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thefairyletters · 4 years

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Ships and their wingmen

Part 2

Read -> Part 1

Because we can't be the only one who ship them. Or those who don't.

MinaSaku

In time-travel AU, Sakura will possibly the only one who will not ship it, if only because that will change the future. But casting that aside, Team Minato will do everything in their power to make sure the two adults soon sire a pink-haired, blue-eyed kid or blond-haired, green-eyed kid, or any combination of those colors for that matter.

Kushina will be conflicted whether to pursue Minato and fight her best friend/soul-sister (because Sakura is Kushina in pink hair) or allow Sakura get Minato and keep their relationships as it is. If she chooses latter, she will give up on Minato, simp on Hokage hat instead, and becomes the best damn Hokage Konoha has ever seen. If not, she puts up a good fight, insert-a-lot-of-angst, a heartfelt moment between Sakura and Kushina later simps on Hokage's hat, and becomes the best damn Hokage Konoha has ever seen. Either way, Kushina sooner or later supports MinaSaku, because she doesn't get Minato then only Sakura gets to have him.

Like Ino and Sakura, Inoichi and Sakura become fast friends, even if it starts with Inoichi flirting and Sakura hitting him squarely on his jaw, and the man is excessively protective of his pink-haired friend. He will probably root for KushiMina just so to protect Sakura's chastity. He will give up soon and will make sure no one gets in the way of his OTP.

If it takes place in canon, let's say somehow Minato selectively gets to be revived for extended periodof time for some reason. Or he time-travels to post-war time and finds himself thrown into a loop. Both, in which, MinaSaku is a very slow burn that even Naruto notices the strange air between his dad and his teammate, and everyone comes to conclusion exactly where Naruto had gotten his denseness from. Kakashi ships MinaSaku because it's his father-no-2 and favourite student together, as weird as it sounds. Naruto doesn't ship, at all, because that would make Sakura his step-mother. Most angst in this MinaSaku will be caused by one Naruto Uzumaki. Ino simps for this ship just because Minato is hot, is loosely Sakura's type and she, being a good friend, completely supports her best friend bedding a heartbreaker like Minato.

Tsunade ships because he is a good man.

Konoha council ships because Namikaze genes need to be retained in the village one way or another.

HashiSaku

For starters, Tobirama doesn't ship, at all. Hashirama was already very prone to get distracted even without Sakura in the picture, but now with someone of Sakura's colors by his side, it was as if Tobirama got prematurely promoted as the head of Senju clan AND Hokage. Tobirama doesn't appreciate it at all. He subtly tries to get Sakura killed, to ship her overseas without Hashirama noticing, and convince her to marry someone who wasn't tan-skinned, longhaired and a Senju to boot. When all failed, he tries to seduce her himself as a last-ditch effort to help her move on from Hashirama. He only manages to gain a black-eye and a harsh rejection on top of it. Then, it look a while, but he figured she would be a good leader and a competent backup if Hashirama remains distracted in all his future meetings.

Mito is a proud, powerful woman, and she desires strength in things that catches her attention. So when she found Sakura, she wanted her for herself but instead found herself in competition with Hashirama of all people. Regardless to say, they hate each other.

Madara sees Sakura as the second and the last brain cell of the Senju clan, next to Tobirama. He supports HashiSaku if only so his best friend can learn a thing or two about how to use his bright but otherwise inactive brain cell. He is always ready to adopt her into his clan should Senju throw her out, courtesy of Tobirama.

Izuna likes Sakura and if she likes Hashirama, then he will support it. Easy as that.

MitoSaku

Madara doesn't care because his best friend is married to not one but two beautiful but powerful beasts of women. Hashirama has no room for complaints.

Hashirama is a third wheel in his own marriage.

Tobirama doesn't know if he ships it or not because his brother is married to a woman who is in love with another woman and that woman insists that they all remain together for the better of future.

Izuna ships, to say at least.

TobiSaku

Hashirama is the biggest fan of TobiSaku. He grins his annoying grin in a way that makes everyone present in the room with him blush in embarrassment. He dubbed Sakura as his sister-in-law the moment he saw his brother with her.

Madara doesn't think someone like Tobirama deserves Sakura, but thinks someone like Sakura can persuade Tobirama to chill. It's better for Senju clan in a long run, so he supports their relationship.

Mito simps hard for this ship because she wants Sakura as her sister-in-law. Half of the TobiSaku moments happened because of HashiMito's meddling.

Izuna flirts with Sakura at every chance he could, if only to rile Tobirama. He might like Sakura as a bit more than a friend, but he also finds TobiSaku relationship precious in a passive-agressive way so he doesn't mostly get in their way because they make up to about 65% of his daily entertainment quota which he doesn't wish to lose.

MadaSaku

If there's one person who is a die-hard fan of this ship then it's one Izuna Uchiha. He enjoys teasing his older brother at every chance he gets, ruthlessly and sadistically. He enjoys the way his brother softens at the very mention of Sakura and he thinks that is the most precious thing he's seen his older brother do for anyone who's not him. Sakura gets along with Izuna so well that he often thinks she knows him better than he knows himself, and for that he cherishes Sakura as one of his family. His love for MadaSaku stretches so far that he would kill anyone who dares to get in between two of his most important people.

Tobirama ships them because he thinks Sakura will help Madara lose some of the madness inherent in Uchiha clan. It is because of Sakura that Tobirama becomes less wary of Uchihas and warms up to them.

Hashirama jumps at Madara and Sakura everytime they come for a visit, much to his wife's embarassment. Sakura is considered one of the Senju clan, and with her marrying into Uchiha clan, strengthens Senju-Uchiha alliance. Hashirama, like Izuna, is very happy to see Madara at peace and wishes the best for the couple. Like Izuna, he teases Madara mercilessly everytime Madara does something even slightly uncharacteristic of him. Sakura isn't teased often only because her becoming flustered results only in bodily harm.

Mito approves of the pair, if only because it gets her husband's attention away from Madara and his clan. She respects Sakura and knows the Uchiha clan will thrive with her as their matriarch.

IzuSaku

Madara doesn't ship it at first because his brother is easily charmed by beautiful women and she looked a little too much like a Uzushio woman. Mito and Madara aren't in the best of the terms, regardless of the alliance. He suspected it to be trap when he saw his brother smile a little too gently, his eye softening a little too much than he was accustomed to seeing. He didn't ship IzuSaku at all because he loves his brother first and foremost. Sakura and he started off in bad terms but he soon discerns her good intentions and her honest reciprocal of feelings for Izuna, so he gives them his blessings and promises his protection.

Tobirama doesn't believe it until he sees it. He thinks she is too good for someone like Izuna, but seeing Izuna happy and content with Sakura, he comes to an understanding that this arrangement does save a lot of women from falling his prey.

Hashirama doesn't hold a particular opinion on Izuna but knows his notorious reputation and thus fears for Sakura's heart. He doesn't get in their way but tries to make sure Sakura is safe. When he is assured Izuna is courting her with intention of marriage, he gives them his blessings as well because Sakura is part of his family.

Mito doesn't understand why Sakura chose someone like Izuna given his reputation, and how Izuna really fell hard for the woman like Sakura.

SaiSaku

Sai doesn't have lot of friends to support him, but luckily for him, Sakura has.

It is Ino who digs their relationship. Ino who helps Sai learn a thing or two about women. Ino who helps him learn new ways to impress Sakura (failed everytime). Sai and Ino became close friends the more she stayed around as his part-time trainer/babysitter everytime Sakura is away on a mission/hospital (because Sakura doesn't trust Sai alone without her for long). It is through Ino that they ultimately got together in the end.

Naruto, as if on a clock, becomes sceptical if she didn't see Sasuke in Sai, but that idea goes out of the window everytime Sai opens his pretty mouth. He supports Sai and Sakura because he could. As much as Sai pisses him off, he is still one of his good friends that he treasure, but one he would never admit to about his feelings.

Sasuke never thought his position in Team 7 would be threatened, much less by an ANBU/Root member, and he most definitely didn't think it will be that member who will ultimately date Sakura. As much as he knew the world wouldn't have stopped moving when he left, he also didn't expect new faces to join his team and take what had been promised his. Sakura punches him square on his face when he vocalises his thoughts. Regardless to say, he isn't happy with this arrangement.

Yamato is most pleased to see Sai flourishing as a person instead of a killing machine they were made into. He thinks Sakura is scary and will keep Sai on his toes, but also that she will be patient and guide him on the right path. They couldn't be more different, but he knew they understand each other like no one else.

Yamato and Naruto becomes the best men in SaiSaku wedding, and no sightings of Sasuke is observed anywhere.

ShiSaku

Surprisingly, Shisui gets green signal from all the members of team 7. When asked, he is told many reasons ranging from – "You're the only decent Uchiha" to "You're not emotionally dead.", which ultimately means he is approved because he is everything Sakura expects in a man, and that age is hardly a reason of disapproval from them if it is not a problem for Sakura.

Naruto sometimes – particularly on days when Shisui steals their female teammate to spend time with him – think if Shisui had not brainwashed Sakura into giving in to his vile intentions, because that's exactly what his Sharingan is specialized to do, but when Sakura hears a word about this, she always punches him hard enough to make him reconsider his words. Sasuke and Kakashi are smart enough to keep their opinions about her love life to themselves.

If Itachi thought Shisui was annoying when he was not in love, he thinks Shisui is downright nuts when he is in love. Sakura is all he ever talks about, and while Itachi is pleased to see his cousin and Sakura, who's a good friend to him, so happy in love, there's a line that need not be crossed. He is thankful that both make a lovely couple together who can make Uchiha clan a happy place with their shared positivity. But. But, Shisui is also a jealous idiot and those two words never make a good combination. Itachi blesses the couple for all happiness in the world, but he is just not the person they should come to looking for relationship advice whenever one of them (always Shisui) screws up.

You'd think since Shisui is not part of the main house and having no living family of his own, there'll be no family drama surrounding him and his love life, but you're dead wrong. Once Mikoto and Fugaku hear a word about ShiSaku being canon, they call Shisui in, gives him the earful of the lifetime, demands of him to propose marriage to her, and proceed to prepare for the big wedding. Sakura accepts but that's hardly a point, because next thing Shisui knows is getting adopted into the main house. There goes his freedom.

KibaSaku

Tsume loves Sakura. She wants to adopt Sakura. Inuzuka clan loves Sakura. KibaSaku is real, so what happens? Tsume threatens to disown Kiba unless he proposes to Sakura and make her one of the pack soon. According to Tsume, Kiba has finally chosen "the one who will make up for his lack-of-thereof brain and strength".

When the word gets out about his entanglement with Sakura, Team 8 is pleased – especially Hinata and Shino. Kurenai looks at him like she doesn't believes him. Shino repeats Tsume's sentiments on the matter. Hinata only smiles in a way that screams 'finally!'.

Team 7 is not happy that their precious teammate is getting it on with someone who smells like dog.

Kurenai who is like a mother to both Sakura and Kiba is happy to help them get started with parenting. It got too awkward to further ask Tsume who only said to "break the bed and let nature play its role". Kurenai will take turns with rest of the Team 8 and Team 7 to babysit many kids that KibaSaku will sire because they are wild. Tsume is proud though.

Tsunade blesses the couple and knows she will enjoy spoiling her many grandchildren rotten. Shizune is only happy for her sister-figure, even if she is a bit worried for the children.

Ino smirks at Sakura like a sly cat, every time they meet, all the way until her friend is happily married. Kiba is a catch, even if he smells like a dog. And they both know it.

GaaSaku

Baki cries in joy when GaaSaku reveals their relationship public. He had thought Gaara was a lost cause when it comes to romance. His son-figure made him proud that day.

Temari threatens Sakura if she breaks "her-precious-bean's-fragile-heart", she will see through that her body gets never found in the sand. When it became clear that Sakura was serious about Gaara, Temari crushes the other woman to her chest and cries over how lucky she was to have Gaara as her husband (because there's no way her precious bean, Gaara, is undeserving of someone).

Kankuro breaks down crying, thankful that his little brother Gaara was not asexual and that he only had high expectations of himself because there was no way Sakura wasn't the best bride for Gaara. A match made in heaven, he said. It doesn't help that Kankuro and Sakura are best friends who often conspire ways to make Gaara blush prettily like he does, much to Gaara's chagrin.

Tsunade stans GaaSaku and is aware of the political advantage in their marriage to back up their relationship. Temari marrying into Konoha and Sakura into Sand, is a fair exchange.

Konoha council begs to differ.

Naruto wants to feel betrayed but doesn't because Gaara deserves the love he will get from Sakura, and he knows him and knows her. That doesn't help him from sending threatening letters, dripping on rabbit's blood, to Gaara who isn't alarmed at all and patiently writes back about his feelings concerning his female teammate. Naruto cries like a baby on their wedding because Kazehime is such a fitting title for his precious Sakura-chan.

Sasuke never sees it coming. He is betrayed, but not because Sakura moved on but because it is Gaara she moved on to. He takes personal offence to it, confronts personally about it to her in Suna and Sakura isn't impressed. If Sakura gives him a beating that leaves him in Suna hospital for a week, that's not on Sakura.

Kakashi cannot care less whom his old genin team fucks and marries but he admits he is a bit impressed that Sakura marries Gaara of all people.

ShikaSaku

Team 10 is ecstatic when Shikamaru and Sakura makes their relationship public. Ino is on cloud nine when she hears Sakura gets to be official part of Ino-Shika-Cho. She breaks into Sakura's apartment to crush her best friend in a hug that might as well suffocate her to death but a girl gotta express her joy one way or another. She demands Shikamaru to invite Sakura for all future clan get-togethers so Sakura will feel comfortable in future.

Choji is happy for his best friend. He secretly meets with Yoshino to prepare for the big day. He exclusively invites Sakura for all Akimichi parties when he hears about her passion for cooking, even if she's bad at it. It's safe to say Sakura became part of Ino-Shika-Cho even before her marriage to Shikamaru.

When Sasuke hears about it, he corners Shikamaru and inquires about all the intentions Shikamaru has towards his teammate. He might not like Sakura like she once wished to be liked by him, but she was still part of his family that is Team 7 and he cares enough to make sure she doesn't get heart broken the way she had with him. When he gets right answers, he drops his arm against his throat, draws back his kusanagi and walks away like nothing was amiss.

When Naruto hears about it, he pokes fun at Shikamaru for his taste in women – first Temari, now his teammate. To onlookers, it would look like two friends playfully teasing each other, but if you look closely, you'd notice the red of Naruto's eyes, how the grip on Shikamaru's fingers were tad too tight and the way Shikamaru looked like he would rather be anywhere but there. After a measured shake and few more teasing jabs, Naruto returned to his goofy self.

When Kakashi hears about it and comes across him, Shikamaru doesn't let the older man get a word in. With Kakashi, it might as well be chidori to heart so Shikamaru rushed to firmly asserted his very pure, no vile, feelings for his sole female student. By the time he is finished with his monologue, Kakashi has left.

Tsunade is neutral when the news gets to her. As simple as Shikamaru was, he was also not the most committed person so she decides to test Shikamaru before she gave him her blessings.

Temari flips the table when the word reaches Suna. She immediately leaves the village to make sure Shikamaru was truly serious, this time, about her friend. Gaara follows after her because he is still pissed at the certain man for breaking his sister's heart. Kankuro passes the hat to Baki for the meantime and leaves after his siblings to beat certain someone if this is just another ugly fling for him. Also, because he isn't going to miss on a good show.

If some ink tigers pop out of nowhere and attempt on Shikamaru's life or some carnivorous plants tries to taste the meat on his nether region, he doesn't speak of the incidents to anyone, let alone Sakura. It is only after Sakura is pronounced a Nara that the attempts on his life cease.

The part 2 y'all wanted.

I think I nearly covered all the popular pairings. There's still ShinoSaku, YamaSaku, DeiSaku, KisaSaku, KarinSaku, LeeSaku, HidaSaku and ChoSaku, AsuSaku and IndraSaku though. Maybe next time.

#Kushina for Hokage #Inoichi is male!Ino therefore flirting is crucial #Kakashi and Rin worships the ground Sakura walks on #we all know the only way MinaSaku is happening is time-travel #cant blame naruto for not shipping minasaku #you wouldnt appreciate your father being chosen over you by your first love either #ino is us #hashirama is a poor political leader but Sakura is not #Mito is bisexual babe who simps hard for women who can lift what many powerful men couldnt #i cant help but make uchiha fam love sakura #tobirama is in denial and therefore the passive agressive love between tobisaku #izuna is a worldclass womaniser but sakura loves him anyway. just because he looks like sasuke doesnt mean he is even remotely like him #sai is precious. who sai will go to when sakura is busy? ino ofc #shisui is carefree uchiha who enjoys his freedom. he was at least until uchiha main family heard about his relationship with sakura #multisaku #hashisaku #madasaku #izusaku #shisaku #minasaku #mitosaku #shikasaku #gaasaku #notice how shikamaru gets the short end of the stick and is threatened again and again by all people who is not team 10?#he may be smart but he is also sexist has comittment issues and finds relationships drag. i made him lowkey womanizer which i think he is #kibasaku #he who smells like dog but is too hot to be casted aside #saisaku #everyone loves her #sakura haruno

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pxnk-velvet · 4 years

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Can I plz rq hcs for kakashi with a s/o who has a tailed beast inside her? and she goes to high ranking missions and she gets targeted plz?

𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑠

.・ ✧。.・゜✧・.・✧・゜・.・ ✧。.・゜✧・.

𝐾𝑎𝑘𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑖 𝐻𝑎𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑥 𝐹𝑒𝑚!𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟

✧ summary :: how a mission would go with Kakashi, considering you’re a jinchuriki as well as Jiraiya and Tsunade’s adopted daughter.

✧ warnings :: slight angst towards the end

✧ a/n :: these headcanons are also connected to another request I got. Check them out here!

.・ ✧。.・゜✧・.・✧・゜・.・ ✧。.・゜✧・.

☾ Ever since you were born, you had always been victim to people trying to kidnap or hurt you

☾ It was part of the reason you were brought to The Leaf in the beginning

☾ But thankfully you were cared for by two of the legendary sanin, Jiraiya and Tsunade

☾ So naturally, you excelled with the skills they taught you

☾ Your abilities were out of this world, so good that you gave Kakashi a run for his money most of the time

☾ During your academy years, not only had you gone head to head with him most of the time but you had also developed a little bit of a crush as well

☾ Through the years the feelings only grew, as you two got closer

☾ When Jiraiya and Tsunade noticed the lingering gazes whenever you looked his way and pink blush even at the mention of his name they immediately knew

☾ Jiraiya often teasing you about it and Tsunade cooing at the puppy love

☾ You two didn’t officially get together until after Tsunade just returned to the village to become Hokage

☾ When she discovered this, she sent you two on missions a lot

☾ Not just because you we’re dating, because you two genuinely worked really well together

☾ Y’all spent so much time together that you even developed a collaboration jutsu, your most prized possession

☾ As for your relationship with with Kakashi, he never thought differently of you because you were a jinchuriki

☾ If anything he thought highly of you and gave you a lot of respect because of how well you were able to handle the power you had

☾ He knows it’s not easy wielding such enormous abilities, as seen with Naruto

☾ But he loves you, you love him and so do Jiraiya and Tsunade

☾ It’s a lil awkward knowing that your boyfriend reads the porn books your dad writes but we won’t talk about it

☾ Rolling your eyes whenever you caught him giggling at the words of the pages

☾ Wanting to gag whenever they would discuss the literature (if you could even call it that) together

☾ One time Kakashi tried to get you to read it, reading aloud a page to you

☾ You stuffed your head into a pillow and screamed the whole time

☾ Ok now finally to what we’ve been waiting for

☾ You and Kakashi have been assigned to gather intel on the Akasuki

☾ But why would Tsunade basically hand her precious jinchuriki daughter out on a silver platter?????

