#konoha's cherry blossom

[generouskittensong]

So Sakura fans are trying to change people's perception of her and pretend she's famous. This Japanese user said that her birthday didn't even made it into the "for you" section and wasn't even trending at all. Sakura stans try to lie like they always do.

Translation:

"In the end, Sakura's birthday never made it into the trends in Japan. Probably, like last year, Sakura fans looked at the "for you" section and falsely claimed that Sakura's birthday was trending, causing a commotion."

[stu-dyingstudent]

One thing I love about Naruto is the use of ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arranging.

In the manga, Sakura gets Sasuke (and Lee) a singular daffodil while he spends time in the hospital recovering. She claims that in contrast to Ino’s declaration of love she feels Sasuke much better suits the daffodil. A resilient flower that flourishes all year despite the difficulties it faces.

Daffodils have many different meanings. Regard, chivalry, self love, a promise of a new beginning… when I think these varying symbolic associations I can’t help but agree with Sakura.

I’ve seen many fans declare that Sasuke’s eyes look like cherry blossoms, the sakura flower, but I disagree. His eyes are ones of daffodils. Sasuke learning the truth of the massacre, continuing to fight even after all of the troubles he’s faced throughout his life are proof of his persistence and strength. The way he was able to find himself again even after losing himself to revenge… He is just as Sakura said, a resilient man. He is one that I believe brings declarations of a new beginning with his hopes a making Konoha a place worthy of his brother’s sacrifice.

Just look in comparison of the two flowers to Sasuke’s mangekyou sharingan. His carry the same six petals and inner cup seen in daffodils rather than the five of cherry blossoms.

Tombirama himself proclaims that despite the clan seen as one fuelled by hatred they are really one driven by love. Love so powerful it consumes. Their sharingan being a representation of their heart. The way I see it, Sasuke’s eyes reflect his inner desire for change. They show not just his resilience, but also a promise that he will make a difference.

I suppose you could relate it back to Sakura as well… “patiently waiting for spring without bowing to the cold.” Sakura’s full name quite literally means “springfield of cherry blossoms.” After years of Sasuke living in cold, in hatred, once he was able to rise above his past grievances Sasuke was able to let Sakura, his spring, in. Perhaps you could say he was patiently waiting for love. Something the Uchiha clan holds deep.

[of-sand-and-leaf]

“I don’t know why you would think any different. This IS Naruto we’re talking about after all.” She answered dryly, knowing the antics of her adopted younger brother far too well. A snort escaped as she caught the movement out the corner of her eye.

Ami tilted her head slightly, one hand moving to tighten the Clan hitai-ate tied around her upper arm. Hearing that name caused her features to go neutral while she listened to him speak. Danzo still wanted her in ROOT but his attempts had stopped.

“…That would explain why Tsunade asked if I carried spare Firesword Clan hitai-ates.” She mused quietly, thinking back to the request that later came from the Hokage via Katsuyu-san.

"Of course he was." Kakashi mutters, thumb and index finger coming to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Naruto forgets that he too is one at risk, but it was never in him to put himself before others. Kakashi isn't sure whether to be proud or exasperated with his antics.

The question distracts him from his thoughts, and unease settles. There was one man who knew his location at all times, but other than that, most of it was speculation within the village.

"You mean besides Danzo and the ROOT?" He sighs. "I've helped some of the younger genin units here and there, as well as few of the traveling citizens. I'm sure the rumor has gotten around that I'm never far."

[pinkhairedlily]

sasuke's hawk has flown, a roll of a parchment cornerpiece tied around its leg. the message is a single word, sparse, straight to the point: "done".

he tastes the seaspray on his lips. the yellow and orange hues flicker on the unending blue oblivion, a sunset. they eventually turn into tinges of reds and purples, until the moon breaks into million pieces on the surface of the tides. 

has she seen the ocean like this?

and so he writes.

on the night he comes back, sakura asks a minute of his time. sasuke holds off a reply; she could take hours or days even. he finds that he wouldn't mind.

"do you take me for a fool?"

it catches him offguard. "what?"

"do you think it doesn't interest me—your missions?" she says. he stares at her, oblivious as always, and this must exasperate her more. "you intentionally keeping me out of the loop makes me feel like i never grew up in your eyes. they receive letters from you on the important things while i get—"

"they're important things," he replies, "to me."

It's her turn to stare at him, dumbfounded.

"the wildflowers at the mouth of the cave?" sakura asks.

"jugo said it's the only plant allowed to grow on it. they're poisonous, given the soil composition, but you might extract an antidote or something out of that."

she shakes her head. "the lightning festival?"

sasuke shrugs. "it's a force to reckon, seeing the villagers of mist bend the storm to their will."

"the ocean?"

"konoha is land-locked."

"cherry blossom trees growing," sakura continues, "sasuke, there's also spring here."

"they are two different springs." 

sasuke looks away, finding it easier to lean into the truth. "you are a well-recognized medical ninja. you sit in councils that decide important matters. you already know what i sent them. i just wanted you to see the same things i see. that's all there is to it."

"why?"

sasuke has no answer to that. it's merely an impulse, a stupid impulse. of probably a yearning of sorts. of seeing beautiful places and no one to write them to. of visiting foreign lands and wondering—wishing—she was with him.

it is a heavy confession, to which sasuke is unable to let go in naked honesty.

sakura sighs. "you know, that's a convoluted way of saying something."

"how should i do it then?"

"you'd start with, 'sakura, would you like to go to the beach with me?' "

[nardo-headcanons]

National Holidays in the Ninja Villages + Bonus

I've had this idea in mind for a while, and now I finally got to write it down. Feel free to use these for your own works. Please tag me so I can read em all! <33

Iwagakure: The Lunar Lights of Gratitude The moon has a special place in the heart of every Iwa citizen. To them, it is a part of the earth, now observing its mother body from space. So naturally, the spectacle of a blue/super moon is a special occasion in Iwagakure. To honor and greet the moon, which is actually called "daughter" in the earth country's language, large fireworks are organized every new moon after a blue moon. As previously established, the earth country's firework industry is the largest, which Iwa shinobi are very proud of. Lighting the sky on fire and turning night into daytime is the Iwa way of giving back some of the light that the moon gives us at night.

Kirigakure: The Moonshine Sea Festival Despite the rivalry between the land of earth and the land of water, there is one thing they have in common, which is their spiritual connection to the moon and space. To water country citizens, especially the fishermen, the moon is a protector and guardian of the night, along with the stars. They strengthen the their connection to their biggest source of both faith and fear: the sea. The special climate in the water country, combined with its great biodiversity give a great habitat for biolumescent plankton, turning the sea itself into a starry night sky. It is one of the only pieces of culture that has been preserved, since the celebration itself was founded by the water country's union of fishermen, who don't belong to a particular clan with a kekkei genkai; most of the kekkei genkai wielders in Kiri have been wiped out, along with their culture, traditions and religions.

