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dangerouscommiesubversive · 4 years

Note

Woz + I, maybe post-Canon?

I is for ikigai, one’s purpose in life

Despite his whole watch motif, Oma Zi-O never wore a regular watch, and rarely knew what time it was. Time reshaped itself to suit him; he saw no particular need to keep track of it otherwise. He woke when it pleased him, ate when he was hungry, and did what he liked, and it was everyone else's responsibility to keep up.

Woz always knows what time it is, to the second.

He wakes at 6:55 in the morning, twenty minutes earlier than he’d intended. Fortunately, this time of year, he can still catch a few moments of the sun rising, and because he’s awake early, there’s no rush to make breakfast. So he makes tea and takes a few minutes to sit in the golden light of dawn, reading a novel.

It’s been so long since he was able to read for pleasure. To tell the truth, he’s not sure how long exactly. He knows the clock’s time, of course, he knows the day and date, but the actual passage of time, weeks into months into years, the matter of how much, became inexpressibly confusing for him long ago. All he knows is, relaxation has been a rare thing for much of his life, and Tsukuyomi gave him this book as a gift.

Speaking of Tsukuyomi, it’s 7:03, and her alarm for her early class should have gone off at 6:30.

He hears rustling upstairs, sets his novel down, and returns to the kitchen with his book under his arm. He makes a lunch for Tsukuyomi, who spent the night (in Geiz’s room, to Junichiro’s very quiet resignation) and who will be in lab classes for much of the day. It’s not artfully arranged, but the food is good, much better than any of them generally ate in the future now gone.

In this timeline she and Geiz have no particular reason to resent or pity him, which is surprisingly pleasant. He can’t bring himself to have regrets about his past, per se, but given that their old life now exists more in his memories than anywhere else, he would rather have their amiable company than be without it.

It’s 7:12. Tsukuyomi rushes into the kitchen stuffing things into her bag. “Shit, shit, hi, Woz, Geiz turned off my alarm in his sleep--”

“Your lunch is on the counter.” He doesn’t look up from where he’s now grilling fish and occasionally checking on the soup simmering next to his elbow. “There’s also a banana and some toast.”

“You’re wonderful.” She kisses him on the cheek, grabs her lunch from the counter, and rushes out the door with a slice of toast hanging from her mouth and her banana half-peeled in one hand.

For a moment he stares down at the grilling fish with his cheeks turning red.

When Geiz shuffles into the kitchen at 7:26, half-awake and with impressive bedhead, breakfast is mostly ready. He isn’t a casual kisser, not in the way Tsukuyomi has decided to be, but he leans against Woz’s side as he’s getting his meal and mumbles, “Thank you, Woz,” which is about as affectionate as he usually gets.

Going from a soul-consuming devotion to someone who seemed at best absent-mindedly fond of him to an only slightly less soul-consuming devotion to three people with varying degrees of actual enthusiasm for his presence has been very confusing.

Sougo, wandering in five minutes after him, is a kisser, although Woz isn’t sure that any of his kisses could ever be considered casual. Not that the proceedings aren’t highly enjoyable, but after a moment Woz does have to interrupt them with, “Tokiwa-shishou--”

“Is still in the bathroom, it’s fine. Besides, you know if he walked in on us, all he’d do is sort of cough and pretend that he didn’t see anything.”

“My king--”

Sougo grins at him. “I thought you were calling me Sougo now.”

“Sougo, I have less confidence in your uncle’s approval of our relationship than you do.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, he thinks you’re great. Besides, he didn’t have to cook breakfast this morning, you could pretty much do anything right now and he’d forgive you. How long have you been awake?”

“Thirty-nine minutes.”

Sougo kisses him again--still not at all casually--and says, “You probably deserve to sit down and eat something, then.”

“If you say so, my. Ah. Sougo.”

“Have I mentioned that it’s really cute when you do that?”

By the time he actually does sit down for breakfast, Geiz and Sougo are already having another circular, friendly argument what the future might hold for them. The world is not ending. There are no looming threats to any of their lives, or at least none that he knows of.

“Hey, Woz,” and Sougo turns away from his nonsense argument, “what time is it?”

“It’s 7:43.”

Some things, though, haven’t changed at all.

#woz #tsukuyomi #myoukouin geiz #tokiwa sougo #fanfiction #anonamouse

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beans-shadow · 5 years

Text

looking for the truth (pt 11)

Fandom: Naruto

Relationship: Kakasaku

Characters: Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura

read on ao3: here

part one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine / ten / eleven / twelve / thirteen

On their way back to the village, Sakura makes Kakashi confront his past. But will that be the end of Kakashi?

---

The whisk of the wind by his ears, and the soft tap of his sandals against branches. Those were the only two sounds that accompanied the pair of ninja as they focused all their energy and chakra into sprinting back to Konoha.

It had taken them about a week to reach the Land of Mountain Streams, but that had been at a leisurely pace, and no sense of urgency. Now, at full speed and no breaks, Kakashi estimated it would take them maybe two full days of continuous tree hopping to get back to the Leaf Village. Thank goodness Sakura had made the ninja pills.

Kakashi popped one into his mouth now as the final remains of adrenaline that had rushed through his body at the experimentation center left him. Immediately he felt the effects. His muscle’s tiredness disappeared, his eye no longer felt droopy, and his chakra supply rebounded slightly.

A few branches ahead of him, Sakura soldiered on, not bothering to replenish any energy since they’d fled from the scene a few hours ago. Her speed and agility in the trees where like that of a Hyuga’s; she sensed every tree and branch around her, snaking in the forest like she had an eye in the back of her head. The swiftness even topped Kakashi’s, who was content to let her take the lead on this portion of the mission. But while the pace she set was necessary, Kakashi worried whether it was sustainable.