☾ Because the precious jinchuriki daughter begged her

☾ The village was running low on shinobi and you knew that the Akasuki were capable of putting Kakashi in the hospital for a week straight

☾ So you were going. End of story.

☾ And you went, but not without a stern but loving lecture from Tsunade before you left (and lots of hugs)

☾ During the mission itself, the both of you had been very careful

☾ (let’s pretend this was before Hidan and Kakazu showed up for the main event...)

☾ You had been on their tail for about a day or two before they finally caught on

☾ A fight obviously commenced, but it mostly was just Kakashi and you trying to protect one another rather than actually fighting off the enemy

☾ Hidan had almost managed to get a hold of you for one of his rituals before Kakashi swooped in, picked you up, and retreated

☾ Leaving Hidan and Kakazu in the dust

☾ Lucky they hadn’t found out you were a host and there was minor, easily healed injury

☾ Nothing that would leave either of you in the hospital for a week

☾ So when you returned to the village and gave Tsunade the report, she nearly lost it

☾ Yelling at Kakashi for nearly getting you killed

☾ Screaming at you for nearly getting yourself killed

☾ She’s off the wall at this point, and you’ve never once yelled at her back butttt

☾ There’s a first time for everything

☾ As she’s yelling at Kakashi, you stand between them, shielding him

☾ “If it weren’t for him I wouldn’t be here right now!” You explained every detail to her.

☾ She’s dumbfounded.......in shock, regretting everything she said just a few seconds ago

☾ She apologizes and leaves shortly after, giving some excuse to go process everything

☾ Needing a moment to comprehend that she nearly lost her daughter, knowing that you had the guts to protect the man you loved, and you yelling in her face like that

☾ She’s nearly sobbing at the beautiful, strong woman you’ve become, standing for what you believe in

☾ During that whole thing Shizune had left the room in a panic not wanted to get in the way of something too personal between all of you

☾ So now you were left in the office with Kakashi

☾ Not a word was spoken, both of you just hugging one another, loathing the fact that a life could’ve been lost today

☾ With your face pressed against his shoulder and his arms wrapped securely around you, a single tear slipped from his eye, “I’m sorry.”

☾ You pull away at his words, completely thrown at the fact that he thought this was his fault

☾ It clearly wasn’t and you made sure he knew just that

☾ Your conversation ended with many mask-less kisses

☾ Only to have him quickly pull it back up when Tsunade burst through the door

☾ “And to believe you have the audacity to make out with my daughter in my office after all of that?!!!!”

☾ You quite literally had to piece him back together after that

.・ ✧。.・゜✧・.・✧・゜・.・ ✧。.・゜✧・.

#naruto #lady tsunade #tsunade senju #kakashi #kakashi x you #kakashi x y/n #kakashi x reader #jiraiya #pervy sage #kakashi headcanons #naruto headcanons #kakashi hatake x you #kakashi hatake x reader

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theredconversegirl · 3 years

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I love your blog. I have three questions for you. What made you start to ship sasusaku? What do you like about both characters? What is your 5 favorite sasusaku scenes?

Hi nonny,

Thank you so much! 💕🤗

When I read your questions, memories of a 14-year-old-self-Flah came to the surface and that helped me answer your questions. 😁

So, let's go:

What made you start to ship sasusaku?

Ok, I stumbled upon Naruto (classic) a long time ago and the first time I saw Sakura and Sasuke interacting was in the Land of Waves arc.

Two scenes made me fall in love: Sasuke moving in front of Sakura to protect her and Sakura crying over him. I got some star-crossed lovers vibe right there. 😍

When she ran towards his supposed lifeless body, my heart clenched for her. 😭 I was just chanting in my mind "nononono this can't be true, they didn't even begin! It's not fair!" something along those lines.

By the end of that heart-wrenching scene, I just knew they were meant to be together. The misunderstood bad boy needed the soft-ball-of-sunshine good girl beside him. 🥺💕

After that arc, I started watching the anime from the beginning and I was already shipping them without even knowing what shipping was.

But if we are summing up, I would say: the subtle way Sasuke cares about Sakura, always protecting her, and how Sakura cares/worries for him, trying to provide him the warmth and support of a family, sealed the deal for me. 😄

What do you like about both characters?

🍅: Sasuke's loyalty to his family (he was misunderstood, misled and lied to, but all the time he wanted to honor his family). His bluntness (ok, it might hurt to hear the truth sometimes, but many times we need to and I don't know, I feel this doesn't happen as often these days). His way of caring for his precious people (Sasuke cares too much - and not too little how people think - and he doesn't need to parade his feelings to show that. No one needs spectators intruding in those moments. He shows his love through the little things and when/where is most important).

🌸: Sakura's determination! (check that post, it's amazing). Her character development or should I say it, her glow up! (also - confession time here, her pre-teen years were kind of relatable 😳). Her kindness (she's so good!) and intelligence: the scenes where she creates an antidote for Kankuro? 🤯 And she finding Kakashi below in the second bell's test? 🤯 And figuring out things during the fight with Sasori? 🤯 She's a real strategist! And last, but not the least, Sakura never giving up on Sasuke and wanting to save him from his darkness. 💕

What is your 5 favorite sasusaku scenes?

This was so hard 😭 why only five? Why did you do this to me?🤣 After some time, I settled for these 5 scenes:

1. Forest of Death: The moment they squeeze hands and Sakura helps him through the exorbitant pain. The whole sequence from when they are alone until Sakura takes him to somewhere safe pulls at my heartstrings.

2. Land of Waves - I talked about that scene on the top of the post, so yeah. The moment Sasuke realizes someone cares if he dies was significant to me.

3. Back to Forest of Death - Please... Stop...

I'll quote the Databook 1 for this scene, because it says everything:

「呪印の影響で暴走するサスケを身を挺して鎮めるサクラ。サクラのサスケを想う心が、邪な力を包み込む。」(translation by Nobusaki) (Databook 1 RAW can be found here)

"Sakura who [voluntarily (bravely)] calms the rampaging Sasuke under the influence of the cursed seal. Sakura’s heart that thinks of Sasuke devours the malevolent/wicked power."

4. The Bench scene - Because it's a pivoting moment and I'm a sucker for confession scenes. Guys, he could have ignored her and left like fifteen minutes ago, but he's hesitating! Also, his eyes are shadowed/hidden, he's not showing Sakura his feelings because he's resolute in leaving.

And here's when we get that fundamental quote from Databook 2:

「孤独だった自分の存在を愛情という想いで満たしてくれたのがサクラだった。だが、その想いに応えることはやはりできない。サスケは、ただ一言の感謝の言葉を、別れの言葉として告げることしかできなかったのだ。」 “The one who filled his lonely existence [for him] with the emotion called love was Sakura. But, as expected, Sasuke cannot respond to her feelings. Sasuke was only able to leave a single word of thanks as word of parting."

I was going to choose the war scene, featuring that chef's kiss catch and SasuSaku eyesmex for my top 5, but I couldn't because...

5. The Poke - nothing better than Sasuke canoninzing SasuSaku, huh?

Ahhh this might be my longest post ever (that is not a list)!!! I hope you enjoyed reading my answers. This took me longer than I expected to put together but I had a lot of fun re-analyzing all the 🍅🌸 moments and remembering when I saw them for the first time. 🥺❤

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 😊

See you next time ;) 👉

xoxo

#theredconversegirl answers things #SasuSaku #ship questions #This was fun!#and nostalgic #😍😍🥰#also nonny #you made the queen of indecision pick only 5 scenes #that was cruel!#lol 🤣

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kayparker20 · 4 years

Text

Inner Turmoil - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Nightmares, Rescues, and Memories

FFN | AO3

She was paralyzed as she watched the scene before her. No matter how hard she tried to move, she just couldn’t get her body to respond. Her eyes were wide as the tears streamed steadily over her cheeks.

Kakashi was limp as the raven haired man held him by the throat. A large shuriken was protruding out of his back, one of the blades wedged in between his right shoulder blade and spinal cord. He coughed up blood as he tried to speak.

“Sa...kura.” The silver haired nin coughed.

Sasuke’s cold gaze stared at him. “Did you really think you would keep her from me?” He seethed.

“Kakashi!” Sakura cried out. “Sasuke, stop!”

Kakashi struggled to turn his eyes towards Sakura, his chest heaving as it became even more difficult to breathe.

“None of this would have happened if she had just come with me, Hatake…” He smirked. “Say goodbye.”

Sakura tried to force her body to move as she watched Sasuke throw him. Horrified as she watched the man she loved die as Kakashi landed directly with the shuriken as it pulled him backwards, and finished puncturing through his body, the tip of the blade coming out of his chest. He convulsed before going still as his eyes rolled back.

“Kakashi!” She screamed in her sleep.

The silver haired nin jumped up instantly, glancing down at Sakura. Her skin was pale and she was soaked in a cold sweat.

He knew this state all too well.

“Sakura…” He called out softly. He gently shook her shoulder. “Sakura, wake up.” He kissed her forehead. She started trembling and tears were streaming down her face.

“No...No!” She sobbed. “Sasuke, no!” She thrashed around, flipping over. She had flung her weight into his chest, her arms coming around him, gripping his torso tightly.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close and kissing her head. He buried his face in her neck before talking in a low, consoling, but slightly firm timbre.

“Sakura, I love you,” He rubbed circles into her lower back. “I’m right here. Wake up and look at me…” He shook her shoulders a little more roughly this time. “Sakura, please wake up.” His voice gained some urgency as she continued to cry out in a panic.

The pink haired woman suddenly shot up out of bed, stiff as a board. Her eyes were wide and stinging with tears. A chill ran through her body as she shuddered. She raked her fingers through her hair as her chest heaved with the heavy exhales. Her heart thundered in her chest and she could hear it pounding in her ears.

“Sakura, I’m right here.” He grabbed her hands and brought them to his face. “Look at me,” He carefully and slowly brought his hands to rest over her face, brushing his thumbs over her cheek bones. He steered her gaze towards him, making eye contact her. “It was just a nightmare…”

She looked at him, staring into his eyes. She let out a shaky breath, trying to calm her breathing. It wasn’t long before she buried her face into his neck. Her arms moved to wrap around him. She sunk into his embrace, anchoring herself to him.

She focused on the fact that she could hear him breathe. She could feel his pulse, which was slightly elevated, on his neck against her arm. She could also feel each rise and fall of his chest, feel his breath run across her messy locks on top of her head. She focused on the circles he still continued to massage into her lower back, grounding herself in everything that showed life in him.

It had seemed so real, so vivid. And she knew deep down that it could become a reality. She didn’t know what to do, she didn’t want to see Kakashi get hurt because of her. However, she also knew he would give his life for her, or anyone else.

Kakashi just held her, he didn’t know what to say. He knew there was nothing that would stop the rush of fear that was rushing in her veins right now. Nothing he could say would stop the horrors she was shown from returning. It was months before he stopped waking up in cold sweats, believing he was still being pecked away by birds from Itachi’s tsukuyomi. He felt her body slowly calm, her breath evened. She seemed to be grounded now.

“I’m not going anywhere, Sakura…” He murmured softly in her ear.

She nodded softly. “I’m… sorry that I woke you.”

Kakashi shook his head and tightened his embrace a moment. “It’s okay, I understand…”

“Kakashi…” She sighed. “I can’t bear the thought of people getting hurt over trying to protect me…”

He took a sharp intake of breath. “Sakura, no.” His voice was stern, but it was earnest. “You are not going to join him…”

She frowned. “What choice do I have?” She snapped. “Ino could already be hurt because of me, and now he’s threatened you over me!”

“Sakura, listen to me!” His voice had an edge to it. “I will not let you sacrifice yourself.”

He stared into her eyes. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. She was the embodiment of happiness. She was his happiness. This was the exact thing he feared before he let his walls down. He couldn’t lose her, like he had lost everything else. She had promised him she wasn’t going anywhere. His heart pounded in his chest as the thoughts of not having her in his arms ever again raced through his mind. Thoughts of never seeing her smile again or kissing her. He brought his hands up to gently cup her face, not sure what else he could say, knowing full well he was probably just making her angry.

“I will not let my best friend die over selfish emotions!” She hissed, trying to keep her voice low, despite her anger. He tried to pull away from his grip, her eyebrows turning down in a glare towards him.

“It’s not selfish!” He insisted.

“Oh, yeah! We get to stay happy and together while Choji suffers knowing the girl he's loved all his life was killed in an attempt to bait her best friend!” She retorted, her eyes narrowing. “Totally not selfish!” Her voice dripped with venomous sarcasm.

Kakashi winced softly, realizing that, maybe okay, yes, it might be selfish for him to choose his love over their friend’s love.

No one thought about choosing between them, himself included. Why did she?

Does she ever think to take care of herself, to protect herself too? Her heart ached. She always put their team first, healing and healing until her hands burned from chakra use and it flickered out. They would have to force her to stop, or else he was sure she would pour ever bit of her life source into them if it meant they would be okay.

So naturally, she’s more than prepared to give herself over to the snakes of the leaf if it meant her best friends lived and loved and went on as a ninja. Even if it meant her misery, or her death.

The silver nin pulled her close once more, despite her attempts (rather weak ones, in his opinion with his knowledge of her own strength) to fight his pull. She settled for huffing in annoyance and refusing to look at him.

He gently grabbed her chin and turned her to face him and gave her a chaste kiss to her lips. “I just got you, I’m not going to lose you, damnit. This isn’t about you or Ino coming home. It’s about both of you coming home.” His tone was resolute, no argument. “If you think for even second that anyone on this squad, especially Naruto, and me, would ever let you join those traitorous snakes, then you truly don’t see how much we care for you.”

Sakura’s gaze at him softened at his words, and she reached up to press her hands against his. Her eyes welled up with tears, which only angered her a little more. She wasn’t supposed to be this person anymore. People weren’t supposed to suffer because of her and she wasn’t supposed to cry anymore. “Kakashi…” She spoke softly.

He wiped her tears away softly with the pads of his thumbs. “Sakura, I love you.” He mumbled softly. He pecked her cheek, her nose. He just showered her face with kisses. “And I will protect this team and the people I care about, and especially you.”

“I don’t need protection…” She grumbled, even as she smiled at his affection.

“We are dealing with Orochimaru and Sasuke.” He chastised. “There’s a reason we have a 12 man squad.” He sighed. “And it’s not about whether I think you need my protection or not, Sakura…” He said with clear irritation.

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him. “You’ve always protected me, and me first. I’ve always been the weakest one of Team Kakashi…”

He took a lock of her hair into his hands, playing with it. “That may have been true once.” He smiled. “But now, I’d protect you first because living life without you in it isn’t bearable. Because I care about you, and I know I can keep you safe…”

Before she could say anything back, he winced slightly before resting his head on her shoulder. He took a deep breath before slowly letting it out.

She frowned, knowing exactly where the pain was coming from. “Why didn’t you say something?” Now she sounded like an irritated nurse, Dr. Haruno coming into action now. He knew that tone much too well, and knew the lectures that usually came with it. It was the same tone she used on all of their team after hunting them down after missions to force heal their injuries, even if they were minor.

“I didn’t want to add to your stress, or have you using precious chakra on me.” He inhaled and exhaled slowly once more. “I’m fine, the pain will fade in a few moments. I didn’t always have orders to be healed regularly, if you have forgotten.”

She gave out an aggravated noise before pushing him onto the bed and straddling his hips. “How many times do I have to tell you? We are literally in the field, right now!” She scolded before raising her hand, the green glow of her healing chakra already present, and gently pressing her palm over his sharingan. “And that was before it started to effect your body in such a way, before you had used it to such extents to where it would fucking bleed.” She huffed something about ‘stupid and overly resilient men’ under her breath, but he just smiled as he gave in.

He let out a defeated sigh, and then another one of relief as her chakra worked its way into his eye. He rested his hands on her hips, before a smirk played across his features.

She frowned. “What the hell are you down there smiling about?”

“We should play doctor more often.” He said in a playful tone, before pressing his hips upwards.

Her face instantly turned a dark shade of red. “Kakashi!” She hissed, completely undignified.

He could tell his eye was fine now, so he rolled them over so that he was towering over her. “Hmmm?” He kissed down her neck, nipping softly. “I think you could use the relaxation release gives you…” He gently ran his hands up her sides and cupped her breasts. “Your entire body is still tense, and we have to be able to run today.” He chuckled mischievously. “It would be a shame if we had to stop because your muscles got too tense.”

She was still cherry red as she let out a small whimper. “Kakashi…” He used all her willpower to push her very irresistible man from her body with her hands pressed to his chest. “I… can’t.” She looked away. “Not right now.”

The older ninja instantly stopped his teasing and turned her face back to look at him again. “Okay. I understand.” He pecked her lips softly before laying back down on his side to watch her.

She turned on her side to face him. She just gazed over all of him, knowing she could never bear the thought of not having him. They had been together for hardly two weeks now, but it felt like so much longer. She gulped softly as the guilt settled in.

“Kakashi…” She reached out to grip his hand tightly. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be, it’s fine.” He brought an arm around her and pulled her close to his chest. “I understand.” He kissed the top of her head.

He rested her forehead against his chest and sighed. “Thank you..”

He nodded, running his fingers through her hair. He learned quickly that that calmed her and he tried to note anything that could ease her anxiety.

He knew she wouldn’t want to think about it, but he also knew she needed to talk about it. Things ate at Sakura from the inside out, and he didn’t want her to be in such distress.

“Sakura, what were you dreaming about?” He asked her quietly.

She stiffened at the question but took a deep breath. “It was just one of the many visions I was shown of Sasuke killing you…” Her hands stopped moving along his back. “I was paralyzed and couldn’t do anything but watch and scream…” She shuddered at the memory.

Kakashi nodded softly, not asking for any more details. “I’m right here. Just remember that.”

She nodded softly, before slowly falling back asleep. She felt safe in his arms, and took the feel of his body against hers as a constant reminder that he was safe, at least for the moment.

Kakashi knew they still had a couple hours before the others woke up, well, if her screaming hadn’t woken them. Now that he really thought of it, he was sure the sounds of screaming definitely woke up a squad of camping shinobi.

He was thankful that no one had come to the tent, she would have hated for anyone to see her in such a distraught state, maybe besides Naruto and Hinata. He also knew he wouldn’t be going back to sleep, so he just continued to stroke her hair, hoping the relaxing effect would last through the rest of her sleep.

Sai had been sitting at the fire, finding himself unable to sleep, before he heard Sakura cry out. He had instantly run over to his teammates’ tent, before he could hear Kakashi already beginning to console her. He smiled a bit, a bit shocked to hear such a comforting tone come from the legendary copy nin that would be, Kakashi Hatake. He listened for awhile, making sure Sakura wouldn’t need any other assistance.

Soon he returned to the fire to sit and watch the flames dance in the dark. He heard another tent open and turned to see Hanabi walking towards him. He gave his usual smile and waved at her. “Hello, Hanabi. Are you well?”

The young Hyuuga watched him for a moment, fighting a blush before nodding. “I’m okay, just a little cold.” She sat next to him by the fire.

“Neji is on watch at the moment, but I haven’t been able to sleep.” Sai spoke matter of factly.

She nodded. “I think it was Kakashi-sensei’s next, right?” She wondered aloud.

Sai nodded. “I believe so, but I may take his watch.” He said thoughtfully, thinking Sakura may need their team leader at her side.

Hanabi smiled, also having heard Sakura’s terrored screams. “So, is it true that Kakashi and her are together?” She asked.

Sai nodded. “I don’t think I’ve seen Sakura as… Happy since I met her.”

She nodded softly. “I think it’s sweet that you’ll take over Kakashi’s watch so he doesn’t have to leave her.” She scooted a little closer to him.

