#neji!survives

[kiljoius-writes]

Uprooted - Chapter 1

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Chapter 1: Jump Up, Heart Sunk

Pairing: Sasuke Uchiha/Hinata Hyūga

Summary: All Hinata really knows is that she’s not quite fond of Fugaku's son. Her eyes land on Itachi, who is standing between the two men. No, not that son.

The other one. The one who is awkwardly sidled up in the opposing corner of the room. He’s always so aloof, as if he’s too good for everyone else around him. He just wasn’t the type of person she could find it in herself to respect.

Sasuke was no friend.

For the SasuHina discord server challenge: Arranged Marriage AU

Word Count: 4.4k

Rating: T

~

Today, Hinata is 20.

It’s not the lavish birthday bash that Hanabi is destined to have, but it’s still quite a nice party.

“’Ey Hinata.” Kiba swings around her front, almost losing his balance. Hinata automatically grabs at him to keep him steady and he flashes her a toothy smile. “Think your cousin over there’d be interested in me?”

Hinata looks over her shoulder to find whom she recognizes as Hikari, a branch member with beautifully long, dark green hair. She looks back at Kiba and lowers her eyes at him disapprovingly. “Is my celebration a good time to pick up on women, Kiba?”

“Ah, c’mon—”

"She is right." Shino approaches him from behind, causing Kiba to instinctively throw his fist backward. Shino's quicker and knows Kiba well enough to catch it in his hand before it lands a hit. When he sees who it is, he lets out a groan of frustration. Shino releases the fist and pushes his glasses back up his nose. "It is what some might call 'inappropriate’.”

Hinata’s always found Kiba and Shino’s interactions to be some of the funniest.

“You guys are boring,” Kiba huffs childishly, folding his arms, “never let a guy have any fun.”

The group naturally settles in a corner of the grand hall they’re partying in. Even though it’s Hinata’s birthday celebration, it’s really just a façade for clan politics to take place. She doesn’t care much, it’s not like she really wants a party anyway. But, as always, father gets what father wants.

“You guys know why I’m single?” Kiba interjects, bringing a glass of sake to his lips to throw down his throat. He shudders and coughs slightly before setting it on the table next to them. “Women are intimidated.”

“Intimidated?” Shino questions quietly, and Hinata knows he’s blinking in disbelief behind those sunglasses. She smiles as she looks back at Kiba.

“Yep, by my power.” He thumbs towards his own chest, then swipes at his nose. “Guess I gotta tone it down a little.”

“Yes, please,” Hinata teases him gently and he glares at her, but she knows it isn’t serious. “No glaring. I don’t want you scaring the pretty ladies away with your power.”

"Ah!" Kiba barks a laugh, patting her roughly on the shoulder. She stumbles a bit but rights herself easily. "And what about you, Hina? You single cause all the men are intimidated by that crackling force in those palms?"

Hinata blushes at the over-the-top compliment, shaking her head. “No, I am single because I want to be.”

“Sure ya do.” He rolls his eyes, and her smile quickly fades to a frown.

“What do you mean by that?” she nearly snaps, but it comes out even and controlled.

“He means nothing by it.” Shino’s tone is warning and Kiba recoils from it. Hinata’s smile returns as she turns to lean against the wall with them.

The three quietly observe the crowd before them. It’s a typical Hyūga event, with Hyūga servants bustling around haughty clan leaders and politicians. She catches a glimpse of her little sister with her ear being talked off by one of those haughty clan leaders or politicians' sons. She feels bad for Hanabi, always expected to entertain whatever noble's son decides deserves to command her attention. But she plays the part quite beautifully, now. Just a few years ago, her byakugan would flash on and off as she internally debated whether to close any chakra points. Now, she's 14 and has fallen into her role well.

Then her eyes bounce to a man who matches her father in height as they speak, Fugaku Uchiha. It’s typical for the Uchiha to be here, the clans visit a few times a year, and an event like this is a perfect opportunity to ‘chat’. Hinata didn't like to concern herself with whatever that meant, it wasn't her place. Besides, she didn't really want to know, anyway. All she really knows is that there is both understanding and animosity between the clans, and that’s enough for her.

She also knows she’s not quite fond of his son. Her eyes land on Itachi, who is standing between the two men. No, not that son. The other one.

The one who is awkwardly sidled up in the opposing corner of the room, drink in hand, other arm folded over his chest, by himself. Hinata squints at him. He's always so aloof as if he's too good for everyone else around him. They'd been around each other plenty, and it was never particularly pleasant. At best, awkward silence filled the space between them. At worst, he was making snide remarks toward her and she would do her best not to let him know how little she thought of him.

He just wasn’t the type of person she could find it in herself to respect. People like Kiba, Shino, Naruto, Chōji, Tenten, Lee. Those were people she could respect. People who were kind without the expectation of anything in return. People who lifted others up, no matter what. People whom she thought of as friends.

Sasuke was no friend.

So, when his eyes cast up and lock with hers, almost immediately, she frowns and turns away. Kiba picks up on it and looks where she had been. She peers up from the corner of her eye to catch Kiba giving a mocking wave towards the Uchiha, then his hand flips around and his middle finger is up. She almost gasps and tells him to ‘put that away right now!’ but just as her eyes find Sasuke again, he’s glaring his mean glare back and his middle finger is up, too.

She almost laughs. Then Sasuke puts down his drink and raises his hands in front of his chest, flopping them around and sticking out his tongue like a dog panting. He’s mocking Kiba and it can go nowhere good.

It takes both Hinata and Shino grabbing both of Kiba’s arms to keep him from stomping up Sasuke. Both of them know Kiba’s no match for him, and to pick a fight at a Hyūga event would be disastrous for all involved.

“Fucking asshole,” Kiba seethes, yanking his arms out of his respective teammates' grasps as his temper cools, slightly.

Hinata breathes a sigh, reaching out to wipe at his jacket. “Control yourself, Kiba. Remember, that power.”

A laugh leaves him and that’s what gets him back to normal. His hand roughs through her hair and she swats at it.

“He’s approaching,” Shino informs them in a whisper, and Hinata whirls around to find that Sasuke is indeed strolling over to them.

It always has to be something, doesn’t it?

“Tell me, Inuzuka,” Sasuke says loftily as he approaches, his stride lazy as he carries his drink in an equally lazy way, “do all the members of the clan smell like dog, or is it just you?”

Hinata lets out a tired breath as Kiba’s face turns red enough to match the markings on his cheeks. “The hell crawled up your ass and died, Uchiha?”

“This sad celebration,” he deadpans and Hinata squints up at him.

“Can we help you, Sasuke?” she asks, hoping to redirect him away from her dear friend who is ready to explode.

Kiba’s resolve is admirable right now, though, she must admit.

"Yeah, I guess you could." He turns his attention to her, and she slowly takes a step back. She's pleased when his footsteps match hers to follow, and she continues luring him away as if he's her prey. He holds out his arm towards her and she looks at it questioningly. He points at a spot in his bicep that she recognizes as where a chakra point lies, and he taps it. "Close this one, then, hopefully, I'll black out and escape this terribly boring party."

Hinata sighs. She expects nothing less of bratty Sasuke. “Very funny, Sasuke. If you are so terribly bored, why don’t you simply…leave?”

Sasuke smirks down at her and she glares at it. “Don’t you think I would have—a long time ago—if I could?” She presses her lips together, unwilling to answer that. “No, the best I can do is entertain myself somehow. Your dog teammate is an easy target, and that’s his fault, not mine.”

Hinata finds that she can’t argue that point with him. Kiba’s always been too hot-headed for his own good. He is an easy target. But she won’t simply stand by and let Sasuke of all people bully him in her own home. So she darts her eyes around for a brief moment before they land on a main family member she knows for a fact is smitten with Sasuke, despite how Hinata has lamented her distaste for the boy. She smiles as she taps her on the shoulder. “Emiko?”

The girl whirls around to meet Hinata, then her eyes falter to Sasuke, and a deep blush takes over her cheekbones. She bows. “Oh, Hinata! And Sasuke! Hello!”

“How long has it been since you two have been acquainted?” Hinata questions in mock innocence, slowly taking a step back. “Emiko, Sasuke has been interested in finding the perfect sugar cookie recipe. Perhaps you may enlighten him?”

“Oh, really?” Emiko brightens up, stars in her eyes as they settle on Sasuke, who has a deep grimace on his face.

It suits him, she thinks. He rarely looks genuinely happy anyway, she thinks his face is frozen into a grimace often enough that it’s the default look of Sasuke Uchiha.

Another step back and his dark black eyes flash over hers, filled with irritation. “Not exactl—”

Hinata cups her mouth, and whispers to him, "her secret ingredient is cayenne."

This makes his grimace grow and she steps back again, Emiko set down the path Hinata had planned for her, and now she’s returning to her team.

“That—” Kiba points at Sasuke and Emiko, then looks back at Hinata. “That was devious.”

“Diabolical, even,” Shino agrees, tilting his head down at her.

She smiles, proudly. These are not insults from Kiba and Shino. They are compliments.

“Why, thank you.”

-

Nearly a week after her celebration (read: political meet and greet), Kō finds her while she’s shopping to summon her. She tilts her head curiously at her former caretaker. It had been a while since he's had to come to collect her for one reason or another, and she's actually interested to see what it could be for.

Nothing could prepare her for what she was about to be told when she was led to the Uchiha district.

“E-Excuse me?”

When Hinata lost to her sister in the bid for the heiress of her clan over 10 years ago, she never expected this.

“What she said.”

Hiashi and Fugaku shared a look briefly before looking back at their respective children.

“Do not act so surprised, Sasuke.” Fugaku waves a hand. “This is the way forward for our two clans.”

“But—” Hinata’s lips thin to a harsh line when her father’s eyes shoot into her like an arrow. The elder doesn’t have to say much to quiet his eldest.

But Fugaku isn’t as lucky as Hiashi, it seems. “This is ridiculous.” Sasuke pushes his palms onto the table before him, shoving his chair back. He begins walking away, and it’s Hiashi’s voice that recalls him. Hinata keeps her head forward, watching her father’s icy gaze bore into Sasuke’s back. “What is it, Lord Hyūga?”

“I would not be so eager to attempt refusing this proposal.”

Hinata’s teeth clench.

Marriage.

An arranged marriage.

“And what if I do?” Sasuke dares, and Hinata turns to find him looking over his shoulder, eyes squinted in a scowl at her father.

“It’s not up to you, boy,” Fugaku adds, and Hinata looks back at him. She can see him sucking his cheek in, something she’s noticed Sasuke do before, too.

Her head turns back to Sasuke when she hears him chuckle sarcastically. “What are you gonna do? Oust me from the clan? Go ahead, not like it matters to me anyway.”

Back to Fugaku. “No. I’ll simply have Lady Hokage revoke your title as jōnin.”

