#boruto angst

[naruhinaluvrx]

Mitsuboru Month Day 14-Free Choice

Decided to go with emotional damage

[requirings]

metal's other dad is gaara au

[noweakergirl]

dare I say... superior trope

[kakashi-miso]

Speaking of ANGST I have a fanfic that only has a prologue and 1 chapter ready. The plot begins with Mirai noticing Kakashi's strange behavior, as if he was sick, but does not want to talk about it If you want… I can translate all of this into English. Your opinion is important to me!

Above you can see the cover for this fanfic. It was not for nothing that I chose the name "Ash Camellia" Below you can see sketches for this story:

Tsunade: We could buy more time by putting you in a medically induced coma

Kakashi: No. Definitely not. This is my last word on this topic

Naruto: Sensei, are you okay?

[salads-and-bolts]

His Past Her Present

- Chapter 5 preview -

“Boruto?”

“Don’t talk,” he muttered, taking her hand. Trailing his fingers against hers. “Just let me hold you…”

“…Boruto?” She called his name again, concern evident on her face.

Boruto sat up. Reached out… His eyes closed again. He leaned forward and kissed her a second time, this time more tenderly. Like he’d always wanted to. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back in bed, gladly accepting the added weight onto his chest.

She was hesitant at first, but eventually accepted his kiss, relaxing against him, slowly kissing him back. They were going to have a kid. He was going to have a kid… With Sarada.

He let go of her lips with great reluctance, but there was something he needed to say before he drowned his sorrows in affection his apparent wife. Her eyes were beautiful, sparking with a softened expression he’d been longing to see, one that he thought he couldn’t have because to see it there needed to be peace, and as long as he was alive, peace wasn’t achievable.

But now he was here instead of that accursed nightmare he thought was his life. It didn’t matter how he got here. He just had to stay.

Boruto trailed his hand from the back of her head to the front, brushing her bangs behind her ear with a touch so gentle his fingers didn’t even make it to her skin. “You have no idea… How much I missed you.”

“…Boruto!”

. . .

Boruto sucked in a breath, eyes snapping open. Even though they were supposed to be open already. He was no longer looking at a hazy grown-up version of Sarada, Uchiha earrings dangling from her ears. He was looking at Sarada in a blazer, a bow tied neatly under the collar of her white button down shirt. And she was on top of him. And his hand was in her hair.

“A-A-Are you awake now?!”

He groaned and rolled onto his side, pulling the covers over his head. “How dare you interrupt my dream.”

“How dare I interrupt your dream?! How dare you dream about kissing me??!! You… Moron! Pervert! Idiot! Stupid! You just… You just stole my precious first kiss!”

- Read the rest on Ao3!!

[ladyuchiha96]

Dawn

Set during the time skip - Boruto gradually realizing his feelings for Sarada

Looking back now, Boruto had always known that he loved Sarada.

The realization had crept into his mind rather slowly, quietly, as a silent wanting to have her close to him, to be able to hear her voice and talk to her when his chest felt heavy and feel the warmth of her palm on his shoulder when he wanted to scream in despair.

In the years he spent away with Sasuke, he would glance at the moon, the same moon she could see, and wonder if he ever slipped into her thoughts the way she did into his.

He often found himself wishing he could spar with her, have her see him succeed after weeks of working on something, and catch the faint smile in the corners of her mouth when she thought he wasn't looking.

Boruto liked seeing her smile. And he loved that concealed smile more than anything because it was meant for him and him only. It made his chest swell with pride and blood rush through his body like a force driving him forward.

On rare nights when fatigue stifled his fears, she would come to him in his dreams, right before dawn.

In the dream, she would lie beside him and hold his hand on the pillow, touch his hair, run her fingertips over the features of his face, the edges of his lips, and his scar.

He would close his eyes and lean into her touch, tired and momentarily oblivious to the outside world.

Stay. Please, stay.

She never did. Boruto would wake up, wishing he could disappear, just for another moment, to escape the guilt that tore at his gut.

Sometimes they would sit on his father's stone face and talk about something ordinary. Something that didn't involve saving thousands of souls or stopping mass destruction.

The dream would be so vivid Boruto could even hear the echo of Thunder Train somewhere in the distance, see how the gold of the sun changed the color of her hair, and feel the wind on his face, a feeling painfully familiar. He would wake up more homesick than ever.

