#uchiha shishui

[sourslices]

i love my unsolved au SO MUCH.

so im going to shout some more stuff abt it into the void!

first, some stuff abt konoha:

there are three main areas,

konoha city: the area where all the snobby rich people live — basically the neighborhood for the elite. this is where sasuke lives, (among all the other nrt chrs that belong to clans in canon). families that live here are huge and come from old money

konoha underground: the area full of poor and homeless people. there are parts full of shady areas but they are a few tight-knit communities. the underground is BRUTAL... it's like predator and prey in here. you need to be careful with who you trust — because once you do trust someone, your life depends on it. a lot of orphaned children form groups to take care of each other and some of the workers try to look out for them too, but it's hard when you've gotta look after yourself too. anyway, you won't see someone from the k.ug hesitate to punch someone's face if they try smth with a kid... while the people of k.c will only turn a blind eye. d.d is a mixed crowd. anyway, naruto lived here.

downtown district: this is actually the in-between, and like i said, it's the mixed area. think of k.ug as the red light district, k.c is the rich neighbourhood and d.d. is the part of the city that's filled with barely adequate apartment buildings and small houses, a shit ton of markets and other establishments. there are people who are incredibly rich (new money, still barely enough to make k.c) and there are also people who are struggling to make ends meet and are )( close to finding themselves in k.ug. sakura grew up here.

ill update these areas as i go — this is simply just a few drafted ideas abt the city. i'll straighten it out after organising other ideas

moving onto chara stuff:

naruto: lived on the streets for a few years until hrz took him in. he's very familiar with the underground of konoha and could probably map out the sewers... if he could draw a map in the first place. anyway, he's a very street-smart kid (unlike me) with a bubbly yet (kinda) snarky personality. gets riled up pretty easily and argues with ssk and sai a lot — has a surprisingly optimistic look on life. he doesn't really understand all of skr's rants abt the cool robotics stuff but he likes to help her out and test the equipment for her.

when he was very young, nrt found a furry companion that's actually a fox demon. surprise surprise its the kyuubi. which is also why people were terrified of him even tho he was p young... kid was pretty isolated, but he tries to gloss over it ("at least i was able to stay away from the wrong crowd," he'd say)

sakura: growing up, skr's parents weren't really around, so she learned to both take care and entertain herself. developed a rather apathetic persona due to her childhood + years of bullying she faced — which went beyond just teasing abt her forehead ( which she was still bullied abt, also why she never got rid of her bangs in this au!) — she ended up spending most of her time either in the library or experimenting with shit in her room. she's a complete NERD btw!

sometimes she would set out to explore the markets, which is how she ended up meeting nrt because he found her on the outskirts of the d.d. girlie eventually becoming the apprentice of some cool inventor (don't ask how) and started building cool stuff. she lost her arm in an accident and built herself a prosthetic with the help of her mentor — it has a lot of cool functions added to it! btw, she's pretty adept at faking emotions, it's kinda scary... despite the fact i mentioned her being an apathetic kid, her apathy is really just a mask for her actual emotions. she can be a passionate kid once you actually get to know her... tho the only people she cares abt is the people she's friends with

sasuke: wooo this boy does not know how to emote besides being angry and rude. though he was a very cute and cheerful kid, sasuke grew up developing a sharp temper and a cruel tongue due to the environment he was raised in. his family, despite not physically neglecting him like sakura's parents, were emotionally absent. the only person that was rlly around for him eventually became too busy to hang around him (itachi). ssk thinks he can remember someone else along with his brother. someone who smiled all the time, someone who'd laugh loudly when ssk did smth. (said someone was... drumroll pls!.... shisui!!!!!) but the memories are pretty blurry because ssk was very young.

anyway, ssk struggles a lot with pressure and expectations etc etc. he's still a good fighter tho, and means well most of the time. the others learn to read in between the lines when it comes to him. sasuke actually saw nrt in some rich people gala, when the blonde boy was under hrz's wing (p.s.: nrt ended up running away because he vehemently disliked being a charity case) — nrt actually started disliking him from this point even tho ssk had 0 opinion abt him — but they didn't actually meet until their teens. also! ssk has pretty frail health, which he did eventually overcome... but he still needs that mask which u see in his chara design!!!

