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thefairyletters · 4 years ago

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Naruto in Hero Academy

Which Naruto characters would replace the MHA characters more accurately in MHA AU?

Here is what I think:

🔸

Naruto Uzumaki ➡ Mirio Togata

Naruto is a lot of things but nervous and shy isn't one of them. Izuku may be the protagonist of MHA but Naruto is like Izuku only in terms of his desire to protect everything that breathes, oblivious towards the blatant interest of opposite sex and their determination to succeed.

Mirio, on the other hand, is optimistic and shares same sentiment towards helping others. He, like Naruto, is not the brightest student and can be dumb and goofy. He is also a jokester of sorts and makes fool of himself like Naruto. Both of them are very hardworking and train themselves to master hardest techniques.

Naruto's quirk: Pressure control

Sakura Haruno ➡ Kyoka Jirou, Ochako Uraraka

Jirou is cool, smart, level-headed and quite aggressive. Sakura is book smart, is dry when she wants to be, isn't afraid to put people in their places when they show disobedience or act silly, and has leadership qualities. Both are self-conscious of their looks and bodies and have aversion to horror settings.

Ochako and Sakura are both strong willed, both work hard to be useful to their friends and don't want to left behind. Both are competitive, friendly and kind. Both become shy in front of their love interest. Ochako wants to become a good hero to support her parents and help people, Sakura worked to truly become a shinobi to stand beside her teammates. Ochako cares deeply for Deku, regardless of her feelings for him, like Sakura towards Naruto.

Sakura's quirk: Super strength

Sasuke Uchiha ➡ Shouto Todoroki, Katsuki Bakugou

Both Shouto and Sasuke are cool, quiet, impassive and blunt. They are top students of their class and are popular for their pretty-boy looks and their powers. They both are from influential families and have a strained relationship with their father and older brother who is a villain. They both are intelligent and top of their classes.

Katsuki and Sasuke are arrogant, tend to look down on others and desire to be on the top. They tend to snap at their rivals and often lose their cool in their presence. Both secretly cherish and care for their friends, but are really bad ar outwardly expressing them. They are antisocial and prefer to train over socialising.

Sasuke's quirk: Electricity

Shikamaru Nara ➡ Shinsou Hitoshi

Both are straightforward and clever enough to be one step ahead of the rest. Both are antisocial yet have many friends who are absolute sunshiand are manipulative when they want to be. Both have their mentor's quirks passed onto them – smoking and love for cats.

Shikamaru's quirk: Shadow control

Rock Lee ➡ Eijirou Kirishima

Both are overly enthusiastic about manly things and youth, have optimistic personalities and are insensitive to what people says about them. They care and believe in their friend – Neji/Bakugo – no matter how they shun him away.

Lee's quirk: Speed

Hinata Hyuga ➡ Tamaki Amajiki, Eri

Both are extremely shy in social settings, show outward signs of social anxiety when it gets best of them, doesn't believe in their strengths and look up to Naruto/Mirio.

Eri and Hinata, both are timid and naive. Like Eri, Hinata is accepting of her father's opinion of her and doesn't stand up for herself. While not psychologically traumatised like Eri, Hinata has her social.

Hinata's quirk: X-Ray vision

Shino Aburame ➡ Fumikage Tokoyami

Both are odd ones in their groups, blunt to a fault and have distinctive way of speaking. They are both underestimated and are powerful in their own rights. Tokoyami has his bird and Shino has his bugs to assist him.

Shino's quirk: Insect control

Neji Hyuga ➡ Seiji Shishikura

Both are proud, dignified individuals and are strong believers of their opinions about who can/cannot become heroes/shinobis. Both are arrogant about their abilities and tend to be very cruel to others at times, but that's where their similarities end.

Neji's quirk: Deflection shield

Konan ➡ Asui Tsuyu

Both are not afraid to speak their minds and are very stoic individuals who rarely show emotions. While both are blunt and to the point, they also are compassionate and care for their friends deeply. They are also very supportive and reliable individuals which makes them great partners.

Konan's quirk: Telekinesis

Nagato Uzumaki ➡ Tomura Shigaraki

They both have been manipulated by Sensei/Madara. They both wanted to ruin Shinobi villages/Heros of the world for what they were manipulated into believing a greater cause. They both hide their true identity from the rest of their allies, behind hands and reanimated body. Both, as a child, were kind, compassionate and desired to help others.

Nagato's quirk: Resurrection

Itachi Uchiha ➡ Dabi/Touya Todoroki

Personality-wise, both are similar in some ways – aloof, confident, smart, stoic and cautious. Both often taunt their brothers by pulling on their abilities and weaknesses, however, their intentions couldn't be more different. If Itachi had been a true villain with no martyr tendencies, only rightly placed anger, then he could be considered as true Dabi of Naruto universe.

Itachi's quirk: Hallucinations

Kakashi Hatake ➡ Eraserhead/Shota Aizawa

Both find their wards troublesome and causes trouble to them as much as they could, but they both secretly love them to death. Both have protective steaks in them and always turn 180 on their enemies who dare to pose threat to their kids. Both have distinctive – Aizawa usuallu has his sleeping bag with him and Kakashi always have his porn with him.

Kakashi's quirk: Copy

Hashirama Senju➡ All Might/Yagi Toshinori

Both are revered as idols and are considered the strongest heroes. Hashirama established the idea of 'will of fire' and All Might is considered the 'symbol of peace', which is an idea of goodwill. Both are jubilant individuals, brimming with positivity and strength. They are always shown smiling and have inspiring personalities that are well-liked by others. Hashirama, like Yagi, have serious streak in him which is in contrast to his normal, cheerful attitude.

Hashirama's quirk: Earth control

Anko Mitarashi ➡ Midnight/Nemuri Kayama

Both have similar appearances – purple hair, spiky hair and curvaceous figure – and dress provocatively. They both are quite sadistic and enjoy unsettling others like its their personal hobby. Both are impulsive, stubborn, playful, but also intelligent and resourceful individuals.

Anko's quirk: Elasticity

Madara Uchiha ➡ All for one/Sensei

Need I say? The boss villains whose powers rival the likes of Hashirama and All Might. Madara is better person than Sensei of course, but both are terrifying, manipulative, have animosity against Hashirama/All Might and can be considered the Symbol of Evil. Both are power-hungry, ruthless and manipulative. Despite their merciless nature, they also seem to love their younger brother.

Madara's quirk: Gravity control

Tsunade Senju ➡ Healing girl/Chiyo Shuzenji

Both are old women. Like Chiyo, Tsunade is kind and compassionate, but also harsh and chiding towards crazy and reckless people. They are both expert doctors.

Tsunade's quirk: Healing

I had so much fun comparing the characters of my two favourite fandoms for this post. As far as abilities goes, I am happy with this list. I think Fire Control is the most overused ability ever. Gravity manipulation is my favourite ability; if you can increase and decrease the gravity then you are nearly the strongest person. Madara is that. It's insane how strong he is in Naruto, I didn't give him all that credit here.

Thank you for reading!

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rinneqan · 4 years ago

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my sun; uzumaki naruto

uzumaki naruto x reader | 2.4k words

warnings: toxic friendship, unrequited love, cursing

genre: angst

summary: he was too bright and you were afraid of getting burned. you were too serene and he didn't want to be a tempest.

a/n: this was absolutely self-indulgent and was hurt when i wrote this lolololol

masterlist

You loved Naruto. From his talkative and gushing attitude to the spikes of his blonde hair, you loved Naruto. There wasn't a single day where your brain wasn't packed with thoughts of the ninja. He permeated your body, he was the air you inhaled, he was the ocean to your shore, he was the sun in your sky. Little by little, a Naruto-shaped hole in your heart began to form and you couldn't help it; you were hopelessly in love with him.

With arms open, you let him in. That was your first mistake. You let him discover the nooks and crannies of your personality. You let him hold your hand through the darkest parts of yourself. He burrowed into your soul. It hurt, but you were addicted to him. God, it was unhealthy. There were countless nights where you huddled into your blankets and cried about the blonde. You would cry out his name and speak of the devil, Naruto would come knocking on your bedroom window asking why you were crying.

"Y/N? Why are you crying? What's wrong?"

"It's because of you, dummy."

You bit back your tongue and opted to find shelter into his warm arms. His hands carded through your tangled hair and whispered sweet nothings into your ears. Even hearing him talk felt like a symphony but you'd never admit it. The voice in your head told you to step away from him. You were hurting yourself but in the end, you let yourself indulge in this. In this moment, you could pretend like he truly wanted you.

When Hinata began to ask you to set her up with Naruto, you smiled reluctantly. You looked her in the eyes and saw the same desperation you saw in yourself.

"You'd do anything for me, right Y/N? I've liked him for so long and I know your his best friend. If you love me, you would help me."

Best friend. If you love me, you would help me.

The urge to simultaneously punch her in the face and break out into tears was absurdly strong. You choked back a sob, put on the brightest smile, and pulled her into a hug.

"I'd do anything for you, Hinata. It's what friends are for!"

Later that night, you cried under the moonlight that filtered in your room.

It soon became normal seeing Naruto and Hinata conjoined at the hip. Instead of hanging around Naruto, you found solace in the company of Tenten. She understood your situation and thought it was odd how quickly the dynamic shifted between you two. In an effort to help ease your mind, Tenten began to inform you about their budding relationship. You didn't mind the pain. The constant developments served as a ticking time bomb and maybe you'd gather the courage to confess to Naruto. Being around him and Hinata was becoming excruciating. Every moment spent with the pair felt like Hinata was trying to spite you. Everyone knew of how you felt towards Naruto and no one had ever dared to pull anything like this, besides her. It started to get to a point where Naruto would cancel plans with you to hang out with Hinata instead. Every instance of this was brought to Tenten and always ended in her reassuring your fragile mind.

"You should know how Naruto is. He hates disappointing other people. You and him are inseparable! Don't think that he's forgetting about you, Y/N."

The situation left a bitter taste in your mouth, fearing of what would come in the future. Were you supposed to be happy for him? Were you supposed to be happy for Hinata? You couldn't help but feel repulsed at the thought of the two together and desperately prayed that Naruto would come to his senses. As your relationship grew more distant, you forgot the simplest details of him. You've spent hours looking into those blue eyes, but at this point you couldn't even remember the hue? Were they ever brighter than the ocean?

On the other hand, Naruto was oblivious to Hinata's advances. The way she would try to grasp his hand or bump shoulders with him at any given moment was always interpreted as something platonically. Hinata had always expressed herself as an introvert, so he was glad to be able to help her come out of her shell but at the same time, he was losing you. Something in his head told him that this entire situation was messed up and wrong but he could not pinpoint what was wrong. Sure, Naruto was dense and unaware of a lot but he knew that he needed to see you before things went awry.

No matter the moment, his mind couldn't help but trail towards you. It was an issue and started to interfere with his ability to complete his missions successfully. In the end, he decided to take a break from his team but all this free time led to more thoughts of you. He didn't know why he was so drawn to you. As kids, you were always so quiet and reserved, not caring for anyone else. Naruto was loud; his presence was deafening, but you still befriended him. The two of you were absolute opposites, but he couldn't help but want you.

You were collected, peaceful, calm, serene. You were always there to soothe the chaos that brewed within him, but he never wanted to disrupt you. He was a tempest, a raging violent storm, but he couldn't get away from you in time. Soon enough, Naruto yearned for your company and would sacrifice anything for you. He was so willing to put his life on the line for you and you would've done the same. Isn't that what friends do?

After ages of venting to Sakura, she became fed up with the blonde.

"Are you actually that dense, Naruto? You two don't actually think you're just friends, right?"

Naruto sat with his back against a tree and watched as the girl in front of him stood up with an inscrutable gaze placed upon him.

"You got to be kidding me, Naruto. You were put off of missions for what reason? Thinking about Y/N too much! You always talk about her! Have you seen the way she looks at you? Nobody that considers themselves 'just friends' does that. You're in love with her."

A sharp pain ached in his chest and his eyes widened. I'm in love with her?

"Glad you now realize it. Better stat explaining to Y/N before Hinata ruins your chances."

Later on in the evening, Naruto repeated what Sakura said like a mantra and couldn't help but feel like this was some kind of warning or wake-up call. When he put things into perspective, Naruto could see you in all of his surroundings. His eyes drifted to his bedside table where multiple picture frames and other trinkets laid and a small smile graced his face. You were the one to tell him to start framing photographs and you were the one that brought him little knickknacks home from all of your missions. Although these moments seemed like lightyears away, they were still vivid in his mind. Just like fresh ink on paper, he didn't want to ponder too much, afraid he would smudge and ruin everything he built up.

Instead of thinking things rationally, Naruto hurried to your house. On the way there, he continuously stumbled and tripped on his feet. The voice in his head was telling him to slow down and think, but you were the only thing on his mind. It was almost as if the universe was trying to stop him from getting you. As he knocked on your window, he noticed the warm crimson liquid slowly dripping down his face and becoming sticky. He silently cursed himself and gasped when you suddenly let him in. Naruto climbed into your room and tumbled onto the floor. Once you noticed the blood caking on his skin, you got to work quickly disinfecting the cut.

"What happened to you Naruto? Are you okay?"

Your fingers brushed an alcohol soaked cotton pad across the wound and he hissed in response.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just in a hurry and I had to come and see you."

The movement of your fingers hesitated and if you didn't catch yourself, you would've dropped the cotton pad on the floor. Dread began to bubble up in your stomach and you prayed that he wasn't coming to you for advice about Hinata.

"You needed to see me? What's up? It must be urgent since you don't usually show up at my window with cuts on you."

You didn't want to look Naruto in the face but it was inevitable. A light tinge of red began to spread across your face but you focused your efforts on his wound in order to distract yourself. You could feel Naruto's gaze on your face, studying your features and tracing them into his memory. He was entranced and a wave of emotion washed over him.

"I love you, Y/N."

Your arms dropped to your side. Time seemed to slow and it seemed as if he wasn't speaking at all. His eyes were still fixated on your face. He was looking at you and only you.

"I can't believe I just realized this. I'm so stupid..."

His voice trailed off and you couldn't help but stare blankly at the man in front of your eyes. Naruto grabbed your hand and interlocked your fingers. Your voice had left you including all self control. Your free hand gently stroked his cheek and the two of you leaned into a kiss.

You wouldn't lie, it hurt kissing Naruto. The dull aching sensation within your chest panged throughout your whole body. It hurt, but it was addicting. Pleasure derived from pain. You felt horrible. Selfishness was not your intent but at this point, you only wanted Naruto for yourself. Tasting him on your lips made you want to cry and that you did. Naruto quickly pulled away from you after feeling the wetness on your cheeks and concern filled his voice.

