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skyahri · 8 months ago

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I'm Ready Now |Sasuke X Reader| HC

Summary: You and Sasuke are long-term friends. He's finally decided he's ready to be with you, but you had no idea what had been motivating him all along.

Warnings: Modern AU. Club scene. SFW.

Masterlist Ko-fi

- - - - -

You've known Sasuke since high school.

You've stuck by him through everything- when his brother was arrested, when he hated everyone and everything, when he rebelled and became a sort of man whore junior year, and even now into adulthood after he simmered down.

But now he was acting odd, and you aren't the only one who's noticed.

Each of your mutual friends had come to you about Sasuke's subtle change in behavior over the past six or so months.

Sakura was the first to ask you about it, wondering if you had picked up on the shift in his demeanor. Then Ino, Sai, Kankuro, and so on.

The biggest change was his newfound confidence.

Not that he wasn't confident before, but this new wave was more... earned. He used to be so entitled and full of himself, so the maturity brought on by this change was refreshing.

You were going to ask Sasuke about it, but you couldn't find the right time.

He had recently taken over the family business, and it was taking up a lot of his time and energy.

When he was young, after his brother had killed their parents, the company was temporarily taken over by a team of advisors until Sasuke was deemed fit to run it.

After receiving his bachelor's in business management and going through several summers of internships, he was given control and promoted to CEO.

That was right around the time he had started to act out of the ordinary.

That's what brings us to today.

It's Saturday, aka the day the whole gang hangs out. Despite how busy Sasuke had become, he always made sure to prioritize it.

He claims it's because Naruto would throw a tantrum, which is true, but you all know he actually enjoys the time together even if he complains.

He'd come to pick you up, a normal occurrence since he had a car, and you did not.

Tonight, you were all meeting up at a club downtown.

The place is packed, but Kiba was able to reserve a table for everyone to sit at.

It was a bit crowded, but that's to be expected from forcing seventeen people into a twelve person booth.

You're a bit too close to Sasuke, but you don't mind. He's cool and comfortable, unlike some of the other men at the table, so it's not awkward.

He slides his arm along the back of the booth to give you a bit more room.

You notice his cologne, the same one he's worn for the past several years. You've always liked it and encouraged him early on to wear it more often.

Once sat, Naruto immediately ordered a round of shots for the table.

And then another.

And another.

With a little liquid courage, the girls had managed to drag their boyfriends to the dance floor.

It wasn't really your scene, so you opted to hang back with the more introverted members of the group: Shikamaru, Gaara, Shino, and Sasuke.

Hinata would've gladly stayed too, if not for Naruto literally dragging her along.

You were happily chatting with the guys before you were forced asked by Ino and Sakura to retrieve more drinks.

Sasuke offered to go with you since there was no way you could carry so many glasses.

The bartender was busy, so you two hung off to the side for a moment while the wave passed.

You decided now was the time to confront him about his change in behavior.

"You've been different lately."

"Different? How so?"

You narrowed your eyes at him. He was playing dumb, something he did often when trying to politely avoid a subject.

"I'm worried about you, you know. You're not the same Sasuke anymore."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

Ah, so he was plenty aware of it.

"Not necessarily. I just want to know whats going on with you. You can talk to me."

Sasuke thought for a moment. He was nervous, well as nervous as he could manage to be.

"I've inherited my family's company."

You looked at him confused.

"I have a degree, I own my apartment, I have a stable career. I have even cleared my family's name in the eyes of the public."

You just continued to look at him, more lost than you were a second ago. What was he getting at? Why would this be bothering him?

"I am finally a man worthy of even asking you for a chance."

Oh?

Oh.

Was he..? Did he really..?

"What?" It's all you can manage to get out.

"You deserve a good man who can provide you with a good life. I've worked hard these past few years to be that man, so I can ask for your hand."

You didn't know what to say. How could you after such a bold proclamation?

So you didn't say anything.

You just tilted your head up to kiss him.

It was perfect- your hands on his chest, one of his on your face, and the other sliding into your hair. The smell of his cologne and fabric of his black button-up.

His lips were surprisingly soft. He's a good kisser, but that's less surprising considering how often he'd gotten around in his youth.

You broke away, and your hands slid down so they could interlock with his.

"Sasuke," you'd stare at him softly, "You've always been a worthy man. Money and status don't change anything."

After that night, he stayed the same new Sasuke, but there was a more relaxed air to him.

You'd hoped to keep things under wraps for longer, but Naruto had apparently seen you guys kiss at the club, and news spread pretty fast after that.

Not that Sasuke minded, no. He liked being able to give you passing touches and brief kisses. He liked being able to look at you without suspicion.

Things were good now.

#sasuke uchiha #sasuke #naruto #naruto headcanons #naruto x reader #naruto shippuden #anime headcanons #anime #sasuke x reader #sasuke uchiha x reader #sasuke uchiha x you #reader insert #fanfiction #fanfic #sasuke fluff #sasuke uchiha fluff

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socra-time · 15 days ago

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Naruto Episode Comments, Ep. 41-50

Ep 41:

-puppetry has gotta be one of my favorite ninja techniques so far ngl

-also Kankuro gives me bitchy theater kid vibes ngl. We stan

-again, Sakura has a far more compelling relationship with Ino than she does with fuckass Sasuke

-…goddamnit do I ship Sakura and Ino

-the way Gai says Kakashi’s name is so funny to me, he’s like “kaKAshi”

Ep 42:

-I think it’s funny that Lee just drifted over to hang out with Kakashi and Naruto

-ngl Ino losing her hold on Sakura was COMPLETE bullshit, Ino absolutely should have won that match

-ngl I’m really annoyed by the results of this match

-but anyways Gai and Lee cheering for Tenten was wholesome. Team Gai supremacy

Ep 43:

-okay Temari’s voice isn’t as bad as I initially thought it was

-rip Tenten, I get that they have to set up the threat of the Sand Siblings but Tenten deserved a little more of a fair fight rather than just being fodder for Temari to take down

-but also holy shit Temari’s takedown was fucking brutal

-Lee I fucking love you

-I also kinda love Ino now

-Naruto istg you better not beat up Kiba’s dog

Ep 44:

-not the first time I’ve noticed them but I like Kiba’s fangs

-I don’t really like Kiba’s voice

-if I was Naruto I would have forfeited the match immediately, I’m not gonna fucking fight a puppy

-ah yes the greatest jutsu of all, Furry jutsu

-Naruto kinda wasted his shot by biting Kiba while disguised as Akamaru, he should have tried to do more damage and punch Kiba in the face or something

-I love how everyone was commenting on how Naruto’s jutsu usage was more impressive than they thought and meanwhile Neji’s just like “I can’t believe he bit his opponent”

-why isn’t everyone just taking food pills during this exam if they’re so useful

-Kiba honey I hate to break it to you but you are not, in fact, the main character of Naruto

-respectfully both Naruto and Kiba should never be Hokage, it should OBVIOUSLY be Lee

Ep 45:

-NOOOO AKAMARU BBY

-I’m not gonna lie I don’t really believe Naruto has the chakra control and intelligence at this point in the series to pull off the trick he does with the double transformation jutsu

-I find it both amusing and annoying that Kiba (and also Shikamaru and Choji) calls Naruto “kid”. Like y’all are the same age lmao

- yeah no same as Ino, Kiba kindaaaa should have won. I’m more okay with this outcome than the Ino-Sakura result because Naruto’s the MC so he’s obviously going to win, but that fart was utter bullshit

-also I get that Kiba probably would have wrecked the clones with his human drill shit but why didn’t Naruto just try spamming shadow clones from the beginning

Ep 46:

-Team 8’s dynamic intrigues me. I want to see more of them

-why was ANYONE surprised that Hinata and Neji are related. Like were their eyes not a dead fucking giveaway???

-Kurenai is so mother

-anyways fuck Hinata’s dad

-between this match and the Sakura-Ino match, why did no one tell Naruto to not interrupt the matches

-okay so this confirms that Team 8 is the Konoha team that I would LEAST want to fight, purely because my options are (a) getting my chakra devoured by a swarm of bugs, (b) getting mauled by the human equivalent of Drill Run, or (c) suffering organ failure. Yeah no I’d rather get punched or stabbed by the other teams, thank you very much

Ep 47:

-with his level of precision and the Byakugan, Neji should quit the whole ninja thing and go be a doctor

-oh Naruto you sweet oblivious child

-I am absolutely not sold on Naruto and Hinata as a ship yet btw

-ngl if I was the proctor I would have yelled at Naruto to shut up and stop interrupting the matches

-Lee and Gai continue to be the best duo in this entire fucking show

Ep 48:

-I’ve heard that Gaara vs Lee is amazing, so I’m going in with high expectations

-Gaara is so fucking small next to his siblings

-Lee is so goddamn cute. I love my son

-you know you’re terrifying when SHINO is afraid of you

-Lee is so happy that he gets to go apeshit lmao

-the moment when the leg weights drop was amazing

-also it’s the first time we see Gaara look surprised and off-guard, which really hammers home just how insane Lee is

-I’ve seen it before but the effect of Gaara’s face cracking is so cool

-also it’s funny that Kankuro has fully just joined the Konoha peanut gallery for this match

Ep 49:

-welp Gaara’s gone completely off the rails

-Lee is officially my favorite character rn and it’s not even close

-if Lee can only do taijutsu, how did he pass the academy test and become a genin? I mean maybe it was a Naruto type of situation where other shit happened, but he wouldn’t have been able to pass the test normally, right?

-Leeeeee my silly badass son I love you so much. Peak character of all time

-again, the way Gai says “kaKAshi” cracks me up

-so like is Gai not gonna get in trouble with the ninja government for teaching Lee forbidden jutsus? Like Lee is very blatantly using the Primary Lotus and Hidden Lotus in a government-run exam and it’s pretty obvious who would have taught him those

Ep 50:

-holy shit Lee is fully just going Super Saiyan

-even Neji is shook by Lee lmao

-NOOOO LEE

-Gai stepping in and the background music and noises cutting out was such a good moment

-Gai is legit Lee’s dad and I’m so here for it

-Lee has Naruto solidly beaten for the title of “most tenacious motherfucker in the show”

-that moment with Gai hugging Lee’s unconscious body was so good, my heartttttt 😭

-the medic telling Gai that Lee will never fight again would be much more heartbreaking if I didn’t know that he’s literally fine later on

-the strings instrumental that plays after Lee’s defeat is so good

#naruto #socra’s naruto liveblog

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bleachbleachbleach · 2 days ago

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Joe Shinigami Job Market

Last month I read an article about tennis rankings that--as would surely be true of most people who read it--made me think about the Gotei:

The greats in tennis often become known by their first names – Roger, Rafa, Serena – but the rest of us are known by a number, our world ranking. To a greater extent than in any other sport, world ranking determines who you play, where you play and how much money you make. Tennis players have a deep and lasting relationship with their highest ranking. (Mine was 129.) [x]

You have your famous, Captain- and VC-ranked shinigami, whose names you're more likely to know than not; and maybe some of the higher-seated officers are named entities, too, if you're really up on your Gotei trivia. And then after that you have your Joe Shinigami. People within the same division might have a decent sense of who those officers are in seats 3-20, but beyond that you're probably relatively anonymous. All the same, there's probably a whole complicated hierarchy that only the people embroiled in the same vicinity of it as you are have any clear sense of that Captains and probably VCs, too, cannot make heads nor tails of, even if they tried (and only some do). These finer hierarchies are probably related to that reiatsu ranking element that comes up like twice re: Kaien and then in the Hell Chapter, but we're never told how that works so let's leave that for now.

