#pt!minato

[citrusici]

JSKLFJDSHFKJ THIS MADE ME CACKLE so I wrote u a snip for this here u go

“Hey Ghost,” Futaba said, her voice emitting directly to all of them through Necronomicon without any preamble. “What kinda stuff does Thanatos talk to you about?” Minato looked up at Necronomicon floating not too far away from the battle they just finished. “Why are you asking?” “Just curious,” she said. “You said he talks to you. How much?” Minato shrugged. “A lot.” “Man, I wonder what Necronomicon would say. I don’t think it’s ever actually talked to me directly.” “Arsene talks to me sometimes, but not much,” said Ren, sheathing his knife after defeating another shadow. “But I guess Thanatos is a special case. You said he was also your friend, right?” Minato paused, expression slightly fond. “More than that. But yeah.” It wasn’t missed by Futaba. “Ooooh, so you two were like that, huh?” she said, stating it like an observation that she wielded with devastating bluntness. The fondness in Minato’s face instantly withered into the driest look Ren had seen yet. Off to the side, Ren heard Ann and Ryuji muffle their snickering, trying to politely pretend Futaba hadn’t just broadcast that comment to the entire group. That didn’t stop Ren from jumping on board, though. He was pretty sure their bond was strong enough to withstand some light teasing, and Minato was normally unflappable. Ren chuckled after a long pause. “I’m not hearing a no,” he said. “Were you?” “Does he call you babygirl?!” asked Futaba. “The people must know! And by people I mean me!” “How about we stop talking,” said Minato, tugging his hood down over his face. The dusting of red on his face wasn’t missed by either of them.

[keylimesiren]

P5 Royal-style portrait for Minato! (because I always have the PT!Minato brainrot)

Transparent version under the cut

[naruto--headcanons]

Kakashi's home at any point after Sakumo died had always been decorated by other people. plants, furniture, and decorations had been gifted to him, mostly by Naruto, Gai, or Yamato.

[starweiser5993]

"Missão Dada É Missão Cumprida"

Summary: Missão dada é missão cumprida, por mais sem sentido que pareça. E Minato tinha uma: capturar um cônjuge infiel, levar à vítima e ver as mentiras do traidor sendo escritas nele.

[nie7027]

Can we Akechi fans start crying?

[thecopynin-kakashi]

Starter for @mythcaels

Minato was up late, hanging over a poorly lit desk as he had many times over. What was his sensei doing, Kakashi wondered, to further along the changes he so desperately hoped for? Obito and Rin had always weighed heavily in his mind and heart, but the pain of keeping to the shadows so deeply seemed to be ripping every wound wide open once again. His place should be at Minato's side, ensuring whatever safety he could offer to him and his family, and yet Danzo had condemned him. Surely a lie had been concocted to label him with treason, anything to allow Danzo to keep a grasp on this power he had somehow obtained.

But Kakashi worried it was believed.

It was this worry that had brought him secretly into the village, lingering out of sight as he watches his sensei finish his final projects for the night. Kakashi was terribly torn with approaching and avoiding him--one side out of his desire to warn and protect, the other out of fear he might be deemed a traitor by his sensei as well.

It took him a long moment to become decisive enough to take the risk and step forward, his figure drifting in and out of meager light as he approached one of the large windows of the Hokage's office. Likely Minato already knew of his presence, but he still moved as silent as death, taking a knee as soon as he entered the room.

"Minato-sensei…" The red of his sharingan glimmered, body tense in case the ROOT caught wind of him here. He lowered his head as his hands curled into fists at his sides. "I…" He found himself freezing, wondering now if he should plea for a moment to speak his side or simply pass a warning before his time was up. "I know what you may have been told, but I would not turn my back on you or Konoha."

[hellcifrogs]

Students' students AU Part 5

<- Pt 4 / start

So! Tsunade sends Naruto on a big mission with Jiraiya. One that will keep them away with no precise time for return, since this would be Jiraiya's usual job.

At first Naruto doesn't want to go, he is still hurt and a little bitter that so many secrets were kept from him for all of his life. But Tsunade tells him that, as his godfather, Jiraiya still is, technically, his legal guardian.

He takes the time to go tell Iruka about this, after all he was the one who actually took care of him. They can have an open heart moment (similar to the one they got in the war arc).