"Y/N! Are you okay?"

The pads of his thumbs quickly swiped away your tears as you sniffled.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay."

You looked into his eyes and mustered up the brightest smile you could pull.

"I just love you a lot, Naruto. That's it."

Naruto pulled you into a comforting hug and the tears fell even harder. He carried you to your bed and laid with you. Your arms were wrapped around his torso as he held you flush against his body. Maybe this would be a new chapter for the two of you. A chapter where the two of you could finally belong in each other's arms. A chapter where you could truly be happy. After years of yearning and pleading to every deity, you finally had the sun in your hands. You moved closer to Naruto and whispered two words against his skin.

"My sun."

A warmth spread between the both of you, yet it was bitter. You clearly knew why, but Naruto decided to ignore the lingering doubt in his mind. When you woke up to the stray rays of sunlight filtering in your room, a cold feeling penetrated your soul. You reached over to the side but were met with cold sheets. With racing thoughts, you got up and got dressed hoping to find an excuse to cover for him but there was nothing. Did he have an emergency mission? His team probably needed him for something real quick and he had to leave in a rush. That would be the only reasonable answer right? Instead, you were met with an out of breath Tenten furiously banging at your door.

"Y/N!"

"Woah woah Tenten, calm down. What's up?"

Tenten was doubled over with her hands on her knees, inhaling sharply, until she took notice of the out of place smile on your face.

"Wait, why are you so happy right now?"

Your heart burst at the seams simply thinking about the blonde that was once within arms reach.

"It's nothing, what's up with you though?"

"God, I don't want to tell you anymore. You look so happy."

"Hey, hey. I'll be fine, don't worry about it."

"It's Naruto. Naruto and Hinata. I'm so sorry. I am so so sorry, Y/N."

Fuck.

"Where are they?"

"I don't know if they're still at the dango shop, but I'll take you there."

"Please. Thank you Tenten."

She quickly nodded and pulled you by the hand.

As you and Tenten rushed out your house, you couldn't process anything. The dazzling colors of Konoha's summer became a blur. It was once a sight you cherished but now anything connected to Naruto made your gut twist and churn. Your lungs were on fire and the tears welling up in your eyes burned trails into your cheeks. You'd never thought the pain would be this unbearable. Everything you had known had been dug up and cast aside. Tenten came to a sudden stop and you crashed into her back. Wide glassy eyes looked at the scene acted out in front of the two of you.

The faint echoes of Hinata and Naruto's laughter was deafening. You stood in shock, trying to tell yourself to avoid staring, but it was futile. Hinata's eyes locked with yours and she sent you a sly smile before placing a kiss on Naruto's cheek and lacing her hands within his. Her lips moved in silence as you stood still and watched.

"I guess you took too long, Y/N."

You loved Naruto. Maybe a little too much. Even after the excruciating pain he brought you, there wasn't a single day where your brain wasn't packed with thoughts of the ninja. When you got back home, you were met with his presence everywhere you were. Going on missions became challenging and your mind kept wandering to thoughts of him. Simply walking around the village was difficult. You'd either see Hinata all over Naruto or be reminded of all the memories you had made with the blonde. He was all over the village and you couldn't escape him. The thought of staying in Konoha was unfathomable so you packed everything up and left.

No matter the distance, there was an unbreakable bond between the two of you always tugging at your heart, yearning for it's other half. Without Naruto by your side the days seemed dull. He was still the air you inhaled, the ocean to your shore, the sun in your sky. You'd give anything and everything to see his beaming smile once again. The Naruto-shaped hole in your heart stayed resilient and grew as the days passed. You couldn't help it; you were hopelessly in love with him.

#naruto x reader #uzumaki naruto x reader #naruto #naruto shippuden #naruto x you #naruto x y/n

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moscnios · 4 years ago

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SMILEY ━ﾞ

⁺◟ CHARACTERS . . . uzumaki naruto fem!reader

⁺◟ GENRE . . . fluff oneshot

⁺◟ SYNOPSIS . . . naruto is finally back in konoha after almost three years and his good friend and admirer is so happy to see him again.

⁺◟ CONTENT WARNINGS . . . mentions of robbery ‘ stab wound

⁺◟ WORD COUNT . . . 2.5k.

⁺◟ COMMENTARY . . . sorry for taking so long !! i’ve been slacking a lot recently. i hope this makes up for it.

“Good afternoon, Naruto.”

The blonde wearing orange and black peered up from his fifth or so bowl of ramen, a small noodle peeking out of his the side of his wide mouth. His sky blue eyes stared at the girl behind the counter before a wide smile graced his face.

He slammed the bowl down onto the long counter, jumped up from the stool he sat in. He hopped over the red counter, surprising not only the others who sat in the stools but the young lady and the chef behind the bar.

“N-N-Naruto!”

“( y/n )! You’re back and you’re okay!” The boy pulled the young lady into a strong hug. His tight grip surprised her for a second. She slowly snaked her arms around him, letting her headrest in the nape of his neck.

The two stood in sweet silence, just holding one another. It had felt like years since they had hugged like this. Well, it technically was years.

Almost three years ago, Naruto had left to train with Jiraiya, leaving the young girl alone in the village. He was among the only true friends she had.

She had met him for the first time when he came to Ramen Ichiraku with Iruka when they were younger. She recalls the memory like it happened yesterday.

Her name was ( l/n ) ( y/n ), niece of the owner of Ramen Ichiraku, Teuchi. When she was young, she had lost both of her parents and was adopted by Teuchi who allowed her to work alongside him and his daughter, Ayame.

Of course, for the most part throughout her childhood, she tended to stay away from actually cooking the ramen and just helping her uncle and cousin out in serving it, which gave her the nickname Konoha’s Smile.

She always served ramen with a smile and gave that cheesy one-liner to customers that always made them come running back to get seconds just to hear her say it again.

“At Ramen Ichiraku you never go home without a full stomach and a warm heart,” She would always say with the brightest smile and the cutest wink.

She was loved by many, hated by none. She knew she had the entire village wrapped around her hand all because of some one-liner she had by accident one time and it became a trademark for her.

That was of course until Naruto walked in. She handed him the bowl, setting up to say her one-liner but he already began to chow down. For a young boy, he sure did eat ramen quickly. She hadn’t noticed she was even staring at him until he bulked up at her which she returned with another bulk toward him.

He ordered another bowl, and she had watched him a bit more before introducing herself with that smile that charmed the hearts of so many, which he only shrugged his shoulders. His lack of attention toward her piqued her interest.

It was only a matter of time before the two became quick friends, ( y/n )’s feelings becoming a bit more romantic. She found herself falling for a good friend and becoming to terms with it was not easy. She knew he wasn’t worried about any other girl besides Sakura. She was all he talked about.

In his eyes, there was something about her light pink hair, her green eyes, her milky white skin that just made his heart race. Not only that but she was a smart girl and she had the potential to be a good kunoichi in the future if she tried hard enough. She was everything that he could want and more.

While it hurt her heart to listen to the blonde speak so highly of another woman, she had put a smile on her face and supported him in everything he did, even if it tore down her confidence and pride.

When she was made aware that he was living the village with Jiraiya, worry had filled her chest. Questions bombarded her mind, as she tried to answer her own what-ifs. She knew nothing could happen to him with Jiraiya there but she still worried.

What if Jiraiya went to hard on him?

What if something happened to him while training?

What if he got injured and she wasn’t there to bandage him up and feed him ramen afterward?

The endless possibilities got to her. She knew he was a strong boy. He was the strongest boy she had ever met. Even if not many people believed in him, she was one of the few who had. Which was why he couldn't keep a secret from her?

Before he left, he had told her his secret. He told her of the Nine-Tails that resided inside of him. He even showed her the seal on his stomach, even trusting her annoying to allow her to trace it with the tip of the fingertips as he spoke about the Nine-Tails and how it was the cause of all of the torment in his life. And he had cried. He wanted to pretend he was tough in front of her but it just didn't work, when she wrapped her sweet arms around him and rubbed his back, the tears began to flood out of his eyes.

The hardest day was him having to turn his back to her and leaving. She packed him one last bento box with a letter on top of it that she begged him not to open until he returned back to Konoha after training so that they could read it together. She even told Jiraiya about the letter, telling him to never let Naruto open it.

And he kept his promise, even if it was hard to.

Now here he was, back in Konoha. He hadn't changed much in appearance, she thought. He was a bit taller but not too tall. His style hadn't changed either. He had only replaced the blue with black and kept the orange, but it fits him in a cute way. The hug was deeper, more emotion behind it. Maybe it was because he hadn't seen her in almost three years but she enjoyed it nevertheless.

She took in his scent deeply, as the reality of they were not alone fit her. She heard her uncle's voice clear behind her. Dark blushes appeared on the teenagers' faces as they quickly released one another, creating distance.

Teuchi could only shake his head at his niece as well as his best customer.

"Uncle! Can I have a small break to spend time with Naruto? All I need is an hour, please," The girl begged. Teuchi did not put up much fight, allowing her an hour break, no earlier and no later. But she was his niece, he knew she wouldn't be back until around closing time.

The two fist-bumped, leaving the restaurant. ( y/n ) had left her apron on a hook, before grabbing Naruto's wrist and bolting to their special spot in the forest, one of the highest branches of the highest tree. As they reached the body of the tree, Naruto extending his arms for her to leap into but she rolled her eyes.

"You learned a few things when you left but so did I," She pointed. stretching slightly. She took in a deep breath before letting it out, as the bottoms of her feet had made contact with the tree, climbing up rather quickly. Naruto was in shock, "When...when did you learn chakra control?"

She looked down at him with a giggle, "It's quite easy. I've been told despite being a civilian, I have quite the chakra. That and I got a bit of self-defense training from one of the academy teachers to protect myself against future attackers. I'm not that good but I can somewhat defend myself."

"Future? Wait...HAVE YOU ALREADY BEEN ATTACKED?!"

She watched panic arise in Naruto's face as she tried to continue to climb up, now running, "Let's not talk on the ground. Save it for the branch." She reached their special branch, being joined by Naruto who quickly caught up to her, sitting down next to her. The panic and worry on his face never left. When he had left, he didn't expect that she would be hurt.

"A couple of weeks after you left, two idiots tried to pull a fast one and rob the shop. Be being who I am, I couldn't let them do it. I tried to be the hero but I blew it. They got away and I got stabbed," She tilted her head to the side, pointing to a healed knife wound on her neck.

Naruto pressed his fingertips onto the wound gently, noticing its position, "This...this is right next to your jugular! YOU COULD HAVE DIED, ( y/n )!"

She shook her head, "I couldn't die before I had the chance to see you return home. That's why I'm here today." She looked out into the sky, letting out a deep sigh, "I felt so helpless at that moment. I couldn't even stop two idiots from hurting those I cared about most, the only family I have left alive. For the first time in my life, I felt useless. I just...I just wanted to be like you. You're so carefree and cool. You never let life bring you down. You've been treated so badly by everyone else and yet you still forgave them and wanted to turn things around. When it happened, I thought about you and what would you do if you were here. When I was in the hospital recovering, all I could think about was you and how just the thought of you gave me the strength and the will to put others before myself even though I'm usually a coward. I guess what I'm saying is...I look up to you, Naruto."

"You...you look up to me?" He retracted his hand, his big eyes looking into hers that were filled with admiration and love, though he could only recognize the first and not the latter. With a pink tint on her cheeks, she spoke again, "Y-Yeah I g-g-guess so. Saying it out loud is kinda e-embarrassing...huh?"

"No! It's really heartwarming to hear. While I'm upset that you did such a reckless thing, I'm speechless, ( y/n )."

She raised an eyebrow, "Hey! You're one to talk, Naruto."

"I'm just messing with you. You know that," He smiled, ruffling the hair of the unamused girl. He reached into his pocket pulling out a crumpled up envelope, "I guess since I'm back we can read it together, right? Please say yes, I've been waiting three years to read it!"

"What...what happened to the envelope?"

"I forgot I had it in my pocket a few times so it's been washed, ripped, torn, and burned a little on the edges," He confessed.

She shook her head, taking what was left of her letter from years ago into her hands, "If I can even read what it says now. I barely remember what I wrote." She opened the envelope pulling out a piece of paper that looked like it was even worse shape than the envelope. The writing was faded, for the most part, there were mysterious colored stains all over it. "Naruto...did you read the letter?"

"I promise I didn't! I wanted but Pervy Sage took it away before I even got to the second paragraph. So I read the first paragraph but that was it. And that was after we left so I don't remember it now."

"You're unbelievable." ( y/n ) looked over the note, making out what she could. It was one thing to write down your feelings but it sure was another to read them after all these years. It was rather embarrassing, seeing the cheesy love note. Seeing how she had poured her soul into something so dumb. Naruto wasn't going to think this was sweet. He would probably believe she was joking or playing a prank on him. She couldn't read this to him.

While she focused at the awful love note, Naruto had watched her face and its range of many different expressions. 'Was it that bad?' He thought to himself. There's only one way he could find out. He inched closer to her, snatching the letter out of her hands.

"NARUTO GIVE IT BACK!"

"Nope! You promised I would get to know what was in the letter. I've waited long enough. You're probably overreacting, ( y/n ). It can't be that bad," His eyes began to skim over the page

"NARUTO DON'T READ IT!"

"Too late!"

"NARUTO~!"

It was almost as if it formed by itself. A flame in the palm of her hand. She held it below the letter, letting it engulf in flames. As the letter became ash, she stuck her tongue out at him, "Now neither of us can read it!"

He shrugged his shoulders, folding his arms across his chest, "Fine then. Now that neither of us can read it, now both of us that you like me!"

Her eyes widened as big as they could, hearing those words fall from his lips almost made her heart skip a beat. 'Damnit, I was too slow.'

"I don't know why you're panicking. I mean I understand why you like me. I'm a pretty good catch."

"You want me to burn your face next?"

"N-No. I was kidding, ( y/n )!"

An awkward silence filled the air as she turned away from him in embarrassment. He took her hand into his, a dark blush appearing on his cheeks as did hers. She intertwined their fingers, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Though on the outside, she kept a pout on the inside she was jumping for glee.

"You know...I like you too, right?"

"Since when?" She asked.

He just shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. But every time I'm around you I get this warm feeling inside that no one really makes me feel. I always think about your warm hugs, and how you smell like ramen and flowers, and how Konoha calls you its smile because you have the prettiest smile and cutest catchphrase. You gotta say the catchphrase."

"I'm not saying it."

"Come on, please~! For me!"

"No."

"I'll give you a kiss on the cheek," He offered, piquing her interest. She looked over her shoulder at him, "Really?"