The tennis article goes on to discuss what it means to be the "best of the rest," where in comparison to the world population, you are insanely, insanely talented!! But because of the size of the stage, you're no one. And this is a really compelling space for me, in terms of contemplating how a lot of Joe Shinigami live in the world, and how it feels to be them, because the gap between Captains and unseated shinigami is stupid huge, insurmountable, and because the tasks at hand are so often Captain-levle and not, in fact, Joe Shinigami-level, even extremely talented Joe Shinigami level:

The true unfortunates, though, were the ones who were talented enough to rationally hope to advance. These were people who grew up as the best tennis players in their country, but were stuck between 300 and 600 in the world, not quite contending for the Challenger Tour nor the qualifiers at grand slams, but winning just often enough to keep their tennis dream faintly alive. [x]

Like, these are the seated or the not quite seated. The ones who might get good enough at zanjutsu or kidou to distinguish themselves, or maybe even have a shot at shikai. That upper echelon being highly-seated is completely out of the question, realistically, like "no matter how hard you flap you cannot fly" out of the question, but you're pretty good. You're good enough it makes sense to strive for a seat, or for shikai. Even as you're just utterly useless in the scheme of all these bankai people, or in a war where, frankly, all those bankai people are themselves getting mowed down without too much fuss. It's a hard place to be!

The "true unfortunates" being described are probably all the elite, highly-talented shinigami we're introduced to as being fairly useless. The Shinos and Ryuunosukes and Kurumadanis and that-one-guy-who-gave-us-outsider-narrative-before-Mayuri-blew-him-up of the world. Even the Iemuras, and that guy's actually very highly-ranked.

I just really like the duality of all these guys coming across as hapless and a little pathetic, and I think that's probably real; but at the same time they have been trained. They had to make it through the Academy and get selected into a division. I think that speaks to that massive divide in perspective/experience between the people at the top and the rest of everyone. Like, what do you really want to look for when hiring Joe Shinigami? Aptitude for shikai is probably, honestly, an unreasonable benchmark. Plus there's a good chance they're going to die whether they're Very Good or Pretty Good, because everyone's in that band of "probably in over their heads with this," even when there's not a TYBW going on, because it kind of seems like shinigami were getting eaten left and right by regular Hollows in Karakura, too.

And what are they getting paid for that honor? 2 million kan a year? That's about 700,000 kan above minimum wage in yen in 2001 (or, let's say as a very rough estimate, 7000 USD). I've seen Reddit people say is not that much money; and that's true, but it's also about what a well-paid grad student would be making (that is, the ones who are being paid at all). Most grad students are probably not at risk of death every day of their sad little jobs, but to my mind that seems like a reasonable point of reference for what kind of training and what sort of expectation one might have of a Joe Shinigami.

If you, too, would like to read an article about Joe Shinigami, I recommend that article, which is about Joe Shinigami, not competitive tennis!

Which brings me to the other side of the equation, and the Division job ads in the SC issue of Colorful Bleach, which I love dearly. In these ads, each division's captain and VC share qualities that a successful candidate would have, as well as pertinent information about their division. Except that everyone's answers have almost nothing to do with actual job qualifications (Sasakibe wants someone who can grow plants) and reflect very little thought about who they want. It goes back to what I said earlier: If they meet the base requirement of having graduated the Academy, they're probably gonna get in somewhere, unless they are truly Too Weird for the Gotei and the Vibes are Bad (see: vindictive not-shinigami in Bleach filler arcs).

Hitsugaya's is my favorite (from the unbiased and objective perspective I always strive for in fandom) because they are the LOWEST EFFORT OF THEM ALL aside from Soi Fon's (Soi Fon refuses to respond to almost all of the questions).

I mentioned in an earlier post that the soundbites read like the SC journalist was running after people who were preoccupied with something else, and said journalist just transcribed whatever nothing answer fell out of their mouths, and that's on display well here, because the answers are in very casual spoken vernacular. Bro did not spare a single thought for this exercise:

[Colorful Bleach]

[Desired personnel?] Guys who work hard.

[How is the division's atmosphere?] Good, wouldn't you say?

[Application requirements?] Nothing in particular.

[Any words for the prospectives?] Anyone who's interested can come whenever.

Which, like, yeah, if that's what your job ad says, then of course you're going to get hapless, somewhat pathetic Joe Shinigami! You've brought this on yourself!

But this also feels kind of legit to me, because even pre-TYBW and everyone dying, you're trying to fill seats and stay staffed to fulfill whatever slate of duties you drew from the pile of things the Gotei doesn't quite have the numbers to manage. And I think it speaks to an important part of the perspective here, which I think is partly not putting effort into answering the question; partly an issue of scale/demand outstripping supply; and partly struggling to really be able to (or care to) gauge the difference between 670th-ranked shinigami recruit and 863rd-ranked shinigami recruit. From your POV (the POV of outlier class) all Joe Shinigami are kind of the same, practically speaking; that is, everyone is statistically toeing the same baseline. For this purpose, what separates a good recruit from a bad one isn't really about existing qualifications, but the ability to be trained into whatever protocols your division operates by, and going from there. So yeah, be willing to work hard, in this case, and whatever will be will be!

#shinigamiology #bleach headcanons #hitsugaya toushirou #colorful bleach #no brain just bleach

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wing-ed-thing · 1 year ago

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Show and Tell (Shino x Reader)

Synopsis: Just another day for Iruka teaching ninja kids.

Word Count: 0.7k

Tags/Warnings: Kid!Shino, Kid!Reader, Bugs/Bugs on you, Entomophobia, Fluff, No Reader Pronouns

Notes: I made this gif only to realize I already had an identical one saved. I like this one better though. You know why? BECAUSE I MADE IT

“That one’s Kononoka.”

“What about this one?”

“That one’s Komiruwa.”

The entire class was in an uproar, not that you or Shino really cared or noticed. Naruto started shouting in a mix of awe and horror, climbing onto the desks to narrate to the rest of the class. When no one seemed to be paying attention, he shouted louder. Ino had about broken down in the corner of the classroom, inconsolable as she wailed. Kiba stood about where you and Shino sat, raving about one thing or another, and that chaos didn’t stop for Iruka.

He walked through the door, tense, with eyes already wide at the sheer anarchy that was his classroom. Iruka shouted for order with a disappointed frown, but his students were whipped up in too great of a frenzy to listen. Iruka groaned, wiping a hand down his face as he set his lesson plan for the day on his desk.

“Alright, everyone, let’s get some butts in seats!” he clapped, making his way up the stairs. “Naruto! Down! This is a classroom, not a jungle gym!” A few students sat, staring over their shoulders at the chaos at the back of the room. A few disappointed grumbles scattered throughout the room.

Iruka approached the screaming children surrounding you and Shino at the back of the class with urgency and hesitation. Surely, if someone were bleeding out, he’d know, right?

He peered over a dozen tiny heads; the sight in front of him just about made him stop right there. Iruka took a breath, placing his hands on his hips as he looked up at the ceiling—a tiny tug pulled at the leg of his pants.

“What are you looking at, Iruka-Sensei?” Naruto craned as he studied where Iruka had just cast his eyes. Iruka frowned.

“Didn’t I just tell you to sit down?” Naruto shrugged, not paying attention. Iruka clapped his hands again as he continued to make his way toward you. “It is not recess! Everyone to your seats.”

He crouched next to you once the crowd cleared. You were covered head to toe in beetles, unbothered, as hundreds of Shino’s insects marched across your body. Any more of them, and Iruka might not have been able to see a kid underneath. Shino sat with his legs pulled close to his chest, pointing at various members of the swarm.

“That one’s Konomo. And that’s Kogure.”

Iruka snorted, raising a brow at the sight before him.

“Shino,” he said gently. “Class is about to start. Will you call your insects back?”

“But we haven’t gotten to everyone’s names, Iruka-Sensei,” you pouted.

“You’ll have time to hear everyone’s names after school.” He nodded. The beetles had begun to descend, marching from you back to Shino. Your brow crinkled in distress as you bid each one farewell.

“Goodbye, Kononoka. Goodbye, Kokoko. Bye-bye, Koeoku.” Iruka wondered if you actually remembered their names and, if you did, if you could remember his lessons that well too.

Kiba stood up in his chair, cupping his hands around his mouth.

“Bugs are icky, and so are you!” he stuck his tongue out.

“Oh yeah?” you shot back before Iruka could intervene. You shook your tiny fists in the air. “Say that again, and I’ll punch your lights out, Dog Breath—!” Iruka gaped in shock before his lips turned into a deep frown.

— “Hey! Knock it off, the two of you. We do not talk like that to each other.” He wondered what had gotten into his class as he gestured for Kiba to sit. “Apologize. That was not a nice thing to say.” Kiba bowed his head, not looking at you as he grumbled,

“Sorry.” Iruka glanced toward you.

“And we do not call names and threaten to hit each other. Say you’re sorry.”

You took Shino by the hand, ushering him to your seats next to each other. You didn’t spare a glance at Kiba.

“Sorry.”

Iruka sighed, looking back up toward the ceiling before returning to the front of the classroom. Perhaps someone was giving out free ice cream before class. Or maybe their previous instructor riled them up during training. He should check what phase the moon was in.

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

Notes: I WAS WRITING THIS AND MY CHARGER SLIPPED OFF THE BED AND LET ME TELL YOU THE SHEER PANIC I FELT WHEN I THOUGHT IT WAS A HUGE INSECT JEEZ

#shino x reader #shino aburame x reader #shino aburame #shino #naruto x reader #Shino fanfic #Shino fanfiction #naruto x you #naruto x y/n #Shino scenario #naruto scenario #x you #x reader #reader insert

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powerful-niya · 1 year ago

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The Tell-Tale Heart

❀Fest No Jutsu 2023❀

Naruhina Oneshot Available on: AO3 | Wattpad | Fanfiction.net |

Prompt claimed fulfilled for @wickermayne 🥰

❀Naruhina RomCom❀

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

Summary: The Fourth Great Ninja War ends and Konoha is at peace; Hinata Hyuga contemplates Naruto Uzumaki's unexpected desire to spend more time with her.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 • ˚《

Tags: Blank Period • Canon • Canon Divergence • Declarations Of Love • Drama & Romance • Fake Relationship Trope • Fluff • Happy • Happy Ending • Humor • Light Angst • Love Confessions • Mutual Pining • Naruto Universe - Freeform • No Smut • Post War • POV Third Person • Romance • Teen Rated •Tooth Rotting Fluff •

Word Count - For Entire One-Shot: 8.4k.

Word Count - Tumblr Post: 3.3k.

❀Preview:

Today in Konohagakure, the temperature was moderately warm.

The shining sun rose high in the cloudless, blue heavens, beaming with happiness where it took center stage above.

The residents of Konohagakure, enjoyed every moment of the new day, a day of peace and fun, as the sun smiled down on them with warm but pleasant beams.

The summer breeze flowed through the busy streets of the village, sweeping green leaves within its gentle wake where they carried on powerfully, just as the ninjas, Konoha's defenders, have done each and every day.

