#the change starts WITH the fight and WITH naruto

[atoriv-art]

what are your thoughts on the hyuga siblings and their relationship

OOF now thats one of my favorite naruto dynamics lmao. i think neji and hinata have a very interesting relationship and i say that as someone who really didn't (and tbh still doesn't) love how that relationship developed in canon

i really like the hyuga fight in the chunin exams because the way it's perceived is sooo interesting to me.. neji comes off as an outright bully and i don't even blame the kids for calling him an asshole after all of that, but from reader's perspective it's really obvious that his animosity only exists because of a larger issue...

neji shouldn't treat hinata the way he does, but he does so because of her unique position as a scorned heir. she still benefits from everything that makes his life awful - her life is still valued more than his - but hiashi hates her enough that he won't care if neji dishes out verbal abuse on her. it's an awful dynamic and definitely contributes to hinata's terrible self-worth, but it's a symptom of the life they have been forced into by the man who the manga is intent on letting escape all of the blame for this situation lmao

(hiashi himself can be a really fascinating case honestly. i think he fully means everything he says, which is what makes him so grating but fun to me LOL. his apology to neji is entirely sincere AND it completely misses the point of all of the issues, but neji is young and deprived of acknowledgement enough that he accepts it wholeheartedly. hiashi thinks he's the best uncle of all time.)

hinata herself has so little belief in her own worth that she just sits there and takes whatever abuse people throw at her... i don't actually think neji's anger towards her was a constant - i think some people interpret it that way - rather i feel like it was something that came up whenever he was pushed too far. in more normal circumstances where he's not being made to fight her directly, he was likely more detached than anything. he wanted nothing to do with her.

in one of the filler mini arcs ive mentioned before (i think. the one that focuses on hanabi and hinata) there's a scene that rang very true to me (and im gonna recount this without rewatching it atm so sorry if i get details wrong,): neji was being made to train with hinata, asked to be allowed to leave because he felt his time was being wasted and correctly noted that it doesn't have to be him here, was told no by hiashi and then he started getting vicious and violent. towards hinata, of course, not hiashi. he then got horribly punished for it LOL i think that's the general dynamic they were living in, neji reaches a limit of disrespect that he can take and explodes on the nearest most acceptable target (we loove a boy with no emotional regulation <3), goes too far and suffers the consequence of it while nothing else changes. to him interacting with hinata at all is just asking for pain, either emotional or straight up physical

But, for hinata, she saw herself and neji as similar (the black sheep of the family i suppose), and would have liked to bond over that fact; theyve known each other since they were very little and she outright refers to him as a brother. it's clear to me she's always cared a lot about neji and imo feels responsible for what happened to his father (something that hiashi doesn't help with. Dad of the year), so she saw their match in the exams as a chance to close the distance between them and get neji to see her as a person, an equal instead of a symbol to lash out on.

but, you know, she was 12 LMAO so she ended up pressing all of his buttons instead and it led to his famous outburst, which led to the famous moment of Every Single Jonin (other than asuma.) coming to stop him and further cementing his belief that her life is seen as special. i think (and this is a mix of Shit I Made up, and Me trying to make sense of the manga's insane mishandling of their plotline) that despite her trying her hardest to reach neji she didn't really grasp the horror of his situation. that's the tragedy of neji's life really LMAO, no one really tries to grapple with the severity of what having that curse mark does to a person. she thought of his fatalism as more of a psychological, metaphorical way of dealing with hurt and not like... "my life literally does not belong to me no matter how much i try to fight it"

this is loooooong take this readmore.

i think hiashi-hizashi were hoping that the cousins could have had a better relationship than they did... letting them hang out often and stuff, introducing them early, hizashi not discouraging neji from being friendly with her, to me it all reads as very "ok well this didn't work for Us, but what if it works out for them... even though literally nothing has changed". they were proper family once and hizashi wanted to die for his brother, not his leader, so that just makes sense to me.

i do nautttt like the naruto vs neji fight so to keep the post positive i will gloss over it <3 but hinata and neji's relationship post-chunin exams to me is peak like. God i wish this was done better because it could have been soooo good

neji realizes that his anger is consuming him and adjusts his behavior accordingly, getting a lot of his kindness back, and he becomes intent on fixing his relationship with hinata... i don't hate that premise at all, it's just the way it's executed that bothers me!

the impression i got (and i could be mistaken im in the process of rewatching the anime + rereading the manga) is that their relationship getting better is done exclusively through like. neji repenting for being mean to her. which, don't get me wrong, he SHOULD apologize (AND THAT WOULDVE BEEN A COOL THING TO SEE ONSCREEN, BTW) but you CANNOT divorce his behavior from the hyuga system in general. from the way they act after the exams you would think their issues were born solely from neji being a bully for no reason, and not, like... him lashing out on her because his uncle is literally the devil.

i don't think hinata has the power to change a lot in her clan on short notice (she did get disowned. did that un-happen offscreen? we will never know. Hiashi gets to be a grandfather to her children btw.) but i certainly would have liked to see her standing up for branch members and in the stuff i draw that's the story i have in mind LMAO. like, her gaining a deeper understanding of neji's situation and trying to work against her father trying to make her cousin's life better? i think that would have been really sweet and even show her gaining more confidence in herself and her beliefs. you can still have neji fussing over her and being protective because he feels bad for how they used to be, i actually really like that because neji IS a very sweet person, i just reject the idea that it's his sole Moral Obligation to put everything aside and make things better by the power of I Will Die For You Now, But This Time, For The Right Reasons

as for hanabi i wish she had more screentime soooo bad because i'm obsessed with how she gives off Haunted Child vibes lmfao. talking abt her requires me to expose myself a little bit and have to admit hiashi is kind of a blorbo to me because of how much he sucks ass, but like. Essentially his insane resentment of hinata was born when hizashi died, it doesnt matter it wasn't really her fault, he needed someone to blame and he would never blame himself, at least not outwardly lol. hiashi did genuinely love his brother, it just didn't stop him from being a monster to him, and he is certainly not gonna grapple with that now that he's dead!

(and, you know, the whole "sorry we sent a guy to kidnap an heir. you do need to die for killing him though" thing is really dumb but if we stop at every single stupid thing in naruto we will be here all day.)

with all that being said i think hiashi tries his best to make hanabi everything hinata isn't, and he has very little interest in having her and hinata have any bond at all. he just left neji and hinata to fester in that god-awful dynamic with no supervising, and took hanabi as the best direction for the clan to head towards. but, you know, father of the year is very demanding and doesn't seem to be very fatherly to her at all from the little we see of them. she's just like. a good soldier, and that's what he needs.

i think hanabi growing to resent her sister for the situation she's been put into (if hinata weren't 'weak' she wouldn't have so much responsibility) is very interesting! by the time we meet her i think she's learned that the best thing to do wrt her sister is to just ignore that she exists. as for neji he barely registers as a presence to her; neji has no reason to interact with her and hiashi has no reason to incentivize it. it's very fun to me!

in general i really like all of their dynamics can be used to explore how hurt and trauma drive people apart, i could talk about them for hourssss LMAO i love the suna family for the same reason!

[raindreames]

the handling of the hyuga clan is probably what annoys me the most within the naruto continuation/ending especially as someone who has neji and hinata as favorites (apart from sasuke) but what i need people to understand is that the lack of coverage over the resolution of their issues was kishimoto's fault and he dropped the ball because he had too much on his plate and too little time lol

what some people fail to understand is: neji is justified in his anger. more than justified, he has the right to be angry and use violence. he's under a system where he's basically a slave.

and what other people fail to understand too, is this: hinata was a privileged child. she was from the main family. she was the personification of neji's struggle, in a way. yet, she was still a child, one that was shunned and abused by her family too. she had power over neji and the second branch, power that wasn't chosen and that she didn't want, but still had.

could she change the power balance? could she abolish the seal? well THAT'S the real question.

during the war, it's said both her and neji are working together to change the hyuga clan. so maybe there is a way to abolish the seal. but what if there's not? it is made to understand that both families are fighting as equals, no longer divided, and from that moment on — blank period, boruto — we're not shown any divide between the hyuga, any mention of "first" or "second" family and no hyuga clan member with a seal in their heads.

so, what happened? how did it change?

we don't know and probably won't. kishimoto is not worried about getting the resolve on those political matters he himself created when they don't affect naruto (and now boruto) himself directly. it was important back when naruto could motivate both neji and hinata. once that was over, there's no need to expand.

the point is: yes, it sucks that a topic so crucial that basically shaped two very important and iconic characters from the series is so underwritten, but that's that. i feel like misogyny plays a role in that too, since the only relevant hyuga alive is hinata and her character is constantly sidelined anyway. also, kishimoto is always on the side of "everyone can be redeemed without showing them actually repenting" which is why hiashi hyuga is a cute little old grandpa after he just apologized to neji once.

[skyahri]

How They Found Out P2 |Naruto Men X Reader| HC

Part One Masterlist Ko-fi

Characters: Sasuke Uchiha, Shikamaru Nara, Kakashi Hatake

Summary: The aftermath of your relationship becoming public. Part two to How They Found Out

Warnings: Mentions of sex, marriage, kids. Pretty low key tbh.

- - - - -

Sasuke Uchiha

What an absolute nightmare.

Once you heard the front door shut, Sasuke basically collapsed on top of you.

He groaned. His night had been ruined, and on top of it, Naruto was sure to cause drama for the coming days.

"It's okay, Sasuke. They were sure to find out anyway."

"Our relationship going public and Naruto catching us having sex are two very different issues, and it's a bit concerning that you think I'm worried about the latter."

You kick him off of you with a laugh and suggest a shower. There was no way your escapades could continue on after all the fuss.

The next morning, you basically had to drag Sasuke out of the house.

He'd been moaning and groaning and grumbling since last night, so much so that he started to sound like Shikamaru.

Who knew Sasuke could complain so much.

Once you were out the door and the second your friend's eyes caught you, they pounced.

All at once, they hounded you about what Naruto may or may not have seen (Naruto has a habit of being a bad storyteller, so who knows what actually went down)

Sasuke refused to answer any questions until the chaos had settled down. They did eventually, albeit reluctantly.

"It's true."

That just sent them all reeling again, begging for details.

You two already discussed what you'd keep secret and what you'd share, so the meeting went pretty smoothly once everyone agreed to keep their composure.

Until fucking Sakura started asking questions about your sex life.

After that, you zipped your mouth and refused to answer anything further.

They'd just have to live on not knowing anything.

Shikamaru Nara

After news got out, Ino decided it was her place to convince Shikamaru to, in her words, "be a man and ask her out already!"

He ignored her, convinced she was full of it and brushed her off.

But her words lingered in his head.

Your friends were all beginning to settle down; Naruto and Hinata had just gotten married. Talk of kids had started to circulate in the group.

Were you wanting marriage and children?

The slow buzzing quickly turned into an almost constant fog in his mind. He'd never been so distracted before.

What a drag.

Within the week, he was knocking on your door.

"I need to ask you about something."

Weird. You could read him pretty well at this point, but this energy he was putting off was new.

"What's up, Shika?"

"Do you want to get married?"

Your eyes widened and jaw dropped. When you tried to answer, you found yourself at a loss of words.

"I mean, damnit, I- do you want to get married eventually? Or have kids at some point?"

You stared at him like he had two heads.

