#hokage bashing

[wolfgiselle]

I love this fic!

Young Sasuke Uchiha becomes a social justice warrior, this somehow leading to: his clan not being massacred and succeeding in their coup, the Hyuga branch family being freed and having their own coup, and Naruto gaining a supportive best friend and parental figure.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Necessary Changes

Words: 1189

For: @skykashi

Arguing with Koharu and Homura was an endless, exhausting task. As a Jonin Kakashi learned to pick and choose his fights carefully because the two elder’s were exceptionally skilled at wearing down their opponents. He’d seen shinobi older and more experienced than him cave to the elder’s demands, including Lord third. 

He never gave up because he didn’t  genuinely care about the argument, but because he ran out of energy to fight for his cause any longer. There had been many times growing up that he wished he’d had more power because it seemed like the only way that he would have the power to shut the elders up. Now, Kakashi had that power. He may not have wanted it when he first took the position of Hokage from Tsunade-sama, but Kakashi couldn’t deny the fact that he finally had a power he’d never had before.

“Shut up.” he groaned as he rubbed his forefinger against his temple in an attempt to will away the headache he could feel creeping up on him with every word the two elder’s said.

Koharu gasped, acting as though this was the first time in her life that a Hokage had told her to silence herself. 

“Lord Sixth-” Homura began, only silencing himself when Kakashi glared his way.

If it were anyone else Kakashi would insist that they drop the ‘Lord’. It was an honorific meant to refer to those who had earned other people’s respect. People like Tsunade and Jiraiya had earned the right to be referred to using that honorific, but not Kakashi.

He was just Kakashi. Nothing else. 

In this instance, though, he was willing to let it slide. If the two elder’s were going to insist on arguing with them he was going to allow them to remind themselves of just who it was they were trying to pick a fight with.

This wasn’t a fresh faced Jonin Kakashi arguing for a change in his team selection for a mission because he knew he could do the job better with Rin and Gai at his side.

It wasn’t Anbu Kakashi who was so broken and lost that he barely had a back bone to hold himself up let alone argue with the elder’s. 

The two of them weren’t picking a fight with someone they still out ranked. No, today they were picking a fight with Hokage Kakashi. A man who’d never wanted the responsibility of taking care of an entire village, but who’d come into the job determined to make changes to the system that had taken so much from him. 

“This is not up for discussion,” he lowered his hand onto the desk. “You can tell me how much you hate what I'm doing but I’ve already signed the paperwork and begun the process of retraining Konoha’s shinobi.”

“This is ridiculous,” Koharu straightened herself up, recovering from the shock of being told off. “Konoha is a village of shinobi. It is our job-”

tilting his head, Kakashi stared at her until . “Not ours,” Kakashi corrected her. “You two are no longer active shinobi. You have not been on a mission in over thirty years. If I could remove you from your positions I would but unfortunately even the Hokage does not have that power.” He’d checked and Tsunade had just sighed and shook her head. If there was anyone in Konoha who understood his desire to get rid of the elder’s it was her. “And in the past you would have been correct. When you were shinobi Konoha was in the midst of war. Killing our enemies may have been the only option. That’s not the case anymore.”

It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t allow the next generation to suffer through the guilt and regret that he had.

“Lord Sixth, you must see reason on this,” Homura continued to argue. “To change something so engrained into our society is foolish. Konoha’s shinobi are used to the way things are. They won’t change just because you ask them to.”

‘They won’t change that easily’ Tsunade-sama’s words echoed back to him. She’d been the first person he’d spoken to of his decision. Someone he could speak to who would tell him honestly what she thought and whether or not he should move forward. When he’d heard those words from her he’d prepared himself to give up on a better future, but then she continued speaking. ‘Then, of course, nothing that’s worth fighting for is ever easy’

Kakashi had a choice to make as Hokage. Which fights were the one’s he was willing to pick, and how far was he willing to dig his heels in and stand his ground?

For this one, the answer was simple to find.

No matter what anyone else said, or how much they fought him, he would stand his ground. This was a change that had to be made and there was no one in the village who would be able to stop him.

“They will learn,” he spoke calmly, keeping his voice steady even though he wanted to scream. “I don’t expect it to be an easy transition for anyone. There will be struggles and we will have to learn new methods.” the inclusion of ‘we’ was deliberate. Kakashi knew that it wouldn’t be just the shinobi under his command who would struggle with the new rule.

He had been raised to be a killer. Molded into the perfect ideal of a shinobi, ready to take a life at a moment’s notice. His hands were stained with the blood of countless enemy shinobi.

Learning to capture rather than kill would be just as much of a struggle for him, but it was something he was willing to put himself through so that the shinobi of Konoha knew he was serious about this change. 

“Now,” focusing back on the pair in front of him, he narrowed his eyes. “This conversation is done. I will not hear another word about it so unless you have something else to speak with me about I would suggest you leave. I still have a lot of paperwork to finish before my day ends.”

Homura opened his mouth but quickly rethought whatever it was he wanted to say and instead turned his back to Kakashi with a huff.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Lord Sixth,” Koharu sighed as she copied her friend’s movements, sparing Kakashi a glance over her shoulder. “The Hokage’s before you went through a lot to set the village up as it is. What you’re doing is dismantling all of that work.”

“Perhaps,” he sat back in his chair. “But they set up the village for war. I want this village to thrive and grow in ways they never could have imagined.”

He didn’t need to be known as the best Hokage Konoha had ever had. In fact, he’d resigned himself to being known as the worst Hokage in history as soon as he’d taken the seat and he was still prepared to take that title. 

If being the worst meant pushing his village into a brighter, more hopeful future, he would happily wear that title.

[tisajest]

You are newly orphaned and given to the nearest Wise Old Man to raise. He will be your guardian til adulthood and may or may not come to care for you, who would you rather that man be?

[pandelacreme]

tired of shounen relying on lineage as means to justify the main character's plot armour

[luvcozy]

Reanimated Madara x Shy!Forest Goddess!Reader

@opheliasadventures1 :- Reanimated Madara with a shy and easily flustered forest goddess reader

A/N :- I gotchu with this one first, headcannons coming later I promise. Just bear with me, it's been a minute since I've written on Tumblr 😂

Warnings :- Flirting, mild language, Madara, gender specific reader (fem)

Word Count :- 1.2k

Life has a funny way of things doesn't it? One second you're living fine, alone, happy, content. The next your falling head over heals for a man that can kill you with one fatal jutsu. After that... You're mourning the loss of that man because of a negative spiral for power and revenge. And then your back to square one for god knows how long. The heart can be something so great and so hurtful in these times.

And much to your own dismay it really is. You lived in near solitude after the death of your late husband, Madara. You were fine with this, you couldn't get hurt if you didn't make any new connections. Plus... It's more painful to watch all that you know change and leave when you're immortal. It was like this for years, but until now you hadn't had a reason to leave your sanction till you heard it.

And not just by someone who just so happened to come across your home, but by the very Senju that killed what was your brother inlaw. Tobirama Senju, an old friend yes, but a sour one at the most. Seeing as he wasn't looking completely together told you enough that he was completely there. One of the Senju brothers needing your help wasn't uncommon from back when they breathed and bled, but this was far different. Being asked to stop your husband who is trying to make the world submit to an eternal genjutsu was something else.

And that's why you're here now...

Currently using your abilities to your advantage on the battlefield. You weren't near Madara yet, but you could tell he was there and what he was doing was sickening. Everyone had a show for it too, Hashirama fighting the Ten-tails, Saratobi and who you now know as the fourth hokage, Minato, fighting the reanimated, you and Tobirama on the other hand, were tracking the slippery Uchiha. A plan set and ready, all you needed to do was distract Madara, now how hard could that be?