sai: sai is a part of something called ROOT — designed abt danzo and orochi and built by kabuto, there might've been days when sai understood humans a little more when he lived alongside a boy called shin who told him about a boy with a different name who sai was designed after. anyway, shin d-worded and sai was left alone and guided by danzo.

sai does not understand humans and emotions. his curiousity is piqued when he observes the others' behaviours and its up to skr ssk and nrt to guide him on that subject. skr is immensely curious abt sai's programming and fiddles with his parts a lot — he lets her. they find certain commands in the coding and skr is faced with a challenge as she tries to help sai escape ROOT's clutches in his programming.

other stuff i want to mention:

naruto found kyuubi the fox when he was very little, too young to remember his age. they've been buddies ever since... even if kyuubi hisses at like. everyone including him.

naruto was taking in by hiruzen when he was nine. he ran away a few days later. hrz couldn't find take him back in ever again. (kyuubi never trusted hrz which is why he basically ran away, even from nrt. nrt trusts the fox's instincts which is why he leaves!!)

a few days before hrz, nrt met sakura who was exploring different areas and writing stuff into her journal. they talked abt all kinds of stuff, tho skr did most of the talking and nrt just listened. even those skr cld be weird, nrt really liked the girl and thought she was cute. plus kyuubi liked her enough — and when nrt ran away and found kyuubi with skr in their "special spot", he decided to become best friends with her!!! yay!!!!

("zephyr this is not how friendships work-" HUSH. they're NINE.)

ssk meets skr and nrt when theyre thirteen. it happens when skr's parents meet with ssk's parents and the two kids are brought along. the thing goes south but the two kids do end up conversing because skr is curious abt the uchiha manor and asks a lot of questions. ssk finds it annoying but he answers it anyway.

a few weeks later he runs away from home. skr and nrt stumble upon him while "exploring".

they become friends, eventually and slowly. ssk also ends up going back home. (he doesn't stay there forever tho so... yeah!)

heres the thing abt their families...

for naruto, he idealises parents. he doesn't know what they're actually like because he's never had any, and the only family he has is one of his choice instead of his blood.

for sakura, she knows all parents are different through observation and conversations. sakura's parents were pretty apathetic with her and their business trips only became longer and more frequent. she was raised by a governor who eventually moved away and skr never saw them again. sakura's parents basically dont know who she is because they were barely around to find out — and they find themselves faced with an intelligent, sharp-witted girl who has not even an ounce of love for them. the only times they talk is when they argue.

for sasuke, he thinks he can remember a loving mother and a caring brother and maybe even a cheerful cousin. however, his mother passed away and so did his cousin in an accident only ssk survived. his father remarried and his brother became too busy and ssk was left all alone in a cold home and a vast "family"

for sai, he might've had a brother once. he lost him anyway.

he still doesn't know how to feel about it.

ill come up with more stuff later on... omg cant wait

[oh-no-its-bird]

Hand slipped, fic just got a lot longer and also is now officially a "The Uchiha coop succeeds" fic. Oops?

Current mood is Muichiro beating Danzo to death in front of Shisui: the fic

[neko-uchiha]

I love EVERYTHING about this art

One of the rare times when an official art did sasuke and his fam justice

He is looking so cutuiebsjsbsbs...and then we have shishui..sasuke's mama and dad

Even Itachi is looking good here

The uchihaness❤

The real pure Uchiha family with actual uchihas with characteristic uchiha outfits and facial features celebrating their traditional festival (maybe for the last time before konoha destroys it)

[doveywovy]

tobiizu modern au in which the uchiha are a wealthy family that vacations every summer at a family beachhouse on a (Relatively) small island- and Tobirama drives the water taxi they hire to take them out to it every year.

the first time it happens, they're both only about 16. Izuna immediately hates it- and hates tobirama- because it makes him feel childish. Here he is, out on vacation with his family (lame) to go play in the sand (lame!) and maybe play in the waves (SOOOO lame, totally childish). and heres this teen the same age as him, not just spending the summer break working but specifically working alone, doing a difficult and responsible job like driving a boat! Izuna takes this as a personal affront to his manhood and spends the whole ride there and the whole ride back being absolutely insufferable to Tobirama and the rest of the family.

