#while with sasuke and sakura its a whole mess from start to finish

[bananaman-mp3]

this is probably a hot take a lot of you are not gonna like but leopika is kinda what sasusaku would be like if sasuke and sakura were actually good friends that mutually respected each other

[undercover-stories]

Overcoming Distance

7th/Last Chapter. AO3 here

When it happens, no one is surprised except for Naruto who was unsurprisingly surprised.

Anyone who didn’t know anything about the two best friends (and even some people who did know them) would have assumed that Naruto was the one who wanted to volunteer for the carnival fundraiser and had forced Sasuke to join him when really it was the latter who’d brought it to the former’s attention and in turn, the blonde had brought it to the attention of all of their friends. Naruto had just naturally assumed Sasuke was joining but it’s not like the Uchiha had put up any fight against it.

By the time their friend group had met up to discuss the event, Sasuke even had a few suggestions ready to be thrown into the pile of what each of them could contribute.

The only ones who couldn’t join were Sakura who had back to back projects and assignments to be finished for medical school, Neji who was already volunteering that day as an instructor for an event at the local dojo and Ino who was helping her father for a scheduled catering event that had booked their family business for almost the whole day.

Nagato, the coordinator for the fundraiser, a charity that was aimed at raising money to provide aid for refugees, had been ecstatic and in near tears to see so many people sign up as volunteers. By the time the event came around, almost half of the stands, stalls and activities were being handled by the group alone.

There was a wide variant of things the group had decided to do. Kiba and Juugo had both opened up a petting area with animals that were up for adoption with the fees going to the charity. Their small fenced area was filled with loud yapping puppies and the quiet mewls of kittens being held by both child and adults alike. Sai and Gaara managed a play pen that kept kids entertained with arts and crafts projects. Though somewhere along the way it had become a face painting area when a 6 year old said they liked Gaara’s forehead tattoo and wanted one for herself which of course meant a dozen other kids wanted in on it as well. But if you passed their area, the smiles on both Gaara and Sai’s faces were both sincere even under all the smudged ‘artwork’ they got from kids who wanted them to share in the fun too.

Choji could be found behind a grill and wok, frying up Katsu chicken and burgers while Tenten neatly arranged them into their seperate bento boxes. Complete with rice balls decorated with seaweed cutouts that made them look like pandas. Hinata stood beside a steaming pot of miso soup ladled into seperate containers and topped with colourful wheat balls that were a favorite among the younger crowd.

Shino had an insectarium exhibit set up where a surprising amount of children and adults were ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ over his collection. You could tell how much time had passed by the sound of children screaming gleefully and dramatically as they reacted to Shino’s insect show that he held every half hour. Which was basically just him taking out each insect from its cage or jar in turn to let people look up close. The loudest screams in particular came when he took out his Pink Toe Tarantula that he’d lovingly named Hachi or ‘Lucky Number 8’. Shino had never claimed to be original.

Lee was meant to be resting after coming back (victorious) from a Track & Field competition the previous day but no one was surprised when he showed up anyway and started entertaining children and adults alike by showing off his athletic skills. The last he’d been seen was effortlessly doing push ups while perfectly balancing 3 kindergarteners on his back as a gaggle of other small children and their parents were cheering him on.

And in the center of it all, coincidentally, was Naruto, manning a stall surrounded by every kind of plant imaginable from cactuses, waist length lime trees, orchids in every colour conceivable and even herbs in small pots arranged in a chaotic mess of basil, rosemary and sage. Everything that could be grown under the sun and outside of it could possibly be found spread all around and under their tent. And Naruto was energetically bouncing from one customer to the next, effortlessly explaining and answering questions, giving his recommendations, advice and suggestions all while leaving Sasuke at the cashier to deal with the monetary exchanges. Though the Uchiha didn’t mind. Whennever there was a lull in the clientele at the cashier he’d find himself distracted by the way Naruto was enjoying himself immensely. Flouncing from one sapling to seedling, waving his hands exuberantly as he undoubtedly waxed poetry about the plant being scrutinized by a potential patron. There was barely anyone who left barehanded after spending even 5 minutes with the blonde. The most bought item were succulents which, Naruto proclaimed confidently, were great plants for beginners who were afraid their carelessness and memory would end up making their newly bought plants suffer due to lack of care.

By the last hour of the fair, most of the plants were gone, and after waving goodbye to their last customer, Naruto trotted his way to Sasuke’s side, an ever widening grin on his face when he sees the makeshift money till they were using was filled to the brim. A part of it would be given to Ino to cover for the cost of the plants her family’s flowershop had provided for them but the rest was going to the charity.

Sasuke gives Naruto a slightest uptick of the corner of his lips before both of them turn to cast their eyes at the rest of their friends. Kiba and Juugo were running after the few animal that hadn’t been adopted to get them back into their cages. Gaara and Sai had a rainbow of colours decorating their face in the form of everything from misshapen flowers to stick figures and Kanji spelling what the duo assumed must have been the names of some of the children. Sai was putting away all the art craft materials while Gaara himself was busy finishing off his ‘artwork’ on one last preteen. The kohl around his eyes squinted at the far edges in concentration before finally releasing the child who ran excitedly to show his mother what looked like a pikachu on his cheek.

Everyone else was also packing up and Sasuke turned to look at Naruto again when he heard his name being called.

“Thank you. I wouldn’t have known if you didn’t find out about this. We might have missed it completely”

The Uchiha rolled his eyes. Of course, the dobe wouldn’t give himself any credit for being the one to actually rally their friends to partake in the event in the first place. But his chiding is left twisted on his tongue at the sight of Naruto gazing at him with his gleaming sea blue eyes and a grin shining so brightly it could replace the sun.

Instead, he leaned forward and met his best friends lips with his.

The squeak of surprise is expected but when Naruto gave no other form of protest, Sasuke allowed himself the luxury of lingering their kiss just a little longer before he pulled back.

It had been a chaste one so Sasuke can’t help but be amused when Naruto took a sudden gasp of air as if he’d been deprived of it for too long. Sasuke met his stare but his own eyes bore no confusion, no fear, no embarrassment. They simply reflected a peaceful contentment as if what he’d done hadn’t just given Naruto an earth shattering revelation.

“Did you just-“

“I did”

“But… why?”

“Usuratonkachi, why do you think?”

The blonde took way too long mulling over his answer, “You like me?”, he finally said tentatively.

Sasuke simply raised an unimpressed eyebrow at his best friend’s deduction, “I think kissing you means I feel more than just ‘like’”

“I know but… it doesn’t feel like there’s a right word to describe it”

Sasuke tilted his head to the side in a peculiar show of agreement at the sentiment. What he was certain though, was that what he felt for the other had grown beyond simply being platonic. He doesn’t know when it had done so but he feels that any curiosity on the matter to be irrelevant to what was happening now.

“So, what do you think?”

A crimson tinge flooded Naruto’s tanned cheeks and he turned his eyes away and rubbed the back of his neck, “I don’t know. I don’t have any experience in this sort of stuff. I mean, how can you tell the difference?”

Any other person might have seen Naruto’s hesitant demeanour to be a rejection but Sasuke isn’t just any other person. For all the affirmative statements Naruto has made in confidence about his dreams and his beliefs about the good in the world and the good he himself wants to bring into it, his best friend can find himself tongue tied over many other topics. But knowing what his upbringing was like, Sasuke is not surprised. Naruto wasn’t mincing words when he says he doesn’t understand. The blonde had grown up being so deprived of affection that when he'd been given some, it had washed over him like a wave. All in one. He might have seen love being potrayed in different ways in movies but that didn’t mean they taught him anything about it other than at a surface level. Other than the fact that it existed. They didn’t teach him how to decipher the distinctions.

Slowly, giving Naruto the space and chance to pull back if he felt the need to, Sasuke brought up a hand to palm the blonde’s cheek.

“I know that happiness doesn’t even begin to encompass what I feel when I’m with you. I know when I look at you, I feel safe. I know I want to hold you and be held by you. I know I want to do more than just kiss you. But most of all I know I want to do everything, with you knowing that you are the most important thing in my life and I will never feel for anything or anyone the way that I feel about you and if I have to spend the rest of my life proving that then I’ll do it gladly. I want to spend my time hearing you whine about not being able to find your favorite ramen flavor. I want to argue with you about how Kurama is leaving his fur all over my clothes when I come around your apartment. I want to hear you scold me when I stay up too late for class and not take enough rest. I want everything you are, good and bad, everyday, anyday. As long as it’s with you”

Naruto’s eyes seemed to widen even more at his words but whatever wonder that Sasuke could see in his irises were marred by downturn of his eyebrows, wrinkling the bridge of his nose

“What if you change your mind? What if this is just, I don’t know, a phase?”

“Do you remember what you said when I asked you what you meant about me being your friend?”

“Of course I do”

“Do you think you’ll ever change your mind about it?”

“no”

“Can you trust that I won’t either?”

The look Naruto gave him for his reply  looked like something inside his thoughts had finally clicked.

“But-”, the Uchiha adds carefully, “-you need to know I’m not expecting anything from you. You don’t have to feel the same way”

Naruto hurriedly shook his head as if trying to wave away his best friend's last statement. “I don’t know how I feel. But I know that I want everything that you want too. All of it”

The smile Naruto gives him as he said it, was fragile but it grew stronger every second as he realized what all of it meant.

“So, what do we do now?”

In reply, Sasuke pulled him in and their lips met again but this time Naruto kissed back.

And if neither of them notice money exchanging hands between their friends who’d been watching their interaction then it’s probably better for everyone’s sake.

[kishillaa]

SSM21 Day 24: Fairytale

"I really don't think I should go, Ino." Sakura, sprawling on her bed, before her was her revision book she more often than not study at when she's not busy running around the hospital for her seemingly never ending shift.

Ino is sitting on the chair of her study, wearing a camisole and short pants. Her baby blue eyes are thick with pleading emotion, "You don't have to be there long. Just until you have to go for your shift. You know I need you there. And plus, you have to go out once in a while. Till when are you planning to only stay indoor during your free time, which is rarely I might add."

"This isn't a fairytale for me to be leisurely go around and enjoy parties, Ino. I would really like the comfort of our home. My room." She said, gesturing to her room.

Ino crossed her hands over her chest and look pointedly at her bestfriend, "This isn't about a fairytale or not. You've gotta get out of this confined place once in a while. What comfort are you looking for over your books?"

Sakura push her book away a little and turn around to look at her bestfriend slash housemate. She and Ino has been bestfriends since kindergarten, while she pursue her study in medical school, Ino went on to take a major on psychology, and when she finished her study, she decided that modelling is her thing.

She's tried to be at every of her show for support but lately, she noticed that Ino has something up her sleeve. After her show that Sakura attend, she will introduce a fine young man and ditch her with him.

Sakura sighs, it might be a huge coincident that there's always a guy to introduce. Tonight though, she really couldn't go. She has a midnight shift, which started at 11. Ino's show starts at 8 and end around midnight. She has to prepare to work at least an hour prior so she could be there on time.

Mentally do the math, she thought maybe she can go home early, 9 something or 10 maybe. So she heaves another defeated sigh as Ino squeals, running towards her wardrobe to retrieve a dress for Sakura to wear.

3 hours later, Sakura found herself seated on a fancy chair facing the stage for a fashion show. It was a party like fashion show, where the show will be held during a formal dinner party.

Ino was flawless and beautiful as always, walking on the stage, styling her modelling dress and poses for pictures.

"That was great, Ino!" She exclaimed as her bestfriend approached her, "I don't understand why you were so nervous. You were perfect earlier, like you always did."

Ino giggles as she spoke, "Thanks, Sakura. But Mikoto Uchiha is my idol. To modelling her own collection she designed herself is an honor, and I was afraid I messed it up. You know how I am when I got nervous."

Sakura put her hand on Ino's shoulder in reassuring manner, "You worried for nothing, then."

Ino beamed at her, "You're the best! Anyway, I met this guy before I came here. His name is Sai and he asked if I want a drink. Do you mind if I–" She pause to smile sheepishly at her pink haired bestfriend.

Sakura rolls her eyes. Well, at least she isn't trying to hook her up with someone, "Alright, I need to head home soon, anyway."

Ino scoffs and shakes her pointing finger in Sakura's face, "Live up a little, will you? It's still early, why don't you court a few beautiful men here before you go back to that dreaded real life of yours. I'll suggest you live this great and amazing fairytale just for a moment." Ino walks away with one hand raises up for a goodbye.

Sakura lets out a snort at her bestfriend. "Fairytale my ass." She murmurs and glances at her wrist watch which she didn't often wear because of her job and decide that she'll kill a little of her time here before make her way home.

As she put the elegant cup on the tip of her mouth, her eyes caught a sight of a man, looking rather ravishingly good, standing, leaning against the wall, away from other people. His eyes train upon his iPhone, and as if sensing her eyeing him from afar, he lifts up his head and their eyes met.

Sakura feels like her breath stuck in her throat as she stares at that man's eyes himself, so devilishly handsome. She almost satisfy as his eyes moves to roam over her body – thank Ino for styling her in this pretty long dress that hug her body perfectly – and grateful that he looks up at her with a look that only meant he's interested.

Without further ado, Sakura place the glass in her hold on the table, rise herself up her seat and slowly, walk over his direction.

As she reaches him, she stopped a few steps away. Sakura tilted her head to the side. "Want a company?" And to that, ladies and gentlemen, Sakura hope the ground swallow her whole. What a lame thing to say for a good looking guy.

She almost stunt when the devil himself look amused before he nodded, "Sure."

Sakura grins up at him and move to stand beside him, leaning together against the wall as she cross her hands over her chest, "This kind of thing aren't really my forte." She told.

"That makes the two of us." She heard him mutters.

She looks at him, "Why come here then?"

"Mikoto is my mother."

Sakura's eyes almost bulged from its socket, "Mikoto? Like Mikoto Uchiha, the one hosting this party and designed those dresses?"

The guy, the handsome handsome guy lift up one eyebrow, "Yes. In fact, I wonder why you didn't recognise me yet."

Sakura chuckles lightly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Uchiha. But I don't know anything about you, or your mother, or your family. I heard my bestfriend talked about it, but never really care to know more. I came because she was one of your mother's model."

From her peripheral view, she saw him nodded, "I'm Sasuke, by the way." He said, as if detest the way she addressed him as Mr. Uchiha.

Sakura turns her body to face him, and pull out her hand, "Sakura. Sakura Haruno."

Her smiles, wide, bright and beautiful display before him and Sasuke couldn't help but hold her delicate hand in his, firmly shake it once, "It's a pleasure meeting you, Sasuke–kun." She was hesitant, as she add the honorific.

"The pleasure is all mine, Sakura."

Her name that roll out of his mouth molded through his tongue makes Sakura's heart skip a beat. Never has she ever heard her name sounded so sinfully good.

They didn't spoke after that, watching over people dancing through the ball room with the slow dance song. "You know," Sasuke heard Sakura spoke, gaining his attention to look over her, "I don't usually do this, but let's dance."

She thought he's going to decline her right away, but didn't startle when his hand is offered before her. Smiling up at him, Sakura slid her hand over his. He grips it with such gentleness and he leads them to the dance floor.

As they dance follow the tune of the song, he spoke. "You're not bad."

Sakura lets out a shy giggle and murmurs her thanks before she responded, "I was a cheerleader back in high school."

"I see."

"How about you? Do you do any sport?"

"I was in football team."

"That makes sense. What do you do now?"

He has the amused smile on his face that makes Sakura tilted her head to the side, "What?"

"You really don't know me."

"Should I?"

There is a light rise and fall of his shoulder, "I guess you don't really have to. My father own a law firm. I worked under him?"

"A lawyer then?"

A nod, "How about you?"

"Guess." She said, cheekily grins at him.

He do a once over at Sakura before he said, "A model."

That makes her snort, "Thank you for finding me that appealing. But no, I am not."

"A hint?"

"That will be too easy."

"Alright, I'll guess randomly. A teacher?"

A head shake from Sakura.

"Another lawyer?"

She chuckles, "I was interested in that when I was in school, but I found it too intense."

"A no then. I really think you'd make a nice model."

"I'm not really interested in those. I'm a residence in Konoha Hospital."

A surprise raised eyebrow, "A doctor. Surgeon?"

"Right." Sakura turn the hand that's over his neck to look at her watch. She sighs when it shows its a little over 10.

"In fact, I need to go now. My shift starts in an hour."

"Really?" That was definitely a disappointment in his tone.

Sakura let our a giggle and poke her finger on his chest, "I have a day off two days from now. Around seven in the evening at The Yakiniku?"

Sasuke lift an eyebrow teasingly, "Is it a date?"

"It's definitely a date. I need to go now. See you in two days." She pat a hand on his chest, and walk away.

That man, that beautiful, handsome and angelic face man, is probably the closest fairytale she has ever indulged herself in.

[teacup-set]

Giants

Summary: 'Thank you for the recipe', her note says, but what she really means is 'thank you for raising me, thank you for making me who I am.' She knows mama will know what she means, she always does. [SSS family]

Read on: AO3, FFN

x

The sun is low on the horizon and the sky looks like it's on fire. The contrast of the world has shifted, and the aged rust-orange of the hokage tower looks burning red like its early days. The villagers often joke that the sun burns brighter these days because there is a flame-fanning uchiwa in the hokage office, that the will-of-fire that was once a flickering flame is now a ferocious katon. 

In her office chamber, Sarada feels much more muted, heaving under the weight of the faith people put in her. This had always been her dream and she harbored no disillusion about how difficult it is to be hokage. And yet, she is crumbling. The kage summit that she is organizing looms on the horizon, and every half hour there seems to be a new logistical difficulty without fail. Just the administrative nightmare that is hosting the world's most powerful dignitaries in an event that is without a doubt a beacon for those with ill-intent has eaten up all her time. She hasn't even gotten to thinking about the delicate issues and negotiations she has to raise at the summit. She is overwhelmed, but people depend on her so she can't let it show. Part of her wants to run to her parents home, because there she is still a child, free from the weight of the world on her shoulders. There is no time for that though. Her parents, along with the Uzumakis, moved out from Konoha some years ago, choosing to spend their retirement away from the shinobi world in a rural part of Fire country. It would take too long to make the trip, and there is still much to do for the summit. 

Sarada eyes the phone on her desk. 'I could call, I suppose.'

Without thinking about it too much, she dials the number. By the second ring, she remembers to cough and clear her throat lest her voice gives away her frustration. By the fourth, her mother picks up. 

"Hello?" 

"Hi, mama!" says Sarada, forcing cheer into her voice. 

"Sarada! How are you sweetie?" Sakura chimes. Already, Sarada feels lighter. 

"I am good, mama. How are you and papa?" asks Sarada, resting her chin on her palm. 

"We are both well sweetheart, though you and the others should drop by once in a while," her mother's voice becomes fainter as she speaks, like she is turning away from the mouthpiece, "Otherwise your father and uncle Naruto will keep trying to fill the void by acting like children themselves." and Sarada imagines her mother is eyeing some mess they have made in the background. She laughs. 

"Okay, okay, I will try to make a trip soon." she concedes. The line is silent for a second. 

"Sarada, is everything okay?" Sakura asks, and immediately Sarada wants to kick herself for thinking she could ever fool her mother. Both her and her papa agree, they could give the whole world the slip, but mama knows them by heart. 

"Yeah, of course." Sarada attempts, and from the silence from the other end she knows she has failed. "It's nothing, mama. Just stressed. The hokage summit is next week and Konoha is hosting." she admits in defeat. 

"Oh darling, that's a lot of work. Are you holding up okay?" 

Sarada wants to refrain from worrying her mother, but it is a chance to finally vent out all that she has been holding in and she is verging on desperate so she bites. 

"I...don't know mama. There is a lot to do." she starts, "I am still trying to take care of all the security measures. There is tension between Kumo and Hoshi, and they will not allow the Raikage delegation to cross into the land of fire." 

"Iwa and Oto have also been bickering. I really hope they will behave at the summit, otherwise I don't know how I'll handle them." she sighs and continues as Sakura patiently listens, "Even beyond the kage summit there is more to do. There have been a few bad harvests near the south east border, and sending provisions from the center's stock takes too long. Most of it rots by the time it gets there. The Fire Daimyo asked the Daimyo of Tea country to help since they are closer, but they refuse. Apparently we have 'a history of not interfering in each other's affairs' and that's how they want to keep it. Can you believe that?" she huffs angrily. 

