#kakashi and sakura fluff

[teanstitches]

I hated how this looked as a drawing and the sketch was frustrating. I almost didn’t paint it because all I could see were the flaws, but I’m happy I finished it. The paint mostly redeemed it.

Here’s what I call the strawberry lemonade layer on this one:

Really this portion of it is what made me decide not to give up on it. Drawing through a crease is hard. 😐

I saw a bunch of pictures of bulldogs sleeping with their tongues out so I had to draw Bull like that.

[atlasthegreatest]

A New Tide / Sakura Haruno x Hoshigaki! Female Reader

(Y/N) Hoshigaki, the daughter of Kisame, arrives in Konoha as part of an exchange program during the time skip. She’s assigned to Sakura’s team, but the partnership starts on rocky ground. Sakura resents (Y/N) at first, seeing her as an unwelcome replacement for the missing Sasuke, and tensions run high between them.

Word count: 5029

Warning: soft angst. Fluff.

A/n: This was requested by an anon. Enjoy it!

The breeze through Konoha was crisp, the scent of autumn leaves mixing with distant wood smoke. Sakura Haruno stood with her arms crossed, emerald eyes narrowed as she sized up the new addition to her team—a shark-like grin plastered on the face of Hoshigaki (Y/N), Kisame’s daughter.

Sakura hated this.

Kakashi-sensei had framed it as an exchange program to foster peace between villages after the chaos of the Akatsuki, but all Sakura saw was a replacement—another teammate coming in to fill the void left by Naruto’s training trip with Jiraiya and Sasuke’s defection. And worse, it wasn’t just anyone—it was the daughter of that man, the one allied with Itachi, Sasuke’s captor.

Sakura tugged her gloves tighter over her hands. “Let’s get one thing straight,” she muttered, low enough for only (Y/N) to hear. “I don’t care what kind of arrangement Konoha made. I don’t trust you. So stay out of my way, and we won’t have a problem.”

(Y/N) blinked, unfazed, then shrugged with an easy, toothy grin. “Got it, princess.”

The nickname made Sakura’s eye twitch, but before she could respond, Kakashi waved them over.

Their first few missions together were… rocky, to say the least.

(Y/N) was everything Sakura wasn’t used to—playful, unpredictable, and reckless. Where Sakura preferred precision and structure, (Y/N) dove headfirst into danger with a grin, her chakra-heavy water attacks leaving destruction in their wake. She was strong, yes, but infuriatingly so, as if her entire life had been spent testing the limits of her strength just for fun.

“Could you not drench everything we’re trying to save?” Sakura snapped after one mission where (Y/N)’s water jutsu flooded an entire merchant cart they were supposed to protect.

(Y/N) gave a nonchalant shrug, slinging her massive sword—one that looked suspiciously like a smaller version of Samehada—over her shoulder. “No one got hurt, did they? I call that a win.”

Sakura groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “How can you be so careless?”

But beneath her annoyance, something else started to take root—a grudging respect. (Y/N) might have been wild, but she was dependable in her chaotic way. During a particularly nasty ambush, Sakura had been caught off guard, and cornered by two rogue shinobi. In an instant, (Y/N) was there, her movements fluid and efficient. A burst of water surged from her palms, sweeping the enemies away as if they were nothing more than leaves in a stream.

“See? Told you I had your back,” (Y/N) said with a wink, her sharp grin softening just a little.

And just like that, the walls Sakura had built began to crack.

Days turned to weeks, and soon Sakura found herself anticipating (Y/N)’s antics more than dreading them. There was a strange comfort in their arguments—a rhythm to the push and pull between them. (Y/N) teased constantly, but there was never any malice in her words, only a playful warmth that made Sakura’s heart feel lighter.

The real change came one quiet evening after training. The sky was painted in deep purples and gold as they sat side by side under a tree, the cool breeze brushing through their hair. (Y/N) leaned back, hands resting behind her head as she looked up at the darkening sky.

“Do you ever wonder what it would be like to live somewhere else?” she asked softly.

Sakura tilted her head, surprised by the question. “What do you mean?”

(Y/N) gave a half-smile, a rare flicker of vulnerability flashing across her face. “I mean… to belong somewhere. My whole life, it’s just been about following orders—doing what’s expected of me. I don’t know what it’s like to stay somewhere because I want to.”

Sakura felt a strange ache in her chest at those words. She understood that longing more than she cared to admit—the feeling of being adrift, trying to find meaning in a world that kept shifting beneath her feet.

“You belong here,” Sakura said before she could stop herself.

(Y/N) turned to look at her, her silver-blue eyes catching the fading light. “Do I?”

Sakura’s breath caught the words tangling in her throat. There was something in (Y/N)’s gaze—something tender and unsure as if she was searching for permission to hope.

Without thinking, Sakura reached out, her hand brushing against (Y/N)’s. The contact was brief, but it sent a spark through both of them, a silent promise that neither of them fully understood yet.

“Yes,” Sakura whispered. “You do.”

———————

After that night, everything between them shifted.

Their banter became less sharp, their glances lingering just a little longer. In the quiet moments between missions, Sakura found herself drawn closer to (Y/N), her heart aching in ways she hadn’t expected. It wasn’t just admiration or companionship—it was something deeper, something that made her feel breathless and alive all at once.

(Y/N) seemed to feel it too. Her teasing softened, and when they were alone, the mask of bravado she wore slipped away, revealing a gentleness that Sakura hadn’t seen before.

One rainy afternoon, as they sat huddled beneath the awning of a tea shop, (Y/N) leaned in closer, her voice low and intimate. “You know… if you asked me to stay, I would.”

Sakura’s heart stuttered in her chest. “What?”

(Y/N) gave her a small, almost shy smile. “I think… I finally found a reason to stop running.”

For a moment, Sakura couldn’t breathe. The world around them faded, leaving only the sound of the rain and the steady beat of her heart.

Then, with a surge of courage she didn’t know she had, Sakura closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to (Y/N)’s in a kiss that tasted like rain and promises.

When they finally pulled away, (Y/N) rested her forehead against Sakura’s, her breath warm against her skin.

“So, is that a yes?” she whispered.

Sakura smiled, her heart full for the first time in a long time. “Yes,” she whispered back. “Stay with me.”

And for the first time in her life, (Y/N) felt like she had finally come home.

After that kiss, everything between Sakura and (Y/N) seemed to shift effortlessly, as if a knot had finally come undone. The awkwardness Sakura feared never appeared; instead, their connection grew deeper, an unspoken understanding flowing between them like a river finding its course.

But, of course, the world around them didn’t stop. Missions continued, routines remained, and the shinobi life offered little space for romance. Yet, even in stolen moments—whether it was brushing hands during training or a quiet night walk along the village walls—Sakura found solace in (Y/N)’s presence. It was a strange, unexpected comfort that made her world feel more bearable.

And it made her realize just how terrified she was of losing it.

——————-

One morning, the sky above Konoha was overcast, with thick clouds promising rain. Team Kakashi had just completed a simple patrol mission, and as they regrouped at the gate, Kakashi lingered back, flipping through one of his infamous books.

“Good work today,” Kakashi said lazily, his eye crinkling in a way that hinted he knew more than he let on. “(Y/N), I’ll need to see you later at the Hokage’s office for a report.”

(Y/N)’s casual smirk faltered ever so slightly, but she gave a mock salute. “Got it, Sensei.”

Sakura watched the exchange with a growing knot in her stomach. It was rare for Tsunade to request personal reports unless there was something specific going on—something official.

“What’s that about?” Sakura asked the moment Kakashi was out of earshot.

(Y/N) scratched the back of her neck, looking uncharacteristically serious. “Probably nothing. Might just be a check-in with my village.”

Sakura’s stomach churned. “So… they’re calling you back?”

(Y/N) shrugged, trying to play it off, but Sakura could see the uncertainty in her eyes. “Could be. It was part of the deal, right? Temporary exchange and all that.”

Sakura’s heart dropped. She knew this moment might come—the agreement between their villages had always been temporary. But now that it was looming over them, the thought of (Y/N) leaving felt like a weight pressing against her chest.

“What if they don’t give you a choice?” Sakura asked, her voice quieter than she intended.

For the first time, (Y/N) didn’t have an easy answer. She hesitated, her silver-blue eyes clouded with something unreadable. “Then… I guess I’ll have to decide what matters most.”

Later that evening, Sakura found herself standing in front of the Hokage’s Tower, nerves twisting in her gut. She knew it wasn’t her place to interfere, but the thought of (Y/N) leaving gnawed at her. She couldn’t just sit back and let it happen—not without a fight.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Sakura marched up the steps and into Tsunade’s office.

Inside, (Y/N) was already there, standing stiffly in front of Tsunade’s desk, her usual grin nowhere to be found. The tension in the room was palpable, and when both Tsunade and (Y/N) turned to look at her, Sakura swallowed hard.

“Sakura?” Tsunade raised an eyebrow, looking mildly annoyed. “Is there a reason you’re barging in on a private meeting?”

Sakura clenched her fists at her sides. “I need to say something. Please.”

Tsunade sighed but gestured for her to speak.

Sakura turned to (Y/N), her heart pounding in her chest. “I know this wasn’t supposed to be permanent. I know you were only sent here for a mission. But… I can’t let you leave without telling you how much you mean to me.”

(Y/N)’s eyes widened slightly, and for once, the usually cocky kunoichi was rendered speechless.

“I’ve spent my whole life feeling like I wasn’t enough,” Sakura continued, her voice cracking slightly. “I lost Sasuke, and for so long, I thought that was the only thing that mattered. But then you came into my life, and everything changed. You made me see that there’s more to life than chasing ghosts. You made me feel… whole.”

Tsunade’s expression softened ever so slightly, but Sakura barely noticed—her entire world had narrowed down to (Y/N), standing just a few feet away with an unreadable look on her face.

“Stay,” Sakura whispered. “Please.”

For a moment, everything was silent. Then, slowly, (Y/N) stepped forward, closing the distance between them. She reached out and gently cupped Sakura’s face, her thumb brushing away a tear Sakura hadn’t realized she’d shed.

“Hey,” (Y/N) murmured, her voice low and tender. “You don’t have to convince me. I already made my choice.”

Sakura blinked, breath hitching as (Y/N) leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead.

“I’m staying,” (Y/N) whispered against her skin. “No matter what.”

By the time they left the Hokage’s office, the rain had started, a gentle drizzle that painted the streets in a soft shimmer.

They walked together in comfortable silence, the weight of the earlier conversation lifted, leaving only a quiet contentment between them. Sakura’s heart felt lighter than it had in years, and for the first time in a long time, the future didn’t seem so daunting.

As they reached the edge of the training grounds, (Y/N) suddenly grabbed Sakura’s hand, lacing their fingers together.

“You know,” (Y/N) said with a grin, “if I’m going to be stuck here, you’re going to have to keep up with me, princess.”

Sakura rolled her eyes, but there was no heat behind it—only warmth. “You’re impossible.”

“And you love it.”

Sakura smiled, squeezing (Y/N)’s hand as they continued walking through the rain.

“Yeah,” she said softly. “I really do.”

And for once, everything felt exactly as it should be.

