#kept thinking about sasuke coming back to konoha

[tbartss]

the way i literally couldn't sleep last night because i was daydreaming about sasunaru and their eternally evasive love for each other uggghhhh that shit got me GOOD

[leewritestoomuch]

just watched a tiktok that essentially went ‘check your tone b4 u talk to my girl/dont talk to my wife like that’ and now i need protective naruto charas w this.. team 7 ?! (and maybe the other konoha 11 (+ sand sibs kinda fit this too but omit and add whoever! no pressure!!))

I love how this is definitely pretty much canon to Sasuke’s character lol

Some are modern AU, some aren’t. It’ll be pretty much obvious, but if it’s not, it doesn’t matter too much.

I only did team 7 (Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Sai) this time since the entire Konoha 13 and sand siblings can take a while and I just did all of them on my last post.(sorry no Yamato, I don’t know how to write for him tbh)

Fem reader

“Watch your Tone before you speak to my girl.”

Naruto Uzumaki

He can’t figure out why this guy is actually flipping his shit over something so small?

All you did was bump into him while you were trying to turn around from the counter in the kitchen. The party was packed, but the kitchen wasn’t quite as bad. You didn’t think you had to watch your every step so carefully.

The guy, clearly drunk off his ass, turns around and tells you to watch yourself. He throws out some basic insults, nothing too deep, but the attempt pisses your blonde, hotheaded boyfriend off.

The guy reaches for you, probably to tap your shoulder, throwing out some “flirty” comment meant to degrade you.

Naruto shoves the dude back, “watch your tone when you talk to her. That’s my girl.”

The dude, with as much respect for Naruto as he had, nods quickly, scampering off.

Naruto pours you another drink, giving you it as he pulls you onto the dance floor.

Sasuke Uchiha

Somebody talking down to his wife?

He knows damn well you can handle yourself, so he’ll stay back, but if you look at him for some help, he’s coming right on over.

He caught wind of the guy telling you off for being weak, saying you’re no help so you have no business ever being a ninja.

He can’t help but wonder what the hell this guys problem is. His wife isn’t weak. You’re one of the top ninja in the village, without a doubt. Maybe he has an issue with women?

“Don’t talk to my wife like that. You’re half the ninja she is.”

Sai

He’s right there and some dipshit has the nerve to talk down on you IN FRONT of him????

It was over something that was common knowledge to a person native to the village your team was visiting, but you simply didn’t know. You’d apologized many times. Wasn’t that enough?

He’s very subtly sassy at first. He’s monotone and flat in tone, but he’s being snarky. You can tell and the dude is catching on.

As Sai gets more pissed off, he gets more obvious.

Because it takes a bit to make him actually feel any which way, this dude is just a dickhead. And Sai isn’t having it

“Watch your tone. Talk to her right. Or we can handle this elsewhere?” Sai is smiling, but it’s a threat.

Sakura Haruno

She’s fuming when she hears somebody talking down to you. How dare somebody shit talk her girlfriend while you’re just trying to shop.

You’d gotten the last of something, since you were there first, but some Karen ass woman wanted it and was telling you why she deserves it more than you.

You’d explained kindly how you got to it first, but looked about ready to give it up and hand it over.

Sakura wasn’t going to let this woman step on your toes

“Watch your tone when you talk to my girl.” Sakura balls her hands into fists beside herself, but doesn’t raise them.

The woman is scared because Sakura is lowkey jacked and now she knows she’ll never be safe again. She gives it up.

Kakashi Hatake

This person didn’t know you were with Kakashi, without a doubt.

You were in a book store, and apparently you’d accidentally bumped into some girl and knocked all the books out of her arms. (She was carrying way too many without a basket for some reason)

You apologized, helping her pick them up, but she wasn’t letting it go.

She kept insulting your thinking skills and asked if you’re going blind. Over all, just things Kakashi knew weren’t true or didn’t matter. It was an accident. (And if you were going/are blind, it’s still, and more so, not your fault so he’s trying to figure out who tf this girl is??)

He waits to see what you do, but he won’t hesitate if he sees you need just a bit of help.

“How unhappy with your life do you have to be to talk like that?” Kakashi asks, closing his book. “You should watch your tone when you talk to my girl.”

[sasukeless]

what are your modern au sns headcanons?

i like to incorporate as many things from canon into modern aus as possible tbh so i kinda already joked about sasuke being probably hunted down by true crime obsessed ppl trying to interview him about his insane murderer brother and also naruto finding out later in life he might be a nepo baby and his father was a big political figure idk it’s funny to me

as for narusasu specific hcs

they met at an orphanage (because unlike konoha who lets children raise themselves i feel modern au they just get shove into the system)

growing up they definitely liked to vandalize places, especially monuments. or well naruto did and sasuke covered for him because he likes naruto.

naruto spends half of his time in middle and high school carving sasuke’s name into tables and walls. he says he does it so sasuke gets blamed but he’s just in love and has a sasuke brainrot.

naruto is a collage drop out and ends up working with plants (i refuse to let him suffer by going into politics) and sasuke also drops out with him but comes back later to finish some because he ends working with reptiles specifically snakes.

naruto loves buy matching stuff All the time but he never admits it’s matching. he just buys things like bracelets or mugs in purple and orange and that’s it. sasuke is very aware of this but he never complains and uses everything naruto buys.

after they start dating they do wear those stupid matching necklaces kishimoto drew.

in their free time, sasuke is really good at playing instruments whereas naruto is more into painting (he’s so into street art!!!). sasuke for sure has a electric guitar btw

sasuke did naruto’s first piercing (eyebrow one) when they were 14. it hurt so bad they had a physical fight. still, sasuke does the rest of naruto’s piercings too.

they fight a lot!!! everyone is weirded outtt. but it’s normal to them. and five minutes later they are making out. they have a thing for fighting during sex too so there’s always a black eye or busted lip in the morning.

i can’t really see them dating other people prior each other tbh. it’s like in canon they are The One for each other since forever. they have some surface level crushes here and there before they get together but it’s never serious or affects them.

naruto picks kurama when he’s a kid and mistakes it for a puppy. it is in fact a fox but like by the time he’s told that (an hour later) he has already developed affection so no one can do anything about it, that’s his pet.

neither has a driver license. sasuke gets too annoyed at the traffic and the people in said traffic. meanwhile naruto gets distracted all the time. naruto still has a car and drives it because he thinks it’s fun and since sasuke lets him get away with anything he’s okay with both dying in a car crash because naruto kept singing loudly.

naruto texts sasuke 24/7 and even if sasuke doesn’t reply to all, he does read them and remembers them. sasuke’s texts consist in these two emojis: 👍 and 💜

i disagree with the idea that either of them smokes sorry. naruto tries it once but sasuke says he doesn’t like the taste after he kisses him and it makes naruto want to kill himself so bad, he never again gets close to do it again.

yeah, they share toothbrush and all (gross)

they are super competitive over video games and it’s probably the reason of 90% of their fights

each of them has seen like ten psychiatrists through their lives but they never stick around nor follow any instructions. they are rawdogging it at life and it’s okay, they make each other happy that’s what matters

they get married at 18th on impulse. when their friends find out they disapprove and think it won’t last but they do! they never file for divorce or anything

these are all so messy but yeah i can’t see narusasu being normal in any setting, they also don’t want to be normal

[general--winter]

How Genin Naruto, Sasuke, Neji, Hinata, Sakura, Rock Lee react to going on a go mission in a long time and when they return the reader is waiting for them at the gate and is so happy that they are back that he hugs them and ends up knocking them down and doesn't let go of them for a while and stays with them all day. (The reader and they are in love with each other)

author's note: First post in a long time! I took a little bit of a liberty with some of the characters, but the general idea is there for all of them. It was a while since I got this request and I was working off of the material I had written in my Google Drive (and the majority of this request was written two months ago), so if you would like me to rewrite some of the entries please let me know. I can do that. For now, though, I hope you all enjoy!

rating: general

fandom: naruto

pairings: genin!uzumaki naruto x gn!reader, genin!uchiha sasuke x gn!reader, genin!hyuga neji x gn!reader, genin!hyuga hinata x gn!reader, genin!haruno sakura x gn!reader, genin!rock lee x gn!reader

word count: 2038

summary: Greeting the genins when they come back from a long mission!

Uzumaki Naruto

When returning from a week away, Naruto is dorking out to Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi about how he totally helped out when the enemy was attacking the three of them. Sakura gets in a word about how he was tussling with cats, not enemy shinobi, before you leapt off a roof onto Naruto’s back.

The unexpected piggyback ride leaves him stumbling and bristling, screaming, “WHO IS THAT?!” In response, you lock your legs around his torso and grip his shoulders through the flailing, giggling like a maniac. When he hears your laugh, Naruto whips his head up to get a glimpse of you and… well… this has the result you’d think it would.

The back of his head slams into your nose and you release your grip, the two of you now nursing matching wounds as the rest of Team 7 stands off to the side watching the show with deadpan expressions.

“What was that for, Uzumaki? I was just trying to say hi!” you would quip, pointing a finger from your free hand at him, your other pressing into your face to quell the pain.

“It’s not MY fault that I was ambushed!” he would yell, pointing back at you. At this point, you two were attracting the attention of the civilians and Team 7 needed to drag you two away forcefully.

After the two of you calmed down, you ended up apologizing for scaring Naruto with your silly prank. He laughs it off and accepts, saying it was an accident and that it was pretty funny and harmless in the end. He even offers you another piggyback ride around the village, this time without the headbutting, which causes your heart to beat a little faster as you accept.

Uchiha Sasuke

As usual after returning to Konoha with Team 7, the only people to greet them at the gate were Sakura’s parents. Naruto darted off to… wherever the hell he goes to cause mayhem, while Kakashi simply vanished into the air, leaving Sasuke to make his way home alone. To the empty Uchiha compound. He always took the long way.

However, this particular day, it seemed that he had a shadow — you. Sasuke knew you’d been following him since about halfway through his walk home, when he spotted your ninja garb through the crowds swiftly taking cover in an alleyway. Half of him was always irked by your insistence that you spend time with him. Didn’t you have anything else better to do? But the shameless part of him, the one that yearned for a friend, was thankful that you took the time out of your day to be with him despite his prickly and cold attitude. Besides Team 7, you were the only one that ever kept trying; only you could possibly understand the motives behind that decision. Does he feel guilty about it? Yes, damn it, he does. He should be focused on his goals, not whatever the hell this is. Something in him is healing, though. And tells him to let you in. Just a little bit.

On the threshold of the compound, you stepped from Sasuke’s peripheral and appeared with a bag of treats. “Hey, Sasuke!” you greeted with a wide smile. “I saw you got back while I was out in the markets,” You noted the scrapes and bruises over his body, as well as the state of his clothing and his sour expression. “Rough mission?”

