#“Don't kill Naruto because he loves you more than anyone in this world and so do you now kiss and get together you two gay drama queens!!”

[sasunarualways]

Will never ever get over the fact that this conversation was left unfinished!!

[thebloodredraven]

"He's more of a brother to me than you ever were to him."

- Naruto, talking to Itachi about Sasuke

I'm rewatching Naruto as a whole because I'm introducing it to my friend, and I like to watch it every few years as I gain new life experience to get a new perspective of something I've been watching since I was a little kid. I've never finished the series past the very beginning of the war arc, though (working on it!).

We're up to the Tenchi Bridge mission in Shippuden and I have some thoughts on how remarkably similar Naruto and Itachi are, specifically when it comes to their shared trait of unintentionally dehumanizing Sasuke and viewing him as a possession, and an object to obtain, rather than a person with his own autonomy and free will. I also kind of wanna go into how Kakashi and Sakura (kinda) were probably the only people to love him as he was but still ultimately failed him, and how all of them drove him away.

Disclaimer: These are all my own opinions and you're under no obligation to agree with any of it. If any of what I have to say bothers you, you're more than welcome to exit the post at any time and ignore me instead of sending hate mail and leaving heinous comments. Anything you have to say in response can be said respectfully. Thanks!

Words: 2.3k

In episode 41 of Naruto Shippuden, there's a scene where Naruto is in his own mind as he's transforming into the Nine Tailed Fox (Kurama). In this scene, he sees an apparition of Sasuke walking away from him and when he tries to go after him, water floods all around him and he can't get to him. He's falling into his own darkness and giving in to Kurama's influence.

During this scene, he says, "I am weak, so my words don't reach [Sasuke]. Because I am weak, I can't win his recognition. So, whatever happens I must become stronger so that the bond I've finally forged will not be severed. So that Sasuke won't sever the connection with me."

It can be said that the entire reason Naruto is so obsessed with getting Sasuke back is because, as he's stated himself multiple times, he can't confidently fulfill his goal of becoming Hokage if he can't even save his friend from darkness. His entire self-worth rests in the validity that others provide him because he was deprived of that his entire life, and he represses his emotions to the extreme.

It's why he's irrational and dangerous to be around and difficult to work with; it's why he foregoes any plans or strategies people have on almost every single mission he's been sent on from the time he became a ninja till the war and is always the first to attack in these scenarios; it's why he's willing to start giving into the power of Kurama until Yamato tells him how he injured Sakura and how he needed to prove his strength with his OWN power: his need to prove himself to others and get that validation he craves trumps over anything, and anyone, else.

When it comes to Itachi, he told Sasuke that in order to become strong enough to kill him he needed to sever his bonds with those closest to him.

Opposite of Naruto, Itachi kept Sasuke at a distance at all times because of his own goals to rid the world of war and get into a position where he can render ninja obsolete (via Itachi Retsuden). His tunnel vision when it came to his personal goals caused him to disregard how his actions affected other people because he saw it as a means to an end, including slaughtering his own clan and becoming a double spy in the Akatsuki.

When Naruto and Itachi run into each other during the Gaara Retrieval arc, they get to talking about Sasuke.

When Itachi asks why Naruto is so obsessed with Sasuke, Naruto replies with the quote that leads into this post.

I was talking to my friend about Naruto's possessive nature when it comes to Sasuke and that led into be thinking about how Itachi also viewed Sasuke.

I came to the conclusion that neither of these people viewed Sasuke as someone capable of having his own autonomy, his own philosophy, and as someone deserving of having his own personal goals and feelings recognized. Sasuke was always within his full right to end up as hateful and as angry and as hurt as he was, but because Naruto and Itachi care more about their own goals and their own proximity to Sasuke, they don't view him as someone that can make his own decisions; that's why I feel Naruto had such a negative reaction when Orochimaru reminded Naruto that Sasuke came to him of his own free will after Naruto was screaming at him to "give him back." Even after three years, he cannot stomach or accept the fact that Sasuke made the choice to leave him, and it pushes him further into his obsession.

Sasuke made his own decision to go to Orochimaru because he felt like no one else around him genuinely tried to understand what he was going through. They, essentially, just wanted him to let go of his pain and keep living a "happy" life with them. How could they understand when they view him in such a way? Orochimaru was up front with his intentions and his plans for Sasuke from the very beginning. Yes, he was manipulated by the curse mark, but Orochimaru wouldn't have chosen him to begin with if he didn't see what was already in Sasuke.

He was very up front with the fact that he needed Sasuke's body in order to continue living as a powerful being and find immortality. He told Sasuke what the game plan was and knew that in order to get what he wanted, he needed to give Sasuke what everyone else had denied him: a choice. He saw a gifted child filled with jealousy and hatred, which was something fostered by his need to compete with Itachi and Naruto and gave him exactly what he wanted.

Sasuke's entire clan was annihilated by the one person he sought the most validation from. After that heartbreak, he was forced to live in that same Uchiha compound all alone.

While he was dealing with the trauma of that, every single person around him was idealizing him and treating him in a way that probably drove him further into isolation: he was constantly bombarded with girls that were crushing on him and wanting him for his talents and good looks, and the adults around him saw him as the perfect student that didn't need too much attention, so no one paid attention to his needs outside of what he provided in skill. Even though they very much provided the validation and attention he was seeking from his family, no one really bothered to see him.

Naruto was seemingly the only person that actively saw what he was going through because he also knew what that loneliness looked like, but his rivalry with him mattered more than that connection. That's why physical fighting is their form of intimacy. People propped him up on a pedestal from the time he was a small child and when that position was threatened by the least talented kid in his class, it threw him into a spiral (which is another topic).

Getting back to Itachi, he never saw Sasuke as his own person at any point in his life. I know he loved him in his own way. In some ways, he was the somewhat attentive father Sasuke should have had.

But Itachi was not always a good brother. Not in the least.

He always saw him as someone to protect, to coddle, to keep ignorant, keep below him because he subconsciously did not want Sasuke to become a shinobi and go through the same trauma he did (Itachi Retsuden). Eventually, that was no longer an option and that's when the distance happened (in conjunction to what was going on in his own life as a tool that others wanted to use for their own goals).

After Itachi slaughtered the clan, he reinforced Sasuke's lack of autonomy by giving him his own means to an end.

Itachi saw Sasuke as a tool -- a means to his own long, drawn-out suicide.

Naruto viewed Sasuke as the ultimate validation to his own goal to become Hokage.

Neither of them saw Sasuke for who he was or who he wanted to be -- for who he could have been.

I'll even add Sakura to this mix because she has a complicated relationship with him as well. She did end up with him and was his friend before anything, but she’s idolized him to the point of nausea since she was a little girl. She was obsessed with becoming the object of his affection. She had an unhealthy amount of loyalty to him just like Naruto (even though I'd argue she wasn't nearly as bad as Naruto was). She changed her own opinions of something to cater to what he thought so she could seem more favorable to him. For most of their childhood, she dehumanized him and didn't see him as anything other than a love interest for herself.

However.

You can see her slowly taking off the rose-colored glasses in the first part of Naruto during the Chuunin exams at two major points: when she chastised him for acting like a coward and freezing up while Orochimaru beat Naruto, and when she finally cut her hair in the middle of battle (context: she heard that Sasuke loved long hair and that's why she always kept it long).

Beyond that, she actually paid attention to his well-being and noticed when something was wrong or when he was hiding something and brought her concerns up in a non-aggressive manor. At the time, he was aggressive and agitated by her actions, and he reacts as such. Genuine concern is hard to come by for him, so how was he supposed to react?

But clearly, he recognized it and appreciated it because it's been confirmed through his Japanese VA AND English VA AND the novels that Sasuke was starting to fall in love with Sakura long before he realized it and was full of guilt when he left her on that bench.

When the time came to acknowledge that he was an internationally recognized terrorist and killer, the life drained from her face because she realized she had to put her feelings to the side and do what needed to be done.

Because she was willing to accept the reality of who he was and see him for what he'd become. And even though she was unsuccessful, she took steps to have Naruto forget about Sasuke and kill him herself.

At this point, he's learned to use the same tactics people used on him his entire life: only keep people around you that further your own goals. This time, he was in charge. When he formed his own gang, he encountered that dehumanizing behavior again when Karin constantly threw herself at him and practically begged to sleep with him. It was only after Itachi died and he decided to take down the Leaf that he was able to finally have a goal of his own that was solely for him.

I won't go into it too much because I'm already pushing 2k words, but it's worth noting that Sasuke was pushed to do crime because that was the only period of time where he was allowed to make his own decisions and have his own autonomy enough to pursue his OWN goals before that was swiftly taken away by The Akatsuki to....you guessed it, further their own goals.

Sasuke has never been the idol the people in proximity to him saw him as, from any person's point of view. Not Naruto, not Itachi, not Sakura, not Orochimaru, no one. Obito may have been the one closest to seeing Sasuke as he was, but he immediately took advantage of him.

They all wanted to possess him and obtain him in different ways, and one of the reasons I love his dynamic with Kakashi so much is because Kakashi did grow up very similarly to Sasuke, except his own dad died of his own accord and Sasuke’s father was taken away from him.

One of the main ways Kakashi has always been able to connect to Sasuke was the fact that throughout his life he’s had to watch every single person he’s ever cared about die around him. And for a while he was that cold detached person that didn’t want to keep up with friends, didn’t want to be around people, minded his business, and he was mean to everybody.

The whole reason he gave Sasuke that speech about choosing his own path right before he went to Orochimaru was because he intimately understood what he was going through emotionally.

Naruto and Sakura can say they get where he’s coming from, but Kakashi is really the only person able to empathize with what Sasuke was going through. And if Kakashi hadn’t been consistently sent out on missions and was able to take care of his kids the way he was supposed to, there was a slight chance Sasuke could have still healed from his trauma even with the manipulation of the curse mark. 

People forget that Kakashi very well could have ended up on the same path as Sasuke, even without Orochimaru’s influence, because he went through some very dark things. He had every reason to be a very dark character, but he didn’t.

He ultimately failed when he spoke to Sasuke as a soldier and not the traumatized child that was acting out on his pain.

In summary, Sasuke only went to the lengths that he did because of the people around him treating him as a possession to keep or as an object to obtain rather than treating him as an actual person. Sasuke goes through some of the most dehumanizing relationships, and I think that’s what irritates me so much about Naruto as a character.