“The book says that building friendships is easy when you do things to help them.” He smiled at Hanabi. “I’d protect my team anyway I can, but I will also protect you if that time ever comes.”

She stared back at Sai, before kissing his cheek. “I’m glad.”

Sai watched her for a moment, before raising a hand to touch the spot her lips had caressed ever so lightly.

Neji watched the scene from a branch above their camp, a small smile gracing his lips. He could only imagine the thoughts running through the socially inept shinobi’s thoughts at the moment. He wasn’t surprised to see Hanabi make a move. She had always been more bold than Hinata, even going as far to have disputes with Hiashi as she got older. He also knew that Sai would protect her and she would never be in danger in his presence.

“What was that for..?” He asked the girl quietly.

She shrugged. “Because I wanted to.” She got up then and walked back to her tent.

Sai pondered for a moment, not sure what to make of her action. He decided he would have to ask Naruto and Sakura for advice on this one.

Just then the obnoxious blonde came out of his tent and stretched. He came to sit down on the log across from Sai by the fire. “Can’t sleep either, huh Sai?”

“No, not quite, Dickless.”

Naruto scowled at the nickname. “I’d tell you to ask Hina all about that just to prove it’s wrong, but I think she’d faint.” He laughed off.

“Do you think Sakura is okay?” Sai asked softly.

Naruto’s expression turned back to exhausted, which was exactly how he felt.

It was obvious to anyone who knew her well that she was far from okay. Her best friend was just kidnapped by the guy she used to pine after. Sasuke put her through a tsukuyomi, showing her Kakashi’s death by his hands over and over again. His teammate had already been through so much emotional torment by Sasuke, and the fact it continues even after she finally moves on angered him beyond belief.

He sighed heavily. “Sakura wears her heart on her sleeve. As a shinobi, she bears many more emotions than most, as do I.” He smiled a bit. “Most people have grown accustomed to that part of us. Some still point it out as weakness. However, this time around, I think she’s trying to hide them.” He sighed. “She is supposed to be the one to save people, and right now I’m sure she has convinced herself she has put Ino and Kakashi in danger by refusing Sasuke, let alone everyone else on this mission.”

Sai nodded. “Do you still believe there is hope in bringing Sasuke back?” He knew this was a sensitive subject, having learned to not call him a traitor and so on.

Naruto was silent for a few moments before shaking his head slowly. “I would have believed it, even after him kidnapping Ino. He’s done so many things, and I tried to believe that once he got his revenge, he would come back to us.”

Sai watched him intently, knowing the story of the Uchiha clan.

“But, after finding out he put Sakura in a tsukuyomi, and doing it basically out of pure jealousy…” His expression hardened, and the firelight only made him look even more angry.

“I can’t believe he still cares for us if he would put Sakura through that. He has threatened to kill us, tried to kill all three of us many times.” He laughed coldly. “However, it was antagonized, or we were in the way of his real goal. It was able to somehow be excused. But for him to suddenly decide he was going to just use Sakura for a means to an end, not even deciding he did love her…” He shook his head. “It’s unforgivable. She’s a shinobi, not just some baby machine. I don’t even know if she wants kids at all…”

Sai nodded before glancing at the tent. “She had a nightmare…”

Naruto nodded. “I heard, but I figured I’d let Kakashi handle it.” He smiled. “Sakura doesn’t like to be seen as weak, even though she isn’t, the less people who see her in a shaken state, the better for her.”

Sai smiled genuinely. “She is quite strong, as we both know, so why doesn’t she think so?”

“Oh, she knows.” Kakashi came out of the tent and chuckled. “But it doesn’t stop her insecurities and comparing herself to the rest of her class, let alone her teammates.”

He looked up at the trees above them. “Neji, it’s time for my watch.”

“Actually, I was going to take your watch for you, Kakashi.” Sai smiled.

Naruto watched the two before smiling.

Kakashi looked at him before shaking his head. “I’ve got my watch, but thank you Sai.” Then he gave an eye crease. “Besides, I believe you have a question and something to maybe explore on your own, Sai.”

Sai’s eyed widened before he smiled again. “Ah, yes.” He turned to Naruto. “What reason would a girl kiss my cheek?”

Naruto stared at him blankly before busting out laughing, trying to quiet himself. “Why do you ask, Sai?”

“Because the young Hyuga girl I’ve been paired up to protect kissed my cheek, after telling me I was sweet.” Sai watched Naruto, confused by his reaction.

Neji landed silently between them. “Naruto, you’ll wake the whole camp with your howling if you don’t shut up.” He turned to Sai and couldn’t help the slightest bit of a smile.

Kakashi sighed and shook his head at his team’s antics. “Sai, are you sure you didn’t read anything in a book about this?”

“No, I have not. Nothing comes up about kisses in friendship books.”

“Didn’t I suggest you read Icha-Icha?”

Sai frowned. “Sakura told me not to read those if I was looking for ways to build relationships with people…”

Kakashi only raised an eyebrow. “Well, I beg to differ. You would know what a kiss means if you had read them.”

Naruto just rolled his eyes. “Pervy Sage is smiling down on you, such a loyal fan you are Kakashi.” He smiled fondly, before laughing even more.

Hinata came out of her and Naruto’s tent to see what was going on. She rubbed her eyes blearily as she approached them. “Naruto…?” She called out softly. “What’s so funny?”

The poor Hyuga fought the urge to go check on Sakura herself, remembering Naruto’s words about trying to not draw more attention to her. She wondered when her sometimes absent-minded boyfriend became so careful.

Neji looked at Hinata and shook his head softly. “It would seem that Hanabi kissed Sai’s cheek, and the former ANBU is not quite sure what to make of it.”

Hinata's eyes widened before she smiled. “I remember a certain person who was confused when Tenten made a similar action.”

Neji’s face turned a light shade of pink before defending himself. “I knew what it meant! I was just surprised!”

Sai looked at Neji, noting that he was sure him and Tenten were a couple, and wondering why he was embarrassed by the information.

Kakashi sighed before sitting next to Sai. “Okay, Sai, let me explain this to you.” He gave his normal eye crease of a smile. “When Sakura and I got together, she kissed me.” He smiled at the memory. “Now, me and Sakura had been treading that boundary between friendship and romance for awhile, and Sakura is also a grown woman and bold about it, so her crossing such boundaries in a bold manner suits her.”

Sai stared at his team leader with curiosity. “So, a kiss is a show of affection…”

Kakashi nodded. “Yes. Or lust, take your pick, it all depends on the situation. It can even be both…” He added the end with a sly tone.

“Kakashi!” Naruto hissed, hating the insinuation behind it. Hinata turned a little red herself now and hushed Naruto.

“In terms of the young Hanabi, Hyuga tends to be more reserved. She’s not as shy as her elder sister, but she won’t cross such blatant boundaries as Sakura would. Not to mention she’s also a young girl who tends to be more insecure.”

“So, Hanabi, is expressing romantic interest in myself?” Sai concluded out loud.

Hinata giggled softly. “Yes, and believe me I hear all about it. She’s quite curious about you.”

Sai frowned. “But she is fourteen …”

Naruto had finally calmed down but chuckled nonetheless. “How many years are between Kakashi and us again?” He said with a smirk.

“Hey now, that was... different.”

Sai was not quite convinced. “She’s so… Young.”

Hinata nodded, and Neji showed no response. They were well aware that Hiashi seemed to kind of like the ninja, but it was never talked about in ways of now idea.

“It would seem pretty much everyone besides our medic is awake.” Shikamaru commented as he walked up to the scene, the concern hidden somewhere in his lazy tone.

Kakashi took a look around and nodded. “She needs the rest…”

Everyone nodded, well aware of the unspoken.

“Let’s start packing up and covering our tracks while we wait for her to wake up. We need to get moving quickly in case of injury to Ino.”Yamato called out as he began taking down his tent and repacking his gear which he had already pulled out of the shelter.

Everyone followed suit, packing up their own shelters while Kakashi stood watch, keeping a close eye on the perimeter. After about an hour, Sakura came out of the tent. She had slept for almost two hours since falling back to sleep.

He glanced at her, and was happy to see she seemed much more rested and calm. The stiffness in her body was gone. Her hair was put up pulled back and she seemed just as confident as she was any other day. He smiled softly behind his mask.

“Have any of you ate since yesterday?” She crossed her arms and eyed her squad. She knew ninja had a bad habit of eating poorly on missions.

They looked at each other before laughing nervously.

She huffed. “Figures. Don’t even think of putting that fire out.” She ducked back into the tent before coming out with her pack. She always brought things to cook quickly on missions that were of actual sustenance. She fished out finding one of her storage scrolls before making the hand signs to release it as it rolled open. She started plucking around finding things she knew her usual team members liked.

“Ramen!” Naruto pounced over to her to grab one of the instant cups. “I already know where I’m going to get the water!” He whispered excitedly.

Sakura just rolled her eyes as Naruto bounded off to some stream nearby. “There’s jerky and dried fruit rations as well. Help yourself.”

She stood up and walked away. She began pulling the cots and things from the tent while everyone found something to eat from her scroll.

Kakashi came back to help her silently. They packed everything up quickly. Once the tent and the rest of their belongings was packed up she eyed Kakashi. “Did you eat?”

He nodded and gave his normal eye crease as he held a bag of fruit and a bag of jerky. “I was going to make sure you did as well.” He said as he tossed her the bag of dried fruit.

She caught it with ease before her lips formed a small smile.

“Everyone, get back in formation and let’s head out.”

Kakashi summoned one of his ninken. “Lead Yamato and Neji to the hideout, Pakkun.”

Pakkun bounded up to the front with Yamato and Neji, following his orders.

“What the fuck is your deal, Sasuke?” The blonde spat out venomously as he dropped her to the ground in front of Orochimaru.

“What is this?” The elder man asked curiously.

“Motivation.” Sasuke said bluntly.

Ino hands her tied behind her back but she still forced herself into a sitting position and stared back at Sasuke. “You’ve got some fucking nerve.” She spat.

Sasuke looked back at her. “I forgot how chatty you were.” He scowled.

“I forgot how painfully arrogant you were.” She growled.

“Is this the Yamanaka girl?” Orochimaru asked.

“Yes, she’s Sakura’s best friend.” He glared at the floor. “Turns out, she’s not so head over heels for me anymore. She’s slutting around with Kakashi.”

Ino fumed. “Oh wait, that’s right, she was just supposed to wait for your self righteous ass to just suddenly decide revenge wasn’t more important! Sorry, I forgot to remind her when she smiled a real smile for the first time since you left her on a fucking bench.” She seethed. “At least Kakashi has a fucking heart.”

Orochimaru chuckled. “Well, she’s terribly feisty.”

Ino turned to look at the creepy man before her. She had heard enough about him. He killed the third hokage. Tried to kill Naruto. She knew he was the deranged teammate of Jiraiya and Tsunade.

“Ah yes, the irony. One traitor trained by another.” She retorted in disgust.

“I imagine your plan is for Sakura to come rescue her. Her joining us in exchange for Ino’s safety?” Orochimaru pondered.

Sasuke nodded. “I also plan to kill the copycat bastard, I’m sure he’ll be with her.”

Orochimaru laughed. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you Sasuke.”

“I don’t know what the fuck he’s got to be jealous over.” Ino glared at the two men before he.

Sasuke slapped her across the face. “None of your goddamn business.”

Ino glared at him as she spat the blood from her teeth cutting into her cheek at him. “Everything about my best friend is my goddamn business, you prick.” She narrowed her cerulean eyes at him. “Then again, you know a damned thing about friendship, would you!” She continued to glare at him, her body tense and ready to react to more blows. “And if you think for a second any of us will let her join you, you don’t know the first thing about being a Leaf shinobi!”

“How do you expect them to find us?”

“I’m sure they have a whole squad coming for us, and Kakashi has his ninken to track. I didn’t bother trying to hide myself.”

The snake shinobi frowned. “That means I’ll need a new hideout when this is all over, what a shame.”

“You’re the one who wanted Sakura in the first place.” Sasuke chided irritably.

Ino stared on in disgust. “What the fuck for?”

“To heal these wretched arms.” Orochimaru sneered.

“You think she’s going to help you?” Ino laughed now. “Sakura wouldn’t do a damn thing for you, even if her life depended on it.”

“True, but now it’s yours that depends on it.” He chuckled darkly.

Ino glared. “Team Kakashi won’t be the only people coming, you know.” Then she smiled. “I would just bet my own team leader is itching to do some damage to the man that killed his father.”

Orochimaru gave a sinister smile before licking his lips and kneeling down to Ino eye level. “I’ll kill him just as easily as I killed Hiruzen-Sensei, darling.”

She glared. “Oh yes, so easily. That's why you had to call upon the first and second right?” She smirked. “Because you knew you couldn’t beat him on your own.”

Ino shivered then, the fear setting in, even as she braved against them. She hoped there would be enough people to save her, and that Sakura wouldn’t really sacrifice herself to him.

She longed for Choji’s embrace right about now, the feeling of safeness she felt in his arms. Here it was cold. Everything was, the air, the floor. Sasuke and Orochimaru just looked cold hearted as they stood there silently, just waiting.

She wondered what she ever saw in Sasuke back then. He was always cold and distant. Arrogant. He couldn’t be bothered with any of them. She remembered what she had heard Naruto tell of the story.

I’m done playing ninja.

“It shouldn’t be too long before they arrive.” Sasuke said, before grabbing a kunai and grabbing Ino roughly by the hair and raising her up. He stabbed her in the top of her thigh, not vital but enough to bleed and cause a lot of pain. She cried out in pain and thrashed, trying to get away from him.

“You sick bastard…” She growled out as she clenched her teeth in pain.

Sasuke just smirked. “Just a little more motivation.” He chuckled darkly. “They should be here soon, I wonder how many they sent.”

Orochimaru smiled pleasantly. “Ah, well the more the merrier.” He stated with a sinister pleasantry lilting in his voice.

She groaned out in pain, her breathing ragged. It hurt so much, but she could heal it. She was trying to decide if it was such a good idea. If she healed this non-life threatening wound, would they dish out that was? Was that a risk worth taking?

For now, she decided to deal with the pain. She’d prefer to at least be alive if her friends were coming to the trouble of retrieving her. And she knew they would, there was now way they would leave her behind.

Not Sakura. Not Choji. She knew she drove Shikamaru insane but she didn’t doubt his loyalty for a second, not one bit. She bit her lip, tears pricking her eyes, but she fought them. She growled out as she ground her teeth. If she was going down, she’d be damned if she was a little bitch about it.

She couldn’t tell how much time had passed as she watched her blood pool around the floor. It seemed to be forever, just sitting in silence. She turned and wretched around to try and not so much pressure on her arms. She could feel that there were rope burns on her wrists at this point. They were burning and she could feel an extra sting of pain everytime she moved. It was agonizing. She had just let her eyes slip closed when something brushed against her.

Mice? She glanced around before she realized it was an ink creature.

Hope rushed through her veins as she realized it was the same scouting mice she heard Sakura tell her Sai used. She heard the angry voice of one certain blonde knucklehead echo through the corridors.

“SASUKE!”

She saw wood penetrate the floor around and create a cage over her body. She wanted to panic at first, before she sensed the chakra signature.

Or rather, signatures. Her eyes widened as she realized how many of them came. Some of them were even unfamiliar.

Sasuke jerked his head to somewhere down the hall, she supposed the entrance.

“I expected them… Later.” His eyes narrowed. “Surely they had to rest.”

Orochimaru laughed. “Ninja from the lead are persistent, don’t you remember?” He looked over at Ino, distaste clear in his yellow eyes. “Of course, my experiment is here. Tsk.”

“Ino!” Sakura called out, the distress clear in her voice.

Panic rose in the blonde's heart. Why the hell is she out in the open! She should have been somewhere safe, stayed back. Not right here with them. No, no, no. That’s not how this is supposed to fucking work, damnit.

“Sakura…” Sasuke called out in his distant, but deep lilting tone.

She heard the footsteps hasten. So many steps. She was shocked. What were there, maybe 9 people? No, there’s more…

“Sasuke!”

“Naruto, get her out of here!” Ino screamed.

They came running into the room where she could see them now. Yamato, Neji, and that one little pug of Kakashi’s. They were followed by Shikamaru, Choji, and Temari?! Another Hyuga(is that Hanabi?) and Sai? And then there was Asuma, Sakura and Kakashi, followed by Naruto and Hinata.

Twelve people. All for her. She knew she was the next head of one of the five main clans, but she didn’t think they would risk so many of their best ninja against Orochimaru, even for that length.

Tears flowed down her cheeks. “Choji, Shika!” She sobbed, not able to seem so strong anymore. What good would she have really done for herself? Her hands were tied, she couldn’t have made a single hand sign if she wanted. She wasn’t Sakura, she couldn’t channel chakra into strength to break the ropes.

“Shut it!” Sasuke snapped. His eyes landed on Sakura. “Have you made a decision then?”

Her eyes were dark emerald and angry as she met Sasuke’s gaze. Her eyes slid over to Orochimaru, the same disgust lying in them. “Let Ino go.”

Ino couldn’t ever remember a time when her pink haired friend sounded so dangerous.

“I believe there was an arrangement in order for this to happen.”

Kakashi had his sharingan uncovered and activated. He stood tall and foreboding, ready and waiting for someone to make a wrong move. Him and Asuma on either side of Sakura, Asuma had his chakra blades out, ready to attack.

She felt something wrap around her wrist. She looked down to find a shadow circling her arm.

Sakura took a step forward. “You will release her before I do anything.”

“I’m afraid that’s not how this works…” Orochimaru said sweetly.

Sasuke’s eyes didn’t leave Sakura. He grabbed his katana, moving to weave it through the wood limbs surrounding her to stab her once more.

Suddenly the wood moved and wrapped around his wrist, and shoved him out.

“Now!” Shikamaru called. She quickly ripped the ropes with his shadows.

The wood dispersed from Ino before she jumped up and heaved herself in their direction as she sent a burst of healing chakra to the gash on her thigh.

Orochimaru went to stand before finding himself paralyzed. His eyes narrowed deeply. “A Nara.” Before he shot out his snake sword toward Ino.

Hinata was in front of her in an instant. “Protecting Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms!”She continued to block the blows of the sword from Ino.

She lurched towards them once more, before Choji ran for her and brought his arms around her. “I’ve got you.”

“Ino! Are you alright!” Temari ran over to her, immediately cutting the fabric around her wound. “I’m so sorry, we didn’t get to the village in time to warn you!”

Sakura ran to heal her, knowing Shikamaru could only hold Sasuke and Orochimaru for so long. “Oh my god…”

“Motivation…” Ino grumbled. “It wasn’t fatal, just painful and lots of blood…” She huffed.

She turned to Temari and offered a smile. “It’s no problem, really.”

After Sakura finished she turned around. She channeled chakra into her fist as she ran towards Sasuke and punched him straight in the face. She heard the definitive crack of his jaw breaking. Temari hurriedly bandaged the wound properly.

Shikamaru let the shadows go as his arms began shaking and he couldn’t hold them anymore, and the part of the plan was done now.

“I will never fucking be a part of this.” She seethed. Orochimaru was on her in an instant, but not before Kakashi and Naruto were at her back.

“You won’t lay a finger on her!” Naruto growled.

She shot another chakra laden punch into his chest, knocking the breath out of him just as he was about to perform his fire jutsu.

She was the distraction, using the main target to keep their attention. She hoped it worked.

Sasuke's eyes became activated just before Neji’s hit landed, neutralizing his chakra use. Another hit, and he’s unconscious

Sasuke fell to the ground, another thump following Orochimaru’s body doing the same from Hanabi’s gentle fist.

Everything held silent as they held their breath, ready to attack, just in case it didn’t work.

