#i’m still gonna be excited. i love minato. but the rest of it worries me so much..

[shiominato]

i don’t like being right about the persona 5ification of persona 3

[mavda]

Beast Tamers

Ch.1 |  Ch.2 | Ch.3 | Ch.4(1) | Ch.4(2) | Ch.5(1) | Ch.5(2) | Ch.5(3) | Ch.5(4) | Ch.6(1) | Ch.6(2) | Ch.6(3) | Ch.7(1) | Ch.7(2) | Ch.7(3) | Ch.7(4) | Ch.7(5) | Ch.8(1) | Ch.8(2) | Ch.8(3) | Ch.9(1) | Ch.9(2) | Ch.9(3) |

Ch.9: No lies (4)

"Ah, you f-felt that?" 

Naruto stares at Hinata's round belly, where his hand covers her whole abdomen. 

"I did," he whispers. Still amazed at the movement going inside Hinata's body, at their baby moving. 

Hinata covers his hand with hers, moves it to the side of her stomach. "I think next is h-here." 

And she is correct. Naruto feels a kick in his hand a few seconds after, and he can feel in his chest something he can't explain yet. He crouches down and presses his lips to Hinata's pregnant belly. "Hello, baby."

She giggles and rests her hand on his hair. In love with him and the way he loves their child already. 

"So, dizziness and nosebleeds, is that all?" 

Naruto rests his ear on her stomach and Hinata ends up resting her hands on his arms. “N-nosebleeds sometimes, yes.” 

Naruto nods and hears her heartbeat against his ear. Her hand on his hair, her fingers sometimes tracing his whiskers. He closes his eyes and lets silence reign for a few seconds, before remembering something he wanted to talk to her about. “I’ve seen you taking your walks with Neji a lot these past few days.”

Her fingers stop for less than a second, and Naruto makes it as if nothing happened. 

“I h-have asked him t-to accompany me on my s-strolls.”

Which Naruto knows, because Sai has shared as much, but the question remains, “I thought you didn’t have that great of a relationship with him.” He remains on the floor, with his head on her, doing his best not to overwhelm her.

Hinata keeps quiet a second, but Naruto knows it is her putting her thoughts in order as her fingers trace absent-minded patterns across his cheek. 

“I… we have b-been talking about a lot of th-things. It’s been f-fun.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. Uhm, we d-didn’t have the best ch-childhoods, I think.” Her voice gets lower, her breathing more controlled, “I… always wanted a r-relationship with him, I b-believe. He was the only one who… he w-was the only one who didn’t seem to h-hate me back then.”

Naruto raises his head, sits with his legs crossed facing her. Hinata looks at her hands, and doesn’t seem to want to look Naruto in the eyes. “He would do th-things that s-seemed to be for me, but then h-have the perfect excuse as to w-why do it for my f-father, so I thought… I w-wondered, you know, am I just a n-nuisance to him as w-well?”

Her voice is quiet, “I n-never knew… I couldn’t k-know, he barely talked b-back then,” she chuckles. Naruto offers his hand, touches hers with the softest of touches, and Hinata reciprocates, grabs his hand between hers. She is not crying. “It’s b-been good, talking to h-him. S-Sharing stories… having- h-having a relationship.”

Hinata fears tears will follow next, so she bites her lip. She knew she wanted to have a relationship with her cousin for a long time. For longer than a long time. He was the only thing keeping her from losing herself in screams and self-pity, he showed her the barest of kindness, the barest of encouragement and yet she treasured them, because that’s what they were in that house. Treasures. Tiny and yet important. 

She would have loved to receive more. 

And so she followed him. Bothered him. Looked for him for the things no one else would give her. And he did sometimes, and then he didn’t most times. And she still wonders whether it was duty or love or pity or a sense of at least being better off than her…

They still have yet to talk about the harsh stuff. They still have to talk about their actual relationship. Hinata yearns and fears that moment, but at least now… at least now she has a relationship with a person she holds so dear -against all odds-, a person she is ashamed to hold in such regards, and yet… 

She is so happy she can walk with Neji and talk about the weather without worrying about what’s gonna appear as they turn the next corner, about the people walking around them, about what’s going to be reported back to her father, about the disgusted face her father would give her as she came ba-

“I’m glad, then.” Naruto’s warm hand brings her out of her trance, as he gets closer and searches for her eyes, as his hands move up and down her arms, as he brings her in for a hug. She feels herself relax, lays her head on his shoulder and lets him pamper her. 

“Thanks, for… for t-taking care of him, t-too.”

Naruto remembers Neji’s silent work, as he asked for his help when Hiashi’s letter first came. The way he read the letter, explained what he thought all of this meant without even asking for them to be alone, his excellent work and his disposition. Never questioning Naruto, asking for permission to voice his opinions. 

Nothing like the rude man who had faced him that first time. 

Naruto tries to connect the rude man with the eager cousin. The cold asshole with the warm family member. But maybe none of that is important, because what he cares about is that his wife was able to make it this far with his… help. 

And thanks to that she is with him now, and Neji has shown nothing but his best behavior. So Naruto puts his worries to the side, “I love you.”

Hinata chuckles as she buries her face in Naruto’s shoulder. Nothing matters. Nothing matters because Naruto is here. 

