#not even Minato’s death caused him such trauma

[sinnbaddie]

To say that Kakashi and Gai’s relationship (talking solely platonic rn) was mostly about him helping Kakashi cope with the loss of Obito is disingenuous to Kakashi and all of his relationships.

Any person is going to be traumatized after seeing someone — much less their teammate — be crushed to death under a rock. Kakashi is shown to be someone susceptible to depression due to 1. His environment 2. His initial beliefs and 3. His genetic line. Of course his life is going to be centered around one of the most traumatic experiences of his life, romanticizing it is so hurtful to his character because it destroyed him - and if Kishimoto actually cared about expanding other character relationships instead of making a “generational duo that falls apart” + wasn’t a misogynistic writer, Rin’s death would be the bigger influence on his life than Obito’s.

Yes, Gai had to help him numerous times in his grief but it wasn’t solely or even mainly about Obito. Rin was an absolute vital point in Kakashi’s downfall into chaos. The self harm he inflicted upon himself, the self hatred, the self shame. He became a whole different person after he was forced to kill her. I would say Kakashi’s father Sakumo is by far the biggest influence on him. He wouldn’t have needed any speech of “your father was a hero” by Obito if it wasn’t for Sakumo. His personality of today is thanks to his father’s own death.

Gai and Kakashi’s friendship is almost entirely about them when they’re in scenes together. Look at the chunin exams, look at any scene in the land of steam arc, look at their race, etc. naturally there will be grief the two bring to the relationship and it’s on them to work it out separately, together and with other people which did happen.

You’re actively ignoring every other character that has shaped and formed who Kakashi is by saying Obito is the biggest and only reason he is who he is. Gai is one of the strongest reasons why Kakashi is as motivated and strong as he is. Kakashi would’ve absolutely died at some point in (general) anbu if Gai didn’t pull him out and he was slipping so far when he was in it because of Rin and Minato.

Kakashi’s heart does not “belong” to Obito because he’s in love with Obito and can’t get over him, his heart belongs to the people he loves because that’s who Kakashi is at his core - a lover. He’s a person who cares so deeply, even for people he doesn’t necessarily like or get along with.

Kakashi is a person who is shaped by everybody in his life, that’s why he is one of the best written Naruto characters. He feels like a real person because real people are influenced by everyone in their life, in every way. It’s unfortunate to see those who call themselves Kakashi fans only to mischaracterize, limit and erase the bonds he was written to have to prop up one single bond for your ship.

Do you care for this character? His themes, parallels, relationships and writing? or is he just a placeholder / self insert for shipping content?

[mmmn-thirsty-for-vinegar]

akimina 👁👁 strega au 👁👁 you say (would you elaborate pretty pls👉👈)

YOU BET YOUR SWEET ASS I WILL Buckle up buttercup

Strega Au is, in the simplest way, where Minato is apart of Strega instead of SEES. Minato went 'missing' after the accident, separated from his 2 sisters (Minako ((his twin)) and Naoto ((yes Shirogane)) ) and ended up in the company of IkUtsUki >:/

Minako has amnesia due to head trauma from the accident and doesn't remember fully who her brother is; only that she had a twin and he's presumed dead :v

FAST FORWARD 10 Y E A R S

Minako is recruited by SEES while Minato runs with Strega. After escaping Ikutsuki's 'care' most of Strega took on new names and Minato was renamed Makoto Yuki :v

Minato wields both Orpheus and Thanatos, he is not a wildcard here. However, when Minato took on the identity Makoto, Orpheus disapproved of the path he was taking and made himself dormant letting Thanatos become his primary Persona. Once Minato starts having doubts about his loyalties to Takaya is when Orpheus starts coming back.

Minako wields Atlanta, who turns into Gaia, she is the Wildcard. She meets Makoto for the first time SEES was looking into Fuuka's disappearance, Makoto was with Shinjiro but he doesn't interact with them. She meets him again one evening feeding stray cats. She joins him and forms the Death arcana bond with him.

As for the Akimina part- it started mostly cause i was craving Akimina content but now its part of the story altogether. These 2 gay dumbasses meet for the first time in the Dark Hour and Akihiko is like "Hey wanna come back with me and meet my group :D" and Makoto was like " Hell naw" They meet a few more times while Makoto was hanging out with Shinjiro.

Later, during a fight between SEES and Strega, Makoto manages to down Akihiko just barely and Aki just is kinda charmed by this- Its basically an enemies to lovers speedrun

Anyways this Au is technically still incomplete, ending wise at least, but this is the jist of it :v Also sorry if it doesnt completely make sense, I got really excited that someone was asking bout this au and I got lost in the sauce

[dragynkeep]

okay i’ll shoot. barely know anything about naruto but do you have any salt regarding kakashi?

the manga had absolutely no idea what to do with kakashi when it came to the narrative end of his arc, where he had been so impacted by his father's suicide & loyalty to a village that did not give it in turn: having his entire world turned upside down by the death of rin by his own hands, the deaths of obito, minato & kushina.

we see where this would naturally lead in kakashi essentially closing himself from everyone in the village & only allowing them to see a veneer, a ghost of who he could've been but above all, kakashi is loyal. he is steadfast in not dishonouring himself or what he's given to his village, he will not follow in his father's footsteps.

& ... that doesn't go anywhere. kakashi is still loyal to a corrupt village even with the exposure of everything that had happened to him was the result of these corruptions. the death of obito leading to the deaths of minato & kushina, his father dying for something as honourable as doing the right thing only to be regarded as dishonourable in his death.

kakashi is a symptom of a much bigger problem in naruto in that it highlights the corruption & things that need to change in their larger society but then do nothing towards that change. it's so heartbreaking to go back in reading the manga & see how kakashi has become part of the problem, how he reinforces the issues of the village & of ninja society at large even when we're supposed to criticise it.

also it's been said before but this man was one of the worst sensei out there & it makes me wonder why he was even in that profession. just be in the anbu or a regular ass shinobi cause all he ended up doing was furthering sasuke's trauma, passing naruto off to more experienced people & downright ignoring sakura.

[nerdygingergremlin]

If Ken had been part of the Phantom Thieves, imagine how Maruki's arc could have impacted him (and SEES) with all the trauma that he had individually and with the group. Would Maruki have tried to resolve Minato and/or Shinjiro's deaths? Especially since that's about 7 years before Persona 5 game? And if Minato shows up, would Ryoji, and how would their memories be affected since Minato is the Great Seal and Ryoji is the Harbinger?

Or Strikers? Cause the requirements for a jail, or even a defunct one could apply to Gekkoukan (Tartarus) and to the dorm building (Abyss of Time). Imagine them seeing Tartarus for the first time and then being told that "no we need back up for this". Would they find audio files of various explorations into Tartarus or ones from the night they had the final showdown with Nyx?

(Yes, I am reading 'Ace in the Hole' and I am in love with it)

[dopeydi]

I’ve been thinking about how Rin’s death could have played out in other ways without taking out the drama of kakashi being the one to kill her.. and I’m thinking what if instead of her choosing to impale herself (although that adds to her character of self-sacrifice for the safety of the village), instead three-tails leaks out of her, she loses control, and causes destruction in the forest and in the battlefield. Kakashi then has to make a choice in the moment, to let her rampage on or kill her, thinking he could stop her.

Rin still would have tried to plead with him to kill her proir, then after Kakashi’s refusal tries to do it herself but finds her bags empty since she was taken hostage and all.

“Friend-killer” Kakashi would still go through the depression and trauma having had to go through all that, and Obito could’ve arrived to witness the final blow like in canon etc. etc.

I still would want Rin to live to do more with Isobu though lol

What if kakashi chooses not to kill her and retreats to get reinforcements or even minato-sensei if he could, but by the time they get back to the location she’s gone w/o a trace besides all the dead bodies.

Not knowing that Obito had been there and put a stop to it. Still despaired at how things had ended up etc.

This’ll probably just end up in my drafts if I ever try to write it 🥲 but I just had to type it out 😆

[this-is-my-canon]

Here’s the start of a new kakaobi story I am potentially thinking about posting after being inspired by the movie Basic Instincts, but to be honest, I’m not sure if I want to post any new Naruto stories. Let me know what you think if you’re interested. You just might push me into doing it

Chairs overturned, blood splatter painting the walls, and a body gone cold, draped over a massive executive desk. Kakashi jotted all of this down as he circled the perimeter of the office listening to the coroner’s assessment of the murder scene. He tried not to look at the golden blonde hair of the victim, so common in California yet rare among college professors. Something about seeing a shade so vibrant on a dead man unsettled him. It was why the victim’s eyes were slid shut as soon as Kakashi had arrived. Their bright, permeating blue shade had been haunting, too lifelike for a corpse. Kakashi was sure that was a man who would be missed by more than his surviving newlywed wife.

While he moved through the space, Kakashi detected (beneath the tang of coppery blood) a subtle note of a vaguely familiar cologne or perfume lingering in the victim’s office. He made a note about that just before writing down Minato Namikaze’s official cause and time of death: a series of stab wounds, between 5:00 and 5:45pm.

“Hatake!”

Kakashi set his free hand in his pocket and turned to face the lovely Tsunade. A decade his senior, yet his captain didn’t look a day over thirty. Kakashi told her this frequently. It hadn’t landed him a promotion yet—but given his track record, maybe it was only through success with earning her favor that he had kept his place on the force at all.

“Captain?” Kakashi invited her to speak.

Tsunade needed no such invitation.

She stormed through the murder scene as if this was her office (it did look quite similar) and shook a bundle of papers in Kakashi’s face. “This is for you. I want you to read through it in its entirety before you take off.”

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow as he took it. “A file? For me?”

“Oh! You’re not going alone, not after last time.”

When Kakashi peered up from the alluring pages on a dashing brunette identified as Obito Uchiha, Tsunade had her glare set on him. He understood: what had happened last time fell heavily on her shoulders. Kakashi hadn’t made it out unscathed either. His penchant for the bottle did interfere with his police work from time to time (that instance wasn’t the first), but that was a character flaw that tended to be unavoidable for him when trying to overcome several instances of childhood trauma through a therapist he was too busy fucking to have time to offer her a proper head examination.

He was off the booze now, anyway.

He wouldn’t get behind the wheel again on duty with even a drop, not after what happened at Naruto bridge. Not at all.

Kakashi raised his eyebrows. “Tenzo?”

“Yamato will meet you there.”

Kakashi nodded.

“Kakashi,” Tsunade said softly, her brow creasing with worry. “You’ll see the shrink after, right?”

It didn’t sound like an order, but Kakashi knew if he refused, it would become one. Tsunade might’ve been genuinely concerned about his well-being, but she wasn’t so concerned that she’d put her position at risk over letting him slide one too many times. Besides, the shrink was a Friendly. Rin would never write an evaluation to besmirch him.

“I’ll see her,” Kakashi said with a shrug.

Tsunade gave a nod as she pointed a rigid finger at the files. “Him first. Yamato’s already on his way. This case is going to get out of hand if we don’t keep it wrapped up tight.”

“Oh?” Kakashi said, intrigued by Tsunade’s worrisome frown. He shot a glance toward the body. “Is he famous or something?”

“Your witness is,” Tsunade said, slanting her eyes down to the papers in Kakashi’s hands. “The last to see him alive, as far as we know.”

“Obito Uchiha?”

“He’s a novelist,” Tsunade said with a snort. “Honestly, Kakashi, you of all people should’ve known that.”

[darkclouud9]

I just seen someone rank the 7 hokage in order of intelligence and I don't think they understand what intelligence is???

Hiruzen at 7???

Naruto at 5??

Tobirama at 3??

Minato at 1???????

hello? do you gear yourself. those are THE most WRONG ones. that's half of them. half of them are wrong. Tsunade at 4 would be entirely correct though, because only 3 could top her. even then Hiruzen MAY be smarter than her but only just.

but Hiruzen being 7 is flat out wrong. he was titled the PROFESSOR. he knew every jutsu in the LEAF.

?????? you see that intelligence stat??

they put Hashirama at 6 btw.