"How hard is it to track him if you're able to sense things from the ground and roots?" Tobirama sneered at you while you leapt around the battlefield.

"Easier said than done, the less vegetation the harder it can be. So don't act all high and mighty like you can do it better." You rolled your eyes looking softly at the younger Senju as he sighed looking around.

"Just try and focus, the sooner we can seal him away the better-" just as he finished his sentence he was sent flying by a fireball sent straight for him. "Damn bastard! If you don't watch where you're shooting you'll hurt your own plans Madara!"

You had leapt back a good distance when the fireball had come close, earth and fire don't mix well in your conditions. When you scanned the area of the fireball you spotted the spiky haired Uchiha just as he seemingly teleported right before Tobirama. They both locked their hits stopping one another from bashing the others.

"And what do you know about plans? If I recall, you had almost died from two pathetic idiots all because they ate their way out of the Nine-tails." Madara jerked back against the white haired Senju and both backed away from one another. As he was about to call his susonoo again you had jumped at his side and by a miracle tackled him to the ground.

"You damn Shinobi pest never know when to quit-"

"Finish that sentence and so help me I'll make you remember what being slapped feels like." You looked down at him and his stunned face as he was mid jutsu sign. You grinned softly at him as you straddled his waist. "Hi baby.."

Madara just looked at you as he moved to sit up and slid you down to his lap. He looked down at you, scanning over you slowly as a smile formed on his face and his hands moved to your waist and face.

"So, you really weren't lying about being immortal then huh?"

"Why would I lie about that? We had plenty of moments that showed off the truth of that very question." You scrunched your nose a bit and furrowed your brows. Despite trying to look upset and angry, it was rather difficult when he was caressing one of your cheeks and rubbing his thumb along your cheekbone.

"Because, despite that, it just means I get to experience your eternal beauty~" he winked as he brought you to stand up with him. A heavy blush formed on your face while he began laughing at your reaction, his armour shaking as he did.

"Cheeky move Mada.." you wrapped your arms around his neck and buried your face away into him whilst he hugged you tight to him.

Silence fell over the two of you while you held one another. Taking in one anothers present, this alone made your grip on him tighten as your eyes began to burn, before long you had a small stream of tears rolling down your face. Madara moved you away, grabbing your chin and making you look up into his shining red eyes of his mangeko sharingan. Before you could say anything he only traced his thumb over your lips, hauling your words in your throat.

"I know, I know, my sweet girl... I know..." He spoke softly as things started to come to a stop around you. You shook your head and pulled him close again as your lips met in a tender and longing kiss.

Your hands made their way to the sides of his face and in his hair. As the kiss broke away you heard someone clear their throat. You both turned to look at Hashirama scratching the back of his neck with an awkward grin, Tobirama next to him looking away as irritated as ever, and Saratobi looking away while shaking his head with a small smirk.

"Glad to see your love is as strong as ever!" Hashirama looked at the two of you and rocked on his heels before Tobirama smacked him over the head.

"How about instead of your nonsense you let them talk." Tobirama glared at him before turning to you and Madara before nodding to you directly. Madara lifted his brow as he glared at the three in front of him before looking back down at you.

"Heh- Mada, I love all that you do and all that you've done...but this isn't part of that. You're hurting what was our home. The place we built back then, look at all of this. I've watched it all change and grow and I ask that you don't destroy it. Madara I want to watch what we did grow till I can't no longer, will you grant me that? Please..?"

Madara looked at you with a panned look till it softened, he wrapped his arm around your waist making you blush. As he leaned down and planted a kiss to your forehead.

"I suppose it isn't very fair to make you watch your- our home crumble, especially with you watching over it my sweet girl." He pressed another soft kiss to your head while he looked at his fellow reanimated Shinobi and back down at you.

"Even if I'm gone, I'll be close to you, I promise."

"I know you will Mada, I never doubted your words, not once." You pulled him into another hug that he returned without hesitation and held each other tightly knowing what was to come.

"I love you, my God of the Uchiha."

"I love you too, my Goddess of the land and earth."

[theonekrafter]

Love the new chapter! I really love all the dynamics, especially Jiraiya walking in and accidentally ruining his own dynamic with them. I really get the feeling that it never occurred to him that his students could *not* trust him. Like, I don't think it even occurred to him that his students wouldn't already respect him and be vying for his attention like he did in his old team. You mentioned him seeing Seiko as like Orochimaru due to the genius thing, and im just. So curious. Was he doing the immature equivalent thing of trying to one up a kid as an f u to his childhood rival? Does he want Seiko to like/respect him to feel vindicated? That's going to end interestingly. I wonder what it looks like from the outside, that his team watch their backs around him and eye him like he'll do something, and he thinks it's normal. Do they they think it's funny that a Sanin can't get a bunch of kids to like him? Are they concerned that there is no teacher student bonds forming like is traditional and expected? What does it mean in konoha society for a genin student to fundamentally not trust their teacher? For the entire team to stand with them and close ranks with their Sensei on the outside? Idk I feel like people are going to form Opinions about it

LONG WINDED RESPONSE! warning you all now! will contain spoilers related to my characterization of jiraiya!

I really get the feeling that it never occurred to him that his students could not trust him.

jiraiya doesn't really understand what position these kids are coming from, nor does he understand on any deeper level What It Means to be a jonin teacher. or a teacher worthy of trust in general. this isn't me bashing him, i think that while he CAN be a fun and engaging teacher, he doesn't really respect the impact he has on these kids' lives.

with his sensei he already respected him simply because he was the hokage. and, on top of that, hiruzen was an agreeable affable person. he commanded respect easily and his students trusted him not to lead them astray (at least while they were genin). jiraiya has taken this dynamic for granted and believes that to be the default. it is not.

as for the ame orphans, he was ALL THEY HAD. his mercy in choosing to teach them ingratiated them significantly more to him from the get go. this isn't the case for his genin team. his genin team just got some random guy who everyone says is strong, and now they're having to feel him out for if he's a good person and good teacher.

Was he doing the immature equivalent thing of trying to one up a kid as an f u to his childhood rival? Does he want Seiko to like/respect him to feel vindicated? That's going to end interestingly.

for jiraiya, i think what he did was totally normal and fine. yeah she's just a pipsqueak genin, but she's advanced for her age. she can handle a little spar.

in my head, jonin and chunin do use spars as a private space to check on each other, to check each other's loyalties too. shinobi are always more honest with a weapon in hand, the saying goes. so jiraiya just sees this as a opprotunity to privately ask if seiko knows what he and the hokage thinks she knows.

spoiler:

the hokage did not ask jiraiya to figure it out in the way jiraiya did. the hokage just mentioned that he suspected she knew, and that he wanted to know if she did or not. that sort of thing is important to accommodate for considering no one else in kushina's age group is aware of what she is. ill go over this in a later chapter, but there's your answer to if the hokage is trying to scare poor seiko half to death.

What does it mean in konoha society for a genin student to fundamentally not trust their teacher? For the entire team to stand with them and close ranks with their Sensei on the outside? Idk I feel like people are going to form Opinions about it

:)

ty for your ask!!

i love getting asks its like i got a little letter from a friend who lives far away and who's asking after me and my children's health. very very fun. lmk if you have any other ideas or thoughts about the kids! or of the side characters like the ino-shika-cho trio. im excited to write more of them.

[kishimotomasashi]

Alright, Uchiha Clan oppression longpost

This is the unavoidable, and often central, topic people tend to surround their Naruto politics takes on, and is as a result a big, ugly discourse-generator. It's also a subject I'm definitely always thinking about when it comes to Naruto as a noted Sasuke stan, and my thoughts on it have changed gradually over the years. I'm making this post to share what my current interpretation on "how and why the Uchiha Clan were oppressed" is.

