#fest no jutsu

[spacealligator]

New fic just dropped!

I wrote this fic for Fest no Jutsu 2024 and today they revealed the name of the writers/artists that made the prompts. I had a lot of fun participating/writing/discussing/reading/prompting in the event kudos to @gerardwayissexah and the other organizers!

I know it's not my usual ObiKaka, but I loved the -- Konan/Yahiko/Nagato decide to adopt Karin -- prompt so much that even if it wasn't a romantic fic like I usually do, I still wanted to write it! Please check it out!

[gildedwotan]

Fest no Jutsu 2023 - Organising

Fest no Jutsu 2023 has wrapped up with creator reveals. I'm trying to organise my own thoughts on it and hope some of them might be useful/relevant. First, a link to the event.

This was an interesting one because Fest no Jutsu 2022 was a little later than planned, very last-minute, and as a result not so big. We took some of the lessons from that and made sure to put the word out in advance this time. The final result was very good: last year we had 15 works, this year we had 25. The server hasn't massively grown in that period, either, so it's purely driven by people being more interested and engaged.

After FnJ 2022 wrapped up, I ran an informal server poll to see whether there was more interest in a prompt week, a fest, or an exchange for 2023, and 'fest' won by a reasonable margin. We've run server exchanges in the past but there's a critical mass needed for that to work, and I think we're just at the lower threshold. The low-commitment nature of a fest also helps draw in people who otherwise maybe wouldn't be interested, and also means much less moderation work so it's easier to organise.

More mods were helping coordinate the fest this time around, which I think helped get more community spirit going. It also meant less of a wait to get answers to fest-specific questions. The discord members were also more experienced with fests -- quite a few took part in the last round -- so that helped a lot as well.

I'm planning another server poll to get some ideas of what to do next year, and also to ask for suggestions on how to improve things. One of the mods suggested an upper wordcount limit (as a guideline, not a solid rule) as some people found their stories getting away from them a bit and weren't able to finish their works. Some encouragement to keep the submissions concise might have helped avoid the fics from sprawling too much, or at least it seems worth a try next time.

There is one point of friction, though. Anonymity, while an important part of the exchange and fest process, makes it a little awkward to run events that are focused on a specific discord server. Everyone's writing away but nobody can talk about it because we're all writing for each other. It's a bit funny but also can be awkward over a longer period because writers are a social bunch and there's always this urge to share what we're doing and what we're learning. This year the server's had some non-fest writing events as well which I think make for a nice break and give a social outlet.

Overall I'm really happy with how Fest no Jutsu 2023 turned out, though I wish I'd been a bit more productive personally. That's about the same for every writing event I take part in, I suppose! Bring on 2024.

[waffledogwrites]

The Works Due & Revealed deadline has been extended by two weeks. Works are now due on OCTOBER 8 (Previously September 24).

As such, author reveals will now be on October 15.

Fest no Jutsu is a Naruto fanfiction fest where people have a week to come up with prompts for short stories and/or artwork, and then anyone who wants to can write a story or create some art for one or more prompts. The creation period is about two months, and at the end we reveal all the works in one go. It's a lot of fun and a great way to write or draw something a bit different than you usually would.

For anyone who might be interested, my Naruto Fanfiction Discord server is doing a Prompt Meme Challenge!

Joining the Discord server is NOT necessary to participate. As a mod, I can answer any questions through Tumblr as well ^^

[powerful-niya]

The Tell-Tale Heart

❀Fest No Jutsu 2023❀

Naruhina Oneshot Available on: AO3 | Wattpad | Fanfiction.net |

Prompt claimed fulfilled for @wickermayne 🥰

❀Naruhina RomCom❀

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

Summary: The Fourth Great Ninja War ends and Konoha is at peace; Hinata Hyuga contemplates Naruto Uzumaki's unexpected desire to spend more time with her.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

Tags: Blank Period • Canon • Canon Divergence • Declarations Of Love • Drama & Romance • Fake Relationship Trope • Fluff • Happy • Happy Ending • Humor • Light Angst • Love Confessions • Mutual Pining • Naruto Universe - Freeform • No Smut • Post War • POV Third Person • Romance • Teen Rated  •Tooth Rotting Fluff •

Word Count - For Entire One-Shot: 8.4k.

Word Count - Tumblr Post: 3.3k.

❀Preview:

Today in Konohagakure, the temperature was moderately warm.

The shining sun rose high in the cloudless, blue heavens, beaming with happiness where it took center stage above.

The residents of Konohagakure, enjoyed every moment of the new day, a day of peace and fun, as the sun smiled down on them with warm but pleasant beams.

The summer breeze flowed through the busy streets of the village, sweeping green leaves within its gentle wake where they carried on powerfully, just as the ninjas, Konoha's defenders, have done each and every day.

A year had passed since the conclusion of the Fourth Great Ninja War, allowing Konoha as a whole to at last settle down.

The streets were alive with laughter and chatter, with kids flying kites and pretending to be the ninjas they idolize, racing full speed through the crowds with their arms thrust behind them as if soaring.

Smiling villagers of all sizes and ages filled the streets, setting up their businesses and outlets to cheerfully trade their produce and wares with one another.

All around, structures and residences stood tall, having all been rebuilt from the devastation that numerous battles, particularly the Pain onslaught, had wreaked upon them.

Konoha was now endowed with brand-new structures, fresh possibilities, and new beginnings.

Ninjas, villagers, and children alike were all beaming and renewed—all appreciative of the timeless peace they had gained by never giving up, by consistently standing up for what is right, and by moving onward no matter what.

Konohagakure was now at peace.

Aside from Hinata Hyūga.

In the midst of the happiness that beamed all around her, the young kunoichi found herself having quite an episode: fingers twiddling together, her breathing escalated, cheeks red, and her mind in scrambles.

Hinata traversed the streets of Konoha dressed in her typical ninja garb, accompanied by her longtime team members and companions, Kiba and Shino.

Kiba, her loud, ferocious friend, shot her a glance with his slitted eyes, lifting an eyebrow as he sensed his shy friend's worried state.

After all, it was Hinata's idea to get together so the three of them could go for a walk through the village, get some fresh air, and just spend some time in each other's company.

However, Kiba and Shino have observed Hinata to be extremely fidgety and quiet the entire time, appearing to be preoccupied with a problem that both ninjas were overly conscious about.

Hinata was unable to stop talking about it after all.

Kiba groaned and shook his head, causing his brown curly hair to tussle about, brushing against the nape of his neck due to its increasing length.

To lighten the mood, the cheerful canine ninja gave Hinata a gentle shove with his elbow—just with the side of his folded arms.

He laughed as he caught the surprised squeak that flooded out of her lips, her body jolting as a result of being shoved out of her troublesome thoughts.

"Come on, Hinata-chan, stop overreacting already. It's not that bad." Kiba remarked with a gruff tone and an amused grin, his lips stretched wide to show off his razor-sharp canines.

Due to his delighted smile, the red triangles on his cheeks raised just a touch, his features quite robust and well-defined given his maturing age.

His voice, which had become deeper over the years, was emitted in a halfhearted manner, with little worry detected within, which did absolutely nothing to calm Hinata's anxiety.

Hinata's predicament was only made worse because of it.

Her pale cheeks grew even redder, and she found herself hiding behind the curtains of her long, midnight-blue hair, unable to meet Kiba's gaze.

"No, th-this is..."

"It's just Naruto, Hinata-chan. What does it matter whether the knucklehead wants to spend time with you? Big deal."

Kiba muttered impassively once again, simply shrugging his shoulders as if everything was normal—and especially normal for Hinata.

She shook her head. There was nothing normal about her situation.

Hinata took a glimpse at her brown-haired pal through the strands of her dark hair, only to be struck by the nonchalant expression found on his tanned face.

Kiba didn't seem bothered by her predicament or even able to understand why she was feeling the way she was, for the matter. It was certainly a sight she just couldn't comprehend.

It was quite obvious why she was so worked up.

Hinata bit her lip briefly, to deal with her nerves.

"B-But every day?" Hinata exclaimed, apprehensive.

"A-Am I the only one who finds it strange that Naruto-kun is suddenly spending so much time with me? It's s-so odd."

Hinata's meek voice broke through the gaps of her delicate lips, bursting into the village's midday hum. Such comments of hers would have been drowned out by the din of the crowd, but Kiba's keen hearing picked up on her words flawlessly.

He heard her loud and clear.

Kiba shrugged.

He genuinely did not perceive anything wrong with her current "situation."

Kiba thought Hinata was acting rather ridiculously, in fact. Every time Naruto was brought up in their many conversations, she would just revert to her usual flustered self.

The mere mention of the goofy blonde ninja always causes her to flush red all over and sends her into a stuttering frenzy. Even in her primary years, she would faint just by being in the blonde's presence.

Hinata has always been a flustered mess around Naruto, but even now, after having Hinata as a teammate for so long, Kiba has never been able to understand the immense anxiousness she would feel because of the blonde.

Apart from the fact that Naruto was now regarded as a war hero as a result of his heroic deeds during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Kiba still saw him merely as a hyperactive, dense, brainless knucklehead.

He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that anyone would feel immense anxiety around someone like him.

