#like imagine if Sakura wanted to kill Naruto

[the-real-sasuke-uchiha]

It's been, like, a decade since the story has completely ended (... I don't acknowledge that spin off with the kids or the weird novels), but I still don't understand what people mean when they say Sasuke has a lot to apologize/repent for. What exactly does he have to apologize for? The only thing he ever did wrong was attack Karin to get to Danzo, and he already apologized to her for that. His desire for vengeance was completely selfless and motivated by love and respect for his clan. He didn't attack innocents. He didn't involve anyone else in his problems. Yet, so many fans love how Shikamaru got revenge on Hidan when, to me, it just emphasizes how selfless and justified Sasuke is in contrast. Shikamaru wants to avenge Asuma who died fairly in battle on a mission because he wasn't strong enough. He even tells Tsunade he would leave the village regardless of if she allowed it or not. He involved Ino and Chouji, rushed in without knowledge of Kakuzu, and almost got them killed immediately. And Asuma is just a teacher! not even a fmily or clan member! They all would've died if it weren't for Kakashi being there to help them. Whereas Sasuke takes on his burden alone.

And for all that the fandom likes to critique Kishimoto on his writing choices, he's not a horrible writer. This sequence is purposeful. Shikamaru was the one who led the Sasuke retrieval mission. And shortly after Hidan's death, Sasuke kills Itachi. It was a well-structured sequence showing the validity of Sasuke's motivations compared to Shikamaru's whose motives weren't as justified in comparison, despite the validity of his feelings.

So, it's not that no one in the story can understand Sasuke--they can! All the characters just want to project things onto Sasuke. Naruto wants Sasuke to be a surrogate/prerequisite for the village to validate his sense of self and carry the burden of Naruto's loneliness. Sakura wants him to return her empty "love." Kakashi wants to right his wrongs vicariously through Sasuke and making him return Sakura's affection like he wished he could have for Rin, be a present friend for Naruto like he wishes he could have for Obito, not seek revenge because Kakashi is a mediator meant to to maintain the status quo in the village (a guard dog/"Hound" lol). Itachi wants Sasuke to be a blank slate anyone can impress whatever upon: he wants Sasuke to value the village over their clan and family (which itself is incomprehensible with the feudal structure the setting is based on). The village, and Naruto once he becomes Hokage, wants Sasuke to be a tool to use for the village's benefit. Maybe the only thing Sasuke has to apologize for is being a the protagonist of a revenge-based seinen but forced to be the deuteragonist in a battle shounen 🤷🏽‍♀️.

Dear anon, thank you for this gem. I don't know what else to add, because this is so perfect on its own.

For the record, I dislike Shikamaru, but I think he was right to want to avenge his sensei and go after Hidan. What is totally enraging is that he gets sympathy and assistance for doing all the things that Sasuke is trashed for. He is hateful and vengeful, and nobody tells him to just let go and not get consumed by revenge. He risks his friend's lives and gets zero reproaches, while Sasuke gets emotionally blackmailed by Naruto for all the kids that risked his life trying to forcefully bring him back, even when Sasuke had zero control over that. Kakashi goes far and beyond to help him, when he had tied Sasuke to a tree to lecture him about revenge. There is just so much hypocrisy that it hurts.

I am tired of reading all the ridiculously absurd "wrongs" that Sasuke supposedly did. This is a freaking show about murderer ninjas, but nobody seems to have a body count except for Sasuke. Which gets inflated to ridiculous levels, because Sasuke is apparently to blame not only for the crimes he committed, but also for the ones he imagined. He has no right to be angry and upset, he has no right to fight for his justice, because, in a world where the end justify the means and shinobi are meant to behave as tools that sacrifice everything for a mission, Sasuke is the only ninja that is demanded to find his way without even scratching a fly.

Sasuke has nothing to apologise for. He is the one being owned serious apologies and reparations. From everyone. From Sakura, for sexually harassing and trying to murder him. From Kakashi, for being the shittiest and most biased sensei, for being a hypocrite hokage that never attempted to make justice and for never prosecuting the surviving instigators of the Uchiha massacre. And from Naruto, for glorifying Hiruzen and for the same reasons as hokage Kakashi, because he too swept everything under the rug and never even tried to make justice.

Sasuke did nothing wrong. He grew just too magnificent for an antagonist, and they had to murder his character and his soul to make main character shine in his dumbness.

[evenmorebeetles]

One of the things that always really fascinated me about Sakura's character is how manipulative she is.

I was rewatching the anime with my partner because it was their first time, and when Sakura finds Sasuke to beg him not to go to Orochimaru, my partner said that they were a little disappointed that romance was emphasized in that scene over friendship, and I said, "You know, I think Sakura would have told Sasuke she loved him whether she did or didn't. She knows that he cares about her. I think Sakura would say anything she had to to get him to stay."

And the most obvious example of this is when she does that exact thing to Naruto before the Five Kage Summit, lying about having feelings for him in order to save him, and that scene is what I was referencing when I made the comment, but throughout the course of the anime, there are several other moments where Sakura either outright lies and cons or uses her feelings as a weapon to get her way.

She does it right when Team 7 is formed, when Naruto plays the eraser prank on Kakashi. Her inner monologue shows that she thinks it's hilarious, but instead she puts up this facade. She berates Naruto because she thinks it'll make her appear cooler to Sasuke, and she tells Kakashi that she told Naruto not to do it and that she would never do something like that because she wants to portray herself as not only superior to Naruto but as the good one, the innocent one, the one who can do no wrong.

She does it to Sai, Kiba, and Lee when she knocks them unconscious so that she can go kill Sasuke by herself. She does it when tells Sasuke that she wants to join him so that she can get close to him. She does it again when, at the end of the war, she begs Sasuke one last time. She even does it in Sasuke Retsuden when she cons Penjira at cards and reveals that she's been doing the same to Tsunade for years. And these are just off the top of my head, I'm sure there's more.

Basically I'm saying that everyone should consider themselves lucky that Sakura's on Konoha's side because if she was the one with the villain arc? She'd be ruthless.

[yaboirezzy]

Sakura: *covered in blood, shaking, absolutely traumatized*

Naruto: Do you think she's gonna be alright?

Sasuke: It's her first time killing an enemy ninja, beating him to death out of pure instinct-

Naruto:

Sasuke: Of course not, dumbass

(something that should've happened in part 1)

[bomber-grl]

Rock Lee Relationship hc —✩𓏲⋆.🍵✮˚

Pairing(s): Rock Lee x Gn!Reader

Bro is down bad for you, I don’t make the rules

Yknow how he was automatically smitten with Sakura and sent her those weird kisses?

Yea well it’s you, not her

I have two ways I imagine rock Lee being when trying to get with you

He’s either bold and unapologetic about his feelings, he wants you to know how you make him feel!

