#if she can get sasuke's attention? that's just her winning on all fronts

[mixelation]

on sakura in reborn au

i was considering team 7 dynamics and going into it, minato & kakashi both assume the issues will be a sasuke-naruto thing. they annoy each other, and naruto considers sasuke a romantic rival and will actively pick fights with him, and sasuke is ready and willing to escalate those fights. minato & kakashi knows naruto likes sakura and sakura likes sasuke (because naruto won't shut up about it), but i don't think they've considered sakura's role in the dynamic beyond "idk, maybe she'll act weird around him"

i think a lot of sakura's canon annoyances with naruto were organic (as in, she just found him annoying, regardless of any social cues about how he was Bad News she was additionally picking up). aside from that one awful comment she made to sasuke, the only times we see sakura being "mean" to naruto are after he's been obnoxious to/around her. she tells him off for trying to prank kakashi because she's a teacher's pet, but she ALSO privately thinks this is funny. we also see multiple instances in part 1 of her actively trying to protect him. in the manga, she tackles naruto out of the way to save him from zabuza. she is ready and willing to tank her own promotion to chunin and sasuke's in order to protect naruto's dream of being hokage (she's told they can't retake the chunin exams if they fail the written test, but they CAN retake if they drop out, and even though she's confident she will pass, she starts to raise her hand to drop out so NARUTO will get a second shot). she gets beat up in the forest of death trying to protect naruto (and sasuke) and then afterwards attempts to protect naruto emotionally by telling him she cut her hair because she "felt like a change" and not explaining what happened (i don't think not telling him is a good call, but i do think she did it because she wanted to protect him). i think her awful comment about naruto not having parents was maybe something she felt was socially normal/acceptable to say because everyone did hate naruto, which was why she thoughtlessly blabbed it to sasuke. she'd maybe even heard other people saying similar things and thought this was just how she's supposed to think about him. but i don't think she ever truly hated him; she just found him kind of annoying

the point of all this is that i don't think sakura dislikes naruto the way some people write her to. but she doesn't like him hitting on her, and she doesn't like when he does crude stuff around her.

so, given that, now imagine a situation where there's not random society-wide shunning of naruto. he's still loud and obnoxious, so i think sakura would find him grating even if she secretly thinks some of his pranks are funny. she doesn't even consider returning his crush. that is not on the table for her. she still likes sasuke. she still breaks up with ino because i maintain that that was an act of sakura trying to make herself an independent agent from ino and not ino's sidekick. but. but. she has fewer overall problems with naruto. naruto is the class clown but he's not a pariah; he's the hokage's kid and he has social clout

so maybe. consider this. sakura does not return naruto's crush, but his attention is now sort of fun and exciting. she's twelve, after all-- this is new to her, and she's feeling out what she likes and she's not necessarily mature or emotionally aware enough to not be a huge brat. it's fun when naruto brings her flowers and she gets to turn him down in front of other people. it's fun that everyone knows the hokage's son is in love with her, and that she doesn't have to love him back to keep this attention on her.

it is extremely fun when naruto sees her sighing over sasuke and then goes to fight him and then sasuke escalates.

kakashi gets his team and is told there might be some typical twelve year old crush drama, but sakura's personality is predicted to balance out naruto and sasuke's tendency towards fist fights.

and then kakashi watches her intentionally goad them into a fight and then fucking preen and he's like. oh. oh no.

[narhinafan]

Hinata is a damsel in distress. Can't even remove spider web from her face, tripped over a rock chasing after Naruto kun, can't control chakra on her feet in the last, couldn't destroy tenseigan even tho she has op power Hamura's chakra, never helped Naruto in any way, went up to fight pain just to confess her romantic feelings when Naruto literally told not to interfer, wanted to help Naruto cheating in chunin exam at the risk of disqualifying her own team, send her 12 yo old son to fight a god

It's not that she can't, but that Naruto did it for her for the spider web.

Also how many times did Sakura get hit from a rock and that was without being tired from fighting in a way none stop for over a day. Sakura got knocked out by Kabuto crashing into her of all things, like what kind of ninja can't even dodge or brace themselves from somthing that wasn't even a attack and knocked out.

You do realise Toneri sealed Hinata's chakra at point in the movie and not that she can't wall walk right. Also without her infiltrating the castle they would have never located the tenseigan in the first place and without her chakra destroying it is impossible.

Naruto would be dead if not for Hinata and in the manga Hinata is the only character to land hits on Pain and push him back when his jutsu wasn't on cool down.

So you wanted Hinata to abandon Naruto when he was about to face certain death, really you hate Hinata so much you would rather the MC dies and the bad guys win just so she doesn't get the spotlight and save the day.

Did you not pay attention to the Chunin exams rules, You only have two points deducted off your total score if you are caught cheating and only get disqualified if a person is caught five times. Hinata has the Byakugan and the plant was right in front of them she can get the right answers without getting caught while also checking Kiba and Shino's. So Hinata would have a perfect score and makes sure her teammates score are with in passing range. Even if she gets caught passing the answers to Naruto that only counts as getting caught once meaning both teams wouldn't get disqualified and would have the above average score needed to move on to the next test. Please think before you give BS like you complaint is invalid as neither team was at risk of being disqualified if they cheated.

It's ironic that you complain about Hinata the only character who raised some issue with Boruto going, but completely ignore that it was Sasuke's idea to take Boruto and him and the five kage were all right sending a 12 year old boy to fight a god. At least Hinata did have qualms about it and did hesitate to let him ago unlike everyone else.

[tentenpropaganda]

Naruto Characters Ranked Based On How Many Romantic Comedies They’ve Seen

Kiba. He wins regardless, because he loves romantic comedies, but he wins by a much larger margin if you consider Shark Boy and Lava Girl a romantic comedy. Always laughs so hard that he has to pause the movie or else he’ll laugh over the next joke.

Choji. Because A) Ino ropes him and Shikamaru into watching romantic comedies with her all the time, and B) he actually likes them and watches even more in his spare time. He tends to lean more towards romantic dramas, though, which gives Kiba an edge.

Ino. She ropes Choji and Shikamaru into watching them with her all the time. Always gets invested in background characters/relationships and ends up booing when the main character gets with the love interest (”His chemistry with [side character] was SO MUCH BETTER!”).

Lee. Lots of the jokes either fly over his head or just aren’t funny to him, especially since he doesn’t find second hand embarrassment funny at all. But he gets extremely invested in the romantic aspect.

Hinata. Only if you count Shark Boy and Lava Girl, which she has watched with Kiba a truly staggering number of times. Other than that, she doesn’t watch them very often.

Sakura. She thinks they’re cute, although they’re certainly not her favorite genre of movie. She watches them with Ino sometimes, once they reconcile.

Shikamaru. Not by choice, but he’s on a team with Ino and Choji and it’s more of a pain to refuse them than it is to just let them plop him in front of a TV with some stupid movie playing every once in a while. He talks over them, though.

Neji. He gets roped into watching them with Lee with some frequency, although he manages to dodge it more often than Shikamaru. He doesn’t find them funny, ever, but he can never hide how invested he gets in the romantic aspect of the well-written ones.

Sasuke. Thinks any movie with romantic elements is cringe. Not because he’s one of those assholes who looks down on people who experience positive emotions, but because he’s one of those assholes who thinks 99.99% of movies are trash and only the two (2) movies he’s ever enjoyed count as real cinema.

Naruto. Doesn’t have the attention span to sit through movies, as a rule. He’s watched parts of several romantic comedies, but has never watched one start-to-finish.

Shino. Has only watched Shark Boy and Lava Girl once, at Kiba’s behest, and has spent every subsequent Team 8 movie night staring at the wall and coming up with names for new larvae that he’s just added to his hive. So, depending on whether you count Shark Boy and Lava Girl as a romantic comedy, he’s either never seen a single romantic comedy or he’s only seen one.

Tenten. Has never watched a romantic comedy and you can’t make her. Oh, god. The second-hand embarrassment. The utter lack of communication. The conclusion-jumping. The inappropriate jokes. GOD. She will literally sit there and close her eyes and plug her ears rather than watch.

Sai. Has never seen a movie. Tragic backstory, and all that.