It was all quite ridiculous.

Kiba found nothing odd or different about Hinata's frenzied behavior nor about Naruto's desire to spend more time with Hinata. After all, they were all growing closer to one another—every single one of their friends—now more than ever.

Nothing's strange there.

Shino, on the other hand, saw a different picture.

He let out a hum of curiosity, bringing to light his presence as he walked alongside Hinata.

His eyes were shielded from the sun by black shades, so others couldn't see his facial expressions as well.

One hand of his was buried in the pocket of his long jacket, while the other lifted to stroke his chin.

"Now that you mention it. That is strange."

Shino's voice emerged from his mouth, somber and monotone, phasing with the pleasant breeze around them. He too joined the conversation between Kiba and Hinata, voicing his concerns about the current situation at hand.

Hinata's dilemma.

All in all, it shouldn't really be a dilemma.

Hinata was aware of this.

Her predicament shouldn't be one that keeps her up at night, sends her in a tizzy, and leads her to become a hot, stuttering mess whenever she thinks about it.

Naruto.

Naruto was her dilemma.

Since the war has ended and all of Konoha has spent its time relishing the peace, Naruto has been exhibiting a variety of behavioral shifts—shifts that were pretty different and quite apparent—particularly because they diverged from the customary behavior tactics he has always demonstrated.

Such changes were all very unusual to Hinata, changes that she was unable to interpret or understand.

To put it simply, Naruto's been acting quite strangely toward her.

How strange you might ask?

For starters, Hinata thought it was somewhat odd of Naruto to unexpectedly develop the longing to devote every waking moment with her.

It seemed weird to her that he wanted to see her every day at the same time at Ichiraku Ramen in order to spend time with her.

Hinata bit her lip a bit harder.

She could hear him now.

"Let's eat out again, tomorrow, Hinata-chan. At Ichiraku, same time, same place. I had such a great time with you, dattebayo!"

Hinata could still clearly remember what he said to her almost a day ago when they shared a meal together at the Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

Even then, he showed signs of immense eagerness for her that she had never seen him show before.

Hinata recalled how he constantly barraged her with many subjects of discussion, even as he spoke to her while stuffing ramen noodles into his mouth.

He told her several of his own tales, including mission experiences that actually made her laugh quite a lot. More than she's ever done in her entire life.

It was all so... strange.

Don't misunderstand Hinata; Naruto's excitement was refreshing, albeit a little overwhelming.

Indeed, Hinata has always wished to spend time with Naruto, and she can't stop herself from enjoying those moments when she gets to sit beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and share a meal and a conversation with him, especially after the war is all said and done.

Sharing such moments with him has always been her dream.

Hinata relished the moments when Naruto lavished her with lots of attention, gazing into her eyes with a true sense of joy and care, and wanting nothing more than to spend as much time with her as he could.

And maybe, she's just overthinking.

Maybe, she's just blowing the entire situation out of proportion.

Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, but she was unable to ignore Naruto's peculiar behavior toward her, including the very difference in the way he spoke to her. It consumed her mind and bugged her so much.

Hinata has made a constant effort to understand why Naruto's behavior has drastically changed in the way it did toward her and why he suddenly developed the urge to hang out with her so excessively.

This was a really big deal to her.

Hinata couldn't help but mull it all over.

In the immediate aftermath of the war, Naruto changed from scarcely recognizing her to having just fleeting conversations with her to obnoxiously craving her company all the time.

It's such a drastic change.

This cannot be a coincidence, she thought.

Hinata occasionally found herself questioning whether Naruto's motives were sincere; she wondered if perhaps he was merely allowing himself to be close to her out of pity.

Pity for her losing Neji.

Yes, the war was officially over, but even so, there were still a lot of wounds that needed to be healed, and Neji's death surely left a lot of them. A lot of wounds.

Hinata occasionally finds herself becoming very sad at the mere recollection of Neji being dead, no longer living in Konoha, but instead buried with the other valiant ninjas who fought in the war.

She would frequently experience severe depression as she recalled the events leading up to his death and once more realized that he had indeed left this world and never to return again.

Hinata often thought of such depressing memories and felt their suppressive effect on her throughout her day-to-day life, and thus, she often thought that is why Naruto wished to spend so much time with her.

Because of pity. Because of guilt.

However, she always dismissed the idea, labeling herself as ridiculous for having such negative thoughts about her dear Naruto-kun.

As a result, Hinata discovers herself becoming quite enthusiastic about the alternative reason she came up with for Naruto's behavioral changes toward her.

And that was a result of authenticity.

Maybe, just maybe, Naruto has come to want to be close to her from a genuine standpoint.

Maybe he secretly yearns to be close to her, yearns to learn more about her, or, better yet, just genuinely enjoys her company.

Maybe, Naruto has come to yearn for something more.

But just as Hinata thought of such a thing, just as she allowed her fantasies to intertwine with her thoughts, she was quick to shake them off.

Hinata squealed, covering her eyes with her hands due to her lewd thoughts.

'No, no, that can't possibly be it!" Shaking off the idea, Hinata exclaimed in a frenzy fit in her mind. It was absurd for her to think that the frequent outings she would have with Naruto were anything romantic.

Yes, Naruto yearns to see her virtually every single day.

Yes, he genuinely offers to pay for her meal at each and every get-together.

Yes, he regularly gives her his jacket whenever she grows cold, without her having to utter a single word.

But...

Those were merely the acts of a friend, Hinata thought, a friend that truly cares.

'There's nothing romantic about that.' Hinata dismissed once more, hysterically shaking her tomato-red face as she hurried on carelessly, her open-toed shoes kicking up dirt every step of the way.

However, she was interrupted from her thoughts when she once more heard the voice of her enigmatic friend, Shino, speak after a little period of silence between the three of them.

"Hm, it almost seems like the two of you are dating. Maybe that's what Naruto wants."

It was only hearing those words from Shino that led Hinata to completely lose it.

She began to feel lightheaded. Terribly lightheaded.

'Me? D-Date Naruto-kun?!?' Hinata practically screeched in her head. She was going to faint, she just knew it.

It was only a matter of time now.

She whipped around to face Shino, in an effort to quickly dismiss such a ridiculous notion from his head. She couldn't bear it.

Hinata sweat dropped, her cheeks flushed red, "No, no, Naruto-kun and I aren't d-dating. Dating o-or romance, for that matter, isn't possibly the reason for all of this. There has to be a-another explanation..."

"Hm." Shino rubbed his chin once more, "It's quite obvious what's going on here, Hinata-chan. Naruto's sudden and enthusiastic yearning to spend more time with you when the war is over. All of it seems to be pointing towards the possibility that his eyes may have opened after all this time." Shino hummed.

"The evidence is right in front of you." Shino expressed with a nod, as he tried to piece together the situation and come up with a solution.

Kiba, in contrast, just shrugged. He merely found the two humorous, trying to solve an issue that was so clear.

He shook his head, "Hinata-chan, come on. You gotta stop overthinking."

He brushed his shoulder against hers yet again, doing so with a groan, "Good kami, all of this Naruto stuff is getting you ridiculous, Hinata-chan. Come on, think about it. Isn't this what you always wanted?" He asked, blurting out what he knew had to be said.

With wrinkled brows, he gazed down at the midnight blue-haired woman beside him, watching as her lavender eyes widened at his remark.

He tilted his head, his expression somewhat solemn, "Isn't this time spent with Naruto, or rather, him wanting to spend time with you, something you always wished for?"

Hinata's eyes widened even more. Even her heart skipped a beat.

It was. It's all Hinata has ever wanted.

She's spent her entire life walking behind Naruto, always staring at his back, longing for him to turn and notice her.

She had yearned for him to realize her presence, to recognize all the times she had followed him, supported him, been influenced to become stronger by him, and even risked her life for him.

She yearned to be by his side, showering him with her affection and reverence.

She wished so badly he would one day look at her the very same way she looked at him.

That is all she has ever wished for—Naruto to notice her.

And now...

Hinata's breath caught in her throat as Kiba's words flashed through her mind, finally waking her up and causing her to realize what a blessing this entire situation was for her.

The sudden acts of Naruto wanting to spend time with her; and the genuine smiles he showers her with.

The big, warm hugs he gives her the moment she arrives at Ichiraku Ramen.

The jokes, the laughter, the smiles.

Everything.

Hinata finally considered every bit of her situation, and she used the opportunity to take a step outside of herself, away from the troubling emotions that were stifling her, and instead take in the situation as a whole.

Her breath hitched.

Indeed, she has always wanted this.

Always.

And now, with her eyes opened, she has realized how silly she has been.

She has done nothing but speculate about Naruto's motives, questioning herself as a whole for liking his behavioral shifts.

She was so worried and anxious about the whole thing, as well as flustered and embarrassed by being so close to Naruto so suddenly, that she entirely failed to notice the positive elements of her predicament.

But now...

A smile arose on Hinata's face and in that moment, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She suddenly felt the worries she's been dealing with for a couple of weeks now set sail and fly away.

She finally sensed herself becoming free from her worries; free from it all. All thanks to her friends; Kiba and Shino.

She really needed this chat.