Or he’s still unapologetic, just shy and more giddy if anything, just at the thought of you

Honestly I’d like to think hes a combination of both

Like at first he’s terribly direct to the point where Tenten is seriously considering giving some advice

Which she does end up doing

He ends up confessing his more than obvious feelings for you with an over dramatic blush and is honestly so sweet

He even has some flowers

You end up accepting and so commences your relationship

If you have some sort of friendship with Naruto he’d ask you if you were seriously dating “bushy brows”

💀 blud can’t even be saying anything when Sakura won’t even give him the time of day (in the anime)

The only people are aren’t really shocked at your relationship is everyone

Yea, everyone

I mean lees devotion to you before you even got together was enough.

Anyway, if you’re more of bold person whose affectionate then Lee is more than delighted

He relishes in the hugs and any sort of affection that you give him.

Honestly I can imagine him trying to be like the gigga chads and stuff 💀

Man just loves you Alr?

In front of you he’s pretty outright giddy but when you’re not looking? Down bad

He’s literally giggling about what you do and say- not exactly to anyone in particular but his teammates and guy are there to witness it anyway

Guy is supportive, tenten lowkey regrets giving him advice and Neji just wants Lee to shut up

Rock lee is lowkey always open with his affections with you

He’s always determined just in general

Which is where you come in

Honestly another possibility of how you two got together

Lee is strong, don’t get me wrong

But the “power of youth” and some flimsy leg warmers aren’t always going to keep him safe

If you’re a ninja and you’re worried about him then he just argues that you can protect him, and him you

Him protecting you is so true no matter who you are- civilian, ninja, whatnot

Literally the only way anyone could ever get to you would be over his dead cold body

Not that he’d let whoever is coming at you to even kill him in the first place

If you’re a ninja he likes to train with you

I was honestly torn between him not wanting to spar with you or him really wanting to and going all out

I’m certain he’d do the latter

You’re a ninja and you’re both trying to improve, so ofc he’d put his all into it

And if you’re not one and you’re a civilian then he’d more than happy to incorporate you into his training

He’d probably have you sit on his back while he does pushups or something similar 😭

Love wise, lee is so passionate

The moment you get together he’s legit never letting go and is seriously devoted to you

I wouldn’t even be surprised if Lee bought an engagement ring before you started even dating

He’s always bringing you gifts, food and making sure you take care of yourself

He’s very serious and determined to take care of you even if you’re fully capable

And if you try to do the same?

Flustered to the max

He gets really flustered when you kiss him too 😭

I wouldn’t be surprised if his soul almost detached the first time you did.

[three-milkz]

I'm a firm believer that Naruto and Sakura share a brain cell, because best friends do that, so I can only imagine them whispering to each other while watching Obito and Kakashi's interactions.

S: They kind of have a lot of tension, don't you think?

N: Don't even say it, it's embarrassing, dattebayo.

S: I was always curious to know why Kakashi-sensei was single. Now I know why.

When Sakura and Obito look for Sasuke, I can't help but imagine them having a very serious conversation...

S: Is Kakashi-sensei very important to you? Because I noticed the way you looked at him.

O: Let's just say that Kakashi is one of the few reasons I had to go through with the plan.

S: So you wanted a perfect dream world for Kakashi-sensei because he's very important to you or...

Sakura narrows her eyes suspiciously. If Obito and Kakashi-sensei liked each other, she couldn't stop it, but she COULD have a say in it.

S: If you plan on making Kakashi-sensei happy, you can try to redeem your sins by going to prison and... I don't know, maybe marrying him. And if you hurt him again, I'll kill you.

[mrpececitolo]

Sometimes I imagine an Alternative Universe where Naruto and Sasuke accidentally conceive a baby out of chakra.

Imagine is like idk Naruto is 19 years old and he misses Sasuke so bad that for some reason some of Kuruma's chakras leak out and form a strange looking ball of pure chaos.

Naruto just wakes up to a orange ball of his chakra, and he is not sure what is happening but he tries to re absorb it, thing is the ball turns around and there's a little face all in white looking at Naruto with furious eyes.

Naruto is taken back, cause tf is that? Is kuruma playing a prank on him. Again tries to reach the ball, but it starts rolling around and it looks like everything it touches disintegrates.

And Naruto freaks out because, TF his house!!!

By the time he catches the ball his house is a mess and half of it doesn't exist anymore. He is so furious, but before he could do anything he hears the ball of chakra laughing.

?? How is this possible? He needs to see Sakura.

And sakura has no idea tf is that, she was smart but this was new, the only thing they could notice is that the ball seemed to calm down when they fed it more chakra.

Naruto kept it a secret until he could control it, but it turned out he couldn't, with time the ball started taking a more humanoid form (like a baby) but it got hungrier, it was no longer satisfied with only his chakra, it needed more and Naruto was at his limit, so he asked Sakura to fed it, but the ball didn't wanted Sakura's chakra. Naruto didn't know whyyy, but the ball kept crying and destroying his house because it kept getting hungrier, but by this point Naruto was fond of it and didn't want to "kill it"

So he kept feeding draining almost all his chakra, until one time Sakura, worried about it, called Sasuke to come back. As always he came back as soon as possible, Sakura told him to convince Naruto to re-absorb the ball, because his chakra was getting so weak he could barely stand up.

Sasuke was about to, but Naruto looked so sad when he told him what to do.

"Stop being an idiot, you are going to kill yourself"

Naruto shakes his head still holding the ball between his arms on the bed.

"she doesn't want to leaveee"

He dragged the words out, blinking slowly.

"She? Naruto hear yourself, it's just chakra, you need to get it under control"

Naruto pouted, he was so tired but the ball kept being hungry, he couldn't let it die.

"She is just hungry, she is really friendly when she has been fed"

Sasuke sights, why is he even friends with this idiot?

"Fine, it just needs chakra right? Then I'll give it to it"

Sasuke took the ball of chakra out of Naruto's arms, this should be easy just putting chakra on his hands and somehow feed it to the ball right?

"She doesn't like anything else than mine" Naruto mumbles half asleep.

" 'She' seems to like it" Sasuke said unbored.

But as the ball of chakra kept being fed, it started to glow, limbs and skin spouted out of the ball.

Sasuke was shocked.

A baby now was formed out of the ball, black hair, piercing night eyes.

"what-" Naruto looked from his position on the bed.

Sasuke was sure that he looked terrified.