Naruto wonders whether he should share with her his godfather’s news before his father arrives. But what would he say? And what would she say, too?

No answer is enough to let him relax, so he does the next best thing. He peppers kisses all over his wife’s face, filling the room with their laughs. And he remains quiet.

⁂⁂⁂

Minato arrives at the compound with Mito in tow and they stop in their tracks as they watch Jiraiya taking a stroll through the gardens with Naruto and Hinata. 

    Minato bolts towards his master, with a flustered Mito following behind. 

“Master!”

    “Oh, calm down, calm down, I’m not going anywhere!”

    Jiraiya is the one to bring the excitement down, with laughs and pats in the back that make Minato’s high come down in an instant. There are anxious looks coming and going between Minato and Mito that Hinata catches but knows not how to feel about. 

    Naruto remains impassive and he is the one to offer they go and find a private room in which to talk. 

    Hinata feels her chest tighten slightly, and although in any other time Naruto’s tranquil attitude would help her calm herself, this time, she grows nervous. 

    Jiraiya starts to tell of his travels -as he did before with Naruto and Hinata-, and it is with a mixture of interest and obvious haste that Minato asks questions. He wants to know, but he also doesn’t care about anything at all but whatever information can help Naruto. And yet he fears to hear no new information at all, or anything worthwhile. 

    Lady Mito remains quiet, staring at Jiraiya with her eyes shining in anticipation. Jiraiya is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He tries to gauge the room’s ambience, tries to control the emotions that reach him and he ends up anchoring himself in Naruto.

    Naruto and his tight smile. 

    Naruto and his resigned attitude. Out of anyone in this room, he knows what will follow. It’s what always follows whenever Jiraiya comes back, pleas and requests he never answers.

    He can never answer them.

    And now, although Jiraiya should feel accomplished and happy, although his travels have at long last brought forth an answer, he dreads talking about it.

    He knows what comes next. And Naruto stares at him, without blinking. Waiting to remain quiet and bear the sure goading that will follow.

    “What?” Minato catches on, and his eyes travel from his son to his master. “What’s going on?” 

    “So,” Jiraiya starts, “good news first, I learned of a technique that allows one to… uh, gather energy from the environment and replenish the user’s.”

    He looks around, with a face that asks for some smiles or positive feedback. Hinata gives him a faint smile and Jiraiya smiles back. She doesn’t know what this is about.

    “And?” Minato urges, and whatever ambience Jiraiya had been able to bring into the room disappears in a second. 

    “You know, that means that the Beast will take less of a toll on Naruto’s body.”

    “Good, then why aren’t you as excited?”

    “It’s… you gather energy from the environment but it asks for the user to become one with nature, so it entails extreme meditation and barely moving a muscle-”

    “I could do that,” chimes in Naruto. 

    Jiraiya nods to him, “Good, good, it will help. But, uh, I’m not as excited because from what I could tell from the quick check I did on Naruto, well…”

    “It took a toll, right?” Minato hates the idea, but Naruto just came out of a forced tearing of the seal. For him to come out of it unscathed is just, idealistic. “The forced tearing of the seal took a toll on Naruto’s body that you can’t fix, right?”

    “Good news is, it can be fixed, in fact, I think it will be fixed if he adds this new technique. Bad news is just-”

    “We��re back on square one,” Naruto finishes. 

    Lady Mito makes fist of her hands. Naruto’s life could have been extended… if none of this would have happened. But it did. 

At least… at least they’re on square one…

    At least they are back where they were before. 

Lady Mito feels her emotions going unchecked and raises her head to compose herself. But then sees Jiraiya’s eyes locked on Naruto’s and her heart squeezes. “What is it?”

Naruto’s eyes flash to her, almost ashamed, and she fears, anguishes over what’s to come. 

“Well,” Jiraiya starts again. Minato keeps his eyes glued to the floor. “Do you remember what we talked about, long ago?” 

Lady Mito tilts her head. They have talked about so many a thing regarding Naruto’s seal. Each time with a little more urgency. “Would you mind refreshing my memory?” 

Jiraiya lets out a heavy sigh and then blurts out everything all at once, “Back then we surmised that the Beast’s chakra seeping out of Naruto for so long meant we could in turn add something to the seal that could, you know, help with that, and if Naruto’s body didn’t have to worry about that, then, in turn, it may send resources to keep himself alive instead of sealing the Beast.”

Lady Mito doesn’t ask. Fears the answer.

“Do you remember?”

“Yes.”

“It’s done.”

Naruto doesn’t move a muscle and the euphoria of having something so tangible in front of her is enough to send Lady Mito in a spiral of anger towards the stubbornness of her grandson. 

“Does that,” she tempers her exhilaration, “does that mean that Naruto would have a normal… normal lifespan?”

“If he undergoes the procedure then he will have a longer life compared to what we expected before, yes.”

All eyes fall on Naruto. His eyes fixed on his godfather. 

“If I undergo the procedure, will I be able to use the Beast’s chakra as usual?”

“No.”

Naruto evades everyone’s eyes, stares to the floor for a second and then answers, “then it’s not an option.”

Jiraiya is the only one who seems to accept this answer. As Minato and Lady Mito open their mouths trying to find anything to say, but keeping quiet in hopes that the other would talk first.

