#but kakashi just mocks him and over all they look very childish

[raikirikiri]

love the idea of obito living after the war and he’s assigned to kakashi’s guard as a type of “community service” and people will pass them in a store and obito is grumbling about how he should’ve killed kakashi, the hokage, when he had a chance and kakashi blithely points out that obito’s has had SEVERAL opportunities to kill him over the last several years. but all the villagers hear is the crazy mass murderer war criminal telling their hokage he wants to kill him and kakashi just :3 *shrugs* because if obito wanted to kill him, he would have.

[detectivestucks]

Hatake Harassment

18+ only content. Minors do NOT interact

Pairing: Anbu Kakashi x F!Reader

Summary: You're new to the Anbu and ring leader Kakashi hazes you till you submit

Warnings: NSFW, DubCon penetration, degrading, sexual harassment, NonCon Oral, Unprotected Sex.

Word Count: 2.6k

Your transition into the Anbu wasn’t exactly smooth. It’s always hard being a girl in the ‘boys’ club’ but it doesn't help when your prodigy ex-crush makes it his mission to make anbu-life a living hell. Kakashi never gives you a moment of peace. Everyday in the locker room he harasses you in some way to undermine you in front of your new comrades. 

The very first day you got your uniform you were sliding on your arm guards when Kakashi stole one and held it behind his back. You asked him nicely to please return it but a devilish grin stretched across his face as he said, “Come get it.” 

You were familiar with hazing but found it childish so initially you lazily reached around him trying to grab his wrist and get your guard back. He shoved you against the wall and whispered in your ear, “You’re gonna have to try harder than that fresh meat.” Your eyes grew wide as you realized he was serious and you began to strain against him to get your arm guard back. Your body pushed up against his in your struggle. You didn’t want to try and actually spar with him over a silly piece of uniform but you could tell how much he loved toying with you. Getting off on feeling your breath on his neck, your breasts pressed up against his chest, and your arms grazing against his back and biceps all just in an attempt to reach around him to grab what was rightfully yours.

The very next time you ran into him he stole your tactical pouch with your weapons in it and tossed it to Tenzo who promptly tossed it back. Again, you weren’t going to get into an actual sparring match with him, mostly because it would be a fool’s errand and would be a worse humiliation than playing monkey in the middle with the two assholes on either side of you. 

No one offered to help because they were either afraid of being the next target or were enjoying the same lovely view as Kakashi, seeing how his little game let him watch your tits bounce up and down with each vain attempt to grab your weapons. 

A tent began to pitch in his pants as you struggled. He wondered how it felt to rub his dick along your cleavage and what face you would make when his teeth sank in to your nipples. It would probably be similar to the helpless expression that spanned across your face at this very minute. 

Eventually Tenzo showed mercy and tossed you your pouch. You caught it as heat rose to your cheeks. Flush with embarrassment, you quickly left the room.

The day you finally had it was when Kakashi stole your clothes while you were in the shower. You opened the curtain to find they weren’t where you thought you had left them. No problem. You wrapped yourself in your towel and walked back to your locker looking for them when you heard his cocky voice behind you.

“Looking for something?”

You turn around, face red. “Kakashi, give me my clothes.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about," he says with a smug smile.

“Kakashi, it’s not funny. Give my clothes back.” you say striding up to him.

“Kakashi it’s not funny.” he mocks before snatching your towel off your body leaving you covering your naked self with your hands in front of the entire locker room. You were mortified as you looked around to see your comrades whistling and cat calling at the sight of your nakedness. 

Kakashi however, felt no remorse as he leered at you with hunger in his eyes. You were easy pray and the hunt was ever so fun. The view made his mouth water. There was no way for you to completely conceal yourself and he got an amazing look at your ass as you ran away searching for another towel to cover yourself. You waited in a corner, near the showers, for the locker room to empty before hunting for your clothes.

Noticing where you were hiding, Kakashi strode up to you and whispered in your ear, "If you want them back, I’m willing to negotiate.”

You sharply inhaled. Cornered against the wall, he had one hand pressing into the tile by your face. Kakashi’s eyes panned down your body and back up to your face. Leaning in, he continued,

“Give me a handful of your tits and I’ll tell you where they are.”

Wanting to cry you nodded your head ‘yes’. You loosen your grip on your towel and lower your arms so that your chest is exposed but the towel still covered below your waist.

Kakashi’s breathing stuttered as he grabbed each breast in his hands. His fingers spread and he sunk them into the fatty tissue. You wince from his strong grasp as his digits close around them. You knew he didn’t see you as a colleague, just a toy for his games. He brushed his calloused thumbs over your nipples, smirking under his mask as they stiffen. 

You begin to pull away and in retaliation he squeezes both nipples causing your face to scrunch up in pain.

“This wasn’t part of the agreement, Kakashi.”

He keeps his firm grasp on your nipples, gripping them between his pointer and thumb, pulling you towards him so that you fall into him, chest first. He taunts you,

“They’re in my locker. Good luck figuring out the code.” before he gives a quick twist and vacates the premises. 

After an hour and a brazen guess, you figured out his lock code was your birthday and you were finally able to change and head home where you would pack an entire week's worth of clothes to bring to work and store in your locker. 

One afternoon you get called into the Hokage’s office. Lord Third  informs you that you have been promoted and reassigned to Team Ro. You outwardly thank him but on the inside you want to crumple up into a ball. Now the torment will never stop. It won’t just be between missions it will be during them. You try to calm yourself. 

Maybe this means you’ve finally earned his respect and that’s why he asked to assign you to his team. Maybe this means the hazing is finally at an end. 

Your hopeful thinking was quickly shattered when you left Lord Hiruzen’s office and Kakashi pulled you into a supply closet by your ponytail. He forced you on your knees while he shoved his cock in your mouth. He choked you with his enormous size, holding you down on him with one hand while he freed his belt with the other. 

Quickly adjusting his hands so that he held each end of the belt, he placed it against the back of your neck, pulling it towards him, restraining you with the pressure. Your hands push against his thighs trying to shove him off. You kept pulling back but the belt left no room for you to move. Desperately you tried to gasp for air as tears leaked out of your eyes from oxygen deprivation.

“Such a dirty little whore. Trying to fuck your way to a promotion. You’re going to be my little cum slut now, understand? And don’t even think about trying to tell the Hokage. I’ll tell him all about how you tried to fuck your way onto Team Ro, and who’s he gonna believe? A little slut like you or a tenured captain?”

You make eye contact as he threatens you, nodding with his cock in your mouth, confirming that you understand your situation.

“Good, now follow orders and suck out my cum.”

Feeling humiliated you hollow your cheeks. Upon feeling the suction, Kakashi loosens the belt enough that you have room to bob your head back and forth. He doesn’t give enough slack for you to pull all the way back and get a proper breath, so if you need air you have to suck it in through your nose. 

Tears streaming down your face, you suck till you feel his cock twitch in your mouth. 