He would respond with an affirmative noise, taking the bag from your hands and leading the way to his house. There, you would chew his ear off with stories about your training and small missions while he sat in silence, sharpening his dull kunai and shuriken from the mission. The rest of the compound may have been haunted by the ghosts of the massacre, but right now, something in Sasuke felt a little bit at ease in that household for the first time in years as you and him munched on junk food together.

Hyuga Neji

The second that you get word that Team Guy is expected to return from their long-term mission, you plant yourself at the gates to welcome them back. They must be far away, however, since you’ve been lounging with the guards for way too long, playing cards and gossiping about practically every other shinobi in the village.

In the blink of an eye, one after another, two flashes of green speed through the gates, leaving clouds of dust billowing. The draft from, assumedly, Lee and Guy’s movements, sent the cards from your game of blackjack spiraling into the air. The chunin assigned guard began lunging for everyone’s cards to get an upper hand, leaving you to struggle for just your own. You had a damn good hand, too! At least you thought? Of course this would happen…

Tenten shot by soon after, begging for her sensei and team mate to “please stop this nonsense”. It barely occurred to you, though, that the one person you were looking for was still missing as you lunged and grabbed for your cards. Your vision had tunneled up with your head, your gaze flickering to the… Huh? Where your cards were once fluttering in the air is now only blue sky.

“Hey!” you shouted, whipping your head down and around. “Which one of you took my cards? Picking on the genin, are you? How—”

“I have them right here,” a voice snarked from your left, putting five fanned-out cards right over your field of vision. “You should probably fold soon. You’ve only got seven out of twenty-one. Unless you’re the one that bet that entire pile of chocolate.”

“Neji! You’re back too!” You snatched the cards from his outstretched hand and turned to the regrouped chunin, throwing your cards down on the dirt face-up. “I fold.” In one fluid motion, you turned and took Neji’s wrapped forearm in your hand, taking him into the streets of Konoha. He opened his mouth to complain, but not before you shut him right up with a wide smirk, telling him this is exactly what he advised.

Hyuga Hinata

Daring not to sprint with the delicate pastries in your grasp, you walked hastily towards the main entrance of Konoha. Team Eight was supposed to already be there. Have you missed them? Maybe Kiba held them up somewhere along the way following some random animal’s poop scent for a prank. That situation would certainly not be ideal, but at least you would be able to see Hinata the second she got back to the village.

Unfortunately, you seemed to be a little late as you caught her in the shadow of the shopping crowds. You approached in her direct view and waved to make sure she wasn’t shocked too much. But you still enjoyed the slight flush of her cheeks and little smile that you could only catch if you were truly paying attention to her.

“Hinata!” you called, handing the box to her as she whispered a greeting in return. “I got you these pastries! I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go find somewhere around to hang out and eat them with me?”

“Oh!” She reached out and snatched the offering with a swiftness you didn’t know she possessed. Still holding it out, Hinata bowed to you with a small “thank you!” coming out before she panicked and took off with an air of sorrow. What you didn’t see was her blush shoot up to her ears and down her neck.

“Ah! No, I wanted to share them!” you sighed with a laugh, beginning the chase. I wanted to spend time with you! Hinata does, too. She just needs a minute to get that darn blush off of her face! Though, when you do catch up with her and sit down, you note that her ears stayed red the rest of the day.

Haruno Sakura

Sakura really wasn’t sure what the heck all of the petals were for. She was initially shocked senseless when her parents weren’t there to greet Team Seven. Everyone milled by like they didn’t exist. Naruto wanted to drag everyone to Ichiraku’s, but being tired of his nonsense after the past week, Sakura allowed her attention and stride to wander away from the group after giving a half-hearted farewell. When she rounded a corner, a cherry blossom petal in the breeze caught her attention.

She thought it wasn’t even cherry blossom season. Was this a genjutsu? Or maybe they were fake. Determined now to find out, Sakura began to follow upwind, the direction from which the petals came from. The further she worked into the forest, the more she was convinced it was a genjutsu — she could smell the cherry blossom. Her hand twitched over her kunai strap as she worked her chakra network overtime to disrupt the illusion.

Awaiting at the destination was what seemed to be a massive pool of the pink petals. If Sakura wasn’t convinced this was some sort of trap, she would be in awe of the beauty surrounding her. A completely normal summer forest with a pocket of spring right here.

“You won’t find any disruptions in your network because there’s no genjutsu.” You rounded a tree trunk, a picnic basket in hand. “I just wanted to get you away from your team for the rest of the day. You’ve probably had more than enough of them.”

“Oh my gosh. Oh my GOSH. You are the best!” Sakura squealed, jumping down from the trees, hugging and twirling you.

You invite her to sit on the blanket of petals you set up, preserves you managed to purchase with your savings from Ino’s family’s store. (Of course, you’d never tell her that.) It seems like you’re able to guess all of her favorite foods and drinks as you whip them out of the basket comedically, pretending to summon everything like a magician.

Until sundown, the two of you are able to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the quiet ambiance of the surrounding forests of Konoha, the only noises being your uproarious laughter and soft gossip breaking just over the static of the leaves in the wind.

Rock Lee

(The same beginning situation as Neji’s, so if it’s familiar, that’s why!)

The second that you get word that Team Guy is expected to return from their long-term mission, you plant yourself at the gates to welcome them back. They must be far away, however, since you’ve been lounging with the guards for way too long, playing cards and gossiping about practically every other shinobi in the village.

In the blink of an eye, one after another, two flashes of green speed through the gates, leaving clouds of dust billowing. You take off after them across the rooftops without thinking, wanting to greet Lee. Vaguely behind you, you can hear Neji and Tenten yelling at them to stop, that their race was supposed to be over at the gate. It took a good few moments before they actually were able to pump the brakes and de-accelerate, kicking up the dirt road.

You, however, purposefully ram yourself into Lee’s back from above like a hawk, giving him a hug that almost puts him out on the ground. “Welcome back! I missed you,” you yell, interrupting his argument with Guy-sensei on who stepped over the threshold first. He greets you warmly after recovering from the shock, returning your hug with just as much vigor. “I am sorry for leaving for so long, but we are back!”

“Ah, how wonderful youth is!” You forgot that Guy-sensei was right there, so you withdrew, a bit bashful. “Let me ask you, young (Y/N), who did you see enter the village first? You were there, right?”

You confess that in all honesty, you were not focused on that at all, just the fact that your friends were all back. At this point, Tenten and Neji catch up, ready to give the lecture of a life. Which is why you’re not surprised at all when your ride spins around and takes off to avoid the scolding, laughing and trying to figure out where the two of you want to lead them for a post-mission meal.

[team7-headquarter]

One thing I love about Team 7 is that they're all bitchy and can be pretty cruel with their words when they want to.

Most of the Konoha-12 teams have at least one member that's gentle and softens the abrasive effect of the other members of the team: Hinata, Choji, Rock Lee... Don't get me wrong, they can be bitchy sometimes.

Sometimes.

The interesting thing about Team 7 is that they are all assholes. Looking back at the Classic, none of them had friends, not really. Maybe a rival, but a friend? They were lonely and stubborn and stupid to no end. Kakashi told them first thing first he hated them and as much comedy as it was, I think it was a reference to this.

They were mean. It you ask me, the role of the gentle teammate goes to Sasuke. Putting his quest for vengeance aside, he tried to be respectful as much as he could, had a good relationship with both Naruto and Sakura, he even kept his mouth to himself most of the time if unprovoked.

If he hadn't had so much trauma, maybe in one of the not massacre aus, I bet he would have been the softer of the three. Because Sakura tries to play the part, but it's never specified why she feels she must keep her personality locked inside her head. Naruto is sweet too, but he has no filters and there's no way his honesty wouldn't be a problem.

Then comes Sai and really? It's a combination of Sasuke's trauma and Sakura's personality and Naruto's bluntness. He's genuinely so so funny because he fits Team 7 so perfectly.

They were giving people mean nicknames and rejecting suitors based on their looks and eccentricity and calling out people on their trauma like???

The biggest menace was their mouths and their judgy tendencies.

[welkinsky]

Naruto Shippuden | Calling The By Their First Name

Requested By: @nanahatsugun <3 thanks for the ask!

Part 1: Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke & Shikamaru

Neji

The guy ALWAYS has a cool demeanor and is rarely ever fazed by anything.

But this one time you two were training and he was teaching you a new move. What he loves to do is play around with you until you're super frustrated. Playfully of course.

But this time he took it too far. "Are you done?" you asked with a straight face to which he chuckled and said, "Yea yea now let's get to real training." But he tricked you again!

"Neji Hyuga!" You said standing back up. If you were not facing him you would have never realized the effect that it had on him. He completely froze for a second.

You never call him by his full name and are always sweet to him. And THAT is when he knew that he fucked up.

You couldn't hold in your laugh though heh it was too funny. Plus, you kinda felt bad for him. He never admits it when you tell the story to others and would pout a little when you do.

Itachi

Your relationship with Itachi is very mature & understanding to the point that you two rarely ever fight. It is always a discussion when any of you feel something is off and you get it sorted.

And since you both were away on missions most of the time you don't get to be together in the first place so when you do, you want to make it as good as you both could.

You both decided to meet in a nearby village to Konoha as your path were crossing in the missions. The decided time was afternoon but he didn't come, the evening went by and the night came and you were worried plus super frustrated because your partner was bugging you to move on with the mission.

As you sensed his Chakra and realized he was here you shouted "Itachi Uchiha you better have a good explanation."

He brought some flowers that he picked on the way which he dropped, lol he was so scared. You were the only one who can scare the shit out of the best of the best from Konoha.

Later he told you that he went to check on Sasuke and some of the leaf village ninjas got in the way so he had to fight a little. 

You felt bad later but didn't miss the chance to make fun of him later for his face was as still as a stone because of fear.

Not so much to your surprise he, of course, laughed along and admitted that he WAS scared for his life and genuinely haven't felt this in quite some time now.

Obito

He absolutely smothered you with love and had just the type of affection type that you wanted. A mix of physical touch plus an act of service. But he sometimes went too much with the act of service to the point you'd feel guilty about it.

You did tell him that it made you feel this way and he promised that he'll take care of it the next time.

This one time you told him that you loved this flower that you saw on the outskirts of the rain village when you were on a mission.

The next morning you woke up to your room FILLED with those flowers.

"Obito Uchiha" you shouted from your room assuming he was around somewhere. He got anxious thinking he did too much again.

You heard a weak "yes" from the kitchen. When you didn't answer he peaked from the door with just one eye peeping out.

"Come here" you demanded not facing him but the flowers. He figured that he went too far again.

But when you turned with tears in your eyes. He was relieved a little to know that they were tears of happiness.

Shisui

Shisui was the kind of guy who never really gave you any reason to be angry. You mention something once and he'll never do it again.

And your friends were huge fans of his. It was as if they kept tabs on him more than YOU did which was just funny to you at first.

But then it started to get annoying. They'd surround him taking nonsense and in their fake high-pitched voice when he was around.

He already was busy most of the time and never really got any time and whenever you two would hang out they will show up.