The nearer his return to the Hidden Leaf drew, the more often he dreamed of her running into his embrace at the gate.

No matter how hard he tried to feel her with his senses, to recall the scent of her skin, the warmth of her body, the rise and fall of her chest, and the beat of her heart, in his dream Sarada remained out of his reach, even though she was right there in his arms.

Longing for home and fear of never hugging her again blended into each other, never to be set apart.

It was after he returned to the village and spent days and nights training, fighting, talking, and going on missions with her that he first felt the urge to touch her lips with his own, to hold her and - kiss her, and have her kiss him back, and - his whole body shivered with some electric feeling at the thought.

At first, it had felt just as natural as it felt ridiculous. Sarada was his friend. They grew up together. He doubted she felt anything similar about him. Not that Boruto had much time or brainpower to analyze as they were saving the world.

All he knew for sure was that he needed her to be safe because if anything happened to her after everything that happened to his family, he would most certainly have lost his mind.

And when Sarada stepped into his arms and kissed him in front of the five great shinobi nations upon his return from the battle with Kawaki, Boruto stood frozen in shock for what could have been a second or an hour, overwhelmed with the feel of her mouth on his.

Then his arms wrapped around her waist, and he drew her closer, as close as he could without hurting them both, and his chest grew heavy with the sobs she swallowed, both his and hers, sobs of sorrow and relief.

They knelt on the ground together, shaking and holding on to one another, and that was when Boruto knew that there never was and never will be anyone else on this Earth or beyond it that he would love more than he loved her.

I am genuinely interested to hear how this one felt to you guys (if it gave you any feels at all, that is)

Masterlist

[sexyzuka]

A Fateful Encounter

Pairing: Kiba Inuzuka x Reader

Word Count: 2.2k+

Content: fem!reader, werewolf!reader, gore, blood, angst, mentions of death, a bit of findom, pet names

Summary: It's been nearly a decade now since the Fourth Great Ninja War. You and your tribe live just outside of Konoha's border, a coexistence spanning nearly a century, but one fueled by secrecy. Hardly anyone in Konoha knows the truth about you, and you'd like to keep it that way. Unfortunately, a member of your tribe has been mortally wounded. From past experiences you know that the only way to save them is to sneak into Konoha to get supplies, but what happens when your ruse to appear as a human is exposed?

Writer's Notes: Hey, so this is my first fanfic. I wanted to write down this scenario I had floating around in my head involving Boruto era Kiba Inuzuka and my werewolf OC. For the purpose of this fic, I turned her into the reader. I really want to rewrite this scenario from Kiba's point of view and have that as a sister-fic to this one. I also have at least one more part for this fic planned, so you can be on the lookout for that! When I write up the second part I'll be sure to link to it in the description. I hope you enjoy.

Red. Everything was red. The oppressive hues coupled with the noxious stench of mangled flesh was wafting through the stagnant air.

"Stay strong, please. I'll be back as soon as I can," you said gently as you held up a hand to the grimacing maw of your friend. You affectionately ran your nails through their fur while you reassured them, "I swear I won't let you die." Your eyes began to swell a bit, but you managed to maintain your composure by virtue of sheer willpower. You knew that unnecessary emotional outbursts wouldn't accomplish anything right now.

The only thing that can help in this situation is action. That's right, you can't just sit here forever.

"I need you to keep pressure on the wound," you barked while beckoning over a trembling youth. "Don't ease up even for a second, okay?"

"O-o-ok," their voice meekly whimpered.

You could see the hesitation in their eyes, but you knew there were no other options.

"I promise I won't be long. This is something only you can do right now. Please," you pleaded while pointing to your companion huddled on the ground, "just stay here with Kōtarō and I'll handle the rest."

You kneeled down as you rested your hand on the pup's shoulder. They gingerly lifted their head up to meet your gaze. A firm resolve resonating within you emanated from every cell in your being. The youngster, emboldened by the exchange, gave you a silent nod as they arduously walked over to Kōtarō.

After instructing them on where to apply pressure, you put on your hood and took off at a breakneck speed towards Konoha.

Your adrenaline gave you tunnel vision, all you could think of was saving your friend. In your haste you neglected to double-check all of your belongings before you left. You thought that your gear felt a bit lighter than usual, but you couldn't quite figure out why. The only thing that mattered to you right now was securing medicine for Kōtarō.

