#not a normally progressing child no one in konoha knows what that is

[indigosabyss]

Saionji Ukyo reborn into Naruto would be like. A prodigy. But at being an average foot soldier. From single digits of age he will show incredible promise at being a standard chunin and nothing more. As if he were born to do mindless drone things like boundary patrol and courier duty. From the minute he puts on that headband it's like he's done it for a decade with no signs of stopping.

[ovyy-pvcure]

Ok well nobody asked but I'm bored so wild transmigration Naruro au borne of madness go.

So first things first Kishimoto made one gigantic mistake and that was making and naming a bit character that's easy to do the whole 'dead modern human pops into the body of a canon character' thing.

^ That's Tobio who shows up exactly once in the entire series at the start to accidentally knock Naruto off balance and kick off literal decades of shipping. This convinent oc stand in blank canvas is the turning point of the au that means when he accidentally dies as a result of that one off-canon event the universe* steps in and sticks a random schmuck in place to keep things basically on plan. There's, like, prophesies to fullfill (and cosmic schemes going on). Which is why and how a late age teenager finds themselves stuck in a 12 year old's body ("it matches your emotional age") after an unfortuante accident with nothing but the basi s of chakra and history downloaded to their brain and no psrsonal memories of the new body to call on. Oh, and a cheery "good luck" before getting dropped into basicially the start of the plot just before team allocation. Where, as the top student in the "espionage and subterfuge" class he's assigned as the final member of team 7.

To give the basic skeleton of what's taken shape in my head already the first arc would follow tobio as he tries to wrangle the cats known to the public as Sasuke and Naruto without actually letting anyone know he has literally no memory of anything that's happened to him before a couple months ago. Oh and surviving the grueling change of lifestyle inherent in becoming a Child Soldier. He's doing Great this arc. Not stressed At All as he tries to juggle managing his teammates' egos with getting stronger because he has none allies or parents or connections to fall back on if he stumbles.

Well he thinks so anyway he's Kakshi's favorite adorable little student because he's the one who keeps pulling NaruSasu apart and making them actually, you know, cooperate. Naruto likes him because tobio treats him like a person and Sasuke at least appreciates that he doesn't have a fangirl in his squad and he's even focused on getting better so no deadweight. Also Mizuki's hovering around asking how he's progressing and if he feels ready which is odd since wasn't Mizuki beaten to an inch of life for all that treason he was up to? Well, not tobio's problem.

If you're curious how tobio died so is he! He can't remember; he was just told in the void of space time that he had an accident, died and now he's getting shipped off to 12 year old boot camp. What he does know is his own sarcastic rebellious wit has nothing on the universe's* considering it called him a quote "sarcastic bitch" as it did the whole transmigiration thing.

Blah blah blah team building, lunch at ichiraku's using future knowledge to climb trees early the usual oc stuff up until Wave. Things even go kind of normal up until the city is reached where kakshi's chakra lesson gets more than a little derailed by tobio already knowing how to do the whole shebang. Instead of being sent off to guard the bridge he suggests Naruto do so with clones since he's been thinking of a way to make use of his specialized training and making this mission truly worth Konoha's time.

A reoccurring element of the first arc is that the people around him not really knowing the OG Tobio that well is a boon his training in espionage is also guiding tobio to keeping his own secrets under wraps. tobio wants to infiltrate Gato's orginization and siphon money directly into The Leaf's coffers as recompense for making it impossible for the village to get properly paid from the outset. Besides Zabuza's gonna kill Gato so it's fine. Kakshi is against it but can't deny the logic and concedes but insists tobio's top priority is his contiuned survival.

Due to all the miscellaneous ne'er do wells romping about it's easy for a trained Ninja to slip in and start liberating ryo for Konoha (and maybe some for Wave while he's at it). Things contiune apace until The Bridge Showdown where in the confusion tobio once again slips into the waiting horde of Goons. Right next to Gato. Kyubi chakra comes with a weird feeling alongside the terrifying bloodlust from Naruto himself and tobio seizes the opportunity to take out Gato himself before the order to fire on Zabuza can be given.

In the temporary silence we have a dying Haku, a dead Gato and a disguised tobio skipping out of the goon squad cheerfully announcing Gato's plan to shoot everyone left on the bridge dead before his interference and daring anyone to contradict him. They can't mostly because the small child with blood dripping off their knives has scared them silent, and instead of fighting they flee with a furious Zabuza in pursuit. Haku doesn't survive but Z does to contiune his bloodly plans for revolution but now without his restraining bolt. This will cause problems for our heroes later. But for now Wave is a success and only one of the children has killed anyone in cold blood. Only Kakashi is worried about this. Oh and all the builders who are now wary around the killer kid who mocked and psychologically attacked his victims first. Victory all around!

Kakashi can not get the privacy needed to properly talk to his genin about the thing he did until they're back in Konoha where he overhears Mizuki grilling his student for details on the mission and dropping info he really shouldn't be re: the kyubi, and implying Tobio was meant to somehow harm Naruto. Which is the conversation that tips tobio off to the divigerence which is that oops Tobio was doing himself a Treason. Thankfully tobio is a fully trained fluent liar who reports to Mizuki that he never had a chance to harm Naruto and that, no, there was no hint of the Kyubi both of which are lies the eavesdropping Kakashi catches but isn't sure what to make of. tobio himself is basicially flying by the seat of his pants as he describes Sasuke's growth and personality even as he internally starts to panic as he realizes just how epically Screwed he is since he also doesn't know Kakashi is there, and now Mizuki and Tobio's treason is his problem. Crap.

A sweep of his apartment has tobio finding a journal of his days in the academy where one day Tobio reports Mizuki pulling him aside and pointing out he'll be lucky go get a proper jonin teacher and get out of the genin corps if he continues on the normal path but Mizuki has a solution since he feels so bad for another orphan of the Kyubei attack. His new plan is to join the E&S course the so called "kunoichi class" and with Mizuki's help-all helpfully noted down by Tobio and utterly obviously manipulative to tobio-he can ace that and get put on a star team with a good future. With Sasuke he means so someone can keep an eye on the Uchiha for Orochimaru. The journal also veers off into a hateful anti-Konoha rant at the revealation of Tobio's parents killer's continued existence and favortism from the Third via Naruto. However misguided a start by the time of graduation testing Tobio had been perfectly groomed into Mizuki's personal spy who had a sneering relief that he could leave Konoha and a dead Naruto behind after they secured the scroll for their actual master.

Well, to be forewarned is to be forearmed as they say, and no one else in the village has as much foreknowledge as tobio who thinks it's high time he got serious and picked put a proper name for himself: Otogiri Tobio sounds perfect.

Otogiri doesn't know Kakashi knows even half of this but luckily neither does anyone else yet. While the poor scarecrow man tries to figure out just what is happening without directly confronting a possible traitor in his own squad even as political pressure mounts to prove one of Konoha's founding clans has a strong future by putting Sasuke (and his squad they guess. Whatever.) into the chuunin exam. With an effective A rank under their belt and Otogiri's proliferation of funds Kakashi would need a pretty sound reason not to bend to the council's "suggestion" and he doesn't want to leave the boys alone with a possible traitor but he also doesn't want T&E descending on his student for maybe nothing. So in they go causing the domino effect that ends with the K9 (sans sakura plus Otogiri) all enrolled in the annual deathmatch.

Ignorant of all this back door politicking going on Otogiri's already gearing up for the Invasion. Chuunin exams? Sure he's signed up the squad's in. Whatever. He's got bigger problems including Mizuki dropping in and telling him to meet up and assist the incoming Sound kids. No one notices the dog watching this play out not that Mizuki's sloppy enough to say anything outright but Otogiri catches the subtext, but also sees a chance to start turning the tables on that creep. After all Orochimaru already wants Sasuke, and Naruto's becoming pretty strong himself maybe they should pull everyone in?

So on the prophesied day squad 7 is coincidentally in place to welcome and show around the teens from the newly founded village of Sound. Otogiri is a little concered but the thing about Naruto is that yes he's loud and arrogant and annoying and has to be physically wrestled into bathing regularly but he's charismatic enough for all that to be liked anyway. And Zaku? Is loud and arrogant and definitely had to be wrestled into a bath at least 5 times so he likes the kid, and their friendly little mole's hinting that he's not been treated great by the Leaf so why not get along and lead the kid astray? Could be fun.

Kin has a headache. She's met louder blonde Zaku and she wants to Die about it. She and Sasuke bond over it as they have to quiet the duo down.

Dosu is amused by Kin's discomfort and Zaku's weirdly instant attachment, but as long as they serve their duty he's fine with it. They're the best the Sound has to offer that could pass as genin. The mole worries him a little, he's a little too quick witted and sharp to feel like he's really their ally and he never says anything to give him a hint of where he lies beyond the veiled code phrase he introduced himself with to mark him as the Tobio they were supposed to meet. The blonde's infectious energy and loudness doesn't leave him exposing weaknesses in the village, and The Uchia clearly looks down on their little village. Well he'd change his mind about that once the rest of his squad turned on him or Dosu would have the personal pleasure of wiping the smug off his face.

Otogiri is not having a great time he has a little over a month to get Dosu to trust him so he can derail Orochimaru's chess style pawn sacrifice strategy for his own shogi inspired pawn theft strategy. Some people might claim using alternate universe future knowledge is cheating. Otogiri would claim that he's trying to outwit someone who even with his ages combined has 20 years minimum on him so really he needs every advantage he can get. Especially because Dosu is so damn distrusting that getting an in to try and make the older boy waver on his desire to gain glory is harder than making Sasunaru work together back in the first arc.

Blah blah blah chuunin exam stuff test speech forest of death. Where Otogiri realizes there was a fight with Rock Lee but no declaration of lust from him without Sakura. And he has no connection to Ino beyond her sort of hating him for stealing what she thinks should be her place. No it doesn't matter Sakura outranked her, Otogiri's on the wrong end of Ino's many grudges and eventually despite his best efforts he winds up with an unconscious chakra dampened Naruto and a freshly Cursed Sasuke. No allies forthcoming and probably 3 teens expecting an easy kill on their way. To be killed to make Sauske stronger.

Otogiri must once again consider that actually The Universe* is just screwing with him. With a bit of deception, luck, and just plain knowing more than he should Otogiri convinces the trio when they show up they're not really meant to try and kill Sasuke it's all a test of how wisely they can act on a mission. He bluffs that Mizuki told him what The Master could do and how he marked Sasuke betting on Dosu at least managing to link Curse Seals and their Effects on the mark on Sasuke.

Sound trio on side Naruto and then Sasuke wake up groggy and foggy as hell but hey safe! With their new cool allies! Naruto's devious nature surfaces and he makes a plan to net both teams all the scrolls they'll need with his prankster past . While he has the time Otogiri pulls Zaku aside and warns him to watch his tubing around the Aburame since their bugs follow and eat chakra which is a huge vulnerability for specifically him. Sorry Shino it just ain't your time-line.

Successful plan put into motion everyone moves onto The Tournament where things play out basicially as they do with the exception of Shino getting outplayed by Otogiri's timely warning. Naruto does a little better and wins less with a stroke of luck and more by being just enough better at chakra control the seal doesn't completely stop him. And of course Ino tries to vent when she gets paired up with her new Fated Rival (that random boy who was better in class than her and hasn't given her a second thought all story) but Otogiri is tired stressed and over it so he forces a grapple pins her hand with a kunai and presses his advantage until he knocks her out because Ino is Not A Quitter. By any sane metric Ino does fine but Otogiri's got his sights aimed way higher and has been training accordingly. Sorry, Ino just ain't your timeline either.

Seconds into the fight he gets even more stressed out as he realizes all at once the various things even a brief jaunt into his soul/mind would reveal. Making him fight way more aggressivly and mercilessly which the other K9 minus s7 don't like. Zaku and Kin do but boo on them.

Easy part over Otogiri has to rededicate himself to several things all at once: untangling the invasion's plans without drawing too much attention to himself. Keeping the sound trio alive and out of Orochimaru's hands to keep him from going full Necromancer on the Third. Keeping Naruto and Sasuke safe from the wretched hands moving on them. Again not drawing aggro himself from Danzo and ROOT. Or Jiraya. Noted spymaster. Old teammate of his new archnemesis. Naruto's newest teacher. Whooo.

Meanwhile in the mountains Kakashi is training Sasuke because he got paired up against a serial killer jinjuriki. Which is one more gray hair on his head along with all the other stuff including Otogiri seeking him out in private and explaining the attack, the seals and who he suspects was the attacker. Which. Kakashi is smart, he now probably knows who Mizuki sold Konoha out to and how and why Otogiri would know who he is but he still has no idea what angle the kid is working. Or if approaching him about it is smart. Kids are hard and Kakashi has been avoiding this for years. Obito please come back and help him you were always basicially a kid you'd know what was going on.

Otogiri has come to the conclusion it's officially time to call Gondor for aid and seeing as there's maybe 3 people who could be discrete enough to trail the trio and play off if they got caught. One was on a mountain one is him and one is...capable of self replication. Welp time to put a hand over Naruto's gross mouth and explain the bullet points.

A pinned Naruto with two hands over his mouth later gives more context to the Mizuki mysteries; he confirms it was Mizuki who told him of the special pass requirement and that he never showed that night. Iruka found him and he remembers an odd smell but has no memory beyond a very verbal lashing. Neither boy knows how Mizuki got away with it, but Otogiri spells out the "truth" to Naruto about Mizuki's plans to steal the scroll and leave Naruto to rot for it. In return for the tiny lie Otogiri tells Naruto he knows about the Kyubei and has decided that Naruto's too kind and simple to be a demon fox so he's cool with him.

Before even a single sappy sentiment can be shared Otogiri launches into his suspicions about how valuable Orochimaru finds their new "friends'" lives and Naruto is all about protecting them (believe it!). Together with a little "totally unknowing" help from a certain Toad Sage they figure out Kabuto's ninja info cards have summoning seals on them and before Dosu can go and get himself killed the new duo gush about how excited they are to see Zaku and Dosu kick butt in the stadium which is enough to mollify Dosu's increasing need to go out and prove himself. Barely.

Zaku's feeling right offended they were given "information cards" as if they needed the help to kick a bunch of kids' asses in a straight fight. Otogiri could kiss that lanky moron because he just handed him the answer and he makes a big show of agreeing and saying they should prove it by getting rid of those useless cards and giving them to him and Naruto who could use the help. Dosu's suspicion gauge raises another tick but the trio do and those cards find themselves in Jiraya's hands lightning quick.

Surprise surprise the cards have summoning sutras on them to send the holders to a preset location. Jiraya with the subtly of a trained deceiver who's lead a spy ring for decades pries a lot of information from Otogiri very skillfully and concludes what Otogiri already knew regarding the intentions of summoning cards the holders didn't know about. So, the sound trio receive a friendly visit from a friendly toad man who gleefully shows them the trap on the cards and notes whoever gave them these might not be as trustworthy as they thought. The trio say nothing, cutting contact with OtoNaru.

Come the tournament a lot of the usual beats play out; late Sauske, Naruto's still heated about Nehi being the ultimate Heel wrestler, Shikamaru proves he can make wise tactical decisions and before the oragnizers have to awkwardly side step there's one too many contestants Sauske dramatic entrances in and the fight begins. A fight Naruto Otogiri and Shikamaru miss because Dosu and company have given it some thought and are going to just full Bail but they know what's about to start and at least want the duo (and shikamaru they guess) to be awake and away when the fighting starts.

Naruto Talks at them and tries to fire them up agaisnt ol copperhead as everything Pops Off including a pall of mist that descends over the arena. Zabuza's found a fellow revolutionary it seems. Sasuke takes off after Gaara with Naruto hot on his heels with a shove from Otogiri seeing as their the "same".

Otogiri rounds on the trio and decides to use his own version of Talk pointing out that they owe one person one thing and that's revenge on Orochimaru. He tried to sacrifice them multiple times hasn't been in contact with them, and was gonna do who knows what with their bodies without consent. They can flee in the middle if they want but don't they want to pop him in the metaphorical face first? Zaku does. Kin does. Dosu doesn't anymore but his almost-friends (all 4 of them) aren't budging so he figures he might as well prove how non disposable they are by messing up snakey's plans.

Shikamaru is thoroughly disgruntled because Naruto dragged him along to the Gaara mess which is going basicially like canon. Shino's even here his bugs having devoured the genjutsu and wanting to back up his non insane classmate. An exhausted Shikamaru can barely hold back a desperate Temari until the timely ringing of bells saves him. Kin's strings may not have much shadow but they are a direct path to a disoriented Temari who has to watch her little brother actually struggle and bleed before she gets introduced to a tree the same way Kin was to a wall. Naruto summons a giant frog.

Meanwhile Kakashi is meeting back up with Zabuza, his ninken already have the swordsmaster's scent and this time they do need to settle the score. Zabuza's both mad at Kakashi for reasons he knows aren't sound and persuing his goal since Orochimaru will eventually tear down Wave and he says will leave it to Zabuza while he goes after the rest. He has to make Haku's sacrifice count so Leaf has to die on the vine just in case this time the promise is real. No points for guessing who wins in this confusing melee. Final tally: 3-0 kakashi:zabuza it was close though.

Meanwhile again Mizuki's poised to take some sweet justice against Iruka for, frankly, being a better instructor ninja and person than him wheb Otogiri shows up playing it like he wants the honor. No dice, Mizuki's wanted this for awhile and the kid's nowhere close enough to be subtle and he just has to drop the genjutsu on Mizuki to make him miss and engage his manipulator in a direct confrontation to end this whole twisted mess. Good thing Mizuki doesn't have that filler arc power up because Otogiri's fighting an uphill battle on this one.

But first Hayate Gekko's girlfriend the ANBU member Cat is engaging his canonical killer Baki the sand jonin her swordsmanship sharp enough to leave Baki's attempts to entangle her blade useless. And him open to said jonin's surprise strike taking out the sandman. Oh how the turntables. Is what someone who knows the alternate timeline would say since that confrontation didn't happen in this one since Dosu wasn't trailed and Hayate killed for Knowing Too Much.

Speaking of Dosu he and Zaku have run into Kabuto who's cover is very blown because Konoha's Spymaster got a peek at his Trap Cards and no one is happy with anyone here. Dosu and Zaku aren't exactly jonin level even combined but in a chaotic melee large windbursts and balance altering soundwaves make up for a lot when your speciality is up close precision scapel attacks. Kabuto would win ordinarily but he's a wanted man and there's an angry snake lady willing to take out her misplaced sense of displacement on a willing medical collabteour. Kabuto gets away in the end but Anko takes one look at the trio once everyone's round up in the end and asks "is anyone gonna claim these kids?" And not wait for an answer.

Back to Otogiri who lacks the element of surprise of numbers to overwhelm Mizuki and is going pretty even but for all the cheap kill shots he has to prevent from taking out a defenseless wounded Iruka who himself got taken down protecting the academy kids not named nepotism. Mizuki isn't his usual sneering jackass self here because he's pissed that the kid he'd been grooming slipped out of his control and had taken to playing him for a fool. Otogiri bullshits back that after seeing how Orochimaru treated his soldiers he made the choice to back out before he was sacrificed for a madman's goals stubbronly ignorning the Danzo in the room for now.

Injured, humiliated and generally unpleasant Mizuki lunges for Otogiri and gets his hands around the boy's throat. Any plan of escape is cut off by a torrent of rage and red as Otogiri loses it after all of Mizuki's crap and he simply rips the man's hands off him and before the former instructor can process the impossible thing he just witnessed he's driven into the side of the academy and has a kunai driven through his neck. Good thing Iruka passed out from his wounds and no impressionable children saw that. Oh hi Konohamaru don't wanna come out of hiding in that closet and say hi to Naruto nii chan's friend? No? Suit yourself he's gotta hurry Iruka to a healer anyway no time to stop and ask questions like "how" or "what the fuck?"

The final results of the invasion are far from pretty. Konoha's numbers are still pretty cut down as are Sand's who are still totally playing that "Orochimaru killed our kage and was giving orders so us invading you is totes not our fault" card they did in canon. It's accepted for the same reason as in canon: the sharks are already circling with blood in the water no need to churn the tide when a perfectly good excuse is offered up.

Third watch: without two other kages backing him in a restricted space and not enough time to restructure the plan to get Mandra in on the action sun wukong and The Professor taught a hard lesson in getting absolutely whomped. Orochimaru got away alive sans a working leg, but old man bodies aren't really still made for pitched life or death combat and his body's heavily protesting the return to combat. The can can be kicked a little further down the road safely but they need a qualified non Danzo candidate and soon.

Sound Trio: the corps aren't totally happy about it but they need manpower and they've got friends on the inside and a grudge against orochimaru so...probation working with Anko. She already adopted them they can't say no. And by adopted i do mean carted them away in a net to get lodgings and food. And a good medic to look at Zaku's arms.

Otogiri: in so much trouble you have no idea. His various schemes finally came out around someone without the good sense to lie about it so T&I would like a word with him. And Kakashi? Who is now claiming before anyone can even threaten pain or a jaunt through his head that they were in already working against the threat to Konoha since Wave. Kakashi?

His claim is the money stolen from Gato to insulate Wave and brought back to Konoha was in preparation for the coming storm. Obviously deep internal agents like Mizuki and Kabuto left Kakashi little choice but to keep Otogiri in deep cover to root out the problem without drawing suspicion by having contact with known figures like The Third. Kakashi had total control of the situation the whole time. Honest.

Otogiri's just kind of nodding along because he is just getting windmall slammed by haymaker after haymaker in a pretty short window of time. Ibuki is Not Buying This but the kid's actions prove his loyalty at the end of the day and if Hatake wants to take the lumps for his kid? Well, more power to him. Ibuki reminds Kakashi there are 'proper verified channels' for internal operations and he should remember to use them in the future. He expects a full concise report regarding everything from both of them and sends the teacher-student pair off with a glare.

This is where all that Kakashi stuff from earlier gets revealed to the audience as he goes over how and when he caught Otogiri mid treason and how close an eye he's actually been keeping on the boy. It is as terrifying as Kakashi's tone is light. Otogiri's just so incredibly thankful he declares his undying loyalty to his sensei for looking out for him and following his own principals so closely. Yes, Otogiri is crying at this point why do you ask?

This is the peaceful denouement of part 1 as Otogiri goes around catching up with who he can he is left to ponder why he has Kyubei chakra. How did Tobio even die anyway? And why is Jiraya here inviting him on a trip with Naruto? Does he wanna be a spymaster? Wasn't fixing Tobio's mistake the end of the story why is there more? Help!

Miscellaneous character notes on Otogiri:

-> is fairly meta and aware of transmigration novels and some of their rules. Is wrong about as often as he is right

-> has a fairly solid grasp on the character's motives but can't predict moments of wild humanity

-> has a hard time grasping his own mortality despite or rather because he has already died once. Will blank out at the idea of dying as bad as if not worse than Sakura when intent is aimed at him. Refuses to dwell on his first death or Tobio's

-> sarcastic and frequently argumentative. He likes to pick fights when he's feeling safe with someone.

-> was a bit of an edgelord in life and has a twisted sense of morality. His interference doesn't cost Shino his life but it could have and he ignores that for his own goals.