Because now, Hinata could finally see the situation from a different perspective, a more positive approach to her situation, and now she finds herself a little bit more...

appreciative.

She bawled her fists tight by her chest, biting her lip briefly, "Y-Yes, this is what I have wanted." She whispered, finally voicing out her own wants for a change, voicing that she indeed has always wanted Naruto to notice her, just in the way he has recently.

Kiba and Shino exchanged a joyful grin, both ninjas flawlessly catching their bashful friend's answer even in the midst of the raucous outside noises around them.

It was undoubtedly like music to their ears, and they were both comforted by the fact that their friend's sentiments of embarrassment and worry were no longer clouding her judgment—no longer keeping her troubled.

The two men were pleased to find that their efforts had been successful and that their words of caution and contemplation had not been merely ignored or overlooked.

Kiba and Shino were certainly pleased to see Hinata finally diverted from her mental woes and the clamor of her irrational thoughts, which had previously blinded and hampered her. And ultimately, keeping her from finding happiness with the one man that almost everyone in the village knows can greatly comfort and increase Hinata's level of contentment.

Peace was now assured.

Kiba exclaimed joyfully, "See, there you go! So I say, quit your overreacting and relax! Enjoy the peace already!"

He shoved her shoulder again which actually caused Hinata to giggle, her body swaying a bit.

"Kami, if you're so worried about Naruto spending time with you, why don't you just ask him? Who knows, Shino might be right, your precious Naruto-kun might have finally woken up." Kiba teased with a laugh.

Hinata instantly gasped, her head space once again flooded by overwhelming thoughts, her body riddled with feelings of flusteredness.

Throughout Kiba's entire speech, one particular detail caught her attention the most.

My precious Naruto-kun.

Hinata's blush rushed back to engulf her whole tenfold, "H-Hey don't call him that!" The flustered kunoichi exclaimed in embarrassment before reaching over to slap Kiba's folded arm.

But her gesture of getting him back due to his teasing only pushed the brown-haired male to laugh and tease her even more.

"Oh, Naruto-kun! My precious Naruto-kun!"

"St-Stop it, Kiba-kun!"

"No! You make it so easy, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata grumbled, her heart racing in her chest as she was teased by Kiba but soon comforted by Shino.

After all was said and done, however, and after a much-needed conversation with her good friends, she found herself looking forward to the dinner get-together with Naruto.

Now, more than ever.

[wickermayne]

If you are in the Naruto Fandom, this is a Fest being run by the /r/NarutoFanfiction Discord Server!

How it works is people will submit prompts to the fest page, and then anyone can claim any prompt they think is interesting. A prompt can have multiple claims too!

You don't have to claim a prompt if you don't want to, you can simply submit prompts if you're more of a reader - and vice versa!

If you have any interest, please check out the profile page for the event, which has all the relevant infromation.

You will need an AO3 account to participate however, and also the event is not allowing any smut content, but everything else should be fine.

Prompt submission is going on until July 23rd. The rest of the timeline is on the profile page. Hope you guys take a look :)

[narutoevents]

Hi! My Discord server is doing a prompt meme Naruto event! It would mean a lot if you could share it. I'm a mod for the event although I usually use the handle waffledogwrites for tumblr nowadays. The event is called Fest no Jutsu 2023. I'm not sure how to share the link since asks don't allow links to be shared... ><

Well… this is a bit tricky. This is an event resource / calendar for public events, not private events hosted by discords. But we understand that this is open to the public, even if it’s hosted by a private discord, so we will think about making an exception.

[oh-no-its-bird]

Alright chat it's time to think ab the valentines prompts !!!! I am thinking. I am having thoughts.

Love at First Bite

Vampire au OR Kakashi resisting his hashtag Hatake instincts to bite people he loves (??)

Or . Kakashi keeps biting people, so specifically to get him to stop, Sakumo lies and says in Hatake culture, biting someone is like a proposal. And if they bite back ur married now. And you wouldn't want to get married, now would u Kakashi? And Kakashi is like "oh no but I already bit Obito, what does that mean D:" and Sakumo is like "Well, I guess that means u proposed. That's so embaressing for u which is why u shouldn't do it again."

Then Obito bites Kakashi in a fight and Kakashi screams in horror bc they have to get MARRIED NOW !!!!!!!!

Otome Game / Affectionate Meter

(Aka Tobirama's personal hell)

Romance sim no jutsu fic where Tobirama wakes up to find otome game mechanics (affection meter and dialogue options) have been added to his life. He despairs.

Thisd just be the romance sim no jutsu au I talked about a while ago tbh

Incubi / Succubus

Incubus Kakashi who's super low key about it. He actually isn't really into sex but bc he can feed off ambient sexual energy, he basically just snacks on the energy radiating off of icha icha all day and is... okish.

Or like. He's not even a fr incubus but the Hatake bloodline limit is actually smthn comparable to that. So he uses it as an example of what it's like.

Obito finds out and loses his fucking mind bc KAKASHI SEX DEMON REAL????? He becomes convinced that he's obsessed w Kakashi bc Kakashi worked his freaky incubus magic on him. Also this means it's suddenly ok for him to be super horny ab Kakashi but he swears it's ONLY bc hes a sex demon, ok?????? He literally can't control it u guys this isn't on him. It's not. He swears.

Meanwhile, Kakashi: *literally just standing there, the only visible skin his hands toes and like a third of his face*

My heart is in your hand (literally)

Regina Mills type beat where person A has person B's heart and can use it to command them. Thinking either mdtb or iztb, but obkk could make for an interesting one just bc of Obito's heart seals.

Festival of love

Senju fuck fest. That's it. That's the fic. The Senju have a festival and the main event is an orgy. The fic itself is just the Madara and Izuna reaction to this terrible, terrible knowledge. The Uchiha are way more conservative and legit horrified at this information. Unfortunately they also JUST signed the peace treaty and village plans so they are now burdened w the knowledge that the annual senju orgy WILL be happening within village walls.

There's no actual smut its pure reaction and implication

U guys get to choose which one you wanna see as a one shot, choose wisely pls

[gerardwayissexah]

Works for Fest no Jutsu 2024 are now live on AO3! So far, there are 18 works of Naruto fanfiction posted to the collection, with more possibly on the way (note to self...finish that thing). Please show your support to all the creators who contributed to this event, and stay tuned for author reveals later this week. :)

[munchbell45]

Here's a cute NaruIno fic!

I Worte this for @wickermayne (NSFW Warning) for an event called Fest no Jutsu! Now that author reveals are opened, I can share it!

Summary: Ever since the war had ended, Ino had spent a lot more time working at the flower shop. She wound up becoming even closer friends with Naruto, whose passion and enthusiasm warm her heart. The two of them would hang out whenever business at the flower shop was slow.

However, they both have feeling for each other. Will they confess to each other? Will everything go well?

Additional Tags: Fluff, One Shot, Flowers, Gardens and Gardening, Love Confessions, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Friendship, Happy Ending

[kiljoius-writes]

Sun Rising

Ao3 Link

Pairing: Minato Namikaze/Kushina Uzumaki

Summary: Kushina Uzumaki is alone in the world.

A classroom full of bug-eyed kids stare at her and she stares back. She has to wonder if this village has no concept of color. Her eyes flicker to the only bright thing in the room: obnoxious, spiky, blond hair. Not even blond, just straight up yellow. This boy is actually too bright, if you ask her.

It's a lonely world for a jinchūriki, especially a foreign one with wild red hair and a temper.

For motroshell, part of the 2023 Fest no Jutsu. Prompt: Uzumaki Kushina does make it to Hokage and fulfils her childhood dream. Minato has been supporting her every step of the way. How did it happen?

Kushina Uzumaki is alone in the world.

That became overwhelmingly evident when a Konoha jōnin swept her from her home at the tender age of 9.

She remembers begging her grandmother to come with her.

“Don’t make me go alone! Grandma, I don’t want to leave you!”

Life is unfair and that was simply a fact that she got to learn early in her life.

Lucky her.

Kushina Uzumaki is alone in the world.

A classroom full of bug-eyed kids stare at her and she stares back. There’s a lot of black- and brown-haired and eyed children here. All dull pastels with their boring gray and tan jackets and fatigues. They look at her like she’s the alien, but she can’t possibly be. They’re the ones who look like they crawled out from a cave with zero sunshine and no concept of color. At least she has a reason for wearing pale yellow and brown: it compliments her hair!

Her eyes flicker to the only bright thing in the room: obnoxious, spiky, blond hair. Not even blond, just straight up yellow. This boy is actually too bright, if you ask her. His eyes are startlingly blue, his jacket is a crisp white, the only dark thing about him are the blue of his fatigues. Those electrifying blue eyes are locked on her and she feels a shiver up her spine, immediately averts her eyes to the rest of the class.

She inhales deeply.

“I’m Kushina Uzumaki y’know!”

Embarrassment seeps out of her at the way her voice sounds. She hasn’t spoken much in the last few weeks during her travel, and immediately, giggles spread over the classroom. She covers her mouth as one of those dumb, drab boys points at her and immediately insults her hair.

“I’m gonna…”

Another inhale as she clutches her fists.

“I’m going to become the first female Hokage of Konohagakure!”