"Sarada, is this line secure?" Sakura asks, her voice level. 

"Uh, yeah. I am calling from my office." Sarada replies, taken aback by her mother's sudden question. 

"Okay." Sakura begins, "The daimyo is wrong. Fire country and Tea country don't interact because of Tea country's reluctance to interact with nations that have shinobi villages. But during the time Lord Second was Hokage, Tea was experiencing tensions with Sea Country. Something to do with ships from Sea Country intercepting the cargo from Tea, I think? Anyway, they had requested help from Fire country then." 

Sarada sits up straighter, listening attentively. 

"They requested the Leaf to assassinate one of the people involved. They happened to be a higher-up in Sea country's government, and if the responsible party was discovered it would have caused a scandal." Sakura explained, "An ANBU unit was dispatched to take care of it, without any official mission report or paper transaction to make sure it would not be traced. But just in case they were discovered, to ensure that the Leaf would not be held responsible as the perpetrator, the Second kept a signed declaration from the Tea Daimyo sealed away. You should be able to find it in Lord Second's section of the records room. Not only is it proof that Fire and Tea have been involved in each other's affairs, this is information that Tea would very much like to avoid from entering the public domain. It might help you make your case, though I can't imagine how wicked someone would have to be to refuse to feed the hungry." Sakura finishes, sounding angered. 

Sarada is stunned. After quickly jotting down a note to check the records room, she pauses. Then slowly realization dawns. To her, mama is mama. Mama who braids her hair, always overcooks the fish, and doesn't believe in separating laundry by colours. But mama is also Uchiha Sakura. She was trained by two hokage, and was also on the same team as one (-and a half). For the longest time, she was also the director of the hospital and one of Konoha's most prestigious diplomats. There is perhaps no one in the village who has been in and out of the hokage building more than mama has. Of course she would know. Mama always has the answers, after all. 

"I...thank you, mama." Sarada stumbles, still basking in the awe of her belated realization. 

"Shh, sweetheart, don't thank me." from behind her, Sarada hears movement in the background, and then her papa's voice- 

"Who is it?" Sasuke inquires, asking Sakura. 

"It's Sarada, my love." Sarada blushes slightly, still embarrassed by her parents' affections towards each other, as she listens to her mother catch her father up on their conversation. In the next instant, her papa is on the phone. 

"Sarada. There is an alternate route from Kumo to Konoha through a set of islands near Whirlpool. I am sending you a map, await my hawk." her father's steady, reassuring voice carries through the phone. 

Once again, Sarada has to reckon with who her parents really are. Her memories of her father revolve around eating breakfast in the early mornings, packing lunches for mama, and throwing Kunai in the afternoons. But her father has traveled the whole world, and not just this one. He has inherited knowledge from the founder of the shinobi world itself. There is so much in this world that only he knows. 

"I will, papa, thank you." Sarada says, in a daze. 

"Hn." her father replies, satisfied, and then her parents have swapped the phone again. 

"Sweetie, is there anything else we can do?" worry rings in her mother's voice. 

The laundry list of tasks she has to complete is still infinite, but suddenly Sarada's heart is inflated again. She is ready. 

"No, mama, I can handle the rest." she says with confidence. 

She hears the smile in her mama's voice. "Of course you can, love." 

"You're doing a much better job than the idiot." Her father mutters in the background. 

Sarada gazes at her reflection in the window of her office. Staring back at her are her father's eyes, and the purple diamond on her forehead passed down from her mother. Her eyes trail to the hokage regalia hanging next to the door, but instead of feeling daunted, she is reminded of her earliest memory of them. The same cloak and hat, hanging on the back of a dining chair in her childhood home, first when Lord Sixth would come over for dinner, and then Lord Seventh. The same cloak that would hang between her father's dark one and her mother's lab coat, the same place it still belongs. It dawns on her simply. She was born to giants. She was raised by giants. And she is a giant too. 

Her reverie is broken by her mother's voice carrying through the phone. 

"Sarada, have you eaten dinner?" 

Suddenly Sarada wants to burst out laughing. Only her mother could go from delicate, high-risk politics to dinner without a pause. 

"No mama, not yet." she answers, smiling. 

"Sarada!" her mother exclaims, and her father clucks his tongue in disapproval. 

"You must eat, Sarada." her father's stern voice reminds her, and Sarada feels her heart soar. Some things are still simple, and for that she is grateful. 

"Oh, Sarada! Your father and I tried a new silken tofu recipe! You will like it, I am sure. I will send it with your father's hawk!" her mother gushes, then turns to her father, "Darling, do you think we could send some of the cucumbers we harvested, too? They will pair well." 

Her father grunts in approval and already Sarada can hear him walking away, no doubt to ready his bird. 

"We won't keep you anymore sweetie, you have work to do. Just make sure you eat!" her mother chides. 

Sarada wants to tell her, 'You aren't keeping me from anything. I will make time for you always. I love you with all my heart.' Instead she says- 

"Okay, mama. I will see you both soon." because she will, and then she will tell them. 

"Alright then. Bye sweetheart." Sarada savors the cadence of her mother's voice and then the phone disconnects, leaving her in the silence of her office. 

Outside the sun has set, but Sarada's heart is ablaze anew.

x

The hokage summit is completed, treaties are negotiated, the famine is tackled, and just as it always has been, new problems swiftly replace the old ones. Sarada is unflinching, she knows she will solve them, just as she always has. 

She finishes tying an envelope to the messenger hawk she is sending her parents’ way. Inside is a photograph of the silken tofu she made, and a note. 

'Thank you for the recipe', it says, but what she really means is 'thank you for raising me, thank you for making me who I am.' She knows mama will know what she means, she always does.

Fin.

AN: Inspired by the poem “My mother texts me instructions to cook silken tofu” by Sue Zhao, and my general dislike of being grown up. 

[redcameleon]

Superstar Series

Chapter 12: Absence

Summary: Sasuke coincidentally meets Sakura again after 6 months. Let’s just say their interaction was still a bit tense. 

Rating: K.

A/N: Still a little angsty on this one. But I promise things will get better in the next chapter.

His following days are basically running on autopilot. Vocal lessons in the morning, followed by dance practices for the rest of the day, adding art concept meetings here and there. His whole body will ache, mind drained, before ending the day with a nice hot shower and 5 hours of sleep max. He supposes it helps him shove thoughts of Sakura to the very back of his mind, when your mind is constantly worrying about other things.

Days turn to weeks, and weeks turn to months, and before he knows it, it’s been six months since he last saw her.

Nearing their final stages for their tour planning, everyone is both excited and on edge. Worries start to pile up between the members. What if I mess up on this routine? What if I can’t sing live well? What if the costumes rip in the middle of a performance?

Muscles never being this tense before, his body is slowly begging for him to take a break.

The members are all sprawled out on the floor of their dance studio. The air is filled with huffs and puffs and the smell of sweat as the members end their dance practice for the day.

“Man, I’m exhausted!” Kiba exclaims as he takes a bottle of water, downing it all in one go. Too tired to even talk, the four of them just stay there lying next to each other, trying to catch their breaths.

Sasuke’s gaze lingers on the grey ceiling, noticing the small cracks on the edge and the ridges. As his breathing calms down, his mind starts wandering to a time where he didn’t feel this mentally drained. As much as he loves his job, he admits how taxing it can be. Flashes of pink start to fill his consciousness as he blinks them away.

“I miss Sakura-chan.” Naruto suddenly breathes, catching him by surprise. When was the last time he heard her name? Sasuke shifts to look at his teammate.

“I mean she’s always here bringing us food and drinks. But suddenly she just quit.” Memories of a certain pinkette walking into their dance studio with a plastic bag full of snacks and treats, and another one with beverages. Instinctively, the corners of his mouth tugs into a small smile.

He feels a pang on his chest at the sudden flashbacks. Just when he thinks he’s been doing a good job pushing away any thoughts of her, he’ll always be reminded of the power of her presence. Not just to him, but to the group.

Feeling how thick the air has gotten, Suigetsu gets up and beams his voice.

“Hey hey hey come on I’m starving! Let’s grab dinner! I’ve been craving for some fried chicken right now.”

“I’m in.” One by one they gather their belongings before exiting the studio.

.

.

“Itadakimasu!” Having food delivered after a long day of practice is always the best feeling. At least, to these four men. Downing their meal in a flash, replenishing their lost energy, the members continue to gobble at their meal in silence, focusing too much at the food in front of them.

Just when everyone is starting to slow down, they finally start cracking a conversation. Be it something about the food, or about their newest choreography, or something as random as who invented fried chicken, the members never run out of things to talk about. This is one of the things Sasuke’s grateful about. He never fails to find comfort in his teammates. Sharing the same house with them definitely has its effects. He can slowly feel the fatigue being drained away.

When their last conversation starts to die down, Naruto finds it his opportunity to address an issue that’s been in the back of his mind.

“So, Sasuke. I’ve been noticing that you look really down recently.”

“I’m just tired, that’s all.” Sasuke doesn’t spare a glance, choosing to finish the last chicken leg on the plate.

“Oh cut the bullshit. I know that’s not all.” The members all become silent. Leave it to them to completely read Sasuke like an open book. The members have always been skilled at reading his emotions even without him saying anything.

“Yeah, Sasuke. We’ve all been noticing it. What’s up?” Now all the members’ attention is on him. He supposes he can’t hide it any longer. They are his teammates after all, and they deserve to know.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Sasuke sets down his chopsticks, mentally preparing himself for the long overdue story. The members all leaned in, attentively listening to him without even cutting him off. The air is thick as Sasuke, who only occasionally, lets out his deepest feelings and troubles that he’s never told anyone else. Because that’s how much he trusts them. And when Sasuke’s story is finished, he lets out a breath he doesn’t know he was holding.

“To be fair, we kinda already know you and Sakura had a thing.” Suigetsu finally speaks on their behalf. “But we didn’t want to assume anything without hearing it from you first.”

In awe, Sasuke’s face turns considerably redder, unaware that the members have known all this time. Feeling embarrassed for being so emotionally vulnerable in front of them, he scoffs and continues munching on his chicken thigh.

Naruto just chuckles on the side, swinging his arm around Sasuke’s shoulder.

“But all that aside, we’re really sorry for what happened between you two. I think you two really look good together.” Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, Naruto can relate with him too well. He’s secretly developing a crush towards a certain dark blue-haired woman who happens to be Sakura’s coworker. But that’s for another story.

“I know our jobs are really hard. But you can’t sacrifice your own happiness.” Kiba adds in. Being in the same career path as him, he knows all too well the things that they had to sacrifice to get where they are.

As if on cue, they all let out a heavy sigh. Their troubles might still be present, but Sasuke feels a heavy burden is somehow lifted from his shoulders. He is finally able to breathe a little, and he is forever grateful for them.

.

.

Deciding that the members need a little break, Shikamaru, OG Shikamaru, decides to give them all two days off. Judging from all the hard work they’ve put in, he was initially going to settle for one, but with a lot of convincing, finally decided for two.

Wearing a baseball cap and a black face mask, the basic necessities for an idol, he takes a stroll around a nearby river. He stuffs his hands in his pockets as he lets the cool breeze blow past him. He notices a nearby park where children are playing in the swings and the slide, with their parents right behind them or chatting off to the side. He glances at the couples sitting by the edge of the river, having mini picnics with their loved ones. It is relatively quieter than usual, after all it is a weekday.

Sasuke walks past a bench that sits under a lush tree, overlooking to the body of water. Just as he is about to tear his gaze away, he notices something pink. His eyes immediately dart towards it. The sunlight bears down on him as he tries to make out the silhouette of a person sitting on that bench. But he can recognize that silhouette from anywhere.

Sakura.

His feet start moving on their own accord, making their way towards the bench. She doesn’t seem to have noticed him approaching when he finally approaches from the side.

“Is this seat taken?”

“No, go ahea-“ Sakura turns her face to greet the stranger when she finally realizes it’s Sasuke. Her whole body freezes, her eyes widen at the sight in front of him. It’s been six months, six months too long, since the last time she had seen his face. She can barely see his face under all that “disguise” but she’ll always recognize those pairs of onyx. She always seems to find herself lost in them, just like now. She clears her throat and nudges herself to the edge, leaving enough space for him to sit next to her.

Sasuke moves to take a seat at a respectful distance. They both don’t dare to look at each other, instead settling on looking at the horizon in front of them. Sakura’s gaze seems transfixed to the sun’s reflection on the water.

“It’s been a while.” She finally speaks.

“Aa.”

“How are the members?” Sasuke’s pride is a little hurt when the first thing Sakura asks is about the members.

“Hn. They’re fine. But tired.”

“Ah I see.” She remembers they must be practicing like hell for their upcoming tour. With the album preparation on the way too, they’re bound to be exhausted to the bone. “Has it been really busy lately?”

“Hm. Practice all day every day. Shikamaru’s been kind enough to give us two days off.” Sakura lets out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness for Shikamaru. He really is looking out for them all the time, something she’ll always be grateful for.

“Make sure you guys take your vitamins regularly, and never skip a meal.” Leave it to Sakura to always worry about him and the others. Sasuke’s heart flutters a bit seeing how concerned she is.

“Hn. Aa. How are you?” He’s been very curious as to what she’s been doing. She was practically jobless after she quit the company. He wonders if she’s found a new place to work. He wonders if she’s been thinking about him, or if she’s erased him completely. He wonders if he still has a place in her heart somewhere, however tiny it may be.

“I’ve been okay. I’ve been taking this time to spend more time with my family and friends. I’ve also been going back to do my old hobbies. You know just the things I didn’t get to do when I was so busy.” Sasuke can’t tell how happy he is hearing that. She seems to be in a good place and that’s the only thing he wants for her; for her to be happy. He glances over to her and see how much at peace she is. But a part of him notices the tired look on her, the dispirited energy coming off her. It definitely seems different from the Sakura he knows who works tirelessly at the office.

Debating whether to probe on it or not, Sasuke decides it’s better for him to save it for another time. Right now, he’s just glad they bumped into each other. Leaning back on the bench, Sasuke lets himself relax, feeling the warm breeze on his skin, hearing the leaves rustle above him, and how the wind creates ripples on the water.

“You know, Naruto misses you.” Sakura chuckles.

“Really? I think he just misses the snacks I always bring him.”

“Hn. Not wrong.” Hearing her laughter is the best part of it all. “Kiba still sucks at dancing.”

“Aww Kiba-kun.” Sakura remembers seeing Kiba alone in the dance studio all the time. Even when the other members have left to the dorm, Kiba stays behind, running over the dance routine over and over again. Sakura sometimes worries he’s pushing himself too much.

“Well tell him I admire his hardwork.” Oh how much she misses all of them. She’s almost tempted to waltz right into the office right at that moment, and hug each one of them.

“Also, this is a secret, but you might be right about Naruto having a crush on Hinata.” Sasuke leans in to whisper, earning an excited gasp from Sakura.

“I knew it!” She fists her palms in the air, feeling victorious. It was one of their bets for the longest time, when she begins to notice something different between the two’s interactions. Something akin to what she had with Sasuke. Sasuke finds her amusing, not noticing how he begins to stare at her. After a moment of silence, Sasuke finally speaks his mind.

“We missed you. I missed you.” Sakura gives him a warm smile and his chest swells with emotions.

“Me too.”

“Come back, Sakura.” He half pleads. He knows how much the company values her. And losing her was never a part of their plan. Her smile slowly dissipates as she turns to the ground, seemingly lost in thought.

“I- I don’t think it’s my place to go back.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t feel like going back, you know?” Sakura fiddles with the hem of her shirt.

“No. I don’t.” The words just come out a little more harshly than Sasuke intends. Nevertheless, he doesn’t retract them.

“I can’t stop thinking about you, okay?” Sakura says, voice raised a little louder than before and Sasuke is almost caught off guard by it.

She still thinks about me.

“And I’m afraid I still can’t be professional around you. I just…I- I need more time.” Sasuke raises his eyebrow at this. There are possible meanings behind her words. More time to process her feelings? More time to be ready to be around him again? More time to forget him? And Sasuke might think it’s more towards something unpleasant.

Sakura’s face seems constricted with worry, taking it as his cue to leave her alone for now. Sasuke shifts to stand.

“If you ever change your mind, we’d be happy to see you around again.” He walks away from her for a few steps. “It was nice catching up, Sakura.”

“Likewise.”

.

.

to be continued.

<--Chapter 11          Chapter 13-->

[joygaroz]

sehnsucht

AU. She rather had him with her against his will, than never being able to see him again; this are her thoughts as she claims to be engaged to the ex rounin, Uchiha Sasuke, who is about to be sentenced to exhile.

AO3 || previous >>> five >>> tbc...

It’s because as days pass by that his silence makes her restless that she decides to bring up the issue at the table in the next meeting. A meeting she requests to the Hokage.

It’s been several days now that she comes home only to find him watching outside the only mirror that offers view to the outside in a posture that makes her think that he’s not really there with her, his eyes lost somewhere in the view to the other side of the glass, longing for more.

Her heart keeps clenching despite reminding herself in more than one occasion that this was inevitable and a reasonable behavior.

Because when she calls for him, his eyes take their time in distinguishing her figure a second more than the time he takes in turning his face in her direction.

“I’d like to propose to lift the house arrest of Uchiha Sasuke” she spoke once she was in front of Kakashi, his attention at last on her after putting aside some of the files he had been scribbling on.

“So, not satisfied with requesting for him to stay in Konoha you want him to wander nonchalantly among civils?” one of the members of the council addressed her, even though she was facing to Kakashi’s direction, the large desk occupied at least six seats occupied by said members. All stuck up faces directed towards her standing form in the middle of the room.

“Being locked in doesn’t give anyone any benefits, being isolated won’t allow him to have a different perspective of the one he had before his return” she replied growing annoyed by each second.

“So, are you saying it’s not enough with your company?” this was a different voice, with a fake surprise tone that irked her but she knew better than to let it show.

“Even if I’d like to say that yes, the truth is that what he needs more than my company is to notice the change in his surroundings so he can adapt to it. How do you expect him to change if you don’t give him the chance to offer something new to this society that he has stopped knowing?”

“We’re not talking about someone who lost his memory, we are talking about someone who—”

“Someone who made mistakes in the past thanks to a judgement badly influenced. Exactly, it needs to be proven the right truth” this time, she whirled her face in order to face the person that had tried to speak ill of him.

Sakura suppressed the urge to frown at the member. It was clear to her, to Naruto and even to Kakashi that these people, responsible of so many misjudges, were the least indicated to point out misconceptions of other people, and yet…

“It might be like that but we keep talking about someone with instability of great abilities. We could not possibly leave him unsupervised overnight” once they addressed the issue she had been thinking about, Sakura smirked —maybe something she had gained from him, maybe something she had been hiding in her as she grew older and more confident.

“What about a volunteer as escort?” she tilted her head to the side, one of her pink brows raising.

“What do you mean?”

“Uzumaki Naruto, the only person capable to keep him at bay, isn’t he?” she offered.

Once more, she made good use of the knowledge of the village’s needs in their favor. This, Kakashi noted as he hid a smirk under his mask.

After a long minute of silence and glances from one to the other, they replied:

“We’ll consider your proposal, and check on it on the next meeting”.

It soon became a custom, to have Naruto daily with them. Not always arriving at the same time, but spending hours at their flat nonetheless.

He’ll excuse himself saying he gets bored of studying and needs to clear his head. In reality, he was as concerned as Sakura about Sasuke adapting to this new atmosphere in which he was left alone surrounded by only four walls.

Sasuke was no fool; he had noticed their ulterior motives, but said nothing. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was thankful too. It was harsh to deal, actually; Solitude often making his thoughts drift to murky ghosts, often making him abruptly wake up after unknowingly falling asleep.

Today, though, the blond had barged in with a considerable amount of liquor in his arms.

At first it was like usual, just the two of them. Without having nothing much else to do, the pair started to chug the sour yet addicting liquor in small shots and soon enough, their heads became lightheaded.

They were arguing about why tomatoes were better than ramen (and why Sasuke was just talking bullshit), when Sakura got home from her shift. It took only one glance at the mess they had created in the living room for her to know she was far too exhausted to argue so she just opened up a brand-new bottle of sake and slumped on the once tidy floor in front of her boys.