Because he treats Sasuke, and he talks about him, like he’s a possession to obtain and because someone else “has” him, he has to get him back because Sasuke is his and his only. This extends to other characters around him, as well.

That lack of autonomy was what drove Sasuke away because he very clearly wanted to be seen as his own person but no one around him was willing to do that because they saw him as a means to their own goals. It's why Sasuke developed a "do you really think I give a fuck about what you want" personality trait.

All that being said, do I think they all genuinely loved him? Yes.

Ultimately, we have to remember that these are all small-town children with very little experience of the outside world and that the adults around him grew up in the same conditions because that's what the politics of that world demanded.

I have my opinions about the manga's imperialist propaganda, use of child soldiers, Sasuke's emotional development and how people chronically misunderstand complex PTSD, fascism, queer baiting, etc. but that's another post. Several others, actually.

Believe it or not, I had to shave down a lot of what I originally had in order to keep this relatively short LMAO

If y'all read all of this, THANK YOU! I rarely ever flesh out my thoughts about this show like this and it felt refreshing to get off my chest. Feel free to send me DMs and RESPECTFULLY speak your own mind in the comments/reblogs! ♥

[luna-blood]

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

Positive qualities of Sasuke.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Analysis Sasuke vs Deidara.

Sasuke killed Danzo; he did not commit suicide.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sasuke as a feminist icon.

Sakura is a female incel.

Sakura is a narcissistic.

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

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

Sasuke never kissed Sakura.

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

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

Sasuke retsuden is not canon.

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

Sasuke still considers Sakura inferior.

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

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

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

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

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

Naruto is a narcissistic.

Why Naruto is the worst character.

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

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

Shikamaru's revenge is meaningless unlike Sasuke's.

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

In defense of Fugaku.

How does Sasuke's revolution develop?

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

Itachi massacred the clan out of conscience.

The difference between Kushina and Itachi is not that big.

The policies of Tobirama Senju and the Uchiha genocide.

At what point will people stop demanding Sasuke?

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

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

Uchihas do not have mental illnesses.

Sasuke vs Readers without empathy.

Kishimoto canon vs Studio Pierrot fanservice.

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

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

Kishimoto is anti sasusaku and anti naruhina.

Kishimoto never wanted to write Boruto.

The real Sasuke fans.

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

[hellbubu]

If you don’t like what I post, filter tags and block me. I’m not gonna argue with anyone.

At least Violet is hiding his reaction somewhat well, the rest just want to be arrested ig. pendejos

Why does Arden have some cheap-looking rinnegans?

"Mom, can I get the rinnegan"

"We have the rinnegan at home" The rinnegan at home^

Also, does Cheslock not think that the P4's reaction is weird? Are they always weird? Maybe. Then what about Arden? Is he acting like he's hypnotized not weird? Maybe it's also not weird, they live in a world with Reapers and Demons ig. Maybe all young lads act like they're hypnotized and love the smell of tea.

They're gonna kiss 😍💕

Welp, there goes his career in whatever sport he plays.

I want to hire Sebastian to perform magic tricks (like this one) at my birthday party in August

He's the magician Undertaker hired to entertain you guys. He just forgot his uniform

The Queen should give Ciel a police badge or smth so he can show people. Because if a thirteen-year-old just randomly told me he's a detective, I'd pat him on the head and mentally coo at the baby.

One, Midford is right, don't fuck with Ciel. Two, what's with that lackluster reaction? Clayton, a dude is a zombie and a baby is pointing a gun at a bitch, shut up unless you want that gun pointed at you.

Maybe I'm wrong, but you guys go to a pretty religious school and I'm pretty sure god said not to kill. The bitch could've been kicking puppies and stealing kid's ice cream and you still shouldn't kill him. Beating him up on the other hand...

They jumped him??? I thought one of them killed him and called the rest to help hide the body.

Baby, he'll go to court and the lawyers with the wig will be there then he'll go to jail. You might go to jail for helping him hide the body. How will you guys get the blood off the carpet??

Is this the same Dr from BOA? Did Undertaker rescue him?? I only remember Undertaker fleeing and panicking that Ciel had his locked chain.

Everyone's reactions to Undertaker are so over the top. The only Understandable ones are Midford's and Ciel's. I know the rest of them had never ever heard the headmaster speak. They're acting more shocked at the Headmaster saying that watching them was fun than the literal zombie.

It's bullshit that that hat hid his hair. No hair tie? No bobby pins? I put my hair in a bun and it'll last me an afternoon at best unless I make it tight enough it'll give me a headache. This is bullshit. I find it easier to believe that Charles laid an egg and that the hen came out of it.

I miss my girls. I miss Madam Red. I miss Grelle. This season has too many boys.

Why- why is he drooling while holding Ciel?

He's so touchy with Ciel. I'm surprised Sebastian hasn't pushed him off.

This episode got the Naruto treatment. So many flashbacks I thought I'd see that damned swing.

Back then you probably just needed to forge some documents to get a job. It's not like a good chunk of the population could read/write plus it's not like they're gonna email the school or call your last job.

Yet you guys are allowed to step on the grass. And be at the Swan Gazebo.

Oh, so he was a snitch? Murder is understandable

What's with the Red House and shitty prefect's drudges? Like, this has to be more than just a coincidence at this point. It's probably the environment that breeds these fuckers

[theheirofthesharingan]

There's a part in the Sasuke light novel where Sasuke praises Naruto for respecting Itachi's wishes, but still trying to exalt him in a meaningful way using his influence. Sasuke says Itachi wanted to leave his love for his little brother in the world, not hatred and anger. So not only is it addressed, but it's agreed upon by the only living Uchiha heir, the person who knew Itachi best, and someone who also has a stake in the matter.

While I kind of get your point about Itachi's thinking being self-defeating/self-loathing, I think it's unfair to act like that makes Itachi a victim of people like Naruto or Sasuke who "don't understand him". Itachi is dead and there was no real time to heal that part of him. Itachi also spent much of his life being told how he should think and act, and what should be what he wanted. He also spent his life negotiating those options and acting them out through the filter of his own worldview. His final wish is the only time he actually gets to voice and control what he wants his world to look like. What gives Sasuke or Naruto the right to decide what's best for him? Why would they even want to? It's true that "wanting his love for his brother to remain" could be increased by spreading the truth of the matter, but it would also foster more anger, more chaos, more distrust and hatred. Is that the correct action to take regarding transparency and accountability? Probably not, but the point of Itachi conveying his love to Sasuke was to trust him in being able to live in a way that spreads that. A more subtle means to the same end.

Fuck Kakashi though. Itachi looked up to him and Kakashi didn't give a fuck about what that meant.

Please know that whenever I'm criticizing something or someone on Itachi's behalf, I'm not including Sasuke in it. And I don't think Itachi is a victim of Sasuke (or even Naruto) because Sasuke probably has no say in what he feel, and Kakashi remained Hokage for 12 years before Naruto took over. There was sufficient time to fix things if Kakashi himself wanted to do something about it.

I also understand that truth coming out would result in ugly consequences and no one other than Sasuke loves Itachi, so to them well-being of the village is above everything else. If anyone clears Itachi's name now, gives him honour and all now, it's useless. Even Sasuke forgiving him didn't heal anything in him. So what are they going to do clearing his name a decade after his death? Nothing.

However, it doesn't make it any less frustrating that he was never give a chance to live a life that he would have wanted. A lot of people in the Narutoverse as well as the fandom take things far too literally when they say "he was confident" and "he wanted things a certain way" as if that's all he who was. Just like other kids he too had a fragility and innocence, and he was failed by every single adult in his life. And he died believing he didn't deserve better.

He suffered way more for the things he did and even didn't do whereas people who hurt him were either considered good guys or faced no consequences. Why is it the actual criminals don't get punished, but for Itachi we have to choose the better option between "being hated" and "being forgotten"?

To me, manga alluding to the information from the novel makes them relevant. I'm aware that in Sasuke's novel Naruto told people and also that no one questioned him. But again, no one also seemed to question that how come Itachi, who was reputed to kill his clan single-handedly, who was an Akatsuki, ended up saving lives in war and why? Wasn't war started by the Akatsuki?

How many people today even know or remember him? Hiruzen has his ugly face carved on the rock. I'm not even saying you have to install Itachi's statues everywhere, but at least punish the people who are alive who destroyed his life, who were responsible for annihilating an entire clan, which included innocent people.

Kakashi disappointed me with both Sasuke and Itachi. After learning why Sasuke had joined the Akatsuki, his first reaction was he needed to kill Sasuke. I excuse Naruto characters a lot because of their trauma, but what trauma response this was? The same for his indifference towards Itachi.

I love Kakashi, but he disappointed me so darn much.

[sneezemonster15]

What do you think of this?

I was oddly disappointed when I came across this.

I honestly feel sorry for anyone who couldn't see what this story was all about. They missed out on so much, they missed out on emotions and feelings that could have been their unraveling, a catharsis, something that could have led to a more accepting heart, a more sensitive mind, a sharper intuition, a keener emotional intellect.

This story is about Naruto and Sasuke and their bond. A bond that changes their current corrupt and chaotic shinobi world for the better. That they were fated and are soulmates is not a SNS headcanon, it is an intricate part of their dynamic, their portrayal. It's literally canon. They are supposed to be yin and yang, they are fire and wind, sky and earth, they are light and darkness, sun and moon, they make each other stronger emotionally and physically, they are the main act. This is all literally text.

The point of this story is that true love transcends all constructs made by humans. True love is a greater motivator than hate and revenge. True love is the solution that will bring the world together, that will finally break the cycle of revenge and hatred and bring about peace. Even if this concept has its own problems, the point is, that's what Kishi wanted to portray, at least till chapter 699.

What would even be the point of this story if Sasuke was shown to not love Naruto? Like apart from all the symbolic and literary elements, the larger narrative itself will be cancelled out if Kishi meant to show only Naruto as obsessed with Sasuke, no?

So why do these fans think this way? Denying the narrative, denying the story, denying the visual imagery, denying the characterisation of the hero and the anti hero, denying the major themes that make this manga, denying the whole point of this manga?

Projection and/or they are almost incurably dumb.

Like I don't know how many lies they have had to tell themselves to believe in their wacky theories. Their sense of comprehension is worse than a tween's. And given that a lot of them are adults, it is so embarrassing for them. Like if I were in their shoes, I would go back to school. I would burn all my degrees in the society bonfire. I would spend all my savings to relearn about the world.

Like if 700 exclusive freaking chapters of Sasuke and Naruto's bond weren't enough for them to get this story, they should maybe burn all their books. Apologies, I doubt they read. My bad.

