, Servan was unwillingly roped into Icardi's plot and also wasn't aware that Shachi's murder was part of the plan at all. Plus, the bombs Servan creates are not integral to the murder plot. You could make a case for the bomb Icardi used covering up his getaway method, but at that point you'd have to kill Iruka for creating Shachi's gun. And, by extension, you'd have to kill Fink, since he's quite literally the cover-up tool for Yakou's murder plot. Hell, even Fubuki and Desuhiko helped Yakou kill Huesca, so the ML clearly takes intent into account when addressing who should be killed (side note- this makes me wonder how a manslaughter case would look in the labyrinth... would it still make Yuma reap their soul? From this trend, I don't think it would). And there could also be a case argued that Yomi supplying Yakou with the map and motive is integral to the murder plan, but that's still very flimsy, especially since the people who nail up the dolls in the Nail Man case aren't held responsible for the murders despite supplying the motive. However, I think if Yomi contributed one more small factor to the murder in which he seems untouchable, but it couldn't have been executed without him, it'd work for what I was proposing. But that's on me for not specifying that. Yomi is so slippery because he's never directly involved, so what you say makes more thematic sense.

As for your rewrite, I think it could be nice to focus on both Yuma and Vivia's anger. By this, I mean Yuma, in his rage, still fruitlessly tries to slash his sword at the Yomi Phantom in that secret area just before they're thrown out, and that is what causes the disturbance for Yomi to drop the guns. Vivia then takes that opportunity to finish Yomi off, and things play out afterwards as you say. It makes him and Vivia working together in this moment mean a lot more, methinks. It also puts some of the blood on Yuma's hands, which I think would be very fitting and also gives some good conversation potential for the inevitable heart-to-heart he and Vivia have later on in this chapter. They both did this. They both wanted this. They both feel conflicted about it.

Also, I like the idea of Makoto letting Vivia go too. Mostly because it makes Makoto seem all the more sinister, what with how okay he is with Yomi's death (this also hints at this being his intention all along). And it still shows that the peacekeepers are doing what they always do- covering up the crime scene. Regardless of whether or not that benefits our protagonists, it's still crooked work, and Yuma still can't help but feel this isn't right. He has spent this whole game getting away with murder. Here he is again with Vivia... getting away with murder, and now even their enemies are helping them. It really drives home Yuma's hypocrisy that gets brought up in chapter 5.

(Speaking of chapter 5, maybe Makoto could even mention that he'd hoped the labyrinth would do the trick in ousting Yomi, but shrugs and says that the brash actions of Yuma's now "dead" friend work just as well. He could rub some serious salt in the wounds there.)

Like I said, I wouldn't prop myself up as a better writer than the team on hand, so I didn't think my proposal was perfect. But I love your scenario a lot, and it honestly works even better for what it is. Thanks!

Why I think Yomi Hellsmile should've died in Chapter 4

(this essay isnt what you think it is. spoilers for the whole game btw)

Alright so let me preface this by saying that this is not a Yomi Hellsmile hate essay. I like Yomi. He's my favorite peacekeeper. He's funny, he's entertaining, and he makes for a very effective antagonist. So why have him die? Well, for the same reason I wouldn't have Yakou live: I think it makes for a better story.

So here's the true title of my essay: A Critique of how Rain Code's Narrative Handles the Peacekeepers (and by Extension, Yomi) and their Downfall

Let's start with Yomi's downfall in canon. Yuma and Vivia find out his role in Huesca's murder and, ultimately, Yakou's death, and are angry beyond belief. But they're also helpless to do anything as they escape the labyrinth with vengeance on their minds. Of course, this gets shut down immediately, and then Makoto ex machina comes in with Martina in tow to arrest Yomi for his money laundering and bribery. And right then and there, in one fell swoop, the peacekeepers are completely eliminated as a threat in the story to be replaced by Makoto.

