#sorry to my followers who don’t like naruto…I do think he had good qualities though

[idkhowtopickausername]

I really do think that if Sasuke and Naruto were actually treated as complementary it could’ve been really powerful. Like the thing about Naruto’s ideology is that it’s so focused on feelings that towards the end it becomes more about mitigating conflict than about creating any kind of systemic change, whereas Sasuke is unafraid of creating conflict and directly focused on bringing about some type of revolutionary change.

Talk no jutsu, at it’s core, I think is an attempt on Naruto’s part to replicate what Iruka did for him, which is acknowledge someone’s suffering and the fact that they’re deserving of compassion despite their own feeling of isolation and hopelessness. But its formulaic repetition takes on a preachy quality after a while and serves to falsely equate his own suffering with everyone else’s, while placing the responsibility on the individual who has been hurt to simply change their mindset without seeking any outward change or accountability. On a narrative level it ends up stripping characters of any aspect of their ideology that poses a challenge to the broader social order until they praise Naruto and then die or fade into the background.

Despite the fact that their suffering and sense of isolation is something that connects them, Sasuke is very aware that his suffering is different from Naruto’s—he points it out at the first VoTE fight when he says that Naruto doesn’t understand what it’s like to have loved ones and then lose them. His entire focus is on the fact that he needs some outward form of justice or closure and that he cannot heal by simply changing his mindset. He doesn’t suppress his trauma the way Naruto does but is very honest with himself about it. It would make sense for Naruto to have to change his ideology in order to reconcile with Sasuke, just as Sasuke has to accept that cutting himself off from love and bonds is something that he simply can’t and shouldn’t have to do.

Sasuke is also very aware of the superficiality of the village’s favor because he was popular and considered a valuable asset but was still offered no genuine support following the massacre and was quickly treated as an enemy by everyone except Naruto following his defection. He understands that the village rewards usefulness with high status in a way that’s objectifying and conditional, whereas Naruto still needs to acknowledge that for himself. Naruto on the other hand understands how unbearable complete ostracization and loneliness is—something that Sasuke needs to accept. Their storylines are reversed in that sense. Naruto’s need to feel a sense of belonging leads him to uncritically absorb and parrot a lot of the village’s propaganda, while Sasuke is able to openly criticize the shinobi system and form his own ideas in a way that is largely uninfluenced by popular opinion. But Sasuke’s attempts to forego relationships and outside input altogether and take everything on himself is impractical as well. Compassion and human connection on a personal level are important, they’re just not solutions in and of themselves.

Instead of embracing Sasuke’s ideas but still acknowledging that he shouldn’t have to carry them out alone in ways that are impractical and self-destructive, the narrative uses Sasuke’s self-destructive methods to undermine his ideas completely and validate Naruto’s. This is incredibly frustrating because the reason he was driven to isolate himself and try to put himself through hell was because of the very problems he was trying to solve in doing so. 

[britishassistant]

The Villainous Paranoiac Goes To Jail and Ninja Afterlife

Two innocent children get sent to Night Raven College

A set of scenarios about three of my ocs unwittingly trading places for two days, non-canon to any of my AUs

Swap 1:

Yuu—> Konohagakure

Yuu wakes up with a tantō to the throat.

Chie: Tell me where my daughter is and I’ll make your death quick

Yuu promptly freaks the fuck out

Through a combination of panicked yelling and tears the Prefect manages to convey to the Ketsugi that if there was a kidnapping, Yuu is both uninvolved and as much as of a victim as their precious daughter

Gai confirms that the strange teenager not only has no chakra, but clearly has little to no combat training despite his(?) athleticism, meaning Mayu-chan could easily overpower an assailant of this size, especially one this undernourished!

Yuu tries not to be offended and to avoid staring at Gai and Lee’s eyebrows they’re so big

Promptly shrieks when Kami!Sanji materializes to confirm that the Paranoiac had nothing to do with Mayu’s disappearance as far as the other gods can tell

Yuu becomes convinced that this place is the afterlife

The sad part is that Chie and Jirou can’t actually say much to the contrary, because??? Their daughter remembers dying before she came here?? Also there are active deities just floating around so.

Actually tears up at the homemade meals the Ketsugi provide

Before being sick as a dog later because food infused with chakra? Does not agree with a person without a chakra regulatory system

Surprisingly patient with Lee and any questions he has the purity of Jack and Deuce is strong in this one

Bit more long-suffering towards Naruto and his rendition of Wonderwall. Sunshine child too bright, introvert Yuu can’t handle it

Keeps writing down everything everyone says

This makes ANBU and ROOT very twitchy

The Paranoiac is quietly slated for “interview” at T&I the next day

Yuu crashes on the Ketsugi couch none the wiser

Mayu—> Nanba

Mayu wakes up to confused screaming and profanity.

It’s Hani.

It’s very rare for screaming not to be because of Hani

All he knows is one child was in this bed last night, and now’s there’s a different one dressed like it came straight out of Ninja Kamikaze???

Mayu for her part is both very alarmed to be waking up in a prison cell with two strange men and very glad she has her bokken with her

Kiji comes in to find his beautiful inmates being menaced by a twelve year old with a wooden sword

The twelve year old is winning

Once Mayu has ascertained that they aren’t enemy ninja and she’s somehow in her old world (?) she becomes much more cooperative with the guards

She’s very worried about how she’s going to get back to her family in Konoha

Also wondering if she should try to contact her former little brother Harp (who knows if she’ll ever get the chance again?)

These worries are not assuaged when the Warden informs her that there’s no records proving “Tamara Kaur” ever existed

For lack of any relations who they can contact to take the child off their hands, and because they have no idea how she successfully infiltrated the most secure prison in the world and replaced one of the inmates, the Warden decides to keep Mayu in Nanba’s holding cells until further notice

Guess who finds the samurai child while breaking out?

Nico, Uno, and Rock are amazed at the existence of a real live Japanese Samurai! With a katana and everything!!

Jyugo just asks straight out if Mayu’s an actor too

Mayu is very bemused by everything, but they seem friendly! The one with the mohawk likes food too!

Plus the blonde one is British! Just like she used to be!

Uno is very confused about how a twelve year old somehow lost her citizenship

Break Mayu out to get food together

They get caught the moment they set foot in the cafeteria and scolded very harshly

Mayu has trouble sleeping in a cell cot that night

Nana—> Night Raven College

Nana’s first instinct on waking up in a strange bed next to a monster is to assume he’s been kidnapped and attempt to subdue his captors

Which means Grim wakes up to an attempted smothering

The ghosts hear muffled screaming and rush in only to get salt and iron filings to the face. Nana actually has them all on the run when Crowley bursts in

Instantly becomes a confused and lost child in front of the headmaster and dorm heads

Only Grim and the ghosts know the truth, and their complaints are overlooked due to them “scaring the poor boy”

No one has any idea what to do with a thirteen year old magicless kid. It was hard enough with Yuu, and the Prefect was at least sixteen and could attend classes!

Nana adapts quickly to the idea of being in this new world— he’s just sad he couldn’t say goodbye to Kiji, Hani-senpai and Trois-senpai before leaving Nanba

Immediately resolves to leave NRC at the earliest possible convenience when he gets a good look at the Theory Wall— he can’t even read Japanese but that amount of crazy that it signifies always spells trouble

Is confused by all the pictures of Disney villains on the Theory Wall, but decides it’s not worth the trouble to ask about

Actually uses the beauty products Vil left for Yuu correctly

Gets semi-adopted into Pomefiore after asking Vil where the high quality products came from

Grim and the ghosts aren’t sorry to see the little brat go

Vil carts him around to test his potential in the performance arts

Epel tries to be a good senpai for the kid, and tells him he doesn’t have to just go along with Vil

Nana appreciates the effort, but does find this kind of thing more fun than being on his own he’s homesick for his cell

Rook enjoys seeing the child freeze up minutely whenever he asks about the prison attire and the large “7” tattoo on the back of the boy’s head

Nana likes Rook less and less with every pointed question the vice dorm leader makes

Can’t sleep in the big cushy Pomefiore bed and so curls up on the floor with a pillow instead

Swap 2:

Yuu—> Nanba

What why is Yuu in jail now

The prefect was supposed to be back home/in Ramshackle Dorm, why is Yuu in jail now—

Yuu is stressed and overdue for Grim snuggles

Paranoiac is also not thrilled about being stuck in Building Three— it’s like Pomefiore on steroids

At least Epel and Vil don’t steal and obsess over the underwear of their “fans”

Rook...the jury’s still out. But probably not. Probably

Maybe

Hopefully

Much less cooperative than Mayu.

Questions about the Prefect’s family name are met with a stony glare. “It’s Yuu. Just Yuu. How many times do I have to repeat myself?”

Can’t answer any questions about Mayu or her current whereabouts despite admitting to knowing of the girl, but does posit a theory about the three of them transmigrating and swapping places based on the information gained in Konoha

Gets offended and even less cooperative when the interrogating guard calls the hypothesis “crazy”

Not intimidated by Hajime or the other guards in the slightest. Yuu’s classmates are far more likely to inflict lasting bodily harm and it’s hard for even the worst human glare to measure up to Floyd or Leona on a bad day

The Warden scares the Prefect though

Doesn’t stop Yuu from requesting a lawyer or other legal counsel before submitting to further questioning

The Paranoiac is a Japanese citizen and has made a point to know what the applicable legal rights for this situation are

Yuu ends up in the holding cells

Guess who hasn’t learned their lesson while breaking out?

Uno takes one look at Yuu

“Ah Jyugo, this one has your energy”

Nico loudly asks if the Prefect is from an isekai and died and reincarnated in Nanba??! Do they die over and over again and revive to beat bad guys?? Do they have an amazing cheat skill?? Are they a spider?? Can they shoot a beam??

Yuu just thinks. Ah. So this is what would happen if Kalim and Idia somehow had a kid

Don’t break the Prefect out, but Jyugo comes back later and deposits something through the bars

“This is Kuu. He’s a guard, but he’s also really good when you’re lonely. You look like you could use the company”

Yuu blinks and holds out a hand for the black cat with a guard cap to sniff

Crashing in a cell cot is uncomfortable, but hey, at least there’s a cat to pet

Mayu—> Night Raven College

Why is there a tanuki in her bed?

Grim isn’t waking up by being murdered but being poked with a stick by another smol child isn’t much better

Mayu is Concerned by the Theory Wall

“Is— is the person who lives here okay?”

Grim: Hell if I know

Mayu’s even more Concerned when she opens the fridge and sees it’s bare

>:|

Sanji wouldn’t let these people go hungry, so she’s not going to either!

Searches until she finds the Prefect’s grocery money and marches with Grim to Mr. S’s Mystery Shop

Everyone is confused by the presence of a new preteen on campus after the last one vanished from Pomefiore during the night

Mayu’s used to haggling with market people who would rather see her starve than even sell her the worst of their produce, so she’s easily able to barter Sam down to a third of the price for the groceries she wants to buy

Sam’s more amused by the guts of this tiny samurai devil than anything

Mayu and Grim drag all the food back by themselves with a few students following from a distance out of curiosity

They all soon enter Ramshackle once the smells of cooking begin to emerge from the dorm

Silver first followed because the child has a sword and is now helping to knead dough

Epel arrived because he had questions about where Nana had gone, but Mayu is genuinely clueless so now he’s peeling apples for lack of anything better to do

Mayu soon has several “helpers” for making bread and other easy-to-preserve and mix-and-match bulk meals to fill the Ramshackle fridge, though she soon has to send Grim out for more ingredients when her helpers begin getting hungry

The night ends with a feast that can rival the quality of food served at Kalim’s parties

Mayu finds one of Yuu’s blank notebooks and writes down some easy recipes the Prefect can use for all the food now in the fridge and pantry, with emphasis on fish based dishes

The ghosts and Grim enjoy having Mayu much more than Nana

Mayu still has trouble sleeping in the big Ramshackle bed that night

Nana—> Konohagakure

Well this isn’t Nanba or Night Raven College

Welp. Time to go then.

Nana is halfway out of Konoha before anyone notices

Gai does notice because a strange kid in a prison jumpsuit swiftly scurrying to the exit sticks out like a sore thumb in the early morning

ANBU’s search for the vanished Yuu is the only reason Nana isn’t stopped by them

Nana tries to run

Nothing can outrun the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha

Nana is now more than slightly traumatized

Gets carted off to early morning training with Naruto and Lee

Is initially more interested in plotting yet another escape attempt until Lee mentions Yuu and NRC—then he’s curious about what information he can glean about the two other members of this triad

Especially interested in the concept of reincarnating into another world or being brought there by an outside force rather than moving between worlds freely

Eats an almost alarming amount for his size at breakfast that morning and leaves nothing on his plate

Unfailingly well-mannered to his hosts

Offers more information about Mayu’s past world in payment for eating the Ketsugi’s food and waking up in their home after they refuse to let him pay them back using manual labor

Asks them to tell him what they already know so he can work out what knowledge gaps to fill in

Nana: ...Why are you singing Wonderwall?

Takes it upon himself to teach Lee and Naruto more English so they can at least form basic sentences

It’s an uphill battle because predicates and participles are hard

A supportive and encouraging if slightly inept teacher

Soon realizes Chie somehow knows all the swearwords and glares at him for trying to teach them to the boys

Also falls ill from eating chakra-infested food

Gets twitchier as the day goes on and asks to leave the village several times, insisting he can’t impose on their hospitality any longer

Only agrees to sleep on the couch once Jirou subtly implies that at least people will notice and go looking if he goes missing from their house compared to if he disappeared from a tree miles away from Konoha

Can’t sleep on the couch due to jumping at noises during the night, ends up curling up on the floor next to it

[excitedlysuffering]

Neji Headcanons Collection

Requested from my wattpad account

For everyone who has requested, I’m slowly getting through them, but I’ve been busy and exhausted lately so it’s taking longer than I wanted it to, I’m sorry!

What He Looks For In An S/O~

• Neji is a pretty stoic, introverted guy, so he’d need someone who was more on the introverted side as well. However, he would love an S/O who could bring him out of his shell a little

• He definitely seems like someone who would prefer to date a fellow shinobi so he didn’t have to worry about them and since they most likely aren’t apart of the Hyuga clan, them being a ninja would help his clan be a little more approving

• He needs a PATIENT S/O

• Neji is new to relationships and someone who understands that and wouldn’t rush him would be ideal

• Although Naruto changed Neji for the best, he can still be a little insensitive sometimes, so a partner who has a thick skin is important

• Neji hates small talk with a passion, so he would look for someone who could hold intellectual conversations or who didn’t mind silence

• As an introvert, Neji is something of a homebody, but make no mistake; this boy is always training so you’d best be ready for rigorous training being a regular past time

• COMMUNICATION is key in a relationship with him

• As smart as Neji is, he does not have the aptitude or patience to deal with mixed signals, so just talk to him, please

Relationship With Neji Stuff~

• Neji isn’t clingy by any means, but you’re his girlfriend and he expects to see you often, and will easily become concerned or upset if his partner starts to seem distant

• Trust is the most important thing to him, if he’s dating you he clearly trusts you A LOT, and it will upset him if he notices you don’t trust him as much

• Your relationship will most likely be lowkey, in public at least, but that’s not because he’s ashamed, he’s just an incredibly private person

• Although Neji will enjoy sparring with you, he will also be up to other ideas for dates

• He loves taking walks with you, whether it’s after dark, before average people are awake, or in the middle of the day

• He’s the kind of person to have a certain amount of time set aside for you, whether you spend it out and about, or inside, he won’t interrupt that time unless it’s unavoidable

• He’s very good at picking up your moods and such things, but he doesn’t always know what to do about them, so he’ll help you in ways he knows how tea and training

• He has a great memory. Whether it’s certain dates, the timing of your week, or little things he’s noticed about you; you can trust he won’t easily forget it

• PDA embarrasses him, but he will allow hand-holding and the occasional cheek kiss

• He takes so much pride in his hair, he won’t allow you to touch it until way later in your relationship, but once he does… he’d rather die than admit, so sometimes he’ll wordless put his head in your lap and scowl until you take the hint

• Neji doesn’t just date around, he’s looking for something serious, so if he realizes that you’re not what he’s looking for in a wife he will immediately (and respectfully) end it

How To Lose/Annoy Him~

• Generally, Neji is a very forgiving person since he’s needed to be forgiven many times, but there are some things he won’t tolerate; cheating, slander, and genuine disrespect

• An S/O being rude to someone for no reason would turn him off

• He really can’t stand gossipers and busybodies so if you want to lose him, go off I guess

• Laziness is a major thing for him. He can understand being tired of at your limit, but he really can’t handle his S/O just lazing around for a long time

• Immaturity is a big no-no. Neji comes from a clan who only recognizes maturity and formalities so he would be uncomfortable with an overly childish S/O

• Selfishness or being chronically inconsiderate can and will make him angry

• He won’t even entertain someone with bad hygiene like he really doesn’t understand how someone could be okay with not being clean?

• Incessant complaining and whining will grate on his nerves like anything else

• Not respecting his boundaries, even if you don’t understand them, will have him running for the hills before you could even say ‘Byakugan’

Soft Neji Things~

• Neji isn’t one for constant affection, but once he realizes how much he enjoys the lotus position (you sit in his lap, facing him, legs around his waist) it’ll be a regular occurrence. Whether he’s reading or just savoring your presence you’d better get used to it

• He loves to read and sometimes if you ask beg he’ll read to you and he has the smoothest most ASMR voice ever??

• He actually enjoys shopping with you because he loves helping you choose (and he likes to spoil you)

• I strongly believe that Neji plays an instrument (piano, flute or violin) and sometimes he’ll play for you

• If he’s had a really bad nightmare or his family is stressing him out, don’t be surprised if he climbs in your bed at a random hour of the night

• Locked doors or windows have never stopped this boy, so you’d best expect him to just walk in like he owns the place

• Considerate to the max, he’s always thinking about you and doing small things for you

• You actually bring out a new side to him, he’s more playful and free around you

Random Neji Facts~

• Neji made it into a game without your knowledge to see how many times he can scare you by just waltzing into your house

• He’s incredibly competitive, so the second you mention being the best at something, even in jest, prepare to have to prove it in competition

• His love language is in between quality time and acts of service

• He doesn’t really expect gifts or anything, so if you really want to see him light up, get him a little ‘I’m thinking about you’ gift

• Neji likes to journal, he likes to write down little things about his day, or ideas or even quotes that he heard and liked

• He really enjoys domestic activities because he didn’t really think he’d be able to find anyone to do that with

• He loves receiving and writing letters, it’s intimate and it’s special and he’ll keep everyone you send him

• Neji has a love/hate relationship with his hair; he’s very proud of it, but he hates all the extra work that goes into taking care of it

• He always carries extra scrunchies/rubberbands on missions in case his hair gets loose

• He gets sunburns so easily, he’ll always have sunscreen during the hottest months

Little Things~

Favorite:

• Place to kiss- Your wrist pulse point; it’s intimate and it feels so natural for him, especially when he’s holding your hand

• Way to hug- He loves to place a hand on the back of your head and one on your back; he loves the feeling of being so close to you

• Things to do with you- He loves doing small things with you; reading, drinking tea, or cuddling

• Cuddle position- When he’s not busy, he loves to lay back on the couch with you on top

• Type of date- Lowkey ones, maybe a stroll through the park, or going to a nice little cafe/restaurant

This or That-

• He enjoys spring the most, he loves seeing all the new life after a long winter

• He’s a hardcore morning person, he lives to be productive and the day won’t wait for him to ‘get in the mood’

• He’s a good cook, but as I’ve mentioned, his love language is acts of service so you cooking for him means a lot to him every time

• Loves to read, either on his own or with you and his favorite genres are classics and nonfiction

Conflict Happenings~

• He has a very sharp tongue, but he really hates arguing with you and will try to avoid that for as long as possible

• However, if something needs to be addressed, he will not hesitate

• Would prefer to have a calm, rational, debate, so if either of you loses your cool, don’t be surprised if he just up and leaves

• However, if you say something that crosses the line… God/Pein/Jashin/Kami have mercy on you, this boy will go off

• After the fight is over, he’ll need space to calm down, but once he is, apologies and makeups are quick and sincere

• He refuses to fight over small insignificant things, he finds it beneath him

• He will listen, though, because if something is bothering you, that’s valid to him

• Don’t push him or test his limits, it’ll make him uneasy and feel like he can’t trust you, which can lead to your relationship self destructing

• After fights, whether big or small, he needs some good ol’ fashioned cuddles (you both do honestly)

• He’s a firm believer in not going to bed angry, so even if you’re still upset, he’ll do everything in his power to get rid of his own irritation

• It’s hard to hurt his feelings, but if you do he’s cut deeply, so watch what you say

Modern Neji~

• OMG this boy is one of those people that are always smartly dressed and no one can change my mind

• He’s not a teacher’s pet, per se, but he’s very polite and is always doing his best

• He’s one of those gym obsessed people, but very lowkey about it

• I could definitely see him into fencing and/or martial arts

• He’s the kind of person to only hang out with his closest friends because he feels most comfortable with them

• Most people would know he was from the esteemed Hyuga family, but no one would really process it because he’s not overly flashy and doesn’t really mention it

• He’s still pretty antisocial but after Naruto pretty much shoved his way into his life he started to open up

• Has so many fangirls and is always being asked on dates but is so confused, like why do these strangers always follow him? And who are these gifts from??