A year had passed since the conclusion of the Fourth Great Ninja War, allowing Konoha as a whole to at last settle down.

The streets were alive with laughter and chatter, with kids flying kites and pretending to be the ninjas they idolize, racing full speed through the crowds with their arms thrust behind them as if soaring.

Smiling villagers of all sizes and ages filled the streets, setting up their businesses and outlets to cheerfully trade their produce and wares with one another.

All around, structures and residences stood tall, having all been rebuilt from the devastation that numerous battles, particularly the Pain onslaught, had wreaked upon them.

Konoha was now endowed with brand-new structures, fresh possibilities, and new beginnings.

Ninjas, villagers, and children alike were all beaming and renewed—all appreciative of the timeless peace they had gained by never giving up, by consistently standing up for what is right, and by moving onward no matter what.

Konohagakure was now at peace.

Aside from Hinata Hyūga.

In the midst of the happiness that beamed all around her, the young kunoichi found herself having quite an episode: fingers twiddling together, her breathing escalated, cheeks red, and her mind in scrambles.

Hinata traversed the streets of Konoha dressed in her typical ninja garb, accompanied by her longtime team members and companions, Kiba and Shino.

Kiba, her loud, ferocious friend, shot her a glance with his slitted eyes, lifting an eyebrow as he sensed his shy friend's worried state.

After all, it was Hinata's idea to get together so the three of them could go for a walk through the village, get some fresh air, and just spend some time in each other's company.

However, Kiba and Shino have observed Hinata to be extremely fidgety and quiet the entire time, appearing to be preoccupied with a problem that both ninjas were overly conscious about.

Hinata was unable to stop talking about it after all.

Kiba groaned and shook his head, causing his brown curly hair to tussle about, brushing against the nape of his neck due to its increasing length.

To lighten the mood, the cheerful canine ninja gave Hinata a gentle shove with his elbow—just with the side of his folded arms.

He laughed as he caught the surprised squeak that flooded out of her lips, her body jolting as a result of being shoved out of her troublesome thoughts.

"Come on, Hinata-chan, stop overreacting already. It's not that bad." Kiba remarked with a gruff tone and an amused grin, his lips stretched wide to show off his razor-sharp canines.

Due to his delighted smile, the red triangles on his cheeks raised just a touch, his features quite robust and well-defined given his maturing age.

His voice, which had become deeper over the years, was emitted in a halfhearted manner, with little worry detected within, which did absolutely nothing to calm Hinata's anxiety.

Hinata's predicament was only made worse because of it.

Her pale cheeks grew even redder, and she found herself hiding behind the curtains of her long, midnight-blue hair, unable to meet Kiba's gaze.

"No, th-this is..."

"It's just Naruto, Hinata-chan. What does it matter whether the knucklehead wants to spend time with you? Big deal."

Kiba muttered impassively once again, simply shrugging his shoulders as if everything was normal—and especially normal for Hinata.

She shook her head. There was nothing normal about her situation.

Hinata took a glimpse at her brown-haired pal through the strands of her dark hair, only to be struck by the nonchalant expression found on his tanned face.

Kiba didn't seem bothered by her predicament or even able to understand why she was feeling the way she was, for the matter. It was certainly a sight she just couldn't comprehend.

It was quite obvious why she was so worked up.

Hinata bit her lip briefly, to deal with her nerves.

"B-But every day?" Hinata exclaimed, apprehensive.

"A-Am I the only one who finds it strange that Naruto-kun is suddenly spending so much time with me? It's s-so odd."

Hinata's meek voice broke through the gaps of her delicate lips, bursting into the village's midday hum. Such comments of hers would have been drowned out by the din of the crowd, but Kiba's keen hearing picked up on her words flawlessly.

He heard her loud and clear.

Kiba shrugged.

He genuinely did not perceive anything wrong with her current "situation."

Kiba thought Hinata was acting rather ridiculously, in fact. Every time Naruto was brought up in their many conversations, she would just revert to her usual flustered self.

The mere mention of the goofy blonde ninja always causes her to flush red all over and sends her into a stuttering frenzy. Even in her primary years, she would faint just by being in the blonde's presence.

Hinata has always been a flustered mess around Naruto, but even now, after having Hinata as a teammate for so long, Kiba has never been able to understand the immense anxiousness she would feel because of the blonde.

Apart from the fact that Naruto was now regarded as a war hero as a result of his heroic deeds during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Kiba still saw him merely as a hyperactive, dense, brainless knucklehead.

He just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that anyone would feel immense anxiety around someone like him.

It was all quite ridiculous.

Kiba found nothing odd or different about Hinata's frenzied behavior nor about Naruto's desire to spend more time with Hinata. After all, they were all growing closer to one another—every single one of their friends—now more than ever.

Nothing's strange there.

Shino, on the other hand, saw a different picture.

He let out a hum of curiosity, bringing to light his presence as he walked alongside Hinata.

His eyes were shielded from the sun by black shades, so others couldn't see his facial expressions as well.

One hand of his was buried in the pocket of his long jacket, while the other lifted to stroke his chin.

"Now that you mention it. That is strange."

Shino's voice emerged from his mouth, somber and monotone, phasing with the pleasant breeze around them. He too joined the conversation between Kiba and Hinata, voicing his concerns about the current situation at hand.

Hinata's dilemma.

All in all, it shouldn't really be a dilemma.

Hinata was aware of this.

Her predicament shouldn't be one that keeps her up at night, sends her in a tizzy, and leads her to become a hot, stuttering mess whenever she thinks about it.

Naruto.

Naruto was her dilemma.

Since the war has ended and all of Konoha has spent its time relishing the peace, Naruto has been exhibiting a variety of behavioral shifts—shifts that were pretty different and quite apparent—particularly because they diverged from the customary behavior tactics he has always demonstrated.

Such changes were all very unusual to Hinata, changes that she was unable to interpret or understand.

To put it simply, Naruto's been acting quite strangely toward her.

How strange you might ask?

For starters, Hinata thought it was somewhat odd of Naruto to unexpectedly develop the longing to devote every waking moment with her.

It seemed weird to her that he wanted to see her every day at the same time at Ichiraku Ramen in order to spend time with her.

Hinata bit her lip a bit harder.

She could hear him now.

"Let's eat out again, tomorrow, Hinata-chan. At Ichiraku, same time, same place. I had such a great time with you, dattebayo!"

Hinata could still clearly remember what he said to her almost a day ago when they shared a meal together at the Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

Even then, he showed signs of immense eagerness for her that she had never seen him show before.

Hinata recalled how he constantly barraged her with many subjects of discussion, even as he spoke to her while stuffing ramen noodles into his mouth.

He told her several of his own tales, including mission experiences that actually made her laugh quite a lot. More than she's ever done in her entire life.

It was all so... strange.

Don't misunderstand Hinata; Naruto's excitement was refreshing, albeit a little overwhelming.

Indeed, Hinata has always wished to spend time with Naruto, and she can't stop herself from enjoying those moments when she gets to sit beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and share a meal and a conversation with him, especially after the war is all said and done.

Sharing such moments with him has always been her dream.

Hinata relished the moments when Naruto lavished her with lots of attention, gazing into her eyes with a true sense of joy and care, and wanting nothing more than to spend as much time with her as he could.

And maybe, she's just overthinking.

Maybe, she's just blowing the entire situation out of proportion.

Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, but she was unable to ignore Naruto's peculiar behavior toward her, including the very difference in the way he spoke to her. It consumed her mind and bugged her so much.

Hinata has made a constant effort to understand why Naruto's behavior has drastically changed in the way it did toward her and why he suddenly developed the urge to hang out with her so excessively.

This was a really big deal to her.

Hinata couldn't help but mull it all over.

In the immediate aftermath of the war, Naruto changed from scarcely recognizing her to having just fleeting conversations with her to obnoxiously craving her company all the time.

It's such a drastic change.

This cannot be a coincidence, she thought.

Hinata occasionally found herself questioning whether Naruto's motives were sincere; she wondered if perhaps he was merely allowing himself to be close to her out of pity.

Pity for her losing Neji.

Yes, the war was officially over, but even so, there were still a lot of wounds that needed to be healed, and Neji's death surely left a lot of them. A lot of wounds.

Hinata occasionally finds herself becoming very sad at the mere recollection of Neji being dead, no longer living in Konoha, but instead buried with the other valiant ninjas who fought in the war.

She would frequently experience severe depression as she recalled the events leading up to his death and once more realized that he had indeed left this world and never to return again.

Hinata often thought of such depressing memories and felt their suppressive effect on her throughout her day-to-day life, and thus, she often thought that is why Naruto wished to spend so much time with her.

Because of pity. Because of guilt.

However, she always dismissed the idea, labeling herself as ridiculous for having such negative thoughts about her dear Naruto-kun.

As a result, Hinata discovers herself becoming quite enthusiastic about the alternative reason she came up with for Naruto's behavioral changes toward her.

And that was a result of authenticity.

Maybe, just maybe, Naruto has come to want to be close to her from a genuine standpoint.

Maybe he secretly yearns to be close to her, yearns to learn more about her, or, better yet, just genuinely enjoys her company.

Maybe, Naruto has come to yearn for something more.

But just as Hinata thought of such a thing, just as she allowed her fantasies to intertwine with her thoughts, she was quick to shake them off.

Hinata squealed, covering her eyes with her hands due to her lewd thoughts.

'No, no, that can't possibly be it!" Shaking off the idea, Hinata exclaimed in a frenzy fit in her mind. It was absurd for her to think that the frequent outings she would have with Naruto were anything romantic.

Yes, Naruto yearns to see her virtually every single day.

Yes, he genuinely offers to pay for her meal at each and every get-together.

Yes, he regularly gives her his jacket whenever she grows cold, without her having to utter a single word.

But...

Those were merely the acts of a friend, Hinata thought, a friend that truly cares.

'There's nothing romantic about that.' Hinata dismissed once more, hysterically shaking her tomato-red face as she hurried on carelessly, her open-toed shoes kicking up dirt every step of the way.

However, she was interrupted from her thoughts when she once more heard the voice of her enigmatic friend, Shino, speak after a little period of silence between the three of them.

"Hm, it almost seems like the two of you are dating. Maybe that's what Naruto wants."

It was only hearing those words from Shino that led Hinata to completely lose it.

She began to feel lightheaded. Terribly lightheaded.

'Me? D-Date Naruto-kun?!?' Hinata practically screeched in her head. She was going to faint, she just knew it.

It was only a matter of time now.

She whipped around to face Shino, in an effort to quickly dismiss such a ridiculous notion from his head. She couldn't bear it.

Hinata sweat dropped, her cheeks flushed red, "No, no, Naruto-kun and I aren't d-dating. Dating o-or romance, for that matter, isn't possibly the reason for all of this. There has to be a-another explanation..."

"Hm." Shino rubbed his chin once more, "It's quite obvious what's going on here, Hinata-chan. Naruto's sudden and enthusiastic yearning to spend more time with you when the war is over. All of it seems to be pointing towards the possibility that his eyes may have opened after all this time." Shino hummed.

"The evidence is right in front of you." Shino expressed with a nod, as he tried to piece together the situation and come up with a solution.

Kiba, in contrast, just shrugged. He merely found the two humorous, trying to solve an issue that was so clear.

