#there were other characters she was comparing him too at the time but Sasuke was the big one haha

[coockie8]

Sorry just remembered like over ten years ago my sister tried to play Oppression Olympics™ between Sasuke and Neji, claiming Sasuke's had a harder life and like yeah his entire family was killed and his brother made him watch it and that sucks.

Neji's family literally owns him.

Look I don't want to compare them or anything, and having to watch your family die is, objectively awful, but being actively kept as a slave by your own family is also an objectively awful thing lol

[luna-blood]

I was debating on YouTube about Sasuke but YouTube deletes comments, especially those that have a link. It was also difficult for me to search for the publications. So I gave myself the task of collecting posts from all Sasuke fans and neutral critics of the work 'Naruto' that talk about Sasuke and his relationship with the other Naruto characters. I have also included my contributions, such as questions to other users and post responses. I hope this post helps you when you need support when you are debating in favor of Sasuke. Without anything else to say, I leave you the links:

Positive qualities of Sasuke.

Sasuke's chakra is extremely powerful, voluminous, and denser than Senjutsu chakra!

It is false that Bee could have killed Sasuke any time he wanted.

¡Sasuke has been shown to nullify mortal wounds with Raiton!

Sasuke is literally the first person to survive the Raikage's Liger Bomb.

All Sasuke received from Raikage was a small lip bleed, while Raikage lost an arm and another Kage, Gaara, had to intervene to save his leg and his life.

Orochimaru's "physical condition" has nothing to do with his ritual and Sasuke's victory.

Analysis Sasuke vs Deidara.

Sasuke killed Danzo; he did not commit suicide.

Are Itachi and Kakashi really prodigies at the level their fans believe them to be? No.

The only reason Naruto managed to hurt Kaguya was because Sasuke forced her to change dimensions more than once and she herself had changed dimensions about four times in total.

Because Sasuke haters say that Haku is simply more tragic and a better person than Sasuke; and Batman too!

What is it about Sasuke that provokes people so much, compared to all the other fictional characters (in and out of Naruto) who have done bad things? Gaara was killing people for fun in part 1, but no one ever complains about him not being punished. Zuko from ATLA burned down a village of civilians, sent a hitman after Team Avatar, and was just lucky that no civilian was injured/killed, but everyone adores him. But Sasuke is unredeemable for threatening to destroy the village?

A back and forth on why Sasuke is a much better realized character, with thematic and narrative depth, compared to Kurapika and Zuko.

Sasuke is the imperfect victim unlike the perfect victims of ATLA and Full Metal Alchemist.

Sasuke's character is too good for the Naruto universe.

Are people upset that Sasuke was going to let the Shinobi Alliance perish?

Sasuke as a feminist icon.

Sakura is a female incel.

Sakura is a narcissistic.

Sakura inserted herself because she wanted validations from people who were out of her league, that's why. She is perfect for self-insert.

The mere idea of turning over an entire manga in your head in which Sasuke hides a raging boner (at age 12) for Sakura is... repulsive. Don't you have anything better to do?

Sasuke never kissed Sakura.

The blow on the forehead is not the maximum expression of love.

Naruto Gaiden is a fucking masterpiece! It proves that Sasuke doesn't love Sakura.

Sasuke retsuden is not canon.

Sasuke retsuden is not canon, Jun Esaka herself said it and if you are a fan of Sasuke it is normal that you hate Sakura because Sasuke is unhappy with her.

Sasuke still considers Sakura inferior.

Sasuke didn't push Sakura away because of the curse of hate.

Sasuke rejected Sakura, Ino and Karin, he didn't push them away because he was afraid.

Sasuke is not in love with Karin and did not have sex in part 2 with Karin.

Why Karin's fans say she had sex with Sasuke in part 2.

What does Kakashi know about the genocide and the physical and mental torture that would lead the child victim to a fatal coma, at the hands of a family member?

Naruto is a narcissistic.

Why Naruto is the worst character.

How can anyone read the two chapter panels showing two very different worlds the characters occupy and be surprised by the way it ended? They were not going to reconcile since the world where Sasuke exists is the antithesis of the world where his former team resides.

Lee was never "good” at Taijutsu, let alone being a genius at it. The series' main theme, revolves around bonds. When the manga began, Naruto let loose Kurama (unintentionally) against Haku, breaking all Ice Mirrors that ... no Jutsu could break; and that, happened way back in the Waves Arc. How does that associate "hard-work" with Naruto's character, upon whom many poor souls project their misfortunes to feel vindicated, when two geniuses (Sasuke and Kakashi) in the near-vicinity failed? Naruto powered through this via nothing but brute force; and that isn't a precursor to hard-work. That's the exact opposite. With the beginning of the next Arc, the "if we work hard, we could beat all odds, too" trope lovers got their kicks from Sasuke's humiliation at Lee's hands (or gates?); but then they conveniently forget that Lee himself stated that what Sasuke accomplished was literally impossible for someone like him (he even emphasized on this argument). Gai even went so far as to state that even with the Sharingan's power, Sasuke should never have been able to do what he did (he literally invented his own Taijutsu maneuver from Lee's in a single day; if that's not prodigious, I don't know what is); and Gai, last I checked, is an authority on the subject of Taijutsu, not you—yes, you! Sasuke mastered Kimimaro's CS in under two hours whilst Lee survived simply because Kimimaro was dying and he literally died whilst delivering a death-blow to Gaara and Lee; so thematically, narratively, and metaphorically, Sasuke matched an adversary against whom both Gaara and Lee lost? That and Lee was outshined by Sasuke twice in a row, going so far as to undermine Lee in his own life endeavors that involved years of sweat and tears?

Shikamaru's revenge is meaningless unlike Sasuke's.

People who support Nagato but vilify Sasuke sound a lot more idiotic than they think.

In defense of Fugaku.

How does Sasuke's revolution develop?

Why didn't the narrative validate Sasuke's radical change from Konoha's Will of Fire to the Revolution?

Itachi massacred the clan out of conscience.

The difference between Kushina and Itachi is not that big.

The policies of Tobirama Senju and the Uchiha genocide.

At what point will people stop demanding Sasuke?

Tsunade was at the forefront of the Second Shinobi World War that massacred the people of Nagato, plundered their land's resources, and continued to use the land as a battlefield resulting in mass deaths, poverty, and suffering. A war that Konoha started.

Why do so many people still blame Sasuke for Sasuke's past?

Uchihas do not have mental illnesses.

Sasuke vs Readers without empathy.

Kishimoto canon vs Studio Pierrot fanservice.

The brilliant change of perspective and theme between Hebi and Taka Sasuke; and that there is no writing defect in the moment in which Sasuke stabs Karin to reach Danzō.

Tobirama never accepted the Uchiha as true allies like Hashirama did, never trusting them, something he admitted so openly that his brother had to warn him "not to continue pursuing the Uchiha." And the Uchiha weren't planning to kill innocent people, they were planning to take over the government itself.

Kishimoto is anti sasusaku and anti naruhina.

Kishimoto never wanted to write Boruto.

The real Sasuke fans.

Sasuke winking at Sakura was never happened in the manga, it was a translation error.

[stopthebig3]

Sakura stans still message Swagkage their hate when he made the video "Why People Hate Sakura so much" that has millions of views even though this video was uploaded in 2017. They talked about how he was so biased and didn't understood her character. Guy gets harassed because they can't understand how awful Sakura's character is.

Sakura is a character they like so not surprised it made them mad. It would be nice if they didn't harass people but it's not gonna change, they harass even the anime staff.

What is funny about Swagkage's video about Sakura is that it's not even biased. He's way nicer to her than most other people who make videos on her. He did not even meant to make a video dunking on her, because he prefers to make videos about fights but since he made a video "top 5 naruto characters I like the least" a lot of people were protesting why he didn't include Sakura. It seems to be because he doesn't care about her much, but due to those comments he made a video explaining WHY people hate Sakura. And the reasons are valid. I would add to the list but it was still good.

He did not use any misogynist insults, he didn't comment on her looks, he didn't complain that she's not into Naruto romantically. He simply pointed out how useless and underwhelming she is when it comes to battles and how it makes her look pathetic, how she is a bad friend, how her obsession on Sasuke is unreasonable and annoying.

I can't find the original video (did he hide it due to hate or what?) but there are many reactions to the video that show the video on full in case anyone wants to see what we are talking about.

In some of his other videos he says things like he was rooting for Sakura during her fight with Ino (something I disagree with) and I never see him "bash" her so there is not much bias in my opinion.

One part of the video I'll copy here that people who compare Sakura to side characters that barely get any screentime fail to understand

"on top of that Sakura is placed in many important situations where she practically does nothing to contribute"

^^This here is something really important. Yes Rock Lee, Kiba, Shino or Tenten do not get to do much but would they have failed as massively or make as stupid decisions as Sakura has done if they were placed on the same situations? No, because the side characters use those smaller moments they get rather well, and do not do stupid things. If you look at Temari, I can't think of any stupid moment from her. Same with Shikamaru (I'm talking battle wise, you can argue about his personality all you want).

"additionally, the scope of some of the stuff she attempts to do, just to prove she is indeed useful, which serves no purpose other than to satisfy her own ego is far too massive for somebody with her capabilities. She always aims too high and still expects the best outcome"

^^Also an extremely good point.

I remember last time I saw Swagkage's Sakura video, it had 146,000 likes. That is way more than the tweets defending here on twitter get.

[yourimaginationrealm]

Genin!Sasuke x reader fluff

Just wanted to write that … I rewatched the Original Naruto and became addicted again. Why Sasuke ? No idea… I just became creative with his character…

He cheers you up and I hope you like it…

The crickets are noisy as they chirp in the summer night. You are sitting close to the lake, your arms crossed and your head down in your knees. You want to shut up your surroundings. Tears are flooding down your cheeks like a waterfall and won’t stop. The images of your teammates as they got killed, are playing in a loop. I doesn’t matter if your eyes are closed or open. In the end, how you hold your friends head in your own hands was humiliating and daunting. A never-ending Nightmare. Your fingertips are clenching together as the fabric of your clothing knitters together. 

You passed the Chunin Examen Test of the second part yet you feel that you lost everything. This Orochimaru just killed you closest friends and now you are the only survivor of this team. Actually, you shouldn’t pass the second part of the Chunin Examen. Then, the Hokage let you still pass because you already had the scrolls, make it to the tower and helped other teams getting beaten up by a team from Otogakure. However, it doesn’t feel like you won. You don’t even know if you should continue…

Suddenly, you hear steps on the wooden ground of this dock. You grit your teeth. The steps stops directly behind you.

„Seriously, Naruto! I already told you to let me be. I just need to be alone. Don’t take it personally.“

Naruto felt with you. He wanted to cheer you up but right now, he just worsen your emotions. Somehow, his constant worrying got on your nerves. You don’t hear him leave.