Silently listening to their usual banter, she quickly caught up with them and finished her first bottle when Naruto changed topic abruptly.

“We might as well just date each other already”

Both his best friends snapped their heads in the blond’s direction, completely taken aback by his blunt confession.

“Why?”

“No way” both of them replied simultaneously.

Naruto replied with a grunt, a gesture he had completely taken from the Uchiha, but had yet to notice; he fidgeted with his glass of sake a few moments before continuing.

“I mean, we’re too messed up to be dating anyone else out of the team, aren’t we?”

“Excuse me?” Sakura argued, baffled and offended. Sasuke, on the other hand, remained silent and continued to taste his liquor also stumbled somewhere on his living room’s floor.

“Yeah okay, except maybe Sakura-chan, but honestly your taste in men so far has proven that you’ve got some kind of twisted kink don’t you think?”

As a reply, Sakura took a long chug of her drink and looked elsewhere.

“We’re not that messed up…” her voice was barely a whisper, only for her ears to hear.

Sakura decided then to turn and face her usually optimistic and loud teammate, finding him tumbled against Sasuke’s backseat, resting one of his elbows on the back and in hand hanging his almost empty bottle of sake. His usually childish and goofy smile turned into a concentrating frown of worry.

“What about Hinata?” her mind suddenly lightened.

“This is about Hinata…”

���Oh?” now, both Sakura and Sasuke looked curiously at the blond, the latter raising an eyebrow at his blond friend.

The tanned boy ruffled his hair with his free hand, now aware of the curious stares of his friends.

“She’s so gentle, composed and has this whole bunch of prospects… most certainly less fucked up than me… She should be better off without a burden like me”

Sakura squinted her eyes in his direction, leaning over the small table. Sasuke kept as skeptic as before, but his attention seemed to be diverting to his own glass of sake which he had now found a liking.

This was rather unusual coming from someone who just not long ago cheered on her relationship, but maybe, this and that were totally different things after all. While Sasuke and her tried to make a fake relationship work, Naruto and Hinata…

The girl broke the unusual silence by bursting into a laugh, now it was the males turn to snap their heads in her direction.

“You are that stupid, huh?”

“Wha-?”

“This concern of yours, it is stupid” She shook her head in disapproval. “That you are concerned over something so silly as to being worthy of the one you love is proof that you reciprocate her feelings”

“Wa-wait! The one I love…?” still shocked by the reveal, Naruto incorporated from his slumped position and leaned into the table like Sakura, who was smirking.

“You do” she shrugged as she continued explaining “us girls tend to have the same thoughts once or twice, the only thing that should worry you now is… are you willing to fight and be worthy of her? And I don’t mean physically strong, clearly, you’re over that but rather… fight for her feelings? Make her happy and stuff”

Then she noticed his eyes sparkling once again, face lighting up and foxy grin coming across his features.            

“Yes, dattebayo!”

As both of them continued to brighten up, Sasuke fidgeted with his now empty glass of sake, contemplating on what his female teammate had said…

It seemed like there was a name for his constant concern over her wellbeing.

Because, even if he could tell she handled her liquor quite alright, even as they managed to tidy up the mess and get to bed with much ado, Sasuke sometimes wished he could do more.

The truth was that there was little to do at home with only two persons living in that small apartment. Even if Sasuke wished to help and do some chores, even if he took his time struggling from time to time due to his lack of arm, he often managed to get it done before Sakura arrived. Which he came to notice, it continued to keep being later than last time.

He tried to understand, she was an important asset to the hospital, probably in charge of more than one field and even if he tried to tell himself that it was all to be expected, something felt wrong.

While she was working her ass off, she also felt this need to help him out by living with him in this deplorable place.

It somehow irked him. How powerless he was at the moment, not being able to do much but the trivial stuff at home like washing and tidying. Not that there was much to wash or tidy up anyway but as he scrambled through the scrolls Sakura had left out of its shelf, he wondered if there was something useful there. He had his chakra sealed still, but he wondered.

If what Sakura had accomplished all these years had been thanks to her outstanding skill at controlling her chakra, could he be able to give it a try?

And so, while the hours alone continued to pass, he studied. He read and consulted, and he also discovered. How unusual all these discovering’s were when he noticed as the most recent scrolls mentioned an anomaly in the chakra source.

An anomaly like they had called Kaguya’s power.

Just as his thoughts led him to that issue, his eyes squinting in contemplation, he heard Sakura stumble through the door, her usually graceful and chirpy greeting lost between the loud fumble of things clashing against each other.

The forming frown on the dark-haired man pronounced. Talking about unusual things.

“Sakura” he called for her as he neared the entrance, only to find her panting as she tried to steady her elaborated breathing while resting against the wall of the corridor.

He had to suppress a curse as a sting invaded him while watching how she tried to force a reassuring smile on her face even if she was panting and her eyes were clouded and lost. Even as she was at the verge of collapsing, she still tried her best to look strong in front of him.

As if he didn’t know already how capable she was, as if he didn’t know how much of her, she offered for everyone that surrounded her.

He opted to click his tongue and approach her, just in time to catch her as she gave out to his chest.

He gently laid her to rest on the futon, her tired eyes struggling to remain open as he measured her fever before emanating some of his chakra to light his palm—soon emitting a soothing sensation against her forehead that she was pretty familiar with.

"W-where did you learn to heal?" looking tiredly at his face, she noticed a ghost of a smirk decorate his lips.

"Your books" he replied shortly, too focused on remain emanating his soothing chakra on her, aware this was a task that required much of his attention.

"Heh, you've run out of things to do that you've been going through my stuff?"

"Hm"

"--Wait! You've been going through my stuff?" she reacted a few seconds later, trying to reincorporate herself into a seated position but stopped midtrack by Sasuke's palm against her shoulder.

"Tch. Why are you getting so worked up? Is there something I shouldn't find out? Even though we're engaged..."

"Sasuke-kun!"

Noticing the blush that had little to do with her fever, he smirked once more, this time without holding back before chuckling and instructing her.

"Lay down, you annoying patient" he commanded with a tone half playful half strict. She could only stare at his form as he lifted from the ground where she laid at their futon and went out of the room towards the kitchen, she presumed.

She closed her eyes trying to steady her hearbeat, since recalling the tender touch of his hand against her heated forehead had been so delicate and so soothing, she had trouble trying to keep up with this new side of Sasuke she had just discovered.

Even in her delirious state, she wondered. Had she been doing enough for those who did not have someone to look after them like she did? Had she been doing enough to stop being a burden to those who worried about her?

When he entered the room again, He found her incorporated in a seated position against the wall, her gaze somewhere else as she stared at her lap.

"This war is far from being over" her voice was even, almost talking to the past, as if recalling, must certainly the events that had transpired earlier that day, most certainly someone who she had been attending to.

He silently observed, how her eyes glassed before clenching shut, the trembling of her lip letting him know she was way too tired to pretend she was okay.

"Even when we are no longer in the battlefield, we... have so much to deal with still".

He listened to her, silently agreeing as he recalled the suspicious coincidence he had discovered as he studied the scrolls.

There was so much to deal with still, and he had yet to figure out a way to make amends in his current position.

[dimancheetoile]

Oooo, how about: S (Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?) and U (Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much)?

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

I’m a bad person to ask this because I don’t really write tropes. BUT I LOVE YOU ANON so I went and looked up some tropes on Fanlore to see if there’s anything I like. And there is!!! So:

• bodyswap: because I’m a sucker for a character with chronic pain or a disability or a prosthetic swaping with their s/o or best friend. cause on one hand you have the suffering character who is having a relief-orgasm from not being in pain anymore (that’s the chronic pain in me talking) and on the other you have their loved one who gets sucker-punched by how much pain the other is on a daily basis. When done in that particular way, it’s my favourite trope of all.

• apocafic: (love the name btw) I often play the ‘what would you do in an apocalypse’ game with my friends and I’m always the winner because my mom’s an agricultor and my grandparents taught me every single useful skill out there (I know how to sew, knit, weave baskets, start a fire, one of my grandma was a botanist so I can recognize plants and make remedies with them, you get the idea) and my dad is a woodworker so, again, useful skill. Which is why I love writing stories where I can put that knowledge to use. It also means I’m a bit picky when it comes to reading apocafics ahaha.

• marriage of convenience: only when the two who get married don’t end up together. I absolute LOVE when there’s a marriage between two people who end up best friends and would die for each other, but have a romantic partner (or more!!!) outside of their marriage. Bonus points if they have to choose between the bro and the hoe and they go for the bro.

• time travel: probably the one I’ve written the most. Time travel fix-its are my absolute jam. I get to do everything I want with canon while also creating good, angsty situations for my characters to be in. (if you like time travel aus as well, some recs here - *** are my faves: A How To Guide To Shinobi Life *** |  reverse -never finished reading it but the 70+ chapters I read were great | Waves | Ricochet | Rainy Days *** | before you -not done reading it, but it’s already great)

• disability fic: call it projecting if you want, but I really enjoy reading fics where a character gets injured or looses a sense or is amputated or has chronic pain (well you get the idea, I like my angst like I like my salsa: debilitating) and how they deal with it, how the people around them support them, etc. Never found any fic like that in Naruto, unfortunately.

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

AH YES I LOVE THAT. Please let me shower those amazing people in compliments. My treat. (not gonna assume any gender unless I asked before)

1. Dovey. I don’t know if they have a tumblr, but if anyone know, please share with me so I can send them love. They have the taste the closest to mine, I believe, of the whole fandom. All of their fics just break me appart, not only is the style incredible but the topics always move me, and they write mainly about Sakura. They also share my view on Kakashi (cool character but terrible teacher, messed up Team 7 like you wouldn’t believe with his incompetence) and they tend to write Sasuke in the only way I can endure.

Recs: Find Your Place (whatever it takes) (sakura fought in the third war as canon folder even tho she was so young, because she’s from a civilian family. she gets a deep hatred of the system and PTSD. her goal is to kill the hokage for revenge) Even lambs have teeth (sakura is sent on a honeypot mission as a genin but no one prepared her to be raped in the name of her village)

2. @mouseymightymarvellous my soulmate. Plain and simple. Not so much the tastes this time than the writing style, though our tastes do tend to match. But we write the same way, like we’re bleeding through our words, like the bitterness is a verbe tense we’ve mastered, and we craft our stories like others daggers to dig into the meat of everything that makes Naruto great, at its core. I adore her and her poetry makes me want to fight dragons.

Recs: her poetry tag on tumblr. by deepest night or brightest day (be lovin’ you) (shikasaku stories, which not only is the otp, but so well-written it puts my heart in my throat)

3. @ohtze I know I keep talking about them but no one knows their fic amongst the people I share this corner of the fandom with and I really need the world to know about it. I don’t think they’ve written much more about Naruto, but that one story has broken my heart and my mind, changed the way I view writting and Naruto stories as a whole. EVERYONE needs to read that story. I’m not kidding.

Rec: the story in question, Monomoth (post 4th-war, Team 7 is a mess of psychological issues. sakura’s skin is crawling from an illness and the pure hatred she has for sasuke. sasuke is psychotic, confusing sakura with his mother, mildly hallucinating all the time. naruto is desensitized, defeated, blind to his teammates’ issues. in the middle of that, a mission. and a monster.)

Thanks for asking!!!! I had fun answering.

FANFIC ASK GAME

[kuriquinn]

An Inch of Gold [29/?]

Author's Note: As usual, unedited. And it's a little shorter than the other chapters, but I'm sure I'll fix that when I come through with the final edits. For now, just enjoy! (Woot, my November Nano Challenge to finish IOG is shaping up well!)

Estimated Time To End of Fic: 4-5 Chapters

Posted to FF.Net / Ao3 / Wattpad

Sarada’s fist connects with the wall, the power of her tightly controlled chakra surging out of her with purpose. Sweat beads upon her forehead as she concentrates all of her being on maintaining a constant force, of hitting that one spot in the wall just the right way.

Cracks spiderweb outward, tearing across the uneven stone and rippling across floor and ceiling. The solid layers of stone beneath bend and strain against the pressure exerted by her strike, and finally give.

Cracks split open, slicing through the seals upon the vortices of the ward circle on the ceiling and floor. The intricate characters vanish at the same time as the barrier is broken.

Boruto tosses a shuriken into the space once occupied by the circle, and it bounces to the ground without a scratch.

The disintegration field is turned off.

“Nice!” Boruto cries, and immediately starts toward the cage. “Alright, let’s blow this thing!” Again, wind gathers in his palm, preparing to hurl one of his vanishing projectiles, but Sarada stops him.

“Don’t just destroy it,” she says.

“What? Are you kidding me?! That’s the whole reason we came down here!”

“You can only destroy it once. What happens if the whole thing has become self-sustaining, or there’s a back-up that can only be turned off by the main computer? Then it won’t matter if you destroy this machine! Let’s try turning it off before we blow it up.”

“We don’t have time for this!”

“Actually, I think time has become completely irrelevant,” Mitsuki remarks.

“Fine. Time issues aside, I like existing. What happens if you destroy it and we get ripped apart by some kind of fallout?”

This causes Mitsuki to pause. “That makes sense. It might be, this machine acts like a giant magnet. Suddenly reversing the poles of a magnet can cause attraction and pull them together—possibly causing them to crash into each other.”

“And we don’t want anything crashing or exploding into us! What if the machine suddenly stops pushing the paradox outward? It might contract in on us. But maybe if we slowly turn it off, the damage could be lessened.”

“Even if that were the case, none of us are exactly geniuses with computers,” Boruto points out in irritation. “Without someone like Denki, we could stand here pressing buttons for ages.”

“I believe I could figure it out,” Mitsuki volunteers.

“Huh? You?”

“I grew up surrounded by computers. And this model looks familiar. I suspect it even runs on the same operating system. I could probably find a function that allows for a slow decrease of power-levels.”

Boruto doesn’t look entirely convinced, and Sarada finds her suspicions about Mitsuki’s background swimming to the forefront of her mind just then.

We don’t have time for that conversation.

“I still think we should blow it up,” Boruto mutters, but he approaches the cage around the terminal and begins to pick the lock on it.

“We can still do that if Mitsuki doesn’t figure out another way,” Sarada insists.

The pale boy takes up a position in front of the terminal, studying the small, bright green digital characters. A beat later, his fingers begin to fly across the key-pad beneath the screen. Boruto and Sarada position themselves in front of the entrance, in case any other unwanted guests burst in on them.

Their caution seems justified when they hear the clank noise of movement on the metal scaffolding outside, growing louder and closer with every second. Sarada cracks her knuckles, the Sharingan activating so she can track whatever threat comes at them. Boruto’s fingers spark with yellow electricity, not wanting to risk the destruction on the cavern that a wind-based attack might cause.

And then the entrance darkens with the shapes of three figures, but they are not the curse-seal creatures. Mama, Konohamaru and—

“Mom?!” Boruto yelps in shock, taking in the startling figure that is his mother. Only she barely resembles her: blood has slicked her hair to her neck and head, though some effort has been made to clean up, and her clothing is likewise drenched. “What happened?! Are you okay?”

He darts forward, attack forgotten, and Sarada relaxes as well as the adults duck into the grotto with them.

“I’m fine,” Aunt Hinata insists. “There was…a bit of a mess.”

“No kidding!”

“At any rate, we’re done with all those curse marked monsters,” Konohamaru says. “So let’s hear it for small victories, hey?”

“What’s going on here?” Mama asks. “I thought you three went after Naruto and Sasuke?”

“We did,” Boruto said. “But when we got up there, that Teisoko creep had them frozen in a pocket of time! It’s like a sphere all the way around her, and if we tried to get in, we would have been frozen too!”

“So I figured it might be a better idea to stop whatever power source is allowing her to maintain that time field. Then we can free Papa and Uncle Naruto and they can deal with her and Jikken!”

“But how are you intending to stop it?” Konohamaru asks, glancing over at Mitsuki.

“I’m trying to find the proper command for a gradual shutdown, instead of a forced shutdown,” Mitsuki says.

“We’re worried doing that might cause a rebound of some kind,” Sarada explains.

“Yeah, well, I’m more worried that Jikken and Teisoko are going to make mincemeat out of Mom and Dad’s past-selves, but then I was overruled—”

“What did you say?” Mama interrupts Boruto, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Oh, yeah, your past-selves got the brilliant idea to use Teisoko’s portal opening and Old Man Kakashi’s Sharingan to stick themselves right in the middle of everything,” Boruto complains. “I don’t know what they did, but it knocked Kakashi out, and—”

“They’ll be killed!” Hinata gasps.

“Probably,” Mitsuki says, still frowning at the tiny screen. “Since everyone is still here, it hasn’t happened yet, however the odds are not favorable.”

“Then we don’t have time,” Mama says. “That machine has to stop, and it has to stop now.”

“But…” Sarada begins.

“Normally I’d agree that the careful approach is best, Sarada, but right now, every second counts. If we don’t act now, our past selves and Kakashi-sensei are dead.”

“But what I we all explode?”

“Winking out of existence quietly or in an explosion, it’s the same result. If I had to gamble on what course of action is most likely to save everyone…” Mama shakes her head. “Mitsuki, please move aside while I deal with this.”

“Yes! Aunt Sakura rocks!” Boruto cheers, while Mitsuki shrugs and moves away. Whatever happened to him during his captivity, he has recovered himself enough that his temperate and agreeable nature has returned. And more than happy to once again align himself with Boruto.

Sarada is still hesitant about the whole thing, but she lets Aunt Hinata move her and the rest of the team out of the cavern. From a safe distance, they watch as Mama strides forward and bends the bars around the computer terminal with ease. Then, she shoves her fists into the computer.

Circuits fry and crackle around her, and smoke spews from the broken terminal, but she doesn’t stop, reaching further in and parting metal and wire as if its were cottage cheese. Then with a yank, she pulls the whole thing out of the wall—along with a significant portion of thick, black metal piping.

The cables within the pipe are as thick as Sarada’s thigh, and lead upward through the stone, radiating electricity and a familiar golden chakra. Once Mama yanks the computer terminal away, though, the bright energy fizzles and disappears.

Silence echoes all around them, and Sarada’s ears pop, the omnipresent hum she barely noticed before now gone.

Then, something begins to rumble.

It starts within the room where Mama continues to stand, and the ceiling starts to crack and crumble in earnest, the gap where the giant pipes were laid folding in on itself.

“Move!” Mama yells, and drops the terminal to one side, before diving from the cavern, just in time to avoid the little room collapsing in on her.

The movement doesn’t stop there, however, and before their eyes, an entire section of the rotunda begins to cave in on itself. The scaffolding they stand on churns and twists, and they are forced to make a run for it, jumping from stairs and platforms that crumble beneath their feet.

As they reach the bottom once more, stumbling over the unmoving bodies of the curse-mark creatures, the entire scaffolding disintegrates before their eyes.

Far at the top of the dome, they watch as an eerie gold light emanating from Teisoko’s grotto, winks out.

“We stopped it!” Boruto cheers.

“You think?” Sarada asks, not entirely sure.

“Your mothers are both still here,” Mitsuki points out.

Which is true, but…

It’s too quiet up top, which could mean the cavern collapsed in on itself the minute the time pocket disappeared. And while she’s sure Papa would be able to get everyone out before they got squished…

The fact that he hasn’t yet makes her worry.

“There’s a suspicious lack of mayhem for a place where both our husbands are,” Mama says. “Hinata and I will look into it. And Konohamaru—this time I mean it. Take the kids and—”

“Sarada! Watch out!”

Aunt Hinata, whose back was turned to her, suddenly whirls around and reaches out to her, alarmed. As everyone else turns to her, a hand reaches out behind her, grasping her by the neck and dragging her backward.

She can only gape as the images of her loved ones vanish in a flash of golden light.

ナルト

Itachi Uchiha is a sociopath.

That thought is the clearest one Sakura can muster just then,

She kneels, her entire body trembling from shock and pain and confusion, and her stomach is turning in on itself, and she wants to throw up, because somewhere, an entire crow just burst out of her mouth—

Her vision blurs, reality bending around her, and she thinks she can hear his voice again, chillingly soft and measured.

….Protect Sasuke…tell him…

But she can’t quite get the words into focus.