“Yeah, right, Tsunade would never—”

“Don’t test me.”

Hinata inhales through her mouth, exhales through her nose. She’s never been comfortable with tension, but she can at least deal with it if it’s between her and another. This tension is a whole new level of uncomfortable.

Now she’s turned back to Sasuke again, and she watches his head hang, fists ball up. Her own fists are curled into the fabric of her pants, too, her entire body feeling as tight as his looks.

“And what about you, Hyūga?” Her eyes find his when he looks back at her, eyebrows low. Her throat feels dry as she attempts some sort of response.

“Seems Hinata has more respect for her family than you do, Sasuke,” Fugaku responds on behalf of her.

Whether that was true or not is debatable. Hinata doesn’t have strong feelings one way or the other towards being ousted by her clan or losing her title of jōnin. No, the one thing her father does hold over her is the caged bird seal. She’s unsure of whether she’s willing to risk receiving it by defying him.

“Typical,” Sasuke mutters curtly, and he’s moving away now, concluding the heated interaction.

Slowly, Hinata turns back to the two men before her, two men who have always intimidated her for different reasons. Both of their eyes set on her simultaneously, and she’s surprised to see Fugaku’s mouth turn into a taut smile. “He’ll come around.”

“If I may…” Hinata ventures a question, trying to sit up as straight as possible and hold her head high. “What brings this on…now?”

Hiashi shoots her a warning look and she wills herself not to recoil from it. Fugaku speaks for them, “a contract signed long ago, around the time your title of the heiress was relinquished to your younger sister. With your 20th birthday passing, it comes into effect.”

Hinata swallows and nods. Her fate had never been her own, anyway.

-

Hanabi swings her legs as Hinata complains.

She’s been complaining for nearly an hour straight.

Hanabi inhales through the straw of her iced tea until that horrible sucking noise starts bubbling and Hinata stops to glare at her.

“I’m out,” Hanabi sighs, crushing the paper cup between her fingers.

Hinata’s glare deepens. “Have you no sympathy, sister?”

"Kinda hard." Hanabi shrugs, pulling the straw from the cup to put in her mouth, chewing. Hinata instinctively reaches out to pull it from her and Hanabi huffs, annoyed. "Elder sister! Look, it sucks, and I do feel bad. But, arranged marriages are fashionable right now, and lots of clans are doing it. And you know I’m in the same boat, right? Father’s gonna marry me off when I turn 20, too, and I have to be clan leader.”

Hinata softens. She hadn’t quite thought of that in the time she’d been ranting.

“At least he’s hot, right?” Hanabi wiggles an eyebrow and Hinata’s sympathy fizzles out, lips pulling into a purposeful frown. “What! It’s true. You know how many girls would be falling over themselves to be in your position?”

Hinata wants to make a snarky remark, as Kiba might make but restrains herself. "Looks are not enough for me, unfortunately."

Hanabi shrugs, swiping the straw out of Hinata’s hands. Hinata lets out an annoyed grunt and tries to grab it back, and soon they’re in a petty slapping fight over this stupid straw.

“Sisters shouldn’t fight,” a lazy voice drawls near them, a voice she’s becoming far too familiar with once more. Hinata lets go of the straw out of reflex, feeling a little ashamed that Sasuke’s stumbled on her in the middle of a squabble with her sister.

“Heyyyy Uchiha.” Hanabi chomps down on the straw and kicks her feet up on the table outside of the café they were enjoying tea at (enjoying being subjective, of course).

Hinata watches as Sasuke nonchalantly plucks the straw from her mouth, then grabs at her ankles to pull her feet off the table. Hanabi whines. “Don’t you have manners, little Hyūga?”

“Hey!” Hanabi huffs, folding her arms in a pout as Sasuke pulls up the chair between them.

“He’s—” Hinata catches herself. She was about to point out that Sasuke was correct in his assessment that she was being rude but can’t bring herself to say it aloud. At this point, his ego is the last thing she wants to encourage.

“Scram, brat.” Sasuke nudges his head to the side, and Hanabi laughs, loudly.

“Think you can talk to an heiress like that?” Hanabi quirks an eyebrow, daring him.

“Thought you didn’t like that title, Lady Hanabi.” There’s no humor on Sasuke’s face as he says it.

“Don’t be jealous,” Hanabi berates, leans forward, and wags a finger in his face, "'cause you're just the runner-up in your own clan. Runner up in inheritance, runner up in looks, runner up in power—"

“Hanabi!” Even Hinata can’t stand to listen to this any longer, because she sees Sasuke’s eye twitch, and it’s one of the few times she witnesses it. Her sister is one of the few people that can bring a rise out of him, and she doesn’t care to have it happen right here and now.

“Fine, fine.” Hanabi heaves a dramatic sigh as she slams her palms on the table, gathering herself to her feet. She shoots Hinata a look, eyelids low. “I meant what I said though…” She glances at Sasuke, who is looking at her with the faintest hint of curiosity. Then, she glances down at his lap and finishes in a cryptic fashion, “I heard the rumors are true…”

Hinata rolls her eyes as Hanabi begins skipping away, humming and oh so pleased with herself. Sasuke turns his body to her, rests his arm on the table, and looks at her seriously. "What rumors?"

“Oh, you know…” Hinata says, vaguely.

There were no rumors. It was just her sister playing with Sasuke. Hinata decides she’d like to play with him, too. It wasn’t her who started it, anyway.

With an irritated grumble, he shakes his head and it makes her smile. He waves a hand in front of his face. “Anyway, I have a plan.”

“A plan?” Her interest is piqued, now.

“To get us out of this ridiculous arrangement.”

Hinata tips her head up, then turns her full body to face him. She nods at him to continue, hands clasped in her lap, ready to listen.

“We go over the top.”

She blinks. “Over the top how?”

“Affection.”

Her heart sinks. “Excuse me?”

“Like now.” He reaches out to set his hand on hers and it’s…uncomfortable. She automatically pulls it away and he rolls his eyes, annoyed. He grasps it again and slots his fingers between hers. Her face goes bright red and her mind goes cloudy. “Everywhere. Here, middle of the village, on missions, in front of our dads. Especially our dads.”

“I—I’m not understanding,” she breathes out, hand tugging from his. His grip tightens.

“Really lay it on thick,” he continues, “make them regret ever trying to pair us up. Basically, embarrass the hell out of both our clans.”

Her hand finally relaxes and she can focus on the way it feels. She’s surprised that his hand is actually warm, not icy like she’d imagined. Not that she’d ever really imagined what Sasuke’s hands would feel like…but it was interesting. Collecting her thoughts, she responds, “how do you figure that will make them call it off?”

“Think about it,” he responds, leaning in closer, “both our families are uptight. Having the children of the leaders acting ‘unbecoming’.” He pulls up his other hand to air-quote. "Neither of our dads wants us to be happy, not really. It’ll sicken them to the point they’ll have no choice but to separate us.”

Hinata ponders this plan.

It’s a ludicrous idea, she thinks, but she has nothing better to offer. It was like he could read her mind when he tells her, “feel free to throw out your own brilliant ideas.”

She huffs, looking away, eyes landing on their interlocked hands. It’s a very strange sensation to have Sasuke’s fingers interlacing with hers. “I have none.”

“Not surprised,” he scoffs, leaning away from her now. “Then you’re in?”

She bites her lip as she looks back up at him. He has a smirk on his lips, and it irks her that Hanabi’s right. He’s objectively hot (not the word Hinata would use) but his ego is far too big for his head and that is not hot (to her, at least). However, she can’t help but agree to this ridiculous plan. She truly had no better ideas, and she supposes it’s worth a shot. “Fine. We’ll try it, I suppose.”

“Good.” He nods approval and his other hand lifts to beckon her with his index finger. “Now kiss me.”

Hinata pales. “Excuse me?!”

“You’re in, right?” He raises an eyebrow, asking as if his command was as normal as telling someone to smile. She nods, reluctantly, and he curls the finger again. “So…kiss me.”

Hinata darts her eyes to the side. There are quite a few people around, many of whom she recognizes, and that makes her shudder. Unfortunately, that’s the point and that’s why he’s telling her to do it now. So, she sucks in a deep breath.

Hinata leans forward to press her lips to Sasuke’s. It’s a close-mouthed kiss, it’s short, and it is not romantic.

But then the hand that was beckoning her finds the back of her head and keeps her there, and a little gasp escapes her for it.

She does her best not to activate her byakugan, the overwhelming desire to close his main chakra point creeping up on her as his lips move against hers.

When she’s finally able to shove that urge back, she chooses to focus on how his lips feel against hers. She’s not the most experienced in kissing outside of a few clumsy moments as teenagers, but even she has to admit Sasuke might actually be…good at it. He’s not too rough in the way she feared boys would be, but he’s not entirely gentle, either. His lips move naturally against hers, and they’re soft, slick, and…strawberry flavored?

Does Sasuke Uchiha use strawberry-flavored lip balm?

The thought is quickly squashed when a panicked voice calls out. “HINATA?!”

Then Sasuke is being torn away from her, and her eyes fly open to find her cousin’s cascading, long brown hair towering over him.

“Neji!” she gasps out, eyes landing on his veiny ones, looking ready to seal each and every one of Sasuke’s chakra points.

“Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing, Uchiha?” Neji snaps, one foot coming to rest on Sasuke’s chest. Hinata whips her head around to see Tenten, mouth covered in shock, and Lee, who is quickly coming up behind Neji in an attempt to subdue the man.

Sasuke smirks smugly up at Neji, propping himself up on his elbows. “Kissing my fiancée. What are you doing, Hyūga?”

Neji stops at that, and Hinata swallows, chest feeling horribly tight.

"Neji…" Lee's voice calls him back, and Neji turns his head to meet his eyes with Hinata’s. The veins around his eyes relax, but he's still glaring.

“Hinata?” Neji’s asking for clarification, and she has no choice but to give it to him. Neji is aware of the marriage, but obviously has no clue about this plan Sasuke has concocted.

She clears her throat, and pulls her shoulders back, projecting confidence. "He’s right, Neji. I was kissing my…fiancé.”

With that Neji removes his foot, but not without shoving it into Sasuke’s chest briefly, causing him to groan and clutch at it. He moves away from Sasuke and turns his body to her. He comes closer and leans over her, in a hushed voice. “Really, Hinata?”

Her lips press into a line as she nods, quickly. He sighs, shaking his head.

“I didn’t think you’d cozy up so quickly,” he whispers, eyes darting to the side to catch Sasuke’s conceited look as he pulls himself to his feet. He returns to her. “Very well. Just…will you be a little less…”

“Horny about it?” Tenten interjects. Hinata recoils, not realizing she had flanked her from the other side. “Don’t give your poor cousin a heart attack.”

“I apologize.” Hinata bows her head, and she knows her face is beet red.