One day into the monotonous running, Kakashi’s body was catching up to him. Compared to anyone else, Kakashi’s body was in top condition. He could last for hours in the battlefield, and days in the sun without food. But age was something even he could not prevent, not without Tsunade’s special jutsu. His muscle aches did not leave him with additional pills, and his chakra reserves were almost running dry. If he lost concentration for even a moment, he might slip and fall from the treetops.

Pushing himself, he reached Sakura and relayed as much. She stared on ahead, never faltering for a moment in her focus. It turned out, Sakura was in peak shape, and barely was feeling the lethargy that he did.

“I’m sorry, Kakashi, but we can’t stop for anything. With every second that passes, more might be getting infected. We have no idea what the state of our village is like.”

Understanding, Kakashi nodded. “Very well. Then you must leave me, and continue on.”

“What? No!” Finally turning to her fellow ninja, Sakura yelped. “We need to arrive together. As one, our message will be stronger.”

Annoyed, Kakashi shook his head. “I’m not sure what other option we have, Sakura, if reaching home quickly is more important.”

Grinding her teeth, Sakura thought. After slowing down and finally coming to a stop, she reached into her med kit.

“Dammit, I don’t have any military rations,” she grumbled, sifting through the arrangement of medicines in her hand.

“Neither do I,” Kakashi said, showing empty hands. Although necessary for survival, Kakashi typically never carried any with him out of fear of the chakra repercussions. He’d exhausted his reserves so many times to the point of abuse, he believed that after the three days’ non-stop immeasurable chakra power, he would never be able to recover again.

“And the food pills I have aren’t helping anymore?” She asked.

“Like I said, I’m past the point of just needing food,” Kakashi restated. “I need rest, Sakura. Just go, I’ll be fine.”

“No,” she said, stubborn like her teacher. “Here.” She shifted her pack to the front of her body, exposing her back. Bending down slightly, she looked to Kakashi. “Get on.”

“Excuse me?”

“Come on, I remember you did this with Guy Sensei a while back. Just get on, and we’ll be faster.”

Waving his hands in the air, Kakashi shook his head. “Oh no, no no no. That was entirely against my will, and after using my Sharingan extensively. Right now, I’m specifically trying to not reach that point again. Seriously Sakura, we’re wasting time. Besides, I don’t think you can carry me for half a day, at a sprint.”

That as clearly the wrong thing to say. With a look that would send Naruto running to Iruka, Sakura stared down Kakashi. “Get. On. My. Back. NOW!”

Chills running down his spine, with a small yelp Kakashi scrambled on her back. She hefted them both up, fixing her grip on his legs. “Try to hold on,” she said, and took off again.

Wind tore at Kakahsi’s face yet again, this time at a speed that caused tears to form in his eyes. He juggled up and down on Sakrua’s back slightly, but her running form was in tip top shape and she remained relatively smooth from branch to branch. It appeared that Kakashi had only been slowing them down the entire journey, and he was instantly filled with shame.

His arms around her chest, he also felt very self-conscious about his body positioning. Without the distraction of muscle pain, and the requirement to focus on his next footsteps, his blinding attraction to Sakura was once again front and center in his mind. Her insane strength only heightened his infatuation, and Kakashi closed his eyes to get her out of his head. But it was impossible with her underneath him, exerting herself, proving how much she’d grown yet again. And with darkness surrounding him, he could almost pretend his was at home, with Sakura…

No. That thought was dangerous, given the circumstances, and his position on her. He stopped himself, and tried to think of anything else. Ramen. Waterfalls. Naruto.

Ah, Naruto. That worked.

He wondered what Naruto was up to right now. Hopefully not still doing the medial tasks Tsunade had viciously threatened him with; Naruto might be a lot to handle, but he did his best work when he was passionate about what he was doing. Pointless errands were not the way to inspire him.

An image appeared in Kakashi’s mind: a small genin, with a bright orange jumpsuit and a fresh forehead protector. “My dream is to become the greatest Hokage!” Kakashi smiled. That kid was something, alright.

Then the smiling blonde with a thumb in the air blurred, morphing. His hair darkened, and the headband became covered by a pair of goggles. The orange of the jumpsuit vanished, the color only staying on the edges of the black outfit that grew from underneath.

Naruto’s blue eyes, bright with his future, blinked once and became blood red.

I wanted to become Hokage too, Kakashi. But who took that dream away from me?

Kakashi flinched at the accusation. He closed his eyes even more as if that would banish the image from his mind, tightening his hold on Sakura.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I should have been faster, smarter…” he whispered to Obito, whose pair of Sharingan twisted and developed into Mangekyo Sharingan. Everything else fell away, and all that was left was Kakashi in a world of black and red. It was if he was in Tsukuyomi again, with the emotional pain hitting him in every nerve.

“—too tight, Kakashi,” a voice called him back, and he opened his eyes. A tree branch immediately wacked him in the face, and he yelped in pain.

“Kakashi, please!” Sakura grunted. She tossed her head, hitting Kakashi in the side of his head.

“Ugh, what, Sakura?” He complained, bringing up one hand to rub his scratched eye.

“You’re choking me! Can you relax a little?”

Looking down, Kakashi saw his arm had risen to be holding on to Sakura by the neck. He loosened his grip at once, and shimmied down her torso. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“S’okay,” Sakura said, breathing slightly easier now. “But that’s the second time you’ve been unresponsive in a few days. Are you okay, Kakashi? Please, be honest,” she added, a note of desperation in her voice.

“I… I truly don’t know what you mean,” Kakashi admitted.

He could feel Sakura’s eye roll. “This was just like back at the hidden compound – you became stiff, and talked to someone. What’s going on, Kakashi? If you just tell me, I might be able to help.”

