#his father the fourth hokage

[uzumakiheart]

idk if this is an unpopular opinion or wtv but like naruto and sasuke’s respective traumas are super integral to their stories because their entire personalities would’ve been completely different if they hadn’t gone through what they went through. it’s fine when ppl write their families to still be alive but then they write the two of them to be the exact same and it irks me sometimes idk

[lizajane2]

Kakashi to Naruto: "I believe you're the only shinobi who can surpass the fourth hokage."

And that is the closest revelation of Minato being his father that he's ever gonna get, which Naruto only figures out much later.

[weebsinstash]

"Boruto sucks because it isn't about Naruto" "Boruto sucks because it's just a lazy sequel" "Boruto sucks because it had Sasuke fighting dinosaurs" no Boruto sucks because literally one of the first things it did as a series was spit in the face of almost EVERYTHING the original story was about

Naruto's ultimate endgoal was to become Hokage because being Hokage meant being respected and accepted by the village who shunned him and treated him as an outcast since birth (despite the fact he was literally the son of the Fourth Hokage and his entire existence technically was a miracle that protected the village). The entire series, the entire series of both the original Naruto and Shippuden constantly revisits the legitimate TRAUMA he formed from just the sheer loneliness and isolation he was subjected to to the point he started dreaming of becoming Hokage because then at least people would look up to and appreciate him and he would feel like he actually belonged and had a community and a purpose. There wasn't even anyone really keeping an eye on this kid to make sure he was even eating properly besides Iruka (the spoiled milk and the fact he lives completely alone basically from birth???)

Then Boruto begins, "hey, so you know that thing Naruto has basically worked his entire life towards that is basically the ultimate culmination of his entire character arc, that whole Hokage thing? Not only does being Hokage make him absolutely miserable by making him so overworked that he's an absent father, but he didn't even get to go to HIS OWN HOKAGE CEREMONY because *checks notes* his young toddler-aged daughter activated her byakugan and hit him in the tummy too hard because her favorite stuffed animal got ripped and Naruto Uzumaki, jonin, jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox, and trained Sage, just completely passes out and misses the event commemorating his entire life's work that was finally the embodiment of all of his achievements and finally receiving the respect of the village

and it's just played off for fucking laughs. Like no I'm sorry, I can't root for Boruto or Himawari literally at all when every single time I see them I think "ah, there are Naruto's shitty kids who made him miss his Hokage ceremony and are causing his hairline to recede". Those kids fucking suck and most of the new ninja generation is just random people paired together to create new mini versions of the original cast and this is the anime hill I will die on. "Chakra comes from the moon" yeah and my foot is about to come from inside your ass--

[seoheesoo]

What if Sakumo was alive and managed to save Duy from death?

[Part 4]

"Kakashi!" - a loud scream deafened at least half the village.

"Him again?" - Obito rolled his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. - "Can he live at least one day without running after you?"

Kakashi didn't bother him with a response or a glance. He turned in the direction of the scream and immediately realized that something was wrong. A moment later he was next to the teenager.

"What's happened?"

"W-we were on a mission", - Guy said breathlessly, concern sparkling in his dark eyes. - "It was a trap. We were surrounded by Seven Swordsmen…"

"Seven Swordsmen?" - Obito shouted in shock from behind, followed by a quiet shush from Rin.

"Go on", - seeing how nervous Guy was, Kakashi involuntarily turned on his commanding tone.

"Then my dad came running", - Guy clenched his trembling hands into fists. - "He told us to run away.. He.."

"That’s not all", - Kakashi interrupted him sharply.

"On the way back we met Sakumo-san. He went there too."

Kakashi met Guy's eyes and nodded to him. Without saying a word, they headed towards the exit from the village. They had almost reached the gate when they suddenly heard a voice behind them.

"Guy, Kakashi", - a firm voice made them freeze in place.

A young guy appeared in front of them, blocking their path.

"Hokage-sama!"

"Minato sensei!"

Minato looked at both teenagers with a sympathetic look.

"I’ve already sent reinforcements to them", - Minato walked up to the boys and put his hands on their shoulders. - "They'll be fine. Now go home."

"Nii-san!" - Kakashi stubbornly took a step forward.

"No, I can’t let you go", - Fourth shook his head. - "Duy-san and Sakumo-san will never forgive me if something happens to you. Now please go home."

Kakashi knew that Minato would keep his word. They had no chance of sneaking out of the village unnoticed. Hatake took Guy by the elbow and led him towards the house. Guy was silent the whole way. This unusual silence was beginning to weigh on Kakashi's shoulders. He had no idea how to deal with Guy like that. To begin with, he brought him into the house and sat him down on the sofa. Then he went to the kitchen and made jasmine tea. As Guy took a few sips, he began to look less nervous. His favorite tea always calmed him down. They sat in silence until dusk fell over the village. Kakashi took the mug from Guy's hands and put it on the table, and then sat down next to him. Guy clung to him and laid his head on his shoulder.

"I’m scared", - Guy whispered barely audibly in a trembling voice.

Kakashi had a lot of thoughts in his head. He knew that in such situations other people try to calm the other person down. But Kakashi could not utter such words, they would only seem empty and groundless. So he let the truth fall from his lips.

"I'm scared too."

At some point, they dozed off, consumed by anxiety and excitement. Kakashi instinctively pulled Guy closer to him, trying to give him warmth and ghostly calm. After some time, Hatake emerged from his slumber, hearing the heavy, metallic smell of blood. He opened his eyes and saw his father's tired face in front of him. Kakashi exhaled heavily, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. Feeling this, Guy moved and opened his eyes.

"Sakumo-san!" - the boy immediately exclaimed. - "Papa.."

"He’s fine, he’s in the hospital now", - the man answered in a hoarse voice.

As soon as he heard these words, Guy threw himself on Sakumo’s neck, hiding his hot tears on his shoulder. The man gently hugged the boy, stroking his back soothingly.

"Thank you", - Guy whispered in a completely broken voice.

"No need, kid."

Sakumo smiled softly at Kakashi, reaching out to touch him. The boy squeezed his hand tightly in his hand and returned his father's smile.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5 Part 6

[srs-deep-dives]

Minato & Kushina: A "Deep Dive" Analysis (Section B, Part II)

Earlier parts here.

So far we've explored Minato and Kushina's oneness in terms of the Hokageship. But what of their personal hopes behind ‘Hokage?’

(Section B) II. Minato and Kushina as Types

Genin-Kushina speaks of Minato being able to “make all of [her] dreams come true,” and spirit-Kushina thinks, in her final farewell, “our hopes really did reach our son.” On his deathbed, Jiraiya thinks of Naruto as having "inherited Minato and Kushina’s hopes" and makes a direct link between those hopes and the hero of his novel.

The novel’s hero embarks on a mission to bring peace and the couple name their son after him. Why? Because this “Naruto” embodies their hopes and dream: peace. They grew up in an era of war. Kushina lost her village and is a prisoner and weapon at Konoha’s beck and call. Minato loses two of his students, fails to fix the third's trauma, and sees the woman he loves suffer her entire life being the jinchūriki.

Furthermore, Minato is Jiraiya’s student, whose will he also inherits – harkening to the prophesied shinobi who will usher in an era of peace. A "savior" whom I will call, to maintain the parents' vision in mind, "peacemaker."

Which, of course, brings us to Minato and Kushina’s living legacy.

Naruto, this “child of prophecy,” dubs himself “Konoha’s Orange Hokage” as an amalgamation of the Yellow Flash and Red-Hot Habanero. By extension, thus, the peacemaker (and Hokage) title belongs to Minato and Kushina together, embodied in the living, breathing, walking result of their love.

We touched on Naruto inheriting his parents’ love and redeeming Kurama (turning Hatred himself into a vessel of love). But moreover, as Kurama’s jinchūriki he is the 'key' to changing the future. Passed from Jiraiya to Minato to Naruto is the mission of bringing peace. And passed from Kushina to Naruto is the means of accomplishing it.

Jiraiya first believes Minato is the child of prophecy (chapter: Minato’s Dead Demon Consuming Seal), and the anime version of their talk features a pregnant Kushina with them. So right as Minato learns of the prophecy, their child – its fulfiller – is present. Foreshadowed is the legacy Minato will bestow both as a peacemaker and the peacemaker’s father.

[Now on the topic of 'savior,' Naruto has been called by many fans a ‘Christ figure.’ This trope is actually a misnomer. Do you know what Jesus Christ actually did, what salvation actually is? Check out this 1-minute video:

To define the saviorship motif in Naruto, we're talking about something very different. The series themes salvation as a ‘saving’ from hatred internal and external; a reconciling peace with oneself and peace between nations.]

Jiraiya and Minato’s conversation is not the first foreshadowing of the savior theme. The entire series kicks off, in fact, with the following prologue:

Minato is introduced as Konoha’s “champion” in direct conjunction with “Fourth Hokage.” Then we jump to the title of Chapter 1: Uzumaki Naruto! Naruto debuts desecrating the Hokage rock faces – a jokey hint that he’ll one day surpass them all.

Pranking which, for a fun fact, is an "interest" of Kushina's per one of the databooks.

We find mentions of “Fourth Hokage” throughout the story and learn that Naruto reminds Jiraiya of this renowned hero. He appears in person in the prelude to the timeskip – the ‘second prologue’ if you will – as Obito’s sensei. Then we jump to a 15-year-old Naruto returning to the village with Jiraiya. The parallelism in the two ‘prologues’ juxtaposes Minato and Naruto in the grand narrative: Minato is the typological peacemaker who secures the future; Naruto is the legacy peacemaker who carries it out. Minato is both a peacemaker himself and a ‘type’ (a ‘pre-figure’) of the one to come.

