#they're not even really aliens. they're genetically almost identical to humans

[novakld]

my favorite media thing to be pedantic about is the giant robots in evangelion not actually being robots. There's Meat In There

[fineillsignup]

I'm one of those readers that aren't mad about the ships,honestly they're a low standard.What I am fucking mad about is that kishi inserted the concept of peace into the story.How would the story work if that happened?What conflict would there be for a story?Making an effort for peace, but are the shinobi really suited for such a task?Doesn't their economy thrive on conflict?Missions focus on assassinations,information retrieval,politicians one upping each other? That sort of thing?

I’m really glad you asked that anon because that’s become one of the driving forces behind my story Your Most Important Person.

I don’t know why I can’t write simple id-scratching trope fiction, but for some reason I seem to be incapable of it. So much like Heart Under a Blade quickly became “can an ABO fic treat female characters better than canon?”, YMIP has somehow become “can a soulmates AU have more coherent and satisfying worldbuilding and societal development than canon?”

And the big question is, suppose Kishimoto didn’t rely on aliens to supply external conflict in a supposedly peaceful society? What would be a logical next big obstacle for Naruto & friends? Suppose Kishimoto didn’t ignore that the Konoha shinobi forces have been cut by at least 75% in five years and that hardly any shinobi have kids? How would they handle that challenge? Suppose Kishimoto didn’t only remember that the shinobi economy is based on war and unrest when he can use it to mock a female character (Tenten’s failing shop and Sakura’s mortgage)? How would the shinobi world adjust? Suppose Kishimoto didn’t sacrifice the other characters’ principles, hopes, dreams, and motivations in order to let Orochimaru continue to experiment on children? What would that open up?

These questions all have more than one possible answer of course. Some possible answers (spoilers for YMIP) under the “read more”.

1. Just because there isn’t war, doesn’t mean that petty conflict goes away. By petty I mean gangs, illicit trade, murders, kidnappings, etc. Even in canon, we see plenty of missions that aren’t war-derived. So I think that the downturn in business is exaggerated, especially when we get to point two.

2. Kishimoto loves to tell the reader that lots of ninja die in this or that conflict, but it never makes any impact because the dead ninja don’t have any connection to any named character and very little impact on the story outside of it being the supplied reason why Shikamaru has to scramble together genin to get back Sasuke. If the drop in personnel were realistic, the problem wouldn’t be that there wasn’t enough business, the problem would be that there weren’t enough shinobi to complete business.

3. Orochimaru being allowed to basically do what he wants post-699 is some bullshit let me tell you. Not only isn’t he remorseful for anything he’s done, he doesn’t show any sign of having decided to amend his behaviour in the future, other than a vague statement that he wants to observe. Surprise! As of Boruto, he’s still performing involuntary medical experiments on human beings! Team Taka and Yamato also have to atrophy and languish for this. 

Giving second chances and redeeming villains is a noble idea, but redeeming has to involve actual redemption. A supposed redemption where an abuser is happy and his former victims are all not only extremely unhappy but also watching him abuse new victims is not a redemption. I can’t believe I have to point that out, but there it is.

But given that canon says that Orochimaru is basically contained within every curse seal, and given the number of curse seal victims we saw spilling out of Orochimaru’s prisons, eliminating Orochimaru from the world would be a big challenge... gosh, you might say that it’s the kind of long-term, potentially episodic monster-of-the-week challenge that suits a series like Naruto down to the ground.

Some other plotlines this opens up:1. Suigetsu’s quest for the swords2. Actual control of Juugo’s curse, which is a plot hole in Boruto. If only Sasuke can control him and Sasuke buggers off to “atone”, what the hell kind of agony has Juugo been going through?! Because you know Orochimaru doesn’t give a fuck about Juugo or anyone Juugo might kill in his rages.3. KARIN DESERVES TO LIVE HER OWN LIFE DAMMIT and I want to see Naruto and Karin connect too4. Yamato just wants to belong and be acknowledged and included oh my goodness protect this precious wooden baby

4. Ninja world demographic collapse. Yes hello this is my pet peeve but really. REALLY. You cannot just apply a birth rate less than that of modern Singapore to a high death rate society like Naruto’s and expect everything to be hunky dory. I feel like a lot of people choose to willfully suspend disbelief on this one because they also aren’t interested in large families but it really bothers me let me tell you. Especially because can you get a more pro-natalist philosophy than everyone chattering about unborn children as the “kings” of Konoha?! It’s just so contradictory that it drives me absolutely bazonkers.

A lot of anti-ending people repeat the line that “everyone gets hetero paired off” in Naruto 700 but this just doesn’t match the facts. Kishimoto doesn’t pair off anyone he can get away with not pairing off in order to produce a kid for the Boruto cast, with the one exception of Kiba, whom he pairs with the cat girl for the laughs. Everyone has one kid, at the exact same time. Naruto, as the old main character, gets rewarded with a bonus younger sibling for the new main character. The teacher generation? No new couples. No new kids. Not to mention that in Naruto’s generation, everyone is either an only child or has one sibling max.

In a world where people genetically inherit superpowers and clan identity is strong, this kind of reproductive pattern just makes no sense.

A more coherent Naruto ending would have to deal with this issue, especially coupled with the 75%+ reduction in shinobi in five years.

5. It’s not like shinobi powers only have deadly applications!!!! Medical ninjutsu is obvious, but almost all the powers have peaceful applications if you think about it. Aburame could use insects to pollinate plants effectively. Inuzuka animals are the best search and rescue. Yamanaka as psychologists, healing minds. Genjutsu entered into consensually for entertainment. Yamato’s Wood Release’s practical applications we all know already; presumably Lava Release and similar could do similar things in stone and other mediums. There’s nothing stopping people from developing more and more peaceful jutsu.

6. The daimyo power structure has outlived its agency. In a more logical post-699, I would foresee the Hidden Villages taking over their nations outright.

I’ll leave it there, but there is soooooo much potential for new plot, exciting plot, in a war-free Naruto. Not to mention stuff like tournaments. I’ve barely scratched the surface here.