Again, Kakashi trailed off. “I…” He wasn’t sure where to begin. What had happened back at the Land of Mountain Streams, it had felt like his dreams in the past. Rin and Obito haunting, taunting him. But it had happened when he was awake, and he wasn’t sure what to make of that.

Shimmying on her back, Kakashi moved so his mouth was closer to her ear. Quietly, he asked, “You had called it... what was it?”

“PTSD?” Sakura said.

“Yeah, that… why did you say that? What does that mean?”

Sakura fell quiet, and the rhythmic sound of her feet lightly touching each branch became a metronome for Kakashi’s heartbeat.

“It means,” Sakura started, “that after you’ve experienced something that was either emotionally or physically traumatic in your life, it could have left a scar on you. But not on your body – in your mind.”

“My… my mind?” Kakashi shuddered. People could lie, so he couldn’t trust his ears. Genjutsu could alter what he saw. His mind was all that he trusted.

“Yes, your mind. Essentially, given the right stimuli, your mind could revert to when that scar was created, since it never healed. So you experience… episodes, were you aren’t aware of your surroundings, or you relive the moment.” Sakura breathed heavily through her words.

“Let’s talk about it later, this can’t be helpful given my extra weight,” Kakashi said.

“No,” Sakura denied. “I’m not letting you ignore this issue. It’s one that is prominent in Konoha, and one that for some reason, everyone seems to ignore!” She sighed, her pace slowing down just a moment. “Besides, talking with you helps remove the horror situations I’m playing in my mind. It helps me.”

Biting his lip, Kakashi could not find a valid argument against trying to understand his issues.

“I… I guess then, it would be because of my past…” he started. Pausing, he waited for Sakura to intervene already with questions, inquiries, or medical prods into his history. But she simply waited.

“I mean, since a little after I became a Chunin, I’ve had nightmares every night. Nightmares of… of my past missions, of my teammates.”

“In general, or specific ones?” Sakura piped up.

“Specific,” Kakashi quickly stated. “Definitely specific.”

The memory became fresh in his mind yet again. But this time, he imagined himself in Obito’s place: and he pushed his teammates out of the cave, letting the rock crush him instead. If only.

“If only…” he whispered, tears building up.

“Kakashi?” Sakura piped up. “You’re doing it again.”

“Oh, my Kami,” he whispered. “I guess you’re right…”

Sakura risked a glance up to Kakashi, her eyes pleading with all their worth. “I know you don’t like to share. I know it’s scary to let someone in. But please, Kakashi. I only want to help. Do you trust me?”

Kakashi breathed in, his lungs reacting harshly to the chilly air. All the nerves on his body stood on end, as if this moment right here, with him on Sakura’s back in quite an unmanly manner being carried back home, would determine his future.

He breathed out. “I do trust you.”

And so, for the first time in his life, he conceded his story.

He started out by describing his team. Naruto’s father, the ever-bright, lightning man that was Minato Namikaze himself, the fourth Hokage. Rin Nohara, the pleasant, smart, peacemaker of the trio which was completed by Obito.

“Obito Uchiha…” Kakashi murmured. “He hated my guts at first. Something about my natural talent and good charms. Called me ‘Bakashi’ and resented my quick climb through the shinobi ranks. Gosh, he made me so mad at times. All of his ignorant questions, all of his boasting, and always running late…”

Sakura chuckled under him. “Sounds like someone else I know,” she murmured, not wanting to stop his confession.

“We went through so much together. With them, I learned about the bell test. Teamwork. Comraderie. But I couldn’t… I couldn’t move past what my father had done to me.”

“The White Fang?” Sakura asked.

Kakashi bowed his head to the side. “Yes,” he confirmed, defeated. “The dishonor and shame I felt at my father stayed with me for years. The thought of abandoning a mission, for any reason, filled me with anger and distaste. This ideal was my mantra. That those that break the rules and regulations are scum. No matter what, I followed the rules. I would never place anything above my duty.”

He went on to describe the events of the Second Shinobi World War. Minato being called to the front lines, Stone Ninja capturing Rin. Obito demanding to rescue her. Kakashi’s refusal.

And Obito’s accusation.

“He called me worse than scum for abandoning my friends,” Kakashi said, his voice dropping ever lower as he made his way through his story. “And he was right. I realized the error in my ways. Alone, we can accomplish nothing in this world. Alone, we are stagnant. We must stay together. So I left the mission too, to help him rescue Rin. And that’s where it all really starts.”

The pain of Obito’s body being crushed by the boulder sat on Kakashi’s mind with the weight of a thousand suns. He described the sound in ominous detail, shudders rolling down his spine. The painful look in Obito’s eyes mixed with the pride he felt at finally forming a kinship with Kakashi tore at Kakashi’s heart.

“But that wasn’t it,” his grip tightened on Sakura’s shoulders. “Rin… they…” he breathed in. He’d never really said this out loud. Only to himself in the mirror, begging his mind to stop, or in his sleep with the windows tightly shut. The tears that threatened his eyes poked hard at his head, and his left eye seared.

“I didn’t mean to do it, but I did,” he whispered, the trees around him fading out. Rain replaced the leaves. “She stepped in front of me. I understand why she did it. I refused to help her. Because I couldn’t kill her. But she made me do it.”

He buried his face in Sakura’s shoulder, the tears finally erupting.

Sakura tried to murmur comforting words, but she was truthfully speechless. Digging into Kakashi’s past was much more painful than she could have imagined. Finding out what made her former sensei who he was, while intellectually invaluable, broke her heart. She thought his story was done, and her heart fell even further in her chest when he spoke again.

“Of course, that wasn’t the end of it.”

