#he knows her well enough to talk up her talents to Tsunade

[depressedhatakekakashi]

'Kakashi doesn't know his students': Bad. go read the manga or watch the anime again

'Kakashi is inherently flawed when it comes to his precious people and refuses to see their shortfalls/negative traits': Good. you understand this wreck of a man

[electrasev5nwrites]

Ninja Daily: Vapors 59

"Kagekage-sama, there's been another attack!"

Gaara stood abruptly, indicating that his meeting with the Jounin commander was over. "What has happened?"

The brunette Chuunin in front of him looked downright terrified to be in his presence. "It- it's Kankuro-san." She ducked her head to avoid eye contact. "He was found outside of the diplomatic suites and taken to the hospital. He's not entirely coherent, but-"

With a whoosh, Gaara was striding down the hall. "What about the girl he was with," he demanded briskly.

"Ah, girl? There was no one else," she said uncertainly. Baki scowled at her, and she cringed away, hugging closer to the wall while she trotted behind her kage.

"I see." Gaara's face may as well have been carved from stone. "You there," he ordered to his guards. "Go to the third floor of the diplomatic suites and investigate. Don't disturb anything you find, but I want a full write-up." Then he turned back to the Chuunin. "Take me to my brother."

Shizune outright cursed when the door to the operation room was flung open with a bang, wiping a bit of sweat from her forehead with a wrist. "This is a delicate procedure," she protested, swiveling to see exactly who had disturbed her work.

She didn't appear intimidated in the slightest by the sight of the Kazekage himself.

"Get out of my operation room, now," she snapped, turning back to the wan form being held down by two nurses. "This is a nasty poison, and-"

"Wait," Kankuro gasped, eyes flickering open. "S'at you, Gaara?"

"I'm here," his younger brother replied softly. "What happened?"

Fevered as he was, it was hard to tell if the violent way the puppet user shook his head was purposeful or reflexive. "P-puppet master," he forced out, teeth chattering. "Tricked me with a dead nurse. Took Aiko. Wanted you to come after her."

The bowl Shizune was holding dropped in shock, shattering on the tiled floor. Her face was pale.

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly.

Kankuro nodded his head with visible effort, fighting shudders. "Didn't hurt her," he added, sounding strangely grumpy. "She was high enough that she saw a nurse and went along willingly."

The medic nin who had prescribed the drugs Aiko had been on looked nauseous.

"I'll take care of it," Gaara promised seriously. He laid a hand on Kankuro's shoulder. "Thank you, brother." Then he directed his gaze to Shizune. "Will he recover?"

"Er- yes," she forced out, swallowing hard. "Provided I get this poison extracted as soon as possible. I'm not as talented with this jutsu as Tsunade-sama is, so I really need to get to work."

"Of course," Gaara demurred, giving a long glance at his brother's pained expression.

"It hasn't had time to spread, so it shouldn't take me long," she soothed. "Just wait outside, okay?"

Nurses hurried by, giving awed and frightened glances at the section of hallway that their Kazekage and the Jounin commander were leaned up against, along with one frightened-looking Chuunin messenger.

Baki gave a heavy sigh that rustled the cloth hanging over half his face. "I don't like waiting like this," he rumbled softly. "We have to make an attempt to get that girl back. Our treaty agreement with Konoha-"

"I know that, and I will not leave her," Gaara interrupted quietly. "The doctor assured us that this operation will not take long. We should gather all the information possible before setting out on such a venture."

He gave the younger man a long, evaluative look. Then Baki snorted. "You've gone soft," he accused fondly. "You can just admit that you want to be sure your brother is alright."

In lieu of answer, Gaara turned his face away to signal the conversation was over. They waited in silence for another ten minutes before the door creaked open.

"You can come in now," the Konoha medic-nin called quietly, eyes tired and shoulders slumping. Her two assistants hurried out, but she lingered when Gaara strode into the room to examine his brother. "I wouldn't talk to him for long," she cautioned. "He'll need to get to sleep soon to fight off any lingering effects."

Considering the state he had been in only half an hour before, Kankuro looked surprisingly good. His hair was still plastered to his face with sweat and already smeared facial paint was a grey mess, but his vitals had improved and his eyes were more alert.

"I'm glad to see you so improved."

Kankuro rolled his eyes fondly and scrunched up his nose. "That's because you didn't see what they did. I think that hurt worse than the poison."

"Well, don't get poisoned again," Gaara pointed out sensibly. His brother made a mock surprised face, as if the idea had never occurred to him.

"What happened to Aiko? Have you figured out who took her?"

Baki and Gaara exchanged a look. "We were hoping you could help us with that," the older man explained with a visible frown. While they talked, Shizune was washing her hands vigorously at the small sink and occasionally glancing over warily.

The bedridden teen groaned. "No clue, sorry," he admitted honestly. "It was definitely a puppet user." Then he shuddered. "A creepy one. One who used a corpse. Do you remember that pretty nurse who we got to help us get Aiko settled in?"

Gaara winced.

"Yeah, that about sums it up," Kankuro agreed glumly. "Whoever it was, he was hidden well. Maybe it was a genjutsu, or maybe he was never in the room. I was stupid," he admitted. "I saw a familiar face and I let my guard down. He hit me once and had the girl jab me with a needle, and I was down for the count. Corpse-nurse slung Aiko over her shoulder, said something dramatic in a man's voice about you coming to rescue her personally, and trotted out the door."

Though her back was turned away from the group, Shizune's flinch was visible.

If he'd had eyebrows, they would have been drawn inwards. "She didn't resist?" Gaara's tone was a little incredulous. Aiko just didn't seem like the type to take that lying down.

"That's my fault," Shizune said miserably, turning to face the group. "After I did the major surgery, I knew we wouldn't be able to get to the follow-up appointment before she woke up. Not with how many injuries we had coming in. So I gave her a massive prescription of painkillers so at least she wasn't going to feel anything. If she's even awake, Aiko won't be in any state to do so much as make a bunshin."

"You couldn't have known," Kankuro muttered a little bitterly. "I fucked up just as much, probably more."

"As productive as this line of discussion is," Baki interrupted dryly, "Perhaps we should determine our next course of action. It seems that we don't have much choice. We have to send a team after the girl."

"He demanded me personally," Gaara pointed out mildly. "He may well kill her immediately if he sees anyone else."

"We can't send the Kazekage," Baki argued. "What will the people think?"

"Yes," a high voice agreed, "What will they think?"

Kankuro sunk down into his bedcovers, clearly not delighted about having the two honored siblings in his sickroom. Elder Chiyo didn't seem to care one whit for his comfort, clacking in and giving Shizune a nasty scowl. Her brother meekly followed at her heels.

"Why don't we just cut out the middleman and tie you up before we toss you over the wall," she snarked unpleasantly. "After all, we have such an excellent track record with losing Kazekage when they wander off to confront mysterious persons. Why not go for three in a row?"

The two Jounin Gaara had sent to investigate the room where the fight had happened appeared in a shunshin flicker, kneeling at his side. The room was getting rather crowded.

"The people will think," Gaara enunciated seriously, "That it is my responsibility as Kazekage to ensure the safety of my people and our alliances. They will know that Uzumaki Aiko is largely responsible for curtailing the destruction when we were invaded. Suna does not leave her allies to die alone."

Her lip curled, but Chiyo didn't have a reply for that. It was hard to make one that didn't claim Suna had no reason to fulfill the terms of treaties they made. That was obviously an unwise argument to make with foreign nin in the room. "Fine then, pup," she said finally, turning to leave. "Don't die so soon."

The two Jounin who had come to report exchanged looks. One managed to protest, "Surely you would have won without Konoha's assistance, Kazekage-sama," before ducking his head when Gaara looked directly at him. Firsthand reports had been vague, since very few nin had been close at that point. Most of them had been participating in the evacuation of the civilians and young trainees, or in hiding themselves under orders. Very few could hope to interfere in a fight with a shinobi who could tax the abilities of their Kage. But none of those vague reports had given too much credit to the girl. Some claimed that Gaara had finished the intruder with a sand coffin, other claimed it had been the Jounin commander who had beheaded the scum. The general consensus was that the girl had merely come up with a plan to get the intruder within reach of their Kazekage.

"No," Gaara said quietly. "I do not believe that I would have."

And that was that. If the Kazekage claimed this girl had saved Suna, they couldn't leave her without losing honor. Especially not when she had been taken from under their noses.

Without another word, Gaara set off for the village gates. With the exception of Kankuro and the Elders, the rest of the assembled shinobi trailed after him like ducklings. "Baki, can I leave the village in your hands for now?"

"Of course," his old teacher nodded.

"Thank you."

"There's a group incoming!" shouted one of the gate guards, hand over her eye. That wasn't strictly procedure, but to be fair everyone was a bit on edge.

With the way the last few days had been going, the assembled shinobi jumped to the conclusion that this was another assault. They tensed in the long seconds before the first face became visible- and then relaxed as one.

"That's Temari," Baki breathed with a faint smile. "Bout time, girl."

"Naruto," Gaara said unnecessarily. For once, he didn't seem pleased to see his friend. Actually… he looked a bit tense and ashamed while the group came to stop. Nonetheless, he gamely strode out to meet them, maroon fabric fluttering behind him in the wind. Naruto's attention instantly latched onto him.

"Gaara!" He practically threw himself at his fellow jinchuuriki. "We brought back Temari! Why do you have Aiko?"

"Strictly speaking, we don't," Shizune muttered glumly.

It hadn't been intended to draw attention, but nonetheless she had it. The entire group of newcomers seemed focused on her.

"What are you talking about," Naruto's old teacher demanded. Shizune looked a bit discomfited at being the sudden center of attention, so Gaara stepped forward with a hand raised.

"This is my fault," he admitted quietly. "She's been taken out of the village by the partner of the man who she helped me kill two days ago."

Oddly, that statement didn't seem to clear things up.

"What the hell are you talking about," the Uchiha who Temari seemed to find so interesting demanded crossly.

He realized for the first time that his hawk-carried messages to Konoha must have reached them after this group had departed. Well. That didn't make things any easier. "She appeared to help," he began delicately, (ignoring the way that the Uchiha muttered to Naruto 'appeared, there's that euphemism again, does everyone think we're stupid?'), "shortly after Suna was assaulted by Akatsuki. With her assistance, we managed to kill one of them after he had done quite a bit of damage. His partner ran away, and we thought he had left entirely. It appears that we were wrong. He must have hidden within Suna and managed to find where Aiko was convalescing."

At that point, Naruto interrupted in a suspiciously high tone, "Convalescing? Why was Aiko convalescing? Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine," Shizune assured quietly, rubbing at his back. "She's heavily sedated, but the reconstruction went as well as could be imagined."

That was where Kakashi and Sasuke seemed to blanch, though Naruto took the comfort for what it was and focused on something else. "Akatsuki, huh," he said quietly. "So… this was about you, then. They came to take you, and they're using Aiko as bait."

Gaara inclined his head. "An accurate assessment," he agreed quietly. "I was told to come alone. I am about to depart now. Please, wait for me here."

"Are you kidding?" Naruto demanded, aghast. "Why would you do what he says? You must be nuts if you think I'm not coming with you. That's my sister we're talking about. You wouldn't leave Temari behind, so don't tell me not to come with you for Aiko."

"This is my responsibility as Kazekage," he argued just as fervently. "She was under my protection, and-"

"She's a Konoha nin," Sasuke pointed out sharply. "You can't stop us from going after her. Give it up already. You're stuck with us. She's our responsibility too."

Baki rolled his eyes, clearly tired of all the drama. No one else seemed to share his sentiments.

'Perhaps it would be worth the risk of killing her to have some peace of mind,' Sasori thought rather uncharitably. The girl slung over the back of his most recent corpse puppet just wouldn't shut up for long. Where are we going, can I see Shizune, I feel sick can we slow down, blah, blah, blah.

He had been lucky in that she was so drugged that she honestly thought anything strange she perceived was the result of her state of mind and not an indication that she should be concerned. It had kept her mostly quiet while they passed through Suna and went directly over their pathetic walls.

Unfortunately, the drugs that had been pumped into his current companion by some kind soul who had cared more for pain relief than cognitive function also made it very dangerous for him to use one of his own sedatives on her to shut her up and put her out. He would end up killing her eventually in any case, but she was much more useful to him today alive than dead. He could always control the Kazekage's actions by threatening to kill his captive, but Sasori could hardly un-kill her if he turned out to need her alive later. His plan included having her as a mitigating factor and a shield of sorts between him and that damnable sand. That awful stuff got everywhere in his poor puppet joints. It was part of why he'd never come back to this hellhole.

Aiko sniffed unhappily. Nurse-chan hadn't readjusted her at all since flinging her over a shoulder what must have been at least an hour or two ago, and said shoulder was digging painfully into her gut, which seemed to make breathing even harder. Not even chakra healing could totally mitigate whatever had happened to her side in that fight against Deidara with just a single session. Her hip was stiff, and the skin felt stretched and painful around the joint and a little ways down her leg.

Even for a drug-induced hallucination, this was strange. It had gotten awfully dull, too. What kind of drug trip was dreaming about looking at sand pass under her forever? Her neck was starting to hurt from hanging down. This couldn't be proper medical procedure.

"I must be a really boring person," she mused. Nurse-chan made no response, mechanically running over dunes towards a destination she apparently didn't feel like sharing.

Something about the situation was really tugging for her attention, but it was hard to focus through the fog in her mind competing with the pain in her heavy limbs.

She frowned. That was it. Something about that last bit was important.

'Pain,' she realized. 'If I hurt, doesn't that mean the drugs are wearing off?'

Uncertainly, she raised her head from the sand passing underneath nurse-chan's feet and bent backwards a little bit to stare at the quickly receding skyline of Suna and the shimmering heat wave that had been following nurse-chan for quite a while.

She'd figured that part had to be a hallucination. She didn't smell a person there at all… though Nurse-chan was starting to get decidedly rank.

A chill fluttered up her spine.

'I think I know what that smell is,' she realized dully. 'That's meat starting to spoil.' Aiko swallowed a bit of bile, no small feat when hanging upside down and in constant jerky motion.

"Finally coming to, are you?"

That voice was definitely not coming from her friend the nurse. It never had been. That meant she was pressed up to a corpse. A quickly decaying corpse. A feeling like spiders crawled all over her skin, and she struggled frenetically to be released. Obligingly, nurse-chan stopped and heaved her onto the sand. She yelped at the impact. It was relatively soft to the touch, but it was burning hot and it hurt the uncovered flesh on her legs and arms. With a quiet whumph, the woman who had been carrying her collapsed like a puppet with cut strings… probably because that was exactly what she was.

"I had been growing weary of dragging that carcass around, but it seemed to soothe your idiotic whining. No need for that any longer. There is no one here to hear you."

The shimmer she now recognized as a sign of a genjutsu being impacted by glittering bits of sand in the sun disappeared. What it left was decidedly less ethereal. In fact, it was pretty damn sturdy looking. She'd never seen anything like it, but Aiko knew what it was.

'Sasori,' she realized, feeling sick. The thought that immediately followed was, 'Oh fuck, I've been kidnapped. I'm that girl. I'm 'Rescue me Daphne.'' She pictured it- and blanched, realizing that with her current outfit- "I even have red hair and a purple dress," she wailed. Goddamnit!

The bulky puppet seemed to stare. "You are impressively deranged," Sasori said after a long silence. "Luckily, your obvious deficiencies will seem much less apparent when you are under my power. You should be grateful."

Aiko blinked warily. He seemed to be waiting for her to ask. "Uh, why should I be grateful?" she asked awkwardly. 'Play along with the crazy person for now.'

The situation didn't look to be in her favor for an outright battle, after all. She was severely weakened from a major healing and over a day and a half of bedrest and no food (judging by the skyline), still not in her right mind after being drugged, and completely unarmed. Her best option was probably to play along and see what happened. After all, she was relatively certain that someone would be coming for her.

Even if she hadn't had faith that Tsunade had the sense to know something was wrong when she never returned, now that she could feel her chakra again Aiko could sense the distant siren song of her Hiraishin seals. They were scarily faint, though. She couldn't be more than two hours or so away from Gaara, but his tag felt as distant as it had when she'd been in Konoha. Using it would be incredibly difficult. Of course… it was also very close to her other two tags. Her team had come for her. With them so close and her chakra so hard to access, it may just be most intelligent to wait for them to show up and not risk a dangerous Hiraishin.

Best not to tell the lunatic that, though.

"You will receive the honor of becoming one of my tools when the Kazekage comes to fight, of course," said nutjob replied blandly.

Aiko blanched. That was fucking creepy.

"You mean… like her?" She sort of flinched/ gestured in the direction of the medic nin corpse, doing her best to prop herself up on the sand so she felt less like a broken doll splayed on the ground.

'Okay, now would be a great time for someone to show up to rescue poor limp-legged Daphne. I didn't realize they were this slow.' She paused, and internally corrected, 'Poor beautiful, limp-legged Daphne who can't be blamed for this at all.'

Sasori scoffed, curling a wooden tail through searing hot sand in agitation. "Hardly. No, that corpse had not been prepared so that I could use it for anything but basic movement. If you aren't too damaged in the fight, I will use a special technique I have developed to ensure I can make use of your chakra enhanced abilities. If you killed Deidara, you may not be completely worthless. The Kazekage will be a better trophy, but I can always add to my collection as a thank you for ridding me of that incompetent fool."

She recoiled, strangely indignant about being an afterthought to Gaara. "I'm not a consolation prize," she protested crossly, managing a more dignified position that was at least sitting up with her knees splayed. "I would be a fucking awesome puppet!"

Then she thought about what she was arguing.

'Maybe that's not the best position to take. In fact, fuck waiting for the boys to get here and save me. This guy is dangerously crazy.'

"Anyway, I have a better idea. How about we don't do that?" she asked awkwardly. Aiko hated backtracking rhetorically, but the last argument just hadn't been a winner.

Sasori just gave her a look like she was an idiot.

She waved her hands and gave him an apologetic smile. "Not that it isn't every girl's dream to become a puppet slave, but this is all just happening so fast. I'm going to have to back out."

Instead of verbally replying, he moved to backhand her with his wooden tail. Reflexively, she deflected it with a chakra chain that sliced a chunk right out of his puppet. If puppets could have shell-shocked expressions, Sasori might just have right then.

'Hey, my chakra is working regularly,' she noted with some cheer. That brought a good thought. "Bye bitch, I'm out," she chirped (already picturing how hilarious his expression would be when she disappeared), waving at him before yanking furiously on the loudest signal.

Sasori of the Red Sand took a moment to close his eyes, count to three to soothe his already-strained nerves, and then opened them again. The girl was still gone. "Like a mirage," he mused. "Perhaps she regained control of her chakra much sooner than I realized and employed a genjutsu."

The theory almost worked. But a genjutsu wouldn't explain how she could have utilized a solid manifestation of chakra to slice his tail. No, she had to have been physically present at the time of that attack. Perhaps she had utilized an especially efficient shunshin? If she had managed to clear the last dunes, it would explain why she was out of sight. The brat was from Konoha- she couldn't possibly know the desert well enough to set off in any direction other than the one they had come from. She would die in the desert if she tried.

Of course, she was going to die in the desert regardless. He didn't appreciate irritations like her.

"I'm coming for you, little girl," Sasori uttered lowly, heading back in the direction he had just come from.

How vexing. She was wasting his time. But it was no matter. She couldn't have gotten far. If he turned around, he should be able to retrieve her and still get back to his chosen confrontation ground before the Kazekage managed to escape the bureaucracy back in Suna and set out to find him. Not being a tracker of any kind, it should take the brat plenty of time to track him down. Sasori had already set the trap. Using his captive as a human shield hadn't been his only contingency plan, after all.

"Well, that's embarrassing," Aiko muttered to herself and a rather startled looking lizard. The Hiraishin had worked… sort of. She found herself in the middle of nowhere and completely alone. More importantly…

"Someone is eventually going to be confused as to why there's an ass print in the sand with no footprints leading up to it."

She wasn't going to admit to this. 'I must be tireder than I realized,' she grumped. 'God, when was the last time I was so far off the mark?'

Incredibly depressing.

"I'm hot, bleeding, sunburned on the back of my legs, and I have sand in my braaaa," she wailed piteously. "and I'm not even where I wanted to go." She snuffled helplessly for a moment, trying to recapture her shinobi calm. Everything about this sucked super hard.

To be honest, it was pissing her off, now that she'd stopped to think about it. What the hell had she done to deserve a day like this? What kind of asshat picked up his hostage from the hospital? And why the hell hadn't security been better? She'd just totally saved Sand's collective asses the day before or whatever.

Where were they, anyway? She'd been kidnapped for what felt like a million years. 'If you want to get anything done, you have to do it yourself,' she thought grumpily, searching out for one of her Hiraishin tags to try again.

At least she had traveled in the right direction. She could see Suna in the distance, much more closely than it had been when she had been with Sasori. It wasn't close enough to really make her feel like she was far enough away from that lunatic, though, so she'd have to try again.

'Act natural,' she counseled herself. 'Totally not going to tell anyone that escape attempt one was a failure.'

"Working together, we can do anything," Naruto shouted, hand curled into a fist. "I don't care that he told you to come alone."

Gaara huffed quietly. "Alright," he acknowledged. "We will save Aiko together." There was a collective sigh of relief from the Konoha delegation.

Whumph.

"Yo," Aiko said blandly from where she was sprawled on the ground at Yamato's feet. Literally. She was sitting on his sandals and using one of his legs as a support. "Sup?"

Temari gave an unbecoming squeak and jumped backwards into Sasuke, who reflexively caught her around her upper arms. Then he flushed red and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Yamato smacked a palm to his face, already shaking his head. "I can't believe I was worried about you," he groaned quietly to himself. To be fair, she wasn't looking much like herself. Her hair was a fuzzy halo around her head, she was frightfully pale, and there was a large bloodstain leaking down the front of the purple dress he didn't recognize.

As if to complete the range of emotions in the tableau, Kakashi was staring with his visible eye wide in shock.

"Aiko!" Naruto shouted, dropping to his knees at her side, fingers clenching helplessly as if he was scared to touch her and hurt her. He eventually settled with gingerly resting a hand on one of her shoulders in a weak attempt to steady her. "We were going to rescue you!"

She gave him a dirty look and jabbed him with a finger. "I rescued my own damn self, thank you very much," she bit out testily. The intimidating effect was somewhat lessened by the way she was swaying slightly in place.

"How?" Temari asked, visibly baffled. Her brother must have been on a similar train of thought, because he quickly added.

"Did he not have you incapacitated?"

Aiko huffed. "It was easy," she said snippily. "It's not my fault everyone else sucks. I'm a grown damn woman and I don't have to explain myself or wait to get saved."

"Which is why you're holding onto my leg like an angry baby koala," Yamato agreed blandly.

"Yes," she agreed, not loosening her grip on his rapidly numbing calf. "This is intentional."

That was about the time she seemed to notice just how baffled the group looked. "What?" Aiko demanded, looking about as threatening as a kitten and twice as crabby. "Do I look like a damsel in distress? I don't fucking think so. I'm an independent lady. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I missed my check up and I'm going to go take a nap."

There was a rather undignified giggle from Kakashi that the group decided to ignore, and a whispered, "She's still high, isn't she?" from Temari.

"As a kite," Shizune muttered back with some satisfaction.

"What about the man who kidnapped you?" Sasuke furrowed his brow at her.

Aiko waved a hand dismissively. "Creepy fucking puppet guy? Ain't nobody got time for that. I sure as hell didn't. If I'd waited ten more minutes he would have made me into a puppet. Slow ass bastards."

There was a collective flinch and Kakashi started flaring killing intent. Naruto was twitching.

She put her palms on the ground and attempted to stand up. A knee gave out halfway and she thumped back down onto the sand.

"Take it easy," Shizune huffed, pushing her way forward and picking the other kunoichi up with about as much effort as she'd use to pick up a hairbrush. "You're right about one thing, it's way past time for a follow-up."

"Kay," Aiko yawned, curling into the medic nin's arm. "Bye dudes. I'm out."