He shook his head, "Hinata-chan, come on. You gotta stop overthinking."

He brushed his shoulder against hers yet again, doing so with a groan, "Good kami, all of this Naruto stuff is getting you ridiculous, Hinata-chan. Come on, think about it. Isn't this what you always wanted?" He asked, blurting out what he knew had to be said.

With wrinkled brows, he gazed down at the midnight blue-haired woman beside him, watching as her lavender eyes widened at his remark.

He tilted his head, his expression somewhat solemn, "Isn't this time spent with Naruto, or rather, him wanting to spend time with you, something you always wished for?"

Hinata's eyes widened even more. Even her heart skipped a beat.

It was. It's all Hinata has ever wanted.

She's spent her entire life walking behind Naruto, always staring at his back, longing for him to turn and notice her.

She had yearned for him to realize her presence, to recognize all the times she had followed him, supported him, been influenced to become stronger by him, and even risked her life for him.

She yearned to be by his side, showering him with her affection and reverence.

She wished so badly he would one day look at her the very same way she looked at him.

That is all she has ever wished for—Naruto to notice her.

And now...

Hinata's breath caught in her throat as Kiba's words flashed through her mind, finally waking her up and causing her to realize what a blessing this entire situation was for her.

The sudden acts of Naruto wanting to spend time with her; and the genuine smiles he showers her with.

The big, warm hugs he gives her the moment she arrives at Ichiraku Ramen.

The jokes, the laughter, the smiles.

Everything.

Hinata finally considered every bit of her situation, and she used the opportunity to take a step outside of herself, away from the troubling emotions that were stifling her, and instead take in the situation as a whole.

Her breath hitched.

Indeed, she has always wanted this.

Always.

And now, with her eyes opened, she has realized how silly she has been.

She has done nothing but speculate about Naruto's motives, questioning herself as a whole for liking his behavioral shifts.

She was so worried and anxious about the whole thing, as well as flustered and embarrassed by being so close to Naruto so suddenly, that she entirely failed to notice the positive elements of her predicament.

But now...

A smile arose on Hinata's face and in that moment, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She suddenly felt the worries she's been dealing with for a couple of weeks now set sail and fly away.

She finally sensed herself becoming free from her worries; free from it all. All thanks to her friends; Kiba and Shino.

She really needed this chat.

Because now, Hinata could finally see the situation from a different perspective, a more positive approach to her situation, and now she finds herself a little bit more...

appreciative.

She bawled her fists tight by her chest, biting her lip briefly, "Y-Yes, this is what I have wanted." She whispered, finally voicing out her own wants for a change, voicing that she indeed has always wanted Naruto to notice her, just in the way he has recently.

Kiba and Shino exchanged a joyful grin, both ninjas flawlessly catching their bashful friend's answer even in the midst of the raucous outside noises around them.

It was undoubtedly like music to their ears, and they were both comforted by the fact that their friend's sentiments of embarrassment and worry were no longer clouding her judgment—no longer keeping her troubled.

The two men were pleased to find that their efforts had been successful and that their words of caution and contemplation had not been merely ignored or overlooked.

Kiba and Shino were certainly pleased to see Hinata finally diverted from her mental woes and the clamor of her irrational thoughts, which had previously blinded and hampered her. And ultimately, keeping her from finding happiness with the one man that almost everyone in the village knows can greatly comfort and increase Hinata's level of contentment.

Peace was now assured.

Kiba exclaimed joyfully, "See, there you go! So I say, quit your overreacting and relax! Enjoy the peace already!"

He shoved her shoulder again which actually caused Hinata to giggle, her body swaying a bit.

"Kami, if you're so worried about Naruto spending time with you, why don't you just ask him? Who knows, Shino might be right, your precious Naruto-kun might have finally woken up." Kiba teased with a laugh.

Hinata instantly gasped, her head space once again flooded by overwhelming thoughts, her body riddled with feelings of flusteredness.

Throughout Kiba's entire speech, one particular detail caught her attention the most.

My precious Naruto-kun.

Hinata's blush rushed back to engulf her whole tenfold, "H-Hey don't call him that!" The flustered kunoichi exclaimed in embarrassment before reaching over to slap Kiba's folded arm.

But her gesture of getting him back due to his teasing only pushed the brown-haired male to laugh and tease her even more.

"Oh, Naruto-kun! My precious Naruto-kun!"

"St-Stop it, Kiba-kun!"

"No! You make it so easy, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata grumbled, her heart racing in her chest as she was teased by Kiba but soon comforted by Shino.

After all was said and done, however, and after a much-needed conversation with her good friends, she found herself looking forward to the dinner get-together with Naruto.

Now, more than ever.

#naruhina #fest no jutsu 2023 #naruhina oneshot #naruto uzumaki #hinata hyuga #blank period #canon divergence #writing prompt #ao3 fanfic #ao3 event #wattpad #fanfiction.net #powerful_niya #🗒️ - niya's drabbles/one-shots ✨

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kawaiiakamaru · 3 months ago

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hello yes i have resurrected from the dead; i am tempted to write a multiple-part/a one shot x reader series about an uchiha sister reader. i want the reader to eventually have a love interest but i’m not sure who it should be. please comment ideas if you have a suggestion not covered in the poll! :D unfortunately i cannot promise that i will follow through on this because i will probably lose my motivation to write within the week lol!

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inkygloom · 3 months ago

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jealous..shinobu x fem reader one shot.. perchance? ngl there's barely enough jealous shino here it's sad💔💔/j Only if you're comfortable of course, thank you! Have a nice day/evening.

Thank you so much for the request!! Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it :3

Ship: Shinobu x reader

Genre: can't decide if this is fluff or angst... probably angst ig because as you might have guessed, Shinobu gets jealous in this one :0

Word Count: 905

Warnings: Rengoku, Tengen, Sanemi, and Obanai are kind of dicks in this one. But I image they didn't do it on purpose, they're just clueless. Except Obanai, he meant all of that. completely sfw c:

Sparring

"Honey?" Shinobu calls, peeking her head into your shared room within the Butterfly Mansion. When she doesn't find you there she walks around looking for you in every corner.

When she's searched nearly the entire mansion she stops just below the stairs. "Now where could she have gotten off to..." She asks quietly to no one in particular.

Deciding you couldn't have gotten far, she leaves the mansion and instead begins to walk through the grounds of the demon slayer corps.

She passes kakushi and demon slayers alike as she walks along the paved walkways, getting respectful bows from each. Though she ignores them in favor of keeping an eye out for you.

She passes the Master's residence and sees Mitsuri and Obanai talking out front. "Hello," She approaches, putting a hand up in greeting.

"Hi, Shinobu," Mitsuri turns excitedly to wave. "Me and Obanai were just talking about a recent battle between three of the new demon slayers and a powerful drum demon."

"Oh, I've heard. Anyway, do you know where my beloved is? I can't seem to find her."

Mitsuri hums and tilts her head in thought.

Obanai points a finger at her while taking a step back to take up a menacing stance. "You lost her? Unforgivable. You must never lose sight of the woman you love." He says angrily.

Mitsuri gasps and puts an arm out in front of him as if to shield them from each other. "Obanai! You can't say those things. Shinobu's girlfriend is her own person who can make her own decisions without Shinobu's permission," She scolds.

He kicks the dirt beneath his feet and hangs his head. His "right" is barely audible, but heard nonetheless.

Shinobu grits her teeth and closes her eyes as she responds. "That's big talk for a man who can't confess his feelings to the one he loves. Now, I asked if you've seen my darling. If you haven't I'll be on my way, yes?"

Mitsuri nods. "I haven't seen her recently. Have you, Obanai?" She turns to the man in question, to which he shakes his head.

With that, Shinobu continues walking, her good mood ruined. She manages to keep up her usual smile as she walks, though it's not easy.

She rounds a corner in the path to see Rengoku, Tengen, Giyuu, Sanemi, Muichiro, and her girlfriend standing around the large path of ground designated to sparring. Her face lights up and she picks up the pace.

Since you were talking to Tengen and looking up to do so, you notice her out of the corner of your eye. You turn around and catch her in a hug. "Hi, baby!" You say against her shoulder.

"Shinobu's here!" Rengoku's booming voice calls out, catching the other hashiras' attention.

Since she's now by your side, Shinobu's feeling much better. "What going on over here?" She asks, gesturing to the crowd of hashira.

Sanemi steps into the middle of the group, unsheathing his sword and raising it. "Tournament. Who's up against me next?"

"Wait, wait, wait. Since Shinobu's here we gotta restart, right?" Tengen asks, to which Rengoku nods enthusiastically. "Good idea!"

Giyuu nods, Sanemi grumbles, and Muichiro shrugs without a fight.

While the wind hashira steps out of the middle, Tengen and Rengoku turn to each other. "Wait," Tengen begins. "Who's fighting who then? I want to fight her because she's the flashiest, next to you, of course." He gestures to you.

"Sounds good to me. Even though I also wanted to fight her due to her elegant fighting style and how entertaining of an opponent she is, I'll leave her to you." Rengoku gives his best friend a thumbs up.

Shinobu gives them a stern look. "Well, shouldn't we ask her who she wants to fight first?"

Tengen just waves her off. "Like she'd want to fight someone else. Nobody's as flashy as me, and plus, she likes me the most, right?" He smiles cockily before putting an arm around your shoulders and pulling you into his side.

"Excuse me?" Shinobu starts, before promptly getting cut off.

Sanemi, who still has his sword unsheathed, points it at Tengen. "Hey! If it's entertainment we're looking for, she's obviously going to want me. Everybody knows she enjoys spending time with me anyway."

Something about his wording just ticked her off. 'She's obviously going to want me,' is the only thing Shinobu heard from Sanemi's statement. She pulls you away from Tengen, which wouldn't have been easy had she not been so mad, and marches off back down the pathway.

"Hey- woah," you squeak in surprise at Shinobu's sudden grip on your wrist. "What's wrong?"

Shinobu huffs as she listens to the men behind you make exclamations of surprise. Her anger is evident on her face, which is very unusual for her.

"They think you're so obsessed with them. I just couldn't listen to them argue over you." She stops walking near the place Mitsuri and Obanai had been before. "They're so annoying! They can't ever put their egos aside, can they?"

You frown as you watch her rub her temples and sigh. "Oh, Shinobu, It's ok. I promise I'd never choose any of them over you." You pull her into a hug.

"I just wish they'd shut up." She grumbles against your haori.

You nod and then gently pull away so you can cup her face and kiss the top of her head.

#demon slayer #hashira #shinobu kocho #shinobu x reader #implied obamitsu #mitsuri kanroji #obani iguro #tengen uzui #rengoku kyojuro #sanemi shinazugawa

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mariacallous · 5 months ago

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As freshmen at New York University’s film school, some chums and I had an unusual greeting. “We live on rice gruel!” we would say if we saw one another around campus. “We’ll make do on millet!” was the reply.

This back-and-forth comes from an early scene in Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954), a movie somewhat force-fed to us on our first day to teach concepts about the language of cinema such as shot/reverse shot and the fourth wall—conventions that today’s students already have in their blood having played with iPhones before they could walk. Though presented as a literal classroom assignment, Seven Samurai’s appropriation as an inside joke among know-it-all 18-year-olds is proof that watching this landmark of world cinema does not feel like homework. Indeed, revisiting the “good guys with a code facing an unwinnable battle” picture for its 70th anniversary, remastered and appearing in cinemas across North America this summer, reminded me that it’s just as fun now as it ever was.