———————-

The days following (Y/N)’s decision to stay in Konoha felt surreal—like a dream Sakura didn’t want to wake from. The two of them slipped into a rhythm, a delicate balance between their duties as shinobi and the quiet moments they shared when no one was watching. But beneath the surface of their growing relationship, Sakura couldn’t shake the nagging worry that things couldn’t stay this perfect forever.

After all, shinobi weren’t meant to have peaceful lives.

One evening, the two of them sat on a grassy hill overlooking Konoha, the village lights flickering like stars below. Sakura rested her head against (Y/N)’s shoulder, the warmth of her body keeping the chill of the autumn night at bay. They hadn’t spoken for a while—no words were needed—but Sakura knew (Y/N) was lost in thought. She could feel it in the way her fingers drummed rhythmically against the hilt of her sword, like she was working through something in her mind.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Sakura asked, her voice soft.

(Y/N) huffed a quiet laugh. “I was just thinking… about my father.”

Sakura stiffened slightly, but she didn’t pull away. She knew this was a subject (Y/N) rarely touched—Kisame Hoshigaki, the infamous Monster of the Hidden Mist, wasn’t exactly an easy topic.

“I’ve spent my whole life being told who I’m supposed to be because of him,” (Y/N) continued, her voice quiet but steady. “It’s like… no one ever thought to ask me what I wanted. I think… that’s why I always kept moving. So no one could pin me down. So I wouldn’t have to face the question.”

Sakura lifted her head, her hand slipping into (Y/N)’s. “And what do you want now?”

(Y/N) looked down at their joined hands, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “I want this,” she whispered. “You. Here. Us.”

Sakura’s heart ached in the best way possible. She knew that for someone like (Y/N), admitting that she wanted to stay—choosing to stay—was no small thing. It was a leap of faith, just like their relationship.

“And what if someone from your past comes looking for you?” Sakura asked quietly, voicing the fear that had been gnawing at her since (Y/N) decided to stay.

(Y/N) gave her a lopsided grin, her shark-like teeth glinting in the moonlight. “Then they’ll have to go through you first, right?”

Sakura snorted, but the warmth in her chest didn’t fade. “Damn right.”

The next morning, Sakura found herself at the training grounds, stretching beneath the rising sun. She knew (Y/N) would meet her soon, but for now, she enjoyed the quiet moments alone.

Just as she finished tying her gloves, she felt a familiar presence approaching—a rush of cool air and the distinct scent of saltwater.

“You’re late,” Sakura called without turning around.

(Y/N) laughed as she stepped into view, her silver-blue eyes gleaming with mischief. “You’re just early, princess.”

Sakura rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. She had gotten used to the teasing, even found it endearing in a way she never thought possible.

They spent the morning sparring, chakra flowing through their fists and water, each movement sharp and deliberate. They danced around each other like they had done this a thousand times—dodging, blocking, countering. But this time, it was different. It wasn’t just a fight—it was a conversation without words, a way to connect.

“Getting slow, Sakura!” (Y/N) taunted, narrowly dodging a powerful punch.

Sakura smirked. “Just waiting for you to slip up.”

And when (Y/N) did—just a brief misstep—Sakura surged forward, catching her off-guard. She tackled (Y/N) to the ground, pinning her beneath her with a grin.

“Gotcha,” Sakura whispered, her breath coming in short bursts.

(Y/N) stared up at her, wide-eyed and stunned for only a moment—before her grin returned, softer this time. “If this is how you’re gonna fight, I think I’ll start losing more often.”

Sakura rolled her eyes, but she didn’t move. There was something about this moment—the closeness of their bodies, the way (Y/N) looked at her with such openness—that made her heart skip a beat.

(Y/N) lifted her hand and tucked a stray strand of Sakura’s hair behind her ear, her fingers lingering just a moment longer than necessary. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”

Sakura felt her cheeks flush, but she didn’t pull away. “You’re such an idiot,” she murmured, but there was no heat in her words—only affection.

(Y/N) leaned up slightly, her gaze flickering to Sakura’s lips. “Yeah, but I’m your idiot.”

And before Sakura could respond, (Y/N) closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a kiss that was slow and deliberate—like she was savoring every second of it.

Sakura melted into the kiss, her hands gripping the front of (Y/N)’s shirt to keep herself grounded. It was everything she hadn’t realized she needed—gentle but intense, playful but sincere.

When they finally pulled away, Sakura rested her forehead against (Y/N)’s, both of them catching their breath.

“You’re staying with me forever, right?” Sakura whispered, her voice barely audible.

(Y/N) smiled, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. “Forever, princess. No matter what.”

But forever wasn’t something the shinobi world promised easily.

———————

A few days later, while on a routine mission to escort a merchant caravan, (Y/N) and Sakura found themselves ambushed by rogue shinobi—remnants of old alliances that should’ve died with the Akatsuki.

The fight was brutal. (Y/N) moved like a force of nature, her water jutsu slicing through enemies with terrifying precision. But no matter how skilled they were, they were outnumbered.

Sakura fought by her side, her fists glowing with chakra, but a creeping fear lodged itself in her chest—a fear that they wouldn’t make it out of this one.

At one point, (Y/N) caught Sakura’s wrist, her silver-blue eyes serious. “If it comes down to it, you run. Got it?”

Sakura’s heart clenched. “I’m not leaving you.”

(Y/N) gave her a small, sad smile. “I know. But I need you to promise me anyway.”

Sakura shook her head. “We’re both getting out of this. Together.”

And with that, they charged back into the fray—side by side, as they always had been.

No matter what.

The rogue shinobi were relentless, their numbers seemingly endless. The forest echoed with the clash of steel, the rush of water jutsu, and the sharp crack of Sakura’s chakra-infused punches. (Y/N) fought like she belonged to the sea—fluid, unpredictable, and merciless. She carved through the enemy ranks with deadly precision, her water blades shimmering under the flickering light of fire jutsu and moonlight filtering through the treetops.

But even a storm can falter against overwhelming odds.

Sakura’s breath came in ragged gasps, and exhaustion began to creep into her limbs. She knew (Y/N) was feeling it too—their movements becoming just a fraction slower, their reactions dulled. It wasn’t enough to get them killed yet, but it was a dangerous edge to teeter on.

Sakura threw a chakra-enhanced punch into the earth, causing a shockwave that sent several shinobi flying. But just as she turned to warn (Y/N) of another ambush, she saw it—the subtle flick of a kunai coated in poison, sailing toward (Y/N)’s blind spot.

“(Y/N)!” Sakura screamed, pushing off the ground without thinking.

She threw herself into (Y/N), knocking her off balance and taking the blade to her shoulder. Pain exploded through her, but Sakura gritted her teeth and shoved (Y/N) behind cover.

“Damn it, Sakura!” (Y/N) shouted, catching her as they stumbled behind a fallen tree. “What the hell were you thinking?”

Sakura hissed through clenched teeth as the poison burned through her veins, black tendrils of chakra creeping outward from the wound. “I told you,” she whispered, gripping (Y/N)’s arm, “we leave together. No matter what.”

(Y/N) stared at her, emotions flickering across her face—panic, anger, fear, and something deeper. “Stupid… beautiful idiot,” (Y/N) muttered under her breath as she knelt beside Sakura, tearing the sleeve of her shirt to inspect the wound.

“I’ve got you,” (Y/N) whispered, her voice steady even as her hands trembled slightly. She formed a series of hand seals, summoning a surge of water that glowed faintly as it surrounded Sakura’s shoulder, cleansing the poison.

Sakura winced but managed a weak smile. “You’ve been practicing.”

(Y/N) huffed out a laugh, her expression softening despite the chaos around them. “Had to keep up with you, didn’t I?”

The rogue shinobi regrouped for another attack, and Sakura knew they wouldn’t last much longer—not without backup. She could feel her strength waning, the poison only partially neutralized. But as (Y/N) helped her to her feet, something shifted inside her.

This wasn’t how their story would end. Not here. Not like this.

“We’re making a run for it,” (Y/N) said firmly, tightening her grip on Sakura’s hand. “I don’t care what it takes—we’re getting out of this together.”

Sakura nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. “Together.”

With a shared glance, they launched into motion—dodging, weaving, and fighting their way through the remaining shinobi. (Y/N)’s water jutsu cut a path through the enemy lines, and Sakura followed close behind, her fists a blur of chakra-powered strikes.

Just as they broke through the last line of attackers, a burst of chakra exploded behind them—a fire jutsu aimed directly at Sakura’s back.

(Y/N) reacted without thinking. She threw herself between Sakura and the flames, summoning a towering wall of water just in time to absorb the impact. But the force of the blast knocked them both to the ground, skidding across the forest floor.

When the dust settled, they were lying side by side, panting and bruised but alive. The rogue shinobi had fallen back, retreating into the shadows of the forest, leaving them in silence.

Sakura turned her head toward (Y/N), who lay sprawled beside her, her chest rising and falling with labored breaths. “We made it,” Sakura whispered, a disbelieving smile spreading across her face.

(Y/N) let out a weak laugh, her eyes gleaming with exhaustion and relief. “Told you, princess. No matter what.”

Sakura shifted closer, ignoring the ache in her body, and rested her head against (Y/N)’s shoulder. “You’re impossible,” she murmured, but there was no mistaking the affection in her voice.

(Y/N) wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. “And you love me for it.”

Sakura smiled against her shoulder, feeling safe for the first time in what felt like forever. “Yeah,” she whispered, “I do.”

By the time they limped back to Konoha, the sun was rising, casting a warm glow over the village gates. They were met by a team of medics, but Sakura waved them off—her only focus was on making sure (Y/N) got the help she needed.

As they sat in the hospital room, (Y/N) resting beside her with bandages wrapped around her ribs, Sakura reached for her hand. She held it tightly, her thumb brushing over (Y/N)’s scarred knuckles.

“I almost lost you out there,” Sakura said quietly, her voice thick with emotion.

(Y/N) gave her a lopsided grin, even as her eyes drooped with exhaustion. “But you didn’t.”

Sakura leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to (Y/N)’s forehead. “And I never will.”

(Y/N) smiled, her hand tightening around Sakura’s. “Forever, right?”

Sakura kissed her again, this time on the lips—slow and tender, a promise wrapped in warmth. “Forever.”

As they lay together, tangled in each other’s warmth and the soft glow of the morning light, Sakura knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them side by side.

Because they were each other’s safe harbor.

Bonus Chapter:

Ino – “Wait, What?!” (Early Stage)

Ino leaned on the counter of the Yamanaka Flower Shop, idly picking petals from a chrysanthemum. The sun filtered through the windows, and she was just starting to get bored when the bell above the door jingled.

To her delight, Sakura strolled in, looking… different. It wasn’t her usual “I’m here to buy apology flowers for my team” look. Sakura’s eyes had a distinct softness, and her lips were curved in a way that made Ino narrow her eyes in suspicion.

“So,” Ino began slyly, setting the flowers aside, “who is it?”

Sakura froze in place, her face turning a suspicious shade of pink. “What are you talking about?” she muttered, grabbing a random bouquet from the shelf to avoid Ino’s knowing gaze.

“Oh, come on.” Ino leaned closer, her grin widening. “I know that look. You’ve got it bad for someone. Spill!”

Sakura hesitated for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. “It’s… (Y/N).”

Ino blinked, tilting her head. “Wait. (Y/N) Hoshigaki?” she asked, as if the name hadn’t fully registered.

