#but she's getting it from behind while being forced to look at her and toneri's photo collage on the wall

[bunny-hoodlum]

hey bunny! I was just listening to "you right" by doja cat, and I couldn't help but be reminded of your story Runner's high. if you haven't heard it yet you should! and tell me if you think it reminds you of Runner's high or not.

HAVE A GREAT DAY! 🤗

I have! 🥺 @char-lotteral actually shared this song with me back when I was still writing it. 😭 It's a great song too. 💓 Idk when I'll get around to the rewrite but I still want to hold onto the old elements of the original for sure. 🫡

[narhinafan]

I think Naruto only fell in love with Hinata due to the Genjutsu scene. In realistic situations, without being forced, he would have never thought of her like that. He was never romantically interested in her. It honestly makes me think he was guilt tripped into returning her feelings because she had loved him for so long. After the Pain incident, he never really cared if she was okay or not. Honestly, I think Hinata deserved better. She could have been with someone who could truly love her without being manipulated by a genjutsu trap.

Nope Naruto has been steadily showing increased interest in Hinata through out the manga. This started from early on the series from the Chunin exams and beyond. In the manga when Naruto checks on Hinata after the Neji fight it actually looks like he placed his hand on hers and then you have the proud failure speech and him saying he likes girls like her. An iconic moment for the ship was how Naruto astonished and touched Naruto was from her speech we even get him blushing. Not only that, but Hinata picking up Naruto every time he is about to give up has been a trend in the series whenever Naruto is about to go back on his nindo its always Hinata who shares his nindo who sets him straight and he is grateful towards her for doing so.

The Pain fight not only shows how much Naruto cares about Hinata through causing his seal to break, but his relief finding out she lived and how he clutches his heart in tears expresses that Hinata had already become someone special for him. What showed this even more was when went berserk he subconsciously avoided Hinata and got Pain away from her. In the manga there is even a scene where it seems like six tails Naruto was looking at Hinata before pursing Pain. Those are all things Naruto has never once shown or done, while in his nine tailed state and that was the worse he lost control all through out the series.

Naruto did care about her after the Pain incident a lot was going, but during the war when his clone saves her you can see the connection and he was even able to understand and know what Hinata was thinking by her eyes when she started doubting herself. Then you have how it shows Naruto trying to rush to her when infinite tsukuyomi took her.

During the course of the series Naruto was steadily falling for Hinata its subtle, but is there. Even without the genjutsu they were going to be as the genjutsu only allowed Naruto to realise his feelings for Hinata that were already there. In the canon novels pre last it mentions that Naruto and Hinata became closer after the war without any genjutsu involved. Naruto had already falling for Hinata a long time ago just that he didn't realise it and the last actually set up for him to realise and get with Hinata in multiple a ways.

At the start of film it shows that despite all the affection and gifts Naruto was getting from everyone he felt hollow and those gifts to compare to how happy he felt getting the scarf his mother left behind. Hinata's gift would have stood out among all the others he got as not only was it handmade, but also coming from somthing who truly cares about him. Without the whole Toneri situation Hinata would have ended up confessing to Naruto and he would have without a doubt accepted on the spot or end up thinking and realising he loved Hinata. The movie actually shows Naruto taking time to sort out his own feelings before confessing as well. All Naruto needed a push to kick the process off which was inevitable it didn't have to be the genjutsu that was just done to speed up and see Hinata's pov.

Naruto truly loves Hinata, she was his first and true love as stated by Kishimoto. Now the love story could have been told better, but that doesn't change the fact they both love each other and were meant to be.

[darquedeath4444]

Of Tales Now and Long Ago

Chapter SEVEN

When Sakura stepped out of the office, Kagetsu hurried over to her. He did not question what the Mizukage had wanted, but he gave her an once-over to see if she was okay, and she once again felt pity for the man who seemed to genuinely care for her.

She knew his fate, after all.

Sakura clearly remembered the puppets that had acted as servants around the Haruno compound and when she reached out, a countless number of chakra signatures that weren't quite human replied to her call. Sakura made her way down towards the isolated cave located deeper down, and the moment she even got close, the smell of blood and rotting flesh hit her nose. She wordlessly commanded the puppets behind her move past her into the cave and begin the cleaning process.

Not like these caves would ever be used again.

At one point, she approached the mess and reached for a part of the bone that had begun to crystallize The process would be much faster deeper in the caves. Once she had them brought to the tunnels she had spent years living in with Toneri, they would turn to dust and crystalize on the walls in mere days.

With this thought in mind, Sakura commanded her puppets to clean any bits of flesh still left and to leave the bones in the tunnels. The puppets let out a series of clicks and they all floated out, soon leaving Sakura alone at the mouth of the cave that had changed her life.