You suppressed a wave of uneasiness swelling up inside of you by reminding yourself of what was at stake. Even a single moment of hesitation could be the difference between life and death. You bring yourself back down to earth by biting down on your bottom lip hard. A few drops of blood ooze out and flitter in the wind as you continue on your journey.

As you closed in on the village you took a detour to the east. There was no way the guards would let you in normally, after all. Thankfully the Konoha ninken were cordial with your tribe so you rarely had any issue when you chose to use their special entrance.

Entrance… might not be the right word for it. Sure, it was used for egress when a rowdy hound wanted to escape the humdrum of everyday life. Since the war ended there have been fewer and fewer missions for ninken, but their drive to hunt and unleash their energy hasn't abated in the slightest. On occasion a ninken or two will even join your tribe when the moon is at its fullest and brightest, joyously scampering about while their human partners are none the wiser.

As you think back on the last full moon you see Kōtarō's face in your mind. He was so happy to have finally been able to lead the pack in their nightly run, his eyes glimmering with pure joy and excitement as the cool breeze delicately tousled his coat. The sinister touch of reality didn't let this daydream last long though as it tainted his visage, turning it from one of unbridled bliss to gut-wrenching agony.

The sordid apparitions your mind concocts shake you to your core. Your entire body involuntarily shivers as you stagger closer to a partially obscured hole in the ground next to the wall that surrounds Konoha. A sullen howl in the distance snaps you back to reality.

"I'm doing this for him," you reassure yourself.

With one swift motion you jump up a meter or two and by the time you've reached the ground your transformation is complete. You've gotten better at this over the years. At first the blistering pain used to radiate throughout your body, especially in your bones. But nowadays you can complete the sequence without so much as a second thought.

As soon as your paws touched the warm earth you deftly burrowed through the small hole in the ground, being sure to not disturb the surroundings on the other side of the wall. You were very familiar with the placement of the crates that lined the perimeter of Konoha. The wooden boxes, for being as mundane as they were, served a surprising number of purposes. They were the perfect hidden entranceway that moonlighted as a lycanthrope transformation room.

As quickly as before, your body was transfigured into that of a young adult. Your metamorphosis into a human was pretty convincing, but your pointed ears and vivacious tail were remnants of your true form that belied your façade. In your haste you neglected to tie back your ears and tuck your tail entirely into your clothes. The caramel brown strands of fur weren't fully visible, but a discerning eye from a curious stranger could prove to be a detriment.

You silently lifted the top of the crate open so you could peer outside. You scanned the area, making sure no one was nearby, before you furtively slipped out through a small opening. You dusted off the outside of your cloak before beginning the next leg of your journey.

You'd been to Konoha many times, so you knew the quickest way to get to your destination, a pet supplies store on the south side of town. It used to be so much harder to secure provisions and medications, but since the Fourth Great Ninja War there have been more chances for an outsider such as yourself to blend into the monotonous mass of visitors that now populate the streets. Most of these tourists are too engrossed in their own inflated sense of self to pay much mind to others, let alone a meek and unassuming young woman keeping to the shadows.

You have keen senses and a knack for erasing your presence, so the rest of this trip should be easy, you reassure yourself. The owner of the pet supplies store you frequent has come to know you well over the years, a tacit understanding facilitated by the exchange of this civilization's currency.

You often wonder how these rather dull and drab coins are useful in any way to humans. It's not as if you can eat the hunks of metal or use them as a vulnerary, on the contrary you have to be wary of the ones that contain trace amounts of silver lest they elicit a potent allergic reaction. Just thinking about the tarnished tender makes the hackles on the back of your neck radiate with trepidation.

If anything, those accursed coins are more of an affliction than an asset because you've seen many a human turn feral from their wicked grasp.

"And they have the nerve to call us monsters," you mumble to yourself in a muted tone as you approach the pet supplies store.

As you enter the store you're greeted with an astute, silent nod from the proprietor. After half a second of eye contact you return his nod and make your way to the back corner of the store. You're grateful that the old man who owns this joint has never once questioned your rather unusual appearance.