How is Minato a true peacemaker and a type? His love gave Kushina the peace to overcome Kurama, prefiguring the internal peace Naruto will help others achieve. And his actions contributed to ending the Third Great War, prefiguring the external peace Naruto will usher with the Fourth.

Framing Jiraiya’s flashback of Naruto’s parents is the theme of the child of prophecy, in the contrasts between his three students who were candidates for the role. Jiraiya is killed by Nagato who lost faith and betrayed his teachings; he remembers Minato who held faith and died for that faith; and in remembering Minato’s faith he recalls his own faith in Naruto – that Naruto is the one who will see their mission through.

In this flashback Minato is visually removed from “Fourth Hokage:” he is in his plain attire without the cloak. He is verbally removed from Fourth Hokage, with not a mention relating to the title. And we know that he is Hokage because Kushina is (heavily) pregnant.

Minato in this scene is three things, linked in the connection of three wills. He is the student of author and sensei Jiraiya, whose will he has inherited. He is the husband of (heavily) pregnant Kushina, who shares (and carries the fulfiller of) that will. And he is the father of to-be-born Naruto, who will fulfil that will.

Moreover, this scene is entirely centered around them naming Naruto (the act of doing so in itself a symbol of passing on legacy). With their child being named after the hero in Jiraiya’s novel, we see the amalgamating of the to-be-parents’ and Jiraiya’s legacies into one.

Kushina likewise is met not as “Konoha’s jinchūriki” but Naruto’s mother – this moment being her first in-person appearance in the series. She is very heavily pregnant, Minato remarking on their “soon-to-born child,” and when she enters the room all attention is drawn to her belly swollen with Naruto.

In both the anime and game versions, in fact, we see Kushina’s belly before we see the rest of her. In the anime, she waddles tummy-first into the frame, and after close-up shots of her and Jiraiya is a close-up of her caressing it.

In the game (Storm Generations), we have a mid-shot of just her belly, from which the camera pans up to her face.

[Kushina rubbing her belly in the anime could also imply that the baby is kicking. Which would further make Naruto not just the topic of, but active in the scene. (Though of course, pregnant women are known to rub their bellies all the time. Just a thought.)]

Kushina’s mention-debut too is in conjunction with Naruto: Tsunade says Naruto takes after “his mother” before she introduces her name. The first word Kushina herself speaks is “Naruto,” with her remark that the name is “wonderful.” And she does the same in her second appearance 16 years later when she saves him from Kurama.

Further, Kushina's mention-debut draws a contrast between her and Minato in relation to their son. Where we’ve been led up to this point to believe that Naruto is a ‘mini-Minato’ (reminding Jiraiya of “Lord Fourth,” having the Hokage dream and so forth), Jiraiya and Tsunade reveal the key twist: Naruto is LESS like Minato and VERY MUCH like Kushina.

Tsunade attributes Naruto’s personality and ninjutsu style to “definitely” being from Kushina. Additionally, aside from his hair and eye-color, his face is the splitting image of his mother’s. (We are in no way discrediting Minato here – Naruto is in many ways, as we’ll discuss, like his father too. The emphasis is that he is far less like Minato in comparison.)

[It is greatly fitting that Jiraiya and Tsunade are the ones to exposit these details, being the prior generation characters themselves in the circle of legacy. As Mito’s granddaughter, Tsunade is essentially ‘the Uzumaki’ of her generation. She also sits in a curious position in the Hokage line: succeeding Hiruzen who (preceded and) succeeded Minato; and preceding Kakashi who will precede Naruto. Further, in dynamics and traits we have a multi-generation parallel: Hashirama and Mito; Jiraiya and Tsunade; Minato and Kushina; Naruto and Sakura; and Boruto and Sarada/Himawari. This is something we will visit later too, for there is a plethora of parallels here. (Note I said “dynamics and traits,” not “ships,” so hold your pitchforks. We'll certainly discuss Hinata too.)]

So Tsunade, our Uzumaki ‘cousin,’ tells us that Naruto is most like his mother, with Jiraiya’s agreement and reveal that he does not in fact possess Minato’s genius. (Contrary to a common fan misperception, Naruto is a people and battle genius. So by this lack we mean academic, Kushina herself admitting she was bad at studying.) These statements follow Jiraiya and Tsunade discussing their faith in Naruto becoming Hokage. And here we have in subtext something which gets very much overlooked.

Recall me saying that Kushina gives Naruto the means of bringing peace while Minato (and Jiraiya) pass on the mission. That means is not only Kurama, but the very trait at the core of Naruto’s personality.

Yes, we are talking about his signature technique: the soul-piercing ‘talk no jutsu.’

It is of no insignificance that Minato’s dying words to Naruto are “ditto your loquacious mother” (or in the anime, "your talkative mom said it all"). Nor that Naruto repeats his mother’s speech to Minato verbatim after he has helped save the world. Minato’s dying act is to sacrifice himself, putting his faith in his son WITH Kushina's chakra. His final departure to the Pure Lands is a following of that faith fulfilled.

It is also of no insignificance that Kushina’s self-introduction to Naruto is on his inheriting her talkativeness. Naruto realizes who she is not by her near-identical face, nor by the fact that he had met his father under similar circumstances, but by her verbal tick 'ttebane like his 'ttebayo. Ironically, her “Minato didn’t say anything?” line alludes to this even further: Kushina is the one to pass on the passionate, empathetic talkative quirk; one Minato doesn't have.

(Let us not distort the context: Minato had far less time with Naruto so he couldn't say much. But the emphasis still stands, for he ensured Kushina would have far more time, saying, “There are things that only you can tell him. Things that I can’t. That’s a mother’s role.”)

Further, Kushina's starkest display of this quirk is while she is pregnant with Naruto. Recalling his promise to her, Edo-Minato thinks back to her rambling about the future traits of their baby. And when he calms her, asking how she could possibly know, she replies with confidence, “Because I’m his mother.” Look at the manner in which she says it here below: her expression reads, "Well, duh." She is fully convinced that their baby is a boy and that he will want to be Hokage, that he will act up when his father is busy and be a little trouble-maker.

And she works herself into a state over it, showing her intuition and empathy. She envisions Naruto acting out to get attention when feeling deprived due to Minato's work. She envisions how this will further affect his behavior, leading him to "defy his teachers" and so on. What we see is a display of how deeply she can read others, and what is played in the fretting-mom sense gets passed to the child in her womb. The intuition and empathy by which this baby will peer into people's hearts and expose their desires and philosophies, expressed through his talk-no-jutsu.

Why is this so crucial? Because Kushina is a ‘type’ for the “child of prophecy” too. Naruto is Minato’s legacy as rescuer; he is Kushina’s as redeemer. Two aspects wholly intertwined in him achieving their dream of peace.

And on that note, we can now delve further into internal conflicts – beginning with Minato journeying on his personal redemption arc.

Section B, Part III here.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

may i request some trans kakashi headcanons? you are the resident expert in this under-researched subject

I’m not sure i’d call me the expert:l. There are definitely some amazing people better at it than me, but i will not turn away the opportunity for head canons of my fav boy :)

Kakashi told his father that he felt like a boy and wanted to be refered to as a boy just one week before Acadamy sign ups. Sakumo was very supportive and asked his son if there was anything that he needed him to do to ensure he felt like he was being respected and recognized. Kakashi actually asked his father for a new name because he still wanted it to come from his parents, and Sakumo chose 'Kakashi' because when Yua was pregnant she'd always joked that she was bringing a scarcrow into the world to guard the family 'fields'. he knows deep in his heart that Yua would love to find out their son's name is now scarcrow.

When he's around 13 and starts to 'develope' he gets a binder that has a mask sewn onto it. He actually has to request this specific binder, but the tailor is more than happy to put it together for him when they realize that he's rather attached to the idea of the two pieces of clothing being together.

top surgery is a must for Kakashi, but he isn't too interested in getting bottom surgery. He actually gets a lot of gender euphoria from wearing his packer, but even more from his straps.

speaking of top surgery, even though he does want it he doesn't get it until after the fourth great shinobi war when taking the down time required to recover is actually possible. man does not know how to give himself a break even for things that will help his mental health T.T

T-shots don't become available/a thing until Tsunade takes over as the Hokage and actually starts to do some work on the idea because she realizes that quite a few of her shinobi and citizens might benefit from some hormon replacement therapy. She is correct of course and Kakashi is first in line when he finds out this is going to be an available option that doesn't involve him taking down time.

[13as07]

Tiggie #3

(Itachi Uchiha)

[Artwork is not mine! Credit to denggu_5]

Requested by: Anonymous

Word Count: 3,595

Warnings and/or Pre-Notes:

Fugaku being a shitty dad

Word ‘Harlot’ is used

———————————————————————

     The beeping of the machines hooked up to Itachi mixes with the sound of the oxygen tank helping to pump air into his lungs. His sharingans are on as he looks at me, probably not the best idea with recent events and the state of his health but there's no use telling him to turn them off.

     It's the first time I've been able to see him since everything happened. Since he reanimated Lord Fourth, since his friend died for the jutsu to work, since the village went into an uproar and demanded Danzo was taken care of, since Lord Third has been barraging with the Uchiha clan and the village for a peaceful resolve. Since my brother lost his mind and threatened to tear Itachi into shreds for 'bringing me along for the ride'.

     Genma went a tad bit insane when he found out Itachi had been sniffing around. He went even more insane when I spilled everything to him. Of course, in his overprotective way, he didn't see any of it as my fault and blamed it all on Itachi. Since my little confession, he's been more overbarring than usual. Having his friends or underlings watching over me, trying to convince Lord Third - who has a hell of a lot more important things to worry about - to 'retire' me from the Anbus. Hell, even now some of his scouts are standing behind the hospital room door to eavesdrop and monitor my time with Itachi.

     "Do you know there's two - "

     "I know," I mutter, cutting his question off. "Genma is a little..."