• I can really see a turf war between Neji’s fangirls and Sasuke’s fangirls over who’s better

• He most likely majors in business and finance to inherit the Hyuga company or at least have a fundamental role in it

• I think he’d like a roommate, especially if he lives off-campus

• I could see him living with someone like him so he’s not constantly overwhelmed by someone with Naruto’s personality

• Neji is always the model student and I could see him tutoring a few people (begrudgingly, of course)

• He’s always doing his best, but it might not seem like it? Neji is very good at retaining information, so the only time you’ll catch him really studying is if he knows he has trouble in that area

• His living space is meticulously clean and probably kinda bare

• He doesn’t really feel the need to decorate because it’s temporary, but if his roommate wants to he won’t care

• Neji is not a partier, but if his friends drag him to one he might stay for a while

• He’s such a lightweight and he might find himself drunk quicker than he thought possible

• Doesn’t have much of a hangover besides waking up disoriented and dizzy

• I love Neji honestly

Masterlist

[cherry-valentine]

Fall 2020 Anime Season:

Golden Kamuy Season 3 is, so far, just as good as the first two seasons. For anyone unfamiliar with the show, it follows a former soldier called “Immortal Sugimoto” (nicknamed so for his tendency to survive a lot of shit that would kill most people) and a young Ainu (the Japanese equivalent of Native Americans) girl as they search Northern Japan (and even parts of Russia) for hidden Ainu gold. The story is pretty wild, with threats coming from the wildlife and the harsh, snowy conditions as often as from mercenaries, assassins, and various other human dangers. The cast has expanded enough that we have several separate groups of cool, well-written characters roaming about (and they’ve shuffled a bit from season two, making their interactions very interesting). Sugimoto remains one of my favorite anime protagonists. He’s one of the more brutal, violent main characters I’ve seen, but, strangely, also one of the nicest. He’s kind to innocents (both people and animals) but will slaughter his enemies without hesitation. He’s also pretty funny. Then again, almost every character is subject to the show’s weird but endearing humor. It’s very hard to dislike any character, even the ones who are quite cruel. The show is also notable for having a lot of homoerotic subtext. The beefy, handsome men sure do love taking their clothes off and wrestling. Like, taking it ALL off. Multiple times per season. Yeah. Watch this show, everybody.

Ikebukuro West Gate Park is a new show this season that I was initially interested in because it reminded me of Durarara!! in that it’s set in Ikebukuro and features color gangs. That’s where the similarities end, however. Whereas Durarara!! had tons of supernatural elements and just plain craziness, IWGP is more realistic by comparison. The show follows Makoto, a seemingly normal guy who seems to function in a sort of “odd jobs” type of role for a color gang called the G Boys. While they’re a gang, they don’t seem like criminals or thugs, or even delinquents. They really feel more like a club, held together by their respect for the leader referred to as King. So far the series seems to be episodic in nature, with most stand-alone episodes focusing on some sort of social issue, from drug addiction to immigration. It’s interesting to see these issues presented in such a sympathetic light, viewed through the lens of Tokyo’s youth. The art is nice, with varied character designs and animation that’s just good enough that you don’t notice the problems very often. The music is a highlight, with my favorite opening theme of the season and one of the better ending themes.

Magatsu Wahrheit is a show I was very iffy on at first. It has a lot of things working against it. It’s based on a video game I’ve never heard of, the opening theme is one of the cheapest, most unimpressive things I’ve ever seen (note: it does improve a few episodes in!), and the series overall has a low budget feel (though nowhere near as bad as Gibiate from last season). But the story is actually very interesting and very well written. The basic premise is that Young Man A (I’m not remembering these weird names, sorry) works as a delivery truck driver in your usual “modern fantasy” setting (kingdoms and monsters and other medieval fantasy trappings alongside trucks and cars and advanced science laboratories). When he’s loading up his deliveries, Young Man B, a fresh recruit in the kingdom’s military and general goody-two-shoes, randomly offers to help Young Man A load his truck. Young Man B spots some boxes off to the side and, assuming they were part of the load, puts them into the truck while Young Man A is talking to his boss. These boxes turn out to be illegal weapons being smuggled by a group of... freedom fighters? I guess? This, in turn, drags Young Man A into a shit storm of trouble when the illegal weapons are discovered in his truck. It also leads directly to tragedy for Young Man B as well, setting them both on wildly different but similarly dangerous paths. The whole idea that a simple act of kindness for a stranger sets off such a terrible series of events is pretty engaging. As it stands in the show right now, Young Man A is the more compelling character. He’s just a truck driver. He’s a coward who runs from danger and wants no part of any of this. But at the same time, he can be surprisingly brave at times (usually when a child is in danger). In a twist on the usual trope, these spurts of bravery are rarely rewarded. At least twice, his decision to act has led to heartbreaking tragedy. So far Young Man B is your typical “idealistic youth realizing the military isn’t comprised entirely of nice people” type of character. As such, he’s just not as interesting. He hasn’t had as much screen time though, so hopefully he’ll grow as a character. I guess it says a lot that I’ve written so much about the show, and almost all of it is about the plot. But the plot is really the only remarkable thing about it. In this case, that’s enough.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is, well, a bit of a trainwreck. And I’m not necessarily talking about the quality of the show. Let me explain: The show was marketed as a remake of the 2006 anime, which was one of my all-time favorite series. I was pretty excited about it. Lots of new fans who had never watched the original started this one. The first episode was okay. I wasn’t crazy about how shiny everything looked (I realize the original’s visuals are a bit dated now but at least they were unique, this new one looks like pretty much every harem anime from the past five years) but the story seemed to be doing good and I looooooved the use of the original opening theme song as the closer. Then episode two dropped, and the fandom basically exploded. The first few minutes of episode two reveal that this is not a remake, but a sequel! Shock! At first, I was impressed by this little bit of manipulation. It felt exciting to realize the truth. But then it dawned on me (and the rest of the fandom) that new viewers who came to watch this were screwed over. Those first few minutes of episode two spoil some very important things from the original series (we’re talking major spoilers here), and it’s going to ruin a lot of plot points for those who never watched the original and now want to go back and watch it first. So here’s a PSA: If you’re new to Higurashi and want to try this new series, DON’T unless you’re okay with watching a sequel that spoils the original.

Okay, so now let’s talk about this new series/sequel. First, the good points: The ending theme is GORGEOUS. Just... go watch it. Soak it up. The opening isn’t bad but I can’t help comparing it to the far superior original opening. Aside from the overly shiny and generic character designs, the rest of the visuals are pretty great. The scenery in particular is very nice. In terms of story, I like the idea of beginning each new “arc” by staying close to the original story, then throwing in some pretty wild deviations that make them end in completely different ways because a character that lived through the original is trying to make subtle changes (that so far have ended up turning out very badly). When it comes to the bad points, one in particular sticks out: It’s not scary! The original had some truly unsettling moments, and so far this one hasn’t even been creepy. It’s had some moments that obviously tried to be scary but have failed miserably. For example, the early scenes with Rena in the original were actually terrifying. But I felt none of the intensity or creepiness in this sequel. Still, it’s nice to see these characters again and to see how this story deviates as someone tries desperately to change the outcomes.

Haikyuu!! has another new season and... I don’t really know what to say about it. I’ve talked about this show several times now. Looks like this season is going to focus primarily on one long match, a concept I’m not crazy about. They also made the baffling decision to cut in with a full episode about a rival team’s match right in the middle of showing the match with the main team. I mean I love seeing more of the rival teams but it felt disjointed to do it this way. Still yet, it’s a fun and energetic show full of great characters and easily understood volley ball matches.

Jujutsu Kaisen is probably the most hyped up new show this season, and I would say it definitely deserves that hype. It’s a pretty familiar shounen fighting anime setup: A teenage boy acquires special powers and joins a school to train so that he can use those powers for good. However, following that formula does little to negate just how fun and well-done this series is. A lot of people have compared it to Naruto (the protagonist is a vessel for a powerful entity, he joins a trio of characters with a more serious and moody black-haired boy and a chick, and they have a badass teacher with silver hair who keeps his face partially covered). So sure, it’s like Naruto... except it’s much better than Naruto in every conceivable way. The animation and fight choreography are consistently fantastic. The main character is not the least bit annoying. The only chick in the group (there are more cool ladies in the story, just not in this group!) is a badass in her own right and her story and motivations have absolutely nothing to do with romantic interest in any of the guys. Even the teacher character is incredibly fun. The music is great, with my favorite ending theme of the season. You know it’s an excellent ending theme when people start making different versions of it using characters from other shows. It’s so, well, fun. A word I keep using here, because that’s the first word that comes to mind when I’m watching this series.

Talentless Nana is one of those shows that’s going to be difficult for me to talk about without spoiling a very cool surprise. This surprise comes at the end of episode one (basically, the show makes you think it’s about something, but turns out it’s about something completely different). So if you want to really enjoy that surprise, stop reading this and go watch episode one before coming back. If you’ve already watched it or don’t mind having the surprise spoiled, here we go: The first episode sets up the series to be a cheap Boku no Hero Academia knock-off. We have a school of “talented” (super powered) kids training to use their powers to save humanity from (so far) unseen monsters referred to as “the enemies of humanity”. We are told one boy has no “talent” or special power and he’s ridiculed for this. There’s a new transfer student named Nana, a super sweet and cheerful girl with pink hair who has the ability to read minds. There’s also another transfer student, a sullen and quiet boy named Kyouya who hasn’t disclosed what his “talent” is. With that setup, I think a lot of people were ready to dismiss it as “BNHA, but not as good”. But then, a few minutes before the first episode ends, we’re hit with the twist that reveals what this show is really about: Nana is the one with no “talent”. She lied about being able to read minds (the boy we thought had no talent did actually have one). She’s a totally normal human being, and she has been sent to infiltrate the school and kill off the students, the true “enemies of humanity” (called so because their powers make them incredibly dangerous). Thus, the show is about a normal human girl using only her wits and skill in manipulation to kill off super-powered individuals. Watching her work is an absolute delight. She is ruthless and incredibly intelligent, but she does have one major problem: the other transfer student Kyouya, who is at least as smart as she is and is suspicious of her right off the bat. But since he’s not sure she’s up to no good, he can’t really act on his suspicions. Nana in turn knows he suspects her, so she has to be careful around him. As a result, the two become “friends”, constantly watching and outmaneuvering each other. In this way, the series reminds me of the early, best parts of Death Note, with the mental sparring between Light and L. But the most fun you’ll have with this show is watching Nana come up with ways to deal with each new “talent” she comes across, from the ability to time travel to necromancy, all while having no special power of her own. The art is nice, a bit generic, nothing too fancy. The music is great, with one of the better opening themes this season.

Moriarty the Patriot focuses on the classic Sherlock antagonist Professor Moriarty. Let me get this out of the way first: I know next to nothing about Sherlock. I haven’t even watched any of the various tv shows about him. What I know of the character basically comes from mentions of him in Detective Conan. So I’m coming into this series with no preconceived notions about these characters and no other versions to compare them to. Anyway, Moriarty as a series is about class warfare. Moriarty as a character pretty much embodies the phrase “eat the rich”. If you’re familiar with the phrase and understand its meaning, you’ll probably like this show. Moriarty works as a professor, but his side job is as a “Crime Consultant”. He helps the poor lower classes get revenge on the cruel nobles and elites who have wronged them. This revenge most often involves murder. There’s something refreshing about how unapologetic it is. In most anime, the hero tries to find other ways to punish evil than by actually killing them, or there’s some lesson involved about how revenge isn’t the answer or how killing someone who wronged you makes you as bad as them. In this series, there’s absolutely none of that. People get their revenge and, so far as I’ve watched, seem to be living much happier lives afterwards. In this way the show totally avoids being preachy. The art is gorgeous, with classy character designs and lovely backgrounds. There’s a certain lushness to it. The music is very nice as well (particularly that poppy ending theme). The only downside is that this has probably ruined me for watching other versions of these characters now. I mean, once you see them as sexy anime pretty boys, it’s hard to see them as anything else.

Carry Over Shows From Previous Seasons:

Black Clover

Best of Season:

Best New Show: Jujutsu Kaisen

Best Opening Theme: Ikebukuro West Gate Park

Best Ending Theme: Jujutsu Kaisen

Best New Male Character: Moriarty (Moriarty the Patriot)

Best New Female Character: Nana (Talentless Nana)

[kanamesharisenwrites]

kh’s story snippet celebration sendoff, entry #3

Oh, I had so much fun with this twisted plunnie! And even though only the opening scene is complete, I did finish a first draft for the entire fic (which I’ve included). It’s rough and vague, but the whole plot concept is there!

Inspired by the story, The Ones that Walk Away from Omelas, by Ursula K Le Guin.

Fandom: Naruto Pairing: Kakashi Hatake/Sakura Haruno Word Count: 2217 Genre: canon-divergence!AU, drama, angst Rating: M Warnings: brief profanity, abduction, manipulation, brainwashing, dark fic

... [ kingdom come ]

"Where's Sakura?"

"Gone, obviously." Sasuke laughs, bloody spittle coating his lips. He groans as he pulls his body off the ground. Swelling from a large contusion over his left eye mars his fair face; there is a matching one at the base of his skull. His right arm, severed and cauterized, lies in the dust a few feet away. "If he didn't kill her, Tobi probably took her. He likes shiny new toys."

Kakashi bristles and widens his stance as Sasuke walks towards him. "I want to know what happened. Now."

"Relax, old man, I'm not looking for a fight." Sasuke picks up his arm and throws it over his shoulder. "Sakura told me to get my head out of my ass and go home. That's what I intend to do."

Kakashi eyes Sasuke with suspicion, searching his demeanor for tells of dishonesty. "After all these years, you’ll forgive me if I doubt your word. It's all a little too easy, don't you think?"

"Easy?" Sasuke scoffs and levels Kakashi with a hard stare. "I knew she only wanted to join me so she could capture or kill me. I decided to kill her first – chidori through the heart." A smirk twists Sasuke's mouth, sharp and cruel, as he watches Kakashi flinch. "One stab and I'd permanently slice through those bonds Naruto rants about. Only it didn't work. Her chakra neutralized my chidori when she grabbed my arm." Sasuke shakes his head, and his smirk softens. "What the hell have you guys been feeding her, anyway? She's as strong as a fucking ox."

Kakashi shrugs. "Ask Lady Tsunade."

"Figures. Sakura managed this," Sasuke gestures to his missing arm, "with nothing but a chakra scalpel. Pulled the rest of it through her body like she was unsheathing a sword. Then she beat me unconscious with my own severed appendage. Last thing I saw was the hole in her chest close up like it'd never been there."

 "You were a fool to underestimate her."

"So were you."

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Shikamaru gives Kakashi his weekly “state of the village” report.

Kakashi asks about Sakura sightings; there’s been none.

Shikamaru turns to leave, but stops. Tells Kakashi he thinks it’s time to give up the hunt.

After Shikamaru leaves, Kakashi stares out the office window and wonders aloud why he’s still there when everyone important to him is gone.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Sakura comes to him in a dream. She’s older - ethereal yet weary-looking. She reminds him why he needs to stay, about the good he brings to the village, to the world. When she goes to leave, he chases her, promises to find her. She looks puzzled.

“Why, sensei? I was never lost in the first place.”

Kakashi wakes up in tears.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

When Kakashi makes his weekly trip to the memorial, Karin is there. He’s tired and his memory is fuzzy; he doesn’t remember her at first. When he does, he’s surprised. He didn’t think she’d stay in the village without Sasuke.

“Visiting Konoha, huh?”

“Hardly.” She huffs. “I never left.”

“Strange. I never see you around.”

“I keep a low profile. The village isn’t especially kind to Orochimaru’s castoffs.”

“Why do you stay, then?”

Karin pauses, her fingers hovering over Sasuke’s name. When she speaks, it’s slow, deliberate.

“Because that’s what he would’ve wanted. For me to carry on in his stead.”

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi dreams of Sakura again. She seems disconcerted that he acknowledges her - you weren’t supposed to know that I’m here, sensei - but speaks with him anyway. It’s a soft, gentle conversation, and it lulls him into a deeper, dreamless sleep.

He wakes up more rested than he has in a long time, but his mind anxious.

Sakura seemed too sentient for a figment of his subconscious.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Shizune comes to see him, asks how life as Hokage is going.

Kakashi admits it’s boring - too much paperwork, too little action. Village life has become too idyllic since the end of the war, to the point that it feels unnatural.

Shizune says she feels it too.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi starts dreaming of Sakura every night. 

He tells her silly stories about the new batch of genin trying to unmask him. She shares some of Tsunade’s most “creative” teaching techniques.

She asks him how the village is doing. He tries to explain how it’s so perfect it feels wrong, but can’t quite find the words. Her coy smile suggests she understands anyway.

He asks her to stop calling him “sensei.” She laughs and calls him “Lord Hokage.”

He thanks her for keeping his nightmares at bay. She asks him what his nightmares are, but he doesn’t answer.

After a few nights where he dreams they walk through the forest without talking, he finally opens up.

Before her, he dreamed about lightning and blood: his chidori through Rin’s chest; Obito crushed and plucking out his own eye in offering; Naruto and Sasuke’s lifeless bodies on the battlefield still holding hands; searching for Sakura in an endless maw of darkness.

Sakura holds his hand and cries. Her hand feels so real, so warm and solid, that it wakes him up.

In his next dream, he confronts her. Begs her to tell him where she went, what happened to her. Sakura goes pale. When she tries to speak, she writhes in pain as if the words she meant to say were choking her. She falls to her knees and looks up at him, still no words falling from her open mouth. But he sees it - the Root seal on her tongue. 

He wakes up angry.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi calls Sai to his office and asks questions about Root. Even though it’s been years since Danzo’s execution, Sai can’t answer and it leaves Kakashi frustrated as well as angry.

That night, Kakashi doesn’t dream of Sakura. He dreams of the absence of her.

He dreams about capturing Sasuke and bringing him back. Of entrusting Sakura's rescue to Naruto and Sai. Of their return, empty-handed.

He dreams of Naruto’s grief and anger and disbelief - that Root (Danzo) captured Karin, but found no trace of Sakura. Of Sai's silent lips and clenched fists.

The memories fall away and Kakashi calls for Sakura in the dark void of his dream until his throat is raw. 

She doesn’t come.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi sees Karin at the memorial again.

She seems agitated, on edge, but she extends a gruff invite to her place for tea.

He declines.

She tells him she lives in a small house painted yellow at the foot of Hokage Mountain, if he changes his mind. 

That night he dreams of Obito, of the Tobi mask falling away revealing his old teammate. Of cruel taunts - so, poor, tragic, Kakashi lost another kunoichi - and cryptic denials - come on, Kakashi, I’d need more than one Sharingan to capture that sweet little cherry - and unfounded accusations - sounds like an inside job, if you ask me. 

Kakashi wakes in a cold sweat.

Then he goes in search of Karin’s house.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Karin seems almost relieved to see him. She opens the door and he steps inside. Immediately, he can feel it; Sakura’s chakra signature rolls over him like a wave.

Karin leads him to the basement.

Sakura sits in a dingy, old recliner in nothing but a bra and training shorts. A crown of wires connects her to a wall of softly whirring machinery. She opens her brilliant green eyes and smiles.

“Kakashi!”

He turns to Karin. “Unhook her. Now.”

“It’s not as simple as that. If we--”

“If you don’t do it, I will.”

“No, you can’t!” Sakura screams. “If you do, the village will be destroyed!”

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi sits silently fuming in a meeting with the village council and the daimyo. They throw a lot of facts around: higher birth rates, reduced healing times for injuries, near elimination of sickness, increased shinobi numbers and quality, improved financial stability, etc. It doesn’t take long for him to realize.

“You authorized this project of Danzo’s.”

“Of course. How else do you think he got the technology to accomplish such a feat?”

“I suppose it’s pointless to petition for this project’s end.”

“We truly are sorry, Kakashi. We didn’t know your kunoichi was the one chosen for the experiment. But it has turned out so well for the village. I hope you understand.”

“I do,” Kakashi says. 

He walks out.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi visits Karin and Sakura again, asks them to tell him everything they know about Sakura’s situation: unhooking Sakura will reverse all the good her chakra network has accomplished.

Absolute, utter destruction, they say.

Kakashi seethes. “Danzo was a fucking liar.”

“Maybe.” Sakura shakes her head. “But I can’t take that chance.”

Kakashi storms off.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi summons Shikamaru.

“The safety of our civilians has been weighing on me.”

“You know something I don’t?”

“Just… been thinking. How many times has a significant threat infiltrated our security in your lifetime, Shikamaru?”

“Point taken. What do you want to do?”

“I want you to develop a village-wide evacuation plan. Be sure to include provisions for temporary shelter and two week’s worth of rations for every family. I expect a working model ready for drills by the end of the month.”

“Yes, Lord Hokage.”

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

Kakashi arrives at Karin’s house with Sai. He tells her to leave, to follow the rest of her neighbors to their designated rendezvous point.

“She’s gonna hate you.”

“I know.”

When Kakashi enters the basement, Sakura is waiting for him, ready to strike. 

“Don’t make me fight you.”

“It’s time to let go, Sakura.”

“I can’t. The village will collapse and people will die. I can’t have that on my conscience. I can’t be why Konoha disappears!”

“Konoha isn’t a place. It’s the people who live with the will of fire in their hearts. And those people have been evacuated. They are safe. Konoha will survive.”

Sakura squares her shoulders and chin, digging in her heels. “I’m a kunoichi. My purpose is to be of use to my village, no matter the sacrifice.”

“You are of more use to your village free than you will ever be wasting away in this damned basement!”