If one had to chisel a Mount Rushmore of so-called foreign films from the influential midcentury period, surely the image of Toshiro Mifune’s mad swordsman Kikuchiyo from Seven Samurai would be among the four granite faces, right next to the cloaked figure of death from Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (1957), Marcello Mastroianni with the fedora and whip from Federico Fellini’s self-mythologizing 8½ (1963), and Jean-Pierre Léaud’s truant teen in François Truffaut’s directorial debut The 400 Blows (1959). (For the French nouvelle vague, you could also make the case for Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, but I’m picking The 400 Blows because this way they all have numbers in the title.)

Though Kurosawa was already a known quantity internationally after the release of Rashomon (1950), a period drama in which several people recall a violent incident differently depending on their point of view, Seven Samurai was both a domestic success and a ripping-enough yarn—swords! archery! horses! mud! gruel!—to engage the rest of the world.

Japanese cinema of the postwar period was initially reluctant to dig into its samurai storytelling heritage, the notion of blind loyalty to feudal lords being understandably less popular at the time. The two most famous Japanese films released just before and after Seven Samurai remain Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953), basically an enormous guilt trip pointed at modernity for letting down their elders, and Ishiro Honda’s Godzilla (1954), a nation’s collective apocalyptic nightmare that somehow mutated into a still thriving merchandise line. Seven Samurai is set in the late 1500s, during the Sengoku period of civil war, a chaotic time that found many of the samurai class without masters. Many of these men became mercenaries, but imagine a story in which some of them (seven, if you will) decided to join forces against impossible odds because it was the righteous thing to do. In revisiting classic Japanese heroism but acknowledging the then-current sentiment, the picture had its rice gruel and ate it too.

The tumultuous setting depicted in the film—the most expensive in Japanese history at the time—no doubt resonated with a Japan that was modernizing rapidly, as did the secondary theme, blurring the lines of a previously clear class system. The highborn Katsushiro (Isao Kimura) falling for the farmer’s daughter Shino (Keiko Tsushima) amid the endless meadows of chrysanthemums, and Mifune’s Kikuchiyo, revealed to be a fraud to the samurai class but one who proves himself in combat, may feel like classic movie characters, but to a postwar Japan in search of a new identity, these transgressions resonated on a much deeper level.

Seven Samurai has a very simple story that perfectly suits its several high-energy set pieces. The 207-minute epic (that’s about 29 minutes per samurai) is set during a time when the countryside is terrorized by bandits who plunder small villages, depleting their harvests and kidnapping women. Already brutalized villagers, aware that they will soon be targeted again, decide to defend themselves by hiring some outside muscle. But how can they afford to pay (see above: “We live on rice gruel!”)? you may wonder. The wise elder who lives inside a mill with a water wheel providing an incessant warlike beat knows the answer: Don’t just find samurai, “find hungry samurai.”

Timid representatives of the village head to town and witness the bravery and creative thinking of Kambei (Takashi Shimura). They convince him to take the gig, and then he assembles his crew. This includes Kyuzo (Seiji Miyaguchi), a cold-as-ice swordsman; Gorobei (Yoshio Inaba), a brilliant tactician; the eager silver-spoon apprentice Katsushiro; and the loose-cannon Kikuchiyo, who, in time, emerges as the real star of the show. (There are two other guys: One is kind of the morale officer, and the other is just Kambei’s pal.) Anyway, if the plot seems familiar, yes, it has been adapted for Western cinema several times, most notably as the gunslinging The Magnificent Seven (both in 1960 and 2016), sci-fi romp Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), and, if you want to stretch it, the dopey comedy Three Amigos! (1986) and the Pixar cartoon A Bug’s Life (1998). Beyond that, a great many standard cinematic tropes have their roots in this movie.

Most obvious is the first act of the film, in which Kambei builds up the team. There’s no need to overly intellectualize it; it’s just fun to watch him size up potential comrades, test them out, and then make his appeal. There’s also a wonderful moment in which we think we’ve got a new addition but the samurai in question shrugs off the approach when he hears there’s no money or fame in the job. Should Disney ever purchase Toho Studios, we can maybe expect a limited streaming series to find out whatever happened to that guy. Anyway, every movie from The Dirty Dozen to The Blues Brothers to The Right Stuff to Ocean’s Eleven to School of Rock owes a lot to Seven Samurai.

Another influential development is how the villagers (and we in the audience) first meet Kambei. There is some tumult in town as a thief has kidnapped a child and barricaded himself inside a building. Kambei cuts off his hair (a very big deal for a samurai), poses as a monk, and then, after a series of badass moves, rescues the child and kills the baddie in slow motion. Introducing the hero through a mini-mission before we get to the real mission is now so common (think every single James Bond movie) that it’s funny to think it had to originate somewhere.

Most of the so-called movie brats of New Hollywood revered Kurosawa, but none so much as George Lucas, who would later use his clout to help the Japanese director secure funding for his expansive project Kagemusha. While there are more one-to-one alignments between other Kurosawa films and Star Wars (most famously, the original R2-D2 and C-3PO in 1958’s The Hidden Fortress, two comic-relief peasants tagging along on an adventure to save a princess), there’s still a lot in Seven Samurai that made it to the galaxy far, far away.

For starters, there are those wipe transitions between scenes. And then who is the wise elder hunched in the dark speaking truncated wisdom if not The Empire Strikes Back’s version of Yoda? The romance between Katsushiro and Shino is something like a Han Solo-Princess Leia dynamic in reverse, as well. On a technical level, though, one can point to the rising action of the final battle. While there is no exploding Death Star, Kurosawa, who deployed multiple cameras shooting concurrently, cuts not just between different angles of the same fight but between several skirmishes all building to the final thrilling, albeit pyrrhic, victory.

Most striking for its time—and still fiery today—is Seven Samurai’s most impressive element, Mifune. An explosive performer by any standard, let alone the typically taciturn style seen in Japanese movies of the period, Mifune is like a cross between Stanley Kowalski and Woody Woodpecker: muscular one minute, flamboyantly loosey-goosey the next. Like Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire, Mifune dominates every scene he is in with an unpredictable magnetism. (Though never stated as such, John Belushi’s famous samurai character on Saturday Night Live is basically an exaggerated version of Mifune.) Kikuchiyo is a drunkard and a brute but also silly and, when necessary, fragile. His scene rescuing an infant from a burning building is probably the best thing in the entire movie. Any other actor could have played the part as merely loud and annoying, but Mifune turns the role into something sensuous, mesmerizing, and sui generis. There are many reasons we’re still talking about this movie 70 years later, and the biggest reason of all is him.

The anniversary of the picture means its first remastering to 4K and a significant release in North America. (Not just New York and Los Angeles but places including Akron, Ohio; Paducah, Kentucky; and Kitchener, Ontario—here’s the full list.) With a 15-minute intermission plus a little time to buy popcorn, we’re talking about a four-hour commitment at the movie theater. With today’s limited attention span and hectic schedules, programming this film may seem like going up against impossible odds. Hopefully, there are enough people out there still ready to heed the call and do what’s right, no matter the cost.

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animeomegas · 2 years ago

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I was rewatching the first season of Naruto and I was wondering what the omegas would do if they were put against an Alpha they like in the chuunin exam. Especially what will Shino and Shikamaru do. Would they refuse to fight, stand up and be unable to move? Neji, Sasuke and Itachi wouldn't even have a choice if they had to fight, but what would it look like then? There's so much potential for drama here.

Oooh! An interesting question!

Naruto x Alpha

He's sad that they can't both win, because he kind of wanted that, but he's also excited to fight the alpha he's kind of been crushing on!

He can show them how strong he is!

They will definitely fall in love with him then!

Sasuke x Alpha

Denial, thy name is Sasuke.

He doesn't acknowledge that he likes the alpha he has to fight.

He just fights them to win, brutally.

He would stop before serious injury and be more aware of that than he would fighting anyone else though.

Shikamaru x Alpha

This would be a baaaad match up if Shikamaru has chosen this alpha as his.

He will not fight them. He quite literally can't.

He wouldn't even be able to manage a spar if the obsession was fairly new. The instinct is too strong to ignore.

That being said, I feel like strings would be pulled to try and avoid this. Shikamaru is one that is pretty much guaranteed a promotion, so the Hokage probably pulls some strings to make sure they only have to fight at the very end, if at all.

If they were forced to fight, Shikamaru would refuse and simply forfeit.

Chouji x Alpha

He's nervous and doesn't want to have to fight them.

He does.

But ultimately it works against him, because he is too scared of hurting them and doesn't use any of his more powerful moves.

Shino x Alpha

His bugs had chosen that alpha, they wouldn't hurt them, which does put Shino at a disadvantage.

He does still fight them, he's not about to forfeit, but he's not as powerful without his more deadly and op bugs.

He still has an excellent shot at winning though, provided he can subdue them safely.

Kiba x Alpha

Stoked to fight the alpha he has a crush on!!

He's an Inuzuka going through puberty, this is what all his dreams are about lol.

He gives it his all and enjoys the fight, even if he doesn't win.

Neji x Alpha

Another one in denial about having a crush at all.

He will fight the alpha he likes with no problems.

In fact, it's a very quick and brutal fight because it makes Neji uncomfortable so he tries to end it as fast as he can.

It's cute in a repressed, sad way.

Lee x Alpha

He is honoured to get the chance to fight with the alpha he likes!!

He would find it disrespectful to go easy on them, and hopes they feel that way too.

He wants an all out, fair fight.

And regardless of who wins... maybe he could use it as a way to ask the alpha out for a date!!

#hcs #naruto #lee #neji #shino #shikamaru #chouji #kiba #sasuke #a/b/o #omegaverse #headcanons

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mayhemscorner · 2 years ago

Text

Rising sun

Shino x f!reader

🔞minors DNI🔞

Warnings: ⚠️familial issues/abuse⚠️ angst, SMUT, kinky slight dom Shino, swearing, violence

Summary: (this man is almost 6ft tall and I still FIRMLY believe Shino is a VERY kinky man. Prove me wrong)

Reader is struck upon for using a forbidden jutsu during a mission. Her father retaliates as they play only by the book and threatens to strip her of her shinobi status. Shino has ideas on how to distract her

The pulsating pain against my cheek as my head reels to the side, is a realization that I’ve just been struck upon in my fathers blind rage. I can only manage in my own fit of fury, to place my own hand above the quickly rising marks. If it were a nicer day, it would make me think of when we just finished pouring the foundation of our house, how I placed my much smaller hand inside the imprint he had just made with his own. The same prints I had just fallen upon from the sheer force I was knocked back with,” forbidden jutsu is to not be used so long as you are still my child.”

A kick to the stomach. If we didn’t live the life of shinobi, most would consider this abuse, to us, it’s only another lesson…. No matter how uncalled for.

“It was to save a teammates life! Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing.” I spit in his direction, grasping at my ribs and trying to roll over to stand.

“Not if it would cost me my own life or my dignity that comes with using something forbidden. Your chakra is still depleted. Get up.” He replies with no emotion. After several seconds of trying, I knew he was right. My chakra was shot.

He lands one more kick as I reach for anything to pick myself up with,” come back inside when you’re ready to be a real shinobi.”