I thought 1 and 2 would've been between Tobirama and Kakashi and I thought Tobirama would've been 1 but then he ended up being 3 HES AN INVENTOR. HE INVENTED A LOT OF JUTSU. HE IS SMART. WHAT.

and they praise Minato for "saving an entire generation" because of his death on the night of the kyuubi attack.

okaaaayyyy but can he see through straight lies? can he not look at his student struggling and think "huh. I'm the cause of this. I need to fix this. Hiruzen was wrong. let's push Kakashi out of anbu even though that one guy said there was no evidence of psychological trauma in him but it was an obvious lie because my student was in hospital after ptsd flashbacks." like. smart. right. Minato is so smart. yeah i love Minato too but you have to hold him accountable too. how did he not know Kakashi was struggling. did he really just not care enough to look for more than 2 seconds and figure it out

[p8567899754nhu]

"Just a little horrific torture of a six year old" WTF

this honestly reads like satire ( what more to expect from this joke of a fandom ) anyway , correcting you on your facts- itachi tortured sasuke THRICE -not once, butchered every member of sasukes clan-including his parents, distant realtives etc. forced him to watch all that multiple times.both times the mental torture was accomapined by physically beating him up and taunting him thereafter, this treatment was so severely traumatising that it sent sasuke into coma -BOTH TIMES (when he was 13 and when he was 8, mind you 8!) , the second time so severe that only a prodigical med nin like tsunade could take him out of it .the trauma probing him abandon his friends(so no harm comes their way) and go to a man who wants to wear his skin and makes him do fucked up shit that he detests

you are fcking comparing this to what madara did to obito ?

and what did madara do?

-saved Obitos life, you could say that confing him to a room was not a good thing to do (but its not that obito could move much even if not confined -not only that the confinemnet wasn't solitary as obito had zetsu's w him ) and showed him how messed up his village and the system was (madara killed his bff? nah, she killed herself konoha manipulated her to kill herself even if madara orchestrated the events to some degree it doesnt change the fact taht konoha manipulates 12 yr olds to die for the village , this in turn enabled obito to see how people like him and rin are disposable not mentioning minato leaving kakshi and rin - madara did something w keeping minato away? prolly not minato already left his 3 genins (prolly 10 yr olds) in war zone all by themselves which caused obitos death.

i'd also argue that the trauma on sauske was so severe that it gave the poor boy some sort of PTSD which is visible when in land of waves arc - sasuke wanting to kill himself because zabuza's presence is so frightening for him , not to mention itachi mentally tortured sasuke in his fight at the uhciha hideout (he only had to tire out sasuke to get ooruchimaru out - gouging his eyes out in Tsukuyomi , showing him another uchiha brotehr killing his sibling live and falsely maligning the uchiha was some fucked up and unnecesary shit) and and i notice you seem to lighten the torture and excuse itachi by saying that he is going thorough a menatal breakdown

im sorry ? where is it mentioned that itachi is having a breakdown? does itachi show any sympotoms of having a breakdown? does any charecheter say it? did itachi come in your dreams and said that he had a breakdown ?

The Chad Karl Madara of tumblr fandom vs. the Incel ACAB (Assigned Cop At Birth) Itachi of tumblr fandom. Like the double standards I can’t take it……madara gets to be hot murder grandpa instead of creepy insidious cave man even though he abused obito for YEARS on end (or at the very least A year) but itachi is eternally condemned because he had a mental breakdown and tortured Sasuke once? Just a little horrific torture of a six year old? Like madara stole a baby’s eyes make it make sense =/

[animeyanderelover]

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessive behavior, obsession, manipulation, paranoia, sabotage, abduction, isolation, torture, death

S/o turns into a ghoul after being tortured

Minato Namikaze

��️Even a man such as himself, who has witnessed war and death multiple times, crumbles when he isn't able to save his darling in time. It's the first time he's ever been so distraught, feels sick to his very core when he's being informed about what his darling had to endure because he wasn't there fast enough. The whole labor ends up being burnt down by him personally as a vengeful rage hangs like a dark cloud over his head, he even terrifies his comrades with the cold and crazed look in his eyes. Every document that might be useful will be taken and he wants at least one survivor who took part in this cursed project to squeeze every information out of them. Every other scientist is to be slaughtered and there is this overwhelming urge inside of Minato to be the cause of their death. Chances are anyways that he took already as many down as he could with his speed.

⚡️His heart is torn apart when he has to place his s/o under special treatment due to their transformation as a result of being a labor rat and witnessing that they're traumatized pierces his very soul. He barely takes care of himself anymore between doing his Hokage work, visiting the sole survivor to torture informations out of them and being with you as good as he can with your current condition and your lust for human flesh. You're luckily still lucid yet hate what you've turned into and suffer from trauma from what you went through. It takes a toll on the Hokage, dark rings under his eyes from the lack of sleep and a weight loss from skipping meals. Kushina is the only one who manages to forcefeed him a bit and overlook that he gets a few hours of sleep or otherwise he might collapse at one point. The stress inevitably causes him to break down crying at one point since it's unbearable to hold his guilt and pain inside.

Chrollo Lucilfer

📖Chrollo is a whole new level of terrifying simply because he is so calm throughout everything as well as frightingly efficient to track his darling down, with the help of the entire Phantom Troupe. He simply wrecks havoc onto the entire place and frees his darling. The condition they're into right now might as well be interesting to him since there is no way torture could have transformed them into a ghoul. The leader doesn't freak out though, will even restrict you with a Nen-ability if you're unstable enough to attack or try to escape. He takes some of the scientists hostage in order to have them tell him a way to revert you back into a human, has Feitan torturing them, uses Shalnark's knowledge to hack technical devices for infos and has Pakunoda using her ability to assist as well. If they should have any Nen-abilities he is interested in, he will attempt to steal them as well and it might not even be that difficult.

📖Chrollo isn't afraid to be extremely close to you, you believe him to be insane since you hunger for human flesh and aren't even human anymore. It's almost sickening how composed Chrollo is, there is no denial that he is even curious about your current condition. He doesn't plan to let you stay that way for long though since he prefers being in absolute control, doesn't want you to learn how to use your abilities and get too confident. You're never left alone since at least two members or he himself are always with you and Chrollo might continue to keep you restrained. It's inhuman how he exploits your anxiety and trauma in order to make you dependent on him yet it is horribly obvious that he's the one with the best chances to turn you back. Feeding you human flesh isn't a problem either since he doesn't value human life besides your own and the ones of his members and if you refuse to eat, he will force it down your throat.

Phinks Magcub

👊Phinks is very protective of his darling already so he utterly and completely goes on a rampage when they're taken away. His identity has to remain a secret under normal circumstances but all chances of thinking logical are gone the moment you're not there anymore. Violent would put his appearance and behavior nicely when he twists necks and breaks bodies all to get to his darling. He breaks mentally a bit though when he sees his s/o tied down to a chair in a puddle of blood and black and red eyes. There is this undeniable feeling of helplessness seizing him up when he nearly beats one of the scientists to death to punch an answer out of him. There isn't anything he could do, at least he doesn't know what he could possibly do to help you right now. Against his violent and vengeful judgement he ends up keeping one guy who took part, for the sole purpose of helping you.

👊​His cover is blown as it is, you saw him murdering a bunch of people and he additionally is left with no other choice but to ask the Phantom Troupe for help. He's far too aggressive to question them, knows that he might end up killing them which would leave him with nothing. The members do agree to help him since all of them have a strong sense of loyalty, even Chrollo seems to express a certain interest. He'd rather not physically restrain you yet will do it if you lose control, he doesn't really care if he gets hurt a bit in the process. There is an immense sense of guilt swallowing him from the inside, it isn't unlikely to see him after the accident rather bothered. He tries to help you somehow and insists that you devour what you need, though you probably feel like you've been betrayed twice now that he has been forced to show his true identity. Phinks has to keep you now that you do know of him or there will be huge troubles.

Pakunoda

💘​Pakunoda manages to cling onto her conposure as good as she can yet doesn't hesitate to ask fellow members for assistance to find you. It is a risk to blow her cover but if she has to choose between that or letting you die, she'll choose exposing her other side to you anytime. The woman who is gentle and a pillar of support is gone, instead there is a cold-blooded and ruthless murderer left who sends a bullet in the head of anyone who is in her way. Her Nen-ability is suited to find you quickly if someone shuts their mouth instead of letting Feitan or someone else do the job. The woman is efficient, demands to keep at least one of the scientists alive for an interrogation yet makes it painfully clear that they'll be immediately disposed off the moment they've fulfilled their role. Even her composure is shaken though once she knows what has happened to you.

💘​If her darling is in control of their urges, she won't tie them down or restrict their movement in any way yet Pakunoda has them monitored the one way or another. She gives her darling a bit space, especially since they're terrified of what they've become and also probably a bit scared of her. Pakunoda takes the role of a therapist though since you went through a traumatic experience and she doesn't want you to break under that burden by keeping it to yourself either. It's almost easy to fool yourself into forgetting what you saw her doing on that day since she is as gentle and patient as ever. Your trust in her is still broken, something Pakunoda naturally expected. It hurts her to know yet she prioritizes possibly working on a way to transform you back. In case that doesn't work she adjusts everything to your changed anatomy and helping you to accept the changes that come with being a ghoul, including your diet.

Machi Komacine

🪡​The woman is quick to take things into her own hands as soon as it has become clear to her that her darling was taken away. Ever as quick to inform fellow members of the current situation and let them help her since speed is essential now. Whilst she remains seemingly stoic on the outside, there is undeniably the feeling of horror creeping up on her back. Machi is at the end a protective woman who wants you to be safe. Absolutely ruthless and merciless to anyone in her way though as they're quickly strung up. She keeps a cool head despite the brooding rage, wants one of the scientists alive to question them later on. There is a shocked reaction from her though the moment she is able to free you. With no injuries despite being in a puddle of blood and with black orbs and red pupils. Your body has changed abnormally and she is quick to assume that those guys have done something to you which leaves her disappointed with herself.

🪡​She has medical knowledge but even that isn't enough to fully understand how your body functions. There is no need anymore to stitch you since you apparently heal yourself yet Machi can't rest well until she knows a bit more about your changed anatomy. There is harsh anger in her eyes whenever she interrogates the last scientist and whether he knows if there is a way to turn you back, Feitan gladly joins. The pink-haired woman tries to be softer with her darling now that they've been most likely traumatized and have also been exposed to another part of her life. Keeps sharp eyes on you since you aren't in the best mental condition and she won't let you suffer all alone either. Machi is a realist though so she ends up preparing herself and you for the case that you can't be turned back. The hardest part is probably convincing you to eat to stay healthy but she is not afraid to shove it down your mouth either.

Uvogin

🫀​If he actually informs the other members of his plan after being kidnapped, it would mean that he has an abnormal amount of self-restraint in that moment. Let's be honest though, that most likely isn't the case since he sees bloody red when his s/o is kidnapped. The most he might do is contacting Shalnark to track your location down and gone is he. If Phinks is violent, Uvogin takes it to the next level since he demolishes the place beyond recognition which includes everyone inside who isn't you. Chances are that he kills everyone inside except someone from the Phantom Troupe arrives in time to reason with him that at least one survivor should be left to answer some questions. You might want to call him stupid since he doesn't realize instantly that something is wrong with you, not until your eyes suddenly change into blak and red and you end up attempting to attack him.

🫀​It's a bit exhausting to reason with him since his brain rejects the idea that you might not be able to return to being a human again. He's pressuring his members quite a bit and, if there is a sole survivor, more than eager to punch help out of them. No one of the other members really lets him near the scientist though since the chance that he'll end up killing them is too high. He refuses to restrict his darling since he dwells on guilt for not having been there to protect them. Uvogin doesn't leave your side either even if you frantically try to push him away since his scent is making you hungry. Even if you do end up attacking him, he won't be rough since he doesn't want to harm you even if your injuries heal. There is really no problem to kill someone and give them to you as a meal, he'll do it in a heartbeat if it means your survival.

Ken Kaneki

🔲​Kaneki is without a doubt the one whose mental health is completely and utterly destroyed. He's gone personally through a torture that had him embracing his new monster somewhat and as someone who is dependent on his s/o, they're the very reason he still functions and lives. He's completely out of it when he finds you and discovers what has happened to you. It's like he is somebody else as he starts slaughtering maniacally everyone who dared to take you, walls are painted red and by the end of it he is standing in a pool of human mush and blood. After the euphoria of bloodlust has died down all it takes is one glance at you to break down and start crying as he has a hysterical fit. He has failed you and by doing so has been responsible for the loss of your humanity. He's equally, maybe even more, traumatized than his darling is after this event and prone to emotional and crying outbursts.