And Iruka is the one who finally convinces Naruto to go, telling he will be there waiting to have so Ichiraku when he returns, and that he should just take that chance to train directly under such a powerful ninja, that Naruto should take this as a chance to make him teach anything and everythng he wants for all those secrets.

So they leave.

Learning that Jiraiya never stopped looking for the one responsible for Minato and Kushina's deaths, that the reason he never came back to be his guardian was to get closing/revenge for his parents and the village, while also working years to make sure that never happens again to other, more vulnerable villages is what finally moves Naruto to forgive him.

And with that Nagato and Konan start to train him along with Jiraiya, Naruto learns the sage mode with Nagato's help on chakra control, he joins Konan on patrolling the village and keeping the place (and Naruto) safe from the corrupted side of the Akatsuki.

[erimeows]

Naruto: Masterlist

Hi there! I'm Eri, and I write for all sorts of stuff. While I do have everything published on here, I personally choose to have my masterlists linked to my Ao3.

Most of my stuff is written during the original Naruto-Naruto Shippuden era. I do have a couple works set during Boruto, but I don't write the new gen characters and haven't watched the show (I thought it sucked but no judgment to anyone who enjoys it). Some of these are NSFW, so be sure to check the tags!

If you'd like to learn more about me, send in a request, or look at my works for other fandoms, check out my pinned post!

Multichapter/Series:

Compromise (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)- Pt. 1, Pt. 2

Verbatim (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

I Like You (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Candy Hearts (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Lavender Clouds (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Shared Custody (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

To Be Alive At All Is To Have Scars (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Red (Kakashi Hatake x Might Guy)

New Relationship Energy- Pt. 1, Pt. 2

Candy (Kakashi Hatake x Reader)

Holding Hands (Gaara x Reader)

The New Member (Various Akatsuki x Reader): Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3

Character x Character Oneshots:

Teardrops (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Antagonistic (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Like Lovers Do (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

The Moth And The Flame (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Under The Mask (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Then, There's You (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Plus One (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Monster (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Hush Hush (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Teachers (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Friday Nights (Kakashi Hatake x Iruka Umino)

Wanted (Kakashi Hatake x Might Guy)

Slow Dancing In The Dark (Kakashi Hatake x Might Guy)

Cracks (Kakashi Hatake x Might Guy)

Always (Kakashi Hatake x Might Guy)

Ruin My Life (Kakashi Hatake x Might Guy)

First Times (Kakashi Hatake x Might Guy)

Take Care (Kakashi Hatake x Might Guy)

Lovesick (Kakashi Hatake x Might Guy)

Rainy Days (Kakashi Hatake x Might Guy)

Like This (Kakashi Hatake x Might Guy)

Stupid (Kakashi Hatake x Anko Mitarashi)

Obvious (Kakashi Hatake x Anko Mitarashi)

Control (Kakashi Hatake x Yamato)

Home (Kakashi Hatake x Yamato)

Polaroid (Kakashi Hatake x Yamato)

Us (Kakashi Hatake x Yamato)

Snowfall (Kakashi Hatake x Yamato + Sai x Ino Yamanaka)

Groomsmen (Iruka Umino x Yamato)

Casual (Kakashi Hatake x Mei Terumi)

Break-Ups (Kakashi Hatake x Minato Namikaze)

Twilight (Kakashi Hatake x Obito Uchiha)

Against His Better Judgment (Kakashi Hatake x Obito Uchiha)

Not Anymore (Kakashi Hatake x Obito Uchiha)

Still Missing (Sasuke Uchiha x Sakura Haruno)

The Game That We Play (Sasuke Uchiha x Naruto Uzumaki)

Rising Action (Shikamaru Nara x Naruto Uzumaki)

Love Strategist (Shikamaru Nara x Ino Yamanaka)

Perfume (Shikamaru Nara x Temari)

Memento Mori (Shikamaru Nara x Temari)

When The Smoke Clears (Deidara x Sasori)

Complications (Deidara x Itachi Uchiha)

Sapphire & Gold (Kisame Hoshigaki x Itachi Uchiha)

Ten Years (Gaara x Rock Lee)

Single (Kankuro x Kiba Inuzuka)

Character x Reader Oneshots:

Hair (Kakashi Hatake x Reader)

When I Wake (Kakashi Hatake x Reader)

Pink Bubblegum (Kakashi Hatake x Reader)

Exes (Kakashi Hatake x Reader)