Before I do that though, notice on what this post is not:

I'm not writing a "discourse ender", a take meant to be spread around with the claim of being the only correct interpretation of events. This is a post I wrote to share the exact way I rotate an aspect of the manga in my mind, and to convince people that looking at it from this angle is interesting. Basically: it's not that serious, I think about this because it's fun.

This isn't a "character-bashing" post or whatever either, so like if you agree with what you read here, I suppose I can't stop you from using those infamous "anti-[X]" tags, it's just that making a post that warrants them has never been my intention.

Along with that, I do want to address the by now very well established fact that Naruto the series is Not Very Good, and has glaring inconsistencies in its writing. The Uchiha Clan drama is definitely not exempt from this, and in its case the failures in Kishimoto's writing usually show in inconsistent power-scaling, in which we're made to accept weird leaps in logic (how does a 13 year old get rid of what we're told is one of the most powerful and feared clans internationally?) That being said, those particular inconsistencies are kind of irrelevant to this particular post, and don't much change the fact that the Uchiha Clan Massacre did happen. I'll be taking it as a given that if you're reading this, you're accepting to suspend your disbelief of those events on a technical level, and are more interested in how I make sense of it all more on the diegetic social/political level.

With that settled, we can get to the important part now:

The most popular take (as far as I've personally seen) on the events that led to the Uchiha Clan's downfall is the one that takes Madara at his word: the Senju have been oppressing the Uchiha since Konoha's conception, and Tobirama becoming the 2nd Hokage gave him the opportunity to put the Uchiha in a more socially disadvantaged position (police force), gradually earning them the villagers' ire, which was the catalyst for their eventual genocide.

This interpretation works if the end goal of your analysis is to say "Tobirama really fucking sucks". I don't think this conclusion is an unreasonable one, since Tobirama's hostility towards the Uchiha is great enough that he can callously tell a 16 year old genocide survivor that if his clan "self-destructed for the sake of the village, so be it". However, to me, the circumstances surrounding the Uchiha Clan are much wider-encompassing and more fascinating than narrowing their fate to a single man in fan meta written to convince you to hate him, so it goes without saying that I don't think "this is all Tobirama's fault" is a very interesting lens to look at this from.

I also don't buy the argument that making the Uchiha cops was (originally) to their detriment. We'll get back to that in a bit. I suppose this depends on how you look at Tobirama's character, but I think that when he said he made the police force as a sign of trust and to give the clan something useful to do in Konoha, he was being genuine. Arguing the opposite requires you to either believe that a law enforcement order could ever be in an oppressed position by default, or that Tobirama created a fundamentally useless new institution because he just hated the Uchiha that much. I think the former is a weird thing to argue if you're trying to be Leftist about all this, and the latter is a very ungenerous interpretation of Tobirama's character in which his own "racism"/pettiness overshadows his more utilitarian instincts to ensure that the village his brother built was safe and functioning. Obviously you could interpret that, but that leads us back to the "everything is Tobirama's fault" take, that I already mentioned I find lame as hell.

So then, how do I think the Uchiha Clan was oppressed? Because I think they indisputably were, or I wouldn't be making this post. Well, I think it was less "The Senju/Tobirama have always wanted to lord over them and wanted them dead", and more: they became gradually more socially disadvantaged during the era of Hidden Villages, with the consecutive world wars creating a souring global opinion on kekkei genkai clans.

(I'm gonna base my arguments primarily on what we see happen in the manga, and I'll add in some information from the fanbooks/databooks that weren't contradicted by what we see happen in Kishimoto's canon)

Let's start with what we know, definitely, that canon tells us:

Kekkei genkai clans are discriminated against to a very high extent, leading to things such as their mass slaughter (eg, the Uchiha Clan obviously, but also kekkei genkai clans like Haku's clan in the Land of Mist), and a vulnerability which puts them in positions where they're likelier to be targeted and kidnapped (eg, Hinata, but also Orochimaru having a whole criminal entreprise built on kidnapping and experimenting on people possessing kekkei genkai).

The trend for their discrimination is in being scapegoated. When Haku talks about the genocides in the Land of Mist (I refuse to call it the Land of Water sorry it sounds so stupid), this is how he describes them:

(chapter 59)

basically, it's not shinobi as a whole who are badly seen even though all sorts of them were likely participating in those wars: it's kekkei genkai clans in particular. Compare this to the Uchiha Clan being blamed for the Nine Tails attack (I mean one of them certainly was responsible, but was entirely unaffiliated with the rest of the clan) and being roped off to the edge of the village as a result.

Kekkei genkai clans are also frequently described by characters as being a bit "wilder" and more violent than usual shinobi. Tobirama calling the Uchiha "cursed", Kushina describing the Uzumaki as being "a bit savage", and Kakashi introducing us to the concept of kekkei genkai initially with these fun visuals:

(chapter 25)

The thing that's interesting about all this is the context in which it exists: the shinobi villages aren't technically "nations", but I think it would be accurate to liken their possessiveness of their secrets and paranoia regarding outside intrusion + conception of themselves as unified cultural entities + incredibly harsh treatment of dissidents (becoming a rogue is essentially a death sentence) to nationalism. There's an intentse "in-group vs out-group" feeling here.

Not to mention that canonically that shinobi have always been tools of imperialism for greater powers. While Hashirama's initial dream was to put an end to that, it eventually became corrupted; there was already discontent regarding land and resource allocations during his tenure as Hokage, and while we have no idea why the 1st War started, we know that by the time we're on the 2nd one, Konoha had become a tool for the Land of Fire's imperialist expansion (and was apparently was expanding its influence as a military village, too).

(chapter 436)

Basically, the "in-group vs out-group" conception that had once solely been clan-centric widened, and became this new concept of shinobi villages.

This is important because nationalistic sentiment inevitably rises during war; as a result, there's be a sharper eye for who'd turn traitor, who wasn't supporting the military effort, who would endanger their nation/village, etc. With this, there would be greater suspicion directed towards kekkei genkai clans, because they're more "genetically predisposed" to being unpredictable, because they would appear more loyal to their own than to the whole of the village, because they were the likeliest to turn traitor, and so on.

This would be a gradual process going on since the 1st War, but I believe that the 2nd War was where this kickstarted into becoming so much worse, because that one saw the destruction of Uzushio. It was a village composed entirely of a single clan, didn't bend to any of the big 5, and the Uzumaki were "savage" and had abilities that were greatly feared. It would be interesting to consider the idea that their associations with Konoha would have done them more harm than good here, too, given that Konoha was the Big Bad in the 2nd War and an alliance with them would not have been viewed positively.

It's thinking about all this in context, where nationalism was at its peak, where there's an idea that genetic chakra abilities impair swathes of people from being regular functioning shinobi like everyone else, is how we can imagine the Uchiha were discriminated against. They had another disadvantage to them as well, given that one of the first deadly attacks committed on Konoha was done by one of them. If we want to go back to the police force argument, it would be interesting to consider the idea that while it had been a good position for them at first, the utility and influence of the institution gradually eroded over time, and by the time the era where the massacre happened came along it became nearly meaningless since most of its original functions had been assigned elsewhere; as the kekkei genkai clan discrimination rose, the Uchiha also fell victim to it and their influence within the village significantly reduced out of fear of them.

The surveillance and the sequestering of the Uchiha Clan came after two important events; the first being the 3rd Great Shinobi War, and the second being the Nine Tails' attack on Konoha which happened barely a year post-armistice. Konoha was barely recovering from global armed conflict when half of it was destroyed in that attack; tensions are high, the Hokage is dead, and so the village saw an incredibly convenient scapegoat in the Uchiha clan.