-> early on is mildly obssessed with finding the divervent point of import thinking if he can solve The Problem he'll fade into an epilogue or something. Is in Denial.

-> connecting events in his present with his past unlocks memories of both Tobio's life and his own. Facing his own death is the only way for him to Understand.

[avversiera-writes]

try again; in every day we breathe life [tobirama senju/you] - chapter 2

Chapter 2, part 1 - Then

Summary: You and Tobirama discuss children. Some smut.

Words: 2.2k

A/N: important baby-making smut. some jealous kunoichis.

available on AO3.

< Chapter 1 | 

“The kids are going to stop by tomorrow for dinner,” Tobirama states in passing as he sips his morning tea. 

 You raise an eyebrow. “The kids? You still call them that?” You ask teasingly. 

 Tobirama glances at you, and he stares at you in that placid way of his. “They’re still kids to me.”

 You let out a little laugh, and this piques his interest. You forget how doting of a teacher Tobirama is, when he is not training his students to the death. He looks after them well like his own, and when his students are complimented, he takes pride in their progress. He is almost... fatherly . Sometimes you forget that. 

“What?” Tobirama inquires, setting down his cup of tea. 

 You shake your head. “Just had this passing thought of how you would be like as a father, I mean, you did kind of raised those kids .” 

 The tips of Tobirama’s ears flush red, and his fingers search for something to hold on to. “Well, I did.” 

 Tobirama clears his throat, clearly embarrassed and he shuffles the papers in front of him and attends to his breakfast. He says nothing else after that, not really needing to elaborate. You let him be, and just focused on getting something into your stomach. Tobirama has been busy more than normal these days, and this is something that you know you cannot help him with since it requires a lot of travelling on his own part and meetings with other people outside of Konoha. Tensions are brewing across the lands, but from what you know from your husband, it seems like there is a chance for an alliance with Kumogakure. 

The sun is still barely visible in the morning sky, but the two of you had risen early since you planned to visit your students’ graves. Tobirama had offered his company, and you acquiesced because it is another moment to spend with him. 

“Is there something you want to tell me?” Tobirama suddenly asks as the two of you walk back to your bedroom. 

 You glance at your husband and note how hushed his demeanor is. It is like he is trying not to tread on dangerous ground. “No? What are you talking about?”

 Tobirama clears his throat again and shakes his head. 

You think about how he was acting during breakfast and you smile secretly. “Do you want children?” 

 Tobirama stares at you almost dumbfoundedly, and it makes you want to laugh. 

 “I never thought about it,” Tobirama says quickly and more forcibly than necessary, and he opens the door to your bedroom and leaves you alone in the hallway with a puzzled mind. 

You sigh and follow him in, and watch him as he changes his clothes. You fold your arms and press your lips together, thinking of how to talk about this topic of children. 

 “I want to build a family with you,” you finally admit quietly. You look down on the floor, not wanting to see how he will react. "I know the timing is not... convenient , but I just want to put it out there."

At first, you are met with silence. Then you hear shuffling of clothes, and Tobirama is in front of you. You see his hands twitch, hesitating, but finally, he places them on your shoulders and he catches your gaze. 

“I never thought about it,” Tobirama repeats, more firmly. “But this is also up to you.”

 You expected Tobirama to react more adversely, but when you look at his face, you feel his sincerity. He really has not thought about it, and this is him, reassuring you in his confusing way that he wants to discuss it with you, to make sure that the two of you are on the same page. 

 You smile at him, and Tobirama’s hands squeezes your shoulder. 

 “Okay,” you tell him, and Tobirama nods. You note in his eyes that there is a bit of excitement and worry in there, but when he turns to continue dressing, he plays them back down. 

//

It is still early in the morning, but this time there are birds chirping loudly overhead, and the sun, while bright and blinding, shines a warmth so soft it feels like an embrace. You and Tobirama offer up flowers and food on your students’ graves, and then you spend a long moment in silence. Tobirama’s shoulder is pressing against yours to offer you comfort, and you gingerly lace your fingers with his. 

 He doesn’t pull away. 

The two of you stay like that, until Tobirama squeezes your hand and promptly pulls away when you both sensed a presence approaching. The two of you step to the side to make way for the person, who turns out to be one of the parents of your late students. You watch the mother lay down her flowers for her child, and your heart squeezes in pain. You couldn’t imagine how devastated she is if you are also grieving. In her case, that part does not end.  

 The mother, Miura Kimiko, also happens to work for your household. She is the one who asked you to give her daughter another chance of becoming a shinobi when you had deemed her unfit for the battlefield. You should have stayed strong in your stance no matter what. At least, she would have her child. 

After Kimiko finishes her usual rites on her child’s grave, she turns and bows to you and your husband. 

 “Kimiko-san,” you greet. Beside you, Tobirama nods, a hand behind his back. 

 “Lord Nidaime,” she addresses. “My lady.” 

You search for words of comfort to offer her, but none comes to you. No words of apology will heal the wound in her heart. 

 Tobirama steps away after spotting a hawk in the sky, and turns to you. “I must take my leave. I will see you later.” 

 You give him a strained smile and nod. 

 Tobirama turns to Kimiko. “I will leave my wife to your care.” 

With that, Tobirama walks away, leaving you to converse with Kimiko. 

 Kimiko gestures forward, and you start walking. She falls into step behind you, but the air still feels like it needs to be filled with words. 

“I-” You start, trying to find the courage to utter one of the two most difficult words to say. 

 “My lady, I must thank you for continuing to visit my daughter’s grave,” Kimiko beats you to it. “Mieko has always looked up to you.”

 “I am sorry, Kimiko-san,” you say, but it does not lift the weight in your heart. 

Kimiko shakes her head solemnly. “Such is a life for a shinobi.” 

You nod. Nothing else needs to be said. You both understand what is at stake when you are out there on a mission. 

The two of you walk in silence, and you head for the general direction of the food markets. Shops start to open, and people and children start to mill around to get to their own destinations. You watch little children flock together and make their way to the Academy and you smile at their exuberance. 

 Those who recognize you stop to greet and bow to you, and you offer them the warmth of a friend. No matter how many times you are treated this formally, you can never really get used to it. 

 “My lady, forgive me if I am prying, but I overheard you and Lord Nidaime talking about children earlier and I was wondering...if you two are trying for a child right now,” Kimiko says. 

 You blush a little, and flash her a nervous smile. “It is nothing definite, Kimiko-san. It was just mentioned in passing.” 

 Kimiko shrugs. “If you ever need any help with fertility, or even through the duration of your pregnancy, I know a thing or two about it. My family has worked with herbs and the like, to ascertain healthy pregnancies.” 

You blink at her kindness. “I may have to take you up on that later.”

 Kimiko nods and you point towards the market so that the two of you can head towards there. You make sure to walk beside her, because for some reason, it is custom for servants to walk a few steps behind the people they serve. It is lucky that Kimiko does not look away when addressing you, because that will make you feel even worse. You already feel responsible for her child’s death. The least you can do is offer compassion. You can be a friend to those who need it.

//

You and Tobirama walk around the streets of Konoha. After he had finished most of his work in the Hokage office, you drag him outside to get some fresh air, since the dust that had gathered in the office keeps making him sneeze and his eyes itch. People in high spirits wander the streets, and children that just got off the Academy run around to play. Shinobis alike are also enjoying their downtime, or are taking their time to do their menial missions within the village. 

 Every now and then, you glance at your husband, finding his face and his posture relaxed, something he only does when you’re around. Your hands brush against each other, but neither of you take the initiative and instead, settle for the occasional shoulder bumps. These kinds of moments remind you of the time when you two were just starting out to work out your differences in your budding relationship. 

 In a way, Tobirama has never changed, but is also changing by the times he shows you his most private thoughts and feelings. There is still a lot to work out with him, but the certainty of working through every hurdle in life with him by your side is enough. 

Your silence is interrupted when a group of kunoichis carrying their young approach the Hokage. You look on, preemptively amused as the women practically throw their babies to the Hokage with no warning. Tobirama meets your eyes, his shock apparent and begging for help. 

 This is not new to him, since he and his brother get handed babies a lot so that they can bless their children and wish them strength as growing shinobi. 

You stand to the side and apart from the crowd, hiding your smile as Tobirama holds one baby after another. It is not like he does not know how to hold them, since he has held his nephews many times and has let them climb over him and used his arms to hang from, but all the attention and the cooing is making him uneasy. He is about a few seconds ready to take off. 

“When will you have your own child, Lord Nidaime?” One of them asks. 

 Tobirama’s eyes widen for a fraction, then stoically, he answers, “That will be up to my wife.”

 All eyes turn to you and you freeze like a criminal caught in the act. They look at you with demanding eyes, as if you are withholding child-bearing from their precious Hokage. 

“When it happens, it happens,” you reply awkwardly. You catch a few disapproving looks here and there. The judgement in their eyes reminds you how many women are vying to be with your husband, and how qualified he was as a bachelor to be allied with other clans. Now, he’s stuck with you.

 “You’re not getting any younger, my lady,” another says with a bit of a scorn. “You should at least have three kids running around already.”

 “It’s a shame Lord Hokage’s genes won’t be passed down.” 

 Your face colors in shame–you feel like you are being blamed. Tobirama scowls visibly, not caring if the others see it. Your husband takes it upon himself to step towards you and to shield you from more questions. 

“Forgive us, but we have to be somewhere else,” Tobirama interrupts curtly and he takes you by the elbow. 

Once the two of you are away, Tobirama lets go of your elbow and is looking at everywhere else, except you. 

 You glance at him, and you sense that he is embarrassed. 

“What?” He almost snaps. 

 “They probably think that I’m barren or something.” You reply, just as embarrassed. “Or unfit to be your wife.”

 Tobirama’s face morphs into something a bit stormier. “I did not marry you just for child-rearing. Do not think like that.” 

 You shrug. “It feels like that sometimes.” 

Tobirama pauses and he turns to face you. “Why?” He demands. 

 You crack a smile at his scowl. Does he have any other better expression? 

 Tobirama scans your face. As much as you are good at reading him, he is also almost as good at catching your jokes. “Stop making fun of me,” he snaps. 

 “I will if you hold my hand,” you reply cheekily. 

Tobirama looks around, checking if there are people spectating. He also goes the extra mile by using his sensory skills to check for nearby people who might spring up on them. He finds none. 

“You always do this,” Tobirama chides. He grabs your hand without warning, and pulls you even closer so that your entwined hands aren’t completely visible. “Happy?” 

part 2 of this chapter >

[sandnin19]

Gaara Week 2021- Day 2: Fight

“Then just say to me, say to me, say to me

There goes a fighter, there goes a fighter

Here comes a fighter

That's what they'll say to me, say to me

Say to me, this one's a fighter”

- The Fighter, Gym Class Heroes feat. Ryan Tedder

The sun was setting over Suna. The village that once feared him. The village that once hated him. The village that once forgave him, and kept forgiving him by allowing him to serve them. No longer as a normal shinobi, but as their Kazekage. 

The ceremony was now over, and had been for hours. People took to the streets in celebration. They had a leader again. And not just any leader, but one who would fight for them at any costs. 

It was not something he was unfamiliar to, he had spent his whole life fighting. The only thing that kept changing was who he was fighting. 

At such a young age he had to start to fight. Fight for acceptance, tolerance. Fight those who pushed him down and told him what he was.

A monster.

But then, the unthinkable happened. His enemy no longer consisted of those who reviled him openly. No, his own family joined his opponents then. At only six-years old, his enemies became his father and his uncle. 

After that, anyone who questioned his existence was added to his enemies list. He fought to remind them he was alive despite their best efforts to get rid of him. He fought to remind himself he was alive despite the hollow feeling of nothingness within him.

He thought he had encountered every type of enemy; strong and weak, young and old, stranger and family. Yet, there was one enemy he never imagined meeting; the unbelievably stubborn. This shinobi from Konoha, this weak child was so insanely stubborn. He was fighting against the infamous Sabaku no Gaara, the demon of Suna who sent shivers down the spines of grown men. He should have ran for his life. 

The fact he didn’t intrigued Gaara. It made him want to play with him a bit before he buried him in his sand, crushing each and every bone with such intense power. He took his time playing with this child that didn’t know what was good for him. He threatened his teammates, slowly crushing one until his enemy would admit defeat.

Uzumaki Naruto was not a typical genin who could be scared away with some threats. No, he was a fighter too. Only his enemies were different from Gaara’s, his consisted of anyone who was a threat to his village and his friends. It was this unwavering love that made him a fighter. 

It’s what inspired Gaara to change the face of his enemies. For a while, it was Shukaku. The demon within him was a threat to his village. He fought hard to control him while simultaneously fighting the perception others had for him. He fought by giving back to his village. He took on more missions without his siblings, he became an instructor at the Academy, and he put his life on the line for his village, something he never would have done before he met Naruto. 

Some might say teasingly, his siblings more likely, that he was obsessed with Naruto. He always talked about him, basically idolized him. But why wouldn’t he? This was the first person he had met that made him want to be a fighter for his people, not just for himself.  

And it wasn’t easy. People were constantly making him think he made no progress. He thought he had done well by the time he started teaching at the Academy, but parents were still infuriated by his presence so close to their children. Children were still skeptical of approaching him. 

Every time he felt like he was back at square one, he would think of Naruto. He would think of how he kept fighting for people to acknowledge and respect him like the human being he was. He thought about how it had worked. This was the kind of motivation he needed in order to push through the rough patches he encountered. 

When he thought of Naruto, he thought he was a true fighter. He wanted the same to be said about him. He wanted people in his village to see a fighter, their fighter. 

Finally, he was able to see the fruits of his labor. He saw the crowds gathering below him as he was named Kazekage, their fighter. He saw them partying in the streets, celebrating their fighter. Currently, he is still on the balcony of the Kazekage building, watching over his village as they continue to revel in the fact their new leader, their fighter is here to stay and fight for them.

He smiled as he thought, Yes, I will always fight for you.

[ghoste-catte]

okay so I've been a big fan of your work for like almsot three years now and you kinda inspired me to want to start my own gaara fanfic. I am absolutley in love with your characterisation of him (especially in sleep talk with me) and wondered if you maybe could give me some tips? because my story would also take place in the sweet inbetween after the chunin exams and before he becomes kazekage. (and to write him in this time frame is so so hard. damn you barely excitent canon content.)

OMG anon?? That’s such a nice thing to say!! I’m so thrilled that you’re inspired to write your own stuff! I hope you’ll drop me a link to it when it’s finished!! I’m sure it’ll be amazing!! I love that time period for Gaara. 

To be honest, I don’t feel like I’m super qualified to give writing “advice” (I say, preparing to give advice), because I’m really just an amateur doing this for fun. But that being said, there’s a couple things that I think are fun or interesting or compelling to explore with Gaara during that timeskip period between OG Naruto and Shippuden ... (Caveat here that these are just my opinions and there’s no one right way to explore this character, and that there’s plenty of interpretations that are worthwhile and fantastic and honestly better than mine!) 

So, the first and biggest thing I had to keep drilling into my own head as I was writing Sleeptalk was how staggeringly YOUNG all the characters are pre-Shippuden. Gaara is, like, twelve or thirteen at the chuunin exams and he becomes Kazekage around age fifteen. I don’t know if you remember being fifteen, but I was barely qualified to work my little part-time job at that age! Hell, I’m shocked they let me drive a car (with a learner’s permit, but still). So picturing someone making the decisions he did at that age, even in the context of the militaristic, child-soldier-normalizing context of Naruto is ... a lot. 

The biggest thing I think with Gaara--as an adult or as a teenager--is keeping in mind how strongly his trauma shaped him. What Gaara goes through between the end of the chuunin exams and his first appearance in Shippuden is basically an (unrealistically) accelerated trauma recovery. From age 6 to age 12, he basically has no personal connections, no affection, no mentorship or anything other than what appears to be basic “wrangling”. The Naruto wiki says that his dad is the one who trained him in ninjutsu, but it’s hard to picture him being particularly tractable after Yashamaru’s death, so I imagine those trainings were short-lived and probably fairly brutal. After all, it’s said Rasa’s magnet release was the only thing that could control Gaara if he let Shukaku take over. If anything, Rasa’s training methods are probably a lot closer to the Hyuugas’ than to, say, the Akimichi. So I think in addition to the onscreen traumas (the early loss of his mother, his overall rejection by Suna, the forcible termination of his relationship with his siblings, the assassination attempts, and of course Yashamaru’s betrayal), we probably also are looking at someone who was abused in addition to being neglected. Healing from trauma is a lot of work, and it has missteps and backslides in addition to forward progress, so there’s a lot of potential for development of his character there. Thinking about what his healing journey was like, what his setbacks might have been, and how he handled those. And what his major milestones were, too. What were his big signs of progress? His red letter days?

There’s actually a lot we don’t know about Gaara’s childhood between when Yashamaru died and the Konoha Crush, and there’s a lot of room to play in that space and explore possibilities. For example, who took care of his basic caregiving needs? Who made sure he had clothes and food? What did he eat? What were the major events of those six years? Did he ever try to reach out to Temari or Kankuro? To his dad? To Baki? What was the context of the additional assassination attempts? Did he play, and if so, what sort of games might he have played? We know, for example, that he has some artistic talent with the sand--was that something he ever explored? What did he do at night, since he couldn’t sleep? How was he kept awake, and by what or whom? There’s a lot of potential to explore additional, non-canon events that might have been formative. And how did any of that change after the chuunin exams, when he decided he wanted to be seen as more than a weapon? What sorts of things did he have to learn?

We know a very bare minimum about the Suna Council and the politics and culture of Suna, too, and I think there’s a lot of potential interest there. How would the Council have approached Gaara’s announcement of his intention to become Kage, when there were two older (and more emotionally stable) candidates from the same lineage? We know from the light novels that there is still backstabbing and subterfuge and that Gaara’s appointment is controversial even when he’s an adult, so I think there’s a lot of opportunity for political intrigue in the years between part 1 and Shippuden, if that’s your thing. 

One of the biggest and most important things that I think was sorely neglected by canon was Gaara’s relationship with his siblings. There’s so much growth that needed to happen there, and Temari and Kankuro were probably still pretty scared of him at first! There’s so much potential for them to grow together as people and to form a new family unit, and exploring how they went from being wary of him (and potentially needing to be prepared to kill him if he got out of control) to a loving sibling relationship! There are a lot of firsts that could be explored there--when did he first acknowledge Kankuro as his older brother, for example? Who was the first to try to give him a hug, and did he (or the sand) allow it?

Finally, I do really want to emphasize the mental health component of Gaara’s journey. Canon leans really heavily on the fact that he has a literal demon sealed inside him and that he’s protected by his mother’s spirit through magic sand, but a lot of his reactions and ways of handling things are really just that of a traumatized child, with or without the additional magic component. If you took a kid Gaara’s age and put them through traumatic events on the scale of what he went through--with or without magical ninja skills--you would likely see similar reactions. The only difference is that Gaara has access to fundamentally unlimited power. (And I think learning that, too--that he can’t just kill or hurt people to get what he wants--would be a huge part of his development and learning process.) So I personally don’t really care for interpretations of his development that lean too heavily on the ‘literal demon voices in his head’ and ‘actual conversing with ghosts/spirits’ interpretations, though they’re perfectly valid ones given what canon portrays. I much prefer an interpretation where a lot of Gaara’s symptoms--and they are symptoms!--are actually things that are going on with him emotionally and internally rather than being literal magic events that are happening. For example, I like to think his discomfort with the full moon has a lot more to do with negative emotions associated with the memory of Yashamaru’s betrayal than a literal issue with Shukaku thirsting for blood.  

Anyway, I’ve rambled on forever, but if you have other questions please feel free to pop back up! And I hope you’ll link me to your story when it’s done--I’d love to read it!!

[chakrafruitwrites]

14, 10, 5 for naruto + sasuke in state of us, please !! i love the story by the way and your updates make my tuesdays so happy :D

thank you!! for the questions and i'm so happy to hear you've been enjoying it. as a response to these questions, i wrote an essay heh.

5. What makes your main ship so compatible? Or, what makes them so incompatible? What do they see in each other?

the reason why i decided to explore this AU is very succinctly summed up by this comment i received: “Since Naruto and Sasuke have known each other since they were little children in canon, it’s interesting to see how their relationship unfolds, how the way they act around each other is shaped when they only know each other as (young) adults.”

in canon, naruto and sasuke’s bond is forged through yin and yang, sun and moon, destiny and all that jazz. i wanted to see how their bond and attraction to each other could develop and progress without resting on soulmate-type tropes and the idea of destiny. they are compatible because they were both strangers to the concept of ‘home’. sasuke has no past so no home and no memories, and oto is basically just a series of bases that train children into weapons. naruto worked hard to make friends and achieved his dream of being hokage, but that is not the same as finding home and returning to it day after day. together, they could finally do normal stuff that they’ve never experienced before. welcoming someone back home. coming home to someone. green tea in the living room on rainy days and playing an instrument for someone after dinner.

they both never understood home until they lived with each other, and then it all started making sense.

also wanted to add some thoughts on sai/sakura: it strikes me as a healthier, more realistic sasuke/sakura and i lowkey ship it (if anyone knows of any sai/sakura fics to rec, please give it to me!!). sai wouldn’t constantly reject sakura even though he doesn’t understand love - he'd just be hmm and take it as another puzzle to figure out, and she’d work towards breaking down his walls. i see them working well together in team 7 (sai’s emotionless self being able to handle and counter naruto’s impulsiveness and sakura’s hot-headedness until they all calm down), and this develops into a deeper connection between the two of them once sai gets in touch with his emotional side after growing up and out of root’s conditioning. i’ve always wanted to explore their dynamic and i couldn’t do it in-depth here, but it’s nice to skim the surface in this AU.

10. What’s the importance of sex to your character(s)? What’s its role in the relationship shared between your central character and their partner?

in the shinobi world, things are harsh. using the body as a weapon is just another day in the life as a ninja, especially for kunoichi. konoha is sheltered, but villages like kiri and oto aren’t so sex is just another weapon for sasuke. he’s used to the act as a means to an end, but it’s different in this mission because for the first time, he has an emotional connection attached to the physical act of it.

so sex here is extremely romantic and elevated to an ideal. sasuke could fool himself about his feelings for naruto but when they became one, it was all over. for naruto, it was his first time, which makes it extra special. for the both of them, it changes everything.

i wrote naruto a virgin to show that konoha’s shinobi are sheltered (highlighting the hypocrisy of the village -- they can manipulate a child into killing his own clan, but they stop at making their shinobi use their bodies as weapons), that his focus in life has been singular: become hokage and then, as hokage, to be the best hokage he can be. and also just because i wanted him to be a virgin lol.

14. How does your main character feel about being affectionate? How easily and readily can they say “I love you” when they’re ready?

sasuke doesn’t know what love is until he lives in konoha. this is why it was so terrifying to find out itachi’s truth -- that he had a brother who loved him enough to kill his entire clan and get rid of danzo at the cost of his own life. this is exactly why falling in love with naruto is so frightening.

for them, affection isn’t grand declarations: it’s sasuke touching naruto’s face and keeping his palm there, it’s naruto bringing home a new box of fresh fruit or vegetables and watching sachi’s face light up. but naruto would definitely be more comfortable saying ‘i love you’ to sasuke. for sasuke, love is a double-edged sword.