“Come.” Sasuke holds out an indolent hand for her between the two, and Hinata bites her tongue at his commanding attitude. No different than when they were children.

Neji tilts his head at Sasuke, his glare never leaving his expression. “Ask nicely, Uchiha.”

Sasuke clicks his tongue, eyebrow perked at the man. Then he looks back down at Hinata and her heart skips at his words, “come with me, Lady Princess Hinata Hyūga, loveliest, most breath-taking woman in the entire Land of Fire.”

Tenten laughs, loudly. Lee looks at him in confusion. Neji breathes an aggravated sigh.

Hinata’s jaw flexes as Sasuke continues, “please. Is that better?”

Neji doesn’t respond, nor does Hinata, but she takes his hand, regardless.

As he leads her away from Team Gai, she tries to control her breathing.

“Now where is it we’re going?” she asks, quietly, letting their fingers intertwine once more. She’s well aware of the questioning stares they’re receiving from the village folk.

“Dinner with the Uchiha,” he responds nonchalantly, not looking back at her, “time to become acquainted with the family again.”

Hinata’s stomach flips uncomfortably.

It had been a while since she’s seen his entire family together.

Next Chapter ->

[yowyowyaoi]

*Kakashi trying to sleep in bed*

Gai, “whispering” in the kitchen: Good job, Lee! You can never add too much pepper to eggs!

Sakura: Yes you can! That’s way too much; Kakashi-Sensei doesn’t even like spicy food!

Naruto: Oi; is there supposed to be so much smoke coming from the oven —?

Gai: Ah! My blueberry muffins! *pulls them out to a billowing cloud of smoke* Damn … where did I go wrong?

Neji: For starters you had the oven up to 500 degrees, when it was only supposed to be 350.

Ten-Ten: No; he went wrong when he decided to make Kakashi-Sensei breakfast in bed for his birthday instead of just taking him to a nice restaurant!

Gai: Kids, come on. I know you’re young but when you’re older you’ll appreciate the thoughtfulness of romantic gestures such as these!

Lee: I’m sure Kakashi-Sensei will appreciate the youthfulness of your actions, Gai-Sensei! And everything isn’t a loss; the bacon looks delicious! Great job, Sasuke!

Sakura: Sasuke-kun … are your eyes bleeding?

Sasuke, sharingan activated, super focused: You want this bacon to be perfect or not?!

Sai: Shouldn’t they be doing something else? My book says romantic couples engage in all kinds of things on one person’s birthday, like hugging and kissing, and se —

Naruto: Are you kidding, Sai?! Kakashi-Sensei is an old man, he doesn’t have the energy for all that, dattebayo!

Sakura: Right; he exhausts his chakra just standing up in the morning! There’s no way he can handle … that.

Kakashi, trying to decide whether he should “wake up” or sneak out the window:

[shukakumoodboard]

greetings gaaleesbians i have returned victorious from my venture into the sacred lands of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area and other glorious places in japan with absolutely banger toilets and thusly i can resume my scheduled shitposting. here’s some nejiten garbage from the draft of the upcoming chapter of tgod

[x-emeraldsky-x]

What if neji wasstill alive and didn't die in the ninja war? Draw him with boruto and himawari playing and hinata watching happily

[ap-kinda-lit]

Lee: NEJI! YOU'RE HURT! Neji: No, I'm fi- Tenten: NO! NOT AGAIN! Neji: It's nothin- Lee: YOU'RE BLEEDING! Tenten: WHERE'S THE FIRST AID KIT!? Neji: It's just a paper cut- Tenten: SCREW IT! WE'RE TAKING YOU TO SAKURA! Lee: I'LL CARRY HIM! Neji: Please don't.

[schimmelspore]

My boys 💕

[rewrittn]

Me just slowly making alive verses for naruto characters that deserved better than canon

[violetnaps]

if aizen wasnt such a theatrical bastard bleach would be a tragedy ending in 100 chapters at most

[fatedefy]

this scene in dance of the drunk mantis was so neji and lee coded

[phantomchick]

Naruto and being the Underdog

Okay so recently I was discussing naruto's characterisation in the comments section of a fanfic and the author was explaining that they don't like/never vibed with Naruto's character (which is totally fair). But then they explained how they felt the supposed underdog setup was contrived and didn't really work because Naruto never actually starts at zero thanks to his jinchuriki powers and being the yondaime's son. (And so here I am, on my soapbox to discuss how Naruto and the concept of being and underdog relate.)

On a physical level perhaps this applies, but Naruto places an equal (if not larger) amount of focus on the emotional action as it does on its plot action.

On an emotional level he has to work for each and every one of his personal relationships.

He wants to be hokage a role he can only take if he is both respected by his village and powerful enough to protect it. It''s a twofold goal. And in terms of the social aspect this is clearly stacked against him due to the hatred and exploitation of jinchuriki as well as shinobi in general, achieving emotional connection and dialogue between people who are used to might makes right or who are pre-disposed to look down on him or want to kill him puts him firmly at a disadvantage narratively.

With the notable exception of Hinata whose love is unconditional, whether it's Tsunade, Neji, Sasuke or Gaara or even Kurama the respect and attention that naruto craves are things he actively pursues in both good and bad ways and he earns them through his own effort.

He does this both by striving to understand these very different people and where they're coming from as well as surviving all the shit the world throws at him. Emotional and physical tasks.

In terms of being a jinchuriki and getting the rasengan easily thanks to his shadow clone bullshit / birthright connections to the yondaime It must first be acknowledged that the jinchuriki power is more of a disadvantage than a boon to him at first. First, because of kurama actively going out of his way to mess with his chakra control as a kid while doing the leaf exercise he was unable to learn the regular clone jutsu; it also results in him experiencing the trauma of discrimination and isolation from a young age which could easily have led to festering self-hatred and alienation if not for Iruka's intervention, it results in multiple S ranks who are fully capable of killing even shippuden level Naruto targetting him, and while the trade-off of boundless energy and survive-ability is immense those same boundless resources have the potential to burn him alive if he loses emotional control/gives into his most negative emotions - that's basically making the subtext text at that point, the story is about his emotional development and growth, something his "OP buffs" don't earn for him. Let's talk about boundless chakra resources for a moment. At the end of the original series, he only knows the rasengan; the rasenshuriken, the shadow clone justu and sage mode/yinyang mode by the end of the series and that's like 5 justu tops if we're counting yin/yang/bijuu mode and sage mode as jutsu. The majority of what he learned from jiraiya for three years seemed to be taijutsu only with a side of failed bijuu control. Naruto has his jinchuriki chakra from the start but that doesn't translate to an ability to use it, he has to spend hours working out how to do the shadow clone, he did not figure out how to do the jutsu because of his chakra even if that was the reason he was able to use it at all, and when it comes to the rasengan I will cite [someone who deleted their reddit account] here:

Naruto completed the first stage in three days and one night. He figured out how his chakra needed to move to burst the water balloon (thanks to a cat) but because he didn't have the necessary chakra control, he improvised by using another hand. He completed the second stage in three weeks or so. The next day(?), Jiraiya gave him a hint to improve his focus which allowed him to finally complete it. And the third stage was completed seven days later to win his bet with Tsunade. Once again, Naruto didn't have the control to focus his chakra the correct way despite his continuous efforts. It wasn't until he came up with another improvised method by using a shadow clone to focus the chakra that he was able to complete the final stage.

Meaning he is the one who comes up with unorthodox methods, such as also using his other hand, or using a shadow clone to focus the chakra, to learn it in four and a half weeks but he still had to figure out how to do it all himself. The shadow clone would've been useless without his understanding of the jutsu or his ability to do the individual parts of the jutsu. He earns the jutsu and could conceivably have learned it the old fashioned way were he not under an artificial time limit as both Jiraiya and Kakashi, both without jinchuriki power, know it and can use it.

Now I'll talk about his supposed privilege as the yondaime's child: Sasuke gets chidori and later kirin thanks to HIS connections but that's never remarked on in the same way. And in fact most people in the naruto-verse learn a big jutsu from their clan or parent; see Might Gai, the genius of hard work, learning the eight gates thanks to his father. The rasenshuriken is something he's only capable of learning thanks to his chakra and shadow clones I hear you quote Kakashi, but it's again, something he couldn't do without actually putting the work in to learn the jutsu. Naruto is on a time crunch because of Akatsuki, the fact he is capable of learning the jutsu once he has advice on wind chakra from Asuma and has practiced forming the rasengan and doing windblades enough means he didn't need the extra chakra to do it, having the chakra didn't automatically make him capable of the rasenshuriken all it did was speed up his chakra control practice exponentially, it would have taken him more time practicing but he could have learned the jutsu eventually even if he wasn't a jinchuriki. Now summons. Being the Yondaime's child might get him an in with Jiraiya to let him have the toad contract, but Sakura and Sasuke also get summoning contracts thanks to personal connections with Tsunade and Orochimaru and Jiraiya only gets him the opportunity. It's Naruto who has to use his willpower to stay on Gamabunta's back and it's Naruto who has to form relationships with his summons like Gamakichi, (a bond that becomes instrumental toward the end of the 4th war). Additionally learning Sage mode wasn't just a result of Naruto getting the contract because neither Sasuke nor Sakura achieved it despite both having contracts (and despite Kabuto managing it where Sasuke didn't) Sasuke with the Hawks as well as the Snakes. And importantly Naruto was unable to use clones or his extra chakra to speed up his training in this. In fact the clones only come into it after he has successfully mastered sage mode and function as a limited extra resource that's can't go beyond three shadow clones meditating and this doesn't function as more sage powah but as a means of extending his sage modes duration, a workaround that's only needed because his being a jinchuriki gets in the way of him gathering sage mode in real-time with the toads on him. In conclusion while his chakra lets him practice jutsu to learn them faster, this is not the case in either his sage mode or the yin yang release and only applies to the shadow clone, rasengan and rasenshuriken - all of which he had to actually learn and understand the mechanics of otherwise the jutsu wouldn't have worked no matter how many shadow clones he had try it and that with the exception of shadow clone he demonstrably could've learned them without being a jinchuriki. And in the case of rasengan and rasenshuriken he is under artificial time-limits imposed by Orochimaru and the Akatsuki.

So that's shadow clone, rasengan, rasenshuriken and sage mode covered but what about bijuu mode. An overpowered special mode he only gets for being a jinchuriki, that B only bothers to teach him because he's a jinchuriki, surely that's LEGIT op bullshit. No? No. At least not in comparison to the Sakura's forehead seal from Tsunade, Sasuke's Mangekyou abilities like izanagi, giant purple warrior and amaterasu, Obito's mokuton, Madara's sage of six paths abilities or the rinnegan's everything, anyway. Not to mention what the edo tensei are capable of.