“But the village--”

“Fuck the village. It can burn to the ground as long as I know you’re safe. You’re it, Sakura. You’re all I have left.” Kakashi's voice cracks. “I can’t lose you to this.”

Sakura lowers her fists. “I’m scared.”

“I know. But it will be okay, I promise.” Kakashi presses the button on his earpiece. “Shikamaru, are we good to go?” After the affirmative answer crackles in his ear, Kakashi turns back to Sakura. “Do you trust me?”

Sakura nods.

“Sai is waiting for us upstairs. He’s ready to fly us out of here if needed.” Kakashi takes her hand. “Tell me what to do.”

“You’re sure everyone is safe?”

“I’m sure.”

“Flip that lever.”

The rumbling begins almost immediately. Kakashi scoops her up, pulling the crown from her head and smashing it to the ground. Sai spies them from his perch on his ink bird and if he’s surprised by Sakura’s presence, he doesn’t show it. They fly away, watching as a crater of rubble forms where Konoha once stood.

Sakura weeps as Kakashi holds her to his chest.

.

.

.

[ .oOo. ]

There are a lot of questions. He answers them as honestly and as vaguely as he can, leaving Sakura out of the story altogether. Some people are scared. Some are angry. Most are just thankful for their tents, their food, and their lives. This isn’t the first time they’ve had to rebuild.

After the village settles down for the night, Kakashi patrols the perimeter of the wreckage. The only thing left intact is the memorial stone. He stands there for a long time reading the names carved on its surface. The moon rises and the first chill of autumn settles in his bones.

Someone takes his hand… Sakura.

“Do you regret it?” she asks.

“No,” he answers. She shivers, so he pulls her into his arms. “Do you?”

"Yes."

The word leaves her on an exhale, as quiet and forceful as the wind. A tear escapes her, splatters against the chilled skin of his forearm.

"It's gut-wrenching, knowing what my freedom cost. I think a part of me will always feel that way." She runs her fingers over their teammates' names, slow and reverent. "But one day, maybe..."

"Then I'll hold onto it for you."

She glances at him over her shoulder, confused. "Hold onto what?"

He breathes in deep, squeezing her tight. With a kiss to her temple, he answers, "The hope for that one day."

[myaekingheart]

kakashi for the ask game! :D

Oh this is gonna be dangerous xD (and also really fucking long I’m so sorry lmfao)

send me a character and i’ll list...

favorite thing about them It’s so hard to pick, but I think his resilience. Kakashi has genuinely been through hell and back and yet he keeps going. His character development in Naruto is one of my absolute favorite things, the way he starts out as this seemingly apathetic but deep down very guarded character who ultimately grows to love his students and make peace with his past and finally find some happiness. He’s the man who lost everything and still keeps going and maybe it’s just because I, too, am a depressed bitch but that’s always bee super comforting to me and felt very reassuring. Like if Kakashi can hit rock bottom but pull himself up out of that pit and find happiness and success, then so can I.

least favorite thing about them I don’t even know if I have a least favorite thing about him. I honestly love everything about him. I guess the closest thing I can get to a least favorite thing would be that I wish we saw more of him goofing off and having tons of fun like when he and Guy raced in Shippuden. Hearing Kakashi laugh and joke around was just so good for my soul.

favorite line Oh no there are so many, I can’t pick just one. My favorite contenders are: “Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu: One Thousand Years of Death!” “Behind this mask...is another mask! Pretty cool, huh?” “I’m telling you this because you don’t get it. You think you get it which is not the same as actually getting it, get it?” “Those who break the rules are scum but those who would abandon a comrade are worse than scum” “I won’t allow my comrades to die. I’ll protect you with my life. Trust me.” “It’s like an acorn.” “Sorry I’m late, I’m afraid I got lost on the path of life.” “Sorry I’m late, a black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way around.” “For those who follow the path of revenge, it never ends well. You’ll only tear yourself apart and even if you succeed and you get your revenge, what will you get then? Nothing. Emptiness.” “So it looks like neither of us have led a charmed life exactly. But still, we’re not all that bad off. At least you and I have found new comrades to help fill the void.” “Calm down, Naruto. Slow your breathing down” (mainly because this scene just gets me every time as someone who has had severe panic attacks for twenty years lmfao) There was also another “sorry I’m late” excuse that I don’t remember exactly and cannot for the life of me find but it was from a picture I saw somewhere, looked like it was maybe from a video game? Where Kakashi said something to genin Naruto and Sakura about the path of love or something? And they’re staring at him flustered pointing insisting “That’s...a lie!” Like I can recall the image clear as day in my head but I cannot for the life of me find it.

brOTP Hands down Guy. I mean, I ship them, too, but I just really love their friendship especially. Guy just really brings out the best in him and provides this really nice foil to Kakashi’s personality. I genuinely think Kakashi would’ve been done for if not for Guy’s loyalty and optimism. Their friendship is so fun and the two of them together never fail to make me smile.

OTP Does my KakashixOC ship count? Because if it does, then that’s my OTP. I have spent way too much time and energy on their relationship for it to not be. That probably sounds super cliche and maybe a little Mary-Sue-ish but I don’t even care, Rei and Kakashi are my magnus opum and I love them. I’m also just really, really proud of the way I’ve written their relationship. So much of their bond is informed by my own relationship with my fiance, and I think my own experiences have really evolved my understanding of what real intimacy in a romantic relationship looks like. It’s not so much about flowers and chocolates and date nights as it is about caring for and comforting the person you love, spending quality time with them, making them laugh and smile, being 110% yourself around them, and providing for them in their times of need. I have never written a relationship so real and specifically raw before, and there’s a lot of intricacies that I’ve worked in as well, that just overall make me incredibly proud of the progress I’ve made on their story, and proud of the story I’ve been creating for them in general. But if an OC ship doesn’t count for OTP, I really like Kakashi with Shizune, Guy, Yamato/Tenzo, and Iruka.

nOTP Oh god I have quite a few. I really don’t enjoy focusing on negatives nor do I want to start ship wars so I’ll keep these explanations brief. I can’t stand Kakashi and Sakura, the mere thought of it makes me *this close* to puking. I take big issue with ships in general between characters that met when one of them was a child and the other an adult, though. It just comes off incredibly pedophilic to me and makes me nauseous. The other big ship I take issue with is Kakashi and Rin but that’s more of a personal issue because their relationship, and Rin’s character in general, hit way too close to home (in a very warped and psychotically symbolic way) to some really traumatic stuff I dealt with in the past that took me years and lots of therapy to deal with, and it still trips me up to this day. It’s not anything that anyone in fandom has done or anyone who ships Kakashi and Rin with each other, it’s just a matter of me noticing parallels between the ship and my own trauma that make it incedibly hard for to tolerate content of it. Just to tack these on, as well, but I also really dislike him with Hanare from the filler episode and with Kahyo from the book Lightning in the Icy Sky. The romance with Hanare just felt really disingenuous to me like I can tolerate it, but it’s not my favorite. And as for Kahyo, I blame bad writing. The fact that the book was referring to her as “the woman who has Kakashi’s heart” literally within like two pages of them meeting really pissed me off. I couldn’t even finish the book so I can’t even speak on the rest of the relationship but I just got so turned off by the entire story in general because the romance was so unbelievable and abrupt. I feel like anyone who has read my fic, though, likely has picked up on my opinions on these, though. Not that I’m writing ship hate or anything because I’m not, but there have been little plot points here and there that have kind of touched on my feelings on these ships.  

random headcanon I have way too many but here’s one of them, I guess, though this is more a musing than a headcanon. I think, when the war is over and Kakashi can finally catch his breath, he goes through a bit of an identity crisis as he comes to terms with the fact that he no longer has his sharingan. After all, he had Obito’s eye for almost twenty years. Learning to function without it is going to be incredibly difficult but not only that, so much of his identity was founded on his secondhand sharingan. Who even is he without it? Does he even recognize himself anymore? And how can he ever live up to the reputation he’s garnered over so many years now that the source of all of his power is gone for good? Yes, he was a prodigy before the sharingan and he is still capable without it, but it’s going to be a big change and take a huge toll on him and his perception of himself.

unpopular opinion I’m glad Kakashi has never been given an explicitly canon love interest. Honestly, I don’t want him to have one. As much as he deserves to find love and start a family with someone, from a fandom perspective I much prefer him being open and available. It creates a much more flexible interpretation of him and his love life so that we, the fans, can write him however we damn well please and I think that’s pretty fantastic. I think it’s safe to say that Kakashi is one of if not the most heavily shipped character in the fandom and everyone has very strong opinions on who he belongs with and even how he idenifies from a sexuality perspective. I can only imagine the uproar that would come from finally giving him a canon love interest because you absolutely cannot please everyone. In a way, I feel like Kakashi is just a character who belongs to all of us. He is something different for every single person in fandom whether that’s someone to look up to and seek guidance from, someone to protect and root for, someone to relate to and find comfort in, someone to love and/or lust after. Or in my case a precious emotional support ninja husbando. I don’t know if he would’ve had quite the same effect on fandom if he had been canonically shipped with someone from the get-go, but I’m grateful that he never was and I hope he never will be so he can continue playing the role in fandom that he has been for so many years. That probably sounds selfish, though, but I just really want him to remain a character that belongs to all of us and is not inhibited by canon in terms of who he loves and how he identifies.

song i associate with them Again, there’s so fucking many so I’m just gonna list some of my favorites. Sign by Flow Friendships by Pascal Letoublon Hospital for Souls by Bring Me the Horizon SCARECROW by My Chemical Romance Disguise by Motionless in White-- this is a big one, especially the line “sick of wearing a mask, sick of hiding my face, sick of every motherfucker that is in my way, sick of digging for answers while you bury the truth, fuck your method to my sadness, I will bury you” like it just reminds me of ANBU Kakashi specifically, but overall his character development in coming to terms with his past and crawling out of his depression, too.

favorite picture of them Again...there’s multiple x_x

[hit-sound-17]

Hot Chocolate and Marshmallows (Joshua)

Member: Joshua Hong with mentions of Vocal Unit

Prompt: Hot Chocolate

Summary: Y/N spills their hot chocolate all over Joshua the first time they meet.

Pronouns: they/them

Trigger Warning(s): cursing

Length: 1.9k words

Y/N and Joshua’s first meeting was one out of a story — yes, we’re breaking the fourth wall here — where they happened to be at a cafe, having ordered a nice cup of hot chocolate to combat the freezing weather outside. Being slightly spaced out and saying goodbye to the very handsome barista named Hansol, Y/N wasn’t looking where they were going and ended up colliding with someone else, namely, Joshua Hong.

Hot chocolate went flying, and out of the corner of his eye, Joshua saw Hansol wince as boiling liquid splattered all over his chest. “Fuck, I’m so sorry, are you okay? I should have been a bit more careful, I was saying goodbye to my friend and I-” Joshua raised a hand up, simply sighing. “I’m fine, don’t worry about it. This is an old jumper I was planning to throw out anyway. It’s pretty thick, so I didn’t feel any of the drink at all.” Whoever had crashed into him seemed to be apologetic, and that was good enough for him. It was an accident, after all.

Joshua was known across university campus for being one of the nicest seniors in Carat University, and upon crashing right into him, Y/N was pretty much in shock. “Can I take it for dry cleaning? I’m pretty good at getting stains out and I’ll give you one of my friend’s sweaters to wear, he keeps a good amount of them stocked at my place and-” He cuts the rambling student off, chuckling. “Okay, okay. If it’ll set your mind at ease, then yes, I’ll go with you and get a change of clothes.”

“Great! Wonderful, just follow me. Hansol, I’m so sorry about this mess!” Hansol shakes his head, chuckling as he waves his friends away. Joshua walks alongside Y/N, awkward silence enveloping them. “So, uh, what’s your name again?” He asks, hoping that it’ll ease the tension. “I’m Y/N, I go to Carat Uni, and I do music, more specifically composing and arranging songs.” Y/N flashes Joshua a sheepish smile, and somehow, it makes his heart flutter ever so slightly.

Ah, he thinks, so this is the cute junior Jihoon was talking about, the one who makes beautiful songs. “I’m Joshua, I do music as well, I’m surprised we haven’t really seen much of each other.” He introduces, unaware that Y/N knows who he is. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, sunbae.” As the words leave Y/N’s mouth, the same awkward silence descends once again, leaving Joshua unsure of what to say.

Fortunately, the walk to Y/N’s dorm room isn’t far, and they let him in, with a warning that the place probably isn’t very tidy, they didn’t expect any guests after all. It’s all very rushed — Joshua has a class to run to, and he quickly selects a sweater, changes and leaves — and he doesn’t see Y/N again.

Well, at least not for a week.

-

“Who do you think you’ll get as a partner? I can’t believe we’re going to get to partner with the seniors for this composition project!” Y/N’s best friend, Seungkwan rattles on as your eyes light up at the prospect of working with more experienced seniors. Not that the year’s students were bad, but well, they were pretty bad. Only Seungkwan was good to work with, and never got put in the same group. Some bullshit about how friends shouldn’t be in the same groups all the time, and whatever.

“Hey, our professor finally uploaded our pairings! Check them out, I got Yoon Jeonghan!” A loud voice called from across the room, most likely belonging to one Lee Seokmin. “Ooh, quick, let’s check!” Seungkwan accessed the student portal, and opened the file containing the pairing names, as Y/N leaned in to take a good look. “Cool, I got Jihoon sunbae! Look Y/N, your name’s right under mine.” They look at their partner’s name, before throwing their head back and groaning. On the pair list, as fate would have it, of course their partner would be the one person they had embarrassed themselves in front of.

Y/N and Joshua Hong.

-

After receiving an email from Joshua — neither had the other’s number — Y/N agreed to meet with him at the school’s audio lab, where Joshua had booked a session.

The meeting had gone by smoothly, though it was obvious the two were still slightly awkward with each other. Y/N listened very intently to Joshua’s ideas, and he, in turn, was responsive to theirs. He wouldn’t admit to it later when he was teased about it by Jeonghan and Jihoon, but he felt his chest tighten when Y/N’s eyes lit up as they began composing the song. It sounded like a brag, but he was tired of all his partners fawning over him because of his reputation, whereas Y/N, though awkward and shy, only cared about the quality of work they put out.

And he found himself intrigued more and more with each meeting.

-

“Jihoon sunbae is so tough on me, he keeps scolding me while we’re working!” Seungkwan whined, head slumped on the table he was sitting at. Y/N shrugs as they stuff their face with whatever leftovers they’d brought from home. “I’m having a fine time with Joshua sunbae. Jihoon sunbae is fine, Kwan. You’re just too loud and overexcited for him, you know how he is.” Seungkwan snorts, reaching over to flick Y/N gently on their forehead. “Yeah, yeah. Next time you work with him.”

“Seungkwan, Y/N!” Joshua’s sweet voice calls out from a distance, and the two turn their heads to look at him. He’s followed by a grumpy Jihoon, who appears to be grumbling. Y/N gives Seungkwan a cheeky look, almost mocking him as Seungkwan does his best to hold back a frown. “Hey Joshua sunbae, what’s up?” Joshua laughs softly, hand on the nape of his neck. “We saw you and thought it’d be a good idea to just talk about our projects over lunch, if that’s okay? Also, stop calling me sunbae, it makes me feel old.” Seungkwan shifts, allowing Joshua to sit next to him, and in front of you, while you do the same for Jihoon.

Y/N barely notices Seungkwan and Jihoon after that — they’re too busy listening to what Joshua has to say, Joshua’s too busy talking to Y/N to even notice either — and the two stop bickering and look at the duo quizzically. Jihoon gives Seungkwan a knowing look, and that’s when it starts.

They watch on, somewhat silently, as Joshua reaches over the table to pat Y/N’s hand occasionally, or as Y/N giggles at something funny Joshua says, and come to the conclusion that perhaps there’s something that happened over the course of the past two weeks.

When Joshua and Jihoon leave, Seungkwan almost smacks Y/N across the table in excitement. “So, since when did you start liking him?” Face turning a deep shade of pink, Y/N stutters out a sheepish response, and Seungkwan almost yells. “So you do like him! Spill all the details.”

Finally, an hour later, Seungkwan stops interrogating his best friend about this development, and takes his phone out to text Jihoon. Hyung, I think we need a game plan. Jihoon’s response is quick, and brief.

I have a plan.

-

“Okay, how about adding another drum kit here, and adding a distortion here?” Joshua leans towards Y/N, his arm draped around their shoulder. “Yeah, that sounds perfect.” And it almost is, the way Y/N seemingly leans into his touch, leaving a light pink stain on Joshua’s cheeks. “Alright, it’s almost nine, I think we should head out, our session’s almost over.” Y/N yawns, stretching as they do so.

Joshua chuckles, saving their work on his thumb drive — Naruto themed, Y/N did tease him about it when they saw it — and slips it into his pocket. “Sure, wanna grab some supper after this?” Joshua can’t help but smile fondly at the younger as their cheeks turn ever so slightly red, and they nod enthusiastically. “Let’s go, we can go to that nice ramen place you like, how about that?”

Y/N slings their bag over their shoulder, reaching for the doorknob. “That sounds perfect. Let’s get out of here- hey, I can’t seem to get this open.” Try as they might, the door doesn’t work. “Are we... locked in? I thought the studio doesn’t close until ten, and Seungkwan and Jihoon go after us-” Joshua groans as he grasps the situation. As if on cue, his phone buzzes, and he checks it. As expected, it’s a text from Jihoon. Hey hyung, we’re gonna get you to sort out your feelings. Have fun! In case you’re hungry, we left some snacks in the cupboard.

Almost like a deer in headlights, Y/N looks up from their phone as well, having received what Joshua assumes to be a similar text from Seungkwan. “So, um, I didn’t know Seungkwan and Jihoon sunbae were this close, haha, that’s a bit shocking...” The smile on Joshua’s face doesn’t fade, he deems it impossible when Y/N’s standing there, slumped against the door, cheeks red and expression embarrassed.

“Look, I assume that Seungkwan and Jihoon know what’s going on, so I’m going to set it straight for all of us.” Joshua strides over to Y/N, confidently, and Y/N’s sure their cheeks are so, so red.

“I like you, very much. I think you’re adorable. I like it when you get serious when we produce our song, I like it when you bite your lip when you’re not sure about something, I like it when you get close to me, as if you don’t even realize it. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’ve got the biggest crush on you.” Joshua’s breath is so close — too close, Y/N thinks — and Y/N whispers quietly in response, “I like you too, Joshua.”

A big grin spreads across Joshua’s face as he wraps his arms around Y/N. “I was so worried you didn’t like me back, and I just completely messed everything up.” Y/N chuckles, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. “Impossible, I think I messed everything up when I spilled hot chocolate on you the first time we met.”

Joshua snorts, “You can be clumsy, but I think it’s endearing. Next time, let’s go have some hot chocolate. Don’t spill it on me again though, I don’t have any more old jumpers.” Y/N almost giggles, the sweet sound making Joshua’s heart melt. “Well, we can do that later. But for now, we’re stuck here for the next hour.”

“Yeah, that’s right. I think I know something we can do to pass the time...” Joshua reaches for Y/N’s cheek with one hand, stroking it gently. “Let me know if you don’t want this, okay?” He leans closer, lips barely an inch from Y/N’s. He’s about to finally kiss them, something he’s been dreaming about for a while, when a sharp knock snaps him out of his trance.

“You kids alright in there? I noticed someone took my keys, and I found a spare set.” Joshua frowns, exhaling deeply. “We’re fine, please let us out!” Y/N buries their head in the crook of Joshua’s neck, and whether it’s from embarrassment or happiness, he doesn’t know.

They let go of each other as the janitor opens the door, and Joshua takes Y/N’s hand in his as they leave together, whispering something so quiet, even Y/N isn’t sure if they heard him right.

“We’re going to continue this later, I promise.” As they exit the building, Y/N’s very sure they’re going to have a very, very eventful evening with the handsome man by their side.

Bonus Scene:

Thank you, Jihoon. It went well. :) — Shua

You’re welcome, hyung. Now stop making out in front of us. We can see. — Jihoon

Thirteen Days of Shulia Masterlist

[theliterarywolf]

So... Let's talk about Hetalia. Controversies, Specifically.

Tagging @apply-force-too-begin since they’re the one who was interested.

Hetalia was one of my first big fandoms outside of 'The Big Three' anime (Naruto, Bleach, One Piece) and outside of video games (mostly whatever wee babby weeaboo me could get on the Gamecube).

And, you know what? It's a dumb, silly anime about stereotypes, poking fun at the absurdities of History, and one's relationships with clashing cultures. It's dumb... But, remember, we all need our daily thirty minutes of dumb. And some of the characters are cute.

And, you know what? Most of the most engaging aspects of the fandom were those who used the initial shallow splash of history that the anime gave them to actually research and make engaging, well-written, culturally-sensitive content.

Of course, I'm not going to ignore how... Over-the-top some members of the fandom have been. We've seen how, whenever recent political conflict or natural disaster have occurred, we have to remind younger members of the Hetalia fandom to not cutsiefy it with the Hetalia characters. Examples that come to mind are: when the conflict between Russia and Ukraine was surging up, kids kept trying to draw art of 'Russia just wants his big sister back~!', and the last major earthquake that hit Japan that had people making fanart of the Japan character which, while some was tasteful and was meant to bring awareness and donations for Disaster Relief, not... all of it was...

Hell, that’s not even bringing into account the last time I went to Anime Expo (way back during Hetalia’s hayday), I was walking around and saw a bunch of Russia and Baltic State cosplayers being interviewed by the news and the one dressed up in a USSR uniform was holding up a Communist flag and shouting ‘Whoo! SOVIET TAKEOVER!!’