Kakashi reminded her of the Kaguya Otsutsuki Strikes, a series of memories Sakura never wanted to relive. The horror, duration, and decisive pain from those events were buried deep within her; the experience influenced who she was, but she never wanted to confront it again.

“That… that man who helped us. Tobi. That was Obito.”

Sakura’s breathing stopped for a second, and she faltered in her step. Pushing too much chakra into her foot in an attempt to regain traction, the next branch snapped and the pair went tumbling onto the ground. After letting go of Kakashi mid-fall, Sakura tumbled on the ground several yards before looking up, hair disheveled. Kakashi had rolled without grace just next to her, ending up on his back, legs splayed in front of him, his pack to the side. He made no move to get up.

Sakura snagged her backpack and crawled to Kakashi.

“That half-bodied Uchiha was Obito?” Sakura asked.

Kakashi nodded, a silent stream of water falling from his eye. “And it’s not as if he was mad at me. He was just trying to make the world a better place, even if it was a twisted way of going about it.” Groaning, he sat up, holding his back with a grimace. “In the end, he even sacrificed himself to save me. Again.” His head fell to his chest, a black cloud of despair hovering over him. “I don’t care what he did. Obito was a good man. I’m forever in his debt. But no matter how I look at it, no matter how many times I visit his memorial, I know… if I hadn’t had my head stuck of my ass when I was younger, everything would be different.”

Kakashi sniffed, and looked away from Sakura. “My stupid pride, my stupid sense of duty was the end of everything. I should have helped Obito rescue Rin without hesitation. She was my teammate. If we had gotten there sooner, if Obito hadn’t been found by Madara… Minato would be alive, Rin would be alive… the Uchiha clan wouldn’t be decimated. This is all my fault.”

Shaking his head violently, Kakashi whispered his last grievance.

“I’ve decided it is better to not let people get close to me, since I’m unable… I’m unable to protect them. Those I love die.”

And with that declaration, a dam built up for more than twenty years, reinforced with hard material, scraps, and dirt, with signs miles away warning anyone from even venturing near its proximity, broke.

And Kakashi wept.

Buckling over, Kakashi, the man without emotions, the blasé Copy Ninja, the honored Jonin, cried into his hands. All of his pain, emotions, and guilt crashed over him in wave after wave. He could see it: a peaceful world, a harmonious village, and a content life with his dogs. He didn’t need the fame that came with ‘Kakashi of the Sharingan’. Being the White Fang’s son even came with too much attention. All he wanted in life was quiet, and because of his idiocy, the world was in chaos.

Astounded, Sakura watched with wide eyes. She thought she had been discovering what made up Kakashi – what had played a part in building the man she saw before her. Instead, she’d uncovered the opposite. Kakashi’s past broke him. So much potential, so much strength, so much intellect, kicked down and discarded due to a traumatizing history. This man had so much love to give, but life played him dirty, causing him to be closed off, slow to trust, yet still immensely loyal.

All his lessons made perfect sense to Sakura now. The incessant lessons on teamwork, honesty, trust, and most of all – never abandoning your team – came directly from his experiences.

Sakura’s focus shifted back to the broken man in front of her. Still weeping silently, Sakura crawled closer, to sit right in front of him in between his legs. On her knees, she wrapped him in a hug, trying to convey how much she supported him.

It took a moment for Kakashi to discern what was happening around him, but once he did, he accepted her hug with little pause. He grasped to her as if she was his lifeline. The muscles she felt under his clothes were nothing more than a shield he’d developed over time to keep people out. To keep people from getting hurt by him again.

Rubbing his back, Sakura started to sway, like her mother did whenever she came home from school with another tale of bullying.

“I am not saying what you are feeling is invalid, but that’s not true, Kakashi,” she murmured to him, voice low and bursting with compassion. “You cannot – may not – blame yourself. You were just a child.”

Shaking his head, Kakashi mumbled into her shoulder, “I was a Jonin!”

“A child nonetheless,” Sakura stated again, voice firm. Pulling away from Kakashi, he still felt limp in her arms, looking to the ground. Shifting, she put her his face in her hands, much like she had when he’d been lost in his episode.

He relented to having his face turn, and as Sakura wiped away his tears, a couple of her own formed. “I told you once before that you had to forgive yourself, but if you couldn’t I would for you. I can’t do that this time. You need to forgive yourself, Kakashi, wholly. All this pain, this weight. It is dragging you down. The fact you still maintained to be the amazing person that you are is a testament to your strength, but it can’t last forever.”

The emerald in her eyes twinkled as water reflected the dim light that reached them through the tree branches up above. In her irises, Kakashi saw what she saw. A whole world, vibrant, full of possibility, if only he could move on from his past. His past that shrouded his every action, his every thought, with a cold despair and cynicism. A world where nothing is truly predictable, no matter how hard shinobi try. There was no way Kakashi could know what would have happened if he hadn’t been stubborn, and angry at his father. There was no way Kakashi could have foreseen Madara’s revival. This world was complicated, frustrating… but what in front of him was beautiful. A world of pink hair, light laugher, crying shoulders, and listening ears. There was a whole world in front of him for the taking, if only he could stand up and act.

“Please, Kakashi. I can’t force you,” Sakura whispered, her own tears now pouring over her cheeks. “And I know it’s hard. But—”

“I do,” Kakashi cut her off.

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“I do,” Kakashi repeated. “Forgive myself. You’re right.” He peeled her hands from his cheeks, holding them tightly in his lap. His heart was pounding, ready to make the move. He had to be brave, because after this, there was no turning back.

Sakura looked startled. “That quickly?”

Slowly, Kakashi raised one hand. Sakura stopped breathing as she saw the trajectory. Delicately, he grasped his mask, lowering it to reveal a full-toothed smile.