“That’s it. Good little slut. Play with my balls.” he coos

You reach a trembling hand to grab him where he asks and you massage the skin with your fingers.

“Faster”

You slide his length in and out of your mouth with more speed as he groans and you feel his hot white cum spring to the back of your throat. You gag at the sensation. 

“Swallow it. Given your new position, you better get used to how I taste.” He pets your hair and in a soothing tone reassures you “Don’t worry baby, after a few missions you’ll learn to crave it.”

He finally takes his softening cock out of your mouth as you lick your lips and catch your breath properly. He pulls you up by the collar of your shirt to admire your swollen pink lips. He brushes them with his thumb. 

“Mmmmm. Missions will be a lot more interesting with you around.”

Your stomach sinks. It’s bad enough that you’re risking your life for the village but now you have Kakashi to worry about too. It was enough to make you consider quitting, but you had worked so hard for this. You weren't about to let some bully stop you.

On your first mission Kakashi impressed you with his command. He was so calm and collected and risked his life many times for the good of the team. You almost forgave him except his reckless behavior frightened you and you couldn’t help but be angry at him for basically trying to get himself killed to protect everyone else. 

He saw the anger in your face when you were healing him. As you began your journey home he pulled you into the bushes. He threw you over his knee and tugged down your pants to bring his very large palm down on your bare behind. You screamed and he quickly covered your mouth.

“Filthy brat. How dare you look at me that way. I’m your captain. You do exactly as I say without question. Do you understand?”

He continues to brutally strike you  against your now red and aching skin. “Yes” you manage to squeak out between blows. Eyes squeezed shut, teeth grinding together, trying to endure the pain of his ruthless punishment, you pray no one figures out what was happening while their captain had disappeared.

In his mind brats like you don’t belong in the Anbu, let alone be a member of his team, however he’d never allow you to be reassigned to another. You were his property now and he’d take full advantage of it.

That night you laid in your sleeping bag by the base of a tree, slumbering till it was your turn for watch. Kakashi snuck inside your bag while the others were either on lookout or asleep in their respective bags. He slid down your pants just to shove his angry cockhead up inside your warm unsuspecting walls. You woke up from the sudden intrusion with his hand already placed over your mouth so you couldn’t cry out. 

He stroked upwards into your cunt, slowly lubricating himself in your secretion. He sneered into your ear, 

“What an eager little slut you are. You’re so wet for me. Have you been waiting for me to fuck you? Were you just dreaming of my cock filling your tight little pussy? Is that why your cunt is taking my dick so well? Admit it. You’re just a little slut that’s been waiting to get fucked.”

You make soft whimpers into his hand. Your sounds egging him on. He feels so good inside of your tight walls, filling you up and stretching you out. You didn’t want to admit the pleasure you felt. He was nothing but awful to you but having him inside of you felt like a sinful treat.

With one hand gripped over your mouth and the other snaked around your waist, he pounded upwards into you as you moaned with each thrust. Both of your palms overlapping the hand that muzzled your mouth, your little sounds grew faster as he picked up speed. 

“So fucking pretty. You were designed to service my cock. I see the way Hyo looks at you, but you’re mine. Do you understand? You. Belong. To Me.”

“Mhm” you say, muffled by his hand. You begin to cum around his cock, surrendering to the pleasure he provides. He lets out a long low groan into the shell of your ear as he cums inside of you, slowly stroking in and out of our heat.

“That’s it. That’s a good girl. Collect all your captain’s cum in your little cunt so it can leak out of you during your watch.”

You felt ashamed as he tucked away his manhood and left your bag. It was your turn to be look out and all you could think about was the sticky mess seeping out into your underwear and the weird claim Kakashi felt he had on you.

The next day as you approach the Leaf, he pulls up beside you to inform you that you are to report directly to his home upon entering the village and you are to wait for him there. You gulp knowing it’s not going to be anything good.

He meets you outside his door and unlocks it, putting his hand around your throat, he pulls you inside and pushes you to the ground. 

“Captain!” you squeal as you fall.

Kakashi pulls off his pants and stands over you. “Lick them.”

“What?!” your eyes bug out of your skull

“Lick. Them.” he commands

You shake your head. Neither of you had showered in days. You were sweaty and unclean. You didn’t want to so much as touch his balls.

“Lick them clean or you will come off unfavorably in my mission report.”

“Kashi, that’s not funny. That could jeopardize my job!”

“Your job is to be my cum slut, now get on your knees and do what that little whore mouth was designed to do.”

With a defeated expression, you begrudgingly open your mouth and allow him to shove his orbs into your face. Drunk on power, he loved how he had broken you down. Devilishly grinning as you gagged on his filthy unwashed taint. 

“Now strip.”

You stand up and remove your uniform. He walks away towards the bathroom, discarding his top as he goes. You hear him turn on the shower and call you.

“Come.”

You follow, joining him in the bathroom where he grabs you by the neck and directs you to open wide so he can shove a bar of soap into your dirty slut mouth. You squirm and wiggle under his grasp. He holds you under the water so you can rinse and spit. 

Once he’s done he lowers his mask and kisses you feverishly. After the shock had subsided, you sank into the kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck realizing what a big deal it is that his face is exposed and he just granted you permission to it. He bent his knees to sink down and align his tip with your entrance to fuck you while you made out. You moan into his mouth making him stoke faster. You grab onto him, lifting a leg to wrap around his waist, deepening his access.

Butterflies release in your stomach as the warm water washes over your bodies. He releases his lips from yours,

“You’re mine. Do you understand?”

You pathetically nod your head, lunging back up for more of his lips. He lifts you so that you can wrap both of your legs around him as he pins you against the shower wall, fucking you stupid till he cums.

Afterwards, you grab the soap and wash him, standing close the entire time, tilting your head up occasionally to get one more taste of his lips. When you go to put the soap down, he grabs it and begins to wash you too. He gently caresses each part of your body. A stark contrast to how he usually handles you. He closes his eyes as he continues to kiss you, savoring the intimacy of the moment.

“Mine.” He says, dropping the bar and grabbing two greedy fists full of your ass.

“Yes, yours.” you say breathlessly, burying your face into his wet chest.

Part 2

Masterlist

[sneezemonster15]

I have a lot of mixed feelings about how Sakura is generally perceived by the Naruto fandom. I haven't been here for very long, but it's an understatement to say that man, they hate her. I guess apart from Sakura stans or SS stans (who I am not even going to give much space here because their reading comprehension of content is below par and almost unbelievably projectional), when almost every other subcategory of this fandom, even the dudebro kind, just like, abhors Sakura, like the stuff is pure vitriol.

But I am trying to be thoroughly objective here.

Throughout part 1, I can honestly say she appeared to be a character who was self absorbed, spoilt, skin deep and childish. But the thing is, she Was a child. At that point, I knew that I had long way to go towards the end of the show, so I knew being one of the supposed main characters, she would go through an arc, and possibly grow up. I couldn't begrudge her coming of age.