„None taken…“ You shoulders clench together. That isn’t Narutos voice. Too arrogant and deep. „I am not Naruto.“ He continues. After his second phrase, you recognize this voice after he mouthed Naruto. Sasuke Uchiha. „Moreover, I am sitting always here…“ You sigh loud. He is not lying, you saw him often here. He walks beside you as he sits down. 

„What do you want, Sasuke?“ You growl more than you wanted when he blurt his words out. „Thank you for protecting us. I heard from Sakura what you did…. And like said, normally I used to sit here…“ he shows you a side smile but you kept your head down in a frown. You shortly inhale as you recall the moments in the forest. Sasuke was unconscious so like Naruto. She was alone being harassed and attacked. You helped her even after your comrade were killed from Orochimaru. Rock Lee joined your attempt but got knocked out after he used this forbidden Jutsu. You just felt feral at that time and were ready to kill anything…. Thank god, Team 10 arrived and Shikamaru Nara, an old friend of yours could calm you down. 

„I… I .. didnt do anything you should thank Team 10 for helping us…“ Again tears dwell in your eyes. 

„It is not easy to thank you, what?“ Huh? „Before Rock Lee and Team 10 arrived Sakura was alone and even you have lost your Team members you had enough will to help her. I just thanking you for this. And… I am sorry for your loss.“ The last phrase he spokes out, were very soft.

„I am pathetic..“ You mumble as you couldn’t look up.

„….?“ Sasuke seems clueless why you insult yourself as you tell him more. „I cry here over two people and you lost your whole clan.“  The silence is killing you until Sasuke starts to talk again.

„You can not compare this. You shouldn’t align with it…. It is different and still tremendous to lose someone close to you…..“ He seems to be deep in thought. There is silence as you try to keep you tears in. 

„I going to kill this man Orochimaru!“ Sasuke bits his lip as he looks forward and touch his curse mark.

Even you peek out of your arms into the water as you agree with him. You think that tears stopped long enough so that your face didn’t show any clues of crying.

„Me too!“ You look forward determined. He smirks as his eyes looks to the side to your clutched form. 

„So finished with the crying?! You are all red and puffy!“

You gasped and pout. „I wanna see you crying all day and night, how you look! Definitely, not good like now.“ He rest his head sassy in his hand. „So… I look good right now…“ He teases you as you blush. Okay, you found him attractive yet you are not a fangirl! Yes, the night and moonlight add something to his charm. „I won’t answer this to fill more confidence in you….“

He scoffs as he looks from you angered  form away to the lake again.

„Then, let’s agree to defeat him together.“ His voice again softer but serious. 

„Yes.“ You simply state and breath in so out. You stand up slowly and stretch your body. Then, you slap your own cheeks as you out of nowhere jump into the water. Sasuke is surprised and shocked as he watches you.

„What the hell?!“ He kneels over the water to have a look where you were. Did you really just jump into..? As you cut surface again, he calms down his nerves. You swim to the dock and rest your hands-on the shore while looking up into his eyes.

„Sasuke!“ You shout out determined to him to gain his attention. „Huh?!“ He seems a bit out of it.

„I decided to continue the Chunin Exam for the sake of my comrades!“ You boldly state towards him. He smirks as he sees in your face confidence and hope. 

„Thats good to know. Yet, you know that is possible you have to fight me?! Are you ready for that? I am not going easy on you.“

„Hah!“ You wave his taunt off. „You really think that you are a big shot, huh?“You grin as you tease back.

„ I shall remind you that I was better than you in the academy…“ „The academy is long over…“ „Don’t take you mouth too full now, Y/N!“ He closes his eyes confidently with a smirk. He is sure that he can beat you.

You slowly got into position to grab his collar and draw it dangerously close. You hear him gasp when your lips almost touches and directly have eye contact. Maybe, you lips touches slightly when you counter back. „Same goes for you!“ His eyes flicker over your wet lips. For a moment he wants to say something as he stutter a bit. He can not control his flustered state. His cheeks burn red and he breathes hastily.  This surprise of you and the weird desire to touch our lips with his own. How could you be so bold suddenly and draw him down towards you. Moreover, you grin evilly as you see that you got him cornered. All these emotions last only seconds when he… „Huh I- What are you-?!“ Splash!

 … is dragged by you into the water. You laugh out loudly and get fast out or you wanted too. As he arises from the water, you look behind you and just stretch out your tongue. 

„If you are like this in the Examen, I think I can handle you….“ Before you can stand tall on the dock, you feel something grasping your ankle and got drawn back. ‚Oh no!‘ You yell in your head. Even so, you control your Chakra at your feet to stand on the water. Sasuke notices this as he flipped you backwards and you got dizzy while landing into the deep wet again. You dive up and splash him annoyed. „What was that?!“

„Huh, Payback.“ He said cocky. You roll your eyes.

„Wait…“ he focused on your face. „What is it?!“ „Your Headband is gone…“ You touch your forehead and yeah somehow the knot got loose. You directly look into the water yet the dark night doesn’t  help you out with the sight.

„I can’t see it. Damn it.“ The problem is… The lake here isn’t shallow at all. So you have to find it before it hit the ground. You shrieks when Sasuke points out „There!“ And dive rapidly into the water. You can only wait until seconds pass. The moonlight comes out behind some clouds and gifts you a slight chance to see movements under water. Does he got it? You hate to wait and can not do anything. Suddenly, the water brakes and Sasuke inhales loudly. „You got it?!“

He closes one eye and rises one arm out of the water where he hold your headband.

„Yay. You are the be-!“ Ugh. 

„What am I?“ He teases and shakes your headband.

„Thank you, you did well and please hand it over…..“ You spread your arms out.

„Hmm…“ He rises his arms higher as you were about to grab it. „What?!“ 

„What is my thanks?“ He playfully looks away.

„Woah! I didn’t take you for this kind of play. What do you want?“ The water is not freezing could yet the summer night is a bit chilly and just standing makes you shiver a bit. You begin to drench the water out of your hair while pouting. He got you in the end.

His eyes flicker for moment again to you lips as he shyly blush. „I don’t want anything..“ He mumbles bashfully. You cluck your tongue again annoyed. This boy drives your emotion from ‚Oh how nice‘ to ‚He pisses me off‘ again to ‚Oh, how adorable and than to ‚What the fuck does he want.‘ „Seriously….!“ You just swim towards him and try to catch your headband which is still in air. 

„Hey, we didn’t agree..“ He starts his sentence while having his arms stretched out  behind his head and you force yourself onto him. You have an annoyed expression on your face and focus on getting your precious headband back. What is he playing anyway, you thought. He is so out of character. Then, you feel yourself losing the balance and almost fell backwards. You climbed halfway on him. Out of reflex, he grasp your thighs tightly and your hold yourself on his shoulders. Your and Sasuke nose brushing together as you feel your ears getting burning red. You begin to stutter when you search words for distraction. Why is he looking like he is about to-! 

„Hmpf.“ The Uchiha boy close the distance and kissed you lips. How could he not? The whole time, he was drawn to your lips and as they got again so close, he saw the wet lips getting shine upon the moonlight. There was nothing holding him back. (Wait is that not a song xD)

You deepen the kiss when your arms slide over his shoulders and your hands wander over his neck into his hair.  He shivers as your hands rush over his curse mark to his hair. Definitley, one of his sensitive area. You relaxed firstly because he is really warm, secondly  all the mixed emotion you felt from frustration, depression, sadness, it makes you feel at ease in his arms and thirdly his kiss feels just so good. His arms wander  from your thighs to your back. Slowly, you apart from his lips to breathe again. He touches your forehead with his.

„Is it wrong when I kiss you again?“ He breathes with half lidded eyes. You want to say a ‚No‘ but you kiss him already. Now, his hand reaches towards your head to push you more passionately on him. You can only focus one one thing and your thinking stopped. Or you thought so. Then, you push yourself away hastily. „You still got my headband?!“ As nothing roams in your brain, this just emerged up.

„Really, now?“ He shows you his left hand which he still had it. „Thank god. Sorry I thought you lost it because of all this.“ He chuckles when he flicks your forehead. „Ow, Why?!“ You hold your forehead with a hand and pout at him. „Give me more credits.“ He says with a smile. A kind smile. Without sensing  your assault you dip his body under the water as you press you weight on his shoulders. This time, you make it to the shore and hold your arms while you shiver. 

 „Sure, you got me here…“ He groans while climbing out of the lake. Before you wanted to say good bye, you kiss his cheeks. 

„Thank you for cheering me up…“ „You know I didn’t kiss you only to cheer you up.“ „I know but the reason you came here..:“ „Like I said, Its my spot…“

„Yeah, Yeah it is almost morning, Idiot. Don’t tell me you-! AHHH“ Again he pushed your sideways from the shore. With one eye open and a smirk, he just wanna know if you make it back unharmed.

„If I had lost my headband again, I would kill you!“ 

„Show that attitude in the Chuunin Examen, cry baby.“

„I am so gonna beat you!“

„Like hell.“

„I know your weakness, Uchiha!“ Before, he can counter you back, you tease him with stroking his neck by your finger tips. He shutters while grasping his shoulder. 

„Wha-!“ His voice trembles. 

„You really thought I wouldn’t notice-ACHOO!“

„Get your butt better home and take off your wet clothing before you are disqualified because you are sick.“

„Yeah,….“ You groan. „Can I get a good-bye ki-!“ You playfully ask him when two finger move towards your forehead and push you a bit  back.

„Next time, Y/N, when you are not totally drenched.“ With red cheeks you brush you forehead pouting as you look to him up. „Okay.“ You turn your heels and leave the boy in the dark night of the streets.

„Good night, cry baby!“ You glare at him back while stucking your tongue out.

Out of sight, the Uchiha starts to sneeze ,too.

„Damn it, it is fucking cold!“ He embraces himself while walking to his lonely home.

[sickflowerbed]

One thing I hate about Naruto is that Kishimoto wasted so much potential for Sakura, Team Gai, Hyūga clan, Kurenai, Shino, and so many others.

For me, Sakura is the most wasted because she's one of the main characters, yet it didn't seem that way. Compare Sakura and the other mains. She is more like a side character who's a fan favorite like Shikamaru, expect a lot people hate her.

It makes sense to not like Sakura in the beginning. That's what character development is for. Sakura was supposed to go from boy-crazy to the strong independent heroine, and if you read the manga, it does feel that way but, in the end, she ends up with Sasuke now, that would be a problem if she didn't immediately forgive him, she was the one who told Naruto to stop seeking Sasuke because she could tell, that it was pointless and the damage is evident. Kishimoto himself said he regretted Sakura's character, failed, and said that even if he expanded on her it wouldn't raise her popularity. It was too late the damage was done. Kishimoto knew Sakura wasn't popular yet chose moments for Sakura that needed understanding of her badly written character.