He's no doubt seen the amber strands of your fur that sometimes peek out under your cloak when you bend down to grab something on a bottom shelf. An unfortunately timed occasional sneeze here and there sometimes jostles your hood and misplaces it ever so slightly, but he chooses to keep silent even when faced with an disconcerting truth that would unnerve most normal humans.

"Hm, what does 'normal' even mean?" you ponder to yourself while mindlessly passing through the aisles.

You've been here enough times in the past to know where everything is, so all you have to do is just turn this corner and-

Before you could finish that thought you carelessly trip on a leash that's being pulled taut by a rugged man with a distracted look on his face. His expression changes from one of distracted consumerism to that of genuine concern.

As you stumble and fall towards the ground a robust arm with an impressive amount of strength grabs you around your waist right before you hit the ground. The man slowly pulls you back up, but you're too frazzled to give much of a reaction. Your hood slightly askew now, and one of your ears is poking out ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry, my bad." a voice rings out. "I was looking for a leash for our newest puppy and-," the words continue to hit your eardrums but you can't make much sense of them because your heart and mind begin racing at an astronomical pace. The only thing that you can hear is your own heartbeat clamoring in your ears. "…my sis is busy, so I'm on shopping duty… and Akamaru, oh that's my partner, he… and I can't believe Kōtarō hasn't given us a raise this year, something about inflation-"

"Kōtarō?" hearing that name snaps you back to reality.

"Yeah, you know him or something?" the man asks with a skeptical expression on his face.

A flood of images from earlier today dance through your mind, the vile spectres of your past beckoning you towards the edge of a cliff. The icy chill that ran down your spine was enough to unfurl the jumbled mess of thoughts that constricted your free will.

"Kōtarō," you repeated again.

"Uh miss, are you ok? Also, it looks like you might have a little dog fur stuck on your hood here let me-" as the man reached over to grab the tuft of fur that was attached to your ear, you jumped back a little.

"Thank you," you said as you quickly fixed your hood and straightened up your cloak, shaking off the dust with a newly ignited fervor.

"You're welcome? Listen, just now was that your-" before the man was able to finish his sentence you were already in the next aisle grabbing supplies. He turned around and followed you, but you couldn't make out what he was saying because your mind was consumed with one thought.

"I have to save him." The words kept repeating in your head over and over.

You dashed to the register while carrying a considerable amount of gauze, antibiotics, and medical tape. As you put your items on the counter the man came jogging from the aisle you were just in.

"Hey, wait. Stop ignoring me!" he exclaimed as you frantically searched for the bag of ryō that you always carry with you whenever you visit Konoha. When you reached down to your waist the only thing that you were greeted with was a sense of horror. The rope that usually holds up your pocket change was missing, and in its place was nothing but a sinking feeling of dread. It must have been severed during all of the commotion earlier in the forest.

"Put it on my tab," you feverishly whimpered while deftly snagging the items off of the counter before the proprietor could react.

As you sprinted out the door, the owner shook his head admonishingly as he glanced over at the man who had a countenance composed of equal parts intrigue and confusion.

"So, is a member of Konoha's Military Police Force seriously going to let a robbery happen right in front of him and not go after the thief?" the proprietor asked with a snarky expression on his face.

The man snapped out of his daze, a cheeky smile emerging amidst the lingering remnants of bemusement.

"No way. I'll make sure I catch up to her or my name's not Kiba Inuzuka," the man proudly barked while puffing out his chest and flexing his muscles.

"That's all well and fine, but I still need to pay for my next shipment of Azithromycin. That stuff's not cheap, you know! Since you're so sure of yourself, why don't you cover her tab for now and get her to pay you back?" The old man had a crooked, sinister smile on his face while he pointed at the number on the register.

"Yeah, sure. I know I'll get her to pay me back. I'm Kiba Inuzuka, after all. There's nothing I can't-" he did a double take as he read the exorbitant number listed on the register, "-excuse me, that medication cost HOW MUCH?" Unable to swallow his pride and admit he was wrong, Kiba grabbed his wallet and paid for the mysterious woman's tab.

"Thank you. Please come again," the proprietor's cheery voice resounded as the cash register ringed.

Kiba has a sullen look on his face as he put his wallet away. It looks like his clan's youngest ninken will have to wait another day for that new leash. He left the store with a heightened sense of determination. "Okay little princess, now where did you run off to? Don't think you can run away from my nose."

