#also i find it really interesting how jiraiya left and tsunade left and orochimaru stayed

[evilkitten3]

thinking about the sannin and abandonment and the past following you wherever you go no matter how hard you try to leave it behind and staying and clinging to whatever you have left until it twists you into something unrecognizable and chases you out and clinging to it even after that while getting worse and worse and watching everything you love die and pushing away whatever you have left and abandoning people who need you because staying is killing you and leaving and leaving also killing you and the worst coping mechanisms known to man and trying so hard not to remember when you were just three kids with a teacher who adored you before everything collapsed in on itself now none of you can stand the sight of each other and the devastation of war and fame gained through clinging to your life and being so defined by survival that you forget to do anything else and people trying to rely on you when you can't even rely on you and dying alone with your regrets and the endless cycle of rebirth and alcoholism

[wyrdle]

Currently musing a Sannin role swap au, but only between Tsunade and Orochimaru (mostly because I don't really know what to do with Jiraiya's role and I think it'd be interesting to have him as the constant in the sannin.)

Anyway, basic gist of it:

Tsunade, Post 2nd Shinobi war, Nawaki's death and Dan's death, turns traitor to the village. She engineers several devastating bio weapons with her medical knowledge. idk if she works with Danzo as a means to an end or not, but he is definitely on the list of people she wants to kill.

Orochimaru on the other hand, stays in Konoha, and with his research, manages to heal/keep Tsunade's attacks at bay, resulting in grudging respect for the Sannin and eventual election as Hokage post Minato's death, Sarutobi's brief reinstatement and Tsunade leaving.

Jiraiya's leaving Konoha to spy and keep track of Tsunade happens in similar fashion to canon

Orochimaru isn't the most popular Hokage, but he is respected. His relationship with orphaned Naruto is much better than canon Sarutobi's, and Naruto's inspired to be Hokage because Oro is an orphan whom people used to whisper things and is a Hokage now. Oro doesn't necessarily want the kage position, nor be a part of the system, but as the strongest ninja left... well.

There's a lot more tension between the Sannin, in that Oro has to actively head efforts to overcome/prevent Tsunade's attacks (Eg. finding cures to a gas-style slow acting poison). There's also the bit about Oro having to confront Konoha's systemic issues, whilst being the hokage. His past as Nawaki's sensei and Tsunades's friend means he does attempt to understand Tsuna a bit more, so lots of juicy tension there 👌

More digging into Tsuna's grief and upset about the system. Idk yet how redemption could be achieved (I'm thinking her initial attacks are rather targeted at the advisors from Sarutobi's era?) And she doesn't actually want to kill Oro and jiraiya, but... they stand in her way.

I probably won't get into Team 7's mentorships since this au is more sannin (Oro and tsuna tbh) centric, but I think neither of Team 7 defects, opting to stay. Major events like the Uchiha massacre... I feel Oro would mitigate since he's less likely than sarutobi to bow to Danzo... but idk if Danzo could be uprooted so easily 🤔 dunno.

If I have the time, I'll try and draw for this au lol, love me some orochimaru and Tsunade centric Aus 👌👌👌 Whether or not any of the sannin are romantically involved, I enjoy milking Orochimaru's and Tsunade's BG more. It's fun making the OG mad scientist actually use science to prevent bio wars.

[animeyanderelover]

I've looked through your "sharing a darling" post and I've been inspired. I'd love to see Tsunade with a darling, who's Orochimaru's little sister. I imagine she and Tsuna probably were friends before she deserted the village with Orochi. And when she's nowhere near as heartless as Orochi, she's a morally-gray type of person. [With romantic yandere!Tsunade + platonic!yandere Orochimaru]

I’m glad you got inspired by my post☺️.

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessiveness, obsessiveness, paranoia, violence

Darling is Orochimaru’s little sister

🐍🐌We’ve often talked about this, but Orochimaru has a weird way of showing his care, especially if it comes to persons he’s obsessed with. If you would be a test object he would most likely show genuine interest in you because you’re very useful. But how does this work when you’re his sister? It’s suspected that a part of why Orochimaru became the way he is like he is because he wanted to leave the painful memories of the past behind, including the death of his parents. So you were the only family he had left.