One really doesn't need to be a media expert to get that they love each other. All they have to do is to be open minded and read the story for the story itself. Literally, one doesn't have to put any extra effort. Leave the extra effort to the bloggers and analysts who write about the literary, socio-political, narrative and visual influences and such. Just do your part. Just be the reader. Follow the story for the story's sake. That. Is. All.

But you know...fans will be fans. They find a character hot, so they would project, self insert, be dumb, deny, whine and cry, fight uselessly, embarrass themselves on public platforms, reveal themselves to be raging idiots of the first degree, etc.

Anyway.

Thesis statement of this answer : Naruto loves Sasuke and is surely obsessed with him because - Sasuke inspires it in him. Sasuke is equally obsessed with Naruto, and one would think it is subtle and it certainly is as compared to loud Naruto, but objectively, not subtle AT ALL.

At. All.

Sasuke is so in love with Naruto, is so damn crazy about this funny, cute, earnest, raw and determined little urchin, that his brain practically turns to mush when he sees him.

You know why Sasuke wanted to kill Naruto in Shippuden? He keeps saying that Naruto is his closest friend, his one and only.....friend, which is why he needs to kill him. Why?

Because Sasuke is so in love with this boy, that he self-sabotages his goals when it comes to Naruto. It has been a damn pattern with him from DAY ONE.

Naruto is Sasuke's WEAKNESS.

Sasuke trains so hard, resolves to accomplish his goals so determinedly, promises himself to be strong, but when it comes to Naruto, all of it goes right down the drain. And it is a BIG problem for Sasuke. A practical problem. Because how is he gonna accomplish his goals if Naruto keeps coming in his way, distracting him, making Sasuke's knees weak, his heart thump, his eyes tangle with Naruto's gaze, his mind completely focused on Naruto's every move?

Team seven formed. Naruto and Sasuke hadn't even spent much time together exclusively. Naruto had just been an ass to Sasuke, kissing him in public and embarrassing him (Why didn't you beat him up Sasuke? You clearly said you would lol) then tying him up, gagging him and impersonating him, but what does Sasuke do when he sees a perennially hungry Naruto? This.

Even though he very well knew that he would be disqualified and wouldn't be allowed to train as a shinobi which is required for him to get stronger so he could one day, kill Itachi.

#self-sabotage

Sasuke goes on his first important mission with the team, and ends up protecting Naruto from the bad guys like a damn romantic hero on the way to land of waves country, tries to match his pace with Naruto while blushing, worrying for him, training with him at all hours of the night while everyone else including Sakura is resting, and he is having fun at it too, asking him for help and not Sakura who is 'supposed' to have better chakra control (only because she has a very small amount of chakra as compared to Sasuke and Naruto), and then out of nowhere, freaking sacrificing his life for him. He really was totally prepared to die for this boy at age 12. For love.

#self-sabotage

His "Body moved on its own."

Naruto couldn't believe his eyes. Naruto was still oblivious as to how Sasuke felt for him before this point so he was flabbergasted at Sasuke's sacrifice. But Sasuke can't actually tell him he loves him, that would be so embarrassing for him. Lol. Hence the awkwardness later.

But Naruto now knows Sasuke really cared for him. He valued him. And so what happens?

Sasuke inspired this in him. It didn't come out of oblivion. That's not how it works.

Then comes the forest of death arc. And we see how much Sasuke and Naruto work in close partnership, how much they know each other, how their instincts are so attuned to the other, especially Sasuke. Sasuke is certainly an observant person but his knowledge of Naruto is just too accurate. Not just his appearance (and why wouldn't it? Just see how much Sasuke stares at Naruto throughout, because it's too difficult for him to escape that 'gaze' of his lol) but his mannerisms, his insecurities and weaknesses.

His laser sharp focus on Naruto is so evident. And it's not only that, he goes OUT of his way to protect Naruto.

These fans should really ask themselves if this was really needed. Naruto was being flung around by a transformed Gaara left and right before this. And Sasuke was already injured and completely out of juice. Naruto would have gotten bruised at most here. Why would Sasuke go so out of his way to cushion his fall? And why would Kishi make Pakkun point it out too? Sasuke doesn't do this type of thing for ANYONE else. Absolutely no one. So what impression does it make? How exactly do these fans read this scene? Or they just conveniently ignore whatever doesn't satisfy their agenda? That's how denial works lol.

Sasuke retrieval arc. Not only is it remarkable that the entire arc is about Naruto trying to protect Sasuke, to bring him back so that his life isn't jeopardized at the hands of Oro, but just the sheer amount of space and footage Kishi gives to vote 1. Eight freaking chapters. A world famous manga where every single panel counts, eight chapters were devoted by Kishi to make sure that their bond, the intensity of that bond, their intimacy comes out clearly. Why? Is Kishi dumb? Like these fans are? No. He wanted to make sure that absolutely no stone was left unturned for the reader to understand what their bond is really about and how freaking intense it is. The whole point why Naruto simply couldn't digest the fact that Sasuke would actually be trying to kill him, was because Sasuke, at every point, SHOWED Naruto how important he was to him.

Naruto simply couldn't compute that Sasuke would do this to him. And this is exactly why Naruto was pushed to say - Can you kill me calmly, Sasuke? in a big ass panel. So much build up man. Like goddamn. Kishi put so damn much emphasis on it because of this. Why?

Because it was contradictory behaviour. Naruto couldn't believe Sasuke would even consider killing him because of the kind of insane lengths he went to, to protect Naruto. Even at the cost of his own ambition and freaking life. Why would Sasuke do it for him? Why would Sasuke jeopardize everything that is important to him, killing Itachi and restoring his clan's honour ie, for someone he doesn't care about? Does this look one sided?

I mean if even after all this, one feels so convinced that Sasuke doesn't care about Naruto in this manga, maybe go back to reading Archie? lol.

And even after the fight, the crazy power ups, what with breaking out hidden strengths with Sharingan evolution and kyuubi chakra and kyuubi cloak and curse mark transformation, they fight and fight, their faces incredibly pained at hurting each other like this, and Sasuke manages to overpower Naruto with SO MUCH effort........all for this.

Sasuke hovering over an unconscious Naruto. This scene has so much tenderness, so much emotion, so many panels were drawn to highlight this emotion. The clouds finally breaking through to give way to a beam of light that centres on Naruto's face and then gently fades away, while Sasuke is standing atop Naruto, looking down, at his face as he lies there unconscious and injured at the hands of Sasuke. As rain patters down on Sasuke's face, he says with such anguish and emotion - Naruto, I.....

But then dramatically falls down on his knees as the aftereffects of his curse mark make themselves known and ends up right over Naruto's face, looking at his closed eyes with so much pain and longing.

What was that about? Is Kishi stupid? Are all his editors stupid? What about the publication house? So these fans are the only smart ones in the universe? That must be it. Lol.

Think about it.

Sasuke was planning to kill his closest friend at Itachi's suggestion because that would have given him access to Mangekyou Sharingan and he would have come much closer in strength to Itachi, right? Naruto was completely disabled, right at Sasuke's mercy. Sasuke had the PERFECT opening. Sasuke was one second away from gaining that power. Something he battled hard for. Like hard hard. But what did he eventually decide? He decided not to.

Why? Do fans not see the contradiction in Sasuke's behaviour? Why would Sasuke have abandoned the perfect opportunity of gaining the power required to kill Itachi, someone he was absolutely ITCHING to kill, in favor of training with Oro, a man he despises, a man he very well knows has evil intentions towards Sasuke, for THREE fucking years when he could have skipped all of that here by killing Naruto in a matter of seconds??

Why?

Because he loves Naruto. Sasuke decided if being powerful enough to kill Itachi meant that he would need to kill his most precious, his usuratonkachi, then he would rather come up with his own way to become stronger. Even if it took him waaaay more time and effort, even if he could taste the desire to kill his brother on his tongue like blood, even if it meant giving up his body to someone like Oro, he would do it if it meant Naruto would still keep living.

#self-sabotage

During the reunion, he tells Naruto that he would give his body to Oro over and over if it meant he would be able to kill Itachi. So all of THAT is acceptable to Sasuke but not killing Naruto. Sasuke is not Itachi. Sasuke is his own person, and he would make his decisions based on his feelings, he will not pander to his brother. Because he is him and he loves Naruto.

But that didn't stop him from being entirely devastated at being separated from Naruto. Crushed. Heartbroken. As he is shown having left Konoha and entering the darkness, his face, paralleled with Naruto's own as he is carried away by Kakashi, shows his true feelings about separating from his most precious person. Someone with whom he feels like family.

During their reunion, Naruto asks Sasuke why he left him alive? Why he didn't kill him off? Naruto knew Sasuke had the best opportunity to do it. But he didn't do it. Naruto knew very well that Sasuke didn't kill him for the same reason he protected Naruto all those other times. Because Sasuke really cared for him, he valued Naruto.

Sasuke deflects. He tells him he doesn't need to explain it to him. Naruto looks skeptical. Then he says he left him alive on a whim. And of course Naruto doesn't believe him. Naruto knows Sasuke is lying. Is Sasuke a person who would do things on a Whim? Is that how he is characterized in the manga? What other thing did he do on a whim? Sasuke says that even Oro was not powerful enough to take on Itachi, let alone himself. He could have made things so much easier for himself if he had killed Naruto and gotten MS, but no. If Naruto didn't mean so much to him, what was stopping him to kill Naruto? Even when the stakes were so damn high?

When Naruto asks him why he let him live during the reunion, Sasuke is actually struggling to answer him. He feels vulnerable. Look at his face when he says that emotions weaken a person, causes confusion. He knows this from experience. Because he couldn't kill Naruto. He again sabotaged his own objective, like always, because he just cannot bear to have Naruto hurt. He just cannot. Someone who couldn't even let Naruto be freaking bruised by a tree trunk, who cannot even let Naruto go hungry for a mere few hours even at the cost of his own freaking disqualification, can he kill Naruto so easily? Heh. The narrative is doing its work. Sasuke is a simp for Naruto man. Even if Sasuke isn't able to say what he feels due to self preservation and his own tsundereness, the reader knows the truth. How? Because we aren't blind or stupid. We know how to read. We enjoy stories and storytelling.

The crux of it all was that Sasuke wasn't able to kill Naruto even though it would have had been really really advantageous for him in reaching his goal. But. At what cost? By killing Naruto? No way in hell. Heh.