[captnjacksparrow]

Hey, really liked your analysis of Hinata. I feel almost the same way about her. Even though generally I dislike female characters who are naturally meek, subservient and pointless with no character arc in any type of media, what made me absolutely hate her character was how she treated Neji. If Kishi wanted to show her arc being developed organically, instead of proposing to Naruto that removes her stuttering and gives her new found confidence (because girls only get confident when proposing to guys 🙄), Kishi could have shown her talking to Neji after he literally told his bitter story on the chuunin exam grounds in front of everyone. She is shown like she is sympathetic but didn't do anything about it. She didn't even talk to him after he was hospitalized. She knew exactly why he was the way he was, and yet she fights him as if it was his fault. She, an heir of the clan, could have asked her father to support Neji, she had some clout. But nope. In fact, it was Neji who apologizes to her in a way, he is the one who trains her and help create a new jutsu for her. What did she ever do for him exactly? And Neji didn't have to help her. She was in the best position to help and understand Neji but what did she do? A lot of fans like her character because she is reserved but kind and sympathetic. She is reserved but a coward. She was not kind towards Neji. He died for her when he didn't deserve to, he had dreams and goals that were much bigger than Hinata's entire existence. She couldn't even see her own cousin's pain and she claims to understand Naruto?? Really??

Even Kishi said she was a pitiful character who only watches from a distance. He deliberately made her that way, no goal, no backbone and no lines. And I think she sucks the most after Danzo.

WoooW!!!! Thanks for the ask, Anon.

[[Hinata and Sakura fans!!!! Please stay away and don't interact. I fucking tagged them properly]].

Even though generally I dislike female characters who are naturally meek, subservient and pointless with no character arc in any type of media, what made me absolutely hate her character was how she treated Neji.

We definitely share the same thoughts on this one, Anon.

I am really tired on most of the media for their poor treatment of female characters.

The last time I was amused by a female character was from 'Game of Thrones', I loved Cersei Lannister, who is an absolute biashhh and Sansa Stark, started out as an annoying rose tinted princess but ended up winning everyone's heart. Both are non-combative, soft spoken and somewhat powerless women in a world dominated by men. But they just didn't let the inconveniences stop them and instead they learned how to fuck that world back and take control. Both are similar and yet very different.

After seeing, such well-developed characters..... For me girls in Naruto series, is blehhhhh..... Nothing to get inspired from them. And I knew it by episode 3 itself. I have no idea how can girls, in real life, treat Sakura as some feminist icon, which makes my skin crawl for number of reasons. If you point her mistakes out in any discussions, they will pull the misogynist card to your face. When in reality, I am also a girl and my world views are entirely different from Sakura or Hinata. There is no way a 12 year old girl would want to look at the Duck of another boy.

And the problem is, They form the majority, I mean people who can connect with Sakura or Hinata. So, as long as girls like them exists, we really should suffer from these crap portrayal I guess.

That's why I advise people that If you want to see a good woman character, Narutoverse is not the place.

Having said that, I find Temari, Konan, Tsunade were better (I mean inside the Narutoverse). Though their motivations or reason to achieve a goal revolve around their men, I find their attitude relieving. Unlike Sakura or Hinata, they don't wet themselves on the sight of the men they love.

What irritates me was, Kishimoto could've easily put a character like Temari or TenTen or Tsunade into Team 7. It would've made my viewing experience a lot better. If he doesn't want the strong girls to take over the attention from his boys, then he should've introduced a meek character like Rin Nohara. She is silent and cute but atleast she was willing to die for the Village and never wetted herself over Kakashi, though she loved him. And she treated Obito like her best friend. But he deliberately made Sakura hateful and he never stopped.

Sakura and Hinata were the lowest of the low, compared to any other side characters. And, in the end, they got the main Character's Ducks without actively doing anything. For me this tells me three things

He was using these girls as a shield to close the hetero normative mouths while in reality hiding those boys true feelings under that shield.

He really hated these kind of girls and constantly showing his hatred on them at every given chance and never redeemed them back. 

He knew the target audience’ mindset and he simply caters them by giving them what they need and at the same time writing the important arcs according to his wish.

I think, it’s the combination of all three. 

Just to give you an example.

There is this delusional SS shipper Who justifies Sasuke was acting Tsundere throughout the war arc. I mean, come on!!!! 

I came across this post because, the Original Poster was an idiot who comes into the anti SS tag and reblogged my content and saying I was wrong... So, I don’t mind sharing that person’s content.

So I don’t know where this delusion comes from... It's truly pathetic.

There are millions of idiots who believe in this kind of shit and Kishi is deliberately feeding them with bits and crumbs while making his boys go out and save the world.

These delusional mindset tells us they don’t give a single shit about the story as a whole. They watch it purely for the pretty faces and getting high over them. In this case, Sasuke.

It’s as clear as day that Sasuke didn’t care about anyone other than Naruto when fighting the war. You don’t have to be a shipper but even a non-shipper can point this out. I mean Sasuke wouldn’t have saved Jugo either, if he didn’t come to Sasuke and advice him. Do you think Sasuke would’ve tried to look for Jugo and saved him at all cost???? It’s just that he came to Sasuke and he helps him back. But Sasuke would’ve saved Naruto from the bomb blast even if he was standing a mile away.

So, if these delusions reflects the mindset of the majority of the women audience, then the creator will never try to give anything better but instead give us some low-life characters like Sakura and Hinata. 

So, Anon, your expectation for Hinata’s character could’ve been developed much better is just a wishful thinking. Because, Hinata is a character for these kind of people and not for us. And the author deliberately did it. 

She was in the best position to help and understand Neji but what did she do? A lot of fans like her character because she is reserved but kind and sympathetic. She is reserved but a coward. She was not kind towards Neji. He died for her when he didn't deserve to, he had dreams and goals that were much bigger than Hinata's entire existence. She couldn't even see her own cousin's pain and she claims to understand Naruto?? Really??

For me, this also irked me a lot. 

Hinata could’ve tried to talk to Neji about his problems even when he was a child. But she was simply playing innocent when in reality, she is just a coward. Even after the Chunin Exams, there was no apologies from her side, like you said. Because she is from the Main Branch. That hierarchy never changed. If she had the gall, she could’ve easily broken that hierarchy by saying, ‘I want Neji Nii-San to take over our Clan, He is the best candidate for this and I can gladly help him with all my efforts’.  A single line and just 2 or 3 panels, it all takes.

For me killing Neji is where Kishi asking us silently, 

Do you really want these pair to happen despite having a blood stain of another character??? 

Most people said, ‘Yes!!!’, because they don’t give two shits about Neji. As long as Hinata gets Naruto, the main character’s Duck, that’s all there is to it. It doesn’t matter who dies, who lives. 

That's why Kishi is shitting on them by making her as a non-existent woman in the Boruto Manga.

Even in real life, there are many hopeless foolish little girls who would do anything for the man she loves. I've seen them and I always stay 2 miles away from them. I mean, they even ditch their own friends and spends her entire time with him and when he dumps her later, she will come back to her friends for consolation. I think Sansa Stark is the best example for this. She started out much similar to Sakura and Hinata, believing in Princes and shit, she even naively betrayed her father for the man she had crush on. But the author made her to learn her lesson in a much painful way and later she came out as a Queen who no longer needed any man at the end. I think, this is called Development.

At the end of the day, Romance and Sex is all that matters. The author knew it. So, he is feeding these girls with some low quality cookies and they are very glad to take and eat it.

[inactiveanimeblog]

shikamaru x reader fic change chapter two

tw : drinking, smoking, shikamarus a little meanie

link to chapter one here

you sat down and poured yourself a shot of lemon bacardi. it was 22:43, outside was dark but the summer air was humid. you were already a little tipsy, waiting for shikamaru and his friends to arrive to the party. butterfly effect by travis scott was playing in the background, and the led lights changed colors around the room. your friends talked amongst you while you started to roll up a blunt. already tons of people had shown up to the party, a lot of faces you recognized in high school.

“so, shikamaru said he’s coming by with some of his friends and i want you guys to meet him. i bet his friends are gonna be cute cause his roommate was.” you giggled as you started to pack the blunt, being careful not to drop any of the weed.

“some eye candy huh?” ino asked already extremely plastered. ino was hilarious when she was drunk, not caring what comes out of her mouth, usually stating her mind. you already knew she was gonna be flirting with the guys when they got here.

“yeah we can only hope. most guys here are frat boys, i’m sick of looking at them.” mikasa laughed out, bringing her red solo cup up to her lips. mikasa was also clearly drunk. “oh by the way y/n how’d that go earlier?”

“it went good, he really noticed that i changed and i’m surprised he wanted to come to this party tonight when i invited him. he used to not even wanna be seen in public with me.” you rolled your eyes thinking about how much of an outcast he used to make you feel.

not too long after, shikamaru walked in with his group of friends to the led lights still flashing slowly, orange soda by baby keem now playing. he immediately looked around the house for you.

he already caught most girls attention in the room, no girl trying to hide their obvious stares, which he ignored. he found you after a few minutes of walking by drunk and dancing people. you were already intoxicated, blunt in hand about to be lit up.

