#like. that's literally an interpretation of kakashi's appearance for this time

[kakashihasibs]

@pax-thuban tags are good too

LOOK AT OUR OLD MAN HE LOOKS SO GOOD I LOVE HIM

[avenger-hawk]

Not a request, just curious. Would you ever write more about Sasuke and Madara’s relationship? I love the idea of him being a mentor to Sasuke and love the dark take you had on it in your fic. I know you said you aren’t particularly interested in Itachi’s character anymore, is there a specific character you’d like to explore more?

I would, sure. And I’m glad you like my fic. I said it already so I’m repeating myself here, but the main reason I put it Somber Creation Pale Destruction (ff.net/ ao3) on hiatus was that I liked so much Madara and Sasuke being in their own world, literally, and the morbid-dark yet cosy atmosphere they were in, and since Itachi was supposed to appear as well, I kinda didn’t want lol.

Ofc I planned the whole plot, but still.

Tbh when I first had the idea of that fic I wanted to write the Madara/Sasuke relationship as secondary to Itachi/Sasuke, because I always liked the idea of Sasuke having Itachi as “one and only” in his heart (which imo is realistic for Sasuke, not necessarily in a shippy way), so that even if he got close to others, deep down there would always be Itachi, and I mean not necessarily in a romantic way.

Now I’d continue writing it, and I’d keep this Itachi thing, but I am very interested in exploring Sasuke’s interaction and relationships to other characters, because they’re less explored.

Yup I’m no longer interested in Itachi as a character, like I said already mostly because of the fandom and their stupid interpretation of his personality, either turning him into a meek martyr or accusing him of genocide and dismissing him, both aren’t interesting and don’t portray how controversial and interesting he used to be. But I did explore him and his relationship with Sasuke, in all its aspects. I still imagine Itasasu related things but yeah I would prefer to write something else instead. I’d never write Itachi and someone else anyway.

Other characters I’d like to explore?

Always interacting with Sasuke ofc, I am not interested otherwise. I kinda wrote it already in my writing page, and even more here.

Among all the characters I mentioned in the aforementioned ask I’d like to write more about:

Kakashi. I said it so many times but I love Kakashi and Sasuke interacting in any possible way. Kakasasu was my first ship and I have a lot of thoughts about them., despite the ending. I like Kakashi because he’s controversial, btw. If only I had motivation...my KS tag.

Suigetsu. imo they have a better dynamic than N*rusasu. More interesting. Sasuke respects Suigetsu and is totally comfortable with his quirks. Suigetsu provokes Sasuke to have his attention and respects him so much, he expressed it more times. And also, Suigetsu has a strong sadistic side, it’s canon. While Sasuke has a masochist side. For me it’s perfect. (suisasu tag)

Juugo. I wrote about how interesting I think their relationship is more times like here and here but the high esteem Sasuke holds for Juugo, and the loyalty, protectiveness and respect Juugo has for Sasuke imo are amazing. And the ‘I’ll be your cage’ Sasuke told him is darkfic material. And it’s canon. (juusasu tag)

Obito. His interaction and relationship with Sasuke were so interesting in canon, so ambiguous, so promising. Because they did spend time together, and they were both Uchiha. And Obito knew things but Sasuke didn’t. And Obito called Sasuke ‘fellow traitor’ before being taken over by Madara...I did start something I never finished about them tbh. (obisasu tag and meta)

Deidara. Not many realize that despite his loud/bragging attitude Deidara has a low self esteem and he looks up to Itachi whom he tried to impress. Like Sasuke, in a way. And both are reckless when it comes to not caring what happens to themselves. They are opposite but they also have these in common...And, aeshtetically, Deidara is blond, like N*ruto but hotter lol. I kinda like to imagine an Akatsuki AU where Sasuke is in a team with Itachi but also he has interactions with the other members and Deidara is basically his same age but he’s more experienced and they have some rivalry going on.

Shikamaru. I kinda think it would be interesting to put a clever and aloof lukewarm lazy guy whose loyalty towards Konoha is strong, close to an equally clever and aloof guy but very passionate inside, whose loyalty comes from his own feelings and thoughts and personal values instead. It has potential for good interactions, meaningful discussions and ambiguous moments since Shikamaru can control shadow and tie people up, and is very ruthless when he wants. Darkfic potential.

In that post I also mentioned Gaara, Sai and others so I won’t repeat myself more.

The only character not related to Sasuke is Tobirama. I disagree with his values and ideas but he’s interesting in his controversial way imo. Such a strict character yet so open minded when it came to develop forbidden jutsu, even defying death with Edo Tensei. So apparently domineering but so loyal to his older brother. I am kinda interested in some angsty dark scenario with Hashirama and I kinda had an idea I never developed.

Like I said here even tho I have less new ideas it’s not like I don’t have any, but I don’t have much motivation to write so I play my scenarios in my head.

Also, mostly, because I like darkfics but ppl like ‘wholesome’ and tbh I’ve had enough of fandom police shitting on my work just like I’ve had enough of judgemental condescendence like ‘you write well but your fics are too dark for me’.

(or being tagged in some gorey fics bc creeps like Hawk must be into all kinds of creepy things even tho I’ve always said I’m not into that specific stuff lol)

[mokutone]

omg ur tags about gai in the gaara post are SO CORRECT. i literally cry thinking about how caring he is and what that's like for gaara and naruto. like at the beginning of the ep where tsunade was introduced and gai gave naruto a jumpsuit and how that made him so happy. the way gai is able to understand the kids are strong but they're still kids and need love and support i love him so much 😭

oh god hello yes. youre right..you’re right...and when naruto first saw gai sensei appear, wallop rock lee, and then wrap him in a hug and tell him how proud he was of rock lee and they were both crying, and sakura and sasuke were (UNDERSTABDABLY) like Wow What The Fuck Is Happening...and naruto was just like. “wow...i wish he was MY teacher...” i lost my fucking MIND he JUST WANTS SOMEBODY TO BE PROUD OF HIM. FUCK. ANYWAY.

it takes kakashi like years to be able to say shit like “naruto youve come so far and im so proud of you” and by the time he's emotionally capable of doing that naruto is so used to him NOT doing that that any attempt scares him shitless! every time kakashi tries to say good job naruto is like “AUUUUGH NO WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!?!?!” poor boy! poor boy!!! (you can also see in some eps kakashi realize like. “ah fuck. i really messed this up...he doesn’t trust me when i say good job :(((” which is so funny and sad. rip mr depression)

but yeah you’re right. gai is really really good at understanding the kids and respecting them and supporting them, and hes so emotionally involved in their lives and so present...i really love him so much...he’s such a beacon of sunlight...