Sunagakure: Winter's Return The wind country is often ravaged by agonozingly hot summers, sand storms and heat waves are not a rarity in this country. While foreigners might groan and roll their eyes at the thought of the return to cold, foggy winter days, in Sunagakure it is a day for celebration. On the day where the sun stays for the longest, in the middle of the year, a large celebration is held across the nation. The way it is celebrated is different from family to family, and every Suna family is convinced that their way is the right one. Typically, markets are closed the whole day, and any missions rank B or below are halted for the day.

Kumogakure: Whale Festival of Generosity During winter, whales can be found emigrating along the lightning country's coast line, towards the land of iron. This holiday once came to be to celebrate the whales emigration towards a more prosperous habitat to mate and provide enough food for their young - a truly generous gesture. Over the years, many kumo shinobi have forgotten the old tale behind this festival, and it has turned into more of a mere gift giving occasion. And yet, it is widely popular and celebrated throughout the whole country.

Konoha: Cherry and Plum Blossom Viewing In Konoha, Hanami is annually celebrated. It is a custom celebrating the transitionary nature of cherry and plum blossoms blooming in spring.

BONUS: Uchiha Clan Honoring one's ancestors and traditions is of high importance to the Uchiha. Every year, on a clear fall night, the whole clan gathers together to light up little candles using their katon. The tealights are arranged in the Uchiha crest and left to light up the night and the clan share the evening together eating dinner, drinking hot tea and praying at the nakano shrine.

That's all, folks!

[izakiisdead]

“B-BUNNY EARS ?!?!”

ii there's no romantic stuff in this oneshots, just happy moments with team 7 (excluding Kakashi)

ii likes and reblogs are appreciated <3

Requested by : No one :3

Genre : Fluff (SFW)

Team 7 x Bunny Male!Reader

It was a sunny day in Konoha. You were peacefully minding your own business drawing in your room since there's no missions which means its a day off for you and the team.

As you were drawing you heard a knock at your door, you put on a hat to hide your bunny ears and rushed downstairs. The atmosphere went from a house to a mochi and sweets shop because your house is connected to the shop that your family owns. You were a little confused why is there a customer today, the shop is always closed on Sundays.

You opened the door thinking it was a customer but it was actually the rest of team 7. You forgot that you were supposed to have a picnic with them. Your ears perked up which cause your hat to lift up a little. Naruto and Sakura gave you a huge hug while Sasuke just stand with his arms crossed looking at you. You looked at him with a confused face and he chuckled under his breath.

''(M/n) chan ! Are you ready to go on a picnic we planned last week ?'' Sakura asked with a huge smile on her face. You nodded in return, ''Yep !'' You responded with a smile as you patted both Sakura and Naruto's head.

''Please wait for a moment!'' You rushed back in, leaving the trio confused but that confusion turned into joy and excitement when they saw what you came back with.

''Here !'' You made a drawing and a candy for each of them but you didn't make a candy for Sasuke because he's not really a fan of sweets so you made him his favourite snack, onigiri with a side of fish and tomato.

You saw his face lit up a little and it soon went back to his usual expressionless face.

Naruto and Sakura was crying tears of happiness. ''(M/n) chan.... WE LOVE YOU !!!'' they said in unison as they pulled you in a tight hug.

''Its nothing... lets get going now !'' You gripped your picnic basket tightly before heading to the picnic's destination.

~Timeskip~

The four of you walked together, you in between Sakura and Naruto, Sasuke is beside Naruto.

As you three were walking Naruto decided to ask you something.

''Hey, (m/n) chan, why do you always wear a hat ?'' He asked while walking. ''Does it look bad ?'' You asked him with a pout. ''N-no it doesn't! I'm just curious why.'' He responded as quickly as he can when he saw you pout.

''Well... I dont have any reason to do so..'' You lied. ''If you dont have any reason then... can you take it off ? I'm curious'' Sakura said as Naruto nodded. ''I'm curious aswell.'' Sasuke stated which surprised You, Sakura and Naruto.

''W..well I promise its nothing, I just think hats are nice !'' You said, nervously. ''Guys, lets just leave (m/n) and his hat alone. Plus we're already here.'' Sakura said with a sigh as she was pointing to our final destination.

The four of you sprint to the spot and properly set ul the picnic.

You guys are sitting under a Cherry Blossom Tree because its pretty.

The four of you enjoyed the picnic, Sakura and you were happily conversing over food while Naruto and Sasuke were just bickering about who can eat the fastest.

Naruto stopped bickering with Sasuke for a moment which left Sasuke a little confused. He thought of something mischievous to take off (M/n)'s hat.

He sneakly climbed up the tree and prayed to Kami he doesnt die doing it. After he properly positioned himself, he’s said under his breath that he’s going to launch at (M/n) Sasuke looked at him confused.

When he finally launched himself, you noticed Naruto's shadow and since you didnt have much time to react his body fell on you, your hat fell off causing your bunny ears to spring out.

Sakura and Sasuke was shocked about what Naruto did. Sakura, as fast as possible made sure you’re alright and gave Naruto a whack on the head for potentially hurting you.

You watched the two, completely ignoring Sasuke who was right beside you.

“Bunny ears huh?” He said in his monotone voice as he tried touching it. You squirmed and your face went red when he tried touching your ears. That’s when you realized that your bunny ears are completely exposed. Sakura and Naruto heard your squirm then looked at you and Sasuke.

Their faces lit up when they saw you.

“B-BUNNY EARS ?!?!” Sakura and Naruto said in unison. They ran to you gave you a big hug which flustered you. “You’re so adorable (M/n) !!” Naruto said energetically. “Un ! Un! Why did you hide them (M/n)? You’re literally so cute !” Sakura agreed with Naruto for once (joking joking ww)

“W-well I thought that it’ll creep you guys out-“ You expressed. “WHAT ?!?!” They shouted which made you curl up your ears. “Why would we be creeped out ? We literally have Naruto here, you’re the last thing that’ll creep us out.” Sasuke stated as an irk mark appeared on Naruto. “YOU !!!” Naruto shouted. “What is it loser.” Sasuke replied which cause Naruto to get even more mad.

“Those two will never stop bickering will they ?” Sakura sighed as she puts her arms on your shoulder. “Mhm, at least our group is quite lively” You chuckled.

“(M/n)” Sakura sternly said your name which caused you to look at her. “if anyone bullies you for your bunny ears remember that me, Sasuke and Naruto will always be by your side to defend you!” Sakura stated as she puts her hands on your shoulders , you nodded at her statement. “Thank you Sakura” You responded as you gave her your signature closed eye smile.

-FIN.

AUTHOR’S NOTE :

I’m so sorry for the lack of posts, Ive been really stuck in a writer’s block and now I finally have the motivation to write :’P

Here’s some of my fav ss ! :

[laniuchiha7]

The Baker and The Farmer

During the weekly farmers market Naruto rushes over to the Uchiha Farms display clutching a bouquet of lilies in one hand and two pieces of honey cake in the other.

“A new bakery opened up in the town square!” Naruto informs Sasuke while eating one of the cakes. “The woman who owns it is at Ino’s stand handing out free samples to everyone who buys a flower arrangement.”

“Ok?” Sasuke isn’t sure why this matters since he’s not a fan of sweets nor does he have a reason for buying flowers.