[myaekingheart]

108. Starstruck

read the scarecrow and the bell on ao3 index | from the beginning | < previous | next >

               Konoha was abuzz with excitement as genin teams hung banners and balloons throughout the village. Truthfully, Rei found it rather ironic that they were assigned such a task. After all, the celebrity they were welcoming was not exactly child-friendly.

               Apparently Konoha’s financial situation had dipped during this time of routine and calm. As such, Lady Tsunade had invented the wonderful idea that perhaps the village should pour more of their efforts into promoting tourism. Rei was not brave enough to note how dangerous this might be with the Akatsuki a quietly approaching threat. Before she could say anything, Shizune cringed and swiped her finger across her neck, a warning. Tsunade had clearly been stressed. Protesting her plans would likely only anger the beast.

               The best way to attract visitors to Konoha, it seemed, was to piggyback on the village’s merit of being the birthplace of the great sannin, Jiraiya. There was nothing noble or respectable about this idea, however. He was not to be revered by tourists for his innate abilities but rather for his dirty books. Icha Icha was a hit the world over and so there was truly no better way to sell Konoha than to bring that fact to the fore.

               Clearly, they could not use Jiraiya himself as the poster boy. Tsunade had written him a letter mapping out her idea, to which he replied emphatically but apologized for not being able to partake himself. He mentioned that Naruto was progressing wonderfully with his training and they could not afford to stop for anything, but that they hoped Konoha would welcome them both back in a year with open arms. Regarding the tourism plan, however, Jiraiya instead suggested one of the actors from the film adaptation. After all, they were on the cusp of shooting Icha Icha Violence so a press tour was only natural. Promote the film while also promoting the village. There was no way Tsunade could say no.

               The first person she contacted, of course, was Koyuki Kazahana. Known by her stage name Yukie Fujikaze, she was the stunning lead actress and therefore was certain to garner lots of positive attention. However, Koyuki was not just an actress but also the princess of the Land of Snow. When she wasn’t acting, she was pouring her heart into her country. Her assistant, Sandayu, returned their correspondence with an “I regret to inform you…” and that was the end of that.  

               The only other option, and the one that eventually stuck, was the leading man. Keihaku Goman was charming and appealing with a lithe figure and a sparkling smile. Young adult magazines paid special attention to “eyes like pools of water” and “hair like sunshine.” He was, for all intents and purposes, a heartthrob. When it was announced that he was visiting Konoha, all the women went insane. Hair salons saw a significant increase in appointments and cute dresses flew off the racks of fashionable clothing stores. Anything to capture the attention of a sexy movie star.

               “I can’t believe how everyone is freaking out” Kakashi mentioned as he and Rei weaved through the mess. “I never expected everyone in the village to be so head over heels for some actor.”

               “Well, for what it’s worth” Rei replied, “he’s technically not just some actor. He’s an actor who just so happens to have a full-frontal nudity scene in a racy blockbuster. You’d be surprised what desperate women would do for dick.”

               Kakashi chuckled and shook his head. As big a fan as he was of the Icha Icha series, he just couldn’t wrap his brain around the absolute chaos erupting from this man’s visit. “At least you have a level head” he replied, wrapping an arm around his fiancée. Rei gave a definitive nod, rubbing the back of her neck and looking the other way. Her silence was enough to warrant suspicion. “You do have a level head, right…?” he asked slowly.

               “Hmm? Oh, yeah! Yeah! Of course!” Rei replied. She pasted a huge grin on her face and swatted at the air dismissively. Kakashi was not convinced. He stared her down for a long, silent moment before finally breaking.

               “Rei, please don’t tell me you’re googly-eyed for him, too” Kakashi complained.

               “I’m not!” Rei exclaimed. She rubbed her forearms and muttered, “I only like him a normal amount.”

               “God dammit, Rei” Kakashi whined, tossing his head back and groaning. And here he thought she wasn’t like other girls.

               “I’m sorry!” Rei replied. “It’s not like I’m going to lose my shit over this guy, I just think he’s kind of, I don’t know, aesthetically pleasing. You know, in that glittery film actor sort of way. That’s all it is! Come on, Kakashi. It’s really not that big of a deal.”

               Pouting, Kakashi muttered a halfhearted, “Alright” but it was clear he was bothered by this. And if he was bothered, then Rei was bothered. She stopped him dead in the middle of the street, taking his forearm to pull him closer to her. He watched as she cupped his face in her hands, stared him in the eyes.

               “Kakashi, believe me when I say this is not a big deal” she said. “I love you more than words can ever describe. There is no one else I would rather spend my future with.” She held up her left hand, her engagement ring glittering in the sunlight. “This should be proof enough of that.”

               Kakashi stared at her for a moment, searching her gaze for any hint of dishonesty. When he found none, his expression quickly shifted from anxiety to amusement. A satisfied smile spread across his masked face as he lyrically teased, “You have a crush on Keihaku.”

               Rei’s face immediately turned bright red. She removed her hands from his face and slapped him on the arm, turning away from him to hide her embarrassment. “Shut up! I already told you I do not!” she insisted.

               “Okay…” Kakashi chuckled, delightfully unconvinced. He plunged his hands into his pockets and began strolling back toward their apartment, humming to himself.

               “Kakashi, get back here!” Rei shouted, chasing after him. “I told you, it’s not like that! I don’t have a crush on this guy! Kakashi!”

               Keihaku Goman arrived in the Hidden Leaf a few days after, welcomed by a large crowd and sweeping processional. Women screamed and fainted at the sight of him—to think, a movie star here, in Konoha, in the flesh. They would give anything to earn so much as a glance or a wink from him. A team of ANBU escorted him to the hokage’s office where he was to meet with Tsunade about his itinerary. Among his bodyguards was Rei.

               In true movie star fashion, Keihaku hammed it up for the crowd as he ventured down the street, winking and waving at swooning women. Rei watched as she followed close behind and wondered how a human being could possibly be so charismatic. Every move seemed carefully choreographed and yet totally effortless. Was he playing a part, or was he truly this princely? She couldn’t tell. The longer she pondered it, however, the redder her face grew and she forced herself to remain focused. She could not let herself get distracted. She had a duty to fulfill.

               Once they had reached the hokage’s office, Tsunade welcomed him warmly. At least she seemed completely unaffected by his charm. Rather, she remained polite and diplomatic just as the hokage should be. Shizune, on the other hand, was forced to muster all of her strength in order to remain standing. From the other side of the room, a group of jonin—Kakashi included—tuned in for the briefing.

               Rei and Kakashi locked eyes with one another as Tsunade explained Keihaku’s tasks. He had a busy schedule ahead of him including photoshoots and even a commercial. Anything to amp up Konoha’s tourism. Meanwhile, Kakashi made discrete hand gestures to his fiancée—an overflow from his ANBU days—to communicate to her what he was thinking. And what he was thinking was that he was going to milk every ounce of her embarrassment. Her face turned bright red and she swatted at the air in a silent attempt to shut him up. Kakashi quickly dropped his eyes and stifled his laughter as Tsunade paused mid-sentence.

               “Is something the matter?” she asked harshly, glaring at Rei.

               Clearing her throat, Rei steadied herself and croaked, “N-no, Lady Tsunade. Just, uh…just a fly.”

               Tsunade narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, completely unconvinced. She slowly turned her attention back to Keihaku’s itinerary but Rei could feel a scolding waiting for her after Tsunade was done. Once her and Keihaku were yet again occupied with his obligations, Rei shot Kakashi a sharp warning glare. Even with her mask on, he could tell her expression was something fierce.

               Kakashi thumbed through Makeout Paradise as he waited outside the ANBU headquarters. It was that strange liminal period of dusk when the sky was growing too dark to read under and yet not dark enough to turn the streetlights on. And then there was a heavy shove of the door and Rei trudged out into the night air, fraught and fatigued. Kakashi tucked his book into his back pouch and waved with a grin, striding toward her. Rei knew just by the look on his face that she was in for a ration of shit. He was far too perky to not be suspicious. “So, how did your first day as Keihaku’s bodyguard go?” he asked, lacing his fingers with hers as they walked home.

               “It was fine” Rei replied bluntly. “Nothing to write home about.”  

               Kakashi was silent for a moment before teasing, “He tried to touch your butt, didn’t he?”

               “Kakashi! No! What the fuck?!” Rei exclaimed, swatting him on the arm. “Stop that! I already told you, it’s not like that!”

               “I’ll believe it when I see it” Kakashi sighed sleepily. He was so nonchalant, so unaffected, it made Rei’s blood boil. Grumbling, she quickened her pace with arms folded across her chest to further enforce her displeasure. They walked along in silence for a few moments more before Kakashi went in for the kill again. “So are you going to ask him on a date?”

               “What the fuck? No! Of course not!” Rei shouted. She shoved her left hand in his face. “Does this mean nothing to you, Kakashi?”

               “I don’t know” Kakashi joked. “Keihaku does have a lot more money than I do. Are you sure he wouldn’t be able to buy you something nicer?”

               Rei rolled her eyes and huffed her bangs out of her face. “Even if he did, I wouldn’t want it” she insisted. “It wouldn’t mean as much.”  

               He had to admit, hearing her get so heated about this was kind of affirming for him. He loved knowing that she was so defensively in love with him, that the thought of even considering another man made her furious. But at the same time, watching her get flustered about finding someone else attractive was far too fun. Besides, it was clear to him that he had nothing to worry about in terms of her faithfulness. He could tease her to his heart’s content and it wouldn’t mean a single thing.

               “So you’re saying that if Keihaku burst out of that window right there, with confetti and trumpets blaring, and got down on one knee and asked you to go on a date with him, that you would say no?” he asked, suppressing laughter. She glared up at him, tiny but lethal. Poking her puffed out cheek, he added, “Because that is a very tempting offer!”

               Rei swatted his hand away and shouted, “Maybe you should go on a date with him then, Kakashi!”

               Kakashi couldn’t help but laugh. “You know, if he ever did somehow ask you on a date, I think you should go for it.” It was that statement that firmly stopped Rei in her tracks. What was he insinuating here? First of all: if he somehow asked her on a date? Was he trying to say she would be undesirable to someone like Keihaku? Not that it mattered. She didn’t care either way. But was he trying to say she wasn’t fit to be seen with a celebrity? And more importantly, I think you should go for it?! Was her fiancé really suggesting she cheat on him? Her disgust and confusion were almost palpable. Kakashi, however, was completely unphased. Of all the women in Konoha, he doubted Keihaku would ever ask Rei out. It wasn’t that he considered her undesirable in the least sense—she was the most intelligent, beautiful, and talented woman he knew. And that was exactly the problem. Men like Keihaku had no interest in women of substance. All they cared about were breast implants and sex appeal. Women with lips soaked in gloss and hair permed to perfection and fake tans to rival the gods. Keihaku would never go for someone like Rei. Truthfully, Kakashi took comfort in that. If, for whatever reason, he did ask for a date with his fiancée, however, Kakashi was not going to protest. He wasn’t giving her up in the slightest. He knew even one dinner would never lead to anything serious. Celebrities were far too shallow for that sort of thing—Keihaku could never dream of having a relationship with as much depth and integrity as that of Kakashi and Rei. Rather, Kakashi’s reasoning was much more darkly funny: he would’ve killed to see Rei make a fool of herself in front of a famous movie star. He loved her more than life itself but he knew she was far too crass and clumsy for the likes of Keihaku. The two of them in a room together, candlelight and smooth jazz, was a recipe for disaster and Kakashi was far too curious for his own good. He only regretted not having popcorn.

               Rei’s glare hardened as she considered the situation. Finally, she blurted, “Then fine. Maybe I will go on a date with him then!”

               “Okay” Kakashi chuckled. He patted her head as they walked along, flattening the fluff of her ponytail in the process. Rei slapped his hand away and grumbled, pouting the entire way home.

               That night, she tossed and turned, restless. Thoughts of Keihaku swirled relentlessly through her head—a subject she did not want to think about. She was not interested in him. He was not going to ask her out. She was not imagining him asking her out. She was definitely not envisioning them sitting across a fancy table looking into each other’s eyes and having an incredibly in-depth and profound conversation with one another. No, Keihaku was useless. He was as profound as a cardboard cutout. She refused.

               The following day, Kakashi was lounging on the couch with a book when Rei returned home. Something was off about her, however. Somehow, her bangs seemed to hide more of her face than usual. What he could see of it was beet red. Sitting up abruptly, Kakashi asked, “How was work?”

               “It was…fine” Rei replied, voice restrained and cracking. Toshio picked his head up, ears perking at the squeak in her voice. Her tone was far too high-pitched to be normal. Something was wrong, Kakashi was sure of it.

               “Did anything happen today…?” he asked slowly. Rei kicked her shoes off at the front door, skirted around the kitchen table. She dropped to her knees on the living room floor so as to snuggle Toshio. Anything to keep herself preoccupied.

               “Um, well, I mean…” she stammered. “Kind of?”

               “Kind of?” Kakashi repeated. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “Like what?”

               Rei wiped her nose with the back of her hand, covered her mouth so that her voice was muffled. “You’re never going to believe this, but…” she started. The suspense was killing him. Kakashi didn’t think he could handle it. What the hell was she hiding? And then, unable to restrain laughter any longer, she said it. “Keihaku literally asked me the fuck out.”

               By the time the words spilled from her lips, she had fallen back onto the floor covering her face and laughing hysterically. Kakashi couldn’t tell if she was delighted with the prospect or merely thought it was so ridiculously stupid, she was reduced to deliria. All he knew for certain was that it very quickly felt as if someone had ripped his spine right out of his body and now here he was, hollow and unstructured. Suddenly the whole idea wasn’t so funny anymore.

               “He…he asked you out?” Kakashi repeated slowly, voice quiet and numb. Then, voice rising slightly in horror, he asked, “W-Well what did you say?! You didn’t agree, did you?!”

               Rei rolled her eyes and repositioned herself on the floor, fixing a wedgie and smoothing her dress down over her stomach. “What do you take me for, Kakashi? A whore?” she asked. Folding her arms back behind her head then, she added, “Of course I said yes.”

               The entire room was spinning. Kakashi couldn’t take this. He felt like he was going to be sick. He never should’ve teased her about this. He never should’ve encouraged her. Now he just felt like an idiot. The sickening realization made him uneasy and shaky: oh god, he was going to lose her. “I-is he blind?” Kakashi erupted. “Did he not see the ring on your finger? Does commitment mean nothing to him? To you?”

               Finally understanding the gravity of his response, Rei sat up and frowned. “Calm down, Kakashi, fuck” she groaned. “Were you not the one who told me to go for it if he ever asked?”

               “Yes, but I never thought he’d actually do it!” Kakashi exclaimed. “I don’t want anyone else to think you’re available, or that you don’t respect our commitment to each other. We made a promise, Rei. Does it mean nothing to you?”

               Rei narrowed her eyes, brows knitting in offense. “Of course, Kakashi” she said, her voice stone cold. “More than you even know.” She pressed her hand to her stomach, filing through all the thoughts she had been having the past few weeks. Of taking his last name, of becoming his wife, of wanting to conceive a child with him. He had no idea the things she had been considering, of how deeply and passionately she had been imagining their future together. Rising to her feet, she approached Kakashi and situated herself between his legs, holding his face firm in her hands. “Nothing is going to happen, I promise” she insisted. “The only reason I agreed to this is because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I have terrible ideas. Is that clear?”

               Kakashi frowned, trying to make himself believe in her words. Then, looking up at her with eyes soft and pleading, he asked quietly, “What kinds of ideas?”

               A sinister grin touched Rei’s lips as she straddled his lap, running her fingers through his hair. “Oh, nothing too serious. I’m just going to milk this for all it’s worth and at the end of the night, probably pull his pants down in front of everyone in the middle of the restaurant.”

               Kakashi let out an airy chuckle, shaking his head. “Are you sure that’s not just because you want his dick, too?” he asked.

               Rei couldn’t restrain her incredulous laughter. “Absolutely not!” she exclaimed. “No, it’s because I think the whole world deserves to know the truth: that he actually has, and I quote, an ‘immaculately tiny penis’.”

               Kakashi’s face burned at the prospect and he struggled to suppress the laughter rising in his throat. “Immaculately tiny?” he repeated. “Where did you hear that?”

               Shrugging, Rei replied, “I found it in a pamphlet about the movie’s production.” Leaping to her feet, she then rushed into the kitchen and began rummaging around the junk drawer. “They said it was so unexpected and wrong for the role, that they had to hire a dick double just for the full-frontal nudity” she continued. She exclaimed with pride then as she found the very pamphlet in question crumpled up in the back of the drawer, presenting it to her fiancé with a dramatic flourish. She climbed onto the couch beside him, drawing her legs up to sit cross-legged, as she watched him flip through it, equal parts fascinated and frightened. “You know, for a movie based on a bestselling book, you’d think all of these psychotic women would do a little more reading.”

               “I guess this explains his confidence” Kakashi replied. “He must be compensating.”

               “I’ll say” Rei agreed.

               Kakashi had to admit, Rei’s tone and her casual attitude were reassuring but there was still something nagging in the back of his mind. Something that still bothered him about all of this. He folded the pamphlet back up and placed it on the coffee table, then thought for a moment before turning to her and asking, “Is that a dealbreaker?”

               Dumbfounded, Rei blinked despondently. Did Kakashi really think Keihaku’s charisma and wealth alone was enough to make her leave him? A sly smile touched her lips as she reached out and abruptly took hold of Kakashi’s crotch. His entire face turned bright red as he looked back at her, studying the determination and certainty of her gaze. “Nothing can compare to you, Kakashi” she insisted. “As far as dicks go, I’ve won the jackpot. There’s no way in hell I would ever give that up, or more importantly the amazing man it’s attached to.” She could feel him begin to harden from her touch and that gave her all the confidence to know that he understood her perfectly.

               Kakashi watched with focused intent as she gathered her hair into the signature ponytail, an elastic around her wrist and a bobby pin cinched between her lips. He only took slight comfort in her rather business-professional outfit: a simple button down, a knee-length skirt. But the way the buttons strained at her breasts, the tight-fitting nature of the skirt…he couldn’t help but shudder. Friday evening had come way too quickly for his taste.

               All week, he had debated being upfront and honest, telling her that this was a bad idea and refusing to let her go through with it. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Despite everything, he did not own her. If she wanted to do this, then that was her choice and no one else’s. Rei shoved a few bobby pins into the underside of her ponytail, ensuring that the shorter strands would stay put throughout the night, then flipped her head down and and misted the underside with hairspray. Kakashi coughed into the crook of his neck, the cloud of noxious fumes only further enforcing his nausea. Rei turned toward him once she was finished, studying the discomfort on his face. “Are you going to sit around sulking like this all night, Kakashi?” she asked. Kakashi pouted and dropped his gaze. Rei set the bottle of hairspray on the bathroom counter and approached him, tilting his chin up to look her in the eyes. “If you really didn’t want me to do this, all you had to do was speak up, Kakashi.”

               “I’m not going to tell you what to do” Kakashi replied, but Rei could tell there was more that he intended to say. After a beat of silence, he cupped her cheek in his hand and firmly added, “I don’t want you to do this.”

               Quite frankly, Rei was starting to grow frustrated with his conflicted attitude. Sometimes, he would seem fine. Completely unaffected. As if he knew without a shadow of a doubt that this would amount to nothing, that her faithfulness could not be wavered. Other times, however, he was fussy and distant. Time and time again, Rei had told him that if he was truly against her doing this, then to let her know. And time and time again, he said the same thing: I’m not going to tell you what to do. She understood that this was a sign that he wanted her to drop out without him having to ask, but the truth of the matter was that she could not bring herself to pass up an opportunity like this. She wanted to enjoy the finer things for one night and make a famous man look like an idiot in the process. To absolutely disparage a wealthy heartthrob while sipping fine champagne that tasted like power. If Kakashi didn’t want her to go through with this, she needed to hear it straightforward. And now here he was, fifteen minutes from her restaurant reservation, telling her what he had held back all week.

               “Kakashi…” Rei sighed. She pressed her forehead to his chest in defeat and a surge of relief washed over the copy ninja. She was finally giving in. She was going to back out at the last minute and save him from certain destruction. She rested a hand upon his chest, caressed him comfortingly. “You had all week to tell me this. Don’t you think it’s a little late to turn back now?”

               Kakashi froze, his heart leaping into his chest. “S-so are you still going to go?” he asked.

               Pulling back, Rei looked him in the eyes and sighed, “Yes. Yes, I am still going to go.”

               “B-but—” Kakashi stammered. Before he could say anything more, though, Rei had slipped past him to retrieve her purse from the kitchen table. She slipped her shoes on at the door—the strappy sandals she always wore for more formal occasions—before turning to leave. Kakashi could feel his insides twisting and decaying at the sight, panic surging through his veins. He never should’ve egged her on. He never should’ve teased her and encouraged her. Oh god, he was going to lose her. He had felt so secure about their relationship and now he was going to lose her. All he could manage to say to her was a croaked, “When will you be back?”

               Rei paused in the doorway, looking up at him, and fed him a sympathetic smile. “I’ll be back before nine. Promise” she said. Then, her sympathy slowly morphed into slyness as she added, “Don’t worry, I have something extra special planned for when I get back.” Her gaze was sultry and tempting as she closed the door behind her and disappeared. Kakashi should’ve felt relieved—after all, she was promising him something supreme upon her return—but if anything, he felt even more defeated. Not only was she off to mingle with a millionaire, but now she was sexually riled up on top of it. Digging the heels of his hands into his eye sockets, Kakashi groaned and fell back onto the couch. It was going to be a long three hours.

               He needed to do something, to preoccupy himself. Toshio picked his ears up as he stared back at Kakashi staring into the kitchen. He knew he should eat dinner, but his mood had swiped any hope of hunger from him. Instead, he swung open the refrigerator door and began cleaning out the spoiled food inside. He tossed the stinking plastic containers into the sink, tied up the trash bag and walked it down to the dumpster. Toshio followed, as if in hopes of finding scraps. Upon their return, Kakashi washed out the containers as well as any remaining dirty dishes. He took his time with each, paying no mind to the scalding water on his hands. He dried each one thoroughly and individually and put them away in their respective cabinets. The sun had nearly disappeared, the room growing dark. Kakashi flicked on a light and checked the clock. 6:45pm. This was pointless. Kakashi dropped his head back and sighed.

               “Toshio, if we’re lucky” he started, “Maybe she’ll come home early.” Toshio huffed and rested his head on the floor in retaliation. Kakashi nodded, kneeling down to scratch behind the dog’s ear. “Yeah. You and me both.”