But okay... isn't that super underwhelming? The peacekeepers and Amaterasu corp have been the main driving force of the game's primary conflict, and yet somehow they are completely eliminated as a threat because Makoto grabbed a few files off screen. And also, this brings me to my first major issue I have with this ending:

Part 1: Why the fuck do they care?

No I'm serious. Why do the peacekeepers care? So what if Yomi bribed his way to the top? You mean to tell me that the cops who spent the entire game assaulting and antagonizing civilians give a shit? They're never shown to have any sort of problem with their corruption. They send people to be executed on whims and knowingly, regularly falsify evidence on murder cases. At best the peacekeepers are indifferent to the suffering they cause, and at worst they are gleefully complicit in it. So, again, why do they care about Yomi's money schemes? In fact, they only benefit from Yomi's rule because he gives them the power to freely instill fear in Kanai Ward's citizens. The game never, at any point, has an "are we the baddies?" moment from them nor does it ever even try to have at least one peacekeeper question Yomi's authority, even when he's throwing them under the bus. Throughout the whole game, they stand as a completely one-note, cartoonishly evil representation of police corruption.

So why the sudden heel turn? The resolution of chapter 4 feels so jarring to me because the game has zero buildup to it. This also applies to Martina's return. Actually let's also talk about her.

Part 2: So... Martina's return lowkey is kinda lame

Don't get me wrong, I was pretty hype when she came back. But also, the magic wore off pretty quickly for me because I didn't understand why she was suddenly a whole different character. I suppose her brush with death gave her some time to contemplate her actions, or perhaps she felt indebted to Makoto and asked him what she should do, or maybe Makoto held her life over her head and told her to change her act or he's letting her get cubed. Who knows? We get nothing expanding on this so it could be anything.

I feel like people kinda forget that Martina was just as corrupt as Yomi? Like, she is not his helpless victim. I'd even argue that their relationship isn't abusive. Martina is in it with her own interests in mind in addition to just being a massive sadomasochist. I cannot stress this enough: whatever tf she and Yomi had going on, she was completely into it. Even at the end of chapter 2, she was drooling over him and the idea of punishment... until Yomi crossed a line.

Y'see, Martina thought she was special. She thought that whatever punishment Yomi had for her Aetheria Academy blunder, she'd come out of it alive, because she's his beloved right hand. Yomi then showed her that she's just as disposable as the rest of his underlings by ordering her to be brutally executed. That is when she becomes a victim.

Anyway, I'm saying all this to make a point that Martina hasn't shown any interest in being an honest cop until chapter 4. It's completely out of nowhere, just like with the other peacekeepers.

"But Biggie," you may be thinking, "why would Yomi dying fix these issues?" Well I'm so glad you hypothetically asked!

Part 3: We love missed potential, baby!

Kodaka sometimes does this thing where he introduces an interesting concept that plays with the rules of the game... and then doesn't commit to it. Think like the double murder clause in Danganronpa V3 chapter 3, where they mention that if two separate murderers act in the same day then only one of those murders counts. Then they do nothing with this, and instead create a very weak chapter.

This is a similar problem I have with the tail end of chapter 4's mystery labyrinth, which is a really amazing labyrinth that introduces a really amazing concept: taking down a secret mastermind. After reaping the culprit's soul, they have this cool, brand new secret area that... does nothing. No, I'm serious. Nothing happens. All it does is piss Yuma and Vivia off and waste everyone's time. They find out Yomi's involvement in the case, but they still don't do anything with that. Sure it brings a whole new feeling of hopelessness, but doesn't that make Yomi's downfall literally five minutes later through the mundane actions of someone else off screen seem all the more underwhelming? From a gameplay and storytelling standpoint, I think this is just... a cop-out. I think it'd be cool if he was involved enough in Huesca's murder to count as an accomplice, then with Vivia and Shinigami at his side, Yuma reaps Yomi's soul. It's a decent payoff for the NDA and the player while supporting the game's message about the importance of finding the truth. And god does the game need support in that regard, because the Mystery Labyrinth almost never helps and Yuma instead gets saved by someone else (which would've been nice to expand on if we go this route bc there's something interesting about Yuma calling for the labyrinth to kill people for ultimately no reason, but they don't do anything with that and that is a WHOLE other essay lol).