"Yes, I mean it. Now say it!"

( y/n ) rolled her eyes, letting go of his hand.

She placed her hand pointed to her cheek, “At Ramen Ichiraku you never go home without a full stomach and a warm heart," She gave him a wink and the brightest smile she could.

"Wow, you never lost that spokesperson charm, huh? We should make Ramen Ichiraku be all across the world and let you be the face and spokesperson. I think that would be amazing."

"That's the worst idea you've ever had. This smile is strictly for Konoha...and you sometimes."

"Alright, smiley."

"Smiley? Is that the nickname that you're giving me―"

Naruto leaned forward pressed a gentle to her cheek, "As promised."

"Okay, then maybe I can forgive the nickname."

⁺◟ BACK TO NAVIGATION . . .

#naruto #naruto shippuden #uzumaki naruto #naruto uzumaki #naruto x reader #naruto x y/n #naruto oneshots #naruto scenarios #naruto imagines #narutoedit #☆ — MY LOVE MINE ALL MINE.

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hermadnessmacwrites · 3 years ago

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A Game of Puzzles (Making the Pieces Fit) Chapter 4

Summary: With the war over and Sasuke home again, Sakura is more hopeful for Team 7’s future than she has been in a long time. She’s quickly disappointed to find that nothing in the Village fits quite like it used to—not her old bedroom, not her clothes, and definitely not Team 7. Join Sakura as she scrambles to understand her place in this new team dynamic.

If she has a place there at all.

-OR-

It takes three dorks a painfully long time after moving in together to realize that they all belong together.

It’s the first time Sakura remembers October 10th ever being this...jovial.

The streets are always crowded this time of year, but the laughter seems oddly out of place. Gone are the mournful monochromatic clothes she’s used to. Everything she looks at—the clothes, the storefronts, the people—is so bright she has to work to avoid squinting.

“Oooh, Sakura, look, there’s a dango stand!”

Brightest of all is Naruto. He’s actually wearing less orange than usual, having been convinced into a pair of dark tan pants, but his expression more than makes up for the loss. Each street vendor and colored lantern is taken in with equal amounts of awe. He looks like a kid at his first birthday party, which…

...it’s a painfully accurate description. Sakura tries not to think about it.

“Didn’t you just eat like five bowls of ramen?” she teases. Naruto opens his mouth and closes it, looking for an excuse, but Sakura elbows him lightly in the side. “Just kidding, let’s go grab some. I heard they were going to add a new flavor today, too.”

Naruto’s eyes widen comically. “For me? Really?”

“Of course it’s for you,” Sasuke cuts in from behind them. Walking three across really isn’t possible in these crowds, but, like most genin teams, Team 7 feels most comfortable navigating public spaces in a loose triangle formation. “It’s not like Konoha has anything else to celebrate today, right?”

The pointed question isn’t lost on Naruto, who visibly deflates. Sakura spins to glare at Sasuke and catches a flash of a frown as his gaze drops to the pavement. It’s not Naruto that Sasuke is annoyed with, but that’s exactly who he’s hurting with his bitterness. It doesn’t take much for Naruto to swing to extreme sadness when he’s this happy, which Sasuke knows. She had hoped he would mind his temper today.

“Hey.” Sakura draws Naruto’s hand into hers and gives him her best smile. “Why don’t you take Mr. Killjoy and find a spot to sit for a bit. I’ll bring the dango over, okay?”

Naruto’s smile starts small, but quickly grows as she holds his hand.

“Yeah, I’ll keep him out of trouble,” he agrees, “Could you grab a couple different flavors?”

“As many as I can carry,” she assures him. Sakura sends one last pleading look at Sasuke before they disappear. She’s pretty sure he rolls his eyes at her, which isn’t exactly a promise to behave, but it does mean that he got the message. Probably. Hopefully.

Once Naruto is out of view, Sakura takes a quick second to get her emotions back in check. Sasuke’s right. The Village’s abrupt one eighty in its treatment of Naruto grates her nerves if she lets herself think about it for too long. They’d gone from disdain to reverence in the span of six months. Technically this is a festival celebrating the end of the war, but there’s been a fair amount of Uzumaki branded treats and well-wishes from strangers as well.

At least she had apologized.

A couple deep breaths later, Sakura’s pushing through the crowds towards the stand. There’s a line forming, but the vendor calls Sakura forward as soon as he sees her. Embarrassed, Sakura ducks her head in a small apology to the people in line as she moves past them. She doesn’t want to make more of a scene than she already is, and she really wants to get back to her team as soon as she can.

“Could I get two Hanami dango, a mitarashi dango, and a”—she cranes her neck to get a better look at the name of the new flavor from the poster on the side of the cart—“and one Uzumaki dango, please?”

“Absolutely! Would you like a Team 7 dango as well?”

“Oh!” There’s nothing about a Team 7 dango on the sign. Is that actually a thing? Did he make that up when he saw her? “Um, yes, please. Thank you.”

By the time Sakura’s done counting out her coins, the dango are being shoved towards her. She scrambles to put her money pouch away and grab her sweets without holding up the line any longer. Four of the dango end up in one hand while a white, pink, and orange dango ends up in the other. It takes her a second to realize that this is supposed to be the Team 7 dango. The anger kicks in a second later.

To be fair to the vendor, she’s never actually seen blue dango before. Then again, she’s never seen a red habanero dango before today, and that’s definitely one of the flavors on the Uzumaki stick. Choosing the white dango for Kakashi feels like a dig at Sasuke. Sakura bites the orange dumpling off the stick and chews furiously. There. Now it just looks like a partially eaten Hanami dumpling.

That “Team 7” roll better not be on the actual menu. For the vendor’s sake.

Sakura finds Naruto and Sasuke sitting on top of one of the tables in an eating area, of all places. She has no idea who’s idea that was. It’s an extremely rude thing to do with so many people looking for seats, but Sakura doesn’t really want to be joined by the type of people who are deterred by her teammates’ antics right now.

Naruto spots her first and starts waving wildly—as if she could have missed the pair of them. Sasuke turns to see who has caught Naruto’s attention. When he recognizes her, he pulls one of his legs off the bench and onto the table so she’ll have a place to sit. Naruto follows his lead, pulling both his feet off the bench and into a criss-cross position. So they were trying to deter people from sitting with them.

She’s not even mad.

“One mitarashi dango, one hanami dango, and one Uzumaki dango,” she declares, handing over her loot. Naruto cheers, promptly digging into the hanami stick as soon as it’s in his hand. He’s two dumplings deep before Sakura’s even fully seated.

Sasuke’s eyebrow raises as she nibbles on her own dango. “You got two hanami dango for yourself?”

Busted.

“Uh, one of them is for you?” she tries. At Sasuke’s unimpressed expression, she relents, “Fine. Yes, I got two hanami for myself.” He still looks skeptical for some reason, so she tries for classic misdirection, “You might actually want to try the red dumpling from the Uzumaki dango, though, I’m pretty sure it’s spicy.”

“It is?” Naruto pauses his munching on the mitarashi stick to take a bite of the red dumpling before recoiling immediately. “Ack—it is! Why is it spicy?”

Sakura laughs. “I think the colors represent your family. The orange and yellow are pretty self-explanatory, so the red is probably for your mom. For the Uzumaki hair, I’m guessing. I don’t know why they didn’t choose cherry or something, though—that would have gone better with the rest of the flavors.”

“Her nickname was the ‘Red-hot Habanero,’ so that’s probably it,” Naruto explains, his smile dimming. It’s Sasuke’s turn to glare at her, and she winces, appropriately abashed. She always manages to stick her foot in her mouth when the conversation turns to parents. “Anyway, you should try it, Sasuke. It’s not sweet, like, at all, so I bet you’ll like it.”

Sakura figures the odds are skewed sixty/fourty in favor of Sasuke rejecting the offer, but Sasuke doesn’t actually say anything at all. Instead he bends down and bites the rest of the dumpling right off the stick that Naruto’s holding. Some of the drizzling sauce clings to his lower lip, and his tongue darts out quickly to wipe it clean.

She’s not even the one holding the stick, but Sakura is absolutely certain her heart fucking stutters to a stop at the sight. Poor Naruto looks appropriately shocked. His lips are parted in a gentle “o” of surprise, and his eyes are, dare she say it, looking a little glazed over. He rallies quickly, though, shoving the rest of the Uzumaki stick right under Sasuke’s nose.

“Try the orange one next!”

“Ugh, no.” It’s Sasuke’s turn to recoil. “That one probably is sweet, dumbass.”

"Come on," Naruto wheedles,"Just take a little—wait. Wait, are you saying my mom tastes better than I do?"

"Why do you have to phrase it like that!"

The words are different, but the cadence of her teammates bickering is familiar enough that it quickly fades to the background of her attention. She works through the rest of her "hanami" roll at a leisurely pace, scanning the crowds as she does. There's so much laughter. Even actual festivals haven't been this boisterous for years.

Most of these people weren't on the war front. It's easy to resent them for that—for celebrating the anniversary of such a trying day. Victory is not a reward granted, but a luxury paid for in blood and flesh by the pound. She understands the relief, but is this much pomp and circumstance acceptable? Does a life saved by a black market kidney still deserve celebration?

Sakura doesn't know.

A child screams, high and piercing, shattering through the joyful murmur of the crowd. Her teammates' argument grinds to a halt. Sakura swivels to locate the source, and, in her periphery, she notices the majority of the adults around her do the same. Chakra flares around her as ninja spread their senses in search of a threat.

"Kenta!" a petite woman scolds, bending down, "What did I say about screaming?"

"Not to," the child mumbles. He's small enough that a picnic table nearby obscures him from Sakura's view.

"Unless?" the woman prompts. If Kenta answers, it's too quiet for her to hear.

Everyone in the vicinity, ninja and civilians alike, visibly relaxes. It's sobering to realize how on-edge they all are despite the upbeat atmosphere. Life has not been kind to Konoha's residents.

How self-absorbed of her.

No, the civilians around her didn't watch Neji die. They didn't despair as the Ten-tailed beast appeared in the battle-ground. To say they didn't know fear—didn't know suffering—is terribly short-sighted.

Konoha is a thriving militaristic society. Has been for decades. But having the pointiest sick doesn't ensure safety. Often the wielder becomes a target of others struggling to create their own rags to riches stories.

Or revenge. Pointy sticks are great at poking avengers into action.

Point is, Konoha has been leveled three times in Sakura's short time on this earth. If the civilians don't get to celebrate the peace she fought for, maybe she doesn't get to celebrate the Village they rebuilt.

Food for thought.

Sakura lays her finished dango stick on the table. The untouched dango stick sags in her hand with her increasing disinterest. Her recent train of thought is more than enough to derail her appetite entirely despite the fact that dango is one of her favorite treats.

"You okay?" Naruto asks immediately. He glances at the dango dangling in her grasp pointedly.

Sakura doesn't even have to force the smile. His concern forces its way through the heavy stormcloud of her thoughts like the sunbeam he is. Sweet. Naruto's just so sweet.

"I'm fine.” She fans herself with her free hand. "Just kinda hot, yeah? It's killing my appetite."

Naruto's expression clears immediately. "In that case, let's go get some shaved ice soon! I think I saw a vendor on our way in."

"I did not sign up to wrangle the two of you on a sugar high," Sasuke interjects sourly. Sweet sauce is smeared across his cheekbone, and there might be a crumb of fried dough occluding one nostril. Sakura chokes on a giggle which clearly earns no points from Sasuke. "No more sweets."

Sakura raises her hands in surrender, but Naruto isn't as quick to acquiesce. They start bickering, again, and as Sakura watches a dango skewer slides dangerously close to Sasuke's eye. Idiots. That does explain the out-of-place dough and sticky sauce, though.

The reprimand on her tongue withers at the enthusiastic sparkle in Naruto’s eyes as he advances further and further into Sasuke’s personal space. And Sasuke—brooding, angsty Sasuke—has a smile playing at his lips as he avoids the sticky dessert. He’s making a good show of being annoyed by his teammate’s antics, but if he was really done he’d be slapping the blond away. Angry Sasuke wouldn’t lean back unconcernedly on his only hand like that, and he certainly wouldn’t let Naruto rest his stump on his shoulder as he pesters him.

Bright. It’s so, so bright out today—ridiculously sunny for October—but no amount of sunblock would protect her from their megawatt smiles.

If the fight gets enthusiastic enough to disturb the table, she'll step in, Sakura decides, turning her head to give them a little privacy.

Or the illusion of it, anyway.

Sakura’s not sure how her teammates are able to ignore all the attention they’re attracting. The picnic table they have selected is on the outskirts of the eating area, but they might as well be on center stage. Her skin prickles under the weight of the public’s stares.

Logically, she knows the curious civilians don’t mean any harm. It’s rare that Team 7 is out in the public eye for such an extended period of time. That doesn’t stop the shinobi buried deep beneath her medic persona from sharpening her kunai warily. Sakura doesn't resent the instinct exactly—that's what keeps her alive—but she does try to shake it. The eyes on her aren't dangerous.

Just oppressive.

It’s in pretending to look out across the crowd—and ignoring the alarming number of heads that whip away from her that she does—that she notices them.

A trio of girls sit at two tables away from them at a diagonal. Four older women share the table, but there's enough space between the two to make it clear that they're separate parties. And anyway, the women are laughing, with clenched eyes and wide smiles. The younger ones, though, they're tittering. The sound is sharper than the murmuring of the crowd around them, which is probably why they stood out to her in the first place.

In their mirth, they haven’t noticed Sakura’s attention. One of the girls has a blush dark enough to match the hair of the girl digging an elbow playfully into her side. She can’t see the face of the final member of the trio, but her shoulders shake in obvious laughter under long, black hair. Suddenly the girl’s arms come up in an exaggerated stretch before dropping to her hips so she can make a show of twisting and stretching her back. Not bad for a civilian. Sakura would have almost believed her if not for how quickly she turned back to her friends after a less than sneaky peek at Team 7’s table.

Any amusement she might have held for the girls’ antics slip away immediately. Clearly the trio isn’t looking at Sakura, or they would have noticed her attention. The number of times they’ve all slid glances her direction is too high to be a coincidence, however, which only leaves one option.

The boys.

Now it’s abundantly clear what the brunette is being teased about. It’s been a while since the Academy, but Sakura has sent her share of moonstruck looks a certain Uchiha’s way. She knows what it feels like—what it looks like—to laugh and tease over crushes. Her eyebrows narrow fiercely for all that she tries to keep her expression neutral. The only real question left is: which boy are they looking at?