The only reason bijuu mode works is that he earns Kurama's regard on an emotional level, it's not something which being a kage's kid or having jinchuriki chakra levels actually does fuck all to contribute to. He was that all along but Kurama still hated him and tried to take over his body. It's Naruto himself who has to reach out and make that effort to understand this person who he's always seen as a burden or a curse or an annoying tenant who doesn't pay rent, a monster who tries to kill him and take his body. It's Naruto who has to put in the emotional labour and see Kurama as a person, no matter the harm he's done.

Naruto is the underdog in spite of being "the chosen one" and having the strongest bijuu and a kage father because emotional labour is never easy and in a world like his it seems insane to even try. It's why everyone except him was prepared to give up on Sasuke, Naruto recognises his anger at Itachi and desire to avenge his family as valid, Naruto when he finds out the truth about Itachi from Danzo tells Sasuke he gets it, why he wants to destroy the village, why he's so angry, when Sasuke changes his mind and decides to become hokage instead of destroying it so he can change it, Naruto understands WHY even if he still wants to be kage himself. The problem with Sasuke is that his anger is self-destructive and self-isolating, not that it exists, it's when Naruto fights him one last time and makes Sasuke realise that he's only hurting himself and his loved ones at this point, that "talk no jutsu" finally works and Sasuke is able to listen to Naruto and come home.

It's also why Naruto earns being hokage; in a world full of killers, someone who is capable of acknowledging the harm done and not ignoring or forgetting it (like how he tells pain he can't forgive him), but who is also capable of looking past that and understanding the motivations and feelings of the person he's dealing with and talking to them on that level as equals hits so hard. It just felt like a fantastic set up for a diplomatic hokage capable of dealing with other kages and achieving a peace in spite of the fact they're all to the last, untrustworthy ninja mercenaries who are generally very ends justify the means. In a world of kill or be killed Naruto is still willing to kill, but he's also willing to understand and to talk. And he wasn't born with that, he worked for it and failed often, especially with Sasuke, it was never easy, it often appeared hopeless but he kept trying.

And we rooted for him because of it.

[kiljoius-writes]

Uprooted - Chapter 3

Ao3 | FFN

Previous Chapter

First Chapter

Final - Chapter 3: The Urge to Run Away

It’s another two weeks before she sees Sasuke again.

He’d been a ghost since that fantastical date he’d taken her on. She’d seen Sakura and Naruto around. Itachi in passing, who stopped her to let her know that if his little brother was ever out of line, she was to let Shisui know. Her father had been avoiding her, too. Anytime their eyes met, he would look away with a shake of his head.

Hinata thinks it’s actually a welcome change to the glares he often gives her.

If she’s honest with herself, she hasn’t really stopped thinking about the date. It was far more than she’d ever expected Sasuke to realistically plan out and far more than she’d ever expect him to plan out for her of all people. He hadn’t told her how he knew about all of her favorite things and she’s starting to seriously consider that maybe Sasuke is, in fact, more perceptive to her than she’s always thought. Not that she doesn’t think he’s observant—he is. He’s a remarkable shinobi, this she knows, and part of that is his quick intellect and strategic skills. It’s the emotional perception that baffles her.

Now, she finds Sasuke in the Hokage’s office, which she’s been summoned to.

“Happy now, brat?” Tsunade asks sarcastically Sasuke’s way, and Hinata wonders what the meaning of this is.

“You summoned me, Lady Hokage?” Hinata bows toward Tsunade, who waves her forward.

“Hadn’t planned on it, but your darling…fiancé insists.” Tsunade is smirking now, and Hinata looks towards him in surprise. He won’t look back at her. “It doesn’t quite require two people, but your demanding Uchiha says you’ll split the pay, so I’m indifferent as to whether you two go together. I’m sure he’ll brief you on all the details.”

“Oh, alright.” Hinata nods, though she’s not quite understanding.

Sasuke is insisting on her joining him?

All for show. That’s the conclusion she comes to.

Sasuke is already walking out, so Hinata bows again, respectfully, and follows him out.

She dips her head to try to get a look at him, but he’s intentionally turning away from her. “You require my assistance, Sasuke?”

She sees him suck in his cheek, just like his father does, and she smiles. “And why wouldn’t I want my fiancée to join me on a mission?”

She falters at that but quickly recovers. “Oh, of course. Happily.”

“Besides,” he continues, eyes finally relaxing as they cast towards her, “it gets boring out there by myself. Watching you make a fool of yourself will be decent enough entertainment.”

Hinata purses her lips. Yes, this is the Sasuke she remembers.

“You know,” she starts, coming up next to him now that he’s not dragging her by the hand like he’s become so accustomed to doing. “I seem to remember a little boy covered in cuts and scrapes after trying to do a complex trick spin with a shuriken.”

She smiles when he let out an irritated sound. Honestly, this feels more normal. “I was a kid. What’s your excuse?”

When they pass through the gates, she gives a friendly wave to the chūnin posted at the watchtower. She keeps going, “or perhaps we can talk about when you singed off an eyebrow with your fireball jutsu?”

“Alright—” he cuts her off, snapping his glare down at her, “that was—”

“And then you tried to use transformation jutsu to cover it up?” Her smile turns mischievous as his lips part, the memory clearly flashing through his mind. “And then…Sakura was putting ointment on your cheek…”

Sasuke’s eyes grow wide, and he tries to put a hand on her mouth. She ducks to avoid it, giggling. “That’s enough—!”

“And the eyebrow turned pink,” she keeps going, “like your blush.”

“You’re pushing it,” he hisses, jogging towards her to catch up as she leaps backward from him. “I don’t have to treat you nicely when we’re out here, Hyūga.”

“Ah.” She nods, hands clasping behind her back. “You started it, though.”

“That’s childish.”

“I only just became an adult,” she responds, feeling more at ease now.

“Then it’s not very Hyūga of you.”

Hinata thinks the way he lords her family name over her is humorous. It really doesn’t mean much to her, but she figures he knows that. “Care to enlighten me on this mission you requested aid for?”

“You know what? This was a mistake. Go back.”

It only makes her smile grow. She finds she quite likes teasing Sasuke. This is much more natural than how they’d been acting these last few weeks. Still, she relents. “I apologize. Please, tell me where we’re going.”

He huffs, and it’s kind of cute when he acts pouty. She had stopped trying to resist the thought a while ago. “North. Bandits. We’re just recovering some stolen items.”

“Sounds a little beneath you, doesn’t it?”

“You’re telling me.”

“Though I suppose missions have been a little slow, lately.”

“Exactly,” he responds, looking down at her, “that’s why I tried to recommend your dog teammate for it instead.”

Hinata raises her eyebrows. Then, she’s bold. “Stop calling him that.”

“Why?” Sasuke tilts his head, blinking down at her in mock innocence.

“Because it’s rude, and he’s my friend,” she asserts, squinting at him.

“He must be livid, I imagine,” he continues, looking forward, “that his little girlfriend is engaged to me.”

“G-girlfriend?” she gasps, shaking her head. “Excuse you.”

“It’s true, isn’t it?” He smirks. “Probably sulking in that hut he calls a home.”

“Stop that!” she snaps uncharacteristically, stopping in place.

He doesn’t stop with her, simply continues forward. “Honestly, I considered going along with the marriage just to see the look on his face. I imagine it would be thoroughly amusing.”

He’s going too far, now, she thinks. She catches up with him. “Why do you hate him?”

“I don’t hate anyone,” he responds, frankly, “too much energy to hate someone, especially him.”

“You’re so…” Hinata bites her lips together, holding back the insult.

Now Sasuke stops and turns to her. He leans forward, until his nose is right in front of hers, eyes making her feel small under them. “I’m so? So what? Go on, Hyūga. I’m dying to hear it.”

She glares at him. Fine. “You’re so stuck up. You’re full of yourself, Sasuke, and quite frankly, it’s exhausting.”

His smile is unexpected. She blinks when his hand comes up to pat her cheek. “Little sister guiding you in the way of snarky insults? Let her know she’s doing a poor job.”

She sputters as he straightens out and continues the journey. He’s not so cute anymore, she thinks.

“Come on, Hyūga. Don’t want to let them get too far, do we?”

In through the mouth, out through the nose.

Hinata forces her feet forward.

Her byakugan finds them about an hour later. They walked in silence for most of the journey until that point. When she notifies him, they take to the trees as they close in. Once they’re in normal eyesight view, they find a spot to prepare.

Sasuke’s version of a plan is to just send her to detain them.

“Not that I don’t think I can, but can I ask why?” Hinata asks, furrowing her eyebrows up at him.

“Figured it’s probably been a while since you’ve had a good physical fight—outside of that sad one with your little sister the other day.” He shrugs. “And if you succumb, well—then we won’t have to worry about the marriage anymore.”

She presses her lips together. Without a word, she turns and hops through the trees.

Bandits really aren’t much of a problem for her. There are only three, and she’s faced worse—far worse in her time. She disarms them easily and subsequently subdues them. It takes barely three minutes to incapacitate them, and she’s handcuffing them in the next.

Sasuke lands next to her, not offering any help, just simply there to judge her, she assumes. “Impressive.”

“You can stop mocking me,” she says, quietly as she hooks the cuffs around the last man’s wrists.

“I’m not,” he replies, tilted head, “that was actually pretty quick.”

Hinata blinks down at the man’s hands, unsure of how to react to genuine praise from Sasuke. She decides not to respond and simply pushes the man forward to begin their trek back to the Leaf.

“Is this why you insisted on me coming?” she finally asks when they’re nearly halfway, “so I could do the dirty work while you lounge?”

“How’d you know?” he asks, phony questioning on his face.

She remains quiet at that, simply shaking her head.

“What?” he inquires, but she doesn’t look up at him.

“Nothing,” she sighs.

Hinata feels foolish now. For whatever reason, she’d let herself slip into some strange fantasy. That Sasuke, underneath that gruff exterior, was some sort of romantic. The attraction she had felt for him was fleeting, clearly. She’s just relieved it didn’t go too far before he revealed his true nature once more.

“Seriously, what?” he presses, and she’s surprised he even cares.

“I—” She stops herself, bites her lips together. She debates whether he deserves to know. She’s already made a fool of herself anyway, she decides. “For some incredibly foolish reason, I thought you weren’t as cold as you normally project.”

“And why would you think that?”

She looks at him and gapes. “Really? The date? Or the fake date…whatever you’d like to call it—it was thoughtful, or at least it seemed that way. But now I’m realizing you probably had Sakura plan it all out and I’m feeling ridiculous for thinking you could ever have the emotional capacity to care enough.”

After the words leave her, her eyes drop to the ground.

Had she really just said all of that out loud? She really hadn’t meant to. It was a little harsher than she imagined. Or maybe a lot harsher.

She can feel his stare on her cheek.

“Sakura didn’t plan it.”

Hinata waits for more, but it doesn’t come. He’s leaving her wondering what that means, but she’s unwilling to question him further.

“Lover’s quarrel,” one of the detainee's mocks, and Sasuke gives him a swift hit to the back of the head.