he spends the next summer working his own summer job (But something much fancier, like interning somewhere impressive) and the summer after that he spends at an intense sports camp. So the next time they see eachother, Izuna's 19 and- okay, well, he hasn't really matured. but his stance has changed to the viewpoint that HE'S clearly the winner here. Here he is, out on vacation with his family (Wealthy and impressive) to go relax in the sand (so wealthy and mature) and maybe swim in the waves (sooooo cool, totally mature and adult). Meanwhile Tobirama has to spend his summer working in a dingey boat serving the Uchiha and family like them! Since Izuna's won the competition they totally had going on, he can afford to be nicer to Tobirama. especially since hormones have kicked in and tobirama is unbearably fucking attractive to izuna. He spends the whole vacation having ridiculous daydreams about them running away together (fucking on the boat) living a life at sea together (fucking on a boat) and him showing off his better lifestyle to Tobirama (fucking on the beach.) He does exactly nothing about any of this except being mildly more polite to tobirama for the 47 total minutes they spend interacting.

The next three summers, however, he gets proactive. The Uchiha are a big family with a ton of stuff they need, and they always run through it quickly or realize they forgot something after they left. Someone has to go back to the mainland and get The Only Cereal Kagami Will Eat, or Shishui's Special Sunscreen (he has allergies to the rest), etc etc. In past years it's been one of the odd aunts or uncles, but now Izuna's taken it up as his personal mantel.

If anyone needs anything from the mainland, of course Izuna will make the trip out! No need to worry! He'll call up Tobirama's company and have the ride out within the hour, and he'll be back two hours after that. Sometimes he runs right out without bothering to change- Mikoto needs fresh lettuce for the dinner salad, there's no time for him to change out of his trunks or put a shirt on! Everyone's glad he's willing to make the sacrifice for the family, nobody wants to do it themselves- and so nobody points out that unlike past triptakers, Izuna never double checks if anyone else needs anything before he goes. It means he has to make a lot more trips, individual ones for Sasuke's fresh tomatoes and Itachi's eyecream and Obito's glasses cleaner, instead of all at once like he could if he just asked before going. But they're a wealthy family, they can afford it, and he's getting it all in the end, isn't he?

Now that izuna's upped his time with Tobirama from 24-ish minutes to the island and 24-ish minutes back home (shared with his entire family), to around an hour one-on-one every other day the entire two months he's out there...things change.

For one, the crush gets more genuine. He's talking to Tobirama constantly and gets to know him as a person and unfortunately he really likes him as a person. The fantasies get more focused on getting to actually date Tobirama in a normal person way, not whisking a mermaid tobirama off for beach-sex.

Tobirama, meanwhile, is finally starting to like this guy. He hasn't thought about izuna nearly as much as Izuna's thought about him. He hated him as a teen for being annoying and bratty, thought he was hot and annoying a few years ago, and now he's a nice sociable guy who lets him talk about boats for twenty minutes straight. Who's extremely hot and constantly shirtless, for some reason? Which Tobirama's not mad at.

so- izuna's fumbling his way towards something, but cautious not to fuck it up because he genuinely wants something serious with Tobirama and that makes him much more worried about ruining it. and then one day madara- well, the thing is.

To madara, izuna will always be somewhat five years old. He can't imagine him any other way. So he assumes, when Izuna constantly spends his summer vacations on the water taxi with tobirama- he doesn't consider it could be about tobirama. He thinks it's about the boat! Especially since Izuna can hold full conversations about boats with people now (Because of his conversations with tobirama about them, but Madara doesn't know that) and takes photos of boats (For tobirama)....All of this to say, Madara decides Izuna must want a boat.

So madara offers to help him buy one. Nothing too fancy (to the Uchiha perspective), but something nice.

Izuna immediately remembers the conversations he's had with Tobirama about his dream boat. He remembers his ridiculous fantasies at 18 years old about whisking Tobirama away for a life on the open sea. and he imagines, for half a second, trying to explain to madara that he doesn't want a boat despite seeming to be obsessed with them because he's obsessed with a guy instead. He is not having that conversation.

He's buying a boat. He's buying Tobirama a boat. Then he just....has to figure out how to give it to him.

[your-idk-blr]

Hot damn, I love the concept.