Sakura gave a small, nervous nod.

It took a second for the pieces to click, but when they did, Ino practically gasped. “Kisame’s daughter?! Shark Girl?!” She grabbed Sakura’s shoulders, shaking her lightly. “You’re dating her?”

Sakura swatted Ino’s hands away, her blush deepening. “Keep your voice down, will you?”

Ino couldn’t help herself—she burst into laughter. “Sakura, I swear you have the weirdest taste in people. First Sasuke, now a rogue shinobi’s kid? But—” she grinned, nudging Sakura with her elbow, “—I gotta admit, she is kinda cool.”

Sakura rolled her eyes, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her annoyance.

Kakashi – “I Didn’t See This Coming” (Mid-Stage)

Kakashi stood on the bridge, watching as Sakura and (Y/N) walked toward him, side by side. They weren’t holding hands, but there was an ease between them—a quiet kind of closeness Kakashi had come to recognize in couples.

He knew something was different the moment (Y/N) had joined their team through the exchange program. At first, Sakura had been stiff and resentful, but now… there was an unmistakable shift in their dynamic.

“You’re late,” Kakashi called lazily as they approached.

“Blame her,” (Y/N) said with a smirk, jerking her thumb toward Sakura. “She insisted on stopping for dango.”

Sakura glared at her, but there was no real heat in it. “You wanted the dango too!”

Kakashi’s visible eye crinkled with amusement. “I’m just surprised. It’s rare to see you two not at each other’s throats.”

(Y/N) grinned, baring her shark-like teeth. “What can I say? She’s grown on me.”

Sakura shot her a look, her cheeks pink, but (Y/N) just chuckled. Kakashi noted the way Sakura’s expression softened when she looked at (Y/N)—a softness Kakashi hadn’t seen since she was a child.

He tucked his hands into his pockets, feeling a rare sense of contentment. “Well, this is new,” he thought. But he didn’t say it aloud. He’d seen enough of life to know that relationships were complicated—and that sometimes, the unexpected ones were the most meaningful.

Naruto – “You’re WHAT?!” (Late Stage)

Naruto almost choked on his ramen. “You’re moving in together?!”

Sakura glared at him from across the table, her arms crossed. “Do you have to be so loud about it?”

Naruto wiped his mouth with his sleeve, still looking as if she’d just told him she was moving to another dimension. “But—But Sakura-chan!” he sputtered. “Are you really sure about this? I mean, she’s—she’s a Hoshigaki! And she has shark teeth!”

“Thanks for noticing, Naruto,” (Y/N) said dryly, appearing beside Sakura with two bottles of soda in hand. She plopped down next to her, draping an arm lazily over the back of Sakura’s chair. “They’re my best feature.”

Naruto blinked between them, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “I just… I mean… when did this even happen?!”

Sakura sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Naruto, it’s been months.”

Naruto still looked dumbfounded, but there was no mistaking the hint of protectiveness in his voice. “You better not hurt her, Hoshigaki. I mean it.”

(Y/N) raised a brow, then gave Naruto a slow, playful grin. “Relax, Uzumaki. I’m not going anywhere. She’s stuck with me.”

Sakura smirked, nudging (Y/N) lightly. “Who says I’m stuck with you?”

Naruto groaned, slumping forward over his bowl. “Great. Now you’re both ganging up on me.”

Tsunade – “So You’re Staying, Huh?” (Final Stage)

Tsunade sat behind her desk, arms folded, as she eyed (Y/N) from across the room. Sakura stood beside her, looking more composed than usual—as she had already made peace with whatever decision (Y/N) had come to.

“So,” Tsunade said slowly, “you’ve decided to stay in Konoha permanently?”

(Y/N) met the Hokage’s gaze without flinching. “Yeah. I have.”

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly. “And you’re sure you won’t regret leaving everything behind? Your old life?”

(Y/N) gave a small, almost imperceptible shrug. “I wasn’t really living before, just… existing.” She glanced at Sakura, her expression softening. “I found something here worth staying for.”

Sakura smiled quietly, a rare, genuine smile that Tsunade didn’t often see.

Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples. “I guess I should’ve seen this coming.”

(Y/N) grinned, her shark teeth flashing. “I tend to surprise people.”

Tsunade huffed a laugh, though it was mostly exasperation. “Well, just don’t cause me any trouble, got it? The last thing I need is another Hoshigaki making my life harder.”

“No promises,” (Y/N) said with a wink.

Sakura groaned. “Why did I fall for such a pain?”

“Because you like challenges,” (Y/N) shot back smoothly, bumping Sakura’s shoulder.

Tsunade rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the hint of a smile tugging at her lips. “Get out of my office, both of you, before I change my mind about all this.”

Sakura and (Y/N) exchanged a glance, then laughed as they left the room hand in hand, their footsteps echoing down the hall.

Tsunade shook her head, a wry smile on her face. “Well, I’ll be damned,” she muttered. “Didn’t think I’d see the day.”

And somehow, she felt that maybe—just maybe—Konoha was better off with the two of them in it.

[skyahri]

Sakura just found out that Naruto and Sasuke have never watched Disney movies before. She puts on Tarzan, then immediately realizes her mistake when his parents are murdered right off the bat. Naruto is crying because his parents are dead. Sasuke is uncomfortable because his parents are dead. Sakura is freaking out because she can't think of any movies with two alive parents.

Sakura is road rage lol. "Are you fucking kidding me? There were FOUR signs saying that lane was going to end, asshole!" The rest of team seven is hanging on for dear life as she slams the gas and flips off the other driver when she passes.

After being forced into therapy as part of his plea deal, Sasuke was encouraged to keep a feelings journal. Yeah, yeah, okay, whatever. Every night, he plops down at his desk, takes out his black notebook, picks up the frilly pink pen Sakura left at his house a few months ago, and scribbles down different aspects of his day. The ink is pink and glittery, a sharp contrast to his dark and brooding personality, but he can't find it in himself to use any other writing utensil.

Kakashi is a simple man. When technology started to boom, he was with it for all of ten seconds before he was overwhelmed. He has a computer in front of him and three nerds around him trying to coax him through email, but all he's thinking about is the good ol' days of paper and ink.

Shikamaru is the hidden leaf village's secret weapon. He's proved time and time again that no one even comes close to his mental prowess... but that doesn't mean he isn't human. On more than a few occasions, he's spent an embarrassing amount of time using the wrong key to unlock doors. He misspells and forgets words often. He generally lacks common sense because he overthinks things so hard. A side effect of your brain always being at 100, is that it struggles with 1-99.

Hashirama dared Madara to eat a weed once and Tobirama took that as a challenge. Mysterious plants, strange animals, random shit he finds in the woods or at the market- you name it and Tobirama is daring Madara to eat it. "Guess you aren't brave enough-" doesn't even finish his sentence before the Uchiha has completely consumed it and licked his fingers clean.

Masterlist Ko-fi

[mistletoeandarrows]

Caught Looking

I'm thrilled to share my fic for @kumeramen's gorgeous, ultra-sweet prequel baseball artwork! I had a ton of fun putting a sporty 50s twist on this beautiful ship. Enjoy! 🧡⚾

Pairing: Shisui/Sakura

Rating: T

Summary:

“Go! GO! Shisui-senpai!” Turning toward the bleachers, Shisui spotted a petite girl in the front row waving her pom-poms a little too ardently, her long pink hair whipping through the air. The other cheerleaders had about half her intensity and vocal projection. It wasn’t unusual for the cheer squad to practice alongside the baseball team. Shisui just wasn’t used to having such an impassioned admirer—a strikingly pretty one, at that.

Read the one-shot on AO3

[lil-door-knob]

The Flower Prince: Gather 'round The Campfire

Prompt- At first, he felt prideful of the praise his teammate [Sakura] was getting from the Prince. But the moment he saw the blush on her face and the arm around her waist, pride was no longer what he was feeling.

Word count: 1,688 words

Estimated Read Time: 7 minutes

Warnings: Not edited.

Previous Part

-

-

-

It was Naruto who had found a safe place to make camp, a small clearing surrounded by massive trees nestled next to a cave where they could sleep, a small stream only a five-minute walk away. Daiki, ever eager, was instructed by Kakashi on how camping worked and how they would set up their camp. Sakura was quite annoyed that Daiki had decided on camping- she had already made detailed plans for what she’d do once they’d arrived at the Flower Village. Said plan involved convincing Sasuke to come with her to try some of the festival games and watch the fireworks, something she’d assumed they’d have for Daiki’s return. Building up the courage to do so, she made her way to the stream where Sasuke was fishing to ask him.

Approaching the focused boy she noted that he seemed hyper-focused on the flowing water, like he was lost in thought. “Sasuke-kun?” she tentatively asked. Sasuke glanced at her an indication for her to go on. “I was wondering when we get to the village would you want to-” A huge splash cut her off as both she and Sasuke turned to the source of the disruption. 

“Eh?!” Naruto whined as he brought his head up from under the water. He stood, his new attire fully soaked and the firewood he had been instructed to fetch now wet rendering it useless for a fire.

“Naruto!” Sakura yelled, concern just as evident as the suppressed laughter, “Are you okay?” She had made her way over to where the jinchuriki had fallen in. He nodded in affirmation and complained about someone tripping him even though no one was near. After Sauke commented on it being a ghost, he quickly shut up and scurried his way back to camp scavenging anything that could replace the now-soaked firewood. Sakura allowed a smile to form on her face before turning to look at Sasuke- who already had his eyes on her. Her face burned as she looked away and mumbled about helping him catch fish.

Shaking his head he brought the almost full bucket in his right hand. “We should head back.” his voice plain. After two minutes of silence, Sakura decided to break the silence. 

“Daiki seems nice doesn’t he?”

Sasuke only shrugged.

“I mean he’s much better than some of the other escort missions we’ve had, remember Hitoshi- san? We had to carry him to the sand village.” Sakura reminisced.

“You mean Naruto had to,” Sasuke smirked. Sakura let out a small giggle. She enjoyed spending alone time with Sasuke. Although he wasn’t as social as she’d like him to be, she was happy that he’d listen to her and often entertain her conversation- although she knew he wasn’t always fully there. 

“I was going to ask earlier Sasuke-kun, but would you want to go to the festival with me tomorrow?” she eagerly waited as no response came. Sasuke simply stayed silent, as if contemplating a life-altering decision. “No worries if not, I’ll enjoy it myself. I’ll make sure to win you something too!” A strained smile made its way onto her lips, glassy eyes not shining as they usually did. 

“I’ll think about it.” Was his final response as they entered the campsite, he parted ways with her as he headed to make the fire. Smiling brighter now, Sakura went to set up their sleeping bags in the cave, making sure to place hers right next to Sasuke’s. 

-

-

“Ne Daiki, how old are you?” Naruto inquired as they sat by the fire, fish and a small portion of rice cooking.

“I’m 14, I'll be 15 in a few months. Why?” the brunette tilted his head to the side.

“Wha-?!” Naruto nearly jumped off the log he sat on at this revelation, “Then how are you a prince- you’re barely older than we are!” he gestured towards himself and his teammates. 

“Well…” Daiki paused in contemplation, “I’m technically not a prince or anything, I’m the heir to the Yamanaka clan in my village. My dad is basically in charge there- similar to what a Hokage is in your village except we’re civilians. If my dad were to die, get too old to perform his duty, or if he resigns then I would take charge.”