even during the fight with gaara and rock lee, where gaara is trying to like straight up murder rock lee and gai intervenes—when gaara starts having a breakdown and starts demanding like “WHY, WHY are you PROTECTING him, WHAT are you DOING” gai doesn’t, like, respond as though it’s a stupid question, he doesn’t even give a easy answer like “it’s my duty as his teacher” or “of course i’m protecting him, he’s my student” and those would be VALID and truthful answers, but he gives the even more honest and emotional one, that rock lee is precious to him!!!! that he cares about this kid, that he doesn’t want to see this kind of grievous harm befall him when he’s unable to defend himself,

that’s why the like “he’s precious to me” line really fucking kills me because its. he just. auuauauuau [howls] thats his SON....

it really just. that’s not an answer he had to give gaara, and in context it sounds incredibly ridiculous unless you realize that gai already understands that this kid has no concept of being loved, and that this is something that he needs to hear

gai also like. makes a really weird face when he’s dealing with gaara (both in the arena and the hospital) that i haven’t seen him make since? if i remember correctly it looked a little like this, i don’t have the anime open in front of me but it made an impact on my psyche

idk it looked, to me at least, very serious, with a little bit of...distaste, that could be read as pity, or discomfort, which i interpreted as a reaction to (and therefore understanding) of gaara’s situation, but even further as an understanding that this isn’t really a matter he could involve himself in too far. 

his priority here is obviously and necessarily rock lee, who gaara tried to kill, and then tries to kill AGAIN (stopped, once more, by gai) idk. it hit hard on my heart. i think gai knows when he sees somebody in need, even if the only thing he can afford give them in the moment is the absolute bare minimum, he gives it, and that just rocks my world

[kitsmits]

Can I get ✿ ♡ ☼ for Kaiya, Kakashi, and Itachi for the headcanon meme?

Ooooo ^_^ I did them separately, though of course each character’s headcanon will probably reference each other :P Slight NSFW ahead. Putting this under a “read more” line because it got loooong.

✿ - Sex headcanon

Kaiya has a really high sex drive. One might call her “insatiable,” though it’s more just loads of stamina. Very playful, can go for hours through multiple orgasms, and quite flexible ;) For Kaiya, sex isn’t just about love, lust, or being intimate; it’s also an outlet, a way to work out stress, aggression, frustration, or loneliness. Sometimes it’s a way to escape. Sometimes she just wants to feel good. That’s not to say she’s a selfish lover; quite the opposite. She LOVES getting her partner to cum, making them lose control - though often, she winds up losing control herself in the process :P Whatever else the sex is about though, Kaiya needs to be able to feel open and vulnerable, something she can only do with someone she trusts completely.

When Kakashi first became sexually active, he was in Anbu, and it was never about love. It was part curiosity, part just wanting to get it over with, part needing to feel connected with another human being. He’s only had a few partners over the years, not limited to a single gender, always someone he trusted implicitly - but never romantic. He never allowed it to go beyond the occasional fuck in the dark. By the time he left Anbu, his drive had actually gone down (inversely related to his rising depression); he’s only visited those partners a few times in the years since. Though he’s had plenty of opportunities for one-night-stands with strangers, he’s never indulged in one. It’s not that he’s not sexually attracted to others; he just doesn’t trust himself not to hurt them, even for a single night. Plus, he just doesn’t like letting his mask down for anyone he doesn’t absolutely trust - literally or figuratively.

Itachi is a virgin. He’s had opportunities, but I see Itachi as demi-sexual: he has to feel a deep connection to a person in order to be sexually attracted to them. In TUTN-verse, Kaiya’s probably the only person he’s felt that close to. Even then, he tried to fight it, and if she never made that first move, he might have succeeded by virtue of convincing himself that she didn’t want him like that way anyway. However, once Itachi experiences sex with that special someone, he has a hard time resisting the urge around them. He wants to make them feel exquisite, wants to worship at their feet and have them writhing in ecstasy again and again. He will put his considerable self-control to use in order to last as long as they need him to, only letting himself go when he’s certain they’ve been fully satisfied.

♡ - romantic headcanon

Kaiya HATES romance novels. She thinks rom-coms are unrealistic and overly sappy. If she were in any such scenario, she’d probably laugh and find the whole thing ridiculous...all while wondering, in the back of her mind, when the facade would fall away. (Given what happened with her first romantic attachment, can you blame her?) For Kaiya, “real” romance is found in quiet moments. It’s in being comfortable with a person and not needing to question their motives or intentions. It’s in kind, thoughtful gestures, in watching each other’s back. It’s in being able to tell each other anything without feeling obligated to do so. For Kaiya, romance is found in trust. Without trust, everything else is window dressing that probably hides a horrible secret.

Everything thinks that Kakashi reads porn for, well, the porn. In reality, what he loves about the Icha Icha series is the romance that surrounds the sex scenes. In the books, it’s not just that the guy gets his rocks off in various situations by a variety of gorgeous women; it’s the banter, the buildup, the antici...

...sorry, couldn’t resist XD Anyway, the reason Kakashi got so embarrassed when he had to read Icha Icha out loud wasn’t the sex scenes. It was how sweet and fluffy and, yes, romantic the books are. He wants the kiss in the rain. He wants the petals on the bed, the candlelit dinners, the walks in the park where they talk about nothing and constantly brush hands. But thanks to his guilt complex, chronic depression, and pervasive belief that he’s poisonous to anyone who gets close to him, Kakashi has never sought a real-life romance with anyone.

Itachi doesn’t think about “romance.” At all. Even in a kinder, gentler life, he’s too preoccupied with other issues to consider it. Candle-lit dinner? Why, when he can cook his partner’s favorite foods in the comfort and privacy of their home? What Itachi does think about is his partner’s well-being. He’ll bring tea and sandwiches if they’re working too hard to stop for a meal. He’ll listen to their ideas and their grievances. He’ll draw a hot bath with epsom salts and lay a blanket over their sleeping form, planting a kiss on their forehead before turning off the light. Honestly, he’d probably love being a house husband. For Itachi, romance is doing things for his partner - and he doesn’t think of it as “romance.” He doesn’t really think about it at all. He just does.

☼ - appearance headcanon

...soooo I’m honestly not sure what this one means in the context of anime/manga characters who have plenty of pictures floating around out there :P I’m interpreting it as what are some more realistic aspects of their appearances that you wouldn’t be able to tell from the anime style.