“yo y/n !” shikamaru called out, walking up to you and your friends.

“oh, hey shikamaru. you made it and you brought your friends.” you commented, grinning at them.

“yeah, this is kiba which you already met earlier, naruto, deidara, sai, and sasuke.”

“nice to meet you guys i’m y/n and this is mikasa, ino, hinata, and sasha.” you pointed to each one of your friends while you called out their name. “now that we all met each other let’s take some shots, yeah?” you said already pouring up the bacardi in some little plastic shot glasses.

“bacardi hm? you be drinking rum like that?” deidara asked taking the shot you handed to him.

“i don’t usually go for bacardi, my preference is dark liquor. i like henny.” you answered truthfully, downing your shot with a sour look on your face and grabbing a lighter from your pocket to spark up the blunt.

“hennessy? wow i like you already. so you’re from around here? shikamaru never mentioned you guys were friends.” he asked. shikamaru stayed silent as he took the shot, eyeing you down as you already looked like you were about to black out.

“yeah i am actually. i’ve been gone for a few months but i just got back recently. also not surprised. he switched up on me in high school.” you teased looking over at shikamaru, and taking a hit of the blunt.

shikamaru gave you a pointed look and sat the shot down on a nearby table. “not true, i never switched up on you. but i could say the same for you. you deny you’re different but you clearly are.”

“yeah right shika, just cause i look a little different doesn’t mean i switched up on you.” you answered back, noticing the tinge of bitterness in his voice.

“anyways, i’m glad you guys came let’s finish this blunt and go play some beer pong, yeah?”

“sounds good.”

“i’m down.”

“y/n, be my partner?” deidara asked.

“sure, as long as you don’t make us look bad.” you giggled, pausing the blunt over to him.

“yeah right, if anything i’m gonna be the one hitting all the cups .” he said taking the blunt from your fingers.

“mm yeah we’ll see.”

you guys played pong for a while, you and deidara actually did a decent job, surprisingly winning most of the games. it was fun, and you noticed how competitive shikamaru and his friends were.

ino suggested you guys sit in a room and play a game of truth or dare which everyone agreed on. the game was pretty intense, involving ino and sai making out, which even after the dare was over they didn’t bother to stop, naruto doing body shots off hinata, and now it was your turn to pick truth or dare.

“y/n truth or dare?” hinata asked.

“i’ll take a risk and choose dare.” you smirked.

“okay, umm i dare you to kiss deidara.”

everyone in the room looked around at each other while you sat there and blushed. shikamaru was looking at both you and deidara, hiding the fact that he was annoyed from the dare. his face was blank but on the inside he was boiling.

“okay.. say less.” you responded crawling over to where deidara was sitting. you closed your eyes and licked your bottom lip before pecking him lightly, then steadily sneaking your tongue in his mouth.

the kids turned into a quick make out session, slow passionate kissing, with some touching. his hands traveled down your body, and grabbed your ass. everyone in the room watched and whistled at you guys.

shikamaru sat quietly, his body feeling like it was burning up while he watched intently. it took everything out of him not to get upset, but he couldn’t help himself. not when deidara out of all people had his tongue down your throat.

a couple of games later it was now shikamaru’s turn to ask someone truth or dare, he was still annoyed over the fact that you and deidara were all over each other, maybe even jealous, so him being an asshole decided to pick you once again,

“y/n, truth or dare?” he asked, a fake smile appearing on his lips.

“i’ll pick truth this time.”

“okay.. is it true that you used to be a loser for a majority of your life?” the room fell silent, the smile still on shikamaru’s face. your friends had their mouths opened trying to chime in and say something to defend you, wondering why he would ask such a rude truth. a few of shikamaru’s friends were geeking silently, trying to hold in their laughs.

you scowled your brows and stared at him in disbelief. you thought maybe since you looked and acted different that shikamaru would pay attention to you, in a positive way. you thought wrong. he was still an ass.

“yeah it’s true.” you spat out. “this games dumb i’m gonna go get some jungle juice.”

getting up from your spot and walking out of the room your friends got up and trailed behind you, a disappointed look in their faces as they followed you out.

“come on man? why would you do that? i was about to score with her!” deidara called out at him.

“my fault bro, there’s plenty of other badder girls here. she was starting to annoy me.” shikamaru shrugged getting up to explore the rest of the party, while his friends got up and did the same.

you left the party that night hurt and confused. one point you were having fun and all of a sudden shikamaru was acting out of character. you got that he was an asshole now, but never did he embarrass you like that in front of others. if this was how shikamaru was gonna be then you decided you would be fine without him.

it’s been a few days since the party. you were sulking in bed, watching anime. it sucked that you had to leave shikamaru behind. you wanted him to see you as more than just a loser. it felt like everything you did to change yourself was for no reason and you—

*buzz*

your thoughts were interrupted by a vibrate of your phone. you groaned as you sat up to reach for it. to your surprise it was a text from shikamaru.

tag : @tojisbbyg

[bunny-hoodlum]

Asynchronous With You: Chapter 1

ship: naruhina

rating: teen (maybe mature later)

tags:  Modern Day AU, Foster Siblings, Family, Angst, Unrequited Love, Poor Communication

summary: An awkward journey full of self-denial and missed moments between two foster siblings. Perhaps their love will find the right timing someday.

(The way overdue long-form version of the Foster Sib AU I wrote for @szajnie for Secret Santa 2020.)

music: Asynchronous With You by burokkurubeats & my playlist

He wasn't the first child.

Somehow he had expected to be.

A girl his age, age six, and her older cousin had already been living here for a year now.

They had family, they were just… deemed unfit.

Maybe they'll take them back, when they get their act together. He doesn't know. He only knows he doesn't have the luxury of hope that they do.

Nobody was coming back to get him.

And he had nowhere to go back to.

The foster lady with the ruby red eyes showed him his bedroom.

At first, Naruto thought Hinata and Neji were close, so much so that no one could ever be closer.

Then he thought it was their tactic to keep others out, self-preservation in blood.

Hinata was nice enough, but she never strayed far from Neji.

That was because he never let her.

She wasn't just fiercely loyal to him. She was scared of him.

He tried to get Neji in trouble. Kurenai-obachan needed to know. But Hinata stopped him. She told him not to split them apart. That she didn't mind Neji bossing her around. She would never be okay if she didn't know where her cousin was.

So he tried. But it was hard. He still picked fights with Neji.

That didn't make Hinata happier, either.

He still thinks it's Neji's fault when she finally breaks down, telling them both off before running to her room.

He runs after her, but she won't let him in.

He goes to his room and talks to her through his wall. He has to press himself flat against it, straining to hear any sound.

Could she hear him, too?

"I'll leave Neji alone, okay?" It's a bitter promise, because it makes him feel like he's surrendered when he did nothing wrong. But part of him also feels tired of this pattern day in and day out. He'd rather spend his time better.

The silence stretched passed the point of comfort, and he pictured tomorrow, a tomorrow where Hinata may hate him. Enough to shun him in his own home. And would he really do what he's always done to others to her? Would he really go that far for attention?

His unconscious concerns spilled out, running through his fingers before he could stuff the words back in and swallow them. "Hinata… can I bug you instead?" He flinches and freezes, and he waits.

It's faint, but he heard her.

"Sure," she said.

His shoulders lowered as he slouched down the wall, the tension leaking from his body and he smiled.

Their early years would be shaped by a secret language shared between the two of them from that moment on, where a pinch on the arm and a retaliatory swat was a polite exchange in the morning. Where a "missing" item from their bedrooms was an excuse to search the house together, and where a stolen item was an invitation to enter each other's bedrooms. Hinata really liked to show him her new collection of pressed flowers, and he really liked to show her his latest Gachapon figurine. Whenever that happened, it was usually one of those new things that went "missing" shortly after.

It wasn't that Kurenai-obasan didn't spoil him as much as them, he could have new things all the time, too. But she hadn't been planning on taking him, she hadn't been prepared for him. If he wanted more things, Hinata would have to have less.

And the time he could spend with her was more than enough for him.

____________________________

Halfway through their grade school years their secret games waned. Being in the same grade helped to keep them in touch throughout the day, but at lunch time she was Neji's, and after school she was Neji's. That's just how it was.

But they were maturing. Their experiences were expanding. They had so much to talk about.

But how could they? It had to be at bedtime. And because it had to be bedtime, they had to be quiet.