However, one thing that I have noticed, while researching for this write-up, was this:

Most of the controversies and pieces of fandom-wank that have surrounded Hetalia and its fandom... Aside from one instance... Are the results of the Western-fandom and Western-localization of the anime  via Funimation.

Aside from one... Most of the issues surrounding Hetalia are due to the West and not even the source media in of itself.

So, with that in mind, let's talk about the main controversies of both Hetalia and its fanbase.

Controversy 1 – The South Korea Controversy/Protests

As I recently answered a question about this, so I'll just pull that answer for this segment:

'To summarize it: there’s a Hetalia character meant to represent South Korea. As every Hetalia character has a gag related to them (America gorges himself on fast food and constantly proclaims himself to be the Hero, Italy is cowardly, Germany is constantly angry, China constantly builds Chinatowns wherever he goes and sells bootleg merchandise, etc), so did S. Korea.

His gag was calling all the other Asian countries ‘big brother’ as well as groping the chests of male characters (China and Japan mostly), proclaiming ‘these mountains belong to South Korea, da ze!’

Of course, people would draw pictures of S. Korea doing his thing but one day during a meeting between a bunch of South Korean politicians and representatives, someone brought out a piece of fanart that depicted S. Korea groping Japan’s chest with the latter looking embarrassed and what not.

They interpreted the character as being an offensive, lecherous stereotype that was somehow belittling S. Korea’s worth as a country.

There were a bunch of small protests until, finally, Himaruya Hidekazu (the creator of Hetalia) just decided to say “you know what? Fine! I’m not getting rid of the character but he’ll never appear in the anime adaptation, okay?!’

So… Yeah! Fun times…'

Magnitude of Controversy – MAJOR

Like... In what universe is 'this meme hurt my feewings, we need to take VALUABLE TIME DURING GOVERNMENT FORUMS to talk about it RATHER THAN OTHER PRESSING ISSUES' a good response? And the fact that people took to the streets to protest? Come on, guys! There's so much more to worry about in this world...

Controversy 2 – Emperor Heliogabalus and Himaruya's 'Transgender Erasure'

There was a section of time where Himaruya Hidekazu, rather than focusing on the nation characters of the series, made chapters and updates about certain historical figures. They were all done for laughs while interspersing various bits of trivia and facts about them.

One of these updates centered around the Roman emperor Heliogabalus (or 'Elagabalus'). And this is where certain portions of this hellsite got soooooo upset...

You see, Himaruya titled the update centered on Heliogabalus as 'The Emperor Who Tried to Live as a Woman... Even Though He Was Really a Guy'.

Almost immediately people were typing up callout posts about how 'transphobic' Himaruya was for the title and 'how dare he misgender my precious trans baby~!' or 'this just goes to show how ignorant Japanese people are to Western history' and so many more, all because Himaruya didn't use out-and-out female pronouns for Heliogabalus.

Now. Mm, two things!

One! This was during the time when Himaruya had an open blog where, not only did he post pictures and updates about where in the world he was traveling and what he was researching, but it also had an inbox that was open for people to send insight to him.

So, if people were really incensed by this, you would think that they would use such a means to let a creator know 'hey, this is kind of problematic; can you edit it to show this information', right?

Right?

NO ONE tried to inform Himaruya of their upset; they literally didn't want an answer, they just wanted to be upset!

But, here's the kicker: the guy that all of these people were stanning for? Emperor Heliogabalus?

WASN'T FUCKING TRANS!!

The real Heliogabalus was a sadistic little shit who was connivingly put on the throne by his mother via a bunch of espionage and assassinations... Who, as thanks, had his own mother murdered once he was emperor. Other wonderful exploits of this 'icon' that tumblr kids decided to stan was:

Getting politicians and countrymen drunk and then, while they were passed out, brought in lions to kill and eat them

Deciding 'fuck Jupiter, Helios is my husbando – We're all going to worship him now!'

Completely wrecking Rome's monetary system

Promising favors to his lovers (whom he called his 'husbands' despite not making anything official) that strictly contradicted favors to his other lovers

And just generally being a hot mess

So... why were tumblr children so insistent on him being a transgender woman?

You ready for this?

Okay.

Because he occaisionally dressed in women's clothing and called his male lovers his 'husbands'.

Yeah.

One of the earliest case of tumblr children trying to ruin someone's life because they didn't follow their headcanons.

Magnitude of Controversy – Honestly, this was just fandom-wank. But it was one of the earlier instances of fandom brats using serious terms (transphobia) to justify being upset at a creator not following their headcanons.

Controversy 3 – The Passover Photoshoot

…

…

I'm sorry, just...

Everytime I remember or have to go over this one, I have to stop and reflect; maybe grab a drink.

…

Okay.

So, pretty early into the Western reaches of the Hetalia fandom, a group of friends and Hetalia fans decided to meet up together at a mall for a cosplay photoshoot.

Okay. Cool. Fine.

They were all dressed up as their favorite characters from the series! Germany, Austria, Hungary, P-Prussia, Holy... Roman Empire...

Ahem. Okay. Cool. Fine.

So, they get to the mall and start taking pictures. But then someone in the group gets the amazing idea for everyone to do certain poses.

I... You know, why did I start this, I could have just not done thi--

Nazi salutes. You had a bunch of dumb kids dressed up as Germanic nations. Performing Nazi salutes and shouting 'Heil Hitler'.

Now, as bad as this was... you could have just drawn it out as shitty edgelord humor; we still have plenty of that going on today.

H-however. There were two factors that made this photoshoot 50 Shades of Tasteless.

Number one. This photoshoot took place during Passover.

And number two. The mall that this photoshoot took place at...

WAS JUST A HOP, SKIP, AND A JUMP FROM THE UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MUSEUM!!!

This is the one, THE ONE, instance where, anytime someone talks about 'lol, young Hetalia fans are so cringey', this is what pops into my head.

Those of us older members of the fandom can never fucking forget this. Yeah, the perpetrators were called out; yeah, they learned their lessons, yeah it opened up a conversation about appropriate behavior in fandom. But this one event will always remain as the big 'Ooh, baby, nooooo! What are you doing?!' moment in the fandom.

Even moreso than what the current batch of hatedum is about.

Magnitude of Controversy – Huge. The South Korea controversy was discussed on a governmental scale, but the Passover Photoshoot is what remains as the biggest mark on the fandom.

Controversy 4 - FUCKING FUNIMATION!!

Okay, I... 

This one is so infuriating because it’s the result of Funimation just not giving a DAMN.

So, Hetalia got popular enough to be localized! Yay... And it was going to be handled by Funimation. Yay... They do quality work... Sometimes.

*kicks the Black Butler dub into the sun*

So, they dubbed Hetalia. And, you know what? So many questionable decisions went into this fucking dub. 

You have Vic Mignogna! You! *clap* Have! *clap* Vic! *clap* Mignogna! You could have easily put him as one of the Axis characters or the Allied characters and you...

Don’t use him...

Until three seasons down the line...

And then you have him as Greece. 

A character who barely says anything.

... And this was WAY before the clusterfuck of KickVic, so they really had no excuse. 

Oh, also! For China, who is a main character, maybe we should have an actual voice-actor?

Pssh! Fuck that shit, let’s just have some random chick from accounting voice him. 

... They literally had some random-chick from accounting do an overly stereotypical Chinese accent and said ‘yeah, that’s fine; print!’

And she gave us such... wonderful line-reads as: during the Hetalia movie Paint It, White! --

“SUCK BALLS! I knew za fortune cookie today was bad ruck~!”

But as bad as the dub got sometimes (Oh God, I’m having war flashbacks of Russia...), the exchange from the dub that people constantly point to as ‘see! This show was antisemitic all along!’ were these: 

Exchange 1 - 

S. Italy/Romano - ‘Hey asshole, I have a surprise for you~!’

Germany - ‘What is it? Another Jew?’

And, you know what? As asinine and idiotic as that brief exchange was... 

IT WASN’T IN THE ORIGINAL MATERIAL!

Funimation, in their infinite wisdom, wrote that in and thought ‘yeah, that’s fine; print!’

So, there goes another issue of ‘problem that only existed because of the idiocy of a Western presence’.

Magnitude of Controversy - Well, people are still talking about it, despite it literally being because of Funimation’s laziness, so...

'Controversy' 5 – The Civil War fanart

So, this segment will be short because it doesn't even need to exist. But, you may have noticed an upsurge in people hating on the series again; even going so far as to raid Discord servers for fans of the series with gore.

Hell, I even scrolled past one person doing a 'call to arms' for people to spam any server that has to do with Hetalia as a big 'gotcha'.

And you wanna know where this fandom-wank started?

Someone on tumblr re-posted an old piece of... questionable chibi fanart of Confederate!America and Union!America. Union!America is hiding a slave woman behind him while shouting at Confederate!America to 'Pick your own damn cotton!'

(deep breath... okay)

And, while the art in of itself is... not great, the fact that it is an old piece of fanart and that someone posted it onto tumblr for the 'lol, look at this cringe' lolz, is what rallied some people to start shitting on fans of the show and raiding servers.

There also may have been some drama over on picrew by some teenage LGBT user lashing out at the whole 'stop spamming Picrew with gay shit' sentiment and then some edgelord over on this hellsite screencapping their game and talking about 'lol, of course it would be a cringey Hetalian to post some dumb shit like this; get off the site, queer' but, honestly, this last one, while being the reason why people are acting dumber than usual, is the most inconsequential.

Magnitude of the Controversy – It would be minimal at best, especially compared to the other ones in this write-up, but like I said, it does have some trickling into the current hatedumb.

So, yeah, here was my little write-up/mini-dive into the madness. You guys can let me know if you want more insight or if you have any questions, and I love you and buh-bye!

[narutxuzumaki]

for the prompt: naruhina + being office co-workers

TO DO LIST

Reschedule meeting with Granny

Write up the finance paper for tomorrow

Read all my emails

Respond to Gaara. 

 Get Hinata to do that cause she’s awesome

Pretend that I know what I’m talking about when I meet with Kakashi

DON’T

Don’t bend Hinata over your desk. You both have shit to do

Don’t waste 10 mins of your time thinking abt eating her out

Don’t actually eat her out

Don’t get nearly caught by granny again

Don’t say you love her in the office!!!! V stupid, not romantic at all. Dumb              idea

 He groans loudly and flops back in his chair, rubbing his tired eyes. So far, he’s done shit all except make this list. The disadvantages of working with your girlfriend: he’s barely ever productive. He snorts and pushes himself up. Who’s he kidding? Hinata’s was effective and timely, her work was always good quality and she always pushed him to work harder. She had been the one to suggest making lists to keep his day on track. Yeah, his girlfriend was awesome.

None of that stopped it from all being torturous. (Who would have thought that there was a reason why work relationships were so discouraged? Certainly not him).

Apparently getting boners when your girlfriend – was ruthlessly efficient and good or wore skirts that were short or skirts that were too long or smiled or squinted her eyes or breathed for that matter – was considered unprofessional. They could all colour him shocked at that fact.

Had been two years since Hinata had started working alongside him and nearly five months since they had started going out. It was all great, except for the fact that he could barely complete his work and that he fantasised about burying his head between her legs in all types of boring and impractical places and that no one else was allowed to know. Yay co-workers.

Which was why the list was created. He couldn’t exactly have his ways with her with all their colleagues milling about. Dragging each other into closets and the photocopier room was all good fun for the first couple of months, wasn’t so great when you very nearly get caught and threatened with HR for eating your girlfriend in the meeting room. The list was a way of keeping some of his sanity.

Sai always remind him that this is stupid and if Hinata has already figured it out that she will but Sai is also a massive dick that needs to stop mooching off him and move out so.

Except, it wasn’t working, nearly as well as it was meant to. Not now that Naruto was certain that he’s met-the-love-of-my-life-sign-me-up-for-the-first-Disney-wedding-please. It was becoming harder to avoid doing all the things on the list when Hinata’s smile is enough to make his heart swell up to double its size and now that he’s seen all sides of her. He’s seen her happy and sad and crying and insecure and angry and he falls more and more in love with her with each reveal.

“You doing another list?” Hinata asks, going over to him from his desk. He quickly covers the list with some papers that he needs to sort and give to Kakashi. She thankfully doesn’t mention his hasty cover-up of it. Instead, leaning against his desk. His hand twitches, he wants to hold her hand so badly but her hands are in her lap and it’d be too obvious if he reached out to hold one. No hand holding, he thinks vaguely, reminding himself to add to the list.

“Yeah,” he laughs sheepishly, his hand scratching the back of his neck. “I have so much to do still.”

“Don’t be so embarrassed,” Hinata says tsking, “You know what my planner is like.” And he actually laughs at that cause Hinata’s planner is immaculate.

He signs into his emails, set on getting through them all but freezes at the sight of her applying a ruby red lipstick. Hinata’s eyes glitter with intent, smile amused and cheeks are flushed. He gulps hard but Hinata only smiles at him and pushes herself off his desk.

“I’ll see you later Naruto. Good luck with the work.” He swallows hard as she leaves, pulling out his list to scribble one more thing onto it. He’d need all the luck he could get if this was how his day was going to go.

DON’T

Think about kissing Hinata’s lipstick away

Think about Hinata kissing other places

THIS IS NOT THE TIME FOR A BONER

*

TO DO

Pay attention to the meeting

Ask Hinata for her notes at the meeting. Her notes are better

DON’T

Stare at Hinata’s ass

Stare at Hinata’s lips

Get caught by Sakura for staring at Hinata

Think about fucking Hinata in the meeting room

Get a boner

Get threated with a sexual harassment case for getting a boner 

To say that Naruto has no idea what this meeting about is a small statement. He hasn’t listened to what Kakashi has been saying for a good hour. Too busy mesmerised by Hinata being awesome. Does anyone understand how unbelievably hot it is to have your girlfriend take charge in a meeting and being good?

He won’t lie and say that her ass in that skirt is the best thing since fucking sliced bread. It really doesn’t help with keeping his mind on track.

He hasn’t been particularly good at avoiding any of the things on his list as of late. He chalks it up to last night. Hinata had stayed the night at his. He had woken up with her in his arms, soft and sleepy and beautiful. He couldn’t be blamed for his failure to compartmentalise, not entirely at least.

The meeting ends and everyone files out until its just him and Hinata. Being alone with her like this does something strange to him. Makes him feel all hot and twists up his all his insides. He’s not a horny rag-rat. He’s not but being so close to her, alone with her and yet not even being able to hold her hand or hug her or brush her hair out of his face messes with his head.

“I liked your ass in that.” Horror fills his stomach and Hinata’s face goes all bright red and no, this isn’t the time to be thinking about following that blush with his tongue. “I meant, I like what you said in there,” he says quickly, cursing all the while in his head. Hinata’s still blushing but the flush slowly recedes and she shifts towards him. So close to him that he could just touch her.

“I’m glad you enjoyed both,” She says slowly and there’s something heady and promising in her tone. It’s enough to make his mouth go dry and to lean towards her. They’re so close that if someone were to walk in, they wouldn’t be able to mistake what was happening. That no, this isn’t just two co-workers but something much more. His senses are full of Hinata and he can’t bring himself to care. Hinata is smarter though because she gently pushes him away, hands resting on his forearm for a moment too long and pulls away. Putting distance between the two. Disappointment fills the pit of his stomach but that soon transforms into heat at her next words.

“I’ll see you in the next meeting Mr Uzumaki.” And that was hot. He would have to add that moment to the Don’t list, he thinks to himself vaguely, watching her leave the room.

*

TO DO

Prepare for the court case tomorrow

Meet with client

Call Iruka to organise meal

DON’T

Ask Hinata to move in with you when she comes in

Shirk off your work so you can tell her that you love her

His sanity is hanging by a thread. Every time he sees Hinata at work, he can feel those three words dancing on the tip of his tongue. She had been eating her sandwich by his desk and all he could think to tell her that he loved her.

It was quickly becoming a problem.

Sai and to a lesser extent Sakura had both told him to man up and tell her. But once again, Sai was a dick. Sakura was a lot more sensible and steadier but he wasn’t just about to reveal his feelings to Hinata just because fucking Sai and Sakura said to.

“You’re distracted again,” Hinata’s voice pulls him out of his reverie and he sighs, pushing his hair back. She’s been helping him to prepare for this case for the last hour but they’ve gotten through only part of the research that she’s organised. He knows she’s confused and frustrated and he feels bad. He does but right now, he just needs space. He’s too scared of what he might blurt out if he’s in her presence for any longer. They had been dating for nearly six months now but everything was still fairly new. They were still co-workers. He would never be able to forgive himself if he fucked it up cause he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“Sorry, am gonna just hit the toilet,” he lies quickly. Hinata only sighs but he’s up and out before he can even wait for a response. He knows that he’s being stupid and unfair by acting like this. Knows that Hinata is probably in there worrying about him, mulling over his every word. He doesn’t want to ever make her feel sad, refuses to be anything like her dad. He just wants to make her happy but he’s been fucking even that as of late.

He’s never been one to run or hide. It’s always been his motto to face things on, to keep on going but with this stupid confession, he feels like some stupid kid again. Saying I love you to every single person that showed even the barest hint of kindness to every person except the ones that truly matter.

He fists are half clenched but he rolls his shoulder and breathes deeply. This is Hinata, good, kind, smart Hinata. There’s nothing to be scared about, he tries to tell himself but fear still settles in the pit of his stomach.

He walks back into the office but freezes at the sight before him. Hinata is behind his desk, holding the most recent list he had scribbled out. His brain short-circuits and falls into a frenzy and she’s the one blurting things out and stumbling over her words – “You love me?”

“Yes. What? Yes. Wait what?” No one knows this except Sai and Sakura and they had both just guessed. No ones ever asked before.

Hinata is looking up at him with eyes so big and bright, sparkling with happiness and tears and he moves towards her unbidden cause comforting Hinata when she’s upset is all muscle memory. Except she’s not upset. She’s blushing and there are tears even though she’s smiling as well and he just blurts out the truth because that’s the least confusing bit.

Hinata finally notices his panic, taking pity on him and explains.

“You’ve been acting strange all day. I thought you were stressed and wanted to help you sort some things on your list,” she explains this quickly, looking more and more guilty with each word. He tries his best to smile at her and shakes off her attempt to apologise.

“Don’t worry about it.” What he really means to say is – do you feel the same? He doesn’t cause he’s absolute chicken shit.

“Did you really mean what you said?” Hinata asks, her voice tiny and hopeful. He puffs out indignantly because of course, he does. Can’t imagine a time or moment where he doesn’t.

“Of course. I love you Hinata.” He says the words cause even if she doesn’t feel the same, she deserves to hear them said to her.

One moment Hinata is behind his desk and the next, she’s in his arms, kissing him, fingers twisted in his hair, nails scraping against his scalp and his hands are touching everywhere, as much as he can. Her waist, her face, hips, hair.

She pulls away and this is the moment where she’s going to push him away but his heart jumps at what she says: “I love you so much,” she says all this breathless. It’s him now pulling her closer, kissing her deeper, searching for purchase.

The kiss is heated and searing, she tastes of something sweet and his head is dizzy with want and Hinata and her confession is echoing in his head. Someone could walk in right now and he wouldn’t care. Not when she’s kissing him like this as if it’s the only thing that matters. Nope, Naruto isn’t stopping for anyone, he thinks to himself as he pushes her back against his desk.

[yetanotherauthor]

Pairing: Hashirama/Tobirama Word count: 3159 Rating: M Summary: It starts with good intentions until curiosity crops up. Curiosity becomes boldness, desire rears its head, and before Hashirama realizes what's happening his entire world has changed - for the better.

An idea that I entirely blame on @unquietwordssettledthoughts!

Dress For Success

Hashirama would later insist that he hadn’t actually had any nefarious purpose in mind when he entered his brother’s room without permission. And it wasn’t a lie! Since he was about to throw some of his own laundry in to the new automated washer he’d bought last week it had just seemed like the nice thing to do to see if Tobirama had any laundry that needed washing as well.

It was seeing the fur stole that so often decorated his brother’s shoulders left alone and defenseless in the middle of the bed that stopped him. Tobirama being a fairly organized person, it did register as strange that he would leave something out like that in such an obvious spot. It was also off for him to leave it behind. Despite his insistence on showing solidarity with the rest of their forces and wearing the new uniform that Hashirama had approved of only a few months before, Tobirama still fell in to the habit of reaching for his fur each morning and attaching it to the neckline of his stiff green vest.

And now here it was, all alone, left behind for Hashirama to stare at from where he stood just inside the room with a laundry basket on one hip and a dangerous light in his eye. No one else was here. It wouldn’t hurt anyone if he just set his basket down and ran his fingers over the soft tips for a minute. From the innumerable times he’d brushed against it in one way or another over the years he already knew that the fur was top quality and an absolute delight to the skin. And as he sat down on the edge of the mattress and pulled it in to his lap Hashirama told himself very firmly that he was only fixating on this soft accessory because he was jealous, because he wanted one of his own, not that it had anything at all to do with the man who could usually be found wearing it.

Tobirama had always been meticulous with all his belongings and this stole was no different. The fur remained as white as the day he first received it as a gift from their mother’s native clan and not a hint of dirt or blood could be found on the cured leather beneath, the silver clasp shined to perfection despite usually staying hidden under the strands. Curious, feeling rather like he was doing something naughty, Hashirama lifted the stole to wind it around his own shoulders.

