#shinobisummerfest2019 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

fineillsignup · 5 years ago

Text

“#Challenge” (Sakura and Rock Lee brotp gen) - Shinobi Summerfest 2019

@keepyourpantsongohan! You are my giftee for @shinobisummerfest and you requested (among other possibilities) fluff/humour, any member of team 7, and the keyword “green”! And that of course made me think of the beautiful Eternal Rivalry 2.0 between Sakura and Rock Lee. I hope you enjoy this fic, which is also available on AO3 in my Sakura & Lee Eternal Rivals one-shot collection!

———

“Sakura-san!!!”

Only Lee could speak at a regular volume and yet she could still hear the multiple exclamation points in his tone. Still, Sakura smiled. She was just about done harvesting the sanshou husks anyway. “Hi, Lee! Nice weather, isn’t it?”

“Alas, I have hardly been able to enjoy it! I have been outside for my daily thousand laps around Konoha only.” He took a deep breath of the cool, crisp autumn air, and brightened a little. “Indeed, you are right Sakura-san! This pleasant chill calls out for hot-blooded exertion! We can bring summer to life no matter what the weather!”

“Maybe I’ll join you for another hundred laps, then, when I’m done here,” said Sakura, picking another berry off the plant. “What’s been keeping you inside, mission reports?”

Lee suddenly looked stricken again. “No! Konohamaru-kun has been most kindly teaching Guy-sensei and I how to use the computer! It is most kind of him, because now Guy-sensei will be easily able to record down all his wisdom for students of taijutsu across the world, and even generations yet to come to be able to benefit from it!”

“Oh? That really is great!” said Sakura. “Shizune’s been digitizing her poisons compendium and it really does make searching it easier. Is Guy-sensei enjoying it?”

“Well, he is, but so far he has not been able to get the ‘hits’. I am not quite sure about what the ‘hits’ are, but apparently you get them when people read and watch your content. So I have been trying to come up with ways to help his wonderful work attract attention! But alas! Nothing I have done is sufficient! We cannot get the hits, Sakura-san!” His large eyebrows knit together as his lip trembled.

Sakura hurriedly grabbed a few more berries and then called it a day. “That really does sound like a challenge, Lee. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“A challenge!” Lee’s melancholy was swept off of him in an instant. “You are so right as always, Sakura-san! Of course! It’s a challenge! A good challenge is never easy, is it? I will not give up! I will get the hits for Guy-sensei! That means I need to train more!”

Sakura tied her hair up. “First to a hundred laps, then? Loser buys me dango.”

Lee chortled. “Ohohoho! Your youthful confidence inspires me, my eternal rival! I will buy you dango even when I win!”

“Ready… steady… go!”

A red-pink streak and green-black blur shot forward and were almost instantly out of sight.

(this art was previously made for this series by @corgi-ears and is used with permission)

———

“Sakura-san!!!”

Sakura nearly flipped over the entire table at the curry restaurant where she was almost finished her curry udon. “Lee! How many times do I have to tell you not to sneak up on me like that!”

“I am most sincerely sorry! But when I saw you it was like the answer to my dreams!” Lee clutched at his chest. “My youthful spirit is flagging! I require your spirit, like a spring breeze, to revive my purpose!”

Sakura blinked at him. “Maybe you should eat some curry. I think that will be more helpful than a spring breeze.”

Lee clapped his hands, then flagged down a waiter to order a katsu-don. “You see how your practicality already assists me. You have your finger on the pulse of youth!”

“Actually, let me take your pulse, Lee,” Sakura said with a worried frown. “You don’t look so good.”

“Ahahahahaha,” chortled Lee as she put her fingers over his wrist, “well, you see, I haven’t eaten. Or slept.”

“For how long?!” Sakura demanded.

Lee’s big round eyes were twitching around in his head. “In the heat of my passion, one day is no different than another!”

“Lee,” Sakura said reprovingly.

“I need the hits, Sakura!” he pleaded. “I cannot rest until I get Guy-sensei the hits!”

“You are going to eat your curry, and then I am going to take you home, where you are going to get rest. You know, inspiration can strike in dreams, sometimes!”

“That is true…” Lee brooded, drumming his fingers on the table. “That is very true.”

Lee ended up nearly falling asleep in his curry. Sakura sighed, fished in his pockets to get enough money to pay for his share (since she only had enough for her own), then hoisted him unceremoniously over her shoulder and across the village to his apartment.

———

“Sakura—oh, hello Naruto-kun. Sakura-san! I have come up with an idea! It struck me in my dreams, just as you predicted! That was very cool of you, you know.”

Sakura was reattaching Naruto’s prosthetic pinky. “That’s great, Lee!”