"Are you feeling alright? Why don't you come inside?"

He didn't fight you. He walked in and sat at your table in silence while you made him some tea.

You'd pried it out of him that Ino was behind this sudden change, and assured him that things would be okay.

"Look, I never brought it up because I know you're not a feelings guy, buy yeah, I guess I would like to have a family. I thought that's what you wanted, too?"

He got that irritated look on his face. The one he always gets when people ask him to work.

"It is, but,"

"But don't worry about it. I work on your time, so whenever you're ready."

You gave him a kiss on the cheek.

He let out a sigh of relief, glad to have fallen into such a situation with someone who understands him so well.

"Not too long, though. It's been almost two years, Shika."

On second thought, this was a total drag.

Kakashi Hatake

The next morning, you two made sure to bump into his students.

They seemed rather pleased with themselves, that they had been the ones to finally catch Kakashi lacking.

It only took a single look for Sasuke to realize it was all fake. They'd been bested by their sensei once again.

That quick glance he got from Kakashi told him not to say anything to the others, which he hadn't planned on anyway.

"Kakashi sensei, why didn't you ever tell us you were seeing someone?"

He set a hand on Sakuras head and ruffled her hair.

"I try not to share my personal matters with children. That's what friends are for."

Enter Gai, who happened to hear.

"You didn't tell us either, Kakashi."

He just shrugged, sending Gai into a fit.

News traveled fast in the village. What else is to be expected when romance rumors come up about the Hokage?

Kakashi was actually very calm about the whole thing.

Despite dreading this day for a long time, he was actually very content with the outcome.

There had been so much going on when you initially got together. Wars and death and PTSD and all that.

But now was a time of peace. A perfect time to actually start living, and this was just the beginning.

[oraclesblog]

Sakura Blossoms

One of the most significant character moments for Sakura Haruno in the original series of Naruto remains one of the most misunderstood. This can, no doubt, be attributed to the fact that a large portion of shonen fans are incapable of understanding any form of writing that isn’t surface-level and doesn’t have to be spoon-fed to them. Many view this scene as an example of illogical decision-making by Sakura because she had an “opening” to stab her opponent, as shown here:

However, Masashi Kishimoto goes out of his way to provide two specific reasons as to why this approach wouldn’t work: a practical reason and a symbolic one.

Practically speaking, it is explicitly stated that had Sakura attempted to stab the Hidden Sound shinobi, it wouldn’t have worked.

It was also established very early on that there was a massive power imbalance between the two and that, no matter what Sakura did, the Hidden Sound shinobi would always have a counterattack because they were more skilled and had more experience. Hence, instead of using the Kunai to stab her opponent, as this particular Hidden Sound shinobi expected, Sakura decided to cut her hair—not only to catch her opponent off guard but because Sakura herself knew that stabbing her wouldn’t work; she’d simply be overpowered.

Symbolically speaking, the reason Kishimoto had Sakura cut her hair (the most important reason and the entire purpose of the scene in the first place) was to signify the beginning of her character arc. To understand this, we need to look at Sakura’s initial character traits and the perceptions she carried at the start of the series.

Initially, Sakura is introduced as a superficial, appearance-obsessed, boy-crazy girl who has a no real understanding of what it means to be a shinobi.

She even outright admits to already considering herself a full-fledged ninja despite having done nothing to earn that title.

This false self-perception is what leads Sakura astray compared to her teammates. She becomes disinterested in the idea of training to become stronger and doesn’t work for the skill she so desperately needs at this point in the story. In her mind, there’s no point in training if she’s already graduated the academy and become a “full-fledged” shinobi. Her own arrogance and naïveté on the subject even lead her to believe that she’s fully superior to her teammates on Team Seven.

However, as the story progresses, we see Sakura’s inexperience in battle and taijutsu, combined with her misguided priorities (particularly her obsession with Sasuke) and her arrogance regarding her own self-perceptions, make her overly reliant on her teammates. This not only makes Sakura a burden to her team but shows the consequences of her actions, behaviours, and beliefs.

The forest of death arc is so crucial for Sakura‘s character, as it pushes each member of Team Seven into moments of growth. For Sakura, it where she learns the true meaning of being a shinobi and the trials and tribulations that come along with it. Sakura is put in a situation where she’s forced to fight on her own for the first time in her life to protect her two teammates. As she does, her enemy grabs her by the hair, trapping her. With no escape, Sakura takes her Kunai and cuts her hair.

In this moment, Sakura is physically cutting off an aspect of her identity that aided in the superficial virtues of her character, both physically and emotionally. She is unbinding herself to the girl she used to be, freeing herself of her negative qualities and traits, and most importantly, her false self-perception regarding the identity of a shinobi. The act of haircutting within literature can carry various meanings, but the most common symbolism behind it is to mark a character’s transition into a new stage of life. In Ancient Greece, it was tradition to cut one’s hair as a sign of mourning, symbolizing a positive or negative change for the character. In Sakura’s case, she is “killing” her past self and mourning this loss through the act of cutting her hair, while also stepping in to a new sense of self with a clearer understanding of what it means to be a ninja and the harsh realities that follow it. That’s why this line:

Is so important because it serves as a representation, both figuratively and literally, that it’s Sakura’s turn to step into the role of a true shinobi—to be someone her teammates can count on and, most importantly, to say goodbye to the girl she once was.

What’s more is that we actually see how this character development impacts Sakura’s throughout the series. The Forest of Death scene is more than just words; it marks a transition she carries forward, not only becoming someone her comrades can rely on but also becoming someone who understands the deeper nature of things and people rather than viewing them through a superficial lens. This growth is especially evident in her desire to become stronger, seeking out training from a Sanin, and in the way she begins to see Sasuke after the Forest of Death. Instead of viewing him merely as an attractive classmate she has a crush on, she starts to see him for who he truly is—a traumatized boy falling prey to his own pain and going down a dark path. This new perception makes her want to help him, both physically and emotionally, rather than simply wanting to make him hers, as she did initially.

Ultimately, this scene is what gave Sakura the development to become the character she was at the end of the series—a strong kunoich and a true, full-fledged shinobi, as well as someone who can genuinely understand the pain and trauma of others.

[kurokawaia]

❛ Enemies to lovers ❜

Uchiha Sasuke X Fem!Reader

| SFW | REQUEST? yes | ! headcanons !

WC; 1.6k+ | !MDNI! | TW/CW; sasuke is a trigger warning by himself, not anything suggestive but sasuke is mean guys bsf. Prerouge!Sasuke X fem!Reader & Rouge!Sasuke X fem!Reader

⋆·˚ ༘ * 𝑅𝐸𝒬𝒰𝐸𝒮𝒯 :: @bejeweledgirl - Hiiii!! Could you please write Sasuke x reader enemies to lovers head canons? Thank you !!! 🫶🏻🫶🏻

a/note :: also, Julie, by any chance do we follow each other on wattpad, or am i tweaking? but other than that, i hope you enjoy 🫶🏼

m.list | naruto/boruto m.list | uchiha m.list

Konoha path (before he leaves the village - meeting him in Konoha)

Well, if we are talking about how you two meet in Konoha, it will have to start back at the Academy. Sasuke just hated you for no absolute reason, but then he grew a reason—he thought you were weak and a nuisance. He thinks that you shouldn't even belong in the Academy. Fact is, you are quite strong, but he refuses to see that because he already set his mind that you are below him.

It all started when you two were put into the same team—Team 7—and then that just made him realize your abilities weren't that useless after all. But he still believed you were weak, with no business to be a ninja. This had you start to hate him, too. You started hating his cold demeanor, how avenging his clan and getting stronger seemed to be his whole personality.

But for all your mutual agrender, at times you just so happened to glimpses of his competence and prowess that forced a value to admire. On the field, you two would watch other back without being asked which in itself was a wordless testament to the amount of confidence one possessed in other. But you two would go back to silently hating each other after those moments, Sasuke being more open about it now.

Sasuke's thoughts: 'I have to keep an eye on her because she's too weak to be left on her own devices.' You're: 'I don't get it, really; why does he think I am so weak? Maybe I've got to show my teamwork up a little better.'

Those moments, when they came, made you wonder if all that hatred ran so deep. You are almost cordial with each other during fights, but that's not it. It's the both of yours mentality that has you seeking each other out during battle, protecting each other subconsciously. But that icy wall that stands between you refuses to thaw a single degree outside of combat.

However, in the time he is there, you notice the way his gaze lingered on you, post-battle, just a little longer than appropriate, a hint of vulnerability in his eyes when he thought nobody else was watching.

He had one mission where he had to react out of the ordinary, to ensure that your weak ass wasn't getting hurt. The straw that broke the camel's back was during one particularly tough mission. With nowhere else to go and severely outnumbered, you took a terrible injury. Sasuke's reaction was instant, and his protective instincts overpowered his usual detachment.

Fight with an emotion you had never seen, he puts your safety before his own and then after he bets himself with the mission. Sasuke had wasted precious time to save you during a mission? Impossible. Unconsciously, he knew you were weak and helped you before you got killed.

You obviously thought you were going to die.

Ever since, the dynamics between the two of you had changed. Sasuke, still aloof, started to look for you during training sessions, though his form of critique was of a lesser degree—more constructive than hurtful. At some occasions, he would even ask you for some help, but he was obviously abrasive about it.

The banter was aggressive in the beginning, but now it was tinged with the undertow of mutual respect, and both you and Sasuke started to look forward to these moments. The trust was not strong, for both took it as something fickle—a bridge that connected the gap between enemies and allies.

You found out more about Sasuke's character than the one he usually let out as you guys spent more time together: his dry sense of humor; the way his eyes softened whenever he deemed necessary to mention something about the past, be it ill or good; his unwavering determination to protect those he held dear.

Your relationship shifted irreversibly; the sharp enmity that earlier defined your interactions was replaced by a deep, wordless fellowship. You realized how thin that border between enemies and lovers can be, and that the most profound relationships often come about in the crucible of quiet understanding and shared struggles.

It was more or less this that almost drove Sasuke out from the village, and at the end of it all, what had begun as hating for each other soon developed into something much larger than life itself.

Your relation toward Sasuke was the way to understand this and to acceptance. You hadn't made your best effort to drag him back to the village, didn't shed any tears because this is what Sasuke really wanted, you were going to acknowledge.

Right there and then when you spoke on how you felt he swore something heating grew inside of him. You weren't going to be mad at him, not yell at him for his decision.

Rouge Ninja path (after he left the village - meeting him while he's a rouge)

You met Uchiha Sasuke under the worst of circumstances. Just allied with Orochimaru, your mission was to keep an eye on him, work just as dangerous as it was interesting to you. Sasuke, brooding and standoffish, made it clear he hated every moment of your company.

To him, you were a shadow unwanted, a living reminder of all his failures and entanglements. You found some strange fun in needling at him, maybe to cover up your own insecurities. Very soon, you could see his gorge rise at your constant presence.

From that very moment, when you met, there was electric tension between the two of you. It smoldered in his narrowed eyes whenever you entered a room and tightened into a set jaw when you spoke.

"You're in my way," he would growl, with a hint of venom in his tone. Yet you never backed off. If anything, you pushed harder, finding glee in the cracks of his iced exterior. "Is that so, Sasuke? Or do you just hate that I'm not afraid of you?"