But this is not my main reason that Yomi should've died here. I wouldn't feel so strongly if that was the case. No, my problem lies with a character that isn't Yomi, and what is part of the entire reason Rain Code's plot exists.

Part 4: Is Makoto fucking stupid?

"/lh" by the way. Makoto is my second favorite character in this game behind Yuma, and I adore him. His story, his motivations, his undying will to be a protector of a people that no one else will protect, by any means necessary... he is such an incredible character and antagonist and I genuinely adore him. But I have one eensy weensy, teeny weeny little issue with him:

Why did he need the detectives to oust Yomi?

Makoto claims in the ch 5 labyrinth that the reason the detectives were brought over was to oust Yomi, which leads me to believe the command for the detectives to come to Kanai Ward was his work, not Number One's, then Number One simply caught onto this and took advantage of the situation to sneak in. Though, that's just a guess on my part, mind you. So I suppose he was just desperately hoping at least one of them would take care of Yomi, but isn't that weird?

The detectives don't ever find the evidence of Yomi's money laundering and bribery. Makoto does. The detectives don't ever bring Yomi's corruption to light. Yomi... already does that without their help. Actually, why didn't he secretly team up with the Resistance for that? Too busy ignoring Dohya District's glaring issues, Makoto? Too busy turning a blind eye to your people's suffering?

Uh. Anyway, the only detective that actually does something beneficial for Makoto and kills Huesca is Yakou, who was already in Kanai Ward. And don't tell me that Makoto accounted for Fubuki and Desuhiko's fortes here because that part of the plan was all Yakou's idea. If Makoto could've predicted this, he would've just called the detectives necessary to this plan instead of luring in a bunch of them at once to get slaughtered.

Tons of detectives died coming to Kanai Ward to do... what? Distract Yomi? Could the World's Greatest Mind truly never come up with a better distraction for a guy who didn't even realize his Martina Cube™ order never came in? Yomi isn't shown to be some sort of hypervigilant supergenius nor is he nearly on Makoto's level. Could he truly not have outsmarted Yomi and led him astray long enough to grab a little binder of paper?

So, once again, you may be wondering how Yomi's death would fix this. Well, Yuma, a detective, is the one who kills Yomi.

Makoto is well aware of Yuma using the Book of Death at this point. So what better way to get rid of Yomi than to carefully manipulate the detective who has the Perfect Criminal Murder Tool™? Makoto can't just assassinate Yomi himself- that would make him the main suspect and he'd have to do a lot of PR maintenance to get the rest of Amaterasu Corp off his back. But Yomi mysteriously dying of a heart attack while Makoto isn't anywhere around... well, that's different.

"But wait," you may be thinking, "doesn't Makoto want to keep Yomi alive because he's a Kanai Ward citizen, and he loves Kanai Ward?"

Good point! But doesn't that also apply to Yakou, whom he also had a hand in manipulating into that crazy sui-homocide of Dr. Huesca? Or, what about Fink? Remember him? Makoto killed him for "knowing too much." I know that information is missable, but it's there. And don't tell me it's just because he's a hitman and has killed other Kanai Ward residents, because Yomi has sent many residents to their deaths without trial... not a huge difference. So a body count isn't really on Makoto's "should I kill them" conditions, it seems.

If Fink gets killed for "knowing too much," then Yomi shouldn't be exempt from this, especially when he was leaking homunculus information to the outside world. That goes far beyond "knowing too much." It just doesn't make sense.

But you know what does? Makoto actually using the detectives to wipe his hands clean of Yomi's mess. Yakou is used to take care of Huesca, Yuma is used to take care of Yomi, and Makoto gets to sit back, relax, and watch everything play out just as planned.