It weighed a little more than he expected it to, probably all the leather and silver, but the gentle caress on his skin from all directions more than made up for that. Hashirama grinned and tilted his head sideways to bury his face in the strands.

Then he shot back upright like someone had zapped his spine with a jolt of electricity. Not good, he told himself. One breath in and all he’d been able to smell was his brother’s natural scent – and now he was hard as a rock inside his trousers. Hashirama flushed with shame. There was a difference between letting his own forbidden desires slip out within the confines of his own room and letting them do so while sitting right here on Tobirama’s bed wondering if the man had ever worn this fur while he touched himself. Considering how many long missions he’d been on over the years the chances were high.

Letting his eyes fall closed, Hashirama curled both of his hands in to fists and sat very still. Just that one image, just one thought, and suddenly all sorts of terrible ideas were flooding in to his mind.

He shouldn’t. Obviously he knew that he shouldn’t. Still, it was an incredible temptation, the niggling curiosity of what it would be like to touch himself while he wore the fur, to bring himself to peak with a piece of his brother wrapped around his neck, skin-close and real in a way his fantasies just couldn’t be. Hashirama had a great imagination that he had put to shameful use many times before but this was different. And he absolutely shouldn’t do this.

That didn’t stop him from lifting both hands and stroking the fur with his bottom lip caught between his teeth. No one would ever have to know. It wasn’t like he would get the fur dirty or even bring it anywhere close to…himself. So he wouldn’t be hurting anything. Really it was a good thing for him to relieve the tension now instead of trying to go about his day with such distracting thoughts in his head making him clumsy. Tobirama would only scold him if he managed to break something else in their home. Giving in to his urges now would get the whole thing out of his mind and then he could simply go about his day and never ever speak of this to anyone.

Just like he would never ever speak of this unnatural desire for his own little brother at all. To anyone. Ever.

Actions very poorly justified, Hashirama scooted himself up until he was sitting with his back to the headboard and one leg dangling off the mattress, foot braced against the floor as though to ground him against what he already knew was bound to be a hell of a ride. One hand slid down to palm himself through the front of his clothing while the other pressed the fur stole against one cheek. If he kept his eyes closed he could imagine he was laying his head on Tobirama’s shoulder, that the hand caressing him in slow strokes was not his own.

Since he was already hard and he’d never been the type the draw things out when he was alone, it wasn’t long before Hashirama gave up on teasing himself and reached for the ties at the front of his pants. He wrapped a hand around his length as soon as it sprang free, groaning softly at first contact, and gathered more strands of fur to press against his face with the other hand. Even though he knew it was creepy – extra creepy considering what he was already doing – Hashirama couldn’t resist the urge to turn his head and inhale softly, letting the natural scent of his brother fill his lungs along with the oils he used to treat the fur that Hashirama had also long since learned to associate with Tobirama.

He wasted no time on soft or slow. In his mind’s eye he pictured Tobirama over him and his brother had never been known for doing anything soft or slow. If ever some alternate version of himself in some other dimension had the chance to actually touch Tobirama like this then Hashirama was willing to bet it would be hard and fast, desperate and animalistic. As much as his heart did yearn for gentle, he had to admit there was a certain appeal to the other way as well.

Just how much it appealed to him was obvious in the twitch of his cock as he continued to pleasure himself using quick strokes. With his eyes closed he could see the most incredible visions of the one he wanted most but with his eyes open he found he could fixate on so many different things within the room, pieces of Tobirama he’d never dared to come so close to in this context. Out of all of them, however, nothing held his attention quite like the fur he was still clutching desperately with one hand. The feeling of the strands against his skin and the weight like Tobirama’s arms around his shoulders worked together to bring him higher and faster than he had ever reached in his room alone with nothing but fragments of memories.

Lost as he was in the moment, utterly enslaved by his own desires, Hashirama remained unaware of anything outside the circle of his own fist until the bedroom door opened again without warning and he froze at the footsteps that paused in the doorway.

Tobirama met his eyes with stunned disbelief as the papers he’d been carrying fell from his grasp and fluttered down to the floor unnoticed. Mortified to be caught in the act, Hashirama quaked with sheer unadulterated terror and found that he couldn’t move a single muscles in his body. He watched with horror as Tobirama’s gaze slowly lowered to stare at the hand clasped around his aching length and then back up to the borrowed accessory adorning his shoulders.

Hysterically he wondered, if he was very sneaky about it, if he might be able to actually finish before Tobirama made it across the room to strike him for defiling the things he had. Privacy, trust, personal space, all of these things and above he had thrown straight out the window with one poorly timed wank.

“I just…I just forgot my…that.” Tobirama fumbled over his words, raising one hand to point hesitantly at the fur stole.

“You left it on the bed,” Hashirama informed him helpfully in a faint voice.

“And you..?” Blinking owlishly, Tobirama had yet to show any signs of anger. Instead he rocked back on to his heels and nodded slowly to himself. “Well…I was not expecting that.”

Fear and shame and so much love that it fairly burned to hold it all inside sometimes all rushed up Hashirama’s throat like hot fire and demanded release until finally he felt it spilling over the edges of his cheeks in thick crocodile tears as he blurted, “Please, please don’t hate me! I’m so sorry Tobi!”

“I don’t hate you,” his brother murmured. Hashirama watched him inch closer.

“Y-you don’t? But I was- you hate it when I touch your stuff!”

When Tobirama furrowed his brows and then lifted one of them very pointedly Hashirama flushed and swallowed against the lump in his throat. That wasn’t really the big issue here, he knew that, his brain was just scrambling for anything to say other than admitting he’d just gotten caught pleasuring himself in his brother’s room, on his brother’s bed, wearing his brother’s attire, clearly fantasizing about his own brother. There were few things he could think of that would be worse than this moment right now.

He fully expected one of those worse moments to follow right after when Tobirama would surely denounce him and call him all sort of names, from vulgar to vile, and he was therefore extremely surprised to see a delightful shade of red slowly paint itself across those pretty pale cheeks as the man’s gaze once again slipped down to stare at the insistent erection between them.

“Do you want help with that?” he asked very quietly.

“Help? You mean-? But I thought-!” Hashirama’s toes curled, one leg still stretched out along the bed while the other remained grounded on the floorboards, ready to take his weight if he needed to run even if he wasn’t sure he could bring himself to do so.

“I mean…” Shifting his stance, Tobirama inched just a little closer again, one footstep and then another. “Since I don’t hate you…and that doesn’t look very comfortable if you just leave yourself in such a state…I just thought you might like some, ah, assistance. Taking care of it.” The redness in his cheeks was spreading back to the tips of his ears but his eyes had never been so bright.

Unexpected as it was, it still took until the tip of a tongue flashed out to wet pale lips for Hashirama to understand what ‘assistance’ he was actually being offered. Not violence but something far more delicious that his wildest dreams.

Thankfully his brother understood him better than most as he seemed to take Hashirama’s silence for agreement. With deliberately slow steps and carefully telegraphed movements Tobirama made his way over to the bed and bent down, letting his fingers rest on the top of Hashirama’s thigh dangerously close to where one tanned own hand was still wrapped around the incriminating evidence of his activities. His eyes slid down to half-mast in what Hashirama was startled to realize were probably his bedroom eyes but there was little time to admire such an inviting expression before he found his entire world turned upside down by the press of dry lips against his own.

Tobirama’s kiss was hesitant at first, growing bolder when Hashirama let slip a deep groan of pleasant surprise. When he lifted one knee to press his weight down on the mattress Hashirama gasped in to his mouth and finally let go of his own erection to instead reach up and steady himself on his brother’s shoulders.

Already close to believing he had somehow slipped in to a dream or something, Hashirama nearly fainted when he felt the hand on his thigh sliding further inwards. He had just enough time to wonder if his heart really would beat straight out of his chest to let him die happy when he felt fingers brushing up against where his own had been just moments before and his entire body quivered with a thrill he had no idea how to contain. Tobirama was touching him. His little brother was shyly fitting a pale hand around his cock and Hashirama thought he might just faint after all.

It was everything he had always imagined yet also nothing like he had imagined – in the best possible way. Tobirama’s touch was firm but gentle, thumb swiping over the head in slow circles before taking up a steady, unhurried rhythm. Rather than allow Hashirama a moment to work his way through the fact that this was actually happening to him right now in real life, Tobirama tilted his head for a deeper kiss as though he instinctively knew when to provide the perfect distraction. It certainly worked.

Considering all of that and the fact that he had already been pretty close to the edge before Tobirama came in to the room Hashirama thought it was fairly reasonable how quickly he began to buck mindlessly in to the fingers stroking him. The soft sound Tobirama made when he began to shake and his breath began to quicken only helped him along until without warning he was breaking their kiss to toss his head back and cry out softly, spilling himself over his brother’s fist while his own fingers dug in to Tobirama’s shoulders as though clinging to a lifeline. Hashirama shook himself apart under the ministrations of the one person he thought he could never have and the intensity of it very nearly rolled his eyes back in his head to send him off in to dreamland.

What kept him grounded in the moment was Tobirama’s frantic kisses against the side of his neck, only slowing when Hashirama finally pulled himself together enough to turn his head and gently draw their lips together again.

“I really was not expecting this,” Tobirama murmured between them. His thumb continued to sooth little circles around the head of the still twitching cock in his hand.

“You!? All I wanted to do was laundry!” Resting their foreheads together, Hashirama took a deep breath. “One minute I’m curious about what it feels like to wear the fur you always treat like your own child and the next I’ve got a hand down my pants and you’re staring at me from the door! None of that was what I planned to do with my day.”

“Complaining, Anija?”

“No! I…I don’t have any complaints about how this ended up. Otouto, I always thought you would think I was disgusting if you ever found out how I feel about you. Do you want–? Or was this just…”

Tobirama ducked down for another quick kiss before uncurling his fingers and standing up. For a few seconds Hashirama thought that was it, that this was just a one time thing to get out some of their repressed sexual attraction before going back to their daily lives and pretending it never happened, but then Tobirama shifted his weight and the leg that he’d been kneeling on was lifted over so he could throw it over in his big brother’s lap. A quiet smile painted itself across his lips as he shifted around to find a comfortable place to settle down.

“I’ve wanted this too for a long time now. Don’t think I’ll be letting go so easily now that I have you.” He closed his eyes when Hashirama framed his face with both hands and traced the edges of his tattoos.

“Me too. I- Please don’t let go. Ever. I love you, Otouto.”

“I love you too.” Tobirama opened his eyes and for a moment they did nothing but keep still and hold each other’s gazes.

Then Hashirama slowly looked down, down, down the delicious body he had secretly dreamed of a hundred times and more to see the bulge pressing out against the front of Tobirama’s trousers. Gentle smile turning to a wicked grin, he asked, “Do you want help with that?”

He delighted in the startled bark of laughter as much as he did the frantic kiss as Tobirama growled an affirmative against his lips. Letting go of that precious face, Hashirama left one hand cupped around the back of his brother’s neck to keep him close and let his other trace all those glorious shapes on the way down to open the poor strained trousers straddling him, as eager to touch as his new partner was to be touched.

Already incredibly hard from watching Hashirama – and helping him along – Tobirama’s breathing shuddered as he was released from his clothing and then hitched when tanned fingers wrapped around him for the first time. He broke from their kiss to let his head fall back, fingers clutching on to whatever he could to ground himself in reality. With some humor Hashirama noted that the thing he chose to latch on to was his own fur stole, still sitting perched around the wrong man’s shoulders, though he hardly seemed to care for the location of his favorite accessory at the moment.

In fact, neither of them had much attention to spare for anything but each other. Hashirama was more than happy to let the world slip away from him again, this time to help out his little brother the way he had been helped. Watching the fog of pleasure fall over his most precious person’s face, Hashirama forgot about laundry, forgot about making excuses for why he was in here and why he had dared to touch himself in someone else’s space, forgot absolutely everything that wasn’t his Tobirama.

He had everything he had ever wanted right here in his lap, in the palm of his own hand. In this moment he was happy and he was entirely prepared to drown in that happiness as much as he could for the foreseeable future.

[needdl]

Marriage In Style

“Neji and Tenten adjust to the newlywed life.”

do not ask me how long this has been up on FFN or AO3 if you want to feel unignored. (sorry yall)

Part One     Part Two

Neji and Tenten didn’t get around to watching their wedding footage for almost three months. They’d had more interesting things to do- each other, mostly, but Tenten’s classes were kicking up and she was still settling into how she wanted to balance getting her doctorate with her job and home life.

They finally had a weekend when they were both home and felt like watching the footage, and so Tenten sat down and wrote out the last few thank-yous for wedding gifts while she waited for Neji to bring out their dessert- usually, Tenten would cook the meal and Neji would make dessert, then they’d do the dishes together. She didn’t know what he was making tonight, only that it was complex and scientific and she’d been banished from the kitchen in the meantime.

She signed a thank-you note to a distant aunt of Neji’s- she’d gotten them the high-quality printer from their online registry, which had prompted Tenten to ask Neji how he’d charmed his aunt so thoroughly. (“My family is wealthy and likes to flaunt it in pretentious, meaningless ways,” was his only comment, to which Tenten shrugged and said, “Fine with me, we got a great printer out of it.”) The printer now sat in their shared office, ready for use.

Tenten picked up the next thank-you note, glanced at her watch, and frowned. “Babe, are you almost done? I wanna get started!”

“I’ll finish when I finish, Tenten,” came the terse reply. She rolled her eyes, then started jotting out a generic message to Choji’s parents.

She’d just completed stuffing it into an envelope when Neji came out of the kitchen, walking slowly and carrying two small bowls in his hands.

He set one down in front of her carefully, and she gaped at it. “Is this- is this an actual soufflé? Did you make soufflé?”

Neji nodded, looking very satisfied.

“How do you know how to make it?”

He raised his brows, somewhat condescendingly. “It was a recipe, Tenten. Perhaps you’ve heard of them-”

She smacked his shoulder and rolled her eyes. “Okay, you dick.”

She grabbed her spoon and dug it into her soufflé, then brought it to her mouth. It was warm and chocolatey, and she let a small happy noise and took another bite. “Oh my god, Neji, this is so good.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Neji took his own bite of his soufflé and looked pensive. “It’s perhaps a little sweeter than I intended, and I think I could have gotten more rise out of it-”

Tenten hooked her chin over his shoulder. “If you don’t like it, give it to meeee.”

He yanked his soufflé out of her reach. “Get out of here.”

“Booooooo.”

They started the wedding footage and settled in, eating their soufflé with the sides of their legs pressed together. At the start of her vows, Tenten let out a little groan and covered her head with a decorative pillow.

Neji chuckled. “You really can’t stand to watch yourself profess you love for me?”

“Shut up!”

“Fine, don’t watch. I, however, have a vested interest in this section.”

“Great. Congrats.” She kept the pillow over her eyes until her on-screen counterpart had finished, then peeked over the top to watch as Neji began his own vows. She let out a tiny smile as on-screen Neji declared her his “fate”, and turned her head to look at her husband.

He wasn’t watching the footage at all. Instead, he had turned to look at her and take in her reaction. He met her eyes and gave her such a soft look she felt her insides actually melt.

“I meant it,” he murmured. She mustered her will and held his gaze, even though every part of her wanted to hide away the soft mush she was becoming. “I know,” she whispered. She quickly turned her gaze back to the television to watch the kiss and raucous cheers that followed (three-hit combo of Lee, Naruto, and Kiba as part of the groomsmen, though Sakura and Ino in the bridal party were by no means quiet either), blushing under Neji’s lingering gaze.

The camera followed the two of them back down the aisle, fingers entwined, before fading into their reception. Tenten jerked out her reverie and asked incredulously, “Shino seriously did this? I had no idea he was so good at video editing!” She turned back to look at Neji. “We paid him for this, right?”

“Yes, but he gave us a friends and family discount, then cut back even more as part of his wedding present.”

“We should pay him more.”

“Yes, I gave him extra already.”

“Oh, good.”

They watched as the footage showed their guests settling into seats and Lee’s best man toast (he was wonderfully poetic and romantic, and only mentioned youth four times), followed by the dinner. After the first course, Ino and Sakura stood up for a joint speech that had on-screen Tenten hiding her face away in Neji’s shoulder.

Watching the speech again from the comfort of her own home, Tenten could appreciate it a little more- it was fairly funny, after all.

She stood up and grabbed their empty souffle dishes, then headed to the kitchen with them. “You want any wine?” She called over her shoulder.

“Yes, thank you.”

She grabbed an opened bottle from a few days earlier, plus a new one, and two wine glasses. Tenten settled back down next to Neji on the couch and poured them both a glass, sliding Neji’s to him.

She grinned at him. “Cheers.” They clinked their glasses together.

Neji ducked his head and kissed her. “To our marriage.”

“Cheeseball.” She kissed him again. “So far it’s been pretty damn good.”

“Good,” he echoed, kissing her again. They stopped and lingered in each other’s space for a little bit, before a voice from the the television caught their attention.

“What I like about them, or like why I think they’re a good couple?” Ino was squinting into the camera, a half-consumed glass of champagne in her hand. Judging by the slight sloppiness of her hair, it was towards the end of the reception, when some of the guests were a little tipsy. (Ino. Ino was a little tipsy).

Shino must have answered the question behind the camera because Ino sat back in her chair and made loud, thoughtful noises. “I like that… well, hm. Look, I’m drunk, don’t expect poetry. Hm.”

Sakura slid into the seat next to Ino, clutching an appletini. “Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii,” she said. Whether she was addressing Ino, the camera, or Shino was unclear.

“Forehead, what do we like about Neji and Tenten as a couple.”

“PIG.”

“Ohhhhh, you’re druuuuunk.”

“So what? I'll kick your ass!”

Tenten turned thoughtfully to Neji. “How did we not notice that most of the bridal party was drunk?”

“We were rather… occupied.” Neji smirked.

Tenten paused to remember some furtive, uh, kissing that had happened in a side room towards the end of their reception. “Oh. That’s right.”

Onscreen, Ino slapped her hand down on the table. “I like that Neji thinks Tenten is one of the funniest people on the planet, even though her sense of humor is horrible and almost exclusively shitty puns or history jokes.”

Sakura, who was snuggled into Ino's shoulder with her eyes closed, grinned. “Yeah! History…”

“Like, Tenten will be having a conversation with someone, and then be like… ‘Hurr durr, Hashirama Senju something something-’”

Tenten took a sip of her wine. “She could at least tell a decent joke.”

“-and like, it’ll be some obscure reference that no normal person will understand-”

“What!” Tenten scowled at the screen. “Hashirama frickin’ Senju is not obscure.”

“-but Neji will always laugh. Every time. I mean, I always kind of laugh, just because she thinks she’s funny-” Tenten huffed indignantly. “But not only does Nej understand the reference, he thinks it’s funny.”

“Yeah, because I’m funny.” Tenten told the television loudly. “NOT MY FAULT YOU NEVER TOOK A HISTORY CLASS AFTER FRESHMAN YEAR, YAMANAKA.”

Neji watched her ranting at Ino (who, of course, was not actually there) and grinned. He did think Tenten was funny, but she was most humorous to him when it was unintentional- when she blustered away at his affections, or when she let her emotions overwhelm her common sense (as she was doing now).

He continued to drink from his wine and watched as Tenten cussed out her (still absent) friend. After a minute or two, she sat back with a harrumph and took a gulp of her wine. She turned to Neji and gave him a sulky look. “I’m funny.”

Neji shrugged and indicated the television, where the footage had cut away to show the pair of them watching Hinata’s short but heartfelt speech. “I think so, but apparently my opinion is not to be trusted.”

“Well, it’s the one the matters most to me, so Ino can suck it.”

“Matters most, hm?”

“It’s why I married you,” Tenten leaned over to kiss him. “Good opinions.”

“Thank you. I practiced.”

Tenten snorted and turned back to the television, keeping herself tucked against his side. He pressed his lips against her temple and lingered, before resting his head against hers and giving the footage his attention.

The final shot was the two of them slowly dancing together, silhouetted against the setting sun.

[thatsneakymedic]

✵ ( that meme thing with all the questions \o/ )

Send ✵ and my muse will answer the following.  

(since we haven’t rped like in a AU naruto verse where Shisui lives, we’ll go with the chatzy verse! :D ) 

Their first impression of your muse: “Oh, another Shisui has arrived. I’m happy, least Itachi and Sasuke have a relative that can visit them. Despite that he’s dead in their timelines. Though I know that it might be hard on Itachi to see his dead friend again.” 

Current impression:  “He’s surprisingly a real good friend to the others and I’m happy that he’s willing to protect everyone and keep the peace when things get chaotic or dangerous. It’s a shame that we’re not technically friends since he’s dating Suigetsu who could barely tolerate me in the same room as him. Despite that he says otherwise, I still believe that because of that, he has formed some kind of bias against me. But isn’t it natural for couples to hate or even dislike a person because their SO hates or is uncomfortable with them as well? Despite that, he’s a good person and I often come to ask him for advice.”  

Are they attracted to your muse?:  “He’s good looking and he has good qualities I’ll admit but no. I’m no homewrecker. And I was never interested in dating him in the first place since he didn’t show interest in me at all. And I’m still questioning my sexuality since I don’t know where I stand so far.” 

Something they find frightening about your muse: His strength, the infamous sharingan, his unnatural speed, his taijutsu, his frightening abilities, and how he can easily get others to back him up when something happens in the house. I should know by experience that I unfortunately had a few verbal fights with him in the past. But that’s mostly due to my own foolishness.” 