🐍🐌His way of caring showed himself from a very young age on with wanting you to get stronger. Orochimaru has a dislike for the fragility of life and it’s most likely that you and him shared more or less the same interest in kinjutsu. I can’t say that you had the same obsession as him with it, but you just tagged along with him.

🐍🐌Since Tsunade and Orochimaru were on the same team it was understandable that you were friends with them. Jiraiya was probably the guy who often asked you out on dates and made some less appropriate comments about you, earning a hit on the head from Tsunade and a unnerving look from Orochimaru. Tsunade was most likely friends with you because you were the only other girl from the three.

🐍🐌At the beginning it was just a friendship, a strong one. Tsunade was often a bit worried about you, knowing how twisted Orochimaru could be. You never minded, being used to all of this since you had grown up with him together.

🐍🐌Tsunade started becoming a tad more clingy and overprotective after Nawaki had died. It was somewhat of the beginning of her Yandere tendencies and it stayed that way even after she had got to know Dan. You often visited with her together Nawaki’s grave and showed him respect for his actions. But you were glad that Tsunade had found someone else who made her happy since you had suffered with her after the death of her brother. Because despite being slightly influenced from Orochimaru’s twisted personality you had always been the one who had cared more and showed it more.

🐍🐌Somehow I think after Dan died as well and you were again there to comfort Tsunade you somehow started to see things a bit more from Orochimaru’s side, understanding why he loathed the fragility of life. Because humans were so delicate that you could lose them at any moment. I would even go as far that Tsunade’s devastation over Nawaki and Dan left a huge impact on you and led you to becoming who you were.

🐍🐌Tsunade was at first most likely only a platonic Yandere for you, still seeing you as her best friend. She became incredibly clingy and overprotective and also started greatly disliking your brother. Why? Because Orochimaru gave off the feeling that you didn’t mean anything to him and he wouldn’t even be sad if you would die. He hadn’t looked affected when Nawaki had died and he hadn’t looked really affected when Dan had died. So it was no wonder that Tsunade was terrified of losing you as well and needing to see how not even you as Orochimaru’s sister would lead him to show any sorrow.

🐍🐌It was at the beginning just the genuine desire to keep you safe and alive. But with time it turned into something more intense for Tsunade. The knowledge that she could lose the person who had been always there for you made her go almost crazy. She might not even have realized when exactly it had happened. But one day you just gave her a warm smile...And Tsunade felt her heart speeding up in her chest rapidly and butterflies erupting from the pit of her stomach.

🐍🐌Orochimaru watched all of this with narrowed eyes, the way how Tsunade started clinging onto you tightly and the way she looked at you. It didn’t matter to him that Tsunade deserved happiness after everything that had happened to her. He didn’t want you to become weak by becoming too sentimental which you obviously were. It wasn’t like you had already changed a lot because of him, your view of the world having become slightly distorted because of his influence and the still fresh memory of Tsunade mourning over her brother and her lover. And I bet Orochimaru used that to control you a bit more.

🐍🐌Tsunade on the other hand worried because she noticed clearly how much you had changed in those last years and she knew too well who the culprit was. So she tried to keep you away from Orochimaru by often going out with you and asking you to spend time with him. And this didn’t suit with Orochimaru who would have preferred to continue training and experimenting with you.

🐍🐌It was most likely out of loyalty and own belief that you decided to follow Orochimaru into exile, some of his beliefs having influenced you as well. And Tsunade was once again completely devastated for losing another precious person to her, asking herself what she had done so terribly wrong in life to lose everyone she seemed to love.

🐍🐌Being Orochimaru’s sister and most likely on the same level of strength as him made you very respected and worshipped by his underlings like Kabuto and Kimimaro. And despite searching with him for a way to gain complete immortality You never agreed with his opinions all the time, disliking the way he treated others. You were somewhat of a mother figure for many people under him and were even known to forgive people different than Orochimaru. And Orochimaru didn’t really like this, fearing that your softness would be one day your death sentence. Orochimaru isn’t the type to start a fight over this, at least not in the classic sense. But he would cruelly tease your weak spots to get a reaction out of you and to try to reason with you that being so soft wouldn’t bring you anywhere.