“Here.” Naruto shoves the remaining confection at him. “Try it! I bet you’ll like it more than you think!”

Reluctantly, he takes a bite. Not bad, actually Sasuke thinks it’s really good. Still too sweet for his personal tastes, but he can tell someone who really cares about their craft made this. “It’s fine.”

“I’m gonna give these flowers to Hinata,” Naruto says. “The cute baker girl, Sakura I think her name is, mentioned coming around later and introducing herself to the other vendors later. She’s hard to miss so be nice to her, alright?” With that the blonde runs off, leaving Sasuke to finish the honey cake without complaint.

At first Sasuke wonders what his friend means by she being hard to miss until he spots someone with blossom pink hair speaking with his brother by the wooden containers of cherries and strawberries.

“Sasuke,” Itachi waves him over. “This is Sakura, the owner of the new bakery in town.”

“Hi!” Her singsong voice pleasantly says. “Nice to meet you!”

“Likewise. I had one of your honey cakes earlier, it was good.”

“That’s high praise coming from him,” Itachi adds.

“I’m glad you enjoyed them,” she’s smiling from ear to ear, a tinge if blush spreading across her cheeks. Must be from the sun, he thinks, just like the burst of warmth climbing up the back of his neck.

“What were you talking about before I came over?”

“I’m interested in having produce from Uchiha Farms delivered to my shop, maybe two or three times a week.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Itachi assures. “I can add you to my route. Just let me know what you want and how much.”

Before she can answer, Ino calls her back to their stand for a moment. “I’ll be right back!”

Sasuke turns to his brother as soon as she’s far enough away. “I can do it. Handle her order,” he clarifies.

“Are you sure? I already have a few deliveries in that area.”

“Hn. I don’t mind. If you want you can take my stop at the schoolhouse near the edge of town.” Bait Sasuke hopes his brother takes since the teacher who runs the place is Izumi, the girl Itachi has been eyeing for weeks.

The corner of his lips curve into a smirk. “Ah, I guess that’s a fair trade.”

Over the course of the next few weeks, Sasuke gradually learns more about Sakura when he delivers her order and when she stops by his stall at the farmers market — her parents own a bakery back in her hometown and she wanted to start her own, she and Ino attended the same school as children and continued to keep in touch, she loves strawberry mochi, and is very single.

Whenever he stops by she gives him an extra piece of cake or fruit pie she made, although she soon learns he isn’t a big fan of sweets. “I noticed your nose scrunches up before taking a bite. It’s cute,” she says to him one day, “I’ll cut back on the sugar when you’re here again.”

Next time he stops by she gave him a delicious cheese tart instead, causing something to bloom in his chest. Something he doesn’t want to name just yet.

“Why haven’t you asked Sakura out??” Naruto is loitering around the Uchiha Farms stand during the weekly market. “She’s popular, ya know.”

“Hn. None of my business,” Sasuke mutters under his breath, throwing a glance across the road at her set up only to see Idate chatting her up. Of course he’s aware of Sakura’s reputation around Konoha of being the sweet baker with even sweeter goods. Yet he doesn’t believe she treats him any different than a customer or their friends, she’s just naturally friendly to everyone.

“Do you really think she’s giving the rest of us free food?” Naruto brings up. “She only started adding savory options at her shop after learning you prefer them over her usual stuff. Trust me, she likes you.”

From the other end, once Idate finally leaves, Sakura meets his gaze with a bright expression.

Perhaps Naruto has a point and he needs to get out of his own head. He can try a more subtle approach, buying her a pink and yellow dahlias should convey his sentiments, even if it means having to withstand Ino’s prying questions.

“What are those for?” Sakura asks as she’s packing up her table for the day.

“I got them for you.” The tips of his ears begin to burn.

“They’re beautiful Sasuke!” She takes them thankfully. “They smell wonderful too.”

He takes her basket so she can hold the flowers as they walk back to the bakery.

“I-um-had something I wanted to ask you too,” Sakura goes on. “I heard from Itachi that you really like tomatoes. I found this recipe for a tomato and goat cheese tart. If you’re not too busy tomorrow, I was thinking we could make it together and have it for dinner….as a date? Unless you’d rather do something else?”

“That sounds perfect,” Sasuke says. “I’ll look forward to it.”

[queenmikoto]

Traditions

(I’m making up my own Uchiha tradition based on this image and the Japanese Festival Tsukimi, the Autumn Moon Festival)

Fic under cut. Ao3 link

As one of the founding clans of Konoha, the Uchiha took pride in their traditions and festivals. Outsiders were rarely, if ever, allowed to join. 

There were winter prayers in the Naka shrine, the whole clan kneeling, praying, sharing the warmth of the flames at the front of the room. Sasuke remembered fidgeting and his mother’s graceful hand alighting on his knee to stop his squirming. His father sat at the front of the room leading the prayer, Itachi kneeling tall and proud behind him. The fur collar of his kimono tickled his cheeks. 

Spring brought the cherry blossom viewing festival and his mother’s most beautiful kimono, a silvery grey with white and pink petals all over. The slippery silk was cool to the touch and the potpourri that his mother kept in the folds was always comforting to him. He sometimes wished he could use it as a blanket, his mother said no but offered her soft apron covered lap as a substitute and that worked just as well.  

Summer had street fairs. The whole clan, usually reserved, let loose and had fun. Children running and playing, the adults indulgently smiling. Outsiders were let in and the Uchiha went out among the people, the whole village celebrated. Sasuke clung to his brothers hand or rode on his fathers shoulders in the crowd. The family together, and happy. He always got a new cotton yukata for his birthday, to wear to the festivals, the Uchiha crest stitched by his mothers own hands. 

Autumn was the Tsuki no Inori festival. There was no need for fancy clothes or loud music and laughter. Every year on the night of the first full moon in Autumn all of the Uchiha, young and old came together in the heart of the Uchiha district to light candles and share the love and celebrate the bonds in the clan. 

Sasuke was excited to stay up past his bedtime and to spend time with Itachi who had grown increasingly busy as a newly minted chunin. He held his small candle tightly as he walked behind his mother and father, Shisui at his side and Itachi holding his other hand. The rest of the clan followed behind, the light of the full moon guiding their steps to the bank of the river. They stood in a loose circle, the moonlight creating halos on their dark hair. There were artful arrangements of pampas grass that his mother helped with. He had helped too, handing her the stalks to put into the vases, she occasionally tickled him with it, gently caressing his cheek when he got distracted. To the side there was a table with sake, tea, and traditional tsukimi soba, chestnuts, edamame and piles of tsukimi dango. Sasuke could see Itachi eyeing the dango with a wistful look.

Fugaku came to the center of the circle, the whispers silenced as he addressed the crowd. 

“We gather here today, as we do every year, to celebrate the autumn moon. To also celebrate the bonds between us and our members of the clan that have passed on. Tonight we will light the flames in remembrance of them and to honor the history of our clan. The Uchiha crest on each of your backs represents the fan that rouses the flames of our wills and our hearts.”