“So you’re a prince?” Naruto restates, confused as what Daiki described sounds like a prince to his understanding. 

“I guess so but I don’t have a kingdom or anything. When I think of a prince I think of all those fantasy stories- so in that sense no.” Daiki lets a gentle chuckle escape his lips. 

“But you are the son of a monarch who’s in charge of a village, it doesn’t have to be a massive kingdom or anything.” Sakura explains, “So you are a prince by definition.” She states matter of factually.

Naruto gasps at this- “So does that mean when I become Hokage I’ll be king?” his voice low as if he were discussing top secret information. 

“No.”

“No one asked you teme!” Naruto glares at his teammate who meets his glare with just as much intensity. 

“Sasuke’s right Naruto,” Kakashi adds.

“Oh.” Naruto sulks staring up into the night sky, his stomach rumbling. It had been three hours since they first made camp and he was starving. He’d never admit it out loud, but right now he hated Daiki for making them camp out. They would’ve been at the flower village by now staying in the compound’s comfortable guest quarters after being treated to a five-course meal prepared by the best chef around, instead, they had to eat boring ol’ fish and share two portions of rice because the prince wanted to. Naruto rolled his eyes at the thought and tried to shake his discomfort. His mind traveled to recent events. 

A lot had happened since the formation of Team 7, Naruto himself had grown a lot from the neglected little boy to a slightly less neglected teen with some respect being put on his name. His teammates had also done a lot of growing. Yet Sasuke was the one who’d puzzled him the most, his personality was always so wish-washy that he’d have better luck making sense of tidal waves than Sasuke’s moods. It was ironic, the stoic member was the most emotional out of them- and they were on a team with Sakura who bore her feelings on her sleeve. Even so, Sasuke had learned to work with him and count on him which Naruto knew Sasuke hated. 

In his own strange way, Sasuke had grown to care about his team despite his efforts not to. Naruto grinned at this. Sasuke really was an idiot, despite his best efforts to push them away he only solidified their bonds- especially with Sakura. Now, Naruto wasn’t stupid. He knew the extent of Sakura’s feelings for Sasuke. She put her life at risk to save Sasuke, she had cried when they all thought he was dead, she showered him with undeserved affection, and even caught him when he’d fall both emotionally and physically. Sakura had developed real feelings for that undeserving jerk, she loved Sasuke. The hug she had given Sasuke at the hospital was confirmation of this- it was such an intimate moment that even he had caught on. But… Naruto wasn’t sure if Sasuke felt the same. Yes, he did care about her but did that go any further than comradery? Looking over at the two he pondered on this.

“Naruto-san?” Daiki, who had suddenly appeared next to him, piped up. Startled by the sudden appearance Naruto flinched back. “Ah, I didn’t mean to scare you. You looked lost in thought but I have something important to ask you.”

“What?” he leaned forward, genuinely interested in what he wanted to ask. “Is- God this is embarrassing-” Daiki blushed and lowered his voice, “Is Sakura seeing anyone? Like… does she have a boyfriend?”

Naruto’s eyes widened at this. “Uhhhh, no?” Although coming out as more of a question Daiki’s face lit up.

“Oh- that’s great! You know, Sakura’s an interesting girl, I’d like to get to know her more.” he bashfully confessed. Naruto wasn’t sure how to respond, he’d never heard anyone so outwardly display an interest in his female teammate besides Lee.

“Why don’t you go talk to her, then?” the sudden sound of Kakashi’s voice startled the boys. Kakashi remained in his squat position next to them, sparing a smile as he continued to read his book adding, “I bet she’d want company at the festival, I overheard she was looking for someone to go with.”

Gobsmacked, Naruto looked at his sensei as if he was insane. Although never confirmed, it was pretty established that Sakura was set on Sasuke. However, Daiki would treat Sakura better than Sasuke ever could, hell he’d already displayed that. Gah- this was none of his business, although aloof, Naruto knew when to stay out of something… on certain occasions.

-

“We could be in a warm bed right now.” Sakura grumbled as she sat down on her sleeping bag next to Sasuke, who nodded in agreement. “It’s a good thing Kakashi makes us bring our sleeping bags just in case, it finally came in use.”

“Hn. We wouldn’t have to if we just kept going.” Sasuke added, a subtle jab to the prince.

“Yeah.” the kunoichi continued, “I don’t know why Kakashi agreed to the idea.” She yawned and allowed her head to fall onto Sasuke’s shoulder. The rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed luring her deeper into her drowsiness. 

“If you’re that tired then go to sleep.¨ He softly moved his shoulder causing a piece of her hair to cover her face. Moments like this had started to feel normal to him, her touches being such a common occurrence that he no longer felt the need to fight them, not that he felt the urge to anymore. Her tired eyes looked into his before she gave him a small smile and nodded. 

Slowly pulling herself off his shoulder and settling into her sleeping bag she slowly spoke, “Good night Sasuke-kun.”

“Go to sleep, Sakura.”

-

-

-

Next Chapter

[theonlyonesora]

Embers of Moonlight (on Wattpad) 

 A secluded valley near the borders of the Land of Fire, where two clans -Senju and Uchiha-tentatively discuss peace. 

Genre: Romance, Drama, AU

[slutfics]

all of these will have nsfw included.

[luv-kakashi]

One of us is dead

chapter eleven - picnic

chapter ten | chapter twelve

"Morning Uchiha," I yawned, stretching as the morning sun warmed my face. The streets bathed in the soft glow of dawn, and the air carried the crisp, clean scent of a new day.

As I walked towards him, I could see Shisui standing with his back to me, his posture relaxed but alert, as always. The gentle breeze ruffled his curly hair as he turned to me.

"Good morning, YN," he replied, with his signature grin. "So, you got the message too?" he said, pulling out a small, neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket.

"Yeah, I wonder if Akira got one too," I replied, as I pulled out an identical piece of paper.

After placing the note back into his pocket, Shisui's eyes narrowed, locking onto mine with an intensity that made my breath catch.

"Have you been training this morning?" he asks, his gaze never faltering from mine.

Instinctively, I start to rub the back of my neck, fearful that my ID is on full display. My mind races for an answer, but I can't help but think that his piercing eyes know the full truth.

"No, I'm just a really strong kunoichi," I retorted, hoping my joke would distract him.

But it doesn't change the fact that nothing escapes the Uchiha and his instincts. He must be sensing a genjutsu on me. The longer I stay in his presence, the more difficult it will be to divert his suspicion, which I'm sure is already growing.

The thought lingers in my mind as the realisation dawns upon me.

Any skilled jounin will be able to sense the genjutsu, betrayed by the dense chakra found near my head and neck.

"Mhm, I'm sure you are Uzumaki," he chuckled, as his usual toothy smile returned to his face.

"You don't believe me Shisui?" I feigned shock as I placed a hand on my chest.

"And is that why we caught you struggling to grab some instant ramen from your top shelf the other day?" Shisui's grin widened as he walked besides me.

"Excuse me, I could have grabbed it myself it if someone hadn't swooped in with their body flicker technique."

He chuckled. "Oh so you're blaming my superior ninjutsu for your lack of height?"

"Hey! There is nothing wrong with my height. Besides, I was doing just fine standing on my chair!"

Shisui raised an eyebrow. "Standing? It looked more like wobbling."

"I was not wobbling! I was balancing."

"Mhm, sure you were Uzumaki. If I hadn't been there we'd have eaten floor ramen," he said as he shook his head, still smiling.

"Well, ramen's great no matter where you eat it," I shot back, "and don't act like you wouldn't still eat it."

Shisui gave a mock gasp. "You wound me, Y/N. I'm a man of class. I would never—"

"Eat off the floor? Wow, are the Uchiha too above everyone else?" We both laughed as a comfortable silence settled between us as we listened to the morning birds hum their songs.

"Are we supposed to have a mission today?" Akira yawned as he finally joined us, "Please say it's not so. I have another night shift today."

"Nice of you to finally grace us with your presence Bakakira," I chuckled.

"You chose the medic life, Bakakira. Beggars can't be choosers," Shisui retorted, eyeing Akira, who seemed to be suffering from an incurable case of the yawns.

"Hey! This isn't fair! You both can't gang up on me!" Akira protested though the grin on his face betrayed his mock indignation.

"Thank you for meeting here," a voice interrupted, "Sorry, it's so early it was the only time I could do this."

Kushina is the last to arrive, meeting us at the training ground. She's wearing a long green dress, her beautiful fiery red hair cascading freely down her back as she carries a picnic basket.

"I wanted to invite you all to breakfast with Minato and his team," she explained, as we walked towards the grassy area surrounded by towering trees that sway gently in the breeze. "I'm so sorry it's so early but Minato leaves for a mission today, you know!"

A large picnic blanket is laid out in front of us with its classic red-and-white checked pattern, on which a man with strikingly yellow hair and a girl with deep rich purple markings on her cheeks sat, busy in their conversation.

Sitting on one corner of the picnic blanket was a boy with strikingly spiky, silver hair, who remained indifferent to the conversation around him. His expression was one of quiet detachment, eyes half-lidded as if lost in thought, giving little away about what was going on in his mind.

Geez, is having an odd hair law in Konoha?

"Kushina sensei!" The girl chirped as she watched us walk over to her.

The four of us take a seat on the picnic blanket, with Kushina sensei naturally finding her way to her partner's side. Akira and Shisui settle next to each other, as they chat and joke. This leaves me with the only remaining space on the blanket—right next to the quiet, cold boy with strikingly silver hair. Hesitating for a moment, but with no other option, I sit down beside him, feeling the subtle tension in the air as his indifferent gaze flickers toward me before returning to the distance.

"Akira, Y/N, I'd like you guys to meet Minato," Kushina said, blushing as she reached for his hand, "My husband."

"Hello Akira, Y/N, it's lovely to finally meet you. Kushina has told me a lot about you guys," Minato chuckled, "And it's lovely to see you again Shisui."

Shisui grinned and gave a casual nod. "It's good to see you too, Minato. You're looking well."

"I'll let the rest of Team Minato introduce themselves," Minato said looking towards the girl with the deep purple marks on her cheeks.

"Hi! My name is Rin Nohara and I'm the medic of the team, it's lovely to meet you." The girl chirped. "I think we've met before," she said as she gazed at Akira, "you work at the hospital, don't you?"

The faintest blush dusted Akira's cheeks as his eyes widened at her glance. "Yes, that's right. I do work there," he replied, a bit flustered but smiling. "It's nice to meet you, Minato. I didn't realize you were Kushina sensei's husband."

My eyes settled on the spiky, silver-haired boy at my side as I awaited his introduction to the group.

"The name's Kakashi Hatake," He finally says, his voice detached and his eyes never bothering to shift his gaze from the horizon.

The silence between us is thick, almost palpable, as if the very air around him carries a chill. I can't help but wonder what thoughts lie behind those distant, unreadable eyes.

"Anyways, here help yourselves to breakfast. We've bought your favourite foods!" Kushina cheers as she laid out all the food. The blanket is decorated with an assortment of food—freshly baked bread, colourful dango and fruit, bowls of ramen and grilled fish.