Honestly, Sasuke says everything himself. No one has to look anywhere else. He knows Naruto is his weakness. He simply cannot help himself when it comes to Naruto. That's why he says he needs to cut him off in vote 2. As long as Naruto is alive, and keeps getting in Sasuke's way, Sasuke would never be able to help himself. Everytime Naruto comes along, Sasuke's objectives and goals take a backseat, in fact, go right out the window. Sasuke is defined by love, led by love, motivated by it, inspired by it. Itachi taught him how to hate. But Naruto was the one who caught his nerve, who reached his heart, who made him warm and fuzzy, who taught him to love, to accept love, to let himself be loved. By Naruto.

Sasuke says he will be the darkness, and live on by eating the ashes. He needs to be the darkness to be the true hokage, that's his goal. But how can he be the darkness if Naruto, the light incarnate, fills him with the light of his love? With his warmth and care and affection?

Sasuke's actions towards Naruto are often contradictory. During the reunion, Naruto is urged by Kurama to draw on his power, but Naruto resists and then Sasuke (who just couldn't stop staring at him throughfuckingout) enters his mind space and makes the kyuubi retreat. Why should it matter to him? Why should he even feel the need to be there? He already knows that Naruto has a special power. So he glided down like an angel, hugged Naruto (which he really really didn't need to do), whispered in his ears (why are you here Naruto when you could be out there training huh? huh?), and then was so damn focused on him that Yamato found the opening to attack Sasuke even though Sasuke is a person thoroughly anal with being on guard all the time?

#self-sabotage

And I only mention this because Sasuke's character is already established as someone who is not a touchy feely guy. When a character does something out of character, it registers itself in the reader's mind. You simply cannot deny it. Kishi put so much effort in writing and drawing him, do these fans think all this comes out of oblivion? No thought, no idea behind it? So if Sasuke is made to do something out of character, there must be some reason for it, no? Except when it comes to Naruto, it is in character for Sasuke to do something he doesn't rationally intend to. Because love is not rational.

Sasuke was already reminded by Sai of Naruto. Sasuke is told that Naruto is still looking for him. And then Sai proceeds to disparage Naruto, and how does Sasuke react? He genjutsues his ass. Lol. Don't you think it is a disproportionate action for Sasuke to do this if he didn't care about Naruto?

Like when fans are used to big actions, big gestures and big reactions, which are typical of shounen, they often miss out on more subtle actions and reactions. But just because they don't see them doesn't mean they aren't there. I am sorry (not) but SNS fans cannot be blamed for other fans' ignorance and incompetence at media comprehension.

This might be subtle by shounen standards but it's not that subtle. These fans would certainly benefit from watching a wider variety of media. Learning more about how narrative and visual language works. If they can't see that Naruto and Shippuden are a love story, it's a problem, for them. Because what a waste of their time and energy.

Sasuke looks at the Great Naruto bridge and smiles fondly. Why do you think Kishi put this panel here? Why was it needed? What purpose does it serve? Every panel counts right? When Sasuke is told of Naruto defeating Pein, he smiles like he is proud of Naruto. Why? What was even the need to do that? If Kishi means to tell the audience that Sasuke wants to kill Naruto because he hates him or doesn't care, why the hell would he put these panels there so strategically that give exactly the opposite impression to the viewer, and the impression that they give is completely consistent with how Sasuke acts with him in part one? I seriously cannot fathom the amounts of denial these fans must need in order to simply erase and sweep these multiple moments, scenes and dialogues under the rug.

What is even the point of reading this manga? And what exactly makes them so righteous about it too that they have the audacity of criticising SNS fandom for shipping the boys? Who told them they could do it? Who the hell are these people to say shit like this? Who told them they had the qualification? Because the comprehension that they show indicates they should still be reading nursery rhymes. Like learn how narrative works, learn how imagery works, learn how a scene works, learn how mise en scene works, learn what an arc is, learn how characterization works, learn how literary tools and tricks work and THEN talk about it if you are so sure. But hell, if they actually cared to learn all that, they wouldn't be saying this shit. Hell, don't do any of it, just be honest with yourself. That is enough. But no. They are way too precious for that. Learning is beneath them. Lol.

Ignorance breeds more ignorance.

Sasuke saves Naruto during the war arc over and over again, even when it wasn't needed or doing it with so many extra measures, they were unnecessary, so much so that even Naruto is taken aback by it. Why? What impression does it give to the reader? Isn't it reminiscent of part one, when Sasuke saved Naruto from the evil tree trunk? Because he is just so damn protective of his precious boyfriend, his one and only........friend. Lol. This is how narrative works man, psychological and emotional manipulation. That's what storytelling is all about, and talented writers/storytellers/creators understand the concept of perception very well. Perception of text, visuals and sound effects.

Think of the story as a patchwork rug that is patched with complementary coloured pieces of fabric stitched with connecting threads that bring out the brilliance of the rug. An audio-visual story or a film works the same way, where the visuals/scenes are thoughtfully edited and joined together with strategically placed complementary visual effects, text and sound effects to bring out the messaging and impact that the storyteller wants to convey to the reader. The talented a writer/creator is, the smoother and believable the narrative is, the more perceptive he is, the more his intent comes out and makes itself known to the reader, the greater its impact on the reader.

Kishi wrote them as the main act. That is the truth. Everything is intentional.

During vote 2, Sasuke is so damn emotional fighting with Naruto. He climbs on his lap and punches him senseless, and Naruto takes it. It's obviously a parallel to vote one when Naruto climbs on Sasuke's lap and punches him senseless and Sasuke takes it. Does this look like a normal fight? Where else do players fight like this in the manga? Any other example?

No.

It's an emotional fight. They are not fighting for political reasons or to prove a point. The fight is emotional. Just like vote 1. Both are nerve wracking. Emotional overload. Mind short circuits. Lol. Here are two characters who are experiencing them and I can't even read about it without curling on my bed and holding my torso tight because it's just too much man. And I am not easily affected. I have seen all sorts of melodrama and I thought I was immune. Fortified. But damn Kishimoto, he just wrecked me. Sigh.

This sort of reaction doesn't come out of oblivion. Fans who say shit like the one in this ask, have no idea how much effort and thought and emotion it takes to write something like this.

Sasuke didn't show this type of emotion even when he was battling Itachi. He was composed and in control. But with Naruto, he loses it. Why? Because he is doing something he doesn't want to. Not in the heart of his hearts.

Killing Naruto is a requirement for him because for him, Naruto has become an emotional liability. He loves Naruto despite his better judgment. He loses all perspective when he is with Naruto. No matter how strong his convictions are, Naruto makes his heart flutter. His resolve weakens. That is why he left Konoha in the first place. He says to Naruto - Did I get stronger playing around with you?

Hatred towards Itachi was his motivation to get strong enough to kill him. But if Naruto kept making him fall in love more and more, how would he kill Itachi?

The whole reason Orochimaru separated them was because Naruto was changing Sasuke, meaning, he was healing Sasuke.

Naruto and only Naruto, had the power to do that. If Sasuke had completely given over to his feelings for Naruto, no way he would have been able to carry on his revenge plans. A heart filled with love cannot hate. Unless that love is taken away forcefully, then the love transforms into hate.

Naruto tells him he simply won't let him be alone. Naruto understands why Sasuke wanted to kill him. To be alone. To be devoid of love. Love would have been a hindrance to his goals. But it would have meant unending loneliness for Sasuke. Darkness. Pain. Misery.

And Naruto wouldn't have it. No way siree bob. Not on his watch. Naruto loves Sasuke. Beyond comprehension. Just like Sasuke loves Naruto. He simply WON'T let Sasuke be alone because Naruto understands what it means to be lonely. That was the point of their intersection in the first place. Naruto won't let Sasuke be alone because he cares for Sasuke's well being. If Naruto is obsessively in love with Sasuke, and he IS, and proudly too, it's because Sasuke simply won't be swayed with anything less. Naruto had to have immense amounts of love for Sasuke to counter the immense hate in Sasuke. If you want to call it obsession, fine. But the more appropriate term is - Devotion. Something that Kishimoto himself uses when he makes Yashamaru explain love to Gaara. It's called context building.

Sakura? Can she even compare? With Naruto? Bah. She was prepared to kill him in kage arc when Naruto was preparing to lay down his life for him shinjuu style.

She made every confession to Sasuke about herself. Naruto made it about Sasuke. If it weren't the case, Sasuke wouldn't have listened to him in the kage arc. Sasuke was bent on killing Sakura and Kakashi, drunk on power and grief, but he calms down when Naruto confesses to him. And accepts Naruto's proposal. Are these fans telling me Sasuke is shallow and stupid enough to fall for it if he didn't care? Will they not give Sasuke the agency to make the right decision for himself? What he wants to do? Will these fans take away from his intelligence by saying shit that goes against his characterisation and arc development? So Kishi is wrong and these fans are right about him? Lol. The levels of delusions.

When Naruto tells Sasuke that he hurts when Sasuke does, that he hurts so much, he cannot stand it, look at Sasuke. Why would he be so taken aback? Why? Why is he so affected if he didn't care for Naruto? When Sasuke asks him why he goes to such lengths to save Sasuke, Naruto tries to distract him from it and Sasuke gets triggered. Is Sasuke really a person who would get triggered like this if he didn't feel for Naruto? Sasuke asks Naruto with such delicacy and hesitance - But what does friend mean to you? Why does he want to know? How does it matter to him if he didn't care?

Why would Kishi write this stuff in this conclusive chapter? Is it meaningless? Does it not say anything about Sasuke's character? Like I know people twist it and twist it some more, but really, the simplest explanation is always the right one. It might not be as direct, but if you really gather all the data and compute it without prejudice, you can and definitely will see it for yourself. Storytelling can be layered you know. Why be as bad as those dudebros? Even dudebros call him Susgay. Because even if they cannot comprehend much more than that, they can feel it. Why? Because that's how Kishi wrote him. That's how storytelling works.

Dang, when Naruto assures him of his love for Sasuke and his trust in him, Sasuke cries. Fucking cries man. Is Sasuke a person who would emote meaninglessly? The only other person who affects him enough to make him cry is Itachi. Are these fans saying that Itachi meant nothing to Sasuke?

Notice how at peace he looks when he says - I have lost..

Why should he feel at peace? Why? Because he finally accepts love. He is convinced of it. Naruto reminded him of his bonds with his family, something he always wanted, something he missed deeply when they had gone. But now, he can let himself feel it again.

Kishi had already thought of this ending back in 2009, or even before. Not a retcon. Regardless, if these fans had any sense, they could tell it from the story itself.