During the initial part of Shippuden, I could see that Sakura had grown up in some way. She definitely had matured to some extent. She had a better grasp of her emotions over losing Sasuke than Naruto at this point. She even comforts Naruto and defends him against Sai, and I kinda liked that moment despite myself ( I for one never liked Sakura but was willing to give her a chance at redemption at this point, well that and anyone defending Naruto gets a little bit on my good side). She was training hard. Even if it was unoriginal, she was kinda doing her own thing. I thought, hmm that isn't so bad. She makes a few bad choices, but she is also adjusting to new and improved Naruto in team seven, new responsibilities. Yes, she is not the best fighter but c'mon man, she was literally put in a team with two of the mightiest ninjas of all time, and it wasn't her decision. She was liable to feel insecure. Cut her some slack. Compared to team seven, all the other teams anyway look like benchwarmers.

It's mostly what happens after Sasuke is condemned as a terrorist that made me lose all hope for her. One bad decision after the other in this arc (and all the other arcs after this one). This convinced me Kishi had had enough of this half hearted development at this point, he just went like fuck it, it's time for fucking War, let's get fucking on it! This is where his SNS was going to shine after the long hiatus and overflowing anticipation of Naruto and Sasuke teaming up together (I mean just look at the ridiculous build up of their upcoming team up at the war, Kishi brought out all the big guns, the former hokages for Sasuke's entry, hahaha awesome. Then Sasuke and Naruto's own fights, especially the final one, just look at what the animation people did, the fucking detail, the atmos, the sound design, lord damn). Because let's be honest, it's battle manga.

After that, at such an advanced stage of the series, Kishimoto just like...spat on her 'legacy' over and over again in the war arc. Like it was almost painful. After Everything, when Sasuke slams his hand in her torso and puts her in his horrible genjutsu, just because she would have tried to stop him from getting hurt, I was like my God Kishi stop already! You have made your point! She may not be perceptive, but that was way too harsh. In terms of commensurate action- reaction, that was just way too much for a reasonable Sasuke to do, who btw had already had a pretty good time (all things considered) at the war fighting big bad villains alongside his 'best buddy' and had kinda temporarily come out of his Karin-killing phase. He certainly had the calm of mind to pleasurably mock Sakura and Kakashi now and again.

Well, Sakura had lost all credibility at this point of time and the ending of series was obviously forced. I see no point in even talking about it.

This is how I see it.

Now to come to my point. It's disturbing to see the amount of hate she gets from almost all factions. She is objectively written as a negative character, yes. Also yes, that I get how easy it is to get so invested in characters so as to find the lines a little blurred and one could perhaps project too much.

But some of it is just like, it crosses boundaries.

I get mad at Kishi for a lot of things, one of them being writing major female characters so badly, it made me detest those characters this much. Btw, this goes for both Sakura and Hinata. In fact, I find Hinata's character worse than Sakura's.

I understand why Sakura gets so much hate. But just the way some people choose to portray this hate makes me doubt if they like or sympathize with any character for the right reasons.

I could be wrong. But it takes a lot of energy to hate this much. I am just amazed at this extent of commitment.

From what I have observed, I think a lot of people in this fandom, including me, dislike Sakura because of the way she totally undermined her role amd significance in the story since so much was expected of her at the start, she was the only female member of team seven.

She was supposed to be a clever kunoichi (she literally just stands there during so many battles and cries), maybe a genjutsu expert (well..she ain't), someone who would eventually grow out of her fangirl phase (she never did), someone who would be more perceptive of other people (was literally responsible for Sasuke's attempt of killing her), someone who could be selfless for once (every attempt at proposing to Sasuke says not so much), someone who could fight alongside Sasuke and Naruto on her own terms (what can I say, she tries but it's pretty obvious how coloured her motivations are by the two bois; dudebros have a lot of fun with this).

Finally, someone who wasn't so oblivious. Like how is it possible that she didn't know Sasuke was an orphan! Like seriously! There's a whole ass scene where kids in class are openly talking about the massacre.

Kishi being so deliberate with it in this episode where Sakura mocks Naruto for being an orphan, he just didn't wanna give her a chance, he straight up wanted to establish the Real equation of team seven really early on. This is where he does it for the first time in the series, like blatantly. It is, what just the third episode maybe? Hahahha. He is so slick about it, that tease (but like also, most creators will establish the central theme of the series right away. So as to build tension and anticipation. In films, always pay attention to the first frame or the first sequence. It usually says much more than what's observed at first glance, anyway I digress). I find this episode really enlightening in terms of how Kishi wanted us to know that things were not what they seemed so we better start engaging with the content right away.

Sadly, Sakura could never be any of those things. Kishi never gave her a break. I kinda find it sad.

[alexandrasanimationblog]

Character Archetypes

Week 3 (09/10/19)

Based on Vogler’s 8 character archetypes, I’ve selected various animated characters that I believe fall into each one. There are various ways of thinking of archetypes but we will be focusing on Vogler’s interpretation of them.

The Hero

Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005-2008)

Traits of a hero and how Aang falls into that role:

Identifiable

Aang is one of the youngest characters

Bald with arrow tattoos

Is the only Airbender

Wears bright yellow and orange monk attire through most of the series (apart from episodes that required him to wear a disguise)

The Most Active

The majority of the series follows Aang and his journey to master all four elements and defeat the Fire Lord (except for some filler episodes in which he is not the main focus or follow a different character)

Has Flaws as well as Strengths

Aang is Kind, Selfless, Wise and Powerful, however, he is also Childish, Impulsive, ruled by his emotions and somewhat Naive

Changes or Grows

Aang eventually learns to master the four elements and save the world while also growing as a person and realizing the importance of his role as the Avatar and to not be as Naive and Careless about things

Faces Death

There are many episodes in which Aang is kidnapped, imprisoned or almost killed in battle. Most notably, the last two episodes that focus on his fight against the Fire Lord

Self-Sacrifice

From the very first episode when he jeopardizes the safety of a Southern Watertribe Village, Aang sacrifices himself to save the people of the village. Throughout the show, he puts others before himself and many times his selflessness is used against him.

The Shadow

The Truth from Fullmetal Alchemist (2003-2004) and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009-2010)

Traits of a shadow and how The Truth falls into that role:

Represents the Energy of “The Dark Side”

The Truth actually falls into the category of an anti-villain. It is the divine being the guards the Gates of Truth and Alchemists are met with The Truth when they commit the ultimate sin: Human Transmutation. The Truth acts as a divine punishment and takes something precious from each Alchemist depending on their reason for attempting Human Transmutation. (e.g.: Izumi had her internal organs removed because she tried to bring her dead baby back to life) It makes good Alchemists feel guilty when they encounter individuals who committed the same sin for malicious reasons.