All of the team members of Gai had so much potential, Gai & Lee being the best Taijutsu users, Neji being the genius of the Hyūga clan, and Tenten even though we don't see her a lot, in the manga, we don't see the fight between her and Temari, but we see a few scratches on Temari. Of course, we didn't see the official fight, and Tenten still got folded, but it's the thought that counts. It's a shame we never got to see her get better. She could have used her chakra and infused it with her weapons like Asuma does. We never got to see them fight after the Kazekage Ark, and we never saw them fight as a team, a beautiful dysfunctional team.

The Hyūga clan at the start was shown was the strongest clan, and we learned a lot about the clan during the chūnin exams. With the Hyūga clan, I see the loss of potential with using about them. Personally, I'm fine with Hyūga clan being put in the sidelines for the Uchiha clan to shine. But we only had two main characters from Hyūga clan, Hinata, and Neji. Compared to the Uchiha clan, we don't see any other characters aside from fillers. I just wished we got to learn more about the Hyūga clan and their connection to the Ōtsutsuki clan, which we only saw during the last movie.

I always feel bad for Kurenai because she was done dirty. We were told she was one of the greatest genjutsu users, and the only time we see her fight is against the greatest genjutsu user, Itachi Uchiha. Of course, she gonna lose against him, and that's the one time we see her fight apart from fillers. Then she ends up pregnant and boom she's nothing but a mother, which is fine. Most of the mothers in anime are dead, but we are told that Kurenai is a genjutsu specialist and we never got a chance to see that canonically.

Shino has shown potential in the fights we have seen him in, but we never went into depth into Shino how he uses his bugs and gets better at using them. Apparently, the Aburame clan can identify and counter genjutsu because their kikaichū don't have the brain structures for it. I mean it's a shame we didn't see especially since the show later was centered around the Uchiha clan.

Overall, the reason many characters got left out of the series or ignored was that Kishimoto focused everything on Naruto, Sasuke, and popular characters due to the fans.

[nartml]

Your misogyny is showing. Get your shit together

(First and last time I'll ever bother with such a rude ask, but I'll use this oh so sugary sweet statement to get some things out the way )

CW: Rant ahead, not Sakura or Hinata friendly, if you disagree and won't be nice about sharing your opinions fucking DNI, this isn't for you.

My misogyny 💀

Because I don't like Sakura and Hinata, I assume? Why is it always misogyny's fault with y'all?

Respectfully, I don't really care about Sakura and Hinata. I'm mostly indifferent to them, but they're fun to criticize, considering there's so many flaws to talk about.

Maybe I was harsh with my words when respectively bashing them, but what I said still objectively stands. Sometimes, not liking a female character has less to do with misogyny and more to do with the fact that they're really, really not that good.

But alas, I sincerely apologize for my just so disgustingly misogynistic words (in case you don't get it, I'm being 100% sarcastic)

In a bit less harsh, more analytical manner, allow me to rephrase:

Sakura is someone who doesn't fit in the Shinobi world. She's too delusional about her romantic fantasies regarding Sasuke to be able to properly advance in such a harsh environment. And Hinata, with or without her infatuation with Naruto, is an incapable kunoichi. She's far too timid and hesitant to be a warrior.

Now, those are not necessarily bad things. Not having what it takes to be a Shinobi can easily be considered positive; be it because you're a hopeless romantic and that hinders your ability to maximize your potential or because you just don't have the spine or endurance necessary to be a badass ninja. Those aren't reasons to violently hate on someone. Specifically about Sakura and Hinata, those aren't even the reasons why so many people dislike them.

Or at least I hope not. I'd understand the point of your ask better if I had said anything derogatory about their appearance, for example. Those types of haters are annoying, and I manage to turn into both Sakura and Hinata's biggest defenders the moment someone says shit that degrades Sakura for her chest or some other bs, and/or fetishizes Hinata in any way. Rest assured, I'm anything but misogynistic.

But oh shit, it's time we realized that Sakura's "feelings" for Sasuke were simply a shallow school girl crush. And that would've been okay, understandable, maybe even a little cute, if it weren't for the way she constantly pushed herself onto him, consistently referred to him as hers in her head, saw him as a trophy, a blank canvas to project her fantasies onto. She was disrespectful, and her confessions were sickening.

Because how dare you compare your loneliness to that of a genocide survivor? How could you make your supposed love's pain all about you? How could you be so ready to abandon your friends, family, life, and future just to follow him to someone who you know would cause him harm, when you so clearly don't even know or understand him? How could you try to minimize everything he went through, try to diminish all he's suffered in the name of "laughing and having fun like the good old times"? "What about me, Sasuke? I'll be in so much pain if you leave. Please, if there's even a small part of you that cares about me, stay". "I can't get close to you, I can't exchange blows with you, I can only whine and beg, it's pretty pathetic. There's nothing I can do for you".

These are all things she's said and/or done paraphrased. There's so much more I don't care to recall. And they're all very annoying.

Her sole motivation was Sasuke; he's the reason she talks about how she'll get stronger to catch up to him and Naruto, about how she wants to "save" him, or "protect" him, about how she wants to be able to "fight for herself next time".

But she never managed to really do any of it, because it was all so surface level. Her aspirations for life began and ended with Sasuke, a guy she ultimately doesn't know a single thing about. That's objectively pathetic.

I don't like her because of the way she treats Sasuke, because of the way she views him, because of the way she's so pretentious about her "undying love" for him.

I don't like anti-sasusakus who come at it from a "Sakura deserves better" perspective, because she got exactly what she asked for; now she even gets to parade around wearing that Uchiha crest like the trophy it is to her, while having done nothing to earn it!!!

But.

But.

Honestly? They're not exactly wrong. Maybe she doesn't deserve better. But her character would, at least if Kishimoto even wanted to write that story.

What do I mean by that? I mean that Sakura, as a main character, does not benefit from her feelings for Sasuke. It's not that Sasuke isn't good for her, it's that her "feelings" for him aren't.

I'll use Naruto as a comparison. His feelings for Sasuke [No, I don't care how you interpret their relationship. If you want, they can be platonic feelings or familial feelings (you'd be wrong but who am I to judge), or romantic feelings] actually serve as his basis for self improvement.

Usually, in media, love is something that drives characters to be better.

Naruto's love for Sasuke is his greatest strength.

Naruto kept getting stronger, with Sasuke as his motivator. Naruto kept trying to understand him, to see things from his perspective, never held any sort of idealistic "Sasuke would never do that" train of thought.

Naruto got to better understand the injustice of the system through Sasuke and his love for him. Naruto initially fought to bring him back to Konoha, not because he wanted to play house with him, or because he wanted Sasuke to cater to Konoha's every whim, but because in Naruto's mind, Konoha is home and it's safe, away from Orochimaru's dirty hands.

But then once he finally understood Sasuke better, once they fought and he carried Sasuke's burdensome hatred with him, he let him go. He let him travel, leave Konoha, without ever asking for him to stay, because he gets it (Unlike Sakura, who still didn't get it, and did the exact opposite)

In Sakura's case, however, her "feelings" for Sasuke hold her back. Though that's a bit of conundrum, seeing as any sort of achievements she's made are directly linked back to her crush. Like I said before, he's her motive. No, it's specifically the shallowness of her love, the half-heartedness in her convictions to improve that holds her back. Her "feelings" aren't as genuine as she –or any of you– likes to think they are, and that keeps her from growing, from seeing clearly (i.e: in the long run, they hold her back)

They're proof of her superficiality. She's too caught up in romanticizing the absolute shit out of Sasuke, too caught up in using him to live out her fairytale dreams, too caught up in asking others to bring him back to her, or whatever. She's too caught up in whether Sasuke looks at her or worries about her to fight properly. And I mean "fight" both literally and metaphorically here.

So yeah, her "feelings" for him aren't good for her. It would've been a much better character arc, in my opinion, something that could be actually empowering that would give her depth, if she had ended up with Lee instead.

Because Lee is the exact opposite of Sasuke, in the sense that he's ugly in Sakura's eyes (I'll state here that I don't think Lee is ugly, bushy brows and all, he's very pretty to me), and so to end up with him, well. That would require Sakura to see past physical appearance.

Sakura tends to be very judgemental of other people's looks, and the way she treats them is often correlated to how beautiful she finds them.

But falling for Lee would've been a great way for her to move past the cover and read the book. Something which could then translate to her being less insensitive and judgy from then on.

[Sakura fans love to point out that she might say rude stuff, but then she regrets it, so it's okay! To that I say, it hardly matters that you regret something you say and promise that you'll be better, if you're just going to repeat the process the next day]

That said, she didn't even have to end up with anyone. She could've remained single, after realizing how wrong she was about Sasuke. She could've stopped pining after him, and gotten herself a goal that is bigger than just ending up with him.

But that's not who she is. That's actually, an entirely different character. That's not how Kishimoto wrote her, and criticizing him because of that is stupid. He knew what and why he was doing it, and the narrative some of you adopt, the one that goes "no, I'm better than so-and-so, this character should've been that way instead", is exhausting.

Sakura fans never represent her how she canonically is. Truly, 100%, the way she's depicted in the show. They nitpick which parts of her they like, and ignore the rest. You guys love the version of her that isn't shallow, that understands Sasuke, that is assertive, that is 3-dimensional; a person whose hard work actually comes to mean something, who is much more genuine about her love for Sasuke, who is by all means an independent badass. The Sakura who is selfless and understanding and a go-getter badass. And that's okay, I guess. But at least admit it.

It's always an outsider commenting on how "she's better than Tsunade" because they saw her punch one time, or "her feelings for you have matured" (something cancelled out entirely by Sakura later). It's always "I've caught up to them" after something that amounts to nothing significant. We're told she's great. We've yet to see it for ourselves, outside of those five? Six maybe? Eight is my being generous. Truly iconic scenes that she has in the entirety of the manga.

I stand by my closing line on her post.

She's foolish, and too caught up in her own romantic, fantasy world to substantially thrive in a reality as cold-blooded as the one she was born in.

And that's all she'll ever be.

As for my girl Hinata. I absolutely stand by everything I said on that post. Not taking a single word back. Maybe Sakura has a few redeeming qualities; like I said, you could explore her character outside of her crush on Sasuke and make a true badass out of her. (While still acknowledging the fact that that's not who Kishimoto wrote her to be)

But Hinata? There's no character to explore. Period. She's nice. Sweet. Kind, maybe? Sweet. Did I mention nice? I should probably not forget to say that she's sweet. Let's not omit that she's privileged and doesn't care one bit that her family is a-okay with slavery!! OH, and she can cook well. She also has those big boobs. And all her symbolism with Naruto was ripped off sns, coincidentally.