He got the idea to drill a hole into their bedroom wall so that way they could easily whisper and not get caught.

That was one of his first thrills: vandalism.

"I think you mean 'home improvement'," Hinata giggled.

He had to process that.

He never realized until then that he still hadn't considered this his home.

Thanks to Kurenai-obasan, he had food in his belly and a roof over his head. He had a bed, some video games, and a safe route to school.

Thanks to Neji, he had a model of masculinity. Not a role model, mind you, but a model nonetheless. Some things about Neji were cool, even admirable. And other things he would never do in his life. They were both abandoned, confused and alone, sure. But it was always annoying how Neji couldn't help but look back. Naruto always had to look forward.

Maybe the way they both did things was equally imperfect.

He smiled to himself, as this is where he had to thank Hinata, for she kept them both grounded and present. Because that's how she lives her life, like each day is a gift not to be squandered.

Who cares about being hurt yesterday? Who cares about what hasn't happened yet?

Right now, at this moment, he was home.

This was his home.

____________________________

Girls at school always cupped their ears when they were eavesdropping. They cup their mouths when they're telling secrets or bad-mouthing others.

Hinata cups her ear around the hole in their wall when he's telling her stories. And she cups her mouth when she's telling him hers.

Her ears are sensitive, so he tries to watch his volume. He forgets himself when he gets excitable.

Her breath tickles and teases a memory from his brain, one that fills him with both sadness and relief.

When he tries to sleep, he searches for the root of this feeling.

The next day on television, there's a mother murmuring her baby to sleep.

He adopts that image as his own forgotten memory.

And the following night, Hinata's soothing whispers confirm that he had a mother once, and she used to sing him to sleep.

____________________________

Hinata's a wimp.

He loves the girl, but at school she is a gosh damn trouble magnet.

He jumps in front of her bullies, fists blazing, and he loses.

A lot.

But he gets to pick fights again. He gets to be cool from time to time. And when he gets better, he becomes the best. He gets a reputation!

By the time they reach fifth grade, he doesn't even have to raise a fist.

A well-aimed death glare is enough.

When Neji's graduation forces the two cousins apart for the first time in their lives, the older Hyuuga undergoes a personality shift.

He expresses legitimate concern for Hinata.

Maybe it's been there all along.

They're both standing on the empty landing just outside of their elementary's gymnasium where the remainder of the proceedings were taking place. Neji's stare, heavy with expectations and ultimatum, bore down on his little shoulders.

"You're the only one I can ask."

"Yeah, don't worry. I got this!" Naruto flashed his patent overconfident grin, and this time not a hint of condescension passed across Neji's face.

His heart thumped wildly when he and Neji returned to the gymnasium, with Neji returning to his position amongst the other students in the center of the room. Family members lined up against the walls in foldable metal chairs, a spattering of pride and loss playing out across their faces; Their children were growing up.

When Naruto took his seat, he stole a glance at Hinata on the other side of Kurenai-obasan. Her gentle profile seemed to unlock something inside of him. Waves upon waves of warmth filled his body, pulling him in deeper into a languid pool of contentment.

He would be her protector from now on.

He would be her brother.

____________________________

He never noticed how their paths lead each other further and further apart.

Their daily routines had remained the same.

Aside from a few exciting developments.

Like Kurenai reconnecting with a childhood friend. The man was a Marine and a chainsmoker, but he seemed cool.

Or how Naruto happened to find a collection of discarded skin mags behind the pool storage room at school. They now safely occupied the space beneath his bed.

There was also the neighborhood shrimp squad of grade-schoolers who loved to call him 'Boss' whenever he came over to play.

Or that time he was hanging out with Sasuke, and unusually the stoic lad had insulted a group of delinquents before he did at the local arcade.

Sasuke may have taken out four guys by the time Naruto took out one, but he still got the win.

But way, way before all of that something had really surprised him: Hinata becoming Deputy Class Rep to their own Haruno Sakura.

She was volunteered for the position based on her equally outstanding grades. Or, at least that's what they had believed.

Over time, it became apparent that they had volunteered Hinata to be Sakura's foil. Hinata was considerate and much more approachable. If the students wanted something, they went straight to Hinata first.

But then her unchanged nature became more detectable.

Like he's said before, Hinata's a wimp.

She crumbles at the slightest disapproval.

She implodes when she's convinced she could do better. When she thinks she's failing.

So halfway through their first year, she started to get abused. Girls and boys alike tried to strongarm her into making their lives 'better'. Making her fetch their lunches and dumping cleaning duty on her every day, then throwing her words back at her when she tried to complain. They'd say, 'But it's what you signed up for', and 'Isn't this your job? Don't you care about your classmates?'.

Somehow Sakura never noticed. He tried to tell her, but she didn't take him seriously. He tried to tell the teachers, but they acted like he had no evidence.

Liars! They just didn't want to get involved! What good are teachers if they don't help their students?!

Some weeks later, the following exams were posted outside the classroom.

Sakura was number two, just below Ino. They were always competing for the top, always unevenly dethroning the other.

Hinata was number three. Always suspiciously number three. And he was dead last.

Hinata could rise to the top, but she never tries.

He always tries, but he can never seem to rise.

He realized then that he hasn't been doing enough as her brother.

Compared to her, he has no future, no potential. It wouldn't be a waste if he took on her burdens.

He can take abuse, because during those first six years at a state-run orphanage, abuse was all he knew.

He realized what he had to do. Resiliency was one of his best traits, after all.

The following day, he took Hinata's place as the class slave. He fetched their lunches, got them drinks whenever they asked. The only thing they never asked him to do was their homework. Because… yeah.

Nobody knew they lived together.

If they did, well, he might've been forced to copy Hinata's assignments all the same.

He never noticed how their paths lead them apart, how their daily routines boxed them into two different social spheres never to overlap.

He was still her brother. Her protector.

But by high school, he'd also become the embodiment of trouble itself.

And he couldn't let that stuff disrupt her life.

____________________________

Naruto’s sprawled belly-down on the sofa playing on his Vita handheld when Kurenai-obasan calls out to him as she’s emerging from the laundry room.

“Naruto, I’ve stared at this hamper for three weeks,” She drops the hamper at her feet with a weighty thump for emphasis. “Are you going to do it or not?”

“I just forgot.” He surreptitiously powers off his game and abandons his handheld on the sofa as he ambles off the couch.

He’s dramatic when he slouches his shoulders and drags his feet, head lolling backwards in anguish. He hauls the hamper back inside the laundry room. He doesn’t look when he opens the washing machine and dumps his clothes into the drum. But the pile is sticking up. He tries to smash it all down, but he can’t. It’s already full.

“Crap.” He scoops out his month-old laundry in four armfuls and disposes them at his feet. He reaches in to grab the damp garments sticking to the sides of the drum, then begins to throw them into the dryer. At least that’s empty.

He doesn’t notice the butter yellow hoodie with white polka dots on the kangaroo pocket. Or the frilly linen top that needs to be dried on the line. Or the no-show socks with rabbits on them.

Once the drum was cleared out, he hurled his fermented clothes into the washer and started up both machines.

He went back to his game for several hours. Kurenai had to remind him to dry his clothes as she delivered the dryer’s contents to Hinata’s room. This was because Hinata was at cram school.

As he moved his items to the dryer, he recalled how Neji had done cram school too before moving onto a prestigious high school deep in the city center.

Naruto never knew whether to be jealous or not. School work was utterly useless and he didn’t envy the workload of overachievers, but maybe that was only because he couldn’t handle it. Maybe if he were smarter, he’d appreciate it better. Or maybe he’d figure out more ingenious ways to skip it all.

He played his game in the laundry room, waiting for the final ding to go off. He used the same dirty hamper to gather up his clean clothes and dragged it inside his room, where he promptly dumped it all out on his bed. Fresh laundry was intoxicating and he didn’t fight the urge to belly flop into the softener-drenched warmth.

He deeply inhaled as he sank into the heat. His cheek felt particularly nice against this satin material.

His left eye opened a peek. Vanilla and lavender stripes met his eye, with a rose lace and ribbon trim along the waistband.

He shot upright, his face no longer hot from the laundry, but hot with horrified embarrassment. He stared at the garment like it might come to life, jump on him and eat his face. It hadn’t so far.

‘It should be fine to pick them up, right?’ He thought with his frozen hand stretched out.

Why was he acting weird about this? They used to mix their laundry up all the time when they were younger. It’s actually how Hinata acquired a love of hoodies in the first place, because she loved to wear the beige one Obasan got him. She can pull off softer colors, but he can’t, so it was easily hers from that moment on.