Four years ago, the answer would have been Sasuke hands down. His sharp features and aloof personality are easily misread as the mysterious persona of at least fifty percent of the love interests in romance novels. Barely dodged war crimes have tamped down the general enthusiasm for Sasuke, though there is always the chance the girl thinks she has a thing for “bad boys.”

Sakura hopes not, for her sake. Sasuke’s particular brand of “rebel with a cause” needs at least three years of serious training and an instruction manual the size of one of her medical textbooks to have any chance of walking away unscathed. Even then nightmares and traumatic events are pretty much a given.

Naruto laughs, loudly, and throws his head back enough to give a clear view of the syrup that drips down his chin. The brunette’s expression softens, and Sakura can hear the lovesick sigh she heaves from twenty feet away. So Naruto is the object of her affection. The realization makes her stomach twist.

There’s a sharp crack, and Sakura’s dango drops to the grass beneath them. She blinks, confused. The bottom half of the stick is still clenched tightly in her fist. It takes longer than it should to notice the splintered edge of the stick and piece together what happened.

“Are you alright?” It’s Sasuke that asks this time.

“Yeah, I’m—I’m fine.” Sakura bends down to grab her dango from the ground. She hadn’t planned on eating it anyway, but the grass coating the dumplings means that’s not an option for later anymore. “I just, ah—”

Before Sakura can come up with an excuse for her ill-timed use of super strength, the tittering behind them grows in volume enough to catch Sasuke’s attention this time. Sakura’s eyes flit to the trio of girls automatically, and they are looking at her now. Great. Even the blushing brunette has joined in the action, so Sakura knows that the laughs are meant for her. She grinds her teeth together. They’re civilians. Sakura can’t go around just laying civilians out because she feels like it.

“That’s enough time in the sun,” Sasuke declares, sliding off of the table top. He shoots a viscous glare over his shoulder. Sakura shouldn’t find so much satisfaction in how rapidly the giggles grind to a halt, but she does. The knots her intestines have tied themselves into loosen enough that she can take aim with a sharp smile of her own.

“Guys…?” Naruto asks. He can tell that something is going on, but doesn’t have enough information to piece the story together as Sasuke did. Blonde eyebrows furrow lightly as he glances from his teammates to the girls’ table.

The brunette has the audacity to sigh again. Every muscle in Sakura’s body tenses for a fight, and she doesn’t even pause to think about how ridiculous her reaction is. It’s not like she has any sort of claim over Naruto. Sasuke is the one who has been messily sharing finger food with him this whole afternoon. If anyone has any right to feel the sudden rage coursing through their body, it’s him. How dare that girl assume she has a chance when Naruto is clearly taken?

Sure enough, Sasuke’s expression has doubled in intensity. Disgust and possessiveness mix in equal measure on his face as his lip curls up and over his teeth. He probably doesn’t even realize what an overprotective boyfriend he looks like, and Sakura can only watch smugly as the girls wilt under his glare. Serves them right.

“We’re getting out of here,” Sasuke declares, firmly. He turns away from the trio before hefting Naruto off the table and over his shoulder in one fluid motion. Naruto squawks in surprise, understandably, but Sasuke’s malice is clearly not directed at him, so he allows himself to be carted away with only token protests. “Let’s go, Sakura.”

The urge to gloat is irresistible. Sakura tosses a taunting wink that the girls are too shell-shocked to react to before falling into her place at her boys’ backs. The rage and, okay, she’ll admit it, jealousy that bubbled up so unexpectedly earlier washes away in the face of her contentment. Maybe neither Sasuke or Naruto are hers in the romantic sense, but they’re hers in all the other ways that matter.

Sakura will guard their backs for as long as they let her with a smile in her heart.

Read the rest of the chapter on ao3

#hermadnessmac writes #Team 7 ot3 #NaruSasuSaku #Team 7 moves in together #A Game of Puzzles (Making the Pieces Fit)#Read on AO3

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theanarik · 4 years ago

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Day 12: You

Happy SasuHina Month! It is I, with angst, again. Keep in mind that this is One-Sided Sasuke/Hinata.

Btw, I decided to post these on ff.net, if you want to check them over there.

Day 12: I almost had you

You

You can also read it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24693079

Sasuke regrets many things. Many, many things. Seriously, he has a parchment with a list. Naruto has seen the parchment laying around in his apartment but hasn’t said anything about it, which really, it’s just a testament of how much the blond has grown. Sasuke is actually thankful that Naruto hasn’t seen what’s written on that list because, 1. It would make him really sad, and 2. It would probably make him really angry. Whatever, it’s not like Sasuke hasn’t fought him before.

“Good morning, Sasuke,” she tells him when she comes closer to him, basket on her hand.”

“Hinata.” He answers and focuses on picking the brightest strawberries.

“Msr. Uzumaki, good morning!” the tenant says and Sasuke sighs internally.

“Good morning!” she answers, a bright smile on her face.

God, how he wishes that smile was thrown at him once in a while. Sasuke shakes his head and turns to the tenant.

“I’ll take these.”

“O-okay.”

And really, how many years need to pass before someone actually treats him normally? This time, he really sighs.

“Strawberries are in season, huh?” she murmurs to herself, as the tenant turns around and Sasuke looks at her. “I wonder if I should make something…”

“You should.” Sasuke interrupts and she looks startled. “I’m sure Naruto will love it.” She blushes.

“O-oh. But I can totally give you something, too!”

“I don’t like sweets, remember?” He tells her, and if she was any other person, Sasuke would be angry.

“Yeah, you’re right…”

Sasuke really wants to hit himself with something, preferably a wall. Here Hinata is, offering to cook something for him, and he turns it down just because it’s sweet? Grow up, Sasuke.

“Then, how about you come for dinner one of these days? I’m sure Naruto will be very happy!” she tells him, and there’s that smile that comes out when she talks about Naruto.

“Sure.”

Her smile transforms into something completely different. She looks genuinely excited and happy that he’ll come visit and have dinner with them, and Sasuke wants to kiss her.

“Here you go, Uchiha.”

The tenant startles them both and he turns around to see a glare towards him. He stares blankly at the tenant until the glare transforms into fear – okay, so maybe there is a reason no one really treats him normally –. He grabs the bag of strawberries and turns again.

“See you around, Hinata.”

“It was nice seeing you, Sasuke!”

Sasuke glares at everyone who turns to spare him a look. He mostly glares at his chest.

When Sasuke said that Naruto would be very angry at him if he ever read his parchment, Sasuke meant that there was something written there that not even his best friend could see. As he dines with him and his wife, Sasuke wonders, not for the first time, what would have happened if he decided to stay right after the war ended. Maybe if he did, the girl sitting in front of him would be Hinata Uchiha instead of Hinata Uzumaki.

You can also read it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24693079

#SasuHinaMonth2020 #sasuhina #Angst #one-sided pining #don't say i didn't warn you

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twinkletoes-rp · 5 years ago

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Naruto AU “Surface Breaker” Ch. 1 - Awakening

Fandom: Naruto Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, (Found) Family Rating: T (to be safe) Relationships: Naruto Uzumaki & Shikamaru Nara, Naruto Uzumaki & Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki & Konoha 11, Naruto Uzumaki & Everyone, Naruto Uzumaki & Sasuke Uchiha (mentioned) Characters: Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru Nara, Sakura Haruno, Konoha 11, Sasuke Uchiha (mentioned) Words: 4,456

Summary: AU/Canon Divergence post-Shippuden 215. When Naruto nearly dies at Sasuke’s hands for a second time, he makes the heartrending decision to finally heed his dead master’s advice and let the Uchiha go. Healing and moving on are never easy, but luckily, Naruto has a whole village (and even those outside it) to aid and love him along the way.

Canon Divergence start: Different from the actual episode, Naruto and Sasuke's fight goes on a lot longer and is way deadlier. It ends up a fight to the death. The only reason they both survive is because Tobi swoops in to steal Sasuke away, and Naruto passes out a second later. That's where the fic opens.

(Can also be read on FFN | AO3 | Next )

“Naruto!”

He remembers coughing up blood, a lot of it, and then…his eyelids were so heavy…

“I can’t… We have to…the village…”

He remembers hands on him. Warm and slick and…shaking…

“Stay awake, Naruto…”

He remembers intense pain shooting through him, coughing up more blood…

“Hold on!”

He remembers rushing paws, so many and so loud it became a roar…

“Just a little farther! You can…”

He remembers being set on something soft and cold, tasting more blood…

“Come on, Naruto… You’re…be Hokage…”

He remembers pounding feet and familiar voices barking orders…

“Don’t you dare… Stay with me, you stubborn…”

He remembers machines screeching and a well of grudgingly-protective rage surging through him…

Don’t give up, brat!

And then…nothing.

---

When Naruto wakes, it’s to sights, sounds, and sensations that are becoming more and more familiar over the years.

Machines beep into an otherwise silent, still room. Sterile floors and walls in dull colors that are supposed to relax and provide a sense of calm. Chemicals most might not be able to smell, the pinch of an IV, a few actually, in his arm. Slightly itchy white sheets and a starchy blue hospital gown that’s too big for his small frame. Bandages cover almost every part of him, and he thinks one of his arms might be in a sling – or at least, bound to his side temporarily. Some seriously strong pain meds must be in his system because, at least for the moment, he doesn’t feel even a fraction of the pain he’s sure he should be in. Sakura or Granny Tsunade, maybe both, must have ordered that for him. He’s grateful.

Giving his body a few minutes to adjust to being awake after…who knows how long, he turns his head slowly to look around. He almost regrets it when his vision swims, but something else he notices almost immediately takes precedence.

Body heat at his elbow. There’s…someone else here…?

For a split second, his heart rate spikes, but it calms just as quickly. His vision might not be clear yet, but he can tell from the steady heartbeat and gentle breathing that whoever it is isn’t here to hurt him. Besides, if the splotches of color he can make out are right, he thinks he knows who it is anyway, and in that case, he’s definitely not worried.

When he can finally see, Naruto can’t help but smile, what little he can manage anyway. He was right. It’s Shikamaru, fast asleep at his side with his face in his arms. Naruto breathes a laugh. It’s the same way he used to sleep in class at the Academy when they were kids. If he’s asleep, though, Naruto wonders how long he’s been here. He hopes not all night. Besides getting him in trouble with the nurses or, worse, Sakura and Granny Tsunade, leaning over on the mattress like that must be really uncomfortable.

All the same, he can’t help but soften. He never thought he’d wake up to find Shikamaru Nara, of all people, at his bedside, but he’s certainly not complaining. On the contrary…he’s happy and touched. Shikamaru’s a great friend, one he’s lucky to have, and he knows better than most that the genius doesn’t put his energy into anything he doesn’t believe in. So for him to be here…

Lifting his good arm experimentally, he finds it doesn’t hurt too much to use. Satisfied, he reaches over to rest a bandaged hand on Shikamaru’s shoulder and shake him gently. “Hey, Shikamaru,” he whispers, not wanting to scare his friend. “Wake up.”

Shikamaru instantly shifts and opens bleary eyes. Blinking a few times, he pushes himself back some and stretches, yawning so long that it leaves tears at the corners of his eyes. Wiping at them with his sleeves, he looks his way and freezes, blinking a few more times and even rubbing his eyes for good measure. “N-Naruto?” When he sees his friend really is up, he perks up instantly, face breaking into a wide smile, maybe his brightest Naruto’s ever seen. “Hey, you’re finally awake!”

His smile is contagious. Naruto’s isn’t nearly as big and bright as it normally is, but Shikamaru wasn’t expecting it to be. Not yet, anyway. “Y-yeah, I guess I—I am!” Naruto cringes and coughs at how raw and croaky his voice sounds from disuse, his throat dry as the Demon Desert. Shikamaru helps him sit up enough to drink some water, and Naruto sighs happily once he’s done. There’s more life to the smile he gives this time. “Thanks, Shikamaru! It’s good to see you, too!”

Shikamaru’s exhale is helplessly fond, the other’s voice and smile the last pieces he needed to know he really is okay – or, you know, going to be. He hangs his head with a heavy sigh, all the tension bleeding from his shoulders as his relief takes all his energy at once. “Thank goodness…”

Naruto, meanwhile, is silent, studying Shikamaru’s face. Now that it’s not hidden in his arms, his friend looks paler and definitely more tired than usual. There are some pretty dark shadows under his eyes, too. The blond’s brow furrows in concern.

“Shikamaru…are you okay? You don’t look so good…”

Shikamaru looks up, startled, and then he laughs, the action helping to further relax him. He can’t help it. He swears Naruto is the most selfless person he’s ever met in his life. “You’re one to talk. You’re practically a walking bandage roll.” Naruto doesn’t let up on his worried stare, though, not swayed by the joke and possible deflection, and Shikamaru sighs a bit, smile sobering along with him. “I’m fine. Just a little tired, is all.” He scrubs his hand down his face and then gives Naruto a semi-scolding look, smirking lightly. “You scared the shit out of us, you knucklehead.”

Naruto has the grace to look sheepish, rubbing the back of his head before he remembers that hurts. “S-sorry… But, uh…what exactly am I apologizing for…? How’d I get here again…?”

Shikamaru huffs a laugh. Honestly, this guy… “With how hard you hit your head, I’m not surprised you need a refresher.” He gets more comfortable in his chair and then fixes Naruto with a serious stare. “Depending on how this goes, this might not be the easiest thing to hear, so fair warning. Frankly, I’m glad you’re already lying down.” Naruto’s caught off guard for a moment, but he nods in the next one. Shikamaru takes that as a signal to start. “Well, for starters, you’ve been out for over a week.”

Naruto’s eyes widen, lips parting in surprise. He doesn’t think he’s ever been in the hospital that long before. “W-wait, really? How long?”

Shikamaru nods, resting his chin between his knuckles. “Eleven days, counting today.”

The blond pales a bit, good hand moving to the Seal on his stomach. He’s a little surprised that his immediate reaction is to worry about the Beast locked up inside him, but hey, stranger things have happened. To him, at least. He wants to try talking to it to make sure it’s okay, but he doesn’t want to freak Shikamaru out. Maybe if he explains it to him, he can try later.

As if reading his mind, Shikamaru offers, working to tread carefully, “I’ll get to the Nine Tails in a minute. But for now…what do you remember about what happened?”

Figuring the Fox is sleeping to regain its energy like he was anyway, Naruto takes a breath and does his best to think back. Everything’s so…hazy… He mostly remembers pain and blood and familiar voices…Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, and Granny Tsunade’s, specifically… Before that…—!