----- TO BE CONTINUED -----

PART TWO

[thekingwhereitallends]

Mitsuki:(sitting on coach,listening to Sarada and smiling at her)

Hinata:(looks at Mitsuki and Sarada, shocked)

Naruto:(realizes something is wrong with Hinata) What's wrong,babe?

Hinata:I just...remembered someone...

*later that night*

Hinata:Mitsuki-kun,a minute please.

Sarada:(surprised,puts a hand on Mitsuki's hand) I'll wait for you.

Mitsuki:How sweet of you,Sarada.

Mitsuki:(comes to Hinata) What is it,Hinata-san?

Hinata:(stares at Mitsuki for a while and then starts to run her fingers through his hair,caresses his cheeks and hugs him)

Hinata:'He looks the same as Toneri... the cold and reserved demeanour with the hidden rage and darkness in hearts...this purity and beautiful face...there's no mistake...'

Mitsuki:(surprised)

Hinata:(kisses Mitsuki on forehead) I'm glad you befriended Boruto and Sarada. You're such a gentle boy,Mitsuki-kun.

Mitsuki:Is there something wrong..?

Hinata:(wipes off tears,turning away) Take care,and goodnight.

Mitsuki:You too...

Mitsuki:(returns to Sarada)

Sarada:What happened?

Mitsuki:My best guess is i look identical to someone she knows.

Hinata:(looks back at Mitsuki and Sarada)

Hinata:'I hope Mitsuki and Sarada won't end up suffering from the same fate as Toneri and I.'

[cocktailjjrs]

So anyone ever just....

To get motivation to be creative - watch or read a anime/manga (again!) - one that you've watched or read multiple time till the point to having it memorized to a T?

Anyone? No?

Only me? Okay

[msiti-animations]

[animae-n-sht]

Unsteady

[bornonthebreakofdawn]

Angst warning...

Based on Boruto chapter 77

(Access Twitter to see the full comic)

Part 1/5

Part 2/5

[kitsuneudon743]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto Rating: Mature Warnings: Underage Relationships: Uchiha Sarada/Uzumaki Boruto, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Boruto, Uzumaki Boruto & Uzumaki Himawari, Uzumaki Boruto & Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Hinata & Uzumaki Boruto, Ootsutsuki Momoshiki & Uzumaki Boruto Characters: Uzumaki Boruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Ootsutsuki Momoshiki, Hyuuga Hinata, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sarada Additional Tags: Anxiety, Blank Period, Hearing Voices, Lust, Teenagers, hopeless, boruto needs a hug, Training, Canon Compliant, Internal Conflict, Emotional Hurt, Mental Instability, Uzumaki Boruto-centric, Momoshiki sucks Series: Part 4 of BoruSara Summary:

Set in the canon.

Boruto has been travelling with Sasuke for three and a half years now after Kawaki turned his world upside down. Tired, and beginning to get discouraged, he still struggles with Momoshiki's constant whispering in his ear.

[lumiesian]

" the ink pot "

pairing: shikadai nara x  inojin yamanaka

warnings: autistic!inojin, mentions of struggles with autistic traits (e.g. social isolation, difficulty communicating and making friends, bullying, sensory overload), non-harmful stimming, poorly translated Arabic lol

word count: 2.1k

synopsis: inojin felt like a pot of spilt ink. (can be read as either mutual crushing or an established relationship!)

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45974221

Inojin felt like a pot of spilt ink. Messy, dark, staining everything it touches, waiting in a puddle untouched because everyone knows that cleaning it up will only make more of a mess than the spill already caused. ‘Let’s just wait for it to dry on its own!’ people would say, ‘I’m sure someone else will wipe it up later!’ they’d think, or ‘If I touch it’ll stain my hands!’, and they’d be right. Inojin knew this.

It was always inevitable that the ink would spill, the painter was a mess after all, always trying to create bigger and better but never upgrading his tools. Inojin had been trying his best with what he already had, but with constant reminders that his best would never be good enough, he had to aspire to be better.

It started with his voice, it wasn’t good enough. So he tried better, he enunciated his words clearer, he altered his tone to be more high pitched, he’d speak faster when others did, or he remembered to be quiet when the room was small. Eventually, he got the hang of it, every conversation feeling like a game of Karaoke- make sure to hit the notes, don't forget the words, remember to take the breath here, but not there. 