She's very passively likable, and the definition of forgettable. Like it or not.

____________________________________________

As for me, I should make it clear here and now that I am no misogynist. I like to think of myself as a very passionate intersectional feminist, who gives credit where it's due.

These two ladies? They don't deserve the aforementioned credit.

Have a great day 💞

[watermelonsloth]

Alternative Canon Ships

I think something that annoys me and a lot of other people about the canon ships is that they weren’t the only options by a country mile. So I wanted to finally put my money where my mouth is and take a crack at pairing the Konoha 12 without changing the manga.

Anyone I didn’t mention here should be presumed single in my AU because I either think they’re better single or I don’t care about who they end up with.

Option 1

Naruto and Sasuke - The entire series is about them learning to understand each other and ending the cycle of hatred by coming together (in holy matrimony). Naruto wouldn’t have a character arc without Sasuke and Sasuke’s character arc is incomplete without Naruto. I don’t think I need to explain how they act as foils and compliments for each other or how they’re willing to go to great lengths for each other or how they show time and time again how much they value each other.

Sakura and Rock Lee - We really went through the chunin exams for nothing. They have very little screen time together, but what we have is good enough for it to at least make sense. Rock Lee is clearly willing to both wait and die for her and Sakura has a mini arc about learning not to judge people on appearances and to respect him that culminates in her giving him flowers in the hospital. Worst case scenario it needs to get the NaruHina treatment and have a movie made about why they came together in the end.

Shikamaru and Choji - I’ve already said that I don’t care for any of the inter-Ino-Shika-Cho ships, but they interact with too few characters for me not to bring them up here. They’re childhood friends, they obviously care for and respect each other, they have complimentary personalities, and Shikamaru stands up for Choji on multiple occasions. They don’t get too much attention in shippuden because Choji and Ino were shafted, but they at least continue to support each other when they are shown interacting.

(This is where we start losing a sturdy foundation because the characters don’t have enough screen time spent interacting with anyone unmentioned. From here on out the bar is in hell and I’m only pairing the characters off because it would’ve been expected.)

Ino and Sai - A lot of people shit on this ship and I get why (Ino is caught in Sakura’s shadow and Sai was literally Sasuke’s replacement in team 7, so it’s easy to see them as discount SasuSaku). However, the ship isn’t the most unbelievable in canon. Ino has shown that she has genuine feelings for Sai and they at least interact with each other.

Hinata and Shino - Hinata would make sense with either of her teammates, but I’m choosing Shino because he makes more sense. They’re similarly introverted types, they get along, Shino has been shown to have faith in her abilities (I’m not saying Kiba doesn’t, but Shino’s more consistent about it), and I think it would be fitting for Shino (who’s insecure about being unnoticeable) to end up with someone who would prioritize him if he ends up with anyone at all.

Option 2

Naruto and Sakura - These two would’ve made more sense, “red herring” and “pursued her for rivalry” my ass. Both are ready and willing to make sacrifices for each other, they interact a lot and most of it is positive (we aren’t mentioning the slapstick because I’m not having that asinine argument), there were hints throughout shippuden of Sakura returning his feelings, they have complimentary personalities, Sakura ending up with Naruto is beneficial to her character, Naruto ending up with Sakura is in-line with his character arc and theme, both stop to consider each other’s feelings on multiple occasions, Sakura attempts to help Naruto in any way she can on a regular basis, (even if I hate how often this is mentioned) Sakura is explicitly compared to Kushina, there are more hints at their relationship than I care to list here, and there’s symbolism for a flower under the sun/heaven and earth.

Sasuke and Karin - SasuKarin is the sister ship to Naruto and Sakura because of its parallels (the Uzumaki has feelings first, the girls are both compared to Kushina, the girls both act as support and medics to the boys who take on leadership roles, the Uzumaki wants to protect/see their love interest’s smile, etc). As for reasons: Sasuke has been shown to respect Karin and her abilities, Karin loves Sasuke because he was the first person to show her kindness, Karin has put her life on the line for Sasuke on multiple occasions, both are willing to go to great length for the other, and both unlocked abilities for the sake of saving the other.

Ino and Sai - I’ve already explained this.

Shikamaru and Temari - This ship isn’t perfect, but I think it makes enough sense for most people to not be upset (the only people I’ve seen complaining about it are people who hate Shikamaru or ship something else). They always share at least one scene when Temari enters the story, there are hints about it being romantic, and makes more sense in canon than many of the other options.

Choji and Hinata - This is, admittedly, a stretch, but it isn’t as much as a stretch as ChoKaru so I’m considering this still in the safe zone. The two both have shy and sweet personalities that make it easy to imagine them getting along, both struggle with overcoming their low self-esteem and taking action themselves, both care deeply for their friends, Hinata fits with what Choji wanted romantically in his infinite tsukuyomi dream, and both have the shared idea of maintaining kindness even in a ruthless shinobi world.

Bonus

Naruto and Hinata - This ship was fine, even with its lack of screen time, but the Last and Boruto ruined it, so we’ll just pretend that didn’t happen. Naruto learned to not judge and respect Hinata, Hinata has multiple scenes where she snaps Naruto out of spiraling (the proud failure speech is still peak NaruHina), Naruto stands up for Hinata, Hinata takes a lot of inspiration from Naruto and his determination, and Hinata cares about Naruto’s wellbeing and feelings so much it’s a near irrevocable part of her character. With nothing changed it would still be just as flawed and clumsy as in canon, but it wouldn’t be unforgivable.

Hinata and Rock Lee - Again, I’m stretching canon for a Hinata ship, but I think there’s enough ground to stand on to at least mention it. That ground being a weird amount of parallels. They both have experience being in Neji’s shadow, both of them are untalented and make up for their shortcomings through hard work, both care about the people they love to a self-sacrificial degree, both are true to their word, both of them admire Naruto (join the club), both of them has a teacher that acts as a parental figure, and both of them have unrequited love because the target of their affection has feelings for someone more conventionally attractive than them(though Hinata gets more conventionally attractive as the series goes on so…).

Ino and Choji - It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done. They support each other as teammates, Ino could help Choji be more confident, Ino getting with Choji could symbolize her getting past her superficiality, and they don’t have opposing personalities or beliefs as far as I can tell.

Sasuke and No One - I’m just putting this here to remind everyone that there’s an argument to be made about Sasuke being better off without a relationship. I absolutely get why he was paired off and I probably would too if I was in charge of the epilogue (it can be an indicator of him and the clan healing, plus an Uchiha child/the sharingan is a fun idea to mess around with), but him remaining single also makes sense. He states how he’s disinterested in romance and he just doesn’t have that many working potential love interests in canon. Yes, there’s Sakura but more than a movie could cover would have to change before the two of them could reasonably work together and it might still ruin her character.

[animanga-bonanza]

sakura vs the sound ninja

Sakura Haruno is one of my favorite characters from the Naruto series, and like many Sakura fans, I have my criticisms of how she is written. However, I also recognize that much of the hate directed at her is based on misunderstandings/misrepresentations of the canon text.

In this post I will re-examine a moment from the Chunin Exams arc in Naruto: The Dosu squad vs Team 7 (and allies). Many claim that Sakura was outshone in this battle by Rock Lee and Team 10 and looked pathetic in comparison to the other Leaf genin. However, upon closer inspection, an interesting fact emerges: Sakura inflicted more damage upon the Dosu squad than Rock Lee and Team 10 combined. She was the first to draw blood from the enemy, and she did it by using basic Academy-level ninjutsu and a simple yet effective strategy. Narrative-wise, this was a big moment for Sakura, and the details back it up.

Before the Battle

Sakura is quick-witted, and early in the Land of Waves arc, she was more quick-witted than Naruto. This is demonstrated here: when the Demon Brothers attacked Tazuna, both Sakura and Sasuke jumped into action while Naruto froze in fear.

Another example of Sakura’s quick thinking in this arc is when, in the next chapter, Zabuza appears. He throws his sword in an arc, making it spin like a helicopter blade, and the Leaf shinobi and Tazuna must get down on the ground to avoid getting decapitated. You can clearly see that Sakura had to push Naruto down (in the background, Sasuke pushes Tazuna out of the way). Sakura literally saved Naruto’s life in this moment.

Later, during the Chunin Exams arc, Sakura’s quick thinking once again saves Naruto’s life. After Orochimaru knocks Naruto unconscious, he starts falling from a height that would have killed or at least seriously injured him. Sakura somehow pins Naruto to a nearby tree trunk by throwing a kunai with perfect precision and force.

These are small moments, but they demonstrate that Sakura has real talent as a shinobi and has protected her teammates in the past. However, like Naruto and Sasuke, she had to reach her limits to surpass them. Naruto is the first on their team to learn the meaning of courage, during the Land of Waves arc. Then, in his fight against Orochimaru in the Forest of Death, Sasuke must overcome his fear of death, which had literally paralyzed him. Finally, it was Sakura’s turn to discover her inner strength and resolve to fight even in a hopeless situation.

Another thing I’d like people to recognize is that Sakura is not the only member of Team 7 to be outmatched by the enemies they had to face. Remember, Team 7 wasn’t supposed to be on that mission in the Land of Waves arc, it was above their pay grade and their skill level. Although Naruto and Sasuke got the spotlight, they were still no real match against Haku – they only survived that battle because Haku was too compassionate to kill them (although it's likely that the Kyuubi would have saved Naruto from a lethal attack). Plus, Sasuke’s Sharingan was a great aid to him, and Naruto could only break out of the Crystal Ice Mirrors jutsu with the power of the Kyuubi. Sakura, who lacks a kekkei genkai and a tailed beast, was an ordinary genin, so it makes sense that she couldn’t do that much.

That said, I think there could have been a way for Sakura to contribute more during that arc, but that’s a topic for another time.

Furthermore, during the Forest of Death, both Sasuke and Naruto got taken out by Orochimaru, because Orochimaru is a literal Sannin. And then, there’s the Sound Ninja…

The Sound Ninja

The Dosu Squad is strong, let’s be clear about that. And they were not normal participants in the exams. They were assassins targeting Sasuke. Once again, Sakura is put in a situation that she had no reasonable way to expect or prepare for. But she still rose to the occasion, despite being completely exhausted due to a whole night of no sleep and no food or water.

First, let’s compare her to Rock Lee. Now, I love Rock Lee, and in fairness to him, it’s stated by Tenten that if he hadn’t been distracted by protecting Sakura, he could have beaten the Dosu Squad. However, it’s also a fact that despite using advanced taijutsu moves – which Dosu acknowledged were quite lethal – Lee couldn’t really injure the Sound Ninja. Instead, they were able to block or neutralize all his attacks, then knocked him out flat.