     "Terrified of you being around me?" Itachi asks, finally turning off his eyes and laying his head back down on his pillows.

     "Yes." Silence falls between us, Itachi watching the ceiling as I watch his chest fall and jump back up again. "Rumor in the village is that your dad is going to take over as the fifth Hokage," I mention softly, feeling out to see how true the rumor might be. "The village is calling for Lord Third to step down or be overthrown."

     Itachi turns his head, the exhaustion evident on his face as he looks at me. "It's not a rumor. My father will be Lord Fifth."

     "Is that a good thing?"

     He hums, slowly nodding his head in agreement. "If the inauguration goes through the tension between the clan and the council should go down and hopefully end once everything settles."

     "And what about you?" I ask, shifting in my spot to get more comfortable.

     Itachi's eyes crawl over me, working slowly up to my face. "Lord Third and my father agree that there is a good chance I could take over after him. As for now, he wants me to stay in the anbus and be his sort of 'right hand' I suppose."

     "What do you want to do?"

     "Kiss you," he answers instantly, his eyes going wide once he realizes what he said. "I'm sorry, that wasn't very appropriate of me and not going to help our situation with your brother."

Itachi keeps rambling on with his apology as I lean forward, hovering my head in front of his. "Shut up, Tach," I mutter before pressing my lips against his.

He's cherry red when I pull away, sharingans back on as he looks up at me. "I... ah... thank you."

"Of course, it's the least I can do for our village's hero in the shadows," I mutter, brushing my lips against his once more before climbing to my feet. "I should get going before Genma gets back from his mission. I'll see you later."

"See you later," he echoes, eyes still trailing after me as I leave the room.

———————————

The locker room is buzzing with talk as I approach it, all the talk cutting off when I open the door. It's the first day I've been back since everything, it's also the mark of the first full week of Fugaku being Hokage, and not everyone is taking the change nicely. Not everyone is taking what Itachi did - and my connection to him - nicely either.

     Eyes are glued to me as I head toward my locker, even Squirrel tenses when I settle into my spot. "Welcome back, Tiggie," Captain's voice rings out, followed by his footsteps approaching me.

     "Doggie," I great back, turning to face him. "I'm glad to be back."

He lets out a hum, handing me a thin file. "The Hokage wishes to see you before you start your duty for the day."

"Oh," I mutter, taking a peak into my file. There's nothing in it but a sticky note with scratchy handwriting, the words 'stay beside Itachi; order by' written on it paired with Fugaku's signature. That's either really good or really bad; we'll see which one soon.

I quickly change, waving goodbye to the Captain before snapping on my mask and slipping out the door. My nerves shift as I make the short walk to the Hokage's office, every possible reason for this meeting running through my mind.

When I settle in front of the door, I give myself a few moments to fix my thoughts before knocking. Instantly, the door swings open, an exhausted Itachi standing in the doorway. His eyes light up when he notices me, a soft smile on his face. "Hello, Tiggie. What are you doing here?"

"I asked her to stop by," His father says, standing up from his desk.

"Lord Fifth," I mutter, bowing to the new ruler of our village.

"Go wait outside, Itachi. You can have your Tiggie in a moment," Fugaku orders, throwing his hand toward the door. Reluctantly, Itachi does as ordered, slowly leaving the room so I'm alone with his father. "Please. Sit." He orders, shifting his hand to the chair in front of his desk before sitting down in his chair.

I slide into the chair he motioned toward, sitting on the edge of it as I look at the new lord. "What can I help you with, My Lord?" I ask, running my fingertips over the underside of his desk, letting the material help soothe my nerves.

"Uchiha's don't marry outside of the clan," he says point blank, hands crossed on his chest and eyes pointed toward me.

"Oh...?" I mumble, shifting in my seat. Does Lord Fifth know about my relationship with Itachi? If he does, isn't it a little too soon to be talking about marriage? Aren't Itachi and me too young to be worried about marriage?

"Or at least that's how it was," he mutters, letting his eyes settle closed as he relaxes in his chair. That's good. "How it'll stay." That's not good. "But I'm deciding to make an exception." That's... good? "For you." That's really good. "On one condition." That's... not good? What the hell is up with Fugaku and his delayed speech? Just tell me everything at once.

"Oh?" I repeat, bouncing my knee as I wait for the slow speaker to finish his little speech.

"My son, as most people, is not useful if he is not at least semi-happy. Your brother is..." The Lord lets out a long sigh, gently rubbing his temples before setting his sights on me again. "Annoying, at best, and does not wish for you to continue as an Anbu. If you stop being an Anbu, my son will be distracted because of his... fondness for you. My son and you can... do as you please, as long as you keep his focus on work."

"How am I supposed to do that?" I mutter, letting my eyes jump around his office.

"Whatever you did to help him reanimate the Fourth Lord. Keep him happy and productive. In return, you will get a pay raise, which will hopefully keep your brother silent, and whatever comes of my son and you will be."

"Will be what?" I ask, slowly blinking at Fugaku.

"Fling, sexual, romantic, marriage, wherever it lands, it will stay despite the clan's disapproval. As long as Itachi stays productive and useful to me, and in turn the clan and the village."

What the hell is this conversation? 'Date my son so he'll be more useful to me'? 'If my son is useful and he falls in love, you can have him, just make sure he gets his work done'? What kind of father is Fugaku? A shit one, that's for sure.

"What if I can't? Or, or Itachi lose his 'fondness' of me? Then what?" You'll kill me? The question hangs in my head, daring to tumble past my lips.

"You will be disbanded from the Anbus, be knocked down to an everyday Shinobi. Then I shall find another harlot or something else to encourage Itachi's work ethic."

Harlot? Harlot?! Does the Lord think I'm sleeping with his son? Let alone think I'm sleeping with his son for some kind of payout? What kind of payout could I possibly get from Itachi? The village feeling unfavorited about me because of me aiding in reanimating Lord Fourth?

"Oh," I repeat for the third time, blinking like crazy as I try to process Fugaku's words; more so threat. Not even in office for a month and he's already abusing his power. Though, at least it's for his son, I guess.

"You are dismissed," he grumbles, trying to wave me out of his office. "As your duty order said, from now on your orders are to accompany Itachi with whatever tasks or duties he is doing for me. I have already informed your Captain that you are no longer under his service and will be under Itachi's from now on."

"Okay," I mutter, standing up before I walk out of his office. My head is so turned around it feels like I'm floating as I exit the room. Once the door closes behind me, I'm able to shake the cloudiness out of my head.

"Don't take it to heart," Itachi mumbles, his arms wrapping around me as he rests his head on my shoulder. "I will not fall out of... my feelings for you," he mutters, tightening his hold around my waist. "My father is a jerk and feels like he needs to hang something over my head. He's all bark, no harm will come to you."

I hope you're right.

———————————

Itachi's fingers slide through my hair as my head rests on his lap. He's curled up in the corner of the couch with me stretched out and his little brother sitting on my stomach. Sasuke is rambling about some flowered named girl, spilling about how smart she is and how pretty her hair is. I hum along to his rant, occasionally throwing out an "oh ya?" as I listen.

     "How about you go start your homework?" Itachi mumbles, helping - more like forcing - his younger brother off of me, shooing him into the kitchen.

     "But Itachi -"

     "Kitchen, homework, now," Tach grumbles, squirming out from under me. The boys leave me alone in the living room, letting my anxiety set in.

     The recent weeks have been nice but weird. I've spent a lot of time with Itachi and his family. Working alongside him all day every day, dinners with them, Itachi having dinners with Genma and me, Itachi still sneaking into my room at night, school events for Sasuke, and then days like this. When we're off, a lot of our time is spent with his younger brother, catching up on sleep, or occasionally spending time with my older brother.

     Genma is a little less on edge about Itachi. He's still not the biggest fan of our growing relationship but he'd act like that with any person I ended up with. My brother has also seemed to be a bit nosey after nightfall, making me suspect he's catching wind of Itachi sneaking in at night. 

     "I'm back, my Little Crow," Itachi grumbles, slowly walking back into the room.

     "Welcome back," I greet, turning my eyes from the ceiling to the side so I can watch him make his way toward me. "What should we do while Sasuke works on his assignments?"

     "Nap," he shortly answers, crawling onto the couch. Itachi moves slowly and carefully, settling himself between my legs, arms wrapped around my thighs. "Goodnight," he mutters, taking a chuck of my thigh into his mouth, sinking his teeth into it for a beat before resting his head on my stomach.

     "Goodnight," I echo, letting my fingers toy with the ends of his hair as my eyes fall closed.

     By the time my fingers start to ache, the sound of a chair moving in the kitchen pulls one of my eyelids open. I take a peak towards the kitchen, Sasuke's head poking around the wall, looking at his brother and me cuddling on the couch. "Onee-Chan?" He whispers, peaking further out from around the wall.

     "Otouto-San?" I whisper back, gently teasing Sasuke's formality.

     "Is Itachi asleep?" He continues to whisper, slowly inching further into the living room.

     I shift Itachi's hair out of the way, taking in the softness of his face and the gentle way his chest rises and falls. "I think so," I answer, mirroring the younger boy's tone.

     Sasuke continues to inch toward the couch, taking slow steps toward us before stopping next to us. "Can I take a nap too?" He murmurs, double-checking to see for himself if Itachi is asleep.

     "Sure," I mutter, carefully scooping up the boy before settling him on top of me too.

     He squirms around, burying himself between my side and the couch, Sasuke's head resting next to his brother's on my stomach. "Sweet dreams, Onee-Chan."

     "Sweet dreams," I echo, burying a hand into each boy's locks, slowly running my fingers through the matching raven-colored hair. It doesn't take long for Sasuke to fall asleep and doesn't take long for the placement of the two boys to weigh on me.