[breakfastatstephaniess]

like sure, your clan was murdered. but imagine having to be the one to MURDER SAID CLAN (to keep them from revolting but let’s be real, FUCK DANZO), and then having to front like you hate your brother because you want him to go on and be successful without the cycle of hatred and revenge and you literally loved him way too much to kill him.

meanwhile sasuke: naruto romance, hate sakura, treason, in the last quarter “you know what… i wanna be hokage too!” like what in the actual fuck

I STAND BY THIS

[bogbees]

my current plan for drift au is like

Iruka: so here's the training room— oh, pardon us Hatake-san. I thought it'd be empty this time of day

Kakashi: fancy that, so did I

Iruka: ah, well, we'll be leaving then, sorry for the intrusion—

Naruto: hey, hey, what does sparring look like? can you show us? you n Kakashi-sensei

Iruka: i don't know... maybe not today—

Kakashi: ah, why not sensei, let's teach em what disappointment looks like

Iruka: *thousand yard stare* *removes knit sweater to reveal a nearly too tight button up* if you insist

Kakashi obviously gets a bit embarrassed by how hot Iruka looks. mostly the transformation fr goofy pencil pusher to the front page cover for every gay porno mag ever made. plus maybe idk a past infatuation that won't die?

Iruka just wants a chance to smack him upside the head for his rudeness.

whoops. turns out they're extremely drift compatible based off their quick spar. neither have any words. Kakashi is low-key upset he's gonna have to pilot again and kill Iruka this time. Iruka's just surprised by how... right it felt. he tries to cool his nerves, Kakashi interpts it as "oh no the grim reaper is coming for me next" fear, bc he's not aware Iruka might just be genuinely kinda amped up ab being toe-to-toe with a renowned pilot with a lot of kaiju kills. so Kakashi storms off. Iruka tries to calm his brain and his class.

he's ultimately hoping nobody finds out. he won't do well as a pilot, just let him do the paperwork for the base PLEASE.

now. they get hooked up with the actual machine to drift. it's stellar. until Kakashi starts freaking out ab how good it's going. Iruka tries to help but they're already fucked it up a bit.

now I'm thinking. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura end up taking the new mech. bc their drift results turned out better than Iruka and Kakashi's, but mostly bc they have less opportunity for failure; they're not riddled with depression and chronic illness.

so. Kakashi and Iruka get benched and become newt and herman without intention. like. idk. they finally go insane, try to hide away in a broom closet to make out, only it's the research lab, and with Iruka's book smarts and Kakashi's physical smarts (as in he knows kaiju patterns fr dealing with so many) (and Iruka's hobby is studying up on them in his spare time) they figure out the breech.

im imagining Kakashi trying to fuck Iruka senseless on some desk, only for Iruka to get distracted by the papers and he's like "wait, wait, look at this," effectively killing the mood by distracting the both of them.

i want iruka to be the one to drift with the kaiju??? idk fuuinjutsu feels like a mad scientist sorta deal

Mizuki still attacks Naruto and Iruka still saves his life by offering his own

Ramen. Dandelion yellow hair. Summer. Okinawa beach. Onsen. Bath. Ramen. Ma, Pa. Auntie Kushina. Ramen. School.

???

[bakugoushotwife]

Headcanons for boyfriend Sasuke please ?

a/n: sure thing, we love feeding the sasuke girlies round these parts

tenderly and with all the love in my heart, sasuke is a horrible boyfriend if you're dating as teens

it's honestly hard to even imagine him as a boyfriend as a teen, so i won't linger here long

here's what i will say, if you manage to go official with him in his teen rogue nin years, you're either the baddest bitch on the planet or the most powerful person he's ever seen or both

assuming you're also some sort of rogue nin/akatsuki member you would help closely with his revenge tour and he would find it easier to talk to you than others

that being said he still doesn't talk very much, his emotions were hard to put into words

he can very rarely show you affection, but he doesn't allow anyone to disrespect you in any way n it's very easy for him to stand up for you to other akatsuki or anyone that feels so bold

and by affection i mean he occasionally holds your hand, and blushes violently every time i love this war criminal

he doesn't stop you from touching him though, he's just touch starved of course and doesn't rlly know how to touch you in a romantic but appropriate way

very defensive so you pretty much always have to agree w him or...nvm u saw how many times he tried to kill sakura

he does value your insight in planning though, let's you give opinions when his head is level

is surprised that anyone even wants to stick by him at all, much less in his crazee era!

but appreciates it by keeping you safe and training w you <3

listen to your favorite dress by lil peep i think that summarizes teen boyfriend sasuke

now young adult sasuke would be much easier to deal with, definitely not walking around on eggshells with him

he still is very awkward and unsure how to flirt or romance you

just like teen sasuke he blushes every time he holds your hand or gives you a sweet kiss

tells you about his brother more openly, a sign he's let you in

constantly asking the boyz for help with dates or gifts for you and always coming home with some goofy ass trinket that shikamaru jokingly told him to get or buying the ugliest dress in konoha because naruto said that hinata said that you would like it

a+ for effort though, king

eventually he just starts asking you for the things you like and you freely tell him all your favorite colors and patterns and scents, all the things you had your eye on or had thought were nice

the adorable thing about sasuke is he has a fantastic memory, so he's able to memorize all the things you told him and slowly acquire them for you

when y'all leave the leaf for his missions, he's protective as always, but trusts in your abilities

#travelgoals

exploring together is so fun because he really is so smart and knows all kinds of fun facts about the different villages and locations you visit

always reups on snacks at the big stops because he knows you'll get cranky

cute starwatching and picnic dates while hunting otsutsuki? yes!

picks flowers for you <3 crying

definitely lets you use the cloak as a blanket during the night

always pretends to be annoyed when you whine that you're still cold

cue the *sigh* into cuddles, like he isn't grinning to himself and super relieved and lucky to have you with him

can oddly write? like not sonnets or anything mf crazy but maybe a slight poem when his heart is just about to burst if he doesn't figure out how to put his love for you into words

doesn't give them to you though, too embarrassed

you find them anyway hehe

they're so sweet and well written that you're shocked but also melting at all of his comparisons of your beauty to the sun and the sound of your voice to music

you're touched

snatches said poems when he notices lol like you're not his partner?

you pout and thank him and he's a bit surprised that you like it but hey he'll give you whatever he writes now

he's so babygirl

your honor i know he's a terrorist but i love him

[frankencanon]

I think it'd be funny if we made Kakashi even younger.

Can you imagine Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura finding out that Kakashi is only a handful of years older than them?!

I mean, with how little we see of his face it's extremely difficult to tell how old he is...

It was one thing when he was prepubescent and short with an unbroken voice, but once his voice dropped and he reached an average adult height... How would anyone be able to tell?

He's strong, highly ranked, mature for his age, and the proper height for an adult with an adult voice. Anyone who didn't already know his age would be liable to mistakenly assume he's older than he actually is, especially with the grey hair.

And it's not like it's out of the realm of possibility for a teenager to be a jounin sensei—take Minato, for example. He was, what, seventeen? And as talented as Minato was, he's nothing compared to Kakashi when it comes to rising through the ranks at a young age.