Not sure why, but I’m picturing Kaiya’s lips right now. Her lips aren’t “full,” per se. Definitely not “pillowy.” They’re mid-sized and shapely, with a sharply defined Cupid’s bow and a natural, vulpine upturn. Prolonged eye contact with her can be a bit uncomfortable for some, as she inherited her father’s piercing, sharp baby blues. The exception to this is when they’re filled with mirth. Then, it’s hard to look away. Her eyelashes are sort of a rusty auburn, long but not very thick. Face claims incluse model Cintia Dicker, Turkish actress Elçin Sangu (an early inspiration), and most of all this model from several Maja Topcagic photos:

Kakashi is the definition of “chiseled.” For some reason, when I imagine him aging, he sorta looks like Anthony Bourdain. Sorta. That might say more about me than it does anything else. Also I’ve been listening to one of Bourdain’s books (read by him) so maybe he’s just on my brain.

Itachi, we all know, has eyelashes for daaaays. Lips are on the thin side, but shapely and soft. He definitely takes after his mother a lot in looks, especially as a young man, but I think if he were allowed to age he’d slowly turn more like his father. Never so beady-eyed or frown-jowled, though. He just has that more angular shape and longer chin that becomes more pronounced with age. Also, for some reason, he’s never really liked his ears. It’s part of why he grew his hair out and wears his bangs so long.

[ohayohimawari]

Kakashi Asks-Answer

Q: (From @cyabae) Do you think that Kakashi had a gut feeling that Obito was still alive? It seemed to me that he couldn’t get over Obito’s “death” whilst he was able to process his grief over the loss of his other loved ones.

A: This is such a fantastic question. Thank you for presenting me with an opportunity to climb into this ninja’s quirky brain to pave over what I think is one of the biggest holes in canon!

Throughout Naruto’s story-before and after the time skip-Kishimoto doesn’t allow the fans of the series, or Kakashi, to forget Obito. Every time we see my favorite ninja dork at his regular hangout (the memorial stone), it’s like Kishi is telling us, ‘Hey! Pay attention to this!’ Canon provides more questions than answers to this, so I’m going to rely upon my knowledge and interpretation of Kakashi’s character, as well as my imagination to resolve it starting below the cut.

First of all, Kakashi is no idiot.

He knows that he’s talking to dead people that can’t answer him when he visits their graves. He understands that death is final, permanent, having learned that lesson the hard way at a young age. The way he processes grief differs with each loss, however.

We know that Kakashi made it a point to distance himself from his father’s legacy after Sakumo’s death. In the series, I can think of only one instance in which we see Kakashi visiting his father’s grave, and it seems to be out of obligation. Further, when that angry little Kaka-brat is standing at his father’s grave in the rain, he places a flower on Sakumo’s marker while saying he won’t grow up to be like him. Ouch.

When it comes to Sakumo’s death, I think Kakashi spends a lot of time avoiding it. First, because he’s angry, later because he feels guilty (see also: Kakashi’s Legendary Self-Loathing). As long as I’m drawing from my imagination to answer this, I like to think that Kakashi comes to Sakumo’s grave more often after they made peace over a campfire during their brief visit in the afterlife.

It isn’t long after Sakumo’s death that Kakashi loses the closest thing he has to a father figure when his sensei Minato dies. This is another grave that I can’t recall (off the top of my head) Kakashi visiting. I think there are more than a couple of reasons why this is. Because he was a Hokage, Minato’s grave is already well-tended, or perhaps his remains are inaccessible (unless you’re Orochimaru). Another reason is because Kakashi has something better than a grave marker to turn to: the Yondaime’s bust carved into the mountainside that dominates Konoha’s skyline. When Kakashi wonders what kind of guidance his late sensei would offer, he looks up at his likeness. Side note: is it just me, or does that seem to give him a sense of calm? That’s a big headcanon of mine.

There’s something else that Minato left behind, or I should say someone, and that would be the main hero of the whole series. I definitely think that, although Minato’s death is an ending to a part of Kakashi’s life, it opens the door for this knucklehead to reckon with the future during his grieving process. But I have another Kakashi Ask waiting in my inbox about baby Naruto so I’ll wait to go into this when I answer that question.

This brings me to what canon presents as the most traumatic experience Kakashi has had with loss. There are countless flashbacks to the death of Rin Nohara at Kakashi’s hand before we’re given the full explanation for it. I can think of only two times that we see Kakashi visiting Rin’s grave: when he’s tending to it during a break from guarding a pregnant Kushina, and again when Tenzō is spying on Kakashi in the ANBU Black Ops arc. Although we don’t see him visiting Rin often, it’s implied that he does go regularly to her grave. He washes her marker, brings fresh flowers to adorn it, and tells her of the happenings in the Hidden Leaf.

Personally, I think Kakashi goes to Rin’s grave out of a sense of duty and keeps his visits brief out of guilt and pain (just an opinion; please don’t @ me). He can’t escape the physical moment of Rin’s death. It haunts him, frequently. He relives it more than any other experience he’s had in his fictional, angst-filled life. It seems to me that he thinks of his visits to Rin as the least he can do, after his involvement in her death. It’s all that he can do to continue to keep his promise to Obito to look after her. I’m not saying that he doesn’t have fuzzy friendship feelings for Rin, but I can’t imagine those are feelings that he’s able to maintain easily after the circumstances surrounding her death. Truly, I wonder if those visits are out of wanting to atone for his part in her death or to appease the angry spirit that Rin appears as in Kakashi’s nightmares. Probably a little of both.

The grave that is Kakashi’s home away from home is the memorial stone. Out of all the names that are etched on it, there’s only one that keeps him coming back to it. Obito Uchiha.

The million-ryo question is, out of all of the deaths that Kakashi has experienced, why is Obito’s grave the one that he turns to and returns to? Canon doesn’t portray them as the best of friends while they were schoolmates and later, teammates, so…?

This was the first peer that Kakashi lost, and that had to have rocked his little ninja world. Obito sacrificed himself for Kakashi’s sake and that too must’ve been a great big wtf moment for my precious murder baby. Also, there’s the sheer suddenness of the unfortunate boulder incident in Kakashi’s literal blind spot. I mean, wow, those reasons alone could show why Obito’s death would be next to impossible for kid!Kakashi to process.

But kid!Kakashi becomes adult!Kakashi and he’s still hovering by the memorial stone every time he gets a chance. I know that I’ve presented this dork as a creature of habit, but in this case, there’s something more to it. Two somethings, specifically.

First (to be blunt): there’s no body.

Obito Uchiha is presumed dead and for a ninja who has firsthand experience with proven death, that blows the door wide open to the possibility of Kakashi’s teammate surviving that rude boulder.

During the Land Waves arc, we see Team Seven’s leader waking up unconvinced that Zabuza is really dead. This knucklehead has more brains than chakra, and he doesn’t leave things to chance.

So, to Kakashi, presumed dead is way more alive than dead.

This is why he doesn’t just relate the news of the village to Obito like he does when he visits other graves. He asks questions and unloads his conscience there because, in his mind, he might be communicating with someone that could answer him.