There was an awkward silence at the gates of Suna while the assembled rescue team watched Shizune trot off with the damsel in distress.

"Perhaps we should hunt down this man regardless," Gaara offered after a long moment.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed sheepishly, scratching at his head. He scowled. "I don't like the sound of this guy. Puppets?" He made a rude sound.

"I do seem to vaguely recall some kidnapping incident," Sasuke added dryly. It seemed to him like a better reason to think their opponent was bad news than his weapon of choice.

As four Konoha ninja, the Kazekage, and his battleaxe of a sister sprinted off into the distance, Baki finally allowed himself to groan. "It's like I'm surrounded by total weirdos," he mumbled crabbily to the gate guard. She gave a terrified giggle and then shrunk back against the wall, as if worried that Gaara might have heard even from such a distance.

Pakkun wasn't terribly happy about running on such hot sand, but he pushed on despite burnt paws. At least his fur shielded him from the harsh sun that was quickly turning the porcelain pale skin above Kakashi's mask pink. They ran without interruption for a little over an hour until Pakkun signaled the scent trail had changed. When he gave a surprised whine and stopped, the whole group flickered into a sudden stop around him.

"What's wrong?"

The pug snuffled around the ground, not even looking at his summoner as he lead them slightly to the side of the regular, straight trail he had been following. "Aiko's scent is much stronger here," he explained. "Most of the time it's been very faint, like she was carried above the ground. But something happened here."

"But we aren't tracking Aiko," Sasuke pointed out with a little hostility.

He got a dirty look in return. "If you can smell another living being, go ahead and track them, boy. If not, let me do my job."

The group bristled uncomfortably at the implication that their opponent had disguised his scent so well that Pakkun couldn't catch up on it. The two most at home in the desert scanned the landscape. Temari's eyes widened at about the same time that Gaara's did. Naruto wasn't paying attention—he was holding direct eye contact with an oversized lizard. It looked decidedly grumpy to see them.

"That is not a natural mark," Gaara said quietly, kneeling to point at a strange indentation in the sand. "It seems oddly careless. The tracks leading up to it have been obscured immaculately. Were it not here, I would never have known that another living being had been here."

'That's an ass print,' Yamato and Temari thought at the same time unbeknownst to each other. She gave the group at large an incredulous look, as if wondering how so many adults could fail to recognize an ass when they saw one in the sand. Presumably they had all seen one before.

'Things make much more sense now,' Yamato tried not to snicker. 'Aiko deals much better with S class freak jobs than she does with confronting personal failures. That's why she was so grumpy when she found us.'

"How bizarre," Kakashi muttered with a slight frown, crouching to get a better look at it himself.

"I've never seen anything like this," Gaara said seriously, staring as if some secret was hidden in the sand.

Yamato suppressed a highly inappropriate laugh and turned it into a rough cough. Temari shot him a sharp look that turned to shared amusement. "S'dry," he explained weakly, holding eye contact with the only other person with a social life of any sort.

Naruto nodded seriously, a frown painted on his features. "It is." He wasn't a tracker, so he shouldn't say anything at all. But personally… he thought it looked like a butt. 'Beserious,' he scolded himself. 'Now isn't the time for jokes. I need to focus so I can help get the bastard who hurt Aiko.'

Sasuke was scanning the dunes around them for movement, eyes red and muscles tight. Clearly, he was above such juvenile fixations at a time like this, so Naruto was determined to keep a straight face as well.

"I don't like leaving without knowing what's going on," Pakkun rumbled, "but this isn't going anywhere. We should go back to the straight trail."

After a while, a doubled path of a strange trailing indentation appeared in the sand. Gaara appeared severely discomfited by that point. It wasn't often that he ran into trails that were totally unfamiliar to him. It wasn't difficult to track—even if it hadn't been visible, the tip of whatever it was had been soaked with day old blood that Pakkun easily tracked. Aiko's trail stopped at the exact place where they discovered a woman's body, bloated from the sun and already picked at by flies. Her skin was straining at a dirtied Suna medic nin uniform.

"The girl that the intruder used to surprise Kankuro," Gaara said quietly. Pity flickered through his gaze. Naruto looked horror struck by the sheer brutality. The girl's neck was completely mangled, and a gigantic splotch of blood trailed down her back that matched suspiciously close to the one on Aiko's front. This girl had been murdered and used as a pack mule.

"He just left her here, like trash?"

The quiet statement seemed to hang in the air for a moment.

Naruto clenched a hand into a fist. "I really hate this guy," he muttered lowly. Sasuke shifted uncomfortably, looking around and avoiding eye contact. He was clearly sharing the realization that this could just as easily have been Aiko. They were hunting a dangerous man.

Of course, even when he wanted to be comforting, Sasuke didn't quite have it in his heart to be nurturing. "Why are we standing around? Let's find this man already."

It was blunt, but a good point.

"Aiko's trail completely stops here," Pakkun pointed out huffily, panting in a desperate attempt to cool down and catch his breath. "I'm useless here."

Gaara's eyes narrowed. "And this is where the doubled path begins. Our intruder showed his true form here."

"He must have gone back for Aiko when she left, not realizing what she had done," Temari added easily while Kakashi knelt to thank and dismiss his summon.

Naruto swallowed uncomfortably. "Does that mean he's given up and making a retreat?"

After all, the path eventually came back and continued past this point. Clearly, he'd given up on finding Aiko and gone on his way in the opposite direction of Suna.

It was hard to say. "Just a moment," Yamato added quietly before turning to Gaara. The teen was still staring at the much-abused girl who he had seen only the day before. "If you'd like, Kazekage-sama, I have a sealing scroll we could use instead of leaving this girl here." The younger man took the proffered scroll with a solemn nod and pulled it open, kneeling at the corpse's head.

"I don't think he gave up," Kakashi added thoughtfully, looking up at the sky. "After he determined he couldn't find Aiko, he followed the exact same path out and retraced his old steps. That indicates that his destination hasn't changed."

"Could be heading to reinforcements," Temari said grimly. In silent agreement, the group set out at top speed as soon as Gaara had tucked away the newly filled scroll. If that was this man's intention, it would be in their best interest to head him off. He had already lost time by searching for his missing prisoner.

They saw the profiles in the distance outside a cave of some sort long before it was possible to make out any faces. However, they were rather distinctive profiles. They weren't the kind of people one could run past, so the group came to a cautious stop with fifty feet still separating them.

"Itachi," Sasuke breathed, sounding strangely nervous. Naruto shot his friend a soothing look and nudged his side with an elbow.

"It'll be okay," he growled. "If he was involved in this, we'll kill him too, Sasuke."

It was downright unnerving to see Sasuke look so sick and reluctant at the sight of his murderous brother. If he'd made a prediction, Naruto would have thought Sasuke more likely to get angry. That only made it worse—this guy shouldn't have so much power over Sasuke. In fact, scratch that. He didn't have that power over Sasuke, because Naruto wouldn't let him hurt his friend again.

Omake

If Sasori had gotten her all the way to the cave before the anesthetics wore off…

Aiko blinked, having a hard time readjusting to being awake. 'There are dead people hanging from strings and a wooden scorpion in an ugly housecoat talking to a metal-faced mirage. My keen intuition tells me it's time to go home.'

"I see," Pein said disapprovingly, looking at the slumped form of the confused looking girl his agent had apparently captured for bait.

It was a shame that Sasori had opted to involve more people than he had to. The jinchuuriki of the Tailed Beasts were a necessary sacrifice for a world free of pain and sorrow, but it was not strictly necessary to harm this child. However Pein disliked the practice, he had to allow his agents free reign in order to fulfill their assigned missions.

"I anticipate that I will be ready to perform the extraction before the end of the night."

Pein blinked. The redheaded girl had suddenly disappeared from his vision. "Did your prisoner just escape?"

Sasori slowly turned his head to the definitely empty place where he'd deposited his prisoner. The ropes she'd been tied with were even gone.

"No," he deadpanned, moving to end the connection between himself and his boss. "I'm in a cave. It must be the reception."

"But-"

"You're breaking up," Sasori said hastily, cutting off the connection that allowed Pein to materialize.

[xkaileo]

For the one shot request:

Sasuke coming back from his first redemption journey a couple of years after the war. He meets naruto at ichiraku, then Sakura happens to walk by. Naruto insists she join and she’s so happy sasuke is back, but keeps the interaction “friendly” not “young girl talking to her crush”. Quickly after she gets a scroll from a bird and has to go. Naruto then explains that Sakura is in really high demand and basically brags about all of her accomplishments and everything she does for the village as a medic but also as a jounin. Sasuke is proud and happy for her but it’s not until later when he sees her sparring someone really good (Tsunade, Kakashi, Yamato, anyone from Anbu) that he is s t u n n e d. Like jaw to the floor. He can’t resist watching and maybe activates his sharingan by accident. It is not until like 10 minutes have gone by that he notices her ANBU tattoo for the first time.

So of course canon-divergent. I know it’s super clunky the way I laid it out (can you tell I’m no author?) lol anyways I thought it would be really nice to get a look inside Sasuke’s head the first time he’s gotten the metaphorical wind knocked out of him by Sakura haha.

Ask and you shall receive, nonny! This one was fun to write, having Sasuke sort of be stunned by her and feel just the need to do something about it; it was fun to put him in a position where he had to push a little to get something out of Sakura. Enjoy!

She's A Hot Commodity

It was amazing how much the Hidden Leaf Village could change over two years. More than Sasuke had expected, honestly; he'd thought the village was done with its constant renovations after multiple attempts for it to be destroyed. Well, they'd nearly come close one time, though he'd stepped in to assist. Meteors falling off the moon… who would have thought?

His first stop was Ichiraku, as he'd made one promise: he was going to treat Naruto to a bowl of ramen when he got back. His blonde friend was already there, waving wildly as he approached.

"Sasuke! You're back!" Naruto gave him a hug in greeting, to which Sasuke begrudgingly allowed. He wasn't one for physical affection, but one hug from his best friend wouldn't be the end of the world. Plus, he'd never hear the end of it if he didn't. Naruto would spend their entire lunch pouting and whining about it if he was turned down.

As they were seated, both boys heard a familiar voice behind them, and it was… None other than Sakura. Sasuke couldn't help but stare, just for a moment. It'd been a long time. She'd grown out her hair and seemed to be wearing it up in a ponytail. When had it got so long? Now that he thought about it… It'd been a little longer when he left, but now it had to be almost to her waist. He hadn't seen it that long since they were kids. He… liked it, if he was honest.

"Sakura." He nodded in greeting, the corner of his lips twitching into a smile. He was glad to see her. Maybe now he'd be able to take things… a little further, to put it simply. He'd left her with nothing more than a promise, and this was the start of it. He was here. He'd returned. Whether he would stay for an extended period was another question, but he did plan to offer for her to accompany him this time. He just had… a few errands to take care of before he left again.

"Sasuke! It's been so long!" Sakura came up between them and threw her arms over his and Naruto's shoulders, giggling as she was hanging out between them. "Would you look at that? My two favourite dorks are having lunch together. You know, Sasuke, if he's got you here against your will, all you have to do is ask." Well… Ramen usually would have been against his will, but this time, it wasn't. He was surprised when she leaned closer to his ear, her voice no more than a whisper.

"There's a new place that opened that serves rice balls if you need an escape." She clapped him on the back before turning to Naruto, who'd caught her attention.

"Sakura, join us!" He encouraged, and her expression went thoughtful for a moment before she agreed. Naruto shifted down one seat, allowing Sakura to sit between them. Sasuke didn't want to admit he was glad Naruto had shifted down; he wanted to sit next to Sakura, but he wasn't sure if she would have done that of her own accord. He couldn't blame her; it'd been a long time since they'd spoken, and there was… a lot they needed to talk about. She seemed… different. Not unfriendly, but there was something different about the way she was talking to him. No more blushing or bashful looks in his direction. He'd expected that much from her, but… was it possible something had happened?

Maybe… maybe she'd moved on. He didn't want to think that, but it seemed to be a possibility. Nevertheless, if that were Sakura's decision, that would have to be how things were. Friends were better than absolutely nothing.

Just as she was about to order, the sound of a messenger hawk could be heard, interrupting their conversation. Naruto and Sakura had been chatting animatedly, Naruto having made some dumb comment that Sakura was reaming him for while Sasuke chuckled at their antics. At least some things never change. He's still opening his mouth when he should be shutting it, and she's putting him in his place… as usual.

"Oh… I'm sorry, guys." Sakura's expression turned to a frown. "This is for me, and it's urgent. I have to get going. Sorry again. Let's pick another day to get ramen together as a team, though, okay? And… it's good to see you back, Sasuke." She gave him a smile that lit up her whole face, and it made his heart skip a beat. She was different, sure, but it was… nice. It made him feel a bit giddy.

"Yeah… Shoulda seen that one coming," Naruto admitted.

"Does that happen a lot?" Sasuke was genuinely curious. He knew Sakura was a hard worker, but she always knew how to make time for her friends. It seemed out of the ordinary for her to disappear so suddenly. If it was the hospital, wasn't Tsunade there to help out?

"Yeah, it kinda does. Sakura's kind of a big deal around the village now. It makes me a little jealous." Naruto, jealous? Sasuke wondered just how important she was, but as always, Naruto had the explanation. "She's done so much stuff! She opened a clinic for all the kids in the village that lost parents during the war, and she's been working with Ino and some professionals to get them the help they need. Just so they don't feel alone, ya know? You and I both know no one deserves to feel like that." After all, they were the very same kinds of kids that that clinic was helping. Sasuke was shocked and also touched. Had Sakura done all that in two years?

"Oh yeah! And she works super hard at the hospital. She's one of the only medical ninja in the village who's allowed to take missions alone, and that's a huge deal! She's been going to all kinds of places on missions, mostly deliveries or to provide medical help, but I swear she's always gone on a mission! She keeps asking me to water her plants like… every week." Naruto didn't mind her asking that, though. He liked taking care of them. Gardening was oddly calming.

"Wow," Sasuke remarked. It was not what he would have expected out of Sakura… not precisely, that is. He knew she was brilliant, but looking back to how they were as kids… no, when they'd first been put on a team, he never would have expected that much out of her. "Has she been doing anything else?"

"Oh yeah! She mentioned somethin' about taking on a team of genin, too. I think she'd make a great teacher, don'tcha think?" Naruto elbowed Sasuke gently, earning a grunt out of him and a nod in response. Sakura would make a stellar teacher. If she took on a trio of genin as their Jounin sensei, then they would undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with.

He was… proud of her, honestly. To think she’d come so far from her capabilities when they were kids… she was so incredibly talented, it even made him a little jealous. He’d been a prodigy, but to see her hard work coming to fruition was exceptional. She was amazing. More impressive than he was expecting.

------------------------------------

It’d been days since he’d last seen Sakura, and after only briefly meeting her, he decided the best way to pass the time until she returned was training. He liked training; it kept him in shape, allowed him to practice living life with just one arm, and helped him clear his mind when it got too tumultuous to handle. Making his way to the training grounds, he was stopped by a flicker of familiar chakra that crossed the vision of his left eye.

Sakura? She was… Training? He shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was. That, and he found himself deeply intrigued. Like a curious cat, he made his way to the edge of the trees, remaining at a safe distance where he could watch. It looked like she was training with Kakashi, whom he would have considered a force to be reckoned with. He was a former ANBU, after all.

Wait… no. It wasn’t just Kakashi there. Yamato was there, too, and… wait, was Sakura taking them both on at the same time? His curiosity was piqued enough that he activated his Sharingan, using it to track her movements; in high-speed fights like these, it was a necessity. He would've never been able to keep up with Sakura's motions otherwise.

He watched her, amazed beyond belief. Every movement she made was fluid, each motion flowing into the next like an unbreakable chain. There was no hesitation or consideration; she moved without thinking, her body reacting with an impeccable natural flow. He’d never seen such fluid movements before, not even back during the war. What had she done since he’d been gone? He knew she was a Jounin now, but this… no, she had to be more than that. She was well above the level of a Jounin. It was almost an insult to put her that low.

He stared for longer than he’d expected, watching as she evaded both Yamato and Kakashi’s tactics, dancing around them like they were nothing. He watched as her long, pink hair flowed with every movement, even the occasional piece sticking to the sweat that formed on her brow. Even as she turned, he could see the concentration in her gaze, focusing on every motion. There was strength and power in the way she moved. There was one thing that bothered him, though, one thing he couldn't shake.

When had Sakura become so beautiful? He remembered her being cute when they were kids, though he hadn't been in the right state of mind to say anything about it. He'd also noticed she was prettier as they got older, but he'd never been able to take the time to appreciate it. Now, staring at her, he realized how attractive she was. He was taken aback by what he was seeing. It made his cheeks flush, made his heart race, and also made his heart wrench. Maybe… maybe he'd have to say something to her: something direct, this time.

It wasn’t until Sakura stopped, calling a halt to her training with Yamato and Kakashi to take a breather, that he noticed something else. He knew that symbol. Other Jounin he knew and had met bore it too. This wasn’t friendly training between three Jounin. It was so much more than that. But it made Sasuke wonder…

When did Sakura decide to join the ANBU? That was undoubtedly one of the last things he'd expected of her. As he stared at her training, he hadn't realized her gaze had turned in his direction; once he did, he ducked behind one of the trees, heart beating rapidly. Had she seen him? Had she caught him staring so openly at her? He hoped not. The last thing he wanted was to seem weird or creepy. One thing he did know was that Sakura's temper was terrifying, and he would have preferred not to be on her bad side.

"You're not doing a very good job of hiding, Sasuke." He looked up to see her above him on one of the branches, a smile teasing her lips. He startled at the sound of her voice, grumbling under his breath and turning away as the faintest shade of pink dusted his cheeks. Damn. She really was good. She'd caught even him off-guard.

"I wasn't hiding," he lied. Oh, he knew he was hiding, all right. He simply refused to admit it. "I thought this training ground was empty. I was mistaken." He heard her feet land in front of him, which urged him to keep his face hidden from her; he didn't want her to see just how much his cheeks had coloured at her appearance. It was all he could do not to look back and stare, admiring every inch of her toned figure.

"You're also not very good at lying," she teased further, taking a step toward him. "What's got you all flustered?" Damn. She hadn't missed it.

"It's hot outside." Technically not a lie; it was a scorching summer day, and he was wearing a heavy cloak. "I'm just flushed from the heat." Definitely a lie. His cloak was designed to keep heat in and keep cooler air closer to his body, like a cat's fur coat. It kept him comfortably thermoregulated.

"Liar," she accused.

"Tch." He wasn't going to dignify that with a response. She giggled in response to his gruff comment, leaving him to straighten as if he were on his way. She… was in his way, though, which meant he had to brush past her to leave. As his eye opened, he realized she was closer than before. He could smell her from where he stood. Her skin glistened with the faintest layer of sweat from her training, hair sticking to her cheeks and forehead. It didn't bother him; he was used to much worse sights.

Nevertheless, her skin was glowing from the exercise, and the way her green eyes sparkled made her look prettier. So pretty, he could feel his heart racing. He couldn't bring himself to move. If he so much as touched her, he knew what he'd end up doing.

"Sasuke, are you… okay?" Her head tilted to the side, and he felt his heart skip a beat. Stop it, he tried to scold her mentally, knowing it wouldn't work.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Liar. With one sharp breath, he took a step forward, his hand reaching to brush her out of the way gently. She stepped in front of him, stopping him and grasping at his wrist. He remembered that grasp; it was the same way he'd done it to her years ago, a firm but gentle grip. She released it after he stopped moving. Their gazes drew together instinctively; no words needed to be spoken between them. Sasuke felt a growing sense of worry after what he'd realized. Sakura was ANBU. That meant she put her life on the line every day, every mission, everything. It meant that at any moment when she wasn't on a mission, the Hokage could call her for one, and it could be the last time anyone would see her.

He couldn't wait. The moment Sakura released his wrist from her grasp, he reached up, tangling his fingers in her hair as need took precedence over logic. His lips crashed against hers fiercely, years of restrained emotions flaring in his chest as he kissed her. She seemed surprised for a split second but was quick to reciprocate; he felt her hands lock around his neck, leading him to skim a hand down her back, pulling her body tighter against his. At some point, he turned, pressing her back against the tree as they continued their motions, eventually breaking apart to breathe, staring at one another with wordless affirmations.

[questionnete]

Pls don't read this because this is my rant post. I don't know what I'm saying here so ye

Loving these obviously side characters is difficult. Why would you choose these ones who you barely knew about cause the author doesn't give too much care about them? Oh yeah you have that Side Character syndrome.

URGGGHHHH being a Tobirama fan sucks. They only give you small scraps of content in canon and making him look like a weak character even though he was really on par with the other two. The 'Haha Uchihas are dead lololol' memes about him isn't funny anymore and many people are really taking it seriously. Listen he ISN'T racist, He doubts and distrusts them (more specifically Madara who he knows he messed up big time) but isn't it the same for other clans who are also at war during that time (if not, then you're really a bad shinobi that could lead your clan into a massacre), they had been in a war with each other for kami how long by that black 'oh I'm the one who planned these wars and conflicts all along' turd. Izuna didn't die on the battlefield, he has a major injury and it could possibly be healed by the Senjus. So did he accept peace between them? No, it was his choice and it was understandable that his distrust with the Senju is strong that he'd rather die, so what do you call that, racism? No, it's just the distrust between two enemies who had been fighting who knows how long that they don't even know the reason why. Izuna and Tobirama didn't talk and became friends like Madara and Hashirama did, so how would they understand each other? The moving of the Uchiha compound was Danzo's doing (I'm not reading that Itachi's POV novel) and I know there are more conflicts between him and the Uchiha clan people keep talking but personallt the two things he did wrong is that 1. He died too early. Sacrificing himrself is a stupid move that could lead the downfall of the village , and 2. Picking one of his YOUNG (probably) politically naive students as Hokage where you only know he'd sacrifice himself for the village rather than having someone who is very capable at handling the village, not everyone can be as good as you Tobirama I still love you doe and you should have a rest day or a vacation once in a while (well I blame it to the writers/Kishimoto with these kinds of unexpected events that the characters could easily solve) and the Edo tensei thing he did? He's not even half complete at finishing it wtf, at least he stopped when Hashirama told him not to continue. And people talking about his questionable morals... is he really the worst one? It's more like new generations are being direspectful and manipulating what Tobi's abandoned inventions/jutsu. He's basically a inventor or scientist, they experiment on new stuff that they don't know if it would be harmful or not and my boy is scarily dedicated and curious plus I like morally grey characters better most of the time.

Being a Vergil fan is...sad and fun. There's the thing where you have fanarts with his nice outfit and the legs and a good dad Vergil who takes care of Nero with Uncle Dante. Looking at his past in canon works, we don't fully know what happened to him when he lived on his own after the incident, when he was Nelo Angelo for like 10 years and after Dante defeated Mundus. We see tadbits from VoV but there's still a mystery

Being a Tenten fan sucks because people look at her as a joke. Saying that she's useless and weak even though she is a fuinjutsu master and a weapon master who has perfect aim (but why in the future episodes she only uses long-range weapon not close-range weapons), these people probably just watched the anime that censored the scenes so the young audience could watch it. She had a dream of being like the legendary kunoichi Tsunade when she was younger unlike some of the girls who's main or only goal is to be with a boy! When she realized that she isn't qualified enough and saw a talent at fuinjutsu she enhanced it and went to a new path to be a great kunoichi. She's so versatile (with what she can put and obtain in the scroll may it be a jutsu or a bbq stand), her personality is great, and the chemistry of Team 11 is just- really the best team imo. People say she's useless, well its probably because Naruto is technically wizards that are ninjas, they have jutsus and chackras, what's the use of weapons when the main characters here are basically dragonballZ and the power limit is ??? If her skills at weapons are useless in Naruto she might as well fit in DMC where she can fight demon ass and new weapons she could use. (Am I the only one who thought that if Neji was still alive and ended up with Tenten, would Himawari still exist or they made her because there's no new gen characters who has the Byakugan. Maybe I'm wrong that there are young Hyugas cause I'm not watching boruto any time soon.)