HInata looks at everyone in turns, her last glance at Naruto's profile, whose jaw is tight. And then she stares at the floor. Quiet. 

“Why not?” says Minato, and Lady Mito seems to want to drill a hole in Naruto’s mind in search of an answer.

“We have just been attacked by a clan that was thought to be dead, we are now under unprecedented times with a truce between Beast Tamers and- hell, even if we were under normal circumstances it doesn’t make sense for us to give away our best card against enemies.”

“We can fight without your Beast. We can put up a fight.”

“Putting up a fight doesn’t sound that promising, dad, sorry.”

“We can fight without your Beast, Naruto.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

“We have better guards and patrols and people on our side, and Shikamaru-”

“I remember an attack happening and reaching the inner compound a year and a half ago.”

“Even without the Beast you could have handled it.”

“But what if I couldn’t?”

“If you’re going to go down that way, then what, are you going to keep that damned Beast to protect us from even the weakest of enemies? You’d rather obliterate whoever comes than to try to keep yourself-”

“Listen,” Naruto presses his hand forward, stares his father down, “I am in charge of protecting this clan, and I will do that. If that means keeping this damned Beast inside of me then I will.”

“Naruto-”

“Dad. Even you can’t be sure of what’s to come now. Who would have thought an Uchiha would appear? How long till a clan breaks the truce between Beast Tamers? How long till a bunch of clans come together and try an attack?”

Hinata feels her chest being pressed down, but does her best not to lose her composure. She wishes Naruto’s answers weren’t so obvious, weren’t so factual, she wishes he were more selfish or weaker. But he remains unfazed, unflinching, and so Hinata bites down whatever tries to come out of her. 

“Maybe further down the road, dad… maybe, when we can be more sure of what’s to come.”

Lies, though. Because Naruto knows enemies won’t stop appearing, and not even Shikamaru is able to come down with predictions for the future that are without a surprise. But Naruto knows the people in this room worry for him, so his tough persona crumbles down a little. Just a little, just a second. 

“Further down the road won’t give you as much time, son…”

“I know… I know.”

Jiraiya believes some ripples will turn up regarding this matter, but the thick of it is now dealt with. He believes that if Minato can’t change Naruto’s opinion, then it’s not even worth it for him to try. He believes everyone in the room thinks that Minato is their last resort, maybe Naruto’s wife, but seeing her biting her lip and looking like talking is the harshest of tasks is enough to realize she won’t add on the issue.

But then Lady Mito speaks.

“If we could talk with our people and improve our security?”

“Grandma Mito…”

“If we could get all of this approved by Shikamaru? I know how much you trust him, we would get his approval first, and then-”

“Grandma Mito.” 

The room is silent, and then Naruto closes his eyes in pain, “Please, just, not now.”

Lady Mito is shaken, “We have the chance to recover so much time, Naruto.”

“I know.”

“You could live till- till you’re 50, 52 maybe. Naruto, this is such a gift.”

“We can’t now. If we are under attack and I can’t use my powers as usual it could mean-”

“We would protect the clan!”

“So what? You know how much the Nine-Tails chakra means in a fight, jeez, you know why whole ass clans try to get their hands on the Beasts, it’s because we win wars.”

“We are not under war.”

“We are not under war now, yes. Am I really the only one worried about the Uchiha’s going around? The same ones that were able to knock me out by looking at my eyes?”

“Now everyone is preparing countermeasures, you are ready to fight them again-”

“Am I, though? What if I’m not?” 

Lady Mito snarls, “Then we would step up.”

“And then a bunch of my people die. No, thanks.”

“Because now only you would die, right?”

Lady Mito feels white hot rage filling her. Because all of this could have been dealt with if she had been here when her daughter was attacked. And then she could have spared her grandson from this. All of this. But she wasn’t here. She is never here. And she hates it, and she hates it, and she hates it. She is desperate. She is guilty. She wants to cling to Naruto’s robes and beg and plead and cry and whine and never let go until he decides he is more important than them. 

She wants him to want to stay here. 

She lays eyes on Hinata, and Naruto puts his arm in front of her, his other hand pointing at her, “Don’t you dare.”

She is hurt. She is hurt and she is trying to come up with any kind of excuse that can shake her grandson’s resolve even a little. Enough to make his dumb stubborness crumble. She means to bring Hinata into the discussion, but Naruto shows his fangs too, and now Lady Mito wants to bawl. 

See? See how much you care? So her brain focuses on this tiny little bit of hope, and doesn’t think too much about it. It’s a fear of hers, too. It’s something she would never say out loud, because it’s a low blow. Something she regrets the moment it comes out of her mouth.

“Don’t you want to see your child grow?”

She freezes the second after, and she can feel Minato’s eyes on her. 

Naruto’s blue eyes open wide, impossibly so. He’s hurt and ashamed and his resolve does crumble. She can see that. He stares a second and she thinks he is going to cry. 

But he whips his head the other way, and leaves the room in haste. 

Nobody moves a muscle and Lady Mito whispers after a few seconds, “I’m sorry.”

But nobody blames her. They can’t.

It’s Hinata that stands then, with her hand on her belly.