This one time it happened again. You waited, 10 mins passed by, 15 mins passed by and you were losing patience now. But you kept quiet because you knew that he was KIND OF a hero of this generation as he was so advance and people were fond of him, especially ladies.

But man oh man they were getting way too close. "Shisui Uchiha," you said as loud as you can making everyone go silent.

"I think we should go," he said bowing to everyone and taking your hand.

He started apologizing but before he could go any further, you stopped him. "I just wanted to get away from there, heh I'm not mad at you or anything," you said genuinely smiling.

Because with his politeness you two would be there for the next hour as well.

He let out a sigh of relief although he did say that you scared the shit out of him for a second there.

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

Thanks For Reading and for the ask too <3

Naruto Shippuden Masterlist

If you liked it you can check out the masterlist too!

Asks are still open if you have any other ideas as well ;)

[dxkk1104]

From me to you

Wax dripped onto the table, decorating it with more and more patterns. Sasuke sat in the room he had rented for two nights, embraced by an inner silence and serenity. Outside the window, the wind blew, moving the wooden ornaments, which made pleasant sounds that reminded him of the melody of one of the lullabies his mother used to sing to him when he was young. 

His face was illuminated by the flame from the candle, creating shadows on the wall. His hair was still wet from his earlier bath. He had been wandering around the Land of Fire for a few days, visiting places he had been before. His trip had taken on a nostalgic tone, which he liked. To come to terms with himself, he also had to come to terms with the places where he was fighting a battle with his head and thoughts. 

He took another envelope out of his bag. He had been reading letters from Sakura for over an hour. He had been collecting them all for six months, but he was not yet convinced enough whether he should answer them. He was afraid...

His fear might have been unfounded, after all, Sakura had assured him so many times that he was important to her, even more important than others, but he had this overwhelming fear inside him for some time that everything was changing and her feelings might as well. The only thing that kept him believing that when he returned she would fall into his arms was her signature at the bottom of the letters. It always was - Your Sakura.

But for that to happen he had to start writing her back. 

Without thinking about it any further, because he finally didn't need to hide his feelings inside himself, he took out his notebook and tore a sheet of paper from it. He leaned over the table and began his letter, pouring onto it all the thoughts that were now coming to his mind.

'From me,

I'm glad to hear that you're doing well. I'm also glad to hear about the changes in Konoha. 

It's been a while since I started my trip. I apologize for not writing earlier, but I've been busy. Through seeing beautiful places, one loses track of time.

Now I'm on the border of the Land of Fire in a village where we once had a mission. You probably don't remember it well, but it was memorable to me. Everything here reminds me of all of you. And especially about you, Sakura. I wish you could see it through my eyes. 

I have a tree outside my window with cherry blossoms growing on it. I like to look at them.

You don't have to worry so much about me, I eat well and sleep well. I feel better than ever.

Next time I'll send you something better along with a letter, but for now I hope you'll be satisfied with this dried flower. I carried it with me for some time, until I found another cherry tree. Tomorrow I'll pick another flower and carry it until I find another one.

Take care and don't overwork yourself. Write as much as you want. I enjoy reading your letters in the evenings before bed.

Give Naruto and Kakashi my greetings. 

To you,

Sasuke'

[amethystamaranth]

Sasunaru Fic Recs

1. Before Today is Over by oshit, T-rated, 12k

Given summary: Above him, Sasuke leans over the edge of the pier to watch. Naruto hears him laugh and even with his face draped in shadow, he can imagine Sasuke’s cheshire grin, eyes crinkling with mirth. He feels Sasuke smiling at him. Naruto would pluck every star from the heavens to keep that feeling.

My summary: post-war fic with getting together, ft. letter writing and a day spent in a seaside town

2. Homesick for a Mountain’s Song by kintou, M-rated, 51k

Given Summary: Sasuke tries to get away from the world by buying an abandoned house on a mountain. Naruto, tired from his long days in Konoha, gets a little too excited about growing vegetables in Sasuke's garden. 

Notes Summary: This story will mainly be Fluff or Hurt/Comfort. Just boys being soft on top of a mountain. There will probably be some dealing with trauma going on, since living on top of a mountain gives a man a lot of time to think. Anyway, I'm just a sucker for farmfics, and I think stoic Sasuke would fit in very well with all of these rough farmers.

3. Two Moons by iluxia, M-rated, 11k 

Given summary: Paths diverge after the Fourth War, in this new world Naruto works hard to build. He holds his highest dreams within his hands, but is he happy? [ Picks up post-Kaguya, some elements of Boruto & post-700 but not entirely adherent.] 

My summary: post-canon fic where Naruto at long last discovers what (who) truly makes him happy, and consequently has a midlife crisis over it, fix-it fic

4. Syzygy by glassedplanets, T-rated, 31k 

Given summary: In which Sasuke comes home, an errand needs to be run, several people tell him things, and he realizes just what home really is, for him. 

Tags for my summary: Reunions, Homecoming, Canon Divergence, Not Epilogue Compliant, Post-Chapter 699 (Naruto), Fluff, Mutual Pining, Happy Ending

5. Kizuna Hikari by YoungAndOverIntelligent, M-rated, 204k 

Given Summary: The only reason Sasuke keeps coming back to Konoha is because of that mattress. The bed is his only respite. And perhaps the dumbass who owns said bed might be worth it, too. 

Or, another canon divergence 699 that showers Sasuke with too much (deserved) love and attention that we all need for these unprecedented times. Title means "Bonded Light". It'll make sense when you're about 100K in 

My summary: There was only one bed, chakra sharing, adopted cat, so much happens it’s 200k long but it flies by it’s so good

6. Rebuilding by KinomiAkai, E-rated, 25k (and anything and everything by them!! Seriously binge read all of their Naruto fics they are all amazing I had such trouble just picking one!!) 

Given Summary: Sasuke has spent every day since the war’s end trying to rebuild. It's a good thing Naruto has been doing the same, isn't it? 

My summary: Naruto’s been working himself to the bone trying to make Kohona into a place Sasuke would like to call home, when Sasuke notices and decides to help him in his endeavor--cue a developing relationship get together!

7. Everybody Knows That You Cradle the Sun by Kyxxie, 17k, E-rated 

Given summary: “Y’know—before mom passed—she used to tell me about my dad. She'd tell me the kind of person you wanted to end up with, someone you kept around. She'd tell me about opposites, about calming the other one down and bringing them back up, about how they'd do the same for you. She'd say that you wanted someone who remembered things about you, not just the big stuff. Mundane shit that doesn't need to be remembered, but they do anyway. She'd say 'keep those who chronicle your life because it's theirs, too'." 

OR 

Naruto challenges Sasuke to a game of “who knows the other person better”. Sasuke panics when he realizes that he might be the winner because what in the actual fuck does that mean? He doesn’t know. Naruto tells him.

8. The Moon Will Sing (I Loved You Like the Sun) by FlowerCitti, E-rated, 18k

Given Summary: Sasuke comes back to the village after a few months away. (Or, Sasuke realizes that Naruto is more of a home to him than Konoha ever was.) 

My Summary: Post-canon, Naruto trying to make Kohona a home for Sasuke, in the process he overworks himself, getting together

9. Armistice by surveycorpsjean, M-rated, 15k 

Given summary: Sasuke is still here. Or maybe; love hasn't passed them yet. 

My Summary: Post-Boruto movie fix-it fic, getting together, AU where Naruto gets married (then divorced) but Sasuke never does, lovely conversations

10. Komorebi by saltedpotato, M-rated, 68k

Given Summary: Komorebi: A Japanese word for the way sunlight filters through the leaves of a tree canopy His responsibilities to the world fulfilled, Naruto Uzumaki takes Sasuke Uchiha and disappears from the public eye, letting the world readjust by itself in the aftermath of the Fourth Shinobi World War. Follow along with a series of windows into the lives of two boys as they relearn what they mean to the world and what they mean to each other.

Enjoy <3

[sueske]

Let's look at all the times Naruto and Sakura have 'chased' after Sasuke.

Part 1:

Sakura knows that Orochimaru is the one Sasuke will go to in order to seek out more power from. She had her doubts about whether everything would be okay or not after witnessing what Orochimaru's mark did to Sasuke and everything else that happened during and after the Chuunin exams, which is why she was on lookout the night that Sasuke left.

However during her confession she says that if Sasuke won't stay, she'll go with him. So actually she's 'fine' with Sasuke going to Orochimaru who is super dangerous, something she's witnessed first hand, as long as she can be by his side. Not once did she express concern over his safety while she was trying to get Sasuke to stay. It's about her feelings, how much she loves him, how revenge won't make Sasuke happy... or her happy. 

Meanwhile Naruto won't even entertain the thought of letting Sasuke go to Orochimaru, to such a dangerous place, highlighting the fact that Orochimaru is not someone who would be willing to give Sasuke power for free.

Part 2:

Sasuke and Orochimaru

So both of them want to save Sasuke and they're under time pressure because of Orochimaru's body transfer technique that they are fully aware about. So they chase after him. Even if they don't understand why Sasuke would go so far for vengeance, I don't think chasing after a loved one to prevent them from being taken over by a giant snake man is a bad thing. Even though both of them are obviously concerned for his safety, Naruto is the one who explicitly expresses concern over it, just like in VOTE1.

It's also here that Sasuke voices aloud the extent to which he would go to in order to defeat Itachi - he says he's fine with giving up his body, which we can see particularly weigh on Naruto's mind a lot afterwards.

Sasuke and Itachi

Naruto and Sakura find out Sasuke killed Orochimaru but that Sasuke is still set on killing Itachi. Again, they don't understand Sasuke's need for revenge here and still want to bring him back to Konoha (where it's safe). They couldn't reach him in time.

Kage Summit

It's when the Itachi/Danzo/Kage Summit goes down that things start to change drastically. Sasuke is marked as an international terrorist. There is a marked difference between Naruto's and Sakura's thought processes, and what they decide to do in regards to Sasuke.

So Sakura takes it upon herself to kill Sasuke for falling too deep into the 'darkness' because she loves him. The way she does it is bad, too. She tries to trick Sasuke into thinking she just wants to join him which he obviously sees right through, and then she tries to sneak up on him and stab him in the back (which she ultimately fails doing). Sakura was always kept at arm's length when understanding Sasuke, but chasing after Sasuke with the intent to kill him because she thinks he's too far gone in the 'darkness' is a bad thing. 

Naruto on the other hand is in disbelief with Sakura's decision of killing Sasuke, because he obviously loves Sasuke but would never fathom killing him. Naruto chases after them and thinks this: 

Naruto doesn't need confirmation about whether or not Obito was telling the truth about Itachi or not. Naruto says that he understands Sasuke's actions. In the end, Naruto's answer is to bear the burden of Sasuke's hatred and die together with him. And then after everything he says this:

It's not about chasing Sasuke anymore. It's about letting Sasuke come to him, on his own terms, whenever he's ready.

See the different conclusions Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi came to during the Kage Summit? The different actions they took after chasing him all this time?