Here, Lee makes a dynamic entrance, landing a hit on all three members of the Dosu Squad, but you can see that all they got was some bruises:

Then he uses the Primary Lotus against Dosu, but thanks to Zaku, Dosu takes little to no damage:

So, despite Lee’s best efforts and the fact that he was using specialized taijutsu, the Dosu Squad emerged from that fight relatively unscathed.

Now, Lee was outnumbered. Surely a three-on-three battle would have been more even, right? Well, that didn’t work out for Team 10.

Choji couldn’t hit Zaku, who was able to just jump out of harm’s way. Shikamaru could only temporarily paralyze Dosu. And although Ino possessed Kin’s body, it was Zaku who made Kin bleed when he attacked her.

So, neither Rock Lee nor Team 10 could really injure any of the Dosu Squad. But Sakura? She stabbed Zaku. She made him bleed. And she targeted his arms because she was smart enough to realize that they were his most dangerous weapons. Again, just by using basic ninjutsu and simple tactics, Sakura inflicted more damage on Zaku than Rock Lee and Team 10 combined.

Character Growth

People often mock Sakura for cutting her hair as if it was no big deal. But the reality is that it was a big deal, hence why the manga emphasizes it so much. Sakura’s vanity was literally holding her back, as represented when Kin grabbed her hair to immobilize her. Kin even openly states that vanity is Sakura’s weakness, she cares too much about her looks and doesn’t push herself hard enough. Then, as Sakura takes a beating from Zaku, Ino remembers how Sakura used to be so insecure in her appearance and put effort into making herself prettier. Sakura allowing her face to be battered shows that she no longer cares about her looks. Literally, Zaku strikes Sakura in her forehead, which was the part of her that she was most insecure about.

Later, Ino even states that they all would have been dead if it weren’t for both Sakura and Sasuke.

Conclusion

Sakura’s actions in the Forest of Death should not be downplayed. Although her skill set was not as impressive as that of her teammates or the rest of her peers, her intelligence and resolve showed that she could stand her ground even against formidable opponents like the Dosu Squad. Indeed, I think that Sakura’s peers during this encounter are held back by their specialized skills, relying on their special abilities instead of creative tactics. This battle demonstrates that it’s not the tool that determines the outcome, but the ninja that uses it.

[yu-huuuu]

:O I just saw your new post about Neji and a reader that ahs eyes like Gojo, Can you make one smiliar but with Itachi or Sasuke please?????? :O

[ 🌸 ] I'll go with Sasuke this time since I'll be posting something for Itachi this week, so stay tuned <3

characters: sasuke uchiha,, some character mentions

genre: fluff;; light angst (sad sasuke)

warnings:  kidnapping mentions;; sasuke missing his family;; gn!reader(I hope you like annon);; sasuke experiencing love and denying being in love u.u

enjoy <3

- - -

he had done it

Sasuke had left his home to seek more power.

He wasn't enough, he needed more power and he wasn't going to get it if he stayed with his teammates.

Sakura had reached out to him, she had begged him not to leave, he had a hard time saying no and that made him angry even though he didn't show it. Despite his annoyance, he wasn't going to take it out on her, Sakura wasn't to blame for all his misery, it was Itachi's, his older brother.

Sakura was his friend, a very close one.

'I'm not going to hurt her' Even if Sasuke wanted to, he couldn't hurt Sakura, perhaps because he inadvertently became very attached to her along with team seven. They were almost like family to him.

Family.

How bitter that word had become.

"Sakura..." Sasuke heard the pinkhead's soft gasp as he stepped up behind her.

'I'm not going to hurt her' before he knocked her out, he let her hear the last words that would be directed at her. After all, maybe this would be the last time they would see each other, that she would hear his voice… 'thanks for everything' was what he wanted to say, but instead he just came out with a bitter “thank you”, before knocking her out...

Sasuke couldn't leave her at her house, that would take a long time, so instead he left her soft body on a park bench, in his mind it was the least he could do.

The next morning Naruto arrived. Both fought in hand-to-hand combat, between punches, kicks and harsh words that were given, sasuke remembered his family.

The death that hurt him the most was of his beloved Mother. His Mom who was so affectionate and the one who was by his side. Oh, how much he missed her. And it was too bad that the last time he saw her was when she was lying dead on the cold floor next to her father. Perhaps remembering his Mother would not be so painful if his last memories of her were when she said goodbye to him, giving him his breakfast that same morning of the massacre.

The feelings were confused with his Dad, but if what his Mother said was true, then his Father loved him too much and Sasuke loved him too, that's why he always tried to be the son his father would have wanted, fearing disappointing him even though he wasn't here anymore, Sasuke would always have that fear.

What hurt him the most was Itachi, he was his world and he was also the one who destroyed him until he did it in small pieces. Sasuke hated himself on the darkest nights when he missed his presence, and even so, despite declaring and swearing that he hated his brother, he had that feeling of hesitation in killing him, perhaps because if he did, he would be left alone

Naruto couldn't and never could understand him and his pain. How dare he compare his pain with his? Naruto was inept, a fool, a loser who was born with nothing.

And he wasn't going to leave without letting him know first.

Despite wanting to cut ties, wanting to kill Naruto, he couldn't, something stopped him. Perhaps later, in a few years he would realize what stopped him, was the fact that he by default was still a child and he was afraid of being left alone again... but Sasuke would never admit it, because sometimes his pride was too much. stronger than his own will.

When he arrived with Orochimaru he didn't feel intimidated and if he felt that way he wouldn't show it, as soon as he finished his training he would end the life of that disgusting guy.

'I'm an avenger' he was and he wouldn't let anyone hurt anyone else, at least not like he was hurt in the past.

Several months passed in which Sasuke could feel the difference, he felt stronger, much more than he was before. After having finished some difficult exercises to exercise his Sharingan, Sasuke was on his way to the showers and in the middle of his journey that's when he saw you.

You were…beautiful, well within what was possible, since the band for the eyes hindered the full view of your face, but with what he could see you were in fact very beautiful. Sasuke wondered in the back of his mind who you were, but he would never approach you with such a dumb question, this was not his goal.

With a snort he ignored you as he hurried to the shower, ignoring the wetness of his hands and the heavy drumming of his heart, when was the last time he felt like this?

"Ridiculous…" Sasuke muttered not realizing that you were paying attention to him.

"Mmm... what a strange boy" you dared to whisper when you stopped listening to the footsteps of the person who passed sulking next to you. 'Well, it doesn't matter, I need to give my report to Lord Orochimaru' you thought as you let out a long breath, this would be a long day.

.- - - - -. .- - - - -. .- - - - -. .- - - - -.

The next time Sasuke saw you, it had only been a few weeks. You were talking to Kabuto about something.

"Aa Sasuke you're here, great" the man said before turning to you "Y/N this is Sasuke"

"A pleasure" you spoke, but your voice. Oh, your voice was so sweet and soft, it reminded him of his Mother's voice. Sasuke felt a little worried by that line of thought.

"I'm saying the same" he half muttered, Sasuke definitely didn't expect to meet you. He could feel his hands sweaty again. 'How annoying'

"Well I have to go, take care Y/N" Kabuto said turning to you "Sasuke" he spoke as he leaned a little towards him in farewell mode before leaving.

"See you Kabuto-san" you spoke, raising your hand a little, waving it as a sign of farewell.

Sasuke really didn't want to be around you, you put him in a way that he didn't want to be with, but before he could even turn around, you spoke.

“You are… the weird guy from the other day. I heard you sulking when you passed me" you spoke, as you went on in your sentence your voice became more smaller but Sasuke hardly paid attention to it.

Have you heard it? oh, Sasuke could feel himself cringing internally.

“... hn. forget it,” he muttered as best he could before walking away. no, he definitely wasn't running, he wasn't running and he definitely wasn't sweating or shaking or…

Who could he fool, Sasuke was so deep in thought that he didn't even think if you'd be able to get anywhere in the base by yourself with that eye band, he only started thinking about it when he got to his room with his head spinning and his heart beating hard against his chest.

'Shit…' he thought when he realized his mistake, he had left you alone.

with the same speed with which he entered his room was with which he left. Sasuke didn't know why he was so worried about you, it was ridiculous and yet he kept running to where he had last seen you.

'He's gone. How rude-' you thought before being interrupted by the same types of footsteps but more hurried from that boy. The footsteps stopped abruptly a few steps from you, you could hear his heavy breathing. He really ran fast, huh?

"I... are you okay?" you spoke without knowing exactly what to say.

"Yes..." the voice spoke a little agitated.

"And why did you run back?"

"because I'm sure you're a fool to guide yourself on this basis"

…wait, he really-

you felt a little offended now, but at the same time a thought came to your mind 'did he care about me?'.

“ummm… thanks” you really didn't know what to say next, so you said the first thing that came to your mind.

"So, do you want to accompany me to the dining room? I think I'm hungry"

From that day Sasuke would accompany you to dinner. It became like a routine for the two of you, at those meals you just talked incessantly and Sasuke always listened to you talk, and if you took a while to finish your food he would wait for you until you finished your last bite. He was sweet, in a way, it was like he was taking care of you.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was beginning to understand a little more about his feelings for you. Sasuke wasn't stupid, he knew what these feelings were, Love.

he had seen that feeling first hand in the interactions of his parents, Fugaku despite being a serious man, even Sasuke could see his icy gaze melt when he looked at his mother. and now Sasuke could understand that phrase that his paternal grandfather told him; "Even strong men can fall for the women they love."

Oh, how foolish Sasuke felt for falling in love on his way to revenge on his brother.

.- - - - -. .- - - - -. .- - - - -. .- - - - -.

Tonight you had decided to dine outside right under the stars, even though you couldn't see them, you wanted your faithful companion to feel comfortable with the view.

“is the sky beautiful?”

"It is…"

Just those words were needed to create a safe environment between the two of you, the food was hot and the breeze was nice, it was a perfect environment.

Sasuke, on the other hand, had a question running through his mind, why were you wearing a blindfold, he never asked since it was none of his business, but on nights like this when you looked so gorgeous? he couldn't help but wonder what your eyes would look like under that piece of cloth.

"Y/N..."

"Yes?"

"Why are you wearing that blindfold?"

it was a simple question, but you were still surprised that he of all people would ask you.

"Well... I think it would be better if I show you" you spoke as you put down your tea, then reached your hands towards the blindfold.

when the blindfold fell, Sasuke saw you in the eye for the first time and you were more beautiful than he thought.

This was also the first time you saw him. You had already realized a few weeks ago that you were beginning to have feelings for Sasuke, always hearing his voice, but never seeing his face, now you understand why there was such a fuss when a woman saw Sasuke. he seems so ethereal.