“Hinata…,” starts Lady Mito, but Hinata looks at her with empathy in her eyes.

“It’s o-okay.” 

She follows after Naruto and finds him near a flower patch, under a tree. He stands there, but doesn’t let his weight rest on the trunk.

He feels her before she can say anything.

“Just give me a minute, love.”

But she can’t. Not now. So she keeps on walking and stops just behind him. Her hand to his back. 

“Please.”

“N-Naruto.”

He doesn’t move. 

“Naruto.”

He turns to her, and his eyes shine. His hair looks blonder than ever under the sunlight and he’s close to tears. He opens his mouth, trying to justify his actions, lest Hinata think he doesn’t actually care about her, about their child.

But he doesn’t get to say anything, because Hinata brings her hand to his face, to his whisker marks. She drags her fingers along, “I-It’s okay,” she whispers.

And Naruto breaks. 

His tears fall and his lip trembles, and it’s not until Hinata brings him into her that he buries his face on her shoulder and shudders as he gasps for air.

“It’s okay.” 

[aichu-ojo]

FANFIC: Running Out of Patience (KBTBB)

REQUEST:

“May I get a request about Eisuke and the MC being frisky in bed but the MC takes the lead this time. Thanks.”

- I love Eisuke, honestly, one of my favorite characters of all time in Voltage next to Minato (OTBS), Toma (IR), and Takahisa (RITE). I, personally, do not like the MC’a personality overall but she has a buildable character. Hopefully, this FANFIC feels your desire well and meets standards.

- This story takes place before the wedding and after the Engagement.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•��•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Eisuke and I are getting ready to leave for one of his glamour party tonight. I just finished putting on the dress today and honestly, it is has a lot more coverage than most dresses he tells me to wear for these events. It’s a little white dress with white laced sleeves and it makes me think of a wedding dress.

“Eisuke...” He turned his head around and I said with a questionable remark, “This dress isn’t particularly your style...”

“Tonight’s event is a birthday party for the Wife of the Jeweler who we met a while back. She’s lady-like and a women of etiquette.”

He doesn’t seem to happy about the situation but I’m actually really glad that I am wearing something that even I would pick out for myself. Makes me happy that it sort of matches my style a bit.

We soon arrived at the party and as soon as we walked in, the jeweler man walked over and greeted us both.

“Ichinomiya!! Glad you and your fiancé could join us today!”

I looked over at Eisuke and he has his business face on responding with a fake smile, “Thank you for inviting us. I hope your wife is enjoying her birthday party.”

I smiled in response while looking around to see that all the ladies here are dressed sexy a bit. Wondering where the jeweler’s wife was since she was suppose to be lady-like, I start to feel out of place but then all the lights go out and we look over to see a 4 tier cake come out with candles lit on it. We are all singing happy birthday but Eisuke (obviously) who is just standing next to me being quite. A single light shines on the wife and she is wearing a sleeved dress with flowers on it and she was a lady of etiquette. She blew out her candles and everyone cheered.

The party continued and before I knew it, she tapped my shoulder and asked me who I was.

“I am _____. Fiancé of Ichinomiya Eisuke ma’am.”

“THEE Ichinomiya,” she exclaimed.

I didn’t know she felt that ‘way’ about him although I’m not really sure what way at this point. I felt lost so I turned to find that Eisuke was nowhere near me. My eyes started wandering, looking for him.

“Honey, I see you have met _____,” her husband says.

“Are you sure that she is Ichinomiya’s fiancé,” and honestly, I can see why she would ask that. He is pretty much a control freak when it comes to his “belongings” and doesn’t like to negotiate.

I smile with all my heart answering her, “Yes I am.”

Her face lit up like stars and she was so happy, she started giggling to herself.

“I’m glad he has someone like you in his life. Keep loving him with all your heart. He needs it.”

All I could do is smile from her words alone. Of course I love him, we have been through so much together now.

Realizing that Eisuke has been gone for too long from my side for a while, I decided to search for him only to spot him at the bar drinking alone near a group of guys.

“Eisuke!!”

I rushed over to him and he just smiles at me. Is he actually, tipsy..?

“Who might you be,” one of the guys stopped me to ask.

“She’s mine.”

Eisuke yanks me in with one arm around my waist up to his side and my face hits his chest. He finishes his drink by slamming his cup on the bar and starts to drag me as we leave the party.

“Ei-EISUKE,” I shouted but he doesn’t stop and keeps dragging me.

We arrive at the elevator and instead of going down, we end up going up.

“Where are we going?”

He doesn’t respond so I keep asking that question over and over. The elevator dinged and we walked out to rush over to one of the hotel rooms that Eisuke carded us to go in.

Before the room door closed, Eisuke’s hands slowly slid down my sides to my waist and pulled me in his embrace. He was rough but gentle with his movement. I felt his bulge and the blood started to rush to my head.

“Eisuk-!!”

His mouth covered mines before I could even say his name or anything else.

Our kisses got rougher as we continued to search deep inside each other’s mouth with our tongue and I slowly started running out of breath. My knees buckled and before I fell, Eisuke caught me in his arms.

Carrying me like a princess in his arm, he lays me face forward on the bed and starts to unzip the dress slowly with his teeth on my zipper. I can feel his hot breath on my back from the slow unzipping and I cannot help but moan into the bed. I can hear him chuckling from my embarrassment.