A face appears in his mind’s eye, and he bolts upright, Sasuke’s name on his lips, but the pain chokes it off and Shikamaru’s urgent, careful hands stop him halfway. It takes a moment for him to get his breath back. “Sa-Sasuke…! He was…!” Suddenly distracted by more important things, he doesn’t even register Shikamaru gently pushing him back down on the bed. “S-Shikamaru, is—Kakashi-sensei and Sakura—!” He swallows, blue eyes blazing as he breathes through the pain. He doesn’t want to even entertain the thought of being wrong. “A-are they okay?”

Shikamaru swears, no matter how old they get, Naruto’s insane devotion to his friends will always be one of his favorite things about him. He nods, a reassuring smile on his face. “They’re just fine. They made it back here with barely a scratch.” He pokes Naruto’s forehead gently. “It’s you we’ve all been worried sick about.”

Naruto’s whole body sags with the force of his relieved sigh, spring-coiled tension gone in a second. “Thank goodness…”

Shikamaru’s smile grows before he sobers again. “So, what do you remember? Let’s start there.”

Naruto narrows his eyes in concentration, and as the memories start to come back, he feels his stomach drop. “I-I remember…Kakashi and Sasuke about to fight when…S-Sakura tried to—“ he swallows, “—to take him out h-herself. Sasuke retaliated by—by t-trying to stab her with a—a k-kunai through the—” The last word turns to ash on his tongue, too awful to say, but he gestures to his throat with a trembling hand to finish the thought regardless. His words are shaky, horrified, more so as he goes on, and he swallows again, curling a fist in his sheets for purchase. “That’s—that’s when I jumped in. I-I saved her, and then…t-the three of us, all of Team 7, we…w-we tried to convince him to—to come back with us…b-but…” he breathes a laugh, a bitter, angry, almost scared thing, a like smile on his face, “…h-he was talking crazy… He said he—he killed Danzo and that h-he was—was going to k-kill us and then…d-destroy the Leaf to—to ‘cleanse the Uchiha name’…” His fist in the sheets tightens, though he tries to take a shaky breath to steady himself. “I’ve…I’ve never seen him like that before… It was…” he glances up at Shikamaru, knowing he’ll understand, “…it reminded me of the old Gaara, like he sounded when we stopped him from killing Lee all those years ago… That’s what he sounded like...”

Deranged. Unhinged. Totally unrecognizable from the person they knew. Hell, those are being generous…

Shikamaru swears under his breath, frowning as he glares at the floor. He knew the Uchiha was a little sick in the head, but nothing like this…! Looking back up at Naruto, he asks, “Anything else?”

He thinks, but then shakes his head. “Everything after that is…a blur, really. Bits and pieces, a lot of blood and pain, but that’s it. Mind filling me in?”

Shikamaru’s frown deepens, but he sits up a little straighter nonetheless. He’s always been one to rip off bandages quickly. “You used your clones to stop Kakashi-sensei from interfering and then went after Sasuke yourself. Once you two started fighting, there was nothing Kakashi and Sakura could do but watch. There was no way in hell they were getting between you two.” He can only imagine how hard that must have been for them to watch. “The fight went on for a long time, and it got pretty brutal. Sakura had to look away after a while. She couldn’t stand to see you two hurt each other like that. The only reason it stopped without both of you dying was because some guy in a mask showed up and took Sasuke away. You wanted to go after them, but you ended up coughing up blood and passing out a second later. Kakashi and Sakura got you back here as fast as they could, and then Sakura and Lady Tsunade headed the three surgeries necessary to save your life. According to Lady Tsunade, though, it wasn’t just them who saved you.”

He nods toward Naruto’s Seal. “It was the Nine Tails inside you, too.” Naruto’s eyes widen, and he looks down at where the demon resides. “It used up a lot of its chakra to keep you alive after yours was depleted. That’s also why it’s taking you so long to heal. Since the pair of you are basically out of chakra, the Nine Tails can’t accelerate your healing like it normally would, so your recovery’s pretty much slowed to a crawl.” Taking a sip of his water, he continues, “Anyway, after you got out of surgery, you were still in really bad shape. All the doctors and nurses did their best to take care of you, and Sakura and Lady Tsunade even stepped in and did some special medical ninjutsu stuff where they could, but it was touch and go almost the whole time. Some days were better than others. We were all really afraid you weren’t gonna make it this time.” He rubs the back of his neck and sighs, mostly in relief. “But thankfully, you’re awake now, so that’s over. Thank goodness… I’m getting way too old for this stuff…”

When Naruto doesn’t immediately laugh and spout some quip about Shikamaru only being a few weeks older, the chunin looks up to make sure he’s okay.

He finds Naruto staring up at the ceiling, for once completely silent. His eyes are dull, a shade or two darker than they were a few minutes ago, almost listless. His expression is much the same, but Shikamaru can tell there’s a whole maelstrom of emotions playing behind both.

“Where’s Sasuke now?” Even his voice has lost most of its inflection. He sounds…exhausted, but it’s more than that. Almost...defeated.

Shikamaru swallows, trying to quell the worry starting to turn his stomach. He hopes it’s just the shock and maybe a reaction to the memories coming back. “Hard to say. According to Kakashi-sensei and Sakura’s reports, when that masked man came for Sasuke, it was like they just vanished into thin air. There wasn’t a trace of them left, not even a chakra signature. Kakashi has a theory that it was some kind of jutsu unique to that man. An ANBU team was dispatched to the area to see what clues they could find, if any, and they did find a red-haired woman who claims she was Sasuke’s…assistant or something, but as far as Sasuke goes…” He shrugs, next words riding on a tired sigh as he scratches his head. “For now, it looks like we’re back to square one.”

There’s a long, pregnant silence for several moments. The clock ticks by, but Shikamaru can’t bring himself to break it, waiting instead on bated breath for his friend’s response.

Naruto, for his part, heard everything, it’s just…it’s like there’s white noise playing in the background of his mind. He’s not sure if it has something to do with the Nine Tails’ weakness, his own, or maybe it’s all in his head. He’s trying so hard to process everything he’s just remembered and learned, but…it’s too much. All of it’s too much. He wishes it would stop, especially the static. It’s not helping anything. Maybe…he just needs more sleep. “I see…”

His voice is even more despondent than before, and that combined with the way he rolls over onto his side, his back to Shikamaru, sets the older boy further on edge. “Naruto…are you okay?” he asks softly. He’s well aware how stupid a question like that probably is right now, but he doesn’t care. He needs to know, and more than that, he wants to. This would be a lot to take in for anybody, but especially Naruto, who loves with absolutely everything he has in him, and hell, he basically fought his former teammate to the death (for a second time), so it makes sense that this would negatively affect him. Of course it does. It’s only natural. He remembers the last time Naruto shut down like this, after his first near-death fight with Sasuke in the Valley of the End. But still, this…it feels…different somehow. He can’t quite put his finger on why yet. He just hopes it won’t be worse. God forbid.

Finally, curling into himself a little more, Naruto answers, “Y-yeah…” His voice is so hollow and low that Shikamaru almost has to strain to hear it. The brunette swears he’s the worst liar in the world. He’s not even trying at this point. It only makes him worry more. “Hey…Shikamaru…?”

Said boy leans forward so he can hear better. “Yeah? What’s—?”

Suddenly, there’s a bandaged arm around him, and the next thing Shikamaru knows, Naruto’s hugging him. He couldn’t even sit up before without being in intense pain, but now, through sheer force of will, he’s hugging him. Shikamaru breathes an exasperated laugh. “Thank you, Shikamaru. For staying.”

It’s barely more than a whisper, but Shikamaru hears it like it’s the only thing that matters. Right now, to him, it is. He gets the feeling Naruto isn’t just talking about being here when he woke up either. He can’t help but smile and hug his friend back gently, not wanting to hurt him more than he’s probably hurting himself. He feels Naruto relax in his arms, and he holds him just a little tighter, letting his face tuck just slightly into the blond’s shoulder. He’s so, so glad he’s alive. “Don’t mention it. What else are friends for?”

Naruto actually does manage a chuckle at that, and Shikamaru considers it a personal victory. They stay like that for several seconds more before settling Naruto back in bed.

“H-hey, um…” Shikamaru’s steady, calm gaze never leaves the blue-eyed boy; he wants to help in any way he can, “…don’t leave?” Then, even quieter, “Please?”

The whirlwind in Shikamaru’s gut dies down, if only a little, and even though Naruto’s too embarrassed to look at him, feeling his request childish, he hopes he can feel the way his gaze softens. He leans back in his chair to get a little more comfortable. If the nurses want to throw him out now, they’re going to have to contend with Naruto’s word as well as his own. “I’m not going anywhere,” he promises quietly. “Sleep well, Naruto.”

---

“I’m going to kill all of you…”

“You never had a family! You couldn’t possibly understand!”

“The Hidden Leaf will be destroyed by my own hand!”

Images of the Hidden Leaf in burning ruins pass by, nondescript screams and sobs piercing the air. Bodies everywhere—crushed, burning, impaled, cut in half, dismembered—so many there’s almost no open ground to be seen. Moving closer to the center, all of Naruto’s mentors and friends are lying on the ground, unmoving and unseeing. They’ve been killed, murdered, in chilling, gut-wrenching ways, each worse than the last. Those closest to Naruto were dealt the worst deaths by far.

In the middle of it all, Sasuke holds a dying Naruto by his collar, grinning at him like a lunatic, eyes wild. He leans in close, his Magekyo Sharingan glowing an unsettling red. Naruto can see and smell the blood coating his lips and teeth, gushing from now-blind eyes. “I win…Naruto!”

“No! Sasuke!”

Naruto shoots upright instantly, screaming loudly enough to wake the rest of the patients on the floor.

“Whoa, hey!”

His good arm clutches at his chest where a huge hole was a second ago, he’s sure of it.

“Naruto!”

He’s shaking like a leaf, drenched in sweat, breathing and heart rate erratic.

“Damn it! Can’t you hear me?!”

Tears flow freely from blue eyes that can see nothing but the carnage and world-ending in his nightmare. Part of him knows it’s not real, but he can’t—he can’t shake it—!

“Hey, Naruto!”

Naruto snaps his neck to find Shikamaru standing at his side. He has a tight, tremulous grip on his shoulder, and the older boy’s looking at him like he’s afraid he’ll pass out or start screaming again any second. They’re both breathing hard, but for two very different reasons. Shikamaru, seeing the change in him immediately, lets out a shaky breath, worry pinching his brow hard. “Hey, hey…” He squeezes his shoulder a little more to hopefully help ground him in reality. “You with me?”

Naruto takes a minute to catch his breath and slowly ease his white-knuckled fist from his shirt so he can reach up to wipe his eyes and face and then rest it on Shikamaru’s. He nods. “Y-yeah…I-I think so…” Shikamaru doesn’t let up right away, not moving an inch, and Naruto tries to manage a smile for him. It’s pitiful, but it’s something. “S-sorry if I scared you…”

A few more cautious seconds, and like the string holding him up has been cut, Shikamaru’s whole body slumps and he takes a heavy seat on the edge of Naruto’s bed. He sighs wearily and buries his face in his hand, just trying to breathe. He shakes his head. “No, it’s…don’t worry about it…”

He says that, and yet his shoulders are trembling, just slightly. Naruto isn’t sure he’s noticed. He gets the feeling his friend might have had a tougher time waking him up than he wants to tell him. Suddenly worried he might have actually hurt him in his terror, he looks him over for any injuries, but doesn’t find any. He lets out a relieved, silent sigh of his own. Thank goodness… “I’m…I’m sorry…” He winces at the sound of his own voice. It’s even worse than when he first woke up. Probably from all the crying and screaming. “It was…” he looks away, embarrassed and ashamed to have caused all this trouble, voice falling, “…it was just...a nightmare…”

Shikamaru, while listening intently, takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly. He does that a few times before he lets his hand fall. It’s a calming exercise Asuma taught him years ago. It almost always works, and this is no exception. He’s grateful.

Turning back to Naruto, he hesitates a half-second ahead of reaching out to squeeze the blond’s fingers lightly. After so many years of being friends and as observant as he is, the notion that physical affection is something Naruto lives for hasn’t been lost on him. Never mind that he’s not usually especially physically affectionate himself, if he can give Naruto some comfort right now, damn it, he’ll do just about anything. “I know. I heard. About Sasuke attacking the village and killing everyone in horribly brutal ways, right?” Naruto looks at him like he’s grown two heads, and he explains, a tiny, wry smirk coming despite himself. “Unfortunately, your mumbles and screams didn’t leave much to the imagination.”

Paling, Naruto shakes his head roughly to get rid of the resurfaced images. “S-sorry…”

Shikamaru frowns. “Hey, stop that. This is not something you have to apologize for,” he tells him firmly. “After what you’ve been through, I don’t blame you for freaking out, even in your sleep. Any sane person would.”

Naruto breathes a laugh at that, somewhat relieved. Still, something in his expression is almost… haunted. ‘Sane,’ huh…? “So I’m not a drag, then?”

Shikamaru recognizes that look on sight. He used to wear it all the time as a kid, and it comes back once in a while when he’s reminded of back then. Hell, even just a few short years ago. His answering almost-snarl makes Naruto look up at him with wide eyes, but Shikamaru can’t help it. “No, of course not.” He doesn’t care if it’s been years. He still wants to punch all the ignorant bastards in this village who ever made Naruto feel like he was nothing but a worthless demon. He was a child, for God’s sake! “You are not a drag, idiot. You never could be.”

A heartbeat, and something in Naruto’s face and eyes softens, the shadows leaving his eyes, and a more believable, if still small, smile paints his lips. Shikamaru feels himself relax at that alone. “Got it. Thanks, Shikamaru.”

“You’re welcome.” It’s quiet for a good few seconds, and then, quietly, hesitantly, “So…do you wanna talk about it?”

Naruto blinks and then thinks. He could tell him what he’s thinking and feeling, but…right now, it’s all still kind of a mess inside, and that nightmare didn’t help. He might be able to help him figure out a solution, but he also gets the feeling that Shikamaru would tell him this is something he has to figure out for himself. With that in mind, he slowly shakes his head. “Not yet. I…I still need to…sort some things out. In my head and…my heart, too. How I’m feeling…you know?” Blue eyes leisurely move to meet brown. His tiny smile’s grown a bit. “But thank you. I’ll tell you when, okay?”

Shikamaru isn’t so sure he likes letting this lie, but…he trusts Naruto. He trusts that he’ll come to him if he needs someone to confide in. “Sure. Take your time. I’ll be here.”

Naruto softens, tries really hard not to think of the three clean-through sword wounds that traveled the length of Shikamaru’s midsection in his nightmare. He swallows, does his best to remind himself that the blood on his tongue isn’t real. His smile wavers, turns fragile, but then bounces back to be even bigger than before. “T-thanks, Shikamaru. You’re the best.”