But wait! There’s more. The second something is (drumroll): the sharingan.

Sharingan literally means “copy wheel eye,” and it is described as an “eye that reflects the heart.”

Kishimoto seems to enjoy beating his characters with a trauma stick, so canon gives us many (so many) accounts of how tragedy affects the sharingan’s development. However, if it reflects the heart, there are plenty of positive emotions that could affect it that simply weren’t explored in the series.

Another thing that isn’t fully explained in canon is how Kakashi and Obito’s sharingan eyes are connected. We only know that they are connected because the mangekyō awoke at the same time in each of them (this is very important btw), and because of their shared tsukuyomi/ninja dumpster. This is great imagination and fan content fodder because the possibilities of their shared sharingan are near endless.

What follows is my headcanon.

Rather than having a gut feeling that Obito is still alive, I think Kakashi allows for the possibility that his teammate survived. That becomes a probability after he learns more about the sharingan from his subordinate, Itachi and student, Sasuke.

It would be years after Obito’s presumed death that Kakashi would learn that the mangekyō is awakened by witnessing the death of the person that the sharingan-bearer is closest to. As much as I adore Rin’s character, she is not the person that Kakashi feels closest to when he witnesses her death. I believe that Kakashi is closer to Gai, or even Minato when Rin dies.

As Kakashi learns more about the sharingan, the bigger his hunch becomes that Obito survived. I’m sure he’d question how the mangekyō could’ve awoken in the first place if the person that gave it to him was dead.

This borrowed eye is surgically attached to Kakashi’s optic nerve and not his heart. So, if the sharingan is still developing, the heart it was connected to must still be beating.

More speculation, but perhaps Obito can use all of the jutsus that Kakashi has copied. Maybe snippets of Obito’s emotions are processed as information in Kakashi’s brain. It would make sense to me in Narutoverse.

So why didn’t Kakashi tell anyone that he had reason to think that Obito might still be alive?

The experiences that would lead him to think that are subjective. Kakashi is tight-lipped even when someone wants to know his hobbies. I don’t think he’d tell anyone that a mistake was made with one of the etched names on the memorial stone until he had hard proof.

However it played out, or whatever your headcanons about these two may be, the moment they faced each other from opposite sides of the battlefield was heartbreaking.

I think that when Kakashi finally saw him again, he was less surprised that Obito was alive and more surprised that he had become an enemy. *Sob*

XOXO

P.S. I actually touched upon this headcanon in a drabble that I wrote for my latest Tumblr milestone:

The Impossible 

Summary: “No one is more surprised than Kakashi when he returns from apparent death. He confides his extraordinary experience and the new mystery that has come of it at his next visit to Konoha's memorial stone.”

Pairings: Gen, none

Rated: T, no warnings apply

[psychonarutoenthusiast-blog]

SASUSAKU ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT (PART 1\?)

Sasusaku is probably one of the most discussed topics in the Naruto fanbase and I think it’s common to find posts like this one on Tumblr. My blog will mainly focus on writing stuff, but still … I’d like to give you all my opinion about this ship trying to analyze the relationship between Sasuke and Sakura from the very beginning. Lots of people tend to say that it’s abusive and underdeveloped. That’s actually one of the things that come to mind first just observing the interactions they share throughout the whole plot. But I personally think that this bond is quite more complicated than that, both in negative and in positive ways. 

This is probably going to be really long so … brace yourselves!

So … the first thing we get the chance to see when introduced to both manga and anime is this annoying little girl with pink hair who’s literally obsessed with the coolest guy around. Basic, isn’t it? Actually … Sakura’s first impression is not positive at all, mostly according to the male audience. She looks arrogant, she’s mean and cocky towards Naruto and everyone who’s not “Sasuke-kun”. But why? Is it just a personality issue? Nope, it’s actually way more complicated than that.

Sakura was indeed bullied from a very young age and she grew up being really insecure about her physical appearance and her abilities in general. Developing a bond with Ino … who was - on the opposite - really confident, intelligent and pretty … didn’t necessarily make things better, in my opinion. Hoping to overcome the inferiority complex she felt towards her and basically everyone, Sakura started to imitate her and slowly decided to leave her true self behind in hopes to become cool. It was the only thing she wanted as a kid. Being recognized as a pretty girl and talking with the popular guys may look like a pretty stupid wish, but that’s not what a naive and bullied kid would think. The only reason why Sakura chose to develop an interest towards Sasuke resided in the fact that - by getting with the coolest guy arund, the guy everyone (mostly Ino) wanted to be with and look like - would have proven to others and to herself that she was cool too, and that she deserved to be praised and desired like he was. 

“Would being mean to Naruto make me cool? Everybody treats him wrong, so that must be reasonable”, “would my long hair make me more beautiful and draw Sasuke’s attention on me? Probably!”. Such thoughts led Sakura to completely repress her true self, reducing her identity to an angry and despised ghost that used to appear quite often in the show, so that we could know what she was really thinking about: Inner Sakura. And those same thoughts justify her terrible behaviour in the first part of the anime and the manga.

When I first saw the flashback about Ino and Sakura’s friendship I was completely shocked by the way she acted towards Ino. She returned a precious gift and she basically threw away the confidence and the affection Ino had given her for a boy who acted like a total jerk. I was like “she’s a bitch, to be honest”. Ino herself looked so hurt by her words it made me hurt too. But … analyzing the scene and the panels knowing more about Sakura’s character development, I understood why she did that. Returning the ribbon meant returning the shy and insecure part of herself who needed Ino as an example and as a shield from others. Fighting for Sasuke was not meant as a real “love rivalry”. None of them really cared about his true personality. They considered him as a prize for the coolest one around. They didn’t know shit about him and this is soon proved ... in Sakura’s case.

The panels pretty much speak for themselves. How could she possibly love someone as damaged as Sasuke without knowing a thing about his past or the extreme sadness he was experiencing at such a young age? Obviously she didn’t. The only thing Sakura cared about was his handsomeness. This is one of the first canon interactions Sakura and Sasuke share (both in the anime and manga) and not a soul on the planet would think that a romance could actually blossom between them, given the assumptions.

This is what Sasuke reasonably tells her after hearing Sakura’s inappropriate words about Naruto and parents in general. And most importantly … this is what Sasuke really thinks about her during the first stages of this relationship. He barely knows her and she doesn’t possess particular abilities that could waken his interest either. She’s just an annoying little girl with a weird hair color who keeps drooling after him with no apparent reason. His expression in the panel says it all. Romances are the last things Sasuke could think about and he seriously couldn’t care less about someone who doesn’t have a clue about what suffering looks like. Sakura’s reaction to his harsh words actually surprised me a lot when I first watched the scene. I was convinced she would burst out crying, but she didn’t. She immediately started to process what Sasuke had told her about loneliness and she decided that she would try to empathise with Naruto and his situation. Being the naive fangirl she was, I really didn’t expect her to act with such maturity. This detail is actually more important than it looks like, because it tells us that the real Sakura is still there.