“Fuck you.” I cough out, finally managing to roll to my back and wheeze air back in to my lungs.

“Or don’t come back at all. You have siblings with the same kekkei genkai. You are replaceable.” His last words echo as the stars finally dissipate from my eyes. He couldn’t truly mean that, he’s just drunk. He had to be.

I could only ponder and force myself to believe my father was drunk as I slowly mosey to town, the forest, anywhere but here. I ignored the fact the smell of alcohol wasn’t present, maybe my senses are just off. Maybe I’d gone noseblind in a time of panic. The treeline was welcoming, silent enough to rest and gain my composure, maybe pass out from lack of chakra and a beating. I’d welcome passing out at this point, I could use the nap. The spots quickly return to my vision as my body sways,” yeah, this looks like a nice spot for a nap.”

And with that, my body buckles, swaying as gracefully as a sack of bricks to the ground.

The last conscious thing I register is a voice calling from the treetops,” Y/N, I got you.”

Coming to was almost worse than passing out, my body aches and my head isn’t fully on the ground. My body is covered in a blanket… no. A jacket. It carried the faint smell of pollen and fresh morning dew. I knew the jacket and the scent to well, as the owner of the jacket had no smell, unless the flowers were blossoming. As soon as my head turns to look up, he becomes still as the doldrums at sea.

“Shino.” I mutter, seeing the eyes behind his glasses turn down to meet mine,” Y/N.”

He exhales sharply, trying his best to not move his legs that lay under my head as a makeshift pillow.

“How long have i been out?” I mumble, reaching down to burrow further in to his green over coat and hope it engulfs my embarrassment.

“Only a few hours. What happened? You look worse than when I left after the mission.” He replies, picking a cool hand up from his side to rest against my now tender and swollen cheek. I sigh, leaning in to a usually gentle touch that now stung like a bee against the side of my face,” chakra was depleted too much. As a result, I ran in to my fathers hand.”

Shino’s hand twitches against my face as his body becomes taut.

“Word reached him that I used the forbidden jutsu before I had a chance to say it myself. Doesn’t matter if it was to save a teammate, what matters to him is that I used something forbidden.” I continue, lifting a hand to rest against his that lay on my face. He instinctively threads his fingers between mine, the closeness to Shino I’ve always craved only comes in times of pity. But I still find myself clutching to it like a newborn puppy to their mom.

“I don’t see why you haven’t just come to stay at the Aburame compound. The offer has been extended multiple times.” Shino mentions his offer once again.

“Im an adult now, I should just get my own place.” I mutter, squeezing his hand before pulling it down to rest against my chest knowing both of our arms were tiring. He only answers with placing his other hand at the top of my head, weaving his free fingers through the roots of my hair and tugging slightly. The sensation sends a jolt, awakening my senses and my body.

“Get a place in your family compound so you’re still stuck with your father. Great idea, Y/N.” He monotonously shoots back before continuing,” for saving my life with a strong forbidden jutsu… you sure are clueless in anything else.”

“I wouldn’t call it clueless. He was just drunk. I’ll go back home after dark and everything will be fine.” I defend, knowing it might not be, but at least my chakra has time to build and I have time to create a bluff for Shino. Shino drops his hand, pulling the other away,” I’ll walk you back then.”

The walk is silent, save for Shino’s long jacket flapping around my much smaller frame in the wind. His right arm drapes over me to shield the wind away. Being touch starved, my knees threaten to buckle at the multiple signs of affection tonight. It had almost gotten me to forget the quickly bruising areas on my body until a sharp pain blooms in my ribs. I hunch forward, regaining my breath from my bodies surprise attack. Shino stops walking abruptly to turn us towards each other and immediately pulls the zipper of my vest down, followed by lifting my shirt and exposing my lower midriff. Shino shakes his head and grumbles,” I knew it.”

With no further word, he scoops me up as I’m still frozen, processing he has just lifted my shirt, and going even more senseless as my upper half comes to a rest against his heaving in anger chest. His steps quicken, becoming more pronounced as he stalks closer to my house.

“Shino, slow down. I’m fine.” I plead quietly, tugging at his own leaf issued chunin vest. His face is hard as stone, refusing to give any reply until we reach the gates,” give me my jacket and stay behind me.”

“Stop it. We don’t need to start a fight at this time of night.” I murmer, yet still shrug his jacket off and watch as his arms flex to put it back on. He pushes the gate open furiously and stalks to our house that sat dead center of the compound. I dig my heels in to the dirt and tug at the back of his jacket upon seeing a figure hunched over on our porch,” I’ll just go stay at your house. There’s a jug of sake next to him. He’s drunk Shino.”

It was too late, I can barely see around Shino’s frame as my father tilts his head and sets his gaze upon the man that shields me,” the hell does an Aburame want at this time of night. Shouldn’t you be sleeping in your cave or something?”

“I was actually coming to talk to you.” Shino puffs out, the tell tale sign of half a smile frightens me. He was confident, he was ready for a fight.

“He was just dropping me off, was all.” I bluff, stepping out from behind him and being held back from walking any closer.

“Bold of you to come home with a man this late. Did you not learn earlier?” He raises his voice, stalking closer to me as Shino tries pulling me back once again. I manage to dodge the first drunken swing at my already bruised ribs but the second connects just before Shino finally succeeds to pull me forcefully to the side, grasping on to the next drunken fist and stopping it dead in the air. Shinobi are scary enough sober. But when the sake hits our veins, we become almost invincible in our own mind… scary even. For the third time tonight, the wind knocks from my lungs as I hit the ground.

“Damn these men.” I mutter, rocking back on impact and launching myself forward on to my feet, trying to charge in to the altercation. I brace myself as my father signs with one hand in an attempt to knock me back with a wind release jutsu. The wind whips around the three of us as Shino reels an arm back, and sending it flying tactfully against his opponents temple. I cringe at the sight of my dad folding in on himself and dropping to the ground, already snoring. Shino is expressionless and doesn’t move as I stomp furiously to the door trying to gather even a single thought. In an attempt to slam it shut, I feel defeated when Shino catches the flimsy door in an instant. Even behind his glasses, his eyes bore in to mine intently, unblinking. He leans against the doorframe, engulfing me with his large stature as he places an arm directly above me,” I don’t give a fuck what’s forbidden to your family, I’ll make you scream my name until even that’s forbidden.” His hands dance just above my hips as the anger rises,” Shino, what the fuck was that?” My hand instinctively shoots upwards for his throat, pinning him against the wall in an uncontrolled fit of rage, but the heat only climbs against my now flushed face at his words catching me off guard. He lets off a soft, barely even audible moan, taking his turn to lunge at me and quickly reverse our roles. My thighs were now wrapped against his torso and tangled in his long jacket as his breaths quicken so close to my throat while his hands pin my shoulders to the wall. I quickly add my other hand to his throat in case he’s gone crazy. He lets a soft chuckle out as I tug at his jacket,” that was me saving your life, would it kill you to at least say thank you before trying to tear my clothes off?”

I feel my cheeks prickle and the anger die in my throat, only to be replaced with embarrassment,

“I-I wasn’t- That’s not-! I don’t know what to do right now. I should check on my dad.” I stutter out, the anger mixing with other, stronger, emotions as I adjust my hands around his throat so I don’t lose my grip. I can feel his jaw muscle clench and vibrate down to his throat. I find my own self impulsively mimicking his muscle twitch with my thighs, half bucking against him. A smirk once again creeps to his face before swooping in to hover his lips above the side of my ear,” Calm down. I’m only looking out for my teammate. Your father will be fine. I could’ve done much worse.”

The gentle wind against my ear as he enticingly whispers makes my eyes unfocus and my body slacken until he pulls his head back as far as my arms will reach. My hands then move on their own, leaving a playful tug at his throat before trailing to the collar of his jacket and gripping tight. He nods his head, encouraging me until sense washes back in to my body,” good girl.”

Good girl. Those two words would drive almost anyone insane. And after a while of not receiving praise, it could’ve drove me feral. It did. And I could tell Shino knew too.

“S-Shino. Please say it again.” I blush, slowly droning my hands inwards and pulling him closer to me.

“Say what again?” He questions, sliding his hands from my shoulders, causing me to slightly fall forward in to him, as his hands rake slowly down my body and settle underneath my ass to balance me back against the wall.

“I think you know.” I hint, batting my eyelashes slowly and resting my thumb against his pouty lower lip, rubbing it side to side until he playfully takes it in to his mouth with a quick circular motion of his tongue and a soft nip from his teeth. I bite hard in to my own lip to catch the gasp in my throat. Catching on with satisfaction, he hums around my thumb,” take my glasses off. I want to look at you with my own eyes.”

Another jolt shocks my body to life, unfurling my balled up fist and my other hand from his mouth to de-shade him. His eyes adjust to the darkness around us fairly easily, and they shimmer with multiple emotions. It’s crazy the eyes are what give us away. All our emotions, our lust and want. They trail patiently, almost lazily from my eyes to my lips, my lower one still caught between my teeth. I’m so lost in the sight of his eyes that I don’t notice his movements. He lifts a knee to maneuver one of his hands upwards, grasping against my jaw and hovering his lips just above mine,” good girl.”

I sharply inhale as my head tilts forward in an attempt to connect our lips. I’m denied with a soft tug back at my jaw and a mischievous smile. His head dips down to my neck making my heart race and stomach flip. I was expecting a kiss, but instead receive his tongue tracing where he would sink his teeth in to soon after. My bottom lip curls back under my teeth, but the moan still escapes. I pull away slightly, pushing a hand against his chest,” what if my dad wakes up?”

“He won’t.” Shino huffs against my neck while tugging at my jaw once again, finally bringing our lips in to a lazy, drawn out kiss. One kiss becomes two. Three, then four. I’ve lost count how many times the presence of his lips graced my needy ones. His teeth draw in my lower lip, nipping slightly and letting go to catch a breath. My tongue acts on its own accord, darting in to find his. Shino doesn’t bother to hide his moan, only readjusting the hand that holds me up as my thighs grip around his torso tighter. My fingers wrestle away his hood, then tear away his forehead protector, releasing his quickly growing hair to tug to my hearts content. He groans at the sudden pull, bucking us both back in to the wall we’ve drifted from.

“We should move this somewhere else.” I huff while pulling away for another breath of air and trying to wrestle his jacket off for real this time. Shino nods, falling backwards and over the back of the couch behind us effortlessly. I find myself on top, straddling a smirking Shino. I smile, finally able to tear away his vest and jacket in a sloppy and haphazard manner before I wrestle at his tight training shirt. My hands quiver with giddiness as his tightened skin flexes under my fingers in an effort to help. When I barely manage to coax the compression shirt to his shoulders, he grasps both of my hands in one of his and finishes his shirt off, exposing his upper half. Shino leans up to a sitting position and uses his free hand to pull me down further by the nape of my neck, tugging at my now tousled hair to hungrily guide our lips together once again. I feel my hands being released, followed by my vest being tugged at and shedded away. He’s gentle while lifting my shirt over the sickening bruises, his tender fingers ghosting over the lightning strikes of purple and disconnecting our lips to throw my shirt away. My aching core reignites at every twitch I feel against my pelvis from down below.

“Fuck this.” I mutter, sliding down to grapple with the knot holding his pants at his waist. He arches slightly at the intimate touch of my hands dragging his pants downwards, then reaching up to drone lazy circles around his rising bulge.