               By 7 o’clock, it was clear to Kakashi that the only thing he could stand to do was read. If he could get himself right in the proper mood, nestled into the sweet spot of his literary allure, he could lose himself in the words and time would race by. He reached for Makeout Paradise, almost disgustingly satisfied with how clever this plan was meant to be, but quickly found the situation had left him changed. The book no longer brought him the same pleasure as it always had. He focused hard on the sentences in front of him, tried to envision himself and Rei in the title roles, but as luck would have it he landed on a chapter in which the third corner of the love triangle enters the plot. And in that role, all he could see was Keihaku Goman. The dashing Keihaku bursting into the room and professing his love for the heroine, Keihaku kissing her hand and begging her to choose him instead, Keihaku wrapping an arm around her waist as he whisked her into the bedroom and—

               Kakashi heard the key turn in the lock and he immediately sat bolt upright. His eyes glanced to the clock. It was 8:30pm. She was home early. A hint of delight hitched in his throat. The date must have gone terribly. Perhaps it was so terrible, in fact, that Rei will never want to look at another man ever again. He hoped that that wouldn’t backfire on him, that she would not denounce all men, himself included. But now he was overthinking things. All he knew was that he needed to see her. One look and he would know exactly how things had gone. One look and it would all be over, for better or for worse.

               She stepped inside and his heart surged. There she was. Deep down, a part of him was overjoyed that she had even returned at all. She locked the door behind her silently, kicked her shoes off. “Well?” Kakashi asked. She met his gaze blankly. “How was it?”

               “It was fine” she replied, unbuttoning her shirt plainly as she stepped over Toshio and skirted into the living room. “Things went smoothly.”

               She was far too calm. This was a bad sign. Either things went too smoothly or not smoothly at all. Kakashi wasn’t sure which he would have preferred. He watched her with laser focus as she knelt down on the floor by Toshio, slipping out of her blouse to reveal the simple white camisole underneath. He wanted to kiss the freckles on her shoulders and the scars on her forearms. The delicate lace trim was so enticing, perfectly accentuating her breasts. Kakashi frowned and wondered if Keihaku had the same thoughts. It was then that he knew there was no way things couldn’t have gone well. Dejected, Kakashi turned away to look out the window. He attempted to sound as nonchalant as possible when he asked, “So are you going to run off with Mr. Billionaire and move into his mansion with his fancy gold couch and tiny penis?” The depression in his voice, however, was far too obvious.

               Knitting her brows together, Rei stared at him sharply. “You know I only have eyes for you” she insisted. “I wouldn’t want to spend my future with anyone else.” She finished unfastening the last button on her shirt and slithered out of it then, tossing it toward Kakashi from across the room. “Besides” she sighed rather dramatically, “Keihaku Goman is a total asshole, anyway.”

               In retrospect, this was not the least bit surprising but the way she said it, the look on her face as she pouted and tilted her head toward the window, struck something within Kakashi. Something anxious but protective. “Why?” he asked, leaning forward. “What happened? What did he say to you?”

               “It’s really nothing” Rei swatted at the air. “He just threw out some pretty petty and underhanded lines about he’s always liked ‘homegrown girls’ and shit.”

               “Homegrown girls?” Kakashi repeated. He wasn’t quite sure what that meant.

               Rei nodded, drawing her knees up to her chest like a small child. As cavalier as she appeared on the outside, he could tell in her eyes that something had cracked. “Yeah, you know, like local rough-and-tumble girls who live in the middle of nowhere and wrestle alligators and bake pies and shit. Anne and Scout and Jane, all that crap.” Kakashi blinked, trying to remember who, exactly, Anne and Scout and Jane were. Rei continued to speak before he could make the final connection. “Apparently Keihaku thinks that the ugly features like my scar and my crooked teeth and messy hair were ‘alluring’ in, and I quote, ‘a gross, kinky sort of way’.” Here, Rei made a face bordering both disgust and confusion. A casual acceptance of a harsh insult that deep down, she was clearly hurt by. And deep in the pit of Kakashi’s stomach grew a sharp, burning anger.

               How could anyone ever say anything so cruel? And to his fiancée of all people? Kakashi sucked in a deep breath and clenched his fists at his sides. Nothing about the date itself or his prior uncertainty mattered anymore. All that was important now was that Keihaku Goman had hurt the love of his life and Kakashi could hardly contain himself. “The audacity…” he muttered through clenched teeth. “I can’t believe he would say something like that.” Rei turned to him and saw the darkness in his eyes, the absolute fury. Her gaze softened, sympathetic and sad. She hated seeing him get so pent up like this. And then Kakashi stood, reaching for his shoes by the front door.

               “W-wait, where are you going?” Rei asked, scrambling to her feet.

               Kakashi sighed and shook his head. “Someone ought to teach that asshole a lesson.”

               Rei rested a gentle hand on his forearm, shook her head. Anyone else likely would’ve been far too intimidated to approach the infamous Copy Ninja in this way, but not Rei. She didn’t care. She knew better than to believe he would ever hurt her. “It’s not worth it” Rei softly insisted. “We’re never going to see him again. It’s fine.”

               “But Rei—” Kakashi protested, but she simply shook her head and guided him back to the couch. She sat beside him and rested a hand on his knee. They remained silent for a long while until Kakashi calmed down. When he had, he turned to her and asked quietly, “Are you okay?”

               Nodding, Rei replied, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m alright.” There was a sense of restraint in her voice, however, as if she was holding back tears. Kakashi tried to keep his cool. Forcing a laugh, Rei then added, "Honestly, I’ve heard worse from Sekkachi. Keihaku’s words mean nothing to me. He doesn’t know anything about me, so who is he to judge?”

               “Rei…” Kakashi murmured. His pain in seeing her not just upset but faking a smile was immeasurable. He reached out to caress her cheek, press his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and inhaled, drinking in every ounce of her presence. “He doesn’t know a damn thing” he whispered. “Rei, you’re the strongest and most amazing and intelligent and beautiful woman I’ve ever known. I just...I can’t fathom how anyone can be so…just…” He groaned in frustration, struggling to find the proper words.

               “It’s okay” Rei assured him, studying his face and running her fingers through his hair. “I know.”

               Kakashi grazed the scar across the bridge of her nose with his thumb, combed her hair back and chuckled lightly when his fingers got caught in the tangles. “I just can’t stand anyone hurting you” he finally whispered.

               “I know” Rei whispered back, dripping with sympathy. “It’s fine, though. Really” she insisted. Kakashi opened his eyes and leaned back so as to better view her face. He searched her expression for the sadness he was sure he would find, but instead she now seemed at peace. She laughed softly as she added, “I think really, he’s just bitter because they recast his character in the next Makeout film.”

               Kakashi blinked in disbelief, trying to digest this new information. “They did…?”

               “Mmhmm” Rei replied, and now she was fighting a smile. Kakashi’s heart sang. She toyed with the hem of his shirt as she explained, “Apparently he was a total diva on set and was just an absolute nightmare to work with. I heard Yukie nearly quit on five separate occasions and insisted even she wasn’t this bad when she was a full-time actress. You can use that information however you will—I’m sure you’d know better than I would. But his attitude on top of the dick double debacle basically made for an absolute mess and they fired him two weeks ago right before filming began. I take it he’s milking whatever claim to fame he has left before the news breaks and everyone shifts their adoration to the new guy.”

               Kakashi scoffed and nodded. “Good riddance” he sighed. This new information brought with it a welcome sense of relief, something Kakashi had been desperate for all week. “Did you at least humiliate him?” he then asked.

               A sly, sickening smile then spread across Rei’s lips. “Maybe…” she said in sing-song. “Let’s just say that if all the swooning women didn’t know about his assets before, they do now.”

               “You’re terrible” Kakashi shook his head. He only regretted not being there to see it himself.

               “I bet that’s the last time he’ll ever try to mess with a ‘homegrown girl’” Rei replied. It was refreshing to see her use what was once an insult as a term of power and pride now. Keihaku Goman may not have seen the merit in a homegrown girl, but Kakashi certainly did. He wouldn’t have wanted her any other way.

               Sighing, Kakashi leaned back against the couch, taking delight in Rei automatically snuggling up against his chest. When she laid beside him like this, everything just felt right. Her head nestled into the dip where his collar met his shoulder, her hand firmly monitoring his heartbeat. Toshio followed suit, leaping onto the open cushion to snuggle up beside them. “So you really wouldn’t leave me for some fancy film actor?” Kakashi asked, toying with Rei’s hair as he held her close.

               Rei laughed and shook her head, looking up at him with a glimmer of ingenuity in her eyes. His heart swelled, he loved her so much. “And give up becoming Mrs. Hatake? Wife of the infamous Copy Ninja? I could never.” Toshio barked in stark agreement and Kakashi couldn’t contain himself any longer. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck so as to plant tiny little kisses all along her shoulder and collarbone. She squirmed with uproarious laughter, Toshio barking in amused spectatorship. It was moments like these, snapshots of the little life they had created together, that were all that truly mattered. The simple things. The things that money couldn’t buy. And that was enough. It was more than enough.

[raendown]

What a way to celebrate Tobirama’s birthday. xD 

Pairing: None Word count: 4022 Chapter: 3/4 Rated: T+ Summary: Months after the village is built Izuna is near his breaking point. Peace is nice, don’t get him wrong, but he could do without the pale shadow that follows behind him everywhere he goes. All he wants is to understand. What the hell is Tobirama’s obsession with watching him?

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

KO-FI and commission info in the header!

Chapter 3

As a child Izuna can remember his mother teaching him a method of meditating on his own breathing pattern in an attempt to rein in his temper. It had worked to some extent then. At the moment he finds himself having much more limited success. It wouldn’t be so bad if his unwanted mission partner would only travel beside him but no matter what speed they move at somehow Tobirama always ends up just a step or two behind and it’s driving him absolutely wild.

“Have you tried some sort of rewards system?”

“Different ones, yes.”

Even worse still is that they have managed to keep up a semblance of amicable conversation for nearly the entire journey as if there is nothing more between them but the fact that their brothers are friends. Tobirama’s voice carries no hint of aggression, no undue curiosity, and there are certainly no hints of any romantic endeavors. At some point they find themselves on the topic of a child in the Uchiha clan who doesn’t pay even half the attention he should to his lessons and Izuna is vaguely surprised that his companion’s interest seems to be more for the boy than for him.

“Behavioral based or progression based?”

“What’s the difference?”

“If the child feels he is unable to obtain whatever goals have been set for him then he may not feel motivated even by the promise of a reward.”

Listening to him speak in such a bland tone leaves Izuna confused. He isn’t sure whether the man is trying to pretend his weird stalking isn’t happening or if he is merely striving for a bit of normalcy while they are forced to travel together but either way the efforts are pointless. It‘s impossible to pretend that everything is normal while Tobirama refuses to actually walk beside him.

“Huh, I never thought of it like that,” he murmurs, willing to keep the conversation up if only so he isn’t traveling in silence with an old enemy standing just behind his unprotected back. “We’ve tried to do it like that and we’ve tried to bribe him with sweets for even just showing up every day – I swear every tooth in his head is a sweet one. Nothing works.”

While his companion hums thoughtfully Izuna tries to remember if there are any other methods they have used to try and convince little Kagami to take his training more seriously. The little tyke has so much potential. Such a shame that he insists on wasting it all. If he had some other interest or passion that he were trying to pursue instead Izuna might understand, not all of their clan members are fighters after all, but at times it feels as though Kagami seems determined to simply never grow up.

A pause in the steps behind him catches his attention and Izuna turns to see that Tobirama has gone stiff, his head turned away, eyes narrowed where they stare in to the middle distance off east. Instinctively Izuna turns to look that way as well only to realize that Tobirama probably isn’t actually looking with his eyes.

“Three inbound at high speeds. Feels like Kaminari no Kuni shinobi.”

“Gods, how powerful is your sensing?” Izuna grumbles, loosening his sword in its sheath.

“More than I ever allowed the Uchiha to discover.” Tobirama’s gaze flicks over towards him and there is something dark hidden there before he looks away. “An oversight, perhaps, that I have not seen fit to share my true abilities with our new allies.”

“Right. Let’s take care of this and then we’re having a nice long conversation on exactly what you’re capable of.”

Before there is time for any sort of reply their new company arrives, flitting in to the treetops above them and pausing to assess the situation. Izuna takes a good grip on the handle of his favorite sword, tightening his fingers one by one, counting breaths just as his mother taught him.

In, out, one. Three opponents, one male and two female.

In, out, two. A sword glimmers in the hand of one female, something heavy and club like in the hands of the male, close combat fighters.

In, out, three. Large chakra stores burn almost tangibly in the air around the third, clearly a distance fighter, he will need to keep an eye out for whatever jutsu she has up her sleeve.

He never gets to four breaths. From behind him Tobirama explodes in to motion, charging the woman nearly bursting at the seams with her own chakra. A low hiss cuts the air just before the man leaps in to defend his companion. Izuna rolls his shoulders and acknowledges that he has been left to face the woman bearing a sword to match his own, the perfect opponent. Out of all the spars he has enjoyed with many and varied people since moving to Konoha very few of them have been able to match his skill with a blade enough to offer a proper challenge. In a strange way he almost misses his battles with the man he is currently fighting alongside if only because he worries that without Tobirama to face he might lose his edge.

Sparks leap between their weapons and Izuna realizes that he has moved out of habit without even consciously deciding to, sword leaping to hand and meeting the one aiming for his neck. For a single heartbeat they struggle, brute strength against brute strength, then the woman twists and dodges back once she realizes that his bulk outweighs her own. Rather than allow her the time to think up another angle of attack Izuna hefts his sword and watches her respond with a snarl of frustration. Good. That means she is off balance and an opponent who has no time to think is an opponent he can easily beat.

Only sharp reflexes stop his blade from cutting through the wrong flesh, pulling up a mere instant before he would have pierced Tobirama through the side as his mission partner suddenly appears between them to deflect his opponent’s blade. Then he is skipping away again with a snarl of his own. Izuna floods his eyes with chakra just to take in the expression of something almost like desperation on the man’s face. His reputation being what it is, revealing his greatest battle advantage has the added benefit of causing his opponent to hesitate. Not many people who know what it can do are stupid enough to attack an active Sharingan straight on and Izuna is oddly glad to see that his opponent is not stupid. Easy kills are no fun.

As Tobirama is pressed back by his own two assailants Izuna rushes in to keep this one busy. He can’t afford to let her find her bearings; he learned the hard way when he was younger to never underestimate how many tricks your opponent might have up their sleeve. She might seem like her skills barely match his own but he has no way of knowing what tricks or seals or the like she might pull out at a moment’s notice.

Neither does he have a chance to find out, as it happens. Each time their clash looks as though it might be about to get interesting Tobirama appears between them. At first Izuna accepts that he simply needs to dodge quite a lot while trying to face a long range and a short range fighter at the same time; keeping up with two different styles means keeping on your toes. It isn’t until his Sharingan focuses in on the pair chasing his partner around the field that he realizes both of them are downright ragged looking. One bleeds from several places and the other looks just on the verge of an asthmatic attack so out of breath are they. In contrast Tobirama looks tense yet still in good condition.

So if it’s Tobirama that is leading them around by the nose rather than the one getting chased why on earth does he keep dashing in between Izuna and his own kill? There’s a whole forest here to move around in.

Annoying as it is, the trained shinobi in his soul can’t help but admire how quickly Tobirama moves from place to place, how seamlessly he manages to insert himself just in time to deflect whatever attack Izuna is about to meet and then dance away again as though he’d never been there. Whatever else he is there can be no denying that he’s a skilled fighter. The problem is trying to figure out what the hell he is up to.

It simply doesn’t make sense, Izuna thinks as he takes his opportunity to bull in close and drive the woman back with a rapid flurry of attacks. Weeks and months of stalking that Izuna has been interpreting as some lingering form of aggression. Now suddenly the man is jumping in front of him in battle. Has he been making observations leading him to the conclusion that Izuna’s skills have diminished somehow? That certainly makes more sense than the ridiculous rumors of forbidden love, although it’s also wildly more insulting. Yet even that theory includes enough gaping holes that he can’t quite believe it either.

By the time Izuna finds an opening to drive his blade through his opponent’s neck and watch her gurgle out her last curses on the forest floor he is equal parts curious and livid. Tobirama dispatches of his own two assailants only a moment later as though he has merely been playing with them as some morbid excuse to remain occupied. He waits just long enough to clean his sword and slide it back in to the scabbard across his back, then Izuna is marching across the torn clearing to take the collar of his old rival’s armor and drag them face to face, oddly unsurprised that he is allowed to do so with no resistance.

“What the fuck is your problem?” he growls. “I’m not so softened by this stupid dream of our brothers’ that I’ve forgotten how to defend myself! I had that covered!”

“Your skill was never in question,” Tobirama murmurs. He looks entirely calm, unruffled, and that only irritates Izuna further.

“It sure as hell feels questioned with you babying me like some genin out on their first run! If you think I need to polish a few things then say it to my face, damn it, quit treating me with kid gloves! I didn’t need it back home and I don’t need it here!”

Composed as he ever is, Tobirama fails to react in any satisfying sort of way. He fails to so much as blink while Izuna screams in his face but there is one thing to be gained from overreacting. From this close – perhaps the first time they have ever been so close outside of battle – it is plain to see the well of something dark and deep in those red eyes so like the Sharingan, something that brings ice crawling up Izuna’s spine though he can’t yet define what it is. It’s enough to snap his jaw shut and make him step away to watch quietly as Tobirama turns, murmuring again that they should press on to their destination.

An uncomfortable mixture of anger and confusion with shades of worry twists itself into knots inside Izuna’s belly, keeping his mouth shut for the rest of their mission, speaking only when it is absolutely necessary. On the journey home he can feel the back of his neck itching with Tobirama’s eyes almost every step of the way but he holds his tongue for fear of what else he might see in that unwavering gaze.

When they make it back to the village the first thing they do is make their report to Hashirama, of course. Madara joins them and together they remain sequestered for over an hour discussing the results of their goodwill efforts. Despite his attempts to appear nonchalant Izuna is fairly sure the clan they were visiting with had noticed some tensions between himself and Tobirama but in a strange way it had actually worked out in their favor as their hosts seemed to be impressed with how well they function together anyway. Talking about that without making a big deal of why exactly there had been some friction in their unity is difficult. Izuna is more than glad when finally they have said all there is to say for now and he is able to drag his brother off towards home.

Madara puts up a good act of wanting to stay and finish his work. He fools no one. Not even his workaholic tendencies are enough to keep him from spending a bit of quality time with his favorite sibling – although Izuna does notice the man tucking a few scrolls in to his sleeve before they depart. It gets him out the door, however, so no comments are made until finally they are making their way through the gate leading in to the Uchiha district.

“I can’t figure out his angle,” he blurts, too eager for another’s opinion to bother with context.

“Who, Hashirama?”

“No! Don’t be an idiot, that tree is as transparent as glass with his intentions. I mean his gods damned brother!”

Humming contemplatively, Madara pulls a bit of hair forward to fiddle with. “Wouldn’t having him forced to travel with you sort of negate the stalking? I know you didn’t want him along but I thought it would be nice for you to at least drag him out of the shadows.”

Rather tempted to pull at his own hair, Izuna takes several breaths and counts them before he is able to form a reply through the flash of temper.

Thankfully his brother has the good grace not to interrupt as he recounts everything that’s happened while he was away. His description of the way Tobirama seemed to constantly find his way between Izuna and his opponent during their battle brings a crease to Madara's brow that only deepens as the story goes on. Slowly making their way up one of the side streets, a shortcut towards their home, he tosses the chunk of hair he is playing with back over his shoulder only to grab another and start again.

“Strange,” he rumbles. “Very strange. I honestly have no idea what the hell this is all about.”

“I know that it’s ridiculous but I just need to hear someone else say this out loud: please tell me it’s not plausible that he’s actually fallen in love with me somehow.”

“Plausible, technically yes. Probable, a very strong no.”

“Oh thank the gods.” Izuna slumps with relief to finally have another confirm his thoughts.

After rolling his eyes Madara slips right back in to thoughtfulness. “There’s something about this that just doesn’t quite sit with me the right way. I know it would make the most sense to say that he still doesn’t trust you, that he’s been following you to keep a close watch or whatever, but for some reason I just can’t make myself believe that. There’s no other evidence of that in any other behavior.”

“Yes, thanks, I didn’t quite notice that for myself.”

“If that’s how you’re going to behave then I don’t see why you started talking about it! Go jabber at someone else if you’re just going to be all snooty about whatever I have to say!” With a sniff Madara turns up his nose and quickens his steps.

While Izuna isn’t entirely sure how he ends up being left alone outside he isn’t all that surprised either. The two of them share like tempers after all. Madara is as given to hissy fits as he himself can freely admit to being. He follows behind at a slower pace and lets himself in to the home they share, nodding at the shoes kicked off haphazardly at just the right spot where they might trip him up if he weren’t already expecting to see them there.

Madara is angrily plugging in their fancy new electric kettle when he enters the kitchen and slumps down in to the closest chair, blowing out his fringe with exasperation.

“Done being a baby?” he asks bluntly. Madara crinkles his nose.

“Fuck you.”

“You’re still thinking about it. I can practically see the gears turning in your head.”

His brother pauses in the act of pulling down two cups with the continuing thoughts he doesn’t bother to deny spilling out over his face. “Obviously I am. I keep trying to think of some other reason he might be doing this but nothing comes to mind. If it’s not that he doesn’t trust you and it’s not that he has some sort of romantic whatever–”

“Kami please no,” Izuna interrupts with a shudder.

“–then he clearly has some other special interest in you but I am honestly stumped. If it were almost anyone else I might go so far as jealousy except the two of you have always been so closely matched that I can’t see either being jealous of the other.” Madara jolts himself in to movement again, reaching for the tea leaves, but continues speaking even as he measures them out. “I would have considered that he was trying to learn something specific about you too but for the fact that he hasn’t been shy about asking for any other information he’s wanted on our clan.”

“Which is a lot of information, actually.”

“Hm. I guess. No more than we’ve asked from the others, though, and nothing that he’s asked for has been any more suspicious or invasive than the things we’ve asked about the Senju in turn.”

Izuna rattles his nails against the hardwood table. “Do you think that could be it? Maybe there’s something he wants to find out but it’s inappropriate or he knows we won’t want to share whatever information he’s after.”

He waits with as much patience as he can muster while the other tosses that idea around but even as he speaks the words Izuna himself realizes that probably isn’t it either. Tobirama might be a sneaky bastard on the battlefield and more than capable of subterfuge when it’s necessary during a mission but in daily life he has shown himself to prefer as direct a route as possible to whatever goal he has in his sights. Finally Madara pushes both teacups towards the kettle and leaves it to boil as he comes over to sit at the table.

“No,” his brother says. “That just doesn’t sound right either. And the worst part is that I can’t say why it doesn’t sound right. It feels like there’s something nagging at the back of my brain, something important that I’ve forgotten. Like a missing piece of the puzzle.”

“Would your friend know anything do you think?”

Madara blinks. “Hashirama? He might. It would be worth asking if he’s got any idea what crawled up his brother’s ass.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be going over to their house for dinner tomorrow night?” Izuna rattles his fingers again but this time it is less with frustration and more to express the satisfaction of the stars aligning just for him. He is further pleased to see his sibling lean back with widening eyes.