And later, in the next chapter, when Yuma learns about Makoto using him like this, he realizes that he's truly been had.

Part 5: How I think it should play out

I'm not being a hater. In fact, I deeply love this game and have a lot of respect for Kodaka and the writing team, so please don't take my little rant as some sort of effort to bash on my favorite video game because that's not what this is. I'm not gonna prop myself up as a better writer than anyone on the team because I'm not, but I'll still try my hand at rewriting this scene to fit my personal taste. So I would like for you to imagine with me, the end of chapter 4...

Yuma and Vivia find the secret area of the labyrinth and find out that Yomi has been masterminding Huesca's murder. Shinigami points out that, hey, that's why the labyrinth is falling so slowly: we haven't finished it off! Vivia stands by Yuma's side, and all of them, driven by their rage and desire to see justice be done, reap the soul of the true mastermind through one final strike of the solution blade. Labyrinth collapses, snap back to reality, oop there goes gravity, oop there goes Yomi, who collapses on the ground.

The peacekeepers are surprised and approach the body. They find that Yomi is dead. They're shocked, and as this is happening, Yuma isn't sure what to feel. Is he glad that he managed to avenge Yakou? Not quite, because Yakou is still gone, the hitman is still out there, and everything still hurts. But a part of him feels... vindicated. Vivia seems to have equally complicated feelings about this. For once, it was... kind of worth it to find the truth, even if a bit messy.

Well now the peacekeepers confirmed Yomi is dead, but now they're accusing the detectives of this. And they're honestly kinda right. Yuma and Vivia realize that they're in kind of deep shit, but the sound of Martina's voice comes from off screen asking what on earth is going on here, making everyone freeze.

Enter her, Makoto, and Seth (I'll say why he's here too in a moment). They're surprised at the sight before them, but Makoto only pretends to be. Then you see it... Martina and Seth go from visibly suprised... to relieved. And there's something oddly triumphant, yet a bit chilling about Makoto and the two people we've witnessed Yomi throw under the bus standing over his corpse. It feels thematic now, as if righteous judgement has come. And... it also solves the "what happened to Seth" question, lol.

Makoto shakes his head and sighs, stepping over the corpse and approaching Yuma and Vivia as he comes up with an excuse: "I always told him that those temper tantrums weren't good for his blood pressure. I guess his heart couldn't take it anymore."

He then nods to the others. Seth instructs the peacekeepers to clean up the body, as they rot quickly in this city. There's this foreboding feeling in the peacekeepers' obedience and efficiency, and Yuma begins to wonder if he did a good thing. Did his actions change the peacekeepers for the better, he asks himself, or did he simply shift the power over to someone worse? Shinigami tells him she doesn't know.

Makoto approaches them with good news: they found and arrested the hitman! Yuma, frightened, does not address that and instead asks him why the other high ranking peacekeepers are here. Makoto says that they... owe him a favor. Martina expresses her gratefulness for him stopping her execution order and asks if they can do anything else, to which Makoto replies telling her no, they're doing an excellent job. After some more conversation, Seth, Martina, and the peacekeepers then leave with Yomi's body to let Makoto talk privately to Yuma and Vivia. Makoto apologizes for their loss of Yakou and offers some faux sympathy. They're both... still conflicted about this conclusion, but Makoto tells them they're free to go, so they'll think about it later. Oh, but before they leave, he gives Yuma a little gift: a suspicious black box. Of course, Yuma can't open it just yet- it's a surprise!

Then the rest could play out pretty much normally (though an encounter with zombie Yomi chapter 5 seems inevitable and also awesome).

I think this alone would solve every issue I addressed before. The peacekeepers do not change out of nowhere. They simply reallocate power and there's still this feeling of them being a threat as they're now directly connected to the game's true antagonist. There's now a theme to Martina's return with Seth's presence as well. There's now a narrative purpose to that final section of the mystery labyrinth with proper payoff. And, most importantly, Makoto's motivations to use the detectives make more sense.