"Hey Rin, you work at the hospital too, right? Which ward are you working on?" Akira asks as he passes a couple of pieces of fruit towards her, his fingertips brushing against hers.

Rin smiles softly, accepting the fruit. "I'm rotating between wards at the moment," she replies, her voice warm. "I'll be starting general surgery next week, hopefully, I'll learn skills I can use on missions." Her eyes brighten as she speaks, while Akira listens intently, nodding along.

The interaction between Akira and Rin was cute, to say the least. The way she smiled warmly at him, and the faint blush that dusted Akira's cheeks, did not go unnoticed by me and Shisui. We shared a silent glance of understanding between the two.

'Akira will never hear the last of it from us,' I whisper to Shisui as he chuckles at the scene unfolding in front of us.

Shisui leaned closer towards me as he handed me a dango. "Y/N Why did the dango go to school?"

"Is this going to be one of your dorky puns again?" I chuckled as I rolled my eyes. 

"To get a little "stick"tionary!" Shisui giggled as I stared back at him blank faced.

"Y/N don't look at me like that... I can't handle how un-skewer-ably cute you are!" Shisui muttered through his teeth before breaking out into a laugh.

"That was painful to hear Shisui," I admitted as Shisui stared off into the distance as heartbreak washed over his face.

Shisui looked back at me in shock as he took back the dango he offered me. "Dango breaking my heart!". I rolled my eyes at his antics, giving him a small shove in response.

"Y/N, did you know Minato Sensei is known as the Yellow Flash of the Leaf?" Shisui asks me, his voice filled with admiration as his eyes gleam with excitement.  "They say he's so fast that enemies don't even see him coming until it's too late. I've seen him in action—it's like watching a blur on the battlefield."

Hearing Shisui talk about Minato makes me choke mid-dango. Minato-sensei is the Minato Namikaze. As in the Yellow Flash of the Leaf. The realization hits me like a ton of bricks, even though the thought isn't entirely unfamiliar.

In the Byakuya, we were given specific orders to retreat if we ever encountered shinobi that the Byakuya considered to be 'blacklisted.' And on this blacklisted shinobi list, at the very top, was none other than Minato Namikaze himself.

The stories about him weren't just tales—they were warnings, etched into our minds during training. The idea that the man sitting calmly across from me, casually chatting, smiling, and snacking on dango was the same person capable of wiping out entire squads in the blink of an eye sent a shiver down my spine.

In fact, Shisui himself is no stranger to me either. Shisui of the Body Flicker—a name that made frequent appearances in the blacklisted books as I rose through the ranks in the Byakuya. His speed and deadly precision were legendary.

To think that I'm sitting here, surrounded by not just one, but two of the most feared shinobi, both of whom could change the course of a battle in an instant, is enough to make my pulse quicken.

"Really? Oh Kami, my papa told me so much about you!" I lied through my teeth, feigning excitement. "You must let me see the Flying Raijin Jutsu, please!" I added, hoping my eagerness would mask the tension I felt.

My heart raced at the thought of the genjutsu being exposed to not just one, but several skilled shinobi sat around me.

Is this my reality now? Living in constant fear that at any moment, someone will uncover my identity—not just as Y/N Uzumaki, but as Kunoichi Thirteen, The Byakuya Princess? Am I condemned to deceit? Forced to maintain a façade while those who have welcomed me into their village as a poor, orphaned child remain blissfully unaware?

The thoughts linger in my mind as I question why I am even in Konoha. I submitted to the masked man's whims on the terms that I'd be reunited with Sumire, and that I would get to start a new life with her away from a life of murder and deceit.

Yet here I am, surrounded by a team who have welcomed me as their own as Sumire sits secluded and isolated in her dingy cabin 40km from here.

Worst of all, Kushina-sensei, Akira, and Shisui have crept their way into my heart, and I'm beginning to care for them in ways I never anticipated.

I want to see Akira become a successful medic for his father's sake.

I want to see Shisui climb the ranks and become a powerful shinobi.

I want Kushina Sensei and Minato Sensei to teach me, to guide me in ways that I never thought I'd need or desire.

Yet who am I to desire such things when I am forced to betray these very people?

"I'll show it to you one day," Minato said, interrupting my thoughts. "If you impress me at the Chunin Exams, I might even teach you," he chuckled, rising from the blanket. "Unfortunately, I must leave for my mission now. It was lovely meeting all of you. I'll see you all soon."

With a warm smile and a final nod, Minato turned and walked away, leaving me to wrestle with the bittersweet mix of hope and guilt swirling inside me.

The rest of us talked and delighted in the food Kushina sensei and Minato sensei bought for us. With each laugh and joke that was heard, Kakashi remained indifferent as he showed no interest in the rest of the group.

"Here, have a dango they're really delicious," I said, holding out a skewer towards him.

Kakashi glanced briefly at the dango, then at me.

"No," he muttered a small, barely audible response as his expression remained unreadable, his gaze returning to the distance, as if the offer had never been made as he refused to converse me.

His point-blank stare and the coldness of his words were all too familiar, a look I had become accustomed to in the Byakuya. That hardened, distant demeanour was a shield, one I recognized well. One that can only be built up through pain, grief and guilt.

The warmth and chatter beside me was interrupted by the sharp cry of a messenger bird, which landed beside our picnic blanket with a scroll tied to it. Kushina examines the contents of the scroll as she sighs.

"Looks like the Hokage requests for our presence," Kushina says, "Sorry to cut this picnic short, but the Hokage would also like to see Shisui and Kakashi too."

Kakashi was the first to rise from the blanket, his movements quick and efficient as if he'd been waiting for this moment. Without a word, he dusted himself off, his usual indifference fully intact.

"I'll see you guys later," Shisui said, departing alongside Kushina and Kakashi, giving us a quick wave before disappearing into the distance.

"As much as I want to stay and hang out, I'm about to collapse. I need my sleep, I've got another shift," Akira moaned, burying his face into his hands, unable to stifle his yawns.

"Get some rest, Akira. You'll need it," Rin chuckled softly, watching him with a warm smile. Akira groaned in response but gave a playful wave as he slowly stood, leaving me in Rin's company.

"We should hang out! I mean, that is if you're not too busy," Rin asked eagerly.

"Sure!"

We walked along the paths of Konoha, the wind brushing against my hair as I followed Rin as she led us into a small park, not too far from the academy. The sound of laughter filled the air as a few families played with their young children, their joyful shouts blending with the rustling leaves. 

Rin takes a seat on one of the swings, her gaze following the families as they play with their young children. I settle onto the swing beside her, the quiet creak of the chains the only sound between us for a moment.

"Sorry about this morning, Y/N. Kakashi isn't usually this cold," Rin said softly, her eyes still fixed on the children playing in the distance. "He might be quiet, but he's been through a lot. I hope you find it in you not to hate him. He's just... complicated."

"I might not know him very well, but he doesn't seem like someone who would hate me for no reason," I said, glancing over at Rin. "I'm sure he has his troubles he's dealing with."

"Troubles might not be enough to label it," Rin responded quietly, her voice carrying a hint of sadness. She looked down at her hands, gripping the swing's chains a little tighter. "Kakashi's been through more than most. Loss, guilt... it weighs on him in ways he doesn't always show. But deep down, he's a good person. He just... keeps his distance to protect himself.

He lost his father when we were in the academy and since then he's become fiercely committed to all shinobi laws. It's almost like he believes that being committed to the rules is the only way to avoid the kind of pain he's been through. Ever since Sakumo's death, Kakashi has carried that burden with him."

"Sakumo..." I muttered under my breath, "Is that Kakashi's father? Was he a shinobi?"

"Sakumo was one of the most revered shinobi of the Leaf. They said his skill rivaled that of the three legendary Sannin... our village's very own White Fang of the Leaf. He chose to abandon a mission to save his comrades, and despite his strength, the village turned on him for that decision." Rin's voice wavered slightly as she continued. "He was disgraced, and it broke him. In the end, he couldn't bear the weight of the shame and took his own life."

My heart begins to race at Rin's words. My final job within the Byakuya was to ambush the Konoha ninjas to prevent them from discovering our hideout. The same Konoha nin led by the White Fang of the Leaf. My actions were directly responsible for forcing Sakumo to abandon his mission and risk everything to save his comrades. My actions directly led to the village turning on him. My actions directly led to his death.

My grip on the swing's chains falters and begins to shake. Running from my sins, my crimes, and the Byakuya—none of it is enough to erase the fact that I am nothing but a criminal. And here I am, enjoying the peace of Konoha whilst those around me suffer from my deceit and sins.

The guilt and shame of my sins hangs around my neck like a noose, tightening with each day spent here in Konoha.

"Kakashi recently became jounin, and for his first mission as captain, we were deployed to the Village Hidden by the Grass to destroy Kannabi Bridge," Rin said, pulling me out of my thoughts. "It was a crucial mission, one that would cut off enemy supply lines and help turn the tide of the war. Kakashi led the team, but the mission took a heavy toll on all of us. We tragically lost one of our teammates, our friend Obito. And Kakashi carries that guilt with him every day.

"Oh Rin, I'm so sorry for your loss," I whisper, my voice barely audible.

"Thank you Y/N," Rin softly chuckled, "Anyways enough of all the sad talk. How has Konoha been treating you? Have you managed to make friends?"

"To be honest with you, the first few people I met were Akira and Shisui," I replied, a smile forming on my lips, "I got extremely lucky to be put on a team with them. I wasn't in the academy long enough to make any other friends."

"You should meet my friends, I'm sure that they will love you!" Rin said with excitement as she jumps out of her swing, "In fact, I'm hosting a little sleepover with them tomorrow. You should totally join us."

Should I accept this offer? Do I deserve moments of normalcy after a life of criminality? My actions so far have only served to hurt everyone around me.

"That sounds wonderful Rin, but are you sure you want me there?" I asked sheepishly.

"Don't be silly, of course I do!"

"Thank you for meeting with me today," The Hokage announces as he watches the three shoinobi kneel before him, "Kushina, Shisui... please share the recent mission details with Kakashi."

The three shinobi rise as Kushina takes the lead to explain the discoveries of Team Two's recent mission.

"On our return from our mission, Team Two was ambushed with a specific target in mind. Two individuals attacked our team separating me and Shisui from Akira and Y/N. The two of us retired and jumped back into the surrounding trees to observe their aims," Kushina said as she glanced at Shisui.

"The kunoichi bore a headband from the Village Hidden by the Rock and the taller shinobi named Cash bore a headband from the Sand Village. Both with a line through them," Shisui added with a sombre look painted across his face.

"From your description, they sound like they rouge ninja... continue," The Hokage interrupts.

"Their first attack rendered Akira immobile as they aimed for their true target, Y/N Uzumaki," Kushina stated, the realisation weighing heavy on her throat. She struggles to admit to herself that one of her dear students is being hunted by rouge ninja's, clouding her judgement about Y/N.

"They addressed Y/N as Princess and Kunoichi Thirteen. They were persistent in checking for 'an ID' on the nape of her neck, to which they found nothing," Kushina added, "The rouge ninja fled the scene after Shisui and I emerged from the trees."

"When we questioned Y/N about the interaction, she claimed to be in shock and unware of what was said to her."