“I am going to dinner, yes. He asked me over because both Tobirama and Mito are supposed to be busy and he wanted company. We’ll be all alone.”

“You couldn’t wish for a better opportunity to ask a few questions,” Izuna purrs with satisfaction.

When the kettle begins to whistle they turn the conversation towards other things. Spending time together after being apart – even if for so short a time – is only one of the ways they maintain such a tight bond between them. Even here in another home the shadows of the siblings they have lost echo around every corner, chased away only by the warmth of knowing that Madara will always stand beside him against whatever the world might choose to throw at them.

After a while, however, he finds other thoughts wriggling in, thoughts that Izuna knows he is above and yet he can’t seem to push them away without addressing them. Tracing the rim of his nearly empty cup gives him something else to look at as he fills the lull that has fallen naturally in their conversation.

“Can I ask you something?” He waits for the curious grunt before going on. “Why don’t you seem more worried about this whole Tobirama situation?”

“What do you mean?”

“If there was someone following you around all the time I think I’d be a lot more freaked out about it than you seem to be. Not that I’m angry or making any accusations! It’s just…odd. You’re usually so overprotective it’s hard for me to even flirt with anyone.”

“Hn.” Madara bunches his brows together as though mildly offended by the insinuation that he might not care. “I guess I just don’t feel any ill intentions from him. Something in my gut tells me that he hasn’t got anything bad up his sleeve. The way he interacts with you – hell, the way he interacts with all the rest of our clan – I just can’t bring myself to believe that he’s after anything terrible. I guess I was just unconsciously acknowledging that I don’t believe you’re in any sort of danger.”

Somehow that only increases the dread pooling in Izuna’s gut.

“If he doesn’t have any bad intentions then the kami only know what else he could have in that twisted brain of his. Ancestors watch over me.”

While his brother snorts and gently teases him for being so dramatic Izuna lets the words drift by him without actually listening. The entire reason he’s been wanting to go out on a mission is to get away from this situation with his old rival and just clear his mind a bit. Now that he’s been denied that opportunity and come home only more confused in the aftermath he realizes more than ever that he needs a night to just relax, to let everything else fade away until his mind is empty of all worries. And what better way to achieve that then a night on the town with someone he can trust to be entirely disinterested in whatever drama he’s gotten himself embroiled in this time?

“You gonna be okay on your own tonight?” he cuts in through whatever the other is saying. “I think I’ll go see if I can drag Hikaku down to one of the taverns for a few hours.”

“Don’t you have work to catch up on tomorrow?” Madara asks.

“I’m not going to get drunk or anything, don’t worry, I’m not that stupid. Just thought it would be nice to unwind for a while.”

Even as he nods understandingly Madara puts one hand to his chest and exclaims in dramatic fashion, “Because you’re just so stressed with all the work you do, of course. Helping to run a village, keeping both eyes on a walking tree, achieving your lifelong dreams. Oh no wait, that’s me.”

“Fuck off,” Izuna calls cheerfully over his shoulder as he makes his way out of the room, deliberately leaving the teacup behind for the other to clean up after him. Pettiness is just another family trait.

With any luck Hikaku will be as willing to indulge him as his aniki is. Izuna reaches back to pull the tie from his hair and run his fingers through it. Perhaps a bath is in order first to wash the dirt of the road away, he probably still smells like the rivers they’ve been trudging through. Unpacking can wait for tomorrow. If his cousin doesn’t want to come out then he fully intends to bully his way in to the other man’s home and find something there to help him get his mind off of things. Tobirama can remain a problem for another day just once more.

Tomorrow his brother will speak with Hashirama and ask their questions. Tomorrow, he hopes, they will have answers.

[otoquotes]

Kimimaro's Illness Theory: from someone who has basic medical knowledge from her shit job

I've seen the "mysterious ninja TB" theory thrown around a lot before, and I think that theory is on the right track.

Kimimaro, initially, was from the land of water, somewhere on the outskirts of the hidden mist village. I have a theory that tuberculosis is somewhat of an epidemic in the land of water. A moist environment like that full of citizens with low socioeconomic status would make it an excellent breeding ground for all kinds of nasty bugs.

We know that two other prominent characters from the hidden mist village, Ameyuri Ringo and Mangetsu Hozuki, died young from a mysterious disease. I believe that they both succumbed to tuberculosis.

"But, Alex, that was when he was a kid. He didn't get sick until almost a decade after. How is that possible?"

An interesting thing about tuberculosis is its ability to lie dormant in the body. Once tuberculosis bacteria enter your body, it can take weeks, months, or even years before symptoms manifest. This time period while the person has the infection present in their body before symptoms begin is known as the "latent period." My theory is that he contracted the illness as a child, possibly from fellow clan members, (There is a brief moment in the anime where we see a fellow Kaguya clan member coughing) and his latent period lasted for several years.

We also know that Kimimaro grew up in a cage, in isolation, and likely malnourished. These factors weaken the immune system and would leave him open to diseases of all kinds. Fast forward to his time with Orochimaru. He continued to, presumably, live in one of Orochimaru's underground hideouts, where he was deprived of adequate vitamin D acquired from natural sunlight, yet another major blow to the immune system.

During his time with Orochimaru, he was subjected to multiple experiments, the details of which are mostly unknown, but they were likely brutal and traumatic and caused God knows what kind of physiological changes within the body. I think it's possible that one (or the combination of several of these) experiments helped nudge his tuberculosis out of its latency period.

Normally, it would take several months or even up to a couple of years for untreated tuberculosis to claim someone's life, but it's safe to assume that Kimimaro had little to no immune system, which would speed up the process significantly, as the bacteria could spread around freely without the immune system interfering. In the anime, we see the first signs of Kimimaro's illness before the start of the second round of the chunin exams, (we know there is a month between the end of the second round and the start of the third round), the Konoha Crush arc (which maybe lasted a few days? That time frame is kind of unclear), and then the search for Tsunade arc (which I believe lasted a few weeks?). So I think it's fair to estimate that there was a period of about 2-3 months from the onset of his symptoms to his death, which, for most people, would be a pretty fast death from tuberculosis, but again, we're looking at a boy who likely has some serious immune deficiencies.

I've seen a lot of theories thrown around that his illness could have been brought on by the curse mark or even overuse of his kekkei genkai in itself. We know that it couldn't have been brought on solely by the curse mark, because one of the main reasons he was given the curse mark by Juugo was with the hope that it would slow down whatever disease was eating away at him. The possibility of it coming from his kekkei genkai is a lot more plausible, but (personally) I don't think it makes much sense. The most obvious symptom he has is hemoptysis (coughing up blood). His kekkei genkai has to do with the manipulation of bone cells, which, to me, would have no impact on the tissues of the lungs.

When tuberculosis affects the lungs, what ends up happening is, over time, the disease basically liquefies the lungs, which fills them with blood and dead lung tissue, causing the afflicted person to cough those up. The quantities of blood the poor boy coughs up seem to get larger and larger as the disease progresses, and as his lungs turn to sludge more and more.

Kabuto said that he was unable to discern whatever illness Kimimaro had due to his unusual body structure. Because of this, I believe his disease possibly presented differently than most people's would. Even if it didn't though, the odds of Kabuto successfully treating someone with tuberculosis before are slim. Tuberculosis is a hard disease to cure. That's one of the reasons why, throughout history, it has been such a big deal. To be free of the disease once symptoms start, you have to take antibiotics. A lot of them. For weeks or months at a time. Tuberculosis is also very likely to evolve antibiotic resistance, which is why it is so stressed to take your antibiotics at the same time every day. Forgetting a dose could be a death sentence. Not to mention with his lowered immune system and abnormal anatomy, who knows what the bacteria could have been evolving themselves into.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand that has been my anime analysis of the day written while bored out of my mind at work. If you read all the way to this point, I applaud you. Let me know what you think, about this and your own theories, if you wish!

[misssunflowersandsangria]

Adorned in Green

Thanks for the ask @sehuntema .  Hope that you like it!

Shikamaru leaned against the wall hidden in the shadows scowling annoyed and upset. He was sure that he was supposed to be mingling and promoting unity and peace between the nations and whatever other bullshit a state representative was supposed to do. He couldn’t find any motivation within him to even act interested in such things. His mind was solely focused on the vision of emerald and gold just beyond his reach. When Naruto had told him about Suna's state dinner he was so excited to see his Sand Goddess that he had failed to remember that she was their Sand Princess.  Tonight Temari played into that role quite well. She was a dream draped in the finest silks of jade that tried to compete with the green of her eyes. Precious jewels complemented the gold that naturally crowned her head.  She was in her element, in a position and place that was worthy of her.  

She was regal, gracious and welcoming to people who had come from all over the five great nations. She’d explained to him how important it was for Suna. This was their opportunity to show how much they’d progressed as a nation under Garra's leadership. She also wanted him there as moral support. She was very good at rubbing elbows with these people but hated it all the same. He should be right there next to her whispering words of encouragement but right now he was sulking in the dark.  

This was better for both of them because if he had to watch one more Lord, head of state or whoever stare, fuss and fawn over her he would start an international incident. 

There was a particular one that was asking for it. He looked like a squid which made sense because he was someone from the Land of Waves.  Besides, he looked slimy.   He watched as the squid reached up one of his tentacles to touch her exposed shoulder but was stopped in his tracks. Temari turned immediately towards him leveling him a stormy look but Shikamaru wasn’t moved, he was annoyed and upset and he wanted her to know it. The Lord seemed confused about why he was suddenly stopped and Temari took a step back excusing herself.  She passed by Shikamaru wordlessly to the balcony. Once she was outside and out of his clutches, he released his shadow causing the Lord to fall forward on his face. He smirked then followed after her. 

 “That didn’t last long.” Naruto laughed to the redhead Kazekage.  They'd been watching this play out for a while.  

“Well that particular Lord deserved it. He’s been inquiring about courting her for a while, incessantly, despite Nara’s claim. And the fact that he’s old enough to be our father.” 

“It’s been pretty amusing to see all these confused people coming to dead stops around her.” Any person that came within a foot of her that Shikamaru didn’t know found themselves trapped in his shadow jutsu. The Hokage wasn’t sure whether his friend realized that he was doing it or if it was a gut reaction to keep her safe.

“Hopefully once they’re married this will be less of a problem.”  Temari could be just as jealous and he'd seen her have some not so friendly conversations with different women all night.

“I doubt it, Hinata and I have been married for a while now but I still find myself sending clones to watch her from the shadows but I'm pretty sure that she knows by now."

They shared a laugh but ultimately Garra was happy for his sister.  She’d found someone who would love, care for and protect her, it was the most that he could wish for his sister.  

 “Want to explain to me why you’re being such an asshole tonight?”  Temari demanded the wind whipping around her. Even while in the throes of her anger she was still so dazzling.  He’d been rendered completely still and speechless when he’d first seen her that night.  He was used to her wearing her regular Shinobi garb.  Delicate fabrics wrapped tightly around her, priceless jewels, and exposed skin were overloading his senses.  He wanted to tear off that green dress for a number of reasons, but also because it was replacing all his images of her and that would be distracting in his daily life. He'd always known that she was gorgeous with her sandy blonde hair and teal eyes but to have it so highlighted and on display tonight was killing him.  It only made him more annoyed that other people got to behold her beauty like this, which was meant only for him.  

“Why? Did you want to dance with that guy?”  He replied harshly leaning against the wall.  He really wished that he could smoke.  

She glared at the response.  “Are you serious right now? Do you think that I'm enjoying this?  I’m Suna’s Princess, this is part of my job. Besides if you weren’t sulking in the corner you could have been right there with me instead of trapping everyone in your shadows like some petty child.”

Surprised she was caught in his shadow and placed against the wall his warm body caging her in.  She knew that she had pushed him and that he was upset but a part of her was thrilled to be 'trapped' like this.  She could overpower him if she wanted but she was safe and she wanted to see what he would do. 

“Yes, you may be their princess, but you’re mine. Call it possessive or chauvinistic if you want but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re mine and no one else gets to touch you.”  In any other situation with any other person, she would have destroyed him but this was her Shikamaru, her usually calm, lazy nin. To see him so fierce and passionate, his normally soft eyes firey only made her feel wanted.  She reached forward his shadows allowing her to move so that she could wrap her arms around his neck.

“Shika, I love you, only you. These other people, Lords, shinobi or whoever doesn’t matter to me.  I’m here with you, I'm wearing your clan’s crest sewn into this dress against my heart. You’re mine, just as much as I am yours, never forget that.”  He picked her up to pull her into a kiss her legs wrapping around his waist, desperately needing to remind himself that no one could take her away. They’d been through too much together to ever be apart.  He’d happily start a war if he needed to, just to keep her.

He scattered kisses along her neck in apology not caring if they left marks for the world to see.  “I’m sorry. You’re an important figure to Suna and I’ll have to share you sometimes, but it doesn’t mean that I have to like it. But, I can learn to handle it better.”  He mumbled knowing that he was being childish and that this wouldn't be the first time.

Her hands gently played with his hair.  “That’s why I wanted you here. I want people to know that you’re the most important person in my life.  That I chose you and I’m proud to stand next to you.”

“Really?”  He asked unsure.

Temari kissed him sweetly.  “Baby, we’ve gotta work on your confidence.  You’re the Hokage’s adviser, you’re from a storied, respected clan, your jutsu is strong, your contributions during the war are known far and wide.  You are good, kind and loyal. I had to put my claim on you before someone else tried to take you from me. Never think that you’re less than anyone in that room.  I’m lucky that you’re mine.” She assured him kissing him fiercely and possessively. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t seen the ladies of Suna eyeing him while he pouted and sulked.  He looked incredibly handsome tonight clothed in a fitted suit that she had specially made for him that incorporated traditional Suna fashion. She was glad that he didn’t realize how attractive he was or else she’d have a lot more talking to's by the council because of her behavior.  

After a few more kisses, and shared promises about what the night would hold for them after the event they returned to the ballroom and he remained steadfast by her side.  He was charming and intelligent, his presence only elevating the guests’ feelings and experiences in Suna. He wanted Temari to shine and so he reflected all the greatness and glory that was within her.   His hand was warm and ever-present on her back, his figure looming over her like a shadow. She felt safe and protected under his watchful gaze and no one dared cross his path. He may not particularly enjoy politics but he knew how to play the game well.  By the end of the night, no one could question her choosing him, a ninja from another village with little title or status, as her mate.  

 “I think that we’ve gotta invite you to these things more often Nara. People were impressed.” Kankuro toasted him before they both took a drink. The guests had all left but the Konoha delegation remained along with the Sand siblings for the after-party.  Temari seated comfortably in Shikamaru’s lap playing with his hair while the group enjoyed more food and drinks relaxing by a fire under the desert sky. 

“I had to pick up a lot of broken hearts after they found out you were with my sister and after she threatened to exile them from the country,” Kankuro added with a grin knowing that she’d take the bait. 

“Shut up Kankuro.” She growled about to jump and attack her brother till Shikamaru’s arms wrapped around her waist pulling her back into his lap. 

“Didn’t know you felt that way about me Trouble.” He teased her and Kankuro took that as his opportunity to get out of harm’s way. 

She pouted and blushed before ducking her face into his neck. 

“I wasn’t jealous.”  She mumbled. He just chuckled before turning her gaze back towards him.  She couldn’t help but smile at the way his eyes shined in amusement. He was very much her Prince.  While she had no illusions of what being a Princess meant for her she couldn't help but feel that she had earned him and their fairy tale. 

“I love you.”  He told her simply and while she’d heard those words many times before they always filled her such an immense feeling of joy.  

“I love you too.”  It wasn’t always easy being with the Suna Princess, famed Sand Kunoichi and wind mistress, but he wouldn’t trade her for the world.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21393019

[chemicalmagecraft]

Foresight is 20/20 Chapter 2

I don't know how long I was out for. When I first came to, my head felt even fuzzier than it normally does when I wake up. "He's up," a voice said when my eyes opened a bit. I saw that I was probably in a hospital, then groaned and went back to sleep.

kukukuku~

I groaned again. Did I mention how much I hate mornings? Because I hate mornings. "Kouki-kun," some old guy said.

"Ten more minutes," I mumbled, my eyes still closed.

"I'm not surprised he's exhausted," someone else said. His voice sounded familiar. "Multiple C-class wind jutsu, one borderline A-class jutsu, and using an unknown dojutsu for an unknown period of time... how does he have those kinds of reserves at his age? Even with the enhanced reserves that a Kekkei Genkai usually grants, that's still absurd. He must have done some serious training."

I cracked my eyes open. "Hokage-sama, Hyuuga-sama," I greeted the two men on the side of my bed, then closed my eyes again.

Wait.

I bolted upright. "Hokage-sama! Hyuuga-sama!" I understood what Hiashi was doing here, considering the fact that I saved his daughter, but what was the Hokage doing here? I gripped the sheets. "Why are you here?"

Sarutobi laughed. "I mean, you did single-handedly stop an international incident. Plus, I do believe that Hyuuga-san here might want to thank you for how you saved his daughter."

"Yes," Hiashi agreed, then bowed. "I am in your debt. Not only for saving my daughter, but we heard from Kumogakure that the ninja you stopped had a backup plan in case of his death that would have led to exactly what you described, so I owe you my life as well. Oh, and don't worry. The conspirators who organized the whole thing weren't planning on you to meddle, so the Raikage was able to find and defuse the ruse rather easily." Huh, so he was just a high-ranking Kumo nin or something. "I'm still going to be upping security at my clan compound, but you should probably be safe."

"Speaking of that," the Hokage butted in, "the Raikage retroactively declared the jonin you fought to be a missing-nin, and asked me to give his bounty to the person who stopped him, the one the missing-nin called the 'demon child.' That's you, Kouki-kun." He handed me a storage scroll that I assumed held the money.

"Demon child," I said, then licked my lips in a purposefully creepy manner, which caused Sarutobi to shudder. Right, Orochimaru. "I like the ring of that." I inspected the scroll and opened it. As I suspected, there was a seal on it, but I didn't know how to use it...

"That's a storage scroll. Shinobi use it to carry things that they don't have space for. Put a light amount of chakra into and you'll be able to feel and take out its contents or put things in if you have any," Sarutobi told me.

I did as he said and took out a large wad of money. I held it out to Hiashi. "He probably would've killed me if you showed up when you did, even though I hurt him."

He shook his head and gently pushed my hand back to the scroll I took the money from. "I am the head of a rich clan and you're an orphan. Not to mention, I did say that I owe you. I actually put some money of my own in there."

I sealed the money back in the scroll, then paused as I remembered the splatter of blood. "I chopped off a man's leg," I said in horror.

"The man was trying to kidnap a young girl and would have had her father executed," the Hokage said. "You did nothing wrong."

"Actually, it's Hyuga-san's twin brother who would have been executed in his place, so it was his fate that I averted," I said. Well, if it was already established I had some sort of foresight, I might as well use it to push my agenda. "Your father would have used the Caged Bird Seal as an excuse to send him instead because that way the Byakugan wouldn't fall into their hands." I glared at Hiashi and he flinched. "It makes you wonder why it would be used to protect the Byakugan if all of the important family members don't have it."

Sarutobi cleared his throat. "Moving on... You have an ability called a dojutsu. It's a very special eye power passed down from parent to child, like the Byakugan. However, we have no records of any eyes like yours and, because we don't know who your parents were, no way of knowing where it came from. All we really know is that it seemed to grant you knowledge of future events." Well I knew that author me gave it to me so I'd have an excuse for knowing the future, but it's not like I could say that. "We will have to do some tests on it, but there's a high possibility that this will be an S-rank village secret." Hiashi stared at him. "He exhibited precognition far enough into the future to know the repercussions of you killing a man before it happened, and with enough time to understand what was happening and prevent it. We don't know the extent of it, but we do know that it could be very dangerous in the wrong hands, but even more advantageous in the right hands. Do I have to worry about your shinobi telling others about it?"

Hiashi shook his head. "I doubt they'll have said anything, and I can tell them to keep quiet. Really, we only have to worry about if anyone saw Kouki-kun's eyes on the way to my compound." I thought about it for a moment, licked my lips, and channeled a small amount of chakra into my eyes. I felt the same fuzzy feeling in them as before and my vision suddenly doubled, brightened, and... turned a little green for some reason. Weird. "Remarkable," one of the Hiashis said. "Remarkable," the other Hiashi agreed.

I heard a sigh and my own voice said, "This is going to take some getting used to." I sighed and said, "This is going to take some getting used to." I closed my eyes (then closed my eyes) and focused on three particular events, just to see if I could see them. Three scenes flashed in my head one by one. Naruto confronting Mizuki. Sarutobi's final fight with Orochimaru. Naruto telling Kakashi about his talk with his father. I cut off the chakra flow to my eyes and opened them to see only one of each person in the room.

"Only two people would have really been able to get a good look at my eyes," I said, "and I wouldn't worry about either of them. One is my friend and the other is the jonin who I... stopped. Obviously, the jonin telling people about me having freaky eyes will be taken with a grain of salt, and he might even end up deciding he doesn't remember the fight right because of the pain. As for my friend, nobody but me will talk to him, so it shouldn't be too bad." I then turned to glare at Sarutobi. "Speaking of which, I'd like to ask when you were planning on telling him, Hokage-sama." You know how sometimes people say things like honorifics and titles like they're actually horrible, horrible insults? I said the "-sama" like that.

"What are you talking about?" Sarutobi asked me.

I steepled my fingers and did the... I think it was called the Gendo Ikari pose? "I'm not sure exactly how your law works, so I don't know what I am and am not allowed to say, but let's just say... I know exactly what the Fourth did to his son."

He paled.

"The fourth Hokage didn't-" Hiashi began to say, but was interrupted when Sarutobi raised his hand.

"How do you-" I flashed my eyes and he sighed (and he sighed). "Right. I was planning on telling Naruto about the Kyuubi when he became a ninja, or on his thirteenth birthday if he wasn't yet a ninja. As for his father, I was planning on telling him either when he reached chunin or when he turned sixteen, which is also when Minato's will stated he'd get his inheritance."

"That's... actually a great plan," I told him, and relaxed back into my bed, "except for the part where a traitor told him the first bit... or will tell him the first bit after using him to get that one forbidden scroll thing. The second bit he'll learn when a failsafe on his seal trips after the Kyuubi almost comes out due to an S-class missing-nin turning Konoha literally into a crater that he could've prevented had some traitor cough Danzo cough not stabbed a frog." I actually said the word cough there, by the way. "Yes, you couldn't have predicted either of those events," I clenched my fists, "but could you at least have made sure that his deadbeat godfather-who, by the way, I'm eventually going to have to have a long, hard talk involving lots of jutsu exploding in his face sometime in the future-sit him down for a little chat in the eventuality of your not-untimely death, perhaps in the invasion that happens during his first chunin exam."

I sneered at how his face grew progressively more horrified as I talked. "Now, I am planning on doing my best to stop those horrible things from happening, which I'm going to just assume that I have your full cooperation for, but that's not even all that happens to Naruto, believe it or not, or has happened for that matter. None of the children at the orphanage who aren't me will play with him or even go near him because some of the adults keep telling us he's a monster." I paused, then, with a laugh, I said, "I think it's a little hypocritical but what do I know, except several village secrets and future events? I'm also pretty sure that pretty much every parent keeps telling their kids how EEEEEEEVIIIIIIIL Naruto is, which probably won't be good for him." As I spoke, Sarutobi slumped further in his chair.