VOTE2

So here Sakura is 'chasing' Sasuke to stop him leaving by saying she can't do anything for him. She can't see inside his heart (trade blows with him). She can only cry. But if there's a tiny part of him that cares for her he won't leave. Lol. 

She wants to go to the way things used to be because that serves her, not Sasuke, the latter of which very clearly wants a revolution. Lol. She's showing blatant disregard for Sasuke's wants once again, chasing after him with an empty promise of things going back to how they were. She should know by now things are forever changed and can't go back. Sasuke says it best:

He even puts in her in a genjutsu so she won't chase after him and get in their way.

Naruto chases after Sasuke because this is the promised fight between them from the Kage Summit. Just as Sasuke honoured Naruto's wishes, Naruto is honouring Sasuke's just like he said he would.

Post-VOTE2

Sakura asks Sasuke to stay because of his arm. This is strange to me for two reasons. Wouldn't have Tsunade asked Sasuke if he wanted one prior to starting the process or did she just assume he would? Or did Sasuke initially agree but all of a sudden make up his mind to promptly leave? 

Whatever the case, Sakura is trying to get him to stay a bit longer. Which would be fine from her part if it was just about the arm, but immediately after she asks to go with Sasuke! It's just like her first confession - If she can't get Sasuke to say, she asks to go with him. If it was truly just about the arm she wouldn't have asked Sasuke to go along, realising that Sasuke needed space. 

Compare that to:

Naruto didn't tell Sasuke to stay some more, or ask to join him. It's implied they had a conversation prior to Sasuke's departure, but Naruto clearly understands what Sasuke wants and needs. And they leave each other on a promise of finally settling things between them in the future, as opposed to a brotherly forehead poke that symbolises distance :)

Then in Gaiden we're informed by Karin that Sakura chased after Sasuke while he was traveling. 

So while Sakura and Naruto's motivations overlapped at one point, they branched off into different things. Naruto stopped chasing after Sasuke during the Kage Summit after he spent a lot of time rolling around in his bed and on the floor thinking about Sasuke and trying to understand him, going through his own character arc of revenge/forgiveness, and then ultimately waiting for Sasuke to come to him. In comparison Sakura chased after Sasuke to kill him. Even as a grown woman she chased after him. One is selfless, marked by an understanding and acceptance of Sasuke's wants and needs, meeting him half way and letting him do his own thing. The other? Selfish. Self-important. Constant pursual of someone that did not want to be be pursued. They are not the same. 

[rayshippouuchiha]

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

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

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

I'm sorry to continue to rant but

AND ANOTHER THING

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

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

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

~~~

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

[keithisbae1]

Baby Sarada's Adventure Part 3

“You three sure know how to make a scene, or should that be four.” Kakashi grinned behind his mask, and Sarada smiled perfectly innocently with a little halo on top of her head. She was back in the carrier strapped onto Sasuke. She did whine and made a bit of a fuss being separate from Sakura but after she cooed letting her know it was okay. Sarada happily listened to Mama. “Sorry Kakashi-sensei it was my-” “Ah, what did we say? Nothing is your fault, I won’t have my students being harassed.” The Jōnin lightly patted her head. Sakura let out a small smile appreciative, Kakashi was like a father figure to the three of them. He wouldn’t tolerate anyone messing with his students. “I’ll have to brief the details to the Hokage though.” At least to save any other future shinobi and kunoichi from dealing with the family.

“So that’s it for today, right?” Did this mean they could finally go home now? “My, my, aren’t you in a hurry? But yes when we arrive back at Konoha you can all go home. I’ll probably have another mission for you in three days, so be prepared.” It seemed someone was eager to get some sleep, deny it as he will Kakashi could see taking care of Mayumi was taking a toll on him. Sasuke was only used to looking after himself for most years, looking after another, let alone a baby would be difficult for anyone. 

“All right, now we can spend time with Mayumi-Chan!” Naruto cheered, fist pumping in the air. A bit too loudly startling all four of them. “What?” Sasuke glared at Naruto, he was joking, right? “Come on, you can’t hog her all to yourself. I want to spend some time with her too you know.” “She’s not a toy! And I need to put her to sleep, she needs more rest than us.” “Then she can sleep on the way home,” Naruto said as if it was a matter of fact like the answer was so obvious. That idiot. 

“I would like to spend time with her too Sasuke-Kun.” Sakura peered around him smiling at Sarada. She happily baby babbled reaching towards the young kunoichi. Sasuke gave a tsk annoyed again at how easily persuaded she was. “Besides, she’s your family, right? That makes her our family too, we’re a team now. Right, Mayumi.” Naruto also cooed kneeling down to face Sarada and once again she happily replied with baby sounds. As if understanding and agreeing. The three of them on the other hand stiffened, although he and Sakura were told about Mayumi, she knew there was less of a chance of her being related to Sasuke. Something Sasuke was still in denial of. Naruto seemed to think otherwise with how alike they are. “I don’t need anyone’s help looking after Mayumi, she’s my responsibility No one else’s, understand?”

This was the least he could do, right? After being so weak on not being able to save his parents, his family, and the clan. He could protect Mayumi away from harm. “Sasuke-Kun…” Sakura could see the guilt in his eyes. How vulnerable he was despite trying to glare and make Naruto back down. She could feel the tension, and wouldn’t be surprised if Mayumi could too, it was no wonder he had been overprotective of her earlier. However, then Naruto started… laughing? Or rather trying not to. What? “Pfft-” Naruto couldn’t contain himself. 

“What’s so funny?” “Hehe, nothing but didn’t you say Mayumi wasn’t her real name?” It took a while for it to click and again he glared at the blonde more annoyed. That’s what he got out of this? “Think what you like.” Sasuke turned around about to walk ahead in front of them. 

Sarada didn’t really understand what was going on as she wasn’t paying much attention, just turning her head from one person to the other as they spoke until they went up to her asking questions which she happily answered. Of course, she wanted to spend more time with Mama and the ‘idiot’ her Papa kept referring to him as. Although she was also confused as to why Mama kept referring her as ‘Mayumi’ instead of Sarada. Was it because she hadn’t seen her in a long time and had forgotten what she looked like? Yet Mama was always so happy to see her, maybe all was not lost. Sarada had to remind her she was her Mama. However, when Papa turned to walk away blocking Sarada from her view of Sakura she started to wail. He was going to leave her again. Weren’t they getting along just a moment ago? Why were her parents mean? 

“Haha, looks like your outnumbered bastard- ow!”

Naruto wailed when Sakura hit him on the head. “What have I told you about your language idiot?” “Why do you two get to call me an idiot in front of Mayumi? How is that fair?” At least the bickering eased up on all the tension Kakashi thought to himself. When Sasuke looked back down at Sarada she looked up at him with big puppy eyes and lips trembling almost like she wanted to cry again. “Why do you even want to hang out with these two?” The Uchiha muttered, he didn’t understand the baby, perhaps she found them fun to be around. I’m going to regret this.

“Fine!” Sasuke gave in which caused Naruto and Sakura to pause what they were doing. “Oi, seriously? You better not back out of this.”

“Yes, don’t make me repeat-” He didn’t even have time to finish his sentence before Naruto went running ahead of them. “Alright, team outing. Last one to Konoha has to pay for lunch.” The three of them just stood there and sweat dropped whilst Sarada giggled amused by his antics.

“Still lively as ever.” Kakashi mused.

“Does Naruto even know how to get home?” Sakura wondered out loud, he didn’t have the best sense of direction. Sarada looked up at Sasuke and then pointed to where Naruto went as if saying ‘are we going to follow him or not?’ Almost as if she understood what he said and didn’t want to be the last one. “Ah, your right. He’ll get lost if we don’t follow him. Wait up dead last!”

“Sasuke-Kun, don’t say such words in front of… Mayumi…” Sakura gave up seeing as he was long gone anyway. She crossed her arms with a huff, those boys. Did they have to make everything into a competition?

“You should go ahead, otherwise you’ll be the one picking up Naruto’s tab.” It wasn’t like their sensei was going to be coming along. “This is so unfair!” They had a head start, well maybe if she gets lucky, she can beat Naruto since he would most likely get himself lost… oh who was she kidding, they were long gone now.

“Oh, and Sakura.” Kakashi called out to her. “Don’t forget to talk to Sasuke, remember the sooner the better.”

“Right…”

Easier said than done but Kakashi did have a point. The longer Mayumi stayed with him that harder it will be to let her go. She wasn’t sure how she could convince Sasuke to listen to her but perhaps bonding and spending time with the two of them will help.

~~~

The two boys and Mayumi were waiting for her by Konoha’s gate. Sarada was just about to nod off to sleep before noticing her Mama, she let out a little squeal.

“Who got here first?”

“Who do you think?” Sasuke replied smugly. “This idiot didn’t know where he was going.”

“Hey! I did too, I was taking a shortcut.” At that Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Sure.”

“I was too!” As the two boys were glaring at each other Mayumi reached out to Sakura smiling away. The two of them were arguing nonstop about the winner before she got here so Sarada was bored. Not understanding what was going on. Seeing this Sakura took it as a perfect opportunity to steal her away.

“Well, while you two figure things out. Me and Mayumi-Chan are going to save our spots.” Sakura quickly picked up Mayumi away from Sasuke, she giggled in response happy to be with her Mama and it was only then did the two boys stop arguing.

“You okay with Sakura-Chan taking Mayumi-Chan away?” He didn’t seem too pleased last time. Sasuke merely shrugged. “I can’t stop her and if I do, she’ll probably cry.”