“I never got to properly thank you, Shino.” I whisper, slowly sinking my head downwards to place a kiss on his still clothed member. He twitches slightly and his hand once again feeds its way in to my hair as I place intentionally sloppy kisses on his hips while shrugging down his boxers.

“That’s oka-“ Shino begins to talk before being cut off with his own moan at the feeling of my lips wrapping around the tip of his cock. His hand clenches deep at my roots and tries to follow the quickly erratic pace of my head. His hips soon follow, becoming a sloppy and unreadable pace until he pumps fully in to my mouth, causing me to slightly gag when I’m held there for a few seconds as he squirms beneath me. When he can’t handle the feeling anymore, I’m being thrown backwards to the other side of the couch and my pants have been effortlessly wrestled off during the process. All while I’m still trying to force myself to breathe air again. The circles being rubbed in to my thighs distract any sense I have, his head burying between my thighs going unnoticed at first. I can’t help but gasp, clawing up his back at the wet pressure kneading slowly at my clit. One finger slips in, shockingly cold against my rising body temperature. My hips try to move, but his other hand holds me down forcibly, making the pleasure even greater. I can feel him smirk against me, followed by a quick flick of his tongue to send me over the edge. My scream silences against the quick grasp at my throat from Shinoto aid him in sitting up,” if anyone ever lays their hands on you again, it better be me.”

“B-but we’re shinobi.” I stutter out as he crashes himself inside of me, pushing further and further until I squirm.

“Even in war, I’d go out of my way to be the last man to ever have his hands on you.” He grunts, thrusting quickly again and stopping. He holds inside of me for a few more seconds,” I wouldn’t just fight for you. I’d kill for you.”

Sex was an odd time for a love confession, but I wasn’t complaining. My thoughts were filled by the building pressure coming to a climax and focusing on not passing out from pleasure. The old couch was as close to breaking as my limit was. I grasp at his hand around my throat as the splotches of ecstasy bubble and obscure my vision like an old time cartoon,” Sh-Shino. Please, Fuck!”

“Y/N, shit.” Shino growls, pumping even sloppier and rougher than before. My head tilts back, brain shutting off and a scream of pleasure threatening to ring off. His hands clamp over my agape mouth, stifling what could’ve been an ear shattering, and dad waking shriek. The convulsion starts in my legs, ecstasy causing me to shake like a leaf in the wind and it was only building with every motion Shino made. With one last slam in to me with all his might, I see he’s reached his limit too. After several seconds, maybe even minutes of catching our breath, it’s a game of who will look at the other first. The walls and floor around us had suddenly become interesting, even though he was hovering directly above me. Shino takes a shaky breath, wiping away beads of sweat that threaten to spill from his forehead. I find myself fanning at my flushed face and finally looking in to his uncovered and nervous eyes,” was that… too far?”

“No. Was it too far for you?” He huffs out between gasps.

“N-no. I should probably go to bed… and you should get home. It’s getting pretty late.” I stumble out, trying to avoid the awkward after first time sex talking while fumbling around to put some clothes on and lay back down.

He hovers above me once again, then slides down, and I’m almost worried I may have to go for a round two. But he stops at my bruised ribs peeking out from my wrinkled shirt, kissing softly at the damaged skin,” I’ll leave if you come with me.”

I ponder the challenge, knowing I definitely didn’t want to be home when my father regained consciousness, let alone having the man who knocked him senseless in the house. I nervously card my fingers through Shino’s hair and wait for his eyes to look towards me,” please?”

“Okay.” I mumble, quickly tiring with fatigue. My eyelids become heavy with the weight of todays events, I could sleep for days. I feel Shino’s weight disappear and I can’t help but twist to my side and curl in on myself like a cat taking a mid day snooze in the sun. As I drift off in to the waves of sleep, I feel an arm sliding below my head and the other under my torso.

The birds were singing jovially from the open window that let in a soft breeze. The side of my face pounded with my heart at the rising anxiety. Birds never sang at our compound, not for years. I turn to the unfamiliar landscape around me, seeing it was almost like a terrarium, the massive windows lining two of the walls looking out to the countryside of the hidden leaf just before sunrise. The nightstand held my neatly folded vest and a single lily that stood proud in a vase with a beetle crawling zigzags on its outstretched leaf. The pack I usually use for missions rests on the floor, stuffed full with my clothes. In my weak attempt to stand, an arm darts lazily around my waist to pull me back against a comforting heat,” We rise with the sun here, Y/N.”

I trace his arm downwards to find his hand resting against my hip and entwine our fingers together. I force my eyes to close once again to break my family’s brutish habits, and as long as the sun droned lazily against the horizon we were both safe in each others embrace. Shino’s chest rises and falls in a melodic rhythm, coaxing me back to a sleepy serenity I could get used to feeling. All worries washed away with the excitement and anticipation of sleeping in and rising with the sun.

#shino x y/n #shino x reader #shino smut #shino aburame #shino fluff #naruto fanfiction #naruto oneshot #aburame clan #shino aburame x reader #naruto smut #This is a Shino appreciation page #Bug boy got moves #You can’t tell me this man ain’t freaky

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kiljoius-writes · 2 years ago

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Small Love - Chapter 15

Ao3 | First Chapter Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Kurenai's Test

“The hell did she go?” Kiba spun around, eyes darting back and forth. Hinata cringed away from his overbearing demeanor while Shino seemed unaffected. The three spent a minute looking around before Shino chimed in.

“She’s likely put us under a genjutsu.” Shino spoke plainly, and Hinata nodded in agreement. He turned his attention to her. “The byakugan can see through genjutsu, can’t it?”

“O-oh-“ Hinata swallowed, eyes darting back and forth between the two boys, “i-it can be resistant to it, b-but not immune…and I’m not really sure if mine has developed e-enough to do so…”

“Can’t you try?” Kiba asked, gruffly. Hinata poked her fingers together for a moment before nodding, activating her byakugan. Both boys couldn’t resist leaning towards her, the first time either was getting the chance to be so close to an activated byakugan. She tried her best to brush off her nervousness and scanned the training grounds. Impatiently, Kiba stepped forward. “Well?”

“I-I’m not picking up her chakra signature…” Hinata said, softly as she strained her eyes to extend.

“She did say she was a master of genjutsu.” Shino let out a sigh, looking away from Hinata. “I should have planted a beetle on her.”

“Ew.” Kiba scrunched his nose. “Well, won’t get anywhere standing around. Let’s look for her.”

Kurenai watched with amusement from a distant tree at the trio. Shino was correct that she had placed a genjutsu over the trio, and she was curious to see if the young Hyūga could see through it yet. Evidently not, despite the weakness of the genjutsu. It was still just the first hour, so she held out hope they would be able to work out a strategy to find her and capture her.

“D-don’t Inuzuka have a s-strong sense of smell?” Hinata asked meekly.

“Well, yeah!” Kiba nodded, inhaling deeply. “But I can’t pick her up at all. You boy?” He raised his eyes to look up at his forehead. Akamaru let out a disappointed whine and Kiba shook his head.

“Genjutsu effects all senses.” Shino whispered, but was cut off by Kiba.

“Wait! I think I picked her up!” Kiba shouted, pointing in the direction of nothing at all. “Yeah, she’s over there!” Just as suddenly, he broke into a bolt towards whatever he was sensing, and Shino and Hinata exchanged a look before taking off after him. They watched in abject horror as Kiba seemed to be battling nothing at all.

“K-Kiba?” Hinata couldn’t get her volume high enough for him to hear over his grunting.

“C’mon, help me out here!” Kiba yelled after them as he seemingly was thrown into the ground. To him, he was battling Kurenai directly with the help of Akamaru. She was quick, dodging and countering his attacks as quickly as they came. The injuries he was sustaining were real.

“Seems she’s placed different genjutsu’s on us…” Shino quietly told Hinata. She watched as he attempted to intervene in Kiba’s fight, stepping in front of the boy. “It’s genjutsu-“

“Out of the way!” Kiba barked, shoving Shino to the side forcefully enough that he crashed on the ground. Hinata gasped, rushing to Shino’s side on the ground. His eyebrows were low now as he readjusted his glasses. “If you’re not gonna help, don’t get in my way!”

“K-K-K-“ Hinata could barely utter his name as she watched with fear as Kiba continued to be pummeled by an illusion.

“Idiot…” Shino muttered, climbing back to his feet. “We have to force him to stop.”

“H-how?” Hinata frowned, looking up at him. He shook his head.

“Hyūga are skilled in taijutsu, correct? Try to force him to fight you while I bound my beetles around him.” Hinata frowned at the idea of battling Kiba but nodded none the less. She knew he was likely the more intelligent of the two of them and was keen to trust him. “Step in front of him as he is about to launch a punch and block it. I’ll ready my beetles.”

“R-right.” Hinata sighed, wiggling her fingers as she focused chakra in her hands. “Byakugan!” She hopped onto a tree branch above the fight Kiba was engaging in with the illusion and scanned his movements for the right time. As he wound his arm, she let out a puff of air, letting herself fall in front of him and jutting out her forearm to take the brunt of the blow. He stumbled with wide eyes at the distraction.

“H-Hinata?!” He choked out, regaining his composure. “The hell? We’re supposed to fighting her, not each other!”

“K-Kiba, i-it’s a genjutsu!” She cried, holding her fists up ready to battle. “A-an illusion! You have to snap out of it!”

“I can smell her! It’s her! Now quit it and help me out, would ya?!” Kiba shouted, causing her to cringe away. He rolled his eyes and tried to hop over her to get to his illusionary enemy, but she swept his leg before his feet could hit the ground, causing him to fumble forward. “Shit!”

“I’m sorry.” She whispered as he looked at her with incredulous eyes that turned to fury.

“You’re not gonna make me fail!” Kiba growled, launching at her, but she was ready for him, chakra focused in her palms as he attempted to launch a barrage of hits on her. She skipped backwards as she blocked each one of them, ducking and returning with palms to his chest. She found his movements to be too clumsy, uncoordinated, unplanned. He didn’t seem to have a real strategy, just hit. It was unpredictable, she supposed, but easy to counter. She was trying her best not to land any critical blows. Suddenly she found her training with her father to be quite helpful. When she landed a blow hard enough to force him to the ground, he let out a painful chuckle. “Alright, you’re pretty good, I’ll give you that. I won’t go so easy, then-“ Kiba tried to raise to his feet only to find his feet bound. His eyebrows raised and eyes went wide as he realized- “what the HELL?! Get these gross things off me!” He shot his head up to Shino as he watched in panic as beetles made their way to his arms, bounding them to his torso.

“I’m sorry…” Hinata repeated, relaxing her hands to drop to her sides and deactivating her byakugan.

“So what, huh?!” Kiba spat as Akamaru whined, paws also tied up now. “You guys think I’m weak, right? So you’re gonna make me fail so you don’t have to be on a team with me?!” His eyes darkened. “Think you’re better than me.”

“N-no!” Hinata gasped, holding her hands out as if to pause him. Shino stayed silent. “K-Kiba, i-it’s not like that at all-“

“Since you’re a princess, you think you’re better than me!” Kiba accused, looking directly at her now. Her mouth dropped open as she took a step back from his heated words. “News flash, you’re not!”

