#Minato lives

[raijutsuiga]

NEW: The Proximity Paradox

BRAND NEW WORK!

Y'all I am so EXCITED about this one!

A tear drop fell on Naruto’s striped cheek, and he quickly brushed it away. It wasn’t Naruto’s tears, as the small bundle was fast asleep in his arms, swaddled tightly in a blanket Kushina had picked out for him. No, they were his own tears. He couldn’t hold them back at his wife’s funeral, even being the Hokage. It wasn’t just Kushina’s funeral, but several shinobi and civilians of Konoha had died that night.

They had perished that night. The night his son was born, he had failed to protect Kushina. He failed to protect the village. Some Hokage he was. He had failed to keep the Kyuubi at bay when the seal broke as she gave birth, and the Kyuubi had broken free. Somehow, he had protected his son, but the love of his life was lost when the Kyuubi was released. He could do nothing when the seal broke; it was inevitable. A Jinchuuriki will die when their beast breaks free. Kushina was no exception.

Minato pulled Naruto closer, holding him tightly against his chest. This little blonde bundle was all he had left of her, and he swore to protect his son with his life.

“Minato,” a voice called behind him as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Jiraiya-sensei,” Minato replied after turning to see who it was.

The look of pity and grief on his sensei’s face almost made him break again, but he held it together. Looking around, he noticed the cemetery was empty. Everyone had left, leaving him before the framed pictures of lost people. He was so consumed with his own grief that he hadn’t noticed everyone else shuffling out.

“Come on,” Jiraiya encouraged.

Minato nodded, then glanced at the framed photograph of his wife in the center of the altar.

I’ll protect him. I swear, Kushina. I won’t fail this time.

Minato looked at his son in his arms. He had placed a terrible burden on his son, but he was Kushina’s son too. He knew Naruto would be strong enough to keep the Kyuubi controlled. He chose to believe in his son.

One Year Later

It had been an entire year since he had lost her. He missed her more than anything. He thought time was supposed to help the pain of grief, but in the year since, nothing had changed. The pain had yet to fade an ounce. He tried to focus on Naruto and his job as Hokage, but the grief was ever-present. Nagging in his heart, he reminded him every moment of what he had lost.

A few weeks after the anniversary of her death and Naruto’s first birthday, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kakashi convinced him to get out for the night. So, he sat at a bar late at night, nursing a glass of whiskey. It had numbed him a bit, and for that, he was grateful. He knew it wouldn’t last, and alcohol wasn’t the answer, but for tonight, it was worth it.

He glanced up when he heard the bell of the front entrance ring and several shinobi stumble in, probably from another bar that had closed already. Their conversation piqued his interest.

“Did you hear?”

“About the kid?”

“Yeah!”

“Why isn’t he locked up?”

“I know! He destroyed the village!”

“I can’t believe they let him live!”

“He needs to pay for the people he killed!”

“What I’d do if I got my hands on the brat…”

“I can’t believe the Hokage hasn’t done anything about him!”

“Minato-sama should have taken care of that kid already.”

“The Hokage’s too soft nowadays, you know that!”

“That fucking Naruto kid! He needs to be taken care of!”

Minato froze.

How did they know about Naruto?

It was supposed to be a state secret. He had invoked it to keep Naruto safe! Who leaked the information? Minato looked up at the shinobi. They hadn’t seen him yet. He kept quiet, hoping the information would present itself during their conversation.

“Maybe you should do it!”

“Hell no, I ain’t going anywhere near the Kyuubi!”

“What will happen when that kid starts learning about jutsu?”

“He’ll release the Kyuubi, that’s what!”

“The Kyuubi should be locked away!”

“Locked up? They need to get rid of him before he gets older!”

“Yeah, before he can defend himself.”

“I’d enjoy doing it myself.”

“Like you could do it!”

Minato couldn’t take it anymore. He slammed his glass on the counter, surprised he didn’t shatter it. He stood quickly, knocking over the stool he was sitting on, catching the entire establishment’s attention.

“Hokage-sama!”

All the shinobi he was listening to stood up, shocked at his presence. The expression on their face told him that he knew that they were in trouble. They had information they weren’t supposed to have. Minato grabbed one of them by the front of his shirt. He knew part of his was being irrational from being slightly drunk, but at this point, he didn’t care. Minato brought the shinobi’s face close to his.

“Who told you about Naruto?” Minato demanded.

“No one! Everyone was talking about it at the Mission Assignment Center. Everyone knows!”