Then, that boy. That alarmingly bright boy stands up and declares his intention to become Hokage, too. Looking so, so happy about it, too! Like he didn’t just steal her thunder! Like a little bolt of lightning, zapping all the energy out of her.

“Tomato!”

That dumb blond kid just stares at her, and she tries not to let tears sting her eyes.

Kushina Uzumaki is alone in the world.

A shiny new headband with a leaf symbol greets her, handed to her by their sensei who looks like he’s bored. She takes it in her hands and feels the cool touch of metal against her fingertips.

She is a kunoichi of Konoha. One that smashes the faces in of all the dumb, drab boys around her.

It should have been no surprise to her that once she graduated, the teasing only got worse. 8 others join her, only 4 of which she bothered to learn the names of. Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, Chouza Akimichi, and of course that weak blond and blue boy. The one she sees looking at her too often, the one who has a never-ceasing smile on his face, the one who travels this world without anything troubling him.

Her first C-Rank mission accompanies a group of chūnin. She resents that she’s not being trusted to take on a C-Rank herself but looks at the snot-nosed boys with her and figures it’s only natural they wouldn’t trust them with anything important.

“Thought you’d grow out of those chubby cheeks by now, but you just look even more like a ripe tomato.”

Kushina wants to rip her hair straight out of her skull. Instead, she whips around, reels back a fist, all while the boy guffaws and holds his arms in front of his face to prepare for impact. Her fist connects with the top of his head and he crashes into the ground.

One of the chūnin hollers at them and rushes up to pull Kushina by the armpits off of her dumb, drab boy teammate. From behind, deep, obsidian eyes crinkle with a smile. One of the first genuine smiles she’s received in ages.

“Certainly not a tomato.”

The older girl approaches her, ignoring the wailing of her boy teammate, and holds out her hand to Kushina. She eyes it with suspicion.

“I’m Mikoto.”

Carefully, she takes the hand.

“I think red-hot habanero is more appropriate, don’t you think?”

Kushina Uzumaki doesn’t feel quite as lone in the world.

They tried to keep the news from her, but she would inevitably hear the whispers.

“Did you hear? Uzushiogakure destroyed overnight.”

“I heard it was to wipe out that Uzumaki clan.”

“Isn’t that the one that little girl came here from?”

Kushina ran, and ran, and ran. She didn’t stop running, even when her feet went bloody.

It couldn’t be true. There was absolutely no conceivable way it could be true. Her home, her people, her grandmother. It couldn’t be that they were all just gone.

She had to see for herself. She paid enough attention in school to know which way Uzushio was, and she bolted. No thoughts occupied her mind except the overwhelming need to see it. See what they did to the place she held so dear. Find her grandmother and bring her to safety. She couldn’t be dead. There was no way.

“Grandma.”

She huffs and puffs as she pounds the ground with her heels, sweat dripping from her hairline, hair everywhere. If someone were looking on, they’d just see a red streak tearing through the mountain side.

Suddenly, she feels her body crashing to the ground.

“Kushina!”

Immediately, she fights back. Screams at the top of her lungs, tries to swipe at whoever is pinning her to the ground. Yells at them to let go of her, that she has to get home, that she’ll tear their eyes out if they don’t stop. In the flurry of it all, she can’t make out who her captor is, until she manages to slip out of their grip. Her eyes pop open to meet spinning red ones staring back at her, eyes she’s only seen once before on another teams sensei. Then she measures the rest and sees Mikoto staring back at her, heaving.

“You can’t leave the village.”

Kushina feels her insides get fiery, doesn’t even register the tears streaming down her face. She tells her she has to, that she has to save her family and her home. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. She tells Mikoto that she’s not afraid to knock her out if she has to. She expects Mikoto to laugh at her like anyone else would, a little genin threatening a chūnin, a Uchiha of all people, but she does not laugh.

Instead, she relaxes her stance and steps towards Kushina. Instinctively, she steps backwards, but stops with her next steps. Arms encircle her and pull her body in. And she realizes that her world is crashing around her, so her body gives out and heaves with trembling sobs. Her cries fill the forest air.

Kushina Uzumaki is alone in the world.

For her 12th birthday, she is gifted with the Kyūbi.

Mito Uzumaki tells her that it’s her destiny, to absorb the Konoha bijū, become it’s jinchūriki. That special, beautiful, bright chakra flows through her. That only her chakra can possibly handle the beast. That only her heart could possibly take the burden on.

For the last year, she had grown closer and closer to Mito. It was a special kind of pain to become attached to someone you knew for a fact would inevitably die quite soon. One that would die on a schedule, to ensure that damn bijū would successfully transfer to Kushina. One that she would have to watch die with her own two eyes.

When Kushina looks into Mito’s eyes, she thinks of her grandma. She learned shortly after her village was destroyed that crying about her grandma would only invite more mocking. That the tomato is broken and leaking. No matter how often she proved herself strong, not matter how many faces she smashed into the ground, no matter how brightly her chakra flashed, she was always simply that chubby cheeked tomato. Some days, she contemplates shaving her head.

But when she looks into Mito’s eyes, she feels tears sting her eyes, and lets it happen. It’s the only time she feels like she can cry in front of someone else. Mito just pats her hands, doesn’t ask why she’s crying. Just seems to understand, and Kushina is grateful for it.

One day, on a day she doesn’t cry, Mito has biscuits and tea waiting for her when she arrives. As her time grows near, she’s being treated more and more like royalty. It’s a bittersweet thing. One in which she wishes she could tell certain people to shove it, but grins and bears it instead. Just like she must.

Today, Mito tells her about Uzushiogakure. It’s the first time it’s been brought up in conversation. Of course, Kushina has wanted to ask her about it for a long time, but also has resisted doing so because she’s not quite sure she wants to tear open those wounds.

Speaks of all the great clans that lived there, including their own. Talks about her life there before being whisked to Konohagakure. Tells her how frightened she had been, too, but was doing it for her people.

Then she drops a bomb on Kushina.

“Many of our people escaped during the destruction of our home.”

Kushina hangs onto every word, thinks of her grandma. Could she have escaped…?

Mito goes on to talk about their clan, their strength, their power, their unique ability. Their crest, the meaning of rasen, all while making the long climb up the spiral staircase to the top of the Hokage tower.

As she looks out to the Hokage mountain, she envisions her face on those rocks.

Thinks maybe it’s possible. Then she wouldn’t be some outsider.

And when she does, she’ll find her grandma.

Kushina Uzumaki decides maybe she’s not so alone in the world.

As soon as she starts to feel better, something is right around the corner to knock her right back down. Peace isn’t something Kushina’s known in a very long time, so she just expects it to be ripped away from her at this point. So when she enters her home and finds her caretaker missing, it’s expected. Then, they come for her. It’s dead night, so it’s quiet and she can hear them before she sees them. It’s too little, too late, and she’s snatched up. She cries out in vain, because she’s in a desolate part of the village where few people reside, and those that do would never respond to screams in the night.

A few hours later, and her hands are tied behind her back while she’s marched through the thicket of the forest outside of the village. While she indeed holds the Kyūbi inside of her, she doubts anyone will notice she’s gone until tomorrow when she doesn’t arrive for her daily training sessions. Nobody ever visits her in the night. And by tomorrow, it will likely be too late. She’ll be very far away in Kumogakure, where she assumes they’ll attempt to take the Kyūbi, resulting in her death.

Still, she has to try something. She can’t go out without even a little fight from her.

She’s not naïve. There’s no way she can overpower three men, likely jōnin or higher, no matter how powerful she thinks she is. That would probably just result in them knocking her out, leaving her no way to try to escape. No, she has to be sneaky. Trying to get out of her restraints would likely be too noticeable.

She tugs at her hair behind her, and the light bulb goes off.

If she can leave a trail behind her, it would result in whoever comes to look for her finding her quicker. They’d probably even be able to figure out she’s in Kumo based on the path.

One hair is plucked, and she doesn’t wince, keeps a stoic face. Releases it, lets it travel the ground.

A few seconds later, another hair or two.

She continues like this for a full hour, purposefully walking slower to delay. One of them shoves at her back, so she picks up the pace, then slows again. The cycle repeats.

Exhaustion begins to take hold. No matter how tired she is, she continues the process of slowly removing her hair. Wonders if she’ll have a bald spot after this. Hopes she’ll live to find out. Still, she barely registers her surroundings.

Her eyes drift shut, and her legs keep moving on instinct.

She doesn’t even hear the chaos around her.

Only when she hears a familiar voice.

“Are you okay?”

Slowly, she stops, struggles to lift her head, and sees someone she never thought she’d be so happy to see.

The moon illuminates that blond hair and his shiny headband that she knows for a fact he polishes daily.

“I came to rescue you.”

Me…?

Her brain is fuzzy. The joy that overcomes her is the last straw. All she can manage is a smile before her body gives out for good. She falls to her knees, and before she can face plant, he’s there in a flash to catch her and keep her body up. She struggles to look at him.

“Everything’s going to be fine.”

When he slides his arms under her back and legs and hoists her up, she starts to protest, but she can’t even get her arms wrapped around him before he takes off with her held to him. Her eyes find his face, perfectly framed by a full moon, and then they fall to his hand and she sees it: her hair between his fingers.