He plucked up her panties by their corners and held it away, like it were an envelope full of Ricin, and he gazed at it mindlessly. Somehow they were exactly what he expected Hinata to wear, they were girly and cute.

Pale skin flashed before his eyes, a taboo image of Hinata in these panties, lifting her pleated uniform skirt up had startled him and he dropped the undergarments with a yelp.

Did he really just imagine her that way?

Naruto tried to smack the stupid from his mind until his cheeks burned with physical pain, then with everything he could muster, he snatched up the pair and ran for her bedroom, adding it unceremoniously to her hamper of clean clothes.

He pretended to be asleep by the time she got home.

He ignored the sweet voice that slid through the hole in the wall until she gave up and stopped calling him.

There was simply no way he could hold a conversation with her after that experience.

And to think he had to rely on his skin mags to purge him of his sin.

____________________________

Weightlifting was doing wonders for him.

For starters, it was taking his mind off of his libido.

For another, his physique was changing. He was starting to sprout up, too. Hinata’s former bullies were starting to learn some new feelings, like reluctance and fear. They eventually moved onto the freshman to enslave, leaving him alone to finally live his final year of middle school the way he always wanted.

The more he did weights, the more girls started to look his way, not just at Sasuke-teme.

Life was looking good!

Is what he thought when he was hanging out on the roof with Sasuke and two Ojou-gyaru types. One girl was straddling Sasuke while Naruto spooned the other girl from behind.

A dire thought hit him when he realized only six months remained until graduation. A choice he had been overlooking was rapping its knuckles against his temple, and he could hardly shoo it away.

“Hey.” Naruto turned his head towards Sasuke.

“Hn?”

“Where are you going for High School?”

Sasuke turned his head up towards the sky. He was pensively silent. Then he shrugged. “I’m going to stay here.”

“So you’re going to Konoha Normal High?”

“Just like everyone else.” Sasuke said.

‘Everyone else’ didn’t include Hinata, and he was supposed to stick close to her.

How suspicious would it be if he chose to follow her to her high school?

What if he couldn’t? What if she was following the same path as Neji?

Neji would be there until her senior year. Was his responsibility to the both of them over already?

Naruto would later get a text from Obasan that she would be spending the night with Asuma.

K-Obasan: There’s curry udon in the fridge.

He narrowed his eyes at the text.

Just because you add noodles to leftover curry doesn’t make it a Naruto-approved dinner!

“Udon’s not even the same thing!”

His steps slowed in the school corridor. It was enough for his rooftop date to catch up with him.

“Your face looks weird when you’re glum.” She giggled as she poked his cheeks.

“Yeah, well, I just realized I’m about to go home and no one’s going to be waiting for me.”

“Oh?” She circled her arms around his own and leaned in close. “Good for us, huh?”

His eyes widened with realization. A goofy grin stretched across his face, the corners curling lasciviously.

‘Yeah,’ he thought, ‘I’m owed this.’

____________________________

Author Note: I'm forgoing the one-shot because I still don't have that kind of discipline. ;D I'll definitely try to finish this short story to the end. I had received some good title suggestions for this story, but I ended up going with another song name because I can't seem to do anything else. ¯\_༼ ಥ ‿ ಥ ༽_/¯

I'm still going to try to adhere to the canon of the original fic to the best of my ability. I would totally declare this new canon, honestly, but then it'd be a Secret Dating fic with smut and it would never line up with what I already wrote. 😓

Anyways, I hope you liked this so far!

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Meet My Eternal RivalAU: Iwa Gai Au

Words: 2608

Rating: General

Characters: Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai

Warnings: None

Summery: Kakashi always knew that there would come a day where his new Genin team would end up meeting Gai. He was just hoping for a little extra time, and some support from his favourite summon.

Made with lots of help from @sakura-rpblog and @thegodsaregay

Peace and quiet. It wasn’t something Kakashi was used to having anymore. Ever since Lord Third had given him his latest genin team, his days had been filled with squabbling, endless questions, and more headaches than he had ever had in his life.

When Gai had told him that becoming a Jonin-Sensei would make him feel more complete, he had clearly forgotten to warn Kakashi about the unruly nature of pre-teens. Something he’d be more willing to scold the man for if this wasn’t one of the few chances they had to spend together.

The last thing he wanted to do was ruin their moment complaining about his genin team. All he wanted to do was cuddle up close to Gai and fall asleep. Forget about all of the responsibilities he had to deal with for just a little while.

Of course, it was never that easy. Maybe if he was back home in Konoha, relaxing in the arms of another Leaf shinobi, it would be different. But this was Gai.

The great green beast of Iwagakure.

Responsibilities and loyalties never left his mind when he was here in Gai’s arms. Stealing away a few hours where they weren’t enemies. Those rare, precious moments where the two of them could simply enjoy each other’s company and relax.

“So,” Gai rested his chin on top of his head and chuckled when Kakashi looked up at him. “You haven’t told me anything about them yet.”

Ruined. All of his plans for a nice relaxing day, completely ruined.

Keeping a calm façade, he stretched his arms over his head and groaned. “They’re the worst,” he whispered. “I mean, they’re amazing. I adore the brats, but they’re the absolute worst. One can’t stop pulling pranks and doing anything he can think of to try and get attention, the other doesn’t want anything to do with anyone but is at least smart enough to try and work as a team, and the third…”

Actually, there weren’t many complaints he had about Sakura. Her crush on Sasuke was a little annoying at times and certainly distracted her from her training, but otherwise, she was a good student. Attentive and driven, and always trying to put a stop to the fights between Naruto and Sasuke.

“You should have warned me,” he huffed, collapsing back into Gai’s lap and resting his head against his stomach. “Sometimes I think you just assume everyone’s as good with people as you are. You just...forget that I’m anti-social.”

His jab is met with a laugh. Loud and beautiful, just as it always was. How he wished he didn’t have to leave Gai’s side again. That he could just lay here and listen to that laugh for the rest of time. No other worries on his mind.

“I’m sure as difficult as you make them out to be, you’re doing wonderfully as a Sensei,” the feeling of Gai’s hand settling in his hair sent shivers down his spine. “I’ve had to battle you myself. I know that you have a lot to teach them.”

Well, at least someone believed in him. He certainly didn’t most days.

“Speaking of. Did you leave someone to watch over them while we’re together? I hope you didn’t leave your team alone, Rival.”

“Pakkun and Akino are with them,” He assured the other man. “I took a page out of your book on that one and decided to trust my summons to watch over them. Maybe they’ll actually do something to stop them from finding us.”

Not that he really blamed Ningame for not trying to stop Gai’s students. They had a right to know about what their Sensei was up to when he disappeared on them. He was just thankful that Gai was able to convince all three of them to keep what they had found a secret, and that they didn’t try to attack Kakashi.

He’d feel bad if he had to beat up his boyfriend’s students.

“It’s too bad,” tilting his head back, he stared up at Gai. A little confused about why he would say something like that. “I wouldn’t mind meeting the kids who were making my love’s life so difficult that he feels the need to complain about it. Someone has to tell them that they’re doing a good job.”

“Meh, one day,” when things weren’t so difficult. When the villages could maybe get along and work together as Obito had always dreamed. Then he’d be able to introduce Gai to his team. “Until then, we should enjoy the time that we have together. Who knows when we’ll be able to sneak away again.”

It was a little disappointing that they didn’t have much to do. If he had known beforehand that Gai would be nearby, he would have packed some snacks for them to have a mock picnic. Or he might have brought a present from Konoha for Gai to enjoy. He always liked Dango when Kakashi brought it, and seeing him chomp into the sweet treat was always an experience for Kakashi.

Still, he appreciated that Akino had told him he smelled a familiar shinobi nearby. He hadn’t actually told Kakashi who it was, but that playful look on his face had told him all he needed to know.

Reaching up, he poked Gai’s nose playfully. “Thank you,” he whispered, chuckling when Gai responded with a confused look. “You didn’t have to meet me.”

A soft expression appeared on Gai’s face. His eyes staring down at Kakashi with a fondness that Kakashi wasn’t used to seeing from anyone else. “Our moments together are often fleeting and rare,” he reminded him while gently running his fingers through his long silver hair. “I wouldn’t give up a single one of those moments for anything. So long as I am able to meet you, I will,” Leaning down slightly, he pressed a kiss against Kakashi’s forehead, as if the action cemented his words into Kakashi’s mind. “No matter the risk.”

Oh, and how much risk there was. Tenzo had almost given Kakashi up the one time he found him with Gai during their Anbu days, which would have quickly led to Kakashi following a very similar path to his father. Disgrace falling on his name, and the hatred of those he had lived for years to protect weighing down on his soul.