So... yeah, that's how I see it! I find this a more fun interpretation than just pointing fingers at individual characters, because it allows me to consider the wider worldbuilding of the Naruto world, and also doesn't assume the Uchiha's position was especially unique and the end-be-all of all the problems with Naruto's politics. It's certainly important, but it's part of a greater network of problems too!

[marvelmymarvel]

Calming

Hashirama Senju x Reader

Synopsis: He carried the world's weight on his shoulders, and you were there to calm him down when it became too much.

Naruto Masterlist: Here

Hashirama's arms tightened around you, pulling himself deeper into your embrace. The two of you were currently lounging on your couch, him between your legs with his head on your chest. His shoulders were tense but slowly relaxed as your fingers ran through his tangled hair.

"Bad day?"

He groaned at your question, not wanting to talk about how much stress he was under. A soft smile rose on your lips as he moved to snuggle deeper into your neck, sighs falling from his lips as you continued playing with his hair. "You're so pretty, Hashi. I'd love to braid your hair" Your tease was full of adoration, and you waited for him to argue with your suggestion, but nothing came.

You grabbed a section, fingers smoothing out the knots as you began weaving the pieces together. "God's that feels good, my love," his voice rumbled through you, and your pulse quickened. He pressed kisses against your skin, "You make me feel good."

"You're gonna make me blush, Hashirama," you whined into the crown of his head, trying your best to hide the bashfulness he was causing. He moved his head to get a better look at you. His brown eyes were heavy with exhaustion but sparkled with love nonetheless. Your smile turned sheepish as he pushed up from his position to hover over you. "Hashi"

Hashirama's brown hair fell over his shoulders, the braid coming with it. He paused, head turning slightly to take in the braided portion of his hair. His eyes shot back to yours before a knowing smirk ghosted his lips, "Do you like my hair being braided?" You didn't say anything but averted your gaze from his. He looked gorgeous, more than he should legally be allowed to be. His fingers brushed softly against your cheek, cooing at the heat radiating from it. "You do like my hair this way…"

You let out a huff, growing tired of being teased with soft gestures and sweet words. "Oh, come now. No need to be embarrassed. I find your love to be quite adorable."

His fingers dug lightly into your cheek, pushing on them so your eyes were forced to lock with his.

You sat up, shoving your burning face in his neck, hoping to hide from him. "Hashirama, please" Your pleading fell on deaf ears as he tried to pull you away from him, "Come now, my love, I want to see your beautiful face-"

"I'm going to die of embarrassment" You didn't know how it was possible, but Hashirama was able to take your confident demeanor and make you shy with just a look and a string of words. Deciding to give you some relief, Hashirama stopped pushing and pulled you deeper into his body before moving so your positions were flipped.

You let out a content sigh as you snuggled into his neck, thankful he gave you a chance to catch your breath. Hashirama's fingers began to run through your hair as his heart hammered in your ear, both sensations calmed you, and you began to nod off. "Thank you for being my rock, Y/n" You hummed at that before nuzzling into his chest, curling up against him as you prepared for a sleep full of beautiful dreams. "Always and forever."

Hashirama smiled at your whisper, eyes closing as he, too, began to drift off. While he didn't like being so stressed and had even contemplated passing on the job to his much more capable younger brother, he couldn't deny that he didn't love these moments. The moments where you managed to ease away the pain and frustrations that being Hokage brought upon him. You didn't do anything special, you just held and cuddled him till he was no longer rigid. But it meant everything to him. You meant everything to him. His lips morphed into a peaceful smile, all worries now gone from his system. He loved you. He loved you more than you'd ever know.

Because you brought him peace when he didn't know he needed it.

[narutosway]

I cannot believe that people are still bashing on Sakura for not recognizing the fourth Hokage

For one; she's in a freakin war a lot goes on and so little to react to everything that is going on she focuses on one thing and that is healing people

Two; She never knew just like everyone else outside of previous gen to keep secret about Kurama's attack and the fact of the matter just because one lives in the same village doesn't mean everyone knows everyone

Three; Doesn't obviously know Naruto's birth parents since he was an orphan and wasn't very close to him until being on the same team as him and just like Sasuke not knowing at all of Naruto's parents

Four; She does know the Hokage(s) yes she mostly only knows of the third since he was the one who was there in her generation and possibly like everyone else in the village only mainly the parents knows about the fourth's sacrifice especially in the front lines lead Shinobi

No one else in the same generation as Sakura doesn't know who Minato is either but you don't hear at all about that only with Sakura since she was the one to react the most when Minato made his appearance

[joltai-showa]

ah shit here we go again, let's reread Naruto again

reading it in official English translation for the first time and really have no idea if it's good or not lol (I've been translating MHA for 5 years straight and official English translation from the same company fucking sucks)

chapter 1 is huge as hell, which is normal for Shonen Jump, mangaka needs to introduce the concept and characters and all yada yada

what I find really funny about Naruto is a lot of the stuff is written backwards (meaning, we have some stuff introduced early on, but then more shit is slapped on top) to the point that pre-Shippuden things directly contradict what is going to be stated later. Kishimoto most of the time gave approximately zero shit about things outright not making sense and, y'know, you gotta respect him for that, cause I don't have balls like that

(unfortunately when writing anything canon-compliant in Naruto you have be mindful of things being rewritten and outright not making sense💀)

Anyway enough yapping, very first page is already ripe with shit that is going to be retconneced later

Firstly, description of Kurama's abilities. Naruto's orange puppy certainly can not start tsunamis and landslides with just his tails, lmao, this is something closer to Ten-Tails. If the terrain allows it, sure, I can see him starting a landslide, but orange puppy isn't starting anything in the seas, he's got siblings with lesser number of tails for that haha.

Secondly, the entire second paragraph feels like a fever dream honestly. "Suffering people gathered the shinobi clans to fight this menace" = Konoha was founded as a way to stop the endless tiny conflicts between the shinobi clans living in the Land of Fire (why have small-scale conflicts between each other when you can have literal world wars with the guys from beyond the border lol, jk, I know Hashirama wanted a peaceful future for the kids, but ultimately hidden villages system solves none of the issues of the previous system besides "7 year olds die on the battlefields" because now we have "15 year olds die on the battlefields"), Kurama literally wanted nothing to do with humans (as far as we know) during the warring states period, he was literally frolicking in some meadows and eating weird twins from to-be Kumogakure, got captured by Uchiha "read some mossy stone that my clan carried for years for some reason and went totally delulu" Madara, was used to attack Konoha, got bitch slapped by Hashirama a few times before Mito stuffed him into her stomach. And people are surprised why is the orange puppy so evil most of the manga lmao. But anyway, the entire sentence also implies that Fourth Hokage had some sort of mega-epic showdown with the evil puppy... while in reality it was something closer to Konoha's nuke being stolen by a delusional angry fourteen year old and Minato had to simply recapture the nuke again.

anyway, that was a long-ass rant lol

love the early style, it's so goofy, Kakashi is especially wonky in it

first question: why are we tying up school kids after they are caught for their terrible pranks? what is the educational idea behind this thing? like, i get doing that on the training field, imitating combat and all, but why do the same thing in the classroom? is it supposed to encourage the kids to learn how to run away after being tied down by some ropes?

(if that's the case i guess i know at least one academy student who always failed this task, yeah, looking at you, rin, i'm sorry, i can't hold myself back from bashing that thing, lmao)

anyway, back to the manga, i really love how it mentions that Naruto flunked this exam two times already (and it's not stated how often this exam is, so I guess yearly?), and only graduates at like 13, which is supposed to be a super late age and Naruto is such a lazy bum for that... but then you realize the funny fact that Naruto's classmates aka "genius" Sasuke, "book-smart" Sakura, team Asuma and team Kurenai are all the same age as him. Lmao. This isn't the first time Kishi will forget about this silly thing called "timeline".

let's... not adress this gag.

AHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH.

Naruto, allow me to introduce you to this wonderful concept called "nepotism". It's quite common in your village. Second Hokage was First's younger brother, Third Hokage was the student of the Second, Fourth Hokage is the student of a guy who studied under Third, Fifth is literally both the granddaughter of First and a student of Third, Sixth is the student of Fourth and you, Naruto, is the son of Fourth and the student of Sixth.

I absolutely love how early Naruto is trying to be this story about this poor underdog when in reality our MC is the nepobaby to ever napobaby lol. I think only Iwa beats Konoha at having the most absurdly nepotistic system for Kage, because 3 out of 4 Tsuchikage are directly related to each other through blood and the one guy that isn't happens to be the teacher to Third.

(I do remember there was so bullshit about Kazekage clan or something but I think it's pretty much only a title and only Rasa and Gaara are actually related to each other through blood)

>badge of adulthood

>given to literal 9-13 year olds who can't throw a kunai in a straight line

yeah, you know what, this actually checks out.

you immediately know that mizuki is fucking evil when he says "nah let him pass iruka, he managed to produce a single shitty clone, he's totally not gonna be killed after 30 seconds on the battlefield" like WHAT IS THIS SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

also another good question to the world building: does Konoha have other schools besides Academy? Like, what do kids do if they don't want to pursue military career? Their parents hopefully teach them how to read and count and that's it? I mean, Konoha is a military settlement at the end of the day, but they can't be teaching only guys who will be throwing knives at each other?

absolutely nothing, naruto, lmao. you were born a nepobaby, prepare to have an endless supply of chakra for any tricks of yours and the best senseis Konoha has to offer.

is the Hokage building supposed to be their residence as well? huh.

also let's not talk about this gag.

comically large kurama jpeg

[ino-supremacy]

Ino Supremacy Birthday Weekend

Thank you to everyone who participated in our event! Below is a list of all the amazing fics that our server members made for Ino's Birthday Bash!

And be sure to check out @mayskalih for the amazing Ino art she contributed!

Baby Boy by cherryberry12 Rating: E Summary: “Call me Miss Ino,” she orders, withdrawing her hand. “I’m not your mother.” Boil the Frog by Renaerys Rating: E Summary: Kakashi and Ino try to act normal in public. It lasts about as long as the Fourth Hokage’s reign. Prompts: Age Gap, Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Ino sends horny thoughts to the Hokage. Drabble Dump, Ch 22 by VulgarAssassin Rating: E Prompts: Ino keeps sending horny thoughts to the Hokage during the meeting. Hold Me Down (and Breathe Me In) by twofortea Rating: E Summary: Sakura wants to be there for Ino after the war. This isn't what she had in mind. Prompts: Post-War if all else fails, persist by carnyvale Rating: T+ Summary: Kiba fell in love with a girl in a coffee shop. In Ino Veritas by Green_Riot Rating: G Summary: Ino confesses her feelings after drinking too much. Prompts: In Vino Veritas Ino's Therapy Practice: Now Accepting Clients by lightweaver Rating: E Summary: Ino's got a pretty interesting modality to cure a shinobi of their fears. Shisui's just helping her out. Prompts: Femme Fatale Only Ino Knows the (Paterni)Tea by Maiika Rating: T+ Summary: When Ino discovers her pregnancy, she goes through stages of emotions while coping with the upcoming change in her life. During that time, her baby’s paternity is a mystery until the very end. Prompts: Knocked Up, Secret Relationship Practical Lessons by lightweaver Rating: E Summary: It was just supposed to be another boring company party. And then, Ino realized that Itachi was drunk. Was this finally her chance to fuck her boss? Prompts: In Vino Veritas Touch-a-Touch-a-Touch-a-Touch Me by twofortea Rating: T+ Summary: Four drinks in, and Ino can’t stop staring at Hinata’s boobs. Prompts: In Vino Veritas When She Finally Died by lightweaver Rating: E Summary: Karin hated tourists. Especially the rich and famous ones. So when she was forced to lead a famous model on the trail - and give her a private tour - she decided that she wasn't going to let this Ino Yamanaka leave without breaking her heels. Karin may well have met her match. Prompts: Enemies to Lovers Win some, Lose some by PrincessxGarbage Rating: T+ Summary: Post-war bar flirting drabble for Ino's B-Day 2023 Prompts: Post-War

[sueske]

Betting on how Sasuke fell first. Re-reading the earlier chaps and it is so clear how oblivious Nart is lol. And I just noticed Sasuke didnt really know/wasn't aware somebody pushed Nart into kissing him?

All he saw was Nart staring so intensely and all of a sudden Nart leaned in and kissed him. To think Sasuke was fine and didnt hold it against Nart later on?? And he was already observing Nart from behind?? And noticing the silly things Nart is doing ? Being bashful whenever he initiates things and actively seeks Nart out himself?? Sasuke, the top of the class, would know the consequences of the test and has a goal of vengeance, yet he only needed one look of Nart and he instantly gave his lunch? He honours Nart's goals of becoming Hokage before anyone else? He actually believes in Nart's determination, and they were 12.

And to think that the moment he realizes he needs to be stronger and the cost of it is cutting off the ones closest to you: Naruto, who isn't even related to him, qualifies and is the only one he has to cut off?? If he is just a "friend" to Sasuke's pov, then it would be as easy as saying one line to Naruto like what he did to cherry girly and it would be just as easy to walk away after the fight.

But no, clearly Sasuke weighs them differently, and somehow this gremlin of a child is the one. Anyone should know by now how the Uchiha obtains their eye, and knowing that Nart is the trigger is a big deal. It is so simple too:

He loves him. And imagine you had to kill the one you love at the cost of avenging your family. It is gonna hurt like a b*tch.

(Note: notice that cherry girly got no impact on him, he obtained it 3 times Bec of that gremlin - and bruv this dude ain't even related to him idk why there is some ppl are not getting it??)

Sorry it's long now. We seriously needed Sasuke POV. Can you imagine how the gay would be very obvious?

it's not only that sasuke didn't hold the kiss over naruto, but he literally thought about it during the land of waves before he died as part of a collection of other fond memories he had with naruto. plus during vote1 as well. i guess people say sasuke thinks the kiss was accidental cuz of that databook, but databooks are not canon and the information in them can be pretty much discarded unless it's directly quoting kishimoto himself (and even then he contradicts himself sometimes), so this is where i disagree with that take. i think in text though not outrightly acknowledged by sasuke, there's enough evidence to see that sasuke did know it was accidental.

we did get sasuke's pov, we got to see what sasuke values in naruto (and vice versa), how he vows to love him like his family. we get to see even before the story even started how sasuke was looking after naruto, how he felt relief in naruto, this post (which i think about pretty much every day) shows how it was naruto's desperation and humanness that resonated with sasuke. they just fit together like pieces of a puzzle. they are each other's rule and only exception. sasuke will do everything to get power except kill naruto and naruto will not go back on his word no matter what except when it comes to sasuke. they are each other's strength and weakness...

the lunch thing does get to me... but sasuke's kindness towards naruto was established form the very beginning. since even before team 7 even formed naruto and his gremlin actions were weighing on sasuke's mind. i don't see others talk about this moment as much, but in chapter 3 sasuke was annoyed naruto jumped him during lunch time and tied him up.

afterwards he was like 'where's naruto' marching around trying to find him but then sakura went on her 'naruto doesn't have parents' speech which sasuke reallyyyyyy did not tolerate. and then after defending naruto when they meet up again (naruto is kinda scared) sasuke's countenance is changed from previous scenes, he's kind about the situation instead.

he doesn't ask why naruto did what he did, he didn't tell him off for it at all even though he was annoyed about it before and justifiably so, instead he literally just hints ? that naruto should improve his subjugation skills as a ninja if he wants it to work against other ninja LOL (which i find kinda funny considering he did seem to struggle against it for enough time for naruto to do all that and even go to the bathroom).

sasuke's sharingan was linked 3 times to naruto, but in the end he got the mangekyou when he learned the truth about itachi. and sasuke doesn't even call sakura a friend, he only referred to her in the context of teammates, whereas with naruto he is very particular about how he refers to him as.

sasuke thinks and says all these things but people don't get it because they'd rather believe their own hcs as fact than sasuke's own thoughts and words which all point to how much he loves naruto. sasuke's words and actions can sometimes be at odds with each other, and people take that at face value without thinking critically and asking why and asking what is actually true and what is not. especially when everything is made abundantly clear by the time vote2 comes around by the man himself. for example he said he broke off all bonds during the reunion, but we see this is false via sasuke's words and thoughts and actions towards naruto, but for the rest of konoha this is true, again confirmed by sasuke's thoughts and words and actions.