There’s no time to dwell, anyhow. Teisoko is motionless before her, staring at the body of her lackey in disbelief, and that’s probably why she hasn’t made a countermove yet.

Assets, Sakura prompts herself, trying to shock her mind back into working. What assets do I have?

None, it seems.

Sasuke lies upon the ground, staring at her in shock, unable to pull himself to his feet, whether from lack of chakra or lack of strength. Probably both. Kakashi is still unconscious, and Orochimaru is barely out of toddlerhood, scared and huddled behind her. And Naruto is gone, too, trapped in the same time bubble as his and Sasuke’s future selves.

And Teisoko is moving again.

Free of her cables, she has very little strength beyond standing, but her Sharingan remains active.

There has to be a way to distort her gaze, to get past her.

Her body is so frail—almost that of a mobile skeleton—that someone of Sakura’s relative weakness should be able to take her in a straight-up fight, even as bruised and battered as she is now. It’s the dōjutsu that adds the danger element.

Even as she considers it, her muscles throb in protest and her vision swims with black spots.

Teisoko bears her teeth at Sakura, who averts her gaze, and then looks toward Sasuke. He flinches as her ruined mouth pulls into a perversion of a smile, and then returns her attention to Sakura.

“Give me the child,” she rasps, “and I will spare you in your last moments. You can hold your love for what remains of your existence.”

There is no doubt in her voice that the end of everything is close, and it terrifies Sakura.

This is not the usual fear that hits her during a dangerous mission, the kind that can be pushed off and talked away, with the distant hope of ‘some way we’ll pull this off!’ that always lingers at the back of her mind. Truthfully, the only time she ever feels like that is when Naruto makes one of his impassioned speeches.

She flicks her eyes to where her friend if frozen now.

“My name is Naruto Uzumaki! And my future dream…is to surpass the Hokage! And so, I’m going to get the entire village to acknowledge my existence!”

But this isn’t the Forest of Death, where Team Ten and Team Gai wait in the wings to help her until her boys wake up. She is literally facing off against death on her own, with no question that she will die.

Her inner self even wonders if it might not be better to agree to Teisoko’s terms. To go hold on to Sasuke for a few final moments. It would be fitting…

“I’m Sakura Haruno! What I like…I mean, who I like is… And my hobby is… My future dream is…”

Sasuke meets her eyes, furious and frustrated and trying to think around this latest obstacle. His face pulls into a snarl of defiance in the face of death, but as he meets Sakura’s gaze, there’s a momentary flicker.

He can tell what’s going through her mind, can see her temptation to give in. And he doesn’t even blame her for it because…he’s so tired. He doesn’t remember a time when he wasn’t fighting, and right now, he’s at his limit.

My name’s…Sasuke Uchiha…I have an ambition…to restore my clan…

He is bruised and bleeding and about to die, but in this one instant, that ambition is not what comes through in his gaze. All his thoughts and attention lock on her, waiting.

Sakura’s lips part in astonishment.

This is the boy she loves.

This is the person who has had her heart by inches since she was six years old, and who will always have it. And right then, in that infinitesimal short moment, she understands without question—the same way she knew she had to save Sarada before she even knew the girl was her future child—she knows that even if Sasuke doesn’t show it or properly acknowledge it himself, she has his heart, too.

And she’s not about to betray that for momentary comfort.

Sakura struggles to her feet, half-expecting muscles and bone to snap beneath her from sheer exhaustion.

“Sakura!” Sasuke bites out, an effortful warning or plea.

It doesn’t matter.

Sasuke can still save the Uchiha, and restore them…even without her.

Right now, if the choice is between both of them dying or just her, there is no choice. Maybe there’s no guarantee that Sarada’s mother has to be her, maybe Sasuke can find a chance at happiness if she succeeds.

And I would give anything to protect your happiness, she remembers saying as she moves her body into a crouch. She draws out her last cherry blossom tag. “Because you…are the person…that is most precious…to me!”

She charges Teisoko.

The emaciated woman snarls, preparing in her own way for the attack, her Sharingan the ever-present threat.

“Sakura!”

But she is already vaulting through the air, gaze fixed just below Teisoko’s eyes, concentrating all effort and awareness on trying to sense where the next assault will come from. She dodges explosions and time portals left to right, and notes with a boost of confidence that they are coming much slower now. Fast enough to dodge with relative ease.

Teisoko is weakened too, whatever threat she still possesses, and Sakura does not intend to waste that.

As she enters into Teisoko’s immediate range, the place where the ancient Uchiha has more control, Sakura throws her last bomb directly at the woman’s face and prays that despite the fifty-fifty chance she has—

Teisoko detonates the explosive with the spin of her Mangekyo Sharingan, and Sakura laughs in triumph. Caution and self-preservation thrown to the wind, she vaults directly into the path of the explosion, bursting through the flame with her right arm raised and screaming.

“SHAN-NA-ROOOOO!”

Her fist connects with Teisoko’s sternum, and she feels it shatter beneath her knuckles, the fore of her chakra rending surrounding ribs and muscle, and in that moment—

Her eyes meet Teisoko’s scarlet gaze.

The black wheel in the iris contracts in pain and rage, and Sakura knows what’s about to happen, but there’s no course-correcting now.

Sound and heat explodes around her, followed by a searing pain, and then nothing.

Sakura’s body is thrown backward from the force, and unlike the first time, when she saved Sasuke from suffering the same fate, she doesn’t get up again.

Sasuke doesn’t realise he’s screaming until the last remnants of the explosion clears the air, leaving a heavy silence within the pocket of time. Sakura’s body twitches in pain, the only indication that she’s still alive. Her entire front is a mass of blood and bone and blackened blisters; her left eye, the one that remains unruined, stares up at him emptily.

Teisoko clutches at the wall, trying to stand while glaring down at Sakura’s body. She coughs, blood drippling down her lips, and then begins to laugh, a dry and heaving sound.

“I’m…still…standing, girl,” she hisses. “And now…no one…can stop…me!”

She turns her back on the ruined remnants of Team 7, and lurches toward Orochimaru. The tiny boy is crying and scrambling, trying to push himself further into the equipment but having nowhere to go.

“You…are mine…filth!”

She reaches out a spindly hand to pull him toward her.

A flat plane of violet chakra erupts between Orochimaru and Teisoko, throwing her back before she can touch the boy. It’s a shapeless slab in the air, resembling a large human rib.

Sasuke’s head feels like it’s on fire, like a switch has been flipped in his brain, and whatever strength remains in his body now bleeds into his eyes. They burn, and every other cell in his body burns right along with them.

Teisoko recoils. “Susanoo…no…that can’t…be…”

She turns to Sasuke, who stumbles to his feet.

With every movement, he can feel the life leaving his body. With his chakra exhausted from the curse-seal, he thinks he might just be burning through his own life force to keep that shield—the same one his older self used—between Teisoko and Orochimaru. He has no other goal now other than to continue the protection that Sakura offered before sacrificing herself.

Sasuke can see the damage to Teisoko’s body, and if he can get to her—

Blood drains down his face from both eyes, tear tracks that mirror those of the woman before him. Sensation in his extremities disappears—toes and fingers, then calves and forearms, and he pitches to his knees.

If he has to fucking crawl he’s going to do it.

The world flickers, narrowing to dim grey shades, and he’s dying, he knows it. Sakura’s dying, Kakashi might already be dead, and Naruto is frozen in time, and Sarada…

Sarada will never exist.

He’s dying, but he’ll be damned if he isn’t taking the monster in front of him out too—

The golden wall of chakra around them ripples, once—then twice in quick succession, and then the earth begins to rumble beneath them. They shouldn’t be able to feel that, trapped in the bubble of time as they are, but the more the golden chakra begins to wane, the more the world shakes.

Crevices split into the walls beyond the time pocket, and Teisoko stumbles back against the wall where she was secured. Gravity pulls Sasuke downward, and he falls weakly onto Sakura, sprawled across her.

The world edges away, and somehow his left hand falls into her right, and he thinks now there’s nothing else, now he can sleep.

But the earth is shaking too much and the time bubble is vibrating, and he thinks he sees his future self’s fingers begin to twitch—

Searing hot, golden light pulses and then explodes outward, blanketing everything. Sasuke has the impression of a rubber band suddenly contracting in on itself, before it pulls inward, jettisoning toward Teisoko.

There’s an instant where it passes over him and he is nothing.

No sight, no sound, no movement…no sensation. He ceases to exist.

Awareness returns with a roar, and he watches as the golden band wall that passed over him slams into Teisoko, flattening her against the wall, before she falls face-down on the ground.

She doesn’t move.

And Sasuke can notice all of this because suddenly he can feel again!

There’s no pain anymore, he realises as he pushes himself up, staring at his hands. They are devoid of any bruising or telltale signs of scuffle. Turning his head to the right, he gapes at Sakura, who blinks up at him in confusion from two perfectly whole seafoam eyes. Her face is restored, and her skin no longer hands in blistered shreds.

“Sasuke?” she asks, bewildered, and his chest constricts with disbelief and respite because she is not dead. “Sasuke!”

Then she is throwing herself forward, wrapping her arms around his neck despite the awkward angle, and her grip his suffocating, but he doesn’t push her away. He’s too stunned at their wholeness, the fact they are both completely intact, so much so that even their clothing is mended. Somehow, Sasuke is wearing his high-collared blue shirt again, and Sakura’s tunic is its full length, and Naruto—

He whips his head around, watching as his teammate and their future selves stumble as if taking a wobbly step forward. They all seem mildly confused, except for Adult Sasuke, whose gaze is locked on something behind Sasuke. He discovers what when another body knocks into his, and looking down, the child Orochimaru has grabbed on to Sakura’s free arm, clutching at her like a lifeline.

In this bizarre place, she must, and Sasuke can’t even blame him for it because something in him thinks the exact same thing.

“What the hell just happened?!” Naruto demands, gazing around at the cavern that is no longer taken up by the thick, curved wall of chakra. “How’d I get here?”

“You entered the time field just as we did,” Sasuke’s future self says. “While you were in it, you were frozen, but something disrupted it and it rebounded on its creator.”

“And in the process, it appears to have returned us to the condition we were in before we encountered this paradox,” a voice adds, and they all glance over to where Kakashi is getting to his feet. There is no hint of blood in his mask, no clawing shreds across his chest from Mumyōi.

“Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto and Sakura whoop, and she lets go of Sasuke to get to her feet. Orochimaru buries his face in her hip, and despite her bemused look, she allows it.

Sasuke tamps down the inexplicable and unwanted glimmer of annoyance at that, and looks away pointedly. His gaze falls upon the still unmoving corpse of Jikken. “If time reset us all, why didn’t Jikken come back to life?”

Not that he’s complaining, but…

“He was dead,” Sasuke’s future self says simply.

“And the chakra sigil binding him to Teisoko was severed,” the future Naruto says. “That was the only thing that was keeping him reanimating. I imagine he’s been dead for a long time.”

“As for the rest of us, none of us were dead,” Future Sasuke continues. “Cells frozen in time are different from those that have expired.”

He is watching Sakura with a set to his jaw and Sasuke knows exactly what he’s feeling.

She was never dead.

He holds one hand out in front of him, calling upon his Sharingan and finding that it is no effort to do so. The strange burning sensation from earlier is gone, and he wonders for a moment if what happened to him moments earlier meant that he briefly, very briefly, possessed the same eyes as his brother.

Because of Sakura.

No, he tells himself, very firmly. It wasn’t that.

It’s not a strong denial, but it’s enough for now.

“But wait a minute,” Naruto says, frowning. “How the heck did Jikken die? One second, I was fighting him and then…bam! I’m here.”

“It was Sakura,” Future Sasuke says. “With a little help.”

She looks up in surprise. “How do you know that? You were frozen.”

“The Rinnegan allows me to see beyond time. While I was trapped, I was still aware of what was going on.” Future Sasuke scowls at them all now, before his eyes rest on Kakashi. “You were all reckless coming here. It almost killed you, and us.”

“Puh-lease, asshole,” Naruto snorts. “You’d still be a timesicle if it weren’t for us showing up.”

“Speaking of,” his future self says, “this isn’t over.”

“No, it’s not,” a cold voice interrupts, and everyone stills. The voice is new, and yet not, and when they all look over, they stare in horror at a standing Teisoko.

Only it’s not the chilling, living dead goddess they all battled until the point of death. A woman, barely out of her teens, stands before them. She looks uncomfortably like Sarada, only her eyes are slits of red anger, and her mouth is twisted into a cruel smile.

The time bubble rebounded on her as well, and instead of destroying her, it seems to have reset her to the way she once was, too.

Adult Sasuke twitches, like he’s about to move, but Teisoko’s Sharingan is back to its full power as well, and she freezes him in place once more.

“I might not be able to change time from outside my personal timeline the way I planned, but my abilities remain otherwise intact,” she sneers. “In fact, they are stronger than they ever were. All that chakra I gathered? Its in me now! And none of you will be able to stop me from going back and ending this hell of a world before it begins.”

“That’s what you think,” Adult Naruto says, and his fiery chakra flames to life.

“Oh, I do not think. I know. Because the larger paradox is retracting, too. As it builds speed, it will erase everything out of its proper temporal location,” she drawls. Her Sharingan flicks to one side, and a portal opens. She reaches into it, and then yanks her arm back, dragging a stunned Sarada back to her by the throat. “And you will all be far too busy looking for this one to escape it!”

And with a final sneer, she opens a second portal and charges toward it, yanking Sarada along with her.

つづく

Soooo. Better or worse than the Itachi-related cliffhangers?

Everyone’s been dying for mini-Sakura being badass and having mini-Sasuke actually see it, so here you go! And yes, Sasuke briefly awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan for Sakura’s sake…but since the time pocket rebounded, he was also “reset to factory settings” like everyone else. Which means his Sharingan was too :P Don’t y’all just love timey-wimey stuff?

栗

[randomxfiction]

The first part surprisingly gained a few traction so I got excited. Haha. I’m sorry, I have no shame.  Anyway, enjoy!

-

Kakashi’s Kunoichi Part II of VI

“Mama... I’m home.” Sarada slowly slides the door and notices all of their lights open. Before she could call again, she heard footsteps banging against the wood, running. 

“Sarada!” 

Sakura quickly emerges from nowhere and hugs her precious little daughter with her knees on the floor. “Shannaroo.. I got so worried,” her voice shakes as she tightens her embrace, terrified of losing her once more.

“Mama, you’re squishing me,” the young Uchiha responds.

Sakura grabbed her daughter lightly on her shoulders and met her face, “Where did you go? I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Sarada fell silent, guilty of what she had done. She doesn’t know how would she explain her impulsive actions in front of her mother’s tired and weary face.

“You can release your shadow clones now, Sakura,” Kakashi speaks as he steps towards the doorway, revealing himself under the moonlight. “I sensed a few on our way here.” His hair is a mess, mask on, and appears to be wearing his night garments with a pair of fluffy bedroom slippers.

“K-Kakashi-sensei?!”

“Yo.”

* * *

Sakura kissed Sarada’s forehead good night as she tucked her in to sleep. “Now.. don’t go running away from mama again, okay?” she smiles at her.

“Yes, mama. I’m sorry.” Remorseful of her actions, Sarada felt the extreme exhaustion from her earlier adventure. She doesn’t realize that her sharingan was activated almost the whole night, and its effects are starting to wear her down to sleep.

“Good night, darling.” Sakura closed her door and left her alone to rest.

* * *

“She must be really tired after all that,” Kakashi meets her in the living room, politely sitting on the couch. Sakura glances over her shoulder and then proceeds to prepare some tea.

“Thanks for bringing her back,” she hands him a cup. Sakura notices his slight discomfort– as if he’s barging inside their private space. “Please, sensei, feel yourself at home,” she quickly remarks, sitting next to him.

Kakashi sips on his cup of tea, “So.. your daughter told me she was upset.”

“Upset? About what?” Sakura wasn’t quite following his words. Kakashi nods without looking, “Must be the Chuunin exams,” he continued.

“Hmm, I see,” she remembers her daughter started acting differently after what happened in the exams.

Feelings of regret came burning down Sakura’s heart, knowing that she had been too busy in the hospital the past few days. Coming to think of it, they never had the chance to talk about it together over dinner, even while his father was still in the village, and now he’s gone again.

“She took it hard, huh,” Sakura looked down, unconsciously hiding hundreds of emotions written on her face, feeling like a failure of a mother knowing she couldn’t console her own daughter; which ultimately resorted to her running away. Kakashi sees through her in an instant.

He leans back, resting comfortably against the couch. He tries to find a distraction from the tears dripping down Sakura’s face, pooling over her thighs.

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” he finally muttered, wishing her to stop crying.

Sakura lifts her head in surprise, her cheeks stained with tears. “What?”

“The Leaf Hospital needs you, and Sasuke is always away for important missions,” he continued with a flat tone, trying to hide his eagerness. “I have nothing better to do anyway.”

Sakura cuts in, “You know you don’t have to–”

“Besides, I can teach her a thing or two on how to use her sharingan. At least... until her father comes back to train his own daughter himself,” he felt his fists tensing.

“But sensei, that’s too much of me to ask,” she protests, embarrassed of her shortcomings as a parent. The thought of their own sensei filling in the gaps for them horrified her.

“I’m not doing this for you, Sakura.” Kakashi straightened his back and reached for the center table to place his finished cup. To say this out loud made him bite his tongue. He knows damn well he is doing this for her. Heck, if he could even adopt Sarada to be his own, he’d gladly do it without hesitation.

He clears his throat before continuing, “At her age, your daughter obviously needs a mentor.” Kakashi’s brutal honesty stings the cherry-headed lady a little, making her curse underneath her breath. He’s right, she realizes.

“Are you.. in any way.. asking for my permission?” Sakura asks, unsure of her words.

He almost laughed in his head upon hearing this. Now he is getting a better understanding of how their mother and daughter relationship works. He can’t help but think about how much they resemble each other’s personalities. No wonder he could easily read Sarada’s emotions even from a distance.

“I’m not,” he replied in a cold, unenthusiastic tone, “but your daughter asked for mine.”

Sakura finally pieced it all out together. Sarada must have gone to his house and asked him to personally train her. She gasped, “I didn’t know she would do that!” a jolt of embarrassment traveled to her body that made her words spill out from her mouth.

She lowers her head, mortified, “How could I ever repay you.”

This very sight of her made Kakashi’s heart shrivel, making him completely regret the coldness he displayed towards her earlier. She’s just too pure for this world. It amazes him to see that her love for her daughter is beyond measurable, and the slightest inconvenience made her tremble in sadness. She accepts that she’s falling short; that her hands are always full of things to do. Deep down she fully knows how much she and Sasuke had neglected their daughter, but she has no choice but to take it all in. Never in her right mind would she will be able to blame Sasuke for constantly leaving them. After all, he’s doing this to protect the world. So she came to terms that there’s really nothing she can do but keep making things work on her own, every single stretch of the day, for her daughter, and for her family.

Kakashi sees it well how hard it is for her to balance responsibility to the village, and at the same time, to raise a child on her own. At this point, with her face full of pain in front of him, he couldn’t care of anything else but to take her sorrows away. Even just for tonight. If there was anything he could do in his power to help her, he’d do it without question. He lifted his fingers to her head and gathered the pink fringe covering her face to one side, tucking the clump behind her ears.

“Don’t worry about it, okay?” His voice was loving and warm. Kakashi can’t keep this cold front any longer. Training Sarada would mean the world to him, and for her to inherit every single knowledge he gathered in his whole shinobi career couldn’t make him any happier.

“Sensei,” she desperately wipes away her tears, unable to resist its flow. “I... I’m really doing my best..” she continues with a quiet, shaking throat.

Kakashi instinctively shushed her and held her face, “I know you are, Sakura,” he whispered, soft and sincere, leaning forward and attempting to meet her gaze. How could he be so stupid, trying to act all dismissive to her earlier? He sighs.

She’s driving her eyes away, shy from his unusual display of concern.

“Stop calling me sensei,” he appealed. “That’s it. If you really want to repay me, you should start addressing me as your equal.” At this point, Kakashi will say anything just for her to stop crying, but Sakura’s too tired to keep up with his wit.

“You.. you’re kidding.. right?” she sobs.