He had been lucky enough that Tenzo liked him. That he had trusted Kakashi when he assured him he’d never betray Konoha, not even for Gai. No matter how much it hurt his heart, or how he longed to just give up and find his place by Gai’s side.

The same couldn’t be said of his students. If they believed for even a second that their Sensei could no longer be trusted, they’d be in the right to tell Tsunade-sama about his private meetings with Iwagakure’s great green beast.

“Naruto!” Sakura’s voice cut through the air, and Kakashi’s body stiffened against Gai. His stomach twisting into knots as everything he had been trying to avoid came heading straight for him. “Naruto! You can’t just go running off! If Sensei…”

“If Sensei cared, he would have stuck around at the camp with us,” that was on him. He really should have known that Naruto would take his absence as a chance to act out. It was what he was known for. “Besides, he might be in trouble.”

Gai snorted above him.

“Should we…” It wasn’t preferable, but if he could at least look like he wasn’t cuddling up to the enemy, it was a win. Right?

Crawling off of Gai’s lap, he sat up in his spot and sighed. Was it really so much to ask for just a little time with the other man? Just a few hours uninterrupted for them to enjoy each other’s company? Without Kakashi having to worry about the fall out of being found with an enemy shinobi.

“Naruto!” Sakura’s voice called out once more as a blur of orange burst through the bushes and came to a hard stop in front of Kakashi and Gai, a familiar grin plastered on his face.

“There you are, Sensei!” Throwing his arms behind his head, Naruto chuckled. “You’re getting easier to find. Are you even trying anymore?”

Holding back the urge to yell at Naruto about learning some patience and staying at the camp where he left them, Kakashi slowly gathered himself to his feet and dusted his pants off. “Congratulations, you found me,” he responded with a bland, bored tone. “Now that this little game is done, we should head back home.”

“Sensei, you don’t sound so...oh!” Naruto’s eyes widened when he finally spotted the man beside Gai. “Hello.”

“Hello.” Gai waved back at him, chuckling when the other two finally caught up and landed by Naruto’s side. As soon as they had come to a full stop, Sakura lifted up a hand and brought her fist down across the back of Naruto’s head hard.

“I told you not to go after Sensei like that,” She scolded him. “He was clearly in the middle of something important!”

Glancing back to Gai, Kakashi couldn’t help but smile when he saw him staring at his students. It wasn’t how he had wanted them to meet, but just seeing the amused look in Gai’s eyes was worth it, and he had no doubt Gai would have some things to say about his students the next time they saw each other.”

“Though,” Sakura spoke up once again, her eyes zeroing in on the headband around Gai’s waist. “Why are you speaking with an Iwagakure Shinobi, Sensei? I thought the only village we got along with was Suna?”

Just what he didn’t want to deal with.

Surely he could just tell his team that he was on a mission. Doing some information gathering, and the informant he was meeting happened to be a shinobi from Iwagakure.

They would believe that, right?

“I think we’re done here. You got what you needed and I have to get back to my current mission,” Glancing back over at Gai, he watched as he gathered himself to his feet and smiled his way. “Until next time?”

“Until next time,” Gai agreed, disappearing from in front of them and into the woods.

Watching Gai leave was the worst part. They had no idea when they’d be able to see each other again, and if they were lucky enough to find themselves close to each other once again they had no idea if they’d be able to get away from their teams to spend even just a few precious moments together.

He hadn’t even been able to say a proper goodbye. With a kiss and a promise that they’d keep in contact. That they’d find their way back to each other’s sides again.

If something happened to one of them on another mission, it would be an empty goodbye. Something that Kakashi would never be able to take back, and all because he had to act like a good soldier.

Loyal and true to Konoha, even when his heart called out for him to stay with Gai.

“Why were you hanging out with an enemy shinobi?” Sakura asked, looking up at Kakashi with bright green eyes. “Were you...What…”

“Isn’t that obvious?” His heart dropped when he heard Sasuke scuff. This was it. The moment that he had been dreading since he had summoned the hounds and gone out to meet Gai while his students were sleeping, and he still had no idea how he was going to try and explain it to them. “Sensei got a mission while we were out. He was probably just getting information from that weirdo.”

Blinking, Kakashi glanced back down towards Sasuke. It was out of the norm for him to cover up for anyone else, and there was no way he honestly believed that Kakashi was there to gather information.

Making his way towards his students, Kakashi reached out and buried his hand into the Uchiha’s hair and laughed. Soft and happy, even as his heart broke a little knowing that he wouldn’t be able to see Gai for a long time.

“It’s always nice to know that you’re so observant,” He smiled. “I’m sorry I had to leave you behind. It was the only opening that we had to meet. Now, where are Pakkun and Akino?”

Surely they hadn’t left the kids unattended. They never failed Kakashi before.

“Oh, they’re back at Camp,” Sakura offered, smiling when she saw Kakashi frown. “Pakkun said it was your problem for running off and leaving them in charge of us. Muttered something about being able to catch us easily if he wanted to as we left.”

Of course. Pakkun always chose the worst times to try and teach him a lesson.

“I guess someone’s not getting the treats I promised him,” he grumbled. “Now let’s get going. We still have two days of running before we’re home.”

Dropping his hand from Sasuke’s hair, he turned away from his students and started to walk back towards the small camp that they had set up. Maybe during his next solo mission, he’d be able to sneak away for a bit.

Get a little more time with Gai. Just a few hours. Maybe even a day if he was lucky.

It wasn’t asking too much. Just one uninterrupted visit. No students or teammates to show up unannounced.

Arriving back at the camp, Kakashi waved a hand when Pakkun and Akino turned to look at him. “Yo. Hope You didn’t miss us while we were gone.”

“Akino might have gotten into your pack,” Pakkun commented, resting his head on his paws as Kakashi walked past him. “You left the dog treats, so he decided to help himself.

“Of course he did,” stopping beside the hound in question, Kakashi sighed when he was greeted with the biggest set of puppy dog eyes he had ever seen Akino pull off. “How is it that you can look so innocent when I’ve seen you tear enemies apart with your teeth?”

“Ewww,” Naruto complained, running past him towards his pack. The only one that wasn’t already put together and ready to go. Both Sakura and Sasuke simply had to pick their packs up off of the ground and they were ready to go, but Naruto’s sleeping bag was still laid out on the ground waiting to be rolled up and put away. “Gross, Sensei.”

“We’re shinobi,” Sasuke scolded him. “That’s part of our job. Killing the enemy. Just like the fight we had against Haku and Zabuza.”

“I know that!”

Tunning out the argument, Kakashi turned back towards Pakkun. “So, were they already before they ran off to find me?”

“They were their usual selves,” the pug huffed. “That’s not the most important question though,” raising an eyebrow, Kakashi waited for Pakkun to fill him in on what the ‘important’ question was. “How was your date with Gai?”

The sound of bags dropping back to the ground echoed in his ear, as well as Naruto screaming ‘Kakashi-Sensei’ at the top of his lungs while sounding like he had just been stabbed in the back.

There was no going back. He was going to have to explain everything to the three of them now.

“No treats for a month,” he growled at his favourite summon.

For a moment, Pakkun looked like he was about to argue. However, with one look towards the three kids standing behind Kakashi trying to figure out how they were supposed to respond to this new information, he gave Kakashi a smug look. “Worth it.”

[pinkhairedlily]

Chapter 7 - Student Council President Sakura

SCPS AO3 | PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Sakura went to her shift a little bit giddier than usual for a variety of reasons despite the busy holiday season; it was nearing Christmas after all. The first one – having finally tied with Sasuke in their recent exams, and the second – the approval of her personal project. There was also a third reason, but she was unresolved of what to feel.

Kakashi met with her alone after their monthly council meeting. It was the usual talk, the heavy administrative concerns they do not bother other council members with, reminders about problematic behaviors among the student body or personal problems that faculty or students were plagued with that needed intervention. He said an apology just as she reached the door.

“Sakura?” Kakashi asked, turning in his chair.

She looked back at him with a neutral expression. While she knew she wasn’t overtly passive aggressive in her actions, he might have noticed a change in her cheerful disposition towards him. Her clumped fingers anxiously fidgeted with the rubber band on her wrist, his rubber band that she didn’t use anymore to tie her hair. “Yes, sensei?”

“Were you offended with what I said during the school trip?” he asked, but his expression already seemed to know the answer.

Her eyes downcast, she turned the knob of the door, knowing that she was free to leave without replying, but as the door stayed ajar, she decided to come clean. “Yes.”