🔲​You are still his whole world and he is unable to deal with the fact that you are a ghoul which is why he believes that you can be turned back. When people like Nishiki and Touka tell him that that's highly impossible, he snaps at them. He desperately clings onto that hope and it would need you to break him out of that delusional prison which will only end in another fit of crying, one that can easily last over an hour until he calms down. The people in Anteiku end up being the ones to help you to adjust to life as a ghoul, better than Kaneki who shields you from everything. Touka insists that you learn to use your Kagune which is met with frantic and horrific protests from Kaneki. He won't let you fight, he won't let you get involved in anything. Even if you have regeneration abilities, it doesn't ease his paranoia. In case it has only become worse ever since you've turned into a ghoul.

[randoimago]

Hey Kat! I know I just requested something but can I noticed you’re writing for Persona 5 again and I wanted to request something if you don’t mind? The Phantom Theives, (boys and girls but if not, then boys only) + Akechi (cuz I love him), dating either Yu Narukami or Minato Arisato’s younger sibling? Bonus if the sibling has a persona as well. Again feel free to ignore and have an amazing day! Virtual hugs- Yora :)

I think I’ll do this boys only just to get it out faster! 

Okay but they just see Minato’s sibling pull a gun out and shoot themself in the head. Just the absolute panic.

.

Akechi

You don’t talk about your family much to Akechi, stating that it’s a difficult topic. So he doesn’t pry too much even though he does feel a bit annoyed since you know about his family bs.

Is very interested the first time you enter mementos or a palace with him and he sees you transform. There’s some bittersweet feelings in him at that because are you a phantom thief too? 

He does have some many questions when you finally tell him that your brother and you have been persona users for a while, you just stopped using yours after your brother’s death.

Akechi sees you pull out the gun in combat and he’s waiting for you to make a ranged attack with it. He is not ready when he sees you lift it to your temple and pull the trigger. Honestly, there’s a lot of panic that fills him before he sees that’s how you summon your persona.

He’s going to act like he was fine, but will definitely scold you about not giving him some kind of warning. 

Akira

Akira knew that something was interesting with you when you first met, but he didn’t know what exactly.

It wasn’t until he accidentally pulled you into a palace and you had a persona that he realized that he’s right.

Definitely going to ask how you have a persona and how long you’ve had it. 

He is very attentive when you tell him about your time in Inaba with your brother, who also apparently had a persona.

Would like to meet your brother at some point to talk to him, but he’ll leave that up to you since that’s your family and he doesn’t want to intrude on family stuff. Especially since it sounds like a lot happened and that might be best to leave in the past.

Ryuji

Ryuji is feeling really bad and scared when you get accidentally sent to Mementos with him. This isn’t a place you should be and he’s definitely panicking a bit on the inside, stating that he’ll do his best to protect you.

That’s when he notices that your outfit changed too. That you have your own persona. It throws him for a loop before you explain to him that you’ve had it for a while. 

Later, Ryuji is glad to listen to you talk about how you have one and your late brother. He promises that he’ll still keep you safe in his sted. That causes a bit of a chuckle because you can take care of yourself, but it’s sweet.

Okay but when you actually get into battle and go to summon your persona, Ryuji screams. 

You just pulled a gun out and shot yourself in the head! You didn’t tell him that you had to do that to summon the persona!!

Yusuke

You being Yusuke’s S/O gives him so much guilt because he’s struggling with if he should tell you about persona’s and mementos and being a Phantom Thief or if he should keep that to himself. Secrets are bad in relationships so it’s hard on Yusuke at first.

When you accidentally get pulled into mementos, Yusuke is ready to guard you and send you back. He stops when he sees the outfit change and questions the pair of glasses you suddenly take out.

Yusuke listens to you as you talk about your version of mementos from Inaba and what you’ve gone through especially since your family got involved in it as well.

He offers you his condolences with all the trauma you must have gone through in the past and now being wrapped up with him, it might introduce you to all of that again. 

Yusuke is a very understanding boyfriend that would also like to meet your family, if only to apologize to Yu for re-involving you in all of this.

[captnjacksparrow]

So does Kishi officially hate NH and SS? Because I can't help but think like that when I see them in Boruto. Like no way he wants them to be seen as happy or content. Also, it seems like he still hates Sakura because just just look at her, she hasn't really changed. Her dynamic with Sasuke hasn't really changed. She gives chase, Sasuke ignores. Except Sasuke looks more depressed.

Hey, after fifteen years of us chasing after the story and characters we invested in so much, at least give us some indication that they are least happy after sooo many sacrifices, like they deserve that happiness.

But no, if anything, they seem totally miserable. What made Kishi do that? Yes, he can't show them ooc, but Sasuke marrying Sakura is already ooc. Naruto being a bad father is already ooc. Like why go to the extent of showing Sasuke trying not to touch Sakura and pointedly showing that they never kissed? That's just like a determined effort on Kishi's part to show that their marriage is not working. Naruto works way more than any of his predecessors and sleeps in the office or couch so as not to disturb Hinata, when Hinata is specifically designed to accommodate anything that Naruto might require.

Don't get me wrong, I think Boruto is trash. But I am still in interested in SNS in Boruto because that's still canon. Just makes me wonder how Kishi will finally conclude SNS, because their bond still shows clearly in Boruto. Do you think he will kill them any time soon?

Good ask, Anon☺️☺️❤️❤️

Before answering this, I am going to tell you that I don’t watch Boruto. But I know what happened so far, vaguely. Like, Gaiden arc, Karma seal, Kawaki adoption, Kurama’s death, loss of Rinnegan, Time travel arc. Anyways, I might have missed many interactions between Sasuke & Sakura in the filler episodes or other canonical episodes. I would be happy If you send me an episode list or timestamps in where they interact, so that it saves my time instead of me, watching that entire shit show. 

So does Kishi officially hate NH and SS?

In this post, I dissected SS from a non-SNS perspective. It seems Kishi went all out of his way to make their interactions too insincere, blunt and toxic. I mean Sasuke’s absolute lack of interest in her was very evident even until chapter 693. That is right before, their final VoTE fight. And even after Sakura comes to heal their injuries, he just said ‘Ummmm..... I guess Sorry’... 

Kishi could have made Sasuke say some corny shit to Sakura like how he felt bad inside for hurting her, how he missed her, wiping her tears or whatever (Puke!!!! 🤮🤮🤮). Because in the previous chapter, Sasuke basically confessed to Naruto internally about how he felt about Naruto when he was a child. Kishi could have done the same for Sakura in just 4, 5 panels. But anyways, my point is, Kishi’s moment to salvage that ship is chapter 699. 

But he didn’t.

Did Kishi tried to build their bond after marriage?

He definitely could’ve. But he didn’t. 

This shows his clear distaste in SS.

As for NH, Kishi is indifferent. He neither hates them nor loves them. Kishi created Hinata as a pairing fodder and she still is. 

Also, it seems like he still hates Sakura because just just look at her, she hasn't really changed. Her dynamic with Sasuke hasn't really changed. She gives chase, Sasuke ignores. Except Sasuke looks more depressed.

Hmmm, I don’t know whether Sasuke hates her, anon. Again, maybe I’ve missed those parts. But when he looks at her, it’s always filled with regrets and an urge to avoid her (like Itachi avoided Sasuke, but for totally sad and genuine reasons). 

But this again begs the question, ‘Why feeling regret or hesitant even after 12 years?’. 

Believe me anon, Love/Bonds/Understanding can happen at anytime of your life. From where I come from, not everyone marries out of love. Arranged marriages are common. But still, many couples make effort and work out their difference, and find love. Kishi could’ve done the same for SS too. 

Is Sasuke that heartless? No.

He was once a boy who bear hugged his brother every time Itachi comes back from the Academy. Itachi’s presence itself made Sasuke so happy. 

Did he become heartless after the massacre? Also no.

Even after the trauma, Sasuke just became aloof and cold. But he always becomes a child who can pout, be silly, becomes animated, bicker around Naruto. So, he can be lovely, but only around the people he choose by himself. 

Still, Sakura is not that person. So, he looks like he is depressed and wants to escape from her at any given chance because of a certain guilt. 

What made Kishi do that? Yes, he can't show them ooc, but Sasuke marrying Sakura is already ooc. Naruto being a bad father is already ooc. Like why go to the extent of showing Sasuke trying not to touch Sakura and pointedly showing that they never kissed? That's just like a determined effort on Kishi's part to show that their marriage is not working.

To answer, this goes way back, anon. 

Kishi is a person who prefers to write love through intense friendship, sensei-student dynamics and brotherhood. He can occasionally write cute and sweet romance but it can only be short like 2 or 3 pages... or a chapter, max. He can’t go on doing it for 70 chapters for romance. Which was evident from Minato & Kushina, Dan & Tsunade, Obito & Rin. 

But the real deal of Naruto manga is the bond between Naruto and Sasuke. The bond between Itachi and Sasuke also played a huge role in this series. And then comes Hashirama and Madara, Jiraiya and Naruto, Kakshi and Obito, Kakashi and Naruto and many more. So, Kishi pretty much gave an ending he wanted for a long time in chapter 699. He successively pulled off a great manga without corny and shitty romance but with just friendship and brotherhood alone. He didn’t give two shits about NH or SS before chapter 700.

Naruto series’ another success lies on it’s characters tragic backstories. I simply loved them all and most of them made me cry. 

Kishi wanted to move on from Naruto.

But then Money played a big part. Naruto series can be milked in a lot of ways. Editors wanted all the characters to become some baby making dolls. So you have to create pairings. Based on the popularity polls, they decided NH and SS.

In my opinion, Sasuke is a goal-oriented person. He is a wanderer who works on his own accords. Ever since he left Konoha when he was 13, that was his path, so you can’t make him stay in one place. At every stage of his life, he had different goals.

At age 8-15, he had one goal. To kill Itachi. Can he have a romance here? Nope.

At age 16, his goal is to destroy Konoha. No chance of romance in that dark path.

At age 17, he wanted to Revolutionize the shinobi system. Since he wanted to be alone for that goal, no possibility of romance.

At age 18, he adopted Naruto’s dream as his own. To make all shinobi cooperate and look out for Kaguya remains. Romance cannot happen here as he was constantly wandering around and he prefers to work alone.

This is how Kishi designed Sasuke’s character throughout.

Now all of a sudden, if you ask Kishi to go OOC by asking him to write corny romance for his favorite character Sasuke just for the sake of making him relevant to Boruto series, what will he do? 

Since Boruto is a series which is a sequel to Naruto, you pretty much know everyone’s backstory. Those 12 year old New Gen kids possibly can’t have tragic stories like Naruto or Sasuke. 

Kishi being a troller, used this opportunity to create a piss poor sob story for Sarada by making Sasuke as an absentee father and an unloving husband.

He created a sad story for Sarada and he gets to shit on SS ship. Two birds, One stone!!!! 

Now, Sasuke being an unloving husband is OOC ? Nope. He was never a marriage material in the first place. So he is perfectly in-character.

Sasuke being an absentee father is OOC? No and Yes. No, because it’s the effect of the cause I mentioned above. Yes, because unlike Naruto, Sasuke once had a father. He can try to reach her out now and often. but he prefers not to do instead he cares more about Boruto. LOL.

Sasuke being not family oriented is OOC? Nope. He is a goal oriented person. His goal is same as Naruto’s dream. He will go to any extent to fulfill it, even at the expense of his family’s happiness. Because that’s what he learnt from Itachi. What Itachi taught him was, even at the expense of his own happiness and Sasuke’s trauma, he preferred Konoha and Shinobi World’s peace. That’s what Sasuke is doing now. 

Naruto works way more than any of his predecessors and sleeps in the office or couch so as not to disturb Hinata, when Hinata is specifically designed to accommodate anything that Naruto might require.

As for Naruto, 

I think it’s very funny. And I guess, I know why.

Just like Sasuke, Naruto is also a goal oriented person. 

Remember, in that Boruto movie, Sasuke knocks Naruto’s door at the midnight?

Imagine if Naruto opened the door. 

Sasuke will be like, ‘Alright mothafucka!!! I wanted to die in the VoTE itself. You wanted me in your dream world. Am working my ass off for your stupid dreams and trying to reach you without even meeting my own family. And yet here you are, sleeping well and sound. Am just gonna Chidori you!!!’ LOL.

I think you get my point. 

If you make Sasuke to be an hardworker, then Naruto must work even hard to fulfill his dream. So you possibly can’t have Naruto playing duet with Himata or whatever trash. 

So kishi pulled his Two birds, One Stone for NH here!!!