Fugaku looked towards Mikoto with a softness Sasuke rarely saw on his face. She stepped forward towards her husband. She held up her candle, in it’s simple flower shaped holder, Fugaku’s hands slowly and deliberately formed the signs for a Katon jutsu. The flames bloomed from his mouth and lit the candle in his wife’s unflinching hands. She was wreathed in light, not the silvery light of the moon any more but the warm golden flames of her husband’s power. She smiled at him and turned to place the candle on the ground, to start the shape of the crest. She closed her eyes over the candle, to take a moment to reflect, then she raised her face to the moon and inclined her head in reverence. Standing, she moved back to Fugaku’s side, he nodded and flames started to light up the glade.

Tradition held that those closest to you lit the candle, usually direct family husbands and wives, siblings, parents. Those orphaned and alone had friends do it. Itachi stepped over to Shisui, who held up his candle to present it. The light burst out of Itachi’s mouth, Sasuke stared with pride and some envy, longing for the day he could do the same. Shisui placed his candle carefully and returned to Sasuke’s side. He and Itachi kneeled, and Itachi held out his candle infront of Sasuke. He looked confused for a moment before Shisui spoke. “I’ll help you until you can do this yourself ‘cuz ‘Tachi here wants you to be the one to do this.” 

Sasuke beamed at his brother, elated that he was Itachi’s closest person, he honestly thought it was Shisui since he was older and he took his brother’s attention away from him. Itachi gave him a smile warmer than the flames that had glided past Sasuke’s head. Shisui had formed the seals while holding Sasuke’s hands in his and gently blew the flames from his position over Sasuke’s shoulder.

Itachi placed his candle and turned to his brother who’s focus was on their parents. Mikoto was kneeling to place another flame. As the matriarch of the clan, Mikoto was responsible for lighting a candle for each clan member that they lost in the year.   Fugaku kneeling behind her with a protective arm around her, not touching but just grazing her shirt. He should have been looking at the flame, but he was looking at his wife, still as radiant to him as the day they met.  Itachi could see the love plain as day. His father caught his eye and he would swear he saw an extra glow upon Fugaku’s cheeks. 

Chuckling to himself, he turned to his brother again, who was practically vibrating in excitement for his brother’s attention. He smoothly ran through the signs, and taking a quick breath, he let out a thin line of flame, the control a testament to his mastery, even at a young age. Sasuke, who had been focusing so hard on Itachi’s hands, trying to memorize how he did it, grinned brighter than the flame after it was lit. 

In the glow Itachi thought about activating his Sharingan to capture the moment. Shisui, who’s curls shined in the light and who’s eyes held all the warmth of the flames around him. Sasuke’s cheeks, still round with baby fat, were squishing his eyes almost closed with the smile on his face. Itachi could feel the presence of his mother and father behind him, he could feel their happiness. He remembered when he was little, his father kneeling behind him, cupping his hands around his own to hold the candle. His mother before them lighting the flame, her long eyelashes touching her cheeks before they swept up and her eyes caught his, the flames painting them as red as the Sharingan.

Blinking when Shisui nudged him he watched Sasuke taking slow and halting steps towards the nearly finished crest of flames. Sasuke knelt as slow as possible, knees bending centimeter by centimeter till he was on the ground. When he placed his flame he let out a gusty sigh, almost enough to blow out his candle. Clapping his hands to his mouth, he turned wide eyes to his brother and Shisui who were trying (Itachi) and failing (Shisui) to hold in their laughter. Sasuke hastily went through his reverence before running back to Itachi’s side, slightly behind him and peeking out at the crest. 

When the last flame was placed Fugaku stood and started saying the ancient prayers for the deceased.  Itachi stayed at Sasuke’s level since Sasuke was still hanging onto his shirt. He could feel Sasuke fading from tiredness after a few minutes so he nudged Sasuke before making subtle motions towards the dumpling table, as if he was going to make a break for it.. Sasuke giggled and an uncle cleared his throat quietly nearby, glaring. Sasuke’s shoulders fell under the scrutiny but Itachi’s returning glare and warm hand in his made him feel better. 

Once the prayers had finished, Itachi presented his back to Sasuke so he could climb on. Sasuke wrapped his arms around Itachi’s neck as he moved at a quicker pace than his usual towards the dumplings. As son of the head and a once in a generation prodigy,he had certain privileges to get to the front of the line quicker than most, and if Sasuke was holding several dumplings for him as Itachi held his own, no one said anything. The brothers retreated with Shisui to a nearby tree, to lean on and share the food they grabbed. Meaning Sasuke handed Itachi his dumplings and rested his head on his shoulder. Sasuke promptly started dozing, surrounded by the love and light of his family.

Sasuke opened his eyes. The Uchiha hideout where he had his fateful battle with Itachi was cold in the autumn. The moon shone over head through the destroyed roof. The candles before him had almost burned out in their lotus shaped holders. He was now more than strong enough to light all the flames himself in one go. Arranging the crest with one hand was what took the most time. One candle was laid for each Uchiha who passed in the massacre and one for Shisui and one at the end for Itachi, all of them long gone but the memories fresh in his mind.

The candles would burn out soon, the moon would wax and wane, and time would keep moving on. But Sasuke would always be surrounded by the love of his family.

[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'

[holly-natnicole]

If not learning Mokuton, then Sakura at least shoulda invented a Cherry Blossom Jutsu. My headcanon is that all Konoha-nin who are or used to be chūnin know how to use 葉分身の術/Ha Bunshin no Jutsu/Leaf Clone Technique which I made up; as the name indicates, a ninja uses leaves from their surroundings or (if there aren't any available in whichever place the ninja is at) creates leaves with chakra to form a copy of themself. 12-13 years old Sakura manages to bit by bit learn this C-rank ninjutsu over the course of a month by doing lots of research and through practical trial & error then modifies it to create 桜花分身の術/Ōka Bunshin no Jutsu/Cherry Blossom Jutsu which uses light pink flower petals of a cherry tree instead of using leaves. Then she creates a variant called Cherry Blossom Storm Jutsu which means touching the clone results in a stormy whirlwind of petals cutting the person who touched the clone and later a variant called Cherry Blossom Explosion Jutsu which means (instead of forming a storm) each petal instantly explodes.

[generouskittensong]

Yesterday was the birthday of the most useless character from Naruto. (Not a day to remember I know)

After Sakura stans faked polls, bought votes, bought her merchandise multiple times to pretend she was popular, bought that badly written fanfic multiple times while the sales were a flop, and invested their own money to buy her minutes on screens (stupid people) to make it look like she is worth a lot, let's look at a real poll which was not infected by these nasty stans who use bots. This poll was done by real people.

Sakura is the most hated character and ranked 2nd place in history. Sakura fans are known for buying bots and using them to vote for her.

Of course, because I'm a good person, I sent this poll directly to Shueisha last week via letter.

Next week they will receive it and realize that nobody, by far nobody, likes Sakura. She is one of the most hated characters in the world and will always be.

Oh and one more thing. Fuck Team 7.