Akatsuki​ Shisui

[hanamatsuriii]

So the Naruto fandom has a tight grip on me again, and I'm back on fanfiction hellhole (or heaven, idk at this point). Anyone out here, I need fanfic recs!

Favorite Pairings: Naruto x Sasuke, Naruto x Kakashi, Naruto x Itachi, Naruto x Shishui, Naruto x Shikamaru, but general fics, without any pairings, as long as the writing is good is also good too!

Favorite Fics:

Stormborn

Backslide

Sharingan rising series by weialala

Of Harrowed Hearts

With Nothing On My Tongue

Vermillion

Chance For A Prophecy

Life in Konoha's ANBU

Beginner's Luck

Lest You Fade Here All Alone

Come Out of the Ashes

Guardian of Fire

All of These Waves

Threads of Fate

Reluctant Fangirling and Other Seductions

-by Uchiha Sasuke series

Nibi

Six Years series

Please, if anyone can point me to the right fanfics! Thank you!

[team7-headquarter]

A little guide for my personal use, but could come in handy to understand my Diamond Girls au:

⠀

— SETTING / WORLDBUILDING :

This world is based on Naruto, manga/anime by Kishimoto. However, it's an alternative universe set on semi modern times, where even the best shinobi only holds a low reserve of chakra. Therefore, the characters are forced to rely more on their ninja like abilities and well, rely on guns and weapons.

Example A: the Susanoo technique allows the user to fortify their skin and clothes, along with giving them enhanced strength and speed, but it is not a giant spectral warrior who can cut down mountains in half.*

*No one in this au can take down a mountain.

Example B: the Byakugan have a time limit of usage that corresponds with the chakra reserves of the user AND it can't shut down completely chakra pathways. Although it can be used instead for strategies and tactics, as well as to wear down the enemy with heavier strikes to their systems.

⠀

— TIME LINE / AGES / DATES :

– GUIDE :

Let's call the year the Konoha 12 were born the Point Zero or Year Zero (Y. 0) and count accordingly.

Minato became Hokage on year 3, did the shinobi system reformation on year 4 and died on year 8. The sannins reached the village on year 9. The Konoha 12 started their Academy phase on year 9 and became genins on year 16.

The main timeline starts on year 20, with the Konoha 12 getting reunited to train together for the Chunnin Exams.

– AGE REFERENCES :

Based on how old were they on year zero:

The Sannins were 35 years old.

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura were 55 years old.

Sakumo Hatake was 38 years old (if he was still alive).

Fugaku Uchiha was 32 years old.

Mikoto Uchiha, Shibi Aburame, Hizashi Hyuga, Hiashi Hyuga and Rasa (Gaara's dad) were all 26 years old.

Most parents of the Konoha 12 were 22 years old: Minato, Kushina, Shikaku Nara, Chozo Akimichi, Inojin Yamanaka, Tsume Inuzuka, etc.

Except Kakashi, who was 14 years old.

Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara, Asuma Sarutobi, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, Anko Mitarashi and all of that generation were 16 years old.

Shishui Uchiha was 11 years old.

Itachi Uchiha was 7 years old.

The Konoha 12 were born that year or maximum 2 years prior.

Konohamaru would be born on year 4.

– REFORMED SHINOBI SYSTEM :

From ages 0 to 8, children are encourage to develop a sense of citizenship in the village. Those feelings should grow as the ideals who would made of them great shinobis. Around this time the clans would teach their children most of their traditions. They're not expected to understand/apply the knowledge yet. For civilian kids, these years are just school years and could be filled with the families teaching them a new profession, unless they desire to follow the shinobi path.

Minato created the new system intending so no more children were forced to go to war.

It favors the education of highly skilled shinobi and medic nins in order to decrease the death rates. It also favors adaptability and creativity, to avoid getting skillful shinobi stuck on a stiff team structure.

From ages 8 to 12, it's Academy I. On this period the children are taught the basics of the shinobi world. Their schedules still allows free afternoons and weekends for them to play or spend however they like. Most civilian kids leave on this stage when they realize they don't want to be shinobi. Also, this stage separates the kids in three secret categories: genius, average, special interests.