     As I slide my hand through Sasuke's hair again, the familiar white light of my fortune-telling sizzles into my sight. The light is soon replaced by a bit of the future. I can still feel the boys weighing on my stomach and I can still hear their soft breaths but I can't see them anymore.

     I shift my head to the side, being met with the sight of a much older Sasuke and Itachi. Both boys have doubled in height but still have the typical thin frame Uchihas seem to have. The younger of the brothers is excitedly bouncing on the balls of his feet, a Shinobi headband in his hands as he rambles a mile a minute. Itachi is beaming with pride, one of his rare smiles on his face as he nods along.

     Itachi did it. He saved his clan, saved the village, and a happy future is promised for the brothers. I let my eyes flutter closed, being able to fully rest now that the future is promised.

———————————

"Come on, come on, come on!" Sasuke yells, his hand clinging to mine as he drags me down the path toward his school. Today is career day at the Academy and he insisted on being Itachi and me instead of his father, which is probably for the better. Fugaku tends to be too busy for his son and if Sasuke had asked, it would have ended in disappointment.

"We're going to be late!" The younger boy whines, trying to tug me into walking faster.

"We're not going to be late," Itachi mumbles, trailing next to me as he softly smiles at his younger brother. "We have plenty of time."

"I want to show off Onee-Chan. Hinata is bringing her dad and she says he's good at the byakugan so I need to show how much cooler Onee-Chan is," Sasuke continues to whine, a smile crossing his face when I give in and walk a bit faster. "I'm going to have the coolest career presentation."

"The coolest," I tease, getting a head shake from Itachi. "You do know people can't see what I can see right?"

"Well ya, but your eyes do that cool pattern thing and they get that pretty purple color. So much cooler than the Hyugas," he rambles, tugging me harder when his school falls into view.

Itachi shakes his head more, moving quicker to beat us ahead and hold the door open. His hand slides across my hip when I'm dragged past, fingers digging into my side as I'm shifted left and right down the hallways. His hand shifts off of me as I'm dragged into a classroom, but he stays close, head on a swivel as I'm dragged towards the desk.

"This is where I sit, right in the middle. Then Sakura sits there and then that annoying kid sits on my other side," Sasuke rambles, finally letting go of my hand to point out the different chairs. "Sit down, Onee-Chan," he orders, pulling out his chair and tapping it.

"You're the boss man today," I mutter, sliding into the chair and helping him push me in. Sasuke crawls into my lap, pointing at the different chairs - most of them empty - as he tells me where everyone sits.

Itachi settles behind us, leaning against the desk as he plays the watchdog position he takes over when we go out in public with Sasuke. Every time the door opens, his head snaps towards it, sizing up whoever walks through. It doesn't take long for the room to fill up, twenty or so children and their people for the career day presentation. As promised, the Hyuga Chief is here too, his daughter hiding behind his legs.

     "Alright, alright. Students find your chairs, parents and other family members, find your child once they've found their spot," the teacher at the front says, making the children scurry toward their desks.

     I tilt my head backward trying to catch Itachi's attention, waiting for him to look down at me. When he does, he lets out a hum, eyes flickering around the room still. "Is this a family-only event?" He nods his head, head tilting to the side when the flower girl Sasuke likes slides into her spot, her father standing behind her like Itachi is doing to Sasuke and me. "Am I allowed to be here then?"

     "Of course, you are," Itachi mutters, his face scrunching up as he looks away from me.

     "I'm not family though."

     His head snaps back toward me, eyes squinted as looks down at me. Itachi bends down, hands resting on my shoulders and lips pressed against my ear. "Of course you're family. None of us would be here without you, Tiggie."

     My cheeks heat up at Itachi's words. I tighten my arms around Sasuke, trying to use it to ground myself from the bliss I'm feeling.

     "Do we have any volunteers to go first?" The teacher asks, making Sasuke bounce in my lap, flagging his arms around. "Alright, alright. Sasuke Uchiha. You can go first."

     He climbs out of my lap, tugging me behind him again as he weaves our way through the crowd. Itachi takes up the end like always, right behind me and head spinning as we walk to the front.

     "Alright," Sasuke starts, situating his brother next to me before he picks his spot in front of the two of us. "My brother - say hi Itachi," he says, turning his head around as he cuts himself off.

     "Hello," Itachi mutters, waving at the crowd.

     "And his wife - "

     "Friend!" Itachi cuts off, wrapping his hand around his brother's mouth. "She is my girlfriend," he says calmer this time, settling back in his spot, cheeks bright red.

     Sasuke rolls his eyes, wiping his mouth before he goes back to his speech. "And his girlfriend, Tiggie - say hi Tiggie."

     "Hi," I say, mimicking Itachi and waving at the crowd.

     "They work for the anbus. They used to work for the on-field division but now they work right under my dad as the Hokage's personal department of anbus. They both have dojutsu abilities. Itachi specializes in genjutsu which is cool or whatever." Sasuke rolls his eyes again, mumbling the last part before reaching behind him. He grabs my wrist, tugging me forward for the hundredth time. "Tiggie's dojutsu lets her see the future, which is super cooler. She used it to help Itachi save my clan and the village. Before we see their cool eyes, does anyone have any questions for them?"

     Half the room throws their hands up, including a good portion of the older Shinobis present for their kids' presentation. "Yes, you, sunglasses' dad," Sasuke picks Shibi, making me silently giggle at the nickname he gave him. "What's your question?"

     "When you mean 'see the future' what does that mean?"

     "Tiggie can see a couple of minutes of a future event that'll take place in a certain spot. Sometimes it's things like attacks on the village and sometimes it's good or simple things like us training in the yard or my mom making cookies for the holidays."

     Itachi leans forward, lips against my ear again as Sasuke answers the question. "Maybe it wasn't the best idea to tell Sasuke about your abilities."

     I shrug my shoulders, a smile on my lips as Sasuke continues to answer questions about his brother and me, pride drowning his eyes as he gushes about us. It might not have been the best choice to explain my jutsu to Sasuke, but it was a good choice to get close to Itachi again.

———————————————————————

———————————————————————

[rayshippouuchiha]

I'm eternally full of wrath over the fact no one in Konoha knew about the chakra imprints of Naruto's parents in the seal.

Naruto would've died to Pein without ever knowing who his parents were because no one manned up and let him know what he had a right to know.

If not for his parents loving him enough to want to leave behind failsafes in case his seal was ever damaged so he'd at least get to be protected by them personally one more time he never fucking would've known. Maybe not until the fourth war arc with Minato as an edo tensei summoned by Sasuke and do you think Naruto would've EASILY worked with 4th Hokage who sealed the Kyubi into him right away? No. Konoha's inability to own up to its fuck ups and to be honest with the victims of those fuck ups would've endangered the entire world. And for what? "I just didn't feel up to talking about it" or maybe "We'll tell him when he's older/stronger/better/more mature/at least a chunin/can keep secrets" when they shouldn't be goalposting this anyway and also fucking you don't feel up to it? Naruto didn't feel up to being an orphan hated and despised by literally every adult around him

I'm sorry to continue to rant but

AND ANOTHER THING

Naruto goes literally YEARS without knowing the rasengan was his FATHER'S jutsu. YEARS.

Using this jutsu, his dad invented, without knowing it, all the time in every fight. And Naruto thinks he's just using a badass technique the perv sage showed him which belonged to the yondaime, he has no idea what it should mean to him and he is kept in the dark, for years.