“Look at you being mature.” Sasuke chose to ignore that remark and walked off. Naruto was glad the two were getting along again.

~~~

Of course they ended up at Ichiraku, knowing their teammate there’s no other place he’d rather be. Not that it mattered as it wasn’t like either Sasuke or Sakura went there often. Sakura had already taken a seat with Sarada on her lap, she was again happily chewing on her hair whilst Sakura was trying to pull it away.

Sasuke took a seat next to Sakura and upon watching the scene carefully brushed all of Sakura’s hair behind her back, including the lock Sarada had in her hand so she couldn’t reach it. Sarada gave a little glare at her Papa for ruining her fun. Naruto arrived sometime afterwards greeting Teuchi and Ayame and took a seat next to Sasuke, so he was in the middle.

“Thank you Sasuke-Kun,” a light blush spread across her cheeks, it was an all too familiar scene for Sarada. Her Mama would usually turn a shade darker with whatever her Papa said or did. She didn’t really understand but was glad things were turning normal again. Perhaps they were no longer fighting now. Having nothing to chew on, she looked around fascinated by the place. It was a small place, but the smell was delicious.

“Ah, Naruto how are you doing? Oh, and who’s this cutie?” Teuchi turned to Sarada smiling at her, she hid her head bashfully in Sakura’s clothes. Usually, she was more sociable and loved meeting new people, but seeing so many faces at once can be draining. Besides it wasn’t like her Mama, Papa or the idiot were complete strangers to her.

“This is Mayumi-Chan, she’s-”

“It’s a babysitting mission.” Sasuke elbowed Naruto by ribcage, and he winced. Was he really going to blab about her being an Uchiha? It would be much too dangerous, then again, this was Naruto. It was unlikely that they would believe him. “Ah right, yeah. It’s a mission we’re currently doing. Nothing we can’t handle though.”

“Why am I not surprised, the usual I take it?”

“You know it!” Naruto grinned; his stomach gurgled in response. He couldn’t wait to eat. After Teuchi took in Sasuke and Sakura’s orders, the three were left to themselves.

“So, what should we do after this?” Naruto asked.

“We can always take her shopping?” Sakura suggested. It was more of an excuse to make her try on cute little dresses.

“I have enough clothes for her.”

“Ah ah, a girl needs more than just clothes Sasuke-Kun, and you have to find the right ones not just pick anything. She’ll need accessories too to go with them. Right Mayumi-Chan?” Sarada was still hiding but she peeked up at Sakura hearing her soft voice and gave a little hum in acknowledgement.

“She isn’t a doll.”

“But she’ll look adorable,” was it his imagination or did Sasuke and Sakura sound like two parents arguing about what was best for their child? Naruto shook it off, this was hardly an argument.

“I agree with Sakura-Chan, I think it can be fun. Then we can go to the park.” Although she was far too young to be playing on the playground, they could probably have little picnic and chill. It would be a nice experience for them as a team too.

“That sounds like a great idea Naruto,” Sakura agreed, and Sasuke sighed. There was no point arguing with these two and this was why he didn’t want them to have anything to do with Mayumi, now they’ll never leave them alone… and he was still using Sakura’s name for the baby.

Tsk.

“Here you are.” Teuchi placed the bowls in front of them. “Enjoy.” Naruto immediately dug in slurping on his ramen, Sasuke rolled his eyes at his behaviour. Sakura on the other hand looked down at Mayumi trying to figure out how to eat with her on her lap. Most likely she would try to take away her food and that would be dangerous.

Noticing her dilemma Ayame walked around the booth.

“Here, I can take her. You need to eat too.” Sakura smiled gratefully handing Mayumi over to Ayame. She looked at the woman then back at Sakura then to her again, her eyes grew big and watery as her lips started to tremble.

“Ah, don’t cry now.” Ayame started to panic, she hadn’t meant to upset the little one. Getting an idea Ayame sat at the empty spot next to Sakura. “There you go, she’s right there. She just needs to eat like her other two teammates, see?” Seemingly more calmed down now, Sarada’s hand reached over to grab Sakura’s lock which was now accessible but instead held it in her hand for comfort rather than putting in her mouth.

Sarada gave a big grin to Ayame who sighed in relief that she had managed to comfort the girl before she could cry and gushed on how cute she was. Sakura apologised on her behalf, feeling slightly guilty and was relieved that Mayumi was distracted enough so she could eat. Watching the three Sasuke couldn’t help but find it odd how upset she would get being separated from his teammate.

She’s way too attached to Sakura.

Perhaps there was something more than her looking like her Mama, could they really know each other? Still, he couldn’t quite place how. He was missing something, yet no explanation came to mind.

After Sakura and Sasuke were finished (Naruto still wanted another bowl) Sarada by now was used to Ayame completely forgetting about her lock and kept putting her hands over her eyes playing peekaboo with the woman giggling away. Teuchi had also played and kept Sarada entertained taking her behind the store to give the three of them a break. Well, he is a father himself. With her being distracted/entertained by them it gave him the perfect opportunity.

“Sakura…” This was going to sound crazy, but he needed to know so he could at least cross the idea out. “Do you… know her?” Hearing such a question Naruto almost coughed out his ramen and stared at the two in bewilderment. In what way would Sakura know little Mayumi-Chan?

Sakura seemed just as caught off guard as he did.

“Eh? Where would you get that idea from?”

“I had to ask,” he shrugged like it was nothing. “She seems… attached to you. Too much, the other day she kept pointing at you from the photo we took as team. Like she knew you.” Not to mention she would cry and throw a tantrum if she was taken away from her.

“I assumed that she mistook you for her mother.”

“You think I look like her mother?”

“Oh, that would make sense.” Naruto nodded agreeing. “I mean he’s right; she does cling to you and Sasuke too. If she’s mistaken, you two for her real parents it would explain a lot.” That may be true but no matter how much Sakura wanted to believe the Mayumi was an Uchiha, it just didn’t seem possible. Sure, maybe the two did look like her parents but not in the way Sasuke thinks they do.

“Do you really think-” Sakura held back her tongue, no it was too soon. They… she had to approach this gently on letting Mayumi go.

“Never mind.” Ayame then came back with Sarada.

“You’ve been summoned.”

“Bah, bah.” She reached her small hands towards Mama and immediately snuggled feeling safe and relaxed in Sakura’s arms. Perhaps she was going to find it hard to let her go too.

~~~

“Naruto are you sure this is the right place?” It didn’t look like a store, let alone one for babies. For one, there was no door and everything inside was empty. Sakura also had no recollection of such a store being here in the middle of Konoha and considering her and Ino went shopping a lot, if it was here, she would know.

“This was the place, maybe they’ve moved?”

“Ah, yes because that’s common.” Sasuke glared daggers at Naruto.

“I swear it was here, come on. You don’t think I want to help you find Sarada?”

“Boys, stop it! Now is not the time, not when our baby girl is missing.” She only wanted answers. Of how and where Sarada could possibly end up, no one understood what was going on or how she could get out but if they could find whoever sold the rattle to them, maybe they’ll have answers.

Right now, she just wanted to have Sarada in her arms again and never let go.

“Gee, what’s with all the noise.” An elderly woman came down the stairs, she had grey hair that was in a bun and was walking with a stick. Hardly someone who could be classified as an enemy, but they knew better to judge a book by its cover.

“Wait, I recognise you! You’re the one who sold us the rattle.” Although Naruto had tried to look intimidating with pointing his finger at her and glaring it was hard to do so as Boruto was currently sleeping in the baby carrier feeling completely relaxed and exhausted with all the drama.

“Oh, it’s you, I did try to warn you.” She walked away completely unbothered.

“Warn him about what exactly?” Sakura questioned; she didn’t seem the slightest bit fazed that they… broke into her home? Were they breaking in, I mean there were no doors but instead went inside to her what could only be assumed of was a kitchen to grab something to drink. The three followed and Sakura could only get more suspicious. It’s like she knew/expected them to come.

“About the rattle, I told him of the consequences. Whoever holds that rattle will end up trapped in the past.” She poured a glass of water taking a sip for herself.

“Er, yeah but I mean come on. That sounds ridiculous.” It did, Sakura agreed with Naruto and knew there had to be something up.

“What exactly are you saying? Look whatever problem you have with us, spill it out. It’s got nothing to with our daughter.” Whoever needed Ibiki when you had Uchiha Sakura. Sasuke knew it was most likely the stress and worry for their daughter, but he didn’t feel any malicious intent coming from the woman, if he wanted to, he could use his sharingan to get all the answers but didn’t feel the need it was necessary. It seemed more like a mistake. Bad luck?

At first, he was furious and wanted to kill someone however meeting and hearing all these strange explanations. Perhaps there was a mix up and knowing Naruto, he should have paid better attention. Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder giving it a light reassuring squeeze, he wouldn’t let any harm come of their daughter. Not if he can help it.

“What my wife means is, we’re worried of our daughter’s whereabouts. She’s missing and for now the only clue we have is this… rattle.” Her eyes soften, understanding of the two parents.

“I understand, like I said it’s a rattle that leads you to your past.” She then walked over to a cupboard to grab some biscuits and placed them onto a plate, offering them to her guests. They declined but found it weird that despite the circumstances that was given, it didn’t deter her on making lunch?

“But she doesn’t have a past, she can’t even walk or talk.” Sakura tried to make sense of the situation; how can someone go to their past when they themselves didn’t have one. I mean what adult would use a rattle? And who came up with such a ridiculous idea?

“And you two don’t?” They gave a puzzled look. Of course, they had a past. Hell, all three of them did but they didn’t understand what that had to do with Sarada?

“She may not have a past, her parents on the other hand do, so chances are whatever you two have been through. That’s where she is.” She took a sip of her water as the realisation came to the three of them.

Immediately dark thoughts came to their mind, of the war, Uchiha massacre, even the battles they’ve face from the Akatsuki and including against each other.

“Shit.” Sasuke muttered.