[alienatedtsuki]

NaruSasu/SasuNaru, but they are smol (genin and younger) Part III

It's All In The Kiss (And Bondage) by Dhampir (Dhampire) @dhampir17 Sasuke never looked at Naruto as anything more than an annoyance like all his other peers, but a kiss and a little bondage, is about to change all that. - Sasuke thinks Naruto proposed to him with a kiss and then bondage in less than 72 hours. He stalks Naruto for a bit, understands that they are not so different and that he quite likes a blond(Sasuke likes this little sunshine A LOT). No smut, just kisses. (Writing is fantastic, but you should know that already if you've read Secret Love; if you haven't read it yet - go ahead and read it!) SasuNaru/NaruSasu | Protective Sasuke | yandere Sasuke | Smart Naruto | Fluff | Engagement | Love Confessions | Puppy Love | First Kiss | Sakura Bashing (48,522)

Shinobi Always Follow the Rules by SasuNarufan13 Little seven-year-old Sasuke has a very important task to accomplish if he wants to stay together with his best friend: ask Naruto's dad, the feared Hokage, for his son's hand in marriage! - I love this trope a lot, A LOT. Super sweet and cute, serious Sasuke asks Minato's permission to marry Naruto. SasuNaru/NaruSasu | Puppy love | Tooth-Rotting Fluff | Engagement (3,131)

The Way to a Man's Heart by littledust Sasuke has no idea how to woo Naruto. - Sasuke doesn't know how to ask Naruto out, but there is no need for this. SasuNaru/NaruSasu | Puppy love | Tooth-Rotting Fluff (711)

[maoam]

This is the most ironic thing and this is going to be an unhinged ask but I used to not really care for Sakura. Your blog made me really appreciate her and what she brings to Naruto. Just seeing all the panels made me realise how pathetic each situation she gets into is and how she responds. Like, it's crazy cause she's actually interesting to me now. Everyone keeps changing her personality in fanon but I now really like what she brings to canon. Like yesss girl give us nothing, keep playing into the dissonance with the themes of Naruto.

A lot of people end up changing her in fics and all that, but I like her as she is. Probably because I like what she brings to the story. I just love how some things she does or thinks ends up being really messed up. You just end up with this jarring character that is soooooooooo interesting to see. Probably one of the reasons I'm insane about Naruto. I also like how she's unpalatable. She just unapologetically has a flawed personality. A bit of a narcissist and really defensive? Awesome! People who change that to make her better ironically end up doing the opposite because they aren't willing to confront her flaws before they change her.

More importantly, I find making flawed characters "perfect" just ends up making them bland as hell and it implies there's something wrong with this fictional character. They are treating the characters like actual people instead of the characters they need to be in the story. I really don't mind fanon but I wish there were still conversations where people could accurately talk about a character and their personality and how flawed they are while also liking them.

Anyways, if you find this take infuriating, feel free to bash me as much as you want, unrestrained. It's all just content to me anyways. Love what you do <3

Lol I don't mind if it makes you like Sakura. As long as people don't pretend she's some girlboss who is the strongest kunoichi ever or the smartest in team 7 or who needs to beat Sasuke up or should have become a Hokage or is a lesbian who needs to date Ino or is a kind sweet girl whose love for Sasuke is pure or who is in love with Naruto then we're good.

[delirious-donna]

prologue: New Beginnings

Story Masterlist

pairing: Kakashi Hatake x female reader

warnings: SFW (NSFW in later chapters), mentions of alcohol

wc: 2k

synopsis: Kakashi Hatake, newly appointed Hokage, is struggling with transitioning from active duty to being sat behind a desk. Sure, he might not be placing his life on the line every day but perhaps now is the time he puts something else out there instead, his heart.

Meanwhile, things aren’t quite adding up. There is a discrepancy in the records that cannot be explained, and it falls to you to investigate. Never did you expect it would lead you to the door of the Hokage’s office, a man you had admired from a safe distance until now. What happens next leads you into a closely guarded secret that will change the rest of your life.

In a story where the past might be harder to let go of than usual, can two strangers find a semblance of happiness and peace?

beta reader: a huge thanks to @niatheangel for agreeing to be my beta reader and for holding my hand as I've never had one before!!

“Remind me again why I agreed to this?”

Kakashi’s index finger completed yet another circle around the rim of his sake cup, less than a few sips remained but he couldn’t face them. The same could not be said for his current drinking partner. Lady Tsunade swayed dangerously, clutching the empty sake carafe to her ample chest like it were her treasured child.

“S’too late to change your –,” there was a pause as she belched violently, “mind.” The former Hokage laughed raucously, the carafe between her breasts slipping from her fingers to roll across the tatami mat. It came to a stop as the sliding door opened to reveal Shizune looking less than impressed. Her brow furrowed at the antics of Lady Tsunade and Kakashi braced himself for the ear bashing that was likely to begin any second, glad he wasn’t on the receiving end.

“That’s it, you’re cut off!” Shizune fumed, dark bangs blowing out at the huff that pressed through her nose. The intoxicated Senju merely rolled her eyes, one blazingly red cheek pressed sloppily into her fist. Her blonde hair swung forward to obscure more of her features and Kakashi leaned back on his wrist to survey the situation with a soft sigh of amusement.

He watched the two women bicker back and forth, not truly listening to the words, more noticing the subtle shift in body language that demonstrated the close bond the two had and there was a strange sense of loss in his chest. A palm rubbed at the spot that felt empty, a frown tugging his features down but now was not the time to contemplate unravelling this mystery. Clearing his throat for attention, two sets of eyes swung around, one far more sharp and focused than the other.

“Perhaps I’ll ask you the question instead,” Kakashi gestured to Shizune with the sake cup still in his hand, “why exactly did I agree to this, to become the next Hokage?”

He hadn’t expected the almost apologetic smile that she offered, the softening of her features from riled to guilty so sudden that he stiffened in response. For months now Kakashi had the sense that he had made a mistake, that this path was not one meant to be walked by him. More fitting of another with the patience required of the position. This wasn’t his forte in life, surely?

Spending every day putting his life on the line for his village, protecting the ones that he cared for most and nurturing the future generations of shinobi, that was his calling, what he knew best and now he was expected not to do that? A life of sitting behind a desk stacked with reports, missions to be assigned rather than undertaken and decision-making at a level he considered to be far above his stance.

It had felt like the next logical step and it wasn’t the first time he had considered taking the position. There had been that brief time when the worst had been feared for Lady Tsunade and Kakashi had been seconds away from filling the role, but thankfully it had not been necessary. The few he had trusted enough to discuss matters with before he had given his final answer had all agreed that he would be perfect for it, but it was hard to agree with them and he disliked doubting his abilities. It wasn’t something he was used to doing, nor did he wish it to become habitual.