[randomlydreamingsblog]

A quick Kakasaku headcanon just for fun:

Few months after the war, Kakashi and Sakura were paired together on a couple of missions. Kakashi was on the verge of becoming the next Hokage and Sakura had been already promoted to Jonin. Konoha and the rest of the world were being on the process of getting restored and slowly coming back to normal. Since there were a lot of unfortunate losses in battle and a lot of injuried, the villages lacked personnel so missions had to be done in pairs or even single-handed. Sasuke was still on probabion and him and Naruto were also recovering doing a bunch of exams to see the possibility of a prosthetic arm, so Sakura and Kakashi were the only ones left on team 7. The missions weren’t that complicated anyway, specially considering they were two of the most highly qualified ninjas on the village and peace had been established among the five great shinobi nations. Kakashi was in charge of diplomatic agenda representing the Hokage and Sakura provided medical aid on Konoha’s name.

During that period their bond started to become even closer. It was very different this time because they were both equals, so they relied a lot on one another. Their dynamic was smooth and efficient and they also straightened their friendship. They ended up talking about everything, gossiping a little, even having inside jokes. It was good, it was easy, it was fun. They felt more and more comfortable together and they even learned new things about each other.

In one those missions they were making a quick stop on a small inn to rest and continue their journey early the next day. After arranging the checkout details at the reception, Kakashi was making his way back to his room, but he was so distracted reading his book that he miscalculated the route and ended up opening Sakura’s room door and walked in on her while she was changing. He heard her voice screaming furiously at him and he immediately averted his eyes and closed the door saying lots of “I’m sorry”.

They were both mortified. The next morning Kakashi hurried to sincerely apologize and Sakura forgave him and asked him to put that behind them. Even though they still felt a little embarrassed, Sakura tried to act naturally and made an effort to keep things the same. Kakashi tried to play nonchalant and keep it casual.

However, as much as Kakashi wanted to put it behind them, he just couldn’t get that situation out of his head. It was only for a split second and he didn’t see much but the little he got to see was appearing nonstop on the back of his mind.

After successfully completing the mission, things got even worse on the way back home. He couldn’t stop glancing at her, and started to notice new things like how her Byakugou seal is perfectly centered around her forehead or how good she smelled. He realized he liked her new jonin outfit and that she has beautiful legs. He liked how her eyes changed tones of green according to the light.

Even many days after that mission, Kakashi still caught himself thinking about that moment and thinking about Sakura. He suddenly couldn’t read his favorite books anymore because his mind failed his attempts to avoid the very graphic images that popped up. Even in his dreams his subconscious haunted him with flashes of Sakura being under him, moaning his name without the usual “sensei” with her short pink cherry blossom locks of hair being spread all over his pillow.

How confused and scared he was! It was driving him crazy. But at least they wouldn’t be doing missions together anymore since he was finally about to become Hokage. He would have tons of exhausting work ahead of him, so he hoped that eventually all this nonsense would go away.

Yeah. That’s what he tried to believe with the bottom of his heart. For his own sake.

[brights-place]

Haikyuu Boys and Their Scent

A/N: I went out shopping with friends to a market and passed by candles and lotions along with perfumes and thought about Haikyuu characters and what they would smell like in my view. I enjoyed writing this and I might do this to other characters too. Enjoy these everybody these are just Headcannons on what I think they’d smell like.

List: Miyagi Boys, [Here], Hyogo & Nagano Boys.

Tokyo Prefecture

Nekoma

Kuroo: Amber, and Musk Yaku: White Floral, Green notes, and Rasberry Kai: Jasmine, and Violet Kenma: Apple Pie, Cinnamon, and Vanilla Yamamoto: Musk, and Beragmot Fukunga: Strawberries, and Cream Inouka: Mimosa, Jasmine, and Cinnamon Teshiro: Blackcurrant, Lemon Peel Lev: Oakmoss, Tonka Bean, Rosewood Shibayama: Nutmeg, Vanilla, and Plum

Fukurōdani

Bokuto: Raspberry, Citrus, and Vanilla Akaashi: Freesia, Jasmine, and Powder Washio:  Black cherry, oak, tonka bean, musk Yamato: Pink pepper, strawberry, vanilla, amber Konoha: Plum, massoia, hazelnut Shuichi: Bergamot, green apple, vetiver, lavender, leather Komi: Cashmere, yellow grapefruit, vanilla Wataru: Liquorice, green tea, blackcurrant, lavender Yukie: Violet, heliotrope, liquorice, white musk Kaori: Cherry blossom, white chocolate, kiwi, rose

Itachiyama

Sakusa: Sandalwood, White Amber, Musk, and Vetiver Komori: Honeysuckle, and Geranium

[yamazakura-shinden]

Violet flames scorch the once-usually quiet woods of the Land of Fire. A boy stands amidst the chaos, heaving and desperately trying to catch his breath. He leans against a lone tree in the embers. The boy's- Osuke- pale skin is littered with bruises and scratches from head to toe. His cherry blossom pink hair is matted and messy. Long and soft locks ruffled in all directions.

"How did it come to this?" Osuke bitterly asks himself. The soul-crushing guilt clouds his judgment. His gloved hands tremble in fear. The pink-haired boy loses control over his chakra-enhanced strength snapping the tree in half with a single curl of his fingers.

Before Osuke can calm himself down, the clearing just a few yards away erupts in a giant mass of light, stunning him in the process. The mass destruction before his eyes is none other than the works of a Bijuu Bomb- something only tailed beasts can create. "No." Realization dawns upon the pinkette. Be wastes no time to dash in the opposite direction and pushes himself to run as fast as possible.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO, NO, NO, NO!" Osuke chants to himself as he begins to feel even more distressed by the second. His breath is uneven and shallow, the stinging from his wounds sharpens, but he cannot stop running. He needs to get back to his friends- Suisen and Suzume. The former is badly injured and unconscious with only Suzume there to keep him away from the clutches of The Hidden Leaf Village, also known as Konoha.

Osuke maneuvers through the burning forest and swiftly jumps from one tree branch to the next while carefully avoiding the purple flames. His mind is only filled with images of his struggling friends, too preoccupied with them to notice the terrifying beast looming over his petite form. The beast is nothing, but a shapeless shadowy mass with a pair of lifeless white eyes. Despite being at least 20 times the size of its unassuming prey, its form is still incomplete and is a mere fragment of the Zero Tails.

A cold and disturbing chakra takes over Osuke's senses. The chakra is enormous and overwhelming enough to force the pink-haired teen to stop dead in his tracks. His battered and worn out body tenses and he slowly turns around to meet the animalistic gaze of his hunter. Before Osuke can get a better look at the shadowy creature, he's suddenly thrown into the chaos.

The ground splits open, and trees and massive chunks of the terrain fly across the scene. White hot pain swiftly spreads throughout the rogue ninja's body. The agony is an understatement to the pain he feels after the beast cleaves more than half of his left arm, leaving a small chunk of his upper arm intact, and splits his abdomen open.

...

"That was quite painful, wasn't it?"

There it was again. That obnoxious voice in his head.

"Although.. I'm quite curious about what happened next." The voice made its presence known seven or so months ago. At first, Osuke was startled and thought he'd gone mad after that terrible night almost 2 years ago from today.