Shikamaru’s cheeks color slightly at the compliment, not expecting it. Avoiding his gaze momentarily, he gently pushes Naruto back down on the bed. “Again, you’re welcome. Now…” he moves from the mattress back to his chair so he doesn’t crowd his friend, “…get some sleep. For real this time.” Sensing he’s nervous, he reaches out to squeeze his fingers again, leaving them there. If it’ll help him sleep and avoid any more nightmares for the night, he doesn’t mind. He offers a reassuring smile. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see. If I’m wrong, I’ll eat my words and do something we both know I think is a total drag.”

Naruto laughs, for real this time. It looks like some of his color’s finally coming back, too. That’s good. “A—” a big yawn interrupts him, and his eyelids start to droop; his exhaustion’s rushing back now that he feels warm and safe again, “—all right... Night…Shikamaru��”

He’s out like a light in just a few seconds, and that means Shikamaru can finally relax himself. He doesn’t plan on sleeping just yet, wanting to make sure Naruto really will be okay first, but he’ll get there eventually. Leaning back in his chair, head propped against the wall, he looks out the window at the clear, starry night sky. They might not be clouds, but they’ll do.

Something about all this tells Shikamaru that Naruto’s recovery won’t be as smooth as the last time.

But lucky for him?

This time, he has Shikamaru at his back.

#Naruto #Naruto AU #Naruto fanfiction #Naruto Uzumaki #Shikamaru Nara #Any feedback is appreciated #Thanks so much for reading Feel free to reblog #About Shikamaru here just in case: while he might be less 'what a drag' than usual I have my reasons for that. My thinking is that he was re #really freaked out when he thought Naruto was really gonna die (they all were); he's pissed at Sasuke;#as he gets older and more mature (espec following Asuma's death) he says it less (as shown in later eps/movies so applying it here lol);#and he knows (as much as he canat least) how hard this must be on Naruto so he wants to help in any way he can #Plus helping his friends like this is one of the few things that isn't a drag to him

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kusunokihime-a · 7 years ago

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[ characters 2/6 ]

#masterpost #the wayward avenger [ uchiha sasuke ]#the eternal protector [ uchiha shisui ]#the gentle smile [ uchiha mikoto ]#the firm hand [ uchiha fugaku ]#the burning fan [ uchiha ichizoku ]#the patient teacher [ nohara rin ]#the heartbroken dreamer [ uchiha obito ]#the brightest smile [ uzumaki naruto ]#the stubborn sun [ uzumaki boruto ]#the wounded soldier [ hatake kakashi ]#sylvie spams

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britishassistant · 4 years ago

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But I Like One Piece (7)

The Uchiha compound is creepy.

It’s the same way Auschwitz is creepy. The knowledge of the atrocities committed there, combined with all the little context clues which make it more than just knowledge.

Smashed windows, run down storefronts, overgrown gardens, doors hanging off of rusted hinges. Random objects scattered around, as though waiting for their owners to pick them up.

Brownish stains everywhere.

This is what she always imagined the aftermath of a Buster Call would look like.

Except this is.

Real.

She shudders and clutches Naruto’s hand tighter. He squeezes back, averting his eyes.

Uchiha scoffs in front of them.

She frowns at his back. What, are they not allowed to be disturbed by the scene of a genocide? Still, she’s surprised he can stomach cutting through here, even if it is a shortcut to their destination.

“Is it far to your house?”

“Hn.” He says.

She scowls at his back. So much for pleasant conversation.

Eventually they come to a large house at the very center of the compound.

There’s more brownish stains here than in the rest of the compound, but Uchiha pushes the front door open.

“...Don’t bother taking your shoes off.” He says. “Training ground’s this way.”

“Wait.” Naruto stops dead, looking around wild-eyed. “You said the trainin’ ground was near where you live.”

The Uchiha actually turns around at this. “Yeah, and?”

She stares at the dusty, dark interior of the house. She closes her eyes and counts to ten.

“Sasuke-kun.” She says with her brightest smile. “Is there anyone living with you at the moment who looks after you?”

He shudders. “N-no. That’s stupid, I’m an Uchiha. I don’t need to be looked after. And d-don’t call me that ever again.”

She keeps smiling as she buries her face in her hands and tries not to scream. For the love of Luffy, Chopper and Robin, how is this child not a gibbering wreck?

Naruto gestures wildly at their surroundings. “But why—why’d you live here?! The village gave me an apartment! Why live where—”

He clamps down on the sentence. But it’s too late.

“What? Where my an-bro-broth—where That Man murdered my family?” Uchiha sneers. “A clanless moron like you wouldn’t get it.”

Naruto flinches a little.

“Well no one can if you don’t use your words and explain this shit.” She snaps, irritated. “People aren’t mind-readers you know.”

He stiffens, lip curling, before turning his back on them again. “Let’s just get this over with.”

She throws her hands into the air as Naruto cracks his knuckles, following him into the darkness of the house. “Bring it, jerk.”

Much like the spar at the Academy, the two of them are on even ground initially.

Also like the spar at the Academy, it’s not long until Uchiha begins losing.

Even without an audience, Uchiha has something to prove in this fight, and that distracts him instead of motivating him.

All the little needling remarks they’ve been making clearly get under his skin and making him lash out where it would’ve been smarter to play it safe, his stances and footwork becoming less precise and more sloppy as he frantically tries to beat Naruto down and make him stay down.

Whereas Naruto can easily dodge or shrug off these blows, redirecting the motion and using the openings to hit back.

She winces gleefully at a particularly painful hit on Naruto’s part. They’ve trained under Gai-sensei. One of the first things he taught them was the importance of letting your emotions fuel your resolve instead of trying to keep them separate and leaving them liable to distract you at the worst opportunity.

Naruto knocks Uchiha’s ankle out from under him and carefully controls the fall so Uchiha doesn’t even end up winded, but is definitely pinned with no hope of escape.

She grins widely, crowing. “Finished! Match victory to Uzumaki Naruto!”

Naruto promptly leaps up and begins whooping, running in circles around Uchiha, while the boy on the ground shouts that this wasn’t fair, he was only warming up, they need to go another round so they can clearly see how strong he is.

She just keeps grinning fiercely. “It’s better to accept loss with grace, Uchiha-san. Now, where’s your kitchen?”

This...

This is a travesty.

If Sanji was here, he’d kick Uchiha Sasuke so hard he’d rearrange his entire shitty face. Of course, given the track record of that move, it’d probably end up improving his looks, but still. Travesty.

There’s fruit shoved into pile in a corner and moldering, glimpses of white-green fuzz visible.

There’s packets of meat and fish in the fridge that have been carelessly torn and left open, their juices dripping down onto other items.

There’s eggs and yogurt left out on the countertop, already long curdled by the smell of them.

There’s congealed leftovers shoved into the fridge on the plates they were served on, without any foil or covers to protect them.

There’s grimy and poorly cleaned utensils sitting in a sink full of dirty water, and the countertops themselves are covered in stains from previous cooking attempts.

At least he knows milk goes into the fridge, and put the tomatoes in the cooler drawer. Even if they’re so squished together over half of them are bruised.

She takes a deep breath and tries not to choke on the stench. Sanji give me strength.

“Well.” She says brightly. “Congratulations. You’ve managed to somehow be even worse than my shittiest expectations.”

Uchiha glares at her out of a swelling black eye. “Shut up.”

She hangs her head, exhaling harshly. Not constructive Ketsugi.

“Right. Where do you keep your bin bags? The bigger the better I think.” She steps up to the sink, pulling the plug and letting the grime drain away, turning the tap on as far as it can go on “hot”.

Naruto makes a face at the rattling sound the drain makes, the expression pulling at his fat lip. She sighs. “Rubber gloves too, if you have them.”

“Your problem.” She tells him, in the middle of sorting through the fruit and seeing what’s salvageable and what has to go, “Is that you have too much food.”

They’re on the fourth bin bag already, having filled the other three with the contents of the fridge and carried them out to a monstrous skip at the back of the compound.

“You have loads of people giving you more than you can feasibly eat, let alone prepare.” She continues, grimacing at a particularly fluffy punnet of cherries. “So it goes to waste. You need to begin doing your own shopping. Or telling some of them thanks but no thanks. Or, hell, even donating the extra stuff to people who can use it.”

“Like who?” Uchiha asks dismissively, as he reorganizes his pantry so things aren’t just thrown in there willy-nilly, carefully sweeping up spilled grains of rice or flour or sugar or pasta into a dustpan as he goes.

“The Orphanage.” Naruto throws out as he scrubs pots and pans until they gleam under almost-boiling water. “They’d always tell me they never had enough food to go around when I lived there.”

Sasuke’s face is wrought with some complex emotion when he next empties the dustpan into the bag, his mouth twisting when she mutters, “Wouldn’t get it, huh?” striding back into the pantry like he hadn’t heard her.

She tilts an avocado, marveling at how much it feels like a rock, and says in a louder voice, “You could always see if there are any charities or soup kitchens that would appreciate the donations. Even I could always take some of what’s left over and make you something with it.”

“...” There’s a lot of judgement she doesn’t appreciate in that silence.

“I don’t just make curries.” She replies snidely, stuffing some rotten bananas into the bag with more force than is perhaps strictly necessary. “I do lots of other foods. Right Naruto?”

“Yeah!” He says, depositing a metal spoon onto the veritable field of tea towels they’ve laid out over the counter. “She just makes the curry super spicy because she has no idea what it’s supposed to taste like. She does other foods normal though!”

Her eyebrow twitches and she has to fight to stop herself from lobbing a mushy apple at Naruto’s treacherous head.

By the time they’re done, the countertops are gleaming, the fridge has been scrubbed clear of contaminating juices, and the sink’s drain no longer sounds like it’s giving out a death rattle every time water goes down it.

The pantry is arranged so Uchiha actually knows where stuff is, and the fresher meat and bread he doesn’t know if he’ll eat in the next week or so has been frozen and put into the freezer.

They have used a grand total of seventeen bin bags to throw away all the wasted food.

In one of the now-gleaming pots, there’s enough minestrone soup for one person gently bubbling away. All Uchiha has to do is let it simmer until the pasta is cooked through and then he can eat it. And wash everything up. She’s very adamant about him washing up properly.

She now has a bag stuffed full of food that Uchiha turned his nose up at on her shoulder.

The sun is beginning it’s slow descent out of the sky. They need to get going if they want to even have a quick dinner together.

“Wait. You two live together?” Uchiha asks, incredulous.

“No. I have to live in my apartment in the village.” Naruto says, looking crestfallen. “An’ I can only eat with Mayu-chan and Mayu-chan’s Okaa-san and Otou-san if I make it there and back before the sun sets.”

She smiles sadly at him, reaching out to squeeze his hand—

“If I leave, the Uchiha clan lands are forfeit.”

They turn back to Uchiha Sasuke, who’s begun looking like he really, really wishes he hadn’t said anything.

He huffs. “If I leave this place, the council will take it as a declaration of the Uchiha clan forfeiting their right to this land, since there wouldn’t be any living here anymore. The land will be reclaimed by the village, and—and—”

Clans are required to do things certain ways or risk dissolution. She sighs. “There is so much wrong with...that, but okay. We can start working on that next. Thank you for explaining.”

He nods stiffly, and walks them to the gate of the compound.

“I don’t get it,” Naruto says as they walk down her street, sun hot on their necks. “Even if the village does claim the lands, wouldn’t it be better to not live with...that?”

She shrugs the bag higher on her shoulder. “If he does, the village might tear down the old compound buildings to make new ones. And even if it is the site of an awful tragedy, he may still think of that place as ‘home’. If you’d lost everything else, would you wanna lose that too?”

Naruto shakes his head and bites his lip.

She gently bumps his shoulder with her own and they arrive home in pensive silence.

She makes sure to bring her (now dogeared and slightly stained) easy recipes cookbook with her to the Academy, alongside extra servings of eggplant tempura, to loan to Uchiha Sasuke.

He doesn’t quite throw a tantrum.

But it’s pretty close.

“I. Don’t. Want. It.” He grits out, glaring at her.

She bites into an onigiri she’s traded with Shino. There’s half a hard boiled egg inside as filling, and it’s supplying her with absent-minded ideas for recipes based off of food from her past life.

“Look, we’ve got your food down to manageable levels, but that means nothing if you can’t do anything with it.” She taps the book’s cover. “This is the first cookbook I ever owned. It’s what I used to use to make stuff for Naruto when we met.”

Naruto perks up a little at the other end of the table, craning to see it’s cover, so she holds it up for him. “It’s pretty easy to follow, and there are some more complex recipes in the back if you want a challenge—”

“I’m not wasting my time with cooking.” Uchiha hisses, nose wrinkling in distaste. “I need to focus on getting stronger. Only civilians care about useless things like that.”

She’s about to give him a good kick in the shins and see how he feels about civilians then, when Chouji abruptly stands up next to her.

“Wanna say that again, Uchiha-san?” He says, his tone low and surprisingly steely.

Shikamaru lifts his head off the table and sits up straight for once to give him a death glare, while Ino scoots her chair away from “Sasuke-kun” and crosses her arms, frowning at him imperiously.

Uchiha’s eyes dart between each one of the three, and he looks away, taking a bite out of one of the tempura she’s snuck into his lunchbox. “Hn.”

She blinks, trying to digest this new information about there being stellar cooks who also are apparently ninja while Chouji just sighs, settling back down in his seat and returning to his sandwich.

Of course, once he feels slighted, Uchiha can never leave well enough alone.

“It can’t even be that good.” He grumbles, pretending he doesn’t hear Kiba’s snickering. “If it was where soup you made came from. That was disgusting.”

She hears Hinata breathe a soft little ��oh dear,” over the rush of blood in her ears.

“I see. What was wrong with it?” She asks.

The Uchiha puffs up a bit, oblivious to Shino shaking his head behind him. “Everything. I couldn’t even eat it, so I threw it out.”

There’s a soft slap as Shikamaru covers his eyes, muttering “Troublesome.”

“Alright. Well, since this is the first time, I’ll be sure to take your complaints into account.” She says, smiling.

She grabs his shirt collar and drags him up over the table to meet her gaze. “Because the next time you waste food, Sasuke-kun, I’m going to rip out your baby teeth, boil them down into a bone broth, and feed that to you instead. Are we clear?”

The Uchiha goes pale.

“Easy Mayu-chan, I think the jerk’s just lying to make you mad.” Naruto says, leaning over and gently attempting to pry her fingers off of the shirt collar. “C’mon, jerk, Mayu-chan doesn’t mean it—”

“Yes I do.” She adds.