"why do you hide your eyes?" You had almost missed the question, swallowing your nervousness and stopping the small blush, as you could you answered the reason why.

when you were born you had slightly weak eyes, you were five years old when Orochimaru kidnapped you for experiments. and they quickly gave results, your eyes became that way giving you various abilities but still your eyes needed to be at rest until it was time to fight. That was the main reason why despite your abilities Orochimaru did not possess your body.

After finishing your story, Sasuke let out a small whisper.

"I will become stronger"

"eh?"

"I will become stronger to protect you" he spoke louder this time.

Sasuke could make this promise to you for now, for while he would find a way to confess to you, perhaps he would when he has achieved all of his goals. perhaps he would think better of it when he had found the motivation to kill his brother again.

maybe he would put the hate aside, because Sasuke had found a new motivation protect you. Apparently his grandfather was right, how low can a man in love really fall...

* Sasuke is a love with you, but a tough guy towards others. * when you're a couple, he'll draw you when you're asleep, but shhh it's a secret that no one should know, including you. * will always follow you when he is not doing something important, which is usually training and getting stronger. * It is probable that Sasuke has lost interest in killing his brother, but who knows you already changed many things in him...

[sneezemonster15]

A lot of adults women behave like incels but less violent and more manipulative. They usually love the cringe romance movies where the main girl is average looking and not like the other girls and manage to make the badboy soft. Generally they hate hot girls bc they are jealous (see the way Skr stans talk abt Ino and feel victorious bc they "won" against her, the hot girl). Those women are full of insecurities, thats why Skr is so relatable.

The way Skr tries to not think about the fact Sske dont wanna spend time with her is the same way some irl women ignore that their husbands are cheating, and if they cant ignore it they will attack the other women but they will NEVER leave the guy. All their self worth is based on having a bf/husband.

Then there are some lesbian/bi women who stan her as an act of feminism. She is a female character who got what she wanted so its a win apparently. Fortunatly those ppl are minority bc as a queer woman and feminist, it is very embarrassing to read those takes. I'm all for uplifting women and for them to get everything they desire but not at the expense of non sexist men. Plus, Skr dont even look so happy at the end of the day. So is it really a win for her and women?

Yeah that makes sense. But it's sad isn't it? Because even trying to have a dialogue with them isn't helpful. There's no point having it if they aren't ready to be receptive to it.

Sakura really sees no contradiction between what she says and what she does.

And yet...

Lol. Till only two days ago, she was found styling her hair in the middle of chuunin exams, all skinned knees and having suffered minor injuries, while her team mates were working. She let her hair grow in the first place because she thought Sasuke liked it. Lol.

What impression can it possibly give to the reader? Kishi had to stress on it too, with another character this time.

Why would Kishi stress so much on Sakura and her obsession with her hair, just to make her say something totally hypocritical five chapters down? Lol. Kishi is very clever about writing his characters act according to the character traits given to them. Like for example, the panel below, Kakashi acts according to his character (where he has a blindspot for Sakura's negative shades) thinks Sakura is not the type to brag when she is actually exactly the type to brag.

Lol, Sakura's whole personality is about being obsessive for Sasuke which in turn makes her violently jealous of Naruto and Ino. She beats Naruto up regularly for no apparent reason and harasses Ino, even though that girl did nothing but try to help her. And she brags, it's the only thing she does properly. Lol.

And yet, she is always bragging, showing off. From start to end.

And I am positive I am missing some panels here lol. She is always looking for external validation. She revels in it. While external validation itself is not a bad thing, since humans need some amount of external validation to measure their abilities, and Naruto does it too, but for him, it's rooted in his quest for acknowledgement and acceptance, so he could make friends and not be ostracized from community. Sakura does it because of her ego. While Naruto has his principles rooted in his belief systems, his emotions and his dream that egg him on to do better, Sakura finds her motivation in the desire to show off and impress people, mostly Sasuke.

She disrespects Ino, Tsunade, and she fights Kaguya while she says this?

Girl, why are you so embarrassing? If you wanna attack her, just do it. Why even mention her being a woman? She wasn't mocking you, she barely even noticed you. You aren't worthy enough for her to notice.

Lol. And things she says about being a woman are just so cringe lol.

No one underestimates her because she is a girl, in fact Kakashi coddles her because she is a girl. She is underestimated because despite training, she is just weak and unskilled, as compared to her cohorts. And if she is skillful, we don't see it in the same proportion measured against the way she talks about herself. Tsunade never had to sing about her being a woman and yet people are bloody scared of her strength. Temari never had to mention it, neither did Kushina. Chiyo certainly briefly talks about how women always get the short end of the stick in their male driven society, but she not only belongs to a much older generation that has seen a hell lot, she is a master puppeteer and a superior warrior in her own right, she has earned it.

It would have been fine if only Sakura had actually consistently kept her word, proven herself through actions and not just empty words. Because when she doesn't, it reduces the value of those words. I don't know if she really meant it when she said women were fickle. Who? Tsunade? Kushina? Chiyo? Temari? Nope, they didn't give any such impression.

She constantly condescends to Naruto despite him having proved himself to be skillful, strong, the one who wins team seven several battles while she stands in a corner shaking and sweating. Thing is, she realises she makes mistakes. She acknowledges Naruto's strength as well, but she doesn't do anything to change. The whole point of a realization is to work on it and correct your behaviour. She is condescending towards Naruto till the end. Konohamaru takes her down a peg when she is being disparaging towards him and Naruto when they are doing the oiroke jutsu contest. She even hits Konohamaru, and he gets pissed off. So he makes a reverse oiroke jutsu just to show her true face, and that face has a streak of blood trickling down her nose lol. But when Naruto uses it against Kaguya, she again condescends to him. Narusakus are kinda embarrassing tbh, Sakura doesn't get Naruto. She thinks she does but she doesn't. She thinks she gets Sasuke but she obviously doesn't. And yet, she makes her 'strategies' in kage arc around her knowledge of Naruto and fake confesses to him. Naruto rejects her. Lol. She goes to Sasuke and tries to kill him (with a kunai...) by tricking him, only to be attacked, twice. Even when she drugs her cohorts before going to Sasuke, they clock her real plan. Lol.

She overestimates herself, even though it's clear that if she only thought things through, she would be much more successful. She is really blind to her own shortcomings even though she tries but remains unsuccessful, which is even sadder.

She does know Sasuke doesn't wanna spend time with her, she also gets a sense that she will always be much lesser than Naruto in Sasuke's eyes, she knows but she doesn't care. Even if it means long term misery for everyone involved.

Yes, I am sure some women find her character relatable. But relatable doesn't mean everything. I relate to Sasuke and I am very wary of establishing emotional connections but I know it's not something ideal or healthy. Connection is what people thrive on. If I ever started to relate with Sakura, I would really be compelled to take a hard look at myself. Lol.

[hotmonkeelove]

Do you know why in one databook of naruto Masashi Kishimoto said that the relationshio between orochimaru and anko was intense? And in what page of one of the databook he compares a tecnique like lovers suicide? For me, anko loves him since a long time and orochimaru too but when she grew up! ♡

Here's the link to the first source pace. The pages on Anko are 122-123, where her relationship with Orochimaru is described as intense/ very deep (depending on the translation, but it means the same thing). Page 206 is where the Twin Snakes Mutual Death/ Twin Snake Sacrifice jutsu is compared to a lover's suicide. Here's my post on that, where I cite Narutopedia as my source. I don't own it personally. I can only point to the online sources/ translations.

As to why Kishimoto said that, I can only give you an educated guess. So here goes, I can't see how Anko wouldn't have been in awe of him/ crushing on him big time when she was his student. He was a Sannin, he was still the favourite to succeed the 3rd Hokage at the time, he thought she had incredible potential- short of having a kekkei genkai (the Sharingan is the only reason he gives for Sasuke having more potential than her), the fact he accuses her of being jealous of Sasuke, his intelligence and how (though he held some stuff back) he taught her everything she knows, and how, despite everything, she still copies his behaivours. I mean, if she really hates him that much, you'd think she'd quit waving her tongue around like she idolises him. Not to mention, she still keeps the photo of the two of them together on her headboard. To have someone's photo be the first and last thing you look at each day, they have to be very dear to you. I think she feels a hell of a lot of guilt for the things he did, but he'll always be the only one who means the world to her. No one can take his place.

With Orochimaru, he must have seen her as his "pet." Recall when Sakon reveals his curse mark to Sasuke, he says, "Did you think you were Lord Orochimaru's only pet?" Pawns get experimented on like easily disposable lab rats. Curse marks are reserved for his most valuable pieces. And the Heaven's curse mark is the most powerful of them, which is why he risked it on Sasuke. I would also go further with the snake summoning contract. Orochimaru has (that we know of) initiated only three others into a pact with Ryuchi Cave. Those are Kabuto, his right-hand man; Sasuke, his ideal vessel; and Mitsuki, his child, whom he hopes will be the Moon who aides the Sun in saving the world during the next great conflict. That's a pretty exclusive group, and the snakes are not especially welcoming. He must've had a lot of faith in her and viewed her as a valued apprentice, not simply a student or subordinate. Also, in their team photo, it's just the two of them. She doesn't have teammates till the Chunin exams, when they're required. Jiraiya is not shown with only Minato, but two other students we never see or hear about again. It must've been the two of them for several years and she must've been very important to him. Otherwise, why would he bother?

I get the feeling that there was a Genji/ Murasaki element there (in The Tale of Genji, Murasaki is the young girl he abducts, educating her to be his ideal woman, and eventually marrying her. She remains devoted to him, despite his faithlessness, including a marriage to another woman. She tells him she wants to be nun, but he won't let her, and she dies soon after). Then there's the story that most likely influenced Anko's character and relationship with Orochimaru, The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya, which the Sannin are based on. Orochimaru is the master of snake magic. He is betrothed to a princess, but she becomes frightened of him as his villainous behaivour worsens. Jiraiya and Tsunade end up rescuing her.