It worked?

He tells her that her hair is beautiful, that he realized straight away it had to be hers. Her protective instinct over her own emotions kicks in, and she asks him why he ignores her if that’s the case. His response catches her off guard, telling her she’s always been able to take care of herself, that she’s strong.

“Both in body and in spirit.”

Tells her he doesn’t want to lose her. Tells her she’s not an outsider. Tells her she lives in Konoha.

“You’re one of us.”

Never once had Kushina Uzumaki wanted to kiss a boy.

Thought it’d be impossible for her to ever find love, ever since she came to this damn village.

Suddenly, she looks at that brat, the one she thought was another weak, dumb little boy, and everything has changed in her eyes.

That blond hair doesn’t look so obnoxious anymore, those eyes so piercing. He glows like he’s her sun in the midst of night. Now she thinks that maybe he is her sun.

Kushina Uzumaki isn’t alone in the world.

It’s amidst the Third Shinobi War that she’s taken on as an apprentice to one of the Legendary Sannin. Tsunade Senju ensures that no one will ever be able to kill Kushina, no matter how hard they try. By her side is Minato, but even so, he gets sent out to battle. It’s a miserable spot she’s in, constantly thinking of the love of her life possibly being killed in action every moment he’s gone.

It happened so quickly, but Kushina can’t begin to fathom her existence without Minato. Out of nowhere, that blond brat became her whole world, and he’s not much of a brat anymore. He’s getting tall – taller than her, and they’re not technically together. He’s held her in his arms and she’s given him a cheek kiss out of gratitude, but Kushina’s already decided he’s her one true person. The only person she can trust, she can be vulnerable with, she can love.

When he’s gone, it hurts.

It only strengthens her resolve. To become stronger, to become faster, to master the Kyūbi, so that when she’s needed, she’ll be there. She’ll make sure no one else dies, least of all Minato Namikaze.

Her will is no longer made up of spite. Instead, it’s fueled by love. Desire to live, desire to protect.

She has no idea just how long this damn war would actually last.

The Second Shinobi war lasted barely 3 years. Their lives would be plagued in battle for half a decade.

For two years, she’s kept from the front lines. She spends every waking hour training under Tsunade, mastering chakra control, pushing her stamina to its limits, and bringing her healing powers to new heights. Whenever Minato returns home, the first thing they do is spar, so she can show him just how far she’s come. He shows her, too, and it brings her some relief to see him grow stronger, even if it’s apart from her.

The day he revealed to her what he had been working on with Jiraiya for so long is a day that will be carved into her memory her entire life. Told her it was a jutsu created to battle bijū and jinchūriki, but also to work with her chakra. That it was all done to make sure he wouldn’t lose her.

She remembers blacking out, the monster living inside of her flashing through her mind in a blind rage, then her knees meeting the ground. Minato’s voice fights to overpower that of the Kyūbi’s, a voice that she hears every night in her dreams, for better or worse. Seeing Minato fly into the air and crash land is the last thing she remembers before hearing those words.

“That’s why I love Kushina.”

The rest happens so fast, but she remembers it all so clearly. Thinking back to her conversation with Mito. The Adamantine Sealing Chains being released to keep the Kyūbi back. One of those claws going straight through Minato’s side. Her pleading with him to run, to leave her, all for nothing, because that was never an option he’d consider. Finally, that big, bright ball of what looked like pure energy, flying straight into the Kyūbi’s chakra sphere.

Once he recovers, she spend the next three days in his hospital bed, eating the dry rice balls and cups of sugary pudding they bring them, drinking soda and juice while watching old movies on the new T.V.’s the hospital had installed. Honestly, for as terrified as she was of what possible grave injuries he had endured, she finds the time she spends with him so…nice. They’d never been able to just chill for so long together. Be in each other company and really get to know each other’s laughs, be present and also mindless.

She knows it can’t last. They both know it. Besides, she doesn’t want to become out of practice.

Still, she savors this little moment she gets with him.

“C’mon Namikaze!” she shouts at him one day, when he barely puts up a fight. Her heel lands in his chest, and they both come crashing down. She quickly wraps her arms around him so that he’ll roll with her, rather than be flung into a nearby tree, and they come to a stop with her on top of him. She huffs, annoyed, pushing her hair from her face as she glares down at him, unimpressed. Asks him what the hell he’s doing.

He apologizes, rubbing at his face with a sigh. “Just a little tired.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “The great Minato doesn’t get tired.”

His hand slides off his face and he gives her a smile. It makes her smile, too, so she presses a kiss to his nose, deciding to lay off him a little. “No, no, you’re right. An entire war shouldn’t be trying me out.”

She giggles, softly, presses her forehead to his. Then, her smile falls as she thinks about him on the battlefield. Almost makes her eyes water – almost. “I hate it when you’re gone.”

“Awh.” He reaches up to cup one of her cheeks in his dirty palm, and she doesn’t even mind. “I do, too.”

Her eyes flutter shut as she leans into his hold.

“That’s why…I decided to take the Third up on becoming a jōnin sensei.”

Kushina collapses on top of him, unaware of just how tired she really was. He holds her for a good 20 minutes before they peel away, and she’s crying. Mostly from relief. But some of it is worry.

Part of being kept back in the village while the rest go to war has made her especially soft for the children. Every few days, she witnesses a sweet little face burst into tears when they’re told mommy or daddy, brother or sister, auntie or uncle, are gone now. She’s watched them grow from little soppy toddlers to rambunctious kids to rowdy genin.

Thinking of them being the next soldiers makes her maternal instincts churn.

But…Minato will be home.

He will be with her. For at least a little while.

She wonders which of these anxious little kiddos will end up in his care.

It’s hard to think of any of them as lucky, but if they’re all destined to work for the war machine, at least some of them will be taught by Minato. A man she admires with her entire soul, one who she thinks will do right by them, someone who wouldn’t ever purposefully mess up a kid’s life.

Kushina stands in the shadows as she watches Minato greet three little babies she knows.

Rin Nohara. A spritely girl who greets Minato with enthusiasm, yet determination. She lets him know she’s not to be reckoned with, but that she’s eager awaiting their assignments.

Obito Uchiha. Kushina thinks of her pregnant friend, Mikoto. He’s even more wiley than Rin, with a wide grin and bright eyes, despite their dark shade. The grin makes her smile, even. His determination shines through his goggles.

Then there’s Kakashi Hatake. A boy Kushina’s heart is soft for, despite it all. Just a baby when his mother died, and still just a baby when his father took his own. The boy is aloof, but dangerous. Watching him hurts her insides, makes her eyes burn.

Kushina Uzumaki feels that her world is full.

Whenever she has spare time, she’s training with the three newly minted chūnin, or bringing them back to the apartment her and Minato bought with their measly earnings. When they were moving, Team 7 spent the whole day helping them. Minato made cookies and Kushina made sure the fridge was packed with sugary drinks. Kakashi even took a few cookies home, wherever home was for him.

It’s the closest to normalcy Kushina’s ever felt in her life, and she’s desperate not to let it slip away. Seeing three little faces sitting on the carpet, munching on treats and excitedly talking about their next mission, shoving each other’s faces and shooting jabs at one another. It’s something she realizes she wants in life, to be surrounded by people she loves.

She loves Minato. She loves Rin, and Obito, and Kakashi. Thinks that when she becomes Hokage, she’ll be able to show the whole village how much love she has to give.

When the day was over, and she was helping Minato clean up the kitchen, surrounded in boxes and stray utensils and blankets and tools, he spoke words that propelled her.

“You’re going to be the best Hokage Konoha’s ever seen, you know that?”

They’re the last words she expects to hear while drying a plate, so predictably, she drops it.

Minato, living up to his renown nickname, catches it before it shatters on the counter.

“What…did you say Hokage?”

He doesn’t skip a beat when he confirms, smiling up at her. Sets the plate where it goes and lets her grab him by the cheeks.

Let’s her pull him down to the kitchen floor and devour him.

“Gods, I love you.”

Kushina can’t even deny how perfect it is for him to say it to her here and now. Feels full of love and happiness, despite everything. Can’t believe that a war happens right outside of their tiny village while she confesses right back to him. It’s just so perfect, somehow, she’s not even sure why. The way he looks over her, happy and sweet and genuine, it makes her really believe.

She says “I love you” back, with just as much passion as he does to her.

They say it over, and over, and over again.

On top of each other, next to each other, in their ears, inside their mouths, in notes and through looks.

Kushina Uzumaki is madly in love with Minato Namikaze.

After a lethal mission that brings both boys back to her, missing eyes, Kushina feels her entire body lit on fire.

It’s a normal day, as Minato told her, a fairly light mission they go on. But she stands outside of her home, watching her fiancé and his team slug up to her.

Rin is in quiet tears, but she feels it, worse than ever. Kyūbi makes sure of it. Kakashi breathes heavier than normal, but isn’t disabled, just covers one eye. Finally, Obito has an arm slung over Minato’s neck.

When they come into full view, her heart drops further than it ever has in her entire life. Breath caught in her throat, tingles on the back of her skull and neck, tears already stinging the bottoms of her eyes.