Minato shoved him back into his chair.

“That was supposed to be top secret,” Minato said.

“I’m sorry, Hokage-sama!”

“You should be!” Minato snapped, “Talking about murdering a child. What is wrong with you?”

“But…”

Minato shook his head, cutting him off. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the establishment. He couldn’t even look at them. The owner of the bar would forgive him for not paying his tab.

“He’s the Hokage! Who else would be strong enough to control the kid?”

“You’ve seen him! He’s broken!”

“He’s fine!”

“Hiruzen, we’ve given him time to grieve! It’s been a year!”

“Minato couldn’t do anything that night! How can we expect him to keep his son controlled?”

“Danzo, there was nothing he could have done that night! You know that!”

“Hiruzen, it doesn’t matter. We need to protect the village.”

“Homura, while I agree with you, I know this isn’t how to do it!”

“Then what do you recommend?”

“Hiruzen, we can’t just let the Jinchuuriki wander free amongst the village!”

“Koharu, this is an infant we are talking about locking up!”

“He’s not just an infant, Hiruzen, you know that!”

“I do. He’s the Hokage’s son!”

“He’s the Jinchuuriki for the strongest-tailed beast! Even Kushina wasn’t given the beast until she was older!”

“I trust Minato and the seal he used.”

“That isn’t the point, Hiruzen. We’ve heard reports about the Jinchuuriki in Suna losing control. They also sealed the beast when the kid was an infant, and he can’t control it. The Kyuubi is a lot stronger than the Ichibi.”

“We have to plan for the worst, Hiruzen.”

“Danzo…”

“No. We all know you have a soft spot for Minato, but we will override your choice.”

“Yes, it has already been decided. Hiruzen, we will remove Naruto from his father’s custody and place him under the highest security within Danzo’s Root Program.”

“I will train him to control it.”

“Danzo! He’s not a weapon! He’s a child!”

“He is, Hiruzen. You know that as well as I do.”

“Minato will fight you on this. He won’t let Naruto go without a fight.”

“We are aware, so we are counting on you.”

“Very well.”

Minato stood frozen outside of the door to the council’s chambers. He couldn’t be hearing this right. They wanted to take his son. Put him under Danzo. They didn’t think he was strong enough to keep Naruto under control. No, he wasn’t going to let them. He refused to let Naruto go. Naruto was HIS son! Minato balled his fists as he felt the anger start rising inside. He had never been angrier than he was at this moment.

He needed to get his son. Now.

Minato turned sharply on his heel and stormed out of the Hokage’s tower, heading to the small childcare center that was only a short walk from the base of the tower. The lady at the front desk beamed at him when he walked in and asked for his son. Moments later, she came back with a little blonde in her arms.

“Look, Naruto! Your daddy came to get you early!”

“Naruto!” Minato smiled at his excited son.

Naruto reached for him when they got close, and he took the little boy from her arms.

“Thank you,” Minato told her as he turned to leave.

Minato headed to their home as he started to think about what to do. He felt a bit calmer with Naruto in his arms. He wouldn’t let a single person take him. He promised Kushina that he would take care of him, no matter what. He would keep this promise. He couldn't do it as he approached their home, knowing no one would be home to greet them. Kushina’s memory was too strong there.

He turned to one of his favorite spots, the small field behind the Hokage monument. He sat down with Naruto in his lap, handing the small child a binky that he always seemed to carry with him nowadays. Naruto fell asleep quickly in his lap.

“So, what do we do, Naruto?” He asked the sleeping child.

Minato looked up and gazed at the scene of the entire village in front of him. At this moment, he was faced with a choice. The village or his son. He needed to find a way to protect both. That was his job as Hokage. Almost like he knew, Naruto rolled in his lap, which caused his shirt to ride up a bit around his little toddler potbelly. Minato laughed at his son as he reached to pull the shirt back down.

Minato’s face fell when he noticed it.

There were small bruises around his ribs. Minato lifted the shirt a bit farther, careful not to wake his son. There were red and purple bruises around his entire torso. They were new and still forming; it couldn’t have been more than a few hours since he received them.

People were hurting his son.

His choice had been made for him. He was determined to protect his son, which meant getting Naruto out of the village.