Something they find adorable about your muse:  “He likes to eat a lot. His love of food is endearing and you can guarantee that any food you bring, he’ll be the first to eat it or finish it. Let’s pray that he doesn’t gain any weight in the future.” 

Would my muse sacrifice themselves for yours?:  “I would probably guess that the others would expect me to do so, especially Suigetsu but sadly no. I was once in the past needed his help with dealing with Danzo in my time but he didn’t lend a hand because he didn’t want to risk his life to help me when he was starting a new life with Suigetsu. If he’s in trouble, I would definitely help him out with the best of my abilities, but to die for him?  Sorry but I’m also trying to live a new life on my own. It’s going to take a lot of persuasion to make me think otherwise despite that he’s a real good person that everyone loves.” 

Would my muse go on a date with yours?  platonic/romantic:  “Sure, but it won’t be romantic, lunch would be nice. If Suigetsu comes along as a group date, it might get awkward on my part and I’ll politely refuse.” 

One word my muse would use to describe yours:  “Charismatic.” 

Would my muse slap yours if they could?: “That’s if I could even catch or touch him! There’s a reason why they say that you have to fight a sharingan user with a group of people.  But would I? No. Because he’s been nice to me, and because if I do for any reason, I’ll get in a lot of trouble with the others. Not to mention that he can kick my ass easily.” 

Would my muse hug/kiss yours?: “Hug, depends. Kiss, definitely no.” 

[kusunogatari-a]

[ SasuHinaMonth Day Sixteen: Amnesia ] [ @sasuhinamonth ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ]

The Sharingan grants its user photographic memory when the dōjutsu is enabled. It captures every detail, no matter how minute, with stunning clarity. In a young, fresh mind, these memories can be called upon without loss of quality. It is this recall that allows an Uchiha (or any lucky enough to find themselves in possession of such an eye) to mimic any jutsu without flaw...to a point. Like all things, it has its limitations.

...and its weaknesses.

“...all right?!”

“...rauma to the…”

“...ble blindness…”

When he wakes...his world is black.

Too lethargic to move, he lies in silence and stillness for a time before he’s conscious enough to wonder where he is. A hand lurches from his side atop the hospital cot (how many times has he occupied one of these now?), swaying before fumbling at his face. There’s the texture of gauze beneath his fingertips, covering the dips of his eyes. Part of him wants to try and remove them...but he knows better. She’ll scold him for that.

...where is she?

With an awakened pulse, it’s not long before someone steps into the room to check on him, affirming he is indeed conscious. “Wait just a moment - I’ll fetch your attending medic. And we’ll send a notification to your wife.”

...wife?!

It takes a few moments to sink in, the nurse gone before Sasuke sits up with the force of his panic. He...he can’t have a wife! He’s twelve! Surely they aren’t jokingly referring to Sakura, are they? If they let her in here, he’ll -!

“Oh thank the gods.”

A voice - familiar yet...somehow changed - filters through his ears. “...what...what happened?” How long has he been unconscious? His voice sounds awfully deep – is he really that tired?

“You were in a scuffle just outside the village. According to your team, a flash bang went off a few feet from your face. I’ve healed the damage to your skin, but...your Sharingan was active. You took the full flare of light, and it’s damaged your eyes. I’m working on mending them, but...it’s slow going.” The person steps closer, a hand resting gently on his shoulder. “...how do you feel?”

“I…” He hesitates. “...I don’t remember that fight. Or that mission. Where’s Kakashi-sensei?”

There’s a tick of silence, and he can sense her confusion. “...he’s...at his office. There have been a few times he’s checked in on you, but he’s been terribly busy. Kumo is coming later this week for new trade negotiations. Remember?”

Doing his best to steady his breath, Sasuke thinks that over. Kakashi...in an office? Since when do jōnin work in an office? And Kumo...aren’t they on shaky terms with them, given that situation a few years ago with that Hyūga girl? “...another medic said they were...bringing someone?”

“Yes - Hinata will be here soon. It figures you’d wake with her gone. She’s barely left your side, you know.”

...wait...Hinata? The little Hyūga? “...what about...Naruto? Sakura?”

“They’ve been in and out, but are admittedly pretty busy. Sakura has been handling the rest of your squad. The injures were pretty serious. As for Naruto...who knows what he’s up to? He’s anywhere and everywhere most days, lately.”

“Okay...w-wait.” He holds up a placating hand, heart starting to race. “I...w-what’s the date?”

Silence. “...it’s May. May seventh.”

“...I…” How does he ask this without sounding insane? “...how old am...am I?”

This time, the quiet stretches on for longer. There’s a curse under her breath. “...Sasuke, do you not remem-?”

“Sasuke?!”

Behind them, the door wrenches open in time with a voice. Startling, he recoils as a body softly impacts with his. Who -? -What -?!

“Oh thank goodness! I’ve been so worried - I told them you were going to wake soon. Your chakra was starting to shift! Of course when I leave you w-wake up...how do you feel? Are you painful at all? In your eyes? Anywhere else?”

“Hinata…”

The pressure around him slackens slightly, though his own tension remains rigid. “...what?”

“I...I need to talk to you.”

“...why? What’s wrong? Is -?”

“Please, just...step out with me for a moment. Okay?”

A strained silence follows, and then two sets of footsteps sound until the room goes quiet with a clack of the door.

...what...the hell...was that? Who was touching him? Why…? It...it did sound like that weird girl from his Academy class, but...deeper, slightly. Different.

...something is very, very wrong.

Cradling his brow in his hands, Sasuke leans forward, bowed over his lap as he struggles to think. He has to stay calm. It’s strange...it’s like the last few weeks are...blurry, getting worse as he gets closer to the present. Otherwise, it’s the same as it’s always been. Annoying D-ranks with his team, down time at home, training whenever he gets the chance. He recalls nothing of a mission involving a flash of light. And everything else that’s been said...Kakashi in an office, Sakura...taking care of people? Naruto loose on his own, and...he has...a wife.

...has he...lost part of his memories?

The notion is terrifying. How much has he lost? If he’s...married, then...surely a number of years. What...eight or so, at least? What has he forgotten?

...and...who…?

Outside the door, he can hear muffled voices. One sounds strained - on the verge of crying. The other attempts to be consoling...but is clearly just as distraught.

Then it goes quiet...and the door opens. The same two footsteps return, slightly muted in their pace.

“...Sasuke...I need you to tell me the last thing you remember.”

“...I…” He can’t pick much out of the recent blurs.

“...how old are you?”

“...twelve…?” Has his birthday gone by since things started to get foggy? “...t...thirteen?”

He hears someone take a small, but curt breath.

“...I see.” A heavy sigh. “Sasuke, I...I think the damage you suffered to your eyes must have affected your brain. You were in the middle of a fight with an enemy. Surely you had your Sharingan active...maybe…” A pause, as though hesitating. “...maybe that light, exposed to the memory-gathering aspect of your kekkei genkai...damaged the part of your brain responsible for memories. I...hadn’t considered that possibility. I haven’t checked.”

“...how...how old am I, really…?”

“...twenty-one.”

He thinks he might be sick.

A weight settles along the side of his cot, a gentle hand on his shoulder. “...I might be able to reverse this. I’ve yet to evaluate that part of your brain - I didn’t know I needed to. I know saying this won’t do much, but...try to stay calm. I’ll do all I can to make this right.”

Jaw shaking, he takes a few clipped breaths through his nose. Then, in a tiny voice, he admits, “...I’m scared.”

The figure beside him wilts. “...I need to consult Tsunade-sama. Once we have a plan, we’ll give you an examination. See what’s going on in your brain. And...go from there.” A pause. “...is it all right if Hinata stays with you while I’m gone?”

...is it? He hardly knows her, and yet...unless this is one huge, horrible practical joke...she’s his wife. “...I guess.”

“Hold on. I’ll be back soon.” Fingers give his shoulder a squeeze before retreating.

Silence.

Eventually, light footsteps sound, and he can hear a chair being moved, settling at his bedside. “...Sasuke…”

No response.

“...I’m sorry, this...must be so strange. I guess...we didn’t really know one another back then...did we?” Hinata seems to fade into thought. “...I know I...m-might be making you uncomfortable. But I’m just so w-worried about you, I…!”

He sits stock still, listening. The emotion in her voice stirs something in him - a vehement panic. Not because it unnerves him, but...it’s wrong. He doesn’t want her to feel so upset…! But why? They’re strangers!

...maybe there’s still something. A whisper of an imprint of what she meant to him.

He hears a shaky sigh. “...if...if you want, I can go. I don’t...I don’t w-want to bother you. I know this must all be so confusing, and -”

“Stay.”

She fumbles to a stop. “...are...are you sure?”

“...yeah.” His head turns slightly toward her voice. “...I don’t remember you, or...at least, what’s happened since...we were genin. But...you must have come to mean something to me. I wouldn’t marry just anyone…” It’s his turn to take a trembling breath. “...maybe...if you do mean that much to me...having you here will help.”

A pause, and then, “...all right. I’ll stay. No matter what...I’ll stay.”

     Word count: 1427      Cumulative: 20,271      Phew, managed to get caught up! It’s after midnight, but before bedtime - that counts as on-time, right? xD      This one has a bit of a special guest (which has been hinted at in others), but for now we’ll leave them nameless. After all, they aren’t the focus. I do rather like this idea: it might be something I play with as a concept later on down the road - who knows!      But for now, I’m gonna try to catch up a bit on my RP blog, and then call it a night. Hopefully I won’t need another catch-up day anytime soon!

[eleanor-devil]

Naruto Fanfic - Boruto: Sacrifices - Chap.26, Building Tension

IMPORTANT: It would be very very appreciated if you reblogged it and left a comment. We get lots of likes/favs but almost no comments, so please everyone, leave a comment, it encourages us to continue.

Written by my friend @mirage-05

Cover by @eleanor-devil

prologue, chap.1, chap.2, chap.3, chap.4, chap.5, chap.6, chap.7, chap.8, chap.9, chap.10, chap.11, chap.12, chap.13, chap.14, chap.15, chap.16, chap.17, chap.18, chap.19, chap.20, chap.21, chap.22, chap.23, chap.24, chap.25, chap.26, chap.27

For more Sacrifices stuff, click on this link

Chapter 26 - Building Tension

As he looked up from where he was lying down to the stars shining out of the window, the young blue haired boy was thinking that he was actually doing a good job during his... recovery. Mitsuki. That was his name, as told by the angel and many others. He was twelve, but apparently his birthday was closing in. Although no one around him wanted to go into details, he had apparently been through a very rough fight (because he was a... ninja, that was the word) and had missed more than a month of his life because of it. He didn't remember being dangerously impulsive or reckless, but by the looks of it, he was. And apparently... he was best friends with the blondie - Boruto. Strange enough, through everything... this was the one fact that he had the hardest time to wrap his mind around. If he was such an important person in his life, how... why couldn't he remember him?! He sighed. The thing was, whenever he tried to remember something, anything... he had a splitting headache, caused by what seemed to be a myriad of voices speaking in his head. He didn't know any of these voices... or rather, he couldn't decipher enough out of the ramble to recognize who was speaking, but still... he was sure these were no memories. And although he didn't exactly know why... he was actually afraid to hear what the voices had to say. And so he was, in a way... avoiding remembering anything... Which was why the visits of Boruto had become guilt trips. Sometimes, he really wished he would stop visiting... but then, this thought was unbearable too, for reasons he didn't know. Hearing footsteps and low murmuring from the outside, Mitsuki immediately ducked back into the covers, pretending to be asleep if the medics decided to come inside for a check. He didn't feel like he could talk about these problems with anyone - at least not yet. He knew that this was something only he needed to sort out.