🐍🐌I guess that Tsunade’s heart broke even more after hearing what you were doing, experimenting on people to gain immortality. She blamed herself for this, feeling like she should have ripped you away from your brother’s tight grip sooner since he had been the one who had corrupted you like this.

🐍🐌Tsunade met you most likely again whilst Naruto and Jiraiya were searching for her to convince her to become the fifth Hokage. She was already pissed enough at Orochimaru, never having forgiven him for ruining you like this. But she was also scared when seeing you again, freezing at first. She just really hoped that there was still some part of the old you left and not having become as cruel and heartless as Orochimaru had. You were also shocked to see her again, feeling a bit conflicted about how to face her after all those years again.

🐍🐌During the fight of the three you didn’t really participate, watching more from a distance. Not because you were lazy, but because you and Orochimaru knew that you might switch sides during the battle. Because you still cared. Tsunade was still your friend. So when Orochimaru wanted to kill Naruto and Tsunade kept sacrificing herself you would have lied if you would have said that you didn’t care. Instead you might have even tried to stop Orochimaru from completely killing her, that was at least until she released her jutsu and showed what she was capable off.

🐍🐌Different from Orochimaru you also never disliked Naruto and saw him as a poor excuse. You saw potential and passion in him, reminding you of Nawaki. That’s why you wanted to keep him alive. Because he had helped Tsunade out of her misery. And you were proud of her when she officially became Hokage, sending a anonymous gift and a small letter in which you congratulated her and told her how happy you were for her. And Tsunade knew too well who had sent her this.

🐍🐌I feel like after Sasuke joined Orochimaru you might have even gone as far as sometimes giving the village hints about his development without anyone finding out. And whenever such small notes received in the village, dropping hints about current whereabouts or informations about possible future plans from Orochimaru Tsunade always felt hopeful and encouraged that the old You was still there, that you weren’t completely possessed by evil like your older brother was.

🐍🐌I feel like you traveled back to the village after Sasuke killed Orichimaru. You had no reason to stay after all. And for someone who was known as an S-rated criminal you came over pretty calm when suddenly appearing in front of the gates of your old village. And best belief that when Tsunade Heard- that you were back, she completely lost it and instantly stormed towards you, not knowing whether to yell at you for doing such terrible things to her and other people or cry and suffocate you in a hug out of relief. In the end it became a mix made out of both.

🐍🐌You were taken under custody back into the village, your reputation being a bit saved because of all the small hints you had given them through the years. That and the fact that you answered all questions honestly have some ninjas troubles to judge you rightfully, not knowing whether to think of you as a good or bad person. On the one hand you had experimented on others, you had used the same jutsu as Orochimaru to reach immortality and many other things. But on the other hand there were countless tellings and rumors from many places and people that you had freed them out of Orochimaru’s grip or had even helped villages in need on your journeys. That made it somewhat troublesome whether to decide if you belonged in prison or not.

🐍🐌In the end it was decided to not send you into prison, mainly because Tsunade had insisted on it, but also because many had agreed that you had done many good things after all and had come back on your own free will, not to mention that you had told them everything they had wanted and needed answers for for so long. But you were kept under very tight custody, a few Anbu members always watching you.

🐍🐌Shizune knew from Tsunade’s love for you, having witnessed many times how Tsunade had started becoming very talkative about you after a few or many bottles of sake and knew that Tsunade had still feelings for you. And she advices to not risk anything with you, they still didn’t know whether you were on their side or not. Tsunade didn’t want to hear this, but not because she believed that Shizune was wrong, but because she knew that Shizune might be right.

🐍🐌She often came visiting you, wanting to at least talk to you and know why you had done this. Why you had left her. Why you had decided to tag along with Orochimaru. Why you had done all those terrible things and still so much good stuff at the same time. What were your motives?

🐍🐌I feel like Tsunade would be able to start a normal relationship with you after the war and after Orochimaru was reincarnated. Because the main problem before had been that people had, when looking at you, only been able to see Orochimaru. A cruel and sadistic criminal. But for whatever reason Orochimaru had been forgiven after the shinobi war and Tsunade also retired more or less since Kakashi became the sixth Hokage shortly after the war ended. There will be some tension between her and Orochimaru after that, especially since Tsunade still blames Orochimaru for corrupting you like this. Orochimaru wouldn’t be too happy either, but surprisingly he’s more okay than Tsunade with this since he doesn’t hold that much of a personal grudge against her like she does. He did become better after the war and was more accepting with it. As long as you don’t become a weakling that is, power is still a thing and will always be a thing for him.