“—No you don’t, stop making this worse!!” He yells, finally separating her from Uchiha. “I get you’re upset, and he shouldn’ta hurt your feelin’s, but you can’t just make bits of him into ingredients over stuff like this! Even Sanji wouldn’t do that, would he?”

“...Sorry, Naruto.” She replies hesitantly, feeling a bit abashed.

He gives her a disapproving look that is a stunning replica of her mother’s. “I’m not who you should be apologizin’ to, am I?”

She shoots a poisonous look at the offending party. “...Sorry Uchiha.” She says grudgingly.

He just huffs, storming off to the other side of the classroom where his fangirls coo over him and glare nastily at her.

But her cookbook has vanished along with him.

The next day he comes back and throws her recipe book at her face.

She has just enough time to catch it before it clocks her in the nose before he begins boasting in that quiet, insinuating way of his about how he’ll surely surpass her as he waves around a newer, updated copy of the same book.

She asks if that’s supposed to be a challenge, mind turning over the possibilities of recipes Uchiha will willingly cook and eat, mentally marking down the pages.

He haughtily snorts, but doesn’t deny it.

Sakura then shoots up, one hand in the air, saying she’ll be the judge. When Sasuke snorts and says she’ll be biased because she’s civilian, her lips purse and she grabs Chouji’s arm, proclaiming him to be her “co-judge”.

Chouji just shrugs and says he doesn’t mind getting more food.

So then of course, Ino invites herself and Shikamaru along as “moral support”, though why the judges need it is a little beyond her.

Naruto and Lee come with her, obviously, so Kiba and Hinata also show up that weekend with a reluctant Shino in tow.

Shikamaru’s beginning to teach him how to play shogi, and she’s experimenting with different concentrations of sugar water and fruit juice to see what his insects enjoy best, so she hopes he’s not too put out by spending time with them.

Akamaru is still a very good boy, and is perfectly happy with bits of meat and a rawhide bone.

They work out pretty quickly that Naruto can’t really be around for the cooking contests.

This is because Uchiha will, without fail, work out something to argue about with him, and then they’ll have to take it out on each other in the training ground, and by the time they’re finished it’s always too late to actually begin cooking.

So the weekends when Naruto is required to visit the Hokage become cooking contest weekends, while the ones where he comes become sparring weekends.

They don’t all always show up—Ino’s parents have a flower shop they want her to help out at, and her and Chouji and Shikamaru’s parents are all best friends so sometimes they have to go to parties. Shino, Hinata and Kiba often will have clan duties that mean they can’t come.

Sometimes she and Naruto or Sakura can’t come just because they’re spending some time with their parents.

But there’s always someone there on any given weekend, as the leaves on the trees change colors and fall off. And it works. Uchiha’s house is beginning to feel less like a mausoleum and more like somewhere lived in again.

She enjoys the chance to stretch her culinary muscles without bankrupting her parents and test her skills against a rival who she will grudgingly admit might be catching up to her.

She’s still more irritated by him than not, but Sanji and the other chefs at the Baratie drove each other up the wall too, so she’s fine with this working relationship.

Comrades don’t need to get along or even share the same goals to be able to work together after all.

Naruto’s birthday is always a strange affair.

They aren’t allowed to see him for the entire week, for one thing. He’s always collected by masks on the Sunday before and doesn’t return to his apartment until the next Monday.

The first time it happened, she freaked out badly enough that her father accompanied her to the Tower and they sat in a little waiting room outside the Hokage’s office for four hours, not meeting the glares that all the busy, ant-like people sent them.

Hokage-sama had taken their visit in good humor, even as he told them he couldn’t tell them where Naruto was, for the boy’s safety. He’d patted her head and told her not to worry, that Naruto would be back soon.

Of course, she’d worried enough that she ended up sitting outside of Naruto’s apartment for most of the week, watching the village’s festival below and knocking on the door intermittently, occasionally munching on bits and pieces from food stalls that her parents brought for her.

When she’d finally knocked on the door and Naruto had answered, she’d tackled him to the floor in a hug.

There may have been tears. She really couldn’t say.

Neither could Naruto, no matter what he likes to insinuate about “photographic evidence”.

So they’ve developed a tradition of celebrating Naruto’s birthday the weekend after the week it actually happens.

His birthday dinner is held at Ichiraku’s, like there’s any other option.

He gets his first five bowls of ramen free, and the rest heavily discounted. Teuchi-sama and Ayame-sama ladle extra toppings into each bowl, with a grinning “Happy Birthday, Naruto!”

Unlike last year, he’s got two birthday cakes this time, because Uchiha turns even gift-giving into a competition. He’s made an extremely bitter coffee cake with dark chocolate fondant and decorated with sour cherries forming an Uzumaki spiral. Naruto manfully eats two entire slices before passing it off to the adults, who derive much more enjoyment from it.

He likes the lighter vanilla sponge with orange buttercream and a white chocolate narutomaki which Chouji made much more. Chouji subtly lords this over Sasuke for the rest of the night.

Hinata stutters out a “Ha-ha-happy B-bi-bi—” before dropping an intricate box filled with shuriken and a whetstone on the counter and fleeing.

She lasted ten minutes longer this year.

Kiba gives Naruto kunai, as does Ino, which leads to an argument about the quality of their preferred suppliers. Sakura gives him a book on the language of flowers, while Shikamaru gives him a book on the plants of Uzushio and a calligraphy set.

Gai and Lee give him a piggy-bank in the shape of a smiling frog on a lilypad.

It’s really cute, and Naruto instantly declares it to be Gama-chan’s “big sister”, Kaeru-chan.

Her parents have bought him a selection of orange hoodies, some sleeveless and some not, all with the Uzumaki spiral hand-embroidered on the back by Okaa-sama. She also added little ninja frogs with teeny shuriken and kunai and katana in all of the hoods.

She’s a bit worried about her present by now, because it seems silly by comparison. Never mind that she had to search high and low all throughout Konoha and eventually ended up giving all her money to a merchant from Takigakure for this.

She hands him a (rather ratty) plush of a grey pelican with an offensively yellow bill. Her embroidery skill is nowhere near her mother’s level, so the red Uzumaki spiral she attempted to stitch onto its breast in place of the customary tomoe is crooked.

Naruto stares at it for a really long time.

The adults are very, very quiet.

“Well,” She hazards. “Hokage-sama did say everything we give him needs his symbol on it?”

Then Naruto begins laughing and hugging her tightly, proclaiming that it’s name is now Peri-chan, and the adults begin talking again, acting like nothing interesting has happened.

So she hugs Naruto back as hard as she can, Peri-chan squished between them.

It’d be nice if this could last.

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dimancheetoile · 7 years ago

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I'm finding I'm not her (the girl I thought I'd be)

Nine months later, to celebrate Sasuke's graduation from Explosions and Booby-traps Academy, she drags both him and Naruto to a lingerie store.

Read it on AO3

The title is from @mouseymightymarvellous's AMAZING poem, "forgiveness for matryoshka dolls"

Haruno Sakura is born in the early days of spring. She has hair the colour of cherry blossoms and the brightest smile you could wish on a baby's face. Her parents adore her and early on, she's spoiled rotten by every single member of her family. It could be the beginning of a beautiful tale, a happy story to tell children when they ask what a perfect life is. For a few years, it is.

One hot, tiring day of summer, Sakura comes home after a full day playing with the Yamanaka heir, and tells her parents that she wants to join the Academy. She smiles her bright smile and proudly explain how she's going to become the strongest shinobi in the world.

On the same day, Sakura also tells her parents that she is a girl.

Let's try again.

Haruno Nadamaru is born in the early days of spring. He has hair the colour of cherry blossoms and the brightest smile you could wish on a baby's face. Nadamaru is the Haruno's heir, destined to take the Clan Head mantle and keep their trading network in good shape. His mother is already eyeing his cousin Haeru as a potential bride.

One hot, tiring day of summer, Nadamaru comes home with a red ribbon in his pink hair and bright orange fingernails. He talks about his best friend Ino and all the fun they've had playing ninja. He tells them all about Yamanaka-san with his kind eyes and quick laugh and how bad Nadamaru wants to be like him when he grows up.

On the same day, Nadamaru tells them to call him Sakura, like his pretty hair, and asks for a qipao on his next birthday.

Hikari sends her son to his room with a shout and starts crying in her husband's arms. Nadamaru goes, tears streaming down his round face, and swears he'll show them how good a shinobi Haruno Sakura will be.

Sakura graduates a few weeks after her twelfth birthday. She comes home ecstatic, but already expecting the disappointment in her mother's eyes, and the complete disinterest on her father's face. She quickly makes herself a snack, before her mother can decide she'll punish her for her foolishness one more time, and disappears in her room. It still hurts, but it stopped bothering her a long time ago.

Her brand new qipao is waiting for her under the bed, where Sakura hid it this morning. Hikari can't force her to wear more appropriate clothing, but she tries really hard to destroy every dress Sakura might buy for herself. Tomorrow is the big day, and she wants to be the prettiest girl in their promotion. Maybe one of the boys will notice her; surely, if she brings back a good husband, her mother will finally be convinced to let Sakura be herself?

She sighs and carefully braids her long hair, before going to bed. She knows she won't be able to sleep for a while, for how excited she is, but she needs to be well-rested if she wants to pass the test. She can't wait.

Tell me your likes and dislikes, asks the jōnin teacher, and Sakura is about to comply, when he adds the annoying bit about their dream. Sakura has a dream, but she learned a long time ago that it was best not to tell people. No one understood her dream, and her family kept scolding her every time she brought it up. Just like they did when she wore her hair up in a bun with glittering pins, or when she dressed up in her most elegant outfits.

So she bites her lips and waits until both Naruto and Sasuke are done. Then, in a gentle voice and with the greatest care, she crafts her words. She says that her dream is to be acknowledged for who she truly is, and stays quiet when Naruto side-hugs her. She knows how close her answer is to his, and she pretends not to notice her sensei squinting his only eye at her.

The test is a disaster. Sakura gets caught in a genjutsu almost as soon as it starts. She sees Sasuke, lying dead in a pool of blood, and she runs to his crumbled form. Only when she's kneeling next to him does he open his eyes and stares at her. Nadamaru, he whispers, Nadamaru, Nadamaru, Nadamaru—

"Hey, Sakura! Wake up! Kakashi-sensei put you in a genjutsu, but it's over now, don't worry."

Except it's never truly over now, is it, Naruto?

Sakura honestly didn't expect for her secret to hold this long. She's done her best to act true to herself, but sometimes she slips up because Hikari drilled habits into her as hard as she could, whenever Sakura was too tired to fight her mother. Oh, how relentless Hikari could be. And sometimes, that means that Sakura walks with a hunched back and a different sway in her walk. Sometimes, she forgets that she's supposed to trust her team and jokes in a deep voice about girly things and cooties, only to catch herself because she's the one who should be offended at her teammates for making the jokes, not telling them herself.

And yet her secret holds until a few days before the start of the chūnin exams. Everyone in the village heard about it, and so did her parents. When they realized there was no convincing their daughter to back down from her goal, they decided to invite Team 7 to a family dinner, hoping to embarrass Sakura. She won't let them.

After a particularly successful training session that ended with Kakashi almost praising them, Sakura grits her teeth and takes a leap of faith.

"Boys, can I talk to you before we go to Ichiraku?"

Sasuke grunts, looking annoyed, but stays in place. Naruto grins and sits cross-legged next to her, while she gestures for their sensei to join the lopsided circle they created.

"What is it about, Sakura-chan?" Kakashi asks, his orange book balanced on one of his knees. Sakura feels weirdly warm to think he cares enough not to read it when she needs to talk.

"You know my parents invited you to dinner, tonight. And you all promised to go."

Naruto beams. "Yeah, I can't wait to meet them! I'm sure they're really cool."

Cool. Sakura feels like crying. If only.

"There is something you don't know about me, and my parents will definitely talk to you about it. I hope... I hope this won't ruin everything."

Sasuke is frowning and Kakashi has the same look than the day of the test. Naruto just wraps an arm around her shoulders in the half hug he seems to be fond of.

"You can tell us anything, we're your team!"

Sakura nods quickly, holding back the tears she can feel gathering in her eyes. And before she can change her mind, she rushes to grab her ID card in her pouch and throws it at Kakashi's face. Then she ducks her head under a fall of pink strands and waits for the inevitable. And waits. And waits some more.

"Uh."

Sakura chokes on her next breath as she quickly raises her head again. Kakashi is looking at the card with an eyebrow raised, before looking briefly at her, and going back to the card.

"Uh." He says again, then proceeds to shrugging exaggeratedly slow before handing the card to Sasuke. The Uchiha's eyebrows disappear into his hair and he stares at her, not moving when Naruto looks over his shoulder at the ID.

"Who's that, Sakura? Is it your brother?"

It's too much for her, the lack of reaction and Naruto's misunderstanding, and Sakura starts to sob. Deep, ugly sobs she tries to keep silent when she notices how uncomfortable Kakashi looks, but sobs nonetheless.

"Moron!" And Sasuke is punching Naruto, who starts to insult him before freezing when he hears Sakura's hitched breath. He glares back at the card, and a look of understanding settles on his face.

"So you're..."

"Naruto, for once in your life, shut up."

And suddenly, Sasuke is hugging her. Sakura is pretty sure her soul starts to shrivel and ultimately dies inside of her.

"I don't give a flying fuck what your parents decided to call you," he whispers against her ear, "but you're my teammate, Haruno Sakura, and that means I'll stand by you tonight."

As quickly as he appeared, he releases her and settles again on the ground, on Naruto's left. When the Uzumaki looks at him funny, he blushes slightly and looks away.

"My cousin Shisui was... well, you know. Like you. He was like you."

And that settles it. Naruto still hugs her approximately five minutes too long and Kakashi offers to braid her hair, which is frankly terrifying and she does not feel the slightest inch of regret at refusing. When they arrive at the Haruno Estate, on the outskirts of Konoha, none of the boys bat an eye when Hikari asks her son to help them settle in. They call her Sakura and compliment her on her dress and later, much later, after Sakura's tears are dry and Kakashi has finished tying knots in their hair (which he keeps insisting on calling braids), they laugh about the angry look on Hikari's face when she understood she couldn't hurt her daughter that way anymore.

When Sasuke starts his apprenticeship in the Sabotage squad, where his fire jutsu and sharingan makes him an amazing student, Sakura starts to consider her options. Naruto is hinting at a trip with Jiraya, to learn both about his family and the Sannin's techniques. Sasuke is barely in Konoha anymore, spending most of his time in the Forest of Death. And she can't stay with her parents anymore.