From ages 12 to 16, it's called Academy II or Field Academy. Here happens the heavy load, with simulated missions and full schedules. Here geniuses are tested to verify their ability to manage a real life challenge. If they pass, they'll go directly to anbu at 16. The average kids will be trained to become genins at 14 or maybe 15, ready to be assigned to the field. The special interest children (clan kids) get recommendations to join a special program as genins, where they'll have to balance missions with their continuing education.

Ages 16 to 20. Teenagers leave the Academy as genins sorted in the following categories: Far Above Average (FAA), Above Average (AA), Average (A), Slightly Below Average (SBA) or Below Average (BA).

⠀⠀⠀Based on this, there are 5 options as a genin:

1— ANBU / BLACK OPS: for FAA only. They become chunnin, not genin. Every FAA who wants this option must have passed their psychological examination.

2— GENERAL FORCES: mostly for A, SBA and BA. This genins are the common force behind most of the mission that reach Konoha. They go directly to work at the field, being either in D-rank mission outside Konoha or helping the village.

3— SPECIALIZATIONS: for all categories if they have recommendations. This is mostly for clan kids or genins interested in special areas like I&T. Like the general forces, they're assigned in groups of three members, but they take fewer missions and focus more on learning their roles in the village.

4— SUPPORT SYSTEM: for all categories. Similar to the specializations, this is for genins that want to work on an specific area in short-term programs. They help run most of Konoha, act as messengers and members of the administrative staff, etc.

After reaching 20 years old, any shinobi is competing within the system for promotions and higher ranks. There are different ways of becoming chunnin, not always having to pass the Chunnin Exams. Minato's reform helped raise the common age to take the exam to 18 and 20 years old. Only FAA take the exams or are promoted before that age.

5— SANNIN PROGRAMS OR OPERATIONS: open to all categories without recommendation. However, it's not compatible to any other category. Genins who join this option leave behind their clans and teams, since their loyalty must lay with the sannin and the new mates in the program/project. Not all genins can access them. They must past the test of the sannins or their subordinates in order to get accepted.

⠀

— PERSONALITIES / DYNAMIC CHANGES :

Every character in this au is slightly changed by the difference in experience on this world.

For example, Akatsuki is not as radicalized as in the manga, although they are working with one of the sannins to kill Hiruzen (wait and see!). Without Madara / the Zetzus to control them and with Yahiko still alive, they fight to bring peace to all nations. The morally greys.

Sakura met Chiyo during her specialization, when Sakura studied in Sunagakure for a year. The circumstances of their fight with Sasori where different. Chiyo didn't die and Sasori was taken back to a prison in Suna. The specifics in the fic.

Sasuke is more openly affectionate (barely) because his family is alive. What makes him more like his manga self is Fugaku treatment and the political context suffocating him. The Uchihas are the next clan to eliminate after the Senjus and the Uzumakis, a international complot with Danzo being the executioner of Konoha. There're other factors, like Akatsuki and the Sannins.

Kakashi is equally guilt ridden but at least Rin is alive. He focus on supporting her with her chronic illness condition, an aftermath of her being a jinchuriki and Kakashi's chidori, (here chidori is an attack to the nervous system capable of frying it in full force. Rin fell on a coma but Tsunade was able to "reboot her system"). Also Obito is Tobi, but not a puppet of Madara. He works with Akatsuki and later with Itachi and Jiraiya and other shinobis to clean Konoha's corruption.

On their Academy II era, Team 7 went to the Land of the Waves mission. Haku was saved. It happens that Itachi had read the mission specifications some time later after the team assignment and immediately sent Shisui to them when he realized the real danger they were in. With his speed, he was able to reach the bridge on time. Chidori affected Haku's nerve system, but his natural cold kekkei genkai allowed his body to enter a coma that could be stabilized with Sakura's knowledge of medical ninjutsu. At this point in time, Sakura had been taking spare lessons from Tsunade for 5 years. Shisui took Haku on emergency back to Konoha, where Tsunade took care of him, having experience with Rin. Haku was them basically adopted by Kurenai (an accident, really!).

And so on. The characters and dynamics won't be the same as in the manga/anime, because the circumstances are not the same either. Although I try to respect the bases of how they're written.