[peepingtoad]

ALL THE HEARTS (for the relationship meme. They could all be fun and interesting)

What kind of relationship does your muse want with mine? //accepting!// @lady-tsunade-hime2

I’m just gonna talk about my potential thoughts for each one here >:)

❤️ romantic

Speaks for itself. The disastrous old-married-couple-BFF’s finally get their shit together! The most annoyingly slow slow-burn ever! Although I would like to see how it occurs in a verse where Jiraiya comes back from the dead, just for the angst! 

💛 platonic

Surprisingly enough, even though I ship them to hell and back romantically, I actually do love these two remaining friends. That GIF from that ending theme where they’re staggering into Ichiraku drunk sums it up for me. I think after being separated from Tsunade for so long, Jiraiya’s so much more chill and just happy to have her back around. He’s not ‘over her’ so to speak, but he appreciates exactly what they have.

💙 family

Give me them moving to some sun-drenched island and having One Baby. Just the two of them, a bab, cocktails by the beach--and occasional visits from Orochimaru.

💜 mentor/mentee

This is an interesting one! But what if they were mentor/mentee to each other in learning their sage techniques? Or perhaps Tsunade teaches him her techniques of focusing/controlling her chakra, to help him find a way to perfect his sage mode?

I’m not sure what Jiraiya could teach Tsuna, really--outside of the bedroom, that is (the bastard made me add that)!

💞 friends with benefits

I already suggested one flavour of this to you, but also consider this: when Jiraiya stays away from the village after the Kyuubi attack, he finds Tsunade. They get drunk. They finally go there. They still remain their separate ways, but they have occasional, incredibly steamy encounters.

💕 unrequited love [specify who]

Is unrequited love not most of the canon? Heh, joking. I wonder what the story could be where Jiraiya’s the one who doesn’t love Tsuna back? Does he start off in love and fall out of it? Or does he never love her as more than a friend at all? I’m pretty sure once he’s in love, he never falls out of it. 

Again, as with platonic love, I really like how surprisingly wholesome the one-sided love in the canon is, and am always down to explore more of their past in relation to it. It’s such a blank period of time that I’d love to fill in.

💚 rivals

I always love the thought of them having rivalries in fantastically jock-ish ways. Arm-wrestles. Drinking or eating contests. Just straight up wrestling each other. I love the thought of them competing in just as extreme ways as Jiraiya does with Orochimaru. Let’s face it, the three of them probably see the slightest thing as a challenge no matter who it is :’)

🖤 enemies

Aaaah. The most painful one. I’ve still yet to really form my ideas for Jiraiya Gone Bad, because it’s so hard to respect his character and his principles while putting him on a dark path. 

A scenario where Jiraiya never came back from Ame at all and helped the orphans form Akatsuki, but Tsunade still became the 5th and then had to defend Konoha... that could be pretty damn tragic. Especially if the last time she saw him was literally the day he left, all sunshine and hope. 

HMM.

[midorichikara-blog]

How she survived (Headcanon)

Fu was a person known for her fearlessness and throughout her life, that rung true. She would always be the first to jump into danger. Always the first to take on new threats with a grin. But now, for the first time, she felt fear. 

She found herself against a wall, injured and unable to call forth any chakra. These two Akatsuki members proved to be too much for her. To think that a former member of her own village would be the one who led to her demise. How fitting for someone loathed like her.

Despite her fear, she closed her eyes and quietly awaited her fate. There was nothing else she could do. Even her tailed beast seemed to ignore her plight as it refused to offer her any aid. Was it because she proved to be weak? Or because it too knew it was all over? Whatever the case was, she didn’t bank on anyone to come save her. They’d probably be happy if she never came back.

There was one though. One who cared for her more than the others. 

“I’m sorry, Shibuki.” She muttered under her breath. “You were right about me ending up in danger.” 

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she imagined the pain he would go through when he learned of her fate. 

“So.” She asked her two assailants. “Are you going to kill me now?” 