“I thought as much. I’m aware that I belittled you like a child. Your money is yours to spend however you want. Please know that I only have good intentions with what I’ve done,” her sensei told her. “But isn’t it also unfair for you to shoulder that much problem? I’m a paid employee and before that, I am your adviser. I have a responsibility just as much as you do. Next time you are presented with that, learn to ask for help.”

Sakura didn’t see the expression he had on his face. She was too flustered to compose a comeback and she can only settle for a meek nod before shooting out of the room like her tail was on fire.

“Girlie!” Her coworker’s voice brought her back to reality – a reality of a long queue of customers waiting for their to-go coffees, mini-cakes, and boxes of pastries to share with loved ones in this cold night while she’ll be likely stuck in shift well past beyond midnight, tolerating the café uniform, the itch of her black weave on her scalp, and the heavy makeup she wore for tonight. She flashed an apologetic (yet charming) smile to the other person, and they gave her a thumbs up.

The queue has thinned out by eleven, to be replaced soon by stragglers hoping to catch a last dose of caffeine pump. She stretched her neck and stifled a yawn, forgetting to say Welcome to a customer that walked through their doors.

“Your sweetest drink please and a half dozen of hazelnut cookies,” the customer said. “Thanks, Sakura.”

She almost broke her already strained neck when she raised it up quickly to meet the owner of the voice. No gel blonde hair Naruto with black circles under his eyes. Rookie MVP looked shit as hell.

She barely formed an excuse in her head when he waved his hand in front of her. “You can drop the act with me. I already knew the week you got discharged from the hospital. I just passed by after dinner with the team when I saw a girl manning the cashier with the same band-aid on her nose which I gave you a day before.” Naruto grinned at her in the off chance that it would reassure her.

“Will this be to-go?” Sakura asked as she busied herself with Naruto’s order, unsettled with her carelessness. At the back of her mind, she was yet to answer herself why she was adamant to use a disguise while working.

“For here. Apartment’s kinda bare during these times.”

As what she expected, Naruto was still seated when they were about to close, and ironically, he chose the corner table with no windows, contrary to what his other friend would have chosen. Like those usual nights with Sasuke, she slid in front of him, her disguise gone.

“Let’s go see the amusement park tomorrow?” It was as if she saw sadness being lifted from his shoulders the way they transitioned from slouching to an alert stance.

She found then that Naruto was always that person that found happiness at the simplest things.

--------------------------------

“A horror house!” Naruto pointed at the very moment they stepped inside the park. He somehow absorbed his captain’s fashion persona, undercut prominent with his baseball cap, loose plain black shirt, and gray cargo pants.

“All right. Treat me if we reach the other end with you clinging to my arm,” Sakura teased. She was dressed in a mauve smocked crop top with high rise flared jeans and platform white sneakers that allowed her to reach Naruto’s shoulders. She wondered if her getup was too much what with the number of heads that turned her way as she littered in the entrance earlier.

Sasuke begged off through their group chat, saying he was unavailable. He was yet to explain that group hug last time, but he was evasive every time Naruto brought it up while she simply cannot find the right timing.

She guessed she was still taken aback by how warm his hold felt like. If she was right, whatever defenses he had around them were toppled down by himself that day. But what triggered it – she’d probably never know.

Naruto placed a fist on his chest. “This is one bet I’ll never lose.”

And he lost – spectacularly. His baseball cap was long gone thanks to a zombie who panicked when he almost punched it. He was also hyperventilating and sweating out of his wits, his throat may have gone hoarse by now with all his screaming inside.

Sakura cannot get rid of the long string of laughter that bubbled. “Come on, let’s cool off for a while.”

To help calm Naruto down, they had to line up with all the other kids in the merry-go-round, then off to paddle a swan boat on a manmade lake. She went all out in the shooting range and won Naruto a frog plushie while he blitzed through the basketball hoops, sneering at the kids beside him who were waiting for their turns.

They capped off the afternoon with a ride on the ferris wheel. They sat opposite each other, and Sakura suddenly felt queasy. She remembered she was apparently acrophobic, and so she focused instead on Naruto who was still in awe of the scenery. The park had a busy crowd today – it was the holiday season after all and families, friends, and lovers were up and about. She just hoped Naruto didn’t catch on yet.

“So why are you stuck with me instead of your family, Sakura?”

Ah he caught on. “They’re busy,” she simply replied. “Besides I’ll see them later in the evening.”

Naruto smiled at her, a smile that knew she was hiding more but he chose not to prod further. Sakura silently conveyed her thanks.

“I don’t know how to thank you. I was really in a slump when we lost, but this day made me recharge my drive and gave me a newfound resolve. You, Pres, is the first to hear it!”

Sakura can only grin, urging him to go on.

“I will bring our school team to the nationals and we will win.”

Sakura clapped her hands and gave him a thumbs up. “Of course, you will. I know you’ll do it.”

“I just wish I told Captain Haru before he left town for vacation.” Naruto slid lower in his seat. “Apparently, he and Hinata broke up. You’re friends with both of them, right?”

Sakura shook her head, shock at the news. She had an inkling from her previous conversation with Haru, but she didn’t expect it would come this early. “I am, but I haven’t really heard from both parties lately.”

“Well, Hinata’s father offered an athletic scholarship to Cap, but he turned it down, saying he was undeserving, and it might just be because of Hinata’s prodding.”

If she recalled correctly, Hiashi Hyuuga was the chair of the Sports Council that spanned all districts of their state. She could see why Haru was angry and disappointed enough to break it off with Hinata. “But they were so good together. Did he ever tell you how they first met?”

Naruto rubbed his hands together and leaned forward. “Do tell please!”

“There was a student exchange of some sort and Hinata ended up in our class for a month. Of course, she was the takane no hana and this immediately gathered a bandwagon group of shallow admirers. Haru, oh Haru, he found pretty people depth-less, but he was the class representative that time – “

“And you were?”

“Of course, a student council president. But wait pay attention Naruto!”

“Okay I am paying attention! But you really are an overachiever!”

“Yeah and what about it!” Sakura almost chuckled in exasperation. “So anyway, he had to escort Hinata back and forth at the school gates because of the unreasonable crowd. He would ask her random things, but most especially on archery since he was so bad at it. And they found a common ground and the topics expanded beyond the arrow and bow. The guy had the nerve to cover it up from me at first, saying they’re fake dating and it was just an arrangement to keep creeps at bay.” She sighed, suddenly saddened by the breakup. “I thought it would last forever.”

“But Hinata never introduced him to her family, did she?” Naruto asked. “Because Cap also told me that when Hiashi called him up for the offer, he didn’t know he was the boyfriend, he was simply a person her friend referred.”

Oh Haru. You must have known what family you were entering when you loved her.

“Hey? Time to get down,” the operator said. Their turn was already finished.

As they walked to the gates, Naruto asked her. “Love is too scary. You’ll never know if you’ll end up hurt or happy despite everything. Besides, can you even say it’ll be worth fighting for?”

Sakura’s fingers immediately went to the rubber band on her wrist, “It’s always a mix of everything, all the good and the bad, and somehow it’s all convoluted into one hodgepodge of memories that will be a part of you forever. It’s your decision what you want to do with it, and in between all of those, you’ll know. Like one big realization in your head that lights up like fireworks and splayed in big capital letters.”

Her eyes met Naruto’s gaze and his eyes slightly widened at her response.

“I talk vague, don’t I?”

“Not at all,” he replied.

--------------------------------

January couldn’t come fast enough, and Itachi was out of the country just as quickly as he entered his apartment unannounced on Christmas Eve. A holiday break, he said, but if he wasn’t annoyingly checking up on him in the evenings, he was otherwise holed up in his hotel. The truth was, he had a conference and a simultaneous workshop with the state hospital. Sasuke was just a side trip, an obligation that his brother didn’t want to take care of.

He could have told him about Naruto and Sakura and how he now knew all the technicalities of baseball because of the former and that he can consider calling them as friends, but their brotherly bond was too frayed to bridge all of those thoughts.

It was a week before the start of the spring term, and he found himself re-reading Naruto’s texts over and over again.

Grumpy.

So how was your date?

AHHHHH SO IT WAS A DATE. I NOW FEEL SO SHY.

Idiot.

SHE LOOKED SO BEAUTIFUL IN HER GETUP.

Yeah as if you two didn’t already spam the group chat with your pictures.

HEY AT LEAST WE EDITED YOU IN.

Why are you typing in all caps? Your phone broken?