“That’s enough.” Shino finally chimed in, stepping in front of Hinata.

“And you!” Kiba turned his attention to the Aburame. “You think you’re the leader of this team, huh? You’re just as stuck up as her!”

“Where is Kurenai-sensei, Kiba?” Shino asked, eyebrows raised expectantly. Kiba darted his eyes around before grimacing.

“You guys let her get away!”

“She was never here!” Both Hinata and Kiba leaned back in surprise at Shino’s raised voice. They had never heard him speak above an even level. He brought his index and middle finger to the bridge of his nose, pinching, annoyed. “You need to clear your head, Kiba. You’re acting irrationally, and that’s what she expects of you. That’s why she targeted you.” Kiba opened his mouth to interrupt, but Shino continued. “But it was a genjutsu. We need to take some time to analyze our surroundings, and we have to be strategic.”

Kiba finally shut his mouth, contemplating the words. As silence hung over them, Kurenai folded her arms, smiling. Shino had it figured out, it seemed. She did indeed target Kiba intentionally, sensing his hot-blooded temper and tendency to act before thinking. She also had a feeling Shino would be able to come up with a strategy to knock him out of the secondary genjutsu. And based on what she knew of the Hyūga's taijutsu, she figured Hinata would play a role in subduing him. Now she had to wait and see if they could pinpoint her, which is when the real fun would begin. She glanced up to see the sun directly above them, signaling noon.

“Perhaps we should eat before we continue…” Hinata said, quietly as she pulled her pack off her back, setting it down. Both boys raised their eyebrows at her.

“Didn’t bring anything.” Kiba said, roughly, looking away. Shino nodded in agreement. Hinata finally broke into a small smile.

“I brought you two some.” They looked up as she carefully pulled out three bento boxes. She walked up to Shino and shyly offered one, to which the boy reluctantly took it. Then she knelt down next to Kiba, still with his arms bound. He looked at her with suspicion. “Sh-Shino, could you unbound Kiba’s arms?”

Shino stared down at the boy momentarily. Kiba rolled his eyes. “C’mon! I’m not gonna do anything.” Finally, Shino nodded, recalling the beetles around his torso, but leaving the ones around his ankles. Hinata gingerly held out the other bento.

“Th-there’s extra meat in there, for Akamaru.” She smiled at him, and he looked up at her in surprise, then back down.

“Uh-that’s nice of you I guess, but he’s got a specific diet…” He mumbled, pulling open the bento and taking a sniff of the section she seemed to portion for the pup. His look of surprise returned as he didn’t detect anything out of the ordinary from the meat, in fact, it was close to how he himself would prepare for Akamaru. “Well…I mean, I guess…” He glanced back up at her to find her eyes closed with a little smile and he couldn’t help but return it.

“Thank you, Hinata.” Shino sat with his legs crossed next to the pair.

“Yeah, thanks.” Kiba nodded in agreement as Akamaru hopped to the ground between he and she, giving a tiny bark of gratitude before starting his meal.

The team ate quietly as each pondered their next course of action. Hinata found herself disappointed in her abilities, unable to see through the genjutsu like her clansmen could. Logically, she knew it was something that had to be practiced and came with time, but she still couldn’t shake the thought of her father’s disappointment if he found out. When she finished her lunch, she packed away the bento and then reactivated her byakugan to see if she could scan for their sensei.

“Trying again?” Kiba asked as he shoveled food in his mouth. Hinata wordlessly nodded without looking at him. Kiba darted his eyes over to Shino. “Can you let me out now? I think my time out should be over.” He pouted, eyeing the bugs around his ankles warily.

“You should apologize to Hinata.” Shino said, quietly. Kiba rolled his eyes.

“I’m sorry, alright?!” Hinata flinched at his accusatory tone as he turned his attention to her. At her unease, he softened, willing himself to lower his tone, something he would have to get used to doing. “I-I’m sorry, Hinata. I didn’t mean those things.” She finally turned to him and he looked with mild awe at the veins around her eyes. He couldn’t tell if he thought it looked freaky or cool. Maybe both. He cleared his throat. “You don’t seem stuck up. I have…kind of a temper. I’ll work on it.”

“We can help you work on it.” She offered with a small smile. He snickered.

“I dunno, I kind of do think you are stuck up, Shino.” He bounced his eyes back to the stoic boy who turned his head from him, unaffected. “Don’t think you can take the title of leader so easily.”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Shino said, coolly as he recalled the beetles around his ankles. Kiba let out a sigh of relief as he stretched his legs.

“See anything Hinata?” Kiba asked as he lidded the bento, handing it to her. She shook her head gently, deactivating the byakugan.

“I may be able to detect her.” Shino chimed in, and both looked at him. “Kikaichu are immune to genjutsu. If I can focus chakra enough, they may be able to seek her out without being fooled by an illusion.”

“Oh yeah?” Kiba jumped up, hands on his hips. “Why didn’t you do that in the first place, genius?” Shino crinkled his nose at the sarcasm.

“Because I wasn’t sure if it would work, I’ve never had my beetles face genjutsu before. I wanted to try other strategies first.” Shino said. “I do not see you coming up with any other ideas.”

Hinata stood up as well and poked her fingers together. “P-please don’t fight. Could you try it, Shino? Perhaps if they find her, I can attempt to confirm with my byakugan.”

Shino nodded, getting to his feet as well. He closed is eyes as he raised his hands, Kiba flinching at what seemed like hundreds of beetles flowing from underneath his sleeves. Hinata watched with amazement, eyes following their path. She activated her byakugan once more to see the hundreds of tiny, tiny little chakra signatures. Kiba glanced at Hinata’s look of wonder, then at Shino, who was looking at Hinata with a small smile behind his collar. Kiba’s cheeks reddened as he realized Shino was expressing happiness at Hinata’s seeming enjoyment of the beetles. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

“So? They find her?” Kiba asked, hurriedly. Shino didn’t respond, so Hinata responded for him.

“Give it some time, m-maybe? It isn’t likely to be-instant.” Shino nodded, focusing his attention on a certain direction. Kiba huffed impatiently while Akamaru let out a high-pitched growl. He folded his arms and turned his body the same way Shino was facing, tapping his foot.

The trio stood in silence, the only sound between them being the low buzzing of the beetles. Hinata continued to scan with her byakugan, willing herself to extend it’s reach. She made sure to keep an eye on where the signatures of the swarms of beetles were going as well. Kiba focused chakra to his nose as he tried to detect her, but knew it was mostly useless, unfortunately. He was trying to shake off the feeling that he was the loser of the team.

In the trees, Kurenai grinned as she held out the palm of her hand for a beetle to land on it. “Well done, Shino.” She whispered as it settled. She chuckled as she heard Kiba’s boisterous call for them to get going, now that Shino seemed to have a lock on her. “Here they come.”

The four looked on as Kurenai hit the ground in front of them, one knee on the ground and hands planted. Hinata quickly scanned her with the byakugan and the two boys and pup looked at her expectantly. Quickly, she nodded her confirmation that it was indeed Kurenai’s chakra network she was viewing and they begun their attempt at capturing her. Hinata launched first, to become toe to toe with Kurenai, and they engaged in hand to hand. Behind her Shino had hopped backwards and held out his arm for a healthy swarm of beetles to engage. Then, Kiba weaved a quick hand sign to engage in his Four Legs Technique.

Hinata gracefully dodged and blocked Kurenai’s attacks, but found herself struggling to land any hits herself. She gasped when Kiba came barreling down behind Kurenai, looking quite different, more animalistic than she remembered as he came down to strike her. Kurenai seemed ready though, and ducked so that he was face to face with Hinata, about to unleash a blow on her instead. Suddenly, Shino’s beetles formed a protective wall in front of Hinata, taking the brunt of Kiba’s assault.

“Shit!” Kiba shouted, bouncing off of the bugs as if they were springy. He shot his glare from the beetles to Shino’s location, and couldn’t act fast enough when he saw Kurenai appear behind him. “Shino!”

Hinata gasped as Kurenai swiftly struck him in the small of his back, causing him to double over, falling to his hands and knees. Both scrambled to aid him, but once they were with him, she had already quickly weaved another hand sign and vanished.

“Are you okay, Shino?” Hinata dropped to her knees and grabbed his shoulders, gently pulling him up. Shino let out a haggard cough, as he straightened up.

“C’mon, up! We can’t let her get away!” Kiba growled, roughly grabbing Shino’s forearm to yank him up. Hinata held out her palms to steady him, looking at him with concern. He shuddered slightly at all of the physical contact his teammates were giving him, but brushed it off, nodding towards Kiba. The other two nodded resolutely as Hinata scanned for her again. Quickly, she pointed at the treetops and Shino sent his beetles flying that way. Kiba cracked his knuckles, “let’s see if we can draw her towards us, huh?”

“Right.” Shino nodded in agreement as he followed Kiba’s line of logic that because he wasn’t as skilled at hand-to-hand combat, they should stick together and bait her out. His beetles swarmed her, following her as she leapt away. He reached into his right satchel and pulled out several shuriken, readying them. Hinata put a foot forward as Kurenai landed back on the ground, elegantly evading the beetles attempt to encage her. Kiba got back into his Four Leg position, Akamaru at his side as Kurenai suddenly disappeared from their vision. Almost instinctively, the four formed something like a triangle, backs to one another as they carefully scanned for her. All of them shivered simultaneously as something seemingly washed over them, relieving a weight they did not know was there.

“I believe the genjutsu has been released…” Hinata whispered. Kiba perked an eyebrow as he inhaled deeply.

“But I can’t smell her.” Kiba frowned, darting his eyes back and forth. Akamaru growled in agreement.

“And I can’t see her…” Hinata said as well.

“My kaikachu cannot sense her.” Shino’s quiet voice added.

Then, suddenly, she appeared in front of them with a wide smile, causing all four to jump slightly. She held up her hands as a show to have them back down, and all relaxed, albeit confused as they turned to face her. “You three…” she paused at Akamaru’s quiet growl, then added, “-four-pass!”

“What?” Kiba yelled, though Kurenai did not flinch. “We didn’t even capture you!” Hinata nodded tentatively in agreement. Kurenai giggled, setting a light hand on top of his messy hair.

“You wouldn’t be able to if you tried.” Kurenai teased, albeit seriously. “The test was of your ability to strategize and work as a team.”

“Hm.” Shino hummed, tilting his head.

“And you four did wonderfully! You had a rough time at first, but were able to quickly realize where the weaknesses in each other were, and compensated for each other appropriately.” She explained. “By the end of it, you had a solid strategy in place and seemed quite ready to take me on. Now, we will work on improving your strengths, and lessening your weaknesses. You complement each other quite well, even if you do not realize it yet.”

The confusion on Hinata and Kiba’s faces slowly turned to one of happiness, perhaps pride, and though Shino was quite expressionless, a small smile was evident on his features.

“But we won’t worry about that just yet.” Kurenai assured with a smile. “We will start the real work tomorrow. Today, we will have our first meal together as team eight.” Kiba fist pumped at the offer. “Any objections to sushi? My treat.”

The four looked at each other briefly, seemingly taking a moment to let her words sink in. Today was the day team eight would be officially formed under Kurenai. All seemed to feel a sense of pride, completely unaware of what their future would hold, the good and the bad. For now, they were bright eyed and ready to take on whatever challenges they were faced, as a team.

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