Kakashi was 26-27 at the start of the show and 30 when Naruto comes back from the time skip, trauma or no that is a grown-ass man an adult the entire time we know him, who just.. observes this hard-working teen in his care who's clearly all about his bonds (See the Gaara rescue and the find Sasuke missions) because he never had anyone in his corner before team 7 and he just.. goes "hmm" and never fucking tells him anything about his parents who Kakashi knew? EITHER OF HIS PARENTS??? Anything about them!?? What they were like? Their habits? Their techniques? How happy they were he was going to be born? How he wasn't born an orphan? How he was loved? DOESN'T EVEN TRY TO PASS DOWN FUINJUTSU TO THE UZUMAKI HEIR BECAUSE WHAT?! NARUTO'S 'TOO DUMB' or 'Too much of a bother to explain all the backstory why he should know/why I'm teaching it/too much of a bother to teach such a complicated thing' or 'the village doesn't want its jinchuriki to know how its own seal works we'd rather keep that power in our hands' like what. What would even be a good reason he is literally his sensei, and Jiraiya had three years to train him and focused on 'unlocking the seal to make use of more seals' while again not teaching Naruto how the seal worked at all and then once he got a scar from naruto abandoning the plan. Yes, Naruto got proper taijutsu training and training with the toad summons but still. What a waste. I'm still fuming.

~~~

Naruto got failed all the way around by a lot of people and only a few attempted to really and truly make up for it.

[sunstaar]

Kakashi Fluff Alphabet

Kakashi Hatake x gn!Reader

Word Count: 3,1k

Ao3

A - Attractive (what they find attractive)

Your personality. That doesn’t mean that Kakashi thinks that you are ugly, not at all, he thinks you’re the most beautiful person he has ever laid his eyes upon. Rather, your personality is what drew Kakashi to you and what made him like you so much. The way you care for him, the way you can make him laugh and smile like no other, that is what made Kakashi fall in love with you. Your breathtaking beauty is an added bonus.

The same goes for you, too. You enjoy Kakashi’s nonchalance, with the hints of humour coming out every once in a while. When you first got to know Kakashi, his personality was quite guarded, he would barely let anyone near him. Save for Gai as the exception, you quickly noticed that Kakashi always put his guard up around other people, only letting it down when the said exception came around. Around Gai, he grew to be more open, letting out the occasional louder laugh. Befriending Kakashi certainly wasn’t easy, but getting to know him was one of the best things you ever did. While he certainly was a sight for sore eyes and very attractive indeed (you couldn’t deny that your heart skipped a few beats whenever you saw him), his personality ultimately drew you toward him. There was just something about him, you just couldn’t ignore, no matter how much you tried.

B - Baby (do they want a family?)

I’d say not up until after the Fourth Shinobi War, or maybe the time between the end of that and prior to him becoming Hokage. He would need to plan the baby/pregnancy, meaning a baby wouldn’t be a surprise. A child also comes along with doubts about being a father and being able to provide for his own family. What is essential, is that you are by his side and support him through all his worries, thoughts, and doubts. Kakashi needs a lot of convincing, for sure.

As his partner, you are willing to wait for Kakashi. Respect is one of the things you preach about a relationship, and respecting Kakashi is very important to you, as it is for him. You know that in return that he respects you and your boundaries too, so waiting for him isn’t a problem at all. If you don’t want a family of your own, however, then the respect the two of you share for one another goes a long way.

C - Cuddle (how they cuddle)

When cuddling, Kakashi is afraid to let you go. If he could, he would hold onto your for forever. He enjoys nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck, breathing in your familiar scent, and relaxing in your arms. He especially likes it when your hand runs through his hair, and when your fingertips graze the crown of his head. His arms meanwhile wrap around your figure, doing his best to hold you impossibly close.

On the other hand, when he gets to be the big spoon while cuddling, Kakashi likes it a lot when you rest your head on his chest. It’s soothing to feel the comfortable weight of your head there and the way your hand settle on his body. He wouldn’t trade the experience of getting to hold you close to him for anything else in this world.

D - Dates (what dates with them are like)

Dates with Kakashi are quiet and filled with love. They are so versatile, a date with Kakashi could be anything. One of your dates the two of you simply took a walk around the park, enjoying the presence of the other before the two of you decided to sit down on the bench for a while. There, you two had a heartfelt talk, your shoulder leaning against his and his head knocking against yours.

On another date of yours, the two of you first went and enjoyed some ramen, running into the gremlins of Team 7 along the way. You couldn’t continue, of course, without Naruto coming along once he saw where you two were headed. Sakura tagged along to ‘keep him from bothering him sensei’ as she said in her own words, but most likely just to spy on her sensei on a date. And as much as the brooding Sasuke couldn’t admit it, he was just as interested as his teammates were. While spending time with the kids on your date with Kakashi wasn’t the most ideal thing in the world, you had to admit, the gremlins had grown on you just as much as they had on Kakashi, so saying no wasn’t easy. Afterwards, you two did have some alone time, strolling around the village in shared solitude, enjoying the time you were able to spend together.

E - Everything (you are my…)

Love. You are Kakashi’s love, the one he loves the most in this world. What is there more to say? Kakashi can be a literal man if he wants to be, and while hesitant at the beginning of your relationship, he grows to be a person who tells you and others exactly how he feels about you.

Sweetheart. Kakashi is your sweetheart, the one who stole your heart from you. While he doesn’t look it on the outside, you know that on the inside he has a gentle heart, or as you would say, a sweet heart.

F - Feelings (when they realise that they love you)

Kakashi realised he was in love with you when every time he thought about you, someone mentioned you or he saw you, his heartbeat would pick up and a heat would spread across his cheeks. He’s not stupid, just very oblivious to his own feelings sometimes. So when he began reacting to you differently than he reacted to anyone else, Kakashi immediately knew that something was up. When around you, he was just so happy all the time and could barely hold back a smile. There was just something about you that made him feel like he could explode from all the joy you brought into his life. The final nail in the coffin was when Gai of all people picked up on Kakashi’s sudden change of mood whenever you were near. The ever-so-loud Gai made it his mission to remind his eternal rival of the love he found, so even if Kakashi had not realised on his own, Gai was right there to tell him.

G - Gentle (are they gentle?)

Without a doubt, yes. In contrary to the reputation Kakashi has within the ninja world as Kakashi the Friend Killer and Copy Cat Ninja, Kakashi has a gentle soul when it comes to you. Especially at the beginning of your relationship, Kakashi is quite hesitant. His touches are with the most precaution he can muster up and his Sharingan eye is always on the lookout for any signs of pain. Within your relationship, Kakashi not only grows as a person, but also learns to let loose sometimes, and what is gentle to you and where your boundaries are. That means that if he wants to, he can also get a little frisky sometimes, but for that to happen it takes time for him to fully trust you and for him to know that you can trust him in return.

H - Hand/hold (how do they hold you? Do they hold hands?)

When together, your hands are always intertwined. It’s almost as though Kakashi cannot get enough of you. He always has to touch you in some way to reassure himself that you are still here, by his side. On the days on which his self-doubts take over, Kakashi squeezes your hand to ground himself again. It’s difficult for him to not take your hand and intertwine it with his, to let you go.

You wouldn’t dare to let go of him, either. Holding onto his hand is almost ethereal, an experience that grounds you. He brings you a lot of comfort, for which you are very thankful in return.

I - Impression (first impression)

Kakashi thought that you were charming. With a smile that could rival the light of a thousand suns, Kakashi simply couldn’t tear his eyes away from you when he first saw you. Like a magnet, he gravitated toward you.

At first, you thought that there was something odd about Kakashi. Admittedly, your first encounter wasn’t one of the fairytales, but you quickly got to know the man behind his constant guard and that first impression vanished to the back of your mind.

J - Joker (do they joke a lot?)

If he wants to be, Kakashi can be quite the jokester. A tease or quip here and there, Kakashi’s jokes are usually followed by words of endearment. Hearing your laugh is worth any bad joke he has to crack.

K - Kisses (how they kiss)

Kakashi’s kisses are soft and quick at first, but grow into something more emotionally-bound slowly. Throughout the day, he is usually wearing his mask, so there is no time for him to pull it down and to kiss you on the lips as he would like to do. Instead, a quick kiss of his masked lips on your cheek will have to suffice. The same can be said for the beginning of your relationship. Kakashi’s hesitance when it comes to baring his face is rather obvious, but you don’t push him to step over his boundaries. In his own time and on his own terms, he grows more and more comfortable with the idea of kissing you on the lips, without his mask. His soft and quick kisses become more emotional, and grow longer and more intense. Make-out sessions become a more regular occurrence in the comfort of your home as Kakashi dares to do more and more and grows bolder (within his own limits, of course).

L - Little things (what little things they love)

Kakashi absolutely adores your smile. The way your lips tug up is just so infuriatingly infectious and makes him want to smile alongside you. Seeing the skin near your eyes crinkle is such a beautiful thing to Kakashi, a sight he could never tire of. With his Sharingan eye, he can save the image in his mind to look at over and over again, making sure that the sight of you smiling is never lost in his memories.

You love Kakashi’s hair. You enjoy running your hand through his hair when cuddling with him and seeing his hair practically glow as sunlight peeks through your curtains. It is just so fluffy when freshly washed, and hearing his cute snores as he falls asleep in your arms is an added bonus.

M - Memory (favourite memory together)

There are many memories with you together that Kakashi would consider to be his favourite. His all-time favourite, however? Kakashi could remember the memory as vividly as the day it happened. You were there, laying beside him as the sun illuminated your features, giving them a beautiful glow. Your (eye color) eyes were shining in the sunlight, the shades of (color) as mesmerizing as ever. His hand reached out to touch you, his fingers gently caressing the hot skin of your cheek. From how close he was laying next to you in your shared bed, he could see the pores on your skin, every little imperfection that made you you, the one he loved the most. Kakashi leaned toward you and pressed a soft kiss to the place where his fingers had just been, lingering there for a moment to relish in his closeness to you. He could smell your perfume, the same one you had put on a mere hour earlier, and the intoxicating scent of your body wash clinging to your frame. Your laughter rang in his ears and Kakashi relished in the sound, closing his eyes as he moved closer to you, his skin making more contact with yours. “I love you,” He heard you whisper. The words made his heart race, pink dusting his cheeks. “so so much.”