"Well, well, well! Aren't you being uncharacteristically chatty and nosey today?" He sassily remarked, already used to the voice in his head. They had a strangely comforting and calm tone, but also baritone and weary.

"Seeing that I'm all alone in this dark place with so little to do to entertain myself, it's only natural to make use of what little I have."

The mysterious voice tried to reason, but he didn't buy it all.

"This is the fourth time you tried to pry into my memories!"

"And I failed every single time thanks to your freakish inner self!"

Another useless attempt to defend themselves regardless of whether they were in the wrong or not.

"It is as if he's your guard dog to your subconscious."

They crudely commented.

"WHY YOU LITTLE-"

His inner self chimed in as if he heard the half-hearted insult thrown by the disembodied voice.

"HOW DARE YOU COMPARE ME TO A DOG?!"

Inner roared in fury.

"There he goes again barking like a feral beast.."

They sighed tiredly. Something which Osuke's father did quite often at his childish antics from a time that was just a distant and bittersweet memory for him.

“AGH GET OVER HERE YOU SLY, OLD FOSSIL!”

The pink-haired young man's inner self cracked his gloved knuckles.

"Wait! Keep your hands off of me, you brat!"

“CHAAAA!”

Osuke grimaced. While those two were getting into petty fights, he tried to concentrate on concealing his chakra signature. He didn't want to be caught in a place heavily guarded by Hidden Leaf ninja. The rouge ninja meant to contact Orochimaru, but the only way to do that was to personally visit him.

It has been proven to be confusing and arduous to navigate in Orochimaru's hideout. The corridors were long, seemingly endless, their walls were adorned by serpentine patterns. The dim lighting illuminated by the few torches scattered around didn't help much. The interior was unironically befitting of the Snake Sannin.

"How the hell can Orochimaru work in such poor lighting?" Osuke wondered while he blindly sneaked into the darkness of the underground lair.

His silent musings were interrupted by a foreign chakra signature emanating down the dim hallway. The signature belonged to a Leaf Jonin patrolling the area. The young man unsheathed his tanto knife from its simple yet elegant sheathe attached to his thigh. The blade had a deep crimson color and the type of the hamon was kaen. Osuke planned on incapacitating the jonin quietly from behind. All he needed to do was plunge the glinting blade deep into his jugular and hide the body.

"Wait! Don't kill the guard. You might raise suspicion which will make it harder for you to come back here."

Osuke's disembodied companion interjected before he could act on his malicious intentions.

"Then what do you propose to do instead? I doubt you have any better ideas."

"As a matter of fact, I do."

...

​Meanwhile, a certain sannin tirelessly worked on making a breakthrough with an unknown substance that was brought to him recently. Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed at the petri dish infront of him. Despite all the acids and bases along with the most powerful catalysts he has thrown at it, the contents inside remained all the same. In other words: no reaction whatsoever. Orochimaru had never come across any element incapable of reacting. The only acid didn't use yet was Fluoroantimonic acid, also known as the deadliest acid in the world.

The snake sannin's gaze lingered on the small glimmering chunks in the petri dish. They resembled familiar and commonly used elements yet also had an otherworldly appearance. As if they came from the distant stars themselves.

Suddenly, the sharp blade of a tanto was pressed against his throat. The cold steal against his jugular was held by Osuke Uchiha himself. Orochimaru easily recognized his chakra due to meeting many members of the Uchiha clan in the past. No matter how unique and distinguished their signatures were, they always shared one common characteristic- an inextinguishable flame that continued to burn even after death.

"You have some nerve to sneak up on me like that."

Orochimaru chided. He was unamused by the pink-haired Uchiha's audacity. He tightened his grip on his weapon. Osuke glared at him in silence letting the older man speak freely.

"I suppose you have some reason to come here- a place full of elite jonin who are being supervised by Captain Yamato directly."

From what was taught to Osuke during his days in the Academy, Captain Yamato was a seasoned ANBU captain and war veteran. He was described as a formidable opponent by his past jonin instructor when he was a genin.

"There's no way you could've gone this far without alerting anyone."

The snake sannin was curious about the lack of ninjas rushing in to apprehend Osuke for trespassing.

"Either way, how did you get in here?"

Osuke just ominously grinned.

"Well... I have my ways."

"I DID ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING, CHAAA!"

The "ways" yelled at his counterpart in the real world. His irritation with Osuke was more than obvious.

An awkward silence impregnated the tense atmosphere of the lab. That made the pinkette scoff indignantly and begrudgingly put away the tanto.

"I'll tell you why I came here to speak with you."

Osuke paused to collect his thoughts as he sheathed his weapon before continuing.

"You have some information I need.'

"Oh?" The sannin was intrigued. What could someone like him want to know from him? He'd seen Osuke a few times when the young Uchiha was still a child. The weak little boy with no self-esteem was a far cry from the daring rogue ninja before him.

"What information are you talking about?"

"I need Hashirama cells and the S-Rank jutsu Edo Tensei."

Orochimaru abruptly burst out in uncontrollable laughter. His cackles rang throughout the lab.

"So you came here, waltzed up to me like you own this hideout, and now you demand from me something you can only dream of?"

The snake sannin ridiculed Osuke in between fits.

"Do you hear even yourself, boy?"

The young man could barely hold back his rage and embarrassment.

"Hear me out, will ya?!"

He yelled at the older man who has cackled and mocked him for five minutes straight.

"I would be a fool to expect you to want nothing in return."

Osuke "calmly" stated after taking a deep breath and putting on a stern face.

"Therefore, I shall assist you with your research on your most recent project."

Orochimaru rubbed his chin while contemplating the young man's words.

"I made a few breakthroughs on my own and am willing to share them in exchange for the information I'm seeking."

Then he added to sweeten the deal. He knew that the snake sannin was frustrated with his lack of progress in his research. It was obvious due to the messy and aggressively written notes scattered across the desk. He watched Orochimaru's thoughtful and reluctant expression morph into a pleased grin, his sharp fangs peeking out the corners of his lips.

"Very well then. I accept your proposal, Uchiha Osuke. I look forward to working with you~"

To be continued…

[cherrysurf]

merry christmas from the cherry blossom boutique! we hope your holidays go amazing. normal pinned here

as a thank you please come join our month long celebration! nov 28- dec 15th

Welcome to make your own Christmas boyfriend

here’s how it works!

send an ask! after that pls be specific when writing requesting.

also! if you really want a specific activity, au or genre that isn’t on the list i can try my best to make it happen but don’t hold me accountable to that

pick your favorite haikyu boy;

(you can also do random js lmk!)