In conclusively significant chapter 698, in Sasuke's monologue, it is finally revealed that Sasuke, after all that he did to and with Naruto, had always had an eye on Naruto. He had had always felt weak for him. He felt warm and fuzzy. He resonated with Naruto's loneliness. Every little thing that he did for Naruto, all his sacrifices even when the audience couldn't really find commensurate with their dynamic back then in part one, were revealed to be Sasuke's acts of love for Naruto. Because this boy had been loving him since then, since they were eight years old, even when Naruto had no clue. He didn't ask for anything back, nothing in return, he just LOVED. As he knew how to. Not with big declarations of love and guilting the other party, like Sakura or Hinata for Naruto, but with actions and genuine heartfelt emotions. Because that's what unconditional, genuine, devotional, true love is all about. Isn't it? Naruto's zeal, spirit and desire to connect made him think about his bonds with his family, the centre of his emotional core. And it grew more and more as they trained together and fought together being part of the same team. Naruto had reached the core of his heart when Naruto was not even aware of it. Naruto's own acts of love came much later. But Sasuke's were just there, even when the audience couldn't clock it out. This is how Kishi wrote Sasuke. THIS is Sasuke's character. His stans think they really get Sasuke, think he should be a single man and get rid of annoying Naruto. They DON'T get him AT ALL. Sasuke is about love, that he had been giving Naruto unconditionally all this time. Without asking for any thing in return. Because that's who Sasuke is, because that's how strong and selfless his character is. Because he is a fucking legend of a person. He learnt something at age 8 that takes people a lifetime to learn, despite all the odds he faced. Despite Itachi's every attempt at filling him with hate, Sasuke knew how to love. Sasuke IS LOVE.

If these fans don't wanna see it, it's one thing. But don't come for the SNS fandom. This story is a love story. About them. There are more than a dozen literary romantic references, drawn from Asian media and symbology, very evident to people who know about it already. So all of that is wrong and these fans are right who can't even fucking read right? Do I give them a badge of honour? Yep, bravo. Lol.

I have done a lot of cringey shit in my life, but fortunately for me, there's no evidence left except in my own memories. Sad thing is these fans will potentially grow up one day and see it all differently. And mark my words, they will cringely cringe at their cringeworthy behaviour and takes. Which is all DOCUMENTED for everyone to see. Lol. Nothing much they can do about it. But they can always learn. To be better.

Conclusion -

If Naruto is, as they say, obsessed with Sasuke, it's because he learnt from the best of the best. Sasuke. 😏

[flower1622]

My opinions that are different from the other people:

(Don't like? Pass it)

. I'm not a big fan of Percy, Annabeth, Harry, Hermione and Ladybug/Marinette.

. I don't like the changes that are being made in the live actions, especially with Snow White. I'm really scared for the Naruto live action.

. I didn't like the Barbie movie. Nothing against Margot, but Ryan's acting was good. The Oscar is about talent, not gender. He was literally the best part of the movie, even though they made Ken act like a jerk. The movie broke the magic and perfect world I liked about Barbie. I didn't like to see that depressed barbies. I know they did to represent real women...but it didn't look good to me, sorry.

. I don't ship Borusara/NaruSaku/SasuNaru, but I ship Borusumi/Sasuhina/Naruhina/Sasunaruhina. I like Kakashi and Guy as friends and brothers...but maybe something more too. They act like a couple in Boruto saga. Always together and close to each other...

. I really would like to see an alternative world that Padme joins Anakin. They kill palpatine and become empress and emperor. Their kids would be raised on the dark side...it would be cool to watch!

. I really wanted to see an alternative universe that Naruto and Hinata also become evil. I love partners in crime stories.

. Rachel may not be so intelligent as Annabeth, but about personality, I think she has the better one.

. I don't like when people hate on authors/creators just because they didn't put diversity in their creations. I have nothing against it, but I respect them. It's their own creations. They create the characters as the way they want. If people want diversity, why not create one good story with it? Anyone is able to do this. Recently, people only care more about diversity and ideologies than create a good movie/series. I may respect J.K., but I will always want Draco and Harry or Albus and Scorpius as a couple and it's okay. There are fanfics for it.

. I think that Kat and Tommy have no chemistry at all and they only happened because the actress who played Kimberly left. Until the Turbo Movie, by Tommy's expressions and actions, anyone could see that he still had feelings for Kimberly.

. Clarisse and Percy have chemistry with amost every character, and even with each other (This is just my opinion, if you don't agree, it's okay too).

. Perachel would be better than Percabeth. Rachel doesn't laugh at Percy and she makes him feel comfortable around her. Rachel could balance Percy when he goes too far or gets too much into his demigod life.

[cartoonrival]

ok + for goodness' sake sasuke so that the screenshot takes up less space

1)parallels between naruto/sasuke and naruto/kawaki. i think honestly carrying over and actually bringing attention to the love-obsession thing that was going on sort of mostly unaddressed in the original series (in terms of no one called naruto as insane as they frankly shouldve) has the potential to be very interesting, especially because bringing it into the sphere of a father-son relationship rather than a platonic/romantic one is not really something i've seen before, along with the fact that kawaki doesn't actually know naruto much at all, making this very much an idolization of an idea of the person who saved you, someone who can do no wrong and is so without flaw. it was what this dude said:

like kawaki's obsession is weird and emblematic of how he grew up. also, the way that both of them sort of end up treating the other like a thing to be protected or owned or passed around, kawaki trapping him in time prison with zero regards for the fact that no one wants to be in time prison, and naruto's famous "give sasuke back/dont talk about sasuke like you own him in front of me/i'll get sasuke back/ill break your legs if i have to", there is the dismissal of actual personal wants However.

kawaki does this because he thinks that naruto's life is worth more than anything ever, and the reason he thinks this is because he thinks naruto is the most perfect person in the world and the only one who can save the world from evil. in naruto's case, even though he has a habit of possessiveness, sasuke is very much still a person to him, someone he violently and desperately wants to be close to. he doesnt think sasuke is perfect or can do no wrong, he just doesnt really give a fuck what wrong things sasuke does because he loves him too much and wants him too bad to ever hold anything against him. anything sasuke does is understandable and forgivable. naruto wouldnt put sasuke in time prison to protect him because then they couldnt hang out, and he knows sasuke wouldnt want that anyways. while i think naruto's obsession is insane, its more possessive than dehumanizing, which is def the angle kawaki is taking. again, i think this could be interesting if it was expounded upon but i dont think anyone in boruto is enough of a character for this actually do be pulled off in any satisfying way.

2)boruto/kawaki vs naruto/sasuke. i think honestly i just dont really have it in me to even act like kawaki and boruto have a dynamic that even comes close to the bullshit naruto and sasuke have going on, but if i were to attempt to explain why i dont think this is the case than i think at least part of it (beyond the fact taht ever character in boruto is painfully undercooked) is that boruto and kawaki's bond is based almost entirely around both being marked by karma. like they become friends sort of on a more surface level same way boruto is friends with anyone else, but its definitely not the same as naruto and sasuke's inexplicable pull towards one another since they were kids. even though kawaki has like sort of stupid convoluted internal strife going on, boruto doesnt honestly have enough inner issues to even shadow the bizarre knot that is sns. boruto and naruto both didn't want to kill their wayward friends because it's hard to kill someone you care about, i don't think that reads as a strong parallel because its like . what kind of story would it be if boruto was just like Okay lets kill him... now! also if kawaki dies naruto stays trapped im p sure so if he kills kawaki he is also functionally killing his dad

3)naruto and sasuke are both terrible parents but sasuke is leagues leagues leagues worse and he sees boruto has his son more than he will ever see sarada as his daughter. to him, she is his daughter because that is the only way she should have the sharingan. he can't really stand being around her and any interaction he has with her is out of guilt. boruto is his son because boruto is naruto's son

4)why did they bring up that jiraiya might get resurrected and then just drop it or is this me forgetting since i watched boruto 6+ months ago

[the-real-sasuke-uchiha]

I am kinda confused about Sarada's character

Like...Naruto's Konoha would have killed Sasuke and turned the girl into a pawn/weapon as soon she was born

But Boruto's Konoha is too...oc? Friendly?

Sasuke would never let his child in Konoha anyway, he is not crazy

I am sorry, anon. You are confused because you are trying to understand, to analyse with logic, something that by definition is irrational, absurd, nonsensical and completely contradictory with what your learned from previous experience.

The real Sasuke Uchiha would never have submitted to Konoha. It is unimaginable. He would never work to sustain the system that inflicted so much pain, that took away from him everything he held dear. He would have never walked into the office of his so-called friend Hokage and stand before the paintings of the Kages who oppressed, segregated and exterminated his kind. He would die before being loyal to a so-called friend Hokage knowing he hears in his office the same council of elders that plotted the genocide of his clan. He would have never risked his life for the ones that used his dear brother as a pawn and manipulated him to commit the worst of crimes.

I am sorry for your confusion anon, just know that whoever did that was definitely not me. I know nothing about saradas and borutos, I really have no idea of what is going on that alternative world. I guarantee I would never give up my ideals, I would never give up seeking justice. That is just who I am, and whoever walks out of that path, rest assured it is just not Sasuke Uchiha.

And I have no kids. But if I did, the hell would they set foot in Konoha. The hell would they not hold their clan's name with pride and know their history and everything that brought them here. I would never let them go through the same pain as me or allow them to be used as child soldiers or tools for the shinobi system. Because there is nothing that I value more than family and the love I feel for them.

That is the true Sasuke you know, so hold into that and don't let yourself be fooled by anyone who wants to taint the name of the Uchiha.

Have a nice day.

[team7-headquarter]

Medical nin Sasuke is a top tier AU for sure

Anon, I hope you don't mind me adding some of my headcanons / thoughts because YES IT IS:

I'm begging to watch Sasuke reanimating someone with a controlled electric pulse.

We all know about the sharingan abilities to easily memorize and catch even the littlest of details, right? It'd be perfect for a medic nin who has to identify all types of wounds in the middle of chaotic battlefields. The efficiency would be around 90%.

Sasuke has amazing chakra control too and it deserves to be talked about more.

It is perfectly plausible that in some other universe where Sasuke wasn't as heavily manipulated as the canon verse, he'd seek to reform the system from within by pushing forward the medical agenda in a world full of mindless violence. I bet he wouldn't feel half as powerless if he could save lives with his medical ninjutsu.