Being a Green Arrow fan sucks. Oliver gets little screen time (I know there's a show but I like animated movies better) and some characters are babying him because he's just a man with a bow and arrow. My boy here is funny and capable thank you very much. (And I love the comic Injustice- not the Injustice animated movie- where he met with AU Dinah and other characters there)

Being a Tenzo/Yamato fan is sad. I'm really am desperate for more Tezo content. I know he was only created as a plot device and becoming a babysitter afterwards. He doesn't even have a manga backstory (well he explained it to sakura) and it's just a filler episode (that I am still thankful cause I reaaally want more Tenzo content). He doesn't have someone he can call family maybe except Kakashi, but seriously, this guy is as dedicated as Tobirama if you ask me. I still can't believe that after his usefulness is done, he was thrown to a job to watch the captor who experimented on you since he was a child for what? 12-15 years? This guy needs a vacation

*sighs* being...a...Dr. Fate fan... is sad. Knowing that the reason no one made a movie about him is because it'll be BORING. Excuse me sir, this is Wendy's that's what a lazy ass director/script writters right there. My dude is interesting af, if it's too difficult for your supposed creative brains then fine, let him be the npc. I still wait for the day for him to have his own movie or story, Constantine has many movies but Fate? *Cries at the corner*

I know there are wrong grammars but I should sleep rn

[jacksgreysays]

Hisoka!AU of DOS, Rokudaime(whoever you pick to end up with that job in this verse), A Steady Hand (NOTE: For Hisoka!AU, see Recursive forum pg 489 #14,655 - Snapshots From The Past Of Hisoka by donahermurphy pg 489 #14,665 - A Meeting While Fleeing The Garden & Desert by Tirfarthuan pg 491 #14,716 - A Name & A Gift Passed On by Tirfarthuan)

A/N: Thanks for the biblio [1+2, 3], dona--I did not know who Hisoka was before this, so those helped a lot! I did, also, have to reread the Lone Wolf 'verse since from what I understand Hisoka is an AU of that 'verse specifically? If not, please let me know.

Anyway, on rereading Lone Wolf 'verse, here are the facts that I gleaned:

Danzo is Hokage

Hiruzen died of "natural causes" several years before canon

Kakashi "betrayed the village" somehow and is being called Comrade-Killer more prevalently than canon

Asuma is probably dead

Yuuhi Shinku isn't an entire dick (since Uchiha Uzume can think about him without an automatic insult attached)

Shin is still alive (but very slowly dying)

and Kurenai is helping the Uchiha at the very least cover up a meeting with Kakashi outside of the village.

The facts of the Hisoka!AU are:

Shikako was taken to be ROOT

in order to protect those she cared about she mentally/spiritually maimed herself to the point where she no longer counted as "a Shikako" to Gelel

her partner for the final exam was Sai

she escaped/convinced Sai that the point of the final exam was to fake her death and became a fishmonger on the coast of Wind

when Shikako!Prime leaves via Gelel she "wakes up" from said previous mental/spiritual maiming

Kakashi finds her and they're a lovely wolf and cub pair who aim to kill Danzo (and get rid of their loneliness and maybe heal)

... okay, now that I typed all that out, did you mean Hisoka!AU of canon DoS instead of the Hisoka!AU of the Lone Wolf 'verse? Because those are different things, I think. But I kinda figured Hisoka!AU was intrinsically tied to the Lone Wolf 'verse, so, uh, here's a couple of ideas I had in mind:

1) Akimichi Chouza as Rokudaime.

Because after the absolute worst sort of "warmongering, self-cannibalizing, Konoha first" bullshit that Danzo spewed, the village needs someone who recognizes that being the village leader means making and protecting a home worth living in, not just a harsh taskmaster sending his soldiers out to die.

I considered Shikaku!Rokudaime for a similar sort of reason, but it's not as thematic and, also on a personal level, he can't. In a Hisoka!AU, he has to reconcile the fact that he gave one of his children--willingly or not, even if Danzo wiped his memory later--to a man who he already knew would exploit her horrendously. Maybe he didn't know the full extent of ROOT's training (surely not the final exam) but the fact that he was apprehensive and still went through with it is not a good look.

Even if Hisoka and Kakashi do not return to the village proper (and part of me is like, hey! They shouldn't! And I will go into that more in a little bit) he has to make amends to at least her, if not both of them, and he can't be Hokage and bound to prioritize the village over her if he ever wants to succeed.

Chouza, on the other hand, is the only one of the three who never made that decision (I'm still a little side-eyeing the Yamanaka clan, because surely a clan whose whole deal is KNOWING WHEN MENTAL SHENANIGANS IS GOING ON should have seen that with Fu, especially since he was allowed to keep his name and also, probably, had to have clan training to learn the clan jutsu, but maybe it wasn't Inoichi who made that deal? Maybe it was his predecessor. Either way, still mega sketch. I'm a little hand-wavy with Shibi and the Aburame because I headcanon that the Kyuubi largely wiped out what power they had the most out of any of the clans and they were like. Desperate to survive. And didn't have allied clans to bolster them.) And yes, probably that's because as far as fighting styles are concerned, they rely on their clan jutsu which is very recognizable and thus not great for ANBU (in the same way that I imagine the Inuzuka aren't often recruited into ANBU) but it's still a notable fact. The Akimichi are trustworthy pillars of the village and have been since the beginning.

And it helps that of the Nidaime's team, Akimichi Torifu was one of two of the full six who didn't turn into an old corruptible asshole. Sure, we don't necessarily know what happened to him, but he wasn't specifically seen as an old corruptible asshole so I think he's winning. It reflects well on his clan as a whole. Also, given my headcanon of the Akimichi actively cultivating their ties with civilians and also possibly the Daimyo's family they have, alongside military might, financial and political clout.

Anyway, while a possible Tsunade as Rokudaime would have similar vibes (and does, you know, match canon and have those canon reasons for working) in terms of "healing the village" etc. etc. This is a Tsunade whose most bitter cynicism was proven right? And there's no inspirational Naruto to convince her otherwise. And also, Tsunade shouldn't HAVE to clean up Danzo's mess. Like, the minuscule obligation she had to clean up Hiruzen's mess does not apply to Danzo. (It's a little like... Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were raised to be the ultimate team to take over for Hiruzen except they didn't know it and were dysfunctional. The fact that Hiruzen's death was by Orochimaru's hand and between her and Jiraiya she is the better choice is the only reason why she has that slight obligation to go back to Konoha. Whereas, with Danzo? FUCK THAT NOISE. That's a mess the village needs to resolve on their own. THEY'RE the ones who let it get so bad. THEY'RE the ones who need to deal with it)

And also, another reason why I don't really want Tsunade as Rokudaime is because I kind of like the idea of Kakashi and Hisoka sort of orbiting/paralleling her and Shizune. Like, there's a not-so-secret society of Konoha expatriates who aren't actually missing-nin and both love and hate the village and Tsunade is exasperatedly fond of those two disasters whereas she is sickened by the village. Maybe one day it will have fixed itself enough that she'll go back and visit and whip their Medic Corps into shape, but that is not any time soon!

Also, also, also, and I don't know if you remember this, dona, but in your In Which Someone Attempts to Kidnap Shikamaru, Instead, Inoichi brings up something called the Regency Protocol with Ino in regards to Danzo kidnapping Shikako and brainwashing Shikaku to forget and originally I thought it was some kind of Ino-Shika-Cho contingency plan where the three clans take over the village BECAUSE DANZO IS KIDNAPPING AND MURDERING CHILDREN AND THE SANDAIME WAS LETTING IT HAPPEN ON HIS WATCH? And of the three clans, the Akimichi really do have the traditional fighting prowess to wear the hat, so that's part of this too.

I just think an Akimichi Hokage would be pretty chill about it. Like. They wear power well and are good at managing people without crushing them in the fist of tyranny.

---

2) Maito Gai as Rokudaime.

This one actually for similar reasons as Chouza. Although, in terms of lineage, Gai could be Shichidaime, not that we're particularly holding to that Hokage teacher-student lineage so much.

In terms of semi-parallels where canon goes Tsunade to Kakashi, that means Gai also is a candidate. And in regards to showing the village/world a new kind of Hokage, he's as far from Danzo as one could get. He's straightforward and kind and draws out the potential from everyone and honestly real great but also wouldn't send someone into a mission he himself wouldn't do. Obviously, being a Hokage would mean delegating and sending shinobi on missions, but he would never send them out to die just because. Yes there are risky missions, but he would send those best suited to succeed with every tool available to them so they can succeed. Whereas Danzo would just throw bodies at a problem and kill the survivors for not doing it good enough.

The main difference between a Rokudaime Gai vs Rokudaime Chouza is that Gai's Konoha would rely less on the clan system. Of his three students, two were not from clans and the third is from the Hyuuga Branch (AND YOU KNOW FOR SURE THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING FINALLY ADDRESSED BY A HOKAGE BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK). Yes, his sensei was Akimichi Chouza, but neither of his teammates were clan either. A Konoha under the rule of Rokudaime Gai is a Konoha that builds up those who don't have the same infrastructure as clans, who strengthens civilian-born and clan-born alike, who make sure that talented civilian-born students aren't only noticed by predatory old men who can sweep there existences under the rug.

Because truly one of the many ways that Danzo's weird self-hating megalomania harmed the village was by draining away the talented civilian-borns of Konoha. He who hated that the Shimura were a near-civilian clan, committed the worst crimes against those who could have proved that bloodline wasn't everything. He was so obsessed with the power of the Sharingan that it became a self fulfilling prophecy. Any talented non-bloodline student who could have proven a challenge were stolen and smothered before they could prove themselves.

Because imagine this: one day some random student with the ubiquitous last name of Satou or Tanaka or Honda beats Uchiha Itachi in a spar. Maybe its an accident. Maybe they got lucky. Maybe Itachi wasn't taking them seriously (after all, what could some no name civilian born do to him?). But those maybes don't matter. Satou or Tanaka or Honda gets in one good hit. Surprises the prodigy of the Uchiha clan. Knocks him out.

The teacher takes a note of it. Talks about it in the teacher's lounge. One of Danzo's spies brings news of that notable spar.

By the next week--maybe even the next day--Satou or Tanaka or Honda is gone. No one beats Uchiha Itachi in a spar anymore. And ROOT adds another nameless, faceless soldier to its ranks.

BUT NONE OF THAT HAPPENS UNDER HOKAGE MAITO GAI. Because it is civilians that make Konoha a village and not just a loose coalition of clans. Because a name and a bloodline are not necessary to make a person great.

3) And here's the angsty/semi-bleak option: Yuuhi Kurenai as Rokudaime.

And I wrote a little bit for it, but I'm a little... mreh... about it because it does revolve a lot around the various men in her life which I'm not exactly proud of, tbh, but aaaaaaaaaagh this is endemic to a lot of Naruto fic. D:<

Yuuhi Kurenai is nobody's first choice.

(She was Asuma's first choice, and he was hers, and that had nothing to do with either of their fathers. Except now Asuma is--)

Her father wanted a son. A proper heir. Someone to elevate the prestige of the Yuuhi clan.

(In another universe, Yuuhi Shinku will think the only way his daughter can benefit the clan is through marriage, not her own merits. In this universe Yuuhi Shinku is a little bit more open minded enough to make do. He's still a dick, but not as much of one as he could've been. This puts Kurenai in an interesting position.)

The Uchiha clan are pursuing another ally with a little more fire power, a little more name recognition, and all the intimidation and influence that entails.

(But look at where that got Kakashi, exiled and with his reputation in tatters. Look at Gai who so eagerly and overtly wants to follow. Look at Asuma who--)

The rest of the village would prefer someone who didn't look so much like the clan of would be traitors. Someone who didn't have black hair and piercing red eyes. Someone who didn't specialize in genjutsu, an art for liars.

(Oh, but they were fine quietly suffering under a man who lied and stole and murdered. A man who manipulated and cheated and framed others for his crimes. A man who ruined everything he touched and Asuma tried to stop him, gods, but then he--)

And the world doesn't quite know what to do with a Hokage like her. Or a Kage that is a her, for that matter.

Yuuhi Kurenai is nobody's first choice.

But that's fine. She can make do.

She can make miracles out of nothing.

So the thought process to get to a Rokudaime Kurenai went kind of like such. Obviously, the Uchiha would prefer an Uchiha Hokage. However that largely depends on whether they succeed in their coup or not. There's the distinct possibility that Kakashi plus Shikako!Prime or Kakashi plus Hisoka will just kill Danzo and then leave, forcing the rest of the village deal with the consequences... AS THEY SHOULD... and thus also sort of cutting the coup off at the knees.

If the coup doesn't succeed (whether out of failure or because Kakashi and a Shikako kills Danzo first before they're prepared to do the rest of the coup) then if the political climate actually matches the one they perceive themselves being in (although, I don't think the Uchiha are as hated as they think they are, but its hard for them to see that isolated as they've been forced to be) then they're unlikely to get an Uchiha Hokage especially if news of them actually seeking an alliance with Comrade-Killer Hatake Kakashi comes out. Much less the aborted/failed coup. 

Anyway, no Uchiha Hokage without a successful coup... although, if there were a successful coup, the three Uchiha I would think would be even feasible would be Fugaku--boring, bland, but that's what they know. Shisui--friendly, well liked by those outside the clan, has an international reputation. Mikoto--this is largely based on fanon/headcanon, but she was ANBU Captain? That's pretty neat.

But, uh, to get back to the no Uchiha Hokage... Kakashi's reputation is still in tatters. Maito Gai could be a good option, but while his lack of clan is a good thing for future Konoha, he doesn't quite have the political backing necessary to get there. (Namikaze Minato was an undisputed war hero. Maito Gai hasn't quite proven himself that level yet)

If its brought up that the Ino-Shika-Cho were compromised (ie, Shikaku would have worked closely with Hokage Danzo as the Jounin Commander and also one of Danzo's top ROOT agents is Yamanaka Fu) then even Chouza's candidacy would be suspect.

The village wants Tsunade. But Tsunade does not want it. I have no fucking idea what Jiraiya has been up to, but if he didn't want the hat after Hiruzen died he sure as fuck won't want it after whatever Danzo's done with it.

The Hokage's Council is suspect. Yuuhi Shinku, for all that he is similarly important to the infrastructure of Konoha while also not being part of Danzo's corruption (in another universe, he very well would have been, desperate for power), isn't actually that strong and is old, besides. (The village has had enough of old men entrenched in positions of power telling them what to do).

But he does have a daughter. Genjutsu specialist, yes, but with potential and room to grow. And Sarutobi Asuma loved her (and, fuck, what a shitty campaign to run on, the would-have-been-widow of the Sandaime's son, but you know Shinku would be ruthless in pushing that. Remember, not as much of a dick in other 'verses, but still a dick) so she has that tether to the old regime, tentative as it is.

No one really has any major objections, but no one is really all that gung-ho about it either (except for maybe Anko who will punch all detractors in the face and may very well be a one woman Hokage's Guard).

Kurenai least of all. Because she doesn't want to be Hokage, but she'd rather step up and do it than watch her village tear itself apart even further. And maybe she doesn't know who she is just yet, and maybe it sucks that she's going to have to discover that while also being Hokage, but gods she's going to try her best because at least she knows what Danzo was doing was wrong and that there's no way she can do worse than him unless she just actively slaughtered children in the street.

...

Hm, yeah, kinda bleak ending. But as I said. The Rokudaime Kurenai one is the angsty-bleak option. I mean, it gets more hopeful, but it is a struggle I think for both her and the village.

I know its not a proper ficlet fill, dona, but hope you enjoyed this brain storm / meta anyway. :D 

[kuriquinn]

Wait For Me

Blanket Fic Disclaimer

Original Prompt by: @toscafan

"Olá. Você poderia escrever uma fic onde após Sasuke voltar para a vila, Sakura vai em uma missão e é gravemente ferida. Então Sasuke percebe que seus sentimentos por ela cresceram quando ele a vê ferida no hospital. Talvez com um pouco de Naruto preocupado também. Eu imagino isso entre o período que Sasuke volta para Konoha e antes de eles partirem juntos em suas viagens. Suas histórias são maravilhosas :) eu sinto muito não escrever em inglês :( “

[Roughly:  Hello, Could you write a fic where after Sasuke returns to the village, Sakura goes on a mission and is seriously injured. Then Sasuke realises that his feelings for her have grown when he sees her injured in the hospital. Maybe with a bit of Naruto worried too. I imagine it between the time Sasuke returns to Konoha and before they leave together on their travels.]

Author’s Note: As promised during Evil Author Day, I am trying to finish some of my WIPs. I actually managed to finish this one (Prompt # 4), which is a total miracle given how I’ve been feeling lately. And the fact I think this one is like...two years old. So yeah, major backlog of stuff that needs writing. Enjoy!

Beta Reader: None but me and my editing software :)

________________________________________________________________

⁂ ⁂ ⁂

It shouldn’t have happened.

The words repeat themselves on a loop in Sasuke’s head, like a record player tossed asunder, skipping unerringly back over the same line in a song. In every momentary pause where the words begin to repeat, there is a breath, an extended moment of tension where his chest feels tighter and tighter.

She hasn’t been on active duty rosters since the war. Her field is medicine, not defense or combat or infiltration, and as strong and talented as Haruno Sakura is, she’s still human and prone to mistakes. Shinobi work isn’t like riding a bike. You have to continue to exercise your particular skillset daily, or mistakes can be made, leading to mishaps, leading to—

It shouldn’t have happened.

サスサク

When the call came in for a relief-force of medicnin, it wasn’t unusual. War or no, there are still major medical emergencies and disasters. In this case, reports reached Konoha of an earthquake 350 miles away. Though the village had barely experienced a tremor, the quake had apparently devastated the shepherding community living at the base of the mountain.

As a rule, Sakura should have stayed behind to coordinate everything from the village; with Tsunade on another of her gambling jaunts, she was the most senior healer.

But the devastated town was without its own medical corps, and the number of injured was overwhelming. Every able pair of hands was needed and naturally, Sakura volunteered herself for the mission.

“I can do the work of a dozen medics and they might need someone to lift debris,” she informed the Sixth Hokage when he seemed likely to protest. “I also trained the latest group of emergency medics going out there; they’re still relatively untested in the field. Better they take their orders from me than some random jounin that you assign.”

Kakashi knew better than to argue with his former student, but he was reluctant. For some reason, he was uneasy. There was little reason for it that he could discern, but after all his years as a shinobi, he had learned to heed his instincts.

“Please, Lord Sixth, there are many large families there, with children.”

Against that—with no concrete reason to give—he could not say no.

“Do you need anyone else beyond the emergency medics?”

“Any civilians with basic first aid training,” Sakura replied, pleased at the response. “Whichever doctors and staff can be spared. The general surgeons, perhaps, but no one with specialized training or technique that we would supper from losing.”

Kakashi nodded and made a gesture she recognized to mean an official granting of the request.

“Ideally, you’d send Naruto as well. He could use the Nine-Tails chakra to mass-heal the simplest injuries. It would make triage a lot faster.”

“That’s not in my power. I’m already on thin ice with the Elders for my executive order to pardon Sasuke. I doubt they’ll want him leaving the village any time soon.”

Sakura scowled.

Under normal circumstances she would argue—she had long ago made clear her dislike  and distrust for the village Elders—but every minute spent arguing was wasting crucial time.

“Can you try to convince them?” she asked as she turned to leave the office. “We should be sending out best for this.”

“We already are,” Kakashi said with ease, and there was a smile in his eyes. The one Sakura returned was only a little strained, mind already on her future patients.

サスサク

Sasuke was on a short, probationary mission at the time, in the complete opposite direction from the disaster zone. He didn’t even hear about the earthquake until two days later.

While handing his mission report to Kakashi, he may have been somewhat surprised to learn Sakura would not be around to greet him the way she usually did—and Kakashi’s eyes had a far too knowing gleam in them when he mentioned it—but it never occurred to Sasuke that she would be in any kind of danger.

At least, nothing she wasn’t capable of handling for herself.

For those two days, Sasuke carried out his usual routine, slowly acclimating to being back in service to the village. It still wasn’t his preference to be around so many people, and there was a constant sense of discomfort that lingered at the back of his mind. The sensation of eyes on him from all over, ANBU and civilian alike, heavy with judgement and fear. The only time that feeling abated, even for just a little, was when he was around Sakura, Naruto or Kakashi.

Still, he wasn’t willing or able to seek any of them out. They all have busy lives, and he earned that judgement and fear from the village. It would be an easy feat to leave and never return, but he didn’t deserve easy. Remaining here was part of his punishment, and so he would learn to live with it.

At home, when the constant surveillance became too much, he went to an empty training ground and put himself through various sword forms or engage in other exercises. In two years, he’s grown used to living and fighting with only one arm, but it’s the constant practice that keeps him lethal.

On the morning of the third day he is going through one of his complex sword kata in the training ground where Kakashi made them genin. He tells himself it’s coincidence and not sentimentality that brought him here this morning, even as the three posts stand vigil over his training like towers of memory.

Today he is working only on form and movement, not using any techniques requiring chakra, just trying to sharpen his movements into their usual lethal grace.

As he uncoils from a low final arc of his sword, returning to a resting position, there is a sudden cracking noise; his gaze snaps toward it, and he watches as—apropos of nothing—the wooden post to his far right splits right down the middle.

Sasuke immediately goes still, focussing his awareness around himself and the area, scanning for danger. There is no one in this place foolish enough to try something—even if he wasn’t lethal on his own, the ANBU escorts hidden in the shadows would have been alerted.

The wind continues meander, sending leaves rustling; the sound of birds and the distant crash of the river do not change. There is not threat that he can detect, nothing but a growing sense of foreboding.

And then the ground begins to shake.

As far as earthquakes go, it’s not the worst he’s experienced. He has no problem remaining on his feat as the ground roils and trembles. Even the trees surrounding him show no sign of shuddering.

It’s small and innocuous, nothing on the same level as the one Sakura was sent to help with.

His eyes drift, lingering on the cracked post.

Memory conjures an image of a gawky twelve year old with too-long-to-be-practical hair and luminous green eyes betraying strain and discomfort as she feeds their third teammate tied to the middle post.

It’s probably nothing.

But for some reason his focus on his exercises vanishes, replaced instead with a growing disquiet in the pit of his stomach.

It only grows with every moment as he returns to the village proper and, without knowing why, makes a beeline for Hokage Tower. All around him, people talk excitedly about the tremor, laughing it off and telling one another what they were doing when they noticed it. It’s just a facet of their day, something that—while uncommon—is not dangerous enough to merit panic.

So why does he suddenly feel uneasy?

サスサク

Sasuke arrives at the Tower at the same time as Naruto, a face which causes his inexplicable agitation to ratchet immediately higher, especially given his friend’s uncharacteristic frown and the absence of his usual joking greeting.

Without exchanging words, they enter Kakashi’s office and are immediately treated to the sight of their former instructor pacing by the window, a frown drawing his brows together. The coiled cord of the telephone stretches and relaxes with his back-and-forth movements. It’s so in contrast to his usual demeanor—lazily slouched in his chair—that Sasuke’s spine stiffens in response.

Kakashi eventually hangs up the phone and faces his students.

“There was a second earthquake,” he tells them gravely. “Right next to the refugee camp we set up. According to reports, about 180 million tons of mountainside have crumble down onto the camp. They don’t know if there are any survivors.”

Sasuke’s fist clenches and Naruto’s eyes blink into slits as he activates his senjutsu.

“I can’t sense Sakura’s chakra,” he says, a panicked note in his voice. “Usually I get a definite flicker from her, even at this distance…”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Sasuke tells him. “She masks her chakra when she’s on medical missions to avoid presenting a target.”

He’s not sure how he knows this, since he can’t recall if she mentioned any such practice in their conversations since he’s been back, yet he knows it to be true. Still, this knowledge brings no comfort with it, because the uncomfortable pit in his stomach remains.

“She would be healing everyone after a huge disaster like that,” Naruto protests. “I’d definitely sense that. But I can’t.”