They return within the hour, Sasuke only striking their detainees twice more when they made some sort of snarky remark, and they drop them off at the investigation unit.

Hinata chooses to leave in silence, but Sasuke follows her. She doesn’t acknowledge him; she pretends he isn’t there.

When they arrive at the compound, he grasps her hand, and she has to remind herself not to pull it away.

“I planned it,” he finally clarifies, and it forces her eyes up to his, a serious expression on his face, “and I know those things about you because I know you.”

She blinks up at him. “How?”

“You’re transparent.”

She frowns, unsure of whether he’s insulting her or not.

Again, it’s like he can read her mind. “And no, that’s not an insult,” he sighs, rolling his eyes. “We’ve known each other for a long time. I know you don’t think I pay attention, but I do.”

“Why are you telling me this?” she decides to question.

“I…” The way he falters has her curious. “Because it’s insulting that you’d think so little of me.”

For this, she shakes her head. “Please, Sasuke. I’m not stupid.”

“You’re not,” he responds, quickly, and it catches her off guard, “I’m not saying you are. I’m just saying…have some faith in me, even if you don’t think you should.”

She allows those words to touch her a little closer to the heart, and feels that pulse of attraction vibrate through her again. How was he having this effect on her? His hand squeezes hers, and hers impulsively squeezes back. “You…you don’t have to go through all that, though. We’re playing our roles…remember?”

His lips uptick into a smirk now. “That’s right.”

This time, when he kisses her, she’s sure there’s something there. Because there’s nobody in sight—even if there were some random shinobi perched on the rooftops or in the trees, it’s not necessary for him to keep the kiss going for so long.

Hinata decides if she’s going to do this, she may as well do it big. So, she tugs her hand out of his and slides her hands to the nape of his neck, and tangles her fingers into the hair there. Sasuke meets her desire with his own and wraps his arms around her middle. The way he bends her back to deepen the kiss further convinces her that there must be some sort of spark, whether either of them truly wants it or not.

She wonders if she does.

This time, their meeting is purely coincidental.

Hinata’s with Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino, perusing Tenten’s newly opened weapons shop. Shino’s looking intently at a set of shuriken while Tenten explains where they came from. Hinata thinks it’s sweet the way he listens attentively to her as she speaks, clearly making an effort to nod along. Shino’s not the most active listener; one has to know Shino fairly well to understand that he is listening carefully, even if it doesn’t look like it. He’s taking care to make sure Tenten knows he’s interested, and that’s something he rarely offers to others.

Before she realizes it, a pair of hands are on her hips.

“How kind of you.”

Hinata flinches at the contact, then bends her head back parallel to her body to find those familiar black eyes looking down at her. Sasuke is smirking, clearly enjoying catching her off guard, and she can only assume that her team surrounding her is a bonus on top for him.

“Sasuke,” she says, simply, forcing a smile up at him.

Kiba grumbles irritably next to them, glaring at Sasuke.

Kiba had accosted her the day after her engagement to Sasuke became public, when whispers of the happy couple started circulating. He was livid with her for not telling him herself, but truth be told, she had no idea how to tell him. The only way she could soothe him was by revealing their plan, and even then, he lamented the injustice of it all. But he’s doing a decent job right now by not attempting to pick a fight with Sasuke.

“I assume you’re picking out new shuriken for me?” he asks, tilting his head to the side.

Hinata debates in her head whether to go along with this scene he’s decided on.

“I was just telling Shino about this set,” Tenten interjects, eager for another customer, “but I’d be happy to—”

Her head still bent back, Hinata sees the irritation on Sasuke’s face grow, so she decides to cut in. “Actually, Tenten, I believe Sasuke procures his shuriken from the Land of Iron.”

Hinata sees the flash of surprise waver Sasuke’s expression before it’s schooled back to one of indifference. She brings her head forward and rests a hand on one of his wrapped around her hipbone. She smiles sadly as Tenten’s expression falls, but it quickly picks back up. “Good to know! I’ll have to see about making a trade agreement out there, then you’ll have to come back!”

“Not likely,” Sasuke responds, coolly and Hinata grimaces slightly.

“Dick…” Kiba mutters under his breath, and Hinata shoots him a look.

Tenten’s store is not the place for an argument, so she continues, “have you decided, Shino?”

Shino hums quietly before nodding. “I’ll take them.”

Tenten clasps her hands together happily. “Perfect!”

Hinata admires the way Shino gives in to letting Tenten drag him through the store. She’ll have to have a private chat with him later.

“Anyway,” Kiba sighs dramatically, nudging his head, “sorry, but your…” His eyes shift uncomfortably, and he grinds out, “fiancée is coming with us to the training grounds.”

Sasuke scoffs irritably, “that right? Didn’t know you let other men command your attention so freely.”

Hinata feels her lower eyelid twitch. “Well, I mean—”

“Cut the act, Uchiha,” Kiba snarls quietly, eyebrows low and nose crinkling.

Hinata spins in Sasuke’s grip, pushing her palms into his chest as she tries to mellow the situation, but Sasuke has other ideas. “What act is that, Inuzuka? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that’s jealousy in your tone.” Hinata sighs and rubs her forehead, practically feeling the anger boiling over in Kiba. “Anyone ever tell you jealousy is ugly? You don’t have a whole lot to spare in the looks department—”

“Okay!” Hinata’s tone is high-pitched as she forces the interaction to an end. “Kiba, I apologize, perhaps another day?”

“Yeah, another day,” Sasuke continues, “maybe in the far, distant future.”

Hinata’s annoyed now. In a hushed tone, she scolds him, “enough, Sasuke…”

“Yeah, enough Sasuke,” Kiba repeats in a mocking tone, sticking his tongue out. Hinata nearly cracks a smile but resists as she looks back up at him.

Sasuke raises his eyebrows, sucks in that cheek again, clearly holding back. He tuts and rolls his eyes. “Whatever my lovely fiancée says.”

Hinata smiles in satisfaction, patting his chest as he releases her. She turns back to Kiba who is looking pouty with his arms crossed and foot tapping. “Tomorrow, okay? Would you find me a nice set of arrows while you’re here?”

The request seems to calm Kiba. He brings a hand to the back of his neck. “Ah, yeah. Alright.”

“I’ll pay you back tomorrow.”

Sasuke grunts from behind her and a bag of coins fly over her shoulder into Kiba’s chest, who reflexively catches it. They both look in confusion towards Sasuke, who is already starting to walk away. “Can’t let another man buy gifts for my wife.”

“Hey, asshole—”

“Kiba!” Hinata hisses, stepping towards him, “please!”

Kiba looks down at her, heaving a frustrated breath. “How do you expect me to—”

“Kiba.” Shino appears next to him, setting a hand on Kiba’s shoulder. “Come.”

“Just a little longer,” Hinata whispers to them, and Shino’s the only one who nods in agreement.

Kiba rolls his eyes. “Sure about that?”

Hinata leans her head away, but Shino doesn’t stay for the rest, instead moving to where Tenten has her bows and arrows displayed, parchment package of new shuriken in hand. She looks back at Kiba. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothin’.” Kiba shakes his head and leaves her wondering as he follows Shino. He waves his hand without looking back at her. “See ya, Hina.”

Hinata purses her lips.

Why does everyone have to be so vague with her?

“Arrows?” Sasuke begins as she walks alongside him, having no idea where they were going.

Hinata nods. “I took up archery a year ago. Hanabi asked me to join her one day, and I found I quite liked it.”

“Interesting.” It’s all he offers her before silence settles between them again.

She looks down at his hands, finding them tucked in his pockets, and decides to reach over to pull one out. She’s surprised when he lets her take it so easily. She slides her fingers between his. He doesn’t even look alarmed by the action now. She supposed they were settling into their roles comfortably.

Briefly, she wonders if they’re settling in too comfortably.

“Why did you come get me?” she decides to question, looking out towards the village, recognizing their path as one to the Uchiha district once more.

Sasuke snickers quietly. “Couples spend their days together.”

“Yes…” she agrees, though still doesn’t fully understand, “but we were together just the other day.”

“And? We’re in love, remember?” His tone is sarcastic, and she sighs at it.

Then he stops in the middle of the path, and she stops with him. She tilts her head curiously. “Sasuke?”

“How did you know I only get my weapons from the Land of Iron?”

She doesn’t expect the question. “Your shuriken are inscribed with Miho Kawano’s initials.”

His expression turns surprised once more, and he doesn’t even try to hide it this time. “You know Kawano’s work?”

She nods, almost feeling proud of herself. “My father has a personal collection of weaponry forged by her.” The way his eyes widen makes her chest swell with pride. “I’ve come to recognize the way her blades are angled…she has a very specific style.”

With a click of his tongue, his eyebrow perks. “That’s…hmm.”

“I think the word you’re looking for is…impressive.”

When he chuckles, the surge of pride grows. Getting Sasuke to show any genuine (not sarcastic) humor is a feat in and of itself. “You know what? Let’s go to the Hyūga compound.”

“Oh?” Hinata inquires, curious. “Why?”

He nudges his head as a sign to join him as he turns. “I want to see how you are with a bow.”

If her chest had already been inflating with that pride, it was about to burst now.

She’s not even really sure why his approval makes her so giddy. It was never something she concerned herself with before.

Funny enough, it’s now a more comfortable calm that sits between them as they make their way to her part of the village. It’s interesting because most of the people she surrounds herself with don’t quite know the meaning of quiet. Hanabi is bright and playful, Kiba is boisterous and loud. Neji may seem quiet to others, but with her, he’s talkative, whether it’s about missions, training, or the latest ridiculous thing Lee’s done. Shino is the one silent companion she has, but even then, sometimes it’s a bit uncomfortable. It depends on whether he’s whispering to his beetles or not.

With Sasuke, it had always been a tense stillness. But now, she’s holding his hand, and whether he realizes it or not, he’s rubbing his thumb along the webbing between her index and her thumb. She glances down at their joined hands, then back up to see him staring out into the distance. He doesn’t look at her often, and his mind seems to be elsewhere. While it might have brought a small amount of amusement to point out his mindlessly sweet gesture, she chooses not to. Because it actually feels nice.

When they arrive through the front gates, the guard at the front bows to her, and she hears that sarcastic chuckle from Sasuke once more. She ignores it as she leads him by the hand towards a quieter training area that sits outside. They’re greeted with three archery targets that have seen better days, but still stand strong. She opens her hand and is amused to find his hold on it lingers for a few seconds longer before he releases as well. He follows closely behind her anyway as she comes next to a chest and kneels next to it.

When she pulls it open, she’s hardly surprised that he takes it upon himself to start rummaging through it without consent. Another thing about Sasuke that everyone, including herself, knows is that he’s not one to wait around and be granted permission. But she doesn’t mind it because his genuine interest is endearing. Eventually, he settles on a bow she recognizes as Hanabi’s favored one, heavy and made of red oak. She watches as he lifts it up and down to test its heft, then gets to his feet.