Sasuke can become a medic nin out to rebel against the people trying to control him. He could go "I wish I was powerful enough to stop Itachi before he went too far AND knew how to heal my parents before they died".

He could have become interested in medical ninjutsu during his fight with Haku. Faking death? Going for the vital points with brutal efficiency? All awesome stuff.

Sasuke is so similar to Tsunade. Both left the village because they were disappointed and hurting. They lost their brothers, saw the people most important to them get killed, felt betrayed by someone they trusted— and how interesting I'd be to parallel Orochimaru and Itachi search for power, when both of them later help Konoha survive.

He's fight with Itachi would have gone a lot differently. Itachi is sick and wants to die and is manipulating Sasuke further, but what if Sasuke refused to allow it to happen and managed to save him? I love the trope where characters live to pay for their own mistakes instead of "dying to redeem themselves". The character development is worth it all!

He's very observant, more than Naruto or Sakura. He thinks critically, works under pressure, is not afraid of blood or doing what must be done...

He's a field medic through and through. If he wanted to bring back the honor of the Uchiha clan, becoming a medic sounds like a good idea. Do I need to remind everyone that one of the worst nightmares of Naruto was the asshole of Kabuto? And how he was such a pain in the neck because he was a medic nin?

KABUTO AS SASUKE'S MEDIC NIN SENSEI.

Way to turn around and spit into the Uchiha curse of hatred too. The Sharingan is a gift of love— of love and grief. It's a tool to be used so you won't lose anyone like that again, so you can protect your loved ones. It'd shut up Black Zetsu and his Uchiha manipulation.

POISON EXPERT SASUKE? I NEED IT.

Honestly I think it would have been great to create a plotline where Kakashi is too busy seeing himself in Sasuke, it hits him like a truck the moment he becomes aware that he is more than Rin in so many ways.

Sasuke turning to be more like Mikoto than like Itachi or Fugaku!!!!!!

I have so many ideas for this au. Giving Sasuke the power to heal doesn't change who he is at his core, but it influences who he becomes. I'm not saying he won't be bitter or angry— Tsunade and Chiyo were two of the best medic nins around and they were drowning in vices.

It depends on who his mentor could be and he won't be a worse fighter, but!!! Idk, there is a different type of strength in healing...

[azraanth]

Rant / Naruto and One Piece's protagonists.

I've been reading up analysis on Naruto and Luffy's to see how people perceived both of them as protagonists. Of course, everyone is biased by the fandom they are in, which is fair. But they do always compare both of them and don't think of the context of the story that's being told. And since I am in the mood to ramble about this...thought I would make a post.

Tdlr; Naruto and Luffy are great protagonists for their individuals stories and both are trying to say differents things.

About Naruto :

His childhood ; discriminated against because the Kyubi/Kurama reside inside him and the Tailed Beast injured and killed a lot of the villagers // loved ones of many ninjas and more or less deem Naruto responsible for it because he represents Kyubi, not making a difference between the child and the beast. That's the adults faults. Added to that, he has no family to count on and isn't taken care of by anyone instead. The child is completely isolated from everyone and everything and he doesn't understand why. He makes pranks and stupid jokes to gain attention from people because it's better than to be ignored. The only other kid who he's more or less in the same situation as him is Sasuke.

He grew to learn that he needed to be useful to the village in order to receive love or attention from them so he sets the goal of becoming Hokage. The system he is in partcipated in that mindset, it's very logical that he would end up setting such goals, if you think about it with the context of the worldbuilding and what is valued in it.

(That being The Village and Peace and a world who value sacrifice for the system set in place and put 13 years old kids on missions and create soldiers out of them.)

So, when you think about it, it's only logical that Naruto would grow to value other people's opinion of him a lot. On top of that, the people who have goals that are more individualistic are heavily punished or portrayed as traitors by the narrative. (Which could be related to the fact that Japan is a country that favor's the community more than the individual goals / well-being of its people. It makes sense that it's translated in what mangaka write about.) Think of Sasuke. He wasn't looking for a way to destroy the village at the beginning, just a way to kill Itachi which wasn't even related to village business and was his personal goal. Yet he was called a deserter for not serving the village. Why would Naruto try to go against the system?

That's the question I asked earlier and I have some thoughts on the matter. The thing is, Naruto is earnest, it's a big quality as much as it is a flaw. That's what permitted him to empathize with a lot of the villains he encountered during the manga but it's also what stopped him from getting back at the village for their mistreatment ; he wants to be loved above all else. I mean, it's not the title of Hokage he wants, it's the love and respect that comes from it.

He's clearly a product of his environnment. He can't change the system because the narrative created by Kishimoto never gave him the occasion to completely dismantle it but it did gave him the tools to question it. Throughout the series, he's confronted by people who are victims of the system of the manga and he does promise to change things later on. But he doesn't even realize that he is as much of a victim as they are and he can't fulfill his promises.

But that doesn't mean he's not a likable or a bad protagonist because of it. I would say it makes him compelling and interesting. It's just that shonen fans want more simplicity (and I would argue that simplicity doesn't equate to badly written protagonist or even less complex protagonists) in their protagonists, someone who inspires them to be better version of themselves. They want a story about hope.

Naruto is partly that. It is about hope, but in a more grounded, realistic way. It's hope about changing things little by little, with each step you take. Naruto (the series as much as the character) is not doomed to eternal sadness or happiness. He's just there and try do things with the tools at his disposal, like everyone else.

Naruto is a story about hard work, discrimination, cycle of hatred, critcism of war and its horrors but also a deep exploration of trauma, emotions and what makes a person who they are and how to understand each other in a very complicated world and how to find love with it and that's why Naruto is the perfect protagonist of this story. Because he did learn what love really meant at the end just not the way he thought he should have it.

About Luffy

From the very start, One Piece's story is about hope and realizing your dreams. It's a hopeful story in which hatred doesn't take the precedent over people's choices and freedom. It's about a big journey you undergoe in order to grow, learn and then get to your goal while eating, drinking and fighting with your friends. All of that while also aknowledging that the world is not fair to everyone that's in it and no one is born equal to another.

Luffy is the perfect protagonist for this story. He's written to inspire people. Not just in the manga but the readers as well. "His selfishness is selfless" is a sentence that describe his principles and morals quite easily. Luffy is freedom. That's just it, really.

He's a simple character to understand because he's consistently the same throughout the manga while undergoing subtle character development. The thing is, Luffy is a character who changed as he learned from his adventures. He learned to deal with things in differents ways as he went on his journey. He went from resolving his problems with a good punch to learn that he can solve his problems by apologizing and bending the knee for the sake of others. He went from escalating to a fight with a crewmate who felt like he didn't belong in his crew to saying that he couldn't become the King of Pirates without them.

But, through and through, he stayed selfish. He was selfish when he fought an Emperor when he was specifically told to not do it at that precise moment because said Emperor was drunk and destroying a village with innocent people in it and Luffy couldn't even think of the possibility of wasting those lives for a plan. He was selfish when he punched in the face a Celestial Dragon and didn't think of anything else other than the fact that this man is a complete asshole. He's selfish when he beat the shit out of Doflammingo or Crocodile. He's selfish when he helps Nami ; he wants her as his navigator and no one else. So he destroys what stops her from being by his side. The thing stopping her being her village under the tyranny of Arlong. He's selfish when he asks Soge King to burn the flag of the WG because he wanted Robin to live. She could die later if she wanted, but not there. He's selfish when he says to Chopper to shut up and come with him on his ship.

He's so selfish that he liberates anyone he meets from the limitations they have imposed on themselves by simply giving them what they need ; uncondionnal love and support. He's very much the embodiment of freedom and portrays it so well that it is only natural for him to be the protagonist. His story is about liberating the world. (One Piece is not finished when I am writing this.)

As you can see, I have not mentionned Luffy's past as I have with Naruto. It's because Naruto's past is central to his character and his journey. Luffy isn't. Luffy's past explains who he is and Naruto's past define who he is. Neither are bad ways to approach the writing of a character.

Knowing the past of a character in One Piece is not that important, as long as you know them as they are, now. It explains why they are the way they are without defining what they can be. (Most of the time, I wouldn't say that that learning about Kuma's story didn't change my perspetive on his character. But then again : it explains his actions.)

That's what I think fundamentally makes the difference between Naruto and Luffy : the way they were written by their respective authors and the goals behind the character and what purpose they serve the respective stories.

I have tried to remain neutral during this rant, mostly because I think I can go on a while when I am not. I do have to add something personal, though. I love both protagonists a lot but for very different reasons. I really like to dig in with Naruto, especially his past and where it lead him as grew in tohe story as a character. I think he's very interesting to analyze and fun as well. Especially when you look at his story though differents lenses : either being japanese culture being reflected in the manga, history, politics, a story of love, a queer love story about repression in un unjust system (it is my favorite reading), an author being the product of his culture or a feminist reading (either to empower the characters or to analyze the sexism within the manga). It's just an endless ressource to exchange on. One Piece is also interesting in the sense that, yes, of course if you read the story in various ways (history, politics, feminism, queer reading, artistic, morals...all related to differents cultures) you can learn a lot about the manga itself, what inspired Oda but also about the world and very important life lessons, even. But what makes it interesting is the characters as much as the lore and the mystery behind the One Piece and what I love the most about it, is frankly, the hope it gives me about a better world, about realizing your dreams and not giving up on them. As much as I love analyzing Naruto, it never gave me that.

[sueske]

Do you think sns is toxic? People use this excuse to dislike sns all the time to explain why nh and ss are 'underdeveloped but at least they are healthy (nh more than ss)'. I don't agree with nh and ss shippers about them being healthier than sns (them believing it just make me want to scrub my eyes with holy soap), but I admit that sns is toxic if one only stans the fanon versions of naruto and sasuke who says that either one dominate the other (not equal in skills and relationship).

I think that canon versions of sns are toxic only on the surface level. People forget that sasuke and naruto are ninja, resolving conflict with a deadly battle (vote 1 and vote 2) is not considered... too toxic? I mean at least they meaningfully communicate before, during, and after the battle unlike the majority of ninja in the naruto world. They show vulnerability to each other compared to Hashirama-Madara and Obito-Kakashi fights (Naruto crying in vote 1 before Sasuke puts a chidori arm through his chest) (Sasuke screaming in vote 2 as he punches Naruto, uncharacteristically with eyes closed). After vote 2 they work together (not counting the monstrosity of boruto etc) and seem to have a relationship (platonic or romantic doesn't matter it's still love) that isn't about hurting each other (mentally or otherwise).