... "Ta-daaa!" the black haired girl said cheerily as she brought out some delicious looking pasties from the basket she and her brother had brought. "Mama made these especially for you, Mitsu-nii!" The girl's bubbliness was kind of... overwhelming, especially the way she (Himawari, her name was Himawari) kept calling him 'brother'... Just another pang in the young boy's heart, and yet... for some reason he just couldn't see her presence as unnerving as her brother's. "Hey, dig in, 'ttebasa, this is all yours!" Boruto said with a big grin, leaving Mitsuki amazed at just how much enthusiasm he had. "I... thank you," the boy replied, with a smile that he hoped that at least looked genuine. He took a sweet bun from the basket and took a bite... it was indeed delicious beyond words. He didn't notice how Boruto's face fell, his expression taking on a thoughtful quality. He didn't have a chance to notice it anyway, seeing that Himawari was still chattering away. He came to a halt as the taste of the bun started to feel... too familiar, almost like... home... the feeling almost made his heart ache... "Yo, Mitsuki," Boruto's voice was now as thoughtful as his expression, not the cheerful one as before. "You okay?" Maybe that wasn't the best question to ask, since he was still recovering from his injuries as well as a memory loss, but Mitsuki knew that the blond was just worried about him. And somehow, he was glad for it. "I'm good." he said, not enjoying the fact that he was lying, but not really seeing any other way out of it. ... "He's not good," Boruto sighed as they walked down the Konoha streets with Sarada. "He talks with us, smiles and all... but it's just so clear that he's putting up an act. That..." he stopped himself there, because he was about to say 'that my best friend's still not back', but... that hurt to admit. Sarada remained silent. Looking over at her, the blond could see a thoughtful, almost sad expression on the Uchiha's face. Why though...? "Nee, Sarada," he said at last, his voice, too, becoming a little worried. "What are you thinking?" Sarada came to a halt before turning to face him, although not quite meeting his eyes. Boruto couldn't tell why this was bothering him so much... "I..." she finally began, but she clearly wasn't too keen to continue. "I was just... thinking lately..." "And?" "You're not gonna like it Boruto..." The blond let out a humorless laugh. "A lot of things I don't like happen Sarada. Just go on with it." She closed her eyes with a sigh. It was only when she reopened them that she met his gaze. "Mitsuki's condition... I just... can't help but think that we unintentionally contributed to it all this time..." Those words indeed made Boruto came to a halt as his expression slowly turned blank. "W-wait, what... do you mean...?" "Just... think about it..." Now her voice was sad too, desperate... "He had always been... well, secretive, but did we ever really try to... understand him?" "That's not true," the blond said immediately, but his voice didn't really hold unwavering certainty. "He is good at hiding it if something's bothering him, if he is in trouble, believe me I've seen it so many times while we were dealing with the bullies... and we... we took him by stride... Never questioned his motives, reasons..." "This is nonsense, Sarada," he snapped at last, and the girl could hear it crystal clear in his voice... denial, denial that he was trying to hide by acting out... she knew her childhood friend only too well. And that was why she hated pushing on with this. "You remember back in the Chuunin exams? When he lost to Shinki?" "Well... yeah, of course I do." Boruto said, a little uneasy... because when he thought back to that time, the first thing he clearly remembered was the intense look Mitsuki gave him... which was... disconcerting, he had thought... But... had he thought much deeper into it? Things began clicking together in his mind. That was also when Sarada decided to complete her theory. "Did we even wonder why he decided to give up?" "I..." the words came numb to his lips. "I just... didn't think it was too unusual of him... That I could never truly understand him if I tried anyway..." But that was the thing... he didn't try. Not really. Ever since Mitsuki came to Konoha, they had an... awkward relationship. Mitsuki seemed to follow him everywhere, look up to him a lot... much more than his other classmates, now that he came to think of it. He seemed to tie his reasoning of staying in Konoha solely to him, even calling him his... sun... although the blond would be damned if he knew what that meant. And he never questioned its meaning either... They only got closer, becoming what they considered to be best friends in the passing year... but now Boruto had doubts about just how much of a best friend he was, not knowing Mitsuki thoroughly, and only going back to it after he almost lost him... "That was exactly what I thought, too," Sarada's voice brought him to this world, his own regret reflecting in her obsidian eyes. "And I... just can't help but thinking... what if it hurt him more than we could ever imagine? That we..." "...didn't even get to know him better..." the blond's voice was almost hollow. Sarada didn't know what more to say to that. They stood in complete, shocked silence for they didn't know how long. "...what... had we been doing all this time...?" Boruto's hand was slowly balled in a fist, his teeth clenched. It hurt the Uchiha to see him like that. These episodes of dark emotions became too often in the Uzumaki, uncomfortably so. It was scaring her... She was afraid that those emotions could lead him to a place where there was no return... "I-I'm sorry," she said, stuttering. "I told you... you wouldn't like this..." Boruto closed his eyes for a minute, his posture still stiff, fists still clenched... He gulped a few times, visibly trying to calm himself down. It started to work slowly... "It's alright, Sarada," he said slowly, sighing as he opened his eyes. "If nothing... you helped me open my eyes." "What do you mean?" Sarada whispered. "I've been doing this wrong all this time." His voice had taken on a firm quality... determined. "No more secrets from now on... When he regains his memories... I'm gonna make sure there will be no more boundaries between us." Relieved, a genuine smile formed on Sarada's lips as she put a hand on his arm, which made Boruto make a double take and glance at her. "Well, we can both agree on that." It took him a minute, but finally, Boruto gave her a smile, too. ... Part of Karin still didn't believe she was doing this. But for some reason... she also didn't feel any threat coming from the situation. No, she... somehow found it easier to trust the person her colleagues and Orochimaru-sama chose not to. Well, she had decided to rule that off as pigheadedness as it was... She put a hand over her belly as she waited. She had come a little earlier than the arranged time. As much as she liked to defy the rules of the 'house'... she still tried to keep as low a profile as possible, to not raise any suspicions... so she had lied and told everyone that she was going to do shopping for her daughter. "Oh I'm sorry - did I make you wait too long?" Startling out of her thoughts, the Uzumaki turned to the source of the voice. There she was, the redhead Kiri kunoichi. She pulled up a chair across from her and sat down. "Thanks for responding... I didn't know who else to reach, since... y'know..." "And how did you know I would come?" Karin asked, mostly out of curiosity. Her question made the woman hesitate for a moment. "Call it a hunch... but I thought only a woman, a mother nonetheless... would understand that I had no ill intentions. I just want to help." And strange enough, Karin could really understand her. That was part of the reason she came... "He has woken up." she said suddenly, and she didn't know why she wanted to reassure this woman. Izumi was clearly taken aback, but slowly, a genuine smile spread across her features. She hadn't been able to catch up on everything since she came to Konoha. "I... that's..." For a moment she was unable to speak. "That's great news... I'm so glad..." Karin wanted to ask her... why was she so keen on helping Mitsuki, especially with the way that she was reminded that she wasn't a welcome help time and time again... But one part of her actually could relate. Her motherly side. Izumi reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vial. "Here is what I talked to you about on the phone. You can put it up to any test you would like, but I'm positive it will work. It worked before, on someone I know..." she thought back to the one time they very nearly lost one of her teammates, Masaki, in a mission where he had been confronted by a lightning user... a shiver went down her spine. The Uzumaki took the vial from her, raising it to her eye level. It didn't seem much... but then, as a scientist, she knew very well that most of the powerful medicine (or, well... poisons) look pretty ordinary. "I'm doing this against the wishes of Orochimaru-sama..." she began. "You are doing this because you know it's right." the other woman said, a sort of determination in her voice. "But... I wouldn't want to inconvenience you any further in any case. So, if you'll excuse me..." She got up on her feet, ready to leave. "Will you be staying in Konoha any longer?" Karin suddenly found herself asking, and she could see that she once again caught Izumi by surprise. "Maybe a couple more days... why?" She smiled. "Because I think I would like to let you know about the results." ... "Do you feel comfortable, Mitsuki?" The young boy didn't know how to respond for a moment. Looking down on the pads and cables on his chest, wrists and ankles that connected to some... weird looking machine, his emotions were churning. Then he glanced to the glass panel overseeing the room, and saw the familiar blue haired man, watching intently with his arms crossed... that sent an immense relief coursing through him. "Yes. I'm good." "This is not gonna hurt you," the angel continued explaining lightly. He had also heard her name many times through a lot of people, but for some reason... he preferred to refer to her as angel. "It's just gonna record your heart's activity, and it won't take more than ten minutes." Mitsuki gulped inconspicuously before nodding. "Okay." The pink haired woman gave him an encouraging smile and then started the machine. The boy felt himself relaxing even more when he realized that there was indeed nothing to be afraid of about the procedure. It was over even before he had the time to get bored. As she took the paper coming out of the machine, a thoughtful expression settled on the medic's face. Mitsuki straightened himself on his elbows, looking at her curiously. "Is it bad?" "Hmm?" She didn't exactly look at the boy as she regarded the results. "Well, to tell you the truth... it's a little early to determine that. We will need to run a few more tests." The boy almost groaned at that. He didn't know what possible implications these test results would have, especially if they turned out to be... bad... but he didn't particularly enjoy going through all of them. Seeing his expression, the woman's smile returned. "Don't worry, it's not gonna be something big. I'll just attach a small version of this machine on your chest and it'll monitor your heart's movements for two days. We will talk after that." It felt like a balloon deflated inside of him. The angel patted his hand. "You don't have to worry too much about it, okay? I just don't want you to do anything rash for these days, no sudden movements, nothing that would tire you out." The boy nodded meekly. "Alright, I will be careful." ... Log was a little disoriented as he entered his brother's house. The medic had been vague about her estimates on how Mitsuki's... heart condition was, yet alone whether his memories were returning back or not... And the more he needed to keep the "father" facade up, the more he was worried about the long-term effects on Mitsuki. What if he... was to lose his trust, after his brother found out that he wasn't telling the truth about his parentage? His thoughts came to a standstill when he saw the tall figure of his creator... or the one who Mitsuki had no trouble in assuming the parent role, which he himself just couldn't... emerged from the door. He knew why he had chosen to come out right at this moment, when he had just walked in. Although Orochimaru hadn't gone to the hospital himself yet, he was keeping close tabs on the Taka and him, prying on any bit of information from their conversations, occasionally asking questions if he feels like it. Which... was annoying Log to no end. Mitsuki needed the man who he deemed his father throughout all these years, needed his support, especially now that his health might be a big risk on his ninja life... And this man was doing nothing all day, cooping himself up in this house, only scraping information he doesn't even deserve... Feeling like he might hit something - or rather, someone - if he kept facing Orochimaru, Log turned his back on him, clenching and un-clenching his fists. "So... how is your procrastinating going?" It was almost like he had just dropped a bomb into the room; the silence and tension that had been building between the two of them coming to its peak. Log couldn't care less about that at the moment. He'd had just about enough of Orochimaru's crap. He didn't need to turn around to see that he was frowning. "Watch your tone." "Well, then watch your attitude!" The young man turned to him now, so furious that he felt like he was going to explode. "What the fuck is wrong with you?! How long has it been since Mitsuki woke up?! Why is it so hard to get the hell out of this house right now and go visit him?!" He managed to barely stop, heaving heavy breaths. There was so much he wanted to say, so much left unsolved between the two of them... But what was important now was not himself, but his little brother. "He needs you," he continued, his voice low and tight. "You can at least do what you couldn't previously... make a difference with him, actually become a parent... Yet you sit here all day, hearing the news only from us..." "Unlike you, I do something much more essential," the sannin pretty much hissed through his teeth. The words that were delivered... and his tone, so... belittling... this stirred Log's blood even more. "Oh yeah. I forgot. Your big project. The ultimate medicine that will somehow save the boy you don't even care to visit." "You are not the one to question my reasons." "Maybe I'm not." It was becoming harder and harder to keep his cool. "But good luck explaining them to Mitsuki. Because he won't understand. He doesn't need to understand! He's just a child! Do you even have any idea what you're doing to him?!" "He's strong." "He is not a machine! He has emotions... and you're breaking him!" Not being able to contain himself anymore, the young man punched the wall. "Or do you even care?!" Orochimaru didn't say anything to that... and honestly, Log knew that by now, he shouldn't find it surprising. Yes, Mitsuki was a child driven by his emotions, and although he wouldn't classify himself as sentimental, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do when his little brother was concerned. This man, however... it was as if he was talking to a wall. With the exception that even a wall could be considered more emotional when compared to Orochimaru. "You aren't even gonna say anything?" he asked between gritted teeth. "You will excuse me if I don't think your question merits for an answer." He didn't know why that cold answer hit him like a slap in the face... it certainly wasn't the first time his creator dismissed him in such a manner, only pretending to hear him if his opinion was of any importance. He had learned better than to take offense, believing that he is the better out of the two of them. But there were times like this... Maybe it was because in figuring out that Mitsuki was in need of his father instead of a replacement, it brought into stark attention that he lacked a father figure in his life... for so long... He kept his emotions as far away from his voice as he could when he spoke next. "But when I come to think of it... why am I even surprised, right? After all, you didn't even want to keep him at first when he was born." All he got in a response was the closing of the door as the sannin got back into his son's room. Log closed his eyes for a moment as the unwanted memory of his brother's first day came into his mind... [Flashback] Wuaaaah wuaaaah... The long and constant cry of the baby was starting to kill the young boy's ears, it sounded like an annoying siren that slowly wanted to end with his ears. The child in his arms hadn't stopped crying since he had been taken out of the tube that Orochimaru had broken in his anger towards the project... Was the child scared? Hungry? Sleepy? The blue haired boy had no idea and he was sure that he wasn't the best person to comfort a crying newborn... where was Karin when she was needed? She certainly could fit the role better... The child sniffled a little and then he was at it again, the boy really didn't know how a baby this small could produce such a wail. Was he even that noisy when...? He crumpled his face as he remembered that person... and a pain plunged in his chest. He was starting to grow desperate... The baby's distress was making him restless, almost desperate to do something to calm him... Awkwardly, he swayed him side to side. "Sssh... it's gonna be okay..." He added as an afterthought. "I'm here..." And slowly the child started calming down, the cry moved on to a simple whimper, a little pout in his mouth and big tears at the corners of his eyes as he slowly opened them. It almost made his heart skip a beat... yes, he was aware that this child was technically a clone of himself, just smaller, but... seeing those eyes, as amber colored as his own, it made him feel... strange? Like the child was looking into his soul. "U-Um..." he didn't know what to say. "Hi?" He almost slapped himself mentally, why was he saying that, the child wouldn't understand him! But at least his ears were feeling much better now. He didn't know why he did that but the oldest boy moved his hand and his index finger touched the child's nose... and it made the baby let out an unintelligible noise before he moved his tiny, tiny hands out of the blanket and grabbed his finger. Another skip in the boy's heart-beat... What was that feeling...? Why did it feel... nice, the way that little hand was holding on to his finger...? Like the baby did understand him and was trying to say hi himself? Or that he was somehow... seeking support from him? Why did he suddenly feel like he was glad he was given this solitary moment to meet the baby? "Umm... okay..." he gulped nervously, and then smiled at the thought that came to his mind. "I guess this makes me... an older brother now, huh? Heh..." Those words felt both a little odd but too right at the same time. The child blinked and maybe it was a trick from his mind but... it seemed like the corners of the mouth of the little one curled into a smile? He didn't have time to process that... as Orochimaru finally returned inside the laboratory. The child immediately stood up from the chair he was sitting on and started following his creator with his eyes. It didn't go unnoticed to the boy what the black haired sannin had in his hands. A basket? As Orochimaru put it on the top of the table, his curiosity couldn't be kept out. "What is that for?" he wasn't usually one to question his parent's actions but... something felt off... "For the child." he said without looking at him. "You're going to leave him at Konohagakure, Mitsuki." And that made the boy freeze... turning the words in his head, trying to understand the meaning, although he had a nagging feeling of what they probably meant... "I what?" "He is not going to stay here." the sannin said curtly, as if putting an end to the conversation. "I need you to deliver him to the orphanage in Konoha, making sure you're not seen. The director is an old disciple of mine." He had delivered this speech with such an emotionless voice that... Knowing him or not, the boy felt his blood boiling beneath his skin. So when the man reached forward to take the baby... the boy's arms tightened a little more around his "brother", and he took a step back before half turning backward, shielding the baby from sight. "No." This simple protest was enough for Orochimaru to furrow his brows. "This is not up for discussion, Mitsuki." "That is not fair!" he raised his voice, brows furrowed as well. "What did he do? You created him and now you want to get rid of him!? Is that how your little game goes?!" "You know nothing." Orochimaru took a step forward and Log took another step backwards, the determination clear in his eyes. Mitsuki had never really cared about what Orochimaru did or his experiments in general but this one... he didn't know why but it was just calling for help, even if the baby in his arms had said nothing... "I know enough to know that you're not even allowed to do this!" he said pointing to himself and to the baby. "We aren't even supposed to exist and yet we do. I wonder what that ninja that watches the hideout twenty-four hours a day would say if he found out." The sannin's eyes narrowed at that, and the boy almost gulped at the look in his eyes... almost. But the presence of the baby... gave him the courage he needed, and his chin pushed up a little in defiance. "What is this?" his creator asked in a hiss, his tone dangerous... "Are you trying to threaten me?" A fine coat of sarcasm had seeped in the tone, as if daring him... guessing from experiences that he won't. But the boy's voice was clearer when he next spoke. "Make me go out... make me take him out and I will do much more than going to Konoha." He was sure he had crossed the line... only, he didn't care. "You insolent child...!" the sannin roared, Mitsuki was sure he had never seen such an angry look in his creator's eyes, it was a roar that even shook the baby in his arms and it made him cry once again. "Do you have any idea of what you're saying?! Of what kind of power that child holds?!" "I may not know but I do know that you created him and you should take full responsibility of what you did! Instead you want to drop him in your former village?! You want to drop such a "bomb" of power when only you know how to control it?!" The baby continued to cry, his arms moving out of the blanket, his hands closed in fists and his head moving from side to side. It was clear that he didn't like this discussion... almost as if he could understand it... Instinctively, the older brother once again tried to soothe the baby, it was becoming natural for him... then he raised his head to glare at the sannin, meeting daggers himself. "You are scaring him. I hope you will learn to take better care of him, because he's staying." "You are not the one making the rules here!" "Am I not?" The boy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Feel free to try me." With each word he was uttering... he felt a warm spot growing inside of him... a need to be beside this baby whenever and however he needs him... He was already born into unpredictable circumstances... he would surely need his help in the times to come. The sannin clenched his teeth in anger but didn't say anything. "So here is the deal..." his eyes shone with confidence. "You'll raise him properly, not as a weapon... you'll take good care of him and my mouth will be kept shut... no one will know that you kept making experiments. But try to get rid of this baby..." his voice faded as he looked back at the baby, a wondrous expression filling his eyes. "Mitsuki... that will be his name from now on." "Oh? And what are you supposed to be called then?" "I will decide on that." the boy said curtly, not taking his eyes off from his brother. "... but try to get rid of him or me..." he looked back at his creator. "And I promise that every nation will know about what you've been doing. And I can assure you that they won't spare you a second chance. I don't care how much power you put in him, you did it and so you will take care of it. He will not be a bomb slowly ticking to explode..." And with that the boy started walking towards the door that led outside the laboratory. "I will be in my room." The door opened, only to reveal the three members of the Taka acting like they hadn't been listening to the conversation. [End of Flashback] Log came to his senses as he heard the apartment door opening. Suigetsu rushed there when he saw his girlfriend walking in. "Where have you been? I was beginning to worry..." "Hey, don't forget who you're talking to," Karin said as she raised the shopping bags she was carrying. "These aren't gonna miraculously appear on our doorstep, you know." As she walked inside, she once again addressed to her boyfriend, keeping her voice low so they won't be overheard. "We need to speak." ... Mitsuki was trying not to get too bored as he laid on his bed, having just given up on counting the drops in the IV attached to his arm. He had hold up good to the angel's words up until now. Most of his awake hours passed with drifting in and out of sleep, watching some TV when he felt like it, reading a book that someone had kindly brought... but of course after about five hours, it had become tiring. He started to feel like... wish that... he could do something else... that wouldn't include this small room. Sighing, he tried to focus his attention elsewhere. He was healing, nothing much to do about it. The blue haired man, who he called his father, had left not long after the angel finished the exams concerning his heart, not before he had seen him once more in his bedroom but the visit had been brief... Mitsuki wished he had stayed longer to keep him company. He was even starting to miss the presence of the blond boy who was always there with him and his bubbly little sister, even though they had just been there this morning. What else could he do in this room...? Sighing, the child decided to step out of the bed and grabbing the IV to bring it with him, Mitsuki approached the window, opened it and allowed the fresh air to reach him. It was a beautiful day... the sun that shone outside, although it was going steadily down the horizon, sent warmness coursing through him, and before he knew it... a smile slowly spread across his face. It felt... joyful, lively... it almost made him sad that he had missed this feeling for a month and half. He put a hand on the sill, closing his eyes and slightly leaning forward... and he made a promise to himself then and there, that he would never take this blissful sensation for granted... Suddenly a rush of wind shot past, close enough for him to feel it. The boy's eyes snapped open in surprise. What was that...? He had to lean out a bit more to understand what that had been, and taking a better look outside and then up, he saw many figures jumping around the different ceilings of the village. Mitsuki was hit with a sensation he hadn't felt since he woke up, it was like... what they were doing was calling for him... like... like he had done this before too... He couldn't recognize much of these figures but two of them caught his eye, the two people that had been there when he woke up... Boruto... and Sarada... What were they doing? It looked like they were chasing the other people... he saw Boruto jump from a ceiling to another and suddenly he was out of view. He had probably jumped to the hospital's ceiling. Faintly, the girl's voice reached his ears through the clear air. Warning Boruto about something... Mitsuki didn't know why but he felt his pulse racing as he craned his neck to try and follow the blond, although he had no chance whatsoever to see from here... Clashing noises, metal against metal, the battle was on full force... Mitsuki hoped that things were going in Boruto and Sarada's favor... He had no way of knowing how many opponents the blond had taken on, but it sounded too many... Then he heard a scream... Realizing that it was from the girl, his gaze immediately shot upwards... And like in slow motion, his eyes widened in shock when he saw Boruto falling from the roof, he thought he heard him scream too.        

[raendown]

Look I’m sorry, okay? I lied, I’m not sorry.

Pairing: MadaraTobirama Word count: 2837 Story summary: Madara used to be a man feared even by those of his own clan. Life's really changed since the village was built. Among those changes is his relationship with one Senju Tobirama - and apparently everyone else knew about this even before he did.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

Chapter 7

A bad feeling settled over him right away when Hashirama sent someone to fetch him from the park. He wasn’t even supposed to be watching the boy who was clinging to his leg, he’d just seen his clan Head walking by as he was playing and had attached himself to his favorite babysitter. It took a couple minutes to convince the kid to go back to his mother and when he did Madara hurried away with Kagami held tight. He dearly wished he knew what it was about himself that kids loved – so he could viciously smother that quality and expel it from his life. He just wanted a rest. Now free, Madara made his way to the Hokage’s Tower with utmost haste.

Ten minutes later he wished he had walked slower or perhaps not made it there at all. Kagami wriggled in his arms, blissfully unaware of the news which had just come crashing down upon Madara’s shoulders, news which affected him so closely.

“I’m so sorry Madara,” Hashirama murmured. The words were a poor consolation but it was all he had to offer. He knew how much his friend hated flowery, insincere platitudes.

“Were the scouts certain?” Madara asked, his eyes on the child in his arms. “Is there any possibility they misidentified the bodies?”

“The woman who found them was a close personal friend.”

“Ah.”

Luckily there was a chair just behind him because Madara failed to check for one before he allowed his body to sag backwards. He plopped down on to the cushion with little grace, his expression glassy and distant.

It was strange now, receiving news of a death. There had been a point in his life when he had come to expect it, when war raged around him each and every day, making death almost commonplace in a way it should never be. But now they were a village and life was supposed to be more peaceful. It was more peaceful. And that was probably why it struck him so hard to hear that not one but two members of his clan had lost their lives in battle not a day’s journey from home. There hadn’t been an Uchiha death for the past nine months and he’d allowed his heart to grow complacent. The walls he’d built against this grief were weakened.

“What will happen to the child?” Hashirama pushed himself away from the desk to come brush his fingers against Kagami’s cheeks. “Does he have any other family to go to?”

“No, neither of them had any siblings and neither of their parents survived the clan wars.”

“So what happens, then?”

“I don’t know.”

Madara offered Kagami his finger as he had seen Tobirama do, letting him suckle on the tip to keep him happy until he could go home and find him a bottle. It was nearly time for his next feeding. His diaper should probably be checked as well; it had been a while since his last change. Had he remembered to pick up more diapers like Izuna reminded him yesterday before leaving?

He could tell what his mind was doing, concentrating on anything else that it could to avoid the fallout of what was happening around him. In the past he had scorned others for being unable to handle bad news and always told them in cold tones to be stronger, a better shinobi, that death touched everyone and no one should allow themselves to fall apart over something like this. Those times seemed like a horrible memory of another person from another time. Madara could hardly imagine how he had made them feel. Had he so easily forgotten how it felt when his own brother’s died? This pain was nothing compared to that and yet still it left holes in his chest, a tightness in his lungs.

The world felt unsteady around him as he stood from his seat, Hashirama scurrying to give him the room to do so. His steps didn’t quite stumble as he made his way out of the office he had only arrived in a few minutes ago but he certainly wasn’t walking the straightest line he ever had before. Seeing that there was little he could do, Hashirama refrained from following.

Madara intended to go home, he really did. He wasn’t sure what possessed him to detour through the market place instead. Perhaps it was the way the noise of the crowds drowned out all the thoughts in his head. Or perhaps it was the way his eyes kept searching every face he passed, almost expecting a certain couple to appear from behind each new gaggle of shoppers and greet him with the same grateful smiles they always had.

Tobirama found him not half an hour later. He was standing between a fruit stand and a woman selling handwoven crafts, staring at the back of a stranger’s head and willing them to turn around. Their looks were so similar to the ones he kept hoping to find. When Tobirama stepped in front of him Madara didn’t have the energy to be startled; he simply blinked and drew his brows together in a helpless look. Warm hands settled under his own, cradling the child that he had only distantly noted was starting to squirm with hunger and relieving him of his burden.

“Come on, let’s get you both home.” Tobirama’s voice was gentler than he had ever heard it before.

“He doesn’t have a home anymore,” Madara murmured.

“We’ll find him one.”

Madara allowed the other man to guide him around with one hand, the other holding the baby to his chest. He let himself be led all the way home and in to the house. It felt as though he had just sat down on the couch before Tobirama had Kagami in the playpen and a mug of steaming tea on the coffee table for him. When Tobirama sat down next to him he didn’t try to stop himself from leaning a bit closer.

“Your brother told you,” he surmised, still trying to distract himself.

“He did. I thought you might wish for some company. Though, if I’ve overstepped my bounds I can go if you wish.”

“Stay.” Madara took a sip of tea and watched Kagami play with the mobile hanging from one side of his play area. “It’s nice not to be alone.”

“Would you prefer Izuna? I could find him.”

Tea almost slopped on to his fingers when he shook his head, making him realize that his hands were already shaking. “He accepted another mission. Won’t be back for a solid month this time.” His breath was shaking as well when he gave a small sigh. “I don’t…I…he’s got no one now. His parents are dead. Kagami’s parents are dead. What do I do? He’s all alone.”

He was grateful when the mug was taken from him before he could drop it on himself. Warmth engulfed his hands and he realized that Tobirama was holding them in his own. He should have protested, should have yelled indignantly about proper boundaries and behaviors. Instead he leaned just a little farther to the left; his side was warm too.

“Aniki has been working on setting up an official orphanage for the village.” Tobirama told him. “Does your clan have any system in place for when this happens?”

“Our families are so large this usually doesn’t happen. There’s almost always a relative, even if a distantly related one. His situation is so unusual for us.” Extremely unusual considering the Uchiha propensity for mating like bunny rabbits, a habit born from too many years at war. Clan members were expected to produce as many sons and daughters as possible to be sacrificed to the battlefields, a way of life they had lived with for so long they had stopped seeing the horror in it.

“Do you know of anyone who would be willing to take him in?”

Madara gulped, looking urgently between Tobirama and the tiny, helpless baby waving chubby arms around in the playpen. “I don’t want him to go,” he admitted quietly. Tobirama nodded slowly, giving his words the solemn consideration they required.

“You know what that would mean, right? That wouldn’t be eternal babysitting Madara that would be permanent fatherhood. You can’t just stop being a father when you get tired or bored or overwhelmed. You can ask for help, of course, but-”

“I know that. I know he would be here forever and I…do you think I would be good at it?”

“At being a father?”

“Yes.”

Tobirama gave him the slightest smile, a sad yet tender expression. “I think you would need a lot of help but yes. You would be a good father. Anyone can see how fond you are of the children under your care, even when you pretend that you aren’t.”

“Thank you,” Madara murmured, looking away to hide his suddenly glowing cheeks. Such praise from Tobirama was more than he expected. The more he thought about it the more it felt right and he knew this was the path he wanted to take. He wanted to give Kagami a home here. He wanted to raise him and love him and watch with pride as he grew up to be a wonderful shinobi – no, a wonderful person.

“Do you think you’ll be okay until Izuna gets home?” Tobirama’s words froze him.

“Oh. Oh fire nuts…”

“Putting aside your terrible swearing-”

“There is a baby right there!”

“Is there anyone else that could come help out if you need it until he gets back?”

Madara bit down on both of his lips, his eyebrows slowly climbing upwards as he turned to give the man beside him a pitifully hopeful look. It took a moment for Tobirama to look away from where he had begun to watch Kagami playing but as soon as he did his eyes blew wide.

“What.” His voice was flat, making it more of a statement than a question.

“You help all the time anyway,” Madara pointed out. “You like Kagami. And!” He retrieved one of his hands only to use it to poke the younger man in his distractingly solid chest. “You’re the one who said you were ‘warming up to me’. Why don’t you want to help now?”

“I don’t think you quite understand what you’re asking, so in the case of any complaints I reserve the right to remind you that this was your own idea.”

A confused look of his face, Madara tilted his head to one side. “Uh, okay.” That struck him as an odd stipulation to make but it seemed fair so he let it pass. What mattered was that Tobirama appeared to have agreed to helping him out with the latest adventure he had somehow wandered his way in to. He had agreed to teach Madara how to be a good father.

There were still a lot of things that needed to be done about the situation: the affairs of the deceased would need to be settled, any will they might have written would need to be enacted, their possessions would need sorting and redistributing. As clan Head it was Madara’s responsibility to at least delegate these tasks. He knew that Kagami’s possessions – clothes, toys, bottles – would all be moved to his own abode. He would need to make room for them all.

For some reason all he could think was that he would no longer have a spare bedroom. Now it would be Kagami’s bedroom. Should he paint it?

All of that could wait, though. Hashirama was still looking in to who had killed the two they had lost and their deaths had yet to be formally announced. Madara would need to shore up his defenses before he had to face the public again. He was the leader, the one whom others were supposed to look up to and take example from. He might have sympathy for how they felt now but that didn’t mean he was free to fall apart in front of them; he still had to be strong for his clan.

“They were good people,” he said out of nowhere. Tobirama squeezed the one hand he still held.