“That quickly,” he said. “You made it easy.”

Staring at the lower part of his face, Sakara’s mouth hung open. He noticed her pupils dilate, nostrils flare slightly. He brought one hand to her hair, tucking it behind her ear, smoothly transitioning to cupping her neck. Tugging on their one adjoined hand, he brought her closer, forcing her to lean forward on her knees. Sakura’s cheeks flared red, her eyes widening ever further as she offered no resistance.

As he pulled her towards him, she leapt to close the space.

But she threw her arms around his torso, climbing into his lap, legs parallel to his own. He froze, arm still extended, reaching out to where her head used to be.

Kakashi could feel her own heart beating a mile a minute as she nuzzled her face into the nook on his neck.

“Thank you,” she whispered, “for trusting me.”

Murmuring soft noises, Kakashi replied, “Thank you for letting me.”

Wrapping her in his arms, the pair sat there, the comfort they found with each other warming their hearts.

#kakasaku #kakashi #naruto #sakura #fanfic #looking for the truth #naruto fanfic #kakasaku fanfic #my writing

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peppymint1986 · 6 years

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Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one

Lynchpin

“Let them go,” Tobirama said eyes flashing. Light gleamed off his drawn blade as he stood between the frightened group and the Uchiha patrol. “They are only children.” Stupid foolish children who had not spared a moment to think before they acted.

Izuna ran his eyes over the Senju thoughtfully. “That one can go,” he responded after a moment, nodding his head at the youngest. “The others,” he sighed regretfully before shaking his head. They were young yes, but not so young he could justify ignoring this trespass onto Uchiha lands.

The albino pressed his lips together tightly. If only Izuna hadn’t been there, he would have been able to delay the others long enough for the children to escape. But as it was. . . Suddenly, Tobirama realized there was a way. The cost was high. Yet, feeling the terrified chakra signatures of his young kin, he found it was a price he was willing to pay.

“Let them go Izuna,” Tobirama repeated before making his offer. “And you can have me.”

“Tobirama-sama!” the eldest teen immediately protested.

“Silence,” the albino cut him off. “I trust this will be a lesson to you the next time you contemplate something so foolish.” Tobirama knew he was being harsh, but given the circumstances could not bring himself to care. He transferred his attention back to Izuna. “Well?” he asked.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Izuna nodded, indicating for his fellow Uchiha to stand aside.

Any further objections from the children were quelled by an icy pair of crimson eyes. “Straight back to the compound,” Tobirama ordered. “Now.” He was unmoved by the tears in their eyes as the group began the run home.

That piercing gaze moved back the Uchiha when one of them moved to take a step forward. “When they reach the border,” Tobirama said sharply. “Not before.” The next ten minutes were the longest of his life. It was not that he was afraid to die. It was just that it gave him too much time to think. Hashirama, he knew with sickening certainty, was going to cry. It was almost a relief when he felt the group pass over the river back onto Senju lands.

Slowly, Tobirama inhaled through his nose, and then back out before sheathing his blade. Carefully tossing it and the weapon pouch he had grabbed in haste to the side before sinking gracefully to his knees. Fingers splayed, hands placed flat on the dirt. He didn’t look up. If he had, the albino would have seen the absolutely stunned look on Izuna’s face.

The oldest member of the Uchiha patrol, old enough to be a former member of Tajima’s child hunting squads laughed nastily before striding forward to slam a foot into Tobirama’s side with rib cracking force.

The albino’s fingers clenched, but he did not make a sound. Not even when cruel fingers sank into his hair, harshly yanking his head back. For a moment, Tobirama thought the Uchiha intended to slit his throat. But instead the Kunai was placed almost softly against his cheek, right over one of his tattoos.

“I suppose these marks have always suited him well enough,” the elder mused before smirking. It was not a nice expression. “They’d look better in blood though.”

The blade had barely pierced skin when Izuna was there, fingers digging deeply into his kinsman’s tendons as he relieved him of the blade. “Back to the compound,” he ordered. “All of you.” His tone left no room for argument.

The man grumbled, massaging his sore wrist, but obediently followed the rest of the squad, leaving the two rivals alone.

There was a moment of silence before Izuna spoke. “Look at me Tobirama.”

The Senju’s jaw clenched, not even pretending to misunderstand; so much for a painless death. Though at least, he thought to himself. This would be one that would not leave marks on his body for his kin to find. Slowly, so slowly, he raised his gaze, meeting his rival’s dark eyes, and he did not look away. Not when they began to shine the red of the sharigan. Not as the deadly pattern of the Mangekyō emerged.

“Tsukuyomi.”

Somewhat surprisingly, Tobirama was in no pain. In fact, save for the blood red moon in the sky, his surroundings did not appear to have changed much. Curious. He wondered if . . . Ruefully the albino reflected that Touka may have had a point when she called him hopeless. Here he was about to die and he was more interested in the applications of the jutsu than anything else. It was Izuna’s voice that brought him back to the present.

“Why?”

Tobirama blinked before looking away from the sky. It really was a realistic illusion. “Why what?”

“Why didn’t you fight?” Six on one was poor odds true. However, his rival was not known for his speed for nothing.

The Senju’s brow wrinkled in confusion as he frowned. “I gave you my word.” To him, it was as simple as that. The frown deepened. If Izuna hadn’t believed he was going to follow through, than why had he accepted? Tobirama opened his mouth to ask only to reconsider. It didn’t matter.

Turning to face his rival fully, the albino lifted his head, squaring his shoulders. “For everything between us Izuna,” he said instead. “I have never thought you cruel. I would appreciate it if you would get on with it.”