Naruto was the first to loosen. “I still don’t understand why!”

Yamato sighed. “This mission to retrieve Ino, and it was supposed to be before she got here.”

“We need to go, they won’t be out for long.” Neji said distantly, his byakugan active. “The chakra is already breaking the barriers. Hanabi needs to leave now.”

He retained a fighting stance as Yamato nodded.

“We all need to leave now.”

Kakashi watched Orochimaru carefully. “How many of you have emergency transfer scrolls?”

Yamato, Asuma, Temari, and Neji indicated they had them.

“My scroll is for my village, but I need to report back there anyway…” Temari explained.

Yamato nodded. “Everyone divides up into groups of three then.” He stated matter of factly.

“Hinata and Hanabi can come with me, ours is set in the Hyuga compound unlike the rest.”

“Asuma, take Choji and Ino. Take her straight to the hospital after.” Sakura said in her medic voice, an order not a request.

“I’ll take Sakura and Naruto.”Kakashi said plainly.

“That leaves Sai and Shikamaru for my scroll.” Yamato smiled curtly.

Temari gave Shikamaru a chaste kiss on the cheek. “I’ll contact you as soon as I can.”

He nodded before returning a discreet kiss on her forehead before she made her signs with her scroll and disappeared.

The four with scrolls quickly made the signs over them as their pairs held onto them in some way. Just as Sasuke’s eyes opened, the air around them swirled and went fuzzy as their surroundings changed.

Sakura felt her stomach turn, this particular jutsu was harder on the body, which is why it was for emergencies. She felt dizzy.

They all appeared at the gates, with the exception of the Hyugas.

She instantly grabbed onto Kakashi’s arm as the world continued to spin. She closed her eyes as she waited for it to fade away. She felt hands on her hips, steadying her.

She heard Naruto whine. “I hate doing that.” He huffed.

“Agreed.” She groaned.

Kakashi chuckled. “Nausea and dizziness is much better than being mortally injured or dead.”

Naruto straightened and nodded. He watched Sakura before taking a deep breath. “You need to go to the hospital too.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him, surprised Naruto was going to be the one to address this further.

“Why does Forehead need to go to the hospital?”

Everyone went silent, looking at one another, deciding who would tell, if they would tell. If it was worth Sakura’s wrath to tell.

The blonde narrowed her eyes before setting them on Sakura. “You had better tell me.”

“I’m fine.” Sakura tried to insist as she opened her eyes and stood straight. The world was no longer spinning.

Kakashi frowned. “Sakura…”

Naruto groaned. “Stop that! You can’t get mad at us for not taking care of ourselves if you won’t do it!”

Sakura wanted to knock him upside the head, but she knew he was right. And she was trying to get a hold on her anger issues these days.

“Sasuke used his genjutsu on me when I refused to go with him… Before he abducted you.”

“Sakura!” Ino stood up with effort and stomped over to her, well as much as you could stomp with a limp. “Let’s go. Infection check for me, psych eval for you. You idiot!” The blonde simmered. “What the hell were you thinking going on that mission! Did you even tell Tsunade!”

“I was saving you!” She huffed as Ino grabbed her arm and started dragging her towards the hospital.

“They could have done that without putting you at risk, damnit!”

“I’d be damned if I wasn’t on the rescue squad when I was the reason you were kidnapped in the first place!”

Ino stopped and looked at her seriously. “You cannot seriously be blaming yourself for this.” She frowned. “Sasuke being a traitorous and unrightfully jealous bastard is not your fault.” Ino sighed exasperated. “So help me, Forehead, if you ever risk yourself for me again, I’m going to knock you into next month, you hear me!” Ino shrieked at her.

Sakura grumbled as she crossed her arms. They walked on to the hospital for a minute, before Sakura stopped and hiked Ino up onto her back, insisting she only worsen the damage by toughing through the pain, telling her she did stop the bleeding but nothing else.

Shikamaru came to stand by them. “Sakura is just as troublesome as Ino isn’t she?” He smiled softly.

“I wouldn’t call her troublesome, but stubborn is definitely a word that comes to mind.” Kakashi smiled and laughed before it died out.

“She really would have given herself to them if there was no other way, wouldn’t she have?” Asuma stated.

Naruto frowned. Kakashi nodded.

“Why! She just got with you. She's the head medic of the village! She’s supposed to be my advisor, alongside Shikamaru, when I become hokage!” He emblazoned. “Why would she give all that up, to become miserable, a missing nin, and Sasuke’s personal baby maker!”

The entire thought made Kakashi ground his teeth, but he understood. He couldn’t be too mad at her for it, because he would have done the same for any of the current Team Kakashi.

Shikamaru shook his head. “Naruto, if you really think about it, it makes sense.”

“Her and Ino are the same in a lot of ways. Rivals all the same. Ino and her both take care of other people, long before they take care of themselves. Ino checks us over herself, even after mandatory mission return check ups. She makes sure we eat, go out and socialize.”

“She makes us live a little, not just be a ninja. It’s bothersome but it’s necessary.” Shikamaru laughed. “Let me guess, Sakura chases you down and heals you all herself? I know you have a habit of avoiding hospitals at all costs. Kakashi. Naruto, you think you’re invincible. Sai, you just follow the suit of the other males in the team, right?”

Yamato nodded. “Even though I go for my visits, Sakura always comes to check and make sure everything was healed correctly.”

“Sakura blamed herself for this, she blames herself for a lot of things. She felt responsible for Ino’s safety as her friend but also because she feels like if she had agreed to go, she wouldn’t have been hurt in the first place.” Kakashi sighed.

Everyone began to go their own ways as Kakashi began walking home, sure that Sakura would come to his place after she was done at the hospital. There was a dreadful feeling in his chest, the very feeling he was so intimidated by before he finally let himself love her fully. That fear of losing her, the thing he would have to get used to living with.

She wouldn’t always be safe within the hospital, within the walls of the village. Sometimes her medical capabilities would be required on missions. Sometimes she would go on missions with her team, just like the past couple days.

He couldn’t stop protecting her, but he couldn’t expect her to put them first. He started to realize why most couples aren’t on teams together.

But he’s loved her before and it worked, it had to keep working.

He steered away from the path to his apartment, towards the grave stone. He found his way there easily. He weaved his way through the village and it’s people with ease.

He stood at the cenotaph once again, like a stone. Silent and sad. His shoulders were hanging. Relationships of any kind have always been difficult. Everything seemed like it would be easy with Sakura. Now he feared this need for her would start to interfere with that. She didn’t like being treated like she was fragile.

She seemed so mad at first, was she still mad? Did she understand? Was he actually selfish like she said, or was she just angry because he wasn’t going to let her sacrifice herself?

He knew she didn’t have any less value for him, but it didn’t make it hurt less that she was willing to give him up so… Easily?

Could it really be that easy, to choose saving Ino over having a life with him? To save Ino and have to be demeaned to nothing more than a homemaker by Sasuke everyday? Something she didn’t want, or at least not at this current point in her life?

There’s no way that was an easy conclusion, but how could she just accept it so well?

Then he thought of every time he’s thrown himself to her protection, the exact same thoughts flowing in his mind as hers for Ino

As long as she will be okay...

“God, I don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to do this…” He sighed out loud. “Sakura takes the protecting ones she cares for to such an extreme degree… How is it I was able to let myself love her now, but fifteen years ago, I couldn’t let myself love you? Even when I tried? I don’t feel healed. I don’t feel any less… Pain.”

He ran his hand along Rin’s name on the stone. “She’d make the same decisions you made without a second thought. She’s so much like you, Rin…” He smiled. “Falling for the distant team mate and being such a caring person, never giving up on people. She believes in Naruto just as much you believed in Obito. Falling for me.”

“Why do they parallel us so much? Our team and the sannin, in so many ways. In some ways, it’s so painful to watch.” He frowned behind his mask. “But in so many ways, they are so much better. I believe in them.”

“I have to believe in them. Not because I love them, not because they’re my team, or because they are the first genin I ever passed. Because they are the ones to lead the next generation.”

He smiled, looking up at the sky. “I can see it clear as day more and more as I spend more time with these jounin and chuunin. The Third had such a big flame, and it burns within each of this class, the ones who witness his death.”

“I come here to talk to you and Obito often, always after missions. This one scared me, the simple thought to lose Sakura, even if she still lived, wretched at my heart. It was so different. It was terrifying, really.” He laughed.

“Ah yes, so funny, something scares the legendary copy cat ninja, the cold blooded killer of ANBU. He’d fall apart if he lost one little ill tempered medic. Sounds kind of cliche in a way?” He pondered. “I bet Jiraiya knew we’d be together long before it was a thought in our hearts. He probably would have written an Icha-Icha novel with the main characters in love resembling us in subtle ways.”

The copy nin stared at the stone. “Things are different now than they were back then. After Minato-sensei passed…” He tensed a bit. “I was… I couldn’t take it. It was too much. I couldn’t see Naruto without it bringing everything back. I just went back to ANBU, a deadly tool for the village. It wasn’t until Kurenai and Gai pleaded to the Third that I got out. Feeling anything hurt too much, so I didn’t let myself feel.” He smiled wide. “And then they put that little brat on my team, except now calling him that is a term of endearment.”

“I remember how uncanny it was when I first saw them. Naruto instantly reminded me of Obito, acting like a fool and spewing about being hokage. Absolutely in love with Sakura and cared so much for her.” He ran a hand over Obito’s name on the stone. “Sakura was just like you, open and caring, and head over heels for the other teammate. Sasuke was a spitting image of me; cold, dutiful, and distant. A prodigy, the last of his clan. When they passed the test, I couldn’t refuse them. I tried to be what Minato was, but I’ve felt I never filled that expectation. Sasuke never listened to me the way I listened to him…”

Kakashi huffed and looked at her name again. “How were you able to love me, how is she able to? I’m no good at this. I like being in control of things, but now it feels like everything is slipping from my grasp. I had steeled myself, told myself no matter how I felt, I would never act on my feelings. I’d never be able to be what she needs anyway, I couldn’t be that for you…”

“How did I know I’d find you here, sulking like always?”

Kakashi turned to the voice of the senbon user. “What do you need?” He tried to sound bored.

“I think the real question is, what do you need?” Genma looked at his hand on the stone, placed over Rin’s name. “We all know she’s like her, you know.” He chuckled. “It’s part of how we could tell you fell for her. I bet they would have been best friends. I can see it now, Rin taking Sakura around the hospital as an intern. Welcoming and cheery. Ready to teach her the entire medic nin way.”

Kakashi smiled and chuckled a bit himself.

“You know, talking to your dead friends about advice is counterproductive.” He drawled past his senbon. “They can’t answer you, and tell you’re acting like an idiot, like a completely normal man. ”

Kakashi glared at him slightly. “Just how am I being an idiot?”

“You’re not going to mess it up, and you think you will. You’re staring at Rin’s name, thinking about how you couldn't love her, even when you tried at first, so how can you possibly love Sakura?” The brunette deadpanned.

Kakashi stared at him. “That wasn’t exactly… What I was thinking.”

“Sure it wasn’t, but it is in between the lines of your thoughts. I’ll tell you the answer. You refused to feel anything back then, we all knew it. We all seen it, and it started to look like our arrogant bastard friend wasn’t coming back, those three went to the Hokage.” Genma smirked. “You still tried to be distant but we, I drug you out of the house.”

He bounced his senbon. “You refused to teached anyone until the angsty mix of two failed team become one come across you. Nostalgia hits and something in you turns and you wonder many, many things and suddenly decide it’s worth trying life again. I’ll let you think back on what some of those thoughts were.”

What is Minato’s son really like?

Can I help Sasuke not become like me?

Will Naruto become Hokage like Obito wanted to, or will he tragically die too?

Sakura reminds me so much of Rin, it hurts.

She also seems to act like a lovesick teenager, not a shinobi.

They actually passed, they cared more for their teammates than rules…

“What brought you here today? Besides the guilt of surviving yet another mission past them. What’s really the stress here?”

Genma had always been blunt, he learned a long time ago it did no good to tiptoe around the silver haired man. Just get to the point, it’ll irritate him either way.

Kakashi stared at him a moment before sighing. “It didn’t strike me just exactly how similar she was to Rin until today. Sure, she was caring and outgoing like Rin, but she was also ill-tempered. Today, when she was willing to sacrifice herself to save Ino, she had accepted it openly. Willing to give up everything she has, everyone she has. Her job, her future as the medical director, being by Naruto’s side, being a medic. Being a kunoichi.” There was a shudder that went through him as the memory came back, one he tried not to recall ever. “Just as Rin gave her life to my chidori without a second thought to save the village… Sakura was ready t give up everything if it meant we would be safe from them...”

“Give up you, and your relationship.” Genma said plainly, not beating around the bush like Kakashi was. “Kakashi, you do realize it’s acceptable to not be okay with that? You’re her man, of course you’re not okay with her throwing herself to the fire. Or to feel even an inkling of doubt when you witness something like that.”

“But I understood it!” Kakashi defended. “I couldn’t be mad at her, because I would have done the same thing for her, for Naruto, for our team or even you! Asuma, Kurenai, or Guy!”

“You can accept something, and still be hurt by it.” Genma said dryly. “I thought you of all people would understand that? Or is that why you have your hand on Rin’s name? Even though no matter how many times we tell you it’s not your fault, you still don’t believe it. She loved you, and she loved this village, and it’s people. So does Sakura, and I guarantee you she would have done the same damn thing if she had been Rin instead of Sakura. But that’s one thing you love about her, isn’t it? Her sense of duty, even past her emotions?”

Genma’s gaze flickered over his shoulder and then he smiled. “Kakashi, we’re ninja. Our lives hang by a thread and things change every day. No one expects you to let go of the one person you let in completely. Not even her.” He winked before puffing away in a cloud of smoke after a series of hand signs.

Kakashi felt her chakra before he heard her. He couldn’t turn to look at her, what if she’s still angry? Angry that he wouldn’t have let her do it if it came down to it?

He felt her hand on his shoulder, and it squeezed. It trailed down his back, before she wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face between his shoulder blades. He took a deep breath and let alone but it didn’t release a single bit of tension. His hand was still over Rin’s name, it wouldn’t even be the first time she found him like this.

He felt her chest expand against his back, but she said nothing. He tried to keep breathing. Her presence calmed him, even just the tiniest of bits. She would wait until he was ready to talk, she always had waited.

Why was she able to be so patient with him? Would she ever tire of it, of him?

How much did she hear? Is she mad that he was here, comparing her to the girl he might have loved and married if life wasn’t so cruel? He couldn’t love her then, but would she be like Sakura is now if she had ever made it to adulthood? Patient, caring, never giving up.

He was sure she would have.

He sighed. “Sakura… I’m s-”

“Kakashi, are you really about to apologize for comparing me to Rin, for seeing parts of the girl you loved in me?” There was a touch of humour and affection in her voice and it surprised him.

He turned around to face her, glancing down at her face, and caught the happy glimmer in her eyes.

“I…”

“You’re not the first or only one to see it, or tell me. We learned about her in the academy you know, it’s even taught that she had loved you.” She placed her hands on his face. “And there is no shame in realizing that if given the chance, you would have loved her back. That you love her now. I’ve known that for forever.”

“And it doesn’t...bother you?”

“Why would it?”

“Uh… Most women don’t like comparisons.”

“Most women also have types and so do men. I don’t think it’s insulting to know you fell in love with another medic who insistently took care of you, even if you were indifferent and distant.”

“Damaged.” He said softly.

She frowned, before pulling him to start walking back to his apartment. “We’re all damaged. That’s part of our lifestyle.”

“What’s it with you medics being overly understanding.” He chided.

“Empathy makes the job worth it.”

He smiled sadly. “Life’s unfair, you shouldn’t have to bear burdens such as emotionally stupid men like me.”

“Stop that, you deserve someone who cares for you, you’ve spent the last however long sacrificing yourself and feeling guilt over people who cared for you. You’re far from a burden. You’ve more good than harm to me.”

“But now I have you… who frets about her teammates' health. Who believes in her idiot best friend, falls for the distant and damaged boy, and is more than ready and willing to give her life to save someone else’s. However, I can’t say Rin had a temper or loved our sensei romantically... ” He cracked a smile under his mask.

“Hey, my temper is usually justified...And she loved you, which is similar enough.”

His eyes softened. “I think you both have this incessant need to take care of people. Or the whole village itself.” He sighed. “And it scares me that I’ll lose you to that, just like I lost her…”

“And to take care of you.” Sakura said before kissing his masked cheek. “I’ll bet she’s up there, happy that you are happy, that there’s someone that cares for you as much as she did.”

“Maybe…” He kissed the top of her head.

“I can’t promise you that I wouldn’t do the same as her, because we both know it’d be a lie.” She sighed. “But I would never expect you to agree with it…”

“Were you mad at me this morning?”

“No. I couldn’t stay mad anyway. I can’t be mad at you for loving me, Kakashi…”

“I still think you deserve better. Rin deserved better. So much better…”

Sakura nodded. “But so do you, now let yourself be happy this time.” She squeezed his hand before he nodded softly.

“I came here today because I remember barely surviving mentally after Rin died, especially from my jutsu, even if it wasn’t my fault, her blood was on my hands…” He squeezed her hand, hard. “Minato-sensei was the reason I made it through that, and when he died… It was you three that brought me back, and at first it was just pure curiosity. But now you’re my family, my precious people, and I love you. I don’t know if I could survive losing that again.”

“You better not be blaming yourself for Sasuke again…”

Kakashi shook his head and glared at the ground. “No, not for this, Not for how far gone he is. I blame myself from not being able to stop him from leaving. Not for what… Not for how he is today.”

“You know, he won’t stop.”

“Neither will I.” Kakashi looked at her as they entered his apartment. “I will die protecting you before I ever let him take you from me unless it was of your own desires to be with him, not go be a martyr to save the village from his wrath at the cost of your happiness.”

Sakura went to open her mouth to argue against before snapping it back shut. She remembered Ino, Tsunade and Shizune telling her one time a long time ago.

When someone decides they will take care of us, because we absolutely refuse to do it ourselves, don’t fight it. Just let them, because it’ll be useless to fight it anyway, because they love you and won’t sit back and watch you destroy yourself.

One of these days, some hot ass shinobi is going to make you sit down and be cared for instead of being the one doing the caring, and you had better let him.

Sakura kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt his strong hands grab her waist and hold her close. “I’ll be counting on it, cause someone has to, and I’d trust no one else but you…” She whispered into the kiss as he picked her up from the ground. “I love you, too…”

#inner turmoil #kakasaku #kayparkerwrites #kakashi x sakura #angst #depression #trauma #ino yamaka #naruto uzumaki #naruto #naruto fanfiction #fanfiction #kakasaku fanfiction #sakura haruno #kakashi hatake #orochimaru #sasuke uchiha

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uchihashisui-kun · 4 years

Text

For @the-power-of-youth, who asked for "☠+Sakura"

Shisui wasn't a religious man. Of course, Uchiha children were raised with the knowledge of Izanagi, Izanami and their three children: Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Susanoo, the three most important Deity for an Uchiha, but Shisui had grown up alone and no one ever really forced him to believe in them, so, no, Shisui wasn't a religious man.

That being said, Shisui had indeed found himself praying a couple of times, and this? This was definitely one of those times.

Since the day the Uchiha coup had been stopped Shisui had decided to quit ANBU, taking time for himself even if Fugaku-san had been against his decision, and ultimately asking for the possibility to be a Jōnin Sensei.

Team 7 had been second team, the first one long promoted to higher ranks, and Shisui had been thrilled to know that his little cousin Sasuke would have been given to him, since he could help him in case he awakened the Sharingan, along with the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and a civilian-born girl with a lot of potential.