Sakura spent a majority of her time in Kiri experimenting with the chakra techniques written down in the Haruno archives.

The Haruno chakra, or the Otsutsuki chakra, was the purest form of chakra. When shinobi clans took this chakra and made it their own, something distinctively theirs became a part of this chakra as it was honed and passed on. However, Sakura's chakra was the rawest, that was not tainted by generation after generation of human usage, and due to this nature, she could incorporate this energy into several other techniques.

Sakura broke out of her thoughts when her water dragon drew itself out from the river she had used as a medium and leaned down towards her. It's nuzzle left her cheek wet and she had to wipe at it lest she dirty her clothes but she merely smiled at the creature and it made a gurgling sound as its liquid vocal cords strained to create noise. Sakura could see her Puppet Cursing sphere glowing in its chest, where it heart would have been had it been a real being.

Two weeks had passed since her arrival in Kiri and by now, people were used to seeing her walking the fogged streets of the village. Some smaller shinobi families even extended invitation for tea and dinner towards her but she always had Kagetsu, and when he was not available Mangetsu, accompanying her and that kept a majority of them off her back. If that wasn't enough, the eerie clicking of her ever-present puppets warned the rest of them away.

It was that clicking, which people found creepy but brought her comfort, that alerted her of an approaching figure. She looked back to see Suigetsu rushed over, a wide grin on his face. "Sakura!"

Sakura spun on her spot to face him and greeted him with a soft smile of her own. "Hello, Suigetsu."

The boy skidded to a halt beside her. "Let's get lunch together!"

Sakura glanced back in the direction the boy had come from, but saw no members of his clan accompanying him. "You snuck out of a meeting?" She guessed.

"Academy," Suigetsu corrected, like it did not matter either way. "Now, let's go."

And just like that, her time in Kiri slowly drew to an end. Sakura stood at the gates of Kirigakure, checking over herself one last time. Kagetsu stood beside her, ready to accompany her back to Konoha, while his wife and children stood opposite them.

"I'll see you again?" Suigetsu asked.

Sakura smiled faintly at the similarities she saw between the boy and Sasuke.

'Allies,' her Inner said. 'He will make a good ally.'

Sakura nodded. "Of course," she told him.

"Take care, Sakura," Mangetsu said.

"You too," Sakura straightened her cloak over her shoulder then turned to Mizuki. "Thank you for having me."

The woman smiled. "Anytime, Sakura-san."

Sakura bowed one last time before she turned to the man beside her. "I am ready, Kagetsu-san."

"I'll be back." Kagetsu told his family, then nodded at her. "Then let us depart."

Sakura watched Mizuki, Mangetsu and Suigetsu wave at them as she followed the Hozuki head out of the village.

He's not coming back, she almost said. He's playing a role, just like the rest of us.

Hozuki Kagetsu's death was as swift and as painless as any death could be. Sakura watched him collapse onto the ground, then turned towards where the burst of chakra had come from.

"Is this mercy?" She asked softly.

"Some say death is release," Toneri stepped out from behind the trees. His empty sockets landed on her and a smile graced his lips. "Personally, I do not care too much."

Sakura crouched down beside the man that had taken care of he for the past month. "I'm sorry," she said simply. She felt something heavy in her stomach but could give it no name, so she pushed it aside.

Toneri laughed. "I took into consideration his service to you and made it as painless as possible," he said. "His body simply stopped working. Without a working body, one cannot register pain."

"A blast of sheer chakra powerful enough to simply force a body to shut down," she said in wonder.

Toneri nodded. "It only works against a single target and requires a long time to prepare," he said. "It is not very functional in battle."

Sakura hummed thoughtfully and allowed her companion to cut into her arm to extract a little of her blood. He proceeded to toss it around the clearing they were in, then tossed away the kunai as well. He left a few scuff marks on the ground, then turned towards her. "I believe that will be enough," he said.

Sakura looked one last time at the dead body lying in the clearing before she nodded. "Shall we depart?" She asked.

Toneri nodded and turned towards the trees. "The closest entrance to the caves are a little away," he told her. "From there, we will be heading home."

Sakura's thoughts went blank at the word. "Home?"

Toneri smiled. "Yes, home."

Sakura liked to think that the Haruno tunnels existed in a dimension of its own, where normal humans simply could enter without a Haruno or Otsutsuki guide. This was because these pathways, which had existed for as long as the shinobi nations, or even life itself on these lands, stretched out across the entirety of the lands and no one had ever come across them.

Of course, there were rumors about them, and they had grown during the Shinobi Wars when the Haruno had often used them as a means of transportation of backup, supplies, and information, but even if one did see them simply vanish, no one could follow them.

Sakura paused in her steps and looked around the stone structure. There was no sunlight, no fire, and the tunnels were simply lit up by the glowing blue-green crystals that symbolized their history.