Which, admittedly, worries Sasuke a little despite his unshakable faith in Sakura’s abilities.

Naruto turns to Kakashi, his shoulders squared as if in preparation for a fight. “I’m going to check on her. Even if she’s fine, they’ll need help digging survivors out. I can definitely help with that.”

“Fine,” Kakashi says. The fact he doesn’t argue or mention the concerns of the Elders is telling. “If you leave now, you should get there within—”

Sasuke doesn’t stay to listen.

He’s already climbing the stairs to the roof where there is more open space.

He is by no means an expert at using his Rinnegan yet—every day heralds a new ability or application—but he has more or less figured out how to travel between far distant locations instantly.

“Oi! Sasuke! Wait up!” Naruto shouts from behind as Sasuke focusses himself on creating a pathway. He glanced the coordinates he needs on the papers covering Kakashi’s desk, knows where he’s supposed to go—

The space in front of him crackles, displacing the air, and then rips open, forming a portal of swirling violet energy. On the other side, he can discern a giant wall of rubble.

He wastes no time slipping through, trusting Naruto to follow directly behind him.

サスサク

The sight before them is a grim one.

Sasuke hasn’t seen destruction on this scale since the war.

Mountains loom around them, the closest one looking misshapen due to the giant shelf that has vanished as if scraped off with a giant chisel. Its remnants spill out in front of it, creating a smaller mountain of churned earth and rock, uprooted trees and other debris.

People gather around, civilian and shinobi alike, covered in dust and digging frantically at the rubble. Likely the lucky few who were far enough away when the second quake hit to avoid the harm.

There are almost no Konohanin, medicnin or otherwise, that he can see, suggesting a grim truth to him: they are all underneath the remains of the mountain. Dead, most likely, or trapped and dying as the seconds pass.

But where is Sakura?

She could survive being buried under such weight, and should have dug her way out by now. Stone and rock are like cottage cheese to her strong fists.

“Naruto!”

The two newcomers glance up as a Konohanin scrambles toward them. As he gets closer, Sasuke recognizes him as the kid Sakura has taken on as an assistant. Ando something or other.

“We need help!” the kid gasps when he arrives in front of them, dust-covered and exhausted. “We can’t shift the earth using doton because it could hurt the people underneath.”

The jinchuriki is already forming the signs to summon up shadow clones. If this has to b cleared by hand, he’s the best man for the job. “Don’t worry about it, kiddo.”

“We’ll get through this without a problem!”

“Believe it!”

The clones are already spreading out across the landscape, like a sea of orange washing over the scene.

Sasuke stares down at the boy. “Where is Sakura?”

Ando goes pale beneath the fine layer of dust, eyes pained. “When the earthquake stared, she was trying to get everyone in the medical tents to safety. When she realized she couldn’t, she tried to create barriers to stop the worst of the damage using doton. But it was coming on too fast, and so she tried to slow down the avalanche—"

“Of course she did,” Sasuke murmurs to himself, teeth gritted.

“—but it wasn’t enough! The last I saw, she was destroying the rocks coming at her, but then she was buried.”

“And where were you in all this?”

There’s an accusation in his words that has made stronger men tremble, but Ando merely shudders and clenches his fists. No shrinking violets working with Sakura, that’s for sure.

“I was on water duty. The rivers here were all polluted by the first quake, and so I had to travel far. I saw it all from that cliff up there and hurried down here as fast as I could to help, but…”

He gestures ineffectively, clearly not knowing where to start.

“Sasuke!” Naruto yells all of a sudden, and Sasuke’s head whips toward where he is helping a woman with shredded clothing to climb from the rubble. She is remarkably stable on her feet, considering the situation, and Sasuke understands a moment later when he sees the white creature attached to her shoulder.

“Lady Katsuyu!” Ando cries and hurries over, followed closely by SAsuke.

“Where’ Sakura?” Naruto demands as the younger boy helps the quake victim to sit down. “Is she okay?”

“She’s at the very bottom,” Katsuyu says fretfully. “There’s an airpocket and she’ll still have air for a little while, but she’s gravely injured. Her entire lower body is crushed.” Sasuke’s heart constricts painfully. “I tried to help, but she insisted I attach myself to all the refugees, to keep them alive until help arrives. I fear she won’t be able to keep it up very long. Even my healing can’t save the people buried so long without oxygen.”

“Little fool,” Sasuke growls, the viciousness of the words surprising him more than the situation. Of course she’s more worried about the survival of her patients and the others instead of herself.

“We’re getting her out,” Naruto declares, summoning more clones. “We’ll get her and everyone else out!”

And Sasuke finds himself hoping this is another miracle that his friend’s mere presence and stubbornness will help pull off.

 サスサク

The task is arduous and time consuming.

Sasuke is bizarrely conscious of the speed at which the time passes—too fast. They continue dragging survivors out from beneath the rubble—all unharmed, but looking more and more shambled as the rescue efforts reach deeper into the rubble. Every so often, there is a red glow, and the unearth another person being Naruto has managed to sense and enfold in his healing chakra cloak.

Sasuke uses his snake summons for the first time in years, sending them from his sleeve to slither around and crush rocks blocking their path. He digs one-handed while Naruto and the clones make quick work of their chosen debris fields.

They have yet to find Sakura, or a person that as died of their injuries; all of them so far have had a miniature clone of Lady Katsuyu attached somewhere on their bodies.

Yet he can’t sense Sakura.

“Her chakra signature is everywhere,” he frets. “She’s channelling it through Katsuyu to keep everyone alone. I can’t get a proper read on her.”

“And you won’t,” Lady Katsuyu says in a tremulous tone. “The byakugou has disengaged—her strength has finally run out.” She shudders. “We’re too far away. There’s no way we’ll make it to her in time. And I can only linger here a few minutes longer without her sustaining me.”

“We’ll make it!” Naruto growls, tone and eyes harsh like that of a cornered fox. There’s a panic there, belying his words, because he clearly has no idea how they’re going to do that.

It’s that panic more than anything so far that makes Sasuke’s guts roil and a sickening nausea of fear well up within him. Because Naruto never gives up, he always has hope and he always has some kind of harebrained plan to fix a bad situation.

And if he doesn’t have one in this case, it means Sakura’s fate is sealed.

Which—

No.

“You have a clone with Sakura now?” he asks Katsuyu.

“O-of course,” the snail replies, almost surprised at being addressed so directly.

“You can share your chakra between one another. Can you share the chakra of someone else the same way?”

Naruto’s eyes widen as he catches on. “Yes! If I share my chakra with you and your clone, I’ll able to sense where your clone is and we can find Sakura faster.”

“We don’t have that kind of time,” Lady Satsuyu replies mournfully. “And besides, I can’t share your chakra, Naruto-kun. The chakra of biju is too volatile, and unless a blood contract has been made, like yours with the toads, it would become too volatile.”

“You wouldn’t need a contract with me,” Sasuke says. “My chakra is entirely my own.”

The slug’s head bobs to one side in consideration, and then she makes a noise of assent. “We can try.”

Sasuke holds out his hand, allowing Lady Katsuyu to inch closer, pressing herself up against his palm. There’s a beat of tense silence as they both concentrate, Sasuke infusing a burst of chakra in the tiny creature’s body.

She shudders from the force of it, her energy signature changing to a mixture of her own and his.

“It’s done,” she says, and he can feel a tiny twinge in his senses calling from far beneath the crumbled mountain.

Sasuke nods and begins to back away from the rubble. “Get beneath her.”

“I don’t understand,” Ando is saying. “How will that be any different from before? Lady Katsuyu was already able to direct us to Sakura.”

“He’s not just looking for Sakura’s location,” Naruto says with a grim smile. “He needs to know exactly where she is.”

“But why—?”

Sasuke tunes out the useless questions as he positions himself somewhere with a decent amount of clearance all around him. Bracing himself—he’s never tried this particular gambit before—he activates the Sharingan and reaches deep within his chakra reserves.

Instantly, violent purple energy manifests, bones and muscle and armor, as Susanoo encompasses him all around. The burning, ripping pain of it has almost become distant by now, and he focusses past it, still holding onto that shred of his chakra beckoning him from wherever Sakura is.

He turns his head, concentrating on the space in front of Susanoo’s empty right hand and activates the Rinnegan.

A portal twists into being from thin air, and Sasuke hardly waits before raising Susanoo’s hand and pressing the limb through the portal. He can distantly feel the weight of her against the flat of the hand as it materializes directly beneath her body, and then pulls her backward, shutting the portal immediately after extracting her to ensure none of the rubble baring down on her might follow.

As gentle as he can, Sasuke lays Sakura down upon the ground, Susanoo vanishing as her body touches the earth.

サスサク

Everyone is already kneeling around her when Sasuke touches back down, the chakra giant vanishing once more. Lady Katsuyu vanishes, no longer having Sakura’s strength to draw on, and Naruto is snapping something at Ando, probably to get help.

All of it washes over Sasuke in a meaningless, soundless wave as his eyes fall upon Sakura. His lungs tighten as he takes in her broken body.

Her legs are bruised and battered, crushed inward in some places and bones poking out of other places; it’s the same for her hips and several ribs. Her eyes are open and staring, a trail of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth and nose.

The sight is terrifying.

For a short yet eternal moment he is back in the streets of the Uchiha district, surrounded by the bodies of his family. Just as he was then, he is frozen now—inutile and incapable of doing anything.

“Naruto…” he begins, not knowing exactly what he’s trying to ask.

“This is bad,” Naruto says, voice strained. His eyes are slits once more, his sage mode active as a red film covers Sakura’s body. “I can heal the big stuff, but so much has been pulverized…” He swallows as if in physical pain; Sasuke knows the feeling. “She needs someone that can do surgery at the microlevel. If I heal her right now, like this, I could do a lot more harm then good.”

It’s a measure of how far Naruto’s come that he recognizes this, that he knows not to simply ram through his power and hope it helps.

Sasuke doesn’t know what will help now.

Scenarios and plans speed through a mind more suited for battle tactics than life-saving measures, as he tries to think of any way that he can help her and wishing for the first time in a long time that Karin were here.

Wishing he had ever taken the time to learn more about the healing arts than how to kill.

All the while, the sight of Sakura’s shattered limbs taunting him as her blood seeps into the sand.

Sasuke blinks.

Sand.

The memory hits him out of nowhere, the way many of his recollections from before do. Waking in a hospital, distantly hearing people talking about a fight—sand versus strength.

“Tsunade,” Sasuke says, remembering how the Fifth Hokage dealt with something similar. Right around the time she healed his mind from Itachi’s merciless assault on it, she saved Rock Lee from a life of paralysis.

Naruto is frowning, once again on the same wavelength as him. “No one knows where she is.”

“I’ll find her. Get Sakura back to Konoha—”

“No…”

Both of them jump at the pained, feeble voice and glance down.

Sakura’s eyes are closed now, clenched as tight as her jaw when she speaks through gritted teeth. “There are still…people…” She tries to raise a hand, gesture toward the rubble. “Naruto…stay and…help…”

“Sakura, no!” he snaps. “You’re in a mess right now, I need to keep you going until—”

“…Too much…damage…wasting your…chakra…”

“Sakura,” Sasuke says tersely, and her eyes shoot open toward him. Awareness flickers behind green irises, along with some surprise, as if she didn’t realize or expect him to be there.

“Sasu…ke…”

He shivers.

There has never been a time in his life when he and Sakura haven’t been aware of the presence of the other. The fact she didn’t notice him is telling in the severity of her injury…as is her not expecting him to be by her side.

After all, when has he ever been?

What has he ever done for her?

“We have to get her out of here,” Naruto says. “Do you have enough strength for another portal?”

Sasuke nods, though he isn’t sure; he’s used his abilities twice now in quick succession. But for Sakura, he’ll try.

The space beside them rips open, once more opening onto the familiar rooftops of Konoha as seen from Hokage Tower. All they need to do is step through, and so Naruto goes to pick Sakura up, only for her to scream in sudden sharp agony.

Sasuke’s heart stutters, his concentration wavering slightly, allowing the portal to shrink and contract worryingly.

“She’s too hurt,” Naruto says, panicked. “We need to keep her on her back or…I might sever something important.”

There are no stretchers here, no immobilizing aids to move her. If he had any idea where Tsunade Senju was, he’d seek her out and return her here instantly, but he doesn’t have that time and neither does Sakura.

“I’ll bring her,” Sasuke says.

“But—”

“You stay here. Help the survivors.”

There’s something on his face that keeps Naruto from arguing further, but Sasuke is no longer paying attention. Once again, he centers himself, trying to divide his power between the portal and call up Susanoo in just the right manner.

It takes searing concentration to manifest Susanoo’s hand in the space between Sakura’s body and the ground, letting the chakra fill in beneath her and keep her steady and supine.

Sakura’s eyes are wide, trained on him in something like desperation, before they roll back and she lapses into unconsciousness.

Sasuke’s lungs constrict, but he forces himself to work through it, to slide Susanoo’s hand straight through the portal until Sakura is no longer lying among the debris of the dead but in the safety of their village.

Sweat breaks out across his forehead and the back of his neck, and he tastes blood in his mouth, but he manages to retract the chakra within him. He’s about to step through when—

“Wait!”

He grits his teeth, eyes darting back to the kid—Ando—who has returned.

“Let me come too,” he says. “I can keep her stable, or—or go get someone from the hospital, or—”

“Go!” Sasuke snarls, half from effort and half from irritation the boy is taking up valuable seconds.

A terrified expression breaks over Ando’s face for a moment, before he throws himself headlong through the portal.

“Find Tsunade,” Sasuke tells Naruto as he follows. He doesn’t have to hear the response to know he will.

サスサク

He has no right to be here.

The intensive care wing of Konoha’s hospital is a flurry of movement as doctors and nurses and medic-nin rush in and out of the surgery where they are working on Sakura. He lingers outside the doors, his own self-recrimination keeping him out here more than the ‘Staff Only’ sign on the door.

He doesn’t deserve to be here, to hear news of her condition. He left—he’s always leaving—and she’s always waiting. She’s always here and he realizes with a sudden disbelief that somehow, somewhere along the line something in him has taken that for granted.

Ever since the War, ever since watching her blossom into her abilities and to demonstrate power that makes her neigh indestructible, he’s been thinking of her as if she is. As if she’s a constant that will never change, that will always exist.

Like she’s immortal.

Except she’s not, she can die like anyone else.

It’s something taken for granted in their line of work, but medic-nin die the same as anyone else in the service. And Sakura would be the first to insist she is no more important than anyone else, that her life is the same value as any of their comrades. He knows if given the choice she’d sacrifice that same life without any regret—hell, he watched her try to do just that today.

That knowledge—and the reality of what is happening behind that door in front of him, the image of the light in her eyes dying—steals his breath.

Will that be his last memory of her? A broken body pulled from a wreckage?

Very real terror grips him then, something he hasn’t felt in years. A close, clawing sensation and his lungs constricting as something jagged forms in his throat. Nightmares of blood in the streets, blood in his hands and the rush of a waterfall in the background, the chirping of lightning in his ears—

“Sasuke.”

His head jerks up, the world around him returning, senses no longer going haywire to stave off the incoming panic.

Kakashi is standing beside him—when did he get here?—eyes somber. There’s a beat before he reaches out, hesitant, and lays a hand on his shoulder.

It’s as if a current is going through him, memories from long ago, that same hand on his shoulder. It’s the first time Kakashi has reached out to him since he left Konoha as a child.

“I’ve had news from Naruto,” his former instructor continues. “He’s found Tsunade.”

And somehow with those three words, every bit of tension in Sasuke’s body evaporates. He realizes he hasn’t been breathing and tries his best not to gulp for air, forces himself to inhale slowly through his nose, to not lose his composure.

Kakashi, of course, is not fooled. “Sakura will be alright. She’s strong.”

Sasuke wants to reply that he knows, he’s always known, but his tongue is still frozen. Instead, he returns his gaze upon the door, trying to sense what is happening beyond it.

He feels Kakashi remove his hand, but the man’s intense stare remains on him.

“I should go,” he eventually manages to say. Yet his legs refuse to move.

“You should stay. You’re exactly where you need to be.”

“I’m not—”

“You’re exactly where she needs you to be.”

Sasuke’s protest dies before it was truly born, and he goes back to trying to breath. Inhale and hold; exhale and repeat. It doesn’t matter what he needs or wants, after all.

Why?

Sakura is Sakura. Yes, they have always had a connection, a bond, but it’s the same connection he’s had with the rest of his former squad. You can’t go on missions or into battle with one another without developing a synchronicity. Even if the connections are different.

With Kakashi it’s the kindred spirit of someone who has lost everything almost the same as he has, with Naruto it’s a bond that can never be replicated for the most complicated of cosmic reasons.

And yet…with Sakura, there’s something different there.

He always thought it was nostalgia, the last lingering remnants of a weak child desperate for whatever scrap of affection was offered to him after losing his parents. Every moment he’s ever spent with her, he pretended like it didn’t affect him at all; and yet, there was always that eagerness he had to tamp down, wanting to see the smile on her face because he knew he didn’t deserve it.

A smile he missed in the years training with Orochimaru, then wandering the world in penance. He knows she’s had feelings for him since they were children, and has has spent most of his last years hoping against hope that she’ll let him go and move on.

That she’ll find someone else, someone worthy of her, someone who will keep her safe and guard her heart against pain. Because that’s all he can give her is pain; tht, and a soul that will never completely heal.

Except it wont matter, will it, if she dies?

She’ll be gone, and he’ll be empty again. No matter where he goes, he’s always known that somewhere, Sakura is out there, keeping him in her heart. He knows that even if she does find another, there will always be a part of her that thinks of him, just like he will always have a part of him that thinks of her.

But if she dies…if she doesn’t make it through this…

Suddenly he can see it.

Years stretch out in front of him, bleak and empty and gray. Visits to a gravestone of a life that could have been. Regrets and pain and an endless void of existing instead of living.

More of everything he endured as a child, only this time, without the tiny ray of sunlight that Sakura willingly gave him.

And suddenly, he realizes he doesn’t want that.

A world without Sakura in it, is not one that he wants to be a part of.

He wants her—needs her—to be happy. And if her happiness is him…if he could ensure that happiness somehow…

Well, he’ll do whatever it takes.

Sasuke takes a shuddering breath at the realization.

It feels sudden, like a switch has been flipped with realization, and yet at the same time he knows it has always been this way.  

He’s in love with Sakura.

The world returns then in sharp focus, ignorant to the realizations he’s just made. Kakashi is still eyeing him with concern. Perhaps wondering if he’s going to have to talk him out of leaving the hospital, even though Sasuke knows that he’s not going anywhere until he can watch her open her eyes again.

Until she smiles at him again.

Maybe not even then.

“I’ll wait for her then,” he says, shaken but still somehow managing to control the timbre of his voice. He leans against the wall, eyes once more resting on the door in expectation.

I’ll wait for her forever.

終わり

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[rinneganwritings]

Never Far Away; Chapter 4: She's a Little Runaway

Word Count: 3,026

Summary: Team Yumiko makes their way into a nearby village to gather intel, running into Tsunade and Shizune inside. Tsunade gets under Yumiko's skin more than Yumiko cares to admit.

Warnings: None

Masterlist

Akina and Ezume are excited to see a village in the distance. For the first time since leaving Konoha, they break the formation Yumiko had put them in for the trip. Akina turns around to face Yumiko with an excited look glowing in her bright green eyes.

“Can we stop in the village, Yumiko-sensei?” she asks.

“We should stop and ask some questions at least,” Yumiko sighs. “But that’s it, guys. No lollygagging!”

“Come on, couldn’t we just rest for one night?” Ezume groans. “We’ve been on the road for days.”

Kakashi raises an eyebrow as he tilts his head slightly to look at Yumiko. She catches his eye, but looks away quickly.

“It’ll depend on if we find anything.”

Satisfied with her answer, Ezume and Akina return to formation. Yumiko has to admit that sleeping in a bedroll on the ground isn’t great, but she’s certainly had to deal with worse. A night at a nice inn would do wonders for everyone’s morale.

“Would Tamako stop in a village?” Kakashi asks her quietly.

Yumiko chews on her lower lip as she mulls over the answer. Tamako has always been a bit high maintenance. She’d certainly want to at least get a bath and a fresh change of clothes.

Then again, even as a young girl she was extremely cautious. She would have thought over the entire scenario including the possibility of being caught up to. Tamako knew as soon as she left Yumiko would come looking for her, and she’d plan accordingly. Yumiko could only assume every detail of her running away was meticulously planned. Her chances of finding Tamako hangs in the balance by a single thread.

“If she did, she wouldn’t stay long. I don’t think we could afford to stop for the night,” Yumiko says quietly.

“Your chunins won’t like the sound of that,” Kakashi points out.

“It’ll keep them motivated.”

Kakashi hums in acknowledgement, but doesn’t say anything else. As they fall back into silence, Yumiko wonders what Tamako is doing now. Has she really been such a terrible sister? A caretaker? A sensei?

She feels her hands begin sweating as she remembers all the times Tamako mentioned Itachi, and all the times she dismissed the topic outright. She didn’t listen when she should have. She was tough when Tamako needed her to be soft. Iruka reminded her so many times to soften her approach at times, but Yumiko shrugged it off. Tamako was strong, skilled, talented. She could handle anything Yumiko threw at her. At times Yumiko forgot to just be a sister.

This is my fault.

The entrance to the village comes into sight. Akina and Ezume both pick up the pace. A familiar smell fills Yumiko’s nostrils. Perfume. She falls behind as she tries to decipher which direction it’s coming from. Kakashi stops and turns to her with a questioning look.

“What is it?” he asks when Yumiko doesn’t immediately offer the information.

“She’s here.”

__

Yumiko always struggles with buying gifts. She goes into shop after shop looking for something that just screams “TAMAKO” at her. It’s not easy when considering how different the girls are. Yumiko would just as soon be happy with a bowl of ramen or a new kunai as a birthday present.

Tamako would appreciate anything Yumiko gives her, but Yumiko wants to actually get something good. Something Tamako would really love. Without any real ideas, she wanders into the fragrance shop. The floral scents assault her nose as she walks in. The shopkeeper notices her nose curling, and Yumiko blushes.

She wanders through the shop, looking at all the ornate bottles lining the shelves. Then, she sees one which seems so familiar. It’s a crystal bottle with a lotus carved on the stop. She carefully takes the bottle off the shelf and tests the scent. It’s so sweet and familiar she feels tears welling up in her eyes.

‘It smells just like Mother,’ she thinks sadly.

She turns the bottle around in her hands. Takani’s smiling face flashes in her mind, and she can almost hear her voice echoing in her head. She doesn’t think about the cost as she goes to purchase the bottle.

That night, after having Tamako’s favorite meal for her birthday she gives her the gift. Tamako is confused for a moment. Yumiko’s never been so excited about giving her a gift before. Usually these moments start out with an apology for not knowing exactly what to get. Instead Yumiko is giddy as she watches Tamako unwrap the delicate lavender box.

She lifts the bottle out of the box and inspects it. Then sprays the perfume on her wrist to smell it. As soon as the sweet scent takes to her senses, she looks up at Yumiko with wide eyes.

“It’s just like Mother,” she whispers.

“It’s the same one she used to wear,” Yumiko smiles.

Tamako stands up to cross the room. Her arms wrap tightly around her sister.

“This is the best gift you could have given me.”

__

“We should split up,” Kakashi’s voice pulls Yumiko out of the memory.

Akina and Ezume bounce on their toes, eager for their orders. They turn to Yumiko despite Kakashi being the one to make the suggestion. He sighs in frustration.

“Well, split up,” Yumiko shrugs. “You guys go check the shops. I’ll take the inn.”

“Maybe I should go with you,” Kakashi suggests. “Just in case.”

“In case of what?” Yumiko narrows her eyes.

“In case she’s there and you need back up. The inn is the most likely place for her to be.”

Yumiko sighs, “Alright. Let’s go.”