"I see," the Hokage said, his voice heavy with the weight of realization. "It is clear that this ambush was not aimed at the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki nor the Uchiha prowess, but rather at Y/N Uzumaki. Someone from her past is after her." He took a deep sigh, the implications settling in. "We must prepare accordingly. This is no ordinary threat."

"Kakashi Hatake, I am aware that the scars of Kannabi Bridge have yet to heal," the Hokage began, his tone grave.

"However, I ask that you investigate the Village Hidden by the Grass. It's the only neutral territory bordering us that hasn't been completely destroyed, and it may hold the answers we need. I would like you to pursue this lead regarding Kunoichi Thirteen."

"Understood," Kakashi responded, his face as indifferent as ever. However, deep down he cannot help but reject Y/N Uzumaki in her entirety.

'She is a fugitive of an unknown past, with many shinobi after her. Her very existence threatens our shinobi law,' he thinks to himself as he accepts this mission.

"Kushina, Shisui, please keep a keen eye on Y/N Uzumaki," the Hokage instructed, his voice firm. "The only reason she walks free here in Konoha is due to our diplomatic ties with the Uzumaki Clan—ties that, I admit, Konoha has failed to properly maintain.

Regardless, if she threatens the safety of this village, she will be dealt with accordingly. We cannot afford to overlook any danger, no matter the bloodline."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Kakashi is so suspicious of Y/N as he stubbornly clings to the shinobi law. And it isn't just him. Since her arrival, the Hokage has his eye on the Uzumaki, unable to shake the mystery behind her identity. 

Although Konoha welcomes Y/N, the guilt continues to build as the death of Sakumo stains Y/N's hands. A deep red sin that she'll never be able to cleanse from her soul.

What is your favourite thing about Shisui? For me, its his hair and his lil smile oh and the fact that he's so humble! Also I hate second year uni LOL. 

Loving you always, 

Suri  

[scribomaniac]

From One Moment to the Next

Sakura’s lungs burned as her chest heaved with the exertion of a hard won fight. Scattered about the forest floor lay the dead bodies of their assailants. There were dozens of them. Men and women alike, all wearing hitai-ates with the symbol of Grass carved into it. Placing her hands on her hips, Sakura took a deep breath and looked over at Sasuke. 

Her teammate looked whole and hale, but still, it was best to ask and be sure. “Any injuries?” 

Raising his brow, Sasuke gave her a droll look. 

Huffing out a laugh, Sakura raised her hands. “Just checking.” Then, with a teasing twist to her grin, she added, “Can’t have Itachi’s precious little brother getting hurt. He’d never forgive me.”

Sasuke snorted. “You’re so annoying.” Rolling his eyes and turning to face her fully, he said, “If I had known how obnoxious the two of you would be once you started dating I never would have allowed it.”

This time it was Sakura’s turn to snort. “As if you could’ve stopped it. Besides,” Sakura said with a dramatic flip of her hair, “we’re not dating anymore. We’re engaged.”

Sasuke’s eye twitched. “I can’t believe you’re going to be my sister.”

“Could be worse,” Sakura said with a laugh. “Could be Naruto.”

Turning green, Sasuke shook his head to banish the thought from his mind. “Come on. We need to meet back up with the idiot and Kakashi.”

Sakura grunted, wondering what shape Kakashi’s eye might be in. He’d had back to back solo missions, disrupting their regular healing sessions. She hoped he hadn’t used his Sharingan too much in the meantime. He shouldn’t have had to today–these Grass ninja were no match for Team Seven–but Kakashi wasn’t exactly known for making the best decisions when it came to his physical health. So long as he didn’t die, that was good enough for him. 

And Sasuke called Naruto the moron. 

Movement just behind Sasuke’s shoulder caught her eye. Before she could register what she was seeing–a bloodied but still very much alive Grass shinobi with a weapon aimed at her teammate’s back–Sakura pushed Sasuke out of the way. 

Haruno Sakura, the muscle of Team Seven. All brute strength but no speed. 

The weapon pierced just below her sternum, the force of the throw pushing her backwards and pinning her against a tree. No shout nor scream escaped her lips. Only a shuddering, whisper of a gasp could be heard. Sakura wasn’t sure what to call the weapon. A javelin? A lance? A pointed stick thicker than her forearms put together? Whatever it was was making it very hard for her to breathe. 

A lung had been pierced. No matter how she gasped or tried to suck in a breath, she felt smothered. Several ribs were broken, obviously. As sweat poured down her brow and neck, Sakura brought her shaky hands up to claw at the piece of wood sticking out of her chest. 

It wasn’t moving. Why wasn’t it moving?

She couldn’t focus. Her chakra felt weak, sluggish, as if it was something far out of her reach. Hands feeling like lead, she tried again and again to break the object without success. Her forehead burned where her Byakugou Seal fought to be released. Sakura couldn’t let that happen yet though. Not until she got this damn piece of wood out of her fucking chest. Her body wouldn’t be able to heal with it in the way. It’d be a waste of cell division. 

A cough ripped its way from Sakura’s throat, followed immediately by a river of blood and spit. Darkness encroached around the edges of her vision and she could no longer feel her fingers. Panic set in, making Sakura feel like a wild animal caught in a trap. Panic was the enemy in trauma situations. It made people lose their heads and rationality. It claimed just as many lives as kunai. If she wasn’t careful, it would cost Sakura hers. 

Think. She needed to think! She needed this weapon removed. She couldn’t rely on her own strength to do it, so what else was there? 

“Sakura!”

Sasuke. Sasuke! Sakura could laugh with relief. She tried, too, but all that escaped her lips was a gurgle of more blood. 

“Sakura–shit. Why aren’t you healing? What do you need?”

Was he kidding? He had to be kidding. Could he not see the foreign object protruding from her chest cavity? 

“Okay, it’s–it’s going to be okay,” he said, more to himself than her. He stared at her forehead with wide, red eyes. The tomoe of his Sharingan spun wildly as he waited for the surge of chakra to be released from her seal. His brows furrowed when he saw nothing. “Why–”

“Sakura! Bastard!” Naruto shouted as he flashed into their clearing like a streak of orange. “What’s the hold up? I want to get home for some ram–oh, shit, Sakura!” He appeared at her side and asked, “What happened?”

Sasuke smacked the back of his head. “What do you think happened, idiot? That’s not the problem.”

“Yeah!” Naruto nodded frantically. “Come on, Sakura, why don’t you fix yourself up?”

If she lived through this, she was going to kill them. 

The darkness within her vision grew. She didn’t have much time left. Sakura tried to take in some breath, tried to tell them what she needed, but all she could muster up was a wheeze. 

“Move.” A new voice said, taking control of the situation. Sakura’s eyes fluttered open–when had they closed?–to see three fuzzy-looking Kakashi’s before her. “We need to remove the lance, and quick. Her seal can’t do anything if she’s dead.”

Thank the gods for Kakashi, Sakura thought. If she survived, she’d buy him all the porny books he liked. 

Everything had turned dark. There was a beating, sluggish and loud, reverberating again and again in her ears. The beating felt precious. Final. But her mind was dizzy with exhaustion, and she couldn’t recall why that was important. 

Sakura had once heard that as a person lay dying, they saw their life flash before their eyes. Instead of seeing the faces of her parents though, or scenes from her days at the Academy, time spent with her friends, training with Tsunade, all Sakura saw was Itachi. Itachi, drinking tea on the engawa as the sun rose over the horizon. Itachi, bringing her into wakefulness with soft kisses along her neck. Itachi, quietly walking beside Sakura on her way to the market, or the hospital, or to wherever else, just to spend a few extra moments with her. 

The beating stopped. 

The pain went away. 

Sakura’s eyes drifted shut.

[1-800-dnkichu]

CHAPTER NIIIIIIINE IS HEEEEEERRREEEE

Pairings: (major ship, slow-ish burn) Uzumaki Naruto/Uchiha Sasuke, (minor ship, eventual) Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino, (minor ship, eventual…maybe…..) Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Obito, Team 7

Summary: Everyone knows the first rule of time travel is to make sure no one ever knows that you are from the future. So, when Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi are all sent back to nearly a year before the founding of Team 7, each of them have no idea that the others were sent back as well. What kinds of shenanigans will ensue as they try to alter a timeline they barely remember?

In which…Kakashi is determined to give his kids a better life this time around and ensure that they are strong enough to face the trials ahead (with a personal side quest to save Obito); Naruto plans to do everything in his power to stop Sasuke from leaving the village and save everyone he wasn't strong enough to help before; Sasuke wants nothing more than to use this second chance to save Itachi and be strong enough to destroy anyone who threatens what Itachi gave up in order to protect, starting with Danzo; and Sakura won't stop until she returns to her pre-time-travel level of badass so she can do her part in protecting her friends this time.

Team Seven Time Travel Fix-It Fic

[thedevotedhealer]

"It's Cold Outside. Warm Me Up?" - Itasaku

Summary: Itachi and Sakuro get assigned a mission in Kumo from Kakashi, shrouded in dark mystery. Will the two manage to solve the mystery and apprehend the criminals hiding behind the shadows of seemingly harmless entertainment establishments, or will they fail their task and get captured in the end? What will happen on the journey? Will things take an unexpected turn? Will they survive? And mostly: Will Itachi find love in the most unexpected places? And is that a blizzard coming their way?! (or for short, i'm bad at Summary, you read, you get the idea.)

[shikamarusgirll]

naruto !!

hellooo! Give me recommendations on what Naruto characters (male and female from any village/clan!!) to write for!! Feel free to give prompts in my request box!! I check daily! ☀️

[4649-exe]

don't steal • don't repost • credit me

[brwnsugcr]

a hokage’s lunch break.

rating: t word count: 1.2k

preview.

“sakura-chan. what brings you by?”

“hello, hokage-sama. just thought I’d come by and see you.”

“please. didn’t we go over the formalities, thing? you make it sound like we’re just…colleagues.” kakashi clears his throat after a moment’s pause. “are you here for business? or am I in trouble?”

sslt.

sakura closing the door does not escape his notice. his eyes remain trained on hers as she draws closer, carrying what appears to be a bento box in her arms. innocent enough, but kakashi has known this young woman long enough now to where in such proximities like this, he is smart to be on edge; literally, and physically, in this moment. with his hands folded under the chin, and his body angled toward the edge of his seat beneath the desk, kakashi raises an eyebrow as sakura approaches with a mysterious twinkle in those eyes.

“I brought you lunch!”

“that’s…kind of you.”

“what? I can’t bring my favorite sensei lunch?”

“only when she wants something.”

“what could I possibly want?”

“you tell me. you’re the mastermind, here. I’ll still take the lunch, though.”

[lil-door-knob]

The Flower Prince: A New Mission

Prompt- At first, he felt prideful of the praise his teammate [Sakura] was getting from the Prince. But the moment he saw the blush on her face and the arm around her waist, pride was no longer what he was feeling.

Word count: 1,497 words

Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes

Warnings: Not edited, sorry sorry.

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Although Kakashi may come off as indifferent to his team's dynamic,  he did pay attention to them. Which was why he chose a simple escort mission. He had noticed the slight tension between Naruto and Sasuke, hell anyone would have noticed by the way they glared daggers into each other and how Sakura always had to be near to numb the awkwardness. Kakashi had hoped that this mission would reignite even a semblance of the teamwork they once had. 