Needn’t be a physical being + Could be a personality trait within the hero

The Truth is a silhouette of light, surrounded by darkness but is said to represent the universe as a whole and the individual ‘truth’ of each person. Being able to enact divine punishment and to have more knowledge than humans, it is the closest thing to a ‘god’ in the series.

“Who am I? One name you might have for me is the world, or you might call me the universe, or perhaps God, or perhaps the Truth. I am All, and I am One. So, of course, this also means that I am you. I am the truth of your despair, the inescapable price of your boastfulness. And now I will bestow upon you the despair you deserve.”

-The Truth (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Threatens the hero and forces them to rise to the challenge

Our hero, Ed, wasn’t the only one affected since he and his brother attempted to bring back their dead mother together. Ed lost his leg when they realized that their attempt didn’t work and Al lost his entire body. Al nearly died as well, since his soul didn’t have a body so Ed sacrificed his arm to be able to save Al’s soul by binding it to a metal armor. Ed actually meets The Truth several times in the series and each time is determined to come back to get his and Al’s original bodies back (which he does by the end of the series).

The Shape-Shifter

M’gann M’orzz/ Megan Morse or Miss Martian from Young Justice (2010-)

Traits of a shape-shifter and how Megan falls into that role:

Changes appearance or mood

One of Megan’s abilities is to shape-shift and she uses that to her advantage during covert missions to mask her green skin. However, it should be noted that her usual appearance is also not her true form as it is friendlier to humans (just with green skin)

Can’t be trusted: brings doubt and suspense

While Megan is one of our heroes, her powers have strained her relationship with some characters. In a ‘lover’s game’ with Superboy, Megan shape-shifted into Black Canary and the moment was caught on camera. Canary was hurt and uncomfortable by the incident but forgave Megan.

In season 2, we find out that Megan and Superboy broke up because she attempted to alter his memory of him being mad at her after an argument which caused him to break things off and be suspicious of her.

Aware of ability

Megan is very aware of her abilities and uses them both in battle and for personal reasons.

Could be a love interest

She is the love interest of Superboy for the majority of the first season.

The Mentor 

Kakashi Hatake from Naruto (2002-2007) and Naruto: Shippuden (2007-2017)

Traits of a mentor and how Kakashi falls into that role:

Often a teacher or trainer

He is the captain of our main protagonist’s team. He is in charge of the two deuteragonists as well. (Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke)

Represents our ‘better self’

In many situations, Kakashi acted as the voice of reason both in battle and in general. He guides Team 7 by telling him what’s right and what’s best and always looks after them.

Often a gift-giver (but gifts must be earned)

Kakashi helped teach Naruto how to create a new technique using his Rasengan by changing the form of his chakra to be adjusted to nature. He also taught him various other things and gave him various ‘gifts’ throughout the story.

A mentor might prove an example of what not to do

Kakashi, although good-natured, has his own flaws and attempts to prevent what happened between him and his friend Obito to his students, Naruto and Sasuke. Kakashi still feels regretful over his friend’s death and does all he can to help Naruto bring Sasuke back to their Village to be changed for good.

The Herald

Chris McLean from Total Drama Island, Total Drama Action, Total Drama World Tour, Total Drama: Revenge of the Island, Total Drama All-Stars and Total Drama: Pahkitew Island (2007-2014)

Traits of a herald and how Chris falls into that role:

Call to Adventure/ Gives the hero motivation to begin the journey

Chris is the host of the reality show Total Drama and is both the one who brings (or brings back) the characters for each season and announces their challenges, rewards or punishments giving them a goal to achieve in each episode with the ultimate goal to win the prize money if they reach the very end.

May also issue a warning

Other than announcing the challenges, Chris issues the punishments and warns the players of the consequences they have to face if they lose (other than possible elimination from the game)

Heroes are often afraid of the challenges presented by the Herald

Most punishments in the series (for comedic effect) are either disgusting or dangerous so the heroes fear to lose. However, it’s safe to say that they also fear the very dangerous and/or disgusting challenges they must face to not receive punishment.

The Threshold Guardian

Karma Akabane from Assassination Classroom (2015-2016)

Traits of a threshold guardian and how Karma falls into that role:

Not usually the ‘main’ villain

While Karma is the protagonist’s (Nagisa) close friend, and ally, he is also his greatest competition and rival. He often challenges, gets in the way or makes fun of Nagisa, preventing him from reaching his full potential as an assassin. 

Might be a guard/thug/mercenary 

While class 3-E isn’t known for having the best reputation, Karma was originally expelled for his violent behavior. He is a ruthless assassin, extremely sadistic and physically strong. He is feared by his classmates at first.

Represents the ‘ordinary obstacles’ we face in our daily life

Karma is Nagisa’s friend and yet he is a bad influence and often a bully to him.

Tests the hero (makes them prove their worth)/ Can be overcome and turned into an ally

Karma is just an annoyance to Nagisa through most of the series but he eventually becomes a challenge he must overcome when they dueled to decide on whether they’ll try to kill or save their teacher. Karma was angry at Nagisa for suggesting to save their teacher and mocked and refused to listen to him. After a long battle, Nagisa chose to pin Karma down in a choke-hold. Karma had the opportunity to win the duel but gave up his chance when he saw how determined Nagisa was to have him listen to him. He eventually agrees to help save their teacher.

The Trickster

Mushu from Mulan (1998)

Traits of a trickster and how Mushu falls into that role:

Delights in breaking the rules

Mushu’s way of helping Mulan is by constantly suggesting ways for her to get better through shortcuts or by ‘acting like a brute’ therefore ‘manly’. 

Comedy sidekick + popular with the audiences

Mushu is arguably the most popular character in the movie and acts as Mulan’s sidekick and protector

Controls the hero’s ego

Mushu’s purpose is to help Mulan and actually offers her great advice in times of need 

Brings light relief to a darker story

Mulan’s story is about a woman at war but Mushu manages to make the situation lighter through his sassy one-liners willingness to support Mulan

Might be a ‘catalyst character’

While the initial reason why he decided to help Mulan was to restore his status as the family protector dragon, Mushu’s final purpose is to help Mulan survive, bring honor to her family and grow. He achieves this by the end of the movie and even gets rewarded.

The Ally

Alciel/ Shirō Ashiya from The Devil is a Part-Timer! (2013-)

Alciel is the loyal second-in-command general of Satan (Maou) and when the two get transported from their dimension to modern day Japan, he takes care of the housework and researches for ways that they can regain their powers while also trying to protect his lord from potential threats.

[myaekingheart]

70. Sekkachi

So say goodbye to all your friends I fell in love with her again My baby 'Cause I'm not that kind of girl -Not That Kind of Girl, My Chemical Romance

               Sekkachi nearly spat her tea across the room when Guy told her the news. “I’m sorry, Rei did what?” she asked.

               Guy nodded dolefully. “Kakashi seems pretty upset about it” he said. It was clear he felt bad for his eternal rival—losing love was never easy. And deep down, a part of him felt a little guilty for having constantly asked him about the proposal plans, only for the relationship to fall apart.