Sakura was, honestly, the best. She was kind, strong and very smart. A book kind of smart, something that not most people were, and Shisui loved her like a little sister, and maybe that was why Shisui wanted to protect her with all he could give.

It should have been an easy mission, but, honestly speaking, when was it that a mission remained as easy as it looked? Almost never, and Shisui should have known it, he had been ANBU for years and he knew very well that missions often goes to shit rather quickly and without a prior notice.

He also knew that both Sasuke and Naruto were safe, because he had took them away with a well-placed Shunshin, but Sakura? She was right in the thick of things, and even if she was strong she had no hope against two S-Rank enemies all alone, so, of course, Shisui had jumped in to protect her. What else could he do? He was certainly not about to let his student die when he could have done something to prevent it.

The fight had been long and tiring and between protecting Sakura, protecting himself and attacking, Shisui had been stretched as thin as possible, his chakra reserves dangerously low and with more injuries than he could count.

In the end he had won, but he had fallen as well. Not that he regretted it, his precious team was safe and that had been his ultimate goal, and he couldn't be sad even as his body hit the ground with a dull thud.

Sakura had been on him in an istant, big, green eyes so sad and full of tears, trembling hands hovering on his body like they couldn't decided what injury was more important to heal first. Shisui had cracked a smile, all bloody lips and teeth, a hand weakly patting her knee, his limbs too heavy to do more than that.

"Now now, Sakura-chan, don't cry." Shisui had said, his voice barely above a whisper. It was just so hard to breath, and he was pretty sure he had a broken rib or two poking at his lungs. "That sad grimace doesn't suit your pretty face."

A faint green light had appeared around Sakura's hands, and suddenly Shisui could breath a bit better. He knew that he would not come out of this alive, he was very well aware of his body's limits, but he was happy to be able to talk for a little longer.

"Don't be sad for me, I'm happy that you're safe and sound." Shisui wanted to lift a hand to take away the tears running down Sakura's face, but it was so hard to move, his brain was sluggish and his body was unable to follow the inputs it was sending. "I know you'll be able to come out of this stronger, you always find a way to learn from every situation and improve yourself. You're the strongest kunoichi I know, after all."

Shisui's breath hitched, faltered, slowed down a bit, and everything was so blurry, the edges of his vision were starting to go dark and Sakura was the only clear thing he could see.

"Take care of 'em, alright? You're a strong team an' you need to stick together." Shisui smiled again, a mop of pink hair bent over him, healing chakra pushed so desperately in his body. "Sasu-chan can be grumpy, but he cares for you. And Naru-chan needs someone to remind him to be good." Shisui thought about them, asking himself how they would react knowing that he died.

He hoped they would not be too mad at him for leaving them alone.

"You're like family, yeah? Everyone needs a friend like you. You're smart and cheerful and you are the one that can keep the team together. You're like an older sister." Shisui closed his eyes, his eyelids too heavy to be kept up. "'M proud of you. Of all of you. You're my precious students."

Shisui thought about Itachi and about all of his friends. What will Kakashi do? Tenzou? Genma? Anko? Kurenai? He's a bit sad to leave them all behind, to be honest.

He hoped someone will take care of his precious Team 7 now that he was leaving them alone. "Love y'all." Shisui whispered, just a passing breath between his smiling lips, before darkness claimed him for good.

#uchiha shisui #haruno sakura #I had so much fun with this #I think I depressed myself again #but I loved it #character death #one shot

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aninconsistentwriter · 4 years

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and with a slow crescendo, my world explodes “Naruto”

or... read it here on Ao3!

-------

Naruto knew from a very young age that his soulmate was someone who was very very sad. That was the only way he could describe the sounds in his head. He hadn’t known what they were until he started attending the academy and Iruka-sensei taught them about soulmates and soulmate songs.

“Everyone has a song in their head,” his teacher had said. “The song is meant to guide you to your soulmate. Until you meet them, the melody is incomplete. But when you meet your soulmate for the first time, the melody is completed and that is how you know you’ve found your soulmate.”

“But Iruka-sensei, how do you know the melody is completed?” a young Sakura had asked, glancing shyly at the raven-haired boy seated next to her.

“No one can truly explain it, Sakura-chan. People have described it as an overwhelming feeling of completeness. The song changes and you can feel it.”

Naruto had wondered if he would ever meet the person who caused such a sad song to play in his head.

Once, when they were on an overnight mission, his genin team decided to discuss their soulmate songs. Sakura had described hers as if spring had a voice, soft staccatos and uplifting. She hummed for a moment and Naruto smiled at her. He was glad her song was such a happy one.

Sasuke had surprised them by describing his song as sweet. Lilting notes that blended into each other to create a beautiful melody.

His teammates looked at him, waiting for him to describe his song. Naruto had merely said “they’re sad” before Sakura had pulled him into a fierce hug. Sasuke whispered an apology to him.

That night changed their friendships forever.

It was when he opened the hotel door and saw red and black eyes staring down at him that he understood why the song in his head was so sad. Before he could truly realize what was happening his head exploded with sound. Iruka-sensei had been both right and wrong. The sad, haunting melody in his head was still there but now it was just so much more. There was more to it, a harmony for the soft melody filled with discordant notes that left him wanting to cry from the ache they created.

The eyes that bore into his own widened with acknowledgement and grief. But it was all brought to a harsh pause when Sasuke’s voice resounded down the hallway and Naruto realized this was the man Sasuke wanted to kill.

Naruto didn’t talk about what had happened until several days later, when Jiraiya and he were relaxing in the onsen during their journey back to Konoha. “Who were those men at the hotel,” he asked.

“They are part of an organization trying to collect the tailed beasts like Kyubbi.”

“Why did Sasuke attack the one man?”Jiraiya sighed, “has Sasuke ever explained to you what happened to his clan?” Naruto shook his head in response. “That man is his older brother, Itachi. A few years ago, Itachi killed their entire clan except for Sasuke.”

Naruto looked down at the steaming water that surrounded him, the haunting song loud and clear in his head. “Oh,” he turned towards his mentor, “that man is my soulmate.”

They didn’t discuss it, after that one conversation. He supposed Jiraiya felt it would be too painful for the young boy. Afterall, his soulmate was a mass murderer who had killed his entire family except his younger brother, who happened to be Naruto’s teammate and best friend.

Also, his soulmate worked for an organization who were actively trying to kill him.

It was all a little painful, if Naruto was honest with himself. And yet, the song inside his head played on.

The dreams started shortly after that. Meeting your soulmate so close to puberty did Naruto no favors when it came to his nightly dreams. He’d only had such a brief time to look at his other half and yet his dreams were so vivid, filled with creamy skin and a deep voice. The whole situation was driving Naruto mad.

Relief only came with heartbreak, however. The maddening dreams subsided as Naruto was forced to focus on training with Jiraiya in order to bring Sasuke back. So, Naruto pushed the melody in his head to the back of his mind and focused on becoming stronger and Naruto never mentioned his soulmate to Jiraiya during the three years.

Naruto decided to tell Sakura when he came back. Her own song had been completed when they met Rock Lee the first time, surprisingly. While neither had been pursuing a romantic relationship with each other when Naruto had left, he returned to find them comfortably together. It was a relief for him, that at least one of his teammates was happy.

So, after they had beaten Kakashi at the revamped bell test Naruto spilled his secret to his best friend. She cried with him, for him, as they sat together. It was the first time Naruto had allowed himself to cry about his situation. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest, like he maybe now he could move forward. At least, that’s what he thought until he was facing his soulmate again just a few days later.

It was the first time he heard his name fall from his soulmate’s lips, Naruto realized dazedly. “Naruto-kun, I am sorry,” Itachi’s rich voice reached his ears and Naruto felt that he could weep all over again. He wanted to curl up on the ground and weep as the melody in his head grew louder in the presence of his soul’s other half. Instead he harshly bit the inside of his cheek until it bled and forced himself forward with a rasengan.

He wanted to cry even more when he realized he had been placed under a genjutsu.

But he didn’t cry, he didn’t even curse his soulmate when they discovered it had been an impersonation jutsu. Instead he just kept going, fighting his way to save Gaara.

It was when all was said and done, Gaara brought back and the Konoha shinobi were making their way back to their village that Sakura approached him. With Lee suitably preoccupied by his latest insane self-challenge, Sakura walked next to her blonde teammate in silence for a while. Eventually though her hand slipped into his and she asked him, “are you okay?”

Naruto squeezed her hand tightly before releasing it, “no, I’m not. But I suppose I will be. I have no other choice.” And if a couple of tears escaped his eyes this time? Well no one said anything to him.

Naruto fell into a routine. He completed missions and trained. He got to know Sai and Yamato. He saw Sasuke again for the first time in three years. He trained more, he trained harder. He hung out with his friends and allowed himself to laugh. Eventually, the melody quieted enough that he felt that he could breathe a little bit easier again.

Jiraiya apparently had told Kakashi as the man asked him about it one day during training. “How are you dealing with it, Naruto?”

The blonde closed his eyes tightly, willing the song back into the corners of his mind where he could ignore it. He forced his eyes open wide and smiled at his sensei, “I’m just fine, Kaka-sense! What are you talking about?”

Kakashi didn’t ask again.

Naruto was fine. He was surviving. He was getting stronger and things were great. That’s what he told himself when the melody was too loud or too haunting. He was going to bring Sasuke back and it didn’t matter that he was doomed to have a soulmate he could never be with. It didn’t matter. What mattered was protecting his precious people and becoming Hokage.

It was like a mantra in his head, intertwined with the ever present song. Somehow the idea that capturing Itachi would be the best way to bring Sasuke back to the village was decided. Naruto wanted to scream in frustration. It was as if Fate had decided to continue playing cruel jokes on him, over and over and over again. He couldn’t escape the raven haired man who starred in his dreams and who’s song played constantly in his head.

Naruto could feel both Sakura and Kakashi looking at him, waiting for him to object. Instead he plastered on his best determined smile and told Tsunade to plan the mission.

That was how Naruto found himself alone with his soulmate for the first time in the four years since their melody had completed itself. “I promise I won’t harm you, Naruto-kun. I only wish to speak with you.”

Naruto looked into black eyes, realizing it was another first between the two. I’ve never seen him without his Sharingan activated, the jinchuuriki thought. “Tell me, Itachi-san, does it hurt for you as much as it does for me?” He clenched his shirt in the area above his heart, feeling the familiar ache settling there, the one that always came when he listened to the music too closely.

“I am sorry, Naruto-kun. It was never my wish for you to be involved in this mess.”Naruto scoffed at that, “you talk as if we ever get to choose who our soulmates are. I’m used to Fate treating me like a punching bag. I’m a jinchuuriki and an orphan. Of course my soulmate would be tragic as well.” His laugh was bitter and cold.

Itachi frowned at him, “tell me Naruto, you are alone. Why don’t you run?”

“I can go from one to a thousand in an instant, I am never alone. Besides, if I capture you then I get to see Sasuke!” There, move the topic away from us. Focus on Sasuke. Focus on what you CAN change!

Sharingan eyes flashed at him and Naruto wanted to scream at the sight of them. Itachi’s eyes were far more beautiful in their natural state. “What is your attachment to my little brother?”

“He is my best friend. He is like a brother to me! I will bring him back to the village where he belongs!”

Naruto could have sworn that Itachi smiled at his response. “And if he doesn’t come willingly? Or what if he were to try and attack Konoha? What would you do then, Naruto-kun?”

“Why would he attack the village?”

“Sasuke is still naive. He could be painted many colors by those who wish harm. Would you protect the village against him?”

Naruto was confused, this conversation had taken a turn he hadn’t been able to predict. “I’ll bring him back and protect the village!”

The raven haired man chuckled at him, the sound surprising Naruto even further, “you are still so naive as well. Still, it cannot be helped.” Itachi walked up to him and placed a finger under Naruto’s chin. The touch sent an electric spark down the blonde’s spine and he had to force himself not to shiver. “Things are going to start moving quickly and I am sorry that you are stuck in the middle of it all. I am leaving Sasuke in your care, Naruto-kun.” Itachi leaned in, placing his lips firmly against the younger’s.

Their melody crescendoed in Naruto’s head and his knees felt weak. He pushed up to meet the Uchiha’s firm lips, deepening the kiss with a small gasp. Itachi’s tongue traced the seam of Naruto’s lips softly before he leaned back with a sad sigh, separating the two. Naruto opened his eyes, not realizing he had closed them to begin with, and his world flashed red.

“I am leaving you with a gift, Naruto. I wish things could have been different between us,” Itachi’s voice echoed around him before Naruto saw a crow fly towards him. It’s beak forced its way between his lips before making the trip down his throat, all while Naruto struggled not to choke. When the red world faded, he dropped to his knees and looked up at the other man. His eyes were black once again and Naruto forced himself to memorize the image before him. “Goodbye, Naruto-kun,” Itachi said before he disappeared and left Naruto alone.

Kiba found him shortly after that, still on his hands and knees staring at the grass. The blonde boy got up and placed a mask on his face, ignoring his buzzing lips and the discordant notes inside his head. He pushed aside the sense of impending doom Itachi left in his wake and focused on the task at hand. He gave a terse nod to his teammate and off they went, searching for his soulmate’s wayward brother.

It was later that day, when they were all trying to figure out the mystery that was the orange masked Akatsuki member, that it happened. The strange plant-like man who Tobi addressed as Zetsu appeared with an odd apology for interrupting. He looked at Tobi before announcing “Uchiha Itachi is dead. Sasuke killed him.”

Naruto fell to the ground as a strangled scream ripped from his throat.

#fanfiction #naruto fanfiction #naruto #itachi uchiha #itanaru #itachi x naruto #soulmate au #also on ao3

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amaryllisblackthorn · 5 years

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okay so i’ve had this building up in me for too long and i just read one too many comments today and i had to vent so i did. i usually feel uncomfortable posting in like official fandom tags and stuff but like i feel so passionately about this even if it is just me being reiterating the same point and not fantastic writing.

i honestly can’t stand when people make fun of or demean or insult sakura taking gaara’s blow for sasuke. the fact that people go ‘i mean i guess she tried’ or just write it off as her being useless bc oh now she’s a damsel in distress etc like ????

sakura saved sasuke’s life

sakura was willing to die to protect him

not only was there nothing else for her to do in that situation (it was literally the only thing she could do) but she knew that she knew that she couldn’t fight him off but she stood in his way anyway kishimoto literally draws a connection to sakura moving in gaara’s way in front of sasuke --- when, by the way, naruto was too freaked out to move and do anything and sasuke couldn’t move so sasuke was gonna die!!!! --- to sasuke’s “my body just moved on its own” in the wave arc with naruto

it’s part of the examples of people protecting their loved ones naruto recollects when he thinks about haku telling him that strength is when you have someone special to protect like ????????

temari is shocked that sakura was able to face gaara in his current state, bc yeah he was terrifying !!!!!!!! naruto was too freaked out to react in time and gaara was going straight for sasuke with a killing blow!!!!!! sakura got in the way of a killing low meant for sasuke on purpose and the fact t hat there are people who make fun of her for being ‘useless’ in this scene gets me so riled up bc they’re undermining what she did and i cannot stand for that

the only reason sakura didn’t die receiving the blow is because her act triggered gaara’s memories of love like gai did with lee at the exams he was affected by it its why he's holding his head right after he’s literally standing over sasuke’s body before naruto snatches him away while he’s distracted, but she didn’t know that was gonna happen she was literally facing death in the face to save someone precious to her and that’s admirable stuff!!!!

people criticizing her for getting in the way and becoming a hostage like she didn’t succeed what she set out to do and then some because she ended up not being killed -- she wanted to save/protect sasuke!! she saved/protected sasuke!!! there’s absolutely nothing to criticize about what she did because if she didn’t do it sasuke would be dead she was the only one who acted and it saved his life!!!!

you know what forget the wave arc -- how people acknowledge the significance of sasuke taking those needles for naruto, taking what he thought was a death blow and effectively giving up his life meaning of revenge, even if he ended up not dying bc the intent was there -- ----people bring up how significant sasuke being willing to die to buy sakura and naruto time to flee and giving up his life meaning of revenge during this very arc/fight!!!! the prevalent theme or whatever (message? idea? motif? thing?) during this fight/arc is protecting the people precious to you even at the cost of your own life and generally people are okay with that but like when everyone else does it it’s true strength but somehow when sakura is the one to do it it’s her being useless and stupid????? she’s literally the only one demeaned for doing the same exact thing as everyone else relevant to the theme during the arc! but she’s the only one not only overlooked but downright criticized for it and i can't stand for that.

when sasuke makes his famous ''i don't ever want to watch those dear to me die before me again' speech, naruto flashes back to sasuke taking the “death” blow/needles for naruto in the wave arc and sakura taking gaara’s blow for sasuke less than an hour ago . it literally contributes to his epiphany, alongside kakashi’s "i don’t let my comrades die" moment back in wave arc ((and we know how important that is to kakashi)). and then he also thinks of iruka taking the huge shuriken for him back in the first chapter!! was that stupid and useless of iruka to do that??? even though naruto ended up having to save iruka??? no???? of course not !!!! and even though it ended up not being fatal im pretty sure the point is still there, that even if it had been fatal iruka would protect naruto with his life bc he was willing to die to protect him bc he was precious to him do you guys sense a theme here ??????? because that’s the whole point ??? and sakura’s act of taking gaara’s blow is a part of that ???? all of those things contributed to naruto’s epiphany, the same thing haku said, that when you have someone you’re willing to protect (fighting for the sake of others) then you become strong.

except apparently sakura for some reason ??? when everyone else is willing to die to protect their loved ones it’s true strength but when sakura does it she’s weak like ??????????

she even had the focus on the intense/determined eyes that gai had and sasuke had in the current scene and that naruto gets after the epiphany!!! “i will protect them no matter what!” ! it’s protect them and/or die trying because it didn’t matter what happened to her !! what mattered was protecting sasuke, her comrade, someone precious to her, that’s what mattered, even at the cost of her own life! it’s almost like people miss the complete point of that moment

and then you go to the third hokage’s quick speech about real strength of a shinobi appears when protecting something precious with the montage of all the parent shinobi like it’s so thematic and good!! and it carries over to his funeral, when naruto asks iruka "why do people risk their own lives for the sake of others".' "there's no logic or reason to it. people just do things like that because they have precious things to protect” (’my body just moved on its own’)

i wrote like twice this length but i lost about half of it somehow it was mostly me reiterating that people who look down on sakura for this moment are objectively wrong and i can't stand by it

to not acknowledge and appreciate the resolve in her eyes facing a terrifying demon as she stood in the way of his death blow, because it was to protect sasuke. to not appreciate the fact that she was willing to sacrifice herself, to risk her life, the way others have and have been appreciated for, if it saved/protected sasuke. to not acknowledge that if it weren’t for her, sasuke would probably almost definitely have been killed, because gaara went for a killing blow, sasuke couldn’t move, and naruto couldn’t react in time and literally the only thing that saved him was sakura taking the blow, her resolve in fighting for others triggering something in gaara that distracted him, and naruto taking advantage of this to snatch sasuke away. sakura literally saved sasuke’s life in that moment and people have the gall to demean that act smh

and like, this is a little bit of a sasusaku aside, but i think that’s like why sasuke looks at her the way he does when he lays her down on the branch after he catches her from the sand. because she not only almost died in order to protect him, but that she willingly did so, she was willingly ready to sacrifice her life, to die, to protect/save him and that’s gonna affect a guy, you know? like even on a totally platonic level that’s still intense stuff. (although, personally i think this is the moment something shifts some more). and that also probably contributes to his frustration later in not being able to save her when naruto could not only bc he was unable to save his teammate (sakura), but bc he was unable to save his teammate who was in danger because she took what was originally intended to be a killing blow for him to protect/save him. her life was in danger because of him, because she saved his life risking her own, and he couldn’t do anything to help her! that significantly adds to that feeling of helplessness, and then throw naruto in the mix plus the itachi stuff and gah well you know what happens.

point is, people undermine or overlook the significance of what sakura does and accomplishes here and it gets me really worked up for several reasons including that the narrative itself establishes it as thematically significant and also like facing a terrifying demon’s death blow head on without flinching (with sweating but who can blame her) until like you’re actually hit, being willing to take that hit to protect someone else, is just a really significant admirable thing on its own in general just like it is here??? basically demeaning sakura here is slander and i won’t allow that in my house

#ab: personal #sakura haruno #sasusaku #;people complaining that she doesn't do more here --- she cOULDNT DO MORE HERE no one other than naruto really could #;just because she doesnt get a fight it doesnt diminish what she did here and its such !! a good !! moment !!#;so there are probably a lot of typos in this bc its mostly me venting stream of conscious almost style #;also this is also similar to her vs the sound ninja in the forest of death when she found her resolve #;it didnt matter what happened to her as long as she could protect/save sasuke (and naruto)#;its the whole point of the will of fire too like asdfghgjfhjflk #naruto #pro sakura haruno #pro sasusaku #;this is arguably more sakura focused than sasuke but it involves him and also i want people to know that i ship it so dont be surprised #;that it pops up here #;why do i read youtube comments #;also i feel like i might regret posting this later but aah

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depressedhatakekakashi · 2 months

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1) Happy Birthday!! 🎈🎉🎁🎂🎊 I hope you get to spend it with those closest to you doing the things you want to do!