I'm pretty sure Kakashi broke literally every record there was when it came to "youngest ever [blank]". Academy student, genin, chūnin, jōnin, ANBU, ANBU Captain... Sure, Itachi eventually beat him in one or two of those, but at the time Kakashi was the sole record-holder; There'd never been anyone like him before.

If we just modify Kakashi's already contradictory timeline... Unimportant info below about the details for just how this could potentially work in canon!!

—WAIT. FORGET ALL THAT.

If you want to read my calculations as to how this could canonically work you may direct your attention below, however I have just come up with a far better and far simpler and also quite possibly both funnier and sadder idea:

Time-travel, but not in any way you're thinking...

Most people assume the reason why they didn't hear much of Kakashi's exploits over the years is because he was in ANBU and so everything was Top Secret and extremely covert...

But what if the real reason was because Kakashi had somehow been sent about a decade into the future? Hence explaining how he could be a teenager still when he was once the Yondaime's student.

Also possible: Kakashi was somehow held in stasis for the past decade—sealed, perhaps? Trapped? Or maybe the work of a foreign shinobi's jutsu (kekkei genkai?) that took about a decade or so to break/deactivate...

Or, my personal favorite:

He was investigating the Uzushiogakure ruins and got caught in one of their defensive seals — one that would seal him for a maximum of ten years, with the intention of giving Uzushio shinobi as much time as possible to deal with whatever intruder(s) got caught in the trap.

Without Kushina or Minato or any other Uzumaki seal experts however, deactivating the seal would be basically impossible — luckily, the seal was set up so that once time ran out Kakashi would be automatically released.

And he was! Ten years later, with little baby Naruto all grown up and almost ready to be placed on a genin team — his genin team.

—

AFFOREMENTIONED DUMB CALCULATIONS FOR HOW THIS COULD POTENTIALLY FIT INTO THE CANONICAL TIMELINE BELOW 👇

—

It's probably boring!! You don't have to read it!!

⚠️ You have been warned!! ⚠️

(It's mostly just me brainstorming, honestly...)

—

Genin at five, chūnin at six... Then he stalls at chūnin for a while before eventually advancing to jōnin at twelve (wherein Obito "dies").

He's approximately thirteen when Rin is killed leading to him joining ANBU, and then fourteen when Naruto is born and the Kyūbi is unleashed on the village, causing Minato and Kushina to sacrifice themselves.

In canon, he is then twenty-six years old when he becomes Team 7's jōnin sensei...

For starters, I vote we cut those six years of chūnin limbo before Kakashi becomes jōnin, dropping him to about twenty-or-so.

Then again, this is fanfic—who cares about canon timelines?

If we put him on the hyper-speed fast-track...

4: Academy student

5: Genin

6: Chūnin

7. Jōnin (Obito dies)

8. ANBU (Rin dies)

9. Naruto's birth (Minato & Kushina die)

Is this ridiculous? Yes! But who cares?

9+12=21

Hm... That's not right.

Alright, this is getting a bit annoyingly complicated.

Even if I downgrade Naruto to eleven (because for a long time I was convinced for some reason that Naruto was eleven while the rest of his peers were twelve, and I still have absolutely no clue where I got that idea from) that would still make Kakashi about twenty. Hm...

Ugh, I'll figure this out later. Can't we just hand-wave it?

—No wait, I have an idea:

While modifying his canon timeline to make him younger is a hassle and a half, the fact remains that until we saw Kakashi Gaiden we didn't actually have any details on his backstory...

In other words? The beginning of the series managed just fine without it, so why don't we just throw it out entirely?

Afterall, this fic is about jōnin-sensei Kakashi—the details of his traumatic childhood are irrelevant, and it's not like early fans had that information to work with anyway.

Naruto is canonically younger than Sasuke (who was a baby during the Kyūbi attack) so we shall put him at eleven to give us some leeway.

Now let's say we wanted to make Kakashi somewhere around sixteen to eighteen during canon—that would require him to be five to seven years old when Minato dies.

Now let's compress his timeline some more:

Considering the Konoha 9 all attended the very first chūnin exams after they graduated, I don't see any reason why Kakashi couldn't do the same—and unlike them he's a prodigy so it's basically guaranteed that he'd pass. (And that's assuming he didn't get a field promotion...)

Give him up to a year to become jōnin, and then have him join ANBU almost immediately after.

Some months later, Naruto is born and the Yondaime dies.

To compress it further, I am making his graduation even more ridiculous:

Academy student at three, genin and then chūnin at four, jōnin and ANBU at five. God, can you imagine a five-year-old ANBU? That'd be terrifying. Naruto is born around the time he turns six, and eleven years later Kakashi passes a genin team for the first time and is made a jōnin-sensei at seventeen, just like Minato-sensei was.

It'll take Team 7 a while to realize that, however.

...WAIT A MINUTE.***

Why am I even bothering to promote him prior to Minato's death? Am I, perhaps, an idiot?

Minato becomes his sensei as soon as he graduates to genin at five years old, but before that Kakashi spent a lot of time as his apprentice and they bonded. Shortly after Team 7 is formed the Kyūbi attack happens and Minato dies — the how doesn't matter, so don't worry about it.

The war is over so instead of Kannabi Bridge they go on some other dangerous mission with the same results, except this time the reason Minato isn't there is because he's dead.

They send some other inadequate chūnin or jōnin in his place, but they promptly get killed early on in the mission, perhaps at the same time that Rin gets kidnapped.

Kakashi is chūnin at this point so he naturally takes charge, despite being a five or six year old and Obito being — I don't know, twelve? Significantly older.

Obito dies, then Rin, and this time it's the stupid Sandaime that sticks Kakashi in ANBU like he's an annoying unwanted child that he wants to keep out of sight and thoroughly occupied — at least, until he needs a jōnin sensei for the Kyūbi's Jinchūriki and the Last Uchiha...

So, final version:

Five years old when Minato dies and Naruto is born, and about five or six years old when Obito and Rin die and Kakashi gets stuck in ANBU, followed by eleven years of Naruto growing up while Kakashi's in ANBU makes him... About sixteen to seventeen years old when Kakashi becomes Team 7's jōnin sensei.

To Kakashi, this feels almost poetic. (Same age as Minato-sensei was...)

[wonderlandgoblin]

Okay, so I don’t watch Hazbin Hotel (if I wrote it wrong, sorry) but for like weeks, the only thing I see in the asexual tag is people complaining about allos shipping ace characters in a very allo way, and it’s been annoying me to no end, because while we do have to be upset about that, the ace tag should also function in a way for us to share jokes, have fun and enjoy our identity without having to fight for our right to exist.

So I propose we do something different. Let’s annoy the aphobes. I propose that from now on, every character becomes ace/aro/aroace. No more shipping fanfics, just platonic relationships and friendships. Every fanart is now SFW and has the ace/aro/aroace flags colors.

I DEMAND A REVOLUTION!!!!