“Kill you? Ha! I wish. No. You’re still needed alive.” The one known as Hidan said as he lay his scythe on his shoulder. “Well. Not you. But the beast inside you. See, if you die. It’ll be set free. And that’d honestly be a real hassle to deal with. So we gotta do this whole ritual thing and jump through five hoops to finally be able to kill you. Talk about an annoyance, right?” 

“Silence.” His partner Kakuzu shot at him. “We can’t be giving away too much information. It’ll cost us money to keep any potential eavesdroppers quiet.” 

“I wonder about that.” A voice suddenly spoke up from behind them. “Because to me, such information is priceless.” 

They both whipped around to find out who the source of the voice was and were surprised when they realized who it was. 

“Orochimaru?” Kakuzu asked incredulously. “What are you doing here?” 

“I was passing through the area when I heard a ruckus. And what do I find? Akatsuki up to no good.” He said with a grin as he leveled his gaze with them. “I figured I might as well intervened. Because while I may not have interest in studying Jinchuriki at the moment, I certainly wouldn’t like Akatsuki to have their way.” He cackled. “I may lack the ability to use my full power currently. But I’m more than powerful enough to face you two.” 

He dashed toward them and as he did so, his eyes met Fu’s. 

“Go on, child. Flee. Lest I change my mind and decide to use you as a lab rat!” 

Fu didn’t need to be told twice. She mustered what little strength she had left and took off running with all her might. She didn’t dare look back. 

She ran for what seemed like hours before eventually succumbing to exhaustion and collapsing in a forest quite a distance away from where she had been attacked. She felt her vision going dark and prayed that the Akatsuki members hadn’t been able to track her. Even so, she may just end up dying out here. All alone, injured and without food. She wondered what would be a worse way to go? Being taken by them or dying out here. Whichever it was, she didn’t have time to think anymore as her consciousness faded away and she passed out.

It was about 12 hours later when she awoke with a start and practically sat up ready for a fight. She half expected to be in the clutches of those Akatsuki guys but was surprised when her fist met the face of someone she had never met before. 

“Gwah!” A man’s voice sounded as there was a giant thud as his back hit the floor. “Naruto! I’m dying! Go on without me!” 

“It was only a punch. You’ll live.” Naruto said as he helped his master off the ground. “And it’s your fault for standing over her bed like a creep.” 

Fu tilted her head in confusion. Who were these people? 

“Ah. You’re probably wondering where you are. This is kind of our base camp of sorts. We found you yesterday when we were out searching for food. To be honest, I thought you were dead at first and freaked out.” Naruto said while scratching the back of his head. “But then Pervy Sensei told me you were alive. So we brought you back here and patched up your wounds. Well, I say we, but I was the one who bandaged you. I didn’t trust him for a minute around you.” 

“I’m hurt, Naruto. Do you really not trust your Master that much?” Jiraiya said as he rubbed the newly formed bump on his forehead.

“Not around girls I don’t.” 

And it was those two bickered that Fu caught a glimpse of Naruto’s headband. It was a leaf one! 

“Ah!” She exclaimed as she pointed at his forehead protector. “You’re a shinobi from Konoha!” 

“That’s right!” He said with a grin as he adjusted it. “I’m Uzumaki Naruto. And this here is Pervy Sensei.” 

“I have a name you know. It’s Jiraiya.” He replied flatly, getting somewhat annoyed at the ease in which Naruto called him such an unlikable nickname.

Fu’s jaw dropped when the older man’s name reached her ears. He was one of the Legendary Sannin! Wait. Come to think of it, so was Orochimaru! What were the odds of meeting two of the Legendary Sannin within a day and them both happening to save your life?! 

“I’m Fu! I’m from.” She trailed off as she gazed downwards. “Well. I was from Takigakure. But that’s not really the case anymore. I’m kinda on my own now.” 

“You’re a rogue shinobi?” Jiraiya asked, becoming suspicious of her.

“No. Not that. It’s just. My village kind of wants nothing to do with me anymore. I’m sure of it.” She kept her eyes downward. She knew Shibuki would likely be looking for her. But she no longer wanted to return to that village. The place that saw her as nothing but trash. She may as well have been cast out. And perhaps, if she stayed away. Shibuki would be safe. That’s all she could ask for really. “You guys shouldn’t hang around with me either. Some pretty mean guys are after me.”