Shortly after that conversation, Team 7 is formed. The creation of this group is unique and the bonds each one of the members develops with the other three (Kakashi is included) are almost curative in their own way. The team brings out the best part of its components, it gives them love and it gives them a purpose. I actually don’t know how much it passes between the group’s formation and the mission in the Land of Waves, but I suppose it’s a couple of months. During these months, Sasuke … Sakura and Naruto come to learn what teamwork is about and - most importantly - they start to consider each other as friends. Spending so much time with the boy she was physically attracted to, Sakura begins to know more about him as a person. She becomes familiar to his cold behaviour and she lets her interest deepen into something a little more important than fangirling. She trusts him deeply. Sasuke - on the other hand - starts to see Sakura as a real comrade. He now finds Sakura and Naruto’s presence in his life really comforting. Thanks to Naruto’s enthusiasm and Sakura’s sweet attentions he can try to overcome the sadness that embraces him. Yet it’s still too early for things to change in Sasuke’s point of view, probably because he knows that if he opened up to these weird people he could call “friends” … he would distract himself from his true aims. 

The Land of Waves Arc is actually more important than it seems, talking about Sasusaku. Especially for Sakura! The reason is simple. During this Arc, not only we can openly see that she never overcame the inferiority complex she had, but it becomes clear as the sky (to us and to her) that what she felt towards Sasuke was not just a crush, and surely it was not all about his cool appearance. 

A lot of Sasusaku shippers insist on the fact that Sasuke saving Sakura from one of the Mist ninjas has to be considered as an important moment for the ship, but I don’t really agree on that. He would have done the same for Naruto, and he was basically just proving his abilities against an opponent he knew was way stronger than him. That’s the reason why he acted all mighty and cocky with the poor Naruto afterwards. 

THIS is the most important moment, obviously. Sasuke risks his life to protect Naruto and basically everyone thinks he’s dead. Sakura’s reaction is just priceless. I cried like I was dying myself as I read it. The speech she gives us - between tears - about the rule according to which a ninja should never express his true feelings was so beautifully written it made my heart ache. I personally find it amazing how Kishimoto succeeded in putting those deep words on the lips of such a young girl making them sound like the realest thing she could have said in that situation. This is the moment in which Sakura realizes just how much Sasuke really meant to her and how terryifing the perspective of living without him really was. She doesn’t have the maturity to interpret the deep nature of her feelings yet and to react as a consequence, so she just lets them out. She is going to let them out openly for a long time … but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Talking about Sasuke’s reaction instead … I’m forced to admit that the anime did not the best job it could have done to show us how he really felt in that moment. He really didn’t know what to say or how to act for this girl who was screaming because she wasn’t prepared to face a future without him. He probably didn’t even expect it. He didn’t think he really was that important to her. Just look at his expression in the panel. He’s almost relieved she’s there.

We then get to the Chūnin Exams Arc, which is the most important arc for both their characters’ development and their relationship’s one. It is now clear that Sasuke considers Sakura as a real friend. She’s not just a companion anymore, she’s someone he’s willing to protect. A lot of people tend to deny this, just because Sasuke doesn’ say so explicitly. Aren’t they forgetting about the fact that Sasuke rarely expresses his feelings openly? Probably.

Before they sign up for the exams, Sakura is feeling extremely insecure about her abilities, and she’s convinced she shouldn’t even take part to the test. Both Naruto and Sasuke proved to be incredible during the Land of Waves Arc. They managed to defeat Zabuza and Haku without Kakashi’s help, unleashing great powers and supporting each other just as it should happen in every team. But … what had she done? She couldn’t even prevent Sasuke from risking his life, fearing for her comrades’ state. Clearly she’s afraid to mess up during the exams and she’s worrying about the fact that she could drag both Naruto and Sasuke in her distress. As I was saying earlier, Sakura never overcame her inferiority complex. As she brings herself to the Academy, Sasuke is the only one who notices her anxiety. He describes her attitude as “weird”, whereas Naruto - who likes  her so much - doesn’t even notice. Sasuke later cheers her up - as we see in the panels - and reminds her about the qualities she’s so insecure about. He actually smiles to her, and he appreciates the fact that his words let her regain confidence in herself. If that’s not what a friend would do ...                                

[usratonkachi]

sasuke uchiha’s trajectory / a pro-sasuke meta.

Sasuke was more than just a rebel, spoiled and “whining emo kid” that wanted revenge, I can prove it.

Contains anti Konoha, shinobi system, Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, Danzou, Hiruzen, Tobirama, SS/SNS arguments, so if you're not ready to handle criticism against your favourite character or ship, don't even read it.

This is for people to think more deeply about Sasuke and his actions, so you don't have to fully agree. But I'm not open for critics or similar. I'm exposing what I think, what I saw and how I interpreted Sasuke's trajectory. If you strongly do not agree with or get offended by anything under the cut,  that's not my problem so you can complain over there, don't @ me.

However, if you have any real doubts, other valid arguments to add, or you just want to talk about what you just read / discuss about anything you politely disagree with, you can contact me here or here, or chat me on tumblr itself. I'm not changing my mind though.

Also, a big thank you to my friend who translated from pt-br for me because I’m too lazy. Love you, Konan. ♡

1. WHEN SASUKE LEFT KONOHA:

Here's where Sasuke starts being hated by the Naruto fanbase because it's when he stops acting according to what Konoha believes he's supposed to. But, before hating him, there's a lot of things to acknowledge about.

Sasuke always believed to be an avenger ever since the Uchiha massacre. Even when he began to blend in well on Team 7's dynamic, as soon as Itachi landed feet in Konoha again and he failed to defeat him, he came back to believe in such fact. Thus, he wanted to grow stronger.

Not just for seeking to be stronger, Sasuke also feels like he doesn't belong to Konoha anymore. Sakura never understood the pain of having everything that matters the most taken away, Naruto never really had anything and Kakashi, the only one who could connect to him, only pushes him away.

1.2. KAKASHI:

Although what people think, Kakashi and Sasuke's relationship was deeper than it seemed. Kakashi was someone that made Sasuke feel safe and vehemently trained him for the Chuunin Exam. In a summary, Sasuke trusted Kakashi and had him as a mentor.

Instead of offering Sasuke the emotional support he needed, Kakashi basically fought him for using one of his jutsu against an ally even though Naruto had done it too and could just have killed him as well. Beyond that, he insults him multiple times and doesn't take his only goal seriously. He tied up the boy to a tree like he was some kind of animal, for God’s sake.