Every mission together was a war of minds. You were good, obviously so, and it got on Sasuke's nerves. He couldn't stand the way you apparently predicted his moves, the way you pushed him. But more than that, he hated how your presence made him feel: torn apart.

But part of him had begrudged your strength and wit, even if he would never say it out loud. You could feel it in the way his eyes flickered with something almost like appreciation when you pulled off a flawless jutsu or handled some tricky situation deftly.

Despite the undercurrent of tension, there were moments when camaraderie would surprisingly reveal itself. One evening, after a really tough training session, you found yourselves sitting next to each other and watching the sunset.

The silence was comfortable, which was rare between the two of you.

"Why did you come to Orochimaru's side?" Sasuke asked abruptly, his voice softer than usual. You turned to him with surprise at the question. "I have my reasons," you said mysteriously, looking out toward the horizon. "Just like you."

Something shifted in you both the first time you were ambushed during a particularly brutal mission. Outnumbered, you found yourselves fighting for survival, quite literally, with your backs to each other. And something in you both shifted in that instant. You both were no longer enemies but reluctant allies.

Your synchronicity was perfect—an unsaid understanding that passed between you. As the dust settled and the enemies lay defeated, you turned to him, breathless and bruised. "Not bad, Sasuke," you said, a real smile breaking through your usual facade. For a split second, you thought you saw the corner of his mouth twitch upward.

You became less aggressive toward one another from that time forward, and begrudging respect replaced the hostility. Sasuke still rolled his eyes at your antics, but you began to notice how his gaze now lingered a little longer, the way he sometimes sought out your opinion. The walls he built around himself were high, but he found satisfaction in every small crack you could create.

And Sasuke, though he'd never say it aloud, looked forward to your company, your banter, and your presence.

There would come times when the barrier between you seemed impossible to breach. The memories of his clan, his brother, and the darkness he had covered himself with to amass power would have him closing off. You understood pain and loss, having your share of the scars, and sometimes in those rare quiet moments, you shared bits of your past with him. He listened, not always responding, but you knew that he'd heard you. And it was in those moments that the chasm between you seemed a little to narrow.

It was on one of those quiet evenings, both of you resting by the campfire, that the tension broke. You were teasing him about his brooding nature; he snapped, grabbing your wrist and pulling you close.

"Why do you always have to annoy me?" he growled, his voice low and heavy with restraint. You held his gaze, your heart pounding. "Maybe because I see something in you that you refuse to see in yourself," you whispered. His grip tightened a fraction before loosening, his expression unreadable.

For an instant, the space between you disappeared. Sasuke's hold relaxed, his eyes questing yours. And then, the next thing you knew, his lips were on yours, hard, demanding. A kiss riddled with that pent-up frustration, anger, and undeniable attraction that was building up between the two of you. The moment you both pulled back, out of breath, your gaze locked in with his, and the anger or annoyance that swam there previously was replaced with something deeper—something that you both had been denying for far too long.

The following days were emotional ones. You and Sasuke continued training and taking up missions, but now there is a new layer in your relationship with each other. The stolen glances, subtle touches, occasional tender moments when one thought nobody else was looking.

Sasuke began to realize that life offers more than vengeance and power—companionship, trust, maybe even love.

Do not copy, steal, modify, etc. Relogs and like are appreciated.

m.list | naruto/boruto m.list | uchiha m.list

taglist :: @enouche @lovelyandproblematic @kayleegomez

[kobayashisoul]

》 ʀᴏᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ɴɪɴᴊᴀ & ᴄᴀɴᴏɴ ɢᴀᴀʀᴀ: ᴄʀᴏꜱꜱᴏᴠᴇʀ 《

Hey Guys! 🩵

Today I got this Picture and it's in my Opinion one of the most beautiful and Canon-looking Comissions I ever got. Since I got it I didn't get tired of looking at it. its.sunjyo really is a Genius in Drawing Gaara - and now, two Gaara's in one Picture! That's really like a Dream came true. 👀

The Difference between them couldn't be bigger. In Appearance they are kinda looking alike, but their Personalitys are ... Well it's as the Name says, two completely different Worlds where different Things happened.

Road to Ninja Gaara is still a Jinchuuriki, fighting with Shukaku's Powers. He is a rebell and m*rdered way more people and did that way longer than his Canon Self. He is arrogant, selfish and cold-hearted. He shows no Mercy in Battles and he doesn't have a Problem with k&lling people, even for just looking at him a second too long. At least he was like that before he met Road to Ninja Raziela. Things started to change from then on, but very slowly. But as bad as he always was, he is and was always a loyal person.

Canon Gaara isn't a Jinchuuriki anymore since he was 15 years old. He was like RTN Gaara is before his Fight with Uzumaki Naruto. Nowdays he always wants to find a polite and peaceful Way to solve Things. He is quiet, reserved and introverted - but in a loving way. Words may be rare, but he thinks carefully about everything he says and anything has depth and he means it. He is interested in Friendships and Social Interactions, and found true love, in my Oc Raziela. And he is absolutely a loyal person and passionate about his Interests.

These two really couldn't be more different and I simply love what I created with Road to Ninja. 🩵

➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️➖️

Art (c) its.sunjyo on Instagram

Gaara's RTN Design (c) @xkobayashisoulx

Sabaku No Gaara (c) Masashi Kishimoto

Naruto & Boruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto

This Picture was a Comission for me from its.sunjyo on Instagram. I am NOT the Artist of this Artwork. I am a Comission Collector. I have the Artists written permission to upload this drawing to my Social Media. ⚠️

Gaara's RTN Design and Story belongs to me. ⚠️

Without my written permission you have no right to recolor/repost/trace/edit/use this in any way, written or drawn. ⚠️

[twomiddlefingersforthehaters]

Kishi shows us that everyone in the Narutoverse somehow understands the feelings between Naruto and Sasuke, that the two of them are somehow connected, and that the two have some influence on each other and If something happens to one of them, the other will react in an extreme way. Kishi used his other characters to point this out and make us pay more attention to Naruto & Sasuke.

A scene where Sakura and the others are doubting of Naruto and Sasuke's feelings for each other is something Kishi can't do directly. Otherwise, it would cause a lot of trouble, and it would confirm that there really is something going on between the two. readers are already confused and complaining about it without even those scene. But at least some readers finally see the gay and understand the narrative.

1. HAKU

Sasuke exposed his weakness (Naruto) in front of a enemy. Observing every move to avoid serious injury and forced to awaken his Sharingan to protect Naruto, of course Haku was watching him and absolutely found his weakness and used it against him. Haku knows if Naruto is used the fight will be over because Sasuke would jump in front of Naruto to save him.

2. OROCHIMARU

• Orochimaru recognizes the impact Naruto has on Sasuke's says a lot! He wanted to separate them immediately....if Sasuke ran away from his goal of becoming strong and risked his life for 'Naruto'....it would have hindered his plan.

• Also, when Orochimaru deliberately emphasized, “MySasuke-kun”… With this comment, Naruto's anger finally reached its peak and got insane to the point of sprouting 4 tails.

Some Native speakers reactions to Naruto's “ Don't say Sasuke's name in front of me like he's yours”

1. “You snap(get angry) there? Well, How should I say it?...Isn't that a little off? ”

2. “It was around the Sai arc that people started calling Naruto homosexual”

3. “ I think it would be much better without this -> "In front of me" ”

4. “He had been angry for a long time, but I got the impression that he lost his temper over this comment ”

5. “This line from Naruto is incomprehensible and scary, but I don't think it would be so strange if Itachi (or even Fugaku) said something similar and got angry at Orochimaru”

6. “Regardless of whether Naruto's anger and how he expressed it were justified or not, if you consider that Naruto is gay and in love with Sasuke, then it's an understandable emotion”

7.“ Even if the subject is a love interest, I'm still saying it's a strange line.”

@reply: “I don't agree with it, but I think there are ex-boyfriends who are so possessive in real life too.”

8. “That's weird for a shounen manga protagonist”

9. “Does that mean Kishimoto-sama knowingly making Naruto sick? Or was it that he wanted to emphasize, both inside and outside the work, that Sasuke is special to Naruto and that it is difficult for others to understand or interfere in their relationship?”

The word used by the said person was 病ませていた｡ Its dictionary form is 「病む (やむ)」 which means "to suffer from some disease/ illness/sickness". 「病ま」 is the imperfect form and 「せる」 is a causative auxiliary verb. So 「病ませる」 means "to make someone sick". 「病ませた」 is its past form. 「病ませてい た」 is its past progressive form.

10. “The Nine Tails' tail is gross, the lines are terrible, he has too many tantrums, he says Sasuke too much, etc.”

11. “If he was gay, would that explain it...? Doesn't that mean he has romantic feelings for Sasuke after all?”

12. “Even though you took the trouble to change the lines between the magazine and the book, you didn't delete "in front of me," Kishimoto-sama, You're particular about that”

[when publishing a book, changes may be made to the version published in the magazine (Weekly Shōnen Jump).]

@reply: “The fact that he sometimes fix things and sometimes doesn't it shows that Kishimoto-sama is aware of his abnormality is quietly frightening”

13.“At first glance, he's a bright, friendly Jump protagonist, but as soon as Sasuke gets involved, things get weird. That's what makes him unique and interesting.”

• Sensing Naruto's chakra, Sasuke quickly ordered to lead the way. As usual Orochimaru does not failed to notice the sudden mood changes in Sasuke.

• Sasuke was watching Naruto when Obito taunting and provoking him and he was crying when Obito sucked everyones's chakra. And of course Orochimaru noticed that Sasuke seems to be in a bad mood.

3. PAKKUN

Pakkun emphasizes Sasuke's attempt to protect Naruto despite in his bad condition.

4. KABUTO

5. KAKASHI

It's conon Sasuke is Naruto's Driving force and he's the one making Naruto stronger and stronger...

This panel shows that even other people, like Kakashi, can see that Naruto is really working so hard for Sasuke. Because Naruto, personally, believes in Sasuke and wants to save him.

6. ITACHI

When Itachi visited the village to kidnap Naruto after Hiruzen's death...Sasuke came between them. And Itachi noticed the way Naruto was so furious to draw Kyuubi chakra to protect Sasuke. Maybe that's why he came to this conclusion and asked Naruto “can you choose between Sasuke and Konoha? ”

7. SAI, PAIN & RAIKAGE

• Sai questioning “Why does that naruto still care/concerned about sasuke or why does he feel strongly about Sasuke despite he betrayed and hurted him?”

• Sasuke stated in their first fight that Naruto would never be able to understand him because he never had anyone in the first place no family no siblings, he was always alone. Now, Pain fixed that problem by nuked the village and pretty much murdered everyone. After the fight, Naruto recollects what Sasuke said in Vote 1 and what pain told him. Naruto realizes that he was wrong to think he knew what Sasuke was going through without having experienced something similar to what Sasuke did. After the death of jiraiya he understand a bit about wanting to avenge your important ones' death and how much it devour you. He now realized that it wasn't realistic that he thought he could get through to Sasuke without understanding his feelings and pain. That's why he says he understands Sasuke in this arc.

• this not considered friendship in the Shinobi world

(he's begging on his knees to spare sasuke's life but he's threatening cloud its so funny)

8. TOBIRAMA

In the Land of Waves arc, when they were only 12 years old, they could team up together without any direct communication. We know that the last time they fought together was 4 years ago, even then they could team up together without any direct communication.