“I can’t just leave you to fend for yourself.” Naruto said as he stepped forward. “I can tell from your eyes that you aren’t a bad person. I can also tell that you know a similar pain to the one I felt. The stinging pain of solitude.” 

It had been a year since he started training with Jiraiya, but he had already grown so much.

“You’re welcome to stay with us.” Jiraiya said as he crossed his arms. “I can’t say I’d feel good about leaving you alone. Especially not after the state we found you in. Plus.” He smiled. “If my student thinks you’re a good person, then who am I to doubt him?” 

“I’m going to be training with Pervy Sensei for another year. You’re free to join in! I could always use a sparring partner!” Naruto said as he slammed his fists together. “What do you say, Fu?” 

Fu couldn’t help but laugh at his eagerness. It was the first time she had met someone so honest and straightforward. Sides herself anyway! “Sure thing. Don’t blame me if I get you in trouble though. I’m a magnet for that.” 

Naruto grinned. “Don’t worry. I am too.” 

Fu smiled at him. Truth was. She felt a warm sensation inside her. She didn’t think these two strangers would go out of their way to be kind to her. Yet here they were, treating her like she was one of them already. She’d have to thank that Orochimaru guy later. Because if it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t even be breathing right now.

And so a month passed by with Fu steadily regained her strength and after fully recovering from her injuries, managing to learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu from Naruto. He told her she was a natural and she couldn’t help but be flustered at the praise. She still wasn’t used to people being kind to her. 

Though everything turned upside down about six months later when she revealed her Jinchuriki powers to them when she was attempting to destroy a boulder that had trapped some children inside a cave. 

Naruto was completely dumbfounded, but also in complete and utter awe. He had never seen another Jinchuriki apart from Gaara. To think that he was training alongside one this entire time!

Upon seeing her partial transformation, everything made sense to Jiraiya. The fact that her village didn’t like her. The mysterious men who attacked her. “Fu. The men who attacked you. They were members of Akatsuki, weren’t they?” 

Fu stiffened as he spoke their name. Memories of the attack came rushing back to her and she ended up having to use a tree to steady herself as a wave of dizziness rushed over her. “Y-Yes.” She replied. “They were the ones who nearly killed me.”

And that was when Naruto put his hand on her shoulder. “Then you don’t need to shoulder that burden alone. Akatsuki also went after me a year and a half ago.” 

“What do you mean by that-” Her eyes went wide as she realized what he meant. “Naruto . . . are you?” 

“Yeah. I’m a Jinchuriki. The Jinchuriki of The Nine-Tails to be exact.” He pointed his thumb at himself. “So you can count on me fighting these Akatsuki guys right by your side. I won’t let them get you or me.” 

“Naruto’s right.” Jiraiya said. “Akatsuki is the enemy of the leaf. And you’re a friend of ours. And we protect our comrades. And anyone else who is need of protection.” He then grinned. “Now then! Since I know about your true nature, the training is going to get three times as tough! You better be prepared!” 

Fu laughed nervously at Jiraiya’s sudden excitement. It was like he was holding back before because he thought she wouldn’t be able to handle a Jinchuriki’s training. She glanced sideways at Naruto and his expression confirmed her fears.

The training was about to get a whole lot more hellish.

---

Time passed and eventually they all returned to Konoha. Jiraiya asked Tsunade to allow Fu to become a member of the Leaf Village, something she finally agreed on doing after hearing her story. Should her old village ever coming looking for her, well, that was something they’d all cross when they got there.

Later that day, Fu found herself in her own little apartment and with a brand new forehead protector. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. For the first time, she had a home. And friends. A place she belonged. The feeling made her heart flutter. What a feeling it was! To be alive! To be happy! To be loved!

---

“Jiraiya-sensei . . . “ She muttered as she stood at his grave, rain falling from the sky above. “Why did you have to die?” 

She had only recently heard the news, having spent most of the last few months in Konoha’s academy. She had to re-earn her Genin status after all. 

And in that time, she learned about the various adventures Naruto had been on. From saving Gaara from the Akatsuki to fighting against the very members that tried to kill her. Each time he returned stronger and more confident.

And yet. He had never seen him as broken as he was when he heard their sensei had died. 