By the way, if any Yomi lovers think that he should stay alive for a potential return in the sequel... isn't it such a blessing that Yakou's DLC introduced this pretty neat little pill that could still make that possible? Just saying.

So yeah. Yuma, for the sake of narrative payoff and character writing consistency, please kill this clown. Thanks for reading <3

[rayshippouuchiha]

Hi Ray!

I’ve been going through a lot of my old notes recently and I’m just trying to put some of these snippets/prompts out there for anyone who wants to expand on the ideas. I feel like they’re just being wasted in my abandoned notes 😭.

In another life, Naruto would devote his whole being into becoming someone who’s admired, spending his love on miles of land and an idea instead of on people. But in this life Naruto is tired and there are too many plots of land that he hasn’t seen and too many ideas he hasn’t had enough time to fathom.

He wants to travel. To leave.

The Old Man probably thought that his thirst for the outside world stemmed from being stuffed in a room for the first three and a half years of his life, the main visitor being someone who was plotting to kill him all that time. The Old Man definitely thought that his want could be quelled with day time trips around the village; going to the Hokage Tower, strolling the streets during lunch, letting him take a heavily guarded walk home during the evening. But that’s not enough, Naruto wants to see everything.

Introductions pass, Naruto learns absolutely nothing new about his teammates— or even his sensei for that matter, bar from the assumption that he probably has an affinity for being late to things. Still

“Naruto Uzumaki. I like being outside, plants, and ramen. I don’t like bullies, liars, or people who waste my time. My hobby?” He casts a glance to the sky, hands clasped in his lap as he ponders the thought before shrugging. “Gardening I guess, or maybe practicing seals, I like to do both. I’d like to travel in the future.”

Sakura huffs, “Idiot, where would you even travel?”

Naruto shrugs, not even bothering to look at her. “Any and everywhere. From big villages to small towns, everything in between. I want to see the world.”

For this snippet I always imagined Sasuke and Naruto leaving Konoha together, but instead of Sasuke going with Orochimaru it’s just him and Naruto traveling while trying to get stronger. Or maybe they do go with Orochimaru and then leave a couple of months later after they pull a “gotcha bitch move” and just takes a bunch of scrolls and half the population of Otogakure.

Ohh ohhh you're speaking my language here darling. And if you've got more prompts like this feel free to send them in!

Naruto tries to love Konoha, he does. And in a lot of ways he even succeeds. He loves the trees and the tall buildings and the faces on the mountain. He loves Iruka-sensei for the bits of kindness he's given him and Teuchi and Ayame for everything they are. He even loves the Old Man despite how sad he makes Naruto sometimes.

Naruto loves parts of Konoha but ...

(And that's the thing really, the fact that there's a but at the end of that sentence at all.

The fact that his love has conditions, that it's not consuming or eclipsing or any of the things the Old Man had always tried to press into him on their rare times together.)

But...

Konoha preaches the Will of Fire, teaches the preservation of the Great Tree.

It's what the Old Man has always talked about. It's what the Academy and Iruka-sensei have always taught.

It's never set completely right with Naruto.

But then Kakashi-sensei stands before them, something aching in his eye and something speaking of blood and pain and grief draped across the set of his shoulders, and talks about teams and abandonment and what it is to be beneath even whatever tenuous and shifting sort of honor shinobi might lay claim to.

Naruto hears what he does not actually say, picks up on the message between his words.

Better to die fighting at the side of those you love than to live in the shadow of the grief losing them will cast.

And that?

That settles just a bit easier within him.

Still, Naruto can't help but wonder if the other two can see the corpses Kakashi-sensei is so obviously carrying as clearly as he can.

He doesn't think Sakura can, not yet.

He's sure that Sasuke can.