Ezume and Akina take off running towards the town center. One of them taking the shops on the right, the other taking the shops on the left. Kakashi and Yumiko start towards the inn. The smell of Tamako’s perfume grows stronger the closer they get. She feels her heart pound as she wonders what might happen.

Kakashi enters the inn first, he scans the lobby carefully. Yumiko is led towards the attached casino. He follows closely behind her. There’s a bit of chaos at one of the tables at the far corner of the casino. Kakashi makes his way over there with Yumiko following close behind.

“What’s going on over here?” he asks carefully. A woman throws her cards down before standing up. Kakashi and Yumiko both immediately recognize her as Tsunade. “You ruined my bluff!” Tsunade scorns them. Her eyes fall on Yumiko, “Well, well, well. If you don’t ever look just like your father.”

“Sorry for the interruption,” Yumiko feels her cheeks flush. “We thought we saw something.”

“Yumiko Shōrihibana and Kakashi Hatake together at an inn,” Tsunade smirks. “Never thought I would see the day. I guess you did finally find a way to get along.”

Yumiko’s cheeks grow red hot as she looks to the ground, “Lady Tsunade we’re actually-”

“We need to ask if you’ve seen someone,” Kakashi interrupts. Yumiko elbows him in the side. Tsunade smirks.

“I see people everywhere I look, it’s a busy place.”

Tsunade begins stumbling towards the bar. Kakashi and Yumiko follow behind her. Shizune follows behind them.

“A drink for my friends,” Tsunade indicates to the two of them. “Are you as fun as your mother, Yumiko?”

“Um, maybe,” Yumiko tilts her head to the side.

“Nah, you’ve always been a serious girl. You should loosen up a bit. Kakashi, help her loosen up.”

“Lady Tsunade,” Shizune gasps.

Yumiko feels like she could die of embarrassment. Kakashi, on the outside at least, is completely unphased.

“We’re looking for Tamako Shōrihibana,” Kakashi explains. “Has she come through here?”

“Nope. Haven’t seen her since she was just a little spark.”

Kakashi and Yumiko exchange suspicious looks.

“Are you sure, Lady Tsunade? It’s really important we find her,” Yumiko pleads. “She could be in more danger than even she realizes.”

Tsunade looks away, but then looks Yumiko right in the eyes to repeat her answer. Yumiko feels sparks shooting between her fingers. She turns on her heels to leave the inn without looking back. She was lying, Yumiko can feel it deep inside. Tamako was here.

“If she was here we’ve probably just missed her,” Kakashi says as he steps out of the inn beside Yumiko.

“The time we spent talking to Tsunade was just enough time for her to get out of the village,” Yumiko agrees. “Tsunade knew that.”

“She thinks she’s helping Tamako,” Kakashi says.

“She could just easily be sending her to an early grave.”

Kakashi reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder, but his hand gets shot away by a static shock. He shakes his hand to relieve the tingling sensation in his fingers. He realizes Yumiko didn’t even know it had happened. She begins walking down the street to gather Akina and Ezume. Kakashi follows behind her, his mind reeling with questions about the shock he’d gotten. For just a moment she’d had his fingers paralyzed without even trying. He wonders how long she could paralyze someone if she was actually trying to do so. When they were kids sparring, she was still learning how to control it. She’d make a formidable opponent now.

“Maybe we should stay at the inn for the night after all,” Kakashi suggests once he’s caught up with her.

“We can’t afford to lose more time,” Yumiko growls.

“Listen, it’s gonna be dark soon. She’s not gonna get far.”

“Kakashi, this is so important to me-”

“You’re no good to anyone exhausted and unstable,” he says.

Yumiko turns to him, yellow sparks flickering in her eyes, “What did you just say?”

Kakashi crosses his arms over his chest, “You heard me. You’re exhausted, you’re emotional. You need time to regroup.”

Her purple hair begins standing on end from the static growing around her. Kakashi steps back.

“I don’t need to regroup. I need to keep moving,” Yumiko steps closer to him. “You can either come or you can stay.”

“We’re all staying. This is a team,” he says calmly.

He was right. She knows it deep down, and that’s what makes it so much worse. There was not a single argument she could make to justify dragging everyone back onto the road at dark.

“Um, Yumiko-sensei, Kakashi-sensei,” Akina’s soft voice interrupts. “We talked to all the shopkeepers.”

Yumiko takes a deep breath, attempting to steady herself. She turns to Akina, and she can hear Iruka’s voice in her head reminding her to keep her emotions in check.

“What did you find out?” she asks Akina.

“Well, not much,” Akina looks down apologetically. Ezume strolls up with an armful of snacks.

“Someone says they saw her with Tsunade, but it was before we arrived,” Ezume adds.

“Alright,” Yumiko glances at Kakashi who is still watching her cautiously. “We will be getting a room at the inn for the night.”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” Akina claps.

“Thank Kakashi,” Yumiko sighs.

A few hours later, Akina talks Yumiko into getting into the onsen with her. As she sinks into the hot water, she realizes it’s probably the best decision she’s made all day. Her sore muscles feel so relieved, and some of the tension she’s been carrying starts to dissolve away.

Akina stays close to Yumiko as they wade around in the hot water. She’s still a bit shy about being nude in front of other people. Yumiko finds a spot relatively away from the other women, and they stay there for a while in silence. Akina gets a wicked smirk on her face.

“Yumiko-sensei, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.” Yumiko sinks deeper into the water until it’s over her shoulders.

“Why did the hokage send Kakashi-sensei on this mission?”

“Kakashi is a great shinobi,” Yumiko sighs. “He’s got the right experience. I suppose the hokage thought it was a good match.”

“He’s kind of cute,” Akina says shyly.

“How do you even know?” Yumiko laughs. “He could literally look like anything under his mask.”

“I don’t know. I just have a feeling.” Akina looks at Yumiko with a curious look in her eyes. She tilts her head to the side, “Do you like him?”

“He’s a loyal comrade and strong shinobi,” Yumiko narrows her eyes at Akina.

Akina rolls her eyes, “You’re no fun.”

Yumiko laughs, “Oh, I’m so sorry I’m not entertaining your inappropriate questions.”

“It’s just the two of us,” Akina smirks. “Come on, I won’t tell anyone.”

Yumiko shakes her head, “I haven’t been keeping anything from you.”

“I still think he’s cute,” Akina shrugs. “There’s just something about him.”

“You’re entitled to your opinion.”

“I bet you don’t like him because you’re in love with Iruka-sensei,” Akina wiggles her brows.

Yumiko laughs. She laughs so hard it almost hurts, “Oh really?”

“Mhm,” Akina smiles broadly.

“Me and Iruka are just friends,” Yumiko shakes her head. “We’ve been friends almost as long as you’ve been alive.”

“Then why don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“Because I’m too busy training nosy students,” Yumiko winks at her.

“I always knew you’d end up becoming a jounin,” Tsunade’s voice interrupts their playful banter. Akina stares in wonder at the beautiful woman sinking into the water. Tsunade is on full display, and there’s nothing at all for her to be ashamed of.

“Lady Tsunade,” Yumiko greets her coldly.

“The Tsunade?” Akina asks in awe. “One of the great sannin?”

“The best one if you ask me,” Tsunade smirks.

“I’m gonna get out now,” Yumiko says to Akina. “Don’t be too long, we’re gonna get dinner soon.”

“You’re much more like your father,” Tsunade says.

Before stepping out of the water, Yumiko turns her head slightly to look over her shoulder, “If you liked my parents so much, you wouldn’t have lied to me.”

Yumiko wraps herself in a towel before going to their room. She finds Kakashi and Ezume already sitting in the shared dining area between the two rooms they’d rented. Kakashi is lounging on a cushion while reading. Ezume had been eating some of the snacks he bought. Upon seeing his sensei in nothing but a towel, Ezume’s face turns bright red. He trains his eyes to the ground to avoid looking at her anymore.

“As soon as I get dressed we should get dinner,” she calls as she goes to the room she’s sharing with Akina.

She slides the door closed and pulls on a fresh pair of sweatpants and a black tank top. Akina walks in a few moments later with a bright red face.

“I can’t believe they saw me in a towel,” she whines.

“It’s better than them seeing you naked,” Yumiko shrugs.

She waits for Akina to get dressed before she opens the door. Kakashi is ordering food for everyone already when she takes a seat on one of the cushions beside Ezume. He offers her some chips which she takes gratefully. Akina sits down across from her. Everyone is busy with their own activities as they wait for the food. Akina is reading some tourism pamphlets she’s picked up in the lobby. Ezume is still busy with his snacks. Kakashi continues to read. Yumiko looks over a map of the area to try to plan tomorrow’s moves.

“Once we cross the border, we could run into trouble,” she says out loud.

“What kind of trouble?” Ezume asks.

“Rogue shinobi,” Kakashi says without looking up from his book.

Before they can talk more about it, the food is brought in. The group steps back so that everything could be set out for them. Ezume watches excitedly as the spread is laid out before them. They all thank the staff, and then sit back down to get started.

Everyone begins preparing to eat, and then Ezume nudges Akina under the table. Immediately they both begin staring intently at Kakashi. He doesn’t seem to notice as he begins looking over the options before him.

“It’s not polite to stare,” Yumiko scolds them. “Thank Kakashi for ordering dinner, and leave him be.”

“Yes, sensei,” Ezume says sadly.

Akina sighs, “Thank you, Kakashi-sensei.”

After dinner, Ezume and Ezume turn in for the night. Everyone is feeling a bit weary from walking for so long. Yumiko goes outside to sit on the grass for a while. She stares up at the night sky above her. The silver stars twinkle, the full moon is bright against the dark sky. Her mind wanders once again to Tamako.

Are you staring at the sky too? Can you feel me?

Kakashi announces his presence by clearing his throat. He sits down beside her, feeling kind of surprised when she doesn’t retreat.

“We should talk a bit about Tamako,” he says quietly. “I need to understand where her head might be.”

“I know,” she sighs.

“Her and Itachi-”

“They were close. Closer than any two people I’ve ever seen. And so young.”

“Close enough for her to be dangerous?”

“Possibly,” Yumiko admits. “Maybe not even on purpose.”

“Your kekkei genkai activates based on emotions,” he adds. “I figured that out earlier when you shocked me.”

“I shocked you,” she laughs.

He chuckles, “Yeah. After our little argument.”

“I’m so sorry,” she cups her face in her hands.

“It’s fine, but we have to consider how this could work against us with Tamako if she gets too worked up. I’m assuming her control isn’t as good as yours.”

“She’s not as contained,” Yumiko agrees.

They’d worked on it, still were trying to work on it before Tamako ran away. Yumiko was lucky enough that when the kekkei genkai activated in her, their father was still alive to teach her how to use it. Yumiko tried to pass along his lessons. Tamako was more emotionally driven than Yumiko, and because she was so much younger it was harder for her to control.

“I’m sorry we’re having to look for your sister,” what she can see of his face softens. “I know she’s all you have left.”

She looks down at her hands folded in her lap, “I hate this.”

“I don’t blame you,” Kakashi sighs. “We just need to say focused.”

[ohbyunhunn]

Same as my Hiruzen post, just wanna keep this analysis using the feminist (I hope I did it right and my Literature teachers won’t roll their eyes at me lol) (but it’s just for Twitter so wtvr) approach on my Tumblr too. Was posted on July 11 2020:

Ok this has been in my (Twitter) drafts for so long but I wanted to wait till I finish all 500 episodes to post this lol. I love Naruto but God, the writing for its female characters is shit. This is written based only on Naruto and Naruto Shippūden (manga and anime). I think it got better in Boruto but I’ve yet to see it. Anyway

Women are not given the burden of carrying important roles that represent relationships built throughout the series, as if, they are not capable of creating bonds strong enough to drive a character even though it is what Naruto is all about; the importance of bonds between humans. 

Examples of relationships; 

Friends: Naruto-Sasuke, Kakashi-Obito 

Kouhai-senpai: Itachi-Shisui 

Siblings: Itachi-Sasuke 

Student-teacher: Naruto-Jiraiya, Naruto-Iruka, Asuma-Shikamaru 

Patriotism: Itachi-Konoha, Shisui-Konoha 

Lovers to enemies: Hashirama-Madara ( :p )

These relationships as we all know are the basis of the series’ plots and developments. I mean, if not for Naruto’s feelings towards Sasuke, the anime won’t exist... and if not for Sasuke’s feelings towards Itachi, he wouldn’t have abandoned Naruto... and if not for Itachi’s patriotism towards his village, he wouldn’t have killed off the Uchiha clan, which is the reason why Sasuke hated him in the first place. These three related, complementing events are I think crucial instances of what the Naruto universe is built upon. They also are the reason other relationships were able to be expanded (i.e. Itachi-Shisui share the same loyalty and love for Konoha, Naruto became Jiraiya’s apprentice to be able to compete with Sasuke). 

And as u can see, no female characters are involved at all. Only time female characters are seen creating bonds and/or have a role to move the plot is when they are driven by romance (e.g. Hinata-Naruto, Tsunade-Dan, Karin-Sasuke). This paints the idea that women are only concerned of men and romance in the anime?? Even a simple friendship between female characters was almost impossible to be portrayed healthily (i.e. Sakura-Ino are supposedly good friends but they always put down each other). 

The anime itself has agreed that the sole reason a female is present amongst male characters is because they are able to be motivated when a woman is around to be impressed, which will lead them to wanting to improve themselves and become better shinobi. 

When Kakashi asked Hiruzen why were Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura put together in a team, the answer he got was because Sasuke needs someone with the experience of using Sharingan to be there for him when his is activated and in order to be able to control the Kyuubi inside Naruto in case it goes berserk again, Sharingan is needed, which is a sound reason why the two of them are put together. 

And Sakura??? Hiruzen said (omg it still pisses me off), she’s only in Team 7 because that would drive the boys to become stronger because they would want to impress Sakura. Like?? She only exists to be a fucking trophy that could be won is it?? That’s it?? I think this was why at first I was against Sakura and Sasuke’s relationship. IT DIDN’T SEEM TRUE. Yea yea I know there are scenes that have suggested their feelings are mutual but lol let’s be real. Boruto saved it. If not for how they’re presented in Boruto,,, lol. 

Anyway, Kakashi was seen to be on the same page with Hiruzen because he was reminded of how Obito worked hard to catch up to him so that he could impress Rin. The same thing happened to Hiruzen’s team; Jiraiya wanted to beat Orochimaru just to catch Tsunade’s attention. I understand that it is natural for boys (and girls) to improve themselves in order to attract the person they like but to give female characters no role other than to be a trophy?? That’s just dumb and objectifying. 

Sakura got a shit ton of hate ever since Naruto (her character only improved A BIT in Shippūden), and honestly, Idt it’s her fault. Her character writing was so shit that all she ever did was scream Sasuke’s name and when Sasuke is knocked out, she’d call for Naruto. She has a great potential to become a kunoichi of the same level as her teammates but the anime never tried to put the spotlight on her. A lot of times we saw other characters say “wow Sakura has potential” but we never see that being polished on screen. 

If only she was given the chance to take an active role in battles, maybe the anime would’ve appeared better in regards to its treatment towards female characters. The only battle that I remember of with Sakura taking an active part in it??? Her fight with Sasori. Not saying that her role during the war is insignificant but even with that in mind, when Sasuke is present, she could only think of him?? 

And SHE COULD’VE STOPPED MUGEN TSUKUYOMI BY DESTROYING OBITO’s RINNEGAN BUT BECAUSE SHE HESITATED, MADARA MANAGED TO STEAL IT!! 

[ This video has all the Sakura scenes that pissed me off. ]

Why did she hesitate?? She’s a medic nin fgs?? This is what I meant by her writing is shit. The Sakura that I know wouldn’t think twice to do what she needed to. AND to think that just a few moments before, SHE SAVED NARUTO’S LIFE?? BY PUMPING HIS HEART USING HER HAND??? And he survived!! With her aid!! The fact that she managed to pull that off but not destroying Obito’s Rinnegan is just pure bullshit. 

But I’m sort of glad they had the filler episodes where they showed Sakura’s (and Ino’s) growth, how they went thru their training and stuff. It’s not much but thanks for the fillers I guess?? The manga can go suck some balls. 

Another mention of a female character being disregarded as an important ninja would be Konan. Throughout the Naruto vs Akatsuki arc, Konan’s skills and determination have been displayed countless of times. And I’m glad she was given the chance to prove her ability but what rubbed me off the wrong way was Jiraiya’s opinion on her. Every time he spoke of the three orphans he took in, he always mentioned Nagato’s strength and Yahiko’s desire to bring peace in a positive manner. But when it comes to Konan, his only adjective for her was “pretty”. 

Konan is more than just a feminine presence with beauty as her only personality?? She’s a strong-willed person who is able to stand alongside her comrades in fighting for what they believe in. She was willing to sacrifice herself in order to defeat Obito/Madara in a heartbeat!! Jiraiya could’ve said better things about her. 

From this, we can say how biased a male character’s view is on other females?? As if, only men would fight against injustices of the shinobi world but women?? uwu she pretty yes she will grow up to be a beautifoOl woman. 

Kishimoto couldn’t write women very well and he admitted this himself but God, I wish he would’ve tried harder. Not able to write women well is such a shitty excuse for a writer... especially when we know his female characters are capable just as much as their male counterparts. 

Also I try to take this positively but you know how during Naruto’s time, the only medic nins are his female characters? (i.e. Sakura, Ino, Tsunade) I think he meant to portray women as healers and that’s a pure intention but lol it also sort of sends the message that to him, no matter how smart and talented a woman is, they shall not be given the duty to fight!! They should just wait and be ready to receive injured comrades while the boys go fight evil and bring peace!! I wanna give credit to him for making women healers but lol does he deserve it?? 

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

[lunelantern]

~Sasusaku analysis ~

                                      ~Sasusaku analysis ~                                ~~ Sasuke and Sakura - - pair analysis ~~                                            ~THE BRIDGE SCENE~                            (Team 7 Reunion - - after the Five Kage Summit)

                                        ----PART 3---

And Sasuke knows as well.

Sakura isn't a naive egocentric fool. She is humble enough to admit the limitations of her skills. Inwardly, she didn't think that she'll lay a single finger on Sasuke, let alone kill him.

Which makes the reader (and Sasuke) wonder why exactly is she doing there? What's her motivation? She obviously can't be fool enough to expect that she'll stop him when he survived the Five Kage and Shimura Danzo and has Akatsuki and Team Hawk as allies.

It's suicidal mission from Sakura to attempt something like this which makes us wonder whether she didn't come to plead with him to stop acting so erratically - which she does in the first panels - or kill him.

Maybe Sakura had a change of heart en route after she realized that this isn't the Sasuke that she hoped /expected /prayed to find, and her repentine decision almost cost her life.

It's subtle and barely visible as Sasuke flawlessly hides his emotions and draws the shinobi mask on his irate face, but we can depict a subtle nuance of bittersweet amusement at her foolishness; what exactly is she trying to do, facing him with such obviously conflicting and erratic approaches? Her lack of solid prior plan is unflattering to someone like Sakura, because Sasuke knows exactly what kind of person Sakura is.

He knows that she has a brilliant mind, tactical and analytical skills, creativeness and talent and tremendous skills that she polished under the tutelage of the legendary Sannin and Kage, Tsunade Senju herself.

And this is the best that she can come up with? It's almost like HE doesn't recognize THIS Sakura anymore and her approach becomes a copious source of dark humor mixed into the concoction of this tragi-comedy.

Symbolically however, Sakura's indecision and her pendulating emotions are illustrative for how terrible the battle between the shinobi and the lover is, for both Sasuke and Sakura.

One can have more friends, family members, enemies, teachers, idols or brothers, but a lover is singular. SHE... Is only one. She's unique and thus all the pent up feelings percolate to one single person alone and that puts a lot of pressure on Sasuke.

As for Sakura's part, her pain is so hauntingly lucid that it's almost palpable. We can actually taste the pain on our own tongues as we hear the soul-crushing despair of her unspoken words.

"I don't care!" She states flippantly with such an implied confidence that's almost ignoramus and she follows the trite in the same manner. "I'll follow any order you give me."

Only someone with the author's superb skills can create an almost comical situation in the cusp of a tragic angst that's rapidly escalading to the peak of its drama.

By Sakura's statement I could almost picture Sasuke starting to laugh and hiss something along the lines of: "Are you stupid?"

She will follow any order, who is she, Haku?

Of course, it's just obvious that Sasuke - - as playful as Suigetsu humorously  correctly depicts him - - enters this game and starts to play.

If Sakura has no problems in following any ominous order from him that's overtly bordering the Criminal Code, if she wants to be like Haku - - a soulless disposable tool in the hands of a renewed criminal with a penchant for arbitrary murder - - then he'll treat her exactly like this. Emphasizing that if she wants to be a helpless puppet in his hands then she'll become like Karin and share her fate. He practically shows her with a real life example, her hasty words materialized.

You want to follow any of my orders and join me? Then you'll be staying in Karin place too - - half-dead and ignored.

Clearly, she didn't think about what she was mumbling and how stupid it sounded and she didn't strategize before. Sakura should have chosen her words more carefully.

It's only when Sasuke makes his intentions known to her does Sakura realize the extenct of her mistake and implicitly the fact that she is actually in real danger.

Her shock is evident as it hit home. We see the black background as we glimpse into her consciousness and souls, a familiar technique used in the manga when the author lets us glimpse into the characters minds. The transition between the exterior and interior is highlighted by the dark background.

In the end, symbolically their moment stops with the panel of her kunai wavering and stopping as she couldn't pierce through the Uchiha crest meaning that she couldn't quench her love for him as she accepts him for what he is - - Sasuke AND Uchiha.

Her falter must be interpreted in conjunction to Naruto’s words when he says that he and Sasuke will finally make amends when both of them will stop being tied to their designed role and, in a sense, Obito is right when he sarcastically  tells Naruto that he is also selfish for trying to force Sasuke to accept his life philosophy (the political triumph  of democracy as status quo). In which case, Sasuke's family name becomes a hindrance, an impediment.

But that's not the case with Sakura. No, she falters and stops with her kunai never piercing through the Uchiha crest that's sewed on Sasuke's back (she is not backstabbing him by hitting where it most hurts - - his family).

No, Sakura loves ALL of him. He accepts every part of him with his past and present, she sees him at his lowest and she still loves him with unfaltering despair. Her love stands this test, Uchiha surname is a huge burden even in Sasuke's shoulders but Sakura's unyielding love is benediction and suffices in shouldering even this burden (the Uchiha "curse" / the primordial curse).

Consequently, she eventually takes the same infamous surname, Uchiha, and wears it with pride and love, accepting, assuming what it represents, with both his flaws and qualities.

She doesn't try to change anything in Sasuke. She accepts 3very part of him. She never wavered. She loved him before and she loves him now in fact, she never gave her love a moment of respiro. She loved him continuously with same bravery and ardent passion. Sasuke attacks her when she is on the verge of laughing a physical attack as a logical self-defense, treating her as he'd treat another shinobi who attacks him, with his signature attack.

If Sakura wouldn't have attacked him, Sasuke wouldn't have laid a finger on her. He reacted accordingly to her.

When she was honest with him, his face softened.

When she attacked him with murderous intent, he retaliates never taking her lightly as respecting the strong shinobi that she has become (he didn’t take her skills as subpar, as if it was enough for him to simply step aside to avoid her attack).

She could have pour all her heart out openly and uncensored and he'd have listened to her; he always listened when she said she loved him. Never interrupting her as long as she was sincere with him.

Even so... Even if her emotions are a roller-coaster and she caved in babbling and rambling incoherences, he still calmly converses with her, in fact, Sasuke talks more to her than he normally does. Sasuke isn't a talkative person and yet he chatters with her.

"Are you really willing to betray the Leaf for me?" against, his manner of speaking reels with romantic substrate, akin to lovers` conversation. Me, you, Sasuke hardly use such personal undertone. He gives her one final chance to come clean to him because he says" really", so he tempts her playfully further appealing to her feelings, throwing her words back at her.

He knew that she was more than willing to leave the safety of her village as a child, to leave everything - friends and family - behind and become a traitor for him when she was 12, even though her lack of life experience prevented her from having a clear representation of the consequences of her actions.