“Superiority complex?” chided Tsunade.

Kakashi shrugged, returning his now empty cup to the table and looking toward the sober person in the room. Shizune fidgeted, her eyes never seeming to meet his own and that only piqued his curiosity further. “You didn’t think I would take the offer, did you?” he asked flatly. Shizune exhaled with her shoulders rolling back, finally maintaining more than a fleeting second of eye contact.

“Honestly? No, I didn’t think you would agree. That is not to say that I don’t believe you to be fitting for the role, far from it,” she added with a pointed finger. “It’s just… don’t take this the wrong way, but I never thought you’d willingly step back from active duty.”

She wasn’t wrong. It was the main reason he had taken so long to deliberate. 

“I don’t think that anyone can answer your question but you, Kakashi. I’ll see you through the transition but I’ll remind you that a replacement is something that needs to be at the top of your priority list.”

“No worries, I have a thought on that already,” he reassured with a closed eye smile, wondering just how exactly he was going to broach that subject with the person in mind. He could already tell that it might be a hard sell, a lot of work for someone that did their very best to shirk as much responsibility as humanly possible.

“I guess you’re right Shizune, I’ll have to do some soul searching.” Kakashi pushed to standing but before he could take the few steps required to reach the sliding door, he was interrupted by a powerful palm that stilled against the very centre of where his scar lay beneath the layers of clothing. He hadn’t even noted her stand until she was directly before him.

Tsunade appeared more lucid at this moment than she had all night, including prior to her descent resulting from the copious amounts of sake she had imbibed. Brown eyes, dark and searing, held him in place. Gone was the intoxicated humour, the light that had danced in her eyes snuffed out and here was the serious Senju princess ready to face any foe in her stead.

“We both know that even if it isn’t the entire reason, it is partly because you owe me. Isn’t that right?”

There wasn’t a verbal response required, the weight of the former Hokage’s words hung around his neck like heavy steel. Kakashi inclined his head and stepped past the two ladies without a backwards glance. 

The streets of Konoha were quiet, the velvet blanket of night resting over the village and bringing with it a sense of tranquillity. Too bad that he could not benefit from that peace.

“You’re right. I owe you a great debt.”

~

“Do you really think they made the right choice?”

You frowned into your empty sake cup, you could’ve sworn that it was full mere seconds ago but only crisp white porcelain stared back at you. Touching your face, the heat of your cheeks was undeniable, evidence enough that you had in fact drained your drink in record time, and you took to fanning your face with a flat palm.

“Course they did. You’re always doubting yourself and your abilities, it’s getting kinda old now.” Your favourite co-worker and friend groused, waving a dismissive hand at your continued self-doubt.

Flattening your fingers over your cup, you tried, and failed to dissuade her from pouring more sake from the carafe on the table. Sighing heavily as another co-worker sat beside you with a friendly nudge aimed at your side.

“You went for the promotion and you got it. They’re not just gonna give it to someone if they don’t think they are capable so stop being such a worrier.”

You nodded slowly. They were right and if you were completely honest, you were on cloud nine about the news. Long had you wanted to progress your career, to start climbing the ranks and now you were finally getting somewhere. 

It seemed trivial in the grand scheme of things; there would always be that lingering thought that you were so much less than those that called themselves shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, but someone had to do the boring shit, and one of them was you. 

Never had the world of the shinobi been your calling. It was in your blood, your own father having served as a jonin for many years but that wasn’t your calling and your parents were simply content that you were happy. 

A toast was raised in your name, the alcohol that heated your cheeks only intensified by your embarrassment but you looked to your friends with affection and downed your drink in a quick gulp.

The sake house was lively on this night, the sectioned rooms keeping the noise of the respective gatherings subdued but laughter and conversation could still be heard from the main hallway. Your own room, despite only housing the three of you, was raucous enough to contend with the others, lively chatter and moments of whooping laughter filled the air as well as your heart.

Your head was growing fuzzy from the abundant booze, and it made you confident. “I honestly think that this is gonna be the event that sets my career in motion,” you enthused, hands gesturing wildly which only drew amused expressions in response.

“Oh yeah? Records supervisor is hardly a high-ranking position. What exactly do you think is gonna happen other than you spending your days looking over dusty ass files?”

You stood with a wobble, reaching out your hand to steady yourself on the wall whilst your friends laughed. “You don’t know! Hey, maybe I’ll make friends with some highfalutin officials, y’know, the ones that serve the Hokage directly or something wild like that.”

Excited giggling broke out at that absurd idea, all of you knowing that the chances of that were slim and not simply because, why on earth would you be mixing with those types of people, but also because you were more likely to walk through the streets of Konoha buck naked than approach ‘one of them’.

Perhaps it was foolish to set yourself apart from them but it was so very hard when you grew up to revere those that protected your home. You grew up swapping stories of the legendary shinobi and gushed endlessly over who you found to be the cutest. A game, nothing more than silly adolescent fantasies of being swept off your feet by a roguishly handsome shinobi who wouldn’t care that you were merely a civilian and you were reminded of those memories as your gaze sluggishly trailed around the room.

“I’m calling it a night, got work in the morning and I don’t wanna be trashed on the first day in a new role,” you stated. Your friends whined and tried to persuade you to stay to no avail. Leaving them to the rest of the sake, you thanked the hostess and shoved your feet into your shoes.

The night was cool and clear, the stars winking in the blackness of the sky and you took a moment to admire them before setting off for home. It was quiet and you enjoyed the sense of peace, the warmth from your cheeks dissipating as a faint wind blew through the streets.

Lost in thought, you began to hum a familiar tune, it was a habit of yours and it wasn’t until you sensed another presence did you stop.

Ahead of you, there was a figure in the distance, hard to make out except to say they were male and their hair was exceptionally light. They were far enough away that you didn’t find it concerning but you kept your eye on them as you continued on your path towards your home. 

They soon turned a corner to head in a different direction and the slight worry that had burrowed into your stomach melted away. Your peaceful humming restarted in earnest, picking your way through the streets unknowing that the man had stopped out of sight. He couldn’t see you, but he could hear you and he liked the sound of your voice. It brought him the first sense of peace in the longest time and it was intriguing.

To say that things were about to change, well, that was an understatement.

[rainbowfey]

Day 1: Magic

This is written for @madatobiweek.

Madara shielded his face with his arm while hurrying along a dimly lit street, the ice-cold rain piercing the sleeve of his jacket like a myriad of tiny needles. He growled when his foot slipped in yet another puddle, almost sending him to the ground. He barely managed to keep his balance but he felt the water soak through his shoe, feeling like as if his foot was only seconds away from turning into an ice cube. Madara cursed under his breath and quickened his pace even more, sending a hint of chakra into his feet so that he wouldn’t stumble again. The sky had already looked rather dark when he had entered the training ground but he hadn’t expected a downpour like the world was about to end. Wind was howling through the empty streets of Konoha, rustling the trees between the houses aggressively until they were swaying like monsters preparing to attack.

Madara shook his head and ducked when he heard yet another loud crack, followed by a thud when the broken branch hit the ground only a couple steps away from him. If the storm decided to rage even a bit more furiously, falling branches wouldn’t be the only thing Madara had to worry about. He risked a peek at the closest roof from under his arm but he didn’t see any shingles trembling just yet. He sighed and rushed around a corner – when he suddenly hit something big. With a muffled yelp, someone stumbled backwards while Madara desperately tried to keep his footing. When he had caught his balance again, he angrily looked at the person who was straightening their clothes where they had bumped into each other. The other person looked up and Madara felt a wave of contempt washing over him when he noticed the red markings on a pale face.

“You,” he hissed without thinking, his eyes narrowing at the unwelcome sight.