“Well, I’m not.” Kakashi smiles at her. He swiftly grazes a thumb on her cheek to catch the last rolling teardrop, granting her the confidence to look straight into his eyes. Shuffling on his seat, he turns his body to face her, careful not to break eye contact, and slouches his back a bit to approach her face.

Sakura’s body swayed slightly, her eyelids closed halfway, lowering her gaze. She is slowly resigning to exhaustion. Kakashi had a hard time reading through her blank, expressionless face.

He decided to lighten the mood by continuing his playful suggestion, “I think, Kakashi-san has a nice ring to it, don’t you–” and before he even finished, Sakura’s body fell onto his, closing the gap in between them. He catches her weight which makes them slop sideways to the couch. Her face, damp with tears, reached his neck, making him feel the last weak sob from her mouth. Kakashi froze, not knowing what to do in such an awkward position. His palm supports her body but his fingers are suspended in the air, afraid of touching her. He tried to calm himself down, inhaling deeply, until Sakura’s arms slowly worked their way around his torso, enveloping his space. Longing for comfort. She sighed, the feeling of her warm breath on his neck made him shiver.

“Kakashi-san..” – she whispers, seconds away from passing out – “..sounds nice.”

With her final words, Sakura drifts away to sleep, leaving him alone in silence with a thousand unexplainable emotions.

-

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[manikas-whims]

A Chance at Redemption [4]

[1] [2] [3] [...] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

Chapter 4: Becoming the Centrepiece

"Smile out of mannerisms, it will be fake... Smile for someone else's sake, it will be genuine..." -Sai

The sound of water dripping from a crack in the ceiling of the underground room penetrated the dead-silence of the place. Everything inside the room was eerily quiet. Even the people sitting on the wooden stools chose meaningful stares over the use of verbal communication. A sharp crack was heard and all the eyes turned to see the latest member enter through the only door to the room. His dark form was thoroughly soaked and he was heaving. When he passed a hand through his wet, off-white locks and pulled-out a red lollipop from his pocket, everyone recognised him as the leader of their small rebel group. He waved his hand at them and took a seat next to the only other person from his village; the first being himself. He felt the busty girl take a long breath of irritation and ignored her.

"Should I begin?" A deep, lazy voice asked him.

Darui was slightly, only slightly, taken aback by the question. Everyone was looking at him with a strange sort of seriousness radiating from their persona. No greetings? Okay...He sighed, pulling the lollipop to the left side of his mouth using his tongue and then spoke, "Alright, you can begin with it Shikamaru."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and began, "I take it that most of us already know why we are here?"

Some nodded an affirmative at him while the others shrugged unknowingly.

"Today, at around seven past twenty in the evening, two strange looking guys came at my house, one of whom was carrying a huge sword behind his back. The guy with the sword was very lean and had white hair that contrasted well with his violet irises. He also had very sharp, shark-like teeth. His partner on the other hand was tall and had scarlet-red irises and an unusual sort of fiery-orange hair.." Shikamaru explained.

Everyone nodded their agreement for him to continue so he went on, "...No doubt they work for the Uchihas but..what intrigued me the most was their interest in the search of a certain kunoichi. And the girl they were looking for is.."

"Is?" Kiba pressed immediately, unable to contain his curiosity. Everyone awaited his response while Chouji started stuffing more and more chips into his mouth.

"The girl they are searching for is..", he paused for effect then finished, "Sakura Haruno."

A number of gasps and statements conveying shock, followed right after his words. It took them about two minutes to calm down from the revelation he had just made.

When the quiet of the room was restored, Ino was the first one who spoke. "I see. So this is the reason why Sakura has not been invited to this urgent meeting?" She asked.

"Yes" Temari was the one who answered.

As soon as those two weird men said their goodbyes and left the Nara Clan's Compound, an air of anxiety surrounded Temari. She wondered, if they have been questioned about their pink-haired friend then isn't it obvious that the others might've been too. When she told about this to Shikamaru, he said that he was thinking the same. Immediately after that, they ate the dinner with Shikamaru's parents and then secretly, Temari summoned her trusted weasel, Kamatari and send him with a message requesting an urgent meeting of the FoK. The minute the message reached Darui, he forwarded the message to all the other members keeping in mind the short request made by Temari at the end of the message. 'Do not call Sakura.' It read and so he complied.

Everyone was asked to report at the HQ at 2:30 sharp after midnight, without being noticed by their family members. So here they are, discussing about this latest concern. Temari insisted that Sakura must not get involved in this case and should also not know anything about this. It can be very dangerous for her already broken mental stature. Thus, Temari deemed this as the best for her.

"They appeared at the Hyuga Compounds too. And they really did ask about Sakura." Neji admitted.

Darui took a lick of his lollipop and asked, "Anyone else got to meet them? Or at least saw them?"

Shino was the only one who raised his hand in a yes. "They came and asked if I have seen any pink-haired girl around. I gave a negative response and they left. And yes, they looked just like Shikamaru has described them." Shino told Darui and the others in his solemn tone.

"I have never heard about anyone like that before. Did they participate in the war?" Samui asked, her irritation replaced by interest.

Before anymore confusion could occur, Sai intervened, "Suigetsu and Juugo."

"What?" The pale-blonde girl asked.

Sai turned to face Samui and answered, "The men Shikamaru, Neji and Shino are talking about, are Suigetsu and Juugo. They were once a part of Sasuke's Team Taka."

"And you know about them because?" Kiba asked.

"Because I used to work for the Root Division. There, I was supposed to stay up-to-date about the three former members of Team 7. And for that, I was given all the details about Sasuke's life as a Rogue Shinobi." He explained, flashing them his signature fake smile.

Nobody really liked the fake smile that Sai gave them. It was a usual thing for them but still very creepy. The boy was taken up into the Root at a very tender age and no one knows what Danzo did to turn the boy the way he is. It is hard to imagine that people can be restricted from their very own emotions just for the sake of keeping up with the standards of a shinobi. The only people who have been able to bring out any sort of change in his emotionless personality are Sakura and Naruto. Sai accepted the help of his teammates because unlike others who only saw him as a replacement for their previous teammate, both Sakura and Naruto treated him like a different individual. Like he was not any substitute for the team but a completely new member. Yes, it took them some time but they were the first ones who offered him a hand in friendship. No one else has treated him like they did. But ofcourse, new additions keep coming and in his case, this new person came in the form of a blonde, extremely enthusiastic female.

Ino is the only person who actually accepted his out of the usual behaviour and tried to help him out when Sakura and Naruto weren't around. It is hard to believe that a girl as emotional as her became really close to an emotionless guy like him. And for some odd reason, he enjoys her cheerful presence. Personally speaking, he enjoys her company the most. It will be the worst nightmare for him to lose the bond that he shares with her...

Instinctively, he whipped his head only to find her smiling softly at him. She appreciates him the way he is...

"But why are Sasuke's ex-teammates looking for my beautiful Sakura-chan?!" Lee interrupted Sai's thoughts and ask-yelled.

"That's exactly what we are here for." Temari answered, "We need to find out why these guys are after Sakura."

"Before joining Sasuke's side, those two guys were used in a regular basis as Orochimaru's test subjects." Sai stated.

"Which means that maybe they are only looking for her to cure them of any side-effects that they are suffering from because of Orochimaru's experimentation on their body." Shino suggested.

Shikamaru who had been silently listening to the whole conversation, stood up from his perch on the stool. His getting up indicated that he has properly deduced all the ideas, suggestions and conversations.

"No that cannot be the case since the one with the sword..I mean Suigetsu," Shikamaru spoke, nodding at Sai for informing them about their names and then continued, "Suigetsu himself told me that its an order given to him by his higher ups."

"Heh!" Kiba scoffed, "For what purpose would Madara want Sakura?"

"No" Shikamaru shook his head.

Everyone looked at the Nara-genius and awaited his completely figured-out response.

"Its just as Sai told us. These guys were a part of Sasuke's team." He stated matter-of-factedly.

"I have an inkling that the younger Uchiha is the one involved here." Shikamaru explained.

The moment he uttered those words, a string of 'Whats' and 'Whys' were flung at him. Everyone was confused about the involvement of the youngest Uchiha in this whole mess.

A blonde haired kunoichi was the most befuddled by hearing this. Her light blue irises looked around with anxiety. Her mind wandered around the thoughts of her best friend since childhood and then towards the aloof Uchiha Survivor, who now doesn't happen to be the only survivor. She pondered, if the boy kept away from her pink-haired friend for so long then why would he suddenly want her to come back to him? No one can really say what's going on in his head. He is just like the Kyuubi-boy used to be- unpredictable.

"But why does Sasuke want to see Sakura now? Now, after leaving her on a bench during a cold night and after already trying to kill her twice?! Wasn't that enough for him?!" Ino asked, mustering all her feelings for her friend in her words.

Apparently, her words actually struck a lot of them. Kiba, Lee and Sai's expressions saddened as if they recalled a very bad, long-forgotten memory from the recesses of their brain. Tenten shifted awkwardly in her stool and to everyone's immense surprise, Chouji's munching on the potato chips came to a halt. Even Neji and Shino looked more distant all of a sudden while Temari gave a reassuring squeeze to Shikamaru's sulking shoulder. The leader of their group and his assistant Samui were the only ones without any painful expressions on their faces. They were completely clueless about what caused such a disturbing silence amongst the members. It must've been something excruciatingly agonizing.

"I don't really know what happened between Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno in the past..." Darui began.

When everyone looked at him with their solemn expressions, he continued, "...but I suppose it would be the best if Sakura doesn't find out about this. It will only add to her tension even more. Therefore, I suggest that until we are able to desist the actions taken by Sasuke and his sidekicks, one of us must stay with Sakura at all times."

Shikamaru sighed, "Not a bad idea, Ino can stay with her after her working hours at the hospital."

"And one of us can secretly watch-over her during her time spent at the hospital." Temari added.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"I can do that." Samui spoke all of a sudden.

All the heads whipped in her direction and stared at her incredulously. After her angry chiding at Sakura during their previous meeting, no one had expected her to say something like this. Something so supportive for the pinkette.

"I said I will watch over her during her working hours at the hospital." She spoke again, this time more authoritatively so as to make everyone get her point.

"Okay then, her protection has been settled." Darui spoke, "Now, there is also this problem that most of you have still not been questioned by those two guys. So whenever you see them, try diverting their minds away from their mission and make them loose interest in the case. If this doesn't work then a silent kill will be the second option. Are we clear?" He asked.

"Yes!" Everyone shouted in unison.

"Alright then, we have another meeting tomorrow afternoon about the discussion of stopping the Hyuga Clan Extermination." Darui reminded.

Everyone nodded and then Samui announced, "Dismiss!"

All the members of the FoK exited the HQ after hearing her command and dispersed into different directions to head towards their respective homes.

Sakura woke-up by the first rays of the sun peeking at her face through the open-window in the bedroom of her small apartment. She took a long yawn before getting out of the duvet and stretching her limbs to prepare her frail body for the day. With dark-circles covering her eyes, she walked towards her bathroom. Not only has she been sleep-deprived for four months but also experiencing loss of appetite. If her body is still doing proper functioning then its all thanks to the corn-soup that she takes every morning as her daily meal. She wants to keep her body nourished but whenever she tries, she is unable to swallow even a single bite of the solid foods available at her home. The outcome of the war has effected every individual in some form. And in her case, it's the loss of sleep and appetite, which have made her already thin, athletic-built even thinner.

She stared at the sluggish-looking girl in the mirror and spoke, "I will talk to her today."

The memories of her previous day's activities flooded her brain. She recalled how determined she had been when she exited her office at the hospital. Her squared-shoulders and confident stride towards the Hyuga Compound were still fresh in her mind's eye. She had gone to talk to Hinata about the whole clan elimination thing but as soon as she reached the main doors of the pale-eyed girl's house, the images of the young heiress's weeping face returned into her thoughts. She lifted her hand but found herself unable to knock so she did the best she could- she left the Hyuga Compounds without having any kind of conversation with Hinata Hyuga over the pressing matter of her clan.

Sakura punched the mirror with all her might, frustrated at the reflection of her own form, looking sadly at her. No more casualties can be afforded. She decided that even if the fate tries obstructing her goals, she will leap over and talk Hinata out of her sorrowful state for the sake of her vulnerable clan. Etching that agenda in her mind as the main goal of the day, she picked-up her tooth brush from the sideboard.

.

.

.

Sakura exited her hospital's office like every other day, locking the door behind her. She recalled her aim for the day- a convincing talk with Hinata. Today, she is not going to cower-away by the mere thought of the weeping face of the Hyuga Princess. Today she will woman-up and do what she must for the good of an entire clan.

She walked out of the hospital greeting every nurse and fellow doctors on her way.

As soon as she stepped down onto the stone pavement, she was pulled into a strangling embrace. When she was released from the tight hug, her gaze fell upon her childhood best friend's form. The blue-eyed beauty dragged the pinkette along with her on the sidewalk, in the direction of the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Sakura tried questioning her actions but the blonde didnot answer. With an eerie smile plastered on her face, Ino turned her head back at the huge building of the Konoha Medical Hospital and winked at a silhouetted figure on the rooftop of the building. A heavily-busted girl emerged from the shadows and winked back at the long, ponytailed girl. When the young Yamanaka Heiress turned back to face her bestie, the girl on the rooftop top vanished in a poof of smoke. Their plan is working pretty well. Now that Samui has done her part in guarding Sakura, its Ino's turn.

It was three in the afternoon and the sun was at its peak, shining fiercely in the sky. A tall, raven-haired man passed a hand through his dark locks and looked-up at the high building before him- The Hokage Tower. The man was summoned by his great grandfather to meet him for an important discussion at the said place. He sighed, wiping the sheen of sweat forming on his forehead because of the heat radiations from the sun. As if the hot temperature wasn't enough, his black sweatpants and equally matching T-shirt increased the heat even more. But still, this is the colour that suits his aloof persona, so it is best to wear these. Breathing out another sigh of irritation, he entered the Tower.

On reaching the top floor, he slammed-open the door that led to the office of the head of this village without even considering a polite knock. The man sitting on the chair before the desk only smirked at his behaviour and stood-up.

"Sasuke, I have been waiting for you." He spoke.

The young man scoffed, "What do you want, Madara?"

Another man present in the room, who had been completely ignored by Sasuke up until now walked over to him and spoke up, "Is this how you treat your elders?!"

The eldest amongst the three smirked even more. Both his grandsons are completely poles apart. They are nothing like each-other. One is a conceited, aloof, self-righteous youngster while the other is a middle-aged obedient sycophant. Both are strong enough to win against all odds yet when it comes to choosing one, Madara will nominate the younger one because even though he is a hot-headed man, Sasuke owns a perfect pair of Sharingan. Plus, he is well-acquainted with the hatred that comes with these eyes. Sasuke will be Madara's choice as a successor any day without any doubts.

"Did you find her, Sasuke?" Madara asked.

"Find who?" The younger one asked his own question.

Madara immediately understood that Sasuke is only playing with him. He knows what the whole deal is about but still wants to hear it from his great grandfather. Some guts he has.

"The girl that you've been looking for. Have you found her?" Madara asked the complete question this time.

"Not yet." came the curt response.

"Why you?! Behave yourselves infront of Madara-sama!" The other grandson scolded Sasuke again.

"I'm trying." Sasuke teased.

Although it may look like a normal banter between two blood-relatives but in case of the Uchihas, one must be very careful. Madara noticed the hostility in Sasuke's eyes and the glare of the other one. So, before their anger could escalate any further, he diffused the scene.

"Good Sasuke, for answering truthfully. You must find her by the end of this week. However I shall remind you that you only have two days and today before this week comes to an end. Hope this much time will be more than enough for you?" Madara asked in a firm voice.

"I will find her by tonight." Sasuke stated with an air of ego about his words and left the tower. If this is what he had been called here for, then it was a complete waste of his precious time.

The other man kept glaring at the youngest member of their prestigious clan leave without any sense of respect for their leader. No wonder Orochimaru took him in to join his lair of misfits.

"Obito" Madara called out and the man turned his gaze away from the door to face his great grandfather.

"Yes, Madara-sama?" He bowed.

"Don't worry too much about Sasuke's behaviour. He is exactly how I used to be." Madara said.

"I see. If this what you want from me then I will stop interfering in his matters." Obito bowed again.

"Hmm..." Madara nodded, "You may take your leave."

With that said Obito bowed once more to their clan's leader and left the Hokage's office.

"Man..we're getting nowhere with this." muttered an utterly bored Suigetsu.

His tall accompanist looked down at him with no hints of sympathy. He was not at all worried about the water-loving boy's boredom, he was more concerned about his master's constantly growing anger because of their failure in finding the woman he so desperately wants to see. If they don't find her by the end of this week then only fate knows what Sasuke has in store for them. It is important for them to do this to quell Sasuke's furious stature of mind.

"We need to find her." Juugo mumbled determinedly.

"But-"

Before Suigetsu could argue, Juugo stopped him and glanced at a building towards his left. Confused by his actions, Suigetsu also peeked out to assess the cause of Juugo's interest. It was an ordinary flower shop, one of those where you can search through or request for the bunch of your choice. What was so special about it, Suigetsu could not see.

He simply asked his tall partner, "What?"

Juugo's eyes squinted as he continued staring at the store, "Look at the Banner."

Suigetsu quirked his brows but then did as he was asked to and indeed, he too was just as dumbfounded as his fiery-haired comrade. There in pure Kanji, on the centre of the banner was the name of the shop, etched in big and concise letters: Yamanaka's Flower Shop. For a duration of full three and a half minutes their eyes remained glued to the banner. It felt like one of those experiences wherein you keep talking nonsense about something and suddenly that thing appears out of nowhere. Suigetsu took a huge gulp, not of the water stored in his small pack but of the anxiety and excitement building up in the pit of his belly.

"But I thought this civilian gossip was a...plain rumour." Suigetsu mutter confusedly.

"But seems like...it is true afterall." Juugo muttered back.

Unconsciously, their legs initiated the short jog towards the shop, halting only when they reached right at its door. If the civilians were sure about sighting a pink-haired female at the Yamanaka's Flower Shop, then maybe this is the evidence that they had been waiting for. Both of them exchanged a glance and nodded their heads before pushing-open the door to the shop.

Sakura sighed for the umpteenth time as she stared at the customers searching through the different assortments of flowers to find the perfect ones for their loved ones. She wanted to lash-out at her best friend for dragging her unwillingly to the Flower Shop owned by her parents. She was so determined to talk Hinata into helping them out for the Mission of the FoK but Ino kept ignoring her. So now here she is, helping her friend with handling the shop.

To calm her worried soul, Ino also informed her that the meeting of the FoK has been shifted to 12 o' clock midnight for some unknown reason. This provided Sakura a breath of relief and she rejoiced at the thought that still has a lot of time to convince Hinata and then bring her along to join the meeting held tonight. But then, her goal will only turn into a reality if she ever manages to sneak out of this shop without being noticed by her chirpy best friend.

"Excuse me, can you help me find the Lilacs?" A man asked her.

She walked around the counter and guided the man towards the flowers he had asked for. Ino was busy in the backyard, helping out some customers with a few exotic varieties of shrubs. Sakura's intuition told her to use this moment to her advantage and attempt her escapade.

She recalled the way Samui had called her a 'bitch' and how Tenten was angry at her for failing in being able to bring Hinata to their previous meeting. Not only that, everyone else present there was also slightly disappointed by her. She needs to get over the label of being 'weak'. And for this sole purpose, she is going to milk Hinata into joining the FoK. She took a long breath to calm her quivering heart and decided to leave the shop.

As she lifted her legs to make a dash out of the shop, she heard the door to the shop being pushed open. For some reason, she felt her intuition poking her to have a peak at the incoming customers. She excused herself from the man examining the lilacs and walked to the door, making sure there were no flaws in her henge that could lead her into trouble. In a flash, she found herself hurled onto the cold, wooden floor and gasped.

A/N: So this is it for the fourth chapter of A Chance at Redemption. I know it ended kind of like a cliff-hanger but I'll update soon.

This time the Opening Quote is given to Sai. I don't really know if anyone's even reading them but anyways XD

So what do you think of all these events revolving directly or indirectly around Sakura?

Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter.

Like/Reblog/Share

*NEXT CHAPTER WILL POSTED WHEN THIS ONE REACHES 20 NOTES.