N - Nickel (do they spoil?)

Kakashi totally spoils you whenever he can. Whenever he is on a mission with his gremlins of Team Seven, Kakashi makes sure to bring little trinkets home. Whether it is a little snow globe from the Land of Snow, or the most delicious food from Sumogakure. Kakashi always manages to bring something with him, it is all worth it to see you react to the gracious gift.

After going on long missions and spending a long time apart, Kakashi makes sure to spoil you with a lot of quality time. As much as you miss him, he also misses you, so he compensates for the time you couldn’t spend together. That means going out to eat something together, sleeping in together in your shared bed or going on long walks to talk about what he had missed while he was gone.

O - Orange (what color reminds them of you)

Yellow, you make his world a brighter place than it was without you in it. It’s that simple.

P - Petnames (what petnames they use)

Love. Just as mentioned before, you are his love. Over time, Kakashi has grown used to calling you love (something he picked up from one of his Icha Icha books, not that he would ever dare to tell you). The petname for you just stuck around.

Darling. You don’t exactly remember when you began calling Kakashi by that petname, but calling him that petname just feels right when using it.

Q - Questions ( what are the questions they’re always asking?)

“Is there anything I can do for you, love?” The ever-so caring Kakashi is always making sure that you are alright and that your needs are satisfied. Caring for and about you comes naturally to him, so he never hesitates when asking you that.

“You know that I love you, right?” While not exactly a question, Kakashi is a man with many self-doubts. Every once in a while after a particularly difficult mission or event, Kakashi needs you to reassure him, he needs to know that you love him. You are able to read the signs of his spiralling self-doubts easily and know exactly what to say and how to comfort him.

R - Remember (their favourite memory of each other)

You two share your favourite memory of each other, it’s the first time you confessed your love to one another. For neither of you it needs much explaining as to why it is your favourite memory.

S - Sad ( how they cheer themselves/others up)

As explained previously, quality time and reasurements are the way in your relationship to go. You two need each other, although it is important to note that sometimes, both of you need time apart to calm down. While your shared time is appreciated, there are matters one can only resolve on their own, and that’s something both you and Kakashi learned over the course of your relationship. 

T - Talking ( what they love to talk about)

As much as Kakashi does not want to admit it, he loves to talk about his little gremlins when returning from training them or from a mission. As with his other previous teams he had failed, Kakashi was hesitant when it came to passing them. But the gleam in his eyes when he finally did was incomparable to anything else. There was hope in his eyes, one that hadn’t been there before he left to meet the new Team Seven at the academy. It wasn’t until later you found out why exactly he believed in them so much when he told you who they reminded him of. Ever since then, there has been a special place in his heart reserved just for them, even if he never did say that aloud.

Kakashi also enjoys to talk about his favourite piece of literature: Icha Icha. The book almost seems to be glued into his hands, as you had noted at the beginning of your relationship. On some days, you doubted you could even separate your dear partner from the book, almost like they were one entity. If you are a fan of the book, talking to him about it comes easily to you. If you are not so impressed by the work, listening to Kakashi talk about it is more of a courtesy. You are well aware of how much it means to him, so you don’t mind listening.

U - Universe ( a metaphor)

“Love is a spice in many tastes, a dizzying array of textures and moments.”

V - Very ( thoughts about each other)

Kakashi loves you because you are the rock in the stormiest of seas. You are the one holding him above water and keeping him from sinking.

Kakashi is the light of your life even on the darkest of days. The mere sound of his voice can brighten up your day unlike anything else can.

W - Why ( reasons why they love you)

Kakashi loves you because of who you are. You are the person who had been missing from his life, the one he unknowingly was searching for, like a puzzle looking for its final piece. Kakashi adores your personality, the way you laugh and always know how to cheer him up. He loves your smile and your little quirks, the things that make you so unique. He couldn’t even summarize all the things he loved about you if he tried, the list would be too long in his opinion.

X - Xylophone (what’s their song?)

All of Me by John Legend.

Y - You (what you are to them)

What was missing in his life. As cheesy as it sounds, up until Kakashi met you, it felt as though there was something missing in his life, that was you. Like a missing puzzle piece that fits perfectly, you came into his life, and luckily for him, never left. 

Z - Zebra ( what pet they want to have)

I mean, the answer is quite obvious, really. While Kakashi wouldn’t exactly be against you wanting to get a pet, his ninken certainly wouldn’t be the most enthusiastic upon hearing the news. Being in a relationship with Kakashi meant that you were a part of the family from now, a part of their family specifically. And sure, ninken are ninja dogs trained for combat and to protect their summoner, treating them like pets was something you and Kakashi regularly did. It was difficult not to with their cute, little faces staring back at you ever time they were summoned or the way they behaved like any other dog would when being offered a treat. So, hearing that you were planning to get another pet, they wouldn’t take the news lightly. Some may say that Kakashi’s ninken have a small jealousy problem, and you wouldn’t beg to differ.

[toshiro-taichou]

The Immortal Shinobi

Konoha has made a magazine interview about the Second Hokage's son: Shinkei Senju.

Page 116:

The interviewer had went to the Senju Prince after a peace treaty between Konohagakure and Uzushiogakure. The interviewer had asked Shinkei some questions.

I = Interviewer. S = Shinkei.

I: "Shinkei-sama, with the recent war and peace treaty, you revealed your parents. While many knew Lord Second was your father, it came to a massive surprise for everyone that the Second Hokage is actually a female and was secretly married to Madara Uchiha. How did it feel to grow up with a unique and fascinating heritage?"

S: "It was interesting. Truth is I haven't been bothered. I was made in Konohagakure but was born in Uzushiogakure when mother went on a business trip with Aunt Mito-sama."

I: "When you defended Lady Uzukage during the Kage summit and Lady Hokage was surprised to see you, she stated surprised that you were alive this entire time and that she revealed your relationship with Lord Fourth as his father. Can you go further into detail?"

S: "Minato huh? I keep forgetting the kid was a Kage, must run in the family." Shinkei had chuckled slightly during the interview. "I wasn't with Minato-chan for very long. I always had a feeling Minato-chan was going to be powerful and well known when he grew up. Minato-chan is a lot like his mother, in looks and personality. I'm just lucky he got my brain."

I: "During the Fourth war, you revealed you were immortal, can you go into further detail? Was it because of Madara Uchiha or did you aquire it through a technique or experiment?"

S: "Nope. Pure luck and stupidity. While on my mission, I was fighting someone far much stronger than me. I used a seal explosion in a last attempt, I had attempted to end myself and my enemy. However I woke up, still breathing. I have no idea how I became immortal but it became very clear to me."

Shinkei had gone on saying that he is not bothered on what people think about him and he'll remain on the world until he finds a way out.

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

I made Shinkei around 4 years ago after I left High School. He was created for fun and he just stuck with me. After making some lore for him just to distract myself (I wasn't in a good state during 2021), Shinkei just stuck onto me and is now one of my favourite Naruto/Boruto Ocs.

But I like rewriting lore in animes/games to make it unique to my characters because I don't want to erase the original creator's work and ruin it for myself, so I make a seperate universe and change characters and make them different.

Shinkei Senju belongs to me Naruto Anime belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

[lizajane2]

Sometimes it slips my mind that Naruto has no fucking clue that Minato, the Fourth Hokage, is his dad. And he doesn't figure that out until much later...

"I look like him."

Me, at the screen, as if he can hear me: "Cause that is your father."

[scarecrow-in-a-hatake]

How would things go if your father was the fourth Hokage instead of Minato?

Honestly, I learned more about my father once he was in the ground than when he was alive. We didn't have all that much time together. You may want to turn this question to @retiredsenju, instead.

Politically, though, you have to understand that Minato-sensei's rise to the position wasn't exactly guaranteed. It was more so that the late Sandaime felt he had to give up the hat, after his unpopular actions concerning what many considered to be a premature end to the Third War on our part. Sunk cost of our shinobi's lives and the terms of the treaty that we could have pushed more on... well. It made sense to step down and place one of our war heroes in the spotlight instead, be it the Yellow Flash, Fugaku of the Wicked-Eye, or one of his own students. There were, admittedly, merits to all three of the choices.

Personal history aside, the White Fang may not have been a very popular nominee. Unlike the Sannin but similar to my own sensei, Hatake Sakumo was less a powerhouse and more a very competent shinobi with a few very specific tricks up his sleeves that he relied on heavily, and a good head for on-field leadership. He would have been... forty? Forty-one? To Sandaime-sama's mid-fifties and Minato-sensei's early twenties, though, which is past the age that most shinobi retire from the field. I don't know how he would have fared in office during peacetime, but who knows. He was born during peacetime two years before the First War broke out, and much of his youth was spent in the twenty-year interim between the First and Second Wars. Maybe he would have handled the change better than Minato-sensei's and my generation did when the world finally got around to peace again.

[solarenchanting]

after much thought and consideration, i've decided to bring my boruto opinions to the forefront

HOWEVER

TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING:

1. i clocked out of watching boruto—because i had the series and not the manga—a LONG time ago. so, please correct me if i am wrong about anything. because just maybe there is something from the anime and/or manga that can give me clarity or change my opinions after learning such.

2. whether these are popular or unpopular opinions, it doesn't matter—it's an opinion, nonetheless.

3. if you get easily triggered, do not read. i don't wanna argue, but i'm open hearing out other opinions (this is also just me ranting out to the void because i don't have much friends who have watched/read naruto and/or boruto).

4. this is only part one of my many opinions that i have. i have so much to say about this anime.

NOW, ONTO MY OPINIONS 👇🏼