Tobirama Senju’s face twisted with repulsion when he recognized who he had run into. “Ah,” he said in a voice that sounded like as if he had stepped into something particularly gross. “Madara.”

Madara felt his anger grow at this disrespectful tone. Out of all the people that lived in this village, of course the only other one outside in the rain was the most insufferable person imaginable. “You should better watch where you’re going,” he growled, staring at Tobirama. “Or else you might one day have an … accident.”

Tobirama furrowed an eyebrow and looked up at him with undisguised scorn. “As if you stood any chance against me,” he spit out, a sardonic smile playing around his lips. “It’ll be a cold day in hell when I get scared of a jackass like you.”

Madara clenched his fists. The only thing keeping him from bashing Tobirama’s head in was the fact that it would be hard to explain to Hashirama why he had murdered his brother. Especially since Hashirama was the Hokage and probably wouldn’t take it easy if he followed through with his fury. Instead, he forced an unfazed expression to his face and stared at Tobirama unblinkingly. “This doesn’t mean much from a person who’s too stupid to know what’s good for him,” he said calmly while raging internally. “Just you wait, Senju.”

Tobirama shrugged, his eyes full of disgust. “Go spew your bullshit somewhere else, Madara. Maybe you’ll find someone who’s willing to listen to your stammer.”

And before Madara could come up with an appropriate retribution, Tobirama had already walked past him, boldly jostling him in the process. Madara’s hand darted to his pocket which was filled with shuriken but he stopped himself just in time. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tobirama’s ghost like figure disappearing behind the corner he had just turned.

It took Madara a moment to collect himself again. His whole body felt like it had been set ablaze and he gritted his teeth, Tobirama’s scornful smile still fully present in his mind. He didn’t even remember when or how their feud had started but what he did know was that each of their encounters brought him closer to ambushing Tobirama and giving him the whipping he deserved. Over the past couple of months, they had had a handful of fights disguised as training sessions and each of them had only fueled Madara’s disdain for him even more. Tobirama was not only an insufferable person but he was also keen on playing foul, gloating over his own strength whenever one of his insidious strategies had worked. But the worst of it all was Tobirama’s contemptuous smile whenever he thought he had the upper hand.

Madara clenched his fists so hard that his nails dug into his skin. Only when he felt the sharp pain, he forcefully released his grip. This prick wasn’t worth the air he was breathing – and standing in the rain fuming also didn’t bring him closer to his own place. Thus, he set himself in motion again, heading for his place with big, aggressive steps. The rain kept coming down hard, washing against his body like a surge of icy water and a shiver ran down his spine. It was about time that he got home and changed into some dry clothes.

Madara tried to banish the thoughts about his fiend from his mind and fixed his gaze on the hazy shadow of a house at the end of the street. He would’ve recognized its silhouette everywhere. Like a silent threat, his house loomed over the other buildings of the street, its dark color seeming to devour all of the twilight that was left around it until it appeared to be a bottomless shadow. Madara smiled at the thought and he finally felt some of his tension fade away. When he was halfway there, he broke into a sprint, dashing through the heavy rainfall, water splashing from the puddles he stepped into. The closer he got to his place, the more it felt like as if the rain started pouring even worse, almost like as if someone or rather something wanted to quicken his steps, chasing him away from the outsides, luring him to the supposed safety of his home in the process.

Madara shook his head at this menacing thought and jumped over an enormous puddle right in front of his house. He climbed the slippery steps and already fumbled for his keys, when he noticed something strange. His doorstep was still dry, protected by the meager porch roof that barely even covered the steps. But in this small dry spot lay a narrow wooden box. Madara paused and stared at it. It was rather flat and not much bigger than the palm of his hand. The wood was entirely untouched by the rain but the tiny hinges seemed worn. He could see hints of silver between the scratches and tears and he was fairly sure that this box hadn’t been here when he had left his house earlier that day. He glanced at the empty, now almost entirely dark street but he couldn’t make out any movement or trace of someone having been there.

A sudden gust of wind made him shudder and he shrugged. He would surely find out eventually who left the box there. Madara grabbed the wooden box and noticed absentmindedly that it felt surprisingly heavy when he finally fumbled his keys out of pocket and unlocked his front door. He stepped over the threshold and for a moment, his body started trembling. A bit confused he paused but after a moment he concluded that it must have been due to the warmth of his house engulfing him and driving off the unhospitable weather behind him. With another shrug, he closed the door behind him and set the wooden box down on a cupboard next to his coatrack. With cold, stiff fingers he pried his jacket open and slipped out of it. Next were his shoes that he carelessly shoved into a corner where they would slowly dry without making a mess.

He sighed in relief when he had finally gotten rid of his wet clothes but he quickly noticed that his sweater and pants also felt rather damp. With an annoyed grown, he went up the stairs and grabbed a dry change of clothes, quickly putting them on and throwing his damp clothes into the hamper in his bathroom. Afterwards, he walked down the stairs, feeling a lot more comfortable now. He was about to head for his kitchen when he caught a glimpse of the wooden box that forlornly sat on his cupboard. Now that he wasn’t out in the pouring rain anymore, the box started to pique his interest. It was fairly odd for him to find something on his doorstep that he hadn’t known about before. Sure enough, sometimes Hashirama made a joke out of sending him random stuff but this didn’t seem to be the case this time since Hashirama had been on an extended mission for almost a week now. This did pose the question who had left it for him to find – and why.

Madara carefully lifted the box and this time he noticed how heavy it felt. If he had closed his eyes, he would have thought he had just picked up a flat stone, not a wooden box. His curiosity grew and he decided that the kitchen could wait. Instead, he carried the box to his living room and sat down on his sofa, the box in his lap. He switched on the lamp that sat next to his sofa and examined the box thoroughly. Now that he was out of the rain, he noticed the fine cut of the box. Its edges were soft, almost like as if countless hands had wandered over them. He noticed that the box didn’t have a lock and when he carefully lifted the lid, the box opened with a faint clicking sound.

Madara’s eyes widened when the lid revealed black velvet that filled the wooden box. He carefully grabbed one edge of the velvet and tugged at it. To his surprise, it gave way immediately – revealing a brilliant silver amulet. Madara held his breath and marveled at the delicate ornaments which formed a wheel around an obsidian in the middle of the amulet. Everything around him seemed to fade away when he examined the amulet, mesmerized by its beauty. The obsidian attracted his gaze and he leaned over it, staring into the black abyss that seemed to deepen with every second he looked at it. But somewhere deep down, seemingly at the bottom of it, he noticed a faint light. Madara leaned closer and closer until his face was almost touching the amulet. His body started feeling lighter and the world around him became quiet, the sound of the rain pattering against his windows drowned out by the all-embracing silence that had befallen his house. The light deep down in the obsidian started dancing and somewhere in the depths of his mind, Madara heard a faint voice calling for him, beckoning him to come closer.

“I’m coming,” he murmured to himself, his gaze lost in the abyss growing in front of him. As if in a trance, he slowly lifted his hand until it hovered directly above the amulet. The voice took on an urging tone, luring him in, growing louder with each second. And just when Madara felt like someone was standing directly behind him, his finger touched the amulet, grazing the obsidian in its middle.

Something surged through his body and his limbs started trembling violently. His eyes widened in horror and his mouth opened but the scream suffocated in his throat. He started seizing and choking on his own gasps for air. The world around him grew dim and shadows formed in the corners of the living room, closing in on him. His whole body shook and he desperately tried to move but something had taken over. Madara screamed silently when the world fell back, the abyss engulfing him.

And all at once, he was calm again. His body stopped trembling and he took a deep breath and then another one. After a moment, Madara glanced down at his hands that were still holding the amulet. And slowly, very slowly, a faint smile curled his lips.