Jealous (Kakashi Hatake x Reader)

Too Good To Be True (Kakashi Hatake x Reader)

Cat & Mouse (Kakashi Hatake x Reader)

To Be Selfish (Kakashi Hatake x Reader)

Self Conscious (Kakashi Hatake x Reader)

Not Anymore (Kakashi Hatake x Reader)

Moonlight (Gaara x Reader)

My Queen (Yamato x Reader)

Who? (Might Guy x Reader)

Waiting Game (Neji Hyuga x Reader)

The Diary (Rock Lee x Reader)

Scary (Temari x Reader)

Truth Or Dare (Shikamaru x Reader)

Bloody Valentine (Obito Uchiha x Reader)

Rain (Iruka Umino x Reader)

Headcanons:

Kankuro NSFW Alphabet

[that1valiantcougar]

Kakashi's Precious People and Their Hugs/Holds pt. 1

Accompanied with some headcanons I love:

-Kakashi's mom was part of the Inuzuka Clan

-Sakumo feels great guilt for Kakashi's future upon discovering his excellence and knows he'll be sent to war prematurely

-Kushina and Minato supported Kakashi after Sakumo's suicide (when he let them)

-Kakashi is younger than Obito and Rin by 3-4 years. This means he was promoted to Jonin at 10

[indras-curse]

Pt. 2 of this.

They get dispatched to deliver a very important package from one Lord to another.

Kakashi has been a little shit for a while now, conveniently releasing his scent whenever Obito is about to land what should have been his winning hit while sparring, getting Obito to pay for his sweet cravings and one time even tricking him into carrying his share of equipment by feigning a tired whine.

Obito is at his limit of embarrassment, he almost flings himself off a cliff to break a leg and skip the mission.

Minato sensei is way too observant and catches him just in time. He has apparently spoken with Kakashi and is not going to allow him to take advantage of Obito, and he won't let Obito let himself be taken advantage of, even if his Alpha screams to please the Omega.

Kakashi is very tame he teases Obito the same amount as always but keeps it away from their dynamics and he conceals his scent as well as he had always done before.

Obito is not entirely sure he is happy with this arrangement.

He misses Kakashi's scent, even if it clouds his mind and makes him embarrassingly pliant. He would just like to make a dumb joke and have Kakashi show a poker face but smell his scent sweeten in amusement.

But the mission goes well.

At least until they are already on their way to Konoha.

They get ambushed, which is stupid because they are no longer carrying any important package or document. Perhaps they gather they must know some important information and want to torture it out of them.

Obito is overwhelmed.

But then, a man launches at Kakashi and lands a hit.

Obito would like to say that he quickly but masterfully came up with a plan that worked perfectly for everyone and managed to escape without any problems.

Truth is that Obito only knows what happened because Rin and Minato tell him what they saw when they finally made their way to them.

Every single enemy was either knocked out or dead and Kakashi was laying down on the grass with a feral Obito on top of him, nose pressed to his neck and growling at anything that moved. He had a broken arm and Kakashi was bleeding from his shoulder, his inability to care for the wound making Obito think there was still danger and made him unable to be coaxed out from his feral state.

Minato sensei had to knock him the fuck out.

He woke up in a hospital, mortified to hell and back.

For the next couple of weeks, Obito masterfully avoided Kakashi, he wasn't even going to lie to himself, he was full on purposefully avoiding the younger man.

Kakashi just had to be standing at his door one morning and bulldozing his way in, pushing Obito back into his own house and barricading the door with his body.

"You've been avoiding me" Kakashi states the obvious.

"Well, yeah. So what?" Obito says petulantly.

"How did you think you were going to manage? We are in the same team, dumbass"

"Shut up, I would have figured it out"

"Stop avoiding me" Kakashi demanded.

"Don't tell me what to do. You don't even like me, just enjoy the ride and let me ignore you"

"I do like you" Kakashi frowned, Obito thinks he can see a pout underneath his mask. "So if you are avoiding me because you like me and you think I don't, stop being stupid"

"I don't like you!" Obito shot back way too quickly to be credible. "You're a prick, you're my rival!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow and started to release his scent. Obito cursed under his breath, how was he so good at doing that at will?

"Not fair, you know I'm sensitive" Obito covered his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his jacket but it did little to conceal the scent.