starting off with the basics: naruto being a terrible dad still gets me to this day. the man who wanted nothing more than a family to call his own... is a terrible father?? as in, uzumaki naruto?! the same uzumaki naruto i know and love?? get the fuck off my screen. i donʼt want to hear it. because HOW do turn HIM—UZUMAKI NARUTO—to SOLELY being the hokage and nothing else? i know, his ultimate goal or whatever, but come on. DON'T PISS ME OFF.

this is one is a bit nit-picky, but boruto's name alone pisses me off. there REALLY couldn't have been another name? okay, okay, it can be plausible that it's a connection to neji's name (bolt - boruto, screw - neji) but STILL there could've been a better way to honour neji (and his undeserving death but WHATEVER, this is a boruto rant—not a naruto shippuden rant).

WHOEVER in the writing room decided to kill off kurama... I AM IN YOUR WALLS. i did not watch naruto and kurama go off a tumultuous relationship to acceptance for KURAMA to be killed. ONLY to—somehow— be “revived” through himawari in the timeskip?!? DON'T PISS ME OFF

sasuke being a deadbeat. i also don't get it because didn't this man want to revive the clan? BEFORE YOU COME AT ME—i understand, that he was talking about reviving the HONOUR of the uchiha clan at 12 years old back then. HOWEVER, you mean to tell me when sakura got pregnant during their trip, gave birth to sarada, and everything... he wouldn't feel responsibility for HIS CHILD?! YOU MEAN TO TELL ME HE CHOSE THE VILLAGE OVER HIS CHILD?! THE SAME VILLAGE THAT ORCHESTRATED THE UCHIHA CLAN DOWNFALL, i— lemme shut up.

that whole “sarada could be karin's daughter” in the sarada uchiha arc...bye. i hated that arc so much. yes, i know sarada unlocked the sharingan through the intensive feelings of the thought of reuniting with sasuke, but STILL, that arc pissed me off so much. don't get me started on sasuke almost killing his DAUGHTER for mistaking her as a shin clone. you mean to tell me this man mistook his daughter — who he definitely knew had the possibility of unlocking the sharingan one day because she's the ONLY uchiha around from the leaf and HIS CHILD — as a shin clone? miss me with that bullshit, because now mine and sasuke's intelligence are being insulted.

the hidden mist village... oh, okay. while i love a good rebrand, let's not act like their history of being the “bloody mist” can be swept under the rug because of the modernisation of the village now. yes, i understand that it's been 15 years after the fourth shinobi war, but are there not lingering tension amongst the villages? yes, i know the whole trip arc or whatever to the hidden mist was to smoothen out the alliance between the leaf and mist. and yes, i know it was addressed in the arc, still a crazy rebrand.

which leads me to my next point... did naruto ever change/revamp or whatever with the hidden rain? like he vowed to pain/nagato? because that was a big thing in shippuden, wasn't it? anyways—

orochimaru not being in jail is pissing me AWF. the snake ass bitch did the most unethical shit and crimes and STILL has freedom? who gave orochimaru immunity? because how come he gets to be free and be out there creating log and mitsuki? he did experiments on children, kidnapped children, defected the village, joined terrorist organisation: the akatsuki, killed hiruzen (i know we all hate him, but he still killed the man), and so much more. HOW WAS HE PARDONED?? because of his involvement in the war?? DON'T PISS ME OFF.

now kara... this akatsuki-wannabe organisation that is guised under the means of a secret society... get this off my screen. their cloaks and roman numeral tattoos, their inner and outer members... if i don't go, you'll be picking them up from the floor, and rushing them to sakura’s hospital. so i need to exit to the left before i hurt feelings (yes, this is a nene leakes reference from rhoa)

something about sakura not having discussions about sasuke - beyond that he loves them and is out on a mission - during sarada's formative years IRRITATES me. yes, i understand, some things are not for children's ears - uchiha clan downfall, sasuke’s defection, sasuke almost killing sakura - but you meant to tell me sakura didn't have any stories about sasuke during their time of the blank period to tell sarada? stories that could give sarada some sort of image about sasuke? nothing? oh, okay.

the anbu black ops? are we still operating? i'd assume so, since sai is the chief commander or whatever but honestly, what use is the anbu if this is an era of peace? were there still high-stake missions in such times? (i'm talking pre-kara btw). we get to see konohamaru using the mask in that one mission but is that it? i mean, at least children are no longer - hopefully - recruited into the organisation.

kawaki irritated me so much. to think, the timeskip wouldn't occur because of his existence. not only that, but to say boruto only gets better in the timeskip... that's does not sound as good as the boruto fans think. a TIMESKIP has to make the anime good and make sense?? log out and exit to the left for me, please.

[seoheesoo]

What if Sakumo had lived and how much did Kakashi's life change after Minato became Hokage?

[Part 5]

"Did you want to see me, Hokage-sama?" - Kakashi silently entered the office and quietly closed the door behind him.

Minato looked away from the documents and looked at the teenager.

"Yes, thank you for coming so quickly", - Minato put the folders aside and motioned for Kakashi to come closer. - "I need to discuss something with you."

Kakashi nodded and involuntarily straightened his back.

"I want to give Obito the rank of jonin", - said Minato.

"He will be overjoyed", - Hatake grinned, imagining his friend’s face.

"Obito has been working hard lately. I think he fully deserves it", -Minato bound his fingers and put his chin on them. - "There is something else."

Kakashi silently waited for the continuation. He noticed traces of fatigue on the Fourth Hokage's face. The work was not kind to him at all.

"I want Obito to lead a new team of three", - Minato broke the silence. - "And I also want you to join the ANBU and become the captain of my personal guard."

Fourteen year old teenager froze in one place, stunned.

"New team?" - the teenager frowned in confusion.

"The three of you have done well on missions under your leadership, Kakashi. But if Obito plans to become Hokage in the future, he needs to gain experience in leadership."

"Do you want me to join ANBU?"

Minato sighed heavily and closed his eyes for a few seconds.

"I understand that I've been putting too much on you all this time. I left you as captain in my place. You couldn't help but feel the weight of responsibility. But now I ask you for more. Many in the village believe that I am unworthy of the title of Hokage. With you as my right hand, I would feel much more stable. I need you in ANBU, Kakashi."

Kakashi covered the distance and stopped in front of the guy. Minato looked up at him with tired eyes. Kakashi tried to give his face a determined and at the same time calming expression.

"I will always be on your side, sensei", - the teenager got down on one knee. - "And I am honored to be your right hand."

"Thank you, Kakashi", - Minato exhaled with noticeable relief and smiled. - "Now, won’t you run after Obito?"

After Kakashi found Obito and brought him to the Hokage's office, dusk began to fall on the village. The teenager headed towards the house. All the way he thought about Minato's words.

"I’m home", - he said automatically, closing the front door behind him.

The delicious smell of food reminded him that in today's chaos he had missed lunch. Sakumo's cooking skills improved a lot after he took several lessons from Duy. But despite his hunger, Kakashi barely touched his dinner.

"You’re too thoughtful today", - the teenager heard his father’s voice. - "Something happened?"

"Minato sensei is disbanding our team", - no matter how hard Kakashi tried, he could not hide the bitterness in his voice. - "He wants Obito to become captain of another team, and for me to join ANBU."

"ANBU?" - Sakumo put down his chopsticks and bound his fingers. - "Minato wants you by his side."

Kakashi nodded.

"What's bothering you?"

"I…" - the teenager sighed heavily. - "I don’t want our team to disband."

Kakashi looked away. Sakumo pursed his lips.

"We worked well together", - the teenager continued. - "And I’m used to always being with them. I'm used to the fact that I'm nearby and can always protect them. And now I will work alone, while they will be in a team with people they don’t know. I… worry about them."

"It’s completely normal to worry about your friends, Kakashi," - Sakumo said slowly. - "You worry about them and want to protect them. But, unfortunately, you won't be able to always be there for them."

"I know", - Kakashi answered barely audibly. - "I’m just afraid that something might happen to them when I’m not around."

"I'm sure Obito and Rin can take care of themselves. They may be just as confused as you right now. You need to talk to them and give them confidence. You're a great friend, Kakashi."

Kakashi winced and looked up at his father.

"Do you have friends, father?"

"Don’t worry about me, Pup", - Sakumo smiled at his son. - "I have one and it’s quite enough. Finish your dinner before it gets cold."

Kakashi nodded and picked up his chopsticks.

"Thank you, father."

The next morning, Kakashi stood in Minato's office in full ANBU uniform.

"Kakashi, please take off your mask", - Minato asked. - "I have great news. You are the first person to know about this."

Kakashi nodded seriously.

"Kushina is pregnant," - Minato said quickly and smiled widely.

"Congratulations!" - Kakashi felt himself smiling back.

"Thank you", - the guy sincerely thanked. - "I have a first mission for you. I want you to guard Kushina throughout her pregnancy."

Kakashi froze in shock. Of all the people in the village, Minato decided to give this mission to him - to protect the life and health of Kushina and the unborn child. Emotions quickly changed on Kakashi's face. He still hasn’t answered anything, trying to put the information in his head.

"Kakashi", - Minato’s soft voice brought him out of his thoughts. - "There is no person in this village whom I trust more than you."

The teenager held his breath and bowed deeply.

"I won't let you down, nii-san!"

"I believe you," - Minato smiled at the usual address; it seems that Kakashi didn’t even notice how he called him big brother. - "Do you know when your uncle is coming back?"

"No", - the teenager shook his head. - "I can send Pakkun to him."

"I will be very grateful to you. I want to tell Jiraiya sensei this news as soon as possible. I don't have much to do today and I'm already heading home, so you can start your mission tomorrow. In the meantime, rest."

Kakashi nodded goodbye and left the Hokage's office. He headed to the nearest training ground and called Pakkun. Having conveyed the message to Ninken, Kakashi looked after him thoughtfully.

"Rival!" - he heard a loud voice behind him.

A few seconds later, Guy materialized opposite him.

"You look somehow different", - Guy carefully examined the teenager from head to toe.

"Minato sensei appointed me to ANBU", - Kakashi nervously moved his shoulder, he was still not used to his new form.

"Cool!" - Guy threw one fist up. - "You never cease to amaze me, Rival!"

Kakashi felt his cheeks turn slightly pink at the seemingly simple compliment.

"Will you sit down?" - Kakashi patted the ground next to him, Guy immediately sat down. - "I have great news."

"Anything even cooler than your promotion?" - the teenager was sincerely surprised.

Kakashi nodded.

"Kushina-san is pregnant."

Guy opened his eyes in surprise.

"Congratulations, Kakashi!" - he exclaimed loudly and hugged a teenager in his arms.

"Are you congratulating me? Why?" - Kakashi said barely audibly, trying to get out of the suffocating embrace.

"What do you mean why?" - Guy pushed the gasping teenager away from him and looked carefully into his eyes. - "Your little sister will be born soon! Or little brother!"

"Little brother?" - Kakashi asked in bewilderment in a hoarse voice.

"Or little sister", - Guy added in a serious tone, and then smiled brightly. - "You will become an older brother!"