Sakura takes to training poorly in the beginning but Naruto doesn't think it'll stay that way. She's rich steady earth down to her core. He's sure it's only a matter of time before she blooms.

Sasuke is roaring lightning and blazing flame. Consuming without even trying, ravenous by his very nature. Chafing at the bit and driven by a phantom only he can see.

Naruto's pretty sure he's the only person who looks at Naruto and actually sees him.

(That alone would be enough to make Naruto love him.)

And Naruto ...

Naruto has always been a creature of wind and water. Sea-sun gold in his hair and oceans in his eyes. Typhoons lurking in every breath, a maelstrom where his heart should be.

(Sasuke thinks that Naruto might be the only person in the entire village who looks at him and sees Sasuke instead of Itachi, instead of an Uchiha, instead of everything he's never been able to live up to.

He thinks that alone could make him love Naruto if the idea of loving anything again wasn't so terrifying.)

So, when the time comes, Naruto ignores the blood and the pain and wraps his hand around Sasuke's elbow.

Pulls him closer.

Presses their foreheads together.

Sasuke's eyes go wide, tears gathering at the corners.

For a long moment they stay there like that, Naruto's blood slick and burning on both their skin.

"Naruto," Sasuke finally rasps.

An apology. A plea.

"Sasuke," Naruto rasps back, blood thick and hot in his mouth.

Acceptance. Forgiveness.

"I have to kill him," Sasuke whispers, something young but wild lingering at the edges of his tone. "I have to."

"I know," Naruto tells him. "But that doesn't mean you have to do it alone."

"I can't stay here," Sasuke says but there's something fragile, something delicate and yearning unfurling in his eyes.

The tomoe in his eyes look different somehow but Naruto doesn't focus on that.