The Uchiha said nothing. But really, the shadows that reached up to engulf them was answer enough. Yet, it still didn’t hurt. If anything, Tobirama was reminded of the warm waters of an onsen pressing down on him. The scent of lavender filling the air as a voice that he both knew and didn’t urged him to sleep. Pulling him deeper and deeper.

The moment seemed to last forever and yet no time at all. Crimson eyes fluttering shut as his body fell forward. Not even feeling the strong arms that caught him before he could hit the ground.

Solemnly, Izuna regarded the still figure in his arms. He could end this now, the Uchiha knew. His rival wouldn’t feel a thing. And yet . . . A flicker of uncertainty passed over pale features before his expression hardened. The Uchiha easily lifting Tobirama into his arms in spite of the other’s broader figure. By the time Hashirama arrived, they were long gone.

And bonus snippet because it is Christmas

Madara wasn’t quite sure what to think when he heard about Tobirama’s fate from the returning patrol. Satisfaction that a powerful enemy of his clan had been eliminated, sorrow that Hashirama had lost his last brother. Surprisingly though, there had been less celebration among the clan than he had expected.

At least, that was the case among the younger generation. Respect Madara suspected. Their Fathers’ policies had cost them all much. It was a rare family that had not lost a brother. And if not a brother, than a sister. If not a sister, than a cousin.

Looking out the gate over the Uchiha lands, Madara’s expression froze as his brother came into sight. He burned hot with fury, and then cold. The kind of cold that brought crystal clarity. He could not believe Izuna had brought the younger Senju’s body back as some sort of macabre trophy.

Striding towards his brother Madara came to a halt a mere three feet away. Eyes wide with shock as he realized something. Tobirama was not dead. He looked at his brother questioningly. “Izuna?”

Izuna looked up briefly and then back down at his rival’s still features. “I think,” he said softly. “I’ve reconsidered the whole peace thing.”

Check it out. I figured out how Tobirama ended up at the Uchiha compound so if this ever becomes a full story I will combine it with the tiny Kagami one.

Also, as for how Madara did not sense Tobirama was alive from the get go. I figure it is easier to sense someone who is awake vs sleeping. Sleeping vs unconscious. That just makes sense to me. Hope you enjoyed and please review.

#fanfiction #plunnie #Senju Tobirama #uchiha izuna #Uchiha Madara #children of war #naruto #Warring Clans

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iristial · 6 years

Note

Geiz and Tsukuyomi for Pocky Day, please!

Compound | Geiz/Tsukuyomi, Pocky Day

author's note - I am at a crossroad because there's the cute Sougo/Tsukuyomi and then the childhood friends of Geiz/Tsukuyomi. Maybe I'll just multi-ship this season lol. Forgive any errors in spelling, grammar, and characterization because the show is still young and I have no spell check. Also it doesn't feature pocky as much as the other drabbles. Hope you enjoy it :)

Compound chocolate uses chocolate, sweetners and vegetable oil, and is usually for less expensive chocolate bars. I thought it'd fit Tsukuyomi and Geiz

●○●

Technology was advanced in 2068, but it wasn't luxurious when anyone and everyone could access it. Everything else - food, shelter, even the way one breathed - had much more value, particularly when the overlord crushed their armies and they foraged for adequate food. Thus, Tsukuyomi should know better than anyone to not indulge in matters of the past unless they proved useful to the mission.

And yet she stopped him from killing Zi-O. "We don't know if he's really going to become an overlord," Tsukuyomi said again, her tone a little more weary and slightly doubtful than all the other times. She didn't lift her eyes from Geiz, forcing him to steady his mind and be calm like the moon. Calm; he was living with a future murderer. How could he be calm? "Be patient, Geiz. History might as well be wrong."

"How can you know that for sure?" Geiz snapped, though he ensured his voice was low and soft. Who knew if Zi-O was listening through the door. "He tricked us twice, maybe even more. He's probably playing with our heads. He tricked Woz."

That had Tsukuyomi nibbling at her lip; everyone from the future knew the overlord's personal valet wasn't so easily tricked. Even then she was obviously trying to formulate an argument to counter him, or at least to calm him down. Tsukuyomi had always been like that, vying for effective but peaceful methods. Her dream had been to become a diplomat before she drafted herself into the resistance groups.

Geiz knew better than anyone - he was the only one left standing from her childhood. Why was she even defensive of their oppressor?

"Anyway," Tsukuyomi spoke, stepping closer to Geiz. Her white cloak floated about her like a shield. "Let's keep watch. Please, Geiz."

Tsukuyomi doesn't whine, let alone beg, but Geiz uncurled his fists. Although he'd rather get the mission over and done with, Tsukuyomi was fascinated by the past - somewhat. He wasn't sure but she had been the type to indulge in history books. He was always waiting for her to finish, albeit impatiently, and once he boldly promised to travel to the past with her.

And he did. Kind of. Maybe staying in the current timeline, if only a little, was the least he could do for her.

"Fine," he grumbled, pointedly ignoring Tsukuyomi's pleased nod. "But remember this is the last time."

"I will." Tsukuyomi turned her head to the sliding doors. "I wonder what's taking Sougo so long."

Geiz immediately frowned. "Probably planning his next move," he scoffed. "What takes someone this long to buy pocky?"

"Pocky?" Tsukuyomi tilted her head. "What is that?"

Geiz focused on breathing and pacing a couple of steps - he honestly didn't know. "Apparently it's made of a type of chocolate," he recalled the store fronts from the neighbourhood advertising it as such. "But...what's chocolate?" So much for pretending he knew.

It was brown...that was a start.

"It sounds healthy," Tsukuyomi offered, trying to somehow answer her own curiosity. "Maybe we should look up on it?"

Geiz marched to the door. "You can do that. I'm going to find Zi-O."