“_____. What about me?”

I freeze from that comment and feel his weight lift off the bed. I whipped my head around just to see him start stripping off his shirt, taking off his belt, and loosening his pant’s button. I cannot help but lower my eyes to his bulge as he started to undress.

He sat down near the head board of the bed and pointed at his crotch suggestively.

“Here,” smirking at me.

This was the first time he has wanted me to please him and I couldn’t help but be eager at the idea to make him feel good. I crawled over, adjusted my face near his crotch, to find his zipper so I could unzip him. As I finished unzipping, I started to pull down his brief and pants just to watch his erect cock whip out almost hitting my face. I couldn’t help but stare at it. I wasn’t shy nor embarrassed. I slowly started to feel excited and before I knew it, my mouth was on his member while my hand was on his shaft stroking it gently.

“_____....” he groaned as he started to pull my hair out of my face holding it.

I pulled my mouth away to overlap the tip with my tongue and he started to grunt.

I’ve never felt anything like this before and before I knew it, my patience was running out. I wanted to please him like he does to me.

I took his cock all the way into my mouth while my hands started to focus on massaging his balls. His grip on my hair got tighter and he started to thrust himself inside my mouth slowly. The heat between my legs grew hotter by the second as I pleased Eisuke.

“Fuck _____..”

Tears start to form in the corner of my eyes and he pulls out his cock from my mouth. I try to catch my breath and Eisuke pulls down my dress and starts sucking my breast. While my moans filled the room, with technique, Eisuke pulled of the rest of my clothes, chucked them to the floor, and started to spread my legs.

“Eisuke..”

He stared at me while my eyes were tearing up. While adjusting himself, I could feel the tip near my clit and entrance. The heat inside me started to make me crazy. Teasing his cock near my entrance, I begged him, “Eisuke, please~!! I want it..!”

He smirked at me telling me, “That’s my girl,” while spreading my insides with his impressive size and with just that one lunge, I felt so satisfied.

“Eisuke...”

“_____. It’s my turn to please you.” He thrusted himself in me and my moans started to become louder and louder with each thrust as the pleasure started to get intense and satisfying inside me.

Before my moans got too loud, Eisuke covered my mouth with his and our tongues began dancing. With his hands making its way to my breast, every inch of me was drowning in pleasure. With all this pleasure, I clenched down on Eisuke’s cock and he began to fuck me harder.

“Ahhh... Ei-Eisuke.. I can’t..!”

“I’m gonna cum.”

A few my thrust later, Eisuke shot his load inside me. I could feel it filling me up. My mind went blank as he fell on top of me while we were still connected. I could see his sweat dripping off the side of his face.

“..Eisuke..”

I whispered with little strength in my voice.

He got up, still on top of me, pulling out, and I yelp a bit from the feeling.

“Don’t worry,” smirking at me.

He reached down below with a tissue in his hand wiping me.

He seductively looked straight into my eyes. I felt so embarrassed but captivated by his face. I reached up with both hands, touching his face, just to beg sweetly for more.

“Deeper... I want it deeper inside please.”

Lifting me up, he hugged me tightly.

“I couldn’t even stop even if you told me to.”

I prayed for the sun to never come up as my body ached for his love tonight more than ever.

ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ

Thank you for reading.

Slowly getting the hang of this FANFIC but if you have any suggestions or tips about these stories, comment please.

[fineillsignup]

Who Is Responsible When It Becomes a Triangle (NaruSakuSasu, T, 1/?)

@senju-sandwich I am your fic exchange secret Santa in July-ish type person!

Your prompt: "Soulmate AU where just cause you’re soulmates, that doesn’t mean things will be perfect and easy. Maybe Sasuke or Kakashi as anti-soulmate stuff but gradually being okay with it. BAMF Sakura, team 7 friendship & family or romance if you’re going with NaruSakuSasu, but I’d love a happy Team 7 no matter the ship."

I have always wanted to read a NaruSakuSasu with a one-sided soulmate triangle (Naruto -> Sakura -> Sasuke -> Naruto). So I took this as the universe telling me to write it myself.

I know it’s supposed to be a finished one-shot fic for the fic exchange--but even though I was really trying hard to get it finished, I just couldn’t manage it, and it was really messy at the end. So I’m publishing it as a chaptered fic instead, starting with the prelude, which I am fairly pleased with. I hope to get the entire story finished ASAP, final word count maybe 4 or 5k.

Available on AO3 or below!

Sakura started believing in soulmates at nine years old.

"Why can't we learn something interesting in kunoichi class," Ino said that day, nice and loud so that Suzume-sensei could hear from the other end of the table.

Suzume-sensei, mid-sentence about table manners, paused, looked at Ino, shut her mouth, and opened it again, and shut it again. Someone giggled. The swots and good girls, like Sakura, held back smiles.

Emboldened, Ino added, even louder, "I mean, what's the use of learning about how to drink soup? Don't we all know that already from our families?"

The orphans and the low-class students in the class nodded and laughed even harder at this, so as not to give themselves away.

"Well, what do you think is interesting, Yamanaka Ino?" Suzume-sensei suddenly barked, her curls swaying in stark contrast to the rigidity of the rest of her body.