9. KURAMA

• Sasuke couldn't even handle Naruto losing his arms despite he himself had lost one. How would he react when he sees Naruto dead in front of his eyes???? Those expression and his lines before proves that Sasuke may have had his mind set on killing Naruto. But the reality is that if that happens, his heart could not handle it. Kishi used Kurama to foreshadow this.

• Naruto gives kurama an extreme Glare when kurama lectures him about how he's never been able to do anything for Sasuke. And later in the war arc Naruto flashbacked about Sasuke and showed everyone that he regrets not reaching out to Sasuke back then when they were kids, even though he wanted to reach out to him.

• It's such an unnecessary scene, but Kishi brings up the kiss again lol. As usual, Naruto reacted very dramatically.

He had the same reaction when he accidentally kissed Sasuke in chapter 3, after which he quickly went to Sakura to verify his feelings and it didn't take him long to realize that he loves Sasuke. Kishi's deliberate thoughts and plans in that chapter screams “Naruto might be a Gay boy who wants to deny it really hard ”

Otherwise, Kishimoto literally didn't have to do any of this!!

10. EBISU

It's from the Pain arc, where Ebisu Sensei remembers Naruto's growth. From everyone calling him a 狐のガキ = kitsune no gaki = fox brat Or a "Kyuubi kid" to actually calling him by his real name “Naruto”.

[ガキ: in a rough way to say, which has negative nuance. This word comes from Buddhism monsters "餓鬼(がき)= gaki" born in the hell, which devour foods. There are people who call their children "gaki," but I don't think they mean it in a bad way. However, as a listener, it leaves a bad impression. The word "gaki" can also be used in a negative sense to describe a childish or immature person. ]

The memories begin with the people of Konoha hating him, and later the people of Konoha praise Naruto for stopping Gaara from attacking Konoha, and for bringing Tsunade in as the 5th Hokage.

When Jiraiya died the villagers says, “Is Naruto okay? He will not lose his heart, he will keep looking forward". Before that this panel appears when it comes to Sasuke. Even the people of Konoha felt that Naruto would be depressed if Sasuke wasn't in Konoha with Naruto.

The word used here is 落ちこんで which means to be depressed; to feel down; to feel sad; to be in low spirits.

落ちこんで is the conjunctive form of 落ち込む and the particle で is added to express the state in which the action of ``depression'' is in progress.

e. g:

- 彼は失恋して、しばらく落ちこんでい た。

- kare wa shitsuren shite , shibaraku ochikondeita .

-He was heartbroken and depressed for a while.

- 仕事のストレスで、彼は毎日落ちこんで過ごしている。 - shigoto no sutoresu de , kare wa mainichi ochikonde sugoshiteiru.

-He feels depressed every day due to the stress of work.

[evilkitten3]

ok so like i know the reason is just. sexism but one thing that really irks me about how the post-timeskip naruto manga handled which characters became medic nin bc it makes absolutely no sense to me

sakura's decision to train under tsunade makes sense, and i love that she got a super strength power up, so no notes there, but the other teams.... yeesh

so first off, team ten. we're told that ino decided to follow sakura into mednin land to keep being rivals with her... despite that at no point factoring into their rivalry at all beforehand. ino never showed any interest in that, nor was the yamanaka clan ever mentioned to have anything to do with healing as far as i can remember. it's like going to art school to stay with your bestie when your goal is to become a dentist. why are you there. find other ways to spend time together. it also kinda goes against her family's whole thing as. the guys who do the torture stuff. and it's barely ever relevant anyway

for team ten, i think the team medic should've been shikamaru, and i think this not just bc i think it makes more sense skill-wise (something about the way the nara clan's various shadow jutsu work just screams "you need good chakra control for this" to me), but also bc i think it would make asuma's death a thousand times more painful. bc shikamaru is a slacker. he's not learning medical ninjutsu bc he wants to, he's learning it bc someone on the team has to in order to stick together. they're all chuunin now; one of them has to be a medic. them's the rules. but he doesn't really care that much, even when he is trying to learn, and he's so used to being smart enough to not have to pay attention in lessons anyway that he's not prepared for classes that require his full focus. and then asuma dies and shikamaru is doomed to spend the rest of his fucking life wondering if he could've saved him by paying just a little more attention to those medical ninjutsu lessons (he could not have (but he'll never know for sure))

team eight makes some sense, since giving the girl who struggles with fighting the healing job isn't exactly out of nowhere, but i do feel it was the lazy choice. kiba already had a sister involved in the medical business, even if she deals more with animals, so he could've started learning from her and found that he liked it. plus kiba's goal is to be hokage, and the current hokage is a mednin, so it's not like it wouldn't support his goal. or shino could do it; would add another layer to his character. hinata works fine but. it's just not a very interesting development imo

but what really gets me is team gai. good freaking grief. out of every single team, team gai was the one with the most obvious choice. bc there was only one choice. lee can't do any kind of ninjutsu, and tenten's only real backstory is that her chakra control isn't good enough for her to be a medic nin. so it had to be neji. canon establishes that every team has to have a medic; this is a policy tsunade got passed even before she became hokage, so no way in hell is she going back on it now.

moreover, neji becoming a medical ninja - especially if hiashi encouraged it - would show some development for the hyuuga clan maybe starting to suck a bit less. bc as a medic, neji would be bound by oath to stay alive for as long as possible. imagine a world in which hizashi came back and hiashi was able to tell his brother that not only was their family starting to change, but his son had chosen a path that would prevent him from ever following in his father's footsteps. it would be the first step (of many) to show that the hyuuga clan was freeing itself from its own bullshit.

also it would've made sakura catching the zetsu pretending to be neji a thousand times funnier. like that's her coworker. they've shared shifts at the hospital together. she's seen neji drink vodka straight from a bottle and then crash on her couch after they got out of a twelve-hour surgery on the fucking dumbass chuunin who managed to step on his own boobytrap. she knows him.

[marvelmymarvel]

Not Special

Kakashi Hatake x NarutoMotherFigure!Reader

Synopsis: Before Naruto, you were a feared kunoichi who killed thousands before the age of 14. Naruto didn't know any of this, which is why you weren't anything special to him. But that all changes after the Hokage asks you to pick the sword up again to protect the village against an impending threat.

Naruto Masterlist: Here

“My mom isn't anyone special. She's just normal!”

Kakashi’s eyebrow shot up at that, eyes landing on the blonde as he talked adamantly to Sakura about how cool the other kid's parents were - and how uncool you were. He pursed his lips, fighting back the urge to spill the truth about you and your past, but he knew you wanted to keep it a secret. You weren't proud of it; it was much bloodier than his was. You gave it up for Naruto when he came along. Your time in the ninja world was short, yet many feared you.

All things Naruto didn't know.

But Kakashi couldn't stop his questions from coming out, wondering why Naruto saw you as a ‘weakling’ in the first place. “You say Y/n isn't special? How come?” Naruto stopped in his tracks, eyes narrowing at Kakashi. “Well, she’s not a shinobi, first off. Secondly, all she does nowadays is help out at the daycare-”

“So that makes her not special?”

“Come on Kakashi-Sensei. You know what I mean! She's just not as strong as we are… Ya know?” 

The silence that hung in the air made Naruto shift on his feet, unnerved by his Sensei's sudden change in attitude. It was almost like he was challenging him to say another word. But Naruto knew better. “You don't know anything about who she was before you came along, Naruto….” 

“Wasn’t she 14? Kakashi-Sensei, I’m not sure she could have done much damage by the time she had turned 14-”

“That's enough” Kakashi’s sharp tone had Naruto shutting his mouth from fear; he didn't know how or why, but his statement cut deep. Kakashi wished you would have told Naruto about your past, why you stopped fighting, and why you kept it hidden. He wouldn't have to continuously hear about how ‘weak’ you were if you had just told Naruto everything.

“Now, let's begin our mission, shall we?”

Days had passed since Naruto left for his mission with the rest of team 7. You made Kakashi promise to keep him safe, which allowed you to focus on other ways to help the community. You had just handed off the last toddler to their parent and headed into the daycare to clean up your room. A figure in the middle of the mess caused you to jump in your spot - “Lord third! You scared me.”

He hummed at that before leaning against a bookshelf, pipe in between his teeth as he took in the chaotic room. The Third Hokage was against the path you chose; he’d have you as his personal guard if it were his way. He respected your wishes and respected them for 12 years, but now, as the threat of an enemy loomed over the village, he was coming back to you with a new offer.

One you simply cannot refuse.

“It is quite a shame that you gave up the Jonnin life at 14. You were a fine student, almost, if not better than Kakashi was,” He started as he moved through the room, his old eyes scanning over the arts and crafts drying on the tables. 

Your lips pursed at the sound of the Third Hokage’s words. You’ve heard this rant before; it was his specialty. He’d build you up with praise and acknowledgment, making you feel like you were the only person who could save the village before throwing an offer for you to return to the ninja life. You couldn't deny you missed it but didn't miss the blood. Didn't miss the death. Raising Naruto was more rewarding than killing hundreds of people for the village's sake.

Yet, you listened. Soaking up every word he told you as if you needed to hear them. He continued, recounting all of your successes before stopping to look at a particular picture on the wall. It was of you and your classroom, all in the picture, smiling. Did he want to do this? You sighed before bending down to pick up the toys on the floor.

“You don't just give praise without a request. Get on with it, Lord Third. I have a classroom to clean up.”

His eyes flicked to your figure. Your tone alone told him that your walls were up, and you wouldn't let him easily throw his suggestion over them. You would put up a fight, but maybe if he added Naruto into the mix, then you’d listen.

“You care about Naruto’s well-being, yes?”

Your body froze as your fingers hovered over a toy, your heart lurching in your throat as you braced yourself for this new approach. This was a sick, twisted way of getting what he wanted. He’s done this to you many times before, and while you know it's a trap, you always walk into it. You don't answer him, but your silence does.

“There's a threat looming over the village… I’ve gathered my best men, but I’m still missing the greatest one of all….” You sighed at that, eyebrows crinkling in pain as you felt the guilt creeping up your neck, practically strangling you with its cold bony fingers. “Naruto won't be safe if you can't help protect the village.”

There it was. 

Your e/c eyes flicked to his as you stood up straight. He was right in a sick, twisted kind of way. If you were involved, the threat would be easily avoidable. But how would you tell Naruto? You never once told him how many you’ve saved and never how many you’ve butchered in the name of the leaf village. He didn't know of the nightmares you shared with Kakashi or the vomiting due to the stress your young body was under.

He didn't know any of it. 

To him, you were just a daycare teacher. But to the village, to your Hokage, you were more. 

“I would like you to join the ANBU. When the threat passes, I will let you decide if you want to stay in the ANBU or return to this lifestyle.”

Your eyes brimmed with tears, and you fought the panic in your chest. You’ve been on a couple of missions with the ANBU; they were more ruthless than you were. Your teary eyes drifted to the picture beside the Hokage, lip pursing as you took in the smiling faces of the children you cared for daily. It wasn't just about you or Naruto; it never was.

“What do you say?”

You looked back at him before nodding slowly, “I will join the ANBU, but once this is over. I will never be picking up a Kunai again.”