You can read more about Sasuke and Kakashi’s relationship in this awesome analysis.

This is only the beginning of Konoha trying to make Sasuke feel guilty for everything he did and wanted to do, when actually all his hate and thirst for revenge was perfectly comprehensive, since he lost everything to the system he lives in.

1.2. SAKURA:

Besides comparing her pain of losing him with his pain of having his whole family murdered by his own brother, Sakura still blackmails him emotionally because it's all about what SHE wants, about what SHE feels. It only shows she doesn't really understand him.

1.3. NARUTO:

Naruto, just like the rest, also doesn't get Sasuke's goals and motivations and tries to stop him from seeking power with Orochimaru, even if he has to "break his arms and legs".

In a summary, the approach of these three didn’t work. Naruto thought he could handle everything with his fists, Sakura thought making it about her own feelings was a good idea, but their lack of maturity is understadable. However, Kakashi understating Sasuke’s pain, like he wasn’t allowed to feel that way because Kakashi himself didn’t (it’s not even the same situation lmao), only made it all worse and was a decisive reason for him to leave.

2. WHEN SASUKE "ALLIED" HIMSELF TO OROCHIMARU.

Besides what everyone thinks, Sasuke doesn't really allied himself to Orochimaru or condoned with his ideology like Anko or Kabuto. He didn't intend for him to possess his body, not before killing Itachi. He wanted to train and get strong.

To this point, Sasuke literally didn't do anything questionable. During training, he never killed anyone or acted as cold as he wanted people to think he was. That's why he says "I'll be merciless in front of him (Itachi)," because that's something he has to force himself to become, not something he is.

One more proof Sasuke never shared Orochimaru's goals and, instead, used him as a way to obtain more power is his speech before "killing him", where he questions his goals and ways.

After Orochimaru's "death", Sasuke frees all his prisoners and victims of his experiment, including Suigetsu, Juugo and Karin. In Juugo's case, he offered himself to be his "prison", stopping him from hurting even more people.

In pursuit of Zabuza's sword, Sasuke prevents Suigetsu from killing just any person.

3. WHEN SASUKE LEARNT THE TRUTH ABOUT ITACHI.

This is a crucial point in Sasuke's history because it's where he finds out that the brother whom he always had the goal to kill in revenge actually did everything in order for him to stay alive and become a hero.

At this point, it's important to keep in mind that Sasuke accomplished his lifetime goal, the only thing he believed he was alive for. Many times he said he didn't care as to what happened with his life after that moment, so it is unimaginable the misery and emptiness that he felt. Pay close attention to the expression of his eyes.

Not even the sight of another Uchiha alive took this expression of pure misery from his eyes. That’s how broken he was at this point.

Obito took advantage of Sasuke's mental instability to pour over him all the truth about Itachi. At the minimal possibility of all the acknowledge about his brother and his entire life being a lie, he breaks down, literally blacks out.

At this moment, there is a giant lack of critical sense from the fandom. Sasuke finds out that Itachi was coerced to do a mission to save his life at the behest of the Konoha leaders. So it's OBVIOUS that he couldn't return to Konoha after knowing the truth.

Many think that, since he knew Itachi did everything for the Village (which wasn't exactly the truth because he'd feel doubtful before, but made his decision once Sasuke's life was threatened), Sasuke should, too. But instead, he hates who made Itachi suffer.

Not only because of his brother, Sasuke hates Konoha for the way it treated his clan, with mistrustfulness and discrimination over one of the families that helped founding the Village.

"Even in the middle of the most profound despair, his eyes reflect a single ray of hope"*. That summarises well how Sasuke felt without any perspective of life, but grabbed onto the first shadow of objective that was offered. Obito knew how to take advantage of Sasuke's misery.

*This is a sentence that is written on chapter’s 400 art cover but I couldn’t find it in English.

4. WHEN SASUKE INVADED THE KAGES' REUNION.

Recruited to Akatsuki and manipulated by Tobi, Sasuke made his first move directly against Konoha when he appeared at the Kages' reunion to face Danzou, one of the responsibles for his clan's genocide and Itachi's sacrifice.

Sasuke's plan was to find Danzou and destroy him like part of revenge against Konoha, but Zetsu alerts the Kages about his presence in the place, which causes everyone to fight against him.

From here on, Taka starts to question Sasuke's sanity multiple times because of the sudden change in his chakra. Gathering all the precious traumas, the guilt for Itachi's death and sacrifice and the hate over who made him go through it, he was on the edge of going mad.

At this point, Sasuke doesn't put anything above his goals. Danzou confirms that Itachi's sacrifice was true and nothing else matters to him, so he kills Danzou and sacrifices Taka. After that, he realises Sakura's intention to kill him and strikes back, trying to kill her as well.

Then Sakura tries to kill him once again, and once again he defends himself trying to kill her back. The same happens with Naruto and Kakashi. So psychologically unstable, he doesn't even care about his physical limitations and insists on keep on fighting blindly.

We all know Sakura hesitated but Sasuke didn’t. His sight was troubled and she came from behind. He was defending himself.

Tobi advising him to kill Karin:

As much as Sasuke was reluctant because he wanted to be definitely full hatred, vulnerable regarding physical strength, he voluntarily decides to hear what Naruto has to say.

Then Naruto starts the “because we’re friends” talk and Sasuke clearly feels kind of affected because he actually wants that bond so badly but he also wants justice for his brother and clan, about what he’s totally right.

In a summary, besides the declared intention to kill Karin after she was hit because of his shaken up sanity, Sasuke acted in self defense and in defense of his goals, what ended up not killing anyone.

5. WHEN SASUKE JOINED THE WAR.

Sasuke meets Itachi's edo tensei with still profound grudge over Konoha for what it did to his brother. He wanted answers from Itachi in order to confirm everything that was told by Tobi and Danzou.

The closer to Itachi he feels, the more Sasuke hates Konoha and wants to revenge his brother for being forced to sacrifice himself.

After confirming that Itachi's sacrifice for the village and himself was true, Sasuke falls into an internal conflict for not being certain of any concepts anymore; of a clan, a village, a shinobi, and even himself. To obtain answers, he resurrects Orochimaru to bring the Hokages back to life.

There is a lot of virtue and maturity in Sasuke's decision of understanding all the concepts through their stories. Patiently, he listens to Hashirama's version about everything to then come to a conclusion on what to do about his revenge and himself.

Hashirama talks about his and Madara's trajectory, inwardly connected to the Village's concept, which he had helped found. And allied to the concept of a ninja village, he defined sacrifice as one of the methods to protect it, which Madara stated would drag the Village into darkness, what was clearly a reference to Itachi and the Uchiha's sacrifice, culminating into Sasuke's personal hell. In the end, Hashirama ends up taking the responsibility for this method being considerated valid to protect the Village.