Tell me the characters you’re claiming!

My ace claimings are:

1-Luffy (any pairing with him just gives me nausea)

2-Zoro (fuck zosan, he prefers swords over anything except maybe luffy, who he has a squish on)

3-Bakugou Katsuki (I love that kid, I’m making him one of my own)

4-Sasuke (I hate that guy, but he rejected both Sakura and Naruto, that kid’s definitely aroace)

5-Yor (my queen mama prefers killing over kissing, that should be an obvious sign)

6-Yona (no one’s touching my queen, she never liked Soo-won nor Hak, it was all social pressure to not end up alone, fight me)

7-Xie Lian (I don’t like the idea of anyone touching the god I worship, so that means he’s ace now)

8-Kageyama (idk why, he just has a vibe)

9-Handa from Barakamon (I don’t think this needs explanation)

10-Fushiguro Megumi (I like him, he’s one of my own now)

11-Maomao (she prefers venoms over sex)

12-Mash from Mashle (like, look at him, that guy just wants to exercise, eat and be with his family)

13-Violet Evergarden (I don’t think I need to explain this, this girl dedicated her entire life to understanding romance as it made no sense to her, aroace queen)

14-Sokka (he’s too smart to like sex)

15-Zuko (he’s an angel, angels don’t have sex)

16-Magnus Chase AND Alex Fierro (they’re my babies, I identify too much with them, the idea of them having sex gives me the ickies)

17-Jude from the Cruel Prince (I liked her better before she fell for that stupid fairy)

18-Edmund from Narnia (he was my childhood crush, I’m making him ace)

19-Annabeth Chase (she’s too perfect to have sex)

20-Alec Lightwood (I just like imagining Magnus loosing his shit every once in a while because of it)

21-Leo Valdez (bc why not?)

22-Blue Sargent and half the women she lives with (no explanation needed)

23-Dick Gansey the Third (he prefers dead kings over sex)

24-Katniss Everdeen (if you disagree, what is wrong with you?)

25-Castiel (fuck destiel shippers, angels don’t have sex)

26-Felicity from Arrow (haven’t finished the series but as far as I know, she’s too cool for sex)

27-Barbie (she’s a doll, she has no reproductive organs, she can’t feel desire)

I could probably pick more characters but I think this is enough for now, have fun annoying the aphobes!

[team7-headquarter]

I need a fanfic where Obito marries Rin and Sasuke and Naruto get together, so Kakashi and Sakura start platonically living together.

It's mostly a character study??? Maybe?? On how Kakashi already devoted himself to protecting her if Sasuke and Naruto weren't around, on how they are so similar, how it feels to be left behind even if your team doesn't realize it.

If you think about it?

Well, imagine Sakura and Kakashi both fell for an Uchiha and had a jinchuriki be in love with them, only for the Uchiha to be interested only in your jinchuriki friend. Soon they get together and you start to feel like you're in the middle of something you are not part of. You still know they love you a lot, but it's not like you can erase the romance you were waiting for from your dreams.

And then you can add the fact that Gai and Rock Lee are kinda obsessed (in the good sense!) with Sakura and Kakashi. Neither Sakura nor Kakashi find them annoying, since Rock Lee and Gai were a source of strength when their team couldn't be there for them. Gai and Lee are their inspiration in so many senses. It's just another relationship they share, weirdly, funnily.

Of course they have their unique bonds, like the one Sakura shares with Ino, or the one Kakashi has with Tenzo. It doesn't mean that the themes are not shared: You see, Tenzo's wood release and Ino's whole deal with flowers are all about bloom and growth. Tenzo is that solid surface Kakashi can rely on when he feels he can't keep standing, the scarecrow that needs something to keep him upright. Ino is that force urging Sakura to open up to the world, to stop hiding who Sakura is for the sake of others; Ino is the gardener and Sakura is the flower.

There's the issue with their parents, who were not bad people, but who weren't there for Kakashi and Sakura while they grew up. Even when they love their parents, there's a void there, a tension, some distance that resonates and makes the absence loud and clear. Who Kakashi and Sakura are is not a product of some parenting: it's personal effort and being obstinate to no end.

Kakashi and Sakura greatly value each other. The proof is in the way they refuse to let each other carry alone their burdens. It's never as clear as it is when Sasuke is involved: in the Land of Iron, they tried to kill Sasuke to take the burden of killing a friend from Naruto's shoulders, but also because Kakashi didn't want that for Sakura either and she didn't want Kakashi to deal with it alone. Later, in the fight with Kaguya, Sasuke compares Kakashi to Sakura in how useless they were because they were mere humans in a fight with (basically) some goddess.

Kakashi and Sakura both suffer for not being able to free their teammates from the hurt. There's no doubt they would if they could. Not being strong enough, not being fast or skilled enough, being "useless" is their greatest nightmare. There isn't a day that Kakashi and Sakura don't hate their own weaknesses, there's not a night that they don't hate themselves for not being able to do more.

I don't know... It'd be interesting to study Kakashi in a more romantic light while Sakura is able to have more of a platonic centric growth. It would be entertaining, at least. What if Kakashi finally confesses out loud that he was in love, but he can only do it because he knows Sakura might be the only other person alive who understands what it is like to love an Uchiha? What if it is Kakashi who helps Sakura realize how many friends are there for her? How she can find fulfilment outside of the promises and dreams that are no more?

I also like a lot to see serious platonic relationships with age gaps, where the adult doesn't take any advantage given the difference in their experience and shows they can learn from the younger one.

A relationship that can't be described with nuclear family roles (father & daughter), the type where hierarchical roles are part of the drama because they see each other as equals, but even then they can't shake their responsibilities for the sake of their bond (Kakashi forced to send Sakura on a dangerous mission because he's the Hokage and she's a kunoichi, or Kakashi very openly refusing to use his status as her former sensei to force her to do something she doesn't want to do).

They are friends, just not the typical one... They're two different types of mirrors, reflecting broken images. And if they find in each other a bit of all the things they've lost and missed and they have hoped for, not enough to replace the originals but enough to lessen the hurt? Then, it's only natural they find easy companionship in each other.

[mika080]

GaaSaku AO3 2024 Yearly Wrap Up

COMPLETED Fics in 2024, on Archive of Our Own.

There were 30 newly complete GaaSaku on AO3 last year!🎉💞

What Makes the Desert Beautiful by Storybelle When she was four, a neighbor looked at her bare wrist and couldn’t hide her recoil of disgust in time. “What a shame,” she murmured finally and patted Sakura's arm. Mebuki stood nearby, wringing her hands. They were causing a disturbance in the street, people turning to look as they passed by. Back then she hadn’t known how rude the neighbor was, that looking at anyone’s soulmark without permission, even a child’s, was the most impudent thing imaginable. “What a terrible shame.” She was twelve before she realized what the neighbor had meant.