Soon, in the distant, she could hear the sound of water. Toneri sped up, almost subconsciously, and Sakura followed without complaint. A while later, they arrived in a clearing with a small spring, and Sakura felt a sudden, powerful pull towards the glowing liquid. Her companion did not even stop; he simply kept going, pausing only when Sakura stopped at the edge of the water. He turned around, standing knee deep in the surprisingly deep spring, and smiled. "There is nothing to fear," he told her gently and slowly held out his hand.

Sakura took it without hesitation and allowed the older teen to guide her into the water. A few steps later, only her head was sticking out of the water. Toneri released her hand and moved a little further until he too was beck deep in water.

"There is nothing to fear," Toneri said again. "I will see you on the other side."

As if on cue, Sakura suddenly lost her footing. She immediately tried to find the bottom of the spring, only for her feet to hit nothing. She took an unwilling sharp breath, expecting water to come flowing into her lungs, only to blink and suddenly find herself sitting on the floor, completely dry, with Toneri smiling down at her. "That was the portal," he told her.

Sakura's head whipped up and glanced around. She allowed Toneri to help her to her feet and almost blindly followed him as he began walking in a certain direction.

"This is the bridge between the Earth and the Moon," he told her. "These orbs contain memories of all humans that have ever walked the lands," He gestured towards the glowing spheres. "Some are forever trapped in their memories and can never escape." However, when he reached towards one, the sphere floated away from him like it was being repelled. "That does not apply to us."

Sakura smiled as Toneri cleared a path for them and soon, in the distant, she could make out a huge shape. "The Gatekeeper," she whispered.

Toneri nodded. "The Guardian of this dimension."

Sakura knew of this creature from the tales passed down. The Gatekeeper guarded the doors to the moon and stopped anyone not Otsutsuki from entering the sacred grounds. The crab regarded them with its beady eyes and let them pass without any interference.

Behind the huge creatures was another spring. This time, Sakura did not even hesitate, and when she appeared on the other time, she found herself overlooking a very familiar scenery. Above them, the artificial sun brought light, and below the ledge they were standing on, was the Otsutsuki village.

Minato placed the letter on his desk and took a deep breath. "Please call in Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, and Uchiha Shisui."

His assistant hurried out of his office.

The two Uchiha entered his office mere minutes later and Kakashi was relatively early as well. Minato pushed aside his surprise and gestured towards the letter. "I just received a letter from the Hozuki."

Itachi instantly stiffened and SHisui glanced over at his cousin in worry. Kakashi remained reactionless.

"Sakura left Kiri, accompanied by Hozuki Kagetsu, two weeks ago," he paused. "Travel times would have taken a few days at most. However, the Head has not returned, and Sakura has not yet arrived."

"So they're missing?" Shisui asked.

Minato nodded solemnly. "There is a possibility they had been attacked."

"Toneri," Kakashi said.

Minato nodded again. "That is a possibility," He held out a scroll. "You will head out to Kiri. The Mizukage has been alerted of your arrival. We will search around on our own, but any information found will be shared between the two villages. You have permission to enter Kiri and talk to the Hozuki. Kakashi will act as team leader. Track down their routing, and see if you can find anything on their whereabouts."

The Hozuki were surprisingly willing to meet them, especially considering the relation between the two villages, but Uchiha Shisui was not too shocked, considering that their clan head was missing. After receiving the confirmation that the two had left the village gates and there were many witnesses, they headed out of the village and immediately began tracking their pathing.

Kakashi sent out his dogs and Pakkun came back a while later, eyes serious. "We found something," he said. "But you might not like it."

Indeed Shisui did not like it. The lifeless body of Hozuki Kagetsu lay limp in a clearing and Sakura was nowhere to be found. There were blood splotches on the ground and Pakkun immediately confirmed that it did not belong to the Hozuki head.

"Send a summon to Hokage-sama," Kakashi ordered Itachi, then turned to his summon. "Is there a scent trail?"

Pakkun shook his head. "Well, there is a scent trail leading that way." He gestured with a paw into the trees. "But it vanishes after a bit, almost like they just disappeared."

Shisui watched Itachi send off his crow, eyes dark. He knew his cousin had been close to the girl, and his brother liked her as well. He stood awkwardly to the side as Kakashi stood up.

"Let's return to Kiri," he finally said. "We should return the body to his family."

Itachi returned to Konoha with a sense of dread weighing him down. It had been a while and he was sure most of them had forgotten, or had at least put to the back of their minds, the reason Sakura had ended up in Konoha.

And just like that, she had vanished. Whoever had taken her had left a dead man in his wake. He could not stop himself from worrying. This dread only got worse as he went with his team to report their findings, or the lack of it thereof, to the Hokage and returned to the Uchiha compound. The Academy had started a week or so ago and Sasuke had been complaining nonstop about the girl's delayed return. He had been pressing him about information on the girl and he could not decide if it would be kinder and right to tell him of the truth or keep him from it just a while longer.