In short, Kishi gets to make his New generation shine through this pathetic sob stories and at the same time, kept his favorite characters without going OOC. 

So, it’s a polite way of Kishi showing middlefinger to SS and NH for making him do this. He is saying, ‘Alright folks, you wanted this all along. But this is what you will get!!!’.

Just makes me wonder how Kishi will finally conclude SNS, because their bond still shows clearly in Boruto. Do you think he will kill them any time soon?

I think about this all the time. How will they end?? How will they die??

Now, don’t think I am some sadist for wanting them to die. I am just being practical and honest here. This is a new generation series. Of course, at some point, Naruto and Sasuke has to die for the sake of character development. And I will be happy if they die because I don’t like their miserable portrayal in Boruto at all. 

Naruto series has a pattern when it comes to death portrayal. Meaningful characters (except Neji) always die protecting someone/something they cherish. Jiraiya died for Naruto, Yahiko died for Konan & Nagato, Itachi died for Sasuke & Konoha, Haku died for Zabuza, Obito (younger) died for Kakashi & Rin and so on.

Ever since Naruto became Hokage, his death is pretty much plastered on his head. He will die protecting Konoha just like all the Hokages from First to Fourth who sacrificed their life for Konoha. 

But Sasuke??? 

I am going to say he will die protecting Naruto or the village. But for Naruto mostly. Either way, Sasuke will die first. 

Dying for Naruto, the reasons are crystal clear. He already died protecting Naruto once in the Zabuza arc. He will never hesitate to do it again. Which was evident from the way he told Naruto in the Boruto movie while giving his Susanoo, ‘If they capture the real you, then everything is gone’. Somewhere in Boruto Manga chapter 38 (I don’t remember properly), Sasuke was yelling at Naruto, ‘If you are gone, it’s pretty hopeless’ and was praying ‘Naruto, don’t you die’. 

So it’s pretty much Sasuke saying to Naruto, ‘I’ll protect you, You protect everyone’

But why the village?? Why will Sasuke die for Konoha which caused him so much pain?? I know anti-konoha stans wont like this, but that’s the reality.

It seems many Sasuke fans never paid attention to his character. After hearing the story from all the Hokages, Sasuke said, ‘I will not let Itachi’s life and this village into nothing’. He really meant it. Because for Sasuke, Itachi was more precious. Itachi died saying, ‘I’ll have protected my village as Uchiha Itachi of Konoha once again. I have no more regrets’. Sasuke wanted to respect his brother’s wish finally and that’s why he openly claimed in the battlefield, ‘I am going to protect Konoha and become it’s Hokage’. Sasuke’s another precious person is Naruto. He is the Hokage now. 

Don’t you think Sasuke will die protecting something Itachi and Naruto values so much??

He even claimed it openly in Boruto Manga. ‘I would die anytime for Konoha, as has your dad (Naruto)’

Sasuke even said to Boruto, “I will stop you even if I have to kill you”. And do you think Sasuke is just pouring out some empty words??? Sasuke will not let Boruto to turn into an Otsutsuki monster and destroy the village.

Like I said, Sasuke will go out first. And eventually Naruto will follow him. Or they both die protecting the village together. I don’t see them dying for their wives or children. Because, their relationship with their family is not too strong and their ambitions are far beyond their own families.

Maybe for this reason, Kishi is trolling NH and SS in Boruto. LOL.

Naruto’s bond with Sasuke was formed even before his birth, when Kushina asked the 3 month old Baby Sasuke to be friends with Naruto.

However, One thing is for sure. One will not live very long without the Other or Both will die together. That’s how their bond should end. 

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Hokage Sakumo Au

During the faithful mission, Sakumo still chooses to save his friends over completing the mission, leading into the third great Shinobi war. A mistake he has to live with, and that still earns him the ire of his superiors and other shinobi.

Except, this time, everyone’s smart enough not to shun one of their best shinobi. They recognize Sakumo allowed his emotions to affect his mission and that’s not ok, but to lose someone as strong as The White fang when a new war has just started would only end in further disaster.

While Sakumo is scolded for his actions on that mission, he is not shunned and made to feel like a complete failure. Sakumo continues to take missions going forward, being relegated to solo missions to avoid any further incidents.

Kakashi still has to hear villagers and Other Shinobi’s judgments of Sakumo when he’s out in the village, but being able to go home to his father and learn from him slowly makes him hate his father and the choice he made less over time. Sakumo is also able to talk to his son and explain why he made the choice he did. How important his team is to him, and how he believes protecting his teammates is just as important as completing the mission.

Able to still do missions, Sakumo slowly makes his name back. He's still a feared shinobi around the world, and he's capable of taking care of a lot of missions on his own.

He's also able to be there for Kakashi when everything goes wrong in his life. After the Kanabi bridge, Sakumo's there to see his son come home with a new scar over his eyes and a Sharingan where his old eye used to be. As well as a broken tanto gathered up in his extra shirt, and heavy guilt weighing down on his heart.

Sakumo takes days off from missions to be there for Kakashi. He knows his son needs him at that moment and nothing else comes before him. No one can convince him to leave Kakashi alone during this time, no matter how important the mission is.

It's even worse when Kakashi comes back home with Rin's blood still staining his uniform and a haunted look in his eyes. Sakumo is certain he has never seen his son so broken before, and he refuses to let Kakashi be alone after suffering through such a huge trauma.

This is good because this also happens to coincide with the time Hiruzen decides he wants to step down.

The meeting is five hours long, with Danzo fighting venomously for Orochimaru to get the spot of Hokage and Hiruzen refusing. Ultimately, a compromise is reached. One Danzo isn't too fond of, but Hiruzen and the two Elders can accept. The new Hokage will be Hatake Sakumo.

Danzo is obviously not happy about this, but if he wants to do something about it he's going to need time. For now, he'll just have to sit back and come up with a plan.

Hiruzen calls Sakumo into his office to give him the news, and Sakumo's genuinely not sure if he should accept the job at first. It's not until he's talking to Maito Dai about it later that evening that he realizes he might actually have a chance to change the system. To make a better future for not only his son but every other kid as well.

The next day Sakumo accepts the promotion, and within a week the Hokage's hat is being handed off to him in a big ceremony. The only problem is that Kakashi isn't enjoying the whole thing. Partially because of his new trauma regarding Rin's death, partially because he genuinely doesn't understand why his father would want to take this position.

the topic of Sakumo moving into the Hokage's residence is of course brought up, but Kakashi shoots that down right away. He refuses to leave his family home for the Hokage's residence. Enough in his life is changing and he's not ready to make that big of a chance along with everything else. Thankfully, Sakumo agrees with him.

It's not long into Sakumo's time as Hokage before Minato informs Kakashi of Kushina's pregnancy. Some pretty big news that Sakumo definitely thinks is worth celebrating. After all, his Son's sensei is going to have a kid. He remembers having all of his students around when Kakashi was born, so there's no doubt he's going to make sure Kakashi's there when Minato and Kushina's child is born.

The events of the Kyuubi attack still happen the same. When Kushina is ready to give birth and the seal is at its weakest, Obito strikes. Obito still faces off against Minato while Sakumo focuses on protecting the village as much as possible. And in the end, Minato and Kushina still die trying to protect the village and sealing the Kyuubi into their son.

Sakumo arrives just in time to hear Kushina's last request for him to make sure Naruto is taken care of, and unlike some people *side-eyes Hiruzen* Sakumo actually aims to keep that promise. From that day forward, Naruto is a part of the Hatake household and Sakumo refuses to allow anyone to hate him for something he had no control over.

Of course, knowing that the Hokage has now taken in the villages Jinjuuriki and isn't dead from the attack, Danzo's pretty pissed. He was hoping at least that Sakumo would parish in the attack as well so that he could gain some control in Konoha. Perhaps take the Hokage's seat for himself. This calls for drastic measures.

Danzo doesn't approach Kakashi at the memorial stone. that would be nothing but a mistake seeing as the Hokage, the man Danzo wants to kill, Is Kakashi's father.

Instead, Kakashi finds out about the attempted assassination of his father by eves dropping. He feels like something is off in the village and decides to follow around the Anbu. He may not be Anbu trained here, but he's good enough to get by without being seen. They don't give up much information, but enough to make him leery. So he goes to his father and explains that he doesn't have any proof, but there's a gut feeling that there might be an attempt on Sakumo's life. Which is how Sakumo and Kakashi come up with a plan. Sakumo isn't the biggest plan of Kakashi taking his place in disguise, but he knows his son can handle himself while he confronts Danzo.

Kakashi still ends up facing off against Tenzo when Root operatives try to attack what they think is the Hokage, and Tenzo isn't sure how he's supposed to deal with this. Clearly, something went wrong if their plan was discovered.

Meanwhile, Sakumo confronts Danzo in the Hokage's office. And Sakumo isn't as nice as Hiruzen. Danzo has committed treason and Sakumo won't stand for that. This is grounds for a fight, and Sakumo has every intention of winning.

The fight ends up being the spectacle of all of Konoha when Sakumo chucks Danzo through the window out of his office, and no one is really certain what they're supposed to do.

One thing of importance does happen. To try and win the fight, Danzo finds himself having to expose at least the one Sharingan in his eye. And upon seeing that, Fugaku loses it. Kakashi getting the Uchiha's Sharingan was a gift from Obito. An Uchiha. But Fugaku would have heard of Danzo being gifted a Sharingan, even if it was after the fact. Knowing he wasn't informed of this tells him that Danzo was not given the Sharingan willingly.

Which instantly pits Danzo vs Sakumo and every single Uchiha plus a good chunk of the village. Even if Danzo was to win against Sakumo, there is no way he'd survive the entire village squaring off against him.

Danzo knows this is a lost cause, and makes's a run for it. Leaving every single Root operative under his command out to dry.

He does try to go for Tenzo, since that's an important power to have by his side, but he's blocked by Kakashi. Someone who would be easy to take on at this point, except for the fact that Tenzo sees this kid desperate to protect him and clearly starts to question his loyalty to Danzo then and there.

So Danzo leaves Konoha, intent on sorting out a plan and coming back to take down Sakumo. This is far from the last the village see's of Danzo, but for now they know they're better off. And Sakumo realizes he has a bit of cleaning up to do in the hierarchy of Konoha.

@loadbearinonion

[eat0crow]

Not So Dead

Summary: Kakashi’s regretted a lot of things in his life. More than he can ever hope to put a number on. He never imagined not being more philosophical would make its way onto the list.

Notes: Written for @amusl02 as part of the @akatsuki-gift-exchange. I”m so sorry this is late!

You siad you wanted angst so I tried to be emo about it :D

_____

Kakashi’s never cared enough to worry about whatever bastardization of the afterlife his soul would end up in.

Most shinobi’s don’t as a general rule. How can they when they stain their hands with enough blood to fill hundreds of small basins for a paycheck? Sure, there’s a few like the Hyuga and the Uchiha, whose clan lore glamorizes battle so much they have a clear picture of their soul’s destination. But the general population of nins are more than happy with understanding that wherever their souls go...it can’t be anywhere good, and leaving it at that.

Avoiding the afterlife is a much more pressing, present, concern.

But fuck if the information wouldn’t come in handy right about now. He’s regretted a lot of things in his life. More than he can ever hope to put a number on. He never imagined not being more philosophical would make its way onto the list.

He should have listened to Sasuke when he’d had been explaining, in excruciating detail, to Naruto and Sakura just where the departed go, last night when they set up camp. He would have, but the temptation to remind Sasuke that technically, he was oversharing clan secrets, had been at the tip of his tongue and—

Seeing Sasuke start to open up, even if it was over something morose like death, with progress that was downright groundbreaking for him, kept Kakashi from saying anything. He’d never heard the boy talk even a third as much. So what was the harm in him giving away lore.

Sasuke is the clan, it’s his right to decide what gets guarded fiercely and what gets given away freely.

Tuning the kids conversation out, while immediately satisfying, evidently, had been a mistake. Because Kakashi has no fucking clue where he is. Probably not hell? He feels like his soul would be a lot more tormented than it is right now, if it was. Definity not heaven. Not ever heaven. Not after Rin. Or Obito. Or Kushina. Or Minato. Or—

All he knows for a fact is that he isn’t alive anymore. He can’t be. And it’s not the darkness that’s telling him that, not the nothingness or the weightlessness or the cold that seeps into his bones and bites at him harder than the chakra exhaustion that knocked him out had.

No, it’s none of that.

No.