"I know" Kakashi stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "You're also stubborn and I am not about to back down" Kakashi was leaning in for a hug and stopped before making contact. "Is this okay?"

"If you are playing with me, Minato sensei will demote you" Obito threatened, wary but opening his arms, defeated. He never really stood a chance.

"Oh, I know. But I am not playing, this is not a trick. I am stating a fact and I want to show you"

They hug for hours and hours. Obito lost within Kakashi's scent and releasing his own, putting them both on even ground, Kakashi going slightly mindless from the unfiltered emotions he can gather from Obito's scent.

They are drunk on each other and their instincts are finally their saving grace for once because Kakashi's stomach growls and Obito immediately separates from him, tugging him to take him out for a bite, instincts screaming to care, provide, feed.

The clear air from the outside helps clean Obito's head. He feels embarrassed but feeling better than ever, now that he knows Kakashi actually likes him too.

[citrusici]

Summary:

Minato had no idea what was going on. One moment, all of S.E.E.S. had been gathered together for a Tartarus run, fighting their way through the Tziah block. Now he was here, with an unfamiliar Gekkoukan student claiming to be a member of S.E.E.S., and eight masked persona users claiming to know Minato personally. Nine, if he included their talking cat. --- (Persona Q2: The Ghost of Mementos edition!)

[katsona-the-katsequel]

Persona Fun Facts Pt. 2

Everyone seemed to like the last entry so here's the sequel. Reminder that all these facts were taken from Atlus' fanbooks and novels (and some even from the Persona Stalker Club).

Another reason Mitsuru worried about Minato was because he had a tight schedule, was pale, and never complained about anything nor mentioned if something was bothering him 🥺

Iwai likes to watch reruns of old Western films (I wonder what's his favorite movie).

Ryuji's mother has the personality of a loud, older sister.

Lisa knows how to snowboard.

The necktie Adachi is wearing is probably Dojima's.

Shiho is "drawn to what she doesn't have".

If he won 700 million yen, Akechi would travel the world.

Tatsuya's handwriting is shit.

In his briefcase, Akechi carries a set of student supplies, food, water, and free samples of sweets and cosmetics people give him.

Yu was the type of person who wanted to be seen as wise beyond his years and more of an adult than he really was. He grew out of it by the end of the game by becoming an actually mature person.

Chihaya redesigns clothes.

The first thing Ulala did after realizing her ex was scamming her was call Maya to a restaurant where they got drinks.

Yusuke would be okay with crossdressing if he felt it would help him discover the secret of beauty.

Junes wages are 690 yen per hour for high school students and 900 yen per hour for the rest.

Jin was the member of Strega in charge of raising funds and taking care of meals.

Maruki is aware of the relationship between food and mental health, so he always tries to eat a balanced diet (with cheap ingredients that won't affect his mental health by being a financial burden).

Yukari's mother, Risako, was financially blessed and came from a good family associated with the Kirijo Group.

The Shiroganes have a butler named Yakushiji who has served them for three generations. He, along with Grandpa Shirogane, was Naoto's main caretaker growing up.

The place where Ken's house used to be is now a parking lot.

Junpei's father failed in business.

Akechi's ideal type of lover is "someone who can give [him] space".

Dojima bought Nanako's clothes at Junes.

Maya always keeps a can of crab in her purse... that's her lunch at work. 😔

Futaba is more specific when it comes to her ideal lover. I'm just going to copy and paste here: "Their specs must be just as follows: must be more of an indoors person more than an outdoors one, won’t barge selfishly into people’s room to clean without the owner’s consent, old fashioned romantic and can sing all the theme songs of Neo Featherman."

Yosuke and Kanji aren't the only ones who dye their hair. Chie also dyes hers.

Kandori sealed his deal with Nyarly by strangling his lover/coworker, Mayo Miyashita, to death. He seemed kind of in a trance while he did so (a lot was from Mayo's POV), so it's up to you to decide how much agency he had in that murder.

Members of Strega don't even know their real names (this won't deter me from the "Chidori is Natsumi's daughter theory"). They also steal household goods and clothes during the night.

Elly has twin sisters.

I can't remember if I included this one in the last post, but here it goes again. After Makoto pointed out how difficult taking care of lobsters would be, Yusuke ate them with tears in his eyes.