The kidnapper had held the girl captive for years and had come after her once again. He had a nagging feeling and a growing fear that this time, they may not find her. In the end, when Sasuke ran up to him, he could only say that there had been a delay.

He could not bring himself to crush that smile, not just yet.

The Otsutsuki village called to her, that was the only thing she could think of. She was sure she had never been here before, never stepped foot on their home planet, but there was a heavy sense of familiarity that made her run her fingers over the structures that stood on either side of the streets as the two of them traveled through the village towards the main Otsutsuki compound.

It was almost as though she knew this place, knew where exactly she was going.

Perhaps it was her blood.

"Sakura-sama?"

Sakura turned towards Toneri, who had stopped a little ahead of her and was now waiting for her. "Sorry." She quickened her pace, so that she was walking beside him.

"No worries, Sakura-sama," Toneri said softly. "I understand it must be..."

"It's strange," she said, eyes once against wandering. "Like I've been here before."

Toneri did not say anything. Instead, he merely continued to smile and Sakura firmly turned away from the streets and towards the looming compound of the Otsutsuki.

Time passed differently on the Moon. A day on the Moon was around twenty-nine days on Earth, but they lived underneath the surface and an artificial sun supported life. It was not easy to see how much time has passed.

Sometimes, when she was not busy reading the scrolls and books found in the library and training with Toneri, she thought of Konoha.

Sasuke must be missing her. People must be worried. She felt a little bad, because she had promised the boy she would return. Of course, she would be returning. She had just not factored in this little detour with Toneri when she had stated so. The boy was a ball of innocence, she thought often. Just like that blond friend of his. And yet, they were both going to attend an Academy that taught them to kill using a gift that was meant to make life better.

Teaching was done by those who knew better. Perhaps they could simply kill the adults? The children were innocent until they were tainted, were they not? Not to mention, she quite enjoyed the company of some of the human children she had met.

Perhaps she could bring it up with Toneri.

If there was one thing Toneri feared, it was the influence human ways of thinking would have on Sakura. The girl was his, his to cultivate and sharpen, the one being that would share his ambition and the one who would remain with him once the sinners were purged.

However, he could not be with her all the time and all that stood between them and the taint of humankind was her loyalty towards their blood and him, and her belief that humans were wrong. He did not doubt that Sakura would fail to see their superiority to humans, but he decided that that was what fear was, an unreasonable force that made one think irrationally despite them knowing.

"Toneri!"

The teen paused in his musing when he heard his name being called by the very girl that haunted his current thoughts. If there was second thing he feared, he mused, it would be the strange feeling that filled his chest at the sound of her voice.

Distractions, after all, were very unwelcome, not when they were two beings trying to take on an entire world.

"The main reason this meeting was arranged was so that you can learn about your Dojutsu." Toneri told her. "The Tenseigan."

Sakura's hands slowly went up to her face. The Otsutsuki had several Kekkei Genkai, powers that had been lost and gained throughout their time as the rulers of the world. Even after they had ceased to be nothing more than a myth, a bedtime story of the history of the Shinobi World, their bloodlines lived on in the flesh and blood of their descendants.

However, in a way, it was no longer only theirs.

"It is your job, as the head of the Otsutsuki, to retrieve what truly belongs to us," Toneri had said. "As the last head of the clan who is the history itself of the world humans know today, you must right the wrong and punish those who have forgotten just who exactly they owe this life to."

Sakura clenched her fist. The Tenseigan activated in order to protect the user. The first awakening of the dojutsu came when the body truly felt it was in danger. Sakura knew that despite her role, she had grown up relatively sheltered. She hoped that as she rose in rank within Konoha as a shinobi, she would gain the chance to awaken the Tenseigan.

"We will research the other Kekkei Genkai that have been stolen from us," Toneri had said. "That is the other main reason we are here."

Sakura smiled faintly. This conversation had occurred a few moon days ago when they had eaten their first meal on the Moon.

"'Main reason'?" She had asked."There are others?"

"Of course," he had said. "I wanted to see you, Sakura-sama. I wanted to make sure you were safe."

This battle had started with just the two of them and no matter how many new pieces were introduced to her, she and Toneri would remain the two constant forces that affected the rest of them. Toneri had then smiled, empty eye sockets as dark as ever and his expression losing all the tenseness it usually held. This was a teen that thought and acted with the Otsutsuki constantly at the front of his mind. In a world that had forgotten their kind, he was the only one left here that truly understood her because he was almost just the same.

And any doubt had flown right out of her head.

Chapter EIGHT>

<Chapter SIX