“I never met them but I trust your judgement. I’m sure they were both wonderful, exemplary members of the Uchiha clan.”

“They were,” Madara insisted, unsure why he felt so defensive on their behalf.

“And I’m sure they will be missed.”

“They will.”

“By you.”

“I don’t miss anyone. I hate people. You’re all stupid.”

“Madara.” He looked over reluctantly to see Tobirama giving him a serious look, one that seemed to burn through him with things he couldn’t even identify through the maelstrom inside. “I won’t tell anyone.”

Without giving much thought to why, Madara believed him. He closed his eyes, first looking away and then quickly turning back to bury his head in Tobirama’s shoulder. Both men held perfectly still as he let himself mourn at last. He didn’t cry – there were too many years of training ingrained in him for the tears to even physically come now – but he let his heart spill itself over behind his ribcage and reach out for the comfort that was being offered to him. His head pressed harder against his companion’s shoulder as he mentally curled in to a ball and wondered why so many good things only ever seemed to come about after such terrible tragedies.

Tobirama said nothing while he took his time, which Madara was grateful for. He could feel the younger man’s thumb stroking the back of his hand and concentrated on that, how it tapped in time with his calming heartbeat.

It was about twenty minutes before he raised his head again and other than that thumb Tobirama didn’t so much as twitch the entire time. When he sat up straight Madara took a deep breath to steady himself. He felt more centered now, less like the ground was tilting under his feet and more like he was capable of taking on the hurdles before him.

“Better?” Tobirama asked. Madara nodded.

“I was supposed to feed Kagami,” he said off-handedly. See? He was being a responsible father already.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll take care of it.”

With one final squeeze to his hand Tobirama let go and stood up to head for the kitchen. Madara felt abruptly bereft without his touch. He rubbed at his now cold arm to try and push the feeling away. There was no reason to feel lonely all of sudden. Tobirama was still here, he’d just popped out to the kitchen.

Indeed, the other man returned in under a minute with a bottle and a smile. He headed straight for the playpen to fetch the baby then returned to the couch. Madara refused to shift over to give him more room, which pressed their sides together again. Neither of them mentioned it. Silence reigned as Kagami sucked at his bottle enthusiastically, entirely unconcerned with anything that wasn’t filling his belly. Madara envied him his carefree ignorance.

After his meal and a good burping Kagami sat on Tobirama’s lap and played with the end of his obi, waving it about and doing his best to chew on the light yellow material despite not having any teeth yet. Tobirama pinched his cheek lightly.

“We’ll have to make sure he has some teething toys soon. He’s about due for them.”

“What’s a teething toy?”

“For him to chew on while his first teeth are coming in. It helps relieve the discomfort.”

Madara frowned thoughtfully and tilted his head. He vaguely remembered Izuna with a smooth wooden ring that he had chewed on constantly at around eight months old. To be honest he hadn’t thought much of it. Babies put stuff in their mouths all the time.

Although he would never admit it out loud, he was more grateful than he had words for that Tobirama had agreed to help him. With him as backup, Madara was sure that he and Kagami would be just fine. He almost couldn’t wait to learn more. Being attracted to men rather than women, he’d never even considered the possibility of having children of his own one day. It was why he’d never bothered to learn anything about them until one day he found himself an unwitting babysitter drowning in snotty noses and tiny humans who needed more to eat than some poorly slices apples.

Now here he was jumping in with both feet and it wasn’t as scary as one would have expected it to be. He didn’t know enough and Madara was well aware of that. But, glancing sideways at Tobirama as he smiled down at the baby and tickled his feet, he thought there was a pretty good chance that everything was going to turn out okay.

“We can go pick some up tomorrow.”

So long as he could continue to rely on the man next to him, Madara felt like he could do pretty much anything.

[estelliathealchemist-blog]

(OOC. Though, RP related.)

(So recently, my friends and I found a mod of D&D. It’s pretty much D&D but Naruto. All of us being life long Naruto fans, we felt obligated to give it a shot. It was easily the best decision we have made all summer. I can safely say that this is the best irl roll20 experience I’ve ever had. And I’ve been doing table top rpgs for five years now. I’ll begin to start writing our journey from the beginning of our chunin exam until the very end of this campaign. It was just simple kids learning how to use Jutsu before chunin, so readers won’t be missing much. I hope everyone who reads enjoys! :D NOTE: All attacks and overwhelming majority of actions against players are all based on rolls. All dialogue between characters was actually role played. Story is being written/told by my friend who is DMing. I’m simply here to share the tales. This is an alternate universe of Naruto. Everything we can do is actually done in the manga/show and we shall not be bending the laws of the Naruto universe. All characters portrayed are original characters created by our DM. Though, some are direct references to heroes and villains seen through the series. Akahoshi is played by me, Kaima is played by my friend Alex, and Riyoto is played by my friend Brian.)

As the sun came to rise, the children of Team 7 would be waiting at the usual meeting spot towards the gates for Obara Sensei. “You ready for the Chunin, guys?” Was heard from Riyoto as he spotted the first patch of aspiring Chunin down the road from the gates of the village. Kaima shot a cocky snicker to Riyoto as he scanned the shinobi from afar. “I’ve been ready, bud.” A shit-eating grin began to grow across his face as he would repeatedly flip a single rio around his fingers. Akahoshi’s head raised from sharpening his kunai and looked towards the incoming shinobi. “We’ll win. We easily surpass our classmates back at the academy.” He added. Before there could be any other talk, they heard an all too familiar voice right behind them, “Anxiety, cockiness, and arrogance. Ahh, the youth. This is what will get you killed in the Forest of Death!” A hand would go across all their heads swiftly. Giving them not time to react. They’d all turn around and look to Obara. Akahoshi and Kaima having a face filled with fury. While Riyoto simply shot him the ‘are you fucking kidding me?’ stare.

“Oh... Good morning!” Obara sensei said cheerfully. “WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?” Akahoshi and Kaima had said nearly in sync. “It’s to snap some sense in you too! The Forest of Death is no man’s land. There are quite a few casualties per-year. You are my first batch of students and I will do anything in my power to make sure you all make it out of there alive.” His tone was very calm as his students looked to him in anger. His right pointer finger shot up and pointed right in the direction of the shinobi making their way to the village gate. “You have shinobi traveling from the Sound Village, Rain Village, Rock Village, and many more. Some of which will be knowledgeable of many more jutsu than you. Some will be forgiving and allow you to walk free if you give up a scroll. Others will kill you for it, even if you surrender.” The three stayed silent. They all realized what he said was very true. Obara cleared his throat before speaking once again, “Now... Don’t train, you need to save your energy. Spend the rio you earned on your previous mission on some supplies, grab some good food, and then head to the exam registry.” He’d drop them a small pouch of rio so they’d be able to purchase a quality meal. As the small baggy hit the dirt ground, he’d begin to walk off. Kaima picked it up and signaled the two to follow. “Common’, let’s make the most of this before registry.” 

A few hours have passed since Team 7 walked off. They had each gotten three delicious bowls of ramen, kunai, and some shuriken. They had arrived to the exam and registered. The first part of the exam was smooth sailing, each of them passing the written portion of it pretty fairly well. With the bullshit over, the reckless or stupid aspiring shinobi disqualified, they had all been brought before The Forest of Death. They were given 30 minutes to formulate a strategy and be debriefed by their sensei. “Alright, Team 7! Listen carefully cause this part can cost you your lives. You will be starting here for the exam. The scroll you will be given is the Earth Scroll. In order to pass section two of the exam, you will have to get an opposing team’s heaven scroll. Once you obtain it, you must locate The Tower and put the two together. The tower is located at the center of the forest. Once together at the tower, preform the hand signs that were taught to you just a few minutes ago, and it will summon me. Once I am summoned, you have officially passed the second part of the Chunin exam.” There was a pause. He’d carefully look to his students. Being sure they clearly understand the gravity of the situation. Obara Sensei would begin to speak once more. This time, his tone much more serious. “Remember, people will be aiming to get your scrolls no matter the cost. This isn’t the village. This is bandit country, kids. You must be on your guard no matter what.” There was a pause. The young shinobi hadn’t given off the slightest bit of anxiety. But it was sure built up inside. “Any other questions?” He asked one more time. Without hesitation, Akahoshi spoke. “Sensei, is there any possibility that you can tell us where we are starting?” Obara looked to Akahoshi. Temptation was visibly in his eyes. Though, he refrained from giving the info out. “I’m sorry, kids. But I’m forbidden to give you that information. A good shinobi must be able to find out where he is in any situation. Any other questions?” The three stayed silent. Unable to think of anything else. Obara had clapped his hands together. “Well, with that said. Here are your supplies.” He’d open the crate before them. “Each of you will receive three food rations and four food pills.” The team grabbed their items quick. What was actually minutes felt like hours for the shout to go. “Shinobi! Stand ready!” An official judge of the exam had said behind them. Team 7 could barely see the other teams to their left and right. They sure spread out the teams. This gave them a good idea of how big the Forest of Death truly is. “BEGIN!” Team 7 quickly ran. Then jumping over the large fence and into The Forest of Death.

Team seven has traversed through the forest for some time now. Unsure of where they are, or who they may encounter.... Or what they may encounter. Kaima having his byakugan active, he had looked carefully for any close signs of chakra from shinobi or scrolls. “Guys, we’re getting close to multiple chakra sources!” He told the group. Akahoshi nodded to him. “Understood. Bring us to the source, Kaima!” As they swiftly jumped through the trees, they’d allow Kaima to take the lead. Hopefully leading them to what will be fairly easy opponents.

They had gotten to the source silently. They had stayed hidden in the branches and cloaked by the leaves. At that moment, Kaima’s face had grown weary. Akahoshi would be staring down the group as well, trying to identify them to the best of his ability. However, Riyoto had been scanning the surrounding branches. Soon spotting the uneasy look on Kaima’s face. “What’s wrong, Kaima?” He asked in a very quite tone. Kaima had taken a very deep breath before breaking the bad news to him. “Those aren’t just random shinobi, Riyoto. Those are our friends, team two.” He said somewhat painfully. Riyoto had slowly nodded, “What do we do, then?” There was silence as they all continued to look them down. Do they ambush their friends? Or do they leave them be? What if there is no other heaven scroll for a very long time, they all asked themselves. As the moments went by, they’d finally hear team two speak. “We know you’re there, opposing shinobi. Show your faces or we will force you to.” Team Seven froze up. Unable to think what may happen. They all dropped from the trees right before Team Two. It was a grim stare down for quite a few seconds. Finally, Akahoshi had say something. “We will go our way, Doumatsu. We were unaware that it was you who we found.” Doumatsu’s eyes turned to Akahoshi. “Hm? Is that so? Well, we are in need of our second scroll. Hand yours over, and this will go easy.” Akahoshi’s friendly expression went to angry in less than a second. “I’ll say it again, Doumatsu.. We will be leaving now.” Doumatsu simply laughed at them, “Guys, we are friends, yes. But this is the Chunin exam... And it would seem that we are much more eager to win than you guys.” The tension was up to eleven. If fast enough, they could have disengaged. However, Akahoshi’s Uchiha arrogance had got the best of him. “You will not put me down to the level of a coward.” He exclaimed to Doumatsu. His eyes closed, and his tone cocky. However, the moment he opened his eyes, it would no longer be the calm hazel eyes that Akahoshi bared. It was his Sharingan with two tomi and each eye. And so, the battle began between the two friend groups.

With his handsigns nearly unreadable due to his speed, Doumatsu took the first step. “Sand Tomb Jutsu!” He shouted in the direction of the group. Without having anytime to react, Kaima had been trapped in his sand tomb! They had to work fast to get him out of there or else he’d be as good as dead. “Alright, Kage! Time to kick some ass!” Riyoto said to his cat on his shoulder. A howling meow was heard from the cat as he charged forward. Riyoto passed right through Doumatsu and was heading straight for his weapon specialist teammate, Nagahama. “ Man-Beast Taijutsu: Fang Over Fang Justu!” Riyoto screamed ferociously. Nagahama’s parrying capabilities were no match for this nasty jutsu. She’d have gotten sliced in all directions. Then sent flying and smashing her back into a tree. Falling unconscious on impact. Akahoshi darted right for Doumatsu. Not holding back what-so-ever. “Water Style: Demon Appetite Jutsu!” He said as he charged towards Doumatsu. A puddle had appeared right under the enemy shinobi. Quickly turning into the mouth of a sea monster with dagger-sharp teeth biting down on his lower body at once. Doumatsu had screamed in agonizing pain as the monster-head turned back into mere water right below him. The once clean water now having a heavy mix of his blood. It was enough for the Jutsu to be broken. Kaima would have broken free, gasping for air and yelling in pain. “You motherfucker!” He said to him furiously. But Kaima was not getting a break quite yet. There last team member, Haru, would be blind-siding Kaima. “Poison needle shot!” Haru threw his puppet forward, having it precisely hit Kaima in vital points. He’d drop to his knees with a grunt. This kid sure wasn’t getting a break. Doumatsu and Haru began to approach Kaima, preparing to finish him off. “Don’t think I’d go down that easily...” He said to them. They’d both raise a brow to him, wondering what he could possibly do. In a few seconds, he’d launch himself high in the air. Looking directly below him. “Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!” He said mid-air as he preformed the handsigns with fast movement. Pulling 20 kunai from his pouch, he threw them both directly at the two. Following by a nasty blast of fire to send the flaming kunai at a frightening velocity. Doumatsu was fast enough to sub it. Haru however, was not. To protect himself from certain death, he threw his puppet before him. Allowing it to take the brunt of most of the kunai. Fortunately for him, he had survived such a nasty jutsu with no sever injuries. The however part of it was, his puppet was unrecognizable. Rendering the shinobi almost useless from here on out.

As Kaima fell to the soil all he could wonder was where the hell Doumatsu had gone off to. He began to heard something heavy fly behind. As he turned around to see what it was, it was Doumatsu’s Sandstone Fist jutsu. Smashing Kaima directly in the gut and sending him flying. Kaima hit the ground still alive, but in critical condition. Riyoto would leave Nagahama be as she was passed out. He ran back to take on Haru or Doumatsu. As he stood a decent distance from Doumatsu, the cocky shinobi looked to him. “Hm? What will you and that cat do, Riyoto? My sand armor can stop most nasty attacks!” Riyoto stood strong, ignoring the attempted intimidation with a cocky smirk. “Lightning Strike Jutsu!” He yelled as he preformed the hand signs. A deadly bolt of lightning had shot from his pointer and middle finger. What usually would have shocked a normal shinobi their level onto their feet, simply left a chip into the strong sand armor. Doumatsu laughed to Riyoto as his eyes widened in surprise to the fortification of Doumatsu’s armor. As Haru began to run up to Doumatsu in attempts to aid him, Akahoshi had appeared before him. “Not so fast, Haru.” Akahoshi said in an arrogant tone to him as he landed on the ground. “You’ll be taking on me.” He raised both fists to his face. One of his hands holding a kunai. “So be it, Akahoshi!” Haru replied to him. Standing ready for what is to come. After several hand signs, Akahoshi spawned two water clones, both heading right for Haru. As they charged him, he’d follow up with another jutsu. “Water Blade Jutsu!” Haru heard as the moisture in the air formed into a blade in Akahoshi’s hand. He had not forgotten about the clone’s, though. Simultaneously, they attempted to strike him. But failed horribly, each clone being counter attacked and turning back into water. The distraction worked, though. The water-made katana made a clean cut down Haru’s chest. He’d disengage with a back-flip and pull two Wakizashi from his side. “Two can play at that game!” He said as he charged back to Akahoshi. The two would be would have constantly been blocking and parrying each other for this phase of the battle.

Back to Riyoto and Doumatsu about thirty meters away, Riyoto tries his best to block his vulnerable comrade from Doumatsu. The sounds traversed the skin of his body as his stare of death pierced Riyoto and aimed straight for Kaima. Riyoto so caught up in guarding Kaima’s life, completely neglected the fact that Nagahama was still alive. “Is that how you treat all woman!?” Echoed through the perimeter of battle as she went to strike Riyoto with multiple clones. Two would kick him right in the face right before Nagaham had actually appeared right before him. “Secret Weapon Technique: Rolling Star!” As she was mid-air before Riyoto, she’d take her nodachi with both hands and do flurry of forward flips. Consistently striking his chest and abdomen. He’d stumble back, blood spurting from his mouth. His cat screaming as he tried to stay atop Riyoto. As she looked back to Kaima, she’d pull a kunai from her side. “Hold it, Kaima. We’ll let you off right now if you hand us that scroll.” He then looked to her. His pale Hyuuga eyes weak from his injuries. He’d make an attempt to get up. As he did, she’d throw the kunai directly at him. He’d poof and the kunai hit a block of wood! “That fucker substituted it!” Doumatsu yelled in an annoyed tone. They began to peer around, searching for him. His substitution was just about perfect. He’d manage to get high up in the branches, giving him some time to swallow three of his food pills. He quickly regenerated energy, and his sever wounds mended. “Time to show them what I’m about..” He whispered to himself. He launched himself from the branches and right in front of her. Standing before her with open palms and a smile of vengeance. “Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!” Within the blink of an eye, he’d dash close to her. His fists striking all her chakra points with speed of the wind. On the thirty second punch right into her abdomen, there would be an audible crack heard. She’d be launched into the air as blood gushed from her mouth. She had landed right on her back in critical condition. Doumatsu had not taken the attack lightly, reading for him to be next.

Akahoshi was still fending off Haru, each of them getting cut up by their attacks. As well as many blade collisions. As Akahoshi heard Kaima use his gentle fist art, he knew now was the time to strike. With all the sturdy sand armor Doumatsu had on him, there was no way they were going to be able to take all three on at once. He took this to his advantage and would try to play a mental game from here. Both blades had collided once more. Both being held right in front of their faces. He took this advantage to use his right tomo. “Look into my eyes, puppet master..” He said in a clam tone. Haru could not avoid the genjutsu on it’s way. He had stared Akahoshi right in the eyes. In Haru’s mind, he was back in his home town. The streets were barren as he looked around, trying to figure out what had happened. And there he was. Haru’s little brother, standing right before him. Being mangled and mauled by six different puppets. “Your art, Haru... It’s killed me!!!” He screamed to his older brother as he saw all his spare puppets begin to slowly mutilate his four year old brother. Haru fell to his knees in tears. He was re living the past all over again. That faithful day where he tested his puppet on his brother in a fit of rage. The day that will haunt him forever. In Akahoshi’s eyes, he was just on his knees screaming at nothing. He jumped to the trees, readying what was possibly their only option of a casualty-free victory. It all came down to this! Nagahama getting back up in attempts to aid Haru, Doumatsu readying to take Riyoto head-on, Akahoshi hidden in the branches, and Haru stuck in a genjutsu. Akahoshi came down from the trees, right behind Nagahama. He’d quickly grab a kunai and hold it to her throat. Kaima would do the same, except with Haru. Riyoto sat down, injured. Watching what was hopefully the finale unfold. Akahoshi stared down Haru with a vindictive look, “Surrender the Heaven Scroll now and we will spare your allies. If not, we’ll slit their throats faster than you can use any jutsu.” His tone was serious. His look guaranteed that they were no longer fucking around. Doumatsu began to sweat in anxiety. His heart racing in the situation. It truly came down to them having to surrender. There was no way he’d just let his allies die. “Fine! You guys win this one... The heaven scroll is in Haru’s back pouch. Just take it and go.” Kaima nodded. He’d reach down into the back pouch of Haru and pull a scroll. However, it seems Doumatsu forgot that Kaima’s byakugan was active. He saw no chakra in the scroll. He shot Doumatsu a furious look, “It was a bluff! It’s in Nagahama’s back pouch!” Doumatsu panicked; his back was truly against the wall at this point. So flustered that he let his guard down. One of Kaima’s cinder clones had sneaked behind Doumatsu and grabbed him by the neck, holding a kunai to it. “Give us a reason not to kill you, Doumatsu!” Kaima insisted. Doumatsu was in complete panic, unable how to handle the situation. Every word he tried to spit out he simply choked on. “Knock them all unconscious.”

Akahoshi ordered. In sync, they took the back of their kunai and bashed it into the back of each of their heads. Akahoshi dropped Nagahama and Kaima dropped Haru. The cinder clone would blow away with the wind and Doumatsu would fall to the ground face-first. “They tried to decieve us. We don’t just take the scroll, we take their supplies.” Kaima told the team as he dug through Haru’s gear. Riyoto had taken food pills as the tension was at it’s peak, giving him some time for his wounds to mend. He got up and brushed the dirt off him. “Kaima, I don’t believe this is right. Take the scroll and leave them be. We are practically leaving them for dead if we take their supplies.” Akahoshi said nothing, but dug through the pockets of Nagahama and grabbed the scroll but nothing else. As he stood back up, he’d look to Riyoto. “I will not object to Kaima. Though, I won’t act on it. They insulted us as a team and proceeded to deceive us. He’s free to do what he pleases as long as he doesn’t kill them.” Riyoto had sighed, “Obara would be disappointedin you two.” Is all he said as he began to stretch. Kaima and Akahoshi had nothing to say to the comment. Once they were all ready, they had moved out. They’d travel about another mile until they found a safe area. They’d set up a cozy camp and get some rest for the night. This was only day one. They had four left and they must be ready for more urgent encounters than their one with team two. (Thank you so much for reading if you actually made it this far! It means the world considering how long it took to wrote this lol. I’ll be making part two in a day or two. Don’t wanna have too much in one post cause it can be a turn away :) Hope you stop by for next post!)