2) I’d sell my leg for Gai to actually react to Kakashi dying and being brought back from the dead during Pein’s attack. He gets to be angry and sad and feel all the emotions.

3) Or to actually have Kakashi react and deal with Obito being on Madara’s side. After the war, when things have calmed down, he gets a chance to actually process what happened.

4) I just read your “Hinata defends Neji” headcannon. How does Hiashi react during the war when Neji tries to save Naruto and Hinata? Does he jump in front of Neji? Or does he allow the date Neji has been fighting against to happen?

Thank you!!!!

Oh gosh you just unlocked three of my top scenes 😭😭😭

Ok, So First i do have to say ‘how does Kakashi react to Obito being on Madara’s side’ is sort of dealt with in an upcoming fic!

Now, How does gai react to Kakashi’s death against Pein?

Emptiness.

It has been years since Gai has felt that deep, unforgiving emptiness in his hesrt. Years since he’s gazed upon the body, or Ashes, of someone he loved and known that this would be the last time he’d ever get to see them again.

With his Papa the final memory he has is sad, but also oddly comforting. Gai knew the sacrifice he was making but it was a sacrifice he’d made with love.

A sacrifice he’d made to protect Gai.

And most importantly, even though he knew that his father was about to Die he was gifted with a final memory of his smiling, supportive, living face.

That wasn’t not a kindness the universe had extended to him a second time.

Instead, Gai found himself standing over the unconscious -

No, Dead.

The dead body of his best friend and eternal rival.

“Kakashi…” the name fell from his lips in a chocked sob.

He’d known something was wrong, but he’d tried to convince himself that it was something else. Something more manageable.

An attack against the village that him and Kakashi would unite against and defeat.

Or the loss of another friend who he’d cry over and mourn.

He’d never allowed himself to believe that it was Kakashi, one of his most precious people, who had parishad in the fight.

The pain in his chest increased as he stared down at that lifeless, empty body. A dull ache turned into searing hot agony and before he knew it his knees buckled and he came crashing down to the earth beside Kakashi’s body.

“Sensei!” Lee called out to him, but Gai paid his student no attention as he continued to stare at Kakashi, hoping

Wishing

Praying to a diety he didn’t even believe in

That he would just move.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as tears began streaming down his face. “I was too late.”

#Maito Gai #Scene rewrite #i had Hiashi actually taking the hit for Neji as one of my scene rewrites for myself #but i never got the chance to write it 😭😭😭

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scarlxtleaves · 2 years

Text

first meeting prompts // closed

@leafbelief asked: BREAK IN . to Sasuke [pre-shipudden era. C rank mission]

A village where the ill disappeared and no one knew why. Team 7 were given the mission to simply infiltrate the village and gather as much information as they could and then report back and the current hokage will weigh the risk of promoting the mission from its rank C to a rank A. However, the group had met one sick girl and her mother that were worried sick for her. Tey’ve heard her story, the girl had to witness both her older brother and father murdered before her eyes, had leaf jonin not been around to protect her, her life owuld have been lost as well.

Her story of course resonated with Sasuke, after that fight with Gaara..to realize that there were other threats in the world other than his own brother shook him to his core and what shook him even more is that he’s come to know that he simply did not want to live in a world where those precious to him were taken once again. Whilst he’d never openly admit it now that things were calm, Sasuke would sooner die than to let anything happen to his comrades, Sakura was annoying but she also possessed a skill to analyze a situation and devise a sound strategy. Kakashi was his mentor and the person that slowly began to fill the void that Itachi had left behind, he once again relived the joys of having an elder brother and then there was Naruto, noisy, obnoxious, and somehow always slipping further and further ahead of him. It infuriated him and yet excited him as well as he wanted to test the blond’s resolve.

The team enjoyed another uneventful day that changed once the moon had made its appearance into the sky. Within the guest room the team were fast asleep upon individual futons lined next to one another. Something scurried into the house, it was small, dark and moved rather swiftly. However, once it stopped at the little girl’s bed it began to squeak. It was a rodent, a rat and its eyes glowed an eerie azure once the girl woke up and looked into them. Overcome by a hypnotic jutsu as it began to lead her out of the house. It seemed both Sasuke and Naruto felt something..odd as they both were roused awake. Sasuke silently signaled him to stay quiet as he swiftly left his futon and began following the girl outside. What they said within the town was..odd. There were others just like the girl, being led out of their homes by a rodent and were made to stroll towards the open field. They continue to follow and follow until they vanish in thin air right before them. “What?!”

Sasuke utters under his breath and takes a step forward where the others had disappeared..the air was odd..that’s when he knew what to do. Activating his sharingan he was able to confirm that this wide area was just a large genjutsu that acted as a curtain. It appeared only those hypnotized were able to enter until Sasuke unleashes his chakra to release the genjutsu only to reveal a large a large castle. At the very least they knew where the disappearing people went now all that was left was to head back into the village and wake up Kakashi and inform him of their discovery, but the blond insisted that there wasn’t time and they needed to save the girl right now. That damn brat tugged at his heartstrings. “Hanging with you is going to make me soft..” The young avenger utters under his breath but then smirks as he agreed to follow Naruto’s idea and rescue the girl on their own. “Let’s go Naruto, we break in silently, kill the leader and report back to Kakashi.”

#❛ SASUKE ANSWERS ━ what makes you think i give a fuck?#❛ SASUKE IN CHARACTER ━ i killed the only man i ever loved.#leafbelief

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ryodan · 7 years

Text

Every team 7 ship VS NaruHina

To the clique that argued with me in the saltiest of ways, I dedicate to you my first ever anti nh post. I hope you think twice about telling people to kill themselves over your self insert and stop being a pimple on society’s ass.

Let’s start with the one that gets on your tits the most

Naruhina VS Narusaku (The Heaven and The Earth), alternatively titled : stop being angry he liked the hot chick and stop pretending Sakura isnt kushinas parallel

Whenever you feel the need to drag Sakura remember your origin story, @Lunaneko14. Don’t forget your years of defending SS to ride on it’s back lest ns happens

Your ship was here, while the ns fandom had this..no amount of sakura bitterness will change that, @mythicalheartbeat

Ya boy that she was gorgeous from before team 7’s creation

Before you call Sakura selfish while gratifying Hintata, @fallingforkonoha, remember your void eyed princess entered a fight Tsunade knew not to interfere in knowing she can’t do anything to confess her feelings (at the perfect timing too, really) saying this about herself

A sentiment that continued until her almost final appearance in the manga she took up less than 1% of, as she took a moment to appreciate Narutos, big capable hands in front of her dead cousin . hand holding in front of lavish scenery is so sweet

VS Sakura, the selfish monster who went in knowing she might get hurt, for him, because she cared greatly about his physical and emotional safety

Remember all those times Hinata just cared so much about his dreams, all those times she was there when he needed her

I love how she always believed in him, unlike Sakura. What a bitch, remember that comment she made in chapter 3 out of 700? Awful.

This QUEEN vs this BITCH, amirite @blackotaku97?

You know whats better than stealing someones ninja way, walmart naruto with a nuclear mushroom cloud of a head? Supporting your precious peoples ninja ways and finding your own.

A common argument that gets thrown around : Hinata was ALWAYS there for him

Sorry, I must have missed her in Narutos speech of the people who saved him from his loneliness and pain

I really like how she sees him miserable and doesn’t help him it’s the epitome of always there

Most of all, you nasty trash can excuse of a human being, I want you to get your head out of your asshole for just 3 seconds and accept that this happened

You can’t change what’s been set in stone

No amount of yapping with a filler movie can change the past. But you know what? Bitches bark and yap, that’s no surprise

No amount of yapping about the twin lions fist, a head branch hyuga jutsu being hinatas own changes facts, @commanderkurama

My fav part of the pain arc was when Naruto never asked Hinata about her confession, or her safety. I also particularly like Narutos first ever hug that someone else initiated

Drag Sakura all you want but remember when you were here after 2013

Narusakus had this before 2007

Remember that while your self insert was fainting and going on suicide missions

Sakura and Naruto had already built a relationship based on mutual support, respect, love and equal footing (weather platonic or romantic, love is love). A relationship where they both believed in each other, supported each other, had each others back, laughed with each other, cried with each other, had actual chemistry with each other. Remember that the next time you whine about people loving this ship instead of your talked about the weather and clothes ship in an entire movie dedicated to them couple.

Sakura supports your faves so much that no wonder you want to debunk her heroine status and reduce her to a side supporting character that matches your background fav

Hiding her tears so she doesn’t hurt him!11! reminds me of that time she fake confessed to keep him, kakashi and the rest of the world safe even if at the cost of killing her beloved one to save him from falling into deeper darkness. Sakura is so selfish, no wonder everyone in Japan hates NS

Know your place, Linda. Keep your scumbag-kun and the girl 2ch calls Hinabuta (quick Japanese crash course, that means hinapig), I like my Naruto and Sakura-chan just fine.

SasuSaku (The Hawk and The Cherry Blossom), alternatively titled: You rode on my back for years because your ship wouldn’t have had a hope in high hell if it were not for these two

Lunaneko, I think someone told me you said we try to compete with your shit ship.

It’s hard hearing you over making ship history

While Naruto was busy ignoring Hinatas general existence because she has the presence of the trash can in the sasusaku confession scene Sasuke (a boy who’s been thirsted after fresh from mikotos womb was already flustered and blushing towards sakura

You know what development is? Starting off with an irritable boy with 6 years worth of survivor guilt and manipulation weighing on his shoulders, saying something incredibly ignorant that rightfully pisses him the fuck off but still having him worry enough about you to stay with you to ensure your safety even at the risk of elimination

Aside from giving naruto his first hug, she gave sasuke his in years. Apparently Linkin park was so affected by human touch that he opened up to her about something he’s been repressing and isolating himself over for years. Going so far as stating ‘At that time, I was crying’ and even explaining his entire stance in the story ‘I am avenger’

Development is going from this look

To this look

From this

To this

And that wink too. There’s more chemistry in that wink than the entire NH movie

Remember that time Sakura helped Sasuke develop from a boy who had a childhood trauma based fear of stronger opponents with blood lust to a boy who fought Orochimaru bravely and grew 10x times in a single scene? All while she developed herself? And grew from an agreeable sasuke fangirl to a respected team mate? Y’all wanna compare the war hand hold scene to this? The war scene could have had potential if it ended better lmao

Why was he fighting?

Protecting her seems like an odd concept to you? Sasuke can’t relate :/ Naruto aint even wanna walk hinata home what joke is this

Remember that time Sasuke almost killed a guy in the forest of death? No, not broke Zakus arm

Sasuke was willing to kill for Sakura and I hope you know sasuke’s stance on killing. Where’s Naruto having this much care for hinata I don’t see it my competition is really lagging in this ‘race’

Remember that irritable boy? This boy crawling to her for comfort is a boy who grew alongside her, naruhina who?

You know what she did? She stayed up all night tending to her team mates, falling for konoha. Theres a fine line between cheating your crush at the risk of your team and staying up all night in a place titled the forest of death tending to their wounds at a mere bud age of 12

Wait no, bud who? She bloomed, all thanks to being inspired by the holy trinity (whos front and center? Louder for the people in the back, this is inspiration not just wanting to be with someone) and her own determination to protect her loved ones

Mutual development? Fuck me up. Here is an emotional maturation moment for BOTH of them

I love all of these mutual nh moments in the manga, all 0.0005 of them

She gave rise to a gentle protective side of him, so much so that he has used polite Japanese speaking to her before. The databook even states he saw her as someone he needed to protect. people ship ships for that special spark.The only spark hinata ever got was her wet dream from holding narutos hand, which she awoke from when she tripped on rock-kun

Naruto can’t tell apart true love from ramen? Canon Naruto can’t relate

I love that panel of jealous Naruto it’s great, oh wait its not him

Compete with Nh over what, blackotaku? Where is your naruto @ hinata speech I must need new glasses

Your bitch ass tried using you’re annoying as an argument and it’s so funny because imagine thinking he’s coming from a place of hate after he was willing to consciously give up his revenge for her safety and him saying what he said in their first encounter with a smile after pretending he didn’t remember their first meeting

Followed by this, the moment Japanese fans hailed the most emotional of part 1

You wish you were ss lmao, you wish you made it to 44 volumes out of 72

Compete with nh? On what? Getting stronger for your loved ones?

Chemistry?

Mutual support?

Their feelings are connected, their kid is the physical manifestation of their love not the screw that keeps them together..Her husband is travelling through space and time to keep them and the entire world safe. Naruto is 2 meters away, out there with a limitless bay of chakra unable to get clones to do his work for him.. anti-sakura-pro-hinata, at least when sasuke came home after 6 years of much harder work..he had dinner with his family. Maybe it’s because his daughter was raised well and it was pleasant being around someone who isn’t a brat.

Being intuitive to each other?

Oh lmao remember how Sakura was the only person who against all odds knew sasuke would leave the village?

Angst to keep it interesting?

Call me when Gaiden isn’t one of Kishimotos best selling works. Call me when your ship actually wants to spend time with each other.

Where Narutos ultimate expression of love at? Is is sleeping on the couch? Boruto novel states sasusaku is having so much sex that sakuras skin is glossing, meanwhile naruto has erectile dysfunction and a shriveled dick by age 32

Sit down, there is not much competition. We keep the SS Japanese penguins, the Jump Fiesta sign attraction, the popularity, the ambitious kid and the moments, the canon selfless love only for the purpose of saving your lover and you keep the canon selfish love for the purpose of a confession and the banana who wishes its father dies and the mom who just cried.

But remember who made you

SasuNaru (Yin and Yang), alternatively titled: having black hair isn’t enough to make naruto obsessed.

The garbage can @anti-sakura-pro-hinata blog that attempted to call Sasuke trash because her fictional boyfriend was obsessed with him seems to forget Sasuke didn’t ask for it. Naruto needed a pep talk from fillermaru and fillerkura to chase after hinata yet chased after sasuke, even begged authorities to not kill him purely because he is his ‘friend’ for 3 years. He trained with him in mind, a fact so obvious that Kakashi pointed out Sasuke is the driving force behind Narutos training. Sasuke, and the image he had of team 7 in his mind. An image so important to him that the thought of it being tarnished by Sasukes absence made him have a panic attack.

He went after sasuke to save his best friend and for them all to be happy and smiling together, im sorry he didn’t include Hinata in his fantasies but Team 7 is kind of booked..we only have room for neo sanins, vip people and connected hearts here. If youre jealous your self insert doesn’t matter,, I don’t know, make up fanfiction where she appears in more than 38 pages of the manga

#parallels

Hinata is canonically narutos most important person!11!! where? Must be on fight on top of the moon land. Be happy Naruto went rampant when his seal was weak, Konoha was destroyed, Jirayah was murdered, Kakashi was killed, Tsunade was hurt and then Hinatas ass decided to risk him chakra depletion, death and losing himself. But remember who made him go rampant with a strong seal at the slight mention of a name

The boy he wanted the acknowledgement of the most because he admired him so much that being like him was his goal

Yet when he got it was still like ‘later, emo asshole. Just get your shit together first.’

Why? Because he loved his friend so much that understanding him and fighting (literally fighting) the fated hatred in his heart mattered more to him than the ego he wanted stroked since age 7

What does that mean? I don’t know man. They trained together, laughed together, rivaled each other, were petty to each other and before they knew it they were inseparable. Back then and always

@remedialaction, come after sasuke because your self insert isn’t noticing the shy girl hes friendzoned later. A huge part of Narutos development was heavily tied to Sasuke, lets not ignore the fact that sasuke being a good team mate who put the 3 man cell idea into his head before Kakashi even told them about team work is the reason why they even became ninjas

Remove and erase Sasukes victim status, his entire arc, motivations, fate and position in the story because he is in the way of a ship when he isn’t the only reason Narutos dick was alive for Hinata

But no Sasuke is a bad person, no matter what the narrative and facts are because nardo is obsessed with him

Praise hinata for her naruto-kun became my goal speech when you acknowledge

‘I knew you were always alone. I felt better knowing there was someone like me..i wanted to hang out with you. It just made me happy! But I couldn’t..i was jealous of how skilled you were, so I turned you into a rival. I wanted to be just like you. I started with nothing but I finally made a connection. We went on missions as team 7, and I kept chasing you, wanting to be just as strong, just as cool. Im really glad I met you!’

Bring sasuke down and praise hakuna hintatas for saying the same thing. ‘Naruto kun saved me’ vs ‘Thanks to you I found salvation’

And weep over how sad your ship looks like next to two arms connected by love (platonic or not love is love), fate, tears and literal blood.

But no, what is yin and yang, light and shadows, love and hate, 2 lonely people watching over each other because ‘finally someone understands my solitude’ as a dynamic in comparison to meek girl and loud guy who could have voiced his attraction eons ago?! It’s funny, even with the canon context of SNS being indra and ashuras chakra incarnate and a brotherly bond, it still works better and is a hella lot more interesting than NH

The scenes showing Naruto and Sasukes iconic team work have more chemistry than naruhinas entire manga time, movie time, filler time and hell even fan art and fan fiction time. I know you're jealous because sasuke is well loved, but show some respect to Borutos mother.

Kakasaku (Hot and hotter), alternatively titled: Get your head out of your ass

Kakasaku is pedophilia!!

It’s bad!11! because my subjective opinion said so!11!

Not as bad as nh

People ship adult Kakasaku for a whole lot more meaningful stuff than a self insert ship

Kakashi never looked down on her since shippuuden. He acknowledged her strength and how far shes come from being the whiny 12 year old he used to teach. He always knew by part two that she’d be great and he respected her a lot. He saw her kind heart and praised her for it and for her selfless love. They grew to become fellow comrades in the war who had equal respect for each other. What can y’all say about NH? This is a joke.

I want to stay in my lane, but the lanes converge when you make ugly personal attacks at people and insult ships and characters to elevate your own shit show. Drag Team 7 into your ugliness again and I expose your insecure ass.

Y’all can’t touch this aesthetic. Come at these kids when Naruto doesn’t remember them when he’s eating a bento (Something special made by someone you love-sarada) made by his wife.