Ino was not so easily daunted. "Something we haven't learned elsewhere—something exciting! Seduction technique or, or... or soulmates!"

The mention of "soulmates" set a hum and chatter among the girls.

"Yes please do teach us about soulmates!"

"Do they really exist?"

"Course they do; my big sister's got one."

"Girls!" Suzume-sensei shrilly cut through the chorus. "We are here to learn useful etiquette for disguising yourself in your future missions! Soulmates are not useful for kunoichi!"

The teacher never really got it together after that, and the class ended with the bell, but Sakura learned that soulmates were real. And when she filed back into the the classroom and eyed the dark, sharp hair of Sasuke-kun, she knew who hers must be.

———

Sasuke started believing in soulmates at seven years old.

"Mama," he said, as his mother tucked him into bed, "what is Ayako?"

His mother nearly stumbled, first in her movements--an impossible thing for the effortlessly graceful kunoichi--and then in her words: "Nobody. Who told you...? Nobody."

"But Father has it written on him," Sasuke protested, interally hoping for a praise on how clever he was to be able to work out the kana he had seen written on his father's chest.

"Nobody," repeated Mikoto, distressed. "I think you're old enough to bathe without your father from now on. Goodnight."

"Nii-san," he managed to say to his brother's disappearing back some days later, "wait, Nii-san!"

To his delight, Itachi paused and looked back.

"Do you know what is Ayako?"

Itachi looked down at him. "You saw it written...?"

"On Father," Sasuke agreed eagerly.

"Did you ask Father?"

"No.. Father doesn't... I asked Mama, but she was unhappy..."

Itachi also looked unhappy, in the very slight downturn of his mouth. "You'll learn when you're older how an Uchiha earns their eyes."

"But I want to know NOW," Sasuke protested as Itachi started to turn to go. "Why do you always say later, later, later, Nii-san! If you tell me now, I can practice for later!"

All he got were fingers to the forehead, until a horrible night sometime later.

"Foolish little brother," his parents' murderer said, "you want to know how to get eyes like mine? By killing the one whose name appears on your chest—your soulmate."

———

Naruto started believing in soulmates at four years old.

"What?! Why ya gotta choose HIM?" Naruto screamed at the new parents leading the toddler away at the orphanage. "He still pees in a diaper -ttebayo! He's not a big boy like me! I wouldn't make any mess or... well, some mess, but I'd help clean up..."

The two new parents only rushed away faster. The blond's shoulders slumped.

"Naruto-chan," creaked the tremulous voice of his foster mother, Kaede-baa-chan. "Shall I tell you a secret?"

The little jinchuuriki clambered up into the ancient woman's lap. She only smiled, despite the pain of the cancer in her bones.

"You're soon to age out of the orphanage, my boy," she said. "But don't worry about that. Whether you get parents or not, one day, a name will appear here." She traced a line over his heart. "And that will be the one who will be your heart's joy, the only one who can make you truly happy in this world. And once their name is on your chest, when you touch them..." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Your fingers will glow."

"Really?" Naruto whispered back enthralled.

"It isn't real for everyone," Kaede-baa-chan conceded, "but I believe it will be for you. There will be someone out there who is special—oh, but VERY special!"

"And I'll be special for them too dattebayo!"

———

Kakashi was twenty-six when he told his three cute little genin that soulmates were a lot of bullshit.

"Ninja don't get soulmates," he said brutally. "Ninja can't find happiness in another person, and ninja don't get happy endings."

"Didn't any of the Hokage have soulmates?" Naruto asked, or more challenged. Sakura looked destroyed. Sasuke wasn't looking at any of them.

Kakashi thought of Minato-sensei, whose flame-haired bride somehow unleashed the beast that killed them both.

He thought of Lord Third, who lost his wife in the same attack.

He thought of Lord Second, who died alone, and Lord First, whom they said was dead inside from the moment Uchiha Madara left the village.

"None of them," Kakashi lied.

Naruto huffed. "Well! I'm gonna be the first Hokage with a soulmate then 'ttebayo!"

———

Sakura's fingers glowed first, wrapped around a cursed boy in the Forest of Death.

Sasuke's fingers glowed second, as his face hovered over an unconscious boy in the Final Valley.

As for Naruto's fingers, they didn't glow until a pink-haired girl embraced him in the hospital and told him that next time they'd rescue Sasuke together.

Kakashi, sitting outside on the hospital windowsill, let out an unheard breath.

Well, he thought to himself, this is another fucking disaster.

Kakashi as Team 7 sensei:

[mavda]

Beast Tamers

Ch.1 |  Ch.2 | Ch.3 | Ch.4(1) | Ch.4(2) | Ch.5(1) | Ch.5(2) | Ch.5(3) | Ch.5(4) | Ch.6(1) | Ch.6(2) | Ch.6(3) |

Ch.7: Of burdens and duties (1)

Sai waits for Hinata outside with his hand extended, but like many times before, she just gifts him a smile before walking right in front of him.

"My lady," he starts, but Hinata cuts him before he can even try to argue.

"We have already t-talked about this, Sai, there is no n-need."

Sai doesn't pout, but his body language is enough for Hinata to know that he feels like doing it.