Naruto and Sakura stood talking about their mornings and whatever else came to mind. Sasuke stood to Sakura’s left, looking up at the morning sky as it finally brightened. Pink and orange fighting for dominance over the blue night sky. 

“Sasuke-kun?” Kakashi noted how instantaneously the boy seemed to turn to face the pink-haired kunoichi. He wasn’t shocked though- Sakura had a warm innocence to her that made the boys on her team fond and protective of her, including himself. It was something none of them had felt before due to the cards they were dealt. Sasuke had warmed up to Sakura the most, although the boy would never admit nor show it; assuming he had taken notice himself. 

“Hn.” came Sasuke’s typical response. 

“You’re always the first one to arrive… why’s that?” the hesitance in her question was obvious.

Shaking his head he simply stated ‘I’m used to it’ before staring back ahead. Sakura nodded in understanding. It wasn’t a secret that Sasuke had nightmares on occasion; they had experienced it firsthand on their first overnight mission. Poor kid probably didn’t get much sleep.

“Dam, that stupid flower prince is late.” scoffed Naruto, “Even Kakashi is here before him, that says a lot!” all three genin turned to glare at their sensei. Kakashi chuckled and looked behind them at the figure that approached.

“Looks like the Prince is here.” pointing behind them they all turned to look at the boy who seemed no older than them. 

Sasuke noted that the boy had dark brown curls and complimenting hazel eyes- though he wasn’t dressed as a Prince. He wore a sleeveless pale blue top with a black unzipped jacket, that didn’t seem to be doing much as it hung off his shoulders, and dark wide-legged pants.

“Sorry, I’m late. I had to stop by to visit family before I left.” the prince bowed. Returning the gesture team 7 accepted the apology, Except for Naruto who had a few insults conjuring in his head while they waited for his arrival. 

“You think sorry is gonna cut it?! We’ve been waiting for two hours for you!! I even skipped breakfast to be here early.” Naruto complained, pointing an accusatory finger at the poor guy. About to speak again and try out some of his ever-so-creative insults, Sakura cut him off. 

“Naruto! That’s no way to speak to a prince!” Sakura pulled Naruto’s ear as she lectured him about manners. Sakura had seemed to be nicer to Naruto since he saved her from Gaara, she normally would have punched him by now.

  Sasuke’s expression softened as he looked at his teammate's antics before he turned back to the prince and questioned him, he couldn’t believe a Prince would be dressed and act so… un-prince- like. “What family were you visiting?” his monotone voice came, stopping Sakura and Naruto’s arguing. 

Before the prince could respond Kakashi interjected, “The Yamanaka right? You’re a part of the clan, no?” at this, the Prince brightened up. 

“That is correct sir, my name is Yamanaka Daiki. I am from the branch of the family with no real ninjas, which is embarrassing-” Daiki blushed scratching the back of his neck, ” but we try to serve our village as their leaders.”

“You’re related to that Ino-pig?!” Sakura practically screeched. 

“Ah, you must be Sakura Haruno. I assumed such based on your hair, Ino told me about you guys.” Daiki stated as he smiled at Sakura.

“What did she say?” Both Sakura and Naruto asked at the same time, Sasuke himself also seemed curious about what Ino had to say about himself and his teammates, not that he cared much about her opinion- she always irritated him.

“He can tell us on the way.” Kakashi ordered, “We should get going.”

They formed a line, not something they would normally do on a mission, but, they were close to the village, so, not much trouble would likely arise. Sakura and Sasuke stood to the right of Daiki and Naruto to the left. 

With that, they set off on their mission, Sasuke and Sakura naturally falling into pace with each other, something they seemed to do often, Kakashi noted.

“What did she say about me?” Naruto piped up.

“Naruto right?” the boy nodded, “Well… she called you annoying. But she said that you were a good ninja. She told me that she admires your bravery, although quite stupid at times. I hear that you managed to beat that Hyuga guy?” Kakashi, who was walking in front of them, allowed a smile to form as he read his book. It was good to know that his [Naruto’s] comrades were starting to recognize him as a capable ninja. 

“You bet I did! I wasn’t going to let that jerk win after what he did to Hinata-chan.” Naruto yelled.

“Stop screaming dobe. He doesn’t need to hear your annoying voice get any louder.” Sasuke gave him a condescending look, knowing that it would rile up the blonde. Naruto was about to fire back an insult but stopped as Daiki spoke again. 

“Uchiha Sasuke. You seem to have quite an effect on women. Ino went on about how ‘cute’ and ‘handsome’ you are. She rambled about how you were such a strong ninja and how she was going to be your future wife.” Daiki let out a small chuckle at the memory.

Sakura couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the expected description of Sasuke from Ino. Although, she couldn’t argue much as she probably would have said something similar a few months ago.

“Ino said that you were a mysterious guy; she likes you, I guess? You should have seen how flustered and blushy she got when talking about you” Sasuke let out an unamused huff. “But she wasn’t wrong on some of that, you do seem to be strong. You’re an Uchiha, my people have heard plenty of the Uchiaha’s strength.”

Turning to Sasuke, Sakura gave him a smile signifying that she agreed with Daiki’s statement. Meeting her gaze Sasuke stared at her blankly before looking straight ahead once more. 

“What did she say about Sakura-chan?” asked Naruto, he was genuinely curious as he knew those two girls had a past. 

“Sakura…” his voice trailed off as he let out a sigh, “I don’t want to say.”

“Why not?” Naruto questioned.

“I wouldn’t want to offend Sakura-chan.”

“Daiki-san, please? I need-” Sakura caught herself before continuing,” It’s not like I care what she thinks but, I’m curious about what she said.” Sakura stared down at her feet. Glancing behind him, Kakashi noticed how the Prince’s gaze lingered on Sakura for a moment too long. 

“Fine, as you insist.” Sakura's head shot up as she tried her best to look indifferent. “She told me about how you guys were ‘rivals’ and how you had distinct pink hair. Something about how you were weak and useless if I remember clearly?” Glancing to his right Daiki looked at Sakura’s hair, it was a nice shade of pink but it did look like it was cut unprofessionally. 

“Ah- I see.” her voice came just above a whisper. Sakura’s usually pristine posture had slumped. 

“But, she said that she thinks of you as a sister. She said that you also impressed her, like when you cut your hair and broke free from her jutsu...”

“You broke from her jutsu?” Sasuke asked. This was the first time he had heard of this. 

Sakura carefully nodded, “Yeah.” 

“You should have seen her teme- they tied, but Sakura-chan should have won. She looked so cool!” Naruto gloated for her. 

She didn’t know why but she suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her as all eyes seemed to have fallen on her. She rushed ahead of the boys and walked beside Kakashi, who gave her a pat on the head to comfort the embarrassed preteen before continuing to read his interesting book. Sasuke felt some sort of pride overcome him at what he just learned. To his knowledge it was extremely difficult, if not impossible, to break from the mind-transfer jutsu, especially for a genin. 

“Sakura-chan is quite impressive,” Daiki said to no one in particular. 

Naruto nodded, “Yeah she is! She’s been improving a ton recently, right Sasuke-teme?”

Sasuke subconsciously nodded in agreement. He had noticed a drastic change in the girl after the forest of death. On more than one occasion, Sasuke had come across Sakura training on their off days.

-

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-

Next Part

[erimeows]

Hush Hush

It’s a warm day in Konoha as Naruto Uzumaki runs up to his teammates, Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. They’ve been waiting for him on the bridge- probably for a little too long- but he is not to blame nearly as much as his spoiled milk. When he approaches the two other Genin, he excitedly greets them with a smile. 

“Sakura, Sasuke!”

Naruto stands in front of his friends and waits for whatever it is they have to say in response to him, though he doesn’t really care. They have their normal D-rank missions today- stupid grunt work like walking dogs, picking weeds, catching cats, and babysitting noble children- but Naruto has something more important on his mind; Iruka-Sensei’s upcoming birthday.

“Naruto, you’re late!” Sakura scolds, then pauses to look at his face. “Oh, no. You look like you’re up to no good this morning.”

“Yeah, now that she mentions it, you have even more pep in your step than usual,” Sasuke points out as he crosses his arms and rolls his eyes.

“Iruka-Sensei’s birthday is in a couple months!” Naruto exclaims, though neither Sakura nor Sasuke look very impressed with the important information he’s just told them.

“And?” Sasuke questions with a raised eyebrow. “Why should I care?”

“Well, y’know, he’s like a dad to me,” Naruto answers, speaking a little quieter now. Sakura’s expression softens, but Sasuke’s remains unmoving; uncaring as always. Naruto can’t stand that about the Uchiha. “I want to do something for him! It took me a while to come up with something, but I think I have a good plan. The only problem is that I need both you guys’ help with it.”

“And why would I want to do that?”

“C’mon, Sasuke, Iruka-Sensei was a good teacher to all of us and you know it!” Sakura argues and places a hand on Sasuke’s shoulder. Unsurprisingly, Sasuke scoffs and pulls away. “The least we could do is do something nice for him!”

“Fine,” Sasuke sighs and looks at Naruto. “What’s your plan, then?”

“Now that’s where it gets tricky,” Naruto laughs nervously, then continues. He doesn’t meet either of his teammates’ eyes. “I was thinking, Iruka-Sensei works way too much. Like, it’s so bad that he spends all his time teaching, doing dumb teacher stuff that isn’t teaching, or training! He has no friends, it’s actually kinda sad, but what if we got him a girlfriend?”

“Your idea of a birthday gift is setting up this poor, traumatized, overworked man with a date?” 

“Sasuke, don’t be such a downer!” Sakura insists. “I think it’s a great idea- Iruka-Sensei could use a little love in his life! He does seem pretty lonely.”

“I don’t think that’s such a great idea… Hm,” Sasuke shrugs in what appears to be a reluctant agreement. “Fine. Since you two are so excited about it, I’ll help, but I refuse to take the blame if it backfires.”

Suddenly, the final member of their team shows up; Kakashi, who’s even later than Naruto. The Jonin flickers down to stand behind Naruto.

“Man, you guys are awful,” Kakashi laughs, looking terribly amused. “Your poor former Sensei is overworked and his birthday is coming up, so you think what he needs is a girlfriend? Like that won’t add more stress and commitment to his life?”

“K-Kakashi-Sensei!” Naruto jumps and whirls around to face Kakashi, whose chest he nearly slams his head into. “When did you get here!?”

“Before you did, Naruto, I was just hiding in the trees to listen to your little scheme,” Kakashi explains. “You know, you really shouldn’t make a habit of being so late to things.”

“Like you’re one to talk!? You’re even more late than I am!”

“Tsk tsk. Do as I say, not as I do, you’ll live much happier lives that way. That being said, shall we get started for the day?”

All three of them answer, Naruto’s birthday gift for Iruka forgotten for now.

“Yes, Kakashi-Sensei!”

~

Later that day, Sakura gathers her two teammates to revisit their plan for Iruka’s birthday. The gist of Naruto’s idea is to find someone in the village that would be a good fit for Iruka and set them up on a blind date around the day of Iruka’s birthday. It sounds sensible enough, but when Sakura finds herself dragged along with Sasuke to lurk in a tree just outside of the academy, she can’t help but be a tad confused about what’s going on.

“Okay, so I understand why you want to get Iruka-Sensei a girlfriend, but how are we going to do that by stalking him?” Sakura questions while furrowing her brow in confusion.