Special thanks to @uzumakura for tht good ns wank, @sakuraharunos for that good sns wank, @chiwawha for her opinion on ks and me for my patience

#narusaku #sasusaku #kakasaku #sasunarusasu #pro team 7 #sasuke uchiha #sakura haruno #naruto uzumaki #kakashi hatake #anti hinata #anti naruhina #anti anti sasusaku #anti anti narusaku #anti anti sasunaru #they all have me blocked #lmao

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raendown · 7 years

Note

idk if u still do the 3 sentences fic or fic request at all but im feeling a lil down today and maybe ur fic can enlighten it! what if kakashi jr. find his parents are quarrelling and its like, a very huge fight?

Technically the three sentence prompts are done but what’s this about feeling down??? How dare the world???

*straps on writing hat*

I don’t know why I have a writing hat or why it has straps

Also I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t actually name him Kakashi Jr. just because it would get really confusing referring to them by the same name. Enjoy some really quick writing and I hope you feel better soon! Edit: You can also read it on AO3 now as well!

Takashi’s mom was kind of famous for having a temper, and a destructive one at that. The whole village was familiar with just how loud she could be when riled. So it wasn’t really the volume of his mom’s voice that was bothering him right now so much as what she was saying.

She’d been yelling at his dad for what felt like forever and, like he always did when confronted with this kind of blunt accusation, Takashi’s dad had shut down and was not responding. The young boy wasn’t even in the room but he could picture the Rokudaime Hokage standing utterly still, hands deep in his pockets and both eyes half lidded in a misleading expression of detachment. He could also picture his mother, Sakura, with her thunderous expression and her strong arms waving madly through the air while shecontinued to throw words like knives, seemingly uncaring of the wounds they inflicted.

And the worst part wasthat Takashi knew it was all his own fault. His dad wasn’t to blame yet he’d said nothing in his own defense. Takashi wasn’t sure if it was because Kakashi always said he would back him in anything he did in life or if it was just because he didn’t appreciate the way he was being spoken to and refused to engage. Either way the thirteen year old recognized the very serious dilemma in front of him: to tell or not to tell.

On the one hand, owning up to what he had done was the right thing to do and both of his parents had always taught him to do the right thing whenever possible. On the other hand he was terrified. His mother would turn her anger to him and most smart shinobi tried to avoid that exact situation; it had spelled death for many people before him. He shuddered to think of what she would do to him upon finding out what he had done. More terrifying, however, was the thought of her finding out some day that he had allowed his dad to take the fall for him and that decided it. He would have to tell.

Takashi gulped as he swung open the door to his room, feeling a little like he was marching to his death. He gathered every scrap of courage he had and placed one foot in front of the other, step by step, until he had reached the center of the storm that raged through their house.

Sakura looked as if she had run home straight from the hospital upon hearing the news. She was still wearing her Head Medic uniform and there was a small bloodstain on the hem, wrinkles on the arms, stress lines on her face. Across from her Kakashi looked as if he were pulling farther in to himself than Takashi had ever seen and it broke his heart to be a peripheral cause of that. He knew very well the hard life his dad had lived; he didn’t deserve any more unhappiness, no matter how fleeting.

“-still a child Kakashi, how could you!? Do you not care about his well-being? His life? Do you want him to be like you so badly? How dare you!”

“Mom?”

Sakura’s voice cut off at his quiet, pathetic call. The quiet in the absence of her words was like a ringing in his ears and he trembled under the weight of it. Kakashi seemed to slowly rise from a stupor, his eyes sliding over to rest on his son with a flat, dead look to them.

“Takashi,” Sakura grunted, “you can tell we’re in the middle of something. Now is not the time.”

“Mom, it’s important.”

He watched his mom lift a hand to rub the bridge of her nose. She sounded as if she were barely controlling herself as she asked, “What is it?”

“It’s…you shouldn’t be mad at dad.” Sakura looked at him sharply and he rushed through the rest of his words, knowing if he faltered then he would lose his courage and not say them at all. “You should be mad at me. It wasn’t dad who signed the form, it was me. I forged his name.”

He swallowed thickly, shaking and scared and refusing to cry as the ire built up again in Sakura’s face. Her fists clenched and un-clenched rhythmically.

“You forged his name?”

“Yes.”

“On a form stating that, in his opinion, your team was ready to take on a B-rank mission meant for seasoned chunin?”

“…yes.”

He’d known that Naruto-sama had asked his dad to help oversee the missions being handed out, to help assess each team and assign them appropriately. He’d also known exactly which genin was carrying the assessments and where they were filed. It had beeneasy for someone in the know to switch one of them out so that his team was noted as being highly skilled, ready for advanced missions.

It wasn’t the greatest plan he’d ever come up with, in hindsight, but it had seemed like a good idea at the time.

Sakura had already looked ready to start spewing steam from her ears when he had come in to the room. Now she seemed about to breathe fire. The full weight of the wrongness of what he had done came crashing down on Takashi like a doton burying him in an avalanche.

“Do you understand what could have happened!?” Sakura screeched. “Your team is not ready and there is a reason for those assessments! You could have died, Takashi! Your teammates could have died! Your jonin-sensei could have died trying to protect you! Do you want that on your conscience? Do you want your teammates to come home with scars and trauma? For every time you look at them to be reminded that it was your actions that led to those things?And all for what? To look cool!?”

Takashi was crying before she had gotten through her third sentence.

“And that’sjust the personal implications! You-you-look at yourfather Hatake Takashi. You look him in the eye and tell me what part of your genius plan seemed smart to you. To lay the blame for your stupidity at his feet.”

Sakura railed and ranted and by the end both she and her child were weeping messes of emotion. Of fear and anger and relief - such strong relief that nothing bad had happened. That he was alive and whole and safe to do something just as stupid on another day.

He hated to see his mother cry, to know that he had caused her pain, but Takashi stood still like the strong shinobi he wanted to be and let her storm wash over him. He had brought it on himself and he would take the consequences.

(He would never never do something this stupid again)

When it was over Takashi had been grounded for a month, had his video game privileges revoked, and been warned of the overwhelming list of chores he would be sentenced to attending to around the house for the foreseeable future. All in all, he felt almost as if he had gotten off lightly considering how serious the consequences could have been.

He shuffled back to his room when his mother stormed off to the forest behind their home to vent the rest of her emotions. He tried desperately to stem the flow of tears and nothing seemed to work until the door to his room creaked open to reveal his father standing there.

Kakashi looked nothing more than tired, exhausted, like shutting down had taken all of the energy from him and he wasn’t sure how to get it back. Takashi looked up at him helplessly, not knowing what to say.

“That was very brave,” his dad told him quietly. “Very brave of you to tell the truth knowing what would happen if you did.”

“I’m sorry, dad! I’m sorry!” Takashi burst in to tears all over again, burying his face in his hands. He felt like the scum of the earth.

He was surprised to find arms winding around his shoulders, pulling him in to his father’schest and letting him cry there like he had as a child with a scraped knee. Takashi sobbed, clinging to his dad’s shirt and burrowing in to his embrace. Nothing was safer than Kakashi’s arms and they had always held the power to make the world disappear no matter how old he got.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered again after a long time had passed, when his weeping had become a steady slow trickle of tears. He felt Kakashi pet his hair soothingly.

“Yes, I know. And you should be.”

“Why didn’t you tell mom that it wasn’t you?” he asked. Incredibly, considering how little emotion he had seen in his father when he’d come in, Kakashi chuckled.

“Your mother has always been…spirited, I think I’ll call it. When she’s angry she’s not very willing to listen to reason. She knows that and she’s been trying to work on it for years. But this involved you and your safety. You are the single most precious thing in both of our lives. Loves makes us all irrational, but especially your mother. She needed to yell and scream. She needed to vent. I thought it would be best for her to get it out first, then when she had calmed down enough she might listen.” Kakashi pulled them apart a little to look in to his son’s eyes. “Better that she yells at me than you. I knew what her temper was like when I married her and I have accepted that part of her, ugly as it is.”

Takashi puffed up automatically. “Mom’s not ugly!”

“Her temper is,” Kakashi pointed out. “No one is perfect, Takashi. Every person you meet will have ugly parts but loving someone means that you accept their ugly parts as well as their beautiful ones. You don’t have to like it, only accept it. I love you very much but that doesn’t mean I have to like the fact that you are a giant squish-face knucklehead.”

“Daaaaaad!” Takashi scrunched up his nose. “I’m not five anymore! Quit calling me squish-face!”

“Never!” Kakashi turned his eyes up in a smile and even though he was still full of grief and terror and guilt and annoyance, Takashi smiled back, just a tiny bit happy.

“I love you too, dad,” he said. “And I’m really, really sorry.”

Kakashi’s eyes opened to give him a very long look. Takashi bore it in silence until finally his dad told him, “And I forgive you.”

And he felt like everything might be okay after all.

(When Sakura came home and he heard her whispering apologiesto her husband over and over, Takashi kept his ear pressedto the wall and made himself listen to every single word. His dad was right. Sakura’s temper was an ugly thing but that didn’t make her less of a beautiful person. He could only hope to be more like her some day.)

#replies #rae writes #i accidentally a thing again #:\#kakasaku #kakashi #sakura #oc babies #fanfiction #naruto shippuden

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yakashi-lover · 7 years

Text

Anything

Pairing: KakaYama

Words: 4337

Prompt: write everything you want, very angsty, illness, war, post war, everything you want. - @laviniahatake

Trigger warnings for suicide and self-harm!

Please excuse any typos! I did proof read but I’m quite sick today and don’t have a beta!

Anything

Kakashi’s hand trailed slowly over the wooden table. The damp washcloth under his palm cooling the burn he had acquired earlier while preparing their dinner. His eyes wandered absently as the mundanity of the task dawned on him. He hated cleaning, but he also hated mess. During his life his dislikes cancelled each other out constantly until he forced himself to succumb to whichever was easier. As an adult he had learnt to clean as he went, making his life considerably more enjoyable.

Tenzo smiled at him from his place on the couch, tired eyes glazed as they made contact, his stomach pleasantly full and his mind drained. Kakashi smiled back briefly, before his eyes returned to the table under him.

Technically it was Tenzo’s night to cook. He realised as he turned to wash the rag in the sink. But it had been a long time now since those days. Back before the war when things were relatively normal. They would squabble over whose turn it was, regularly trading favours for the chance to sit down after a beautiful meal and not have to clean up. It all seemed irrelevant now. Kakashi thought as warm water ran streams over his hand, irritating his burn.

He would gladly cook and clean for the rest of his life if it meant that Tenzo was here with him.

He would never in his life forget the moment that he had been told Tenzo was missing. The moment his world caved in around him, his head swirling and the anguish deep in his gut as he nodded and outwardly projected the fact that he was fine. Looking out into a sea of faces, shinobi, soldiers. That he was the leader of and wondering how he would ever manage to take another step unassisted when his beloved was gone.

He shook his head slightly, the thoughts dissipating on their own as he slowed his quickened breath. Hand clutching desperately at the sink in front of him as he forced his eyes to focus on something here in this room. He ran his tongue along the top of his mouth, swallowing and remembering the taste of dinner as he exhaled slowly. Over the years he had eventually learnt the signs of an impending panic attack and at the age of 30 was finally able to dispel them if he was fast enough. It didn’t work all of the time, but enough. Enough to hold on to the lie that he was stable, that he was okay, that he was worthy.

He straightened as if nothing had happened, continuing with the dishes in an attempt to distract himself from where he knew his mind was headed.

It was no secret that Tenzo had been suffering since the war. Experiencing his own renewed version of PTSD much more severe than that he suffered as a child. While the rest of Konoha’s soldiers were fighting, he was being tortured underground, just out of reach.

Kakashi had been taking care of him to the best of his ability. Knowing the pain his lover was in all he wanted to do was help to stop it. Unfortunately for him knowing how the pain feels doesn’t mean knowing how to end it. If he knew those secrets he would not have been suffering for so long himself.

Regardless of if this was new to him or not Tenzo seemed to be handling it differently to Kakashi. Looking forwards and putting his experiences in a positive light. He would be ready for active duty again soon. Something that scared Kakashi to no end. He had almost lost his lover once. He wasn’t keen on the idea of feeling those emotions again. The anxiety that came with Tenzo leaving on his own.

And he would be on his own…

He thought to himself sadly; his thoughts shifting to the heaviest burden on his shoulders of late. Tsunade was expecting him to take over her post. He suspected that she held back from bringing it up as much as she wanted to out of respect for his post-war grieving. But she had been hounding him recently, weary of her own position and wanting to pass the torch.

It was an honour to become Hokage. Everyone knew that. But he didn’t want that particular torch. He had never strived for this to be his endgame. He lived for the mission, for protecting the village with his strength, not through piles of paper work.

The Jonin sighed aloud, feeling heaviness settle in his gut as he thought about the repercussions of turning down the position. It wasn’t really an option, but he liked to think it was, if only to stave off the nervousness for another few days.

How could he really protect anyone anyway? He wondered absently, his eyes flicking to the side to roam over his tired lover’s frame.

He hadn’t been able to protect Tenzo during the war. He hadn’t been able to protect anyone… In fact he had caused that war. His failed promise to Obito sparking a worldwide conflict that took thousands of lives.

Minato and Kushina… Had he kept his promise and let Rin live they would not have had to die. Naruto would have been born in to a happy young family and no one else would have lost their loves ones in the Nine Tails Attack either.

These thoughts had all been too much for him on that first night back in the village. Lying in the infirmary on his own, staring at the ceiling and wondering why out of all the people in the world he was chosen to live through it all. To be the one that suffered.

He supposed he deserved it for all the wrong he had done. He had decided as the kunai they had failed to take from him, slit his wrists slowly; deliberately.

He apologised so many times for not being stronger. For giving up and trying to let go instead of staying around to bare the pain of his mistakes any longer. He couldn’t live in this world any more. Not when nearly every precious person he had was gone. Not when his most precious person of all wasn’t with him anymore due to his own failure.

Sakura had found him. Glassy green eyes looming over him as he woke up and realised he was still stuck here. He had been confused, he had taken every precaution. But they had still managed to save him. He supposed now it was stupid to try and do something to selfish in a hospital of all places. But the pain had gotten the best of him. He worried if he returned home he would chicken out. He was always so afraid of dying alone. But knowing that his special someone would be on the other side to greet him had given him all the courage he needed.

As it turned out, Sakura had come to find him in the middle of the night. Excited to tell him that they had found Tenzo alive and well. An unnamed Jonin stumbled across him by chance, buried under a thin layer of rubble and had physically dragged his unconscious body back to the village.

He hadn’t believed her words at first. Thinking them a cruel trick to tie him to the world of the living. Until she had taken him to see for himself, the wounds on his wrists already healed by her, the only person to know his secret shame.

He had never told Tenzo what he had done. Not wanting to burden the other man even further with the knowledge that he could not live without him. It remained a secret between himself and Sakura. He suspected that perhaps Tsunade knew as well, which was why she was pushing so hard to get him in to a desk job and off the field.

He looked over at his lover once more, his body slumped lazily in to the corner of the couch as he flicked through a book he had bought earlier in the day. He obviously felt the other man’s gaze, looking up and meeting his eyes before smiling softly once more. Kakashi smiled back, unable to muster more than that before returning to his chore.

Tenzo frowned as the other man turned away. He had been taking special note of his lover’s behaviour the last few weeks. Taking the opportunity while he himself was unwell to assess Kakashi when he least expected it. He could see the signs of mental fatigue every time he looked to his partner’s face. His tired eyes never shone like they used to.

Tsunade had been pressuring him of late to take up the Hokage position. But he knew that inside that was not something Kakashi wanted, whether he stated it or not. If he was being honest it was not something Tenzo himself wanted either. The only upside Kakashi seemed to be able to see about taking the job was being able to assign his loved one’s missions. Being the first to know as soon as they arrived home and generally nosing in to their lives to make himself feel better. He was not looking forward to Kakashi being the one that assigned his missions. Even if he never went back to the ANBU and stayed on as Team 7’s leader he knew Kakashi would make it his own personal task to dictate which missions they did and did not take out of fear of losing them. Or more specifically him.

He felt he should probably be flattered that his life meant so much to his lover. But he was not someone that liked being coddled. He had personally found it difficult this last year being a part of team 7 purely because with Kakashi as his superior he felt he was not being allowed to reach his full potential. Something that Kakashi was not holding him back from on purpose, he was sure.

Regardless of whether Kakashi took the Hokage post or not Tenzo found himself itching to get back to active duty. He hated all the sitting around. He had already read several books in the last few weeks and wasn’t really interested in starting any more. He needed work to keep him interested, to make him feel alive.

He knew Kakashi didn’t want him to return to active duty. But this was nonnegotiable in his mind. He was going to sooner rather than later. He was getting better every day, more and more mentally stable as time moved on. He had gotten a small glimpse of Kakashi’s past suffering with his own bout of PTSD and he had hated every second of it. Choosing instead of wallowing and thinking of death to live life to its fullest and love to its end. He was ready to get out and experience things. Being held up inside their apartment was torture for him.

A sad smile crossed his features as he felt guilt slowly start to ebb in to his stomach. He knew how much Kakashi was enjoying it and felt he should probably at least try to relish the time off together as well.

His thoughts were interrupted as the man in question slipped slowly on to the couch next to him. Having finished the dishes he wiped his hand on his sweat pants as he pulled his legs up to cross them underneath himself. He exhaled through his nose, somewhere between a sigh and a moan as he leant back in to the cushy fabric.

“Are you just gunna read?” he asked softly, dark eyes flicking towards the forgotten book Tenzo still held in one hand. Tenzo turned it over slowly, thinking for a minute before shaking his head and inching himself closer to his partner.

“I thought we could talk.” He said in a way that left no room for argument. Something flittered across the other man’s face briefly before he schooled it to his usual, bored, neutral expression.

“Hmm?” He hummed in a noncommittal manner. The question unmistakeable for someone that knew him so well.

“What’s on your mind?” The brunette asked, placing his book on the coffee table before inspecting his own nails nonchalantly. Kakashi frowned he wasn’t really in the mood for talking. He was looking forward to a quiet evening reading or watching a movie. He hadn’t been sleeping well lately and fatigue was starting to settle in after cooking, eating and cleaning for the past 2 hours.

“Nothing.” He answered simply, figuring the best way to avoid the heart to heart was to play it off as him being fine. He knew this wouldn’t work with Tenzo, but it was worth a try.

“I saw you thinking hard over there.” Tenzo whispered, gently trying to broach the subject as he gestured towards the kitchen with his head. Kakashi scoffed lightly, folding his arms in a defensive manner before answering.

“Just thinking about how lazy you are.” He joked, trying his best to dispel the situation with a jab. Tenzo cocked his head in an exasperated manner that screamed ‘really?’

“It was your turn.” He replied flatly, folding his own arms and sitting back; refusing to get drawn in to an argument. He was sure Kakashi was only kidding, as was he. But he had been feeling guilty lately for allowing Kakashi to do so much for him. He hadn’t cooked in weeks and they were both aware of it. He couldn’t help feeling a little defensive at the mention.

“It’s fine.” Kakashi assured, feeling a sudden and unexplained tension fill the space between them before he spoke. “I don’t mind.” He added in an effort to make Tenzo understand just how unimportant the matter was. “I’d do anything to keep you around.” He admitted softly, looking down at his lap and wondering where those words had manifested from.

“Kakashi…” Tenzo said slowly, his eyes downcast as he uncrossed his arms and assumed a more open posture. “Is that why you’ve been doing everything for me without question lately?” He asked, his throat dry as he awaited the answer. Kakashi shook his head in response, the lie clear without him having to speak a word. There was a small silence before he finally spoke, looking up at Tenzo with large, lazy eyes filled to the brim with nothing but adoration.

“You’ve been through so much. I just want you to be comfortable while you recover.” He explained, picking aggressively at a loose thread on a couch cushion next to him in an effort to take himself out of the situation.