"I'll go with you." Tsukuyomi dashed to his side as he slid the door open. "Maybe we can also find out what chocolate is."

Geiz sighed. "Yeah."

#14shyx #14shyx!fanfic #kamen rider #kamen rider zi-o #pairing: geiz/tsukuyomi #pocky day 11/11 #ask: lucybeetle #14shyx ʚ❁ɞ mailbox

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kuriquinn · 7 years

Text

Still

Disclaimer & Masterpost

Summary: Kakashi can’t help the whimsical smile on his face as he watches his former students, interacting with one another as if no time has passed. This peace won’t last long, he knows. But for right now, in this tiny medical tent, they can all pretend for a little longer that everything is going to work out perfectly. [NarutoWeek2017 – Day 1 - Prompt: “Team 7”]

While the rest of the world is busy combing the battlefields for the wounded and burying their dead, the original members of Team 7 are forcibly put on bedrest. None of them are very happy about it, but no one is really in the right condition to fight it.

And Tsunade Senju is not a woman to be argued with.

“That’s all we need now, is for the saviours of the Shinobi World to drop dead from exhaustion,” she remarks imperiously, stepping back into a command role with ease. “You’re all going to sit tight and recover your mental and physical faculties before you even think of dealing with other matters – yes, Sakura, that means you too!”

And she stalks out of the tent leaving her apprentice silently fuming.

“Thanks, Sasuke,” Naruto sneers, albeit without true malice. “This is all your fault for trying to look cool! And making Sakura have to carry your unconscious ass back here, too! Looks like things haven’t changed since we were kids!”

A hand slaps the back of his head, and he winces. “Owww…Sakura, I’m injured! You can’t go hitting people in the head that are already hurt!”

“Then don’t pretend like you’re any better than Sasuke,” Sakura chides. “I had to carry you both back here because you hyperventilated yourself into unconsciousness!”

Sasuke smirks. “Loser.”

“Honestly, I told you two to take it easy, that was not taking it easy,” she goes on, hands on her hips. “I know you had to dispel the Infinite Tsukuyomi, but wouldn’t it have made more sense to eat a few ration pills to get your strength up beforehand? Honestly, the two of you are so short-sighted sometimes, I don’t even know how you’ve managed to survive so long. And another thing…”

Kakashi can’t help the whimsical smile on his face as he watches his former students, interacting with one another as if no time has passed.

This peace won’t last long, he knows.

There’s the matter of rebuilding the world following the war, a task he knows he’s going to get saddled with (Tsunade has made it pretty plain to him she has no intention of taking back the mantle of Hokage after this is all over). If that’s the case, it means he has to invest in getting Naruto rehabilitated and ready to take over as soon as humanly possible, which is a whole other headache. Then there’s sorting out all the trouble Sasuke’s been causing (he has no idea how he’s going to talk the kid out of that metaphorical nest of vipers), and being there for Sakura when the post-traumatic stress finally hits (Naruto and Sasuke have been dealing with this in one form or another their entire lives; Kakashi’s not sure how his lone female student will cope).

But for right now, in this tiny medical tent, they can all pretend for a little longer that everything is going to work out perfectly.

Several cots have been squeezed into the small structure, along with trays of bandages and other equipment set aside for their use. Yamato has been brought here as well, and lies utterly still, while IV lines stream medicine and nutritional fluids into his weakened body.

If anyone deserves some rest and relaxation after all this, it’s Tenzou…

Kakashi lies supine, his limbs heavy like lead and every thought making his head spin; he’s a little dizzy, as well, not used to seeing out of two eyes after so many years forced to rely only on his right. Naruto is a ball of barely contained energy, cross-legged on his cot and bouncing up and down nervously; he’s still running on adrenaline. And Sasuke…is twitchy for an altogether different reason.

Despite being in the company of those he considers precious for the first time in years, he looks utterly vulnerable. As if he can’t quite figure out how he came to be here or what his next move is meant to be. For someone whose entire life is a series of steps taken to reach a new goal, Kakashi imagines he’s feeling a little lost right now.

Sakura paces back and forth, practically chomping at the bit in her concern for the people outside their tent. Every now and then she sits down beside Naruto or Sasuke and rechecks their arms, muttering about their idiocy and all the medical procedures they’re going to have to go through once they return to Konoha. Neither boy complains, though, taking her mile-a-minute fretting with heretofore unseen patience.

So much for Tsunade ordering her to rest…

Every now and again, Sakura will suddenly go utterly still and gaze over at Sasuke. Her expression blooms into an expression of such utter joy and love that Kakashi feels as if he is intruding simply by observing it. But before he can look away, it is replaced with something cold and hollow, like she’s remembering something horrible, and then she’s once more a whirling dynamo of fretting and rambling.

She might not notice the way Sasuke’s eyes follow her when she moves around, but Kakashi does. There’s no discernable intent behind it, no sudden epiphany or understanding, but Kakashi gets the sense that the foundation for something are being laid in this moment.

He hopes to one day see it come to fruition.

No one talks about the bevvy of guards surrounding the tent, the express purpose of their presence being to ensure that Sasuke Uchiha doesn’t go anywhere.

Not that he has any intention of doing so; he surrendered himself to the closest authority the minute the Infinite Tsukuyomi was dispelled, and intends to accept any punishment that he is due.

(That the closest authority was acting Hokage Kakashi Hatake is only coincidence and proximity; Sasuke didn’t really get a chance to move much farther from him before passing out due to the combined effects of chakra depletion and blood-loss.)