Enthralled by bluemingqueen for onemoreword When he’d been a boy, half-crazed by the tailed beast inside him, he’d thought her blood sang to him because.he wanted to kill her. It wasn’t like that was an uncommon impulse for him in those days, after all. That he had to constantly force his fangs to retract whenever she was around was just one more sign of her destiny as his meal. When he’d come to Konoha to help defeat the last few Akatsuki members just after his eighteenth birthday, he watched her shatter the blonde bomber’s skull like a piece of delicate china, and he knew there was no going back. He would have Haruno Sakura, no matter what. (GaaSaku (featuring vampire Gaara!) for Word)

hopelessly devoted by 3raccoons Gaara finds a new treasure lost in his desert sands.

Threads of Eternity by Anonymous Years after Sakura Haruno and Granny Chiyo defeated Sasori of the Red Sand, his legacy comes back to haunt her. While on a mission, Sakura discovers an ancient, cursed book imbued with Sasori’s consciousness. Drawn into his world of puppetry and manipulation, Sakura begins learning his techniques to protect herself, but this only deepens his influence over her. Sasori’s presence grows stronger, manifesting through her chakra and threatening to regain a physical form. As Sakura struggles to keep control, her friends—including Gaara, who harbors deep feelings for her—become embroiled in the battle against Sasori’s return. When Sasori reclaims his puppet body, his dark obsession with Sakura becomes a physical threat. In a climactic confrontation, Gaara defeats Sasori for good, freeing Sakura from his grasp. Amidst the chaos, Gaara’s steadfast love for Sakura offers her the hope of rebuilding her life, unburdened by the shadow of Sasori’s influence. A tale of manipulation, resilience, and the strength of bonds, this story explores the blurred lines between power and control, legacy and choice, and the enduring impact of love and trust.

Sand In the Air by Sasuksakur Gaara was going insane, his love for Naruto making him lust day in and day out. He had shared a night with the blond and his wife, but it was not enough to satisfy his thirst. Maybe he started being pulled towards Sasuke because the other man was always loyal to Naruto, but then Sakura came along and changed everything for him.

Empty Words by LadyDyDy35 Fanfiction of a fanfiction: Follow the Sun; Excerpts in Time by LaceyJane After the whirlwind of events surrounding Kankuro's poisoning, Gaara can't figure out why Sakura is suddenly uncomfortable around him and decides to investigate. After the whirlwind of events surrounding Kankuro's poisoning, Sakura struggles to understand her feelings about the ANBU's words and Gaara's reaction to them.

Indulgent Afternoons by onemoreword Gaara was going to kill her at this rate... A little peak at an afternoon delight between the Kazekage and Konoha's Head Medic. Inspired by the art created by the great Kumeramen, available inside!

Betting it all for Sweets by LadyDyDy35 Shinki gets in trouble at school, and Gaara is forced to leave a work meeting to pick him up.

Wasurerarenai by FireThatFox Sakura is haunted by the memories of her deceased mentor and friend, Akasuna no Sasori. Reality and grief blend together, making each day without him more and more difficult to endure. Love is not rational, nor is guilt.

GaaSaku Fanfest 2024 by LadyDyDy35 This is a collection of 18 stories for GaaSaku Bingo Fanfest 2024. Fourteen are unrelated, and four are direct continuations of each other. Please note, Chapter 4 (only) contains the additional tags of: Medical Horror, Medical Caregiver Trauma, CPR Hands, Medical Procedures, Canon Character Death, Aged up Characters, SFW, Dead Dove-Do Not Read, Gaara is still technically a zombie, established relationship, Sakura needs therapy.

Hold Me, Darling by onemoreword Where Gaara is confused, Ino is aghast (and somewhat amused), and Sakura just wants to crawl up in a hole and die. She wondered how much longer she could keep this up before she finally exploded. Pure fluff during the early stages of Gaara and Sakura’s romance.

An Afternoon of Reflection by NightingaleFlow In an attempt to spice up their sex life, Gaara and Sakura try something new. Kinktober 2024 Fic 1/9: Mirror Sex

To-Do-List by EmmaLouiseFanfiction She had a very select list. A To-Do List of things to do to him. He had a very select list. A To-Do List of things to let her do to him. “There is no yes or no or maybe. You'll cum for me and that's all there is to it.” Sakura and Gaara are on vacation. But it’s not the sights and relaxation they came for.

Mission by Omgbrowhyareallusernamestaken Sakura gets send to the mission to sunakagure to find out about a missing scroll from the leaf village But something goes wrong.

Vistazo a la vida de Sakura Haruno by Serenity26 Fuerte Sakura Haruno Porque soy fan de esta pelirosa cuyo potencial fue desperdiciado, Kishimoto no sabe mucho sobre escribir mujeres y menos de relaciones (solo el Shikatema y el MinaKushi se salva). Veremos los posibles matrimonios y vida de nuestra Kunoichi favorita, que se merece su propio harem Bv La dama no va a estar detrás del emo vengador y solo vera a Naruto como si fuera un hermano. Esta chica se sabe cuidar sola y lo va a demostrar como se debe. Sé que debería concentrarme en mis historias pendientes, pero necesito escribir este fic.

Wheel of Fate by IndraOtsutsuki After impulsively buying a strange staff at a flea market, Ashura Senju's life is never the same. In the evening, a young man shows up at his apartment door and introduces himself as Indra Uchiha, a treasure hunter with a unique taste in styling and a strange personality. He shows great interest in the staff Ashura bought, but no matter how much money he offers, the young man refuses to give him what he wants. So Indra offers him a deal and some information about the staff. His story sounds like a cheap fantasy novel, but Ashura's interest is piqued and he embarks on the greatest adventure of his life.

GaaSaku - Kiss where it hurts by NightingaleFlow for ShrimpArmy She hates losing patients.

Un cerezo que florece en el desierto by XanandraEgoshipper Sakura Haruno no es la misma niña que ama e idólatra a Sasuke. Dándose cuenta de su valor decide dejar su obsesión por él atrás y encontrar su camino ninja y quizás el verdadero amor.

Twenty Truths about Gaara and Sakura's Relationship by Lady Lark (LadyLarkRune) Twenty things people didn't know, or necessarily want to know about the fifth Kakekage and the Hokage's apprentice. -Or- Exactly what it says on the tin...

Late Night Musings by Lady Lark (LadyLarkRune) Sakura has questions. Gaara has answers.

Naruto Citrus by Hina5enpai A collection of lemons! Multiple pairings, some canon and some not. Rated M. If you don't know why by now, you aren't old/mature enough to read this fic. Enjoy!

Learning The Act of Love by KristinaAnn85 Sakura has been distracted by the Kazekage for sometime now. Now facing at least six months in close proximity to him, will she get the chance to Learn the Act of Love?