-hinata, osamu, kita, ushijima, dachi, suna, atsumu, iwaizumi, oikawa, kuroo, kenma, bokuto, semi, sakusa, tsukishima, kageyama, akaashi, yamaguchi, konoha, aran, suga, noya, yaku

(pls pick from this list just because i’m mostly good at writing for these characters) reminder i only write in timeskip unless asked differently

pick an activity;

if you want ice skating ask for ginger bread cookies!

if you want secret santa ask for snowman cake pops!

if you want carriage ride around town ask for santa cupcakes!

if you want christmas lights ask for cut-out sugar cookies!

if you want christmas shopping ask for warm baked apple pie!

if you want the famous mistletoe kiss ask for gingerbread truffles!

if you want late night hot coco ask for hot chocolate!

if you want christmas mornings ask for peppermint bark!

if you want christmas nights ask for chocolate chip reindeer cookies! 

pick an au;

Coffee shop; bring a holiday movie

Secret admirer; bring a gingerbread house to decorate

Christmas party; bring christmas cards

friends to lovers; bring small ornaments

brother best friends troupe; bring a secret santa gift

parents; bring christmas cookies

pick a genre;

fluff; lets go visit santa at the mall!

angst to fluff; let’s go christmas shopping!

comfort: let’s set up the christmas tree

note: i’m not the super best at angst(and if i do write it it last like 2.5 seconds lol) but i have been trying, these will probably be super cheesy but that’s just apart of the christmas spirit.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

A New Book For Your Collection

Pairing: Kakagai

Words: 2,741

Konoha was quieter than usual.

Everywhere he looked there was less activity. People walked a little faster, waving to the friends they spotted in the street before continuing forward without uttering a single word. There were multiple stores with line ups all the way out the doors, yet it seemed like no one was saying a word.

Not even the shop keepers uttered greetings when a customer approached them, and they stayed equally as quiet when the customer paid and made their exit.

The village was busy, but no one was saying a thing.

“Lost in their thoughts,” he sighed, cringing when he heard his own voice cutting through the silent air, breaking the tranquility of the village for just a second before it settles back into place. Not wanting to shatter that silence again, he opted for a silent communication of his own.

‘Did I forget something important?’ 

Projecting an image of a calendar in his mind, he searched the dates for any special event. A birthday, or an anniversary, or anything that would explain the eerie silence that hovered over the village.

‘The Kyuubi’s attack happened in october,’ images of the burning ruins of Konoha homes popped into his mind, followed closely by the pictures of the dead that had lined the cemetary afterward. As soon as Minato-Sensei’s picture began to materialise he shoved the thought out of his head, refusing to deal with the emotions that swelled inside of him whenever he dared to think of the Sensei he lost so many years ago. ‘It’s March, so the cherry blossoms should be falling soon. Oh, and there’s Shunbun No hi but that’s still not for a few days.’

“Kakashi!” A cheerful voice cut through the air, shattering the tranquil silence that he had come to enjoy and causing multiple nearby civilians to turn their heads in search of the enthusiastic voice.

Kakashi didn’t have to look to know who it was. There was only one person who would call out to him with such excitement in their voices. One person who had the ability to pull him out of his own thoughts and make him smile, though that smile was perfectly covered by his mask.

“Gai,” an arm dropped around his shoulder and tugged him against his side. Turning his head just a little, he sniffed the air around him.

Gai’s voice had been enough to pull him out of his thoughts, but it was the smell of grass mixed with a light wiff of dango that consumed him. For just a moment that smell was all he could register, and with each breath he took it overwhelmed his senses, shoving past every ache that had radiated from his muscles after a long mission and forcing his body to relax. 

“You made it home safe,” Gai spoke softly, but there was a question hidden in his words. A silent finger prodding Kakashi in the side, demanding that he tell him about any injuries he had sustained during his mission.

“Home safe,” he confirmed, holding up his right arm to show the one lone cut across the back of his forearm that he’d sustained while deflecting his opponents attack. “The village is rather quiet today. Know why?”

Gai’s eyes lit up with excitement. “You didn’t hear?”

“I just got home, so no,” he confirmed. “What is it? Something fun I’m guessing since you look like you’re about to explode with excitement.”

“Tsunade-Sama announced it just yesterday,” Kakashi could feel the energy radiating off of Gai. Contained, but ready to burst forth at a moments notice and consume Gai until he was jumping off of tree’s and buildings in hopes of spending just a small fraction of it. “She called it ‘Folktales and Fables week. It starts tomorrow.”

Kakashi’s ears perks up at the mention of ‘Folktales’. “Oh?” his left eyebrow arched upward. “Still, that doesn’t really explain, you know,” he waved his hand toward the market where people continued to exist without making a single sound. An eerie, rather unnerving experience in a village that was always so busy with noise. 

“Well, Tsunade-sama challenged everyone to think up their favorite fable today,” Gai continued, his smile growing even wider. “She wants every single person in Konoha to write down what their favorite fable is and turn it in at the Hokage’s residence when they go in to receive their new book.”

Suddenly all thoughts of the eerie quitness of the village left Kakashi’s mind. “Book?” he asked, pushing for even more information. 

Taking the hint, Gai grinned. “Folktales and Fables week officially starts tonight. To welcome in the week, Tsunade-Sama is going to have all of the Jonin standing outside of the Hokage’s compound handing out books of fables that she had written by one of Konoha’s best writers.”

“I didn’t realize Jiraiya-Sama was in the village?”

The smile dropped off of Gai’s face. “I said one of Konoha’s best writers, Rival. Not one of our most perverted writers.”

The worst struck hard, wounding Kakashi’s heart, but he did his best not to show that hurt on his face. It was simply Gai’s opinion that Jiraiya-Sama wasn’t a good writer. A wrong opinion, but still just an opinion.

“Well, does that mean-”

Gai rolled his eyes. “Of course you’ll be getting one as well. In fact,” reaching back into his weapon’s pouch, he pulled out a beautiful green book and held it up between them so that the cover was facing Kakashi. “Tsunade-sama gave us all one ahead of everyone else. She asked me to deliver yours to you personally.”

“Did she really?” Kakashi asked, his eyes following the golden writing as it curved around the cover to form a beautiful cover that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight. 

‘Folktales and Fables of Konoha.’

His finger’s itched to reach out and claim the book from Gai, but he refrained. It was obvious by the way his friend waved the book around that he was trying to taunt Kakashi into snatching it away from him, but he refused to give in. He would claim the book when he was ready to and not a moment sooner. Not even if Gai turned it just right so the sun bounced off of the golden title causing it to shimmer. 

“What kind of stories are in it?” he asked, his eyes glued on the book.

“Oh, all kinds,” Gai’s smile grew, stretching from one ear all the way to the other. “Tsunade-sama actually asked us all to submit our favorite folktale or fable so that she could ask for it to be included. That was a few months ago when you were on your mission in the Land of Wind with Asuma.”

A whimper escaped Kakashi’s throat, but rather than expressing embarrassment with the unfiltered response, he turned his face away from Gai and tried his best to refrain from pouting. 

He’d missed it.

Not only the announcement of a week dedicated to folktales and fables, which were some of his favorite stories to read if he wasn’t consumed in the latest copy of Icha Icha or a pretty new romance novel, but he’d missed out on an opportunity to have his favorite fable included in the special book that was made to commemorate the new week.

It seemed rather unfair, but he was an adult. A shinobi of Konoha.

He was not going to cry over a book. Not in public where everyone could see him, at least. 