What about now when the more mature Sakura DOES have the clear representation of such an act? Did her feelings change? Will she follow him blindly?

Does she still love him?

He's willing to listen, he provoked her even to answer just like wanting to confirm for himself whether she's the same woman who loves him - - who HE loves - - or a complete stranger who grow over her childhood crush (like Karin).

He also tests whether is an infatuation or genuine love for Sasuke has been an unwilling subject of women attention and flirts before (Mei, Ino, Karin, the young employees from the Land of Waves...).

She replies with a seemingly confident tone. "Yes... If that's what you want me to do."

Sasuke knows that 3 years ago, she would have so it unconditionally and he thanked her for that.

Now he's skeptical the atmosphere is not romantic anymore; is cynical, is mischievous, it's reeling in underlying ambitions and dark schemes, is mocking and ironic, is deceiving and cruel, sarcastic, bittersweet with laced irony, is trifling and clownish.

Totally different from the sincere atmosphere that melted our hearts in their farewell scene.

When the 12 years old Sakura in all her earnest innocence and naivety offered to join him and desert the village... He believed it and even thanked her for that devotion in the name of love.

But this Sakura... He doesn't believe anymore and consequently he asks for a PROOF. which he didn't in Part 1 because it wasn't necessary for he believed it.

A lover doesn't need a token for their love because love when honest and reciprocated doesn't need to be proven.

And yet that's what he asks for it and she gets trapped into his game falling badly for it. "Hmpf..." He snorts like he's amused by her pathetic attempt to lure him in a trap, mocking her and playing her game. "Then prove it." he is no more "playing at romance", he's not Sasuke the lover anymore. He's just the wicked shinobi who just killed one of the best shinobi in the Leaf.

"Kill her and I'll accept your offer." the trap is so blatantly obvious and amateurish that's even laughable. Obviously, that in order to kill Karin who's lying right at his feet, Sakura has to come ridiculously close to him - - the enemy. Which is a fatal mistake for a shinobi. You don't casually parade to Karin and pass him by with the intent to kill him and expect Sasuke to be a silent voyeur.

But one can't notice how incredibly erotic and sexy this dialogue is if deconstructed and taken out of the battle context. It is teeming with that archetypal dark and sensual bad-romance that conjure the darkest most sinfully delicious and incredibly erotic love stories in popular fiction world.

The thrill of having a dark hero who's unpredictable, passionate, dangerous, savage, the one who could give a woman glimpses of a scorching passion and fulfill her darkest desires.

Sasusaku is the very epitome of the passionate couple.

A quick glimpse over the dialogue is deliciously hot if taken out of the context and very uncharacteristic for someone like Sasuke.

"Sakura..." the way he says her name in that low baritone voice that sends delicious shivers along the spine.

"What do you want with me?"

"Why would you want to join me? What are you trying to pull?"

"Are you really willing to betray the Leaf for me?"

"Hmpf... Then prove it."

"Kill her and I'll accept your offer."

"well? Can't you handle this Sakura?" this particular line and the mocking way he says it so enticing dangerous like a bad boy... Is overly sexy. Is hot, is dark dangerous and erotic, is the exact type of fiction that entices because it oozes of pure passion. I can't help but replace the j spoken word in my head: "Can't you handle ME... Sakura?" are you capable to be with the current me?

It is hard to discern what's sincere and what's deceiving from this heated interplay between Sasuke and Sakura because it's written intentionally ambiguous and enigmatic to keep us constantly enticed and confused.

There's a fine line between shinobi and lovers and we are just as confused as the two protagonists.

Apparently, one wouldn't associate Sasuke with intimacy passion and erotica but the Uchiha is full of surprises and severely underestimated.

He is perfectly capable to "play at ROMANCE" when he so desires. When he shuts Kakashi down with "You want me to play at ROMANCE?" Sasuke automatically implies that he KNOWS how to do so. He isn't an unschooled rookie in the art of romance, he isn't the disimpassioned man that has no appetite for love and intimacy.

Not in the least.

And this is the only woman that he ever loved romantically and proved to do so only his inconsistent and dynamic character perfectly masked his emotions. He's way more subtle than the others.

He is calm up and composed, even letting her to bypass him closely knowing that she had weapons hidden under her clothes.

Objectively speaking the confrontation is absurd and lacks any verisimilitude. Sakura isn't credible and Sasuke is ironic, calm and abnormally tranquil and playful.

He's way too serene considering who he has just fought. I couldn't guess that Danzo`s death brought Sasuke a pang of relief as he's directly responsible for the downfall of Uchiha but revenge is like a drug; it never brings relief and the more you have the more toy crave for. And one would never satiate. So he experiences a momentary relief.

But that's not the case for the purpose of this entire scene is to emphasize the internal conflict between the shinobi and the lover.

[owlsbride]

Blinding Lights.

TheOwlsBride

Summary:

Kakashi is bored, he is tired, and he thinks a lot. He is a bit lost, and with a repetitive tume in his mind. He thinks maybe Sakura is the answer to all his sorrows.

Notes:

(I recomend to read while listening to The weekend Blind lights.)

He was so bored! Utterly bored. Exhaustion painting all over his face, at least the visible part to people's eyes, and he could swear without a trace of doubt that the other half, the forbidden one showed the same. He smiled to himself at the thought. When was the last time that somebody has seen his face complete and unmasked? A doctor or two, perhaps, yes. After so many battles, so many missions, so many wars, it was kind of inevitable. They had seen the face under the black spandex mask attached to his sleeveless uniform shirt, sure, but his real face? The one under the mask that lays under the mask? He wasn't even sure how long has it pass since he, himself, dare to take a look at it. Of course, he knew his face, features and marks: his history written all over it. But facing it in front of the mirror reflection, and acknowledge his true deep self was something else. Something that he wasn't able to do, he didn't have the strength, not even the will to do it. It was terrifying and unsettling and even more now that he was the Hokage. It was funny, almost hilarious. One day he was the favourite Anbu prodigy, and the other he was the old Hokage of Konoha. Ironically he never wanted it. Of course, he was devoted to his village, he would do everything for his people, to protect them, take care and try his best to improve everyone's lives, he had a past to back him up. He had sacrificed more than anyone for Konoha, even his closest ones. His hands had been stained with blood, and he could still see them stained. The ghosts haunted him every night, sometimes they didn't even let him sleep; even so, he had given everything he had to attend to the needs of his village. He had obeyed orders without saying a word. He had executed each mission in silence, knowing that he would bear the consequences of them on his shoulders forever. He had seen friends die, some of them twice, and yet he had always moved on without looking back so as not to become a monster. He had seen his students grow up into adults, those who he once protected, trained and guide through the dark path of being a Shinobi, were now all grown-ups living their own lives as they pleased. And yet here he was, with a job he didn't desire but accepted anyway, why? Because he loved Konoha, despite everything. He looked through the window, the sun was starting to set as it did the city. The times were changing, everything seems so peaceful now through the sunset light, and yet he felt anxiety deep in his core. Something he couldn't even explain to himself. He wondered how all the Hokages did it before him. How they went through the most terrible times, and instead, now that was definitely peace and calm, he didn't know what to do. He was feeling lost, craving for a past that was no better but at least made him forget how it felt to be Hatake Kakashi for a while. He got up from his chair and went to the window. Once again, he looked at the horizon and sighed. He has hunched over again, a posture he had adopted over time, not because he couldn't stand upright, but so they wouldn't see him. Perhaps that way he went unnoticed, a way to make no one expect anything from him. This position served him well. He could seem carefree, oblivious to what was happening around him, sometimes unattainable, lazy and even occasionally irresponsible. Yet, there he was, in the highest position to which anyone can aspire. The truth was that he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he even wasn't feeling that old yet. He started thinking in Tsunade, what a woman. She was powerful, determinate, strong. The sannin was a force to reckon, she had been a great Hokage, even with her fierce character and her unusual orders and behaviour. He would like to talk to her now, but it was not the time.

He wondered what she could do at moments like these ones when the situation was critical, but it didn't have anything to do with external menaces, civilian crisis, or whatever. He smiled to himself. The Godaime would have drunk until she lost consciousness and reason. She would get so drunk that her doubts and fears would be clouded by the alcohol and the next morning she would have moved on. He wasn't sure he could do the same. The problem with alcohol is that it seems to have different effects on each person. He knew it well. He wasn't much of a drinker, but the times he tried to drink his worries away, he ended up being an idiot: drinking leads him to think, and thinking makes him feel idiotic. The Hokage tower was already empty, Shikamaru was the last one to leave after asking Kakashi once and again if he needed it something. The kid had always been smart, or he was becoming more transparent over the years. Can everyone read him like an open book now? Kakashi dismissed Shikamaru waving his hand nonchalantly. Nothing the boy said or did could get him out of the bad mood he was in at the time. What would they talk about anyway? He wasn't going to tell the Nara boy nothing about his boredom, his anxiety, his lack of enthusiasm about his work, or for that matter, the loneliness he was feeling. There, he said it. Loneliness. How much a simple word could hurt? Apparently, a lot.

Despite his own good judgment, he went to the cabinet where he knew Tsunade kept her private stock of sake that for some reason (as if she knew he was going to need it sooner or later) was left behind. The first drink was harsh, it was always the same, the burning throat, the tears that leapt involuntarily from his eyes and the chill that ran down his back, bristling the hair on the back of his neck. The second drink was already more friendly, and the third was almost like a brother's hug, not that he knew how it felt. It was a matter of time for everything that was well enclosed in his thoughts to begin to flow in front of his eyes. Now without his Hokage robe sitting on the frame of the large window watching everything go dark, he began to think, shit, damnend sake.

It had been a while since he had seen his former students. Each of them had moved on with their lives and actually pretty well, sadly without much from his help. Sasuke had grown up, now he was a Shinobi who as always, preferred solitude and did not spend too much time in Konoha. Quite the opposite. He was quite elusive and spent more time outside the village than with his own. Kakashi didn't manage to make him stay longer than necessary and knew that the young Uchiha would never abandon the shadow that always surrounded him like ghosts of the past. He had achieved his redemption, but for Sasuke, nothing seemed enough. One of three: he had not been able to save him, not that time after tying the boy to a tree so that he would not leave on the night when he spoke as he had never done to anyone, with sincerity, and it was not even close enough to make the boy stay. Sasuke was never who he was again. Naruto, on the other hand, was a force about to explode. If Kakashi thought that Sasuke was more similar to him, was absolutely wrong. He didn't feel so smart right now. He would have to have realized that Naruto was actually the one who had embraced resilience like no one else. Naruto was light, Sasuke was dark, and that had confused him. Maybe Naruto was the boy who suffered so much, the loneliness, the loss of his parents, rejection, just like him, but that smile that shone like the sun had been able to mislead him. Kakashi was disappointed by this. However, the blond boy with the biggest sky eyes he had ever seen would soon become his successor. He really hoped it would be sooner rather than later. Naruto had grown so much. Sometimes he was envious of Jiraya: if only he had trained the boy more, paid more attention to him. Even though he knew he did everything in his willpower for Naruto. He knew that with the sannin, he had achieved things that he would never have otherwise. At times, Kakashi felt that he had failed his sensei, but he also knew that everything had been the best decision. While Sasuke was the prodigal son, Naruto was the light in everyone's life, the one who could be trusted and the one who would always be there for everyone. He had taken it for granted on more than one occasion, but things were what they were, and he knew that despite his irrational guilt, they had worked. Two of three.

His fourth or fifth sake was finally dedicated to Sakura. The sweet and temperamental Sakura. Without knowing why Kakashi believed that she was his biggest fault. Hadn't he been able to see her as she really was at the time? Speaking of taking things for granted. Sakura had a natural talent, her handling of the chakra, her superior intelligence, her ability to see beyond, could almost be compared to Shikamaru's mind. And that was saying a lot. But there was something about her that at that moment kept him away. Just as he knew that the twelve-year-old girl was a talent, a diamond in the rough also knew that at times she lacked the necessary security to be a good kunoichi. Despite the determination of her effort and tenacity, Sakura's emotions could take her to early doom. Kakashi couldn't bear to lose his student, not again. He was sure that Sakura's kunoichi path was determined by her unconditional love for Sasuke, she used to breathed and lived for him. And that was weakness, Emotions are never good for a shinobi. Getting very close to the other, mixing feelings, exposing oneself was a foolish thing: however that had been his most important rule, never abandoning a partner. Yet in his days as sensei, he still judged the young girl's decisions based on her personal detachment and total surrender to the Uchiha boy. And as in a record that is repeated over and over again, Sakura had also changed him. She had been trained under the wing of the Godaime herself, Sakura become her apprentice, almost a daughter. Tsunade had known how to draw even the smallest drop of talent out of Sakura. She had formed the girl in her image and likeness, she had taught her to shine, to become strong, responsible and unique. Sakura had a power that no one else did. She had made her own path, and although many could still feel that they were not enough or that she had not evolved as much as her companions, Kakashi knew that she had been the strongest of all. She had overcome the onslaught of war, hardened his heart without turning into a heartless monster. All the love she had ever felt for Sasuke had turned into a love for her owns, and she had saved more lives than any other shinobi in a war. Sakura was talented, dedicated, gave everything she had for others and did not hesitate to pawn her own needs in favour of those in need. Sakura had put too much aside. That would never change, and now he was proud of the woman she had become. When had she gone from being the impatient and impulsive pink-haired girl to becoming the most powerful woman he knew? Three out of three. Kakashi smiled at the thought of Sakura. Of his three students, she was the one with whom he had the most contact. Now she ran the hospital and gave him the reports every night. She could send any assistants; however, Sakura enjoyed doing it herself. As if she still needed approval in her work. She wanted to show him night after night that she had finally broken her own limits and had become one of the most valuable people in the village. No one would steal the pleasure of recounting her advances, her success in surgery, or the development of a new antidote. No one would take away the possibility of showing him in his face that she was worth it.

Sakura didn't have to prove herself to anyone, less to him. Kakashi knew her well. Sakura had become a woman to recognize, the childish gleam in her green eyes was now was the gleam of a woman determined to achieve all her goals. To teach everyone that the world was a better place, that no matter how many bad things happened, there was always room for light. Sakura, like him, had sacrificed everything for the others. She had changed her childhood love for Sasuke in pursuit of her goals. A time had come when she had matured. Her dream of a happy life with the last of the Uchiha clan had turned into a nightmare. Kakashi hated Sasuke a little for making her suffer. Sakura was the purest and most genuine being he knew, and the young man had never been able to recognize her. He had never abandoned his selfishness, and the pink-haired girl paid the consequences silently and stoically. Kakashi had done nothing to prevent it, and yet Sakura didn't need anyone to defend her or make her see reality. She had chosen the best for herself and left illusions behind. Instead, she embraced her work, her missions, her learning, and now the health of all of Konoha. Kakashi was proud of her and at the same time sorry that he hadn't been a little more part of this revealing process sometimes hard. A process that had dragged the tenacious and cheerful Sakura through darkness and loneliness, something they had in common even though they had never spoken about it. If there's one thing Kakashi could boast of, was his ability to read people. He was able to see the subtle changes in his former student. He could see how she bit her lower lip when she was nervous, when something didn't go the way she wanted or when she felt that tears were about to burst. He could see the sparkle in her eyes in all splendour but also how they faded the moment any topic related to her work was over. Sakura could in one moment go from being the brightest beacon in Konoha talking about a new project and in the next one turn off and get lost in the distance with a gloomy look. She was absorbed in her daily activities, and when they ended, there seemed nothing left for her. Why did the shinobi life always have to be so contradictory and painful? Whereas Naruto would always have Hinata to come back and take refuge in her arms. Sakura only had the solitude of her apartment and the occasional chat with Ino, and he was sure that was not what completed her the most. Sakura, like him, understood loneliness, only that unlike him, Sakura never let herself down and was ready to move on. She would not spend hours sheltering in her office looking through the window, sighing and lamenting her fate. Sakura would always do something to change her situation, and that was what most captivated him. Sakura was sure that better things were ahead for her to come. He does not. And that's why he respected her. The sake had already taken its toll on his head and his thoughts. Kakashi had foreseen it, but almost as if he had wanted something like this to happen, he was satisfied with the evolution of the night. He had reflected on his situation, he kept drowning in how heavy being a Hokage seemed to him, despite knowing that he was up to the task, and he had returned to thinking about his students, especially about Sakura.

She was the one she had the most contact with, He saw her every day, and they sometimes talked for hours. Kakashi had witnessed every change in the girl, and along the way, he had also changed. Sakura was a woman, she had grown so much that he hadn't even realized when exactly she had done it. For some reason seeing her at night was the motivation of his days. Talking to someone who had similar feelings comforted him. He also couldn't deny the natural beauty that Sakura had become. He had to remind himself every time that she was his student, but still, couldn't help himself. It was not an explicit beauty that Sakura possessed, not like many of the kunoichis in the village. Sakura's beauty remained in the air once she left the place. It lingered there even hours after her absence. It was subtle, like a sweet fragrance in the wind: her shadow, her power, her smile. Kakashi had come to the conclusion that he liked all of Sakura. He punished himself, Sakura was a child, and he, he was not. He punished himself for not being able to see Sakura as just a colleague. He didn't know when things had changed. He had the need to be with her even without even noticing it. At some point in his long hours of solitude, Sakura had occupied his mind offering him some comfort. Not even his precious Icha Icha could satisfy him anymore, and it wasn't even that he wanted to put into practice with the girl with soft pink hair everything he read there. Kakashi knew how to separate the difference between fiction and reality well. Sakura was much more than just an erotic novel. So he never touched his hand, Sakura was all he wanted. Perverted. Sakura ... if there was someone who could get him out of this state even for a little while it was her. It was ridiculous. He thought of Tsunade once again, the Godaime would punish him only for his thoughts. He would end up for days lying in a hospital bed and live in shame forever. Still, at the same time, he couldn't help but see the woman's honey-coloured eyes telling him that Sakura was more mature than many of the adults around. That she was no longer a child and that wanting her was not a sin when it comes to two adults looking for the same path. Kakashi did the math. The age gap was a reality, but it was no longer so noticeable. In fact, he knew a lot of couples with the same age difference and even more, and nobody judged them, but he was the Hokage, and he couldn't afford those luxuries. Yet there he was, sitting in the window of his office craving for Sakura's company as if she were the only one who could appease the anxiety he felt that night. He was drowning in himself, and no one else could rescue him. He didn't even understand those feelings. He had to finish all this, so he took his things and left the tower walking out.

Kakashi looked around the city, it was already cold and empty. He sighed in relieved. No one was around to judge him, and he could see clearly where he was going. He had been alone long enough and deep inside he hoped Sakura could help him. Maybe she can show him how to love. She didn't even have to do too much, he knew she could turn him on with just a word or a touch. Between the sake and the lights, Kakashi was blinded, he was drowning in the night, and the feeling was tortuous. He only needed to find her, to feel her touch. A touch that let him sleep in this awful night full of ghost. Kakashi knew that in situations like this, Sakura was the only one in which he could trust. Even if she didn't have to do much, even if she didn't know a single thing about his feelings. Even if she doesn't feel the same. Kakashi knew the way pretty well, and he wasn't that drank, he was walking to Konoha Hospital. He was running of the time, Sakura would leave the place anytime soon, and everything would be lost. He wouldn't let her go tonight. Kakashi turned the corner, and there she was, walking Home. Sakura was still in her working clothes, tiredness all over her face. She was in ow when she saw him. Was she afraid?

"Hokage-Sama?" was all Sakura could say before wrinkle her nose, already, inspecting Kakashi's look as in a medical interview. Surely she thought he was injured again, or sick, or drank for the matter.

"Maa, Sa Ku Ra" Always pretending. "Drop the title, please."

"What are you doing here Sen... Kakashi?

" I've been tryna call.

Notes:

This is my first fic in Naruto verse. I've dreamed with this song: Blinding Lights for a few days, and always was Kakashi plaguing these dreams, and I don't know why I think it feets perfect. Please I would love to read what you think, I really do. If you hated please don't say anything I will realize anyway. If you like it instead you know what to do. Should I write what Sakura fells??? up to now its something just one-sided. so.... I'll be waiting.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

I need something to free Kakashi from the statement "he's one of the worst senseis", am I one of the few people who knows what a sensei is like or I don't understand the anime? I'm tired of always having to explain the same thing to the fandom. Sometimes I feel like I'm crazy or that I'm the only one who sees that it's not like that.

sorry about this😣

This fandom seriously has a problem understanding a Sensei’s job or even seeing things with a clear look tbh.

Like i’m not going to say Kakashi’s perfect as a Sensei, he’s not

But everything he did that people hatw, the other Sensei’s did

Kakashi entered his team into the chunin exams after only a year of training? So did Asuma and Kurenai. Sakura wasn’t prepared for the chunin exams? Neither were Hinata and Choji but their Sensei’s still put them in.

He also allowed his Students to ultimate choose if they wanted to do the exams, lying about the applications so Naruto and Sasuke didn’t pressure Sakura into doing something she wasn’t ready to do. Gai did the SAME with his team, but his team decided to wait a year. Team seven did not.

Kakashi also had two of the most difficult cases in the villages so he had a lot going on. He had Sasuke who was a ticking time bomb of anger and was being chased after by Orochimaru. He had Naruto, who was a ticking time bomb of energy and needed attention because he had a sever lack of it, and Kakashi couldn’t always provide that attention because of Sasuke’s situation.

He didn’t speak perfectly to Sasuke when trying to get him to stop fighting his teammates and calm down, but he was also trying to be a Sensei a a Konoha shinobi who was being sent away on a mission asap

He didn’t train Sakura enough but tbh that’s also a writer’s issue and Sakura issue. Writers issue because Kishi just didn’t care to give her the story she should have had, Sakura’s cuz she never reached out for more training like Naruto did. Kakashi trained her where he could, recognized her talents, and talked her up to Tsunade to a point where Tsunade happily became her new master

He also didn’t ignore any of his students. While Gai was so hyper focused on Lee after his fight against Gaara that he forgot to train Neji for his chunin exam finals, Kakashi trained Sasuke while also finding a Sensei for Naruto who could help him with his weakest point (chakra control) and that teacher was only replaced cuz Jiraiya knocked him out for calling him out on being a creep (Ebisu is a perv, but he never stepped over the line into creep territory)

Kakashi is the main Sensei we see so he gets the main brunt of crap, largely cuz it was the main character’s he was the sensei to, but his job was never to teach them

Minato didn’t pass on any of his skills to his students. From what Kakashi says he learned Rasangan on his own. If anything Minato probably told him how to learn it (which we see Kakashi say to Naruto as well) and Kakashi took off with that training on his own

Kurenai didn’t teach her students any of her jutsu’s/moves

Asuma didn’t teach his students his

Gai did admittedly try to teach Neji and Tenten his, but this is a perfect example of how a Sensei is supposed to be more of a lead. Both Kakashi and Gai had one student they taught their moves to (Lee and Sasuke) while supporting their other students in their seperate aims/goals (Naruto, Sakura, Tenten and Neji). So to shit on Kakashi for ‘not teaching his students is 1) wrong (he taught them his ‘ninja way’ aka Friends over mission which they took to heart (at least Naruto did and Sasuke did until he dove head first into darkness. He also taught Sasuke chidori, helped Naruto create his own jutsu and taught Sakura Qi release when she was a genin (it’s a jonin rank jutsu)) 2) not his job.

There’s also the fact that Kakashi is often viewed as lazy because when we see him train his students he’s hands off (laying on a bench while naruto trains, teaching the kids chakra control for tree climbing and then allowing them to practice) but that’s what a sensei is supposed to do. He shouldn’t be holding their hands every step of the way.