Tenzo’s brows knitted as he tried to make sense of the other man’s words. Physically he had been recovered for a few weeks now. He didn’t need anyone to help him do anything anymore.

He must be speaking mentally…

He decided, moving slowly closer and placing a gentle hand on his lover’s leg.

“I appreciate it.” He started, pausing while he thought of the right words. “But I’m not going to leave you if you ask me to do the cleaning once in a while.” He smiled, a soft chuckle escaping at the absurdity of Kakashi’s fears. The other man looked at him curiously, one eye brow cocked and the other knitted in a half frown.

“That’s not what I meant.” He said bluntly. Leaving a baffled Tenzo to try and figure out his cryptic clues.

Kakashi went back to staring at his own legs, wishing someone would save him from this uncomfortable situation. His strange plea had hit on deaf ears and he didn’t feel much like explaining himself. He was far too exhausted.

“You’re talking about me returning to duty.” Tenzo said aloud as he realised it. Kakashi stayed silent, answering the question with his lack of response. “I have to go back.” The brunette argued. “They need active Shinobi, there are others that suffered far greater than me and need the time off more than I do. Take Guy for example…”

“Don’t bring him in to this.” Kakashi interjected, his voice firm at the mention of his friend.

“But it’s true.” Tenzo justified, shrugging his arms as he continued speaking. “He probably won’t be able to work again and I can. He needs the rest, I need to work.”

“Stop it.” Kakashi snapped, looking up at his lover, fierce eyes brimming with tears. “Stop reminding me.” He said shakily, glaring through the wetness at his partner’s stunned expression. He hadn’t seen Kakashi cry voluntarily since the war. He had wiped stray tears in the dead of night but he had not held him to calm sobs of anguish in a long time. He had wondered if the other man had been hiding it, or just holding in all the pain until one day he inevitably snapped. He feared that today may be this day.

“Kakashi…” He said slowly, unsure why Guy was a sore subject. “I’m sorry, I just meant there are people that suffered more than I did…”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Kakashi asked incredulously. “I was there. I saw the suffering first hand. I caused it; and I couldn’t protect any of them from it. Not you or Guy or anyone else!” He shouted, his arm trembling as he pointed towards the brunette. “It’s my fault that Guy can’t walk anymore.” He said shakily. “It’s my fault.” He repeated, taking in a stuttered breath as Tenzo moved to sit right in front of him.

“I can’t lose you Tenzo.” Kakashi whispered, his hands coming up to hold the other man’s face. “I can’t lose you again.” He said, barely more than a whisper as Tenzo watched his tears finally spill over.

“You’re not losing me.” Tenzo assured him softly, his palms covering Kakashi’s pale hands and bringing them to his own waist. He rested them there lightly before moving forward and enveloping the older man in a hug. Kakashi relented, hunching over and allowing his head to be pillowed by Tenzo’s strong chest.

“It’s not your fault.” He whispered, a hand running soothingly through dirty silver hair while the other ran small circles over his back. Kakashi squirmed uncomfortably at the statement.

“If I hadn’t of killed Ri…”

“Stop.” Tenzo ordered, using his best Captain voice to cut Kakashi off. He felt the other man tense briefly before relaxing again in to the embrace and waiting for his lover’s argument. “Regardless of what happened in your past… This war was not your fault. Madara had no qualms with you. If not Obito he would have prayed on another Uchiha. Surely Obito was not the only one to have lost someone dear to him. There would have been others…” He paused. “Obito was delusional.” Tenzo finished, making Kakashi jump. He pushed the brunette away roughly and sat up, staring at him as though he had said the sky was pink.

“Don’t you speak about things you don’t understand.” Kakashi growled, bringing the back of his hand up to wipe his face.

“I do understand.” Tenzo countered. Guy had told him everything once they had recovered enough to visit. Tenzo was desperate to know what had gone on during the war. He had heard whispers of Obito’s name but Kakashi had been yet to mention it. As it turned out, Guy had been fighting to see him for quite a while, feeling the need to explain everything before Kakashi had the chance to tell Tenzo the facts from his own equally delusional point of view.

Guy had explained what had transpired, leaving no aspect to the imagination. Every abusive word that Obito had uttered towards Kakashi had been expressed through Guy’s tearful eyes. He had spared no detail in the hopes that Tenzo would be prepared for when Kakashi opened up about the subject. However it seemed that he had forgotten to take in to account Kakashi’s ever present hero worship.

“You don’t! He was a hero!” Kakashi snapped. “He wanted to be Hokage and he should be. He should be here right now, taking that seat, not me!” He yelled, his breathing fast as his tears began anew. “I should have died, not him. He deserved to live, I don’t.” Kakashi stated as though it was absolute fact. Tenzo watched him sadly, his expression one of a man that had been defeated.

“Okay.” The younger man said steadily, reaching out very slowly to take a hold of Kakashi’s accusing hand. Once more he pulled it down, this time leaving it to sit in his lap as he rubbed his thumb over the palm in a calming motion. “Obito was a hero.” Tenzo conceded. Kakashi obviously was not ready to see Obito’s actions as abusive. Months later he was still reeling from the shock of him being alive. He supposed the healing wouldn’t be able to begin until at least after he had accepted that fact. For now he needed to hold on to the Obito he remembered him as. The Obito he wished he was rather than the Obito he turned out to be. Tenzo could understand that.

“He was.” Kakashi agreed, looking sceptically towards his lover and wondering what had triggered his change of heart. Tenzo pulled him close once more; he didn’t resist. He would work on changing Kakashi’s view over time. It was not his goal to change his perception of Obito per se, but to at least change how he perceived himself. All those lonely years spent thinking he was trash for failing to protect Rin only to have those feelings validated by someone he had been mourning for 2 decades. Kakashi had done all he could to protect Rin. To protect his comrades during the war and to protect him when he had been captured. It was delusional to think he could have prevented or stopped any of these things at all. But Obito had made him believe that all of these things along with all of the shortcomings of the Shinobi world was his fault. He needed to realise how untrue all of this was. That he himself is a hero that should be worshipped and is worthy of becoming Hokage even if he is slightly mentally unstable.

“You’ve been keeping a lot from me haven’t you?” Tenzo asked quietly, his breath ruffling Kakashi’s hair. The other man stilled before nodding slightly. “Why?” The brunette asked casually, not really expecting an answer. Kakashi shrugged, unable to form words. He sniffed, softly nuzzling his nose harder in to the other man’s sternum.

The silence stretched between them long, yet oddly peaceful. Tenzo shifted slightly to rest his back on the seat of the couch, moving Kakashi with him as he went so that he was lying firmly on his chest. The silver haired man let himself be manoeuvred however was comfortable for his partner. It had been a long time since he had sought his comfort, not wanting to burden the other man with his problems during his own mental recovery.

“You have a lot going on.” Kakashi finally answered, startling the brunette as it had been at least 5 minutes since he asked the question. Tenzo nodded, knowing Kakashi could see him from the corner of his eye.

“That doesn’t matter to me.” Tenzo said softly, his hand moving to stroke lightly over his partner’s cheek. “You’ve had more going on in your lifetime than I could ever fathom. It would be incredibly selfish of me to assume my own experience during the war was worse than yours.” He whispered.

Kakashi stared across the room, not really focused on anything in particular.

“You were tortured.” He said quietly, his hand fisting in the other man’s shirt.

“So were you.” Tenzo countered, leaving the rest of his thought unsaid. He knew Kakashi was smart enough to catch his meaning. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to hold things back from me for my own sake.” Tenzo continued. “I need you to know this is a safe place and you can tell me anything.” He explained, hands now running slowly over Kakashi’s back and side, lulling him in to a sense of security.

“I know.” Kakashi mumbled, his thoughts losing traction as he leant in to Tenzo’s soothing touch. Another silence enveloped them as he enjoyed the sensation of feeling safe and secure in the other man’s arms.

“You know after experiencing how you’ve lived your life for the last 20ish years I feel like I have more of an understanding of who you are and why.” Tenzo remarked, looking down to meet Kakashi’s eye and snickering to himself when he realised the other man was asleep. It hadn’t taken long.

He hadn’t slept right in months now. Always awake, always waiting for an attack, always protecting. When sleep did grace him with its presence he was never asleep for long, always waking up in cold sweat or tears.

It’s his turn now…

Tenzo thought to himself, petting lightly along the other man’s spine. He had worked so hard in the last few months to make sure Tenzo’s own recovery was smooth and it had been worth his effort. He was finding himself waking to nightmares less and less. His paranoia was almost completely gone due to Kakashi’s vigilance and the general negative feelings he had been experiencing since the war had subsided in to acceptance of those events.

He had healed fast and well. It was Kakashi’s turn to be taken care of now. He would do everything in his power to make sure that he recovered from his ordeal and felt fit enough to take to the Hokage chair before Tsunade imploded from impatience. Even if that meant not returning to active duty for another couple of months.

“I’d do anything to keep you around.” Tenzo whispered, repeating his lover’s sentiment from earlier as his hand ran slowly over the barely there, obviously medically healed scars on his lover’s wrists.

End.

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wiccankonan · 8 years

Text

When it comes that I’ve been asked if I would ever ship sasu//saku and why I do not, I can narrow it to this, though it’s still long and tedious, bear w me:

• Sakura has potential to go past that now. Her dream as a child was very shallow and simple - she wants Sasuke. A childhood crush based on looks did in fact grow into a love of the actual hurting, silly and torn boy beneath. Once they became friends on team 7 Sasuke wouldn’t be impartial to claiming Sakura as having the best chakra control of the team and is undoubtedly smart and able to realize the genjutsu they were first put within - he says she did so before he even did, a skill set he ultimately admired. When Sakura is being childish and scolding Naruto’s behavior and brings up his parents in a rather cruel way, Sasuke is there to tell her she has no idea what she’s talking about, proceeds to say she “made him sick/she’s annoying.” This inspires Sakura to be more accepting of Naruto - this is one of the many examples of how their friendship has been developing. It’s not about the surface or allure of Sasuke, she is beginning to know him, as he with her. • Sakura sees the evil and hatred coming from Sasuke and hugs him, which calmed him enough to withdraw the mark. This shows me that Sakura has deepened her feelings, it’s not about being a cute, mysterious badass boy that matters - she’s afraid for his well being, his sanity, her composure cracks and she just holds him, overflowing with compassion for him, for him to not lose himself to darkness. Sakura’s feelings are no longer superficial. They are actually quite pure.

• Sasuke tells Sakura he is an avenger, that this life he leads there is no place for her or Naruto in it. This makes Sakura cry and though her words are a little selfish, “I’ll be all alone without you.” She does acknowledge that while she does have family and friends, without Sasuke there too - she feels empty, even offering to give it all up to follow him blindly. While this is devotion, I’ll tell you why it’s selfish:

- A family. She has the very thing Sasuke lost and is easily willing to leave that behind just so she can be with the boy she wants

- Most importantly, she doesn’t seem to care where Sasuke is going and the dangerous circumstances he will throw himself within, she would follow him blindly and mindlessly. That loses the phrase of innocent love, and becomes a concept of greed: she would literally sacrifice her ties of family and friends to allow and willingly follow Sasuke down a dark path.

• In between all that time, Sasuke and Naruto have been morphing between rivals and friends. They admire one another’s abilities, seek out one another as a staple of whom they want to fight and surpass (at this time Itachi is still the main objective driving Sasuke) They train together, bicker and argue. Naruto is never willing to let Sasuke’s attitude pass without some retaliation and he demands his respect and attention nearly constantly. In the land of waves arc, Sasuke “moves without thinking” stating he was intending to make it to the very end, until his older brother was killed but he sacrificed that goal and told Naruto not to die or let his own dream die. Sasuke admires that dream and goal and tenacity that is Naruto, enough that he would die for it. This is when the concept of friendship shifts to love. You do not give up your life and dreams for someone you do not love, consciously or not - Sasuke saw Haku’s intention and thought “Naruto, I HAVE to make it.” The worry, the absolution in his desire to save him is palpable. • This is when Naruto’s seal breaks and he unleashes Kurama for the first time. Signaling the death of Sasuke as more triggering than Mizuki incident and all the collective years of neglect and hate from his own village.

• Now Sasuke has truly begun to see his family in Team 7, he calls them precious to him and that he could not bear to lose them. To watch his loved ones die all over again would be a pain he could not take. He entrusts Sakura to Naruto, because Sakura is unfortunately no match for Gaara in beast mode (which is to no fault of her own as he is way OP but she fought bravely) and is now pinned to a tree, likely to die without Naruto, because of Sasuke’s weakened state and let’s face it, Gaara has the upper hand. Naruto surprises Sasuke and gains a great deal of praise at his ability to create as many shadow clones as he was. Sasuke tells this to Sakura, furthering her tenderness of thought to Naruto.

• When it comes to Naruto attempting to stop Sasuke from leaving the village, the reasoning and intensity of it is much, much different then that of Sakura. Naruto tells Sasuke he can’t allow him to willingly put himself in danger, he can’t allow him to let orochimaru use him as a vessel, he won’t and can’t let Sasuke put himself in harms way. Though Naruto doesn’t want to lose that bond they are forming, his main reasoning is selfless. He simply wants Sasuke to be safe. This is where Sasuke admits to Naruto that he had become his closest friend.

• When they finally meet again after all that time at Orochimaru’s hide out, Sasuke devotes all his attention to Naruto. He is curious about him in particular, how he has grown and developed. He basically tests him but leaves Sakura out of it. Not because he no longer cares for her, but because Naruto after all this time is still his rival, this is where he meets Kurama. • Kurama tells Sasuke that he will regret it if he kills Naruto and that he has the same eyes as Madara (his previous incarnate) Sasuke really doesn’t give a shit at the time and pops Kurama like a bubble. Back to Sakura:

• Sakura becomes a disciple of the fifth Hokage and becomes a medic, she will eventually unlock the 100 healing jutsu and develop a physical strength which rivals that of her sensei, a sannin. Sakura has been gaining depth. She wants to be able to stand by Sasuke and Naruto and not behind them, her dreams are becoming more self realized and interesting.

• Sakura is no longer a fangirl of Sasuke. Her feelings remain but she has grown into them. She has created her own form of fighting, mastered her own strength and yes, is still in love with Sasuke but continuously is at war with herself on what to do. - First, she feels guilt at the idea of putting this enormous task of saving Sasuke on Naruto. She has begun to show real compassion towards him, running in the line of danger just to help him and save him many times over. - Sakura decides to take this burden herself and kill Sasuke with her own hands as to protect Naruto from this burden. - Sakura realizes that she cannot do it, even as Sasuke was about to kill her, she still doesn’t even find it within her to hate him and she cannot muster up the willpower to kill him. • Sakura bears witness to Naruto’s confession. Sakura is astounded and admires Naruto’s conviction and dedication and it literally nearly brings her to tears. Naruto, is there, telling Sasuke that he would bear all this hatred and die with him. • This is also one of the few times Sakura stands up to Sasuke on behalf of Naruto, by saying: “Do you have any idea how much he’s gone through? When everyone else turned on you - Naruto (alone)* wanted to save you, even now.” • Sakura is defending Naruto while ridiculing Sasuke. • Sasuke first loses his composure to Naruto here by shouting at him: ‘why are you so fixated on me?’ Sasuke himself can’t believe Naruto is still this dedicated to making sure Sasuke is safe. I think it’s both a nuisance and an aggravation to Sasuke because he is desperately attempting to severe all his ties. • This is when Naruto reveals that Sasuke has become his goal. No longer is being Hokage the focus point, it’s shifted to saving Sasuke. Kakashi tells Naruto that he shouldn’t worry about Sasuke that he will handle it, and to focus on his dream. Naruto retaliates by saying “How can I be worthy of being Hokage if I can’t save my friend?” The word friend sounds very lacking in the depth of what is behind his words but it is what it is. • It is not until much later that Sasuke reveals that he too felt all the same feelings Naruto had shown him. The admiration, the longing to speak to one another since they first met, the interest, the mutual loneliness and sadness. 1. Evolving this competitive rivalry from a deep desire to connect with one another is not an uncommon facet among people who have trouble conveying feelings, particularly young, troubled boys “You made me feel warm and fuzzy.” - Sasuke to Naruto “Whenever I saw you, I’d get sort of giddy.” - Naruto to Sasuke • During the war Naruto literally broadcasts via Ino how intense he feels about Sasuke “I should have called out to him.” Sakura feels this, her face is one of almost shock/yet also tender. She probably always knew but perhaps did not feel the almost irrational dedication Naruto holds for Sasuke. • Sakura confesses her love again before his fight with Naruto. This drags us almost back to the beginning, where all this inner strength is put aside as she tells Sasuke her feelings/even begins to cry. Now, this isn’t a horrible thing, Sakura is frustrated and knows she cannot physically stop Sasuke, so she tries a case of futility at halting him with her love. Sasuke is, sadly, not phased, uses a harsh genjutsu and proceeds to mock her honest feelings and Kakashi is like “BRUH.” 2. This isn’t the darkness. This is Sasuke. Would he have been so harsh if he had not been in this darkness? Of course not, for he still fundamentally cares for Sakura. Yet he also is not lying either. 3. The whole letting Sakura and Kakashi fall in lava is just another example of his narrow thinking: Naruto was the only one necessary to keep alive, so he essentially said “well sucks for u bye lol.” - this is not a man who is in love. Sorry. • During their final fight Sasuke claims that he has to cut Naruto out of the picture for the only way he can achieve absolute darkness is to live in a world without Naruto - aka to be absolutely consumed by hate, Naruto cannot be there = Naruto is love + I cannot live in total darkness with you alive = you are my light. • At the end, Sasuke apologizes to Sakura, for berating her feelings and attempting to kill her. Sakura, being the girl she is, has probably already forgiven him and would have never needed an apology * it’s also important to note that Sakura never knew the truth about Itachi herself, so how she sees Sasuke’s actions will always be veiled in comparison to Naruto and Kakashi - who DO know the truth. • Sakura, the girl who kept Naruto’s heart beating, got so much growth from that uncertain and shy girl, to this woman with monster strength isn’t negated by the fact she can’t let go of Sasuke, it’s compounded into her personality of being unable to relinquish her feelings for Sasuke at any turn. However, Sasuke has never shown the same type of love in return. It’s been caring, it’s been protective, it’s been harsh…. Sakura deserves someone who will cherish her fully, will encourage her, will put her first. Sasuke deserves to be happy and feel safe. Sasuke needs someone who will not be as submissive as Sakura cannot help but be around Sasuke, to no fault of her own, Sasuke needs a Naruto. Naruto who will give and take his names, his attitude, his temper. Along with being able to relate to what their shared childhoods were like. Naruto matches and meets him where he his, whilst Sasuke seems to be a spot of insecurity and unrequited devotion on Sakura’s part. In other words, unhealthy. • Ino took Sakura’s insecurity and told her not to worry, that she was going to bloom into a beautiful flower, she removed the bangs she wore to hide the forehead she loathed and gave her a red ribbon, which Sakura kept for years. IMO Ino is the perfect match for Sakura - both challenging and yet supportive, loving and playful Sasuke and Naruto are playful too That’s what a beautiful ship is all about. That connection, being bestfriends, being one another’s goals. That is what they were for each other. • I will always love the headcanon of Sakura’s love for Sasuke changing from romantic, to simply just love and them becoming really good friends. I see endless potential in their ability to goof off and make fun of Naruto together. • I want them to be happy P.s Arm wrestling AU where she kicks Sasuke’s ass and Ino cheers on saying “THATS MY GIRLFRIEND.” While Naruto laughs at a sulking Sasuke who honestly should have known better.

#sasunaru #idk #sorry this is so long #i was just thinking shit #narusasu #inosaku

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