“Oh, Kakashi,” Gai’s arm dropped off of his shoulder suddenly, and in the blink of an eye his Rival is standing directly in front of him with the softest expression he has ever seen. Kind, black eyes staring into Kakashi’s one visible eye with such love that he was pretty sure he would melt. “You didn’t think I’d let them forget about the Rabbit on the moon, did you?”

At times like this Kakashi appreciated his mask more than ever. Without it the brilliant hue of red he could feel crawling up into his cheeks would be visible for all to see causing everyone in the village to gossip about how easily Maito Gai could make ‘stone cold Kakashi’ blush.

Most of the time he didn’t care too much about the villagers gossip, but if his students caught wind of this he would never hear the end of it.

Somehow three sixteen year olds were far more capable of making his life difficult than an entire village of experienced gossipers. Especially when one took Sakura into consideration.

She could easily make his life more difficult than it already was if she knew that out of everyone in Konoha, it was Maito Gai who held his heart. 

Clearing his throat he quickly shoved all those those thoughts to the back of his mind. “So,” he returned his full attention to Gai. “What do I owe you?”

Gai stared at him with a blank expression for just a moment before breaking out into a smile. “You know me too well, Rival,” shoving the book toward Kakashi he waited for him to finally give in and take hold of it before releasing his hold throwing a ‘thumbs up’ out in front of him. “One challenge should be sufficient payment.”

An expected response.

“One challenge,” Kakashi agreed with a sharp nodd of his head, his eyes fixing themselves on the book now sitting in his hands. Following the soft gold writing on the cover he couldn’t help but smile. “And dinner.”

Gai was in the middle of turning around, no doubt having already decided on what their challenge would be, when Kakashi added his second offer. Rather than stopping in the midst of his turn, Gai continued with ease and stopped at a three hundred and sixty degree turn, returning to the exact same position he’d been in before Kakashi opened his mouth.

“What did you say?” his eyes narrowed and his lips pressed together into a thin line. 

“I said one challenge,” stepping forward, Kakashi lifted his book and gently bonked it against Gai’s forehead. “And Dinner. My treat.”

“Dinner as in-”

“No eating contest,” once again he bonked his friend’s forehead, this time earning himself a slap to the wrist for the insult. “We’ll do a competition first and then we’ll go out to dinner,” pulling his book back he took one more look at it and smiled even widder. “And then maybe, if you’re nice, we can go back to my house and-”

A hand came down hard against his mouth. “Kakashi!” Gai hissed, his eyes darting around the area. Thankfully everyone around them had lost interest in what they were doing a while, but that knowledge didn’t seem to stop Gai from examining the area once more before focusing on Kakashi. “You can’t say things like that in public.”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what Gai was hinting at. 

What was meant to be a sweet gesture had been misunderstood as something vulgar. An unsurprising turn of events considering the things the two of them could get up to when they were in the privacy of their homes.

Grabbing hold of Gai’s wrist with his free hand, Kakashi gently pulled his hand away from his mouth. “Let me finish,” he insisted, scolding Gai with a stern look when he opened his mouth to protest once again. “I was going to say ‘I can read the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi’ but if all you have on your mind is undressing me we could do that too.”

There was no scenario where Kakashi would turn down an opportunity to drag his eternal rival into bed. 

“N- no! That- i mean-” cutting himself off, Gai took a step back and closed his eyes. As Kakashi watched him he drew in a deep breath, held it for exactly five seconds, and then released. Once that was done he opened his eyes and flashed one of those bright toothy grins that was sure to blind a person if the sun hit it just right. 

“Don’t worry,” taking a step forward, Kakashi reach up and gripped the top of his mask. In one fluid motion he yanked the mask down and closed the distance between them. His lips pressed against Gai’s cheek for a quick second before he stepped back and returned the mask to its rightful place. “I can always read to you after we’re done.”

If Kakashi squinted he could almost steam rising off of Gai’s head. The embarrassment he’d felt earlier from Gai’s overwhelming thoughtfulness had been returned ten fold, though Kakashi was no where near as touching in his affections. Not in public, at least. Gai would have to wait until they were somewhere private to see that side of Kakashi. 

“So,” taking a step past Gai he refrained from chuckling when he heard his rival scrambling to turn around. “You have one challenge. What do you choose?”

Feeling Gai’s shoulder bumping against his he glanced to his side and smiled when he saw his friend walking at his side with a proud air hanging around him. “One challenge,” he mused, making a show of turning his eyes up to the sky and thinking over his options. “How about a spar?”

“It has been a while since we had a proper spar,” Kakashi agreed. “Taijutsu only?”

“That seems a little unfair,” Gai snickered, earning himself a sharp jab in the side from Kakashi’s elbow. “Owww! Rival!”

“No need to be rude about it,” he grumbled, though he knew he had very little ground to stand on when it came to scolding Gai for his arrogance. Both of them had an arrogant streak that could come out at any time, and it usually shawn brightest in their competitions. “But fine, all fighting styles allowed.”

“And no cheating!”

Kakashi rolled his eyes. “Says the guy who knocked a plate off of the table during our last eatting competition,” he fired back. “Besides, there’s no such thing as cheating in a fight.”

“Kakashi…”

“I’m being serious,” he insisted, unable to stop himself from laughing when Gai smacked him across the back of his shoulder. “We’re shinobi, Gai. Shinobi fight to survive, and sometimes that means playing a little dirty.”

“Playing dirty and trying to blind me are two different things,” Gai insisted. “And if you’re going to use the hounds at least tell them not to bite too hard. It’s embarrassing explaining all those bite marks to the doctor’s when I go to get them healed.”

Stopping in his tracks, Kakashi turned to face his rival. “Really?” he asked. “Their bite marks are embarrassing?”

“Well, ya,” Gai huffed. “I don’t like having to explain that my eternal rival used his hounds to prevent me from attacking.”

“Their bite marks are embarrassing?” Kakashi repeated, leaning in a bit closer and staring straight into Gai’s eyes. “No other bite marks?”

As soon as the words left his mouth Gai began to sweat. His eyes darted around the area, searching for an escape. “I- well,”

“Ah, well,” leaning back, Kakashi sighed. “I’ll just not summon them this round.”

“R-really?”

“Of course not,” he confirmed, a smile creeping onto his face and reaching up into his eyes. “I’ll leave enough bite marks for them to take care of. Those arn’t nearly as embarrassing at the hounds bite marks, right?”

For a second time in just a few minutes Kakashi could swear he could spot some steam rising from Gai’s head, and with a satisfied hum he turned back down the path and continued walking as if nothing had happened.

“K-Kakashi?” Gai’s voice cracked when he called after him. “Kakashi!”

Ignoring his rival’s calls, Kakashi lifted the hand holding his new book and admired the cover. It was a beautiful piece of work. One worthy of all of the praise he could muster. 

It seemed only fair that he provide that praise to Gai, who was the only reason he had a copy of the book, or that his favorite fable had been included in it. If that praise happened to leave Gai with a few questionable marks afterward, so be it.

Perhaps one day Kakashi would try to learn some medical Ninjitsu so he could care for those wounds himself.

Until then, however, Gai would simply have to deal with the embarrassing reality of dating a man who loved to leave love bites all over his partners gorgeous body.