It’s Obito that lets him know that he’s no longer part of the world of the living.

Obito, who’s older than he was the last time Kakashi saw him, who’s his age, which makes sense and doesn’t at the same time. Death, he supposes, gets to make its own set of rules. Whatever they are, aren’t nearly as important as the fact that Obito is here.

Not as the boy Kakashi remembers, who’d been sunshine and summer, warm smiles and endless hope. Or even as any of the variants he’s spent years creating as the answers to half his ‘what ifs’.

No, he’s here and all hard edges. Mangled and torn and cold and so much more beautiful in that he exists. That he’s in front of him. Kakashi has missed him, more with every precious person he’s lost, and the longer he’s lived. Seeing him with his arms crossed, with an orange, swirled mask dangling from his side that screams Naruto, is like stepping back in time. He feels like a genin. Albeit one with slightly more trauma, not to say he didn't already have his fair share than.

The glare on his face is like none of the expressions Kakashi can remember from his friend, but exactly what he always imagined when thinking about them meeting again in the next life. It causes a weird sense of validation to flood him. How could any of the people Kakashi failed possibly do anything but hate him?

Saving Kakashi was the last thing Obito had done, and for what? Him to turn around and kill Rin? For him to shove his hand through her chest and carve out her heart with lightning? Obito loved Rin, in every way he couldn’t. Didn’t want to, for that matter. Kakashi was happy to let her love him, if it meant she was happy and stayed in his life. Existing in her life, being her friend, was enough—all he was capable of.

Rin, was a butterfly. She was always destined to outgrow him once she found someone who loved her back, in the way she wanted and not just in the ways he could manage. She deserved to. Rin was amazing and wonderful and worth so much more than team seven.

He’d have been more than happy to let her fly away, if fate hadn’t been a bitch that decided thirteen was old enough for her to die.

“Bakakashi.” There’s a warning in Obito’s voice, his eyes are murderous, and it goes against every single one of Kakashi’s instincts to stay where he is. Not that he thinks he can move much. Apparently dying doesn’t come with a healing session, he still has all his injuries, and he feels just as drained as he did in Wave.

“Obito,” he finally says, he’s doing nothing to disguise any of the complicated knot of emotion that’s had more than a decade to tangle up from his voice. Maybe Obito will hear it and be able to understand them more than Kakashi himself does.

All he knows is that he’s feeling something.

Whether it’s a good something remains to be seen.

Though, he doubts that he can be part of any something that’s good.

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, they’re proof of that. He’d worried so much about them getting to keep their childhoods, he hadn’t actually prepared them for the reality of shinobi life. Despite team 7’s history of cursed C ranks, he’d let them take this mission with nothing more than academy skills and D ranks under their belts. Fuck.

And now he’d gone and died on them. He’d left them behind in the middle of Wave with no one.

Desperately, he hopes they have the common sense to terminate their mission and return to the village.

Realistically he very much doubts they do.

“Pay attention to me, God damn it,” Obito hisses at him, voice sharp-edged and dripping with venom. He’s standing at Kakashi’s feet, kunai angled toward his throat. When did he get there? It’s hard to focus in wherever the fuck they are. “I guess some things never change, huh?”

“That’s not true,” he answers, he can’t stop himself. It’s Obito. No amount of post mortem introspection is going to prevent him from being at least a little bit of a bastard to him. “I’m taller than you now.”

Obito’s breath catches. He freezes, goes impossibly still, his fingers curling around the hilt of his knife so tightly his arm shakes. “You don’t get it, do you?” That’s not his angry tone. No, Obito's beyond that. This is his furious one. The one Kakashi never actually heard but always assumed he had. “Unbelievable. Fifteen years. After fifteen fucking years, here I am, a living corpse standing over you with a knife to your god damned throat and you still won’t take me seriously.”

“That’s not true,” Kakashi says, only, his words come out thick, slurred together around his tongue and the black spots thickening in his vision. “I always pay attention to you.”

How could he not?

Above him, Obito looks seconds away from dismembering him. He says...something. All Kakashi can hear is the rush of blood in his ears. Whatever cutting remark that Obito has to say—that Kakashi deserves to hear—is lost over the sound of his breathing.

He doesn’t want to pass out. Not when he’s just gotten Obito back and there’s a good chance he’ll wake up somewhere else, alone. He doesn’t know how this whole afterlife thing works. He’s terrified that if he closes his eyes, he won’t have the chance to find out.

It doesn’t seem to be up to him, though. The darkness keeps slipping into his vision, the cotton clouding his brain getting thicker with every second he forces himself to stay conscious.

The last thing he sees before he's swept away in the waves of chakra exhaustion is Obito’s face, hovering inches from his own with something that might have been concern flashing across it.

Kakashi’s next return to the land of the not so living (purgatory?), is a bit easier. There’s less of the bone-deep cold from before and more of the floating sensation. Like he’s stuck somewhere with just enough gravity to keep him steady in one place. He doesn’t hurt as badly, the only aches he feels are the ones he’s always had. It would be stranger for him to wake up with them gone, so he counts himself fully healed.

He pushes himself up into a sitting position, his muscles stiff and protesting even with the simple movement. His side is tender, but, considering Kakashi remembers his ribs being broken by that fucking overgrown sword, it’s nothing more than an inconvenience.

“It’s not the same if you roll over and die,” a quiet voice says, off to his left. Kakashi blinks, his mask is gone, so is his hitai-ate. All he can do is run his hands over his face and blink the last bits of sleep from his vision. Obito’s breath doesn’t catch when he turns to look at him, which makes sense, assuming he was the one to take his mask off in the first place. And really, who else is there to do it? “I have to be the one to kill you.”

“Sorry,” he manages after what feels like a small eternity. His brain hasn’t caught up with his tongue just yet. “You can. If you want to.”

Keeping his shoulders intentionally relaxed, his movements loose and lazy in a way that takes effort, Kakashi reaches toward his thigh, grabbing the tanto still strapped there. For a moment he weights the blade in his hand. It's standard issue, the same one given out to all jounin. Nothing remarkable about it.

Handle out, he offers it up to Obito.

And Obito stares, for a long endless moment that stretches into the next. Around them the landscape echoes the tension in his shoulders, the dark grey nothing rising up into jagged peaks, sharpening with every fraction of tension that makes its way into his frame. “Just like that. After everything, you’re not going to fight back?”

“I would,” Kakashi says, looking away first. “If it was anyone else.”

“Then why?” Obito asks, searching.

Kakashi cuts him off before he can continue. “Because you deserve to. Obito, I’m the reason you died, if anyone has the right to run a blade through me it’s you.”

Long, spindly fingers curl around the handle of the blade, and even though they don’t touch his skin, Kakashi can feel the phantom sensations of them across his hand. “I’m not killing you for me, dumbass.”

Kakashi swallows hard around the lump in his throat. He still doesn’t turn to face him. It’s weird seeing Obito with only a single Sharingan flashing red in his face. In a way, it’s a bit like seeing his own reflection mirrored back to him, and Kakashi has never been good with looking at his own face. “I know, and if Rin or Minato or Kushina was here I would let them kill me, too. But they’re not.”

“So what,” Obito scoffs, harsh and cruel as he throws the tanto sheath. “I’m the consolation prize? A get out of jail free card? I’m here so I might as well absolve you of your guilt like a convenient little escape-goat, is that right? Do you even care?”

Obito laughs. It sounds like a sob. Like something wretched from a wounded animal that’s hurting and has been hurting for so long it’s forgotten how to feel any differently. Kakashi hates that sound, he really really hates it.

Before he can help himself, Kakashi turns, grabbing the hand not clutching the blade between them in a white-knuckled grip that looks painful, and pulls. The tanto goes chattering forward and Obito is mashed against him into something that might resemble a hug and what feels more like a lifeline.

“Of course I care,” Kakashi says into the crown of Obito's hair. He smells like clay and metal and something not quite natural that doesn’t matter nearly as much as his warmth against his chest. “You’re not an escape-goat Obito. You’re the one I owe the most to. I’m sorry I couldn’t find some way to make it up to you before I died and ended up here.”

Against him, Obito stiffens further, pushing away with bony elbows that dig into his stomach until clawed fingers make their way into the skin of his shoulders. Obito holds himself there, arms-length away and propped up enough for Kakashi to have to crane his neck to make eye contact. “Wait. What? Kakashi, where the fuck do you think you are?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Kakashi says, doing his best to make his voice come out breezily. “I don’t know anything about the afterlife”s geography.”

Obito pinches his side, hard. “You’re not—Bakakashi—I’m not dead. Neither are you.”

“Wait, what?”

“How you—this whole time you thought you were dead?” Obito shakes him, throwing his whole body weight into moving Kakashi’s upper torso. “You were going to let me kill you a second ago!”

“In the metaphorical sense.” Kakashi raises an eyebrow at him, the confused look on his face natural with not even a bit of exaggeration. “I figured after you got your justice, I’d move on to whatever hell comes next.”

“You were bleeding when you came here. You’re sitting in a patch of dried blood right now.”

“I haven’t died before, I don’t know how death works.” Kakashi shrugs.

For all he knows the afterlife could just be a really bland version of...well life.

Maybe if he wasn’t recovering from the after-effects of what he now knows for a fact had originally been a concussion, he’d be a lot more suspicious. Probably not though, because even without the head injury he’d have a lap full of Obito and there is absolutely no way he could be skeptical about his living or dead status with his arms around the ghost of a boy he watched die.

“My heart's beating, you idiot.” Obito protests, reaching down and placing Kakashi’s palm flat against his chest. On reflex, Kakashi tries to jerk it away, the only time he ever touches anyone's chest is when he’s tasked with carving out their heart. Obito’s grip is crushing, though. He holds his hand there firmly in place, not allowing even a fraction of give. “Don’t you think It would be a lot more still if I was a ghost.”

Kakashi wants to say he doesn’t know. Wants to point out that he can’t feel Obito’s heartbeat through the overwhelming panic that's nipping across Kakashi’s skin—and fuck, if he didn’t already have enough triggers, he should have expected to have a little trauma surrounding this. He can’t get the words out of his throat, though. Not through his breathing, that’s coming out in harsh pants. Not over the panic attack that had no business ruining this and is a good chunk of time past due.

For his part, Obito just watches him through it. Immovable as he keeps his grip welded around Kakashi’s wrist.

Eventually, after however long time takes to move here, he forces his mind to steady itself and compartmentalize this into the little boxes in the far-off corners labeled do not revisit. When he finally does feel, not okay, he’s too shaky for okay, but solid, he makes the effort to feel what Obito’s trying to show him.

When he does, he’s met with the steady thump of a heart beating under his hand. It feels like a bird, beating its wings—and that’s enough of the fragile animal metaphors for today, thank you very much. “Oh. Oh you’re real.”

Obito blinks at him, and the final bits of anger that have steadily been falling away, drains out of him. “Yeah,” Obito breathes, letting go of Kakashi’s hand, finally, and slumping forward, back into his arms. “Yeah, Kakashi, I’m real.”

“You’re alive,” Kakashi whispers. His grip must be painful, but he can’t stop himself from tightening his hold. Afraid that Obito will slip away as some figment of his imagination the second he eases up. “You’re alive.”

“Come on now,” Obito huffs. Something hot makes its way to the crook of Kakashi’s neck. He can’t be bothered to check and see which one of them is crying. “You didn’t think I’d actually let Iwa kill me, did you?”

Yes.

Yes, Kakashi very much did. If he had suspected for even a second that Obito was still out there, somewhere, alive and whole, he would have hunted him down with enough vigor to make his ninken jealous.

But saying that feels cheap when actions speak louder than words and enough time has passed for anything along that vein to ring as hollow platitudes.

Kakashi thinks Obito expects him to get angry at him, to demand to know where he’s been for the last fifteen years. Don’t get him wrong, Kakashi wants to know, he really desperately does. But the answer isn’t nearly as important as the fact that Obito is alive and whole and with him, so instead he settles on asking, “Where is here, then.”

Obito lets out a breath, slumping impossibly more against him. “This is a part of Kamui. Somehow when you exhausted yourself, you managed to find your way into the pocket dimension created by the Sharingan. Since we share the same set, we can access the same place. You’re lucky I was already here. You really would have been dead if I wasn’t.”

“Oh,” Kakashi says, simply. He supposes, in a way it makes sense. Their Mangekyou can banish objects, it has to have a place to send them to. Maybe he caught himself in the reflection of Zabuza’s water prison.