Naruto bounded back into the village as their mission got cut short. The news spread like wildfire that a threat was coming down on the village, and all ninjas had been requested to return for backup. He raced to the daycare despite Kakashi’s yells. He had to get you to safety. You were the only person he cared for the most in this entire world. If anything happened to you, he would lose himself.

Naruto screamed your name as he ran up to the daycare, flinging open the doors as he flew down the hall. The lights were off, and a cold breeze flew past him as his eyes landed on the sight of your daycare room. Bodies lay everywhere, causing his eyes to widen at the sight of the enemy ninja strewn along the floor with jagged stabs in their chests. He backed out of the room; breath growing labored as he thought through where you may be. Naruto wasn't thinking clearly as he flew out of the daycare building. He would have known that the trap was set just for him if he were thinking clearly.

And he walked right into it.

A bag was shoved over his face as he was tackled. He called out for help, kicking and screaming for the men to get off him. The sound of slicing filled the air, and warm liquid splattered all over him; bodies were shoved off him one by one. Before long, he had freed himself from the group and ripped off the face covering. The sight before him made him stare in awe - A female ANBU officer was slaughtering the ninja one by one without breaking a sweat. It was as if they were nothing to her, almost as if she could take a hundred of them all at once and never falter in her movements. Finally, her sword drove through the chest of the last remaining ninja.

Naruto’s mouth hung open as she ripped the sword from the man's chest, sighing as she looked down at herself. She was drenched with blood. It was on her uniform, on her mask, in her hair, on her hands. The only thing she could wipe off was her sword. 

“Wow! That was, uh… Thank you” 

Her head snapped to the side to look at him before she once more let out a sigh. She slid the blade against her pant leg, trying to wipe off the blood she had accumulated in the past couple of hours. She put the sword back in the sheath on her back before storming towards him; reaching down, she hauled him back onto his feet.

“Why are you here?! Where is Kakashi?!” 

Naruto’s eyebrows furrowed at her words, the voice sounded familiar, but his brain refused to connect the dots. “You know Kakashi-Sensei? You’re starting to freak me out, lady.” The woman froze before him, realizing she had made a deadly error and there was no going back. She sighed before lifting her hand to her mask, “You can't tell anyone, Naruto.”

Naruto’s jaw dropped at the sight before him, “Hey… What the hell?!”

You shot a warning glare, silently scolding him for his language, but he didn't care. You were the ANBU lady??? The one he just saw brutally murder the 20 men lying around you. His eyes wandered around your face, brows crinkling in confusion as his brain caught up to the fact that you were in front of him, wearing an ANBU uniform and covered in blood. Lots and lots of blood.

“But, you’re not a shino-”

You sighed at his statement before he even finished, “A shinobi, yes I haven't been one for years” Naruto grew more confused at your confession. “For years? You were a shinobi before?” A small laugh flew from your lips as you face-palmed yourself. The blood on your hand smeared onto your face, making you cringe at the feeling and smell. Your heart started to race as you brought your hand from your face, eyes wide as you took in the crimson staining your skin. It made you feel sick; you didn't miss this at all. 

“Didn't I tell you to stay by my side Naruto?” Naruto jumped at Kakashi’s words as he landed beside you, slowly approaching you as if not wanting to spook you. “God, I hate this, Kakashi,” you whined out as you tried to look away from the blood on your hands. Kakashi quickly wiped it away with a small rag, reassuring you that you were doing something good, even if it meant killing people. There had been many nights where he’d have to reassure you in such a manner. The guilt you felt drove you mad; in a way, you were thankful for Naruto, who gave you a way out.

“How many did you kill, Y/n?” Kakashi whispered as he looked around the daycare. He was trying to gauge how many angry men would come after you. “About 70” 

Naruto gasped at the number, eyes widening as you turned into Kakashi. “So we should prepare for 100 more coming your way?” 

You nodded as your lip quivered - “I don't want to kill them. I can't do it anymore. I’m so tired.”

Kakashi nodded before starting to take off your vest. If he could get you out of the recognizable outfit and away from the fighting, he could quickly finish off the 100 angry men for you. “I can handle them; it's fine-”

“70?!” 

Your eyes shot to Naruto’s, and you froze at his awe-struck face. You didn't know if he was amazed or disgusted, but both reactions would have made your stomach churn all the same. Kakashi felt your sickness by the way you swayed in his arms, “Naruto, now is not the time-”

“I mean, how badass are you!? And you didn't even tell me?!?!”

Your eyes grew wide as you scanned the tree line for incoming intruders; suddenly, your fear-stricken face turned hard. Snatching up the mask from the ground, you shoved it on before drawing your sword. Kakashi held his breath. Your hearing was much sharper than his ever was. Before you knew it, 100 ninjas surrounded you three. You’ve fought more in one go; it was a simple task compared to other things you’ve had to do.

But doing it in front of Naruto made you falter. 

Did you want him to see the beast inside of you? The beast you hid from him as best you could. You let him believe you were boring to conceal that you were a kunoichi feared by many nations. You killed many men without mercy because you were instructed to, just as a good soldier does.

One of the ninjas looked toward Naruto, causing you to jump into action. You screamed for Naruto to run before slicing your sword to kill them quickly before they could get their hands on him. Naruto, for once, listened and ran to hide behind the building wall, far enough from the fighting to stay safe but close enough to watch you fight through the group. Kakashi did help a little, but you did most of the work. He was amazed and felt slightly guilty at his previous assumptions about you being weak. The display before him was anything but weak.

Within minutes, you had thinned down the group until the last one remained. Naruto expected you to kill him, but you did something else entirely. Your fingers gripped the bleeding man's collar, ripping him up so he was face-to-face with your ANBU mask. “Who do you take directions from? Who was the leader of this attack??” Your words were icy and full of hatred, not full of the warmth and love Naruto was used to. A shiver ripped down his spine as he watched you cock your head at the spluttering man. “Who. Is. In. Charge.” your snarl made the man break as he screamed out the name of the person in charge of the entire thing. You scoffed at him before driving your sword slowly into his chest. It was deliberately pushed in at a location that would  ensure a slow and painful death. It was then that Naruto realized this was the same ninja that looked his way at the beginning of the fight.

You ripped out your sword, letting the man fall to the ground as you watched him gasp for breath. Blood bubbled up from his throat before spewing from his mouth, he wouldn't die from internal bleeding, but he would die from drowning in the blood pooling in his lungs. Your head turned to the side, and while Naruto couldn't see your eyes, he knew your gaze was locked on him. You scared him and amazed him at the same time. He was amazed that you had taken down so many men without a worry in the world, but he was also scared at how fast you turned off your emotions when you went into killing mode.

You weren't the same. He didn't like this side of you.

A sigh flew from your lips as you read him like an open book. He was always so easy to see right through. You saw the fear radiating off him, causing you to drop your sword and rip off your mask as if trying to show him it was still you. That you were still the mom he loved so much. 

That you were nothing special.

But that wasn't true anymore; at least the last part wasn't.

You stepped towards him, head cocking as he cowered behind the wall. “Naruto, honey, I won't hurt you.” He didn't budge, didn't dare to, as you walked closer to him. “You aren’t my mom. I don't know who you are, but-”

“You’re right. I’m not your mom,” you stated firmly as you dropped into a crouch feet away from him. He jumped in his spot, flying back as you startled him. You smiled at his jumpiness but knew that this reaction was warranted. His lips trembled at your statement, and you realized your mistake. “No, no, that's not what I meant. The mom you know is not the mom in front of you. The person standing in front of you is someone that hasn't existed for 12 years. Naruto, I hate this person more than you would ever know. I let this person go so I could raise you, and after tonight, she will never come back.” You moved to sit cross-legged before him, hoping the childlike position would reassure him that the one he was talking to was his mom. 

The old you was far gone.

Naruto’s blue eyes flicked from you to Kakashi, who stood quietly behind you, hands in his pockets as if all this was old news. Because it was. Kakashi was the one that got you out of this mindset, and it silently terrified him just how easy it was for you to slip back into it. He knew he needed to bring it up later but now was not the time.

Seeing that his Sensei was calm and collected, Naruto nodded at your words before crawling towards you. Your eyebrows furrowed as he approached you, but they soon relaxed once you realized what he was doing. Naruto climbed into your lap, forcing your arms to wrap around him and cradle him in your embrace. You bit back a chuckle and pulled him in more, the blood smeared all over his clothes, but he didn't mind. He just needed to be reminded that you were his loving, carefree, warm-hearted mom. He didn't want a mom that was special. He didn't want a mom that was a renowned shinobi. He just wanted you. As you held him close, you decided then and there that you would never pick up a sword again, because caring for Naruto was more rewarding than wearing a mask and protecting the village. 

And nothing would change that.

[animeyanderelover]

Tw: Yandere themes, possessive behavior, obsession, delusional mindset, manipulation, gaslighting, guilt-tripping, abduction

Tags: @shumidehiro @swagenemyartisan @jamayah @chxxz @leveyani @cynniical @shenryu-sama @maggiequinn59

Mother Hen s/o

Hatake Kakashi

📖​Kakashi hasn't had anyone making such a fuss over him probably since his mother died and initially the care you shower him with is almost scorching him. It is a sensation almost unfamiliar for him especially since he hasn't gotten that close of a relationship with someone in years, the mental scars of his heart having prevented him for a long time to let someone close into his heart. It takes Kakashi a good while until he has gotten over the initial shock of your attitude and the pampering you do whenever he gets hurt. As a famous jonin he always gets assigned missions with a high ranking which means that the level of danger he is going to face is also always very high. For him this is just a common part of his life and most of the time he tries to brush you off when you start making a scene over his injuries, whether it is a shallow cut or a slash so deep that his guts may fall out any moment. He downplays his injuries most of the times because he doesn't want you to worry though deep down he is always relieved to see that he means so much to you that you can't help but make a fuss over him.

📖​An abduction is going to happen since Kakashi is a case of a paranoid and overprotectice Yandere, two types that mash together to something even worse. He understands that you feel betrayed though so he allows you space as long as you don't do anything stupid and plot your escape. He hopes that you realise that he has way too much experience to let you run away from him. As perceptive as ever the jonin still picks up the signs that you are worried for him even if he has broken your trust in him. It's in the way your shoulders slump in relief when he returns from long missions or in the way you take care of him when he has received an injury during a fight. You may not look him into his eyes, may not speak a single word to him and your touches may be a tad bit rougher than what they used to be but deep down he knows that despite everything you still care about him and that floods him with silent relief. Be reassured though that he won't die on a mission whilst away from you. After all there would be no one to protect you if he were to die. Even if you may not share this opinion, what he is doing right now is exactly what you have always done with him. Caring for him.

Sabaku no Gaara

🐼​The way that you behave around him is everything Gaara has worked for so hard ever since he met Naruto during the Chunin Exams. Recognition and acceptance from the citizens in Sunagakure. You have no qualms about approaching him and openly making a fuss over him whenever he is stressed or tired, something that he would have never imagined would happen if he were still stuck in the same dark place he was in when he was a child. As the Kazekage he always reminds you that those are simply his duties he has to fulfill to keep his village happy but everyone around him knows that he secretly loves it when you make such a fuss about him since it shows him that you care for him a lot. He always feels special in such moments when your worried eyes are focused on him but he knows that he is not the only one to receive such treatment from you. He's observed you long enough to know very clearly that you happily act like a mother hen to everyone you like and it simultanously makes him love you even more whilst also putting his mood down a bit. He isn't that special after all.