She bursts through the front door, aiming for Rin, who looks the least likely to be injured by a hug.

“Why are you not all at the hospital?!”

“I need help.”

She stops for only a moment, just a sliver of a second to collect herself, before she lifts the worst looking one into her arms: Obito. Like a baby, she holds him to her chest, looks at Minato, who sighs in relief and nods, then takes off to the hospital, all the while letting healing chakra seep from her pores directly into him.

They all recover.

It’s some of the best news she’s ever heard in her entire gods-forsaken life.

Obito and Kakashi both missing an eye, but they are opposite. They learn to cover each other, whilst Rin covers the rest. Keeps them safe and sound. Kushina helps on the upcoming missions after they’re released back to ninja duty, makes sure that whatever Minato misses, she catches.

She knows Minato is strong and capable. Doesn’t make her lose her entire sense of self whenever he comes back, looking worse than before. Now, the village elders have no choice but to allow her to participate in the war. The power was always in her hands, but now she really feels it when she looks the Third right in the eye and dares him to try to make her stay. Let’s the fire of the Kyūbi in her palms burn a little brighter just to make sure the point sticks.

Kushina Uzumaki wants to make sure she’ll never be alone, ever.

Just when they think they’ve seen the worst of the worst, something hits them harder than before. Being on the front lines is terrifying, but it’s the only place she thinks she belongs right now. Tuning out the Kyūbi from poisoning her thoughts becomes easier and easier, day by day. Mito prepared her well, made sure she could remain collected no matter what sort of vile thoughts they tried to implant in her head. Still, there were times she would look on the battlefield, see the lifeless bodies, and listen.

Listen to the sounds of heartbreak, sounds of pain, sounds of despair that she could not soothe.

Those were some of the rare moments the Kyūbi would weasel their way in.

Couldn’t save them, girl.

Kushina rubs at her crusty, tired eyes as she turns her head from the gruesome scene.

By yourself, you’re weak.

With a sigh, she reaches back to tighten her ponytail before getting to her knees.

With me, you could do more.

Gently, she turns the dog tag over from the deceased in front of her. Notes the name and rank on a pad of paper.

You’ll regret the day that boy dies because you didn’t care enough.

The pen between her fingers snaps and the growl in the back of her throat sounds too much like the Kyūbi’s.

Didn’t care enough to make sure you protected him.

“SHUT UP!”

Her fingernails elongate, her jaw becomes stiff, her skin feels like it’s lit on fire.

It happens so quickly, the throaty scream that leaves her feeling so foreign. Before it can go any further, she stabs her fingernails into her stomach, clawing at the skin around the seal. Squeezes her eyes shut, willing the mocking laugh away by pressing her forehead into the wet grass below.

The Kyūbi doesn’t escape that day, and Kushina finally thinks that maybe, now, it never will.

Kushina Uzumaki wants to make sure no one is alone in the world.

Early in her pregnancy, she decides it’ll be her last chance for a while to go back to her homeland. Look upon it with her own eyes. See her old home and what remains. Minato and team 7 join her, keep her spirits up and make sure she’s well protected. No one besides Minato knows of her pregnancy, and she  prefers to keep it that way until she absolutely cannot keep it a secret any longer.

Once Uzushiogakure came into view, Kushina steeled her gaze, made sure no one could see her break.

It wasn’t anything she wasn’t expecting. She had heard stories and seen drawings depicting what remained of the land. The broken pillars and overgrown foliage didn’t bother her so much. It had been over ten years since the news reached her ears, it was enough time for her to adjust to the reality that her village was gone. All that remained was the hope that some of her people made it out alive.

Even seeing her childhood home flattened didn’t hurt as bad as she thought it would. She stands in the middle of it and closes her eyes, thinks of her grandmother. Hugs her own middle and bows her head.

The part that hurt the most was going to the cemetery.

Her feet carry her to where she knows her parents are buried, and her heart sinks at an additional tombstone. She stops before she can get close enough to read it, but already knows what she’s going to see. Swallows down the sob that threatens to escape her and just kneels in front of it, blinking bleary eyes.

Yukina Uzumaki

“I did it, grandma…”

She feels Minato’s eyes on her back as she slides a hand over her stomach, rubbing circles into the seal there.

With a longing sigh, she begins her tale to a ghost. She wonders if he thinks she looks crazy, talking to a stone, recounting her life’s adventures. Arriving in Konoha, her bond with Mito, little boys yanking her hair and teasing her face. Receiving the Kyūbi, being kidnapped by Kumo, a bright eyed blond boy saving her. That bright-eyed blond boy being her entire world for now.

“Until…until this one gets here.”

Finally, she smiles, with watery eyes and a stuffy nose, looking down at her lap.

“After that, they’ll both be my whole world.”

Kushina Uzumaki refuses to let her child be alone in the world.

When a masked man plucks her child and the love of her life chases after him, she feels the Kyūbi push against her insides. Her own screams deafen herself and everyone around her as she clutches at her stomach.

How?

After everything she’s gone through, this couldn’t be how it ended. Her newborn baby kidnapped, her husband fighting for his life, and the Kyūbi escaping her, to leave her lifeless. Leave her child alone in the world, just like she was. For just a few seconds, she got to look at the chubby, crying face of her son. Lightning blond hair and big, blue eyes, just like the man she loved. All that flashes through her mind is that blond little boy without his parents who so desperately loved him, alone.

With every breath, she feels them getting further and further away from her. The man returns, without Minato or Naruto, and she feels like her insides are lava. The seal strains, twists and burns her skin as she cries. The chakra chains she’s spent the last decade of her life training with strap in, and she sees the masked man return. She tries to yell at him, tries to ask him what he’s done, tries to do something, but she can’t let the Kyūbi escape. He walks to her, and she glares at him, feels the Kyūbi’s power flow through her arms and legs, her fingertips and toes. Then she sees it behind the mask – the sharingan.

“No - !”

Before he can come any closer, she summons every last shred of chakra from inside of her and holds one hand over the seal and faces her other palm towards the man.

It all happens so fast, chakra flares, the building they’re in cracks under the force, everything around her is hot and dry. Adrenaline courses through her veins, the only thing she can feel is the pressure from inside. The only thing that runs through her mind is that chubby faced baby and how desperately she wants to make sure she gets to see him again. She yells for him, and for Minato before she buckles to her knees, both hands working to maintain her seal.

It feels like hours that she’s done this, but at most, it had to have only been a minute. Just as the man steps to her, reaches out to restrain her, a flash of powerful blue chakra appears next to him. It takes everything she has not to give up, to keep doing her part while Minato takes care of the man.

Blood pours from her mouth as she coughs, doubling over onto herself before she finally blacks out.

When it is that she wakes up, she’s not sure, but the first thing she does is tumble out of bed, frantically searching for Naruto.

“He’s safe, Ms. Kushina!”

“They both are.”

Her vision is blurry as she tries to look for the source of the voices.

“Rin’s with Naruto.”

Two smaller shoulders lift her up on either side, and she breathes a sigh of relief. She blinks her bleary eyes, tries to focus them, then her heart sinks at an unfortunately familiar sight. Minato in a hospital bed, again.

She whispers his name, limps to his bed, carefully pulls her body into it. Hears Obito’s voice say that he’ll go get Rin and the med nin.

When they bring him in, her eyes immediately burn with tears, the happiest tears she’s ever had the fortune of shedding. As they nestle a sleeping baby between them, she feels Minato stir next to her, a little grumble and cough. His eyes peel open and they find hers immediately and she gives him a weak smile. He blinks, slowly, looks from her to Naruto, and she sees tears pool in his eyes, too.

Kakashi crouches on his haunches against the wall while Obito and Rin carefully sit on the end of the bed, looking at them with concern.

That all of them are safe and relatively healthy in the confines of the hospital, Kushina can’t justify anything other than unabashed relief.

With one arm under Naruto and the other over Minato’s chest, she gently nestles into them.

Kushina Uzumaki is not alone in the world.

The day it’s announced that the Third is stepping down, everyone looks to Kushina.

“My official recommendation…is Minato Namikaze.”

Hushed whispers fall over the room and she feels Minato freeze next to her. Kushina holds her gaze forward, lips thinned to a harsh line.

Immediately, debate breaks out within the space. After a moment, Minato clears his throat and voices his rejection of the nomination.

“He doesn’t want it?”

“Bullshit, he’s always talked about it.”

“Can he even reject the nomination anyway?”

Kushina grits her teeth, shifting her eyes slightly. It’s not like this wasn’t what she had always expected, anyway. It was always going to be Minato. She knew it back then, she knows it now. There was no way they’d ever let a woman hold the position, let alone the jinchūriki of the village. Even if she never asked to be, she was.

“If I’m appointed Hokage, I’ll immediately step down and nominate Kushina Uzumaki.”

Silence coats the room for a moment, and Kushina just sighs. She’s tired of people looking down on her after everything she’s gone through. Maybe it would just be easier…

“I’m in favor of Kushina Uzumaki as well, Lord Third.”

They both stop to look at the stony face of Fugaku Uchiha, who doesn’t look back at them.