[sides4peace]

[kankuroplease]

Day 7: KakaObiRin, tickle

Rin being extra ticklish will probably result in Obito getting kicked in the face or crotch, but it’s fun while it last 😆

[anannua]

escort quest unlocked (escort bby to daycare, very serious stuff)

[absolutebl]

Top 10 Best BLs on Gagaoolala

My Beautiful Man AKA Utsukushii Kare

Japan 2021

One of the most Japanese BLs to release in the last decade, as weird and as messed up as any 2000s yaoi: emo af and hella warped, entirely true to itself with no attempt made to modify its POV for modern sensibilities or current BL fandom. It used seriously old school problematic and kinky tropes, like whipping boy, for a truly uncompromising piece that also manages to hit up themes of communication, consent, and self acceptance. It’s a wonderful BL but uniquely dirty and harsh, in the best possible way - Japanese cinema, uncompromising.

I lost my ever loving mind over the ending. This show won the Grand Prix “My Best TV Award” at the 16th Galaxy Awards.

Minato's Laundromat AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry

Japan 2022

A classic age gap romance where a high school student pursues the man of his dreams (who runs a laundromat). This BL is so steeped in yaoi nostalgia, not to mention a classic romance arc, that it will overload some, but those of us who love this genre for its DNA will adore it. It made me very happy because it did everything I want a BL to do - there’s not much more I could ask of a show than this. It’s the closest Japan has come to perfect live action yaoi since Seven Days (and I never make that comparison lightly).

Squee watch-along here.

My Ride

Thai 2022

Thai BL grew up with this pulp (the first ever to make my end of year top 10). It’s a truly lovely and special little show featuring the extremely rare pairing of sunshine/sunshine (AKA a cinnamon roll couple) plus mature explorations of relationships using one of the softest, sweetest, and most innocent friends to lovers vehicles. Kindly, overworked doctor meets broken-hearted motorcycle taxi driver in an “other side of the tracks” slow burn romance. The support cast is excellent, making for great friendship groups and family dynamics. With honest queer rep that adds to, but doesn’t impede, the story, and genuine conversation about the nature of class, wealth, and classism, not to mention communication, honesty, and respect for boundaries, you can’t go wrong with this show. In other news, I am a sucker for a single dimple.

Takara & Amagi AKA Takara-kun to Amagi-kun

Japan 2022 I gnawed on my knuckles and squealed a lot with this BL. Reserved cool kid who must learn to communicate to keep the tiny disaster nugget he’s madly in love with. It is beyond charming: soft and gentle, packed with cuteness and high school angst, thirst, & yearning. Was there plot? Not really. Was it emotionally tense and paced well enough for me not to notice? Absolutely. Did I enjoy the hell out of it? Oh yes.

Kiseki: Dear to Me

Taiwan 2023

The plot is totally ridiculous and slightly unhinged, but that’s normal for Taiwan. It involves all the tropes under a very casual framework of gay mafia gangs + food = love. Absolutely every character is queer. There’s a gum-ball machine of cameos, elder gay rep, great chemistry from all pairs, and a KILLER side couple. As a result Kiseki is a poster child for Taiwanese BL, and I happen to love Taiwanese BL. Bonus? They also managed to END IT WELL, which we cannot expect from Taiwan.

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho

Japan 2023

This style of live action yaoi really only works from Japan. Basically: boys who fell in love in college end up living together but both are so repressed they actually don't realize they're in love. It's higher heat than we usually get from Japan's HEA stuff, and that part is also very well done, but it leaned into the "why don't they just talk for fuck's sake?" trope which is only exacerbated into undiluted frustration by the fact that they're already fucking. It's great, but watching requires more patience than usual, even for Japan.

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku

Japan 2023

A lonely salaryman and talented cook gets accidentally adopted by a college kid and his little brother. I was always gonna love this show if they stuck to the manga (which is very dear to my heart). And they did, paralleling it almost exactly. It’s a quiet & cozy little parable of found family alleviating loneliness. Possibly too slow for some but definitely high up there for me as the best of what Japan can do with softness (like Restart After Come Back Home). It’s only flaw (if I dare say such a thing) is that it is not really “romantic.” Lovely & sweet but the romance beats are being used to build a family relationship, not just couple intimacy, but that's OK with me. This is a very safe show for anyone to watch.

Step By Step

Thai 2023

This was Thailand’s answer to The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one. This office romance between a stern boss and sweet subordinate felt more authentic to cubical work than previous Thai BLs of this ilk. That authenticity added tension to the narrative and its characters development (how novel). I also really enjoyed the charming side characters and the brothers' relationship to each other (although I could have done without that brother's side BL).