Much Love

~Manika

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[neraawritesxx]

Orange Daisies

naruto couples event - day 3

prompt: first pairing you ever shipped // first date pairing: naruto x sakura genre: romance // humor  word count: 2,147

summary: “Naruto…,” she began, cautiously. “What are you wearing?”

author’s note: Whenever I think of this pairing, I can’t help but think that they would probably have the most awkward first date in the history of first dates because Naruto is too much of an innocent goofball to get it right on the first try. I threw this together in about an hour so I apologize for the choppiness, but meh, I tried. I hope you enjoy it either way!

“Would you sit still?” Ino chided, yanking on a strand of pink hair in reprimand.

“Ow! Lay off Pig!” Sakura hissed, jerking forward in an attempt to break free from the hand tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck.

When her actions earned her another sharp tug, Sakura gritted her teeth but stilled her struggles. Ino, satisfied now that her subject was no longer looking to escape, eased her hold.

“Remind me again why I asked you to help me with this?” Sakura grumbled, grimacing as she felt a bobby pin scrape against her scalp.

The blonde was too invested in her task to answer right away, and the rosette’s whine fell on deaf ears.

Sakura settled a glare at her reflection in the mirror, fixing sharp emerald eyes on the head of golden hair that poked out from behind her.

There was a sudden movement in her peripheral vision and Sakura watched in the reflective surface as Ino’s hand reached over her shoulder, blindly grasping for the pile of hair clips that resided on the vanity top.

Sakura fought down the sudden, childish urge to turn her head and snap her teeth at the offending appendage. Though it would serve Ino right for manhandling her in such a way, it really wasn’t worth hearing the Yamanaka heiress wail after the potential mauling.

The blond clicked her tongue, seeming to struggle with getting the last pin into place. There were a few more tugs, then a violent, tight twist of coral tresses before Ino stepped back, a broad grin plastered on her face.

Cerulean hues studied the back of Sakura’s head appreciatively and the pinkette could swear that she could feel the smug satisfaction rolling off of Ino.

“You’re all finished Forehead. Go on. Admire my handiwork,” The fair-haired woman commanded. “And to answer your earlier question, you asked for my help because I’m the only one capable of taming this unruly mop of yours.”

Begrudgingly, Sakura had to agree.

Turning her head from side to side, Sakura took in all the details that Ino had put into her hairdo. Her best friend managed to sweep her pink locks into an intricate french twist, braiding some of the longer strands around the crown of her head and pulling them back into the knot of hair at the base of her skull. Her bangs fell loose and free, parted so that they framed both sides of her face.

“Not bad, Ino-pig,” Sakura complimented softly. “Not bad at all.”

“I know,” Ino replied cheekily. “Now hurry up and go get dressed.”

Grabbing ahold of Sakura’s arm, the blonde dragged her towards the closet, ushering her inside.

“And don’t you mess up all my hard work in the process!” She added as an afterthought.

-o-

Sakura couldn’t place the exact moment when their relationship changed.

It was well known throughout Konoha that Team Seven was more a family than anything else.

The bonds they formed were deeply rooted, uniquely their own. Solidified by trials filled with betrayal, blood, and tears.

They were a genin team of misfits; an avenger, an orphan, and a girl with a broad forehead and no kekkei genkai.

Team Seven was destined to fail; they had far too many obstacles to overcome.

But despite what others had to say, nothing ever stopped them.

Through prolonged absences, countless battles, a war, and a teammate’s defection and eventual return, Team Seven strove forward together, defying all the odds that were stacked against them.

And through all this, through the ups and downs and all those crucial moments in their lives, Sakura had only one person who she could say she could undoubtedly rely on.

Naruto.

When he first left the village, she didn’t have time to focus on the void – the ache – that came as a result of his absence. She needed to get stronger for him and the others.

So, she trained, and broke, and bled, and cried, but she looked at all those obstacles and promptly told them to ‘fuck off’, starting herself down a path that helped her grow up.

Despite all the progress she made individually, however, the day Naruto returned to Konoha, Sakura realized just how much she missed him. A weight she hadn’t known she was carrying was lifted from her shoulders and with it gone she could finally – finally – breathe again.

All of those years Naruto spent childishly comparing himself to Sasuke and all the times she felt insignificant in comparison to her teammates didn’t seem to matter anymore.

They changed, they had grown, and now they were finally together again.

Nothing was going to change that.

She became his rock and he became hers.

-o-

A while later, Sakura stood in front of the full-length mirror which resided on the back of her bedroom door.

Pivoting on the balls of her feet, the pinkette spun back and forth, trying to gauge her outfit from different angles. Unable to distinguish how she felt about it, Sakura turned towards Ino, holding up her arms gracelessly at her side.

“Well? What do you think?”

Ino, who was lying on her stomach perched on Sakura’s bed, idly flipping through a magazine, didn’t even spare Sakura a glance before she drawled her response, “It looks fine.”

“How would you know?” The med-nin huffed, arms crossing over her chest. “You didn’t even look!”

She received an unladylike snort in response while Ino turned another page, eyes beginning to skim another article.

“The last three outfits looked fine Sakura. Just pick one already,” Ino muttered.

Her best friend’s dismissal caused Sakura to puff out her cheeks in a pout.

Sighing, Sakura turned back to her reflection, cocking her head to the side as she took in the picture she presented.

Her final outfit choice had been a dark, lavender skater-style dress that flared around her hips and ended slightly past her knees. She paired the gown with a small, white cardigan. The color of the dress made the seal on her forehead stand out, popping with vivid color.

Overall, Sakura felt well put together. The hairstyle and the dress were not too fancy, but she was dolled up enough to make a good first impression over dinner.

Though, that might have been redundant at this point, seeing as who her date was.

“This will do,” Sakura confirmed with a bob of her head.

Meandering over to her closet, the petite woman began a search for suitable footwear.

“Where is Naruto taking you anyway?” Ino asked, her tone curious.

“I’m not really sure,” Sakura responded, walking back out into the main part of her bedroom. “He told me he wanted to surprise me. He’s been hush-hush about the whole thing.”

Ino glanced up from her light reading at the sound of her approach. Pale blue eyes regarded the smaller woman as Sakura held up two different pairs of shoes in silent question; a pair of sandals in one hand and a pair of flats in the other.

“The flats,” The blonde answered before looking back down at the magazine.

The room descended into silence then and Sakura began to fret over some last-minute touch-ups to her make-up while Ino continued to read.

After a minute or two, Sakura heard her best friend gasp and paused in applying in her mascara, turning towards her bed with a raised brow.

“What’s wrong?”

Ino was now kneeling on the mattress, looking at Sakura with her face contorted in pure horror.

“You don’t think…” The words seemed to die on Ino’s tongue as she hesitated.

Swallowing thickly before she continued, Ino asked in a deadly serious tone, “You don’t think he’s going to wear something orange, do you?”

-o-

It dawned on her one day; slamming into her with its suddenness and spontaneity.

It – everything – just instantly made so much sense and the clarity of it left her breathless.

There she stood, frozen in the middle of the doorway to his hospital room, looking at him like it was the first time she had ever laid eyes on him.

Naruto, unaware of her sudden internal epiphany, greeted her with his usual cheery demeanor before rattling off his reason for being in the hospital.

But Sakura just stared, then blinked, and stared some more.

Something shifted within her and the question was already out of her mouth before her brain could even formulate what she was asking.

“After all these years, why haven’t you asked me out on a date?”

Naruto’s initial response was the unhinging of his jaw, an embarrassed flush crawling its way up from his neck and dusting across his sun-kissed cheeks.

Cerulean eyes were wide as he regarded her, and for a bated breath, they both froze. Then, he suddenly began stumbling over his words, trying to come up with a viable excuse as to why, in fact, had not asked her out; as if it was actually his fault they had never been on a date before.

Mind suddenly reeling as she finally pieced together what she had blurted out, Sakura turned three different shades of red before fleeing from the room on limbs that felt like jelly.

She didn’t make it very far before he caught up with her.

The hand on her forearm was clammy, but the fingers against her skin were firm as he halted her movements.

His scent enveloped her; the smell of sandalwood and spice and ramen and it was so distinctly Naruto that it caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach.

What he said next, caused those butterflies to increase tenfold.

“We could…we could change that if you like.”

-o-

After Ino said her goodbyes, Sakura decided to wait out the remaining time in her living room, perusing through some medical scrolls to keep herself occupied.

More often than not, green eyes would stray from the words on the page to look at the clock mounted on the wall across from her position on the couch.

The closer the hands drew towards their appointed meeting time, the more uncomfortable Sakura seemed to become.

Five minutes before her date was supposed to arrive, Sakura was as stiff as a board, shoulders hunched towards her ears and fingers awkwardly fiddling with the edge of the paper she was holding.

What the hell was she nervous about?

It was just Naruto.

Her awkward, loud, obnoxiously cheerful teammate who had somehow wormed his way into her heart even though he still ran throughout the village pulling childish pranks at the age of nineteen.

They had known each other for years; there was nothing she should be worrying about.

Though her mind rationalized that everything was going to be okay, that she had been on plenty of dates before and this was nothing new, Sakura’s stomach still bottomed out when she heard the small, tentative knock on her front door.

Immediately, she tensed and only after a second knock echoed throughout her apartment did she finally manage to stand, scrambling towards the entryway.

Upon pulling it open, Sakura was greeted with a massive bouquet of daisies being thrust into her hands.

“Oh!” She gasped, awkwardly trying to situate the flowers in her grip so that she didn’t crush any of the buds.

Once she had a firm grasp on the stems, Sakura directed her gaze beyond the white blossoms and instantly froze.

Naruto looked sheepish; right arm crossed over his chest, slowly rubbing his left bicep.

“I hope you like them,” The words were out of his mouth so quickly, they were practically jumbled. “Ino said they were your favorite and she gave me discount…granted she did say that the discount was only in place as long as I didn’t mess this up. Otherwise, she was going to wring my neck with her bare hands and then charge me full price for the bouquet and wow…I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

He nervously chuckled at the end of his rant, blue eyes focusing on her face.

He took a slow, deep breath and said, “You look beautiful, Sakura-chan.”

Though his compliment was heartfelt, it didn’t immediately register with Sakura.

Veridian hues swam with confusion, and a small frown began to form between her eyebrows.

“Naruto…,” She began, cautiously. “What are you wearing?”

Her question must have caught him off guard because his spine seemed to straighten and the muscle in his jaw jumped.

Unsure how to proceed, Naruto looked down at himself, paused for a few brief moments, before he looked back towards Sakura with a small grimace.

“…Too much?”

By Sakura’s standards, yes, the three-piece suit – complete with a bright orange bowtie and matching lapel – was indeed, too much.

She immediately sent him home to change.

-o-

Though his fashion choices might have been questionable, Sakura wasn’t deterred from giving Naruto a kiss at the end of the night.

[some-cookie-crumbz]

Crumbles’ Big Dump of Upcoming Fics

Happy New Year, everybody! I certainly hope that so far things are going well for you all. I had been meaning to make this post a while back but things got kinda… delayed. Between a lot of really painful personal tragedies – including the death of my dad – and a stressful schedule with work and school, I’ve been a little all over the place. 2017 has been, by far, the cruelest and loneliest year of my life. My dad’s death has shattered me in a lot of different ways, but it had a huge impact on my ability to write, which crippled my usual coping mechanism. He was always really invested in the original stories that I work on as well and was also so supportive of my works. It made writing – something that I have always relied on as a stress relief and outlet for my negative emotions – painful and challenging and it, in turn, made me bitter and resentful at myself and at him. I’ll make another post about where I’ve been in my own mind fully just to get it all out eventually, but for now I just want to offer up an abridged version.

Most days I didn’t – and, honestly, there are still days where I don’t – feel like myself at all. But I feel that, at this point, not writing would be a disservice to his memory.

In the last few weeks I’ve felt a bit more clarity and I’ve been able to find my voice again. I don’t want to stop writing and I have no intention of doing it. In fact, my imagination has kinda jump-started back to near-normal capacity and I have a lot of ideas I’m really excited to share. This post is about the ideas I have in mind and when I intend to upload what. I want to put myself on a schedule because I feel like setting goals for myself will be a good way to get me back in the swing of things.

In preparation for this, I’ve actually gone ahead and made myself an AO3 account – which can be found [here] - because the ideas under the “Read More” are all going to be multi-chapter projects. I’ll still make posts here on tumblr when any updates go live (and should have schedules for when each fic will be updated), I just don’t want to post full chapters here, since I tend to write long chapters. I am also adding the disclaimer here that one-shots (with some exceptions)/ requests/ and other things of that ilk will not be listed here because those have no real schedule in mind.

Ships to Expect: SasuSaku (Naruto), SoMa (Soul Eater), Hance (Voltron), and a whole mess of Kidge (Voltron) because I have no control.

The Shrink Treatment 3: Voltron (Kidge): I am almost done with this one and, surprise to no one, there’ll be one more part after that to just wrap it all up. Regardless, though, I should be able to finish this short series up before the end of the month! Release Date: January 11th/12th, 2018 Update Schedule: Once (Part 4 will hopefully be done within two weeks from whichever day I upload Part 3)

Request 5: Voltron (Kidge): Leaving this vague, because I still want it to be a surprise, but the final of a list of requests I received a few months ago! This, much like The Shrink Treatment, ended up getting away from me. I relaly loved the idea and it’s taking me a while to get it finished. Release Date: February 14th, 2018 Update Schedule: Once (Valentine’s Special)

Like Treading Water: Voltron (Kidge): Love isn’t exactly an emotion that is easy to explain or acknowledge if you aren’t actively looking for it. Little nuances will stick out as something irregular and strange, but can be easily shrugged off when a mind applies logic or sound reasoning to it. You can blind yourself to something that is so obvious to those around you simply by virtue of coming up with other explanations. This is a chronology of how each Paladin realized that Keith Kogane and Pidge Gunderson were falling for each other; including the two Paladins themselves. Note: I started working on this back in October of 2015, shortly after I watched the first season and became Voltron trash. As such, I’m currently having to re-read what I’ve written so far to assure that it falls in line with the canon of the series thus far. Release Date: February 14th, 2018 Update Schedule: Once (Valentine’s Special)

Keidge Month: Not a multi-chapter story, but I just want to say I have every intention of participating in Keidge Month in March; in fact, I’ve already started to work on some of my prompt fills. I’ll post all my prompt fills to both here and AO3, just so that people can choose to read it on whichever outlet is more comfortable for them. It’s my number one ship and it happens to take place during my birthday month, so what kind of smuck would I be to not participate? ;3c Release Date: March 1st, 2018 Update Schedule: Daily (Month Long Event)

Cherry Bomb: Naruto (SasuSaku) – After an accident in the facility that she is interning at, Sakura Haruno gains super strength and an accelerated healing element. With the help of her role model, Dr. Tsunade Senju, she learns how to control and harness this power to help protect the denizens of the city. She is thrust into stopping a plot by other humans with genetic mutations to take control of the city using intimidation and force while also trying to keep her secret identity hidden from her photo-journalist boyfriend, Sasuke Uchiha. Note: I’ve been planning this project for roughly three – Hell, almost four – years now. This is going to be my final Naruto project – excluding any requests I get – and I want it to be something really special and significant to not just anyone who reads it, but also to my own growth as a writer. Naruto has been one of the longest fandoms I’ve been in and SasuSaku was one of my first really big ships; I want this to be a final love letter worth my time to write and worth everyone’s time to read. Release Date: March 2nd, 2018 Update Schedule: Bi-Weekly

Kidge Week: Again, not a multi-chapter thing but I really needed to say I have every intention of participating in this as well! My goal is to finish as many of my prompt fills for Keidge month before the prompts for Kidge Week drop in February as possible so that I can start working on that ASAP. Release Date: April 15th, 2018 Update Schedule: Daily (Week Long Event)

Hance Month: What do you know, I had way more things to list as non-multi-chapter fics for the first half of the year than I thought! Another extended event I have every intention of participating in because I really want to produce more content for Hance. It’s really such an great, under-rated ship that deserves more love! Release Date: May 1st, 2018 Update Schedule: Daily (Month Long Event)

Lance McClain vs. The World: After getting involved with a charming young engineering student named Hunk Garrett after meeting at a bar, Lance McClain finds himself getting dragged into a series of events that seem to be ripped right out of a comic book. He is given a warning from the leader of something called “Team Voltron”; a group of Hunk’s ex-lovers and close personal friends, dedicated to determining the worthiness of Hunk’s suitors through various competitive means. Never one to back down from a challenge, Lance agrees to the terms and is forced to learn various new skills and talents in order to compete with the roster of powerful opponents he faces. Note: The fact that there aren’t more Scott Pilgrim AUs in any of the fandoms I like is really disappointing, so I decided that I’d fix that problem myself. While I’ll be following the basic formula set up by the source material, I intend to take a very different approach and keep it fresh with some ideas of my own. So if you’ve actually seen Scott Pilgrim? This’ll be of a different flavor, so don’t assume you know what I have up my sleeve. ;3 Release Date: May 10th, 2018 Update Schedule: Weekly or Bi-Weekly.

Bodyguard AU (Title TBD): Voltron (Kidge): After publically calling out the shady business practices of Galra Tech, acclaimed actor Keith Kogane finds himself the subject of both an attempted assassination and threat of blackmail. Undeterred, he feels no fear at the prospect of making an enemy of the powerful conglomerate. Worried about his safety, both physically and his privacy being violated, his agent, Allura LeAltea, calls upon the help of an old charm school friend of hers. Enter Katie Holt; renowned tech prodigy and secret hacker known as Pidge Gunderson, hired on to be Keith’s personal bodyguard. The only catch? The two must pretend to be dating to assure that Katie can tag along with him wherever he goes without cueing Galra Tech into knowing their threats have had an effect. Note: I love Bodyguard AUs. I love Fake Dating AUs. I love deviating from the expectation. On top of that, an amazing Bodyguard AU one-shot has already been written by the talented Camphalfgalra on AO3, in which Keith is the bodyguard and Pidge is his client, so I decided to flip the roles for my own version of the trope. Release Date: June 15th, 2018 Update Schedule: Weekly or Bi-Weekly

Twilight: Voltron (Kidge): One night, Matthew Holt disappeared from his room without a trace. In the time that he’d been gone, his younger sister, Katie Holt, has been frantically pushing for more action to be taken in bringing her brother home; believing he has been whisked away to the deadly mystery of the forest around their small village of Kerberos. With her brother missing, her mother’s health rocky in her grief, and her father away to help a neighboring village with a fast-spreading illness, she is struggling to maintain not only all effort to bring her brother home alive, but also keep the family farm up to its normal functionality. The Head of the Village Guard, Thace Kogane, insists that she accept the help of his two children, Keith and Allura, to assist her with the farm. Initially cold and distant, Katie slowly warms up to the duo and finds that they may be able to offer her more help in finding her brother, as well as unraveling the mysteries of the dark forest just outside the fences of their small village. Note: I basically just threw the Voltron cast into the universe of one of my own stories – The Tragedy of Helena and Jeremiah – and went with it. Pidge is a pseudo-replacement for Helena and Keith is a pseudo-replacement for Jeremiah, though they have drastically different personalities from my own characters, and as such the story goes in a much different direction. I also borrowed some elements from another project of mine - Sweet Tooth - which The Tragedy of Helena and Jeremiah is a prequel to. Release Date: August 17th, 2018 Update Schedule: Bi-Weekly or Monthly

SingleParent!AU (Title TBD): Soul Eater (SoMa): Soul Evans has been struggling with life as a single father for roughly three years now; working two jobs and odd hours to support himself and his precious daughter, Harmony. Upon the announcement of his older brother, Wes, getting married, he is begged to return home to help with preparing for the ceremony and to be his brother’s Best Man. Feeling that he’ll have better opportunities with his family’s support and more time to spend with Harmony, Soul agrees to moving back to Death City. Through fate and circumstance, Soul meets Maka Albarn, the writer of his daughter’s favorite series of children’s books and intended Maid of Honor to Liz Thompson, Wes’ fiancée, and the two get along pretty well. And, perhaps from there, more will develop between them. Note: Bodyguard, Fake Dating, and Single Parent AUs are my fucking weakness. On top of that, I really want to write something that kinda messes with the typical tropes of Single Parent AUs that I’ve read. Hopefully it’ll be a fun ride for everyone! Release Date: September 28st, 2018 Update Schedule: Bi-Weekly

[electraposts]

AIC 27 preview

NOTE

The next chapter is finished, but I’m putting just the first section up for you to check out while I send it out for revisions.