Sai takes his bodyguard duties with a responsibility Hinata had thought was meant to mock her at first, but she has learned that Sai is just...

"Yesterday Kiba was wolfing down his dinner and looked just like Akamaru, I thought he would be happy being compared with his beloved companion, but when I told him he looked like a dog he stared at me and told me that I was," he gestures the quotes with his hands, "just fucking dumb." Sai cocks his head, and like many other times, looks at her in search for answers, "I can't say I felt shocked, but I feel like I should have been pissed or something. What do you think?"

"Did you s-say anything back?"

"I meant to, but I think I must have looked confused, because Ino told Kiba to just take the compliment and shut up."

Hinata giggles and brings the bag in her arms to her mouth, in an attempt to hide her smile. Sai looks at her and cocks his head to the other side, "Kiba shouted 'compliment!?' and they started arguing with each other. I must say, Ino understood what I had meant, but Kiba just flat out refused to even entertain the idea of me being nice. He thinks I'm just an asshole."

Hinata knows that Sai tries his best to fit in, but his inability to understand certain social cues is enough to put him in trouble. Especially with a person as competitive as Kiba.

"I'm sure that g-given time he'll come to under-understand you, Sai. Just l-like me."

Sai raises an eyebrow, nods to no one, "I am sorry if I ever said anything that could have been misunderstood."

"Sai, r-really, it d-doesn't matter anymore."

Sai remains silent, and now Hinata is berating herself for saying those things. What did it matter that she thought differently before? He didn't need to know that. Now he knows and he's sulking. Sai may be blunt and 'honest', as Ino likes to put it, but he's not mean. He just doesn't know how to soften his words.

Hinata walks with her head down, worrying about whether she should talk about this with Sai or not, so she doesn't see the two servants walking their way. Doesn't see their faces, doesn't register their presence, which is why when they say the things they say she freezes, caught by surprise.

"Shameful," the man starts as soon as they are getting out of earshot. "Unable to conceive after these many months."

"Useless," the woman agrees.

And Hinata feels the heat rising up to her cheeks. It's not so much the comments they throw her way but the fact that she wasn't prepared. She has heard worse. And she has faced even more back at her own house. She knows how to take them, smile through them, even, but she had let her guards down in here, had forgotten how ruthless people can be, and that's why she's embarrassed.

Her feet move forward out of pure instinct, as she knows showing any signs of weakness in these situations will only fuel more instances like this one. And she doesn't want that.

But Sai is different. Sai is proper and honest and blunt, and his job is to protect her. And he has trouble grasping the workings of the mind and how words can hurt others, but the body doesn't lie. And he has an eye for that. So he lingers on the way Hinata stops ever so slightly, the way she doubts, the way her head raises and stares straight ahead, the way her cheeks get rosy out of frustration and how she finally decides to keep on going. Because she has decided that facing these words is not worth her time.

But Sai is different. So he squares his feet, turns and calls for the servants, "Excuse me." Calm, as always, with a smile in place, as he has taught himself, "you are forbidden to be near Lady Hinata from now on," the servants are surprised and the man is ready to make a scene, "you are also forbidden from speaking whenever you are near the lady."

"Who do you th-"

"Your orders are effective now," Sai's voice is louder now, more menacing without even a change in tone. The man stops mid sentence and looks from Sai to Lady Hinata, weighing them down. He scoffs and raises an eyebrow.

Sai can read the confidence in his posture, "I am fully sanctioned to give orders by Lord Naruto himself, if you have any complaints you may take them with him."

The servants freeze on their spot.

"Well, then, I better not see you near the lady ever again."

Hinata doesn't know what comes over her, but maybe it's the fact that Sai has now been witness to a shameful part of herself, unable to stand up to servants who are obviously looking down on her, or the knowledge that Naruto has given the people who take care of her all the power they need to protect her that makes her feel choked up and embarrassed all at once.

Sai catches up to her and Hinata walks without looking back, she whispers a thank you that somehow Sai hears. He shrugs it off, in pure Sai fashion, and as if nothing happened he talks about the last dish he cooked and how and why he thinks it might have failed.

⁂⁂⁂

Naruto is about to explode, his father notices. It has nothing to do with the usual reasons though. No long meetings, no days in which rest is scarce, no injury that prevents him from exercise or pains him in daily life. It's both endearing and worrisome to know that he can get this riled up about the matter.

Minato has spent years upon years teaching and educating Naruto in the powers words can have over him. Since his teenage years Naruto has had no trouble controlling himself. Getting annoyed, sure, but a nudge, a look, a well meaning advice is enough to snap him out of it. Let him know he's in the fringe of his control.

The clan, more than anyone, knows of Naruto's struggles. Know specifically that Naruto has a controlled temper, but when angry can and will stand his ground. And yet... and yet...

Naruto practically snarls, "Are we ever getting something out of this meeting or are you all just gonna circle around this topic for another hour?"

Minato nudges, looks, stares even, but Naruto ignores him completely, and Minato keeps his face straight out of pure practice.

"You must understand, my lord-"

"I have already said my piece. I will not, under any circumstance, allow a concubine in here. End of discussion."