But it wasn’t enough, what about his face? It was all wrong and broken. He didn’t smile when he was supposed to, his eyebrows didn't move enough, and his eyes were creepy and unnatural. ‘Smile, Inojin!’ he heard it often enough, but once he got the hang of it… ‘Stop smiling all the time, it’s creepy!’, so he reeled it back in. It was strange, his eye contact was too intense, but then it was too avoidant, his eyebrows were too stiff, but then they were too animated, everything his face did was always wrong.

His Mother wasn’t any help; ‘Just be yourself baby!’, was easier said than done when no one liked ‘himself’. Inojin was blunt and to the point, he got excited over Art, Fashion, Flowers, and Video Games, but couldn't share a conversation with others- always needing to talk about his interest, confused when others didn’t share them. Inojin was a problem, rebranded over and over again; He talks too much in class, he doesn't share enough in class, he doesn't play well with others, he spends too much time playing alone, he’s too blunt, he’s too vague, he’s too loud, he’s too quiet, he moves around too much, he won’t pay attention- Inojin was exhausted.

And his exhaustion turned to anger, and his anger turned to sadness, and his sadness turned to nothing. His parents didn’t know how to help him as he fell into a simple routine of ‘eat, sleep, repeat’ rejecting his father's offers to go outside and paint together, and ignoring his mother's requests to go shopping together- activities he used to love more than anything. He used to be such a happy kid. Back when it was just him and his parents, there were no expectations for how he should or shouldn't look, there was no wrong and right tone, and it didn’t matter if he swung his feet during mealtimes, or twirled his hair during conversations, or shook his hands watching TV- everything was good back then. His Dad assured him nothing he was doing was ever wrong, and his Mama encouraged him to just be himself- back when being himself didn’t make everyone hate him.

“What should we do?” Inojin heard his Mother, Ino, whisper from the kitchen, it’d been 3 weeks of Inojin refusing to attend the Academy or see his friends, and he knew it upset his parents. Still, he didn’t particularly know what to do about that.

“I asked Sakura but she said there’s nothing they can do for him if it’s psychological…” Sai, Inojin’s father, concurred. He stopped listening after that, pulling his knees up to his chest and gently tapping on his earlobes rhythmically to distract himself from it all. His phone buzzed on his bedside table and he checked it reluctantly.

Shikadai: Hey what was that old designer you told me about, from Sunagakure? With that Purple line?

Inojin let out a sigh and contemplated leaving his best friend on read, before replying anyway;

Inojin: I know what you're doing. You don’t need to pretend to be interested.

The blond pulled his quilt cover-up over his body and tried to ignore the semi-frequent buzzes of his phone next to him. He didn’t need to know that that’s what Shikadai was doing, the past had taught him well enough; when girls at the Academy asked him about a flower he liked and then giggled and side-eyed one another when he’d give them answers. When boys said they liked his new sneakers he took the opportunity to explain why he picked them- the looks they gave him… It hurt.

‘Go away,’ he thought, ‘Just go away… Stop pretending…’ Inojin grabbed fistfuls of his hair and tried to ignore the ever-increasing noise; Bz…Bzz… Bzzzz… BZZZZZ… BUZZ!!

“Ugh!” Whined the boy, picking up his phone and throwing it across his room. It was followed by something shattering, as Inojin sat up quickly to glance at his desk. The black ink pot had broken and leaked all over his desk. He sucked in a sharp breath and bit down on his bottom lip as he slowly got up and walked towards it. The ink had splattered out onto everything; it had soaked into the wood of the desk, desecrated artworks he'd worked on with his father, stained fabric scraps his mother was helping him sew together, wrecked the band of his hitai-ate and splattered over photo frames of him and his loved ones.

It wasn’t a big deal, really, he could get a new desk, he could make new artworks with his Dad, start new projects with his Mama, could get a new forehead protector, could wipe down the photo frames, it could all be fixed easily enough. But it didn’t feel like it, it felt like the final straw in a never-ending series of failures and disappointments. His knees gave way under him as his eyes began to feel heavy. Thick tears streamed down his cheeks as he hugged his knees to his chest and buried his face into them.