He’s also effective. Naruto created a whole new jutsu in DAYS because Kakashi taught him how to use his shadow clones to his advantage in a way no one else could. Sasuke improved his speed to such extreams he was on par with Lee without his weights, and Gai recognized that as being the result of Kakashi’s training. He also learned chidori in that same month, which is a difficult jutsu

Kakashi was actually a really good Sensei, he just had the world stacked against him in keeping his team together, and because we see more of his mistakes people make him seem worse than he actually is rather than… just recognizing his faults and success’. Like i’m sorry to anyone who thinks another Sensei could have done better, they would not have

Gai couldn’t have stopped Sasuke from leaving the village

Yamato would be equally hands off because of how he was raised/trained

Asuma is more likely to highlight their faults than their success’ (probably a result of being the hokage’s son and having a shit ton of expectations placed on his shoulders growing up)

Minato wouldn’t have taught them anything

Jiraiya was EVEN MORE HANDS OFF AND SPENT HIS STUDENTS MONEY ON WOMEN AND BOOSE WHILE ALSO TELLING HIS STUDENT TO STAY IN HIS SEXY NO JUTSU FORM

[nonbinarysasukes]

hokage!kushina au

minato rejected being hokage bc he knew his fiance had always wanted it, and bc he knew she had better leadership skills, so he recommended her for the post instead. and when the new hokage was announced as kushina uzumaki, kushina didn’t cry (minato did though). she squealed and hugged minato, then calmed herself down saying, “a hokage has to be cool and composed-ttebane!”

because of kushina’s smart thinking to put mikoto and fugaku on watch while she’s birthing, kurama is held back and sealed into her once more after naruto is born. minato and kushina raise their son into a wonderful (gay) boy. kushina and her bff mikoto find out abt danzo and have him sentenced to death. the members of root, including the children, are freed. 

kushina also abolishes the shitty team setup of “two boys one girl” and starts failing the incompetent boys and passing more girls instead. women’s rights in konoha have never been this good. more than half the anbu is now the women who never got a chance to fight bc of konoha’s elitist system. mikoto is promoted to captain like she should have been so many years ago.

kushina outlaws the hyuuga branch system to much outrage which thankfully calms down soon enough. hinata is never kidnapped bc konoha’s guards aren’t negligent. as a result, hizashi never dies, and he and neji are treated fairly. neji, hinata and hanabi grow up like siblings. hinata grows out of her stuttering habit and becomes a calm, mature young ninja. hanabi is the same bright, talented firework who goes on to lead the hyuuga. neji settles down with lee and gaara as an anbu of konoha many years later.

team gai remains the same, with their wholesome dynamic. neji plays along with lee’s rivalry, all the while hiding his huge crush on lee. tenten just smirks at them the whole time.

tenten gets to study under kushina - surprisingly the uzumaki clan also has a history of weapons. tenten falls in love immediately. she and temari draw in the chuunin exams and tenten gets enough courage to ask her out. they get married after steadily dating for five years straight. temari is the kazekage, so they get to meet on political missions (which end up being just makeout sessions but no one needs to know)

team 8 have kurenai sensei, as usual. she’s not with asuma bc he’s a creep but dates shizune instead. kibahinashino is a thing ok?! hinata is the team leader no questions asked. kiba and shino work amazingly well with her and they all lead feminist rallies together. kurenai has fun with her kids.

anko gets actual. fucking. therapy. kushina lets her nuke oro***maru herself. jiraiya is given a proper dressing-down for his perverted and irresponsible behavior and reforms himself. he takes an active interest in helping orphans and starts tons of orphanages. tsunade returns to konoha eventually and is also given a right scolding by rin and kushina. shizune joins in too.

kakashi, who moved in with kushina and minato not long after obito’s “death”, grows up as naruto’s big bro/uncle of sorts. rin grows to become a strong medic-nin, even learning from tsunade, and is easily able to fight off her kidnappers with a few punches, thus staying alive. obito never finds rin’s body and soon realises madara’s intents, managing to kill him while he’s asleep and running home to konoha where he reunites with his team. obito is fully pardoned by kushina, who gives him a huge hug as she announces his pardoning. minato cries.

there’s no uchiha coup bc they saved the whole damn village and are now respected and well loved. the uchihas also show their warmer side to konoha, which endears them further. fugaku retires from ninja work bc he’s Stressed TM and becomes a househusband. mikoto’s cool enough for both of them anyway, he reasons.

kakashi retires from ninja-ing at 20 and starts dating gai, whom obito sets him up with. rin and obito become the closest of friends but never get together bc obito gets over his puppy crush and rin’s aro. yamato adopts shin and sai, and obito and yamato start dating. 

naruto, sasuke and sakura are still put on the same team with yamato as a sensei, but naruto and sasuke grow up as really close friends. sakura never has a rivalry with ino bc sasuke’s always goofing around with naruto and doesn’t come off as ‘cool’ and ‘crushable’ - though he does grow into his coolness later lmao - and sakura later starts dating ino. (sasuke and naruto and sai set them up.)

team 7 are the BEST of friends, and when sai is added to the team (having had to undergo therapy to reverse root’s brainwashing) he fits in perfectly. he and sasuke have fun making dick jokes. naruto and sakura just face-palm at the two.

naruto’s still a bit of a goof and quite awkward, but he doesn’t have such a problem with chakra as he used to. he’s also talented with sealing, having been taught by kushina personally! he’s all-round average as he doesn’t have much stamina, but a brave shinobi. when he is fourteen he’s made the jinchuriki in an official ceremony.

sasuke pretends he can control naruto through his sharingan and scares him for nearly a month before revealing he’s joking. naruto was so mad (esp bc kushina and minato played along, like of COURSE)

sakura learns from rin rather than tsunade, who turns out to be a wayyyy better role model. she learns a lot about being a medic-nin and even develops her own style of taijutsu - blossom fist, which relies on strong and super-fast attacks by focusing on making the chakra overflow in an opponent’s bones, essentially breaking them. sakura also spends a lot of time with sasuke, both training their genjutsu together.

sasuke awakens his sharingan when he is twelve and itachi comes home half-dead from a mission. he turns out to be extremely talented with the doujutsu, perhaps more so than any member of his clan. itachi teaches him swordplay as well. sasuke also hones his lightning ability and, having never relied on the mangekyou, becomes a master of the regular ability of the sharingan. he receives training from kakashi and becomes almost as good a copy-nin as him.

tenten becomes hokage soon after kushina. sakura is her right-hand. sasuke and naruto are joint anbu captains (minato and fugaku are so proud). kushina officiates sakura and ino’s wedding. everyone’s actually happy.

kushina is regarded as konoha’s strongest hokage until tenten. she and tenten are considered to be on the same level. they’re even called “the twin queens” across the five shinobi countries.

anyway thank you for coming to my ted talk lol ik this got long but i wanted everyone and sadly i couldn’t have the akatsuki and everybody bc let’s be real how much can i type? i might put it in a part 2 tho!

[fox-mother]

Kushina has two roads that her path as an Edo Tensei could follow. She could be summoned by the allies but severely restricted due to their limited knowledge of the jutsu or she could be summoned by Kabuto in cahoots with Madara and Obito, granting her all but full use of her abilities again. It depends on the circumstances surrounding her summoning. Before I go more in-depth with that, I would like to discuss her abilities as a whole so we can get an idea of what she gets back as an Edo Tensei.

Abilities:

Sealing

Kushina boasts many tantalising abilities for both sides. The most obvious is her prowess with sealing. She has more knowledge than the entire Sealing Corps of the Allied Shinobi Forces (hereby known as the ASF) combined. She can neutralise pretty much every single seal they could possibly formulate, she can remove Minato's hiraishin seals and, thanks to her research, she can remove or alter Tobirama's hiraishin seals.

Taijutsu

She has some of the best taijutsu skills outside of those who use the Eight Inner Gates. Kushina could go mano a mano against a fully-powered Gai and come out victorious. Of course, she also has the advantage of being exceptionally strong and quick of her own volition. She could- potentially- take on the ASF on her own or with maybe the help of a clone. This would be a useful tool for either side.

Kurama (Yin Half Only)

If Kushina's death was due to the Kyūbi after she sealed him within herself and her son- upon Minato's request- she would be reanimated with the ability to form the chakra cloak like is observed with Minato in canon. However, due to her intimate knowledge of the fox and how he worked, Kushina would be able to use his abilities far easier than Minato and with more success. 

Sage Mode

One of the few abilities that go unknown by the ASF and Madara, Obito and Kabuto, Kushina would be able to use her Sage Mode to enhance her already powerful abilities. Activating this again for the first time in 17 years would also reactivate her summoning contract with the toads. This would allow her to summon Gamaton- her toad summon- for the first time in that same period. The number of unique abilities that Kushina displays would also ensure that she's a hard opponent to predict.

Chakra Chains

The last major ability I will focus on, her chakra chains could prove to be a help to either side. Considering that they can seal, defend, attack and neutralise without ever really needing to change forms. Strong enough to withstand a full-strength Tailed Beast Bomb from even the Ten-Tails, she could use them to protect the ASF or protect Madara and Obito on the battlefield from the ASF and their attacks. With her infinite chakra reserves, Kushina could have these active indefinitely and she could have as many as she wanted to have active due to there being no real risk to her if she did so.

Now, with that out of the way, let us move on to discussing the two paths I mentioned earlier. 

Path 1

A pawn of the ASF, Kushina is revived by Orochimaru after being cut from the stomach of the shinigami alongside the First, Second and Third Hokages. After questioning Orochimaru, Kushina and the Hokage all depart to the battlefield, Kushina utilising her husbands hiraishin network as she does. She arrives first and observes the battlefield from afar before making an entrance alongside the other Hokage, who have caught up at this point. Kushina is the one who protects the allies with her chakra chains, rebounding the Tailed Beast Bomb back at the Ten-Tails. Upon reuniting with her husband and son, Kushina is immediately thrust into the role of protector once more as she single-handedly forms the Four Red Yang Formation using pre-placed seals. 

Using her chakra chains, Kushina helps Hashirama pin down the Ten-Tails. She also manages to neutralise the Truth-Seeking Balls, being the one to jump in the way of Gai to protect him. She was able to bypass the Truth-Seeking Orbs by pumping herself full of Sage Chakra beforehand. Pretty much everything plays out the same, except Minato is taken with Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Obito and Kakashi when they dimension hop while Kushina stays with the other Hokage. Kushina helps resummon them back to the planet again and is allowed to finally have a proper talk with them.

Hagoromo takes her aside and tells her that- while he cannot restore her to life- he can allow her to stick around if she wants to. She takes him up on this offer and is allowed to remain behind with Minato and Naruto, preventing Minato from following Naruto and Sasuke when their fight breaks out. She also protects the Yin half of Kurama that she was still holding onto- having prevented the extraction of the Yang half from Naruto. They reunite with their son again after the battle and continue to stay with him until Minato steps down and they go travelling.  

This is the ideal path that is taken but it isn't the only one. 

Path 2

The second path sees her being summoned by Kabuto before Itachi and Sasuke visit him. She is promptly thrust onto the battlefield, armed with one of the many Uzumaki Fūinjutsu scrolls that could be salvaged from the Uzumaki Storage Temples. At this time, she is under mostly Kabuto's control with a lot of her abilities being ignored or just not used, instead, he uses her to release the seals that are placed on his other Edo Tensei pawns. She just accepts this because what good is it going to do to fight back? It isn't like she could even if she wanted to. 

Meanwhile, Madara is engaging in combat with the Kage. Kabuto sends her to back him up, even if the Uchiha tells him that backup is not needed. Kabuto manages to force Kushina into activating her chakra chains to stop Tsunade from breaking Madara's Susanoo ribcage. The chains wrap around the Susanoo just in time to prevent it from breaking and then retreat when there is no more threat, alerting the Kage to her presence. Madara swiftly deals with them while they're distracted by Kushina. 

When Kabuto is forced into releasing the Edo Tensei, Madara forces Kushina to release herself from his control- much like Madara does- so that she can continue being of use to him. An Uzumaki is a good ally to have, especially one who seems to be especially talented with Fūinjutsu. They continue onto the main battlefield, facing off against the ASF with little trouble. Meeting up with Obito, who Kushina punches in the face almost at once, they continue with their plan. However, the plan changes drastically when Kushina senses her husband and son on the battlefield. She knows that Minato has probably sensed her by now and the fox would have given Naruto a heads up about her as well. Kushinas immediate reaction is to stiffen up in surprise before staring right at them from where she is atop the Ten-Tails. Taking note of this, the two Uchiha try eliminating the threat of them both but Kushina- being a devoted wife and mother first and foremost- stops them. She decides to join the ASF after much deliberation but not after severely wounding the Ten-Tails with a well-aimed landing on its head. 

(For context: Kushina would leap from the Ten-Tails into the air before rocketing back to the ground fast enough to slam into the Ten-Tails. This causes it to hit the ground with enough force to shatter the land for miles around it. This would have temporarily disabled the Ten-Tails long enough for the ASF to mobilise and contain it. They are not able to seal it away but they can put their plan into action while Madara and Obito are getting the Ten-Tails back in working order.)

No matter what they do, they're unsuccessful and Project Tsuki no Me is put into full effect. The only difference is that Kushina joins them and saves Obitos life. A bit of Talk no Jutsu from everyone's favourite fox mama would help convince Obito and Kakashi to join forces, allowing them to use the Susanoo in a similar way Kakashi does in canon. Everything with Kaguya plays out pretty much the same way from there, except Sakura plays a slightly bigger role in her defeat than she does in canon. They're brought back to the normal world and Kushina gets to speak with Minato and Naruto. They both stick around and Kushina helps reinstate Minatos regenerative abilities while Naruto goes off to fight Sasuke. 

So, as you can see, Kushina ends up following a similar path towards the end no matter what. However, the experiences of being on both sides have changes and consequences on the story as a whole. This is especially true in the case of Path 2, in which the most changes occur.

[raendown]

Fourth entry for the @naruto-rarepair-bingo. Today’s prompt: pining.

Pairing: SakuraHinata Word count: 2429 Rated: G Summary: Accept Ino's offer to hit the clubs or spend the evening pining over Hinata for the millionth time? It was an easy choice for Sakura.

Follow the link or read it under the cut! 

KO-FI and commission info in the header!

A Year Gone By

If she had gone out with Ino tonight like her friend asked she would have had loud music blaring through oversized speakers and dozens of screaming drunken voices all drowning out her unwanted thoughts. She could have had a half dozen shots and danced on the bar top until she got their whole group kicked out to throw up in the Naka River before stumbling home. A year ago she would have taken that invitation in a heartbeat, young and stupid and all too willing to cure a hangover with the medical jutsu she herself had invented during Tsunade’s reign as Hokage.

A year ago she would not have been caught on her walk home by Hinata – armed and dangerous with her shy smile and her pretty new haircut – asking if Sakura would please come to her poetry recital tonight as moral support. That alluring mix of hesitation and confidence in a nervous young woman who had finally learned she was worth something could go down in history as Sakura’s single ultimate weakness.  So far she had yet to come up with any sort of defense against it and Hinata had been able to charm her in to several extended lunch hours and after work activities all without even knowing the effect she had on other people. How could someone so cute also be so unaware of it?

The poetry recital went fine, not a big surprise when Sakura had been gifted the pleasure of reading some of Hinata’s work on occasion and already knew the other woman’s talent for twisting words together to make chains of wonder, to paint beautiful worlds of aching emotion. Mostly what her friend had been worried about was her delivery but it seemed having someone there in the crowd that she knew supported her was all she needed to stay strong, delivering her lines in a voice that was quiet yet captivating. Sakura nearly burst with pride to see the way others in the venue were leaning forward in their seats to hang on Hinata’s every word.

When her friend stepped down from the small stage it was to thunderous applause from those gathered and her face was a brilliant shade of red almost bright enough to hide the pleased grin lighting up her features. Sakura gladly allowed Hinata to hide against her upper arm until attention diverted to the next presenter.

“You were amazing,” she praised, trying her hardest not to stroke the silky dark hair spilling over her shoulder. Hinata squirmed to make certain no one was looking at them anymore before sitting up to reply.

“I was so nervous!”

“We couldn’t tell, I promise.”

Hinata beamed and fiddled with the drink she’d ordered before being called for her turn. “Thank you for coming tonight, Sakura. I don’t know what I would have done looking out at all of those strange faces. It was so much easier to pretend that I was only talking to you and – and you’ve been so kind!”

“No, I really didn’t do much. This was all you.” Sakura smiled and hoped that her heart wasn’t showing in her eyes. What she wouldn’t give to ask her friend to lean in close again, to breathe in the floral scent of all that pretty hair or to feel the warmth of their bodies pressed together. Not even in a dirty way! If all she had was the feeling of sitting close enough for their thighs to pressed against one another she would call herself lucky to have even that much.

As it was, all she could do was continue to deflect Hinata’s thanks and praise the other woman for how far she had come in the years since the war. Hinata insisted on buying her another drink while they listened to a young man bring himself to tears over the words he had written, poems of yearning and heartbreak, longing for the touch of someone who would never know what lay in his heart.

Sakura related to him just a little too much to sit easily; she was glad when he finally closed his book and nodded gratefully to the applause of the crowd.

“I have something to ask you,” Hinata told her when the MC finally announced that the event was at an end and thanked them all for coming. “Can I walk with you on the way home?”

“Nonsense, let me walk you home,” Sakura insisted, if only to let herself pretend that this was a date for the fifteen or so minutes it would take to escort Hinata back to the Hyuga district. Her friend nodded gratefully and left to pay her own tab. Once they were outside and turned down a side street where they had a slight illusion of privacy Sakura waved for the other to go ahead with her question.

Hinata hummed and poked the tips of her index fingers together the way she used to when they were children, when the whole world made her nervous. Back then she hadn’t had a clue of even half her own value. The strides she had taken in the years between, the incredible changes they could all see in her now, Sakura could not be more proud of her friend. She only hoped Hinata was as proud of herself for it all as well.

With a bit of effort she shook those thoughts away and refocused herself on the present. There was no point in getting all mushy right now. She could save that sort of thing for later when she was alone and dwelling on the things she didn’t have, things like Hinata’s hand in hers or warm lips to kiss or – no, that wasn’t helping either.

It was a relief to see her friend finally gathering the words for what she wanted to say.

“You’ve been such a good friend these last few weeks,” Hinata began, not seeming to notice Sakura wince at the word ‘friend’. “I would hate to impose but I was hoping you would be able to help me out with something else that’s very important to me.”

“Of course! All you have to do is ask and I would be happy to help. It’s no imposition, I promise!”

“If you’re sure it won’t be trouble…”

“Well I promised, didn’t I?” Sakura offered her warmest smile and stopped to put one hand on the other woman’s arm. She was rewarded with a smile that put her own to shame.

Looking down at her own hands wringing together, she asked, “Will you teach me…how to flirt?”

“Beg pardon?”

“You see, there’s this…person. A person that doesn’t see me the way I see them. But I would like them to! So I thought maybe you could show me how to talk to people like you do; everyone thinks you’re amazing a-and everyone wants to be like you! Please?” She offered such a sincere look of pleading that Sakura felt her heart thump painfully in her chest, knowing she was going to do this even as she also knew that doing it would hurt her in ways she could never ever let her friend know about.

Concealing her reluctance was the easy part. Actually forcing herself to say the words was more difficult. “Sure. I can do that. I, uh, didn’t realize there was anyone new after you finally got over Naruto.” Sakura braced herself. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

She was surprised to see Hinata bite down on her lip and turn away.

“Actually, it’s a not a boy. She’s…a girl.”

“Oh.” If she tried very hard Sakura was sure she could think of something more painful than this moment right now but, honestly, she couldn’t concentrate well enough to try.

Until now she had never known Hinata was also attracted to women. Falling in love with someone and knowing they could never see you that way was already hard enough to swallow. Survivable, of course, and she was the last person who would ever hold someone’s sexuality against them, but that didn’t change the fact that it was a quiet pain even in the midst of their most pleasant afternoons together. Finding out that Hinata was interested in women? That changed things.

Not much. It changed nothing about her as a person. What it changed was the way Sakura saw herself, no longer doomed to simply fall for the ones who couldn’t love her but instead to fall for the ones who couldn’t see her. Hinata considered her a good friend – and nothing more. No matter how many times she told herself that no one could ever help who they fall in love with she knew exactly what she was going to see the next time she looked in the mirror: girl who was just never good enough. But also a girl who was better than dumping her own self esteem issues on someone else.

It was hard but she managed a supportive thumbs up.

“Alright, so who’s the lucky girl?” With her heart breaking so loudly in her chest it was hard to tell but she was pretty sure she even managed to achieve an upbeat tone.

“She’s someone amazing,” Hinata mumbled, smiling at her twisting hands. “Confident and beautiful, smart, funny, kind and caring. I’ve never met anyone else like her. Maybe she won’t ever see me like I see her but I have to try don’t I?” She looked up with such a hopeful expression that all Sakura could do was nod.

“That’s all any of us can do.”

“Right! So, um, will you help me?”

Sakura bit her lip, firmly told her heart to break a little more quietly, and said, “Of course! Haven’t I always told you that if you need something all you have to do is ask? Don’t worry, Hinata. If she doesn’t see you for the amazing person you are then she’s stupid.”

“Oh, you’re not stupid!”

“What?”

“W-what?”

Both women stared at each other, stunned, neither wanting to speak first. Sakura dared not break the spell in case she misunderstood what she had just heard but even if she wanted to she couldn’t, dizzy with the rush of maybe-maybe-maybe, the chance that all this time she might have been pining away in silence for nothing. The longer Hinata stared at her with wide horrified eyes the more she couldn’t help but believe it could be true.

“I didn’t mean to say that,” her friend squeaked.

“Did you mean…it sounded like…am I the ‘lucky girl’?”

“Please don’t be angry! I didn’t mean to be sneaky or anything! I just thought if I asked you to help me learn to flirt then you would be teaching me things that you would like to have someone say to you and – oh dear. This is terrible.” Hinata ducked her head like a shamed child. “You weren’t meant to know until I could…until I could…be more interesting.”

“More interesting!?”

Hinata flinched and Sakura immediately felt terrible for shouting. Careful to keep her movements slow and gentle, she reached out to take hold of Hinata’s hands with her own.

“I already told you that anyone who didn’t see you for the amazing person you are is stupid. And, like you said, I’m not stupid.” The grin fighting its way on to her face felt like it was cracking at the seams of the bitter yearning she had been drowning in for months, ever since she realized why she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about Hinata long after they had parted from a friendly lunch or an afternoon spar.

“Does…so…but…huh?”

“Maybe I’m not being clear.” Both of them were wearing incredible shades of red across their cheeks when Sakura leaned in close enough for the tips of their noses to brush together. “I really like you so instead of teaching you how to flirt I think it would a lot nicer if you stayed exactly how you are and come to dinner with me tomorrow night. Just us two.”

“L-like a date?”

“Yeah, as a date.”

Sakura bit down on the inside of her cheek just to make sure this was actually real, feeling so light she feared she might float right up in the starry sky above them. From the look on Hinata’s face she hadn’t read the situation wrong. They really had been pining after each other. Knowing that gave her the confidence to duck her head and very slowly lean forward to steal a soft first kiss.

It was no surprise how soft Hinata’s lips were. Sakura had seen her use enough lip balm to have guessed that much. What startled her was the way Hinata immediately sank it to it, pressing them closer together and tightening her grip on the hands clasped between them. She was, as it turned out, an amazing kisser. If Sakura wasn’t already so dizzy from excitement she was sure this alone would have made her head spin with unexpected pleasure.

“That…wasn’t at all what I was expecting,” Hinata whispered.

“Uh, yeah, me neither.” Sakura laughed. “I thought I was going to have to help you pick up somebody else and – I mean, I would have done it! But I’m really glad I don’t have to.”

Her companion giggled quietly. “I’m glad too. It was a good surprise.”

“So. Dinner. How about you come over to my house and we can cook together, then maybe watch a movie?” The idea of a private night together was much more appealing than letting whoever happened to be nearby witness their first fumbling steps. Luckily she was not alone in that opinion.

“Any evening would be wonderful as long as I spend it with you.”

“Oh.” Sakura swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat, unprepared for the raw sincerity in those words. A couple of coughs cleared the lump enough for her to ask, “Can I still walk you home?”

Hinata graced her with a shy smile. “I would like that.”