Kaskshi closes his eyes, content to just hold Obito there. It’s not like he’s gotten the chance to be close to anyone recently, physically or otherwise. So while he’s hyper aware of every inch of skin Obito is touching, it feels good. In a reassuring, alive, kind of way.

They lapse into a comfortable silence, the only sounds around being their combined breathing which quickly takes the place of white noise.

Obito’s the one to break it, turning his face against Kakashi’s chest and looking up. “Hey, Bakakashi, if I asked to kill you right now, would you let me?” His voice is soft without the venom in it, with nothing to hide the uncertainty.”

Kakashi doesn’t have to think about his answer before he responds, “Yes.”

He’s not his father, he’s not about to throw himself down on his own blade just to run from his ghosts. But, he thinks if one of his ghosts, the one that’s not quite dead yet, wants him to be, that’s okay. It’s different.

“You’d really give me your life, just like that?”

“Just like that,” Kakashi agrees, because it really is that simple. For him at least.

He hopes though, that Obito will want to wait just a little bit longer to kill him. Kakashi’s waited so long to see him again, he’d hate to have to wait until the end of Obito’s life to do it. Though, that would be fitting, in an ironic sort of way.

“In that case,” Obito starts, moving to stand up. Kakashi helps him the best he can, supporting him with a gentle hand against his back even if he misses the warmth instantly. “Will you come with me?”

Part of Kakashi wants to ask Obito what he means, won’t he come back with him? Back to the village, to Konoha and….and a stone carved with the name of almost everyone that made the place a home.

A large part of Kakashi, the part that makes him bite his tongue, reminds him that Obito’s had fifteen years to make his way back to the leaf. Back to him. If he was going to return to the village it would have happened by now. No. If they’re going anywhere it’s going to be on Obito’s terms.

This time it’s Kakashi’s turn to chase after him.

So he doesn’t have to think about it before responding, “Okay.” The only thing truly holding him back is….Naruto, who won’t get another instructor who will look at him as anything but a monster and fuck, he can’t abandon him again, not after finally being allowed to see him. And Sakura who’s going to be flushed out as a paper nin, which is a complete waste of her potential. And Sasuke, who’s going to be snatched up by Danzo’s grimy hands the second he comes back to the village with no one to keep him in the light and away from the shadows and— “But I have some kids I need to pick up first.”

[drifting-mindspace]

Things we deserved to get from the Naruto manga and anime that we never got -

• JONIN NARUTO -

We followed him around as the lovable Genin knucklehead. Now it goes without saying that him being a Jonin is just a rank and honestly doesnt mean much. Rescuing Gaara, going after Kakuzo, Mount Miyaboku were all A & S-rank missions.

But I would liked to have seen him doing missions post war in a slightly more mature yet typically knuckleheaded manner instead of the passing phrase he made tonShikamaru about being too busy doing missions for the next 6 months.

We grew up with Naruto and now that he's older and stronger we dont get to see him in action.

• A Happily Married Kakashi & Shizune- 

Hatake Kakashi has led a deeply traumatic life. His mother died when he was very young, his father committed suicide when he was 6 causing him to distance himself from everyone around him. The first person he opened up to and formed a bond with died moments later protecting him, the girl he deeply cared for and probably harbored feelings for which he was too afraid to confront died at his hands as he desperately tried to protect her, a year later his sensei died protecting the village. When he became a sensei to Team 7 he felt he was on a path to finding inner peace by ensuring these children avoid his traumas but his prized pupil went rogue shattering that hope. After all this I’d hoped he would’ve finally found a happy ending.

Why Shizune? Well I considered him and Kurenai getting together and him helping raise Mirai but Shizune has always felt like the only Kunoichi in Konoha who has her shit together. She is perfectly at peace with where she is in life. She is incredibly mature and level headed as she helps run the village with Tsunade. Someone who is at peace with herself and her aspirations is the perfect anchor for a man with a whirpool of trauma brewing in him.

Alas it seems like the showrunners have no intention of a romantic arc for Kakashi and the Hatake name will die with Kakashi.

• The Uzumaki Clan

Within a span of 3 months Naruto meets 3 Uzumaki clan members. Nagato, Karin and his own mother. While speaking with Kushina he finds out about the dark fate of the Uzumaki clan. How they were blessed with unimaginably high chakra reserves and were gifted in Sealing Jutsus, longevity and how it led to them being targeted by those who feared them leading to their village being wiped out and scattered across the shinobi world.

Instead of turning the Naruto saga into the Uchiha Chronicles Id have preferred a deep dive into the Uzumaki clan. Maybe even have a Sasuke-like venegeful figure who wants Konoha to suffer because they failed to provide aid to the village they called their strong allies in their greatest hour of need.

Like Sasuke this villain would’ve witnessed his fellow clansmen cut down, unlike Sasuke however he wouldn’t have had the likes of Naruto, Itachi or Kakashi to anchor him in the light leaving room for redemption.

This could have been the one villain that was so far gone in his pain and hatred that no amount of 'talk no jutsu' could have changed his mind and would've pushed Naruto to the very brink until he finally had to choose between killing his clansman or protecting his village.

Naruto would make the ultimate sacrifice for Konoha and this would all the more set his resolve to pulling Sasuke back from the darkness or dying with him.

An Uzumaki villain gifted in Fuijutsu and the use of the Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai, the Adamantine Chains along with massive chakra reserves would be the perfect power scaled villain for Post Pain Arc Naruto.

Instead we got Uchiha chronicles where everyone did whatever the fuck they thought of doing and chakra limits were all but history. This one really disappointed me. Which brings me to my next disappointment.

• Naruto Killing a Villain

Now I know it seems like an odd hang up. Naruto? Kill? But he is so fixated on redemption. That is exactly why I wanted this to happen. The series has gone out of its way to make sure Naruto hasn’t killed a character. The worst of it was against Kakuzu. The kind of attack unleashed upon Kakuzu SHOULD by all means have killed him. Yet somehow he was left in a ‘dying state’ and Kakashi was the one who did the deed. 

Naruto being forced to kill a villain as a last resort and making a choice between saving someone dear to him or tainting his hands with blood was the ultimate moral conundrum for a shinobi whose biggest goal was rescuing his best friend from the dark. It would take him back to Itachi’s words where he asked Naruto what he would if Sasuke decided to destroy the village.

Instead we saw Rasen Shuriken and Rasengan getting scaled down to a point where they always injure and opponent but not kill him. For an S-rank jutsu, Rasen Shuriken happens to be quite lenient.

• Neji beoming the head of the Hyuuga Clan

This pisses me off the most. Neji was supposed to be to the Hyuuga was Naruto was to Konoha. I always expected Neji to overcome all the obstacles and get recognized by Hiashin who would then redeem himself and disband the branch system once and for all. Hiashin as a character was never redeemed. Here was a man who let his brother get executed to avoid punishment (albeit he was against it but it did happen), constantly abused his kind daughter and belittled her for being too soft and put her down to a point her personality was underdeveloped and she had deep seethed confidence issues.

Disbanding the branch system and making Neji the leader would redeem him in the eyes of the readers/ viewers and would clean up the Hyuuga clan.

Instead Neji was scrapped aside to give Naruto and Hinata a bonding moment. They had a bonding moment, it was when she almost died saving his life. Neji didn’t have to die for them to get together ffs. What a wasted potential.

• NaruSaku

Now I’m not a fanatic shipper. In fact when I read and watched the original series I absolutely HATED Sakura. My hatred for her reached it’s peak during the Zabuza arc when Naruto ran at the S-rank villain, got kicked away and got up to show he went in for his forehead protector. “What do you think you’re doing Naruto? Even Sasuke-kun wasn’t a match for him.” I just wanted Naruto to turn around and tell her to stfu in that moment. As the series approached the time skip I was well and truly content with NaruHina.

But Shippuden changed things. The hints towards Sakura’s changed feelings were sprinkled all over the series. One moment that stands out for me was the Clone Training arc where Sai tests her by abusing Naruto and she goes on a rage rant about how great he is. Let’s not forget that in her darkest hour, as she saw a ruined and destroyed village the only person she thought of and cried out to was Naruto. Not because she felt he could save the village (she was as shocked as Shikamaru as she found out he was facing pain alone) but because when things when bad for her the only person who she felt comfort around was indeed Naruto and that is indisputable.

She goes as far as ruining her friendship with Naruto, a bond she truly cherished as it was all she had left after Sasuke abandoned the village, and confessed her feelings to manipulate him. Yes manipulative, scheming and downright a bitch of a thing to do. But it was all she could think of to make Naruto stop chasing after Sasuke. She, more than anyone wanted to see Naruto become a Hokage and realize his dreams and dying while rescuing Sasuke was a risk she couldn’t take and she decided she’d have him hate her than die. Wrong yes. But oddly noble.

This combined with all the blatant attempts to establish her being like Kushina and Kushina saying she wants Naruto to find someone like her changed my mind from NaruHina. I still adore Hinata. She is a wonderful character. But organic plot progression is far more important to me than my ships being canon.

A Naruto-Sakura family would’ve been incredibly entertaining and the dynamics would be perfect. We’d see a Minato-Kushina couple on screen for the next series. Which brings me to my next disappointment.

•HinaShino

I don’t know if that’s the official name for the pairing but I always felt these 2 would make a great couple.They are both people of a few words and are both incredibly intuitive and understanding individuals. Shino would accept Hinata for who she was and vice versa. Being with someone who was happy with the person they were would go miles in helping them come out of their shells.

Altho this isn’t a massive disappointment for me. I’m happy that Hinata ended up with Naruto. But like I said organic plot progression matters to me and if Naruto ended up with Sakura I’d prefer Hinata to end up with Shino.

•Hiraishin No Jutsu

Sadly as the series progressed Naruto had become so OP that not letting him master his father’s improved version of Tobirama’s jutsu was a great decision. It would’ve just made him senselessly OP. 

However instead of giving him all those God Tier power ups which he just gains in single training sessions I’d have preferred him working hard to master the Hirashin. Instead of sending him off to an island and treating him like a fucking idiot and asking him to survey animals I’d have preferred if Tsunade gave him an impossible task.

“You can’t fight in the battle. But I will only allow it if you can master your father’s jutsu.”

It was a period of 6 months between Danzo’s death and the start of the shinobi war. Ample time to show him training hard to learn a jutsu that for once required him to study. Hiraishin deals not just in physical acts of speed but also mastering seals.  Seeing his friends go off to fight in the war as he was left behind would have only added to his frustration and motivated him more.

Showing Naruto training hard like they showed him training for Rasen Shuriken would’ve only made us cheer all the more harder when he’d make a badass entry on the battle field as Tobi came close to killing Kakashi and a three pronged Kunai swished between the two, an orange flash appeared and Naruto kicked Tobi away.

Sadly this was swapped for Pokemon evolutions where arc after arc Naruto levels up just like that. The show’s entire premise was based on hard work and guts.

Sasuke was the genius who gained his power through natural ability. Sure he trained hard but his strength came to him with ease. Naruto had to slog. He manged to make the Rasengan after nearly 15 episodes of training and even then he had to get stabbed to be able to use it. It wasn’t until another 10 episodes that he properly used it. His training for the Rasenshuriken took an entire season to yield results and even then he didn’t learn to throw it until he trained for another 3 seasons till the Pain arc.

Post pain all this is tossed aside. He sits at the waterfall twice and beats the darkness. He sits in the room once and tames Kurama. Later Kakashi and Guy are in trouble, he has an inner dialogue with Kurama and suddenly he mastered the two man team with no prior training. Rikkodu Sennin touches him once and suddenly he���s learnt how to grow eyes, stop death and fly just like that.

The series stopped being the Naruto series we grew up with post Danzo and it saddens me.

• Naruto Sensei - 

And finally my last and greatest disappointment of all. Not seeing Naruto as a sensei. We’ve seen glimpses of his nurturing side in his interactions with Konohamaru but I’d have loved to have seen 40-50 episodes of him leading his own squad of genins. A perfect combination of Kakashi and Guy as he’d wow them with his brilliance and equally embarrass them in day to day interactions with his goofy tomfoolery. His genins would be in awe of him. Naruto Sensei - the hero of the war. 