Regardless of where abouts she was in the past, it wasn’t one for their daughter to be in.

~~~

“Oh, she would look adorable in this one.” Sakura picked out a lavender dress, it had puffy sleeves with a bow. Sakura went to the dressing room to change Mayumi and upon seeing the result noticed the dress was tad bigger than her. Not by much but still noticeable. Mayumi couldn’t stop grinning, finding everything to be fun and amusing.

“Hmm perhaps not,” Sakura went to look for more clothing passing the baby back to Sasuke who was waiting outside the room. He couldn’t believe he let Sakura and Naruto drag him to do this, but Sakura insisted. Saying she knew what was best as a fellow woman and who was he to deny?

Perhaps he needed Sakura’s help more than he thought.

As Sakura was browsing, she came across a two-piece romper suit, the dress part was all red with cute buttons whilst the long sleeve was white with little red hearts over it. This was the perfect colour for her. Again, Sakura went to change Mayumi and it was a perfect fit, it suited her nicely.

Sakura came out to show the results to her teammate.

“Doesn’t she look adorable Sasuke-Kun?” He let out a hmp not caring.

“No, you’re right, she’s missing something.”

“Hey, hey! What about this one?” Naruto showed a very… bright orange shirt with matching shorts.

Very bright indeed.

“No way!”

“What? What’s wrong with it?”

“She is not wearing anything orange.”

“Orange is a great colour, I wear it.”

“My point exactly.”

“Oi!”

“Now, now you two. And I agree with Sasuke-Kun on this Naruto, orange wouldn’t suit her. She’s dark and mysterious like him. Red is more her colour.” Except Sasuke wasn’t wearing anything red, but neither mentioned it.

Luckily for them, it wasn’t like their entire past was filled with horror and Sarada was indeed safe.

If only they knew.

[riversimmone]

Three's A Crowd - Chapter 13

Summary:

SasuSaku. He didn't mean to kill that man. He had simply reacted to being attacked. And now Konoha is forced to hunt down the rogue members of Team 7, or risk open war. Eventual NaruHina.

XXX

Read from the beginning. This is a work in progress story you can find on tumblr and AO3 and completed on FF.NET.

[All tumblr posts will be tagged ‘Three’s A Crowd’ with their corresponding chapter for quick and easy access.]

Enjoy. :)

Kumogakure was situated in a range of mountains, earning the literal meaning for its name: Village Hidden by Clouds. Sakura wasn't afraid of heights, not really, but aside from the breath taking view, it left her feeling a little giddy. She had not anticipated the arrival of Kumogakure ninja to her door, so she'd only managed to grab her half empty bag before making a dash out the window. Her journal was in the bag, as were a number of clothes, but she was leaving behind other personal items too – a brooch from her grandmother on her father's side, her mother's opal pendant, her hitai-ate… not to mention her nebúkuro (sleeping bag).

That was a mistake. Leaving behind those items saved her life in the short term, but they had her scent on them, as well as Sasuke's, and probably Naruto's as well. It was an inexcusable mistake: one that was going to bite her in the ass.

Sakura followed the winding roads of Kumo and kept to the sides of buildings as she went, wondering what had happened to Sasuke and Naruto. They were late in switching shifts with her and instead of them, cloud ninja had come calling instead. She pulled the hood of her shirt out from under her jacket to cover her hair – dressed like a civilian, it was the quickest way to hide any identifying characteristics the ninja might already know about her. If Sāmu hadn't been lying, then the Raikage was looking for a pink haired Kunoichi, not a drab looking, sulking girl walking around on her own.

Of course, this only made her fears for Sasuke and Naruto heighten, especially at the sight of several ANBU squads passing nearby who sounded like they were rushing toward something. She glanced upward, toward the large blue building that housed the Raikage and turned away from it. The closer she had absentmindedly gotten to it, the more ninja there were. They were definitely looking for someone, and focusing their attention closest to the mountain peak on which the Raikage's Office Building was perched.

Did they think Kitsúne was in Kumo to assassinate A?

Sakura found it hard to believe anyone could be that stupid… except, it did happen. She made her way closer to the civilian homes and found an empty house to hole up in temporarily while she figured out how to find her boys.

X X X

It was almost sundown by the time ANBU guards returned to the waiting room to retrieve the Konoha representatives. Kakashi Hatake did not consider himself to be a politically minded man by instinct, though he knew the 'dos and don'ts' of that world and what to expect when walking into a diplomatic arena – with familiar or unfamiliar relations. With enemies, the situation was never predictable, but with allies, he could at least fall back on the treaty, even if he didn't personally put much stock in it. He could work the system to suit the needs of the mission, carefully though, to not arouse distrust. In the end, he would still retain whatever protection the treaty offered for foreign Shinobi, as long as he didn't start attacking everyone in sight. The treaty was just words on a piece of paper after all.

Figure heads such as the Raikage however, needed to follow it to the letter; and he did, despite his normally brutish nature. But he could theoretically push that blurred line between friendship and all out war, yet such a move from someone so publically conspicuous without provocation was a dangerous game. It made Kakashi wonder, as he walked the hallways, alongside Hinata, Shino, Kiba, and Akamaru, what it was that the Raikage had been expecting with their arrival here. Did he know about Kitsúne? Did he have information on the assassination of the fire Daimyo's brother? Would he be angry at their presence so soon after these peculiar events had happened?

Kakashi barely remembered what the Raikage looked like. It wasn't like he'd been in a position to memorise the features of that buffed up gorilla the last time he was here. A was a beast in appearance, with yellowish-white hair, a small moustache and beard, and the copy ninja often wondered if his roguish appearance was the reason he allowed the more erotic night clubs in Kumo to stay in business, even though all other ninja villages were strict about seedy establishments. Silently, Kakashi decided this Kage was a man who had trouble wooing woman without throwing his weight (or money) around.

Once they were bade to enter, A immediately noticed the only girl in the leaf team – it was rumoured he had a fascination with the goings on of the Hyuuga clan.

Once the etiquette of introductions and protocol for discussing their official reason for being here were over, the Raikage got right down to business. He sat in his chair, while an assistant took notes and two nearby ninja – Kakashi remembered their names were Darui and C – watched the leaf ninja carefully: said Konoha ninja remained standing. Finally, after talking for ten minutes about their treaty and the promises Tsunade had made to A when she had been officially named as the fifth Hokage, the bulking man voiced his main concern.

"I have been authorised by the Lightning Daimyo to extend an agreement with the leaf in conjunction with your Feudal Lord. This new treaty will include your assistance in tracking down rogue ninja in the vicinity of Kumogakure."

"And in return?" Kakashi asked, knowing the Raikage was trying to avoid a two sided deal.

A growled, gritting his teeth as he spoke the words the Lightning Daimyo had demanded he say. "We will withdraw the troops currently stationed on your side of the border to the land of rivers."

"Boss?" Darui asked languidly.

A stared angrily at Kakashi, ignoring Darui's concerns. "I think it's about time the leaf village put all their cards on the table. We all have our theories on who Kitsúne is, and they've assassinated the brother of your daimyo. They've also been spotted near Kumo, so there's no doubt in my mind they're heading here. Who would you think they're coming here to kill, copy ninja?"

"If assassination is their plan," Kakashi said logically, "then there's no telling. The skills and abilities of Kitsúne are unknowns, so there's no way of telling what kind of opponent they could be after."

"Spoken like true Konoha dogs," C snarled.

"Enough," A snapped at his blonde companion, who hastily shut his mouth and lowered his eyes respectfully. The Raikage clenched his fists, looking ready to pulverize the unruffled copy ninja. He wanted to pull the Menpo off the man's lower face and pummel that uncaring attitude right off of him. But this was one of the rare occasions where he was willing to admit that force was out of the question.

"You came here without intent to harm," he stated, keeping his voice low, "so I will show you the same respect. But make no mistake, you will help us track down Kitsúne, no matter who they turn out to be. I will send ANBU with you, along with C – an actual sensor should hasten the search."

"Is that really necessary?" C asked. He didn't trust Konoha ninja. And even if he wasn't allowed to attack them, did he really have to follow them?

"Yes," A said. "Split your team up Hatake – I'm sure you'll want someone from Konoha in whichever team it is that finds the criminals."

Kakashi nodded to his team. His gaze lingered minutely on Shino, whose response was a slight inclination of his head. He understood: Team Guy needed to be told of the situation. Wherever they were currently holding up, only Shino and his Kikaichū knew. And the easiest way to get this over and done with as quickly as possible was to split up, as the Raikage suggested. Hinata followed two Kumo ANBU, glancing back at her teammates one last time before they also found themselves partnered with unfamiliar and taciturn Shinobi of the hidden cloud village.

'Divide and conquer.'

X X X

Her time was up. Sakura left the civilian home once she realised its owners were back and was forced out of the area when a Shinobi patrol came close to her. She couldn't risk being found, but it was grating on her nerves, trying to figure out what to do now.

Then she realised: she was looking for the wrong trail. Instead of trying to find Sasuke and Naruto, she should've been looking for that informant of Orochimaru's, Sāmu. There was one place she knew that he would return to and that was the night club, Silken Heat. But this time, she had no intention of going in; keeping her eyes peeled for where Sasuke and Naruto might be lurking as they watched their target, she kept her hands in her pockets, shifting the bag on her shoulder uncomfortably. A pang of grief at the loss of the rest of her stuff cut at her, but there was nothing she could do about that, for now.

Sakura paused at the feel of familiar chakra. Before today, she would never have given this chakra the time of day. The Kumogakure ninja who had first gone to Naruto's empty room (she wasn't sure why) before knocking down hers, were nearby. She didn't hasten her pace – she couldn't without drawing attention to herself. The crowds were thinning and she tried to keep in the middle of them, but she knew something was wrong when several chakra signatures began converging on her position.

With nothing else left to try, Sakura ducked into an alley, created a shadow clone, and then waited as the replica of herself darted toward the nearest rooftop.

A feminine voice rang out. "I saw her, she went that way, hurry!"

The Kumo ninja searching only feet away from the real Sakura wasted no time in hurrying away and Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. Whoever that woman had been, she'd fallen for the trap and led the cloud ninja away. It was getting late again and she still hadn't seen any sign of Sasuke or Naruto. The idea that the Raikage had found them was looking more and more possible.

'Kami, please let them be okay.'

She went rigid, sensing chakra nearby again, her eyes going wide as she realised the owner of the feminine voice hadn't moved away with the others… she wasn't a civilian. She strode toward the slip of darkness between the two buildings and moved the crate out of the way. Sakura stared at her, stunned.

Two pearl eyes stared at her, not remotely surprised to see her.

Sakura however, was shocked. "Hinata?"

X X X

[riverjester]

In the aftermath of battle, of the village’s uprising against Gato, of Haku’s sacrifice and Zabuza’s mad last stand, of the first snowfall he had ever seen, Naruto’s mind was buzzing incessantly.

They spent another week in the Land of the Waves. While the bridge was built. While Kakashi and Sasuke recovered from their injuries enough to be able to travel. Sasuke had remained completely bedridden for two days following the battle. During the next six his ability to talk and walk increased in steady increments, but the rural doctor that had patched him up ordered him not to move too much, or else risk straining himself and setting back his healing. Naruto knew this mostly because Sakura told him.