“Can’t this go any faster, Sakura-chan?” whined Naruto. “I was only in such a hurry in the first place because I heard old man Teuchi is debuting a new flavour of ramen today! It’s the first time he’s debuted a new flavour in over a decade! I gotta get a bowl before it sells out dattebayo!”

“Haven’t you ever heard of the saying haste makes waste?” Sakura said, stitching the prosthetic back together with what seemed to Naruto to be deliberate slowness. “Let this be a lesson to you not to try to close a window when your hand is still right under it. You’re only lucky this was your prosthetic hand!”

“But Sakura-san, indeed, if you could finish it quickly I would be most grateful! You see, we have to spread the virus!” Lee said.

Sakura paused with the needle mid-stitch.

“Don’t distract her, Caterpillar Brows!” griped Naruto.

“Spread what virus?” said Sakura. The needle still didn’t move. “Lee, are you sick?”

“No, no, spread the virus on the computer! To get the hits!” Lee said.

Sakura relaxed, and to Naruto’s relief, resumed reattaching the finger. “Oh! You mean we need to go viral, I think. Well, it’s easier said than done.”

“But I have heard the viruses are about challenges! Sakura-san! Surely no one is better at challenges than you and I!”

“Heh! Yeah! Sakura-chan could do a bottle cap challenge in her sleep, probably,” said Naruto, flexing his hand now that Sakura had finished reattaching the pinky. “She could probably make the caps explode off every bottle in the convenience store if she wanted to!”

“Bottle cap challenge?” asked Sakura.

“You do a spin-kick—” Naruto tried to demonstrate, and Sakura caught his foot with one hand, making him flail. “Sakura-chan! I’m trying to show you!”

“This is a hospital, idiot Naruto!”

“Well you do a spin-kick,” Naruto pouted, tugging his foot free with some difficulty, “and you make the cap of the bottle come off without knocking over the bottle!”

“Oh! Precision, huh? That actually does sound fun. Yeah, Lee and I could both do that easily. Will that really make us go viral, though?” Sakura pointed out. “I mean, you have to take it to the next level from what people are already doing, right?”

“Of course! You and I must not limit ourselves to a single challenge, after all, we are eternal rivals…” Lee trailed off. “That’s it! That’s the answer, Sakura-san!!!!”

Though she was bewildered, Sakura patted Lee arm affectionately as he twirled her around the clinic room.

“Hey! How come he gets to do that kind of thing and I don’t? It’s not fair -ttebayo,” grumbled Naruto.

———

Tsunade hit play on the video.

A montage of Sakura and Lee smashing their heads through brick walls began to play.

She hit pause, switched to another tab, and hit play again.

This time Sakura shouted at the camera, “Water running! Taijutsu only! Go!” and Lee took off across the water.

“Children might drown trying to do this,” Tsunade said severely, then clicked to the next tab. “But that isn’t the worst thing I’ve seen from you two. Oh no. I saved the very worst for last.”

The camera was struggling to focus in the smoky and dimly lit interior of Konoha’s best, and indeed only, izakaya.

“B-bottle cap challenge?” Lee was slurring. “There’s no challenge I won’t take! No path I won’t walk! No mountain I won’t—hic—climb! No c-curry I won’t eat! No tracksuit I won’t wear! No squirrel I won’t pet! No… no… where was I going with this, Tenten?”

“The bottle cap challenge,” Tenten, from behind the camera, prompted.

“R-right, bottle caps! You challenged me, you metallic… you metallic… butts!” Lee swore in his strongest possible words at the bottle caps.

“Yeah! Tell ‘em!” Sakura, who had been face down on the table, suddenly jerked her head up, revealing cheeks as pink as her hair. “Is it time? We’re gonna kick their butts, Lee?”

“Let’s go! For youuuuth!”

After that, what was happening in front of the camera became very difficult to follow indeed. There was screaming, shouting, the sounds of broken glass, Lee and Sakura shouting numbers back and forth at each other. Tsunade hit pause and scrolled down slightly to reveal the text beneath.

#EternalRivalChallenge

Tag the person YOU want to see become YOUR eternal rival in the comments!

Views: 7,390,830 Likes: 790k

“Well, what do you have to say for yourselves?” Tsunade demanded.

“I’m so very sorry shishou,” Sakura began, head hung low. “I know we were encouraging irresponsible drinking—”

“Not that nonsense,” Tsunade interrupted crossly. “Do you know what you’ve done to the sake supply in this village? Do you know the depths to which I had to debase myself, begging Shimura-san, the izakaya owner, not to leave town? Do you know how hard it is to get a bar to stay open in a ninja village?!”

Lee and Sakura looked at each other and shook their heads.