Now that she made it clear her shinobi career is here to stay, on top of Konoha's administration giving her a new ID card with her true name on it, the Haruno want nothing to do with her. She's this close to being disowned, and she knows it. It means Sakura needs new living arrangements, possibly someone willing to give her their name. She doesn't mind being clanless, like Tenten, but having a name would definitely help her.

It's Kakashi who suggests she tries it with the Hokage. Tsunade has been here for a few years now, and as scary as she still appears, Sakura has seen her smashed more times than she's seen her sober. It helps a lot with the fear. So she goes to Tsunade, bows to her waist and asks to learn her legendary strength. If Sasuke is to be a sabotage expert, with Naruto's quick thinking and his love for traps, Sakura will need to be the blunt force of their team.

Tsunade laughs at her face and calls her a naive little girl. She tells her she'd be better as a medic, that she should stay at the back because she's not as strong as her teammates. That she should go back to her civilian family and think of marriage and bearing children.

Sakura punches a hole through the Hokage's desk and starts screaming. Tsunade lets her swear for thirty seconds before sending her flying through a wall with a flick of her finger. Then she marches out of the office, picks Sakura up, and goes to the nearest training ground.

Sakura grins a bloody smile. The Hokage read her file. She knows of Nadamaru's shadow, glued to Sakura's steps. And she still asked her if it wouldn't be better for her to go back to her clan and get pregnant. That's the whole three seconds it takes for Sakura to fall in love with the idea of becoming the new Tsunade.

Later in the day, when the Hokage is done printing Sakura patterns into the earth, Tsunade sits in the dirt next to her. She asks in tactless and ugly terms if Sakura wants something done about her body. She talks about surgery and procedures and hormones and medical ninjutsu. When she's done talking, Sakura is smiling through her tears, and Tsunade pats her on the head.

Nine months later, to celebrate Sasuke's graduation from Explosions and Booby-traps Academy, she drags both him and Naruto to a lingerie store.

They're seventeen, with a spring in their steps and the future laid down at their feet. Naruto is trying on a emerald bra with a dangling heart pendant in the center while Sasuke stares at a garter, probably trying to figure out if it's going to kill him in his sleep. Sakura looks at herself in the mirror of their proud eyes and she smiles the brightest smile she can conjure. She's beautiful.

She's beautiful and they tell her that, later, when they're all in the kitchen of their tiny apartment, stuffing their face with ramen. Naruto is leaving again in a few days, this time to the ruins of Uzushio. Except he asked them to come with him, and they both accepted. Sakura is eyeing the jōnin promotion Kakashi swears she has a shot at, but she won't take it just yet. She wants to enjoy the time she has with her teammates, while Naruto is still looking for himself in the shadows of a destroyed village.

They tell her she's beautiful when they lie down on the largest futon and Sasuke unties her chest bandages with his teeth. They tell her how proud they are of the woman she has become while Naruto nips at her hip.

In the morning, when they read over her shoulder the letter of repudiation from her clan, they will kiss her gently. Then Kakashi will rush inside with forms and applications, a few chosen words for the Haruno's decision, and an offer to take his name. And Sakura will smile.

#my writing #sakura haruno #sasuke uchiha #naruto uzumaki #kakashi hatake #tsunade senju #narusasusaku #narusakusaku #polyamory #OT3 #trans!sakura #transgender character #fanfiction

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wokasho · 7 years ago

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she's brought dinner-- homemade turkey. "i made dinner." it's burnt and probably still raw on the inside too.

❝Oh my! Y-you didn’t have to bother!❞ Good kami that smelled awful. Sakura plastered her brightest and most thankful smile on her face, for she knew the fellow Uzumaki’s intentions were good, and the gesture itself showed the true kindness of her heart. But hell, that looked more like something the devil would serve to his enemies than something to be eaten among friends! ❝Let me take it to the kitchen, I still have to finish a couple of things before dinner’s ready but you can go rest with Naruto in the living room! I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you’ve already arrived!❞ and in the meantime, Sakura would have to figure out what to do with the monstrosity she held in her hands.

#hahahaha lol omg Karin #precious bae #sinaesthesias #◆◇◆ 𝒟𝒾𝒶𝑔𝓃𝑜𝓈𝓉𝒾𝒸 𝓇𝑒𝓅𝑜𝓇𝓉 ♛ ( answered )

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sasusakufestival · 8 years ago

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Pink Peonies and Lilies-of-theValley

Hello there, everyone. I know its a bit late, but this is my entry for #Day02Insecurity PLEASE ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I hold no rights over Naruto and its characters.

I have an extended version of this, available at fanfiction.net. You may look for my username: C.S.Isui and it will be under “The Bouquet Series.”

ARIGATOU MINNA-SAMA!!

_____________________________________________________________________

PINK PEONIES AND LILIES-OF-THE-VALLEY

“I dont see why not, anata.”

“I dont see why, Sakura.”

“You’re being difficult.”

“No.. you’re being difficult.”

“The both of you are being difficult. Its my birthday.”

Sarada stood at the kitchen door way, her brow beaded with sweat and her hitai-ate in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Her birthday was a week away and a pair of brand new red glasses came as a package for her.

“I think it will be nice if we paid Karin a visit. It has been a while. And I wasn’t able to see her the last time!”

“I kinda want to meet her too.”

Sasuke gave an exasperated sigh but gave a defeated smirk. His daughter inherited his and his wife’s persistence and stubbornness. It was quite annoying, really; but in a very endearing way. He looked at his girls, both with a determined look in their eyes. He sighed again, in defeat.

“Fine. Sarada, you have to promise me you will not leave my or your mother’s side and we will not stay longer than a few hours. If Orochimaru is there, we will leave immediately.”

Sarada hugged her dad happily as he patted her head with a slight pout in his face.

_____________________________________________________________________

“…And so, Sarada and I got Sasuke-kun to agree to come and visit you! I hope you dont mind. On your last letter, you said you were in a hideout near Konoha since Orochimaru wanted to wish Mitsuki good luck on the team’s retake of the Chunin Exams.

Anyways, we’ll see you in three days.

U. Sakura”

Karin was in a state of panic. The Uchiha family was gonna pop by and judging by the date on the letter, TOMORROW! She didn’t have time to prepare or clean or even do anything.

“Whatcha gonna do about it Karin? Mrs. Uchiha Sasuke is gonna visit with the hubby and little baby Sarada.” Suigetsu was hanging out in her lab again. Apparently he had nothing better to do.

“I need to get ready. I need to at least have something for them! Instead of gawking and being stupid, why don’t you help by cleaning up?!”

The swordsman laughed it out but still decided to help. He was kinda worried for Karin. Given her history with Sasuke, he wasn’t really sure if she was truly over the guy. He did impale her in the chest with his lightning sword and all. He watched her as she muttered to herself, panicking and obviously excited about the visit.

“WE NEED CAKE! AND BANNERS! AND ICE CREAM! AND CONFETTI! AND… And…and A GIFT! YES! THAT’S IT!”

Karin turned sharply at Suigetsu and suddenly slumped.

“What kind of gift? We already got her glasses. I can’t think of anything!” She turned her attention to the other person in the room and sighed. “What do you think I should get them?”

Suigetsu was about to open his mouth when Karin suddenly stood up, fire in her eyes and determination in her fists.

“Im going to Konoha!”

_____________________________________________________________________

It wasn’t that far, Konoha. A 3 hour trip by foot distance was something Karin needed to think.

A cute dress, a book collection, a make-up set…. Her list went on and on and on. For 11 years she had been sending Sarada glasses, a joke she and Sakura shared. She smiled to her self, thinking about how much the little girl she helped release to the world has grown up.

“Karin oba-san… Sounds weird, but I like it.” She said as she entered the gates of Konoha.

The village was in full bloom. The cherry blossom trees were making the landscape look like a romance movie while the chilly spring air gave a refreshing breeze.

Karin remembers the last time she was here. She had been a prisoner of war, but was cordially pardoned by the Shinobi Alliance. She recalls the time when Uzumaki Naruto came to speak about the war and thanked all the shinobi who helped the cause. Never had she seen chakra so fiery and sunny. Konoha was a place she felt safest in, despite her allegiance to one of the village’s most notorious shinobi; and the people actually didn’t mind her presence. They treated her as if she were a normal person.

Karin walked down the village market place. The scents of yakitori and mitarashii dango filled her nose while the colorful wares dazzled her eyes. Konoha never ceases to amaze her. Looking at her wallet, Karin contemplated about buying a delicious smelling takoyaki. She had saved quite a bit since she rarely had the need to buy anything.

“Whatever. Im hungry!” She smiled to herself and proceeded to the stall. “Nee-chan, one takoyaki please, with extra mayo and katsuboshi!” Upon receiving the serving of 5 takoyaki balls, Karin immediately took that steamy first bite and the subtle flavours of leek, octopus and takoyaki sauce bursts into her mouth. She was about to take the next bite until she heard a very familiar voice.

“Your birthday is tomorrow. Is there anything you like?”

Karin froze. It was Sasuke. He was with Sakura. And by the looks of the bags they carried, they were grocery shopping. He was even more handsome than she remembers. His elegant nose, his sharp eyes, his attractive mouth… Karin always did see him as a warrior, a knight in shining armor, a force to be reckoned. His raw power attracted him to her and his kind heart made hers beat incessantly.

“I dont know, anata. Im glad you even reminded me it was my birthday.”

His wife is amazing. A kunoichi worthy of the Uchiha name. Sakura was beautiful, smart, compassionate and strong. Qualities Karin thinks she will never achieve in her lifetime.

Maybe that’s why he chose her instead.

Sakura’s eyes shone brighter than the brightest emeralds while hers were dull and boring. Sakura’s personality was as vibrant as the beginning of spring, hopeful and refreshing while hers was as unstable as Orochimaru’s earliest experiments. Even Sakura’s name was better than hers. Just imagine comparing “Cherry Blossom” to “Phosphorus.”

Maybe Sasuke chose her because she was Sakura.

A goddess to match a god.

“Sasuke and Sakura.” Karin thought. “Even their names go together.”

Suddenly, the steaming takoyaki lost their luster.

“I dont mind giving you a present.” “Allowing Sarada and I to visit a friend is more than enough, anata. I know how overprotective you can get.”

Visit a friend? Were they talking about her?

Karin decided to finish her remaining food, not wanting to waste them and silently trailed the couple.

“…hesitant at first but Karin was kind enough to help.” She heard the Uchiha matriach say. A grunt was the only sound that came from the patriarch though.

“Don’t be like that! She helped us. She helped bring Sarada into this world, to us. Karin basically helped usher the first Uchiha to be born in decades. You should be thankful.”

“I am thankful, grateful even.” He said. His eyes soft as he gave his wife a smile. Karin swears she can see sparkles.

‘Damn right, you should be grateful…’

Wait, what did he just say?

“I remember how hard it rained that night and how helpless I was because I couldn’t help you and our child.”

“Admit it, Karin was our saving grace that night. Practically an angel in disguise.”

“Yes. Yes, she was.”

Karin could swear she felt her heart burst at the seams. Never had anyone spoke about her at such a high regard. The man she loved practically called her an angel. She was so happy, she could have died.

Her eyes turned again to the couple and sighed. She was right. Sasuke and Sakura shared a bond nobody in the world can ever replace or sever. She would never be able to step on Sakura’s shoes.

But…

She also shared an irreplaceable bond with them. And she is the only person who has that bond. She realizes it now. She ushered their hope for the future. She helped them restore the name of the Uchiha. She helped complete their trio of happiness.

And Karin is proud to have done so.

She turned and looked at the nearest store. It was the Yamanaka Flower shop, and a fresh batch of blooming pink peonies and lilies-of-the-valley were being carried in. Karin smiled, remembering a conversation she had with Sakura about the language of flowers and Sarada’s encounter with the DNA machine.

_____________________________________________________________________

“It’s cleaner than I remember.” Sarada said as she tailed her father. He had been in a foul mood since this morning.

“I remember this place being draftier than ever and you were also is a very foul mood, papa.” “Stay close now, dear. We don’t want you dad to get in an even fouler mood.”

Sakura and Sarada laughed. “Hai, hai, mama.” she said as she moved forward and linked arms with the Uchiha patriarch.

At the edge of the tunnel, they were welcomed with a brightly lit room decorated with poorly made streamers and a peculiar smell of cake mix, burned sugar and smoke.

“W-w-WELCOME!” said Karin as she coaxed Suigetsu with the confetti. The swordsman only looked at her and rolled his eyes before lamely throwing the tiny pieces of paper. “…yo.” he said.

“Happy birthday, Sarada-chan!” Karin said awkwardly. “Gosh, you’re bigger than I remember!” She approached the heiress hesitantly at first but proceeded. She handed her a box.

“Ano… Karin oba-chan, desu ka?” Sarada said, politely taking the package. The red-head smiled and nodded. “I got you an awesome gift. Wanna open it?” Sarada looked at the gift. It was kind of small and hard, much like a book. Sarada looked at her parents, particularly her mother, who nodded that she can open it.

“A Beginner’s Guide to the Language of Flowers” read Sarada, wondering why she was given such a peculiar choice for a gift. She knows her mom and auntie Ino loved flowers and were quite proficient with its meanings, but why give it to her?

Karin was looking excitedly at Sarada who gave her an awkward thank you. Her gift wasn’t finished yet, she chuckled.

The Uzumaki looked at Sakura who was conversing with Suigetsu and Sasuke about the hideout. She also had something prepared for the pinkette since it was her birthday.

“Neh, neh, Sakura,” she called out. Sakura turned and smiled “Thanks for letting us drop by. Anyways I brought you cheesecake! I would have brought okonomiyaki but Sasuke-kun insisted on leaving early so I could only…. oh, that’s lovely.” she was surprised when she was what the red head was holding.

It was a bouquet of pink peonies and lilies-of-the-valley.

“It’s your birthday today, isn’t it?”

Suigetsu, who happened to have moved next to Sarada motioned her to open the book at the folded pages.

“Take it as my apology.” he said.

The bespectacled teen looked at him with curiosity and disdain but followed the instructions and found highlighted passages.

“The lily-of-the-valley,”she read, “is a flower you give to someone who completes your life, happiness or family.” Sarada smiled and continued to the next page.

“Pink peonies are given to newly-wedded couples,” tears were falling from her eyes now, realizing the meaning of her gift and her mother’s bouquet. “usually given by well-wishers who hopes that the newly weds would have happy life and a happy marriage.”

Not being able to control her happiness, Sarada approached Karin and gave her a hug.

“Arigatou, Karin oba-san. Honto ni arigatou!”

#ssfest17 #sasusaku #ssfanfiction #ssfestday2 #submission #ssfestentry

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