Then another voices their agreement, Hiashi Hyūga. Then another, and another.

“She fought on the front lines in the war, saved my son.”

“Also protected the village from the Kyūbi.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such powerful chakra.”

Soon, what starts as murmured agreement turns into full blown encouragement. Her hands fall to her sides as she scans the room, feeling a rush of excitement hit her heart. His hand slides into hers and squeezes.

Kushina Uzumaki will never be alone in the world.

For the first time, she truly believes it.

It’s a quiet Tuesday when she climbs the spiraling steps of the Hokage tower, like she did so many years ago with Mito. Takes her time, plants her foot firmly on each one, like showing her intention as she ascends. Recalls all of the conversations, big and small, she had on these steps. With Mito. With Mikoto. With Minato. Dreams of becoming Hokage, protecting the ones she loves, and loving them and being loved.

A slow push of double doors reveals a clear day to greet her. The village is sleepy with peace. Foliage blooms, little birds and critters chirp, and the sun is warm on her face. The same spot she had looked at for so many years now adorns her face. It looks ridiculous, but she thinks that’s part of the deal. Can’t look too nice on the side of a mountain, she supposes. The face looks serious and stern like the others, but it’s her face.

On top of it, like a cute little bow, sits her son and his friends. The only noise in the village is his loud laughter. It’s the only noise in the world she’ll never get tired of. A sight she never gets tired of is her husband appearing behind him and scaring the daylight out of him.

Carefully, she runs her fingertips over the cord of her Hokage robes, twisting it between them.

Kushina Uzumaki has the love and support of an entire village.

Never will she feel alone again.

[firebatvillain]

20 questions for fic writers!

As seen on @givereadersahug (x)!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I currently have 59 works on AO3, though some of those are unrevealed or anonymous, so the visible work count is a bit lower.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

105k! Wow. Over half of that has been in the last two years, when I've been doing a lot more writing and taking part in exchanges.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Naruto (7) Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling (7) Original Work (7) Warhammer 40.000 (3) Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms (2) Stellaris (Video Game) (2) From there we get into a lot of one-offs that I wrote for exchanges. House MD, Gundam Wing, Good Omens, The Order of the Stick, and many others. Most of the Original Work fics are for particular exchange prompts, some of which are quite fun.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Greatest Weasley [Harry Potter, Ron-Centric, incomplete] - this WIP is my white whale! Ron gets sorted into Slytherin. Only a couple chapters, I should return to it sometime...

Harry Potter and the Independent Path [Harry Potter, parody, one-shot] - This very short parody fic is fun and I'm glad people like it. I actually look back fondly on this genre even if I poke fun at it.

Five Times Sakura Heard the Voice, and One Time It Faded [Naruto, Sakura-centric, one-shot, 2.9k] - This was an fest fic for Fest No Jutsu 2022! I really enjoyed writing this one.

If You Won’t Wait for Me, I’ll Find My Own Path [Naruto, Sakura-centric, drabble] - Wrote this one based on the fandom opinions of my friend @xenosimp. Surprised at its popularity.

Liana and the Labyrinth’s Core [Original Work, Explicit, Het, 2.3k] - I wrote this very explicit fic for an exchange, and had a lot of fun with it! Minotaur/Sacrifice, make sure to read the tags/warnings.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

For exchange fics, almost always. Otherwise, I do sometimes. It's fun to chat with other fandom people and let them know I appreciate their comments, or answer their questions.

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

I don't usually write angsty endings, but The Rules of Reintegration [OW drabble, prompt: military android masquerading as a human] is angsty.

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

I'd say Four Times Toph Beifong Triumphed [ATLA, Toph-centric, 2.5k words] would be it. It's generally fun! 

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not often, though I got one very baffling comment on a fic where someone questioned the realism of it. I'm not in the big fandoms where there's lots of drama though.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, often for exchanges. It typically tends to be straightforward steamy sex. I've got some more kinky stuff posted to anon that I won't share here, heh.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I've written one, but it's not usually my style for writing, since it's a challenge for me. I love reading them though!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No, and I hope it never happens. I don't think anything I've written is popular enough for that 😅

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

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

My fandom friend and I co-wrote Mist and Shadow, a WH40k AU fic about Eldar escaping the fall of the Eldar empire. After about 12k words, we set it down, but we may return someday.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

This is a tough one! All-time, I'm not sure. But at the moment, I'm basically chewing on Durge/Enver Gortash (BG3) and having a great time with it.

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

Oof, this is a tough one! There's a very old Naruto fic that I don't think I'll ever get back to... Lost Root. I can't really recommend it in its current state, but it was one of my first plot bunnies.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm pretty decent at paragraph-to-paragraph rhythm, and I am unafraid to try new things.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Sometimes I repeat certain phrases without realizing it, and pacing scenes can be difficult for me. I also have a tendency to write excessively long sentences. Trying to improve on that last one!

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

Seems like a hard sell for both writer and reader.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

StarCraft pro gamer RPF. No, you won't find the fic on my AO3 profile.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

I'm still in love with Roonil Wazlib and the Goblet of Fire, a 2.8k word Harry Potter crackfic I wrote for Bad Bang V. Is it bad? Yes, oh yes. And it's fun, and so are the comments.

Tagging (no pressure): @xenosimp @vanyalanthirielofmana @chacusha @vampiremonday @uozlulu @miss-ingno @verecunda

[jcmarchi]

Everything Announced During The 2024 Summer Devolver Direct Presentation

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/everything-announced-during-the-2024-summer-devolver-direct-presentation/

Everything Announced During The 2024 Summer Devolver Direct Presentation

This year’s not-E3 weekend video game events have begun, starting with Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest showcase earlier today. Shortly after that, though, perhaps the zaniest publisher, Devolver Digital, took to the digital airwaves to showcase six of its games in the 2024 Summer Devolver Direct presentation. 

If you weren’t able to catch it, or if you missed the name of the game you’re excited to check out (or even its release date maybe), we’ve got you covered. 

Here’s Everything Announced During Today’s 2024 Summer Devolver Direct Presentation

Possessor(s)

Possessor(s) is a new game from Heart Machine, the team behind Hyper Light Drifter and Solar Ash, and it’s coming to undisclosed consoles and PC next year. It features action combat inspired by platform fighters like Super Smash Bros. and is set in a quarantined city destroyed by interdimensional catastrophe. 

In the game, you control Luca, the host, and Rehm, her less-than-cooperative counterpart as the two venture through a sprawling metropolis filled with ruined skyscrapers to explore and secrets about what happened to uncover. Devolver says the story features multiple paths in an “open-ended world structure” and upgrades to discover that allows Luca and Rehm to explore previously inaccessible areas, possibly hinting at a Metroidvania-inspired city layout. 

Tenjutsu

Tenjutsu is a jujutsu-inspired action roguelite from Sébastien Benard, lead designer of Dead Cells and solo developer at Deepnight Games, and it’s coming to consoles and PC sometime in the future. If you’re familiar with Benard’s work, you might recognize Tenjutsu (48h version), which he released back in 2022 – Tenjutsu is a fully fleshed-out version of that 2022 concept. 

Devolver describes the game as a “fast and fluid rogue-jutsu,” leaning into the game’s jujutsu roguelite action. In it, you control a renegade yakuza “hellbent on defying her former associates and loosening their grip on the Secret Garden City.” To do so, you must fight four powerful crime syndicates. To defeat them “you must master a brutal brawling system and build a diverse arsenal of weapons, upgrades, and martial arts techniques, breaking their hold on the streets in a flurry of violence.” 

While you have to take down all four crime syndicates, you can do so in any order. As you do, you unlock new weapons, combat moves, and additional areas to explore. However, the longer you spend doing this, the stronger your enemies become. 

Cult Of The Lamb: Unholy Alliance

Developer Massive Monster still isn’t done with its 2022 hit game, Cult of the Lamb, as it’s bringing full campaign co-op to it this August. The Unholy Alliance update hits the game on August 12 and adds a new playable character: the Goat.

With the Goat joining the titular Lamb, players can now experience the entire campaign in local co-op. Devolver says this update includes two-player twists on existing minigames in Cult of the Lamb, like fishing and kuncklebones, as well as additional corrupted weapons, tarot cards, curses, and relics. While playing in co-op, players can swap weapons, deal extra damage when fighting back-to-back, and deal critical hits if their attacks are in sync. Plus, solo players get some new powers and abilities to play with, too. 

Elsewhere in the update, Unholy Alliance adds new buildings, fleeces, follower traits, follower quests, and more secrets to discover. 

The Talos Principle II: Road To Elysium

One of our favorite games of 2023 – The Talos Principle II – is getting a three-part “coda” expansion next week, on June 14, called Road To Elysium. Devolver says it will reunite players with beloved characters and put your puzzle-solving skills to the test through a series of thought-provoking new stories. 

Road To Elysium follows the event of The Talos Principle II and continues the evolution of the robot world while providing you with a new perspective on some of the base game’s key moments. This expansion consists of three chapters, each with a distinctive look and feel:

Orpheus Ascending: Set in Ancient Egypt, in this chapter, you will explore the philosophy of love, death, and resurrection through the story of Hypatia and Sarabhai. 