Despite his efforts to bury them, they kept resurfacing: the sensation of Sasuke’s breath petering out on his lap, the sight of him standing up to wave at them and show that he was still alive, only to crumble like a badly constructed toothpick tower right afterward. He avoided searing into his retinas the image of this Sasuke too — weak, nearly voiceless, careful with his movements so as not to set his puncture wounds bleeding through the bandages — by barely seeing him. He spent all day running around, his small army of clones doubling the village’s workforce: carrying materials, running errands, doing small menial tasks. He left Tazuna’s house in the morning before Sasuke got up and returned after he had gone to sleep for the night, slipping in and out of his futon, next to Sasuke’s, with as little of a fuss as he was able, ignoring how he noticed that Sasuke wasn’t actually asleep every time. The construction of the bridge carried on far more swiftly than it could ever have before.

Sakura would come out at noon to whack him upside-down on the head and remind him to eat his lunch before he wore himself out. It would be a hassle if they ended up having to drag his sorry chakra-exhausted body back to Konoha, she said. She would stay for a few hours to help out if it was needed, or to seat by Naruto’s side as he took a break, breathing in the salty ocean air that was so different from Konoha’s. Afterwards, she would return to Sasuke’s bedside, an anxiousness to her eye, like she had to make sure that nobody had died while she wasn’t looking.

Naruto had wondered, after their first fight with Zabuza, when Kakashi needed crutches to get by day after day, but it didn’t fully sink how long it took — normal — people to heal until he felt Sasuke’s striking absence while Naruto saw this cursed C-rank to its conclusion. The thought flitted back and forth like an annoying fly: his unmarred skin, the heat that he had started feeling eating him from the inside at times, the itch of a wound closing itself up in minutes. He felt nauseous if his mind lingered too long on the reason behind it. Like he had been carved out of the embrace of normalcy and was being dangled helplessly in the air while he kept trying to walk among, alongside people.

So he strained his muscles and his chakra to the degree that Kakashi would allow instead of following that train of thought.

He didn’t think about how he had broken out of Haku’s ice-mirror prison. He didn’t think about what had happened before that. He didn’t talk to Sasuke because he didn’t know what to say, how to look at him. It worked well, it wasn’t difficult to keep the distance, since Sasuke always turned to look at the window or the wall if Naruto happened to enter any room that he was in.

Once, towards the end of the week, when Sasuke was well enough to move about, to walk without his knees trembling after a few minutes, he came out with Sakura and Kakashi for lunch. The four of them had eaten it sitting by the docks, away from the dust of the construction site. If it had been any other day, Naruto would have been talking everyone’s ears off, Sakura would either laugh or groan in annoyance and shove him whenever he said something particularly stupid, Sasuke’s eyebrow would twitch, and he would act uninterested, but he would occasionally make a comment with his dry-pan humour, or he would genuinely engage in the conversation if the topic interested him enough.

It wasn’t any other day, however. Sakura talked, a nervous undercurrent to her voice that betrayed how rattled she felt within the weird atmosphere, and Naruto answered in between shoveling rice into his mouth as fast as possible. Sasuke, surprisingly, hadn’t sat too far away from them, but he averted his gaze, uncharacteristically picking at his food. Kakashi observed them over his book.

Before Naruto could finish his bento box in record time, a clone skidded to a halt before them. “Boss, a couple of us fell and popped and we need more hands, everybody else is busy.”

“Ah, alright, hold on.”

As he put down his chopsticks and made the handsign to create two more clones, Sakura interceded, “You didn’t notice your clones disappearing?”

The three clones ran off. Naruto scratched his cheek. “There’s, like, twenty of them, I don’t really keep track.”

“Twenty?” Sakura squawked, like she hadn’t seen them running around every day. Maybe she hadn’t counted them, it wasn’t like anyone but Naruto could tell them apart. “All morning?”

He would have answered with a confident fox-grin that twenty clones were nothing, he could do a much more awesome number, but suddenly, Naruto noticed that Sasuke was staring at him for the first time in six days — frowning, baffled. Their eyes met for a second, and then they looked elsewhere.

“Yeah, just about,” he answered Sakura, weirdly subdued for himself — he knew, he noticed himself out of balance.

Snapping his book closed, Kakashi was suddenly by his side. “Are you pacing yourself?”

“I’m fine, I don’t feel tired at all.”

Kakashi hummed. “Even so. Cut it back to ten.”

Naruto groaned a protest. “Sensei. But this way it goes so much faster and we can go back to Konoha sooner! Doesn’t this count as training, also?”

“Don’t overexert yourself, idiot,” came Sasuke’s raspy voice from across their group.

He startled and his eyes fixed upon Sasuke’s face, who had gone back to eating his food, although his shoulders were tense, his movements mechanical. It was the first time Naruto had heard him talk since he had passed out from Haku’s senbon. His throat was mostly healed, but his voice still had a croaky, breathy quality to it very unlike his smooth baritone. Naruto disliked it. He disliked even more not knowing how to respond, when interacting with Sasuke usually wasn’t a thing he ever gave a second thought to before doing. His eyes skittered away and he rubbed the back of his neck, to assuage the need to do something with his hands.

The discomfort was palpable. Kakashi tried to cut through it, “Sasuke’s right, Naruto. If you want to practice while doing this, concentrate on a more precise use of chakra with your clones, not on creating more.”

Naruto finished his food, and with a hurried, “Alright, sensei,” he was off towards the bridge.

Sakura was weirded-out by their walking on eggshells around each other like this, Kakashi’s eye crinkled with something that Naruto could only describe as faraway constipation. Naruto simply couldn’t help the awkwardness. Sasuke would have preferred breaking his knee than be the one to break the tension.

So Naruto kept busy for the entire week, until the bridge was finished and everyone was healthy enough to walk all the way to Konoha. He spent his entire time running, and the night before they were to set out on the trek back home, perhaps because the end to the hecticness lulled him into his first deep sleep in eight days, the events of the battle against Haku and Zabuza finally caught up to him in his dreams.

When he woke up, he didn’t remember much of it. A maelstrom of movement, blood, ice, flesh, needles. A pain so sudden yet so profound that it could only burst forth as undiluted rage, chakra that felt like acid dissolving him from the inside out, a cocoon of unfathomable power spurring him to kill kill kill. He clawed his way through the violence, after-images of Haku’s angelic face after ripping his throat out with his teeth blurring into an undefined landscape of flames, debris, and corpses strewn about — vague memories that weren’t his own. And in the middle of it, a fallen teammate that would never rise again despite the monster that lived in Naruto’s veins going on a rampage for him.

He sprung up from his futon with a scream trapped in his throat and his eyes wet. He looked down at his hands, uncomprehending when he didn’t see his nails elongated into bloodied claws. And then his heart lurched with urgency and he turned to look at Sasuke, to check that his chest still rose and fell and the bandages around his neck remained white.

He found Sasuke already looking at him, propped up on his elbow, a hand reaching out, and his eye-brows furrowed. Naruto blinked his tears away and Sasuke’s hand went back to his futon, his expression neutral again, like a mirage dissipating.

They stared at each other in the darkness, and as Naruto’s heart calmed down and his brain processed that Sasuke was alive in the waking world, embarrassment overcame him. He was not completely certain of what his face was doing, but he guessed that he must have looked really stupid: cheeks wet, panting slack-jawed while he looked at Sasuke like he was drinking in the face of god.

He turned away and rubbed his tear-tracks away with his sleeves, muttering, “Sorry.” Saliva lingered in his throat as he struggled to swallow. “I, uhm…” he trailed off.

The quiet between them that he had previously been thankful for felt suffocating then. He considered murmuring a good-night and laying down again, but it didn’t feel right.

Finally, Sasuke spoke, whisper-soft like neither of them ever were, “Nightmare, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Hm.”

Naruto threw a look at the other two futons on the other side of the room. Sakura seemed to be soundly asleep. Kakashi might not have been, the bastard, but he hadn’t risen either. “Did I wake you?”

“You were gasping and moving,” Sasuke answered. His voice was mostly back to normal, although it was hard to tell when he whispered. “But you do that every night. Would it kill you to be quiet for once?”

Naruto acknowledged the jab for what it was — a lame, clumsy attempt at returning to normalcy — but he was feeling too raw to fall into their old routines. He just cringed.

At the lack of a whiny rebuttal from him, he sensed a growing air of discomfort from Sasuke, even without looking at him. There was a quiet rustle as Sasuke lied on his back fully again.

In the manga that he had read and the movies that he had watched, this would be the part where he was asked if he wanted to talk about his bad dream. He couldn’t picture Sasuke doing it, and Sasuke didn’t do it, so he guessed that his impression of his character was fairly accurate.

Well.

Except for the part when Sasuke almost died for Naruto the previous week. That was not something that he would have ever seen coming. Teammates were supposed to watch each other’s backs, but Naruto struggled to understand that Sasuke would go to such an extreme for him. He had asked then, why me? why someone like me? someone who hadn’t been worth anything to anyone before a month ago?, and Sasuke had answered then too, but it hadn’t been a very good answer.

The blankets were rough in his tight fists. Naruto shrunk into his shoulders as he asked, “Why did you do it?”

Sasuke replied after a beat, “I told you already.” He didn’t pretend not to know what Naruto was talking about. He probably suspected what the nightmare had been about, too. “I…” he began. Paused. Naruto looked at him; Sasuke was frowning up at the ceiling. “I just saw the senbon coming for you, and I… had to move.”

He spoke slowly, even haltingly. An echo of Sasuke’s last words before he lost consciousness came to him. That he had sworn not to die before he killed his brother — and yet he had forsaken that oath with a last plea for Naruto not to die too. Even if he had done it on impulse, it had to mean something. Maybe Sasuke was realizing that too.

Naruto thought of Iruka taking a giant shuriken to the back to protect him. He wondered if that was what having people truly meant. A choice that one makes before one realises its truth burrowing deep into one's reflexes. Blood and pain and sacrifice for those that he would call his own. Haku had said something like that.

Perhaps it was the night, the undefined lines of Sasuke’s figure in the blue-dark of this borrowed room kilometres away from Konoha, their third teammate and their sensei oblivious to them, that made it feel like he could voice the next question.

“Would you take it back?”

His fists trembled slightly in his lap, but his gaze didn’t stray from Sasuke’s face. He hadn’t realized how much he anticipated the answer until he had sought it. Sasuke looked at him, his eyes so black when they had been so red while he laid his head on Naruto’s hands and knees, and then he turned his face away.

Perhaps it was the night for him too, the unreality of this dream of a moment away from the daylight, that allowed him to say, “No.”

Something heavy grew in Naruto’s chest. He didn’t know how to name that emotion. He only knew that — if there was a world in which Sasuke died from an attack that he could have taken in his stead, that wasn’t a world where Naruto would want to keep living. Even if that was the only world where he became Hokage.

He moved to kneel facing Sasuke.

“Then,” he started, a forceful whisper that was too loud for the hour, but Naruto was too loud always, “I won’t die if you don’t.”

Sasuke turned his head back towards him with a jerk, eyes widened ever so slightly. “You…”

“And you won’t die if I don’t,” Naruto finished.

Sasuke blinked at him, at his posture in an uncommonly good seiza, shoulders straight, hands on his knees. Gazed into his eyes, that Naruto made sure didn’t waver.

“And if one of us does die?”

“We won’t.”

“You can’t know that.”

“We won’t, I won’t allow it.”

Sasuke huffed and looked away. One corner of his mouth twitched up nevertheless. “Usuratonkachi. That’s not the way of the shinobi.”

“I’m Uzumaki Naruto,” he announced, and Sasuke rolled his eyes and shushed him. “And I’ll forge my own way.”

The way Sasuke looked at him then was annoyed, but he was also smiling slightly. Almost — and Naruto couldn’t believe that the thought crossed his mind — fond. “You’re such a moron,” he muttered, even though Naruto was being completely serious.

For the first time in a week, Naruto began to feel the hot prickle of frustration that Sasuke always arose in him. But before he could complain, his teammate continued, “There may be forces that neither of us can beat, though.”