Still on her knees, she looks on with interest as he sets an arrow and pulls back.

It takes everything inside of her not to let a giggle slip as the arrow sticks to the fencing behind the target. A horrible miss.

He must have sensed the giggle bubbling inside of her, though, because he does a sharp turn to glare at her. She covers her mouth to hide her smile and keep the laugh back. “Finding this amusing?”

“No,” she responds with a headshake, the laughter in her voice betraying her, “not at all.”

He grunts as he turns and readies another arrow. It misses again and this time, she lets the giggle leave her. An aggravated sigh and he’s facing her again, waving her up. “Go on then, show me how it’s done, Hyūga.”

“Sasuke Uchiha?” she questions innocently, “asking me, Hinata Hyūga, to teach him?”

The way his lips press together to hold back a smart remark is amusing, but she concedes, regardless. Carefully, she pulls her own bow from the chest, a much lighter one made from cherry wood. She rises to her feet to step next to him and gestures at her bow.

“Perhaps you would be better equipped with something lighter?” she asks, honestly. He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t respond. She turns to the targets and readies her stance, pulls back an arrow, and lets it fly. It hits dead center, and she looks back for his reaction. His eyes are red now, sharingan spinning, and she laughs, quietly. “Ah, cheater.”

“It’s not cheating to use inherited advantages,” he responds, tartly. With a shrug, she gestures forward for him to try again.

This time, he sinks the arrow into the middle of the target, and she’s not surprised. He looks back at her with a smirk and she shakes her head. “If you’re expecting praise, you won’t find it here.”

He clicks his tongue, lowering the bow. “You wound me.”

The light tease makes her heart sit in her chest funny. She breathes in, pulling the bow closer to her chest.

“Especially since I’ve freely given you praise,” he continues, tilting his head at her.

She squints. “Really? When?”

“When you captured those bandits.”

She frowns. “I’m still unsure of whether that was genuine or not.”

“It was,” he replies, quickly, as if he has to get it out now, “and your aim is…impressive, too.”

Hinata blinks, that funny way her heart sits in her chest becoming even more distracting. In a split decision, she holds an arrow in front of her and steps toward him. He instinctively puts a foot back but doesn’t step away fully. She lifts it up. “Can I tell you something I’ve been working on?”

Sasuke’s expression turns curious now, too. “I suppose.”

She holds the arrow in one hand, tucks the bow under her armpit, and with the now free hand, focuses some chakra into her palm. Slowly, from one end, she runs the hand over the length of the arrow until it’s engulfed in white chakra. She looks up to find his expression downright mesmerized. That pride hits at her chest as she opens her hand to let him take the arrow from her.

“Chakra-infused arrows…interesting, but nothing new,” he comments, holding it up to his eyes.

“But if they can close chakra points, that would be new.”

The way his body freezes makes her feel like she’s on top of the world.

Hinata has truly impressed Sasuke.

She knows it.

“I just haven’t figured out a way to test it, yet.”

“Not willing to stick any arrows into your clansmen?” he asks, sarcastically. Her mouth drops open, though she knows she shouldn’t be shocked by his crass nature. He chuckles, softly, and again, it’s quite a nice sound. “I’m kidding, Hyūga.”

“I know.” She closes her mouth and shakes her head.

“Why didn’t you bring it on our mission the other day?” he inquires, folding his free arm over his hip while placing the arrow back in her hand.

She can only be honest. “Bandits aren’t quite deserving of such treatment, I don’t think.”

He scoffs at this, like she expects, his head turning away. “Always so soft.”

She remains silent at that, resisting the urge to twist her foot into the ground.

“Well,” he sighs, casting his eyes back up at her, “I have to give credit where credit is due. It’s impressive.”

For this, she smiles. It’s now the third time he’s called her impressive, and she can’t help the satisfaction she feels. She clutches the bow to her chest, and decides to tease, “you find me impressive, Sasuke?”

The way he goes quiet instead of returning with an even snarkier retort makes her a little nervous. His eyes scan her face, as if picking her apart. She wills herself not to back away from him when he steps towards her. His serious expression is something she’d grown accustomed to for most of her time knowing him, but she’s seen such a different side of him these last few weeks, it’s a little hard to reconcile.

Then his hand reaches for her cheek, and she almost wants to curse herself for leaning into the touch.

“Maybe I do,” he says, quietly. Her beating heart quickens as he leans down, and his lips are against hers again.

One of her clansmen must be near, or perhaps her caretaker, or even her father. This is the only reason she can come up with for why he’s doing this now of all times. So, she returns him by closing her eyes, lowers the bow to her side, and wraps her other hand around the wrist of his hand cupping her face. She hears the thud of the bow he had been holding as it hits the ground, and that arm is circling her waist.

Not as careless with her own belongings, she awkwardly crouches to set her bow on the ground, breaking the kiss for a moment as she does. She opens her eyes briefly to catch him smirking down at her, not the taunting smirk he usually offers, but more one of amusement, and he’s pulling her back up. Without totally understanding what she’s doing, she lets him and brings her arms around his neck to continue the kiss.

It’s unbecoming of them to be locked in what, on the outside, looks like a passionate kiss. Just like he had originally told her—the two non-heirs of their clans acting unbecoming. To ‘embarrass the hell out of their clans.’ But now, Hinata’s beginning to think that the passion may in fact be real. Because this couldn’t be an act, it just couldn’t. The way he grips her a little tighter, but his hold is still gentle. The way his skin flushes deeper with each passing second. The way his lips move against hers, until a brand-new sensation hits her—his tongue against her bottom lip.

This is when she ends the kiss, with a gasp and her head jerking back. His eyes remain closed for a few seconds longer before they pop open to look at her, low and shameless.

She inhales a deep breath and activates her byakugan, scanning the grounds. When she finds no chakra networks near enough to have detected them, she deactivates it and looks at him questioningly. “Who’s here?”

“Here?” he asks, voice a little gruff, and it sends a spike of electricity through her. “No one.”

Her lips part, but she can’t breathe, as if the oxygen available to her is too difficult to take in. “So…so why did you…”

A pause settles between them as they both scan each other for some clue about just what on earth they’re doing.

Suddenly, he releases her, and she has to stop herself from clutching onto him, instead pulling her arms away and stumbling back.

“I should go,” he rasps out, spinning on his heel to leave.

“Wait—” She reaches out a hand and he stops at her beckoning, but doesn’t turn back around. “Sasuke?” He hums at her to continue, but she’s not sure what it is she wants to say. She’s at a loss, and after a few more moments, without another word, he begins his stroll once more, disappearing around the bend.

Hinata’s hand drops to her side.

“What in the world…” she breathes out to herself, reaching up to touch her lips.

He kissed her. Without any underlying motive.

Now she's sure. Sasuke is feeling that same pulse of attraction that she is.

Hinata knows that should frighten her.

But again, that pride intensifies inside of her. And that funny way her heart is sitting is beginning to feel quite lovely.

After a chat with her father (read: her father telling her what was going to happen), Hinata’s sure this plan is never going to work.

The way he spoke made her think that he and Fugaku were onto her and Sasuke’s (Naruto’s) foolish plan.

“Since you two are so deeply in love, as it seems, we’ve decided to move your wedding date to next month.”

Now she had to seek out Sasuke to figure out what their next steps would be.

Honestly, she’s not hopeful.

She’s walking down the path that leads to the Uchiha district when she catches him coming down the opposite way. They both stop upon seeing each other.

“Your dad talk to you?” he asks, tautly, taking slow footsteps toward her. She matches them.

“He did…” she sighs, shoulders slumping. “Naruto’s plan has failed, it seems.”

Sasuke grunts, pulling his arms into a fold. “It’s what I get for doing anything that idiot suggests.”

She grimaces at his words, then shakes her head. “I really don’t see a way out of this, Sasuke.”

There’s a pause, and it feels bleak. She shifts awkwardly on her feet as she clasps her hands behind her back. With a sigh, he continues, “I should just take off.”

“…Leave the village?”

“Mhm.”

The words feel heavy in her chest. She looks down at her feet.

Self-deprecation had also become a familiar part of her day to day. “Right…better than marrying someone like me.”

“What?” His tone is sharp, and it forces her head up. “Why would you say that?”

She thins her lips, creases her brows. “You’ve made it quite clear.”

“That’s—” He steps forward, shaking his head. “That’s not why at all.”

“Then what? Why would you desert the village?”

“Because you shouldn’t have to marry someone like me.”

The way he immediately averts his gaze upon saying those words tells her he hadn’t meant for them to come out. But now she needs to know more. “And…why is that?”

He lets out something between a cough and a chuckle as his head tips to the sky. “You know better than anyone else, Hinata.”

It had been a while since he addressed her by her first name, outside of their ‘roleplay’ in front of their families.

“I’m an asshole.” She wants to argue, purely out of instinct, but can’t. He is a jerk most of the time. But she has seen the sweeter side of him, too, even if it was in the name of the plan. “Being stuck with me? For a lifetime? I don’t even wanna be stuck with me.”

“That’s…sad,” she responds, quietly.

It really is sad, she thinks. Not even Sasuke Uchiha should feel that way about themselves. Maybe it’s ironic for her to feel that way, what with the way she thinks about herself. But he’s not so bad, she’s realized. In fact, he’s even…kind. Thoughtful. Easy to be around, surprisingly. She can’t deny that these past few weeks have her looking at him in a far different light, now.

She scans his facial expression. He’s grimacing, and now she’s beginning to think it doesn’t suit him. “You’re not always like that, Sasuke. I’ve seen how you can be.”

“Yeah,” he grunts out, shaking his head as his eyes land on her again. “That was a show.”

“Was it?” She tilts her head, asking genuinely. His eyebrows draw together as he blinks down at her. “You didn’t have to take me to get my favorite things. You didn’t have to make the date enjoyable. I would have gone along with it either way if it was just for show.”

Silence hangs, again. His eyes are darting over her face before they stop on hers again, his lips pressed into a grim line.

“You…didn’t have to come to the compound with me to indulge in my hobby…” She bites her lip as he looks away, that pink on his cheeks again. She wonders if she can make them crimson. She steps forward. “You didn’t have to kiss me like you did.”

That does it. Sasuke Uchiha is as red as a tomato.

Then, she reaches out. She doesn’t take his hand, just holds hers out in offering. “Don’t run away yet.”

“Why do you care?” he asks, turning to eye the hand suspiciously.

“Because we’re in this together. Whether you want us to be or not.”

She’s relieved when a smile ghosts his lips. “You’ve always been soft.”

Hinata's heart jumps as he sets his hand in hers, and she squeezes it. “I suppose I am.”

“You let me push you around too easily,” he continues, tugging her towards him, and her feet follow easily, “like right now.”