As they turned to continue on towards the Hyuga district, fingers entwined and hanging loosely between their hips, Sakura couldn’t help but thank the gods that she hadn’t accepted Ino’s invitation to hit the clubs that night. If she had she would have missed out on the one opportunity she had been waiting for and it was anyone’s guess whether either of them would have found the courage to ask another time. A year ago she would have taken Ino’s invitation.

But a year ago she had not been in love.

[kakashisavakening]

Chapter 10 - On Fire

Sorry for being so late with the new chapter - exam weeks have not been too kind to me so far. Hope this makes up for the wait 💕

Shikamaru slipped out of the booth, not wanting to get in the middle of the conversation that was about to happen between the kunoichi and the sensei. Kakashi didn't break eye contact with Sakura as he passed him by. Sakura was still heavily under the influence of the sake, but she was sober enough to know that in this state their conversation would not take the turns it would otherwise. Before she could insist that Shikamaru should stay, he paid for the sake and left the bar. 

"You should really have not told anyone about this... it could be used against us." - Kakashi said, his voice was deprived of emotions. He was the blank canvas he has always been... No matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find a hint for his emotions in his one free eye. But damn, he looked as fine as ever... No, Sakura, focus. Don't let the alcohol and his body derail you from your train of thought, shannaro.... Her pep talk to herself - of course - was of no real use. The warm summer wind blew heat into the small bar through the flaps on the door, but his gaze still sent chills down her spine.

"Nara would never..." - She began, but the words froze on her throat as he took a seat right beside her in the booth. His skin was cool to the touch, the anbu tattoo on his shoulder... it was the very first time she saw it from this close. He usually wore many layers of clothing (duh, he even wore two masks) so it was rarely visible. Before she could stop herself, her fingers began tracing the intricate curves of the tattoo. Her touch caught Kakashi off-guard and he turned to face her. 

"He might not, but he was not the only one with ears inside this facility." - Kakashi hissed in a hushed voice. - "It is not like you to be so irresponsible."

"Maybe I am tired of being the good girl everyone expects me to be." - Sakura mumbled and poured the last of the sake in a cup and threw it back. Kakashi pried the empty cup from her hand, and put it on the table. - "What do you want?" - The question has been on her mind since the man appeared at the table, and the new wave of alcohol finally gave her the courage to say it aloud. 

He wasn't sure. He came here to drink as well, but as soon as he noticed the pink haired ninja in one of the booths, talking with her comrade about their love lives, he was too fascinated to leave for some reason. Being away on missions has taken its toll on his body and mind alike. No matter how far he went, how much danger he had put himself in, every time he closed his eyes, her face would appear. Annoyingly distracting.... He could almost feel every mile he had put between himself and the girl. As for his body... It craved her. At first, he thought it craved sex. He had tried to fulfil his thirst, but as soon as a woman would start to undress, this wave... no, tsunami of sadness would wash over him.

"I want a drink, to start off... You are way ahead of me, and I haven't had the chance to loosen up in months." - He said as he waved at the waitress for a bottle of sake. 

"I didn't take you for a day-drinker." - She said, resting her head in her hand, leaning against the table.

"I could say the same.." - He poured the first cup for himself and drank the warm liquid. He wasn't as fond of the strong drinks, but he needed something that would let him slow his mind. Kakashi only intended to drink enough to calm his nerves, but as he drank one cup after another, he quickly found himself intoxicated. 

Sakura just watched as her sensei finished off the bottle, his Adam's apple dancing up and down with every swallow. The fabric of his mask gathered around his neck. She found herself fantacising about grabbing it and pulling him onto herself. She chased the image out of her mind and ordered another pitcher of water. As much as she craved the liquid courage to finally face the man she couldn’t get over, Sakura KNEW she needs to be sober for the conversation that was lingering, waiting to happen.

Lingering might be a light way to put it. It was more like a mountain, heavy on their shoulders.

“Kakashi...” - she began, twisting the glass of water around between her nervous fingers. - “I don’t think this is fading..”

“I know.” - He stared at the last of his sake.

“If anything, I think this is getting stronger.” - Sakura sighed. She remembered the dreams, where she saw the world with his eyes, where she would feel what he felt... and she was sure he had those too. This is why she felt so ashamed to return to his neighbourhood over and over... because she was sure he knew.

“Feels that way.” - he agreed. Still blank, still annoying. Sakura longed for the smallest of indications of what he thought of the situation.

She looked down at her hand, observing the little scar on her pinky. The glove on his hand hid his mark, but she knew it was there.

“Sakura...” - Kakashi had to gather all his courage to say what he planned to say to her once they met face to face again. - “I don’t want you like this.”

“What do you mean?”

“You are influenced by whatever this is. I don’t want you to come to me because of what this bond makes you feel...” - He sighed and waved for the waitress to ask for a new bottle of sake.

“That is the dumbest thing I’ve heard you say, sensei.” - Sakura couldn’t help herself but chuckle. - “Nobody forced me to agree to have this jutsu. Tsunade might have used some emotional terror, but she played on my feelings for you, mainly. She knew one of my biggest fears was losing you.”

Kakashi just sat and stared at the cup in his hand. He was aware of his attraction to the kunoichi for a while. Hell, he even discussed it with Genma before all this shit went down. Obviously, not for his input. Genma was a perv.... but he had to get it off of his chest. It got out of hand eventually, since Gai was within hearing distance when he had told genma and soon all his friends knew thanks to the pain-in-the-butt taijutsu master. Eventually even Tsunade caught onto his secret.

“I have watched you in awe ever since I was little. No matter how hard I tried to grow as a ninja, every time I acheved something I had to realise that the distance between us skillwise was too great.” - Sakura’s tone was bittersweet. Kakashi knew she longed for acknowledgement for her skills and wished she would one day stand on the same level as her team mates. He knew that despite how amazing of a ninja she grew up to be she was still deeply frustrated. - “I wanted you to notice me for my talents, to teach me like you taught Sasuke and then Naruto... but somehow you never found the time to give me some of your attention too... no much how I longed for it... It took me this experience to realise I craved for more than your expertise in the shinobi field.” - She gave him a suggestive look and just that glance of her emerald eyes brought up the memories of her on her knees before him...

“First of all, this is wildly inapropriate...” - that was more for himself, trying to free his mind from the tought with not much success. - “Second of all, have you ever considered that maybe.. just maybe I stayed away from one on one sessions with you for a reason?”

Hearing that, Sakura gained the reassurance her drunk brain needed to make the move she had replayed in her mind so many times since Kakashi began avoiding her; she grabbed the excess fabric around his neck that usually serves as his mask and pulled him in for a kiss. She knew that if Kakashi would want to dodge her attack, he could. With ease.

But he didn’t.

He let her soft lips touch his.

They parted their lips at the same time and their tongues began the dance they both craved since Kakashi has woken up. Sakura could still taste the sake, but she didn’t mind at all. Kakashi slowly let himself into the moment, as if it was a hot tub of water. At that moment, their bond caught on fire... but not to burn away. It was like the hot wind has soaked up their lust, mixed it and then wrapped them both in it. Kakashi couldn’t tell where his desire ended and the kunoichi’s began.

“This is not the place..” - he breathed between two kisses, slammed a handful of money on the table and pulled Sakura out of the bar.

[sariasprincy-writes]

Hollow Point 01

Hollow Point TobiSaku ItaSaku

Summary: Arms dealing is her trade, but young and in a man’s world, it takes a criminal mastermind to play with the big dogs without getting bit. TobiSakuIta

a/n: Inspired by @silverfootstepswrites​' "Eastern Suns" story. If you haven't read it, you need to! (Find her on tumblr and fanfiction). While the pairings and AU may be similar, this story itself will vary significantly. Hope you're ready for a ride. 

One (here) // Two

Chapter One Life is just a Playground

Haruno Sakura rolled the lollipop around in her mouth. The sweet, artificial cherry flavor coated her taste buds and turned her tongue a deep red color. She swung her legs lazily as she sat on a high wall, the heels of her boots knocking against the stone with every tap.

They were her favorite pair. Black, thick-heeled and matching nearly everything in her closet. Like the ripped jean shorts and the white halter top she had chosen for this special occasion. It left her shoulders bare, but the late summer sun kept her plenty warm. Already her arms and thighs were beginning to redden with sunburn.

Sakura didn’t notice. She pulled the sucker out of her mouth with one hand, checked her phone with the other and resisted the urge to sigh. He was late. Only by a few minute but still.

Popping the hard candy back into her mouth, Sakura eyed her surroundings behind her sunglasses, her legs still swinging carelessly. Children were playing on the jungle gym across the street as teenagers skateboarded in the concrete park. Their laughter and shouts could be heard even from here. Just another warm, summer day in Suburbia.

“My, my how you’ve grown.”

A smile formed around the stick poking out of Sakura’s mouth. She saw his approach out of the corner of her eye before he spoke, but she didn’t acknowledge him until he was standing on the sidewalk beside her. Even given the heat, he was dressed powerfully in a three-piece suit.

“Hashirama. You’ve aged well,” she said around her treat. And it was true. There were laugh lines beginning to show around his dark eyes but his easy-going nature was still the same as it had been when she was a child. Or so it seemed.  “If I didn’t know any better, I would still think you were in your forties.”

His expression flattened. “I am in my forties.”

Her grin widened. As if to say she was only teasing.

Hashirama softened at that before his gaze swept behind her. When he was certain they were alone, he looked back at her. His dark eyes seemed to pierce through her sunglasses. “It’s been nearly ten years, Sakura. And while I am happy to see you, I doubt you contacted me without reason. So why have you called upon me?”

“Don’t look so suspicious,” she said after she pulled the lollipop from her mouth. She pointed it at him as she gestured lazily. “I heard from a very reliable source that your…” she paused as she thought for an appropriate term, “company may be in need of assistance and I thought I might see if my talents might be a good fit for you.”

Hashirama’s face was calm, relaxed almost, but his eyes were hard and stony. Debating. Whether he should hear her out or just kill her right there.

Fortunately he chose the former. “And what source would that be?” he asked.

“Tsunade.”

Faint surprise colored his handsome face. “She passed her trade down to you?”

Sakura nodded. “She did.”

Secret thoughts flitted across his mind, only revealed by a soft smile on his lips. Then he blinked and they were gone. “Well, in that case, I might be willing to accept your offer. Come by the Penthouse tomorrow night. We’ll interview you then. See if you’re a good fit for my...company.”

She replied with a grin and stuck the red sucker back into her mouth.

Hashirama turned away, only to stop before he made it three steps. “And Sakura,” he said, eyeing her where she still sat on the stone wall, “I am running an important enterprise. Do try not to dress like a twenty-five year old.”

She smirked. “But I am a twenty-five year old.”

Hashirama said nothing but the look on his face was warning enough. Without a backward glance, he turned and disappeared around the corner.

Sakura stayed where she was, her good mood lingering. She watched the children play across the street as she finished her candy. Once it was gone, she dropped the red-stained stick onto the ground below her. Her phone rang.

“Black town car picked him up, heading North. He’s gone,” the person on the other end said.

“Hashirama was never very good at blending in,” Sakura said into the receiver. “He’s always enjoyed flashing his money.”

“Did he agree then?”

Sakura nodded, knowing that somewhere out there, the man on the other end of the phone was watching her through a scope. “Of course, Kakashi.”  Then her smile faded. “However, logistics will be tricky. Hashirama’s office is on one of the tallest buildings in New York City.”

“I won’t be able to cover your six,” Kakashi told her.

“That’s alright. This meeting should be friendly,” she said as she finally slipped off the wall, her boots thudding loudly. She headed in the opposite direction Hashirama left. Towards the silver charger she had parked around the corner. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

She heard him sigh, displeased. She knew he preferred to accompany her. “I figured you might try and go in alone. Check the trunk.”

Sakura hummed curiously but popped open the back of the car nonetheless. Her eyes lit up when she found it empty, except for a single black case. Inside sat a sleek handgun. Perfect for her slim fingers. Even more perfect for her slim waist.

“Kakashi, you shouldn’t have,” she said delightfully.

“Only the best for you, dear.” Then he hung up.

Sakura pushed her phone into her back pocket before she inspected the weapon. It was fully loaded and ready to use. And it fit perfectly against her hip.

Closing the trunk, Sakura slipped behind the wheel and headed into the heart of the city. The security guard at her apartment’s garage recognized her immediately and allowed her access to the underground parking.

She didn’t stay long. Just slipped upstairs to shower and change before she headed off into the city again down by the waterfront. She pulled into valet and handed her keys off before she headed inside the restaurant.

The interior was stunning. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, bathing the dining room in a gentle glow. On the far side, a wall of glass allowed guests to gaze upon the sparkling water of the bay stretched out into the night.

Sakura fit in perfectly in a black cocktail dress that clung to her curves. Her pink hair cascaded down her back, her bangs pinned back to reveal her pretty face. Emerald eyes rimmed in black kohl briefly searched through the throng of people. She found who she was looking for at the bar.

“Sorry I’m late. Traffic was horrible,” Sakura said as she slipped into a chair.

Ino gazed at her over the martini glass between her manicured nails, her blue eyes like stormy, unforgiving seas. “You’re always late. Did you even come in your own car?”

Sakura blew air between her lips as she looked over the tri-sided drink menu on their table. “My car didn’t match my dress.”

“You’re wearing black,” the blonde said flatly.

Sakura just smirked in response. She ordered a lemon drop from the waiter as he stopped by to deliver dinner menus before leaving them alone again in their corner of the bar. Ino read through the entrees quietly as Sakura eyed the other patrons.

Most were couples, intermixed with a handful of businessmen. Sakura relaxed a little when she found none had wandering eyes and she relaxed completely when she caught sight of a hotel window cracked across the street. Kakashi really was too kind to her. She’d have to remember to buy him those new sights he had been talking about the other day.

“How did your meeting with Hashirama go?” Ino asked, putting her menu down. Upon Sakura’s smile, her eyes widened, “He agreed?”

“He has history with Tsunade. It wasn’t difficult,” she replied.

Sakura didn’t elaborate further as their waiter returned with her drink. He quickly accepted their dinner orders and collected their menus before he stepped away again. Only once he was out of range did Ino press, “You’re meeting with him then?”

Sakura lowered the sugared glass from her lips before answering, “Tomorrow night.”

“Just be careful. He’s pleasant with Uchiha Madara now.”

“So I heard. But I don't expect him to be there tomorrow,” Sakura said. When Ino cocked her brow curiously, she explained, “He's out of the country right now. In Asia somewhere.”

The blonde continued to frown. “Well, I know you regard Hashirama highly, but keep your eye on Madara. I wouldn’t trust someone who turned traitor against the CIA.”

“I have no plans of trusting Madara,” Sakura said, setting her drink aside. “A new organization is beginning to grow in the South. They call themselves ‘Akatsuki’. Have you heard of them?”

“I have. Though I thought their dealing was in drugs?” Ino asked.

“Drugs, arms, human trafficking,” Sakura listed. “If it makes them money, they deal it. They’re starting to converge on Hashirama’s territory. It’s putting a strain on his business with Madara.”

“And so you’re offering your help to smooth out their relationship?”

The blonde’s tone gave away her disapproval and Sakura quickly shook her head to correct her. “I don’t give a damn about their relationship. Hashirama and Madara both need guns. And I have connections in the Middle East that are only too willing to offer me the weapons that could help the Senju and Uchiha deal with this ‘Akatsuki’.”

“You’re in it for the money,” Ino guessed.

Sakura smirked over her glass. “When am I ever not?”

That seemed to satisfy her blonde friend for their conversation turned to trivial things after that. They spoke of the success of Ino’s latest beauty products and her parent’s flower store over dinner. Only once both their plates were empty and the tab paid for did they stand and make for the door, arm-in-arm.

Outside, Ino handed her valet ticket off to the attendant. As the young man retrieved her car, she said, “I’ll talk to my contact about Akatsuki and see what he can find. I’ll let you know if I learn anything.”

“I owe you one.”

“You always do,” Ino said, her eyes tracing her car as the attendant drove up. Her tone came out annoyed but they both knew she was anything but. “Tell Kakashi I say hi.”

Sakura couldn’t resist her grin. “Tell him yourself.”

Ino glanced at her sharply before she scanned the surrounding buildings. After a moment of searching, she turned back to Sakura. “You know that’s creepy, right? Having a sniper follow you around.”

“You always tell me to be safe. He ensures that I am.”

Sighing, Ino accepted her car from the valet. Sakura watched her drive away silently.

Once the blonde was out of sight, Sakura turned to the young man at the valet stand and gasped. “Oh no. I think I left my purse at the bar. It had my ticket inside. Can you get it for me?”

The young man blinked stupidly at Sakura’s pretty smile. “Uh, yeah. Of course. I’ll be right back.”

The moment he was gone, Sakura looked through the box of car keys. In his haste, he had left it unlocked and open to her viewing. She picked out a Jaguar before she strode through the lot until she found the stall it was parked in.

It was all sleek and shiny and new. Sakura melted into the soft leather as she slipped behind the wheel and brought the engine to life. It purred beneath her like a content jungle cat and growled when she hit the gas.

Even Hashirama wouldn’t find complaint with this beauty.

xx

The next evening, Sakura found herself at one of the tallest buildings in Lower Manhattan. She pulled her newly-acquired Jaguar into the underground parking garage and grabbed the tablet sitting on her passenger seat before she took the elevator to the one hundredth floor.

Senju Enterprises dominated the top five floors of the impressive building. The company name was bolted into the wall beside the elevator in thick, silver letters. Even well into the evening hours, the lobby of the high-valued business was bustling with activity. Receptionists typed away quickly behind their computers and answered phones with pleasant but direct tones while men and women in business suits hurried across the large room. Some held coffee cups. Others juggled documents and files.

Sakura weaved her way around the organized chaos like water around rocks. The thick heels of her boots thudded against the statuario marble floors, a harsh and bold disparity from the sharp click of high heels.

The receptionist didn’t immediately look up upon Sakura’s approach. She finished her frantic typing before she peered at her. “Can I help you?”

Sakura smiled. “I’m here to see Senju Hashirama.”

The woman was older than Sakura. Likely by near that of two decades. She raked her eyes down Sakura’s form once, taking in her pristine, white blouse under her sharp, black suit. Her lips pursed when she couldn’t find even a strand of pink hair out of place. “You have an appointment?”

“I do. Tell him Sakura comes bearing a gift.”

The receptionist frowned but she picked up a phone nonetheless and dialed out.

A few minutes later, Sakura was escorted down the hall by a young man about her age with a bluetooth in his ear. She tucked her tablet under her arm as they walked. She vaguely listened to the man as he chatted idly, but her attentions were focused on the computers and projections in the office spaces as they passed.

It seemed Hashirama was more than just a black market trader. Much more. Interesting.

Towards the back, Sakura followed her escort to another elevator requiring badge access to the top floor. It opened up to a plain hallway with a single door at the end. The young man knocked upon reaching it and stepped aside for her when the door was buzzed opened from the inside.

Sakura went in, not at all surprised when the young male didn’t follow her inside. At the end of the single, long table was Hashirama. Beside him was his younger brother, Tobirama.

Sakura had never met or seen Tobirama until now. He looked just as fierce as his brother even with his suit jacket discarded and the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his elbows. His face didn’t betray his thoughts but his dark eyes were piercing as she stepped into the room.

Even with only just the two of them, Sakura knew just how powerful this room was.

She resisted the urge to smirk. This would be far more interesting than the Middle East.

“Sakura,” Hashirama greeted.

She smiled prettily. “Hashirama, how very kind of you to invite me to your humble suite.”

The doors closed behind her with a note of finality. Both their eyes settled on her but she was not unnerved. Two hot men in suits paled in comparison to what she had already faced in her young lifetime. Even if those men were the Senju brothers.

Sakura lowered herself into an available chair at the end of the table without prompt. Tobirama’s face betrayed nothing but he watched her bold move intensely.

Hashirama simply crossed one leg over the other as he regarded her. “We're on a tight schedule so let's keep this short, shall we? You claimed to have talent that may benefit my company. I’m ready to listen.”

“Hold on,” Tobirama said before she could even open her mouth. He glanced at his brother. “What is this regarding? You and I both agreed we weren’t going to bring on anyone knew. We have our projections calculated on the market and-.”

“I’m not here to talk about your projections with you,” Sakura said. Tobirama nearly glared at her blatant interruption, but she continued nonchalantly, “I have some numbers that I believe you will find far more interesting.”

Tobirama’s face shifted. If only to glare. “What could you possibly know about stocks?”

“I don’t give a shit about stocks,” Sakura said with an air of boredom. “I’m not here to discuss your shadow business. I have another proposition.”

The scowl on his face didn’t fade but he remained silent. Sakura waited for Hashirama’s gesture to continue before she reached for her tablet and lit up the screen. She pulled up the information before she slid the device across the table to them. It stopped directly in front of Tobirama.

He barely glanced at the first image. “We work in stocks. What makes you think we have any interest in arms dealing?”

“Oh, come now,” Sakura sighed. “You’re attempting to expand your power south, but a little gang known as Akatsuki is thwarting you at every turn. Now you can keep Madara in Hong Kong to gather more men and weapons, which can take anywhere from weeks to months even with his status, or you can see what I offer.”

Tobirama held her gaze for so long Sakura almost thought they would forever be stuck in time. But then he spoke, “How did a little girl like you acquire all of this?”

The nickname was meant as an insult but Sakura only smiled as her eyes shifted to Hashirama. “You haven’t told him.”

Tobirama’s eyes flickered to his brother. The corner of Hashirama’s mouth turned up as he regarded her across the table. “It appears Tsunade has trained you well.”

“Tsunade?” Tobirama repeated as his gaze returned to her again. He seemed to consider something before he finally reached for the tablet. It was silent as he swiped through the files.

“And you can guarantee all of this?” Tobirama eventually asked.

She bit back her smirk. “The weapons are already on a ship bound for New York. And I have a whole list of men only too willing to be of assistance to the Senju.”

Silence fell again. Sakura gauged Tobirama but his expression was void of all thought and emotion as he scrolled through her information. Of course not all of it would be sent to the Senju brothers if they agreed - she had other clients - but they at least would get an idea of the services she could provide.

Her gaze turned out the window as she waited for the final say. From this view, she could see the cargo ships traveling down the East River as they made their way in and out of port. In two days time, she would be meeting one of those ships to unload likely one of the largest shipments of illegal weapons into the States in years.

Her blood hummed with excitement.

The sound of her tablet case being closed drew Sakura’s attention. She looked up as Hashirama slid it back across the table towards her. “It seems that we agree we could use someone of your skill set after all.”

That was surprising. Considering they hadn’t even uttered a single word while she had been gazing out the window. Not even a whisper.

Sakura slid her eyes to Tobirama again. She got the impression he didn’t care for her very much, but it was hard to tell. The way he was reclined back in his chair, she would have thought he was bored if not for the fact his eyes were watching her so intently.

Turning back to Hashirama, she nodded. “Good. Text me where you want your first shipment delivered to and I’ll see that it gets done.”

Hashirama nodded.

Standing, Sakura slipped her tablet off the table. She turned towards the door, only to pause. “Oh and one last thing. My clients know me as Tsunade. I prefer that in the presence of others you address me as such.”

A curious look fell over Hashirama’s face but he inclined his head nevertheless. Sakura shot him a charming smile before she finally made her exit.

Sakura waited until she was out of the parking garage before she dialed out on her phone. The other end picked up on the second ring.

“They agreed,” Sakura said. “We’ll be giving part of the shipment to the Senju.”

“Really?” Kakashi said, his tone betraying his surprise. “I didn’t think Tobirama would trust you so easily.”

She snorted. “I don’t think he trusts me. More like I haven't given him a reason yet to dispose of my body in the river.”

“Which one?” he asked.

“All of them.”

Kakashi chuckled lightly. “I’ll call the boys and make sure they’re ready.”

Sakura hung up then. She dropped her phone into the cup holder between the seats as she stopped at a redlight. A smile clung to the corner of her mouth.

Let the games begin.

to be continued...