🐼​Gaara tends to get paranoid about his darling as well which is why an abduction is likely to happen to you as well, especially since Gaara is quite clingy at times as well. He's still self-aware enough to notice that the relationship between the two of you as changed significantly after that day though and it affects his feelings deeply to the point where even his professional facade as the Kazekage cracks. The poor boy just wants to be loved by his darling but also knows that what he has done to you would obviously make you hate him. When he realises though that you still care for him, albeit in a less affectionate manner than before, his despair is at least partially quenched. After all this means that all hope isn't lost after all and that he can find a way to fix the situation between the two of you. He doesn't expect things to go back completely to the way they were before but if there is a way for him to still receive your love he will latch on to every chance that he can get his hands on.

Chrollo Lucilfer

📖​Chrollo has been gauging your every reacion since the first time that he laid eyes upon you. It is as natural as breathing by now for him to read the people around him like books, always scheming and searching for ways to gain their trust to get his hands on those things that he desires. There is no physical object that he desires when with you though as it is rather you as a person he is interested in. Quickly he realises that your love language for the people that you care about seems to be acting very protective of them as soon as they have gotten hurt and he decides just as swiftly that he wants that as well. Only that it still isn't enough to quench his growing obsession even when you also start acting that way about him. Chrollo still desires more from you and he especially desires to be the only one you make such a fuss about. The other people in your life are a hindrance in his eyes as they hold pieces of your heart and attention that he wants to claim solely for himself. He is only invested in you and what happens to the rest of your friends and family is of no concern to him.

📖​It is an expected reaction of yours as soon as the truth is revealed to you, the coldness and the bitterness that you treat him with. Whilst it is a reaction that he expected it isn't a behavior that Chrollo will accept. He wants your eyes and your attention on him and unfortunately he knows exactly how he can achieve that as he has read through your facade well enough by now. He doesn't get hurt often as he's too smart to get himself into rekless situations nor does he inflict self-harm on himself to gain your attention. Simply to prove to you that your claims of not caring about him are merely a dog's empty bark though he bites his thumb hard enough until blood drips out, dark eyes observing your gaze flittering back and forth before you can't take it anymore and cater to the minor injury, avoiding to look into his eyes to deny him a tiny part of the triumph to be proven right. Whenever he does end up getting hurt in a fight he makes sure that you see the bruises and the scars though simply because he knows that you won't be able to help yourself from pampering him reluctantly as soon as your eyes lay on his injuries.

Tendou Satori

❤️​Tendou initially flinches away from your protective behavior as he isn't quite used to being showered in such attention and care since he's labelled as the weird guy. It doesn't take long though before he becomes a total sucker for you as well as the care and the affection you give him whenever he gets even remotely hurt. He knows he isn't the only one getting this special treatment from you and it definitely leads to some hidden jealousy but that never takes away from his adoration whenever you end up catering to any cuts or bruises that he receives and pamper him in affection afterwards. He loves it in fact so much that he allows himself to be more careless in his daily life to receive more minor injuries, whether by getting bruises because he constantly bumps with his lanky body against stuff or by receiving some shallow cuts and burns on his hands. He's not very good in hiding it either how thrilled he is whenever you look out for him, a slight blush on his face when you cover his cuts with band-aid or ask him worriedly if he is fine.

❤️​There is no need of lying to himself after an abduction, he sees that you try to distance yourself more from him after the stunt that he pulled. A part of him understands you fully but on the other hand he is far too clingy and needy for attention to fully give you the time you would probably need to process the new situation better. Instead he is always lurking around every corner, peeking at you and hoping that things will get better between the two of you again over time. He's always had keen intuitions though and so he somehow has a gut feeling that your hatred is partially meant to disguise the fact that deep down you still care about him and he is proven right when he tries to test that theory of his and harms himself on purpose, even if only mildly. He feels like the freak he has always been called at school when only minutes later you walk over to him with band-aid in your hands, your facial expression neutral and cold as you help him with the cut whilst his silly heart is racing in his chest out of joy. Maybe there is a way to manipulate you into giving him more attention after all.

Gyutaro

🟢​Gyutaro has never in his life experienced such affection from anyone, not even his own sister. He's been hated and told that someone as ugly as him shouldn't even exist and his whole personality is build on a foundation of bitterness and sadism as a result of the way he was treated as a human. That is why he flinches away from the smothering care you are willing to give him despite his appearance as he believes that you are merely lying to appease him and get him to have mercy on you. He doesn't need nor want your care. He is a demon, his wounds heal within seconds and you should perhaps be more concerned about your own life by daring to get that close to him. He could easily kill and devour you after all, you stupid little thing. Nevertheless, something about you still draws him to you even if he keeps on insisting that no human could treat a demon that kindly, especially an ugly one like he is. So far he has hidden his full appearance from you but he is sure that once you were to gaze upon his full body you would change your mind. At that point he is always on the way to his obsession with no turning back though.

🟢​His jealousy is a major player in why he abducts you as he despises how you treat other people the same way you treat him. His bitterness flares up as much as his envy does and he has Daki isolating you before killing those friends of yours in a jealous rage. Gyutaro is one to hold grudges so he holds this against you for a long time after the abduction, insulting you and degrading you for being a dumb and naive little thing that clearly is so desperate to be loved and appreciated that you just threw yourself at anyone like a needy slut. Kindness and gentleness are concepts he is not familiar with yet even with his harsh words and painful rouches he still tries to get closer to you, secretly desperate to receive love from you whilst showing it in the only way he has ever known. Nevertheless, there is still a good level of scepticism involved when you start behaving more like you did before he murdered your friends and abducted you even though you're colder about it. His insecurities run deep with you around which is why he constantly second-guesses if you truly love him or just try to deceive him.

Ryuguji Ken

🐉​Draken is driving you absolutely insane and he is constantly torn apart between pitying you for that or being amused by it. As the second leader of Toman he gets in a lot of fights and whilst he is one of the strongest fighters on the streets there are always some monsters he finds during a brawl with other street gangs which leads to bruises and injuries. He's always quick to reassure you that it looks worse than it is though as his pain tolerance is quite high which is why some injuries that make you wince just by looking at them are things he simply brushes off. He can't help but think that in a way you are very similar to him though. In Toman he has pretty much assumed the role of the bigger brother who looks out for everyone and ends up looking out less for himself as a result due to paying more attention to the people around him. You seem to simply have taken over the part of worrying over him, something that he tends to neglect in favor of seeing it through that his friends and Toman are alright. Both of you act like mother hens around each other though when the other one gets hurt.

🐉​Honestly, he is one of the most mature and wisest people despite his younger age which is why he would give you the easiest time after an abduction. Draken knows that he should allow you some time to process the situation and wait until the worst turmoil of your inner emotions is over before testing the waters with you again. As long as you don't try to escape or act overly reckless you can sulk around all you want if it helps you to cool your head off. It really doesn't take long for you to blow your cover though because Toman seems to love their fights which is why you don't have to wait for too long until Draken returns with bruises and blood all over his clothes though you are sure that most blood doesn't belong to him but whoever he was beating up brutally. Whilst he insists initially once again that he is fine and that you don't have to cater to his wounds ultimately he ends up letting you do as you want, simply noting that you want to do it and that this is probably a good chance to try to pick up the broken pieces of your relationship again.

[tossawary]

I do like time travel fics for a variety of reasons. It can be fun to see a "perfect run" fix-it fic running through the canon storyline again. There is a little suspension of disbelief required for some of them, because at some point, the little changes for the better or big tragedies averted should start to mess with the world. Very good time travel fics take this Butterfly Effect into account.

It is VERY fun to think about time-traveling characters who immediately break the plot, because they fail to or don't even try to keep things on a certain track. I love seeing authors use this jumping point to explore entirely new directions for canon. It's off-roading time!!!

Some characters are happy to work within the systems of their worlds. They'll put up with the little indignities of having do to things again and are able to act their way through a redo. (And apparently have incredibly good memories, like, damn.) The cost of keeping things roughly the same is something that they're willing to pay in order to reap specific benefits at the end of the journey.

Other characters would prefer to break the systems of their worlds. They have no patience to play by someone else's rules if they have the power to do otherwise. They may think that the world is broken as it is and needs to be changed. They may be unable to let certain injustices happen again no matter the cost to their ability to predict the future. (I admit, I have a preference for this, because I think it's more interesting, and if the protagonist is a heroic figure, I like the idea that every single life is worth trying to save if you can try.)

Anyway, this is all to say that I just read the last 100 chapters of "Naruto" and apparently Naruto was the only person keeping Sasuke from following through on his unhinged and vague supervillain plans at the end there. If you sent Sasuke back into the past, let's say from a battle with Kaguya going poorly back to the Uchiha massacre or something, and he retains his adult body or any of his abilities (full Sharingan + Rinnegan)? I cannot see that Sasuke trying to give Konoha a shot again. I don't think he trusts like that anymore.

I think he would immediately 1) kill Itachi if Itachi forces him to do it and he can't convince Itachi to join his side, 2) kill Danzo and any ROOT agents who get in his way, (2.5) kill Zetsu and Madara if he can find and catch them, and also Obito if Obito forces him,) 3) kill or try to kill the Third Hokage, and potentially 4) try to declare himself the new Fifth Hokage. Winning a lot of these fights just by taking eeeeeverybody by surprise. Or something like that, you know? I think he'd at least try to immediately do some reckless revenge murder.

If time-traveling Sasuke is stuck in his child body for a redo, and can't set himself up as the new dictator of Konoha or the new shared enemy of the shinobi world or whatever, then I think that he might just run off and join Orochimaru again. I think he would make early deals with Orochimaru for the relative freedom that offers.

Like, Sasuke just does not strike me as a particularly stable person who gives a shit about maintaining a comfortable life for everyone around him. He does not care about Konoha's image. He does not want to settle complacently into a comfortable life within this corrupt state. I think he'd rather drag out the rot and set everything on fire than sit through the frustrating false civility of politics or go to school again, if he had any choice in the matter.

A time-traveling Sasuke would not behave like a time-traveling Naruto or Sakura! So, if I had to do a time-traveling Sasuke, I'd probably reach for the "break-it" rather than the "fix-it". Konoha struggles to deal with this new, mysterious, Rinnegan-wielding Uchiha who appeared out of the middle of an incomplete massacre, just killed the Hokage, and declared himself the new one, completing the Uchiha coup at the eleventh hour. (People are saying he looks like Uchiha Izuna come back to life, apparently???) Oh, shit, someone secretly go get Tsunade and Jiraiya right now, fuck.

[irukasito]

Following the idea that Kakashi gave up parts of himself while in ANBU, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone talk about how and when he and Iruka came into each other’s lives. I mean, you start off thinking that Naruto is the only link between them, but once you get to Shippuden it’s revealed that they took a mission together before Naruto was a student to either of them. And this turns their dynamic on its head, because suddenly they exist outside of the co-parent dynamic they get put into and become more three dimensional as characters because of how they influenced each other.