[demonsfate]

anonymous sent . . . I remember one of the girls I used to be friends with in high school kept mercilessly hating on Jin Kazama and she always called him "selfish", "war criminal", and "autistic n*zi". She was an insane Ragna the Bloodedge and Sasuke Uchiha fangirl who got pissy that someone on twitter/reddit/youtube dare compare two characters she loves to a character she hates. She one day went on a tangent saying something like "Sasuke Uchiha deserves better than being compared to Jin!!! Sasuke risked his life to save Naruto's ass in the Land of Waves arc, Sasuke only killed like what 3 people (danzo, orochimaru and deidara are bad ppl anyways), and Sasuke loves his beloved Uchiha family and wants to avenge them. Jin is a selfish sociopath who wants to kill his entire bloodline because of 2 people and he showed no remorse for killing Jinpachi and millions of people!!! Jin doesn't give a shit about Hwoarang, he would let Hwoarang die like how he left Hwoarang to rot after Hwoarang risked his life to save him in Tekken 7!! Jin never suffered in life as much as Sasuke, Jin got to live a normal childhood with his mom for 15 years, got to live in some fancy rich ass mansion with his grandpa, and his mom was actually alive all along and came back anyways!! Sasuke was a child abuse victim who was tortured by his older brother when he was only 7 years old, lived life alone in an abandoned home where his parents died, and Sasuke's dead Uchiha clan never got revived they're still dead. Ragna erased himself from existence to protect those he loves and give humanity a good future!!! Ragna should not compared to Jin either!!". She fucking drew poorly drawn fanart of Sasuke decapitating Jin Mortal Kombat fatality style, and then making out with Kazuya in front of Jin's corpse. Don't worry, I'm no longer friends with her. Sadly this girl and other ppl hating on him saying "haha emo edgelored"/"war" jokes for the billionth time gave me very negative first impressions of Jin back then. Now after I finally started getting into Tekken playing Tekken 8 and the older games like Tekken 2, 3, 4, and 5 and learning that it's Harada's fault for fucking up his character in Tekken 6 to prop up Lars and Jin was OOC in that game compared to his character depiction in previous games - he's now my second favorite character in Tekken behind Lili. It pisses me off too, he's not selfish because he saved Hwoarang in Tekken 4 and he is shown to be supportive of people (supportive of Xiaoyu in her Tekken 4 ending, and he's also supportive of Phoenix Wright in Project X Zone 2).

Honestly hearing stories like this makes me glad I was homeschooled lol. Like OKAY I def knew ppl like this as a teenager, but only online, through the interwebs!! I've been blessed to have never known other teens like this irl LOL. And honestly, maybe it's just me but... I never get viciously hating FICTIONAL CHARACTERS to the point of drawing hate art of it or whatnot. Or to those nasty rpers who will actually follow the character they hate, just to have their muse be cruel to that character or even kill 'em or whatever. It's just... I can't imagine doing it! I don't think I have any characters in mind that I legit hate. Not even the bad ones that I don't like. I just don't like them and that's it lol. And I know these were high schoolers, but like... I don't even remember being like that during my teen years either. I might've been a lil like that as a kid as I was more annoying as a child (we all were lol) but... I still don't really remember haha.

Also Jin didn't want to kill his ENTIRE bloodline lol. Like iirc, even in 6, I don't think he's ever tried to seriously kill Lars? (Could be wrong about that I legit don't remember lol lol) Like Jin wanted to kill Heihachi and Kazuya because at the time, he legit thought they were the ONLY ones of the bloodline (along with himself) and well... they were time proven to be EVIL, therefore... yes, Jin was right, his entire bloodline (except for himself) was evil at the time lol. That was before Jinpachi and Lars were properly introduced in the series.

AND LIKE. LIKE. Some ppl do talk about how it's weird that Jin never showed remorse for killing Jinpachi but LIKE. I am pretty sure it's CANON that JINPACHI IS GRATEFUL TO JIN. Much like how Jin wanted to kill himself in TK4 to stop his Devil from taking over, Jinpachi wanted to be killed to stop the monster / demon possessing him from destroying the world. Like canonically, it was something both Jin and Jinpachi knew had to happen.

I get tired of those acting like Jin never "suffered." It's like yeah, Jin DID have a good childhood up until he was 15 years old. Jin still spend most of his teen years being abused by an old wrinkly fuck, only to be killed by said old wrinkly fuck. Of course, the stupid game's writing did ruin a lot of Jin's suffering. (His mother isn't actually dead, so like... yeah. But I guess he still grieved her and she's been missing for years. His devil isn't actually bad so he was rejecting something that was actually beneficial LOL LOL LOL) But... that's just Tek writing for you. If we forget a lot of the stupid retcons, we can say Jin had a good amount of suffering. HELL, he was created TO BE a tragic hero.

I'm not gonna go on to explain, but I have stated on this blog many reasons why the "Jin is selfish / doesn't care about anyone" has always been a misconception, even prior to Tekken 8 where he gets a lotta friend buddies. But I am glad he's one of your favorites lol. Really, I feel like MORE people would love Jin if they actually looked at him with critical thinking, rather than just... accept the rancid writing of Tek6 and be like "yup, he's a bad character!" Like Jin's a REALLY damn good character prior to Tek6. And when ppl actually look back on those games, play his stories, really pay attention to his character, they would know that.

[maoam]

The news of ss retsuden being adapted into anime is genuinely depressing i had made peace with the manga since i could ignore but having it be a part of the anime would just make it a part of the anime timeline and technically "canon" idk what sp was thinking but i jus lt hate how much sasusaku is being showed down our throats these days literally what is their end goal with this? Whats worse is that i cant even be hopeful about the future since there is no sasunaru content to look forward to

They might be pandering to sasusakus but they are also alienating the rest of the fandom

You need to calm down.

First of all, there is a 72 volume manga over the course of 15 years worth of content about our ship, written by Kishimoto. And even the movie and spin-off manga by him after the ending were like "yeah Naruto and Sasuke are still what matters, not their irrelevant wives". Non-canon things will never take that away. Do you really think Esaka's self insert story about chakra rings and dinosaurs can compare to all the effort Kishimoto put in his story, the years of work? All the drawing, all the writing, all the nuances in Naruto and Sasuke's relationship? Like if you read his writings, you can tell how much love and work he put into this manga, even if it ended less than well.

In comparison, Esaka wrote something self inserty about someone else's work, that doesn't even align with canon because she didn't care enough to do her research. What she cared about was how hot Sasuke was and how Sakura is married to him. And now she is liking bash tweets about Hinata because she is just like Sakura, threatened by other women. Of course, this will work on shallow fans like SS, because their reasons to ship SS are shallow to begin with. They didn't understand what Kishimoto tried to say and show in his manga. If they did, they would have figured out that he doesn't even like Sakura, and kept humiliating her at every turn. I mean some SS did, long time ago, but they left the fandom and dropped the ship.

You guys put way too much weight on the opinions and actions of SS fandom, considering how shallow and vile they are. Why? They are the laughing stock of the rest of the fandom. You can't reason with them. So stop taking their arguments so seriously. Their arguments can be torn apart easily as well. It's possible the Retsuden episodes will be abridged by SP (so they can go back to the canon Code arc) just like the peanut episode was abridged from one of the novels, but what you need to understand is SS will never calm down, be satisfied and stop being obnoxious even if SP animated it all. Because majority of the fandom still think Sakura is the worst female character in anime and that SS is more than contrived. They can't rest because they know their ship isn't acknowledged. And are these really the people you want to have a competition with?

[oivsyo]

Why I’m still creating for Narutoverse?

The thing is, thanks to one particular thread on Twi, I’ve figured out that I only watched Shippuden until episode 54 in my teenagehood. Now I have watched it selectively up to the end ofc, but I think this  fact is the reason why I didn't give up on Naruto and it still inspires me. I grew up during the best years of Naruto and skipped the downfall of the story, so I mostly have positive memories about the story and characters.

It all started when I was 14? (now I don't remember exactly), and my friends brought me anime titled Naruto on a flash drive, because then I didn't have the Internet yet. They said 'try this, you may like it'

OG and the beginning of Shippuden were very good. VERY GOOD.

OG is generally my favorite part of the story, the characters shone in all their glory and developed very logically. It's no surprise that these characters have made so many people fall in love with them. Also in OG, the tone of the story was completely different. The world was more cruel and gloomy, more realistic. In the first OG arc, there are two ambiguous antagonists who die dramatically in the end. The fights were about taijutsu, weapon and strategy - exactly what you would expect from a ninja story. Yes, even in OG there are many inconsistencies and plot holes, but this story IS fascinating. The Chunin exam arc is still one of my favorite arcs of all Naruto.

The space on the flash drive on which the episodes were brought to me was very small, and I couldn’t watch many episodes in a row. So I have watched many of them over and over again. I remember that before the start of the summer holidays, my friend brought me episodes with Neji VS Kidomaru. I've been tormented for 3 months about not knowing if Neji would survive. With the beginning of the new school year, my friend brought me new series with a sequel, and it turned out to be Shippuden right away.

Shippuden started very cheerfully and confidently. Euphoria that I experienced bc my favorite characters returned was beyond any words. Characters matured, their designs changed. 

Sakura immediately became my goddess because the growth of her character was very much felt compared to all the others. From a useless and annoying crybaby, she became strong, strong-willed, skilled, she became a real kunoichi. I’m sad that her development and training were not shown properly, but even so the impression was very good. It's not an exaggeration to say that Sakura from early  Shippuden, was a role model that I wanted to look up to as a teenager.

In the first arc team Gai was shown. Neji’s redesign won my young heart, probably it‘s Neji to blame that I’ve developed a crush for long haired men. Even though his interactions with Hinata were not shown in the beginning, it felt like he had changed a lot and softened up towards everyone. 

I also really liked Hinata's design, but I remember at that moment I thought - ‘ how could she grow such long hair in such a short period of time? Apparently the Hyuga clan has some special recipes for hair care’. That was one of the reasons why in my AU I decided to make the timeskip longer - 4years instead of 2,5.

I really wanted to see how the grown-up Neji and the more self-confident Hinata interact with each other. I was sure that it would be an arc dedicated to the Hyuga clan and how the two of them, with the help of Naruto ofc, change the clan. Unfortunately, my aspirations were not destined to come true.

Ep 41 where Naruto loses control and hurts Sakura - is a chef's kiss. The fox feels like an absolute evil with which such a sunny and good person like Naruto has to deal with. Aand ofc Naruto wa supposed to loose control bc this evil is too much for  him. Naruto being possessed by the demon and hurting his beloved ones is a theme that I like and I'm very sad that it was wasted.

An intriguing and long-awaited meeting with Sasuke - a moment that is well engraved in my memory as one of the last ones I watched. 

Then I abandoned watching Naruto and anime in general for reasons I can’t remember, but probably it was because of graduating from school. Some years later I heard the news that Hinata confessed to Naruto and that Neji died in the manga, but at that time it didn’t make a big impression on me, firstly, I wasn’t already involved that much, secondly, I had a premonition for a long time that if Neji and Hinata are not supposed to be a couple at the end, then one of them will definitely die - most likely Neji, bc MC needs a girlfriend. So when I found out that Neji died protecting Hinata and Naruto, I just thought "NejiHina is canon and now it’s confirmed". But it didn't become a traumatic dramatic experience for me. I also remember everyone hyping that the Naruto manga was over. I even read the last chapter. I felt a slight sadness at the sight of Hinata at Neji's grave and that story that had a strong influence on me when I was a teenager is over. That was it. I again forgot about Naruto for a very long time.

Two years ago, in a rather difficult period of my life, I experienced an irresistible urge to watch Naruto. And I did it. I had a very mixed impression of what I saw.