               Meanwhile, Sekkachi was fuming. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her cup until her knuckles turned white, drumming the fingers of her opposite hand on the table. “After all those years” she growled, “All those fucking years of whining and complaining and senpai, notice me!”—here, she slipped into a mocking, high-pitched tone the likes of which she used on missions as Shitagi—“and she has the audacity to throw this shit away just because god forbid she’s a little depressed. I swear to god, if I ever run into her on the streets, I am going to pound her face into the dirt so hard!”

               Guy couldn’t help but laugh as he took a sip of his own drink. “So you do still care about her after all” he said matter-of-factly. He knew that at the end of the day, she could never bring herself to do such a thing.

               Sekkachi rolled her eyes and scoffed. “As if” she spat, taking another swig of her tea. “I couldn’t care less what that little carrot-haired runt does. I just hope she knows if I see her, I’m going to beat her up.”

               “Well, I wouldn’t get so hasty” Guy then said. “I almost forgot, there was one thing she wanted me to give you.” Sekkachi cocked a brow, eyeing Guy suspiciously. If Rei had something to give her, she didn’t want it. Guy reached into his back pocket and slid a small gold foil box across the table. She skeptically took it and opened it up, finding a single aquamarine earring inside. Immediately, Sekkachi covered her face and turned away. Guy reached across the table to rest a reassuring hand atop hers. Her chest rose and fell unevenly, and the hand covering her eyes quickly grew damp.

~o~

               It was a blistering summer day in Konoha. She had three more blocks to walk and Sekkachi was already sweating through her fancy clothes. Truthfully, she didn’t even understand why she needed to dress so nice in the first place. It was just a birthday party. She knew it wasn’t her place to demand these sorts of things, but dressed like this, she was wildly out of her element. But it was at Naru’s request, and she couldn’t possibly refuse.  

               It was her thirteenth birthday party and she insisted it be special. After all, she had said, you only become a teenager once. This is a rite of passage! I’m a fancy adult now and therefore we need to act as such. Sekkachi pressed a hand to her gurgling stomach as she remembered her own thirteenth birthday. She didn’t feel any more mature afterward than she had when she was twelve. Actually, if anything, she felt worse. Nowhere did she say she had wanted to commemorate teenagerhood with a needle through her belly button, the small ring now rubbing against her too-tight dress.

               Thirteen, however, suited Naru rather nicely. She opened the door, brimming, and tugged Sekkachi inside. On the surface, she looked no different than before but there was something in her attitude, perhaps a newfound albeit placeboed sense of confidence. Delicate flowers were weaved through a headband of braided hair and when she walked, her flouncy dress bounced and bubbled like she was some sort of fluffy cheesecake. “I thought turning thirteen meant becoming an adult” Sekkachi commented as she followed Naru back to the garden. A modestly wrapped gift was tucked under her arm. “Don’t you think that dress is a little childish?”

               “Oh, pfft!” Naru swatted the air dismissively. “You’re not getting the point! Being an adult doesn’t mean putting away childish stuff, it just means I can do whatever I want and no one can say anything about it!”

               Sekkachi had to admit, as precious and petite as the dress made her appear, it certainly suited Naru’s personality. The pastel blue complimented her bright eyes, the shape of it accentuated her bubbly personality, and the flowers printed on the fabric perfectly matched those weaved through her hair. For all intents and purposes, she looked like a princess. Sekkachi smoothed out her own dress, suddenly feeling significantly underdressed. Her only relief was when they reached the gardens where Rei awaited their return, also wearing something far less extravagant. It was then that Sekkachi realized just how much the whole thing seemed to make sense. After all, this was Naru’s birthday. She was the center of attention. It was natural that she look as such—though then again, when wasn’t she the center of attention?

               The Fuzuki clan was rather well-off and, as such, lived comfortably near the center of the village. As history foretold, they were one of the first clans in Konoha and were instrumental in helping to establish the current standard of government alongside Hashirama and Tobirama Senju. They retained close ties with the village’s leadership and Naru’s father even served as a correspondent for Lord Third. Their financial status was clearly exhibited through their intricate, sweeping garden and fine china. She really is a princess, Sekkachi thought to herself as she surveyed the place.

               Naru squealed as her mother handed her her birthday present, wrapped in a small gold foil box. She removed the lid to find two dainty aquamarine studs inside, the perfect shade to match her dress and eyes. She thanked her parents profusely and asked their maid to fetch her a mirror so she could fix them to her ears in that very moment.

               Anything else her family gave her left Sekkachi feeling extremely self conscious about her own gift. She wanted to believe she knew Naru well enough, but she proved rather difficult to buy for. In a fit of panic, she had settled for a floral haori she found in an antique shop. It was simple and perhaps a little too subdued for Naru’s tastes, but Sekkachi had hoped it would at least be appreciated. Now, however, she wasn’t so sure.

               “Your turn!” the blonde then announced, grinning to Sekkachi. The blue-haired kunoichi’s eyes went wide and she tried to stammer out a protest, but Naru wouldn’t hear of it. When Sekkachi froze, Naru took it upon herself to take the package herself. As she watched her pull apart the twine knot and unfold the wrapping paper, Sekkachi felt as if she was silently exploding. This was a terrible mistake. She was going to hate it. She didn’t do a good enough job. She was going to hate her.

               Naru gasped loudly as she held up the haori and a strange look painted her face. Sekkachi wasn’t sure whether it was delight or disgust, and Naru was taking way too long to clarify. And then it hit her: it was too big. Oh god, it was too big for her. “Y-you know, I can return it if it doesn’t fit, or—” Sekkachi started but then Naru hugged it to her chest and grinned.

               “That won’t be necessary!” she announced. “Of course I’m going to keep it. I love it!”

               “Y-you do…?” Sekkachi asked in disbelief. “I-it’s not too big…?”

               Naru rolled her eyes. “You say that as if it’s a problem!” she laughed. “It’s a little big, but that just means I can keep it forever! I won’t have to worry about outgrowing it!” For once, Sekkachi was eternally grateful for Naru’s unending optimism. She sighed and sunk back in her seat, a relieved smile touching her lips, and she realized it was likely the first time she had relaxed since arriving.

               The last present opened was from Rei, which Naru insisted was the way it must be done as she was her best friend. From her, the blonde received a pair of shoes that Naru went wild over. They were chunky and pastel with little pink bows, the exact sort of thing you would expect for Naru. Sekkachi wondered how difficult a time Rei had picking them out, if her comrade had struggled the same way she had. But then again, likely not. Naru and Rei were much closer and had known each other much longer, at least in an amicable sense. They were sharing lunches and having sleepovers while Sekkachi berated them in the academy. It was a level of friendship Sekkachi knew she could never reach.

               “You should eat something!” Naru insisted later that afternoon, motioning toward the grand cake they had cut into. Just the mere sight of it in its sugary glory made Sekkachi’s stomach flip. She hated to deny her, though, and so feeling as if there was nothing else she could do, Sekkachi succumbed.