His students could have an arrogant son/daughter of a feudal lord who insisted he be trained by the war hero, Naruto and Kakashi had to cave in for diplomatic reasons. Naruto refuses to take anyone who doesn’t work hard to get where they are but after the bell test sees potential in the child. A child with no ninja background. His parents were farmers outside of Konoha who were very poor. His sole aim is to be a ninja so strong that he’s always assigned big missions that will help him ease his family’s financial burdens. A genin from the Inuzuka clan (or any other clan, maybe even Hanabi if the show wanted to push more Naruto-Hinata interactions) who thinks he’s better than the other 2 because of his family background but is taught humility by Naruto.

Sadly another development in Naruto’s life we were denied.

Well that’s my rant essay. I know a lot of people won’t agree with what I had to say but I wanted to get it off my best anyway. Why? 

Because I wanted to dattebayo!

[chestnut-b]

Himawari - Chapter 2

“Why are you here, Umino Iruka?”

Chapter 2 of a Kimetsu no Yaiba-verse AU

A blood-red moon hung ominously in the sky, and all around him, the screams of the dying.   

In this chaos, all he could hear were his own panicked, ragged breaths, like thunder in his ears.   

He looked up and saw his mother’s face.  Relief, even through the curtain of red that streaked it. Pain stained her voice as she asked if he was alright. He had her in his arms, but the hands bracing her torn back were slippery with blood.  

Just beyond, his father stood between them and the massive form tearing through everything in its reach. He too, was breathing heavily, blood pooling at his feet. The ground was littered with broken bodies and snapped blades, and the air smelled of iron and burning flesh.  

“Father, Mother’s-!”

“Be quiet! Somebody get him out of here NOW!”  

He’d witnessed this scene too many times. He knew by heart what would happen next.

Somebody ripped him from his mother’s arms. There was one last whisper of his name. Despite his desperate screams and struggles, their figures receded into the distance, eventually fading into the darkness.

He expected something here. Something that felt like release, but it didn’t come. 

Instead, his body hit the floor hard. After a struggle he finally managed to pry his eyes open, only to find himself utterly alone in a misty forest clearing, illuminated an eerie red.

But he wasn’t alone for long.  

The silence was broken by a soft hiss in the distance behind him, together with the sound of shifting branches and leaves. His body seized; he knew he has to run, but his body wouldn’t obey. Prone on his side, all he could do was wait for whatever was coming.

He was going to be consumed, he knew it. The sounds only got louder, and soon it was not the sound of breaking branches he heard, but the crunching of bones and the felling of trees.   

It was death, fast approaching, but he would be damned if he didn’t meet it face on.

With every ounce of strength he could summon, he twisted his body around.  

 The first thing he saw; a set of fangs, dripping red with a wetness that reflected the moonlight.

 The last thing he registered was the inside of a gaping maw, opening wide, preparing for its decent upon him.

 This time, his own scream was the only thing that rang into the night.

----------------

Iruka’s eyes snapped open.

 His chest burned with the need for air.

 He would have cried out, but his training forbade him.

 Just an arm away, a child sprawled out in a smaller futon finished a satisfied yawn.

 Naruto.  

 Naruto.

 It’s just Naruto.

 It took more than a few deep breaths to suppress the burning in his throat.

 There was a slight draft from a gap in the window, but it felt like a wave of bitter cold. He was drenched in sweat and found some relief in the sensation, but a new wave of warmth soon trickled down his cheek.

 He reached out and brought the futon cover back up, just under Naruto’s chin. The child smiled contently and burrowed back into his bed. His breathing soon took on a relaxed, quiet rhythm.

 The eyes that had been fixed on the child’s sleeping form shifted their focus to the door behind him, but only for a moment before he turned carefully to lie on his back.

 He allowed his eyes to flutter shut, but didn’t let himself fall back to much-needed sleep. Concentrating on his own breathing, Iruka allowed the sounds of the surrounding wilderness to take over his senses.

Dawn would come soon enough.

 -----------------------------------

 It had been two weeks since the start of his post at the school, and Kakashi had been performing his duty as diligently as a person who was bored out of his mind could.

 Sitting in his new favourite spot in the trees overlooking the grounds, he observed the going-ons below. The young inhabitants stood engrossed in the demonstration happening before them. Gripping a wooden sword, Iruka moved with a practiced grace, one form to the next. Concise and age appropriate, Kakashi thought, but Naruto and the boy named Lee (who reminded him disturbingly of Gai) were squirming excitedly and looking especially starry-eyed.

Naruto...Well, Jiraiya and Iruka were right about one thing at least. As the 7 year old boy that he was, Naruto had an exceedingly unsurprising disposition. He hadn’t shown any inkling of the demon that slept within, thanks in large part to his age and the fact that he’d been raised, like many of the peasant orphans here, without knowledge or endowment of a family name.

 But unlike the Uzumaki clan members Kakashi were aware of, there were aspects of the boy that were undeniably unique. He remembered the handful of times he’d ever crossed paths with a clan member in the field. Her name was Kushina; her skin, pale from the lack of sun, and her hair, red like a river of fire, with a personality to match. Even as unexperienced as he was, he’d known Minato-sensei had been smitten the night he laid eyes on her.

 But therein lied the crux of the matter. Kakashi had ever only seen her at night, as had Minato, in their subsequent rendezvous.

 Yet here stood their flesh and blood, standing unperturbed in the heat of day as if he belonged no where else.

 The implications of this were as concerning as they were intriguing.

He watched the students below him take their places and begin their practice. Unsurprisingly, Naruto started off by swinging his sword wildly, earning him a good knock to the head from an exasperated Iruka.

Well, he certainly wasn’t receiving any special treatment in this aspect of his upbringing at least, Kakashi thought, relieved.

The only exception he knew the boy had been granted was sharing Iruka’s private quarters at night, instead of sleeping in the larger common rooms together with the rest of the children. There was also the matter of the seal that he knew covered the boy’s belly. Kakashi had been briefed upon his arrival; both had explained away by the child having some kind of medical condition that needed monitoring.

Kakashi paused in his musings when he felt something akin to a gentle wave pass over him.

 Well, this was a surprise.

 He raised a hand and wriggled his fingers.

 The young teacher below had his face at a slight angle, but his gaze was unmistakably directed straight at him.

 He’d been careful too, Kakashi smiled, amused.

 With a cheeky smirk that went almost unnoticed, Iruka returned to observing his class. Soon, he moved to correct the form of a pink-haired girl, Sakura, was it? Honestly, Kakashi couldn’t blame her. Anyone would have been distracted if they’d been placed behind Lee, who in his efforts to impress her, was practicing his swings with an unearthly enthusiasm that once again reminded him a bit too much of Gai. Another possible candidate for the Maito household, perhaps.

 Kakashi let his thoughts to drift to the aforementioned sensei, and a night that had left him with more questions than answers. 

-----------------------------------

He’d been offered a room just across the courtyard from Iruka and Naruto’s quarters.

Having finished his training outside the school, Kakashi was just about to pass their room when he’d felt it. The distinct atmosphere of distress. He stilled his breathing and reached out with his senses, scanning for danger or the trace of demons in the surrounding area and found nothing. But, there was a sliver of a gap in the doors just ahead, and soon his one good eye was peering into it.

There was just enough moonlight shining through the paper doors to make out the outlines of two.

Naruto was sprawled atop his futon without a care in the world, snoring softly. His yukata was a bit of a mess, and Kakashi spied the bandages that were wrapped around his waist. He had a goofy grin on his face that was occasionally broken by the occasional sniffle from his exposure to the cool summer air.

 Kakashi’s gaze shifted to the larger figure beside him. It didn’t take long to figure out the source of the distress. He lay still under the covers of his futon, but the young guardian’s pale face was a picture of suffering; painted with sweat and pained lines. Any slayer who wanted to stay alive on the field at night learned to sleep quietly, and Iruka was obviously no exception, but his eyes shifted wildly under his eyelids and his expression was so strained, Kakashi had almost been tempted to wake him from whatever it was that tortured him. 

“Father...Mother...”   

It was really only the barest of whispers.

Kakashi’s gaze softened. Trauma lurked in the shadow of every slayer, and Iruka’s came in the form of a crazed fox, and by extension, the boy who slept just an arm away.

Why are you here, Umino Iruka?  

Moments later, Iruka’s body seized, not unlike what he’d witnessed when they first had tea. Just after Kakashi had decided to intervene, Naruto had yawned, causing Iruka’s eyes to snap open. Kakashi stepped back and away from the gap in the door. In the following minutes he heard pained breaths, the sounds of shifting cloth, and then a satisfied sigh.

 Peace had returned, if only for another night.

 Satisfied there was nothing left to do, Kakashi silently stepped out into the courtyard and returned to his room. 

Sleep did not come easy that night.

--------------------------------------

It was Naruto’s pained yelp that brought him back to the present. The boy had just received a fresh knock to the head. Iruka had been its deliverer, but even behind his admonishment was an obvious fondness. Considering everything he’d seen, Kakashi couldn’t help but feel slightly unnerved. His instincts told him he was missing something here; he just didn’t have a clue what it was.

He continued to observe the class a while more. A few promising candidates, he thought, but it was still too early to tell. Naruto, in particular, would need to be tested if he were to provide any helpful insights. He’d promised Iruka the boy would receive a fair chance, but Kakashi wasn’t sure if the teacher would appreciate what that would entail, nor did he know how long this evaluation would eventually take. As far as the slayers were concerned, this was unknown territory. 

Eventually, the youth caught his eye once again, this time mouthing “Tea?”, before turning to debrief the gathered children. Kakashi sighed, but got up from his spot dutifully. It would be a while before the teacher could make it to the room. He may as well get the tea going.

----------------------------------------

 It had become a bit of a ritual on the afternoons when time allowed for it.

Kakashi didn’t mind it at all. The tea was good, and Iruka never felt the need to force conversation. Their topics ranged from day to day, with neither giving away too much or too little of themselves. It was always comfortable, and usually, that was all well and good.

But that wouldn’t do at all today. If Kakashi wanted anything more than what polite conversation would reveal, he’d have to earn it. So he waited, patiently.

Iruka finally appeared at the doorway, obviously prepared for a quick apology, but upon seeing Kakashi, merely blinked.

The hearth was lit, and the iron kettle upon it was already emitting a steady trail of steam.  

“Iruka-sensei, won’t you come in?”

“Oh, yes. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Kakashi-san.”

“Not at all, sensei.” 

Iruka stepped into the room and placed a seal on the door frames. There was a faint buzz, and the air settled into a familiar lull. 

Placing his sword beside him, Iruka settled in his seat on the floor. Kakashi took his time filling two cups, one of which he offered to the younger man, who bowed with gratitude, before taking it into his own hands. They sat in silence for a moment, and when it had cooled enough, he took a sip.

The way Iruka’s eyes lit up in surprise produced a small laugh from Kakashi.

“Is it to your liking?” 

Iruka smiled fondly before sighing.

“I suppose none of us have managed to escape this part of Sarutobi-sensei’s instruction.” 

“I’ll admit, it was a pain. But it makes for good tea at least.” Kakashi admitted, sipping from his own cup. It’d taken him more time than he’d cared to share to pass this part of his sensei's test. It had apparently become a bit on an in-joke by the time Jiraiya had put Minato through the same ordeal. 

They talked for a while, and settled into a relaxed pace. Iruka as usual, held his gaze to the flame, and when his cup was just about empty, Kakashi offered him another, which he accepted.

He’d been half way through that one when Kakashi spoke again.

“Iruka-sensei, there’s something I’ve been curious about.”

The younger man nodded silently, but continued with his tea.

“Your parents were killed by the Fox, you said so the day we met.”

The youth nodded, but said nothing, and merely waited for him to continue. 

“Yet you’ve never thought of killing Naruto? Of getting your revenge?”

To his credit, Iruka didn’t react in the slightest. He merely took another sip of tea.

Then, he broke his eye contact with the flame in the hearth, and looked at Kakashi squarely. There wasn’t a trace of humor in his eyes, nor his voice when he finally spoke.

 “What makes you think I haven't?”

 ----------------------------------------------------

-End of Chapter 2-

Author’s Notes:

Welp, this is gonna be longer than I expected! Let’s see where this takes us. :D 

[bethd0456]

hellooo lovely! i loved reading your response to my last ask - apparently tumblr is messing up my asks bc a lot of them haven’t been going through :( but let’s hope this one does! i’ve been seeing that you watch cherry magic, and it’s one of my favourite shows at the moment!! 💘 who’s your favourite character? mine is kurosawa personally, i relate so much to him and his gayness. also udon chan, the cutest little cat! what did you think of the last ep, wasn’t it so cute!!! (1/2)

i hope you’re doing well!!! i also wanted to ask what your favourite shows and ships are! i already have a vague idea formulating just by browsing through your blog and over our shared love of cherry magic, but i’d looove to hear your thoughts and your favourites!! wishing you the bestest day! 💘 - your secret santa (2/2)

Hiiiii!!!! I hope life is treating you well!