No traces of humour left. Sasuke’s eyes somehow gleamed in the dark. His mouth was a soft blurry line, set firmly. Naruto suddenly felt very unequal looking down at him. Sasuke must have felt the same, because he sat up, the blankets pooling on his lap, the white of the bandages on his arms stark with the moonlight coming in from the window.

“You really can’t control who lives or dies,” he said, somber, a knowing weight. “But,” he added, “if I die, you live.”

Part of Naruto wanted to argue back that he would beat any impossible odds. A larger, wiser part knew that it wasn’t an argument that he wanted to start with a Sasuke who looked at him like he did then.

“Then if I die, you live,” he promised as well.

That night, they made a pledge to each other. The next morning, Sasuke ditched the dressings on his wounds, no longer necessary. He and Sakura made fun of the name that Tazuna had given the bridge, much to Naruto’s chagrin, who had barely even been able to gloat about it. Team 7 made offerings to Haku and Zabuza’s nameless burial and then started the journey back to Konoha. Naruto and Sakura bickering, Sasuke ignoring them, Kakashi reading his cheap erotica. The sun shined. Naruto looked at Sasuke, and sometimes Sasuke would look at him back. They didn’t talk about it ever again, but the memory of that night stayed.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Something I find funny is that some people/fans say and actually think that Kishimoto didn't know what to do with Kakashi's character after the Pain arc (as if everything that comes after that arc was a last minute invention). It seems strange to me since at no point does the character make you feel that he's in the way or that he's unnecessary in the story. Literally, without him, Obito's revelation would have no weight..

Do people just read/watch with their eyes closed??? Kishi had so many things he had Kakashi doing

Kakashi was the leader of the tactical division in the war with Gai as his second in command

Kakashi was the reason Obito’s big reveal held any real weight. Without him Obito’s reveal would mean little and would have just been better to stay as ‘Madara’

Kakashi was the narrative foil to Obito. Kakashi was the one who lost so much but never gave up, where Obito turned his back to the world upon seeing how broken the system was and what that broken system cost him

Kakashi is the reason Obito got up to fight again, except on the side of the alliance

Without Kakashi Obito’s heart se all would never be destroyed. Chidori is the perfect move for that because it cuts and slices through the body. Naruto’s rasangan cannot do that and a one V One fight between Obito and Naruto wouldn’t have been nearly as meaningful/epic.

Without Kakashi, sasuke and Naruto loss to Kaguya. They were losing. They kept losing. It was Kakashi’s plan that finally allowed them to win.

Without Kakashi, Naruto approaches Danzo about Sasuke and probably gets thrown into a prison cell where he either has to sit his ass down or go rouge to save Sasuke. Kakashi took him out of the village against rules. Kakashi took him to the Raikage. It is because of Kakashi that Naruto got to plead for Sasuke’s life directly to the raikage

If Kakashi had not taken Naruto out of the village Naruto may never have learned the truth of the massacre and subsequently told Sasuke he was willing to ‘bear the burden of his hatred and die with him’

Sakura would have died. Multiple times but most importantly against Sasuke. It was Kakashi who saved her first. Even if Naruto saved her from that, Kakashi saved her from the ten tails attack that killed Neji, the lava dimension, kaguya curb stomping her. Without Kakashi, Sakura is dead.

Without Kakashi, Gai never would have hit his mark when he opened the eigth gate. It was Kakashi who kamuied away a piece of Madara’s shield so Gai could land his kick.

Without Kakashi Danzo becomes Hokage unchallenged, and Konoha is scrambling for a new leader after Danzo’s death.

Speaking of, Kakashi is the only Hokage (before Naruto) who is officially choices not just by those who would follow him (shikaku) but the other Kage’s who would work with him. Kakashi was suggested by Gaara and unanimously agreed upon by every single Sage as someone they could work alongside shortly after Danzo’s Bs was revealed.

Kakashi was made to do so much. Without him the story would be incredibly different. I know some whinners want him to be ‘irrelevant’ or ‘useless’ but he’s not

The story needs him

If Kishi actually struggled to figure out what to do with him, he would have made him a POW like he did with Yamato. He would have simply removed him from the story in some way, rather than giving him a meaningful important role throughout the war arc

[ikemenomegas]

Trick or treat! Happy Halloween Io! I don't know how this works but I'm dressing up as Naruto so please give lots of candy 😁✌

🍬🍫🍭

all the candy anon!! that sounds super cute, how about a naruto shaped treat?! Happy Halloween 🎃

When you went out with Naruto and the rest of the Konoha rookies, you had come armed with a little water bottle in your pillowcase, and the gratitude that each house you came to would be giving you snacks that would keep you going as long as the higher energy members of the crew could.

As the evening wore on, you'd lost your friends, one by one, to the night. Lee, surprisingly, had been the first to bail, citing an extra special Spook Night Run with Guy-sensei. Hinata had left with Neji for some kind of fancy function in a nice restaurant downtown.

And so it had gone. Ino, left to take her turn managing her family's festival booth, Choji and Shikamaru with her to pursue late night eats. Kiba and Shino had dashed off somewhere, bugs either chasing the dog or the other way around, you couldn't quite tell, but it seemed the quietest of your classmates was in high spirits with the fresh chill in the air.

Now, even Sakura was heading home since Itachi had come to fetch Sasuke back before their father's curfew.

"Are you sure you two will be okay?" she asked, as you and Naruto committed to getting a few more handfuls of candy into your bags.

"Sure, Sakura!" Naruto beamed. You nodded, warmed still by Naruto's enthusiasm.

"I'll see you for training tomorrow then, make sure to get some sleep," Sakura said, sounding a little tired as she waved and then turned back in the direction of her home.

Once Sakura had left, Naruto turned to you with a grin that made the whisker marks on his cheeks crinkle up. He rubbed his hands together.

"I guess it's just you and me now. Are you ready for the ultimate test of Halloween courage?"

You blinked at Naruto. "I guess."

Naruto flopped over and then straightened, gripping your shoulders. "You guess??"

"Sure," you smiled, his enthusiasm was bolstering your own flagging energy.

He shook your shoulders. "Come on," he groaned. "You have to have a little enthusiasm to beat the best kept secret obstacle course in Konoha. Kakashi-sensei was telling me about it. Apparently even he's never beat it."

You tilted your head. A training course even Kakashi-sensei hadn't defeated, impossible.

Naruto saw your skepticism and pulled you closer. You felt your chest warm. "And apparently the reward if you get through it? Free bowls at Ichiraku. And there's no limit on how many team members you can bring. It's too bad that there's only two but I think we can take it, right!"

A smile spread across your mouth. "Okay!"

Naruto sighed.

"I mean, yes, of course!"

Naruto cheered. "That right! Let's go."

You stared, nonplussed, and laughed at the dilapidated building on top of a small hill in one of Konoha's many green spaces. "Um... Naruto, are you sure no one's ever beaten it because the requirement is that you don't get tetanus during the obstacle course..."

Naruto looked up at the building, fingers on his chin. He picked up some cardboard kunai from a new looking table sitting beside the gate. Then he pressed his foot down on a patch of dirt. A silhouette sprang from the overgrown brambles and fell back down once Naruto peppered it with a few kunai, which thumped off. Of course, this was a ninja village, it should have a ninja Halloween decorations.

"Take some of these. I think we use the items given to us to get through the course."

You picked up some of the cardboard kunai, they were kind of cute , painted to be sort of cartoonish. "Alright, let's do it."

It was not difficult at first, but as you and Naruto worked your way through the overgrown gardens circling in a maze around the house, and then through the rooms and courtyards, you felt yourself get jumpy, and Naruto was too. There were strange sounds in the undergrowth, tripwires, secret doors, swooping, dusty sheets that fell from the ceiling, and mannequins that toppled from the closet.

It was a masterclass in traps, misdirection, and was truly testing the endurance of you and Naruto. You panted as you used an improvised bo-staff made from a mop handle to knock the fresh pumpkin head off of a scarecrow, and slumped over, your heart beating far too fast.

There was another rustle in the bushes. "Did you hear that?" you whispered to Naruto.

He jumped back to back with you, a set of cardboard spiked knuckles clutched in his fist. "Yeah. What do you think it is? Another paper ghost? Maybe those flaming tea bags again."

The rustling came again, from a direction slightly to the left.

You threw a paper kunai and the rustling stopped, and was now behind you. Naruto punched out at the air.

Then nothing.

You traded a glance with your companion, and then the two of you gradually stepped apart to test to pull on the next sliding door of the creaky house.

There was a crack. You looked around frantically and Naruto crouched, ready to spring. Another crack.

Then a CRASH and a section of the ceiling fell in, along with a screeching, furious ball of fur. A dark colored cat fell clawing among the debris of broken wood.

But it had surprised both you and Naruto and he bumped your shoulder, so you bumped the doorway, and another panel to the left sprang open to reveal a humanoid thing draped in tattered canvas swinging towards you.

You shrieked, and then so did Naruto, jumping into your arms as a second skeletal structure sprang up from the floor and rattled towards you.

Forget the tools.

You picked up Naruto and ran.

The other obstacles seemed to blur before your eyes as you and Naruto simply outran them, tears from the speed of the wind streaming from your eyes.

The two of you crashed through a red-painted door, and screamed again as someone else did the same.

A tall figure with disheveled silver hair was draped in a white cloth with red circles painted on it. One arm was poised to cover his face.

"Kakashi-sensei?" both you and Naruto panted.

You're sensei's voice came as the figure struck a pose, arm lifted. "How did you make it here?"

You and Naruto looked at one another and then back through the door. You could still see a few bristling traps bobbing on springs or dangling on string, their momentum lost.

"I thought you said you'd never beaten this place," Naruto points from your arms, accusing, while you say, "We ran very fast."

Kakashi-sensei readjusts something over his face and when he drops his arm, his mask is back in place. "I don't need to beat it if I make it." His eyes are smiling, and you suddenly feel like you've been tricked into training.

"Even the cat?" Naruto asks.

"No, there aren't any cats," Kakashi says, and then he sighs, in a thunderous way you vaguely remember from the bell test.

"Wait, wait!" Naruto flails, almost smacking you in the eye. "Trick or treat!?"

Kakashi-sensei smiles with his eyes and then deflates and holds up two meal tickets to Naruto's favorite ramen place. "Yes, yes fine."

Naruto cheers, stuffing one into his bag, which had miraculously survived the journey through the house, and yours, which he had with his in his arms.

Kakashi-sensei gave you a knowing look though, and you felt your neck and cheeks heat. It didn't stop you from carrying a chattering Naruto out of the house and back down the hill.

[dark-elf-writes]

Au where Hokage Naruto resurrects all the past defectors of Konoha and questions them about why they left because “only those scorned by the village know it’s most flawed parts. I intend to fix it for them, for my people, and for those that come long after I’m gone. No more broken friends, you know?”

I’m so upset I had such a long thing written and tumblr ate it like how rude.

Anyway

Cliff notes because I can’t remember all of it now

It starts where one might expect. With Naruto and Sasuke and a couple bottles of sake locked in the Hokage office for hours

There are bets on who will walk out alive

What no one expected when someone finally had the balls to open the door was the two of them on the floor leaning back against the desk passing a bottle of sake back and forth as they go over each and every thing that had driven Sasuke away. That kept him away

Everyone nods becuase of course Naruto would ask his friend about those things. That was only to be expected.

Then Naruto shows up on Orochimaru’s doorstep in a warn orange kimono with a sheepish smile and a peace offering of tea held out before the door could be shut in his face

He is very much expecting the door to be shut in his face

But orochimaru let’s him in.

No one knows what was said between the two of them but Naruto leaves with a smile and tear tracks on his face and orochimaru appears almost… human in certain lights.

Everyone else thinks that will be the end. The two most famous traitors in recent memory both being visited personally by the Hokage only

Then Naruto goes to the prison.

Then he finds other lesser known missing nin

Collecting stories. Compiling them.

Then things begin to change.