"I'm not asking you to," Naruto smiles as best he can. "I'm just asking you to take me with you. So we can do this together."

~~~

When Kakashi arrives neither Sasuke nor Naruto are anywhere to be found.

Just a ravaged battleground and a pair of discarded headbands laying overlapped on the shore.

[idkhowtopickausername]

I really do think that if Sasuke and Naruto were actually treated as complementary it could’ve been really powerful. Like the thing about Naruto’s ideology is that it’s so focused on feelings that towards the end it becomes more about mitigating conflict than about creating any kind of systemic change, whereas Sasuke is unafraid of creating conflict and directly focused on bringing about some type of revolutionary change.

Talk no jutsu, at it’s core, I think is an attempt on Naruto’s part to replicate what Iruka did for him, which is acknowledge someone’s suffering and the fact that they’re deserving of compassion despite their own feeling of isolation and hopelessness. But its formulaic repetition takes on a preachy quality after a while and serves to falsely equate his own suffering with everyone else’s, while placing the responsibility on the individual who has been hurt to simply change their mindset without seeking any outward change or accountability. On a narrative level it ends up stripping characters of any aspect of their ideology that poses a challenge to the broader social order until they praise Naruto and then die or fade into the background.

Despite the fact that their suffering and sense of isolation is something that connects them, Sasuke is very aware that his suffering is different from Naruto’s—he points it out at the first VoTE fight when he says that Naruto doesn’t understand what it’s like to have loved ones and then lose them. His entire focus is on the fact that he needs some outward form of justice or closure and that he cannot heal by simply changing his mindset. He doesn’t suppress his trauma the way Naruto does but is very honest with himself about it. It would make sense for Naruto to have to change his ideology in order to reconcile with Sasuke, just as Sasuke has to accept that cutting himself off from love and bonds is something that he simply can’t and shouldn’t have to do.

Sasuke is also very aware of the superficiality of the village’s favor because he was popular and considered a valuable asset but was still offered no genuine support following the massacre and was quickly treated as an enemy by everyone except Naruto following his defection. He understands that the village rewards usefulness with high status in a way that’s objectifying and conditional, whereas Naruto still needs to acknowledge that for himself. Naruto on the other hand understands how unbearable complete ostracization and loneliness is—something that Sasuke needs to accept. Their storylines are reversed in that sense. Naruto’s need to feel a sense of belonging leads him to uncritically absorb and parrot a lot of the village’s propaganda, while Sasuke is able to openly criticize the shinobi system and form his own ideas in a way that is largely uninfluenced by popular opinion. But Sasuke’s attempts to forego relationships and outside input altogether and take everything on himself is impractical as well. Compassion and human connection on a personal level are important, they’re just not solutions in and of themselves.

Instead of embracing Sasuke’s ideas but still acknowledging that he shouldn’t have to carry them out alone in ways that are impractical and self-destructive, the narrative uses Sasuke’s self-destructive methods to undermine his ideas completely and validate Naruto’s. This is incredibly frustrating because the reason he was driven to isolate himself and try to put himself through hell was because of the very problems he was trying to solve in doing so. 

[cooliogirl101]

Happy Holidays! For your mini-fic giveaway, I'd like to see one with the TLM Lightning Mist AU (the one where Sayuri ends up in Naruto-world and unintentionally seduces the crap out of Sakumo). For the prompt, I'd love to see her interacting with the Rookie 9 generation, perhaps checking in on Kakashi's training of Team 7, with a look at how she has changed things in-universe with her presence. Thank you so much!

(In a world where Sakumo is the unquestioned hero of the shinobi world for defeating 'The Calamity, Ruiner of Villages, Destroyer of Worlds.' He was nominated for Hokage 3 times-- the only reason they stopped nominating him was because the most recent time they did, he marched over and slammed the Hokage hat down on Minato's head.

As for who knows the truth about Sayuri being 'The Calamity', it's a very well kept secret among Konoha's higher ups. Minato knows, Kushina knows, certain members of the Council know, and of course Sakumo and Kakashi know).

"Oh no," Iruka said faintly, face pale. "Oh, I'm going to die, aren't I? The Hokage is going to kill me."

"I'm afraid I don't understand what the issue is," Sayuri said, a slight downturn to her lips. "You asked me to help you with your lecture on Suna, did you not? I did as you requested. After all, who better to teach about Suna than someone who lives in Suna?"

"Did I just start a war?" Iruka wondered, clearly not hearing her. He looked on the verge of hyperventilating. "I-- how did you even-- why would you--"

"It's quite alright," the current source of Iruka's stress said smoothly. "Sayuri's an old friend. When she asked me for help-- well, how could I refuse?"

"Thank you, Sasori," Sayuri said, rewarding him with a tiny smile. "I do appreciate this, you know."

"I asked you to help me teach, not to bring an S-Class Suna shinobi into my classroom!" Iruka wailed. "I just-- Akasuna no Sasori? Do you have any idea the kind of incident this could cause? The diplomatic nightmare you've put me in?"

"He offered to teach the kids about basic puppetry and Suna cuisine," Sayuri defended herself.

"Poison, my dear. The word you're looking for is poison," Sasori interjected, tone slightly amused.

"Exactly, Suna cuisine." Sayuri turned back towards Iruka. "Besides, you didn't complain when I brought Kisame-san in to teach about Kirigakure on that day you were out sick."

"You did what?!"

(As for how the Rookie-9 views Sayuri-- they were pretty intimidated by her at first, but quickly warmed up to her once they realized she plans the coolest field trips and brings in the most awesomest ninja guests ever-- usually without official approval, but what Minato doesn't know won't hurt him. She's kind of like the Ms. Frizzle of the Naruto world to them.

Sayuri met Sasori on one of her many trips to Suna. They have a bit of a weird friendship-- he takes it as a personal challenge to create a poison that can take her out, and in return for the free supply of delicious spices, she ignores his periodic attempts to kill her/turn her into a puppet. Sakumo would heavily disapprove if he knew about it, which is why this is one of the few secrets she keeps from him.)