When Sai arrives, carrying an armful of clothing and rations, he is practically ambushed by Sakura and Naruto (“Naruto, what the hell are you doing! Get back to bed, you’re not supposed to be standing!” “But Sakura, he brought ramen! It’s crappy military ramen, but still!” “I don’t care! Sit down before I make you sit down!” “Huh. It seems being a war hero hasn’t made your bedside manner any better, Ugly – ow!”). Kakashi is also curious about the state of affairs, but he can bide his time while Naruto relieves Sai of his burden (ramen first, of course!) and Sakura envelops him in a tight hug.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” she tells him warmly. “Everything happened so fast before, we lost track of you.”

“It’s thanks to you guys that I am,” Sai replies evenly, and then looks over her shoulder to see Sasuke observing the entire interchange silently. There’s a subtle down-turn of Sai’s lips, and he slowly pulls away from Sakura.

Approaching the missing-nin with the same wary air of someone facing off against a lion, Sai wanders over to stand before the surviving Uchiha. Naruto and Sakura immediately go still, as if anticipating the need to protect someone – but unsure who should merit that.

“I have read that first impressions tend to irrevocably influence future relationships,” Sai begins quietly. “Yet since knowing Naruto and Sakura, I have learned different. I would…not be averse to seeing if my first impressions of you were wrong. At some point in the future, of course.”

The tiniest frown appears in Sasuke’s forehead at this, not quite sure how to respond.

Sai holds out a spare Allied Shinobi Force uniform and flak-jacket. “This should be in your size, Coward.”

Naruto makes a choking noise, and Sakura’s cheeks turn an angry red; Kakashi wonders if he’s going to have to intervene in yet another teen-angst-fueled altercation.

A moment later, however, something unspoken appears to pass between the two, because Sasuke nods once and replies, “These will be sufficient.”

And the tense atmosphere dissipates.

At least he didn’t call him “traitor”, I guess…

Sakura wastes no time dragging Sai away to lecture him about tact, before switching gears, demanding updates on the world beyond their little tent. She wants to know the status of the wounded, the current supply situation, whether they have to worry about clean drinking water, are any outbreaks of sickness being properly quarantined, and have transports back to the various villages been organized –

“Ino said if I told you anything while you were supposed to be resting that she’d hurt me, and honestly, she scares me more than you do,” Sai replies dutifully, causing Sakura to erupt into a furious, anti-Ino rant.

Meanwhile, Naruto has brought back two of the tiny ramen rations to where Sasuke is sitting, and as he waits for the tiny field kettle to boil, chats idly about how he can’t wait to return home for Ichiraku ramen.

He regales his friend with stories about the new menu, changes in flavour, the new premises – which leads to a long, drawn-out explanation of how the village was destroyed in Pein’s attack. Sasuke listens gravely, no doubt thinking of his own recent goals, and for a wonder Naruto notices, because he quickly changes the subject to happier topics – reuniting with Tazuna and Inabi, how he and Sakura defeated Kakashi’s bell test (“Really?” Sasuke says, staring over Kakashi like he doesn’t know if he should be judgemental or amused about the entire thing.) and how even after everything, Condor the Ninja ostrich is still alive and kicking.

(Sasuke looks comically disgruntled at this news.)

The warm reminisces are interspersed with good-natured teasing. It feels a little bit forced, but everyone appreciates it all the same.

Naruto grumbles. “Real asshole move, Sasuke, taking the hand I use to hold my chopsticks…”

“Tch. It’s your own fault for not becoming ambidextrous,” Sasuke retorts, and then utterly invalidates his argument by slopping his own ration down his front.

“Come on, Sai,” Sakura sighs out loud, “let’s help them before someone ends up with chopsticks up their nose…”

“Is such a thing an actual medical concern?” Sai wonders, although he dutifully follows Sakura and proceeds to help Naruto; it isn’t even a question that Sakura will see to Sasuke.

Kakashi chuckles and pulls himself into a sitting position, reaching for the pile of clean clothing. Bathing is a long way off, but he wants to get rid of the sticky, itching sensation of dried blood against his skin.

He thinks nothing of stripping off his blood-stained, torn clothing right there. Battlefield conditions leave little room for modesty, and besides – they’re all men here, and Sakura is a medic that’s changed his bedpans and seen him in various states of undress over the years thanks to his propensity for landing himself in the hospital.

They’re a far cry from the easily embarrassed youngers he was responsible so long ago –

“Kakashi-sensei,” Sakura says suddenly, while he is in the process of tossing aside his ruined flak jacket, “you should really take off that mask. There’s got to be a lot of blood and other toxins on it that have dried. You don’t want to be breathing that in while you’re recovering.”

Her words are delivered in the usual matter-of-fact manner of a physician, and yet there’s something entirely too innocent about it.

Dimly, Kakashi notices that Naruto and Sasuke have gone utterly and completely still, though their gazes have abruptly zeroed in on his face.

A long-forgotten memory hits him then, bringing with it a tidal wave of nostalgia, and Kakashi can’t help smirk.

Ah. So that’s what this is…

“You’re right,” he says, solemnly, surreptitiously sneaking a nearby surgical mask into his hand. “I definitely don’t want to breathe anymore toxins in, especially in my weakened state.”

He reaches for the bottom of his shirt to pull it and his mask over his head, and in a move that even Sasuke’s Sharingan couldn’t track, he fits it over his face.

“Much better,” he declares to his staring former genin squad.

The so-called Neo Sannin all slouch forward, exhaling in united frustration.

“Still?” Sasuke asks.

“Still,” Naruto and Sakura chorus.

Sai just looks confused.

We’re going to be alright, Kakashi realises.

終わり

Reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated!

クリ

Next Chapter

#narutoweek2017 #naruto shippuden #naruto week #naruto fanfiction #team 7 #team 7 reunited #team 7 forever #naruto uzumaki #sakura haruno #sasuke uchiha #kakashi hatake #sai #captain yamato #chapter 699 #sasusaku hints

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