Isle of the Blessed: This chapter allows players to hang out with Yaqut and Miranda as they join Cornelius and Athena on a “puzzle-driven adventure set on a stunning Caribbean island.” 

Into the Abyss: Devolvers says in this chapter, players will “return to one of the most dramatic moments from The Talos Principle II” to find out what happened to Byron when he was trapped in the Megastructure. 

The Talos Principle II’s Road to Elysium expansion launches June 14 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It will cost $19.99. 

Anger Foot

After delaying Anger Foot last year to 2024, Devolver Digital has given the first-person kicker (and shooter) a PC release date: July 11. 

If you’re not familiar with Anger Foot, it takes place in the caffeine-fueled S**t City, and tasks players with putting the boot, literally, to a menacing menagerie of merciless gangsters.

“Unleash the world’s deadliest feet on a colorful cast of anthropomorphic enemies, clearing out slums, sewers, and skyscrapers as you grab new weapons, unlock new sneakers, and upgrade your powers in absurd and wonderful ways,” a press release reads. 

The Crush House

Devolver announced today that its reality TV-inspired “thirst-person shooter,” The Crush House, launches on PC on August 9. However, the publisher revealed a new demo for the game is available to download and play right now. 

In The Crush House, you play as Jae, a new producer for The Crush House. As Jae, you’ll take your camera into the show’s Malibu, California, mansion to keep viewers glued to their screens by filming as much drama, romance, and tension as you can find. However, if you fail to keep the audience entertained, your show will get canceled. 

And that’s everything announced during today’s 2024 Devolver Digital presentation. 

Let us know what your favorite reveals were in the comments below!

[waffledogwrites]

I just HAVE TO share a link to a gift fic I got from the Fest no Jutsu 2023 fandom event. I meant to write something but my motivation and writing ability disappeared completely.

Summary:

“Sometimes, I think everyone blames me.” It feels like nails scraping against sandpaper, but at the same time, the knot in his chest unravels a little. “For Kushina. For…” Mikoto clasps his hand and squeezes it, warmth seeping into his skin. She looks sad. Her lips droop down and her eyes are faintly shiny. But he’s done it, he’s said it and there’s no take backs now. “Minato.” She says firmly. “The only person who blames you is yourself.” Life moves on. Minato struggles to come to terms with it, but there's always light at the end of the tunnel.

Based on the prompt "Minato lives but Kushina dies AU"

[powerful-niya]

2023 Reflection 𐙚🧸‹𝟹

🧸🥞🪐🩹🧋

— "Everything has changed and yet, I am more me than I've ever been."

-Ian Thomas

2023.

Upon reflecting on 2023, I would describe it as a year filled with challenges—a beautiful challenge, teeming with opportunities for growth, exploration, and surpassing my own expectations.

"Trust the Process" served as my guiding mantra throughout the year, urging me to persevere through the initial struggles of ideas, projects, and experiences, pushing forward with resilience….

until the very end.

Yes, 2023 was challenging.

Busy.

Stressful.

But it was also inspiring.

Uplifting.

Joyous.

✨Looking back, I'm genuinely amazed by all the multitude of accomplishments I've achieved in the year of 2023.✨

I've…

🧸 Successfully graduated from Community College

🧸 Embarked on a journey at a University

🧸 Enhanced my driving skills

🧸 Secured a job

🧸 Joined a college club

🧸 Formed connections with new people

🧸 Delved into learning Japanese

🧸 Embraced baking as a new hobby

🧸 Explored new foods

🧸Made tons of moodboards

🧸 Got a lot more active on Tumblr, Discord, AO3, Wattpad

🧸 Entered Two Writing Events: Fest No Jutsu 2023 & NaruHina Month 2023

🧸 Took part in a personal Q&A session for Nhmonth23.

🧸Received FanMail: Nhmonth23

🧸 Wrote… a lot.

🧸🥞🪐🩹🧋

This year, my approach to writing took a significant turn. I've actively pushed myself to step outside my comfort zone, delving into writing alternative universes (AUs) that I've never attempted before—exploring uncharted territories I never thought I would. It's been a transformative journey, challenging my creativity in new and crazy ways.

𐙚🧸‹𝟹 - This Year I have written 467,449 words: give or take. (Naruhina)

(Also) In all I have made 55 moodboards (Naruhina)

🧸🥞🪐🩹🧋

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨2023 mч wrítíng єndєαvσrs ୧⋆˚｡⋆

⋆˚｡⋆thє undєrlчíng єvíl

NaruHina

✨nαruhínα mσnth 2022✨

Prompt: Fairytale, Gifted & Cursed + Enemies to Lovers

Wattpad | AO3 | FF.Net.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨Published in May 2023 ୧⋆˚｡⋆

⋆˚｡⋆αuє rєvσír

NaruHina

✨nαruhínα mσnth 2022✨

Prompt: Angel & Demon + Lost & Found + To'oborni

Wattpad | AO3 | FF.Net.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨Published in July 2023 ୧⋆˚｡⋆

⋆˚｡⋆kíss mє, thríll mє - nαruhínα smut cσllєctíσn

NaruHina

Wattpad | AO3

⋆˚｡⋆Eighteen One-Shots Completed: May - Dec. (2023) ⋆˚｡⋆

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨Initally published in May 2023 ୧⋆˚｡⋆

⋆˚｡⋆thє tєll-tαlє hєαrt

NaruHina

✨Fest No Jutsu 2023✨

Wattpad | AO3 | FF.net.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨Published in October 2023 ୧⋆˚｡⋆

⋆˚｡⋆nαruhínα mσnth 2023

NaruHina

A part of the 'Kiss Me Thrill Me Smut Collection'

⋆˚｡⋆Five One-shots Completed: Dec 1 - Dec. 31 (2023).

Tumblr | Wattpad | AO3

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨Published in December 2023 ୧⋆˚｡⋆

⋆˚⋆୨Conclusion୧⋆˚｡⋆

In the grand scheme of things, 2023 has been an exhilarating and wonderfully chaotic journey that I'm sure I'll fondly remember. ✨

Far from being a tough year, it turned out to be quite remarkable for me. I achieved a bunch of things I never imagined, ventured into uncharted territories, wrote Ooeshots/fanfics I never thought would come to my head, and created a plethora of mood boards—a hobby I find truly enjoyable.

The only reason why I began to do this whole 'reflection post thingy.' is because I was inspired by many others here on Tumblr who were taking their time to reflect on the passing year and their accomplishments.

I decided to give it a try, and now, I think I will make this a personal tradition.

Each year, I'll document my successes, reminisce about what I've done and achieved, and immortalize it all in writing for my own reflection.

🧸🥞🪐🩹🧋

2023 was truly amazing, but I have a feeling 2024 might just top it.(this is me wishful thinking, haha).

I'm truly looking forward to all that lies ahead!

#Goodbye 2023

✨Happy New Years! ✨

- Powerful_Niya

[linuxgamenews]

Beyond Sunset lets you try the game and master sword skills

Beyond Sunset first-person shooter game with RPG elements has a new Demo for Linux and Windows PC. This thrilling experience wouldn't be possible without the tireless creativity of the developer Metacorp. Which gives you a chance to play on Steam. Imagine you're in this action-packed sci-fi world of Beyond Sunset. Which is like stepping into one of those futuristic action movies. You are the character Lucy, but here's the catch – you don't remember anything from your past. So what's coming up doesn't look too pleasant. But hey, it's all about the thrill in this Demo. You can try out Beyond Sunset now on Linux during Steam Next Fest. Which is the virtual carnival of all new and exciting games, some that are coming with native support. Thanks to publisher Movie Games for delivering this first-person shooter. In this world, you get to do some exciting things like mastering some crazy sword skills. Learning a martial art that involves guns, Gun Jutsu. Plus, you'll also get to chat with some pretty unique characters in Beyond Sunset. Beyond Sunset takes place in a grim future where everyone's dealing with a fatal virus, political greed, and mean people. It kind of mashes up the full-on action from Doom Eternal (if you don't know, it's a really intense shooter). While including the deep story from Deus Ex (which is a series of role-playing title in the future). The also story comes together as you explore the world, chat with different characters, and make choices that matter.

Beyond Sunset | Steam Next Fest

The best thing about Beyond Sunset is that you can change it any way you want. It runs on the GZDoom engine, which is a platform used to create 3D setting. The creators have also added some unique features like smarter AI. Along with a better system for characters to chat with each other. Your journey in this world begins when you wake up from a really deep sleep, almost like hibernation. You've lost all your memories but you soon discover that you have some amazing powers. Such as super fast reflexes, exceptional fighting skills, and almost magical agility. Your powers stand out quickly. A mysterious woman Yuri gives you a mission. She promises to help you regain your lost memories if you use your powers to become a sort of vigilante, a street samurai. Doing so in the city of Sunset, which is overrun with crime and disease. Beyond Sunset first-person shooter is going to be available to the public soon. It's being made by the folks at Metacorp / Vaporware and published by Movie Games. It's like the ultimate mashup of action, mystery, and a deep story. Due to make its way onto Linux, Mac, and Windows PC. Which you can not only play the Demo, but Wishlist on Steam.