               "Just a small piece” she insisted, but it was too late. Naru had already cut her a large chunk of cake, strawberry jam oozing from the fluffy layers and thick white icing caked on the sides. She grabbed a fork and stared at her opponent questioningly, thinking to herself If I have to die today, it might as well be by birthday cake. And then, mustering all her strength, she took one large bite.

               As expected, the cake was absolutely delicious. The icing was light and sweet, the strawberry filling perfectly tangy, and the cake itself moist and spongy. Sekkachi fell into it for a moment, closing her eyes and letting herself enjoy the taste. She at least owed herself that much.

               One bite wasn’t so scary. It was the second, third, fourth, and so on that heightened her anxiety. One bite meant just a taste. It was safe, polite, demure. To eat the whole slice was to succumb to gluttony, to jump off the cliff knowing full well she was destined to crash straight into the raging waves below. She wasn’t prepared for the intestinal suicide. She wasn’t prepared to go home early, crawling on her hands and knees, suppressing the impending flare-up. As such, she forced herself to linger. She chewed the prongs of her fork as she pretended to be interested in the small talk about boys and fashion and who’s dating who. Her stomach began to churn.

               “What do you think, Sekkachi?” Naru then asked, snapping her from her daze.

               Sekkachi stammered, her fork falling out of her mouth, bouncing off the edge of the table, and jamming into the dirt. “W-what? About what?” she asked, blinking.

               A sly smile touched Naru’s lips as she rested her chin in her hand. Sekkachi grew weak, the color draining from her face. For a moment, she truly feared for her life. “Well, I was going to ask you if you thought Chikara-sensei was dating anyone, but now I’m curious about what you were thinking about!” she exclaimed. It was too late to try and save face. There was no way she could deny her absentmindedness.

               “I wasn’t thinking about anything…” Sekkachi lied. Panicked, she started shoveling cake into her face. Naru’s grin widened.

               “I guess I should’ve asked who you were thinking about, then! Although I’m pretty sure I already know!” she said. She could hardly suppress her girlish laughter.

               Sekkachi froze, mouth stuffed, and asked in a muffled tone, “Wait, what?” Her cheeks turned bright red. She hadn’t been thinking about anyone. Or at least not during this conversation.

               Rei cupped her hands over her mouth to stifle her laughter. This was too rich. Naru beamed as she replied, “We all know you and Guy are secretly an item!”

               Now Sekkachi was choking. The maid raced in to give her the Heimlich and once she had caught her breath, Sekkachi glared at the two of them and asked, “Where the hell did you get an idea like that from?!” The minute the curse word dropped from her lips, Naru’s parents shot her a stunned glare. The other thing about the Fuzuki clan was that they were borderline virginal. Curse words and anything else considered inappropriate within a formal setting was vilified to the extreme.

               Unlike her parents, however, Naru found a certain charm in Sekkachi’s unfiltered language. She had grown quickly accustomed to it, as well, and was therefore totally unphased. She took a sip of her tea, fully prepared to spill whatever she knew and excited to do so, at that. “We all know you meet up with him for weekly sparring matches. You two are so close, it’s only natural to assume you’re dating! Now I’ll admit, I had never pegged Might Guy of all people as your type but whatever you’re into, I guess!”

               “That’s a far-fetched idea” Sekkachi muttered, wiping the crumbs from her mouth. “I swear, Guy is just a friend and nothing more, okay? I don’t understand why you always have to go prying into other people’s business, anyway. People have a right to their privacy, you know.”

               Naru simply giggled and took another sip of her tea. She clearly struck a nerve, meaning that Sekkachi was, in fact, hiding something. It was only instinctual that she would want to figure out what. And truthfully, there was a myriad of things that Sekkachi kept hidden but the most pressing of which had nothing to do with romance. In a quick moment, Sekkachi’s stomach creaked and she could feel her insides rearranging. Fuck. Chewing her bottom lip, she sprang from her seat and hastily bid everyone goodbye, insisting that it was getting late and she had forgotten she had an errand to run for her mother. She booked it out of the Fuzuki household and raced as far down the street as she could manage. She was only halfway home when the pain overtook her and she had to duck into an alleyway to keel over and hyperventilate.

               Her mind raced as she clenched her eyes shut and tried to breathe through the pain. Deep down, she was cursing the old woman, the matriarch of her clan, about that damn belly button ring. The purpose, she had said, was to redirect her chakra and therefore cure her of her affliction. But here she was two years later and she was still just as sick as ever, if not moreso. She looked left then right, trying to get her bearings on where she was, what was nearby, and where she could find a bathroom she could die in. No luck. Groaning in frustration, she pounded her fist against the ground and curled up into a fetal position. This was it. This was the end. They would find her soiled corpse tomorrow morning when the cloud of flies became unbearable. As she huffed and cursed, however, a familiar voice then rang overhead and she suddenly was unsure whether she was saved or doomed.

               “Sekkachi!” he called, “You’re not looking so good. What’s going on?”

               I’m about to shit my brains out, that’s what’s going on, she thought unkindly. She opened her mouth to speak but could form no words. Fortunately, Guy caught on rather quickly. Without a second’s hesitation, he tossed her onto his back and raced through the streets of Konoha, dodging civilians left and right like a madman, before skidding to a halt in front of the Fumeiyo clan’s grounds. By the time they arrived, Sekkachi was certain she had left her intestines in the dust. It took a few minutes before they finally caught up with her, burying her face into Guy’s shoulder with a groan. He kicked the door open and waltzed inside as if it was his own home, then carried Sekkachi all the way to the bathroom. She slithered out of his grasp and crawled to the toilet, ripping her dress off frantically and shrinking in on herself.

               It was only a few months after they had met that Sekkachi was forced to admit to Might Guy that she was sick. Her thirteenth birthday had just passed and the piercing certainly did not do it’s intended job. She had no choice but to cancel her weekly match, employing the stomach flu as her excuse. At least that way, anyone who attempted to pry wouldn’t believe she was lying. Guy was not one to sit back and do nothing, however. If his dear friend was sick, he would ten to her and ensure that she was healing. He had gathered a colorful bouquet of get-well flowers and a basket of onigiri and set off, a part of him almost too excited to see the look on Sekkachi’s face. She was so coarse and blunt, the thought of doing something to make her happy exhilarated him.

               Her house was nothing like what he expected. Not that his expectations were very high, but this was certainly a shock to his system. The Fumeiyo clan had been historically tread upon for generations, almost as much as the Uchiha, thanks to a long-standing curse that their ninja were liabilities in battle. The working men of the village wanted nothing to do with these harbingers of disaster. As such, their tight-knit clan resided on the outer edge of the village where a stream trickled and weeds grew high. The house itself was in utter disrepair.

               A sour old woman turned Guy away at the front door, insisting he never bother them again. Defeated, he began trudging home but not before the wind carried soft-spoken gossip to his ears. He snuck beneath a window and listened closely as a man and woman discussed Sekkachi’s fate.