[crystalstylehexagon]

"Soulmates"- Pt.1 - Kakashi & Reader

Requested by: @hoohamaru

Kakashi requests: closed

Took me a while to nail down Kakashi, but i managed! I will be breaking down this one shot into 3 parts, so beware of cliffhanger!

pt2

pt3

pt4

Kakashi sighed, signing off yet ANOTHER paper. Papers, papers… They just never seemed to end… He groaned and set the pen on the desk. "Sensei, how did you manage all this paperwork?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose, remembering his former Sensei and Fourth Hokage, Minato. These past few days have been a havoc, people getting ready for the upcoming winter holidays and whatnot. Honestly, If you asked him, it was just their excuse to get a break and get paid for it. Kakashi couldn't blame them. Most of the people of Konoha worked hard all year round. It's how their village got by, to begin with. Well, everyone got a break except the Hokage, meaning him. He sulked. "Oh, Icha icha, how I miss you…" He whined, looking up at the ceiling. His mood was worsened by the sheer fact that his damned right arm had been itching for a few days now. It wasn't fair! It was like fate just hated him and that was that. Making random gibberish noises, he sighed and looked at the paperwork.

… Before that damned itch came back, but this time, it burned like a bitch. He hissed and rolled up his sleeve hurriedly. Was he having some sort of allergic reaction? What was this feeling?! It made him want to rip the skin off his arm to make it stop itching! He inspected the burning area, only to blink. There in bold, cursive letters was written "Y/N L/N" The burning pain subsided eventually, leaving him with a writing on his forearm. A soulmate…? He had a soulmate…?

Him? HIM? Hatake Kakashi had a soulmate?! Finally, the sixth Hokage managed to pick his jaw off of the floor and leaned back in his chair, his eyes wide as saucers. "I have a soulmate…" He breathed out. "I have a soulmate. A… A soulmate?" He kept repeating for a good twenty minutes before a knock on the door snapped him out. "Hokage-sama-… Oh… Uhhh, did I come in a bad time?" Shikamaru scratched his head, looking around. Kakashi cleared his throat and rolled down his sleeve. "Uh, no. Come in. What is it?" He tried to direct his attention back to reality, and not towards the arm that now made itself known in his subconscious. It was as if it was mocking him, saying "Hey! I'm here! Don't you wanna find your soulmate?~" Shikamaru entered and set more paperwork down. "I came back with reports from Sai about the shady behaviors that have been going on in the black ops…" Shikamaru announced, but he saw the distracted look on Kakashi's face. "Um, Hokage-sama…?" he tilted his head. Kakashi blinked and looked at Shikamaru. "Huh? Oh, right- um… Sai and Black Ops… Or something. Also, didn't tell you to quit it with the "Sama"? Just Kakashi will do!" He sighed tiredly, he really seemed to repeat this phrase a lot lately, didn't he? He was so over the "Kakashi-sama this, Kakashi-sama that!" bullshit! Oh, how he wished Naruto could suddenly get smart and take his title, already! He wasn't even supposed to be here to begin with! This role was involuntarily forced onto him, really! The Nara's eyes squinted. "Right. Kakashi- Are you sure you're okay? You seem distracted." He noted, eyeing the older. Kakashi bit his lip behind his mask, thinking for a moment or two. No, distractions would hinder his work, he thought before getting up. "Hey, Shika-kun, could you replace me for a bit? Thanks!" He removed his hat, placing it on Shikamaru's head, and waved, not giving the Nara time to react, and went out through an open window. Shikamaru stood there, baffled. When he came to, he sighed, removing his hat. "What a drag… I swear that man is losing it every passing day…" He grumbled before looking over at the desk piled with paperwork. "I guess I should tell Temari I won't be making it home today…" He sighed and sat on the Hokage chair and got to work. Kakashi ran through the roofs of the buildings he knew all too well, driven by pure adrenaline, and ended up on the Hokage Mountain with his heart hammering in his ears. He panted and rolled up his sleeve again, not believing his eyes. He wanted to double-check. Kakashi ended up staring at the writing for a whole hour straight. Finally, he fell back onto the grass. The last Hatake glanced up at the partially cloudy sky, blinking. Was this one of the universe's sick jokes? It had to be. His life was already cruel as it was; having to lose his father to the cruelty of the very people he fought for, then lost teammate to a boulder, then he got forced to kill his other teammate by ripping a Chidori through her heart and then was only able to watch as he lost both his Sensei and his wife that Kakashi was supposed to protect by the demon who's very vessel he taught at some point and led, having to watch the said boy suffer through mistreatment and hardships as he chased after a lost cause, who was too similar to him when he was their age, and he still managed to fuck that up, letting them go rouge and abandoning the last precious student that actually needed him the most at that time. He sighed; Life was indeed, cruel to him and he had poor judgment, he would admit. He wondered what he had done, who he had killed or upset to deserve such a barbaric fate.