Her heart beats a little faster as his other hand sets on her hip. She splays her free hand on his chest to keep a little distance. Is he…flirting with her, now? Genuinely?

“I guess I could get used to that,” he whispers, his face leaning in closer. When she feels his breath on her lips, her eyes flutter shut on instinct. But his lips don’t meet hers, and her eyes open again to see him looking smugly down at her. His face isn’t quite as red as it was, but a pretty blush still dusts his cheeks. “Don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for me, Hyūga?”

“No,” she replies automatically, shaking her head, causing their noses to brush. She’s being honest; she can’t be won over with a few weeks of passionate kissing under the guise of ‘fake love.’ But perhaps… “I’m just willing to try to make things work. For both our sanities.”

“How kind of you,” he responds, that smirk dropping to a smile.

That’s when she realizes a smile really does suit Sasuke best.

“Are you willing to?” she asks, reluctantly. He peers up towards the sky, as if in thought. Then his head drops back down.

“As long as we cut the act.” His voice is soft, now. It seems a little silly for him to talk about dropping the façade while he’s holding her against his chest. “I’m a pretty good actor, but I have my limits.”

She smiles. “So do I.”

“Clearly.” He glances down at the hand that’s still keeping them separated, her eyes following. “Is this the limit?”

“For now, at least.”

Sasuke tilts his head at her, and she’s not even surprised anymore when she realizes he’s cute like this, too.

“Maybe I can live with that.”

Maybe she can, too, she thinks.

Thanks to everyone who kept up and commented, it's always motivating to see a new review :)

This was fun to write. When I originally sat down to attempt an arranged marriage AU, I couldn't come up with anything. Felt like it had all been done before, and this probably has, too. But once my mind veered from angst, I leaned into chaos and think it came through well. Hoping to write more Uchiha/Neji!Survive SasuHina. I really wanna write Hanabi and Shisui being menaces together, honestly.

Thanks again, see you soon!

[starlightshadowsworld]

I hate the Percy Jason rivalry, I find it just a poor attempt to rehash the Percy Thalia rivalry.

But man does it have potential in exploring the differences between them and their respective camps. Such as theme of hard work vs natural talent.

Percy is naturally gifted.

He used his powers unknowingly without even knowing he was anything but human. He's never had an issue with his powers, able to perform incredible feats with little effort.

He accidentally vaporised his pre-algebra the first time he ever held a weapon.

He beat Luke in a swordfight in his first ever swordfighting lesson. A great feat considering Luke is called out for being the best swordfighter in Camp Half Blood in a century.

In Camp Half Blood it seems like parentage is everything. The Aphrodite kids are looked down upon because of their mother. The Athena kids are highly regarded because of their mother.

To be a child of the Big 3 is like being royalty itself.

I mean everyone is told to bow when Percy gets claimed by his father. Thalia's the legendary daughter of Zeus and Nico is isolated for a long while for being a son of Hades.

That doesn't seem to be the case at Camp Jupiter. Hazel's not so much looked down upon for being a daughter of Pluto, but for being part of the 5th cohort.

Jason's looked up too but it's not because he's the son of Jupiter. And clearly not cared about enough for people to actually look for him.

It's never said but I imagine he spent a long time being looked down upon for being of the 5th cohort.

Parentage holds weight but it doesn't matter in the same way as it does in Camp Half Blood. I mean Camp Jupiter allows legacies to join. And most of those aren't even demigods themselves, like Octavian.

Legacies aren't seen as lesser. Hell Frank had his life force tied to a stick by Juno because he was deemed too powerful by being both a demigod and a legacy.

Jason has been at Camp Jupiter since he was two years old. He had to survive the wolf house, countless quests and battles and than lead his camp to war. To which he fought Krios and won.

Presumably with no aid from the Olympians.

The first rule of the Wolf House is self reliance. Imagine having that taught to you at 2 years old? After being abandoned by your mother to the wolves.

And these experiences shape people and the sheer culture shock these two should've faced when they were switched.

Wolves who would've killed Jason had he ever shown fear or failed their tests.

And I'm not saying that Percy hasn't ever had work hard. That Jason's has a worse life than him, because that's not true. I'm saying in terms of their skills one comes across as naturally gifted while the other does not.

Percy who suddenly has no one to help him for the first time in his life. He's alone, he's forced to rely on himself and only himself. He's always stuck out but never more so than now.

Its one thing to diss the Olympians to their faces, it's been a long time since his own peers looked down on him. It's like he's back in school all over again, everyone knows what to do and he's failing.

Everything he took for granted before is gone. His talent is all he can rely on and he doesn't even know how that's happening.

Jason is suddenly looked up too and revered because of his parentage. People have a perception of what he should be because of his father, because of his sister.

Both of whom he barely knows, hell he never met Jupiter in the entire series. And he's failing to meet these new expectations. He's the kid who was abandoned forced into the family reunion.

Neither of them feel like they belong and have different ways of trying to cope. Jason doubles down and tries to meet these expectations, while Percy is defiantly himself.

Tld:dr These two should've been like Neji vs Naruto, Gaara vs Rock Lee at the Shunin exams. They are so different and highlighting those differences would've been cool to see.

[sandglass-art]

The world is being terrorized by a zombie virus. Neji finds the collapse of the usual reality in a military town, where he serves in the ranks of the same age. Among them is Gaara, the son of the chairman of the Security Council, with whom relations did not go well during his studies. They will have to learn together to survive in new realities and overcome the path to the military laboratory, where the minds of mankind are working on a vaccine.

[houseonthemoon]

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Announcing my first ever major project - Naruto a New Beginning. Coming Fall 2024. What can you expect to find? An alternate ending where Naruto and Sasuke’s journey to help other nations, Neji surviving the war and helping Hinata rebuild their clan, and a new generation of amazing characters and a centuries old villain with a dangerous power who has a great hatred for both the Hyuga and Uchiha clan. Team up with Naruto and Sasuke to defeat this dangerous new villain and help save the clans as well as Konoha.

Hope to see you there!

Special thanks to @whitelilynh (for the incredible encouragement) @shafeeyaart and @oivsyo (for their amazing editing and coloring skills) as well as @ichodai (for even more help and encouragement)

[venerawrites]

Hey!! Luv your work :)

could you do shikamaru and neji reaction to a poor-frightened girl (same age as them) who's from a different village? I've been watching too much shield hero😭

author's note: I've never seen Shield Hero, so I really hope I did your request justice! 😭 Anyway, thank you so much for the kind words and for your request! I hope you enjoy! x

➤ Shikamaru

There was nothing Shikamaru hated more than missions that involved more than 2 days of travelling. It was tiring, boring, and most of the time it took way longer than needed. He always avoided volunteering for such tasks but when Kakashi informed him he was personally chosen for this one, he had no excuse not to go.

The mission sounded simple - go to Takumi village, negotiate a new trade deal for weaponry, and go back. "That sound way too easy", the young man noted in his head while he was walking alongside Neji and Shino later that day. Not only he felt like they were spared the full details about the place they were going to, but he also noticed his team was full of strategists, rather than violent fighters.

A day and a half later, they all found themselves in front of the big wooden gates of the Takumi Village. The place was small - it probably had less than 4 streets, and everything else was just small and dark alleys between buildings. The people, most of which shut themselves inside their houses once they saw the group of Konoha shinobi, were cold and distant, seemingly not open for any type of negotiation or trading with outsiders. Luckily the owner of the local inn seemed to at least tolerate their presence, despite not being particularly excited by it.

Shikamaru was famous for his love for sleeping and resting. However, as he was laying on his bed that night, he couldn't help but feel something was wrong. Deciding he needed to clear his head a bit, he stood up, grabbed his pack of cigarettes, and made his way down the stairs. While he tried to be extra quiet, so he doesn't wake up his teammates, he couldn't help but let out a yelp, once he saw a girl, sitting in the kitchen and chewing some bread.

They stared at each other for a few minutes in silence, before she ran to him, pressing her trembling hand over his mouth and begging him not to yell or shout for the owners of the house. It didn't take long for him to put 2+2 together and realise she must have been a thief that smuggled inside the house during the night. Instead of raising the alarm, however, he just nodded toward the garden, a silent command for her to follow him outside.

The black-haired shinobi has dealt with a lot of criminals in the past - none of them like this girl, however. She seemed so scared, almost frightened, and while she tried her best to hide her clothes under her cape, he could see that they were old - probably from her late teenage years. She also seemed to be very open and honest - he asked her only her name and age before she started apologizing, sharing stories about the village and her family, which were now gone.

The more she talked, the more everything made sense in Shikamaru's head - why the place looked so gloomy and empty, and why the residents were so unfriendly. The village, which was also called the Village of the Artisians, was once upon a time famous for making weaponry which they then sold to the Five Great Nations. With time their clientele grew in skill and soon they found themselves unable to trade with anyone. This left hundreds of families below the poverty line and many didn't survive, including hers. Now that Konoha was interested in trading again, but it was the Takumi Village who refused.

"That's why they sent us here to negotiate", mumbled Shikamaru under his breath once she finished the story of her village's history. Cigarette after cigarette, he kept asking questions about this place and the artisans, which with the passing hours started to become more and more personal. He asked the girl about her job, her living situation, her skills, her dreams, her fears... the conversation kept flowing and before he knew it, the sun was already poking out the horizon, and he had also shared a good amount of information about himself. "Wait!", he grabbed her wrist once she stood up to leave. The movement startled her and he quickly withdrew his hand once he saw her wide eyes full with fear, "I am sorry, I just... Would I see you again? Maybe tonight?" "I really shouldn't-" "Please", the word slipped out before he could stop it, "I won't tell anyone. Just come... I will leave the back door open."

Shikamaru always thought dealing with women was too much of a hassle. He had only one crush in his life, which disappeared as quickly as it came once he experienced her bossy behaviour and uncontrollable anger. The thief girl, however, was different. She was quiet, a good listener, and surprisingly for him, had a vast knowledge in many different areas, including war strategy and politics. She also seemed to appreciate a good debate and was so calm and collected while presenting her arguments, that he didn't even understood when he was 'forced' to reluctantly admit defeat.

The Leaf ninja never considered himself to have tendencies to be protective, especially when it came to females - if he had to judge based on the women in his life, it was he who needed protection from them. But night after night, he kept getting to know this mysterious girl more and more, and a new, unfamiliar urge started to grow in his chest. He started sneaking food into his room, sharing it with her at night. He draped his jacket over her shoulders once they went out in the garden for him to smoke. He pushed her behind his back every time there was a sound in the house, signaling someone might be awake. He started visiting her house during the day, after the talks with the village elders were over, to bring her some lunch or have a cup of tea. "I just need some time away from all that work", was always his excuse.