She knew her sadness couldn’t hope to compare to his. To Naruto, Jiraiya was like a father. Someone who raised him and taught him so many things. He always talked so much about the great Sannin and in turn, Jiraiya talked so much about him. 

Even so, she knew she couldn’t leave him alone. And so she approached him. But no matter what she said, he refused to acknowledge her. It was like he was off in his own little world.

It was only when his friend Shikamaru spoke with him that he began to recover. And for the first time in weeks, she saw him smile once more.

That was when she knew she had to get stronger herself. That she couldn’t let Naruto handle this burden all alone. She was a Genin once more, which meant she had the freedom to leave the village and help Naruto! 

Unfortunately for her, this newfound resolve led to her almost dying at the hands of Pain who attacked Konoha in search of not only Naruto but her as well. 

If it wasn’t for Kakashi intervening at the right time, she would have been overwhelmed by the Deva Path of Pain. And when Kakashi died and the village was destroyed, her will to fight was all but gone. She felt the same despair she did back then. But this time worse. Because it wasn’t only her. It was her new home. Her new friends. Her new family! 

She felt a burning sensation inside her as she began to lose control to her tailed beast. Her consciousness blacked out as she unleashed a mighty roar and charged Pain with defiance. The battle was intense but eventually she was subdued. 

She felt her power leaving her as she fell to her knees, her chakra absorbed by the Preta Path of Pain. Her eyes glazed over as she stared her fate in the eyes. 

Why? Why was she so useless? Why had she failed to protect that which she loved? 

“I’m just . . . a failure.” She said softly. “I deserve to die.” Someone who talked such a big game and yet couldn’t back it up was pathetic. 

“You didn’t fail.” Came a voice. “You protected the village the best you could. To me, that isn’t a failure!” 

And with a giant explosion, Naruto appeared before her. He stood atop a toad, his now golden eyes gazing back at her. “It’s not over yet, Fu. We can win this.” 

Fu’s formally lifeless eyes watered up as she fully processed what was going on. Naruto was trusting her to have his back. He was expecting her to help. She couldn’t let him down! “Alright.” She said as she forced herself to her feet despite the pain shooting throughout her entire body. “I’ll fight!” 

And fought they did, with the same events as usual coming to take place. Hinata nearly gets killed and Naruto explodes with rage. The main difference here is Fu getting involved. She begged Naruto to get a hold of himself and even pursued both him and the Deva Path of Pain as they left the village. She witnessed the entire thing, including the part where Naruto regained control of himself. She dared not get close, knowing that she’d just become another target for Pain. Only when the Deva Path was defeated did she approach. Naruto told her he was going to face the real Pain and that she should stay behind. She argued with him, but was stopped cold by his glare. He was serious. He was determined to do this alone. 

She merely let her arms fall limply to her sides and nodded before watching him head off. Yet again, she had proved to be useless. 

After everything was over, Fu was sitting in the ruins of her apartment, staring at her headband. It was because of her that Pain did so much damage. If she had only been stronger, she could have- 

A hand on her shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself up. I got beat up quite a bit too.” Naruto said as he sat down next to her. “We were both pretty overconfident.” 

She shifted her gaze toward him. “But you at least were able to defeat them. I-I just got in the way.” 

“And here I was gonna ask you to train with me. Aw well. If you’re too depressed, I guess I’ll go ask someone else.” He stood up and pretended to leave.

“I-I’m not depressed!” She shouted as she stood up. “I’m just confused! I don’t know why I can’t get stronger! I try and I try. But I always end up losing!” 

“It’s trying that counts.” He said as he turned around to face her. “It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about never giving up until the very end. To always give it your all, even if you’re outmatched. That’s my Ninja way.” He made a fist and extended it outward. “And it can be your ninja way too. You just have to be willing to walk it with me.” 

“You’ve always been that way.” She said softly as she slowly raised her right arm. “Maybe if I get lucky, some of that determination will rub off on me.” 

Her fist met his. 

“So.” He said with a grin. “What do you say we both get stronger?” 

“Sounds like a plan.” She replied while having a grin of her own. 

And that is where the past ends and the present begins.

This blog takes place somewhere between Nagato’s death and the Fourth Shinobi World War. 

Only roleplays and headcanons will tell which direction Fu’s life will take from here.