Most of the main conflicts are there, except for Kaguya and Madara. The real conflict is the political corruption of the hidden villages, responsible for the Uzumaki genocide and Minato and Kushina's deaths, for example. They want to eliminate the Uchihas for the same reason why they wanted the Uzumakis gone or the Senjus buried. Other things they don't like and want to erase: Akatsuki, Jiraiya and Tsunade; the first for helping Naruto on his journey to figure out the truth about his clan and parents, the second for pushing for the medical shinobis age and preaching that medics can overrule most shinobis at war.

Etc.

[mechazilla94]

“I had a bad dream…can I sleep with you?” (Baby Itsuki to Ako and Shishui)

Shisui inhaled sharply as he awoke from a sharp knee striking his recovering ribs due to his toddler climbing over his chest in an attempt to get between her mother and father. The jonin had just gotten out of the hospital. Danzo had his Root ANBU try to assassinate him for loudly disagreeing with the meeting he had overheard. They knew about the coup of the Uchiha and now he knew they wanted Itachi to kill the clan including his brother.

Shisui hated the elders for doing this to his little cousin and he would make the elders pay for attempting to hurt Itachi like that. Even if he had to leave the village and his family to do it.... But until he had to make a decision, he would protect his family... "Of course, sweet raven, what was your bad dream?" he cooed

[kcgarashi]

"♦"

( if I sent this before pls ignore >.<)

Send me a "♦" for the first word my muse thinks of when your muse is mentioned. // @shisui-uchiha-anon

"Conflict."

"There's a few warmer words that come after, calming being one of them, ironically. Sometimes addictive. There really shouldn't be, any other words I mean, but there is. He's someone who seems to be in conflict with himself. He's gone through a lot, too much for one person probably and because of that he'll never really know peace. And he inspires that same conflict amongst others, myself and anyone he knew before...everything included. I don't think I've ever felt so confused about how I feel towards someone before, I could be really selfish and say it's not fair of hm but Shishui's just...Shisui. And that's enough."

[sourslices]

The Hand That Feeds - Chapter 1: Because Dreaming Costs Money, My Dear

Category: Gen (For Now) Rating: T

Fandom: Naruto Pairing: (Undecided) Haruno Sakura-centric

Summary: Forced to leave home after her father's execution, Sakura must now survive the path of the shinobi while taking care of her brother at the same time.

(AKA: Sakura is an immigrant without any family save for her brother. Sakura meets Shisui. Sakura does not befriend Ino. She has no friendship to break over a crush she can't risk to have.) (Things change.)

Chapter One: Because Dreaming Costs Money, My Dear

(excerpt below the break)

In her mind’s eye, the girl could only see numerous bills laid out before her, and the amount of money she worked hard to earn. It was enough, but just barely so. They managed by living on scraps, because even that was a luxury. 

Sakura wanted the best for Yuuji. She wanted him safe. She wanted to give him the world.

She wanted him to achieve his dreams — the ones Sakura never got to even dream about.

“Are you… sure, Yuuji?”

“I am, ‘Kura-nee.”

“Look at me,” she ordered softly. When the boy turned his head around, she pressed her forehead against his. A small smile appeared when her brother’s own wobbly lips stretched into a teary smile. “I’ll be very honest, ‘kay? Being a shinobi is really dangerous and hard, but if you want this really badly… I’ll… I’ll try.”

She would try. 

Even if it meant that she had to stretch herself thin. Even if it meant she would have to pick extra shifts for several jobs, including clean-up at the brothel. She would do anything to make her brother happy.

“You will?”

“Yeah,” she breathed out. “It’ll– it’ll take a while. I’ll have to graduate first, okay? Then we can enrol you into the Academy. You’ll— you’ll be a little older than your classmates, but that’s alright.”

[kedrthetree]

*billie eilish plays in the background*

[peakypacks]

naruto shippuden headers like or reblog if you save

[robinstrangersblog]

Ｉｔａｃｈｉ ｅ Ｓｈｉｓｕｉ ❤️

[mallml]

Can you tell the story behind that shisui and anko fanarrt you did? I AM SO CURIOOUSSS

@itslulu42

Anko had just crystallized the last strand of venom when the laboratory door slid open and Master Orochimaru swept in. She had completed the lattice perfectly on her first try.