Long Time No See

Korea (Strongberry) 2017

Catfishing assassins on either side of a turf war who fall in love not knowing they are on opposite sides. Or do they? Suspenseful plot, good fight sequences, mature characters, hot sexitimes and even hotter beating the shit out of each other and kissing while covered in blog (this came from KOREA?), plus an HEA. One of the hidden gems of the BL genre.

About Youth

Taiwan 2022

A truly lovely little coming of age high school BL with a classic YA low drama but high angst and an earnest depth. I didn’t even mind the singing, and that’s saying a lot. A weak seme/uke dynamic but tons of BL tropes (both rare in a high school setting but common for Taiwan) makes this one feel both sweet and colored by real world authenticity and grit.

Some of these shows ALSO appeared on Viki or iQIYI, but these BLs will appear only once on these round up posts (here for Gaga), not on the other platforms top 10.

(source)

This list updated Spring 2024, not responsible for cool stuff that aired on Gaga (or was taken off the platform) after that date.

This is part of a series more here:

[cool-thymus]

Today i finished watching Naruto! And i found this gem in the ending credits: one pure team Minato hug! 💜🧡🩶

[georgialawman]

(╯°益°)╯彡┻━┻

[keylimesiren]

I imagine ryoji’s true nature gives him a weird ominous aura that makes him unintentionally terrifying when you’re not expecting it, mostly whenever you encounter him in the dark

Ryoji Mochizuki, harbinger of death and bane of late-night snack runs

bonus:

[ratsunie]

the trio

[maireyart]

Sakumo and Obito's Parents* Live AU (7 artworks + drabble)

Team Minato Week Day 3: Any AU. It's not one of the suggested ones, but something I've been thinking about too much :3 @teamminatoweek

Kakashi and Obito prevent the terrible thing (they've noticed something has been really wrong with Sakumo). Sakumo, having seen Kakashi's horrified face, gets horrified himself at what he was about to do — not to himself — but to his son, and feels remorse about having almost abandoned his son.

2. After the Kannabi mission, Minato writes one of the most difficult reports in his career. He has to face the parents: Obito's dad and Sakumo. Imagine the moment team Minato returns to the village, but without Obito. Obito's parents, as well as Sakumo, meet them and realize that their son has not returned. Kakashi looks them in the eye and stretches a trembling hand with the goggles in it; they take them, shocked, and feel the sudden dark urge to throw them into something. Or at somebody. The panic. They feel like they're on the edge of a precipice, but a tiny hope that Obito might still be alive — just... lost... just... still breathing — is still there. But then it gets crushed by a detailed report from the team. The eye. Obito's eye. Their son's eye is looking at them from Kakashi's eyesocket, and they don't know what to think. Sakumo doesn't, either. They aren't allowed to look for the body immediately because of secret military operations still going on in the area. They grieve and wait. Soon they get the permission to start their search; grimly, they crush a rock after a rock to get to the bottom, and find… the blood… ninja weapons… pieces of his clothing... Obito's headband… But! NO BODY. And again Obito's parents feel shattered. Did the enemy ninja steal his body? Plucked out the remaining eye? Dissected him? What did they do to the corpse of their poor boy? Obito's parents are too late! Too late… And more weeks of grief and pain ensue. Until Kakashi starts seeing something with his eye. Some cave… After it’s happened a few times, he tells Rin, and she persuades him to talk to Obito's parents.

3. Thanks to Rin, Kakashi approaches Obito's mom and asks her a few questions about the Sharingan. He has to retell her everything again, but in more detail. Kakashi says that he's been seeing something from time to time, but doesn't know what it is... Obito's mom is puzzled, but suddenly a new tiny flicker of hope springs up in the darkness they've been living in for the past few months.

4. Eventually, Obito's parents, Sakumo, and Kakashi find Obito in barely-alive Madara's lair. Black Zetsu escapes, but there is somebody who can capture him and seal him off: Kushina.

5. Kushina loves her secret mission.

6. Jounin Obito, with his parents. Way later :3 *** And if you've read till this point, I have a little drabble for you for dessert about kid Obito getting to know Sakumo. Big thank you to @professor-of-naruto for fixing my mistakes & all the amazing support!!! 💕 💕 💕 

***

On warm days like this, Obito loved wandering around in the village and enjoying the lulling buzz of life. Quite often, these walks resulted in curious encounters and even adventures, and today seemed to be the case too. On the hill near the edge of Konoha park sat a man, staring somewhat sadly at the erratic mess of Konoha rooftops and low afternoon clouds, speckled with gold and pink. It was a man Obito had seen from a distance multiple times, but had never had the guts to approach.