I’ve never been under the illusion that sns’ relationship is 100% perfect. Like most relationships tend to be, they are flawed in certain ways.

The people I’ve seen say sns are toxic cite the following reasons: naruto wanting to beat sasuke into submission and making him come back to konoha (vote1 and vote2), to make sasuke forgive konoha by working for konoha and covering up the massacre, saying he’d die with sasuke at the bridge, etc. It’s based on the violent nature of their encounters and the shutting down of sasuke’s wants.

People don’t put it into context though. Naruto said both at vote1 and vote2 that he never wanted those fights. I’ve spoken about it in another posts, vote1 was to prevent a friend from going to orochimaru and making sure he was safe, and vote2 was showing sasuke there were other ways to achieve his goals rather than take on the pain of the whole world on his shoulders and be alone for all eternity because that would cause sasuke pain. Idk why it’s so hard for ppl to understand this. 

Naruto’s first instinct was to tell everyone about the massacre before even confirming it. Kakashi was the one who stopped him. Then at the bridge naruto didn’t even need confirmation. He just said he understood sasuke’s actions. The choice to not tell anyone about the massacre - isn’t it common sense that naruto would eventually leave that choice up to sasuke given these reasons? If sasuke wanted ppl to find out, he would, and naruto would NOT say ‘no don’t’. kakashi would tho.

Naruto saying he’d die at the bridge with sasuke - while… romantic… it was not the best way to go about things. But sasuke said he was going to destroy konoha then. Naruto didn’t want sasuke to destroy konoha. So naruto was like: 'okay. though first, take out your anger on me. But just so you know, if we do fight… we’ll die.'

The intent behind SNS ‘toxic moments’ are founded on love for each other and the context of the times that they live in. They care for one another so much. They resort to violence because they're ninja after all, and they speak heart to heart through their fists. “I knew it was going to take more than just words to understand you.” "When 2 high level shinobi exchange blows they can read each other's hearts."

So, while SNS' relationship had elements to it that can be considered toxic, they ended up working through those. You know... their reconciliation.

Ss and nh are in a completely different ballgame. 

Pink girl just chases after sasuke cuz he’s a prize to her. What is ‘healthy’ about a girl that chases after a guy, after the guy told her ‘no’ so many times, a girl who doesn’t try to understand the guy and just resolves to kill him cuz oh no he’s evil :’(  pink girl only talking about HER feelings, both at the beginning and end of the manga. She never bothered to understand sasuke. “I can’t trade blows with you” read between the lines: 'I cannot read your heart.’ They were never meant to understand each other. “I have no reason to love her and for her to love me.” What is healthy about a relationship where the guy doesn't even see the girl for like 10 years... not because he can't but because he doesn't want to.

Lady h… I can’t even be bothered with her tbh. she admired naruto from afar but it’s moot if she never did anything about it. Naruto always maintained it was iruka and sasuke for him. what did lady h do? girl confessed in the middle of the battlefield only to get one-shotted by big boss pain in front of everyone and after the arc naruto just ignored her and was like ‘ANW SASUKE’ LOL. 

My point is, they’re one-sided. How are one-sided relationships healthy? And while sns did have their toxic moments, how come ppl misinterpret where they stemmed from, how they were eventually resolved, how Kishimoto took great care in showing that sns' feelings were reciprocated while the others weren't, when sns still have the strongest bond even post-naruto?

Sns are not perfect. but they're not toxic. and ss and nh aren't healthier either.

[platinumrosetail]

yandere Shadowpeach flamenoodles freenoodles sliktea x fem child Naruto reader x yandere kumra.

Like kumra very worried for her cuz everyone hurting her and she fall into the LMK world and Kumra takes over her body for a minute and battle the peaplo but when they find out that this kumra is part of this child ( in this she is forever trapped with Naruto which I don't mind and became a part of her so like Naruto now has ears and tails hehe)

And keeping her safe and is accidentally spilling everything to them how much she has been hurt how much she's being hunted by akusis ( forgive me I don't know how to spell it) and how they would us her cub and take her away and make the reader a monster and won't let that happen. And they exply they won't and in face they are yandere's lol

I actually had a idea for this but with a adult reader. I wonder how they would react to kurama but I guess we’ll soon know lol.

Warning: noob author, dark theme, female child!reader, yandere platonic characters, and others

Characters: shadowpeach, spicynoodles, FreeNoodles, waterspider/silktea, + kurama.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shadowpeach:

When they met you- or well kurama in this figure of speech it was when they visit their son and daughter who decided to stay on the mainland, kurama had taken over your body and was making sure no one came near you and him with the jutsu he had seen you learn over time in the world y’all came from.

Main and macaque had a bit of a flashback with lbd and thought maybe this was the same case but it isn’t….. ok maybe it is but they had seen and heard on how the one who possessed you is trying to protect you more so than himself so they conclude that the two of you know each other and stuff.

Sun was thinking on doing how he had planned with lbd before they figured out that the creature who ‘possessed’ you actually cared about you was trying to keep you safe from any possible threat and danger and even if that wasn’t what was happening macaque would’ve still stopped sun from doing that along with mk and bai he plus the others.

It took many hours just to finally have the creature let you in on control of your body but after they did they soon all notice on how recluse you are towards them and how you flinch at loud noises.

You don’t them until a year of being their adopted child; they were shocked that anyone would seal a demon into a child that was just born and was treated like trash rather than a hero for it by the villagers, the two even made a silent promise to kill all of them and maybe your friends if they interfere with you and them being a family.

Mmm, and bai he both make sure that you are as comfortable as can be; since bai he knows what it’s like to be possessed while mk make sure to train you in your strength and help each other learn the limits of the powers that you and him were given.

You never want to go back as you seem to have forgotten all about your dreams of becoming a hokage cause of the feeling of finally finding a family and the love that you always wanted but couldn’t; you always envied the ones with parents but finally you get to have that feeling plus with siblings! You had always wanted to see what it’s like to have siblings!

Spicynoodles:

You had attacked one of redson’s bulls or well kurama did as he took over your body after you got into this world.

Since this was a different situation with lbd about possession the two didn’t know what to do about it but try and sweet talk the demon into letting you be in control more so from mk than redson as he would just irritate kurama.

When they finally got you to be the one in control they started asking questions redson asks them in the loud tone while mk asks in a normal tone both overwhelming you on the questions.

When they learned what had happened in your village and how you life was with them and how they acted because of how you got kurama sealed inside you for when you were just born. Kurama made sure to tell them what had happened as you seem to not want to relive through.

They soon adopt you and make sure you never have to go through that ever again and would kill for you; and with the influence from their parents they develop a overprotective attitude towards you and seeing as you never had parents before you just think this is normal behavior and with Kurama justifying their actions so you don’t think much of it.

They treat you more like a family did than grandpa hokage ever tried to be as he could’ve done more from what they had said about it.

You also explained how a group of criminals were coming after you and others like you called the akatsuki’s which made them extremely overprotective than before.

(I honestly forgot that you requested the akatsuki part until now whoops 😂😭)

Freenoodles:

You met them when you found his noodle shop and ate a lot of his noodles; I had to say about 30 to 20 at the very least, tang and you made small talk which lead to him finding out shortly after that you’re from a different world and there for homeless so he suggested that you stayed with them and work here at his husband’s shop of course with the permission of pigsy.

You and mk get along great with each other with the fact that the two have the same energy plus with mei the three of you are chaotic together from tang and pigsy point of view.

You very much like Sandy’s personality though his cats reminds you of that mission with tora the always missing cat that seem to always be a tradition to capture it for the genins.

When they found out about kurama it was when lbd first attacked mk before sun wukong join you guys; kurama almost didn’t let you in control once everyone was safely on the mech (i forget if it was a ship or some kind of flying vehicle thing so bear with me on this one 😅)

Though when he took control he made the four tails version 2 cloak form when attacking lbd and seeing as she never seen it that made her interested in your abilities and want to come after you now which worry the two who adopted before this all went down.

The two made sure to go a little more hard on the not mayor out of aggression of his master wanting their daughter which surprisingly scared him but he tried not to let it show or else they might find enjoyment in him being scared.

Waterspider/silktea:

Mo had found you and calmed you down before you could let kurama in control out of fear of being in a new environment.

Sandy and huntsman didn’t know what to think when Mo came back with you behind him but worry was one of them for sure.

Sandy gives you tea and have the cats surround you while huntsman get you comfortable stuff to be comfortable and situated. After that you only really tell them that you’re from another world and therefore homeless which the two made sure that you’re definitely welcomed here as there’s plenty of room.

When you told them about kurama it was when felt threatened because of a nightmare that had happened in the middle of the night. They were so distraught about how the villagers treated you even though you were just a baby and didn’t have anything to do with that decision.

They’re glad that you had a few people that cared about you but both disagreed and agree with ‘this’ hokage decision with how they escalated to how you came to be raised but also glad that you didn’t turn to revenge.

You like to spend time with the cats even though you get the horrible flashback of tora which resulted kurama to laugh at how you couldn’t hold the cat properly when it was scratching you.

Sometime kurama would take control and would talk with Sandy and on some occasions huntsman to gossip about the embarrassing things you did and also what all that happened if you haven’t fully told them. They also find your big appetite on ramen noodles interesting and sometimes order them on some occasions but also not all the time since that could be bad for you even if you ate them all the time and have kurama help you not get sick.

(A/n: hope you like it! I kinda got distracted when on one of them so that’s why they came out late but I still hope y’all like it!! And hope y’all have a wonderful day/evening/night!!)

[drdiabolical]

And the Moon Will Bleed Anew

Chapter Seven: Social Convention

Content Warnings: (chapter specific) Body Horror, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Mental Health Issues

// Fandom: Naruto x JJK // Rating: Explicit // Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence // SFW // No Smut // No Ship // dldr //

Summary:

Junpei and Kakashi meet. Mahito and Junpei meet. Mahito, Junpei, and Kakashi meet.

Read on A03

Excerpt:

If there was a button for killing the people I don't like, I wouldn't be able to press it. But if there was a button for killing the people who don't like me, I wouldn't hesitate.

Pathetic fallacy was a funny thing. Horror loved it. What was more romantic than a chase into the dark of night, rain slashing horizontally, the glare of a headlight catching in the downpour? Zero visibility. A cold numbness of the body to contrast the unrelenting fear of the mind, somehow icier adrenalin running through veins while skin frosted a blue bruised colour. The hot cut of a knife through frozen vertebrae, blood spilling a shocking warm red only to mix into a muddy brown on its path to the drain, to the sewers, to the muck and grime and filth of human excrement.