He sighed for the umpteenth time. 'But if there's a chance there's really someone out there… Could I be that confident to actually risk being selfish for once…?' He thought before venting out a heavy sigh, he was a skeptic when it came to soulmates and all that but.. If there was the slightest chance that a person was out there, made for him, to be his other half… "Nothing ever goes right in my life, does it?" He mumbles to himself, before standing up, dusting off his pants, and descending the Hokage mountain with a heavy mind. 'Even if I do… What are the chances they would respond positively? Am I willing to take the chances…?' He thought as he finally approached the rocky ground of the village. He looked at the sky, before he took a deep breath, deciding. "I'll give it a shot. If they don't want me, then I'll move on. What do I have left to lose, anyway?" He finally convinced himself. He stood more straightly and walked more confidently with a new goal in mind: Find Y/N L/N, learn more about them, and find out if the whole soulmate thing could work between them. Though, in the back of his mind, that voice nagged him that he was just going to get another person hurt. He ignored the little pest. Surely, he deserved happiness too, right…?

[dreamingofneji]

Why Making Minato Naruto's Father Was the Worst Mistake Made in Naruto — pt. 1: Neji

Making Minato Naruto's dad was the worst decision Kishimoto could have made. I have a lot to say about it. My main reason is that by making Minato his dad, it set Naruto on course to becoming the "Child of Prophecy." The reincarnation of Ashura, the son of the Sage of Six Paths, and Hashirama, the first and most powerful Hokage. That absolutely ruined the initial premise of the story. The initial Naruto fought against the system. He was the underdog. He challenged the sastus quo. He was going to beat the odds and become Hokage despite his past. Making him the Child of Prophecy in Shippuden changed the course of the series and retroactively made the initial series' message essentially null and void.

Because I have a lot to say, let's take a look at Neji, for instance, as I believe this is one of the more significant instances:

He's initially seen in a negative light. When you watch Naruto for the first time, you don't know the storyline fully, so you're led to believe Neji is some angry character who hates his family and takes it out by beating his cousin so badly that she starts to go into ventricular fibrillation.

The viewer is made to dislike his character. Then you see his fight with Naruto, and you learn about Neji’s backstory. The interpretation of his backstory is up to personal discretion; the viewer is allowed to feel however they want about it. I was around eleven when I watched the fight. Because I was a child, I didn't put too much thought into the broader implications of his story, and just took everything at face value. I didn't think critically about the series in any aspect. I think that’s how most people tend to see this storyline.

If the viewer doesn't know the rest of the story—or if they don’t look deeper into the nuances of Neji’s storyline—they might see Neji as a character who's angry and violent.

However, when you look at this story through a more critical lens, you see a different picture. He's angry, yes, about the untimely and unjust death of his father. We see glimpses into the past of the Hyuga clan. How Neji was branded with the curse mark on Hinata's third birthday, how Hizashi harbored anger towards the main family—his own twin brother and his niece—because of circumstances out of his control.

And then Neji, his four-year-old son, witnessed his uncle—his father's twin brother—use the curse mark's intended ability (you know, to keep the cadet branch in line) to DESTROY HIS BRAIN CELLS because he sensed Hizashi’s anger. They claim that the curse mark was so the Byakugan would be sealed away after death, and that was the reason for it, but let's not pretend that that was the whole truth.

There may have been some truth to that initially, but if they wanted to protect the secret of their kekkei genkai, why not put the seal on everyone? Hm? Or is it just a way to force the cadet branch (I know the more common way of referring to them is the 'branch family', but for consistency with the official manga translation, I'll use 'cadet branch' and 'main branch') into serfdom?

When they killed Hizashi to hand over his body to Kumogakure, it was because he "chose to die to protect his family", right? But look at it this way—what other choice did he have? Hizashi saw death as the only way to escape fate; to be free of his destiny as a member of the cadet branch.