“Well, we have to make sure he doesn’t already have a super secret hidden relationship first!” Naruto answers oh-so-confidently, to which Sasuke pinches the bridge of his nose between his pointer finger and his thumb before responding with an exasperated-

“God, you’re a fucking idiot.”

“I dunno, I think it’s a fair point,” Sakura acquiesces to Naruto’s idea, even if she doesn’t want to admit that she agrees with the hardheaded blond more than she does with Sasuke. “It’d be pretty awkward if we tried to set him up on a date only to find out he’s already with someone.”

“Yup! Just as I said!” Naruto says in a terribly loud whisper, his bright blue eyes trained on Iruka as he walks out of the academy. Unfortunately, Iruka isn’t an idiot. He looks around, clearly on guard and aware of the fact that he’s not alone when he leaves work. Naruto is oblivious to it. “So we’re just gonna follow him for a few days, get a hang of his routine. Surely if he’s seeing someone we’d notice them, so if we don’t see anything, we can go ahead with the real plan!”

“Fine, if you say so…” Sakura trails off. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

~~

Sasuke Uchiha has a single goal in life; to kill his brother, Itachi Uchiha, and avenge his clan. So, he doesn’t like wasting time on trivial things like romance or D-Rank missions, preferring to spend his time training and doing more important things. That being said, since being assigned to squad seven, Sasuke has learned that he can make connections with people- whether he wants to or not. Sakura and Naruto are both very persistent and surprisingly endearing, so he can’t help but love them dearly, even if he will never admit it out loud to either of them.

Because of that love, he goes along with their foolish plan to set Iruka up on some sort of date. A couple of weeks have passed since Naruto mentioned his idea to them and they haven’t gotten any closer to bringing that idea to fruition. Iruka’s birthday draws closer and closer by the day.

Sasuke can’t understand why his teammates have such an interest in their former teacher’s love life, but if it’ll make them happy, he figures that helping with them won’t hurt. The only issue is that both of them are horrendous at hiding both their Chakra and their presence because they’re so noisy and unskilled. Sasuke, the more talented of the three, decides that to make any progress with getting an idea of Iruka’s routine while remaining unnoticed is staking Iruka out by himself.

So far, he’s been successful. They offered to go with him to track Iruka today, but he feigned a stomach bug and said he had to get home. The other two Genin, dejected, went to their own homes to do God knows what, leaving Sasuke to his own devices. He followed Iruka to the academy to watch him teach, to his lunch break, back to the academy, and finally to his humble apartment. Conveniently enough, Sasuke manages to hide just outside of Iruka’s large window. He concentrates his Chakra to his hands so he can hang on to the window sill without hurting his fingers or falling off. He activates his Sharingan and peers through the window.

Iruka hasn’t done much since he’s been home; graded some papers, cooked dinner. Sasuke has noticed, however, that Iruka set his kitchen table with two spots; directly across from each other, each with a plate, a cloth napkin, silverware, and a wine glass. In the middle of the table is a vase of red roses, and Iruka has an ungodly amount of scented candles lit across the apartment. 

Suddenly, Iruka perks up and rushes to the front door.

“Oh, he’s here!”

Sasuke watches. Much to his surprise, when Iruka opens the door, there’s none other than Kakashi standing on the other side. Sasuke’s lips gently part in shock as he listens to the words that come from Kakashi’s mouth.

“Iruka-Sensei, I missed you today.”

“I missed you too, Kakashi…” Iruka pulls Kakashi into the apartment in a way that’s overly familiar, shuts the door, and wraps his arms around the Jonin’s taller body. Kakashi hugs him back. Sasuke has never seen such affectionate or intimate displays from either man, and to be honest, he’s incredibly uncomfortable now that he has. He shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t be seeing this. Damn Naruto and Sakura for dragging him into this stupid nonsense… “It’s good to see you. I’ve had a long day.”

“You’re telling me,” Kakashi breaks loose from Iruka’s hug and walks to the kitchen with the Chunin following him like a lost puppy. “I don’t know how you handled those three for so long on top of a dozen other children.”

“Are you ready for dinner?” Iruka asks as Kakashi sits at the dinner table.

“Yeah, I’m pretty hungry.”

“Great.”

Iruka grabs the pot full of spaghetti that he had been working on, serves them both a plateful, and sets it back on the stove. Then, he sits across from Kakashi. The two eat in comfortable, romantic silence. Sasuke doesn’t miss how they sneak the occasional glance at each other with such sickening affection in their eyes when they think the other isn’t looking.

“So… Are the kids still following you?” Kakashi questions.

Sasukei’s stomach drops. Iruka knew, he knew that much, but Kakashi, too? They’ve both known about their plan the whole time. How embarrassing…

“Yeah, pretty much any time they haven’t been with you today, they were outside of the academy stalking me or following me home. Pretty creepy, to be honest.”

“They’re ridiculous,” Kakashi laughs and shakes his head. Somehow, he has managed to hide his face from Sasuke while eating impeccably with the simple use of one hand. From the angle they’re at, though, Iruka must have seen Kakashi’s face… He must’ve seen it anyway. They’re dating, after all. It’s a weird thought; that Iruka knows so much more about Kakashi than any of the rest of them do. How did this even happen in the first place, though? Why are they hiding it? “I meant to tell you that I heard what they’re up to. It took me a bit to piece it together, but they think you’re single.”

“What does that have to do with this?” Iruka demands.

“You won’t believe me, but… They want to set you up on a date with a woman as some sort of weird birthday gift.”

“Seriously?” Iruka groans, then face-palms. “Bad at teamwork and bad at using their gaydars. Who would’ve guessed?”

“I could have, honestly, it’s not out of character for them to do this shit,” Kakashi sighs. Then, his gaze flickers to the window. “But before we continue this, Iruka, I don’t think we’re alone.”

“Shit…” Sasuke whispers under his breath, knowing that his confusion about the entire situation made him lose focus on controlling his Chakra.

“Sasuke, go home, will you?” Kakashi raises his voice to say while pulling his mask back up. “I’m trying to have a private conversation with my boyfriend.”

Saying nothing, Sasuke listens and scurries away as fast as possible. Who knows what sort of consequences this fiasco will have for them come morning…

~~~

A couple of days pass after Sasuke stalks their shared dinner at Iruka’s apartment. Kakashi doesn’t say anything to his Genin students about the incident or about the situation in general- mostly because it’s awkward, but also because watching them squirm in guilt about going behind Iruka’s back is hilarious. He doesn’t know if Sasuke has told his other squad members about what occurred at Iruka’s apartment, but he does know that the situation is making Iruka increasingly nervous.

So, they schedule a dinner at Ichiraku with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura to clear the air.

The five sit at Ichiraku on the tiny red stools at the bar. While Kakashi sits on the very outer corner and Iruka sits on the inside, their three students sit between them with Naruto next to Iruka, Sasuke next to Kakashi, and Sakura in the middle. The silence is deafening minus the occasional noodle slurping- at least until Kakashi clears his throat and speaks up.

“So, Sasuke already knows, but we invited you here tonight to tell you something important.”

Naruto perks up at that, lightly elbowing Iruka, who looks back at him with a blush.

“What is it, Iruka-Sensei?”

“Kakashi overheard your plan to set me up on a date, and he told me all about it,” Iruka says with a nervous chuckle and scratches his chin. Kakashi simply watches with hearts in his eyes. He didn’t want their two year long relationship to come out like this, but he’s happy that they’re able to tell their students after hiding it for so long. It’ll be a weight lifted off of both of their shoulders- that and they can finally start inviting the kiddos to dinner after work without worrying about what they’ll say. “I’m happy to inform you that there’s no need to do that, as kind of a gesture as it is. I’m already dating someone and have been for over a year.”

“What? Who is she? Do I know her!?” Naruto excitedly asks question after question, which makes Kakashi struggle to hold back his laughter.

“Is it Anko?” Sakura inquires, and it’s a valid inquiry since Anko and Iruka are close friends and coworkers, but she doesn’t know just how wrong she is.

“No, it’s Kakashi,” Iruka clarifies.

Sasuke doesn’t appear even remotely surprised, as he had found out days earlier, though it’s apparent that he didn’t bother telling Sakura or Naruto. Sakura’s seafoam eyes are blown wide as she damn near chokes on her ramen, and Naruto looks like he’s barely able to keep from screaming the roof off of the establishment with the shock that takes over his expression.

“What?” Naruto shoots straight up and frantically looks between Kakashi and Iruka, who are now smiling at each other. “Why didn’t you tell me!?”

“Well, Naruto, it’s complicated. As much as we love each other, and as much as Iruka wants to be transparent with you all about things,” Kakashi explains and waits for all three of his students to be paying attention before he continues. “I have led a very dangerous life. I’ve fought in wars, been a squad captain of the Anbu, fought Orochimaru… I’ve come close to death a lot of times. Iruka leads a more peaceful life than I, and if everyone else were to know about our relationship, he could be a target for people looking to hurt me. We’ve only hidden it for this long to protect each other.”

“...Oh,” Naruto says quietly.

Thankfully, he seems to understand. Kakashi lets out a sigh of relief. He was half-expecting Naruto to release the ninetails and maul him to death for daring to touch his beloved teacher- now father figure. Naruto doesn’t overreact in an angry or sad manner, though. Sakura and Sasuke are clearly neutral about it as Sakura taps Sasuke’s shoulder and questions-

“Wait, Sasuke, how did you know?”

“I went off to trail Iruka’s nighttime routine on my own the other night and saw them having dinner together. They’ve known about us following them the whole time because you two can’t hide your Chakra,” Sasuke scoffs like he’s better than his two teammates, because why wouldn’t he? Kakashi opens his mouth to clarify that the Uchiha isn’t much better since he was spotted by Kakashi as well the other night, but before he can, Sasuke admits to it. “Kakashi caught me, though.”

“So we should keep this a secret too then, right?” Sakura asks.

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Kakashi nods as he finishes up his food and pays the tab before Iruka can stop him from doing so. “We still don’t want anyone else to know, we only told you three so you’d stop snooping.”

“Damn!” Naruto yells and holds his head in his hands. At first, Kakashi is slightly concerned. The following claim from the blond makes all of them laugh, though, and whatever concern was there quickly fades. “That means I’m going to have to save money to buy Iruka-Sensei an actual birthday gift instead of surprising him with my super awesome plan!”

“Seriously? You idiot!” Sakura raises her voice and crosses her arms as she yells at Naruto with pink cheeks. “I’d help you pay for it, ya know!”

“Me too, actually,” Sasuke quietly agrees, trying to seem like he doesn’t care when he clearly does.

Kakashi laughs once more. Meanwhile, Iruka objects. His chocolate brown eyes flicker between the three Genin.

“No, no,” The brunette insists and shakes his head ‘no’. “That’s not necessary. None of you need to get me a birthday gift. Just a birthday wish on the day will suffice. If you insist on getting me a gift, I don’t want you to waste your hard earned money on it. So make me a card or a cake or something of that nature, okay?”

“Yes, Iruka-Sensei,” The three agree, and with that, they’re all back to enjoying their meal and their drinks.

Just then, Kakashi realizes.

Iruka’s birthday is in a little under two months and he still hasn’t gotten Iruka a gift either…