Perhaps the last arc that I liked was the arc when Asuma was killed. I liked the villains, I liked the drama of Asuma/Kurenai, of InoShikaCho and Shikamaru’s personal growth. It was good. 

Then I witnessed the degradation of the plot, the characters - of everything. I don't know what was the reason, but the series just got boring. Previously interesting and deep characters have turned into cardboard mannequins. 

The more Shippuden developed, the more villains that “were not villains” appeared. There was no one comparable to Zabuza and Haku or Orochimaru from OG. A breath of fresh air for me was Hidan and Kakuzu, who simply enjoy making a fuss, torturing and killing.

The whole atmosphere of the series has become somehow very sterile and toothless. Naruto as a character became very shallow and at times even annoying for me. Becoming stronger and gaining new powers he at the same time stopped developing as a charater. Probably the only time I liked Naruto in late Shippuden was when Naruto got depressed because of Sasuke in the Land of Iron.  

The fights bacame more spectacular, but were no longer as interesting as in the beginning, now everything has turned into “who has a bigger and stronger technique”. 

Kaguya as a villain is just nothing. She is just a doll, very powerful, but a doll. Moreover, even such a powerful doll was subsequently weakened for the sake of the plot. In general, this "for the sake of the plot" is what characterizes Shippuden, especially the later episodes. The characters do and say what is necessary for the sake of the plot, because of which they feel like fools or cardboard for me. New characters appear to replace the old ones, which are not developed enough, the final battle of the war, where the villains hatch one from the other almost saying "It was me, Dio!" and “I’m stronger than the previous one!”

For example, I know that a lot of people like Madara, but for me he is almost never remembered, just one of war arc villains. Although I can’t deny that the intrigue about him was built up really well. And i like his design.

Akatsuki, who made an impression of a very serious opponent for the characters in the OG and the beginning of Shippuden, in fact turned out to be just an unorganized group of people who weren't so scary. It’s still not very clear for me why many members of the organization are there at all.

Itachi.... He used to be one of my favorite male characters. But the “the truth is that he is a good guy’ seemed far-fetched to me. Probably because it wasn't planned from the beginning so his previous actions contradict a lot with his intentions. Therefore, none of his good intentions forgive his asshole attitude towards Sasuke in OG. The fact that his "ingenious plan" worked is only due to the fact that it was necessary for the plot. To me, he was a very cool protagonist, but trying to make him an anti-hero only ruined him. However, I still think Itachi looks awesome.

I have not much to say about the events after Shippuden. I watched the Last. By the way, over the past year I have watched it as many times as probably no average fan of TL has watched it (I want to redraw some scenes and need to understand the logic of the original plot very well), and my opinion about the movie has changed - for the worse, unfortunatly.

I watched Boruto a bit, 15 episodes or so and I must say that I even liked it. I’m not joking. The characters are quite interesting. The focus is not on the main character (as it was in the beginning of Naruto). I liked that the academy period was shown. Although sometimes what is happening is absurd and too fanservice, Naruto really lacked this. Because of what, it seemed that 1) the OG characters did not learn anything at the academy 2) they did not communicate with each other there all 6? years of the academy, and only after graduation, becoming genin, they began to interact.

In Boruto I especially liked Chocho, she is a beautiful goddess and I kneel before her. This girl rocks with her awesome self-esteem. I also liked Shikadai. 

However, the attitude towards the old characters and the lore of OG and even Shippuden leaves much to be desired there. When I managed to ignore the fact that Boruto is a continuation of the story for more than 500 episodes, then it hass become ok to watch. I think this is the reason for the difference in the perception of the old audience that grew up on OG and Shippuden, and the new fans who watched Boruto first. These are really two different works and it’s very difficult to perceive them together, because in some places they simply contradict each other.

And probably someone will now think - ‘well, since you don’t like everything and you complain so much, why the hell are you staying in this fandom?’ and the answer is actually quite simple - there’re a lot of things in Naruto that I really like and that inspire me. If you want a metaphor, I choose grains from a mountain of husks and this grains inspire me a lot. I have critical thinking and imagination, what’s more important - I don’t know how to love unconditionally and don’t consider this a manifestation of pure love. I see a lot of flaws in Naruto as a story, plot holes, inconsistencies, wasted characters, etc., but I still like Naruto a lot. I prefer to focus not on what I don't like, but on what I like. Such things have a greater weight for me on the scales. And thanks to this approach, I continue to do what I do with great pleasure, it keeps me productive. No, I'm not bothered  that 'it’s not like this in THE CANON!!!’(c), NEJI IS DEAD(c), and even more it doesn't bother me that someone thinks about it and that there are some ppl who don’t like my art. I like the concept of multiverses and for me Narutoverse is kinda Minecraft where you can create different stories and events useing bricks that were given in the canon. And I enjoy doing it. That's all.

What is the conclusion of all this? Well, nothing in particular, I just shared my story about Naruto bc I felt like sharing. The only thing, perhaps, if I continued to watch Naruto back then 1) most likely I would be disappointed and quit watching, the series would leave a bad impression on me and I would hardly draw Naruto after so many years 2) I had been more involved in what was happening, then Hinata's confession and Neji's death would have hurt me more, as well as many other fans who left the fandom after these events. And I just don’t take it that seriously. In general I have a rather chilling attitude to the canon, I just want to have fun and nothing else matters to me. Probably because I didn’t watch the entire series in my youth in my vision of the characters  based on OG and early  Shippuden images of the characters and I use them in my drawings ideas for drawings.

[tcookies777]

Woah, I’ve found the end of the act 1 of AOL like a new opening to explain a lot of things about the story… I did not expect Sakura’s confession of her arranged marriage, but fuck, it was a pleasant surprise!!! I felt anxious for soooo long that Kakashi’s feelings were growing stronger and Sakura wasn’t being 100% honest with him… so, FINALLY! Kakashi’s reaction to the news suits him. It suits the character you’ve been developing in this fanfic. I admire you ability of keeping the plot real, credible and so accurate (Canon, even).

I have the impression that Sakura is becoming more and more mature despite her innocence.

I do have a question (maybe I’ll have to wait ACT 2 to know the answer, but I try anyway lol)

- Has Sasuke the same age as Sakura? I have the impression that it was mentioned that he had finished college?..

- How do you do? Where do find the inspiration in order to have a quality storyline? I’m just curious; You’re so talented.

Happy holidays and rétablie toi bien!

À bientôt !

I know right? Finally she spills all the beans! Of course, since we're receiving all this info through Sakura's POV, we still don't have the answers about the engagement yet but we will get there eventually! I know other readers, just like Sakura, have been dying to know what's up with her parents 🤔

That's a great impression! Sakura is different compared to in Chapter 1 so she's definitely maturing. But she has still got a long ways to go before I would call her a badass! I know some readers already see her as a badass, but personally she's not a badass in my eyes yet. And Kakashi too is learning, but he still has a lot of growth to go through as well!

Yes, you're correct, Kabuto mentioned to Sakura at the charity ball that Sasuke had graduated a few years ago. His age isn't that important to know or spoilery, so I'm free to say that he is 20 years old in this fic.

Of course, rarely you'll find a 20 yr old who graduated college years ago, but just like Kakashi, he's one of those ""geniuses"" that skipped grades.

Most of my inspiration for the story comes from real life experiences! Both my life and the lives of those around me.

For example, that Kakashi is a soldier is an idea inspired by canon. But that he has PTSD and other mental health issues is inspired by my experience and also the experience of others I know.

If you had seen my Percy Jackson fanfiction that I wrote as a teenager though, oh god you would've thought I was the worst writer ever. Because I was so young, I didn't have as much life experience to pull from. My dialogue was so cringy and stilted. I didn't even know how to write the character riding a metro bus because I'd never done it before!

That's why I guarantee you the best fanfics you'll ever read are the ones written by fans in their 30s and above. 9 times out of 10, the older the writer is, the better their writing is. They are masters of delivering nuance and telling epic stories. Because much of their own inspiration is pulled from everything they'd experienced or learned about life.

[littledancingphoenix]

i just went to my best friend's wedding (we've been friends since childhood, and we are both fans of tekken). we are both mexican Latino women and we had a great time. then i went to bed, and i had a nightmare. it was a new dlc story for tekken 8 after the shitty one where heihachi comes back from the dead gundam seed style. jin and xiaoyu are getting married, then miguel shows up out of nowhere and he is about to shoot jin kazama to kill him like he promised in tekken 7. but just as miguel was going to kill jin, xiaoyu jumps right in front of jin and she gets shot 3 times (just like how Rikiya from Yakuza 3 died saving Kazuma Kiryu from that one stupid looking bastard). xiaoyu dies from blood loss, meanwhile miguel starts to act ooc and becomes a villain screaming "you killed her, jin. it's your fault you met her, you should have never met her." then other stuff like miharu blaming jin for her dying and jin not even being allowed to attend ling's funeral because ling's parents also blame jin for losing their daughter. i woke up early at 4 am in the morning not only because of that nightmare, but also i needed to pee badly anyways. i also remember when i told someone at a convention that i like jin and he's probably my favorite male character in the roster, then the white girl sakura haruno cosplayer said basically, "are you insane?! jin is racist towards spanish people he should be cancelled on twitter and sasuke stans shouldn't compare him to a man who is racist to spanish people, how could you like him if you're a latino woman. you should be disowned by other latino women." like now i shouldn't like jin because i'm a latino mexican woman?!

a week or two later, my best friend noticed i was a little stressed while we were eating lunch at Lupe's. I finally told her about my nightmare. She said "it's okay, look even if she dies she'll probably be back to life in tekken 9 anyways. also don't listen to twitter idiots. you can still like jin, also i don't like miguel he's basically eddy 2.0". (my best friend does not like miguel, she finds him annoying to fight and she thinks he is eddy 2.0. i'm ok with him tho.). i get so worried about xiao (who is my secondary main, lili is my main btw) and also sick of the tekken fandom being hella stupid.

i hope you have a good day.

HOLY SHIT I HAD TO READ THIS A FEW TIMES CAUSE DAMN!! Naruto people really don't have a damn clue about what a complex character Jin is, and I don't expect them to. They refuse to see past the surface level of the shitty writing they've done for him.

That's a crazy nightmare, and honestly, it does make me worry how Harada plans to make Jin suffer next.

And honestly, yes. The Tekken fandom as a whole sucks out loud. Most especially on twitter and reddit, which is why I stay FAR away. It is shitty here, too, sometimes, but I steer clear and avoid it like this plague.

Whatever happens, though, I take comfort in the fact that my Jin and I are in our own little paradise~ And the games are set in some trashy parallel universe. XD

I appreciate you reaching out and sharing all of this with me. You are always welcome here! 🧡