Kakashi blinked in shock.

"I…"

"I can already imagine you with a little baby in your arms", - Guy sighed dreamily, still not letting go of the teenager’s shoulders.

Kakashi remained silent, ignoring Guy's passionate monologue. Too many events happened in these two days.

*** 

Kakashi walked quickly towards the Hatake family residence. Minato returned home a little earlier and let him go, knowing that today all the teenagers were going to celebrate Obito's birthday.

"Kakashi!" - a loud voice came from behind the teenager.

Kakashi skidded to a halt and looked around. 

"Do you have a minute?"

"You know that we are a little late for your birthday, right?" - Hatake asked, raising one eyebrow up questioningly.

Obito ruffled his hair in embarrassment and laughed awkwardly.

"Something happened?" - Kakashi immediately tensed.

"No!" - Obito shook his head negatively and put his hands in front of him. - "I just... wanted to talk to you."

"Okay", - Kakashi narrowed his eyes skeptically. - "About what?"

"Well, you know", - Obito’s eyes nervously darted around. - "You are now in ANBU, I was given a different team, and Rin decided to stay to work at the hospital. I... now I will spend less and less time in the village. Although I would like to stay here longer..."

Kakashi sighed tiredly.

"Get to the point."

Obito flinched when he heard Kakashi's sharp, commanding voice.

"I know that Rin is in love with you", - he said suddenly. - "And I know that you like her too. Now you will spend more and more time together while I am somewhere far away on missions..."

As Obito continued to speak, Kakashi noticed a flash of green color out of the corner of his eye. Hatake swore quietly and frowned.

"Obito, stop, shut up", - he interrupted his friend’s monologue. - "I don't like Rin. And she's not in love with me."

Obito froze, stunned.

"Just ask her out, idiot!" - Kakashi finally said before disappearing into thin air, leaving his discouraged friend alone.

Kakashi landed silently on a tree branch. As he had expected, Guy was training at his favorite training ground. He practiced his blows with a completely unreadable expression on his face. Sighing heavily, Kakashi jumped to the ground.

"Yo."

Guy flinched and put too much force into the blow, breaking the wooden post. Kakashi swallowed. Guy stood still for a moment, then turned to him, a broad smile shining on his face.

"Rival! Have you come to challenge me?" - the teenager exclaimed too loudly. - "What is it this time? Rock climbing? Arm wrestling? Or maybe…"

"You heard everything", - Kakashi interrupted him.

Guy's smile faltered.

"Yes", - the teenager lowered his eyes to the ground and shrugged his shoulders embarrassedly. - "Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I was just passing by."

Kakashi took a step forward when Guy immediately took a step back.

"In any case, even though I had no right to overhear a conversation about your personal life, this is still great news!"

Kakashi frowned. He tried to catch Guy's eye, but he stubbornly did not look at him.

"You... both of you deserve to be happy. I..." - Guy paused, and then added in a muffled voice. - "Happy for you."

"It’s not like that," - Kakashi said quickly. - "I don't like Rin."

He immediately felt a prick of shame. This is the second time this evening he has uttered these words. He really liked Rin, but never in a romantic way. He always treated her like a sister.

"And Rin was never really in love with me", - he continued. - "In fact, she has been liking Obito for some time, and this idiot can not understand it. They are even worse than Asuma and Kurenai. Those two don’t announce their relationship, but at least they confess to each other, and these two will be beating around the bush until the end of time."

Guy remained silent, which made Kakashi very nervous.

"So, you don't like Rin?"

"No", - Kakashi shook his head to be convincing. - "Actually, I..."

"There you are!" - they heard an exclamation and turned towards the voice. - "Everyone was already tired of waiting for you and sent me on a search."

Genma leaned his shoulder against the tree and cast a lazy glance at them.

"How long will you stand here? We’re late for the party."

Guy shrugged and stretched his lips into a smile.

"It's not good to keep friends waiting."

Kakashi was still trying to catch his eye, but the teenager had already walked towards Genma. Hatake sighed heavily and followed him. Guy noticeably took the lead, while Kakashi and Genma walked leisurely behind.

"Interrupted some important conversation?" - asked Genma, the senbon clutched in his teeth flashed brightly in the moonlight.

Kakashi chuckled.

"Don't pretend like you didn't hear anything."

Genma smirked at the edge of his lips. They continued walking in silence until they reached the cafe. The loud voices of their friends could be heard from the establishment.

"If you break his heart, I’ll break your face", - Genma drawled slowly, making Kakashi freeze at the entrance.

"You know that this will never happen", - Kakashi gave him a serious look.

Genma shrugged. There was a barely hidden worry in his dark eyes.

"I know, but I still have to warn you. I am his best friend. And I will protect him from everyone. Even from you."

Kakashi nodded silently and entered the cafe, still feeling Shiranui's gaze on his back.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 6

[ellorypurebloodculture]

Ficlet Friday request:

Kakashi/Naruto

Hatake Kakashi never planned on getting married. Why would he, when everyone he has ever loved has died--not even his father or the Fourth Hokage with all of their legendary, vaunted strength stayed at his side, alive.

But the Elemental Nations are as close to true peace as will ever be possible, the war is over, and Uzumaki Naruto is still alive, hasn't died, hasn't left him behind like all the people Kakashi ever dared to love (though his love for Naruto is different--romantic).

"Kakashi?" Naruto asks, offering up his hitai-ate with a hopeful smile and bright blue eyes.

"Naruto," Kakashi replies as he exchanges it for his own, accepting the offer of marriage in defiance of his fears.

[undercover-stories]

For my Minato lives au

Minato wakes up with Kushina’s name on his lips and Sarutobi’s heart breaks for him. He’s seen his fair share of grief and tragedy. He’s fought in 3 different wars ever since he was a teenager. Life had rarely been painless for him and his people.

Still, it never makes it any easier.

Minato is not conscious enough to receive a reply and before Sarutobi can even get up from his seat, the man has already fallen back into a more peaceful slumber after several nights of restless, feverish, nightmares.

At least the worst has passed, he thinks as he leaves, hoping that whatever waited for his protégé when he awakes will be enough to root him to the earth. Right now, Konoha needed him more than ever.

When Minato finally breaks through his dreams the first thing he feels is surprise before he’s speared by a pain so deep and visceral that it’s a shock to him when he sees no wound on his chest where the agony was tearing him apart. Truthfully he knows why he’s feeling the way he is. His memory is not merciful enough to have blocked out the reality he’s being made to face but as he’s learned over the years, awareness doesn’t take away grief. Nothing can and that is another fact that has him choking on his own breath. Before the nurses can even be alerted of his waking, tears are already falling in unbidden streams that soak the pillow beneath him. Every part of him hurts but the pain is not enough to distract him from the horrible picture in his mind that replays like a haunting nightmare he can't seem to break through.

He can feel with unwavering clarity how it felt to have his hands sticky and wet, soaked with Kushina’s blood even as she smiled in his arms, dark blue eyes never leaving the sight of their son that he’d placed so delicately on her chest.

The nurses seem to understand without words because as soon as the doctor left after a short evaluation, a crib was wheeled into the room and suddenly Minato felt like he’s fallen back into a dream but one that’s managed to pierce the darkness and loosen the knot around his chest.

Naruto feels almost weightless when the nurse finally places him above his heart, so much so that Minato doesn’t think he’d believe his child was even there were it not for his own eyes assuring him of the truth.

“Naruto”, he whispers as the tiny life fusses and whimpers in the blue wrap he’s bundled in.

A part of him wants to sit up so he can fully feast his sight on his son. But even being awake for a bare few minutes has depleted his strength. Still even as his eyes fall to a close, his grip on Naruto doesn’t loosen.

“I love you. I’ll take care of you. I promise. Till my last breath”

““Lord Fourth, I must insist that this is not a conduct fit for a Hokage”

Minato doesn’t even look up from where he was reading through a report on his desk, his right hand twiddling a pen while his left pats the bottom of the wrap that was strapped over his shoulder and side just loose enough to comfortably nestle his 3-week-old son. Naruto’s annoyed grumbling tapered off back to sleep soothed by his father’s touch.

“Lord Fourth-“

“Inside voices Shimura-San. If you’d be so inclined”, Minato whispers back in his usual calm demeanor but no one in the room misses the sharp way the words are uttered.

Minato can almost hear Danzo gritting his teeth.

“Lord Fourth, I must insist that it is both unnecessary and unsuitable for a child to be guarded by the Hokage when we have perfectly competent caretakers to look after him while you work and anbu to protect him”

“I don’t think Naruto’s presence has caused any disturbance in my work ethic as of yet. Is my son’s presence bothering you Nara-San?”

Shikaku, who’d been standing idly by the filing cabinet, can barely hide the smirk threatening to lift the corner of his lips.

“Not at all, Lord Fourth. I say Naruto being here creates a much calmer atmosphere and helps you focus without being distracted by worry for his well-being should he be cared for by anyone else”

“Thank you Nara-San. And I trust that you will be honest and straightforward with me if Naruto’s presence does create a problem in your ability to commit to your work?”

“Of course Lord Fourth. I wouldn’t be so disrespectful as to be less than truthful to you”

“That’s settled then”, Minato says cheerfully but his tone falls with a firm finality in the air that brooks no argument. The very thing that had made Sarutobi choose him as his successor and also the very thing that was the bane of Danzo’s existence. Minato’s refusal to ever let anything pass his awareness without strict scrutiny.

Minato drops his eyes back onto the document lying so ‘invitingly’ on his desk and it's as clear as a dismissal as it can get.

Shikaku barely manages to catch the door in time before the older man can slam it shut behind him as he leaves the office.

Still, Naruto ever sensitive to even the smallest disturbance, begins to fuss in annoyance but he calms quickly when his father presses him just a tad tighter against his chest.

“I don’t think I need to warn you about getting on the man’s bad side”, Shikaku tries to scold in a grave voice but Minato knows his friend well enough to decipher the hint of mirth peeking behind his words.

“I’ve been on his bad side since day one. Why stop now? Besides, watching out for his schemes and machinations is your job isn’t it?”, Minato jokingly replies and his smile widens when his advisor gives him a mournful look.

“You put too much work on me. Can’t you leave me unbothered for once?”

Minato graces him with a cheeky smile, “I’m sure you’ll have more than enough time to spend at home afterward to pass on your wisdom and philosophy to your son. But until then, call Fugaku in will you?”

Shikaku gives him a playful salute as he leaves, careful to open and shut the door without so much as a squeak.

As soon as the door closes, Minato brushes his fingers through his hair before massaging his forehead and letting out a lethargic sigh.

“One at a time. One at a time”

@maelstrom-of-emotions thoughts?