I’m going to be trying something new soon- I’m going to put up a patreon page. In the near future, I will go live. I’m going to use it for showing previews of Aiko in Canon just like this, original writing, videos and live chats with patrons.

But I’m actually about to start a big project. I’m going to rewrite Vapors and Clarity. I think that I became a much better writer over the course of the story and so I definitely do not regret what I currently have posed. I will be leaving it up. But I want to do better- the emotional arc of the story, pacing, and consistencies are some of my big goals for improvement.

If you’re interested in any of that, and especially if you have ideas about what you’d like to see from my patreon, keep an eye out.

AIC 27 preview section

Sasuke rushed the bastard. Kakashi-sensei yelled out, but whatever he said was lost in the blood pounding in Naruto's ears.

“I said run!”

Oh, that was what it was. “No chance.” Naruto bit out, fumbling to pull out a kunai and run to help Sasuke. He moved-

“Sasuke!” He heard Sakura shout it with him.

Sasuke fell forward.

Naruto's vision froze. That didn't make sense. Did Sasuke stumble? One second he was running and then he tripped down and didn't move.

The dark-haired jerk stepped forward so that his sandal was at Sasuke's head. He looked down. He didn't even look like he cared.

“Get up, bastard!” Naruto shouted, because what the hell was Sasuke doing at a time like this?

Shark face laughed and looked at Kakashi-sensei. Then his face changed. He was looking at something else.

Naruto followed his eyes- Sakura was trying to leave, like sensei said. And the sharkman wanted to stop her. Naruto moved to get in between them. Kakashi-sensei had the same thought, because Naruto blinked and he was looking at Kakashi-sensei's back.

Metal clashed- Kakashi's kunai sparked against the shark's enormous sword. Naruto dared a glance over at Sasuke. He still wasn't moving. What was wrong with him?

“Kakashi-san. It has been a while.”

There was something about that guy's voice that was beyond creepy. Sharkman had stopped when his partner spoke. He took a step back, hefting his sword over his shoulder.

Kakashi-sensei wasn't looking at the sharkman, even though he was only less than a meter away. He didn't say anything and Naruto couldn't see his face, but something was very wrong.

The absolute bastard stepped over Sasuke on his way to Kakashi. “If you wouldn't mind, Kisame-san.”

Naruto bolted past the bastard to Sasuke. No one stopped him so he dropped to his knees and shook his teammate. Sasuke's head sort of rolled on the dirt. It was so wrong that Naruto snatched his hand back. “What the hell did you do to him?”

No one answered him.

“Let me go! Stop, stop!”

Naruto looked up in time to see that the sharkman was walking towards them slowly, holding Sakura up around his head with one hand around her wrist. She was struggling and beating at his right hand and head with the arm she had free, but it didn't seem to register.

Kakashi-sensei's knees buckled. He fell to the grass as limply as Sasuke had. His face stared up blankly.

“No!” Sakura made a horrible sound that hurt to hear. She struggled even harder- and there was a really weird wet popping sound. She screamed and curled her legs up, clutching at her shoulder with her free hand.

Naruto got back up to his feet and stood between the intruders and his unconscious teammate. “Let her go!” The kunai shook, just a little.

For the first time, the assholes looked at him. The sharkman smiled at him with way more teeth than should fit in a mouth.

“Look at that, Itachi-san. Convenient, don't you think?” He hefted Sakura a little higher. She made a high sound that boiled Naruto's blood.

“Yes.” The one who must be Itachi had a voice that lower than he should. Naruto tried not to shiver. There was something really wrong with him. “I'm afraid that you will have to come with us.”

“Why the hell would I do that?” Naruto spat. His hand was so tight around a kunai that it was cramping.

The sharkman grabbed Sakura's shoulder and oriented her body front. Itachi seemed to see it as a cue because he glanced at her and she went as still as Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei. Her hand dropped, her legs straightened.

“Because it will be easier for us to pass Konoha's security with a hostage.”

Sharkman tossed Sakura over his shoulder.

Itachi's voice was infuriatingly calm. “You should come with us. Someone will have to return your teammate here to Konoha, once we are done.”

Naruto really, really tried to see another option. “You'll let us both go?” he asked, as hard as he could. Kakashi-sensei really wasn't moving. Was he dead? Sensei and Sasuke and Sakura had all gone down just like that and Naruto didn't even know what Itachi had done. “What if you decide to keep us? Or kill us?”

Sharkman gave a mean, ugly laugh. “Don't think too highly of yourself.”

“Of course.” Itachi said it so matter of factly. “You can be of use to us for a time. With a hostage, we will not have to engage in combat with any other unfortunates.” His eyes strayed to Sasuke. “But you are only genin. We would gain nothing from killing one such as you. After you help us, you may go free.”

He felt sick. It was all so wrong. Was he really going to go with them? The fight had been so fast and so quiet- maybe it would be better to scream. If he yelled even once someone might notice before Itachi could shut him up.

But probably not. And if someone came, then they wouldn't need a hostage. Maybe they'd just kill Sakura.

Naruto swallowed. “Okay.”

He felt like the lowest of the low. But he followed. The really creepy guy, Itachi, led them through the brush of the training field and kicked aside nothing at all to reveal a hole with a metal ladder.

Naruto had no idea at all what was going on.

The shark guy went first, Sakura still and small over his shoulder. The creep came last and having that guy behind him in the dark made Naruto want to scream.  It felt like forever. His eyesight gradually adjusted to the darkness. The passage was only about a meter across. Sometimes there was another hallway, but they weren't all the same size. Some were smaller. Itachi quietly called out directions... He was the one who knew this place.

His forehead protector.... He'd been a Konoha shinobi, hadn't he? The line meant that he was a deserter. He had belonged to Konoha, and that was why he knew the way around.

Naruto felt so angry he might be sick. How could that utter bastard do this? How could a person betray his friends and attack people he should protect?

It got worse once they went back above ground because then they were running. Naruto was gasping to keep up. Once he began to fall behind but Itachi and Kisame didn't even seem to notice. They definitely didn't slow down.

Of course not! They only needed one hostage. And they didn't really care if someone was there to help Sakura when she woke up wherever the bastards would leave her. He needed to keep up. He couldn't let her down again.

The nightmare went on for hours. Naruto ran harder and longer than he knew he could. They never went to the road team 7 had taken when they had gone to Wave Country. The whole time they were running in the trees, up high and if he messed up he could fall and lose them and Sakura would be alone-

They stopped, and then dropped down to the ground. Naruto copied quickly and his knees burned from the force of landing. Itachi gave Naruto a quick, dismissive glance. “Five minutes.” Naruto wanted to punch him.

“Is it that time already?” Kisame let Sakura hit the grass.

“Watch it!” Naruto yelled. No one looked at him. Not even when he went to check on Sakura and see if she might be waking up.

Itachi made a series of hand seals and then held his right hand in front of his face. He touched a ring he was wearing. Something really weird was happening.

Naruto leaned in to watch, fascinated despite himself.

A sheet of light rose up. It looked like the static on a tv, except there were a lot more colors.

“Leader-sama.”

The light grew a dark center. The darkness turned into a human shape. A guy, with spiky hair.

Itachi seemed to have been expecting that. “We have left Konohagakure and passed most of the internal security. There ought to be no trouble until the border.”

“Acceptable.” The figure wavered. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

Kisame glanced at Naruto.

'If I could figure out what they wanted, the old man will want to know.”

“One of two objectives has been fulfilled,” Itachi said.

That wasn't very helpful.

The stranger's voice sharpened. “Are you alone?”

“No.”

There was a moment of quiet. “Very well.” The figure seemed to nod. “Acceptable. I look forward to your return.”

They ran again after that. Naruto had no idea how long it was. His legs went through the cycle of tiring, hurting, and feeling fine again three times. And then Itachi slowed down a step and made contact with Kisame. “Aa,” he said.

Kisame snorted. “I wondered if we would really be so lucky.” He jumped to a lower branch and then to the forest floor. Naruto copied, because Kisame was the one holding Sakura. He didn't see Itachi for a couple of seconds but then he was right there with them.

Kisame and Itachi were both looking the same way, so Naruto did too. He didn't blink. But he still didn't see the other shinobi show up. One moment there was no one. The next, four people were outlined in the shadows.

One of them, he knew.

Kisame made a surprised sound. “Only one Konoha nin? And one without a hitai-ite.”

“And two from Kiri.” Itachi sounded bored. “Friends of yours, Kisame-san?”

“Can't say I know them. Peculiar.” Kisame sounded like he was smiling. “This is interesting, isn't it? Did you know we were here?”

“Put down the kids and I might not kill you.”

Aiko-san's voice was so cold. He was so glad to see her. She was making some handsigns he couldn't see.

Kisame laughed. “That's not very friendly, now is it?” He cocked his head. “I remember you. You're good at taxes, but mean. Not sugar-sweet enough to be from Konoha. You're with Kiri.”

Aiko-san turned her face away from Kisame, to narrow in on Itachi.

“Don't look at him!” Naruto heard himself shout. “He looked at Kakashi-sensei!”

It didn't exactly make sense and it was too late. She was looking right at him, Naruto could see it, and she was going to fall down just like sensei and Sasuke and how could anyone fight someone who could just look at you and-

There was a horrible, high pitched sound that hurt his ears. Blood was in the air. And Aiko's fist was sticking out the back of Itachi's chest, along with a shining mass of what looked like glass needles.

[audriel]

Audriel’s FF Ouvre

As this tumblr is intended to be focused on writing, I think it’ll be fitting to list my favorites of all I’ve written so far and the reasons why they are my favorites.

Title: Ayame (FFnet) Fandom: Naruto Pairing: Gen, OCs feat. Uchiha Itachi Summary:  Ayame, a beautiful flower that means happiness for those who believe. Hikari Ayame was supposed to be an ordinary girl until a fateful event took her to Konoha where her fate entwined with unexpected people that will affect the future of Konoha.   Thoughts: My first published fanfic. Like every first in our lives, they have a special place in our hearts. When I published this fic, I’ve just truly started writing fanfic for a year or so, the kind of fic that is not just bits of pieces of dialogues or descriptions. Naruto was the most popular fandom back then, at least for anime/manga (was it Harry Potter? I feel old...) with a huge cast that is not dissimilar of Haikyuu!! so naturally it’s a perfect place to stretch writing muscles. Even back then I was content in exploring in the current universe/world, picking at the blanks and filling them up with my own ideas without straying far from canon, and those ideas are often my own characters.

Hikari Ayame is my OC, who was the daughter of the Yondaime (who was still a mystery back then) and teammate of Uchiha Itachi. Through Ayame I explored the world of Naruto, from its jutsu to its history. Looking back, I’m pretty surprised that I hit the nail in the head on Itachi being the good guy all along. It doesn’t have many reviews, but I had a blast writing it. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up completing the fic. By then I’ve figured out I’m muse-based writer, if my muse is shot, then there’s nothing, which holds true until now. Plus I was rather (if not very) faithful to canon, so once my ideas didn’t fit, I didn’t force them to fit, or take AU route.

Title: Promises (FFnet) Fandom: Final Fantasy VII Pairing: Cloud x Tifa, CloTi Summary:  Tifa's thoughts about a certain man... a certain ring... and a certain promise.... [Advent Children Spoilers] Thoughts: I wrote this after watching FFVII: Advent Children. Without prior knowledge of the games (I am and was not a gamer), I was intrigued by the ambiguous relationship between Cloud and Tifa. I remember pretty obsessed with the Advent Children, scouring the internet for screencaps, and backstory, then ofc, fanfics. Tifa’s ring was one of the things that caught my interest, particularly how it bore resemblance to Fenrir, Cloud’s Fenrir. So there went my muse and the result was my first one-shot and my first experience in having more than five reviews for my story. I remember how happy I was when I had such positive feedback, and back then FFnet did not have reply feature, so I just basked in them (or I PMed them? I’m not sure, but I did remember always trying to respond to the kind words).

Title: What Are We? (FFnet) Fandom: Naruto Pairing: Sasuke x Hinata, SasuHina Summary:  What happens when two of the most unlikely people are united in the holy matrimony? Especially when there is no love between them to start with. [Sasuke x Hinata] Thoughts: My most popular fanfic in FFnet with 13 chapters, 465 reviews, 323 favorites and 278 followers. I’m pretty sure it’s my highest achievement in terms of popularity. Even back in my Naruto days, I have strong preference towards rare pairings, and SasuHina was the rarepair, back then, not unlike KuroDai, the writers and the readers are often the same people and formed a close and tight-knit community. However, if I am to compare it with current pairing, SasuHina is more like OiKuro, neither have truly interacted in canon, but their personalities made them an interesting match to explore. (I like OiKuro, btw) And as I was wont to do, I have fun in exploring their potential. I used the common trope of arranged marriage because considering their families, it had the highest possibility for them and I was inspired by another SasuHina fic and author who used the same premise. I wanted to do my own spin on it, even though my only experience in relationships is through books and literature XDD

This story suffers the same fate with Ayame. The muse is shot, thanks to canon. Sasuke gets on my nerves. Until the very end, (honesty I cannot believe I managed to get myself finish Naruto, I gave up on Bleach at the same time) he is insufferable. He’s not worthy of Hinata. And don’t start me on Hinata and her characterization. Kishimoto sucks at making strong female characters. Hinata and Sakura are reduced to a love interest and damsel in distress, despite their potential. I was and am still mad at the injustice that I don’t even bother correcting them in fanfic. So unfortunately, this fic is discontinued. I’m not even sure whether I want to continue even if I still remember what I intend to do with the story. There’s still a possibility, if only to give the story a proper ending. Who knows?

Title: Shades of Grey (FFnet) Fandom: Vampire Knight Pairing: Zero x OC Summary:  A series of what ifs leads to a series of questions. This is the story that explores the question: What would be left for Zero if he let Yuuki go? A character study of Zero and an exploration of Vampire Knight world. Thoughts: My longest running fanfiction, with 20 chapters and 159K words and my first M-rated fic. The least popular of my fics but my personal favorite. I consider this story my pride and joy, because this story showcases my strength and growth best as a writer. By now I’m more flexible with canon, willing to play with canon divergence and alternate universe. So when I’m dissatisfied with canon/current storyline, I goes to fanfic to correct it. I really, really hate love triangle problems in shoujo/romance stories, because it often feels like it’s just thrown in there just to make relationship problems between main pairing and the third person usually ends up underdeveloped as a character, and there are times when the main character has more chemistry/potential with the third person than the person he/she’s meant to be with, which is what happens in Vampire Knight. Yuuki is meant to be with Kaname, but I just cannot like Kaname, or see him with Yuuki. And poor Zero gets the short end of the stick. It doesn’t help that Yuuki keeps him hanging. So frustrated I was that I stopped reading the manga and threw myself into writing my own version and gives Zero a love interest.

So it can be said that this is the most selfish work of mine. What I like most from OCs is that through them I can push the boundaries of canon without stepping outside of them. I use the opportunity to develop Zero as a character alongside with mine and explore the world of VK, which is not delved deeply in canon. While VK seems to take place in a distant world unlike ours, I make it as though it is our world’s alternate universe where we have vampires in our midst. So compared to my previous works, with the exception of Ayame, this story requires and demands the most research for the world building, which naturally pushes me out of my comfort zone of thinking and writing only of the characters and their relationships. I also delve into darker and more mature themes whereas before I did more gen or PG pieces. It ends up pretty angsty, it looks like I like to have my characters suffer ^^; Poor Zero and Misaki (my OC).

The story is currently on hiatus, due to writer’s block. Unlike Ayame and What Are We?, I actually have a rough draft of the whole story and even have the ending written. It’s only the problem of getting there.

Title: The Gentle Princess (AO3) Fandom: Princess (manhwa) Pairing: Yapha of Skarde x Theodora of Anatoria Summary:  What if Theodora was married sooner to Yapha and became his third wife, right after Haisha? How would this change the fate of the three kingdoms of ASR? Thoughts: This is my first taste of joining a Big Bang Challenge, to be precise Het Big/Little Challenge 2011 by het_bigbang in LJ (ooh, the LJ days, I’m lookin’ pretty ancient, aren’t I?). Wait, wasn’t it stated 2012 in AO3? Well, I didn’t manage to meet the deadline, so I submitted the completed work for next year’s challenge. This story has the most impressive word count (71,126 words), and I am damned proud of it, especially because it’s completed. OMG, it makes me really happy that I have completed multi-chapter work.

The only downside is the fanfic from a relatively unknown fandom and characters, which leaves not many readers and reviewers, but I’m still happy and proud of this work of mine, because now I can read this and pretend that this is how it goes in canon for this favorite, but minor pairing in Princess. (I’m pretty sure my fanfic is the only one in the fandom in AO3 XDD) Princess is a Korean manga, known as manhwa, which story revolves around the princesses of three kingdoms (and three generations, I think) of ASR. So it’s a epic story, which naturally makes the fic, an epic fanfic. However, unlike VK I have easier time in worldbuilding since the manhwa is quite thorough, the problem is in the political undertones and intrigue throughout the story. I am guilty of using the non con sex and unexpected pregnancy as plot device again in this story as in Shades of Grey. While I like how it affects the plot and development, I hope I do not offend or worse trigger anyone :( Otherwise, I love the development in Yapha and Theodora, and between them as they grow from strangers to friends and to potential lovers.

Title: Perspective (AO3) Fandom: Daiya no Ace, Diamond no Ace Pairing: Gen, Kuramochi Youichi, Shirasu Kenjirou, Miyuki Kazuya Summary: An unfortunate circumstance puts things into perspective. Alternatively, Kuramochi and Miyuki from Shirasu's perspective. Thoughts: My return to fanfiction scene after a year without publishing anything that is not a incoherent mess of ideas, of disjointed dialogues and descriptions. As I look back, I’ve come to realize that my muse works best when I start with a premise, then build on it. The premise is simple: what if Kuramochi gets sick? Injury does have the most potential, but I've got enough of that in Act I and now we have another in Act II, sighs. Then I explored the 5W+1H based on what I know (and hope) about Kuramochi and the others around him. And voila, 16K fic! Shirasu provides an interesting perspective, he does not have the all-knowing eyes like we did as readers, but I feel like he knows more than most of Seidou (esp he gets help from Miyuki-specialist, Kuramochi). The fic ends up into a pretty interesting character study, and most importantly relationship study between Kuramochi and Miyuki.

I was afraid that I was getting rusty but the response is surprisingly positive with 7 comments and 33 kudos, considering it is a rare gen fic among mostly slash fics in the fandom. Admittedly it can be considered as pre-slash, with my KuraMiyu goggles, they look like one :D I hope I’ll come around to write a proper KuraMiyu one day. Regardless I’m very happy and satisfied with this piece, because not only it’s completed, but it also achieved what I want to achieve, a further look into KuraMiyu and Kuramochi being treated as precious friend/teammate/brother as he should be.

Title: Until Next Time (AO3) Fandom: Haikyuu!! Pairing: Kuroo x Daichi, KuroDai Summary: Kurodai Week 2017 Day 1: First Meeting / Next Time Pacific Rim AU. Thoughts: Not exactly my first dip into Haikyuu, but it’s my first non-gen fic after my long break from writing and my first try in portraying my fave pair (and rarepair), Kurodai. I have a lot of reservation in writing in Haikyuu fandom. Despite having followed the anime and manga closely, I am not certain in my grasp of the wonderful characters, more so in my favorite characters and pairing. However, I’ve read the whole fics with Kurodai tag, to the front and back, and front and back again. Then, thanks to @spring-emerald who reblogged kurodaiweek, putting the prompts front and center in my dashboard, I was stoked to join, especially when I was sort-of successful with hqbrofest (though satisfied it’s another matter, neither fics from the challenge are listed).

It is also a mean to challenge myself, because for once, the theme is already decided and it’s up to me to make something out of it. Somehow it’s gotten to my head that I want all the fics for the kurodaiweek to be AUs. I have no idea why I wanted to do that, when my grasp on the characters were weak and tenuous at best, and now I had to put them in different situation/universe while keeping them in character. WTF BRAIN?????? 