The noise was too loud, telling him he wasn’t good enough, that he never would be. The pot would stay broken and the ink would stay spilt, and anyone who tried to fix it would just make a mess. It felt like forever had passed on the cold hard floor, and the sky had turned from mid-afternoon to early dusk, tears just as hot and heavy as they were when they first began to fall.

A soft knock fell on his door, followed by a gentle voice, “Inojin? Can I come in?” It was Shikadai, there was no mistaking the familiar voice. Inojin had half a mind to turn him away, yell ‘Go away!’, or ‘I don’t want to talk!’, but no words came out and he continued his silent grieving, “I’m coming in…” Shikadai whispered before slowly opening the door, being sure to shut it behind him before turning to look around.

It was getting dark, the lilac sky outside giving the room a soft glow, illuminating Inojin’s pale face and watery eyes. Shikadai had a large duffle bag in one hand and gently placed it down on the floor before approaching Inojin, crouching down beside him, “Inojin? It’s okay…”

“No, it’s not!” Inojin sobbed out, “Go away! You don’t need to pretend to be my friend anymore! I know you're only here ‘cause our parents are friends!” The blond choked out, causing Shikdai to furrow his brows and sit down on the floor beside his friend, slowly stretching out a hand to rest on Inojin’s shoulder. “I talk too much about stupid things, my face is all messed up and nobody likes me! I can’t be good enough!”

“Hey… that’s not true…” Shikadai whispered, bringing his other hand around to hold Inojin’s. “I’m here because I’m your best friend and I love and care about you, and so does Chocho, she loves and cares about you so much, we’re both really worried…” Shikadai comforted, “I love listening to you talk about things, and I think your face is the nicest in the world… I’m sorry you’ve felt so awful…”

“It’s not your fault I ruin everything…” Inojin whispered, squeezing onto Shikadais hand and using his free hand to push his hair behind his ear- it’d begun to stick to his face from all the wet tears, “I can’t be what you guys need, I can’t be a good friend, I can't be normal… I spilt ink everywhere Shikadai- and if we try and clean it up it’ll just get on you too…”

“Yeah?” Shikadai glanced at Inojin’s desk before shooting the blond a lopsided smile and pulling his hand away to wipe the tears off of Inojin’s face, Shikadai knew this wasn’t about the ink, “Well… it might be a drag, but I think it’s easy enough to clean up if you ask for help… It’s just ink…” Shikadai’s thumb lingered on the skin below Inojin’s eye, admiring the boy's smooth skin and feeling his heart break at the purple eye bags that tugged on his red and teary eyes.

Inojin’s bottom lip began to tremble and the blond was sobbing again- his whole body wracked with shakes as his nose began to run, before Shikadai even had time to react Inojin had thrown himself into Shikadai’s arms. Letting out a heavy sigh Shikadai wrapped his arms around Inojin and began gently petting his blond hair; “Rajul jamil…” Shikadai softly whispered as Inojin’s sobs began to quiet down, “Ana mahzuz jidana bik…” 

Inojin loved it when Shikadai spoke Sunan, he spoke it with an air of elegance and maturity that made Inojin’s cheeks heat in an unfamiliar way, and his chest flutter with something akin to butterflies- it made Inojin want to jump up and down and dance. Inojin allowed himself to be held for a few moments longer before finally breaking the silence, “What’s in the bag?” he asked as he slowly sat up, looking into Shikadai's kind eyes and gently tapping his kneecaps with his fingers, an action that didn't go unnoticed by the green-eyed genius. Shikadai had the action memorised, the way Inojin’s pointer finger had to make contact and lift before his middle finger could, then his ring finger, and finally his little finger- a structured pattern repeating on a loop.

“I love when you do that…” Shikadai mused, he thought it was cute, “Well I was telling Ma about that designer you liked, I figured she might know them since she would've been in her teens when they were popular and she was still living in Suna back then… and not only did she know them, apparently she loved ‘em…” Shikadai smiled gently and reached over, sliding the bag across the floor between the two boys and unzipping it, “None of these fit her anymore, and she’s not planning on having any more kids… We both thought maybe you’d like these?”

Inojin sniffled loudly, and wiped his eyes on his sleeve before finally allowing his face to relax into what felt like content happiness, “Did you know the designer had a whole line inspired by Kazekage Gaara? She incorporated textures into the line, which skyrocketed Sunagakure’s popularity around the Land of Wind!”