               “The outlook is bleak” the man said. “The ritual should have cured her. At this rate, I don’t think she’ll last another year.”

               “That’s not true” the woman replied. “She’s tough. I’m sure she’ll pull through.”

               “Even if she does” the man argued, “what about her quality of life? She’ll never be normal.”

               The woman sighed. “I’d hate to break the news to her. It would break her heart.”

               Guy didn’t stick around long enough to hear the rest. He raced home in a daze, unsure of what he had just heard but knowing full well that none of it was for his ears in the first place. His limbs felt disconnected from his body, and his mind wouldn’t shut up. So she was sick. That much was true. But there was no way this could be a simple stomach flu. If not that, then, with what? And would she ever be cured? He hoped so. She didn’t deserve to suffer. He had so many questions, and he desperately wanted answers, but now was not the right time.

               When she finally returned, Guy was overjoyed. She had pulled through after all. He surged forward and hugged her tight, exclaiming of how much he missed her. Sekkachi cocked a suspicious brow and shoved him off of her. She was sick. So what? It wasn’t that big of a deal. She could tell he was going easy on her as they sparred, however, which only pissed her off that much more.

               “Alright, what is your deal today?” she asked, voice forceful, during a lull in their training. “Why are you going easy on me? Do you think I’m weak or something? Huh? What is it?”

               “N-no!” Guy stammered. “I didn’t mean to, I just--! I didn’t want to push you too far if you were still getting over your sickness!” He knew that, for himself at least, he was willing to strain himself to the utmost limits whether he was feeling well or not. Those were his own self-rules, though—no one else’s. He could never subject those standards onto anyone but himself.

               Sekkachi narrowed her eyes and leaned down so as to get right up close in Guy’s face. “Going easy on me isn’t going to do me any favors” she growled. “I want you to pound me into the dirt, I want you to kick my ass. I want you fight me like a man, got it?”

               “Are you sure?” Guy asked. Sekkachi grimaced, forcing him to quickly add, “Listen, it’s not that I don’t want to! I just don’t want to hurt you.”

               “I’m not a fragile piece of glass, Guy” Sekkachi insisted. “Besides, it’s not like I haven’t been sick before. What makes this time any different?” Guy averted his eyes, stammering, and Sekkachi could feel her gut drop. “Oh my god, what do you know?” she asked quietly, angry and scared and confused. He was crossing a line she had firmly drawn in the dirt. No one was ever supposed to know about this.

               Back then, the whole thing was so weird. He explained everything quickly and anxiously, almost as if he expected Sekkachi to strike him. Instead, she sunk into the grass in disbelief. It would take her a minute to process all of this information, to process the fact that someone finally knew of her affliction. A charged silence surged between them for a long while before Guy pursed his lips and finally muttered, “I just want to make sure you’re okay. I care about you, Sekkachi.”

               Well shit. There was no way out of it now. Sighing, Sekkachi tightened her ponytail and braced herself for the explanation. “Guy, I’m sick” she started. “I’m never going to get better. I’ve got this chronic digestive disorder that makes normal shit a living nightmare. I can’t eat anything without being fucking terrified that it’s going to make me sick. Even if the food itself doesn’t fuck me up, the anxiety does. Sometimes it’s so bad, I pass out from the pain. My clan, they say that these piercings are supposed to help”—here, she motioned to the belly button ring in her stomach— “something about redirecting my chakra to help with the pain. It’s never done any good. My belly button, all the way up my ears, my nose, none of those have helped, and I’m sure anywhere else they try to stick holes in me isn’t going to make much of a difference either. I have to live the rest of my life knowing I will always be dysfunctional. That I’m always going to be sick no matter what. I’m going to have to suffer through every day of the rest of my life.” By now, she was starting to get choked up. This was exactly why she never wanted to say anything. She had already cried in front of Chikara-sensei about it, the night of their very first mission. Food was so culturally significant—existing not just for sustenance, but as a tradition and social ritual. It only emphasized her disability that much more. She hated food. She hated everything about it, the fact that it was so varied and delicious and that she couldn’t have any of it without feeling like she was going to die.

               Guy reached out and took her hand in his. “I’m sorry for what you’re going through, Sekkachi” he said. “I can’t even imagine how tough that must be to live with every single day…but I know you’re much more than what you’re going through. You may not be able to do ninjutsu or genjutsu, and you may be sick, but you are still one of the strongest ninja I’ve ever known!” Sekkachi rolled her teary eyes and scoffed, confident that that was a lie. Guy chuckled and smiled at her. “And if it means anything, I am going to stick by your side no matter what! Just let me know when you’re feeling sick and what I can do to help and I’ll come running.”

               Sekkachi wiped her nose with the back of her hand and smiled sadly. “You’re way too nice to me, you know” she commented. “You have no reason to be this nice.”

               “Of course I do” Guy replied. “After all, you’re my friend. You might even my best friend! And that’s just what best friends do.”

               From that point onward, Guy’s friendship proved to be indelible to Sekkachi over the years. Guy was certainly a man of his word, and on this blistering summer afternoon he had definitely kept his promise. He stayed in the hallway outside the bathroom the entire time, pacing back and forth on his hands so as to get training in while he was on standby. He refused to walk away and risk not being there if she needed him. During the entirety of her flare-up, however, all she could think about was what Naru had said at that party. Did she really believe her and Guy were a thing? And if she did, then who else had bought into it? A shiver ran down her spine. If only Naru knew how false an accusation that was.

               Guy grinned as the bathroom door creaked open and an exhausted Sekkachi trudged out into the hall. “You okay?” he asked, patting her on the back. There was something so weirdly casual about it, as if he was congratulating her on a good effort in a game of football or something.

               She gave a single, definitive nod as she crossed the hall to her bedroom and began changing into a pair of loose sweatpants. She had no reservations about doing this in front of Guy, and he certainly couldn’t care less. “Can I ask you something?” she asked, tying the drawstring loose around her bloated waist. Guy arched a bushy brow in intrigue. “Do you think people assume we’re dating?”

               “Dating?” Guy repeated. “Why? What gave you that idea?”

               Sekkachi shrugged and seated herself on the edge of the bed, hugging a pillow to her stomach. “Some things happened today, some words were said. I don’t want to get into the details. The important thing is that apparently people think we’re something of an item. I guess the minute a guy and a girl start hanging out together, they’re automatically treated like a couple or some shit.”

               Guy shook his head. “Well, this is the first time I’ve heard of this” he replied. Sekkachi wasn’t sure why, but that came as a relief. Maybe because that meant Naru’s rumor wasn’t as widespread as she had feared. If Naru was overcompensating, then perhaps their reputations were saved. “Are you trying to tell me something?” he then asked, cocking a brow in intrigued suspicion.