"Well shit," Hiashi muttered, absolutely floored.

Sarutobi just stared at me for a bit. "...Your dojutsu is about as powerful as I thought, perhaps even more so," he said after a while. "While it will not be an official position, I would like you to be my advisor. You shall be allowed to speak to me at any time without question. Now, I believe we should think of a name for your dojutsu."

I thought about it for a moment with closed eyes, then said, "Shoraigan."

"Tomorrow eye," Hiashi said. "A fitting name. It's funny, I was going to suggest that exact same name." He paused. "Unless you took my suggestion before I could say it." I smiled cheekily at him and very slowly licked my lips. The face he made at that was so funny you guys. You should've seen it. I could almost hear the gears in his head working overtime. He opened his mouth a few times as if trying to think of something to say to that, then sighed and said, "So what was that jutsu that you used on the jonin? I heard you say 'wind release,' but how could a child use wind release? For that matter, how do you know how to use chakra so well?"

"I actually don't remember how or when I first learned how to use chakra. I just remember a leaf falling on my forehead and using chakra on it." Technically true... "I managed to learn about a few different chakra exercises and did them until I got really good at them. One of those was a wind chakra exercise or something, and I just made two jutsu from that. My skill's probably got at least something to do with my eyes, now that I think about it."

"You... made two jutsu?" Sarutobi asked.

"Actually, I made three. The first one, which I call Cat Claws Jutsu, is just something I made so I could mark my progress with the tree walking." I demonstrated my Cat Claws Jutsu, my fingernails sheathing themselves in the blue glow of chakra. "Then I added wind chakra to it, which I call Wind Release: Dragon Claws Jutsu." I added the wind chakra, making absolutely sure that my greatly elongated claws weren't anywhere close to their bodies. I let it dissolve after they were able to get a good look at it. "The other one I was hoping to make a ranged attack. It worked, but it didn't have as much power as I was hoping. I called it Wind Release: Mini Air Slash. I'm hoping to make a bigger variant in the future and call that one Wind Release: Air Slash."

"That's a remarkable amount of skill for someone as young as you," Sarutobi said. "I certainly think that you'll make a great ninja. Well, I suppose that that's all the two of us really need to talk to you about. Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

"Do your other advisors, Utatane-san and Mitokado-san, know of me?" I asked him.

He winced. "Not yet, no."

"Could you please keep it that way? They aren't actively traitorous, or at least I don't think they are with what I know of them, but they still follow Danzo's teachings too much for my comfort."

"Yes..." he said. "I've noticed that they've been getting worse for a while. I really should do something about them. Rest assured, it won't get to them unless you want it to."

"Thanks, I would also going to ask what my eyes looked like because I would need a mirror to see them, but it might not be safe for me to use them near a mirror, what with the whole S-class secret thing."

"They are very distinctive," Hiashi told me. "First there's the markings under your eyes."

"I actually already know about the markings under my eyes unless using the Shoraigan changed them."

"They didn't seem to change when you used your Shoraigan, so you should be fine there. As for the eyes themselves, the sclera-that's the part of your eye that's normally white-turns pitch black!" Wow, he was actually giving me this really excited smile. Guess he really likes eyes. "And the other two parts? They actually glow! The iris, which is the colorful part of your eye, turns from hazel to a shining emerald! And your pupils! Those-by the way, pupils are the black part you actually see out of-those turn white and glow even brighter! You could probably even use them to see in the dark!"

"Okay, thanks," I said. "I'm pretty sure I have a good picture of what it looks like now. I think we're done here now, could you just tell Naruto I'm here so I can deal with him?"

"Actually, you're probably going to get discharged soon, so you might as well meet him at the orphanage," Sarutobi said. "Make sure to tell him that your eyes are a secret. You can tell him what you can do, though. He might as well know." With that, he and Hiashi got up and left.

kukukuku~

"So yeah, that's what happened," I told Naruto the next day. We were hiding behind the orphanage and I had made absolutely sure that nobody would notice us.

"So that's why your eyes were-mmph!" He started to shout before I clamped my hand over his mouth.

"It's a secret to everyone!" I whisper-shouted, and then was tempted to hand him some money for some reason. "Yes, it's why my eyes were weird. Please don't tell anyone about my weird eyes without my permission. Make totally, completely sure that you don't. Tell. Anyone. There's a guy in the village who likes getting people with abnormal powers in his secret army and he's not above killing people so he can remove their eyeballs."

Naruto gaped at that. "Shouldn't you tell Hokage-jiji that?"

"Hokage-sama knows, it's just that the guy is really good at covering his tracks, so he hasn't managed to nail him yet. Now, how's your wind release going?" He grinned and took a leaf cut cleanly in half out of his pocket, which caused me to lick my lips and grin as well. "I'll take that as 'good.' Try combining it with Cat Claws Jutsu now. When you can do Wind Release: Dragon Claws Jutsu, then I'll teach you Wind Release: Mini Air Slash. You're doing awesome, man." He beamed at me and started with the claws.

While he was doing that, I tilted my head to the side as, if on cue, someone called my name. "I have to go now. Remember not to use that on a person unless they're already attacking you, and be especially careful with it. I cut off that guy's leg, remember?" He nodded, still focusing on his claws. I think I saw a flicker of wind chakra before I left. When I made my way to where I heard my name being called, I saw Hiashi standing next to one of the caretakers of the orphanage that I never bothered to learn the name of. "Why did you need me?" I asked him.

"What the hell'd you do to get Hyuuga frickin' Hiashi to ask to adopt you specifically, kid?" the caretaker said.

"I saved his daughter," I boasted.

"What?"

"He saved my daughter," Hiashi said. "Plus, he displayed exceptional potential with ninjutsu that I would like to have developed. Honestly, it would be a crime for me not to adopt him." He ever-so-subtly smirked at me.

"Okay, sir. Whatever you say. The kid's a little odd and he only ever talks to that demon brat, but if you wanna be his dad and he wants to be your kid, then whatever."

Hiashi turned to me. "What do you say, Kouki-kun? Would you like to be my son?"

I made a show of thinking about it, then said, "You don't have any problems with me hanging out with Naruto-kun, do you?"

"If you keep him from being too disruptive, I'll even let you bring him over to the clan compound."

I gave an exaggerated bow. "Then I would be honored to become part of your family. Do you mind if I have a little talk with you alone?"

"Not at all. Just take me to somewhere private we can talk."

I led us to my room, which was empty. I looked at Hiashi, then pointed at my eyes. He got the memo, activated his Byakugan for a few seconds, then nodded. I activated my Shoraigan, looked to make sure nothing bad would happen, then deactivated it. I then jumped onto my bed, looked roughly to where the Fourth Wall was, and said, "Getting adopted by the leader of an influential clan in the second chapter. That's pretty convenient, Me."

"Why are you talking to nobody?" Hiashi asked me with a bit of worry.

"Who said I was talking to nobody?" I licked my lips.

Again, he just opened his mouth as if trying to think of something to say, and then just changed the subject to, "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Was that stuff that you said the real reason?" I asked, and shifted up to sitting cross-legged.

"Officially it is, but..."

"Unofficially?" He nodded and was about to say something when I sat up and said, "Wait! Sorry, but could I have a go at that first?"

He nodded again. "If you want to."

"What you said was true, but there's also the fact that Hokage-sama doesn't want me unguarded on account of my eyes and it'd raise too much suspicion to have people randomly start tailing me if I'm an orphan, even if I'm close to the Kyuubi Jinchuriki. But nobody would bat an eye at the clan leader whose daughter was just the target of an attempted kidnapping upping security at his clan compound, even if he also adopted an orphan recently and especially if that orphan was the one who saved his daughter's life and could therefore possibly be part of security. Furthermore, Hokage-sama would prefer I get trained so I can better defend myself in the event of someone trying to kidnap me, which being adopted into a ninja clan would easily facilitate. Also, I have a dojutsu so the both of you decided that it'd be good to have me have ready access to an experienced dojutsu user that knows about my eyes so I can ask any questions I can think of, which would be you or maybe another Hyuuga in the know."

He chuckled. "That... was exactly it. You don't mind pretending to secretly be one of Hinata-chan's bodyguards when not in school, do you?"

"Nyahahaha~!" I laughed. Yes, I laugh weird sometimes. Shut up. "That'd be pretty cool, actually! It's gonna be like a disguise within a disguise!"

"It is a disguise within a disguise. Our hope is that it just looks like I'm being paranoid over how my daughter was just kidnapped."

"Children getting kidnapped isn't a bad thing to be paranoid about, especially for a father." I thought for a moment. "If I'm going to be Hinata-chan's 'bodyguard,' I should probably get some proper training in ninjutsu, maybe some genjutsu, and some sort of chakra-sensing jutsu if that's possible. Chakra sensing just seems like a bodyguard sort of power, y'know?"

"I can see why that'd be useful to a bodyguard. I know for a fact that most Hyuuga have the aptitude to learn sensory jutsu and many Uchiha do as well, so you might thanks to your Shoraigan. You do realize that you're going to have to actually learn all of these skills, though."

"Ah, but that's my master plan!" I joked. "This way you have to teach me jutsu! Nyahahaha~! Also, maybe I could learn some medical ninjutsu? That seems like a really good thing for a bodyguard to know. I mean, I'd certainly like my hypothetical bodyguard to be able to heal me."

"Again, you're going to have to actually learn how to do it, but I could arrange that. There have actually been a few good Hyuuga surgeons in recent years. Our eyes are very good for the work."

"Neat," I said. "Alright, I should probably pack my stuff up or something, shouldn't I?"

"That seems like a good idea, yes. Would you like some help?"

I smiled. "Sure."

[translationandbetrayals]

Uchiha Itachi, a savior in the shadows

SPOILER ALERT!!, if you haven't finished watching Naruto, please refrain from reading.

To contextualize, this character comes from the manga serie called ¨Naruto¨, written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, having its first publication in September 1999. This work tells the story of a ninja called Naruto Uzumaki, who has a goal and this is to become Hokage, that is, leader of the village, with the main purpose of being recognized by all the people of the village as someone important within it. Later, in October 2002, ¨Naruto¨ was published in his animated version by the director Hayato Date.

The village known as ¨Hidden Leaf Village¨ or Konoha (Konohagakure), it's composed of several ninja clans, among these is one of the most influential in the story of the serie, the Uchiha clan, which was part of village foundation in conjunction with Senju clan. The Uchiha clan have the particularity of make up the Konoha military police, having a very important role in the order of this. The Uchiha are very respected and it could be said that also are feared, as they are known to have a Kekkei Genkai (Bloodline Limit) called Sharingan, which is a visual technique (Dōjutsu), that grants abilities such as: seeing people's chakra flow, which can be useful to see chakra reserves, if it's alterated, among other utilities; an improvement in reflexes with this a better vision of the combat scenarios to be able to eventually come before, because the Sharingan sends images of the movements that are being visualized in advance to the brain. Some ninjas with this power have a more advanced illusion technique (Genjutsu). Sharingan evolves progressively, based mainly in the user training, is also known that characters who possess this power, awaken the Sharingan when they experience based on the loss of love or despair, thus causing a certain amount of chakra to break out in a sector of the brain that affects the optic nerves.

When talking about the Uchiha, it's almost impossible not to think about Itachi, as he was a very influential ninja in the story of the series, he is also one of the most outstanding and skilled members of the clan, being considered a prodigy ninja by many. Itachi Uchiha, son of Mikoto and Fugaku (leader of the clan and the military police) and older brother of Sasuke Uchiha, from a young age was a first-class student, graduating from the academy in advance, since having all the knowledge and skills and even more advanced than required, there was no point in it being there.

During his childhood, he always had a more mature vision in relation to life itself, constantly questioning topics as broad as life and death, the purpose of living, the reason for wars, among other unknowns that children hardly ever wonder. It's very hard and sad to think about everything Itachi lived when he was little, since on the one hand, he was present in the third ninja world war with only 4 years old, he also had to witness the death of one of his teammates when he was only a Genin, which incidentally was the cause of the awakening of his Sharingan, on the other hand it's not normal for a child to have to try to answer those questions described above, rather those are questions that adults frequent asking themselves. These experiences made Itachi's personality very peaceful, serene, but it should be noted that he was always a very sweet boy.

There was a very important event to understand some of the twists and turns in Itachi's life and this was the attack by the Nine Tailed Fox or Kyūbi on Konoha as a result of the action of a supposed Madara Uchiha (the masked ninja), this happened when he was just a child. As a result of the partial destruction of the village, there was a restructuring and relocation of the ninja clans and the Uchiha were literally aparted, which generated total discontent on the part of the clan. Part of the discontent is also due to the fact that never in the history of the village have there been "Hokages" from the clan, and considering that there have been empowered ninjas, such as Fugaku.

Itachi & Shisui

Itachi was one of the few clan members to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan and this was because of having witnessed the suicide of his best friend. Itachi's best friend is called Shisui, who also belongs to the clan and like Itachi, he is a formidable ninja, very talented and powerful, even his Sharingan is considered to be one of the most powerful, but unlike Itachi, he was older than him. It should be noted that in his first appearance in the serie, he already had the rank of Jonin (the highest rank of ninja before the Hokage). Itachi and Shisui had a great philosophy in common, which was to end the fights and wars, in short, that there would be peace and thus not have to live more unnecessary deaths, they had the authentic will of the first hokage, the will of fire. As a personal appreciation, I have always considered that Kishimoto should have given more continuity and image to Shisui, since it only appears in some memories and in ¨Itachi Shinden¨ of ¨Naruto Shippuden¨ and for many (I include myself) he is a very beloved character despite of his minimal appearance in the serie.

The Massacre

At the age of 10 he had already passed the Chunin exams and shortly afterwards, at the request of his father, he entrusted him with the mission of joining the ANBU ranks. It should be noted that as a result of the discontent in Uchiha clan, they were planning to carry out a coup, so the father wanted Itachi to be a spy taking advantage of his influence as ANBU and at the age of 13, Itachi was already Captain of the ANBU units. Fugaku without knowing, Itachi was also being a spy for Konoha, so he was playing a double spy role. The authorities of Konoha, that is, the third Hokage (Sandaime), the advisers and Danzo, knowing that the coup d'état was imminent, entrusted the mission to Itachi to report everything that was planned and it is known that this coup This state was only going to lead to an upcoming ninja war, so Itachi started spying on his own clan and providing the information to Konoha. After this, Danzo meets with Itachi to inform him that he had to make a decision, clearly opposing what the Third wanted (which was a peaceful solution), this duality was to join the clan in the coup and die together with they either exterminate the entire clan, save Sasuke and become a traitor and criminal ninja. With the above, Itachi was already tasked with saving the village and being a hero in the dark.

To exterminate the clan, Itachi asked to the supposed Madara Uchiha for help, with the deal that he offered to assassinate the clan only if the latter didn't attack the village again, after consensus, they proceeded to the total extermination of the Uchiha, except of his little brother Sasuke. After that event, Itachi meets with the Third Hokage and informs him that he would leave the village to join Akatsuki to watch over the supposed Madara and also to that organization, thus helping the village again and thus showing that he's an ally.

Akatsuki and Fourth World War

During his time in Akatsuki, Itachi always pretended to be a cold person, but little by little he gained the confidence of his companions based on his "loyalty" and his good ability as a sensory ninja. In one of his missions, he had to go to Konoha to collect information about the Orochimaru's attack and also about the Jinchuriki of the Kyubi, however, Itachi never intended to take Naruto, rather, he went to see the state of the village, showing his concern to know how Sasuke was, in turn showing the advisers that he was still alive.

Much later, in ¨Naruto Shippuden¨, Itachi dies at the hands of Sasuke, just as he wished (so he dies with a smile on his face) in order to tell him part of what happened in his life through a genjutsu and at the same time to be able to grant him an improvement in his ocular powers.

During the development of the Fourth War, Itachi was revived through the Edo Tensei (Reincarnation of the impure world), invoked by Kabuto and manages to free himself from the control of the latter with the help of Shisui's left eye (thanks to the raven that once been inside Naruto), after this Itachi goes directly to the hideout where Kabuto was, to confront him and stop the jutsu, in the course, he meets Sasuke and this last one begins to follow him. Once they arrive at the place, they both face Kabuto and manage to defeat him thanks to Izanami and by subjecting him to a genjutsu, he shows them the seals to stop the jutsu. Before Itachi returned to the pure world, he manages to convey his real feelings to Sasuke for the first time, having an emotional farewell. With this it can be seen that Itachi was one more ally in the war (something that was seen barely get out of the control of the Edo tensei user) and again affirm that he is a great savior in the ninja world.

Personal appreciation and conclusion

In short, there are plenty of facts to assert that Itachi was a true savior in the shadows of the ninja world, despite all the treasonous actions, he was literally a kid who had to deal with the problems of adults, having to go through traumatic experiences, that they made him a very resilient character. I really consider that he was very brave to have to leave behind his blood ties to be able to ensure the peace of the village, in addition to having to be very strong mentally to lie to his own brother throughout the story to protect it. In addition, Itachi is the full image of a person who puts the well-being of his neighbor above his own, who undoubtedly reflects loyalty to Konoha and love for his brother, which at the same time is the fundamental aspect of his personality.

"A life borns... a life dies... but a life can be saved".

Bastian Miranda H

[keepyourpantsongohan]

Ayesha Liveblogs Naruto Shippuden S21

What a tender intro omg also why is this filler so well animated

The introduction of modern technology will never not be funny to me. Kakashi on a laptop. Gaara sending emails. What has the ninja world come to 

I know it’s just superfluous background motion but that angry little cat design was amazing. Takes me tf out 

Hello again New English Iruka Voice time to feel slightly uncomfortable 

Doesn’t Inuyasha have a monopoly on this baby with a red ball imagery

Why! Is! No one! Making sure! Naruto is fed! He’s a baby!!!!!!

Naruto and Sasuke were such adorable children my heart

SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN THE FAMILY WHERE ONE OF THE CHILDREN IS JUST A FROG? WHO IS DOING THESE BACKGROUND ANIMATIONS?????

In case you thought I wasn’t being literal:

[Accompanying dialogue to this image: “Did you hear the rumours that Lord Fourth died because of him?” WHO IS THIS FROG CHILD WITH A VENDETTA AGAINST MINATO]

This ninja cowboy music seems slightly misplaced but okay

Hiruzen. U r the literal ninja president. Naruto is foraging in the forest for food bc no one is taking care of him! How r u like ‘Hahah I’m hungry too :D’ 

“The things that we inconsequential humans worry about are often very petty indeed” “You’re right” It’s Philosophy Hours ft. Pre-Schoolers 

“Are you sure these mushrooms are safe to eat? “Won’t know ‘til we eat ‘em” HIRUZEN PICK UP THE PHONE 

SCREAMS FIVE YEAR OLD NARUTO JUST JUMPED OFF THE HOKAGE MONUMENT AHHHHHH

I miss Neji :((((((((((((((((

“Please make sure that you look after Neji” show us Neji’s mum you cowards!!!

“You have to be more positive, and confident!” Nejiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii my boy

“I wish that I could switch places with you, big brother” There’s a lot to unpack here and I’m wildly concerned about all of it. This episode ought to be titled Konoha Desperately Requires Child Welfare Programs

Making an mini-episode which largely depicts Neji’s tragic backstory and centring its ending on Hinata seems like an odd angle to take

 “I’m alone. I don’t have anyone, but I never cry” NARUTOOOOO

KJHFKJHG THIS NINJA BASEBALL OUTRO I LOVE IT 

SASUKE USING HIS SHARINGAN TO CHEAT AT BASEBALL I WHEEZE

Also not that I don’t like Genma but why is he a central figure in this ending. Has he had more than a single conversation with Naruto in his life

Lmao @ Sasuke and Itachi’s child versions going back to having their adult voices. Pick a lane SP!!!

“Things in season are always cheap and tasty” “Oh, is that so, Sasuke? Hahaha” Sasuke learning about the ninja economy

“We’re going to visit your mother’s family” Two questions: 1) Aren’t your families the same family (eep) and 2) Don’t they all live in the same part of the village

90% of this dialogue is recycled from prior episodes except delivered more slowly and it’s a little confusing 

Itachi sure knows a lot about cooking for an eleven-year-old 

Sasuke being a clumsy child is such a cute character detail ahhhh I love him so much 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

“[Confused laughter] You want to be like me?” What a Mood Itachi

Sakura’s hideout in the woods is so sweet yes 2 semi-normal childhoods

Poor little Sakura already concerned about her appearance they never let girls live do they

“You’re really cute Sakura, don’t hide it” Ino and Sakura are the most adorable children in the WORLD I love their relationship 4ever

“If she’s cute like you say, then I would love to meet her” who will stop all men

“But Ino, aren’t you good friends with Sakura?” “No, not really” Okay not to project but. I have a lot of thoughts on this narrative 

GASP Inner Sakura’s first appearance!!

Tiny Team 7 is all I need in the world honestly I would watch a whole show that was just those three growing up

I have only just now noticed Suigetsu as third baseman. This ninja baseball game and season in general raise so many questions

Noooo Gaara don’t cry you are gonna be so loved in the future

Rasa, can I just say, from the bottom of my heart, I’m going to yeet you into the sun

“When I look up at the sky, the pain inside my heart feels a little bit better” He’s like 4!!!!!!! >:(

“Instead of a mother, you get to have me, Lord Gaara” Yashamaru: Self-Diagnosed Mumncle 

Ngl baby Gaara’s recollection of Karura is nothing like she looked like

I really don’t care for this new Iruka voice I just keep listening to him like ‘that’s not the sound of Naruto’s dad!!’