Can you imagine what that must have been like for Neji? Because it’s Neji telling the story, we know that he knows why his father was killed. It’s never made clear when he learned of the reason for his father’s death, but if he’s telling Naruto this at age thirteen, and we know through what we’ve seen in his anger (seemingly long-standing, at that), all this to say—he knew from a young age that Hizashi’s body was given to Kumogakure. He knew they wanted the Byakugan. He knew they were going to desecrate his father’s body and remove his eyes. How would that make anyone feel? To not only have your father offered up as a sacrifice in his brother’s place, but to then further know that not only would you not have his body to give a proper burial but to know that his corpse was going to be mutilated and most likely dumped or burned like he had no significance? Does anyone think about that? Because I do.

Also, why was neither Hinata nor Hanabi branded? Hinata was the first-born; shouldn't that mean Hanabi would have been branded? Even if they made the decision to train Hanabi to see if she'd make a better head-of-house, and determined she was the better option, why wasn't Hinata then branded as well? Hizashi was born into the main family, too. But he was branded because he was the second born. A bit hypocritical, hm?

Regardless, Neji had every right to be angry. Naruto pointed this out during their fight, and I think it largely goes overlooked. While angry and touting the whole 'destiny' angle, Neji was fighting against it all along. In volume 12, chapter 103, page 73, Naruto says to Neji, "The cadet branch is supposed to protect the main branch, but you used the exam as an excuse to beat up Hinata... It sure seems like you were trying to defy your fate, too!" Ignorance about the cadet branch 'protecting' the main branch aside, his point is valid.

Even if Neji didn't realize it, he, too, was fighting against the unjust system of 'destiny' that was instilled as a result of the treatment of the cadet branch. Pushing forward, in volume 12, chapter 103, page 79; Neji asks Naruto, "Can I ask you something? Why do you keep trying so hard to defy your destiny?!" And then Naruto's line we know all too well, "Because somebody told me...I was a failure!"

This ties back in with the initial premise of the series. Naruto’s the underdog. He was a ‘failure.’ In chapter 104, page 94, as Naruto charges towards Neji after using the Nine tail’s chakra, Neji’s words echo in his mind. “…you want to be Hokage, huh?” “I don’t think that’s gonna happen.” “Only a select few are even considered for Hokage.” “Wake up and face reality!” “Those who will become Hokage are born with that fate. You can’t get there by trying… you have to be pre-selected.” “Each person’s life consists of being swept along in the inescapable current of his destiny…” Those last two will be important later. On the very next page, Naruto tells Neji, “Look, I may not understand the tragic destiny of the Hyuga clan or whatever, but… If you think it’s inescapable, fine! Then stop fighting it already!!” “When I become Hokage…I’ll change the Hyuga clan!”

Even after all of this, even after having seen Naruto’s chakra seep through after his tenketsu were blocked, even after Naruto tried to understand his circumstances, Neji’s anger did not dissipate. On page 101, after crawling back out of the crater he’d been thrown into, he still walks up to ‘Naruto’ and says, “…sorry, failure…it’s too bad, but…this is reality.”

It’s only when Naruto comes up out of the ground and uppercuts him in chapter 104, page 105, and subsequently lectures him, “I failed the academy graduation three times… because, unlucky for me, the exam always tested the same ninjutsu…my absolute weakest ninjutsu. And my weakest ninjutsu…was the bunshin no jutsu…the art of the doppelganger. So shut up about ‘destiny’ and ‘inescapable fate’ …you shouldn’t whine about such trivial stuff! ‘Cause…unlike me…you’re not a ‘failure.’” It's only then that Neji begins to see things differently.

Though, the fact that he begins to see things differently, to me, is a case of cognitive dissonance. That'll be a different post though.

[chirpos]

Manga-koto Expressions - Pt. 1

(ft. Mr Monokuma)

Original Artist: Himeki

Original Artist: Lala

Original Artist: Akizuki Shou

Original Artist: Tonami Minato

Original Artist: S. Kosugi

Translations done by the team behind shslscans.

[mixu]

Naruto and H1n0t0's wedding chapter confirms SNS

Today in why Shippuden’s ending actually supports sns case, we’ll analyze the last sequence of the last chapter. (If you haven’t read the previous parts, you can find them here pt. 1&2, pt. 3, pt.4, although it’s not necessary to read them in order.) So, without further ado:

Pt 5. Naruto would rather be anywhere but here

As usual I leave my crappy clip from the scene then we’ll examine the expressions, body language of the characters and some of the editing. There’s very little dialogue but a lot to unpack.