We don’t know much about the mission itself, except that Iruka was hurt because Heart Too Big™️ and that Kakashi tried to take responsibility as captain when questioned by the Sandaime (which probably poked at his own trauma around letting comrades get hurt but thats beside the point). While I do wish we could have gotten an episode or two about that mission, we know all we need to know from what we’re given, specifically that the versions of Kakashi and Iruka that went on that mission were unevolved versions of themselves (compared to how they’re portrayed in the present) and that the versions of them that came out of that mission were changed, or would be changed.

Iruka, for example, realizes and passionately proclaims that he now understands his role as a shinobi is not in the field, but in the village as an instructor passing on the will of fire to the next generation. This clarity changes and sets him on a path toward teaching Naruto later on. Kakashi is changed by virtue of witnessing Iruka’s commitment to not just the will of fire/the village but to future generations. 

The Naruto timeline is a mess, but I do think that the Kakashi watching Iruka and the Sandaime talk is the version of Kakashi that was recently discharged from service as an ANBU (the ages line up well enough). This Kakashi is still jaded and disconnected from his purpose as a shinobi/person after years of working as a weapon for the village in its shadows. You get the idea from the Kakashi ANBU arc that, for all that time, he ran missions like a machine and lost sight of what it was all for. 

(This is also when it becomes clear that they’re foils for one another. The version of Kakashi on that roof was still functioning in the same ways he used to in ANBU, exceptionally skilled and emotionally distant, just under a different title/command,and Iruka, in comparison, was just a chuunin, too emotional and immensely dedicated to the village and its people/will of fire.) 

The scene on the roof is a wake up for Kakashi in terms of reminding him why he does missions, what he’s protecting, etc— it’s sort of a redux of Obito’s speech about comrades and Asuma’s king allegory, which is why I think he (as its alluded) attaches himself, trusts, and seeks out Iruka so often throughout the series and bonus materials (at least in a way he doesn’t for anyone else, that we can see). Iruka, and his dedication/essence/drive, is something he recognizes as invaluable and worth preserving because Kakashi understands that’s what preserves the village, ultimately. Not war, not missions, not killing, but protecting the people in it and a vision for the future. (Sidenote: this is also why Iruka is there in the early seasons when missions get handed out.)

I’m rambling, but to reiterate, hearing Iruka talk about the will of fire and the future pulled Kakashi back into his body after so many years of being in fight or flight, his humanity pushed aside. In fact, the passion Iruka showed made enough of an impression on Kakashi that he remembered it and noted its absence years later when they were on the bench (“there’s no spark in your eyes”/ “your eyes had a spark back then”). I don’t doubt he committed the moment to memory, sharingan be damned. 

 I say this alot, as a proud Iruka supremacist, but Iruka is the will of fire. The Sandaime recognized this in him and nurtured it. Kakashi recognized this too and helped/protected him throughout the story by listening to him (the bench), assuring/comforting him (regarding Naruto in the earlier seasons), encouraging him (the vice principals exam), and saving his life even if it meant putting his own in danger (the 3 kunoichi from Takigakure, Pain). 

And if Iruka is the will of fire, then Iruka is the personification of Kakashi’s purpose and a major facet of his humanity. And while the jokes are funny, their relationship goes far beyond just being co-workers or co-parents to Naruto. Iruka helped turn Kakashi from a blade to a shield-- something that gets underscored in Kakashi Retsuden when he shows Kakashi the non-lethal way to restrain enemies, as Konoha implemented different measures under him-- and Kakashi helped him stay on the path he was meant to be on. Not to mention they grow so much closer as time goes on, taking care and confiding in one another in different ways. It’s a really beautiful relationship, whether you see it as romantic or not.

[qirongshusband]

SFW Headcanons for Male!R being a normal person in the JJK world and just encountering Yuji every so often during normal day stuff and slowly becoming good friends with him.

୨ . ࣪ my best friend . ୨ . 🌅

Note ~ I sobbed at the end.. there’s your tragic ending though I hope you like it(*´-`)..(I screamed and cried.)

MENTIONS — Male!Reader, close friends with Itadori, Blood, Death of !Reader, shibuya incident mentioned, grieving, depression.

ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ🐇་༘࿐

— !YuujiItadori who meets you at a movie theater for another human earthworm movie! He thought it was cool to see someone around his age enjoying the same stuff as him since Nobara n’ Megumi were either too busy or didn’t want to watch a ‘weird’ movie like that..

— !YuujiItadori who makes sure to get your number so you guys can hang out more and maybe introduce you to his other friends!

— !YuujiItadori who calls/texts you daily to ask to hang out and even asks you about your day and what you did, sometimes when you were free he’d even offer to get you guy’s food, his treat!

— !YuujiItadori who considers you a best friend only after a short time of knowing him, you both know a lot about each other since the both of you would everyday and hang out with him almost everyday when you guys got the chance, you even hang out with his friend group too!

— !YuujiItadori who is a really nice guy and a great listener, if you’re having a bad day or need help with something he wouldn’t mind helping one of his best friends out. And if you were feeling bothered by something he’d insist you talk to him or at least let him listen to your struggles so he can try to cheer you up or help you out, you are his best friend after all that’s what a friend is for!（╹◡╹）♡

— !YuujiItadori who tries to get your mind off of hard things especially school, he wasn’t that bright but even if you needed some help with work or anything of the sort he sure would try!!…or use some cheating AI app and say some dumbass shit like “hey man..it gets the job done okay?” With a silly laugh.

— !YuujiItadori who tells you how much he appreciates you and how he likes hanging out with you A LOT, how you’re a chill guy and a funny one at that as well!

— !YuujiItadori who DEFINITELY made you both create a secret handshake only you two know about since you guys are such good friends!

— !YuujiItadori who would probably tease and pull a little prank here and there, nothing serious he would probably slap the back of your neck(not hard ofc!!), the ‘made you look!’ classic, play fight with you, etc. he would DEFINITELY steal a fry from you when you were looking and be like “woaaaaah..who did that..not me!! You’re definitely seeing things man..” as he’d do the crazy sign, you knew he was joking and he made you laugh so you never had a problem with him.

— !YuujiItadori who defends you if someone tries to start with you or is mean to you, he doesn’t like when people are rude to his friends, especially you. You both are close and doesn’t get why someone would be rude to you.

— !YuujiItadori who accepts and understands anything you are/do, he isn’t a judging guy. As long as you aren’t like those really mean judgmental bullies or just a strange weirdo he could care less. You’re his friend nothing would change that no matter how you are.

— !YuujiItadori who invites you over to his place so you guys can stay up late and eat a shit ton of snacks you both are sooooo gonna regret later..

— !YuujiItadori who invites you over to his place so you guys can hang out, play video games, and watch horror or scary movies then laugh about them later and make fun of each others reactions. He’d definitely wear some corny cheesy PJ’s of his favorite movie/video game, or wear a “I paused my game to be here” shirt as a joke..

— !YuujiItadori who rants to you about his interests and comics he’s into, like DBZ, Naruto, Bleach, Etc..he loves reading manga and you like listening about it you think it’s cool on how he knows a lot of characters and plots that are interesting to hear about. He even recommends you some stuff to watch/listen to and you both end up chatting about it for hours!

— !YuujiItadori who probably makes you guys wear matching shirts for shits and giggles, it would say some dumb or corny shit that would probably annoy you..not ACTUALLY annoy you but probably make you wanna punch his chest and question why you’re his friend sarcastically, he knows you enjoy being his friend and that you two are extremely close.

— !YuujiItadori who isn’t able to come with you on Halloween due to a mission he’s sent on but he doesn’t tell you that because he doesn’t tell you anything about sorcerers or curses since you can’t see or know about them..but implies you guys can hang out the next time he’s free! He uses the excuse that he has to help Megumi with some personal stuff and he’ll definitely hang out with you as soon as he can.

— !YuujiItadori who isn’t able to control the curse inside him, Ryomen Sukuna. As Sukuna is going on a rampage killing off innocent people and stuff like that he notices you, he knows you’re close to Yuuji..he kills you in the most gruesome way making Yuuji watch as his own best friends body was being sliced, punctured, beaten by something he SWORE he could control.

— !YuujiItadori who is finally able to get to be in control of his body but it’s already too late, you’re gone. Your body is cold and he’s ruined. You were his best friend, a guy he could go to for ANYTHING. He’d try to shake you awake and try to look around for a medic or anyone that could help but everything around him was either burnt to a crisp or dead. Gone. It was pitch black but the moonlight dimly reflected on your body and he saw all the blood..the wounds..how your lifeless eyes were looking at him even though you were dead.

— !YuujiItadori who has a complete break down, who curses Sukuna meanwhile Sukuna is mocking and laughing at him. Mocking the words you were screaming out as Sukuna killed you, “Itadori! Please stop! I thought we were..friends..what are you doing?! STOP!!” He kept mentioning the way you screamed and other gruesome details. All Itadori could do was scream and cry holding onto the corpse that was once your body full of life.

— !YuujiItadori who was depressed for days, weeks, and perhaps even months. He couldn’t get over you..he would seem less happy and when he’d see things that you guys would talk about he’d slightly tear up or frown. Remembering all the memories the both of you shared, how you would always talk to him and hang out with him. He’d miss the times you both would spend with each other.

— !YuujiItadori who would text your phone number daily until it went to green and not delivered, someone else had your number now and he was completely devastated. The one last thing he could contact you with was gone, he’d even try to visit your gravestone and try to talk about the good times you both had. How you were his bestfriend and how he missed you so much. How he wish he could do a better job at controlling that damned curse inside him. He swore on everything it would NEVER happen again.

⋆｡‧˚ʚɞ˚‧｡⋆

[tumblingxelian]

Near Uniquely RWBY - Main Characters

I was chatting with my sibling the other day and we were joking about the fact in 90% of the media I consume I generally don't like the main characters.

Not in the sense I necessarily hate them, but I generally don't find them to be the most interesting, engaging or enjoyable person on screen or page. Instead I tend to gravitate towards secondary or minor characters and even minor antagonists before any of the big names.

Some of this is rooted in my often rooting for what tends to feel more like a real underdog or characters that feel like they got dealt a bad hand by the author unfairly. But its also that in a lot of media the main characters tend to immediately, slowly or quickly go into personality lockdown.

Becoming less a personality and more the embodiment of expected tropes and themes, or they lose their unique edge or circumstances because the plot demands one benefits or personality changes be heaped on them to keep the tone and story going.

Some examples of this would include say:

Ichigo from Bleach, with him and his supporting cast being very unique and super interesting during the initial arc. But as Soul Society came in, he became a much more standard Shounen determinator a the expense of his personality and his supporting casts were largely watered down & left behind.

Or how in Naruto or Dragon Ball the whole underdog/hard worker aspect of the characters felt undercut by legacy power ups and an endless wellspring of natural talent, alien biology, ETC.

I know these are just two examples, but they cover the general gist of what I mean.

So, what makes RWBY different?

Well, off the cuff, is simply that the four main characters are women.

I've often felt simply putting anyone other than a cis-het guy into the main character slot of say, a battle Shounen, or Isekai stands a good chance of making it more interesting by default. Even if the author does nothing with it the audience reaction would be different because the MC would be an exception to the norms.

In that vein, while one can call RWBY some sort of Shounen or adventure fantasy or magical girl show the main four are unique in how they manifest on screen at the very start. From how they participate in action, to how said action is structured and framed and the kind of adventures and topics they tackle.

But being unique alone is not enough, that would simply make it more interesting than the bog standard but what elevates RWBY is the execution and exploration of such elements and its characters.