She pulled down her goggles and rushed to her mentor–“Master! Master! I did it!”–only to be met with a chastising uplift of his hand.

“Sorry, sorry,” she muttered, chagrined that she had failed to notice the vocoder attached to his throat and ear. Orochimaru-san was on a call.

Anko bowed and backed away. Over the course of her apprenticeship with the Snake Sannin, she had had to acquire the agonizing art of patience. As her master glided around the room, adjusting a rack here, running a suspicious finger over a shelf there, Anko cleaned her station and began the prep for stage nine of her assignment. She paused every now and then to admire the razor-edged, glistening perfection of her matrix.

“Of course the… organ is viable, do you take me for a butter-fingered apprentice?” In a lesser person, Master’s elegant sneer would have come across as a snap. “No, I will not deliver it to you tonight. Nor may you come to pick it up. I have experiments in mind that will take some little while to complete.”

Anko smirked. Like her, her master was not one to mince words, not even when he spoke to the likes of Hyuga-taicho or Nara-taicho, or even Sarutobi-sama himself.

“No, I can not say. They may take months; they may take years. Amuse yourself with what you already have.” Orochimaru-san pulled the vocoder off with an uncharacteristically brusque gesture and tossed the expensive apparatus onto the nearest lab table. He frowned at her. “Anko. We have a new occupant in the lower levels. Make sure he stays alive, for the time being.”

“Master.” Anko knew his irritation was not directed at her; still, she spoke hesitantly. “I completed stage eight. At least, I think I did. It looks like the example you showed me, anyway….”

Orochimaru-san’s irritated expression gave way to a smile. “Already? That is a very complex procedure, Anko-chan. My little rat, you are going to accomplish great things.”

—–‘Alive… for now’ was one of Orochimaru-san’s little jokes. He never starved or abused his prisoners, the way some taichos did. Nor did he keep them for the sake of politics or status. All the inhabitants of the lower levels had something special–a talent or a tech or a body part–that Master wanted to study or harvest. He either freed them or killed them cleanly once he had no further use for them.

Anko’s job was to keep them fed and watered. As for hygiene, thank goodness, Master had snakes for that.

The new arrival was in mid-security with a null-collar on. He had unusual hair, curling out from beneath a bandage that covered both eyes, and bruises and cuts all over.

Anko slid the tray of food through the grate. “Hey, mister,” she said loudly. The bandage covered his ears, too. “I brought you some food. It ain’t much, but it’ll keep you alive, y'know?”

No response.

“Did you hear me or what?”

A slow nod.

“Look, I know things don’t seem so great right now, but you gotta try and keep your spirits up. At least you ain’t rotting away in, say, a Uchiha dungeon. I mean, with us, you still might walk outta here intact, y'hear me? I was in your shoes once, not that you have shoes”–there was a faint smile at that, it wasn’t just the flicker of the ailing light matrix, Anko was sure–“and look at where I am now–ugh, sorry, sorry! I can’t believe I said that! Look, just forget–augh, I did it again, didn’t I?”

There was definitely a smile now.

“Right, I’m gonna open the door and come in–don’t try any fancy tricks. I might have a little voice but that don’t mean I’m a little kid. I grew up a street rat, y'hear me? And even if you got past me, you won’t get past the snakes. I’m setting down the food tray, right next to you, what’s the matter, ain’t you gonna eat it? Our bread’s not good enough for you, huh, mister? Well, tough, it’s all you’re getting. Don’t freak out, but I’m gonna pick up your hand now”–his fingers were cold and calloused, crisscrossed with cuts that broke anew under her touch–“and put it around this cup, it’s water inside, and the bread’s right next to it. How about a ‘thank’ee kindly, miss’?”

The prisoner sat silent and motionless, his hand folded around the mug just as she’d placed it. Shrugging, Anko licked his blood off her fingers, left the cell and locked the door behind her.

As she opened the door to the stairwell, she heard it. “Thank you kindly, miss,” in a raspy whisper.

Then, a clearing of the throat and, as she ascended the steps, “You know, I wouldn’t agree at all that you have a little voice.”

[soosdraws]

C3 for TenzoxShisui? If you want?

Here u go! 

[thedevilsfamiliar]

Am I thirsty for Madara Uchiha?

You fucking bet baby!