Living things were all the same in death.

Once, Junpei saw a counsellor. Back when his worldview was a malleable thing and hope was a virtue he still subscribed to. She labelled his depression seasonable. SAD, a fitting acronym. Junpei reckoned you could label any emotion as seasonable; it was hard not to feel like raw garbage in the unforgiving Japanese summer, for instance.

Junpei didn't believe in therapy, but he wasn't one to blindly believe. He gathered evidence for his claims and hypothesised and synthesised results. He was so sure of his view of the world because of his methodology. His life was a chronology of the meaninglessness of suffering, of the randomness of hierarchy. Power went in hand with abuse, but there was no altruistic criterion to determine when power was owed. You had it, or you didn't.

Junpei didn't have power, to no fault of his own. Not good-looking enough, not strong enough, not popular enough - not born well enough. From the moment he entered the world with his genetics and his circumstances, his power was determined. Or his lack thereof, rather.

But Junpei wasn't depressed, so it was a moot point. He was indifferent. The optimal state of mind, as perfect as the human experience could get. The weather didn't follow his whims, and when it snowed too hard or rained too thoroughly, it only extenuated his emotions like anyone else's.

The rain had been rough last week. He hadn't been any more depressed for it.

Now the weather couldn't make up its mind. Torrential rain or sweltering humidity? Or perhaps it was a feedback loop. In this present moment, it chose to burn his pale cheeks ruddy as he detachedly observed his bullies pick on a new powerless target.

Was there solidarity in victimhood?

He watched the trio poke at the white rabbit with whittled-ended sticks. They'd broken its legs at some point, so it lay there in a slump, breathing heavily and twitching pathetically.

Was that him? A maimed rodent hapless to the whims of the sadistic? Were they brethren, brothers in broken arms? Was there supposed to be a metaphor here laid down by some higher power to reality-check him into changing his life? If you carry on down the path of least resistance, you'll lose something far graver than your dignity.

No. Junpei felt nothing for the rabbit. His eyes were dull, cataloguing, tired. Numb. From one pathetic victim to another: I despise you for being weak. For being born.

Hideyoshi sat on the nearby garden wall, whittling a stick sharper by driving it between the cemented grooves. His swinging legs stilled as a dog jumped up on the other side.

It was a small thing, as far as dogs go, and the temptation to switch targets visibly rolled over Hideyoshi's face in the twitch of his grin and squint of his eyes. But then it looked at him with what could only be described as unbridled disgust, if a dog were to be capable of such an ugly, human emotion.

The rabbit's torment had arrested Junpei for a good ten minutes, and he was confident he'd be undetected with his bullies so invested in the suffering of something soft and sweet. But a new sight caught his eyes at the sound of rubber scraping on tarmac.

Oh. Life was a contrived, scripted tragedy.

Read the rest on A03

Photo Credit

[x-authorship-x]

what if theres like a fight with death eaters, rivals, or whatever else, and everyone is using magic and shisui just- is suplexing people or decking them in the gut or jaw (or knifing them) and everyone else is like ☹️☹️☹️ because he actually is physically fighting them and getting blood on him

also how adept is shisui with his non-conventional magic in destruction? how well can he maim/kill people? and does he have the same mental fortitude as before? or does he want to prevent unnecessary killing?

Tbh I think this could go... in a very interesting and kinda melancholy direction.

So, Shisui and Itachi were supposed 'pacifists', the definition of which is "a person who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable." So it's not simply disliking violence, it's not just wanting peace, it's thinking that any violent action is in itself is always going to be the problem and never a real solution.

So.... Shisui is reborn in a world that is violent, yes, but not inherently so like Narutoverse. Children aren't child soldiers, the system itself is not reliant on mercenaries and assassins (how is 'world peace' even sustainable in Naruto unless Shinobi are willing to give up some of their violence? Who are you killing, who are you infiltrating? Is this just a war on crime instead of foreign nations? Anyway-) and Harry's experience of violence/attacks is very much not the norm.

So, I propose this; Shisui is heartbroken by his relief that he doesn't have to kill people anymore. He's so guilty in this relief, because holy shit it really did take him dying and leaving all of his loved ones and his home behind to get this. In fact, the adventures of their school years are almost... painfully nostalgic, and it's awful as much as it is a familiar experience. Shisui's kept up his training, because the best defense is a good offense and his family is hostile, but using his speed and flexibility etc in DADA class, to hunt down the Slytherin monster, in Quidditch, in the Tournament, in the DA, in the war... It feels so different to fighting in Narutoverse.

I don't think Shisui would necessarily be 'covered' in blood because I think he'd really have some problems with bloodshed. He doesn't have the Sharingan anymore but the trauma is really deeply rooted and his death... The blindness and the blood and eye trauma... I don't think Shisui would be merrily killing people, blood splattering the walls (I'm only being a little ridiculous with that description). However, I do think he would punch people because he is a pacifist but he would just acknowledge that the action might be problematic but that's a 'wrong' he will, grim-faced, take on himself.

It's like the necessary evil, Shisui's whole thing with martyrdom and killing others. He wants to be free of violence but he knows the world isn't as neat and he's... he's good at it. In the heat of the moment, he will always choose killing an enemy - in magic, this will literally split his soul - than losing an innocent/loved one.

This matches with Harry, tbh, as he always takes the responsibility of other's injuries etc on his own conscience and he throws himself into dangerous situations because better him than anyone else/allowing the worst to happen.

Shisui will still fight, he has to, but he won't be... dashing through the world, slitting throats and tearing people limb from limb, yk? However... The people they're up against... Shisui will kill them. He's too world-weary, he knows that a downed enemy can rise again to hurt you or others, not to put people down permanently.

It's more like... Shisui doesn't have a knife but he has his fists and he has his magic. In Narutoverse, he known for his incapacitating illusions and his speed, so it's not like he was once a Shinobi known for cracking heads with his thighs, yk? Here, he'll do much the same; overwhelming the mind, ending a fight before it can really begin, protecting more than killing for itself.

So picture this;

The Department of Mysteries. Lucius Malfoy comes out from between the shelves and tells his cousin by marriage not to be a fool. Absolutely none of the DE's could foresee the magical, mental hammer to the skull they get, or the furious flurry of punches that break bone as easily as a curse.

Shisui might not be pulling out a sword and severing limbs but that doesn't mean the magicals aren't horrified. They don't physically fight, that's what muggles do! They don't do much exercise, it's Quidditch or nothing, so Shisui's athleticism is genuinely unnerving. He's so much faster than most humans, on top of everything, and he's fucking strong and what can you do when your spells don't hit him before he hits you?

Harry teaches the DA to survive a magical fight, to win, but Shisui teaches them how - to use their fists, their kicks, their flips - to survive.

Shisui might not be an assassin anymore but for peace, for protection, he will kick ass and take names!

[theheirofthesharingan]

Anti Itachi people are weird and I honestly don't understand them. I saw some ppl say Itachi doesn't deserve sympathy because he killed Gaara, joined Akatsuki and tortured Kakashi.... outside of abusing sasuke. So they don't get why he's so popular among fans. 🙄

People really just single out Itachi so randomly among the many characters to shit on because of morality and then crib about their favorite characters as if their favourites are saints. What is it that they feel entitled to hate on Itachi because of his morality and then defend people who did worse than him? Gaara himself is one fine example.

Who'd tell them morality isn't a binary or one-dimensional concept in a fictional world where child-soldiers are common and kids are subjected to being a victim of it and causing it from a very young age.

He killed Gaara

Okay? Gaara killed people for fun. He and his siblings attacked Konoha, killing people. What this fandom believes in is that the lives that Itachi took — no matter who that is — are more important than the lives that other characters took. Which is why Madara, Obito, Pain, Gaara etc., shouldn't be seen as villains and they act all pissy because Itachi isn't seen as a villain.

Here, people, I'll yell it out for you: conscience. Itachi was burdened by his conscience and never justified his crimes. It's literally canon. He wouldn't go out of his way to kidnap a child, manipulate him so the said child could fulfill his dreams after he was dead. He wouldn't unnecessarily attack an unsuspecting village with innocent population and murder them because he hated the world and was heartbroken that his childhood crush who didn't like him back was dead because she chose to. He also wouldn't make the world worse than it already is because he thinks his pain is worse than others.

Endurance, admission of one's mistakes, regrets/guilts etc., are some of the many redeeming qualities Itachi has. Of course people can see that and love him for them.

joined Akatsuki

Unbelievabl that people think this is a bad thing, lmao. On one hand they simp for Obito, Pain, and Madara who are the main ideologues of this extreme philosophy which works on nothing other than violence, then simultaneously have the audacity to be upset why is Itachi a part of this group. Make it make some sense, people. I can't see past your hypocrisy.

and tortured Kakashi... outside of abusing sasuke

Look, there's no justification for any of what he did to either Sasuke or Kakashi or anyone else. But when he came to the village, he had a reputation to uphold, that too that of a criminal who had single-handedly murdered the entire clan that was supposed to be the strongest of its time. He avoided fighting Asuma and Kurenai. He only took on Kakashi because Kakashi was the only one with Sharingan (and Mangekyo Sharingan). Idk if something in an Uchiha's brain goes off when they sense Mangekyo in someone else, or Itachi just did it to keep up his façade. But Kakashi did start to use his MS after his encounter with Itachi.

Either way, Itachi coming to the village, then avoiding fighting the mediocre jounins, taking on only the strongest one, inflicting enough pain to paralyse (in this case coma), but not killing him... That's what one would expect from a "dangerous criminal" like Itachi. Kakashi straight up wonders why Itachi didn't just kill him.

In regards to Sasuke - Itachi didn't plan to meet Sasuke. It doesn't excuse his actions afterwards, but the narrative that he's irredeemable and his love must be questioned as a result is pure unadulterated bullshit. If he wanted to hurt Sasuke he would have done it at that dango shop. When it was only going to take less than a second, then why not do it right away? The only people present there couldn't even touch him with Kisame by his side.

Gai and others also wondered why Itachi was taking so long to kidnap Naruto when he knew what Naruto looked like. Simple. He wanted to get out of the village. He didn't want to come across Sasuke. Traumatizing him again was the last thing he'd want to do.

they don't get why he's so popular among fans

Good thing is, those who love Itachi doesn't exactly need permissions or certificates from the people who don't like him. It's as simple as that. They don't have to get it. We don't care.