Going into every aspect would be difficult, but in light of what I said above would be how each of the main four are initially presented as familiar archetypes, only to subvert or deconstruct them.

Ruby is a peppy goth who just wants to be normal but has inborn powers from her mysteriously vanished mother and serves as a beacon of optimism to others.

Except Ruby's version of normal still involved fighting death monsters with a sniper rifle scythe and she is actually one of the more ruthless characters. Her peppy persona obscures that she can have a pretty vicious temper when pushed and has displayed strong bloodknight tendencies.

Her unrelenting optimism and desire to fix the world is a complex mix of true beliefs, coping mechanism for trauma and her grappling with positions forced on her against her will. Her inborn power is potentially useful but also not that much of a game breaker outside specific contexts & said power sure as hell didn't save her mom.

Weiss Schnee is the Tsundere heiress of a powerful family, with a haughty attitude that hides her loneliness.

Except the "Tsundere" is more of a defense mechanism born of coming from an abusive home where every member of her family manifested a different trauma response. Freeze (Mother), flight (Sister), Fight (Weiss) Fawn (Brother).

Despite her upbringing & some projected trauma, she's far from ignorant as to the worst excesses of her nation early on, and her journey was more about overcoming the impacts her abuser had on her and finding a family in her team that let her be safe enough to let down her walls. Also despite being "The ice queen" she's actually one of the characters least inclined towards more ruthless actions and is extremely empathic.

Blake Belladonna is a mysterious and silent rougish woman, something of a shrinking violet even, but she carries with her a wounded heart thanks to her old flame, the edgy Adam Taurus.

Or more accurately, Blake is the daughter of activists and politicians who represent the worlds main discriminated against minority. She spent her youth on the road as a protestor and where even her father could be nearly killed by a lynch mob. She was targeted & groomed by a man who claimed to want to fight the same injustice she did but who was only interested in using the movement to grow his own power.

Her initial aloof-ness was a trauma response to having spent years under his thumb and overcoming him and the idea she had to 'save' him was one of the main corner stone so her character. Also, despite the "Revolutionary fighter" backstory she like Weiss is much less inclined towards ruthlessness than her team in large part because her past experience with it.

Yang Xiao Long, introduced as the fun loving big sister of Ruby & boisterous bruiser of the team who loves to party & flirt.

Except no, Yang was parentified as a child and forced to raise her own sister as their family unit fell apart. Her "Party girl" persona was outright framed as judging a book by its cover in her own trailer and something she put on or took off as she needed.

She became disabled over the course of the series run as well as entered a Sapphic romance with her partner Blake. Unlike the stereotype of characters with her design, Yang is actually an excellent student, fighter and engineer/mechanic. Plus much like her sister she tends to be of the more ruthless and pragmatic persuasion despite being from the "Normal" background.

Character Conclusion

So, all the characters break out of their initial archetypes, which already makes them more interesting. What's more, these sorts of characters just being oput together and made the main characters rather than circling a dude is in of itself unique.

But there are other aspects of the writing which endear me to how it handles the main characters and what keeps them interesting.

Anger & Violence

See, while in various media women do express anger at times it is still often far less so than men. What's more, often women's anger tends to be presented in... Less flattering lights.

With the anger obscuring fragility while in a man it conveys strength. Or implying a sort of hysteria rather than an appropriate or controlled response. Or worst of all being demonized in general unless its rooted in or coming from traditionally feminine places.

The same tends to be true when it comes to violence with a lot of media either trying to find some way to make women in battle less... Brutal than their male counterparts. (More more like fanservice) Along with rarely letting women fight men, unless they are a special exception to the norm.

RWBY does not do this.

The main characters, hell, all the women in the series express a multitude of different forms of anger and violence. They battle men, they battle each other, they battle monsters all with no distinction nor fanservice shot in sight.

What's more though is that said anger and violence are not presented as, for lack of better words, wrong. The writers don't draw overt attention to this fact, they don't hang a big sign up saying "Girls can fight & shout too" or the like.

They just present these women with a range of emotions, motives and actions that are treated according to what fits the theme of the show rather than hewing closer to gendered lines.

This isn't to say anger & violence are lionized, but more that the experience and usage of them is not demonized or undermined because of the characters gender.

I suppose what I am saying is that CRWBY by and large lack double standards when it comes to exploring these things that I see so often in other media. The women in the main cast, among the villains, both sides respective allies and beyond can be flawed, or angry or do both good and terrible things.

But the writers are always treating everyone's pain as equally valid regardless of gender or situation. Which means that the situations that cause anger exist within a tone of respect that forms the depiction and framing of anger itself.

Which is just something I really enjoy.

Thanks for reading!

[animeomegas]

What kind of drunk are they? : (Naruto Edition)

Happy drunk - These drunks are thrilled to be there, no matter where they are or who they're with. Everything is the funniest thing they've ever heard and they collapse into giggles and playful arm slapping with zero provocation. Their red cheeks are smiling widely the whole night and there's nothing that can dampen their spirits!

Chouji, Sai, Chouza, Hashirama

Emotional drunk - These drunks are sentimental to a fault. You should never let them look through old photos or tell them you love them because it will cause immediate and uncontrollable sobbing. They can be a bit of a buzzkill, but they're just so damn sincere that no one gets mad about it. They love you, they love their friends, they love their drink, they love the random person that bumped into them... Sweet, you should give them a hug.

Naruto, Iruka, Gai

Depressed drunk - Sitting despondent in the corner, these drunks are moody and sad. Every stress feels worse, they don't even remember why they came out in the first place, and they're having a miserable time. They might be huffy, they might cry tears that resemble the emotional drunks, but that are much more heart-breaking in nature, they might just stare at the wall, melancholic. Everything feels... awful. They want to go home. Take them home please.

Tenzou, Shisui, Sakumo

Angry drunk - Perhaps the worst kind of drunk. A buzzkill strong enough to ruin even the best nights, these people are better off abstaining from alcohol all together, lest their friends stop inviting them. Huffing and puffing and shouting, maybe even starting fights with friends or strangers... Sober them up and drag them out before they get banned.

Kankuro, Madara, Tobirama

Sleepy drunk - They are sooooooo sleepy. One drink and they find the nearest surface to conk out on. Shoulders, tables, walls, nothing will stop these drunks from succumbing to the sedative power of one 14% drink. There is no bass loud enough, no friends excited enough, and no temperature hot or cold enough to stop their nap time. They are just soooo sleepy 🥺 Please can they go home, now?

Shikamaru, Kakashi, Gaara

Wild, reckless drunk - this drunk loses all inhibitions and normally at least a few of their clothes. The adrenaline is running, they're on a high that feels like it will never end. Dancing on tables, singing at the top of their lungs, dancing their heart out, hell, even starting friendly fights for fun sometimes. These wild child drunks cannot be contained, but you should probably still try. They would probably appreciate if you stopped anyone from taking pictures 😅

Lee, Deidara, Kotetsu

Philosophical drunk - He talks, and talks, and talks, even if no one can hear them. It's just- It's just crazy, y'know? Time is slipping by, things have changed, the world doesn't make sense, and they have feelings about that. The philosophy is probably not the best reasoned you've ever heard, but it can be pretty funny, so if you have the patience, egging these drunks on is a great way to spend the evening.

Shibi, Fugaku, Shikaku

The secret drunk - Are they drunk? Are they sober? No one can really tell. Baring a few small tells, perhaps suspiciously pink cheeks, or hampered reflexes, these drunks behave exactly as they do when they're sober. They are probably the easiest to get home in one piece, and while some may consider this the boring category, that quirk alone makes them the least infuriating by a mile.

Shino, Kisame, Asuma

Sloppy, sick drunk - Oh... oh no, oh dear... I hope you like holding someone's hair back because... well... you get the idea. This person cannot stomach alcohol at all, and their hangover starts immediately. You'll have to struggle to get them home as their limbs flop about and they can barely walk. If you're driving them home, you may have to pay for professional cleaning 😣

Hayate, Inoichi, Izumo

Affectionate, clingy drunk - Hug them, hug them, hug them, these drunks just want hugs and kisses and holding hands. They can't do anything alone and prefer to spend their evening firmly attached to their person of choice. They can be cute and annoying in equal measure. It's easy to coerce them in to the back of a taxi if you promise to hold their hand. They might not let you go when it's time to sleep but at least they keep things PG.

Sasuke, Itachi, Minato

Horny drunk - These drunks do not keep things PG, quite the opposite actually. They flirt and grind and whine and 'whisper' dirty talk loud enough for everyone to hear. They want to sit on your lap, but you should not let them do that because they have nefarious, horny things on their mind! No shame, no tact, no subtlety, these drunks will get themselves, and possibly you, into trouble, so keep an eye on them! They will do anything they can to get into your bed (or alternatively a random alleyway) but you must resist, no matter how pretty they are! 😤

Kiba, Neji, Haku, Genma

(This is assuming they are very drunk and established adults, not teenagers. Let me know your thoughts! ;D)

[mochiajclayne]

I will never stop talking about Five Kage Summit arc. It's my favorite because everything is happening simultaneously and Naruto doesn't catch a single break.

Starting off, everyone at Konoha treats him like a hero after saving the village from Pain and he deals with the conflicting feelings brought upon by the shift of treatment that he received. He finally got the acknowledgement he aspired for but he couldn't revel in it.

Next, the news of Sasuke being involved with Akatsuki and the Raikage pretty much deciding to get rid of him. What is Naruto's course of action? Meeting up with the Raikage and begging to spare his friend.

Then, hearing the truth about the Uchiha massacre after Obito paid them a little visit at the inn. Adding more cherries on top is Sakura confessing that she loves him as a way to let go of the promise made three years prior (Naruto retorts that saving Sasuke is a personal choice and he'd do it regardless of the promise) and Gaara told him about what transpired in the summit, that Sasuke can no longer be saved, and to think about what he can do for his friend. The last straw is definitely Sai snitching and informing everyone that Sakura plans to kill Sasuke.

Naruto going through a panic attack, too overwhelmed with the realization that everyone wants his precious person dead and they don't even try to understand him (but let's be real, only Naruto can understand Sasuke) and that's not even the most dramatic part.

Enter Sasuke: batshit blind, going off the rails unhinged, driven mad by hatred, still processing the truth and grieving about Itachi. Abandoned his personal policy of not killing aimlessly, not even willing to hear out Sakura or Kakashi but he listened to Naruto. They talked in their gay mind plane and Naruto went ahead and really said with his full chest that every single action that Sasuke did is valid, he knew the truth, and he'd carry Sasuke's burden and they'd die together. Also made a promise on the freaking spot that he'd handle all of his hatred and to not kill anyone in Konoha, then Sasuke kept that promise. He is unstoppable at that point, mind focusing on getting revenge but after that conversation with Naruto, his priority changed from destroying Konoha to fighting Naruto.

An unpopular discussion about Sasuke in this arc is the emptiness that he felt after achieving his goal. Dealing and processing grief. It left an impact to the point that he awakened his Mangekyou, coming on terms with the confusion about his feelings regarding Itachi after witnessing his death. Obito definitely used it to his advantage to manipulate Sasuke. I might explore the parallels shared with Naruto in a separate post.

I couldn't get enough of this arc and I think we wouldn't go through tough times if Naruto just said I love you. Lmao.