In front of all that, Sasuke, for now, decides to battle next to the Shinobi Alliance so that his brother's sacrifice wouldn't have been in vain. Next to Naruto and Sakura, he seals Kaguya and has an important part in the world's salvage. Without him, there would literally be no way to save it.

Besides all of that, he still recognised the mistake he made on Karin and asked for her forgiveness.

An addendum: SASUKE DID NOT TRY TO KILL SAKURA IN THIS MOMENT like a lot of people try to decontextualise. He put her in a GENJUTSU, the same way Itachi did to himself after the Uchiha's massacre. One more reenforcement to his attempt of cutting his ties with the previous Team 7.

6. WHEN SASUKE BATTLED NARUTO.

To this point, Sasuke comes to an obvious conclusion, but that requires extreme perspicacity from a 17 year old kid: Konoha's problem was its system. The failure that would allow sacrifices like Itachi's to happen was structural.

Even Orochimaru, when resurrected, acknowledges Sasuke's maturing.

With that in mind, Sasuke decides to become a Hokage and lead a revolution that would change the shinobi system and would nip the world's evil in the bud.

Sasuke's revolution consisted in following Itachi's steps, his great inspiration and influence, sacrificing himself to carry alone all the hate in the world. The intention of it was to unify the whole world and that only he would have to deal with the Villages' darkness.

This new goal of him destroys every argument against him that paints him as someone egocentric and selfish. Everything Sasuke wished for was to deal with the darkness by himself in a way that there wouldn't be any more sacrifices like Itachi's or of children like himself and Naruto.

Therefore, as noble as his objectives were and as mature as they sounded for his age, Sasuke sins on the chosen ways to start his revolution (even though I wouldn’t mind if he killed the kages whereas all their war crimes). Still, it's comprehensive since he started using Itachi's example as a guide of his actions.

Sasuke then apologised for all the suffering he caused his friends, even though it wasn't really his fault. He felt so responsible for the bad events that he left on a redemption trip to see the world with his own eyes, proving his maturity once again.

7. WHEN SASUKE LEFT ON A MISSION.

I want to start this section saying how much I despise for personal reasons (it’s explained at the end of this meta) canon adult Sasuke for what Kishimoto did to his character but I defend him anyway because he’s still hated for absolutely wrong reasons.

Apart from everything he went through previously, Sasuke was brainwashed accepted the position of shadow Hokage and started to protect Konoha even if the village never had redeemed itself for its crimes against his brother and clan.

He sacrificed almost an entire life next to his wife and daughter in favour of not only Konoha, but the world, since he was the only one who could track traces of Kaguya thanks to his Rinnegan. In the meantime, he saved the village again and again.

Sasuke is constantly judged for pointing out a sword in Sarada's direction on their first meeting, although there wasn't how he'd know that, out of all people, she would be there (thank you Naruto you’re so responsible, no wonder you’re such a good parent lmao) considering there were sharingan user clones walking around.

Anyhow, he saved his daughter when it was needed and searched for Sakura to guarantee her safety, even though he had defended that she would be fine since she was as strong as him and Naruto. Besides, he AGAIN helped saving everyone.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS & PERSONAL ANALYSIS.

Sasuke was a child that had everything and lost it all in the most traumatising way possible to the person he loved the most, ordered by the Village he grew in. He saw his family BEING SLAUGHTERED thousands of times in Itachi's genjustu when he was just a kid.

He had his only goal ripped from him on his teen years when getting rid of the target of his revenge only to learn that he actually had sacrificed himself on HIS BEHALF, since his LIFE WAS THREATENED by the superiors responsible for Konoha.

Although being a completely traumatised child and psychologically shaken up, being manipulated by his brother first, then by many others who only wanted to take advantage of his abilities, Sasuke still became aware of the world enough to want to change it for the better.

The revolutionary ideals that conferred depth to the character and made him promising were devastated because antagonists are portrayed as "insane", "out of their minds", "dominated by hatred" so we'll think the revolution of systems is a crazy people thing.

Sasuke was a victim of the system that allows 13 year old children to kill their families in sacrifice of a "greater cause", like this kid and theret family weren't part of who deserved protection. If he had controversial actions, Konoha and its system are the ones to blame.

The real guilty ones are Tobirama, who SEGREGATED the Uchiha without a reason; Hiruzen, that didn't have any tact or pulse to deal with Danzou and the Uchiha; and Danzou, whose crimes I don't even have to mention because they're common sense. If you want to blame someone, these are the ones.

Even though the real guilty ones were previously mentioned, Sasuke was thrown in jail and still got scolded by the greatest Sixth Hokage, his said mentor, who told him to "try not to go mad again", like it was his fault for being traumatised thanks to the Village.

And that's why I hate the ending of my favourite character. It has nothing to do with some kind of ship like many may think (even though I’d much prefer him to end with someone who could really understand him), but because he was distorted to fit in a stupid and conformist narrative, when he had a marvellous potential as a character.

And as if it's not enough, he's hated and made fun of in the fanbase, even though he's the only one, among the kids, to really make sense, even with all the traumas he suffered. Even when he had proved not to be selfish, or dumb, nor egocentric or a terrible father or an abusive husband and etc.

Sasuke Uchiha did nothing wrong and I just proved it. If you, a possible anti who read it all the way here, still want to keep in the ignorance of hating the character based on his actions then that's on you. I've done my part. That's it. Now go love my baby cause he deserves it. ♡

I couldn’t get to all of these opinions without help, so I’m recommending some important pro-Sasuke posts (besides the ones I already did during the post).

Sasuke changing the shinobi system thread. About adult Sasuke. Sasuke’s “crimes”. Sasuke’s protectiveness 1 and 2. Anti SasuSaku fandom. Naruto’s feelings for Sasuke. The Fucking Will Of Fire™. Why pro-Sasuke people are pro-Sasuke anyway? Anti-SNS. Sasuke’s guilt trip.

pt-br twitter thread / pt-br tumblr trans

[nightrae13]

I know right?! If there was someone who deserves to be called useless, it was her. She never grew past her obsession towards Naruto. We never get to see her appear without mentioning Naruto's name.

- People say 'Hinata had always been there for Naruto so they should end up together' 😒. Man, yes she does know it but did she did something to help him? No! She watched in a faraway distance. She knew how he was suffering but she did nothing. At least the other might know Naruto's experience a little late but hey, at leadt they did something the moment they found out.

- Is this on the chuunin exams where she hands Naruto the answers? Yeah, totally selfish but can someone mention how she was giving him an easy way out? If there was something Naruto hates, it was an easy way to achieve his goal! He knows haedwork okay?