I will admit him spooking the sleeping children was cute I don’t know why I always find that so funny kjhgkjhg

“Let me buy into this fight” who taught seven-year-old Naruto to gamble

Christ alive the implication that Naruto has been doing the sexy jutsu since he was seven who will put this boy in ninja therapy

If Orochimaru had just continued to be Jiraiya’s long-suffering friend he might be half-endearing but alas he is fecal matter personified 

“Come on out, I made plenty, so you might as well stay and eat” Hjgjfjgfgffg I’m not sure what’s funnier about this scene the implication that Obito and Rin both independently followed Kakashi home without noticing each other, or that Kakashi did notice and rather than question this turn of events was just like “Guess I should make more fish”

“When you’re older, do you think you’ll become a chef” I would pay to see the AU where Kakashi becomes a professional chef why couldn’t that have been his Road to Ninja persona 

Ngl I spent the first half of Kakashi’s minisode wondering if Sakumo was dead or simply too depressed to take care of Kakashi and I think dead is the less upsetting outcome 

“It’s no fun when you’re not around, Kakashi” Obitooooooooooooooo

I’m not saying it’s suspicious that Sakumo is given two different depictions of his grave site in the anime but Sakumo fucked an alien and I stand by that statement 

All I remember from Sasuke Shinden is that a character called Sasuke “Sassy” as a nickname and if they do that in the Eng dub I won’t survive

“[Deep sigh] Alright Sakura, what is it?” Fhfjhfkjh what’s your damage Kakashi can’t your kids come to visit when people start exploding

God Sakura and Ino’s relationship is the realest.... she went to the Hokage bc her gal was worried abt her family friend and then comforted her from her loss... the looooooooove

Hinata not to devalue your work in any way but why did u collapse after poking one (1) man in the chakra point isn’t gentle fist based in taijutsu

Fhjfhkjhf I’ve seen that gif before of Kakashi knowing that Sakura was thinking about Sasuke but it’s still funny

Sasuke just hanging in the woods with kittycats what kinda redemption journey is this lmao

Ehehehe I’m still not over the fact that Sasuke recognizes Sai’s jutsu and Kakashi uses it to communicate like there are six members of team 7 and this arc PROVES IT HELL YEAH

I can’t believe I forgot the circus ninja oh my god 

“There’s good money to be found for performers like us” MOVE OVER EXPLODING HUMANS WHERE’S MY EPISODE ABOUT THE NINJA CIRCUS 

Everyone always commenting on the pupils and sclera of the Hyuga and Uchiha but nobody caring about Old Man Demon Eyes from the Bamboo Village:

You’d think at this point no amount of genjutsu could traumatize Sasuke 

They’re leaning wholeheartedly into the ninja cowboy music

That is not how I thought they would pronounce “Sassy” this show is full of twists and turns

“What about reviving the Uchiha clan? You’re the lone survivor right?” said Chino, inquiring about when Sasuke was planning to have vaginal sex

“You really think you’re going to find him inside that seriously scary looking cave?” GASP IT’S TENZO TIME

AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE IT’S MY BOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

“You’re Sasuke, right?” asked Yamato, as if Sasuke had not provided the memorable introduction of stabbing a seasoned ANBU in the shoulder as a sixteen-year-old during a dramatic reunion with his team

“It would be easier for us to keep things coordinated, if you sent us progress reports as you went...” Okay not to be that gal but I love that Tenzo and Kakashi are an “us” in this mini-lecture about how Sasuke should call his father (Kakashi) more often

P sure that’s Yamato’s last speaking role goodbye sweet man we knew ye well

“So does this mean that you trust me?” GO TO JAIL OROCHIMARU

Every time that Orochimaru touches Sasuke I want to leap through the screen you leave that boy alone!!! Go! To! Jail!

Sasuke having to explain his social life to Taka is a dynamic I never knew I needed. What more do I want from Naruto than frames like this:

"By showing everyone that Sasuke isn’t in the Hidden Leaf Village and that he’s still out journeying around the world, it reduces the possibility that the village will be harmed” “So are you saying that Sasuke has to keep travelling forever” “That might be so” I can’t believe the entirety of Taka came up with a better explanation for Sasuke staying outside Konoha than Kishimoto himself

“Compared to me, the likelihood that Kabuto will return to evil is extremely low”

He still helped kill......... 40,000 people????? Okay dude

I CAN’T BELIEVE OROCHIMARU IS ACKNOWLEDGING HE IS STILL EVIL!!!! GO TO JAIL!!

I’m gonna pretend I don’t see Tenzo following Stranger Danger and he’s on vacation on a beach where he belongs

Fhjkhfkjhfkj what’s the meaning of this Orochimaru you’ve looked the same since you were 25:

Sasuke: No. She’s older than I am

Orochimaru: [Soft gasp] What?

Man I remember vaguely Sasuke being involved in this fight based on the Tenzo novel scene later on but hoo boy I do not like this

SCREAMMMM TENZO TRYING TO PROTECT PPL IN THE AREA HE’S HELPING

“I can’t make direct contact with him, so I better go now” I hope it is because you filed a restraining order, Yamato

“To increase the rarity, what I’ve even done is, had all but one person in a clan killed” at this point En Oyashiro is just trying to bait Sasuke

God I love how righteous Sasuke is being rn like this is the kind of dismantling of oppression I wanted for him instead of sad murder times

This battle is bonkers:

Villain: Looks like you brought a sword to a dodgeball fight

Sasuke: Looks like you brought a dodgeball to a magic eyes fight!!

Well I certainly breezed past this part of Sasuke Shinden hello Fushin

I find it hard to believe that anyone but Naruto could best Sasuke rn 

I keep joking that those eyes in the sky look like Tenzo but I’m right and I should say it

What a long, drawn-out and slightly suspicious backstory for Chino (looking at you, Fushin of two personality types)

“But now you’re still able to travel freely... and that is all because you have people who love and protect you” Team 7 cutaway with closeups of Sakura and Naruto, Narusasusaku game strong

“For the Leaf’s nourishment, your entire clan was absorbed by your village’s Roots” wow what a shitty time for such an excellent pun

Unbelievable kkhkjhfk and by this I mean completely believable:  

Chino: Please explain your change of heart re: village corruption

Sasuke: I got a boyfriend

Unbelievable x2:

Chino: KILL ME 

Sasuke: Consider this.... you have.... boy who is friend. Good enough

Chino: Wow Sasuke, you’re right

Lmao @ Kakashi proudly announcing that Sasuke is about to enter an unsanctioned jutsu fight in a bet to free enslaved people how did this letter go “Dear Hokage-dad-Kakashi, I am writing to inform you...”

Even funnier: If Tenzo wrote the letter bc Sasuke is shite at contacting people: “Dear Kakashi-senpai, Brace yourself to be worried and proud—”

“Are you Sasuke’s...” yes Chino, whatever the end of that sentence is, you’re correct

Huh I could’ve sworn at least a good chunk of these freed people go to the Leaf. I didn’t make that conversation up. I have discussed it many times!!! My poor Tenzo cut out for more logical story lines I guess 

Omggggggg the Raikage is telling Sasuke about Naruto’s most vulnerable Sasuke moment..... the love!!! Is this the only reason they invited A lmao

En Oyashiro joining Rasa and Hiashi in the Bad Dad Club

I’ve said this before but Naruto and Sakura going on a date to talk about Sasuke is the most legit representation for their relationship I’ve ever seen that’s it that’s what them dating would be like 

“You’re just like a one man police force” lol @ them cutting out the fact that Sakura said this bc Sakura’s not allowed to have individual connections to Sasuke and also just like....... how much Sasuke still wants to be a cop kjhgkjhgk baby stop

I’ve belatedly realized that Kakashi types to the beat of the intro music and it makes me giggle

“The adult world can be complicated” is that ur way of saying ‘nepotism’ Kakashi

“I’m startin’ to get a belly” “I don’t want to hear about all that” PLS

“You two are really the only ones who are special to me” aw Shikamaru

That slap was A  Lot, Temari, surely there are better ways to tell Shikamaru you want him to be your boyfriend

“You don’t really think that Sai has—” “Well, he is very innocent.” 

Kakashi about Sai: He’s the baby of the family

Sai: I’m the oldest and most experienced of all the youth???

Kakashi: I mark ur ages by when I got you xoxo ur legal age is 3

I’m not sure that that’s the intonation I expected for Hinoko but I guess that’s on me for stereotyping teen girls hahah

“That’s my ninja way” “Our ninja way” I feel like this is shinobi flirtation

The outro with Little Team 7 fading to Big Team 7... I have but one heart

Also the implication that they took a photo immediately post war jhgkjhgkj. Kakashi still has a barely healed stab wound and twenty years of trauma. Sasuke and Naruto both just lost an arm. Also who brought a camera to the battlefield. Who took this picture. (Tenzo waking up from a 224 episode coma: We gotta take a family photo)

“You might consider yourself a member of Team 7, but I wonder if they think the same of you” [Naruto voice] Believe it!!!!!!

“If we just kill the lookouts, it’ll be like easy to get past the checkpoint” okay calm down Soku

Lmao Shikamaru struggling to deal with rebellious teens jhghjkg why are the anime episodes I watch so fitting to my own life

Man not to get 2 real it’s fucked up that Soku fears peace wyd militarism 

I don’t really believe that Soku is deserting the village but it’s a good tactic

[Panning to the bird scene at the beginning of this arc] We call that foreshadowing

Komori’s judgement seems to be clouded by his lowkey crush on Soku

“I’ve just been having these really bizarre dreams lately” that’s PTSD Shikamaru

“Feudal lords are always [tyrants] no matter where you go” then why.... do you have.... feudalism.......... [Tobirama screams in the afterlife]

Not to judge these guys so much but like.... ur ANBU and a veteran ninja surely you should have a disguise after faking your death??????? Kakashi, Iruka, what shinobi standards are you teaching exactly?? U didn’t even change ur hairstyles???

“Something similar happened to me as well” what are you... are you talking about when you pretended to be asleep during the Chunin exams because that’s not the same thing as sleeping under a pile of corpses Shikamaru 

NOOOOOOOOOO SAI WHY ARE THEY HANGING MY ANGEL FROM A CRUCIFIX 

AHHHHHHH I don’t like seeing Sai like this, Kakashi’s right he’s a baby!!

“Let’s just say I’ve found the place where I belong” Fhdjskhfksjhf this is definitely Root Code for something because Kakashi uses this line on Tenzo in his Tsukuyomi dream

“Then why didn’t Naruto come to get me? You and I have never been particularly close, so why were you the one who came here?” LMAO SAI ‘you’re not on my list of eligible rescuers Shikamaru 😒😒😒😒’ 

“Fret not, to me this is but a trifle” said Ro, lying prostrate on the ground in between groans of pain (same)

I mean... Gengo makes some pretty compelling arguments abt the shinobi system

“The alliance of nations that the Leaf is currently a part of... is only going to maintain a dark, tenuous peace” I mean... Gengo’s right even if he is a dick

“Lord Hokage told me everything... and I had a hell of a time getting it out of him too” “I don’t want to know what you did... I don’t even want to imagine it” JHGKJHGKJHG I WANNA SEE TEMARI INTERROGATING A FORMER ANBU, KAGE-LEVEL NINJA I LOVE IT

Wait are these last twelve outros dedicated to each of the rookie teams + Team Guy bc that would be adorable

JHGJHGGHGJHG DO WE ACTUALLY GET TO SEE TEMARI YELL AT KAKASHI

Update from 3 seconds later: We don’t but Kakashi’s “Euh?” sound as she knocks down his door is still very funny

“Friendship is useless” “If that’s true, then why are you crying right now” he’s been taking Sasuke lessons in his spare time

“Do you know of a man named ‘Zabuza Momochi’” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“These are my only friends” said Sai, about two giant cartoon lions 

Sai’s genjutsu scene was actually much sweeter in the book bc Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi and Yamato’s chakra were all protecting him inside his own mind but I don’t mind my boy getting a hug

HAHAHAHAHA WHAT IS THIS CUTAWAY TO NARUTO BATHED IN GOLDEN LIGHT ANNOUNCING “RAMEN” LIKE IT’S A WHOLE SENTENCE OKAY STUDIO PIERROT U NEED A BREAK I GET IT

“What in the hell was that?” that was also my question Shikamaru

Shikamaru with full conviction: To be lazy.... that is my dream 

Hahahaha it’s Ninja Teen Romance Hours I guess

“Oh, you don’t want to [go out on a date]?” No that’s not what I’m saying” [walks away] TEMARI PLS

“Going on a date without a strategy, would be like trying to fight a tailed beast unarmed” [Nodding] “You have zero chance of winning, that way” I suddenly understand Kakashi’s dating life a lot more

They really rely on you being aware of Naruto the Last huh gjkhgkjhgk there’s been no mention in any of this filler of Naruto and Hinata even being in a relationship to this point as far as I remember

Fhjkfhkjhfkfh poor Iruka none of the kids know he’s President of the Naruto’s Dad Society

“I know I’m supposed to be striving to get ahead in my career, but there’s also a part of me that really wants to just continue teaching kids, one on one” Irukaaaaa <3333333

Looool even as Hokage, Kakashi just drops out of nowhere to give cryptic life advice and then leaves

Smash the statue, Tsukune, don’t let the establishment tell u what to do!!

“Eating ramen everyday isn’t healthy you know” am I to believe that Kakashi, the man who told Naruto, ‘if you're going to be a ninja, you need to eat your vegetables’ is on a ramen-only diet?? Falsehoods

“And it’s all thanks to you Iruka” khjhgkjhgjhg alright.... you win this round KKIR shippers

WHO IS ANIMATING THIS SCENE IT IS BUCKWILD??? There is no character model to speak of, most of the kids don’t have noses, everyone’s upside down or spinning around, and Iruka is... hiding in a frog sign???

There is no English translation of this caption???? EXPLAIN JAPAN. TELL ME YOUR FROG SECRETS YOU KNOW I LOVE FROGS [INSERT PICTURE OF TENZO HERE]

(Update I looked it up in the sub and the caption offers no more insight. “IRUKA UMINO, AROUND 30 YEARS OLD. STEALTHILY”)

“This is for Hinata, so let’s all try our hardest” Kiba loves Hinata MOST

You know how if you pause in the middle of an animated action, you sometimes linger on an in-between image that looks goofy because it was meant to add to the motion rather than be focused on? This whole episode is animated like one of those images

It’s okay Lee the only dumbbell Naruto is fixated on is Sasuke Uchiha

I know don’t usually post so many images in these liveblogs, but I really need anyone reading this to see the Leaf Village’s semi-canonical Unofficial Mascot Konorin:

He is??? The love of my life???

“I don’t even have a boyfriend and train every day from morning til night” yes you do. His name is Neji Hyuga and he’s very alive and he’s a jonin sensei and he will buy you all the knives you want after he takes all of Hiashi’s money and redistributes it. In this essay I will—

You see what I mean??? Neji wants to be there for Tenten (and Lee)!!!

Tenten: What would Neji do if he were here now

Neji: [starts manifesting]

“It’s you since you’re a taijutsu specialist, but Naruto and Hinata aren’t” yes????? Hinata is???? She doesn’t use weapons but Gentle Fist is entirely taijutsu??? Why does everyone keep forgetting

KHKGJHKJHGKFHKJHFKJ I CAN’T GET OVER NEJI JUST. MANIFESTING ABOVE LEE’S BED TO GIVE HIM SHITTY WEDDING GIFT IDEAS 

“And don’t forget: Hyuga” Neji........ what.... does this mean!!!!!!!!

Why say “Neji” like that Orochimaru and in fact why say anything at all [Konan voice] I’m the Hokage now, the entire criminal justice system is on its way you are going to jail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really can’t believe that the Naruto writers looked at Tenzo’s role in Naruto SD and decided “let’s do that.... but worse” 

They animated?????????? A smaller Lee??????????? Into Lee’s mouth???????????? As if the animation style wasn’t enough. I need a minute

They are really going full Naruto SD huh??? Cut away skit like a ‘genjutsu’ scne. Lee and Guy playing a married couple and Tenten a baby. Neji in drag. This is a choice

“How can you misunderstand Neji so much” “Even if it’s only as a ghost, I’m sure that Neji would appear” I need. Several minutes

Fhjkhfkjfh Shikamaru’s vision of Gaara, Bee, Kakashi and Tsunade hanging out at this fancy restaurant. Is this who he thinks Kakashi’s social circle is these days (he might be right)

“Okay, I’ll hear you out!” Is this implication of this scene that Temari thinks Shikamaru’s idea of a first date is marriage... and she’s WILLING TO GO ALONG WITH THAT. TEMARI PLS

“Hey Ino, why would you go out of your way to make something I love? Bc she looooves you Sakura

“Sakura, I thought the same thing” GOD JUST GET MARRIED

“It’ll be too late once we go in, I could get all caught up in the mood or something like that” wait........ does Temari think Shikamaru wants to get married or fuck???? Or both??? OH MY GOD

Gaara: Naruto’s getting married.... without meeeeeeeeeee

God I love Gaara’s Blank Period hair it is truly careless and happy hair

“His ramen’s extravagent?” JKGHKHKJH everyone in the Leaf Village trying to convince Gaara that Naruto’s taste is incredibly obnoxious which is true but not in the way being described 

Kankuro what’s your damage let Gaara buy a nice and personal present for the love of his life 

Every time I think this arc can’t get more ridiculous it exceeds my expectations:

[Vaguely horrified accompanying dialogue: “The Raikage—” “—Will do the Hidden Cloud Dance?”]

“Well then, Gaara is just going to have to do the Hidden Sand Samba” Ah. Of course. The Hidden Sand Samba. Why didn’t anyone think of this plan before

Gaara is blushing because his new dream is just to samba dance with Naruto into the night

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh Teuchi giving Naruto an “all you can eat forever” coupon that’s cute our sweet boy is so loved 

Gaara: My wedding gift to you, Naruto... is me :)

“I’m just disappointed that we aren’t going to get to see you dance, Gaara” you know what that’s fair Kankuro me too 

Hahahaha Shino dissing Kiba’s plight for becoming Hokage to these random kids

I can’t pay attention to anything this ninja cat is saying because they’ve got Naruto’s voice and it is very distracting

There’s something to be curious about how it would be if Kiba married into a family that has a contract with the Uchiha lmao

Literally the girl who Kiba is supposed to be in love with is given Hinata’s voice #kibahinarights

“Oh, just take it. Money means nothing to me” the Beekeeper is truly one of the strangest characters in the Naruto universe just conceptually. Why are they wearing a giant bee stinger on their butt?

LMAO @ Kiba having absolutely no self-doubt whatsoever. Goals!!

Shino becoming a teacher after the war is actually one of the post-699 futures I like, good for him!

Iruka sweet man Naruto has compared you to a father like 1500 times have you not overheard him one (1) time

Kakashi is such a dumb stubborn bitch trying to find a way for Naruto to have a happy wedding... I love him

“This is my fault, I never taught him how to treat women! Not that I even really know about that kind of thing of course” Iruka Umino confirmed canonically gay

“I just have to bow my head a little” KKIR: 2; Me: 0

I love this tradition of Hokage boys bowing their heads for cooperation between villages yesssssssssssss

Outro for the whole OG Team 7.... I’m fine everything’s fine I’m good cool cool cool cool cool

The implication that they just sell Kakashi wigs in the village... amazing

I know this is about to be an emotionally poignant moment but what Naruto’s presence is reminding is that the only word he has said in the past 6 episodes is “ramen” LMAO

“I’m going to have to apologize to her for raising you as a such a thoughtless, inconsiderate man” raising you... RAISING YOU..................... TRULY PRESIDENT OF THE NARUTO’S DAD SOCIETY GOD BLESS IRUKA UMINO

LOOK AT THIS CRYBABY NINJA THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PARTS OF KONOHA HIDEN WAS HOW IRUKA KEPT BURSTING INTO TEARS OVER NARUTO EVERY OTHER MINUTE THIS IS WHAT BONDS LOOK LIKE

God..................... the Team 7 lover in me just despairs of this final episode bc they’re all separated and also Tenzo needs justice 4 being Kakashi’s co-wedding planner it’s in the book I read it!!!!

I will set aside my feelings to recognize that Kakashi looks very handsome

Goodbye Naruto you were certainly an experience and I mean that in every possible intonation 

[unwiltingblossom]

koukishido replied to your post “I came across a random stupid comment about how Sakura was so weak,...”

I’m sorry, but Sakura may be not weak, that doesn’t mean she’s well written. Yes, she’s freaking strong, but all his story arc is about how she desperately love a killer in hope he change, even if she know he’s bad. She has strong abilities, but each time, it’s like « yeah, she can do that, but hey, I have other character to develop and make flash back about ! ». BUT, if you have another opinion about it, I will gladly read it. It’s good to see the character being loved for once.

Is she badly written, though? She doesn’t get much focus, this is objectively true and because of the fact that Sakura-haters would send Kishimoto a truckload of hatemail every time he tried to give her focus, but is what’s written bad? I don’t think so.

First off, her story arc isn’t actually about her love for Sasuke. Arguably a big part of Naruto’s story arc are his feelings of brotherly love and rivalry and etc with Sasuke, but this is not so for Sakura. Her love for Sasuke is a constant through her arc, but it’s not what it’s about.

Sakura’s arc is actually all about her insecurities and struggle to keep up on a team full of:

1 - The Copy Ninja, a legendary figure in the legend who fought in the previous war while still a child, possesses a Sharingan, and has 1000 jutsus stolen from his enemies, He trained under the 4th Hokage and became the 6th Hokage.

2 - The last Uchiha, a genius close to the level of Itachi Uchiha, with natural sharingan able to copy any technique he sees, huge wells of chakra, a natural talent for genjutsu that surpasses anyone not born with an ocular jutsu, and heir to his clan even if it hadn’t been massacred.

3 - Naruto Uzumaki, son of the 4th Hokage, jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails, the kid with a freakishly huge chakra pool capable of using a forbidden jutsu in an almost infinite way no one else can use, with augmented regeneration and the ability to become progressively stronger at the cost of his self control via nine tails mode. Eventually became the 7th Hokage, the Hero of the Leaf, and basically the #1 hero of the modern age

4 - Yamato, the genetically modified ROOT soldier who is the only person still (known to be) living possessing Hashirama’s genes, allowing him to use legendary wood jutsu.

5 - Sai, a ROOT assassin with an entire bingo book full of high profile VIP enemies he’s assassinated by the time Sakura became a genin, who uses some kind of unique ink jutsu style no one else is seen to use.

Sai is the most normal person ever on her team, and he’s a super ninja assassin that’s murdered hundreds of people and uses a unique form of ninjutsu no one else ever uses.

Comparatively, Sakura comes from nobody important, and her grades in the academy aren’t anything notable, she has no family techniques built up, no blood jutsus associated with her, and nothing grafted into her. She spent her childhood playing around and being girly, not training to kill people, and she’s not a genius capable of learning things in a snap.

Basically...Sakura Haruno is just normal on a team of super heroes, and she knows it. Her character arc is about her confronting this inferiority, addressing the handicap she faces and the pervasive, all-consuming sense of frustrated hopelessness she experiences facing all these things that endanger the people she cares about (who are all endowed with insane skills and magical tricks she lacks).

Sakura Haruno’s story is about a girl who goes from nothing to a legendary sannin figure all on her own power. She learns confidence, she finds peace with her inner and outer self so she doesn’t have to hide her true feelings behind a mask all the time, she finds something that she excels at and she devotes herself completely to mastering it so that she can help the ones she loves. In Wave, all she can do is stand there and try to protect the bridge maker from death even at the cost of her own life. When facing Kaguya, she’s healed the entire shinobi army consisting of 50k men multiple times, fully refreshed Naruto (and his giant chakra tanks) multiple times, personally kept Naruto alive through her own sheer effort alone, rescued Sasuke from wandering an entirely different dimension, and even punched a goddess so hard that the woman ends up stunned long enough to be captured.

Sakura goes from kneeling in the dirt crying because she knows she can’t do anything, while another girl mocks her for keeping her hair long, to falling through the sky toward certain death, readying her fist to punch the origin of all chakra, shouting at her not to underestimate a fellow woman. That’s her character arc.