“I’m docking both of your mission pay by 20% until the damage to Shimura-san is paid back,” Tsunade said severely, “and I want you to consider that you have gotten off very lightly, and only because the ninja academy has seen its enrolment applications for the taijutsu program more than triple since you posted these videos. But you two are on notice. No more sake challenges!”

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” they both said.

“Good,” said Tsunade, “dismissed.”

The two fled out the window before Tsunade could change her mind about the lightness of their punishment.

Tsunade pulled a sake bottle out of her drawer, and went to open it, paused, put it on her desk, eyed it for a moment, and then spun the cap off with one well-aimed kick of her kitten heel.

“Still got it,” she murmured, pleased, and took a swig.

#shinobisummerfest2019 #rock lee #sakura haruno #my fanfic #eternal rivals #brotp #gen fic #naruto #i feel more youthful already #alcohol

156 notes · View notes

keepyourpantsongohan · 5 years ago

Text

Labour of Love

Gaara had become extremely concerned after that conversation, and even read the love story “Icha Icha Paradise” to try and understand what signs he had missed. (Gaara Hiden, Ch. 1) | @shinobisummerfest gift for @ggood-sir | AO3 |

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

“Rokudaime, I have a favour to ask of you,” Gaara declares, when the other Kage have left their meeting room.

“Is that so?” Kakashi asks, with a tilt of his head and a lifting of his eyes. Although the Hokage never treats him like a child, his quiet attentiveness is not so different from what Gaara remembers of his uncle. “How can I help you, Gaara?”

“I need to borrow that book,” he says, pointing to the small orange novel resting on the corner of Kakashi’s desk.

Kakashi startles. “Uh... what?”

“‘Icha Icha Paradise,’” Gaara replies, nodding.

The older man looks at Gaara like he’s trying to analyze a jutsu. “You need... this book?” he repeats uncertainly. His voice wavers, and Gaara wonders if he’s coming down with a cold. “For what?”

“Research,” explains Gaara.

“Research,” Kakashi echoes weakly. He looks above him. Gaara tries to follow his stare, but he can’t see anything in the direction his gaze is focused. He looks paler than usual. “I see. And what are you hoping to learn?”

“Something that only this book can teach me.” Gaara says seriously.

He’s been thinking of how to remedy his ignorance ever since he managed to miss his sister’s impending engagement. Surely, as a shinobi, he should be more observant, even to things like romance. And there is rarely a more observant ninja than Kakashi, and no love story more famous than Icha Icha.

“Well—“ Kakashi cuts himself off, and then shakes his head. He slides one hand over to his book, and then pushes it slowly towards Gaara. “Alright. Don’t tell your sister I lent this to you. She’s still peeved with me about the last joint mission between our villages.”

Gaara blinks, turning the book over. “But I am reading this novel in order to better understand Temari.”

Kakashi sighs, resting his head on his folded hands. Maybe he really is feeling unwell. “Good luck. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

---

“But why would the characters wear sparser clothing in the sun?” Gaara muses out loud, eyeing the third chapter dubiously. “Their skin isn’t protected. It doesn’t seem sensible.”

“Indeed that is so!” comes a voice from above Gaara. The speed of his appearance might have startled Gaara, if he hadn’t sensed him. “In order to be protected from all kinds of weather your clothing should be light and durable! Cover your whole body! And not too dark, so you do not attract the heat! That is why I have chosen to follow my sensei’s footsteps and wear this jumpsuit!”

Gaara looks upward to his new companion, standing on the branch of a tree with a broad smile on his face. “Hello, Lee.”

“Greetings, Gaara-kun!” says Lee brightly. “I have heard the Five Kage Summit is over! Are you staying in Konoha to enjoy the village for a while longer?”

Gaara looks at his book, and then back at Lee. “Something like that. There’s something I’d like to know, and I’m hoping I can learn it here.”

Abruptly, Lee drops down beside him. “I would be honoured to help you learn whatever it is you need! Surely, as Kazekage, you have many friends who require your wisdom!”

The other young man inclines his head. He supposes it would benefit his people if he understood more about how romance affects a shinobi. “I want to understand what it means to be in love.”

“Love?” Lee’s eyes are wider and rounder than usual. “Gaara-kun, could it be that you have fallen in love with someone in Konoha?!”

Quickly, Gaara waves his hands in protest and shakes his head. “No, no, that’s not it. I am trying to find out how a romance changes a person. My observation skills... could use some work.”

Lee nods, grin broadening in understanding. “That is a noble pursuit! It is always important to hone your skills as a shinobi.”

“And as a friend,” Gaara agrees. He looks in the direction of the Hokage tower, where he assumes his siblings, his escorts on this mission, are still lurking. “I would like to connect to the emotions of those around me.”