- Yes. And she was even scared that Kiba might be angry at her for cheering Naruto😂. She wasn't even cheering for him after, Sakura and Kakashi were the only one in the room that believed he could defeat Kiba.

- She's a show-off to Naruto

-Here's another example of it. She's that desperate to guiltrip Naruto. They wanted us to see she was concerned for his physical well-being? What about his emotipnal one that could destroy the whole land?! I bet if someone else jumped to fight there, let's say, Sakura, you would hate her for it. The thing is, Sakura knew Naruto more and what could happen if she jumped out there like Hinata added by the fact that she gives him space since it was Naruto's own fight to handle. Hinata didn't see that. It could be better if she put on a great fight, but she didn't.

- I won't be surprised after all, she gushed over Naruto's hand before Neji's dead body.

- Speaking of😒. I hate that Neji died as cupid and he wasn't even thanked right. Seriously, how could some people still interpret that scene as romatic. It's so cringe and heartbreakkng at the same time because of Neji. What about the "fulfill your own destiny" by the Child Phropecy himself? Not to mention that he didn't even get full credit in 'TheLast'. He died for a small scene with no impact in the ship since they're going back to zero in the end anyway.

- Yeah, she never did believe in Naruto nor cared for his emotional well-being if something happened to them. Sakura wasn't even there to fight alongside Naruto and Sasuke so she didn't even hesitate to send her son? Goof thing, Boruto's the main character so he can't die.

- They said she's like Kushina and they even go far to sometimes twist her personality 180 degrees for her to fit the bill but she still couldn't speak a word against her husband who does wrong and damages her children. Also, can we point out Team 7 was the only picture Naruto had in his desk?(If he added it now, then I'm sorry, I'm no longer updated to the series...)

- No need to explain this, after all it's Hinata we're talking about.

I literally couldn't understand the love for Hinata, I mean she's not 100% bad but she doesn't deserve all the praises she gets. She's not far(maybe even worse) than Part 1 Sakura and Karin since at least those two could be bad ass and knew their purpose aside from Sasuke.

Why I think Hinata is a selfish kunoichi:

Here it goes, for a more complete read (in Spanish) you can look at my watpadd book about this

Now, getting into it:

Hinata knew Naruto was ignored and abused all of his life, yet she only came around when he already started to get friends (dont put the bodyguard bs on this lmao)

When we first see Hinata she is WILLYING to screw all her team over just to help Naruto.

Later she doesnt know if she should cheer on Kiba (her TEAMMATE) or Naruto (someone she spoke to ONE TIME!)

When she has to fight Neji, he gives her the oportunity of just giving up. But o, cant do, she wants to show off. What does she do? She kept provoking him EVEN IF SHE KNEW WHAT THE CLAN DID TO HIM! (She SAW his dad being tortured, she KNEW his father died for HERS).

In the vs Pain, Naruto told everyone to keep far away, he didnt want to hurt nobody. Again: what does she do? Throw herself there like a meat shield. If it wasnt for Minato Naruto would have probably ended Konoha on his fucking own! Also she ignored that her literal slaves were going to get a beating for her bs! (At least she did say she was only being selfish, half a point for that).

Shikamaru is saved from dying, everyone's glad. Except Hinata, she is throwing a mental fit saying she wants to be near Naruto too.

Neji dies and all she thinks about is how big and warm Naruto's hand is (!!!!!)

Literally sends her 12 yo to save Naruto's ass from an alien that not even Sasuke and Naruto together could beat, all this after throwing her daughter to the first person she saw (good thing it was Sakura) just to act as a meat shield again.

Constantly justifies Naruto's deadbeat parent attitude to his kids, even if Shikamaru keeps pointing out he does work that aint his and he EVEN GOES TO VISIT SAKURA WHILE SHE WORKS.

After Boruto comes back with Naruto and company, she goes to hug Naruto first! Im sorry but what kinda mother does this!? Sakura could only care about Sarada when she was in danger, even if Sasuke was there looking like shit.

[non-operator]

... well, there's actually a lot of things I want to address, but first, what are we even counting as "canon" appearance?

kishimoto doesn't draw boruto, and even if he did, as far as i know, kakashi hasn't appeared in the manga. And if we count boruto anime as canon, it directly contradicts what kakashi looks like at the end of naruto, as kakashihasibs pointed out.

kakashi retsuden does mention that many women see kakashi as "tall and handsome" and "a fine man" but that says nothing about whether kakashi looks young or not. He can still have those eye bags then. even more so since half of his face is covered up, so no one can actually say if he looks super young or not. I feel like this is more of his personality and charisma at work than his actual appearance.

Again, if we take the anime as canon, then the above argument applies: kishimoto didn't draw it and it still contradicts kishimoto's depiction of kakashi at the end of naruto. Furthermore, since the description of kakashi remains vague (he's just generally attractive and that's it), the anime artists are also making their own interpretation of kakashi. the same way all of us and the artist for sasuke retsuden are. So i don't see how the sasuke retsuden kakashi is less "canon" than the anime.

I'll admit i haven't read sasuke retsuden, so I don't know if the other panel is the only other instance of kakashi appearing previously, or if there's more. But the panel shows us a side view of kakashi's face, it's not exactly letting the reader take a good look at his face, so he could arguably still have eye bags even in that panel.

now onto my main point: why does this make sasuke retsuden "non-canon"? this might seem like a really petty point, but to mark sasuke retsuden as "non-canon" just because you don't accept kakashi's appearance seems rude.

is that how we're going to critique the story? on a minor detail? seriously??? you're just going to ignore the plot and characters? for kakashi's appearance? kakashi--a character who doesn't even play a major role in the narrative for sasuke retsuden?

it's probably fair to assume the artist didn't read kakashi retsuden--because he's not expected to. This is a job to him. In fact, he might not even have watched the entirety of boruto or read the sasuke retsuden novel; he could've just been told the plot points or only saw the storyboard. And been told kakashi is 50 years old at this point... so he drew him as a 50 year old.

Kakashi's not even a major character for this story. There's no reason for the artist to pay attention to making him look pretty when he in, what? a flashback? mentioned briefly for one panel? I don't think it was high in the artist's list of priorities to check what kakashi looks like. Even if it is an inconsistency, it just feels unfair to him to judge his entire performance on that, considering he seems to stay accurate for the more important characters.

I think to just say it's "not canon" because of kakashi's eye bags overlooks how the artist actually stays pretty faithful to kishimoto's art style (it's so much better than early boruto). And he's good at panelling; it's not super cluttered and spaces out the story beats really well.

LOOK AT OUR OLD MAN HE LOOKS SO GOOD I LOVE HIM