Now, yes, there’s more to her. She also struggles with the pain, grief, and guilt associated with Sasuke leaving them, with the knowledge that Sasuke is ‘bad’ but the inability to stop loving him anyway, with the guilt of watching Naruto be harmed and blaming herself for this because she assumes is hunt for Sasuke is because of her begging him to bring Sasuke back when she was younger, with her self-loathing for being unable to get Sasuke back herself and unable to kill her love for him enough to dispatch Sasuke as she feels is her responsibility, but that’s not really the basis of her character arc.

Sakura never hoped Sasuke would change because of her love, she loved him knowing it was hopeless, because love doesn’t care if the person is ‘worthy’ of it or not. Though it’s worth noting Sasuke’s hardly ‘a killer’. He kills some samurai in his way after he warns them and he kills Danzo, who is better known as ‘that awful guy we blame everything bad that happens on, especially the Uchiha massacre’. He’s either uninterested or unsuccessful in killing anyone else.

Now, post war she does eventually marry him, settle down, have kids, build a facility to provide mental help to children affected by the Shinobi wars, and become the most prestigious medical ninja in Konoha - possibly the world - but most would argue the main thrust of her arc was finished when she proved herself to be equal to Naruto and Sasuke by contributing equally to sealing away Kaguya - or, perhaps when she saves both Naruto and Sasuke’s lives, and by extension the whole world’s, by closing their life-threatening amputation wounds after their squabble.

Perhaps it’s both. She proved herself their equal and she saved them both, exactly what she always wanted and needed to do.

I do agree that there wasn’t NEARLY enough focus on Sakura and her history (and I wanted more Sasusaku focus), and that she should have been a part of the final showdown with Sasuke, as basically every narrative hook up until that point including what she says to Naruto after the Sasuke retrieval mission failed pointed to her doing it, but that’s not really ‘bad writing’ per se. That’s just the insane Sakura hate squads gradually wearing Kishimoto down until he made sad jokes about how he never bothered to explore her past because it ‘would only make people angry if he tried’.

[incantatrxce-blog]

Modern Verse Headcanon : Family.

Izumi has a very strong relationship with her mother, who supports her in her decisions and is always there for her no matter what she might need, but the same definitely cannot be said about her grandparents, which have been the cause of her unhappiness ever since she was forced to move to their house after her father’s death.

For her first five years of life, Izumi was a very bright and happy child with lots of friends and especially, the love of her parents. Although their lifestyle was quite modest, there was hardly anything to complain about. It was when her father died in a horrible car accident when she was five, that Izumi’s life started to change for the worst. Forced to leave all her friends behind and move back to Konoha due to not being able to afford all the expenses of living in Tokyo with only her mother’s work to pay for them, the grandparents she had never met and who had been so quick to disown her mother after she had left to marry her now late husband, suddenly offered to take them both back in.

It was supposed to be something temporary, only until Hazuki was able to find a job and a place to live they could afford. But it all went downhill when her health progressively got worse and she was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which made it impossible for her to keep working and afford a somewhat decent lifestyle for herself and her daughter, not with the constant need of oxygen therapy and having to be hospitalized quite often. It was how the large mansion at the outskirts of Konoha became their permanent home, and what at the time had appeard to be an act of kindness from the two elders towards their ill daughter and their young grandchild, soon turned out to be something much worse.

It was clear to Izumi what they were planning for her, from the very moment she was informed of all the supplementary classes she would have to attend after regular school hours. They started to control her life completely, from the people she was allowed to see and speak to, to the things she could and could not do to make sure she would not bring ‘disgrace’ upon the family. And despite her protests to her mother, there was very little even the woman could do now that they depended entirely on them and their money.

With that began the boring etiquette lessons, piano, painting and dancing classes, as well as the three foreign languages courses, on top of all the normal schoolwork she was required to do each and every day. They were constantly demanding the best and only the best from her, going as far as to make Izumi believe she was the cause of her mother’s poor health condition, if by chance she wasn’t able to keep up with their ridiculous standards even just once. With those expectations in mind, Izumi began to focus solely on her studies, more so for her mother’s sake than anything else. She slowly became colder and distant, shutting off almost everyone around her, to the point where little by little, she started losing even the few people she had been allowed to befriend and she was left completely alone. It was how her resentment towards her ‘family’ started to bloom.

It only got stronger the older she grew, and the more she was able to put all the pieces together and understand what her grandparents were trying to do, especially with all the formal dinners and parties she would be forced to attend against her will, an excuse to introduce her to their rich friends and their sons. Almost as if she was an item, like they were trying to sell her off to highest bidder. It was the final straw. The one thing that finally made her snap and rebel, to take control of her own life.

It started with little things, like getting her ears pierced a couple of times after she turned eighteen, or changing the college major they had chosen for her to something she really liked and wanted to have a career in: photography. But it wasn’t enough. She was still living in their house, depending on them and their money and they were still allowed to control her life as though she belonged to them.

With the paychecks that came from the very first few photoshoot jobs she was able to land, Izumi was finally able to move out of her family’s house to the little apartment where she currently lives now. Since then, she has slowly been trying to save money to be able to get her mother out of that house too at some point. She feels like the older woman is also trapped in there by her own family, especially since they have no qualms in using Hazuki as a ‘weapon’ against Izumi, any time they want something from her. And unfortunately, her mother is a very powerful weapon, one to which Izumi can rarely say ‘no’ to.

Although Izumi still visit the family house very often to spend time with her mother, her grandparents rarely decide to show up unannounced to her apartment, which to Izumi can only be a good thing, especially with Itachi and Shisui being frequent guests and often sleeping over at her place too. She knows very well the two elders would not approve, but mostly, she just wishes to keep Itachi and Shisui as far from her family’s reach as she possibly can. Avoiding them completely is never easy however, especially since they still haven’t abandoned the idea to have her settle down with someone of their choice soon, regardless of how much she opposes this decision. It’s easy to say that whenever Izumi is in a bad mood, her family is most likely the cause of it.

[kakasaku-shipper]

Natural Progression (Chapter 6)

Chapter 6

As soon as Sasuke arrived at the Uchiha compound, he undid his henge and dismissed his clone. He took in his surrounding and sighed. One of the reasons he hated living inside Konoha was because of how eerily lonesome the compound was. The stillness of the place often felt like a warning from the ghosts of those slain in the massacre to not step a foot in there, lest another tragedy struck again.  

The compound condition was such a contrast to the time before the massacre, where there were lives in every nook and cranny. People walking down the streets, kind obaa-sans and ojii-sans offering him sweets and asking about how his family was doing. In a moment where he closed his eyes, he could picture those happier days. But the next second when he opened his eyes, all he could see was red - the blood spattered all over the compound walls and the rivers of blood pooling everywhere in the streets. And before horror could grip him, all the red morphed back into cold grey as he came back to reality. He hated the paint they used to recolour the whole compound, why did they have to paint it so monochromatically in the same shade of grey rather than restoring it to its original livelier colours? The blood that the Uchiha had paid should have been enough to grant them at least that.

Sasuke ran his hand through his hair. He just wanted his house arrest to end quickly, he wanted was to get out of there and maybe build a tree house so he could sleep in the forests just how he liked it. But for now, he would use whatever freedom that Kakashi had granted him. Sasuke opened the small missive and scanned it. The instruction was simple enough: slip into the old headquarter at district 7, your code name is Karasu. After he found no other hidden messages on the paper, Sasuke burnt it as he redid his henge and created another clone.

 …

Finding the Root headquarter was child-play because of his rinnegan, and he was surprised to meet no ambushes thus far. He had expected some left-over militia to be lurking around and organise themselves into resistant groups against intruders sent by the Hokage. And he could feel multiple chakra signatures coming from the headquarter. Could they be non-hostile personnel?    

As Sasuke looked at his surroundings, he understood why Root’s existence was so unknown. No one would ever suspect an underground headquarters below a very old and ran down residential building, which seemed to have been abandoned. He also now understood why this part of the village was refurbished very slowly and that new high rise apartments were developed at the other ends of the village.

Before he could pull the well camouflaged latch to go underground, Sasuke reached for a kunai and whirled it to counteract the sword aimed as his head. Another blow was exchanged, and Sasuke winced at how inconvenient having just one arm was, especially because he was left with his non-dominant hand. Sure he had a henge on, but with his real left arm gone, his henge’s left arm have very limited use. He could only use it for minimum use, and worst of all, he couldn’t mold chakra into it.

“Who are you?” the attacker in ANBU uniform called out.

“Code name is Karasu,” Sasuke replied evenly as he sized up his opponent. He was clearly at a disadvantage since she was a two-handed sword user.

“Did Kakashi-senpai not tell you to wear the uniform?” the ANBU asked as she sheathed her swords.

“He just told me to come here.”

“He only told you the address?”

“He only said district 7.”

“Then how did you?” as soon as she asked the question, the ANBU groaned into her palms. District 7 was huge, and the only way anyone would find the Root headquarter location on a first glance was to look past the the very strong genjutsu that had made the building looked like a bunch of rubble. “The rest won’t be happy if they know that senpai assign this mission to you, Uchiha.”

“The rest?” Sasuke questioned.

“The rest of our original ANBU team. Your aniki was one of us.”

Sasuke nodded as he drew in a shaky breath. Just how many people his brother cared about had been deceived during the massacre? Which he incited just so that he would survive? How could Itachi coped with all that, without anyone else supporting him?

“Anyway, let’s get this mission over and done soon. And keep your henge at all times for now. The rest may understand once senpai talk to them, but I would still expect animosity from them. After all, you went to Orochimaru of all people despite senpai mentoring you.”

Sasuke cocked his head, the ANBU team sounded like..

“Yeah, all of them are losers with senpai complex,” the ANBU sneered as she rolled her eyes, earning a snort from Sasuke.

As they descended to the basement, Sasuke inspected the narrow footpath with his rinnegan and said, “I’m surprised that there’s no traps in here.”

“We have disabled it all after Danzo’s death. Any members who were not integrated to the normal ANBU and returned here had been apprehended.”

“Hmm..” Sasuke nodded. So the people in the basement were not enemies. He counted six ANBUs present in the headquarters. Two guarding the entrance and four on stand by at each corners of the room. There were also corridors extending from each sides of the room, and another level down, from what he could see with his rinnegan.

“Up ahead the corridor is Danzo’s office. That will be my best bet if we’re going to find anything,” the guide told him as she stood in the middle of the room. Sasuke nodded at her as he used his camouflaged rinnegan to look at the corridor leading to the room, as well as its door. Nothing seemed unusual so far.

As Sasuke opened his door, he could see chakra disturbances almost everywhere. It seemed that Danzo had used a very high level genjutsu as well as barriers and seals all over the room.

“There’s too many things in here. Where do you want me to start?” Sasuke asked.

“What things? We’ve turned the room upside down and found nothing,” a bulky man in toucan mask snorted. “And just who are you? You came in with Ika* but you didn’t bother even wearing your ANBU gear for such an operation.”

“He’s a sniffer,” Ika replied.

“Inuzuka?” Toucan asked as he stared down at Sasuke from his post.

“No. I’m a sensory tracker,” Sasuke told him. He could not lie about his ability. If they put him to a test he’d be screwed and lost the tiny amount of trust the ANBUs in the room had.

“And the gear? You know that it’s mandatory, right kiddo?” another ANBU in a mandrill mask asked.

“I’m not in the ANBU.”

“Then why the fuck are you even here? We have sent our best tracker and they found no shit, so who the fuck is stupid enough to send an outsider?” Toucan yelled as he pushed off his post to block Sasuke’s exit from Danzo’s office. He straightened himself to look taller to intimidate Sasuke.

“The fact that outsider’s help is required is probably because there’s no one in the organisation suited for the job,” a voice rang from the entrance. Sasuke recognised the man, it was the man who acted as Kakashi’s substitute.

“Neko, is this your beloved senpai’s doing?” Toucan mocked.

“If he came with Ika, then it is.”

“Your senpai’s a bloody idiot.”

“And you’re the ancient guy who had been in the ANBU longer than all of us here combined and still yet to get a promotion, while senpai was promoted right off the bat,” Neko, or Tenzo, Sasuke remembered he was called said with his arms crossed across his chest.

“Only because he was Yondaime’s pet dog,” Toucan retorted as he turned towards Tenzo and used his body size to intimidate him.

“Are you still pissed that all the Hokages you have served would rather use real birds to deliver missives than to trust you with such simple task?” Tenzo replied with a smirk as he glared defiantly at him.

“You bastard! You’re not even a human, you freak!” Toucan hollered as he got ready to throw a punch.

“Silence! All of you!” a new voice came from the entrance. Sasuke recognised this man too. It was the terrifying guy from the Chuunin exam.

“Oki Tori*, out, now. And get your replacement. The rest, go back to your posts,” Ibiki commanded. “Anything interesting?” Ibiki asked as he turned to Sasuke.

“The room is full of genjutsu, seals, and barriers,” Sasuke replied. “Has Kakashi-san take a look at the room?”

“He was pulled out of this mission to prepare for the war just after he finished undoing all the traps. It was handed over to me, and I’m supposed to hand it back to him today,” Ibiki said with a sigh. “Are you his pick to take over?”

“He only told me to come here and meet his contact,” Sasuke replied as he gestured to Ika, who shook her head to indicate that she had heard nothing from Kakashi.

“Well, tell him to get his ass down here. Also, we’ve found nothing so far and the captured Roots were useless.”

“Roger,” Ika and Tenzo replied. Ibiki nodded in satisfaction as he left the headquarter.

“So, what do you want to do next?” Ika asked.

“I’ll check the other rooms from the corridor as well as the level below. Then I think it would be good to check up the residential building too,” Sasuke replied.

“Are you not going to uncover anything?” Tenzo asked curiously.

“I’ll leave that decision to Kakashi-san. He’s the mission leader after all,” Sasuke answered, earning a satisfied nod from Tenzo. And to think that he thought Sakura had it bad for him.. ANBUs are really on a whole other level.

The two rooms located at the ends of the other corridors had nothing in them. One of them was the archives which had been cataloged, and the other was a weapon storage room. The level below was appalling to say the least. It looked like a dojo that could double as a meeting room. However, at the front of the room, there were torture contraptions and equipment worse than anything Sasuke had ever seen. Even Orochimaru’s torture chamber pales in comparison to that.

“Senpai told me that the only torture chamber worse than this is in Kiri. But it was only slightly worse,” Ika said as she watched Sasuke’s revolted expression.

“Even for an undercover organisation that deals with the dirtiest job, I hardly think that those are necessary..” Sasuke spoke as his eyes hardened.

“Danzo’s a messed up guy.” Tenzo told him. “His way of protecting Konoha is..”

“Is against the principles that Konoha was found under,” Sasuke said. He was glad that among all the things he did wrong, the one thing he did not regret, killing Danzo, was the right call.

“I still shudder when I thought that Danzo could have been the Hokage after Tsunade-sama’s coma,” Tenzo quipped, earning nods from Sasuke and Ika.

Other than Danzo’s office, they found nothing of note in the rest of the headquarters. The residential building looked normal too, other than a few rooms that seemed to have been cleared out.

“Were all the rooms occupied? Some were really empty,” Sasuke noted.

“We’re hoping to match the rooms with the notes in the archives. I’ve asked a former Root member, but he only knew the occupancy details of a few rooms. We’re also still in the middle of matching data with the findings of the Yamanaka clan.. It’s such a shame that most Root personnel fell during the war. It was like they were sacrificing themselves as a final act for Konoha.” Ika said with a sigh.

“Most of them felt lost and left with no purpose after Danzo’s death,” Tenzo said.

“Did they do it because Danzo ordered them too? Was he afraid that they may leak his information once he no longer had control over them? Since I heard that the seal he placed to prevent them from talking disappeared once he was dead?” Sasuke asked.

“I believe that his final command was to protect Konoha. But most of them had been raised since birth to only follow his order and nothing else. It was all they knew,” Tenzo replied.

“Ah..” Sasuke understood what he meant. It was the same with Orochimaru, some of his test subjects were the same.

“Well, it’s getting a little late. I need to go, and don’t forget to report all your findings to senpai,” Tenzo said as he disappeared. Ika nodded the same to Sasuke as she left.

...

“Maa.. How long have you been waiting?” Kakashi asked as he stepped into his house.

“A little while,” Sasuke replied, still leaning on Kakashi’s kitchenette. “I found chakra disturbances all over Danzo’s office. The rest are clear aside from a few rooms in the residential buildings that looked like it had been cleared out.”

“I’ll take my camera and we’ll head there, if you’re not too tired?” Kakashi asked, earning a deadpan look from Sasuke.  

“I heard that nii-san was in your ANBU team.”

“He was.”

“Hn.”

“He was the best comrade you can ever ask for. And he had a great sense of humor unlike you.”

“Hn,” Sasuke grunted with a sad smile on his face. “When he did it.. The massacre, what did you think?”

“Honestly, I was really puzzled,” Kakashi replied. “He was accused of killing his best friend, and then massacred the whole clan just to test himself, which did not make sense. If that was all he was after, he could always just request a solo S-ranked mission to Kiri,” Kakashi said. After a pause, Kakashi continued, “I did suspect that his action might have been an order, but dismissed it. Since Sandaime was the Hokage, I didn’t think that he would ever order such a thing to be carried out. Plus, I was on the team that accompanied Sandaime to intercept Itachi that night.”

“The push came from Danzo. And he too was responsible driving Shisui nii-san to his death.”

“I figured as much as soon as you told us the truth about Itachi after killing Danzo.”

“Is that why you asked to be assigned to investigate him? The job should be given to ANBU, and as far as I know you’re no longer an active agent.”

“Yeah. I’ve always knew that he was fishy, and I’ve had some brushes with him in the past. I just didn’t think that his methods were that extreme..”

“You Konoha nins are always too trusting on one another,” Sasuke snorted.

“That’s because we are all comrades. And I would like to see this principle bring implemented and carried out on my reign. No one in Konoha should ever be marginalised, because all of us shares the same will of fire.”

“Hn. I would hope so.”

“I’m not letting what happened to your clan be repeated. I think that incident is the biggest mistake Konoha had ever made.”

“If I go after the other two advisors, will you stop me?”

“I would kindly advise you that there are worse things than dying.”

“Like what?” Sasuke asked with a quirked brow.

“We’ll find out about their worst nightmares and make them re-live it everyday.” Kakashi said with a grin.

“I thought you just said something about being comrades?”

“They’re not my comrades,” Kakashi answered with a shrug. At Sasuke’s questioning look, Kakashi continued, “They’re Konoha’s ancient relics that should have been thrown out years ago. Plus, you can thank your aniki for the idea, I got it when he put me under tsukuyomi.”

At Kakashi’s words, Sasuke finally had his first good laugh in a really long time.

...

“Since I’ve checked the residential area, let’s go to Danzo’s office. It’s the only place I haven’t taken a look yet,” Kakashi said as he opened the latch leading towards the basement. Sasuke followed Kakashi’s movement as he closed the latch behind him.

“Do you want me to gather some intel on the suspicious rooms?”

“I’ve sent my ninkens to figure it out.” Kakashi replied.

“Hn.”

“Hatake-taicho,” Mandrill mask greeted.

“Yo! I assume Ibiki has settled the rotation roster?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” Kakashi said as his eyes creased and opened the door to Danzo’s office. The first thing that came to his mind was a man that is this cautious cannot be trusted.

“Karasu, I can’t detect as well as you, but let’s start undoing the genjutsu, and any fuiinjutsu and kekkai that are placed on the walls, roof or floor. I have a feeling that this office was not the only space he used.”

...

As predicted, Danzo’s office lead into a smaller storage room below and an expansive space hidden behind his book shelf. The room below held his personal weapons and some documents, while the other hidden room took a bit of work to get through. They had to first go through a labyrinth, filled with traps which Sasuke quickly disabled before getting into the main space. There, they found and abandoned research laboratory which was currently used to store shelves after shelves of books and scrolls.

“Do you think this was where Orochimaru did his experiments before he was chased out of the village?” Kakashi asked as he rubbed his temple. He had known that Danzo would have dirty secrets and uprooting his Root would be a tedious task. But he had not expected it to be this tedious, and this was only the Root headquarter. Danzo had his networks more extensive than Orochimaru, although less than Jiraiya; and some of Orochimaru’s hideouts were Danzo’s previously, so Kami knew how many other places they had to raid. Kakashi groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. The one year time frame that Tsunade gave him looked so much tighter now.

“Looks like it. One of the few inside Konoha I would say.”

“You wouldn’t happen to know the other locations, would you?”

“As far as I know there are three more. One, the main lab was cleared years ago when Sandaime attempted to arrest him. The other two I have vague idea on the locations. And the next closest one is in Uzushiogakure.”

“Good. I’ll set you up with my ANBU team to check all those locations, in case Danzo had converted it into his base. Let’s go back to his office for a final sweep before we call it a day.”

...

“He has inscription all over this place,” Sasuke said with distaste as he glanced through the cleared office through his disguised sharingan. The walls were full of details of every Root personnel, the date they joined, their death date, and causes - mission or terminated. The ceiling was full of code ciphers, some he had seen and used under Orochimaru’s tutelage and some had characters which he had never even seen before. But the silver lining was the floor, which contained a map of Danzo’s extensive network. Sasuke was glad that he had obtained the rinnegan, because the sharingan was not strong enough to detect the inscription. He would have gone ahead and erased it by accident because through the sharingan, the inscription was cleverly disguised like a genjutsu. It took him a few tries to work out the floor, but when he channeled the right chakra frequency, the inscriptions lit up and to show Danzo’s outposts. If he tried other frequencies, maybe there would be more interesting findings..

“Hmm,” Kakashi nodded as he leaned on the doorway watching Sasuke getting work done. He rubbed at his left eye, wishing that he still had the sharingan. He hated feeling helpless, something he had always associated with his father’s passing.

“If you allow me, I’ll write down all the inscriptions in this room and hand it over tomorrow.”

“Sure. I’ll stay here too. I need to go through all these documents.”

“Hn.”

As they got to work, Kakashi summoned five kage-bunshins. His chakra limit had clearly improved after his sharingan was plucked off his eye socket by Madara. Trade-offs. It was annoying that he could no longer instantly copy jutsu and movements to freak out his opponents, or use a genjutsu without handsigns and making enemies drop like flies or teleporting stuffs, especially body parts with Kamui. But the plus side was his chakra level just rose exponentially. Having four to five fold his previous reserve was certainly really handy, but he really envied Naruto and Sasuke. Why couldn’t he get free power ups like them?

…

A/N

1. Ika means squid. Because Yugao has purple hair and the only animals I could think of that are somewhat purplish are squid and octopus. Since squid has longer tentacles and Yugao has long hair, I go with Ika instead of Tako.

2. Oki Tori literally translated to big bird, which is the Japanese for toucan. I just want a variety of animals rather than the usual Cat, Dog, Tiger..

3. Mandrill in Japanese in Mantoriru (according to Google translate). I don’t think it means anything, just the phonetic of how Mandrill would be said in Japanse.

4. I hope you enjoy some ANBU’s senpai complexes (especially Tenzo. lol). Notice me, Senpai!!!

5. Apologies for the long wait. My schedule revolves around school. And if you’re reading this because of chapter update notification in April 2019 that says that 2 new chapters are added, chapter two of the fic is the other new chapter.