               Sekkachi didn’t think she could do this anymore. Her hands began to shake at her sides, both an after-effect of the flare-up and a result of her anxiety. She propped open the drawer of her nightstand and pulled out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes, fixing one to her mouth and igniting the end. As she shoved the pack back in the drawer, she propped the window open so as to better dispel the smoke.

               “You really shoulnd’t do that, you know” Guy commented, shaking his head as he took a seat at her desk chair. “Isn’t that going to make you sicker?”

               Sekkachi scoffed. “Sometimes these days, it’s the only thing that makes me feel healthy” she replied. She took a long drag and let the smoke billow up from her lips slowly. Guy couldn’t really see the appeal, but whatever worked for her, he supposed.

               “You never answered my question” he then said. She knew. She wasn’t sure if she could now. “You know you can be honest with me, Sekkachi.”

               “Guy” she sighed, “you are the nicest person I have ever met. Did you know that?” Might Guy smiled back at her. She toyed with the tassels on the edge of the pillow, her cigarette in her opposite hand. She didn’t want to look at him. She was afraid of what he was about to say. “I just need to know…guys always have ulterior motives, you know? They always do things for the sake of getting something out of it for themselves. Usually because they like someone. And I just need to know, and be totally honest with me here, do you…I mean, you don’t—”

               “Sekkachi, I’m going to stop you right there” Guy interrupted, holding up a hand. Sekkachi froze, finally gazing back at him with wide, uncertain eyes. “You know I consider you a good friend of mine. I don’t want a rumor like this to ruin the friendship we have.”

               Relief washed over her, sighing out her cigarette smoke. “That’s good to know” she said. “Because I was so scared you were going to admit that you loved me or something.”

               Guy shook his head. “Sekkachi, I consider you family. I don’t think I could ever think of you like a lover.”

               “Honestly? I feel the same way” Sekkachi admitted. Her hands trembled as she could feel the words rising up in her throat, something she had never before said aloud threatening to spill. She leaned forward and locked eyes on the ground, suddenly very aware she had no control over whether or not she was about to say it. “I love you, but like a brother. You’re always there for me, you’re always pushing me to do better. I feel like I can be open and honest with you. And that’s why…Guy, there’s something I need to tell you.” Guy’s brows raised as he leaned closer, fearing the worst. He knew she was sick, but was it worse than they expected? Was she dying? He needed to know. She took a nervous drag of her cigarette, exhaled, chewed her bottom lip. This was it. Now or never. “Guy, I’m gay. I like girls. I’m a lesbian.”

               Might Guy leaned back a moment, processing the confession. This was a huge moment and he needed to tread carefully. Sekkachi’s leg bobbed up and down on its own accord as she awaited his response. This was killing her. Then suddenly, before she knew it, Guy’s arms were wrapping around her in a tight hug. She blinked a few times, not quite understanding, and then he said, “I’m proud of you, Sekkachi.” Her cigarette snuffed out and fell to the floor as she broke down. No one else knew.

~o~

               “You sure you’re going to be alright?” Guy asked as he walked Sekkachi home. She clung to that little gold foil box, terrified of losing it if it wasn’t in her grasp at all times. As they ascended the stairs, she nodded and then smiled softly at Guy.

               “Yeah, I’ll be alright” she said. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

               Deep down, she knew that was impossible for him, but he knew better than to press her. He bid her a brief goodbye and then they parted ways toward their respective apartments. As she reached her front door, however, there was a small basket on her doorstep covered by a gingham dish towel. A small note was folded and placed squarely on the top.

               This was highly unusual for a number of reasons, and for a moment Sekkachi was terrified this was some sort of planned terrorist attack. She wasn’t sure why, exactly, anyone would be targeting her of all people but her anxiety was getting the better of her. She inspected the basket closely only to find that whoever left it was, in fact, trying to kill her. There was nothing but food inside.

               Finding no other choice, Sekkachi kicked her door open with her foot and carried the basket inside, leaving it on her desk. She sat on the edge of the bed and stared at it for a good long while before finally picking up the note attached. The message was short and simple yet shocking.

               Sorry for your loss. Here is some comfort food. Hope you enjoy. -Mikazuki

               Sekkachi had only met this girl a handful of times, one of Rei and Naru’s comrades in the ANBU, but this seemed wildly uncharacteristic considering her shy demeanor. It also didn’t make any damn sense. There was no reason whatsoever for this girl to be leaving food on a practical stranger’s doorstep. Sekkachi peeled back the dish towel (which she assumed Mikazuki would want back, if only she knew of a way to return it to her) to find a myriad of comfort food inside: onigiri, homemade senbei, manju filled with red bean paste.

               It was a nice gesture, of course, but felt so inappropriate. I hope she knows all of this is going to go to waste, Sekkachi thought to herself. She couldn’t eat any of it even if she wanted to. Or perhaps she was just being difficult. Deep down, she knew many of these foods were actually rather palatable for even her hypersensitive stomach. She supposed she feared that eating it would mean accepting whatever ulterior motive Mikazuki was after. There was no way she was doing this just to be kind.

               Sekkachi looked down to the little gold foil box in her hands and sighed. When did life become so damn complicated? If Naru was still alive, none of this would be happening. The memories of that birthday party were still so vivid in her mind. They were so young and stupid, so naïve. If only the three of them knew what was waiting around the corner. And then of course her mind leapt to Rei. A seething rage bubbled up inside of her chest at the thought of her. This was all her fault. Breaking up with Kakashi was almost deserved. A solid punishment for everything she had done. And yet…she couldn’t quite wrap her brain around why Rei would go to the trouble of relaying her this box. She popped open the lid and watched the single earring roll around inside. It almost made her nauseous. Perhaps so many years spent working together left Rei and Sekkachi far more telepathic than they had expected. Sekkachi rose from her seat, box in tow, and approached her desk, opening the top drawer and pulling out an identical aquamarine stud. How the two earrings got separated, Sekkachi would never know. Naru had a strange way of organizing her belongings, sometimes meticulously color coded and other times a complete mess. None of that mattered now, though. All that was important was that the pair was back together, and it was all because of Rei.

               Sekkachi clutched the earrings in her fist and sucked in a sharp breath. Nothing was ever going to repay what Rei had done, yet perhaps she had been too hasty. Naru was gone. All they had left now was each other. Her eyes shifted to the framed photograph on her desk of the three of them when they were just genin, so bright and happy and confident. She grazed the glass over Naru’s image, tightened her grip on the earrings, let the stones press into her the flesh of her palm, and then truly let herself break down.

Oof I'm gonna be totally honest with you guys, this was a REALLY difficult chapter to write. I really wanted to explore the origins of Guy and Sekkachi's friendship, but more importantly Sekkachi's illness. Her chronic illness is based on my own so all of her struggles with food and her digestive system hit really close to home, and it was EXTREMELY hard to try and find the line between being honest but tasteful and being gross and way too honest about the literally shitty experience of having a sickness like this. I just hope I did it justice.

[wiccankonan]

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.