“Yeah? Isn’t that so cool!” Shikadai agreed, wiping another stray tear from Inojin’s face, “Did you know that my Mother commissioned the designer for a Kimono once? This was after she’d had me though, it still fits her but I’m sure she’d show it to you sometime!” 

Inojin’s face lit up even brighter as his hands shot up in fists beside his face, seemingly shaking with pure joy, “Really?”

“Mmhm, it incorporated black Higanbana into the design, to represent the Nara Clan too…” Shikadai grinned at the cute way Inojin’s arms moved, the plan to cheer up his favourite blond had been a success, “Oh! Speaking of flowers… What did you say your favourite was?”

“Oh! Easily the Calla Lily! They kinda look like little ink pots!” Inojin gushed, reaching up onto his desk to grab the vase of fresh Calla Lillies that had somehow managed to avoid any splatters of ink. They were the same colour purple as Inojin’s shirt, and they smelt of cleanliness and elegance, “Mama got some ink pots custom-made for Dad one Anniversary, they’re shaped like them!”

“Oh really? That’s awesome… What time of year do they bloom?” Shikadai inquired, and Inojin knew what Shikadai was doing, but he funnily didn’t seem to mind anymore. Maybe Shikadai was right, other people are a ‘drag’, maybe it is just ink. Maybe it’s easier to clean up with the help of others, and maybe it didn’t matter if everyone liked him; Shikadai did, and right now, it felt like that could be enough.

Translation Notes: "Beautiful man..." "I am so shaken by your existence/lucky to have you…"

[sassykinzonline]

i shouldve posted this when i wrote it to add to the conspiracy theories about who contributes to naruto content ☠️

[shunshinstan]

Couple gaaleesakuino thoughts

Naruto asks Sakura why she's being so friendly with Gaara for no apparent reason (Naruto is oblivious as always). Sakura cheerfully informs him that she's Gaara's sister-bride! Horrified Naruto laments her definitely being forced to join Gaara's harem. Sakura corrects his thoughts after laughing her ass off. Gaara's her brother-husband, too silly! They're both married to Lee! (Gaara came up with the term during one of his maaany one-on-ones with Ino. She, on the other hand, is his 'sister-double-in-law')

Because of *cough* some bullshit *cough* I mean. Good!Orochimaru research, or Sakura's own ingenuity, Metal Lee is gaalee's bio son, even though both his fathers are transmasc, while Inojin is sakuino's bio son, even though both of his mothers are transfem. The kids are both cross-adopted, of course, plus Shinki is their adopted sibling! Still, step?-brothers Metal and Inojin. (Does this technically make Inojin be Shikadai's step-cousin?? Idk. I've tried my best with other headcanons etc but shipping characters in all the different eras (founders, naruto adjecent, boruto era) have made it near-impossible for me to avoid distant incest. A ramble for another post.)

Ino is still a clan heir, of a clan that resides in Konoha and has very strong ties with it through the Akimichi and the Nara. Gaara, as the Kazekage, could pull rank and diplomacy and allow Ino to move to Suna, sure, but Ino loves her clan! And Gaara loves Suna.. I think that Gaara and Lee would be primarily based in Suna (with Shinki and Metal as well) while Sakura and Ino (and Inojin) live mainly in Konoha, but with many many trips and stays and missions and international assignments etc. Sakura and Ino staying in Suna for a couple months "to help with the hospital and mental health infrastructure". Lee and Gaara visiting Konoha every festival and stuff like that.

That's not to say Lee and Sakura don't get their time together! Joint missions for sure, but sometimes only the one of them will visit the other's country, leaving Gaara/Ino behind. They've got fewer clan/political obligations to uphold, so they don't have to worry about excuses nearly as much. They love each other very very much and are suuuper married.

Surnames-wise.. I think Sakura takes the Yamanaka name. Ino keeps her as clan head. Gaara doesn't actually *have* a family surname. Rock Lee would take Haruno, but since Sakura doesn't keep it.. He'd take Yamanaka, too, since he's technically married to one now (Yamanaka Sakura!), but in the end, he stays with his own. What is it, you ask? Hatake, of course! Hatake Rock Lee. So Gaara copies Sakura and takes Lee's surname. Hatake Gaara!!! Kids are Hatake Shinki, Hatake Metal Lee, and Yamanaka Inojin.