I can't wait to get married by Ulyana_pan - Wouldn't marriage complicate our relationship? - At least marriage is meant to formalise it. - That's the complication.

【ALL樱】《去他妈的多重宇宙》 by sevenmilesofpaddy 佐助穿越在各个时空里，发现老婆都嫁给了别人。

A Hug For the Kazekage by BearfootTruck Gaara is attending to his usual duties as Kazekage when Sakura shows up. Happy National Hug Day!

oh, to be your heart by Scribomaniac A tender moment between Sakura and Gaara as they prepare themselves for the separation their roles in the war require of them.

The Kazekage And Her by Letstrythis4 Sakura is in Suna to help with some poisoned civilians, but the Gaara she spends time with isn't the same as the boy she met at the Chunin exams years ago. She plans to keep her feelings to herself... Until Gaara confronts her. (GaaSaku) - A little thing I had laying about from years ago. Originally on fanfic.

Oasis in the Desert by Child_of_the_Dark_Ones Gaara’s blessing has been that Sakura gave him the time of day. His perspective as he readies to make their relationship official.

Healing a pained heart by bipidi Sakura suffers from an illness caused by stress. Gaara will help her get through this. Tsunade agrees to send Sakura to Suna for a top secret experiment. Sarada doesn't exist in this story for plot purposes. Shinki has already been adopted by Gaara. Lots of poems in the upcoming chapters.

The Wedding Date by ShineeRedKookie Sakura Haruno had a big problem. A problem that involved fancy invitation cards, white doves, and wedding bells. And it was all her little sister's fault. How could Hinata be marrying before her? And worse. What could possibly be worse? A mother that would never let her live her single or common life down. And the groom, Sakura's Ex-Fiancé.

[creepercraftguy]

Pokemon Scarlet/Violet - Voice Actor Headcanons (Teal Mask and Indigo Disk Edition)

So, the version of this post I did for the main game turned out to be one of my all time most popular posts on this platform, and I'm honestly super happy about that. The majority of people seemed to really like the voices that I picked for each of the characters, and there were some fun discussions in the reblogs and comments.

So it was only a matter of time before I got around to doing the DLC characters, and now that Indigo Disc is finally out, better now than never. Pokemon obviously rarely has voice acting in the main series, so this is the next part of the series where I assign English VA's to each of the characters.

Before I get into this, there are a few points I need to reiterate, as I often do with these posts.

This is NOT CANON. These are HEADCANONS and are unofficial. It’s just a hypothetical situation. If the characters were voiced, this is who I imagine would voice them.

Every major character in the DLC is included here, so there are HEAVY SPOILERS for the game’s DLC storylines. DO NOT READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED THE TEAL MASK OR INDIGO DISC OR DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED.

This VA Headcanons post is SPECIFICALLY for the characters from Pokemon ScarVi's DLC. If you want to see the characters from the main game, the post is here.

As was the case with Nemona and Penny, it's highly likely that the characters will get official English VA's in Pokemon Masters. Remember that this post was constructed prior to this.

So without further ado, I hope you enjoy my ideas. Or don’t. Your choice.

Kieran - JUSTIN BRINER

Also Voiced:

Deku/Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)

Nico (Nanbaka)

Mikaela Hyakuya (Seraph of the End)

Carmine - ANNE YATCO

Also Voiced:

Nobara Kugisaki (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Raiden Shogun (Genshin Impact)

Lola Metrose (The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter)

Briar - EMI LO

Also Voiced:

Ruan Mei (Honkai Star Rail)

Lucy (Cyberpunk Edgerunners)

Rena Ryuugu (Higurashi: When They Cry)

Perrin - ERICA LINDBECK

Also Voiced:

Futaba Sakura (Persona 5)

Kaori Miyazono (Your Lie In April)

Celica (Fire Emblem)

Cyrano - GABE KUNDA

Also Voiced:

Macaron (Hi-Fi Rush)

Rock Lock (My Hero Academia)

Shin Yasuda (Horimiya)

Crispin - RICCO FAJARDO

Also Voiced:

Lemillion/Mirio Togata (My Hero Academia)

Kotaro Tatsumi (Zombie Land Saga)

Itona Horibe (Assassination Classroom)

Amarys - KIRSTEN POTTER

Also Voiced:

Tae Takemi (Persona 5)

Hisame (Naruto)

Naomi Kimishima (Trauma Center)

Lacey - CHRISTINE CABANOS

Also Voiced:

Mako Mankanshoku (Kill La Kill)

Chiaki Nanami (Danganronpa)

Silica (Sword Art Online)

Drayton - ZENO ROBINSON

Also Voiced:

Junpei Iori (Persona 3 ReLoad)

Hawks (My Hero Academia)

Hunter (The Owl House)

Billy - JOSHUA WATERS

Also Voiced:

Kyler (Class of '09)

Inu-Oh (Inu-Oh)

The Quadruplets (Tribe Nine)

O'Nare - KIRSTEN DAY

Also Voiced:

Constance (Fire Emblem Three Houses/Three Hopes)

Skipper (Barbie)

Kibutsuji's Wife (Demon Slayer)

Snacksworth - MIKE POLLOCK

Also Voiced:

Dr. Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Adon (Berserk)

Professor Ochanomizu (Pluto)

[riversimmone]

Three's A Crowd - Chapter 9

RiverOfTheSand

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. :)

Chapter Nine: Shared Silence.

Sometimes he felt like he was someone else, like another person was living his life for him. There was a darkness inside of him that he couldn't explain, that he couldn't excuse and that he couldn't control. The stench of his mistake permeated his senses for days after Sasuke Uchiha had killed the brother of the fire daimyo.

He'd awoken from a dream-like state only to realise that he hadn't been imagining things. And no matter how he'd felt at the time, or the excuses he'd told himself in those moments of bloodlust, he hadn't meant to kill the old man. He wanted to be better than that, having left Konoha not as an act of disloyalty, but to follow the faint lead that Orochimaru had left behind.

In retrospect, three Genin who had just lost their loved ones and were barely out of the academy weren't going to be able to take down the Sannin. But really, killing Orochimaru wasn't something they often talked about. The subject was raised so rarely that there had been no actual discussion on how they would do it. They had never entertained the idea that they would be a match for the snake. But Sasuke wouldn't stay in Konoha knowing that hunting down that monster wasn't even being considered. He couldn't walk the streets of Konoha, pretend it wasn't going to happen again, and never try to do anything about it.

The final straw in his decision had been partly overhearing the elders, but also discovering that Orochimaru had stolen Uchiha relics, not to mention the Uchiha clan (or what was left of it) was the main reason for his attack.