Omg I'm so glad you enjoyed reading it! I hope you're ready for this MASSIVE answer and you don't get too bored reading this one!

CHERRY MAGIC!!!!!! It instantly became a comfort show for me, as it did for many others!

ADACHIADACHIADACHIADACHI. Adachi is 100% my fave. I never fully understood what a comfort character was. I was like, "yeah! I love Tine also!" But. Adachi is the definition of comfort for me. I see so much of myself in him! Everyone sees him and is like "babie. Must protecc." And honestly? Me too. How can one character be so damn CUTE??!?!? One of my favourite moments is him seeing Kurosawa after the almost-kiss. He just like, sees him, and gets so panicked 🥺 the way his arms just flail about makes me smile like an idiot.

But like, on a deeper level, this drama makes me believe I'm worthy of love. The idea that someone like Kurosawa could be THAT infatuated with you, even though you're an awkward virgin lmao. The point of watching these dramas is to get lost in a story, right? See a situation you want so badly but you know will never realistically happen? The entire premise of the show is just really enticing to me. I am Adachi, Adachi is me. Also, the thing he said in ep6 about not having a clear dream in life? Yeah. I felt that. I'm so envious of people who have passions they work so hard for, it gives them a form of purpose. Like Adachi, sometimes I feel like I'm living in a "daze". I feel like I don't really have any specific passions or skills that I want to develop into a career. Sometimes I just wish I had ambition. Adachi makes me feel so seen and like I'm not the only person who feels like this. The kinds of characters that usually make good protagonists are characters with a clear goal/passion. In most shows this obviously really works, but I can never relate to them personally. It's really special for me to see a character who's similar to me in this way.

Kurosawa is such an amazing character too!!!!! His gay little heart 🥺 on another level, he's just so?? Respectful??? 7. YEARS. 7 years of pining and he holds himself back so well!! He's been waiting for this relationship for so long but is so patient, willing to take things slowly for Adachi. He flirts shamelessly (as he should) but never to the point where Adachi was too uncomfortable.

He cares so much about Adachi :(. But also, even before he liked Adachi, he could tell he was uncomfortable with the drinking thing, so he DOWNED the wine lmao. Clearly he's just a lovely person all round who's really socially aware.

As for other characters:

• Udon my baby!!!! The cutest cat ever!! I love animals sm :(((

• Tsuge's chaotic energy is iconic

• Minato a lovely little dance machine :))

• Rokaku deserves the world, my excitable kiss interruptor :(((

• Fujisaki my love! She's so soft and cute!! Also ace coded how iconic

I ADORED ep8!!! I LIVE for established Adasawa! Adachi coming out to Tsuge :((( I'm so proud of Adachi coming to terms with his feelings and being confident enough to share his relationship with his closest friend. Coming out is not easy and he did so well 🥺

Adachi and Tsuge are so useless bless them 😂 Kurosawa really said "well I guess I have to take these two socially awkward disasters under my wing." Adachi and Tsuge are such a chaotic duo, I love that they can communicate just by touching each other, and omg when Kurosawa said his name Tsuge was "wait maybe I know everything about you already" and if that isn't friendship idk what is

Also Kurosawa making up a poem in his head about Adachi???? Peak romance. Also iconic. I'M A SUCKER FOR HAND HOLDING SCENES SO I DIED. "I like him. I like him. I like him!!" HOW CUTE CAN YOU GET FJKHDSHSKSK

I also got another arm flailing moment when Kurosawa almost got the wrong idea about Adachi and Tsuge!! CAN ADACHI STOP BEING SO CUTE MY HEART CAN'T TAKE IT. How on earth his boyfriend is still alive I have no idea.

There are so many other shows and ships I love. I feel like I'll probably miss some, but here we go. These aren't rankings at all, just like, lists lol.

Show list:

1. 2gether

This show means so much to me. It was the first time I watched a bl week by week and it made it so much more special?? I valued scenes so much more than when I binge shows and they would like, look at each other and I'd have a heart attack. They made the first part of my quarantine bearable bc I always had something to look forward to every Friday. I actually really enjoyed quarantine overall as an introvert (not to be insensitive about the literal deaths the pandemic has caused), but I really enjoyed constantly thinking about how long it was until Friday. I'm massively emotionally attached to all of the characters in this show you have no idea. Every single one. The found family of it all,, the way all of the characters have relationships. Still2gether did a phenomenal job of showcasing all of the unexpected but very welcome dynamics and relationships, platonic and romantic alike. I could blabber about this show for so long I'll spare u for now

2. YYY

Is it well written? No. Did I enjoy it anyway?? You know it! I told you how much I love the found family trope. UGH. THIS FAMILY. Also, seeing the feminine side of the LGBT+ community represented positively warmed my heart. There needs to be more bls that do that! Celebrate femininity!! There's nothing wrong with being camp as fuck! It's so much fun!!! This show made me so happy :))

3. Start up

I'm currently obsessed. It's my first Kdrama and holy shit this is what the hype is about. The budget!! The acting! Top notch. On a sad note I really wish bls got that much funding behind them. My heart aches for a complicated story with fully developed characters and plotlines, that just happens to have a gay main couple/character. Wishful thinking for now at least. Anyways, I'm massively emotionally attached to Halmeoni and Jipyeong. Team Jipyeong all the way (even tho Dalmi's obviously gonna end up with Dosan, and I'm happy for them!). All I need is a happy ending for my darling Jipyeong. Please give him one. Also, if anything happens to Halmeoni I will WEEP.

4. Cherry magic is obviously here but I've ranted about that enough already 😂

5. 3 will be free

I would never have expected gmm to make a series like this! But they went and did THAT. Wild. It was such a healthy representation of a poly relationship. The themes of feminism were so well handled and powerful, the chemistry was off the CHARTS, I was hooked from start to finish! Time for a rewatch? I think so.

6. Feel good

Not an Asian drama, but still gay as FUCK. It's written by my wife Mae Martin who also stars in it, and I have to say, it blew me away. Story time!! My friend irl recommended it to me without saying it was Mae, so I was like "okay sure I'll put it on my to watch list I guess" without much motivation to watch it. But as soon as I found out it was Mae I watched it and I've never looked back lol. Once I finished I sent my friend a splurge of messages about my feelings. The series touches on issues like addiction, sexuality and gender. "I'm not a boy. I'm not even a girl. I'm like a failed version of both." That shit HURT.

There's a scene near the end which has really stayed with me. So Mae's character is a comedian and she does a set making jokes about the stuff that happened in the series and oh my GOD. The way I CRIED. It made me realise that people who make jokes about their experiences are using humour as a coping mechanism and when people say "Haha I have daddy issues isn't it funny" we have to remember to be respectful. It's never okay to make jokes about someone else's trauma. Don't make a big deal of it but just don't be a dick.

Anyways I could go on but would 100% recommend this series!

7. HIStory 2 crossing the line

My first bl! This series is the reason I'm so obsessed with bl lmao. The main couple are so soft :( this little series will always hold a special place in my heart!

8. Sotus

My first gmm series, we've come a long way. I miss Kong and Arthit :(

9. Dark blue kiss

Such a brilliant series. I trust P'Aof (director) with my life. This series touches on issues that are so important and deserve to be talked about so much more in bls. This is what happens when you let LGBT people tell LGBT stories! They do it with such care and love!! One of my favourite lines is "I may like men, but I'll never like your brother." One of my biggest let peeves is "I don't like men, I only like x." Like, I get the business behind it, they don't want to make the character gay to make them available for girls to fantasise about. Which is disgusting. But Mork really said "no. ❤" and I LOVE IT.

10. The shipper

I could go on and on about how underrated I think this series is. This series took over from 2gether on Fridays, and while I didn't think about this series constantly like I did with 2gether, this series made my quarantine brighter. Fridays meant I was gonna laugh at least once and forget about life just for a short while. The humour in this series is so fucking dumb lmao, but I'm here for it.

I've seen people talk about the shipper as a bl but I disagree. I think it's better described as a series with bl aspects. The main themes are friendship, family, dealing with loss, respecting boundaries of people you admire, and one of the main messages is about making sure the people close to you know how much they mean to you. Don't get me wrong, the majority of the series is over the top humour, but by the end of it I was personally really attached to the characters and their feelings. Overall I really enjoyed this series but I don't see anyone properly talk about it :(

11. Gaya sa pelikula

A series made by gay people for gay people. Shows like this are so important. This show really healed my soul with how brilliant the representation was :(( "remember we talked about microagressions" the way that means Vlad is constantly educating Karl about LGBT stuff, UGH. SO GOOD. Also this show has the most realistic representation of a crush I've ever seen lmao, soft Vlad is the best Vlad.

12. My engineer

My happy little Saturday show :( I miss the shit writing, shit acting and soft story of this series so much. I'm so fond of this series, I watched it after the horrible ep12 of 2gether and it really made me happy. I'm looking forward to season 2, but Ramking's novel goes DOWNHILL from here on. I know tricreation wouldn't allow the final chapter's scenes, but the entire story is so problematic and unenjoyable :(. The only valid scene is King's coming out scene but that's literally it. And the collar scene can stay lmao.

13. Oxygen

Another soft saturday series! I love this series so much, all of the couples are so bloody healthy and it makes me so happy. The communication is amazing!! THIS is how you show healthy relationships!!!

14. The gifted

S1 was so amazing!! I loved all of it! The only part of s2 we'll talk about is timegracethird. Time best boy!! Grace a feminist queen! When future Grace said they would be friends for a long time that made me so happy :(( also pangwave canon

15. Until we meet again

So I talked about the healthy relationships in oxygen. But uwma really showed the healthiest relationship ever. DeanPharm are just the softest little humans :( I would die for Pharm. He's the closest I got to a comfort character before Adachi. I just have to PROTECT HIM. My motherly instincts really kick in when I see him lmao.

The storyline of this series is just breathtaking. And the ending? I don't think I've ever cried that much. At all. It was so fucking beautiful 🥺

16. My gear and your gown

I really liked this show! Honestly I don't think I'll ever rewatch it but I definitely enjoyed it. The way Pai just seemed to breathe freely for the first time when his parents accepted his sexuality :(((( my baby :( also purefolk were brilliant

Ship list:

1. Saratine

These two are the definition of romance. They mean the fucking world to me. The fact that their story is apparently gonna be continued in some form makes me so. So. Happy. I cannot begin to describe it. My bet is on a special episode and ugh I'm so EXCITED.

2. Aini

Thonhonchonlatee in general is enjoyable but I don't like Thon at all. It's such a shame bc I was so excited for Khaotung and Podd to be in a series together :((. BUT. Aini have grabbed my heart. I knew they would bc miketap are brilliant, but wow. They're so gay my little babies :( miketap are just so natural and comfortable to watch. I love their chemistry so muuuuuuch

3. Sunmork

Coffee boyfriends :( I miss them so bloody much

4. Ramking

One of my fave ships. As I mentioned, I'm apprehensive about s2, but s1 ramking is such a beautiful story. It's just about 2 boys falling in love, no complications. Plant boy who's afraid of dogs falls in love with quiet boy who loves dogs but is afraid of children. Iconic. Also chemistry outsold, I THINK ABOUT THE KISS CONSTANTLY. When I mentioned the acting is shit in this series (shit is harsh, I mean awkward), I did not mean Perth and Lay in the slightest. They really nailed their roles and I loved it.

5. Professor Layton x Claire

You 100% won't get this reference but I grew up with the Professor Layton games and holy shit do they hold up. They're so amazingly written with beautiful stories and the most lovable characters in the world. Layton's intellect, loving nature and surprising athleticism are admirable. Adachi is the character I relate to most, but if I was gonna choose a character to comfort me irl, Layton's your man. His voice is so comforting by nature. I'm blabbering at this point but the point is him and Claire are the only het pairing that matters.

These are just the ships that I felt should be separate from their shows. I love all of the ships from the shows I mentioned.

Oof this got horrifically long, I haven't had a proper chance to rant about most of these shows so I really let it out lol. I hope you've watched at least some of these shows and I didn't just rant to u about 12 shows you've never heard of 😂

I hope you have a wonderful day love!!!!