“I understand! How will you approach this most important challenge?”

He hands Lee the novel, sighing. “I have borrowed this love story from the Hokage. But I understand less the more I read it.”

Lee examines the book, but does not open it. “I have seen Gai-sensei discussing this novel with Kakashi-sensei!” Lee affirms, holding it out in the sunlight to examine it better. “Gai-sensei has asked me not to read it until I’ve completed my training, but I know it is story of hot-blooded passion, written by Jiraiya-sama himself!”

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Gaara says, frowning. “Look at the third chapter. They are not dressed for the climate described in the story. Is dressing poorly supposed to be a sign of affection?”

Lee considers this question, thick eyebrows drawn together. “I believe it would be the opposite! If you are in love, you should want to be fashionable, so that you may go on dates with the person you love dressed to impress.”

“You seem to have some insight about love,” Gaara notes. He eyes him speculatively, and holds out a hand to receive his borrowed tome. “Could you explain what this metaphor in chapter two means? When he says ‘underneath the underneath,’ is that in reference to⁠—”

“Genjutsu, of course!” Lee announces, with confidence so present Gaara can’t help but listen. “A ninja must see through deception and know when he is being fooled, even if, like me, he can only use taijutsu!”

Absorbing this, Gaara raises a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “I understand what you’re saying. But in context... doesn’t it seem more like... undergarments?”

Lee laughs. “Why would a shinobi want to see that?”

Gaara shrugs. “I don’t know. And I don’t know why romantic love would make you see through a genjutsu either.”

“Perhaps it is because we are more likely to be deceived when our hearts are on the line! That danger is just another part of youth!”

“So if I want to truly understand what it means to fall in love with someone, I should put myself under a genjutsu?” Gaara muses uncertainly.

Nodding, Lee sends him another bright smile. “I believe that would be most efficient! When I have been swept away in the hot-blooded passion of my youth, it truly feels like my shinobi skills have changed. My body feels stronger, but my mind is filled with only thoughts of my love! It is like the strongest genjutsu in the world.”

The enthusiasm of his companion really is infectious. “Thank you, Lee. I think I know now what it is I must do.”

Lee gives him a thumbs-up. “Anytime, Gaara-kun!”

---

“Rokudaime, I have another favour to ask of you.”

Kakashi seems to be conversing with the ANBU guard outside his office window, but the moment Gaara poses his question, the second figure disappears. Gaara is polite enough not to ask. Kakashi turns around and raises his eyebrows at Gara. “You can call me Kakashi, you know. Let me guess, you want the sequel?”

Gaara shakes his head, setting Icha Icha Paradise back in its rightful place on Kakashi’s desk. “No, I would like to ask about Uchiha Sasuke.”

Kakashi’s eyebrows disappear behind his headband. “Sasuke? He’s out of the village right now. Is something wrong?”

Hastily, Gaara assures him, “Nothing’s wrong. I just have a question for him about a jutsu.”

The older man’s shoulders seem to relax. “Now that, I can help you with. What jutsu is it that you’re curious about? As you know, I’m very familiar with Sasuke’s skillset, and with the abilities of the Sharingan. What is it that you want to know?”

“My question is practical,” Gaara begins slowly. He thinks of Lee’s infectious attitude, and tries to convey his conviction through his voice. “I would like to know if he could put me under Tsukuyomi.”

Kakashi lets out a strange noise. “Come again?

The Hokage’s cold really seems to be a problem. Gaara muses on passing a word of concern to Sakura for a check-up on his way out of the village. “Tsukuyomi. It is known for being the world’s strongest genjutsu, correct? That’s why it was used as a tactic during the Fourth Shinobi War. I believe if I experience that jutsu again, with intention, I can find the information I need.”

Kakashi plops down in his chair unceremoniously. “About... Temari?”

“About Temari’s engagement, and shinobi falling in love,” Gaara elaborates.

Suddenly, Kakashi grins. Or what Gaara assumes is a grin, by the look of his eyes and the shifting shadows on his mask. “I don’t think Sasuke will be able to give you a clear answer on that one. It wouldn’t do you much good to try.”

“Then how am I find out how love works between shinobi?”

Laughing, Kakashi pulls a second book out of his desk drawer, and slides it across the desk to Gaara. “Not a clue.” He turns back to the window, placing one foot on the ledge, cuing the end of their meeting. “Let me know if you figure it out.”

Gaara sighs, picks up his new book, and begins to read.

#shinobisummerfest2019 #gaara #rock lee #kakashi hatake #naruto series #ayesha talks anime #fanfiction #long post #mine #shinobi summerfest #[kakashi voice] sorry i'm late!!!#life has been Happening all week #pls enjoy!

32 notes · View notes