It must have been some deeply rooted instinct to protect the "damsel in distress", because there was no other explanation that came to mind once Shino decided to confront his weird behaviour. "You are prolonging these negotiations on purpose", the Aburame pointed out, staring at Shikamaru with a blank expression. "Huh? What are you talking about?" "I am talking about how this is the third week you keep finding something wrong with the trade proposals", Shino said with an even tone, continuing to spread jam on top of his toast, "Proposals which are the best we have ever received from any of our allies, especially when it comes to weaponry." The Nara scoffed, his eyes narrowing in annoyance. "We were sent here to get the best deal, not the first one." For a few minutes, there was no response from his teammate and Shikamaru assumed this was the end of the conversation. So when Shino gave his response, he almost chocked on his food: "I always had a great respect for you, Shikamaru. This is why I am going to be honest with you - we are here to secure a trade deal. I understand you may find interest in other activities, most of them including the strange girl you keep sneaking into your room at night, but we are here on business, not pleasure."

The black-haired shinobi couldn't think of a time when he felt a bigger embarrassment. Later that day, he laid down the girl's bed, complaining about his teammates.

"So, are you leaving?", she asked. Refusing to meet her eyes, he nodded his head. "We have to. We have overstayed our welcome." She left a quiet hum, continuing to stare out of her window. Her heart begged her to say something, to ask him to stay just a bit longer. But she knew better. "You should stop stealing. One day they are going to catch you", his words were supposed to be a gentle warning, but in her ears sounded like a harsh judging. "I steal because I have to, not because I want to. Many of us do", her voice was weak, yet defensive, "These families did not gather wealth because they worked hard. The exploited people like my family, who were then discarded and left to die like rats once they were not needed."

Next day the Leaf ninjas were supposed to leave at noon. The negotiations were done, the trade deal was secured and all of them were eager to leave this hostile place. But while Shino and Neji were patiently waiting at the gates, Shikamaru found himself in front of the girl's door.

"Come with me." The words were carrying a note of dominance, sounding more like a command rather than an invitation. Before the girl could reply, he grabbed her shoulder, gently pushing her back inside her house and closing the door. "Pack your belongings and come with me. This place is not for you." Instead of an expression full of joy, he was met with her hardened gaze. "This is my home." "And I can offer you a better one", he argued, refusing to give up, "One where you don't have to steal to survive and eat only bread." She laughed, shaking his hand off and stepping back. "I can't just leave-" "And I can't leave you", Shikamaru blurted out, silencing her. They stared at each other for a few long seconds, both of them equally startled by his confession.

Nobody expected the team to return with an extra member a few days later. But as Shikamaru looked at her, the thief who stole the heart and was now looking at Konoha like it was the most amazing place to be, he had no regrets. Maybe women were not such a hassle after all. . .

➤ Neji

Neji did not agree with a lot of things in his life. Ironically, they all were somehow connected to his family - from the outdated branch system to the clan's teachings and the way most of the members viewed the world. It was no secret many of them were proud - Neji was too in a way - yet he never realised how lowly they thought of the civilians till he witnessed it with his own eyes.

As one of the few Hyuga members chosen to be sent to the Bamboo Village and work on a proposal for an alliance with the ruling clan, he was never asked if he had the time or wanted to leave. Instead, Hiashi, had already made all arrangements beforehand, informing him the night before they were supposed to leave. And just like any other branch member, he had no other choice than to grit his teeth and nod his head.

Despite growing up with them, Neji could not say he was close with his two cousins who were accompanying him. Inagai and Tadate were only two years younger than him, but their mentality felt way more childish - they were confident, cold, stuck-up, and reminded the older Hyuga a little bit too much of himself when he was a kid, who looked at the world just as black and white. They had a lot to learn but were at that age when they thought they already knew everything.

At first it was amusing. They would argue on the way about the shortest way to reach the Bamboo Village, before arguing if it is going to rain or not and finishing the day with a good sparring match, leaving both of them bruised and bloody. The older Hyuga always watched from the side, shaking his head - he didn't like to involve himself in their petty fights, especially since they were both wrong most of the time. When they tried to pick fights with the locals, however, he knew he had to draw the line.

The three Leaf ninjas walked through the streets of the Bamboo Village, curiously looking around. All of the locals were farmers and so far, they seemed to be the only shinobi around. "Can't believe they sent us here, in the middle of nowhere!", huffed Tadate, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You can't be in the middle of nowhere, moron!", Inagai rolled his eyes and was about to add another sarcastic remark, when someone bumped into his side, making him stumble. Three pairs of pale eyes turned toward their right, where a girl seemingly their age stared back at them with a frightened expression. "Watch where you're going yo-" "That's enough!", Neji's voice boomed, and for the first time, the two boys remained silent, exchanging confused looks, "You two, go and check in the inn!" The young Hyuga brothers did not wait for a second command, instead, they scurried away, not wanting to deal with their older cousin. Neji waited till they were out of his sight, before stepping toward the girl. "Apologies about my rude companion! Are you alright?", she nodded once and kneeled to pick up the few apples that fell from her bag. The young man mirrored her movements, helping her gather what she couldn't. She offered him a smile and a small bow as a sign of gratitude and Neji couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth twitch upwards. "My name is Neji. Neji Hyuga."

The next day, Neji saw the same girl by chance. Walking on the road and humming a song, she didn't even notice when she walked past him, till he called her name. She jumped at the sound, but let her shoulders relax once she saw it was the young gentleman from the day before. What was supposed to be a quick run to the local market, turned into a whole afternoon spent together in the nearby bamboo forest.

The Leaf shinobi told both her and himself that he "just wanted to get some peaceful time away from his cousins' constant bickering". Deep inside, however, he knew that seeking the private company of a lady was not the ideal way to escape his teammates. If anything, it actually went against everything he was taught as a boy. The girl was not a fellow ninja or a part of the clan, therefore he shouldn't spend any time with her alone, especially in such a secluded place. But as she kept talking about the Bamboo village, the local culture and cuisine, and their traditions, he couldn't help but find himself enchanted by her stories. Perhaps it wasn't so bad to allow himself to be in her company. After all, if he wanted to secure an alliance, he needed to have a good knowledge about the locals, right?

A week passed, then two, and soon the original mission started to take a lesser priority for Neji. Instead of trying to charm the head of the clan ruling the village, like he originally planned, he found himself exiting the negotiation room as soon as the talks were done and making his way toward the market where he knew the girl would be. Despite knowing her for such a short period of time, he could confidently say she was one of the few people who managed to bring him comfort and peace. She was a smart girl - despite being raised in a small village, she learned about the world out there from books and stories from other travellers. Her biggest gift was smooth talking - what started as general questions about Konoha and what life is there, slowly turned into more personal ones about Neji, his clan, and his childhood. Before he can even realise it, he has bared his entire soul to her, showing her both the good and the ugly inside of him. In return, she opened up about her life in such a small village and her dreams to one day explore the world.

"Why don't you leave then?", he asked one night while they were laying side by side on the field and gazing at the stars above them, "If you want to see the world, you should go. Don't let anybody stop you." She smiled softly, turning her head to the side. "Do you always give advice that you can't follow yourself?" The words must have hit deeper than expected, as instead of his usual light chuckle, he stayed silent. Sighing, she reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. While he expected some words of encouragement or inspiration, she just laid there, holding his hand and turning her attention back to the starry sky. After a minute he smiled, wrapping his fingers around hers. When he was little, he always heard stories about how when you find The One, you can understand and speak to each other without words. He always thought this was nonsense... till now.

Neji was a man who one could say was very predictable - he never acted impulsively and all his actions and decisions seemed to be based on the strict teachings and beliefs of his clan. So when he started to spend not only most of his days but also his nights away from the inn, his cousins decided it is time to intervene.

"With this rate, we won't secure an alliance anytime soon", groaned Inagai while furrowing his eyebrows at their older cousin, "Lord Hiashi would definitely not like this." Neji sipped his tea quietly, taking a few extra moments before replying: "Lord Hiashi knows that good things take time. He is a man of patience, I am sure he understands we need time to secure the trust and the favour of the leader's clan." It was Tadate's turn to scoff and eye the man with suspicion. "The trust of the clan or the trust of peasant girls?" The sound of the cup smashing got everyone's attention and Neji closed his eyes, ignoring the pain of the burning tea landing directly on his skin. Instead, he focused on calming the raging fire of frustration and anger that Tadate's words had caused inside his chest. There were many things he wanted to say: how they knew nothing about her, how they were too stuck up and rude to realise they were still young fools and had much more to learn, how he could take both of them right here, right now if he didn't take his words back... All of these things were on the tip of his tongue, but by some miracle, he managed to swallow them back. "You forget your position in the clan, Tadate. I may be from the branch side of the family, but I can still make sure you are put back in your place."

Since that incident, neither of them talked to each other - instead each preferred to pretend nothing had happened, hoping the talks with the clan leader would be over soon enough so they could go home. And just like they hoped, it took only a few more days before an alliance was formally signed and stamped by the clan leader and given to Neji to pass to Lord Hiashi.

"So, this is our goodbye I guess...", the girl that has managed to snatch both his heart and soul said. There was a weak smile on her face which didn't reach her teary eyes. It was stupid to cry about a man which you had known only for a few weeks, she knew that. But can one control their pain? Can one make it stop just because it was "stupid"? "I want to travel with you." His words made both of them blush and stare at each other with wide eyes. Before she could say anything, he grabbed her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I don't want to pressure you, but you said you want to see the world and I... I want to see it too.

With you."

cc artwork: Yunpeng Liu

[madara-fate]

I think the only problem in ss, the actual real problem is the murder attempts only and the sakura dislike plays the bigger role imo.

i mean look at eren and mikasa. I am pretty sure there wasw not an explicitly romantic moment amongst them, as in like sakura and sasuke. There were mikasa's feelings highlighted and i guess the other gave them a beginning of her emerging feelings, but i dont remember a moment until the end which highlighted feelings from eren side.

but the way the anime community eats this couple up, i do too i love them obv.

Yeah pre Gaiden, the murder attempts were the only thing that I thought were a little too extreme. However, when taking the context of the Naruto universe as a whole into consideration, it makes more sense. The Naruto universe proved itself on multiple occasions to be an unrealistically forgiving place.

Hinata forgiving Neji for trying to kill her during the Chuunin Exams.

Sasuke trying to kill Naruto multiple times, and those two still being the best of friends.

Gaara being elected as the Kazekage after being feared in that very village as a killing machine who killed many innocents.

Naruto describing Obito as "cool" despite the latter causing by far the most shit in the entire series, and who was personally responsible for his own parents' deaths.

Kabuto becoming head of the Konoha orphanage despite his leading role as part of the opposition during the 4th Shinobi War.

Orochimaru having an amicable relationship with Konoha despite everything that he had done during the main series.

When taking all of those things into account, Sasuke and Sakura's relationship surviving those murder attempts and becoming romantically involved several years later, is no longer so far fetched.