"Given that we have yet to see even a mere suspicion on a pregnancy from the current lady-"

Naruto's hand comes hard down to the floor. Everyone flinches and some look even embarrassed. Naruto's voice is controlled, to everyone's surprise.

"The current lady," he spits, "is the only one you're getting, so shut it about anything that doesn't concern having her as my wife or the mother of my children."

And old man, whose face looks more like crumpled and wet paper, frowns, "We understand your reticence to having a concubine, but you must understand-"

“We either start talking about the Summit or I leave,” as if his words aren’t enough, he grabs the papers resting in front of him with women’s information and throws them at the center of the circle, where they scatter without order.

“My lord…” a man starts, but is soon interrupted by another, who sighs deeply before signaling to an assistant to bring another set of papers.

“All current Beast Tamers will be present,” he shares as he smooths out the papers in his hands.

Naruto nods, but his face keeps the look of disgust throughout the meeting.

⁂⁂⁂

Hinata waits for him in their bedroom. With practiced ease she helps Naruto disrobe when he enters the room, with confidence built over time she uses her technique and releases his chakra points and with a familiarity she has come to love, they talk about their days.

Hinata does not share her insecurities or the whispers that surround her regarding her inability to conceive. And Naruto wishes he could do the same, if only those talks were something he alone had to endure, he would. But Sai has shared with him what Hinata has faced.

There is a silence and Naruto wedges the topic in, “Sai talked with me, uhm…”

Hinata bites her lips and looks to the ground, “You d-don’t have to worry about it… please.”

“I will make sure no one can say anything to you, all right? You don’t… please, don’t worry about it.”

He looks at her with unguarded eyes, and Hinata knows Naruto doesn’t share the same insecurities as those servants. Knows for him this is not a topic yet.

But it’s the uncertainty of when this will become a problem that fills her with dread. Naruto gets close to her, hugs her and starts a series of kisses that Hinata welcomes.

Her mind is blissfully shut down and only Naruto’s caresses register. His breath, his hands, the way his skin touches hers. Everything is familiar and calming. Naruto undresses her slowly, showers her bare skin with kisses that leave her breathless.

“Don’t worry about it,” Naruto whispers, and Hinata wants to laugh, because what is there to worry about when she’s in his arms?

Her legs open and Naruto enters her with a desperation that makes her roll her head backwards. He thrusts with a rhythm they know by heart and Hinata can’t think.

She feels himself spilling inside, feels his body pressing on top of hers. Her hand clasp behind his neck and she brings him closer, impossibly closer to her.

As they’ve spent countless nights together, they have learnt to let go of their inhibitions and Naruto is more open about his wants. “Again,” he whines, still inside of her and Hinata blushes.

Naruto pulls out, sits on his heels and stares. Hinata feels herself grow excited, her legs tremble in anticipation and her hands cross in front of her chest in embarrassment. His seed starts dripping and Naruto comes closer, kisses her knees.

He throws his robe away without a care and covers her body with his. He breaths her in but this time it’s Hinata who kisses and searches for him. His body is firm and taut, hard with muscle and Hinata can’t help her fascination as her hands roam around. When she feels him hardening again she pumps his erection.

Naruto drags his tongue down her body and then turns her around. The bedclothes bite at her face and the hands that caress her buttocks make her moan to the air.

Naruto takes his time, teases Hinata by moving his erection against her bum. She whines and brings her hand to him, grabs his thigh and drags her nails. Naruto enters her and lets himself sit there a moment. Her body beckoning him to move.

The air is filled with the scent of sex and Naruto’s movement fills the room with the clapping of his body agains his wife. Hinata’s back shines with perspiration and Naruto doubles over to rest his face between her shoulder blades. Her hands are fists that grab whatever she can and as he dives closer her abdomen comes flat into the ground. Her entrance becomes tighter and Naruto stops thinking for a second, as he pulls out and thrusts as hard as he can.

His hands try to grab Hinata’s hips, but the position forces him to rest his forearms around her. Hinata grabs his arm and brings him closer to her, his hand finds her shoulder and he anchors himself. He rests his forehead against her, looks down and watches himself disappear between her posterior. He is mesmerized by the way his body presses into her, makes her flesh quiver. He comes as he feels Hinata pressing against him, her legs and fingers stretching in search for relief.

They lay there, sweaty, panting and with their bodies tangled with each other. Naruto is the one that stands up and grabs a towel to clean Hinata, the moment he is done he wipes his own member and steals a kiss from her. He cocoons her in his arms and drapes the bedclothes over them. Hinata feels his penis against her, half-hard against her back. Naruto leaves a trail of kisses at her neck, and the back of her head. He finds sleep soon after.

Hinata lays there, awake, trying her best to think about the pleasure she was feeling not long ago. But the night is silent and Naruto’s arm around her flat stomach is enough to remind her that there is no child inside of her.

The comments do not bother her, the comments do not bother her, the comments do not bother her. It is not the comments of people she doesn’t care about that bother her. It’s herself. Herself and the tiny voice that comes to her when there is silence that tells her that there really isn’t much of a surprise here. Nothing has ever come easy to her, why would this be any different?

She places her hand over Naruto’s arm, snakes her hand to touch her stomach. She stares at the single strand of light that managed to enter their bedroom and she wishes.

She wishes for herself to stop failing at everything.