The scene starts with Naruto and Hinata staring up at the Hokage Monument.

Who knows how long they’ve been at it, but Hinata is making the same face I make when I go to the museum and fail to understand why someone takes more than 5 minutes to appreciate a painting (excuse my uncultured ass). She then tells Neji’s ghost she is getting married (as if poor Neji cared) and turns to look at Naruto who is uncannily serious for someone who is about to marry the love of his life.

We get a close off of Minato’s face and Naruto’s profile, still serious. What is he thinking about? I very highly doubt he’s thinking about the honeymoon.

Then we get Hinata true to her stalker self, blushing, looking lovingly, dreamingly at Naruto, when Naruto doesn’t even know she’s there. She’s getting married to the man she loves (if you count that as love) so, acceptable, understandable expressions. And I want to emphasize how many expressions of Hinata they show us in contrast to Naruto’s during the whole sequence (3 is being generous).

One could argue that Naruto is looking back at her, but is he? Then why don’t they show us a broader shot of them staring at each other lovingly? Because that’s not the case. That’s their relationship in a nutshell: Hinata staring at Naruto incessantly while Naruto is barely aware of her presence. Furthermore, when Hanabi and Hiashi enter, making Naruto and Hinata turn around, Naruto first looks at Hinata as if asking “you were here the whole time?” then goes back to serious mode.

The following shots of the Hyuuga give us so much information. Hanabi is excited, smiling because she has no clue of the farce, while Hiashi is stern as he has always been, but he had changed after the Chuunin exams, didn’t he? Why does Hinata suddenly looks so worried? She was smiling a second ago? The transition of Hiashi’s expression reminds me of that meme where the father says “He looks gay to me, but whatever makes my princess happy.” So, with Hiashi’s blessing, Hinata smiles again. Once more, notice how many different expressions she has, when Naruto doesn’t even appear in the shot.

What follows is pure gold.

Is it just me or Naruto takes ages to return Hinata’s handhold?

Next, the first image of this batch is so hilarious to me. Hinata is looking down at their hands as if to confirm it is actually happening. Hanabi is more excited than anyone in the room even when it is Hinata and Naruto who are getting married. Naruto’s expression in images 1, 2 and 6 might have been as well copy pasted. Why? He is your main character, why are you hiding his face on every opportunity. Plus, number 4 is so bad. It looks like he is bracing for battle.

Naruto asks Hinata if she's ready, and off they go into a mediocre, loveless marriage for the sake of Konoha and Kishimoto’s, SJ and SP wallets. Look at Naruto’s half-assed smile.

This clip is 74 sec long and we only get to see Naruto’s face/head during 19 sec. That’s roughly a quarter of the whole sequence, and even when Naruto appears, we rarely get a close off of his face. Furthermore, when we do get a close off, there’s no range of emotion (watch Dragon Ball or FMA Brotherhood’s last chapter and compare Edward and Goku’s portrayal to that of Naruto). Why would the studio hide the main character like this? Why focus so much only in the love interest and not the couple? Because there is no happy ending for Naruto. He got trapped between duty, his promises and the expectations cast upon him, and the worst part is those who were supposed to look after him looked the other way.

You can read this post in which the author analyzes similar inconsistences across Gaiden and Boruto. The conjecture is pretty much the same: Naruto gave up Sasuke and married Hinata because that was what everyone told him, directly or indirectly, he was supposed to do.

None of these choices are accidental. We saw what the studio wanted to show us like we read what Kishimoto wanted us to read. Perhaps those last chapters weren’t as clumsy as we thought, but we were too hurt by the Last, Boruto and chapter 700 to notice the characters were responding accurately given the circumstances they were facing and the values of their world. And, people can say whatever about us sns being delusional, but Naruto didn’t get a happy ending (I won’t even talk about Sasuke because there’s no doubt that he got the short end of the stick). We know how happy Naruto is supposed to look like.

So, this is it. Even this wedding fiasco reinforces SNS and now it hurts a thousand times more. Thanks for reading my ramblings and sorry for the quality of the images and the video. I don’t have time to make better edits but I really wanted to share this. I’ll go back to the fanfic world where everything is right.