My initial take of the theme/prompt is hello and goodbye and my mind goes to dark and depressing Hunger Games AU where KuroDai are from different districts who both in their own ways try to defy the Capitol and end up teaming up together to protect Hinata, the youngest and most innocent tribute. Despite death looming over them, they build a pocket of peace and happiness between the three of them where they become a makeshift family and KuroDai quietly falls for one another even they know it is not meant to be, but it strengthens their resolve to get Hinata home, and they do. In their final moments, they promise to meet each other in the next life and build a life together that they are robbed of in this life. 

asd;akjfadkjfslkldkjdfladksl, I’m only writing the idea and I’m crying. Not a very good way to start Kurodai Week isn’t it? So I scrapped the idea and look for other possible AU I can do (I have a list of AUs, believe it or not), and I end up choosing Pacific Rim AU. Unlike the HG AU, I have no clear idea in mind, except using the iconic Kurodai phrase of until next time. I spent half of the time researching and fitting all the characters into PacRim universe, and before I knew it, I’ve got 10K story. While I feel like the story is solid, I have my doubts whether it’s good enough, and it seems so with how few and sparse the hits and comments at the beginning, but then slowly it gains readers and reviews...and up until now I’m still flabbergasted at the reception. Right now it’s my highest rated and reviewed fic in AO3. I’m just glad that I finally write my own KuroDai, my first and hopefully not my last. Cheers!

[kusunokihime-a]

OKAY rant part two time for @littlelilypetal – this time about the more general plot of Arc Three because...reasons.

Also small disclaimer AGAIN for anyone else who pops in here, curious: this is from a fic written from a verse I wrote with two friends LONG before I joined Tumblr. It was written over literally hundreds of pages (I have the threads saved don’t try me boi, and the fic itself is 300,000 words and counting), and it’s very dear to me. It’s nothing that has to happen here, but it’s still a thing, and any whining about OC x Canon pairings will be met with fingers in my ears going lalala can’t hear you.

SO. Small disclaimer: this first part here is still a bit of a WIP, as my original draft had a plot hole in it. This is my attempt at fixing it xD

Arc three starts technically before the end of Shippuden, aka before Sasuke leaves. Ryū ends up going with him to raid Obito's old lab to make sure all the Uchiha bodies and parts are properly disposed of or buried. Among them is Itachi's body.

Now, Ryū at this point already has Itachi's permission to resurrect him (as noted in the other rant lol - he’s gotta come back and clean up his mess, and take care of his kids), she just doesn't have the means how, as she's lacking his body. And, of course, the body he had was ravaged by illness and worn out, let alone missing its eyes. So, while clearing the lab, she takes a DNA sample without Sasuke's knowledge, and then proceeds to help him clean up. She hasn't told Sasuke her plans yet, as she's still not 100% sure it will work.

As a test, she uses her soul retrieval technique on Neji, managing to retrieve his soul and replace it into his healed corpse. Knowing she can get it to work, she moves forward.

(Quick note about that technique: it's HELLA dangerous. Basically, a person uses a very thin connection to their body, and goes into the void to take ONE soul at a time. BUT, the longer a soul has been departed from the mortal plane, the further away it is – so she can't just take anyone who's died like a hundred years ago. Her limit is like...a few months, at best. But the void constantly eats at her chakra, and if she stays too long, she'll just...die. So it's a powerful technique, but EXTREMELY risky and limited. Hopefully it seems balanced that way ='D)

So, Sasuke then leaves a few months later, and she begins her work. At this point she’s still working in the hospital, focusing on surgeries to give her more time at home with the twins, who are about 8 months at this point. But, after her shifts, she sneaks to the basement of the hospital (aka the morgue), where there are cryogenic pods for storing bodies. They're almost always unused, and it's there she pours every spare ounce of chakra she has into regrowing an entirely new body for Itachi. It takes her months, and she nearly kills herself doing it, using up too much energy, but eventually she finishes it.

After her collapse, Tsunade confronts her, and she has no choice but to reveal her plans. Of course, Tsunade FLIPS her table, because one: that's hella dangerous, and two: how is this going to work? A few select people know the truth behind Itachi, but there's a few issues with him being revived. One is that he's still guilty in most eyes. And even if they break the truth behind the massacre, that's highly dangerous. The administration of Konoha – the Hokage and the elders – WIPED OUT an entire clan due to dissent. If the other clans learned of this, it would surely break the village apart.

Ryū announces she has a plan. Due to her connections with Sasuke as his guardian/sibling figure, she's also bumped into most of the Konoha Twelve during her years in Konoha. Most of which are heirs or at least high-ranking members of large clans. She plans to speak to them first, as they're likely the most receptive after everything they faced in the war, and knowing Sasuke's loss as his friends and comrades. By securing their agreement to help with the issue, she hopes to avoid a total meltdown.

She also has a few favors owed to her by the Hyūga, who are arguably the most powerful clan now that the Uchiha are “gone”. One for attempting to protect Hinata during Pain's invasion (I didn't elaborate on that in the other rant, but if I wrote the whole thing out we'd be here for DAYS lol), and then of course reviving Neji. She plans to rely heavily on them and her friendship with Hinata to help keep the other clans in line, by talking to her and Neji first. Hopefully, that way, the Hyūga - already knowing the plan - can lead by example by being calm, and hopefully help the other clans keep from flipping tables.

Unfortunately, Tsunade lets the plan slip to Sakura...who then tattles to Sasuke. She confronts Ryū about it, asking why she wouldn't tell him, and Ryū argues that she didn't want to get his hopes up if it failed. But, Sasuke shows up anyway, and agrees to stay and help with the plan to break the news about the coup and the massacre.

With Tsunade and Sakura's help, Ryū performs her technique, their Byakugō helping bolster her chakra alongside her sage state. Normally, Itachi would have been dead far too long. But thanks to Edo Tensei, the “distance” has sort have been...reset. It wipes her out, but she manages it, and returns the soul to his rebuilt body!

Of course, one thing they have to deal with is getting Itachi mobile. The body is basically the same as a newborn's – it has NO muscle strength, so he ends up needing months of physical therapy to get up and moving. And until he's fit (and able to defend himself, as there's fears he'll be attacked), they work with the young heirs of Sasuke's generation to move their plans forward. Ryū has a meeting with the Konoha Twelve and explains everything, and of course they all agree to help.

Once Itachi is ready, the elders are called into a meeting with Tsunade...only to find themselves surrounded by the leaders and heirs of all the major clans. They reveal that they know the truth, that Itachi has returned, and if they refuse to admit to it, they can Edo Tensei summon Hiruzen to confirm their story. Basically backed into a corner, the elders are forced to step down, where they can't bring about anything else like the massacre.

The last thing that remains is Itachi's official pardon. Tsunade decides to use Kakashi's coronation as a platform, as everyone will be gathered anyway. He explains the truth behind the massacre, and official pardons Itachi. But there are some in the crowds that look...less than happy about it.

So, from there, the general premise is how the Uchiha have to get back on their feet – forming an alliance with the Hyūga, and doing their best to settle into Konoha again.

But it doesn't end there :3c

One day, while Itachi is speaking to Kakashi about rejoining the shinobi force, Ryū senses an intruder in the compound, walking up the Naka river. She runs out to confront them...only to realize that it's SHISUI.

(which is actually the Shisui from my sideblog lolol)

BASICALLY...I think it's bull that Shisui leapt into a RIVER to dispose of his body...like...really? There's a HUGE chance it would have washed up on shore and been found by gods know who. SO, MY Shisui instead went into hiding – the only way he could know his body was safe was to keep it alive, but have everyone THINK it was dead. Even Itachi. Of course, he PLANNED to die later, but couldn't be 100% sure it would be safe. So instead (super short summary), he lived in a cave along the Naka for about ten years and learned echolocation via chakra from bats (think Toph from ATLA, only with chakra lol)

So...suddenly, Shisui is alive. Ryū is ecstatic, of course...but Itachi is PISSED. Because...had he known Shisui was still alive, he might have kept trying. He might not have had to kill the clan. A LOT could have been different. So...it takes time for him to come around, due to the guilt he feels about the massacre, and now knowing there was a chance it could have been avoided. But in reality...not really.

So now we suddenly have five blood Uchiha rather than three: Itachi, Shisui, Sasuke, and the twins. It's obviously nowhere near the clan it was before, but it's more than it was!

And this is where things start to go to shit, lol

So, remember those people, unhappy about Itachi's return? Well...there's a rather volatile group who feel the same way. See, some of the old Root members, led by Danzō, still harbor a LOT of resentment, and are still loyal to his memory. Among them is Okano Sumire, a woman obsessed with Danzō, who was a high ranking officer under his regime. She's been plotting revenge against Sasuke already for “killing” Danzō (though he technically committed suicide), and now she's got a whole lot more to be pissed about. With the massacre's truth revealed, Danzō's name is now just...dragged through the mud. And with the revelation of Itachi, she now also knows that the twins are blood Uchiha.

So, she regathers the scattered remnants of Root who are still loyal to Danzō, becomes their new leader, and basically begins plotting to wipe out the Uchiha for GOOD, as she feels they are all guilty for Danzō’s death and subsequent dishonor.

This causes the family problems all throughout Arc Three. It starts small – threats left on their doorstep, people jeering at them in public, etc. Though it's partially helped by the Hyūga, who – as the Uchiha's allies thanks to Ryū's work with them – do all they can to help bolster the tiny clan's reputation. But Sumire begins spreading dissent into the village with rumors and lies, and eventually things starting getting dangerous, including Ryū and the twins being attacked in broad daylight. She manages to hold them off with barriers, but she's obviously pretty freaked out after being attacked in the middle of the street with her KIDS with her.

So that's like...the main conflict, alongside the twins' conflict with each other. They end up on a team with Mirai, as I mentioned, with Shisui as their team leader. They later enter ANBU when able, and do their best to counteract Root. The rest of the story is basically them trying to wipe out Root before Root wipes THEM out. Of course they don’t face it alone, but it’s also pretty much THEIR problem.

And, uh...there's a rather volatile event just before the actual epilogue where it's Ryū who confronts Sumire...and someone gets killed.

But I won't spoil that :3c

ANYWAY. So yeah. That's the basic conflict (well, conflictS) of Arc Three. I had to kinda change things a wee bit after chapter 700 and Boruto became a thing, but...it's mostly unchanged. Just gotta account for other kiddos, like Sarada. Otherwise, I’m completely ignoring the PLOT of Boruto, and just sticking the pairings/kids in it to keep close-ish to canon.

But uh..yeah! Second rant, finished xD

[kuriquinn]

Reading the Signs

Disclaimer & Masterpost

Summary: Years later, the three of them will look back on this day and laugh at everything they missed - or willfully ignored.

The Kazekage’s office is practically deserted as Temari and Kankuro wander through its halls; outside, a sandstorm rages, effectively closing down the usual hubbub of the village. The only sound in the hallway is the hurried, echoing footsteps ahead of them as a mousy-haired young woman comes to an abrupt stop in front of them.

“Good morning Lady Temari, Lord Kankuro,” Matsuri says, breathless.

Kankuro raises an eyebrow. “You’re still here? The work day’s over.”

“If Lord Gaara is here, I’m still here,” the diminutive girl says determinedly. “There’s a building inspector waiting for him to okay the new hospital building, and he wanted to stay late to read the entire proposal before the deadline. I’m running the signed permit over there now – oh, and the new newspaper is waiting for a statement from him on his plans to deal with this year’s drought. We all know how much he dislikes talking to journals –” She chuckles nervously here, eyes flitting to Temari, who glowers at her with every word. “ – They always try to sensationalise him, which he hates – and for good reason! He’s a war hero, he should be respected, not…uh…not turned into the hero of some romance novel, right? So, I was, um, I was thinking that if one of you would prefer to comment on his behalf, I know he would be…um…grateful for that…”

She swallows at Temari’s lack of response, turning a shade paler and shifting nervously in place.

“We’ll think about it,” Kankuro eventually says, and she exhales in relief.

“Oh – okay, great! Let me know as soon as you can, I’ve-got-to-go-bye!”

And she darts away almost as fast as if she were using a shunshin.

Kankuro snorts. “That wasn’t very nice of you.”

“I can’t help it,” Temari grumbles. “Something about her just rubs me the wrong way.”

“The fact that she’ perky, or the fact that she follows Gaara around like a puppy?”

“Hmph. She’s just like all the rest of the girls here – fawning over him since he became the village hero. You should have heard the way she talked about Naruto, too. It was unbecoming. And her affections are inappropriate.”

They turn the corner, the giant doors of the Kazekage’s office looming before them.

“Maybe – but you have to admire her resolve. Everyone else has given up by now, and she’s still here,” Kankuro muses. “I think that speaks to her character.”

“Her character is irrelevant! For that matter, so is this whole conversation. Gaara would have to be aware of the existence of women in general, and he’s too busy dedicating himself to the village,” Temari dismisses, feeling somewhat relieved at that particular fact.

“Well, he might not always be that way.”

“You’d better pray that he is – otherwise you’re going to have to give him the talk, and I’ve had enough family drama for one life time to deal with the fallout of that conversation.”

“Ha-ha – h-hey, why do you assume I would have to be the one to have the talk with him?”

Temari sniffs. “You’re the big brother.”

“You’re the big sister!”

“Exactly – you’re the guy. You can relate.”

“No one can relate to him – except maybe Naruto.”

“Well there’s no way I’d trust him with that conversation. The guy probably thinks sex and ramen are mutually exclusive.”

“Temari,” her brother complains, whining in a way that reminds her of how he was when they were little. “Come on, it has to be you. You’re all…mature and stuff. And you know how it works for…you know…women.”

“You are such an idiot.”

Temari throws open the doors to her youngest brother’s office, effectively ending that awkward situation – only to find herself thrown into an altogether different one.

“What are you doing here?” she blurts out, taking note of the familiar dark haired young man sitting opposite Gaara.

Shikamaru Nara jumps, like he’s surprised to see her, which doesn’t make sense because they almost always run into each other when visiting each other’s villages. It makes almost as little sense as her not knowing he’s here, because usually he writes her before he even leaves Konoha.

“Uh, nothing much,” the Konoha-nin says, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly while Gaara nods a silent greeting to his siblings. “Unofficial business, mostly.”

“They only sent you?” Kankuro asks. “Usually they at least send someone with you, like Sakura.”

Temari rolls her eyes at this. Speaking of inappropriate affections…

Kankuro has had a little bit of a crush on the Konoha medic since the time she saved his life, and even though he has absolutely no chance with her (she’s one of the new generation of Sannin who saved the world, for goodness sake! Not to mention from what Temari understands, the woman is utterly devoted to Sasuke Uchiha), he always asks about her when they get visitors from Konoha.  

If Shikamaru knows any of this, he doesn’t give an indication.

“I was on a mission in the area, and before I could head home I got a message from Konoha to stop by here. Otherwise I’d have written in advance.”

She thinks he might be looking at her when he says that, and did she imagine that apologetic note in her voice? She must have, because Shikamaru isn’t the type to bother with apologies or common courtesy or consideration –

“Naruto is going stir-crazy it seems,” Gaara says in quiet amusement.

“Yeah, not being able to leave the village is messing him up,” Shikamaru agrees. “Between the rehab and studying to become Hokage, we’re all amazed his brain hasn’t exploded.” He pauses, and then adds with a whimsical grin  at Temari that has her cheeks turning red, “Lady Tsunade has a betting pool started, actually, if you guys want in on it.”

“Oh, count me in,” Kakuro sniggers.

“I have no doubt Naruto will manage,” Gaara says sagely, ever loyal to his friend.

Shikamaru raises an eyebrow at her, as if waiting for her to weigh in, but Temari scowls and crosses her arms. “You seriously came here just because Naruto asked you to? What, there’s not enough important business in Konoha to deal with that you can waste time sightseeing?”

She tries not to wince, because even to her ears that sounds harsh.  

“I wouldn’t say it’s a waste of time,” Shikamaru shrugs, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’m pretty sure the Hokage is going to ask in person later in the month, but while I’m here I’m supposed get some feedback about the possibility of Chūnin Exams.”

“This year?” Kankuro asks, surprised.

Shikamaru nods. “Yes. We know in the wake of everything else that’s happened it would be a little more challenging to arrange than most years.”

“It would stretch the budget,” Temari admits. “And so soon after the war…might not be the best idea. So many are still recovering.”

“That shouldn’t make a difference,” Gaara says quietly. “Now more than ever is a time when the shinobi world should demonstrate that they can rally in the face of tragedy. If our next generation of genin participate, it can be seen as a message to everyone – shinobi and civilian alike – that we are still strong.”

Kankuro nods thoughtfully at this, and Temari only just keeps from beaming at her youngest brother. Every day he is an even wiser leader than the day before.

Shikamaru nods and glances thoughtfully out the window as the sand swirls through the air.

“Yeah, that’s what Kakashi thinks too,” he says eventually.

“You mean he actually said that?” Temari challenges.

“Not with so many words – actually, barely with any words. Naruto was there before I left and wouldn’t stop talking over him. But that was the general idea that I got.”

“Then for now, our answer is the same,” Gaara declares. “I’m sure the other Kage will be of similar minds.” He shuffles several pieces of paper, frowning down at them, and then glances up at his siblings. “Was there something the two of you wanted?”

“Eh – oh, nah, nothing important,” Kankuro dismisses. “Temari and I were just coming to see if you wanted to get some dinner with us.”

Gaara shakes his head, genuinely regretful. “Unfortunately, I still have quite a bit of paperwork to sort through today. But perhaps if I finish early, I can meet you for a nightcap.”

“Hey, no problem bro,” Kankuro says, and begins to head back out of the office. He pauses and nods at Shikamaru. “What about you?”

“Hm?”

“Come get a bite with us.”

Temari tenses up and she shoots him a wide-eyed look. What the hell are you doing?!

“You can tell us all about what else is going on in Konoha,” Kankuro continues. “You guys are still rebuilding too, right?”

“Yeah,” Shikamaru says. “It’s going slower this time without Captain Yamato involved.”

“Well, then you can tell us about that – see you later, Gaara!”

“Hopefully,” their little brother says absently, already focussed on the papers in front of him.

Temari is torn between wandering over to offer to help him out, or to follow Kankuro and make sure he doesn’t say something monumentally stupid.

“Hey, where are you staying?” her middle brother continues. “Don’t tell me the Leaf didn’t shell out enough for you to get a decent inn, or are you just crashing at a motel?”

Decision made, Temari hurries after the two.

“Yeah, it’s just a traveller’s inn near the border wall–”

“Forget that, you should stay with us. Make it easier on yourself – plus, you don’t want to be wandering around in the sand like this. It’s going to last for hours.”

“Sure, if you’re offering,” Shikamaru says, allowing her brother to open the door and motion him through.

Once he is out of the room, Temari stomps over Kankuro and hisses, “What the hell are you doing?”

Kankuro looks at her in wide-eyed innocence that she knows is total crap. “Being hospitable. We can’t leave him on his own, right? That wouldn’t be polite.”

“When have you ever cared about being polite?” she snaps back, eyes flitting to Shikamaru’s retreating back.

“Well, I figure I have to get to know him a well as possible. Especially considering the way you look at him –”

“The way I look –” Temari cuts her own disbelieving hiss off, and grabs hold of her brother’s shirt, dragging him close up. In a low, dangerous voice she only uses when she’s about to kill someone, she growls, “Listen well, little brother, you may be adept with playing the puppet-master for your little dolls, but if you try any of that manipulation on me, the only string you’ll be handling will be the tube they have to feed you with once I’m through with you. Understand?”

“Got it, got it!” Kankuro squeaks, trying to pull free.

Temari lets him go, and he staggers back, just as Shikamaru turns around.

“So where are we going?” he asks, ignorant to the interchange between siblings.

“There’s an izakaya just a few blocks over,” Temari informs him, business-like. “And there’s an underground tunnel, so we can avoid the sand.”

“Great,” Shikamaru says as he falls into step beside her. “Did you guys ever get that wind-farm up and running?”

As Temari begins to answer, she hears her brother mutter under his breath, “Yeesh. And people thought Gaara was scary.”

She smirks to herself.

つづく

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