So he had to get stronger, he had to find the snake and kill him, even if it was the last thing he ever did. But Konoha was rebuilding too slowly and everyone was needed in the reconstruction efforts. It left him feeling useless, fidgety, and frustrated. These were never good combinations in him. He wasn't normally so rash or impatient, and the shift in his perspective, his realisation that staying in Konoha was just hampering his desire for revenge, was a great motivation to leave. He'd often wondered what would've happened if Sakura hadn't realised what he was about to do and insisted on coming with him. She was more brains than brawn back in the academy, but after their numerous training sessions together, he'd seen a kind of strength in her that no-one else had bothered to look for. It might've had something to do with why he'd eventually given in to her romantic advances.

And then there was Naruto. He understood the baka's desire not to be left out, but never got how he could turn his back on his dream to one day become Hokage. If he'd stayed in Konoha, he might've one day accomplished that. It was impossible now. That blonde idiot confused him to no end.

But now, with the sun setting and the dark undergrowth of surrounding woodland as his destination for the night, Sasuke didn't know what he wanted anymore. He didn't know if there was any point in this quest for revenge. They'd been on the road for six years, found out more about Orochimaru's movements than anyone else in Konoha, but were they strong enough? His Sharingan was powerful, but he worried it wouldn't be enough when the time came. What they needed was more power.

He glanced backward discreetly as the sounds of early evening insects filled the tense silence around him. Just like they had with the caravan, Sakura and Naruto were giving Sasuke a wide berth. She'd tried to approach the Uchiha but he wasn't responsive, making her worry even more for him. They needed to get to Kumo, get this mission over and done with, and then take some time off. Maybe even splurge on paying to occupy an entire bathhouse to themselves for awhile. They definitely needed something to soak away this stench around them.

Sakura remembered the first time Sasuke had killed unnecessarily – he'd gotten his Sharingan before they left Konoha, but the first time he'd used it after going rogue, he'd killed without thinking. The pinkette had had nightmares for weeks about those screams. Since then, he'd only let his bloodlust overwhelm his rational mind a few times, and it still terrified her, what his Sharingan was capable of. But this time, it hadn't been his kekkei genkai – he'd used the sword to kill the old man. Sakura had spent the last couple of days watching him silently, occasionally brushing his arm in a gentle, comforting way, with no response.

This was definitely different from the other times. Maybe he'd finally snapped…

So she cried herself to sleep, silently of course – she'd long given up on the weak Sakura who wore her heart on her sleeve. Naruto wasn't fairing any better, having seemingly lost his voice and didn't even try to approach Sasuke. He kept close to Sakura however, only moving away when a particularly nasty glare from Sasuke (glinted red) was directed at him. He just wanted to comfort the only person in Kitsúne that wasn't possessed.

Neither Sakura nor Sasuke knew about the Kyuubi… Naruto had used its chakra occasionally, but only when pushed to. He wanted to tell them, but every time the chance presented itself, fear clutched at his chest. After all, he wouldn't be surprised if they wanted nothing to do with him afterward. Orochimaru may have engineered the attack on the leaf that ruined their lives, but the hand that had been the coup de grâce had been a jinchuriki.

X X X

They looked more sombre than she'd have thought possible. Tsunade surveyed Team Guy in the wake of their mission report, her eyes lingering on Neji, who was the only one looking slightly furious. Someone powerful had fooled his Byakugan (even though it had only succeeded because Neji had never seen that genjutsu before) and the Hokage thought immediately of Sasuke Uchiha's Sharingan. She kept this to herself however, as it was still considered top secret – rumours abound about many rogue Shinobi but some facts were easier to piece together than others. There had been a string of people with memory loss in wave country six months ago, and in the land of wind several weeks before that.

Tsunade had long believed that genjutsu was more destructive than most ninjutsu as the mind was a delicate thing – far more difficult to heal than a normal injury. It was why she took it more seriously – after all, one of the most powerful clans to ever exist excelled in genjutsu.

'Well, they used to.'

She sighed. And if Sasuke Uchiha had something to do with what was going on, there wasn't much she could do about it, especially if he'd progressed with his Sharingan enough to affect the battleground in the way Neji had describe. Fortunately, even though they hadn't heard or seen from any of the former members of Team Seven for six years, their motivations had nothing to do with harming Konohagakure.

Shizune knocked on the Hokage's door, waited for the "enter" from Tsunade and then bowed. "I have Kakashi Hatake for you ma'am, as requested."

"Thank you Shizune."

Guy greeted his eternal rival jovially, re-sparking some of his normally upbeat disposition, and Kakashi just sighed deeply. He really wasn't in the mood for one of Guy's speeches, and tuned out as the spandex clad man started on about how his youth had betrayed him and having this eternal rival around was sure to bring it back. (Okay… so the tuning out hadn't actually worked this time – he was getting old after all.)

"Kakashi," Tsunade said. "Fetch Kurenai Yuhi's team. She's taking some time off so you'll be her replacement on squad eight."

'Why couldn't Shizune have just done that?' "Yes Lady Hokage," Kakashi shunshined out and Gai frowned.

"Are you sure it's wise sending out another team?" He asked.

"The perpetrators know our faces," Tenten said, her eyes on Neji however – he was watching and listening but not making any input.

"Yes, but they'll still stand out as Konoha ninja, so in the end, what does that matter?"

"Guy," Tsunade said, "you're not being left out. I have a separate mission for you. Just wait until Kakashi returns with the others," she added as he moved to interrupt.

Tenten kept her worried eyes on Neji the entire time, but it didn't take Kakashi long to track down Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame and Hinata Hyuuga. Tsunade stood up and moved in front of her desk, leaning back on it wearily. She was older than she looked of course, and right now, she was feeling it.

"Are we to move as two teams?" Lee asked, looking very excited about that possibility.

"No. I've sent a message to Kumo," Tsunade said, "and their informants have placed the rogues somewhere between the southern border to the land of frost and lightning country. While Team Kakashi–" (Kiba growled insolently at this title) "–goes ahead to scout out the area, I want Team Guy to stay in their shadow. You are to follow them and not make yourself known unless you encounter resistance."

"Lady Hokage?" Hinata asked, bowing slightly. "What about the rumours of Kitsúne being in the land of frost? Is this connected?"

Tsunade exchanged a worried look with Shizune. "Actually, you might encounter them. I've been putting together all the information we have of them and I think I've figured out who they are."

X X X

[saneandrocking]

I need to read a fanfic where Sasuke manages to kill Sakura because Kakashi and Naruto didn't arrive in time. But it has to be Kakashi-centric and it has to necessarily show this man suffering. Imagine not only having lost a teammate due to the technique you developed to protect those you love, but losing a student for having taught this same technique to your other student with a tragic past. I feel like this would push Kakashi to his limit and he would actually try to kill himself in a gruesome way. Just to survive, because he's not so lucky.

Also, bonus points if Naruto goes rogue. You can talk all the nonsense you want, but my boy would never forgive Sasuke for killing Sakura. Neither him nor the Leaf. Not even Tsunade could escape at this point.