Hatake Sakumo had somehow always looked both rugged and elven at the same time. He was tall and wiry, face sun-tanned, vigor emanating from his broad shoulders and spiky silver ponytail, but his eyes were jaded and thoughtful – too many shadows hiding there. There was a certain sternness about the lines on either side of his mouth, but the most gentle and peaceful smile Obito had ever seen offset the rough look of his face. And now, this very smile and a small nod of acknowledgement worked like a magnetic pull on the boy. Enchanted, he came up to the man and sat down nearby.

Kakashi’s father returned to silent contemplation, and Obito bent his eyes to the ground. That man wasn’t a talkative one, pretty much like his son, but did Obito want to know more about him! Sakumo was probably the only person in the whole world who could elicit a huge, brilliant smile from Kakashi. Not that Obito had actually seen that smile (damn mask!), only the crinkled eyes, but more than once, he’d heard their jolly voices and laughter when the pair of them were chatting about the events of the day.

“Hatake-san, nice to meet you. I’m Uchiha Obito,” he began formally, heart pounding in his chest.

Having pulled himself out of his thoughts, Sakumo cocked his head and gave him another serene and endearing smile. “Obito-kun, huh? You’re Kakashi’s friend, right? I’ve seen you playing together.”

“Um... More like a classmate, I guess?” A classmate who wanted to be his friend. Deep down. Probably.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from my son.”

“You have?” Obito’s eyes grew wide, radiating shock and wonder. Of all the things Kakashi and Sakumo could be discussing... Him? Oh, wait. Kakashi had probably been describing to his dad all those stupid situations that involved Obito, or something... They could be funny. In hindsight. Mortified, he hung his head, digging his fingers into the soft grass. So he knows... knows I’m a disaster... knows that I’m nothing like Kakashi…

“He often grumbles about a certain obstinate Uchiha boy who won’t ever leave him in peace. But I can also see how excited he is, looking forward to the fun that every day with you brings.” Suddenly Sakumo laughed, voice deep and resonant. “But around you my little hedgehog is a little standoffish, isn’t he?” (Obito’s ears perked up: A diminutive? For Kakashi? Outlandish). “I can be your friend instead.”

“Is it... Is it okay?” Obito mumbled, still feeling awkward.

“Of course.”

“Hatake-san… Why is Kakashi such a ‘hedgehog’?”

“Sometimes people treat trivial things seriously, and brush serious things off...” he said distantly. “I wish he saw that someday...”

“What are the serious things?” Obito was puzzled. “Just so that I won’t brush them off.”

“I have a feeling you already know,” he said with a playful twinkle in his eyes and ruffled Obito’s hair. “Maybe one day you’ll teach Kakashi a thing or two. If I fail.”

“What do you mean if you fail?!” Obito almost choked. “He listens to no one but you, Hatake-san! And I – I feel like I’m just always getting in the way. He doesn’t care about whatever I say!”

“I don’t think so, Obito-kun.”

“How do you know?”

“If he doesn’t care, then why is he watching us right now and listening to our conversation?”

“What?” Obito looked around nervously. He might have spied on Kakashi… but the other way around? What?!

“Sorry, Kakashi, but you have to come out,” Sakumo called. “I know you’re there.”

And indeed, Kakashi jumped off one of the trees, looking grumpy. “I have to make it clear that I am not a hedgehog,” was all he managed in his red-eared embarrassment. ***

@cool-thymus and I have more Sakumo and the kids art content (Hedgehog Special) 🦔

And if you're STILL here, feast your eyes on the wacky spin-off of the grimdark Kannabi report art (@poetrywise, you absolutely killed me with the description xD):

DJ Minato's psychedelic tunes 😁 *Obito's parents are referenced from the sole photo Obito had on his board both in the manga and anime.

*Obidad's earring is @quintilli0n's headcanon that I genuinely love with all my heart 😁

[crescentfool]

graduation day 🌸

[mixelation]

wait. okay. i need a lore check

did minato slap a hiraishin marker on obito during the kyuubi attack?

does obito just have a marker on him the whole time???

[uchihaculture]

New Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha banner for NARUTO LIVE STAGE 2023.

[ammy246]

I have a feeling that Seraph of the End will end with Mika and Yuu sacrificing themselves in order to revive humanity. One cannot exist without the other, so the only reason they'd willingly go out this way is together. They've been together since the beginning, and will be by each other's side until the end.

[anannua]

solidarity

[priscirat]

conversation