GRUMPPPPPPYYYYY. Grumpy, I have something to tell you. I think I like Sakura – not the ‘like’ like others have for her. It just came to me, like fireworks in big capital letters. I LIKE HER.

Sasuke wasn’t able to reply. He didn’t know what to reply or what to feel, really. These recent nights, his mind only brought him to the first moment he saw her in the café, and there was an unfamiliar pang he couldn’t name.

Then, suddenly he was in front of her in the café itself, ordering an iced americano and bruschetta with tomato and basil. Her eyes lit up in recognition; today she wore her black hair in low pigtails and a light dab of tint on her cheeks and lips.

She sat across him when it was her break time, cheery and still in disguise, the winter cold making the blush even more prominent. “I’m gonna bounce some ideas to you.”

Sasuke kept mum, relishing the sacred combination of tomato and basil in his mouth, but let his stare level with hers.

“The school board approved my personal project. I proposed to set up a mental health committee since our infirmary – get this – and guidance office don’t actually have a psychiatrist. The school will be asking a medical professional to come in for monthly guidance counseling and will be an official partner for outpatient concerns.” With her face on her palm, she leaned forward, seemingly surveying Sasuke’s minute expressions.

“That’s tricky,” he remarked. “How will you encourage them though?”

“I think just the mere availability and accessibility of it is enough to encourage students.”

“Hmm.” He took a sip of his coffee.

“Aren’t you gonna ask me why I did it?”

Sasuke knew that he already broke his resolve to remain uninvolved in the remaining years of his life here in this town. He knew that sometime ago, the walls he built up since the accident broke down in the constant presence of her and the blonde idiot. But in spite of, he knew that there was another layer of wall that withstood the recent onslaught. Unfortunately, something has started to leak from its crevices. Something that made him understand the overwhelming emotions that raged behind such walls.

He missed having her all to himself, like a little secret, a safe abode he could always retreat to – her with her black hair and makeup, her with her bouts of vulnerabilities laid out in front of him in rare moments, her with her emerald eyes and tufts of rose hair that peak from the weave, her in this table in front of him and the world outside divided by a glass window.

If he could name it, it was a feeling of loss, a loss he stole and a loss he never had the privilege of feeling in the first place.

“Because you’re a good person and you always think of others,” Sasuke started, still holding her gaze. “And I think you want it because you might need it more.”

Sakura was the first to break off. She soon excused herself and resumed her shift. By the time Sasuke finished his coffee and bread, it was almost closing time. His words may have struck a chord so he decided not to wait for her. Maybe he’ll talk it through with her next time, if she allowed him to. He was almost out of the doors when the new pair of customers passed by.

A glint of silver hair.

“Oh, hello there Sakura.”

And a brunette on his arm.

Sasuke never saw color drain as quickly as the blush did from Sakura’s face.

AO3 LINK | NEXT CHAPTER | CHAPTER 8

[writingwhimsey]

The Tiger and the Oda Princess Ch. 11

Chapter 11

The next day, Shingen made a visit to the dungeon. He sat in front of Kennyo's cell. "I was beginning to think you'd finally given up on me." Kennyo said from his cell. "You haven't come in a while."

"I've been busy." Shingen replied. "I was away for a bit."

Kennyo looked at him. "You look like you have something to say."

"I do." Shingen answered. "About a month ago now, Ava was kidnapped. She was taken to Oda territory in an effort to start a war again."

"By the way you're speaking, that didn't happen?"

"No." Shingen answered. "I had to work with the Oda to rescue her."

Kennyo glared at Shingen. "It would seem the siren's song is strong."

"It's not like I enjoyed it." Shingen snapped. "But we had to stay in Azuchi a while, before Ava could come home."

"You've formed an alliance with the devil." Kennyo stated.

"Yes." Shingen answered anyway.

"You should just kill me then."

"Why?"

"Because I can never forgive him for what he did. He was ruthless...so many innocents were lost."

Shingen sighed. "I will never deny you your grief."

"No, but you will deny me my revenge, when you've had yours." Kennyo replied. "Well, are continuing yours when you think of it."

"What are you talking about?" Shingen asked.

"You fought him, took your land back, and took his woman, made her your wife, and now she carries your child." Kennyo replied. "I can't imagine anything more shameful for that devil. And now that you're forming an alliance, he will be reminded every time he sees her with her pregnant belly."

"Ava isn't part of my revenge." Shingen countered.

Kennyo smiled. "Maybe not intentionally, but...that siren is yours now."

Shingen returned Kennyo's smile with a glare. "Don't talk about Ava like that."

"Her song is so sweet you don't even realize it." Kennyo replied.

"You speak as if I am being led to my doom." Shingen said. "When she is the one who saved me from death."

"And yet you now work with the devil."

"I know it is not the most ideal thing...but it's the fastest path to peace. And while you keep referring to my wife as a siren, maybe she is. But instead of leading anyone to their doom, she is leading us all to peace." Shingen said. "While we were in Azuchi, I had the chance to speak with that devil far more than I ever wanted...and for once I saw that he does carry the weight of what he has done."

Shingen was then getting up and walking away. He had other things he had to attend to. He had just exited the dungeons when Kenshin found him. "There you are, you bastard!" Kenshin shouted at him.

Shingen sighed. "I take it you rode through the night to get here?"

"After I got that disappointing letter from you, yes." Kenshin answered.

Sasuke was running up next to Kenshin. "I'm sorry Lord Shingen. I couldn't stop him."

"It's alright, Sasuke." Shingen replied. He then turned back to Kenshin. "What is it you want? You knew I was in talks with the Oda to form an alliance after they assisted in Ava's rescue."

"Yes, but...I didn't expect an agreement to come this soon." Kenshin answered. "And if you want me to join this alliance as well...you're going to have to fight me!"

"Kenshin..."

"No, you will not protest! If you don't fight me I will leave here as your enemy once more and we will fight to the death!"

"Lord Kenshin..." Sasuke tried to interject, but Shingen held up his hand.

"It's alright, Sasuke. Kenshin, if this is what it will take to get you to join this alliance, I will fight you. Let's go to the training hall."

Ava...

I finished with the embroidery of the Takeda crest on the baby blanket I had been working on. I held it up and smiled at my work. I then looked down at my swollen belly. "I can't wait to have you here and wrap you up in this blanket." I spoke to our unborn child and placed a hand on my belly.

I felt a kick then, right where my hand was. Almost as if the baby were responding. "Oh, are you excited?" I spoke again and then felt a few more kicks. I smiled and laughed. "You're getting quite active in there."

It was then that my stomach was letting out a growl. "Oh, must be lunch time...or maybe snack time, who knows at this point." I said aloud. Then I looked back down to my belly. "You're growing and making me eat so much more."

I was then folding up the blanket and setting it aside. I awkwardly pushed myself up into a standing position. It was starting to take more effort to move around my growing bump. I made my way to the kitchen and the staff excitedly put together a plate of snacks for me. I decided that I wanted to find Shingen and share the food...but maybe only a little of it. That and we hadn't really had the chance to spend much time together lately and I missed him.

I was wandering around looking for him and munching on my snacks as I did so, when I ran into Yoshimoto. "Oh, hey Yoshimoto." I greeted him with a smile.

He returned my smile with a beautiful one of his own. "Hello Ava." He replied. "Where are you headed?"

"I was just looking for Shingen. I picked up some snacks and was wanting to share with him. I figured he could probably use a break at this point."

"Well, I am sure he could use a break." Yoshimoto agreed. "Though I don't think a snack break will be enough."

"What do you mean?"

"Kenshin showed up and challenged him to a fight."

"Whatever for?" I asked, only half surprised.

"He says it's the only way he'll join the alliance with the Oda forces." Yoshimoto answered.

"I see." I replied. "That sounds like Kenshin."

"Indeed." Yoshimoto replied. "They are in the training hall right now. I was headed there to watch the performance. Shall I escort you?"

"Sure." I replied.

Yoshimoto and I walked to the training hall together and I continued to eat my snacks. By the time we reached the training hall, I had eaten every bite. "Well, looks like I won't be sharing."

Yoshimoto laughed. "I don't think he'll mind."

"Probably not." I agreed. Shingen actually seemed to be enjoying feeding me since I had become pregnant. He was almost as bad as Masamune actually.

We entered the training hall, where many people were gathered to watch Shingen and Kenshin face off. I could already hear the clash and clang of steal. Wait...they're not using practice swords? I thought to myself. Well, I'm sure Kenshin wouldn't have been satisfied with anything other than his real blade.

"Ava, Yoshimoto, over here."

Yoshimoto and I turned at the familiar voice calling to us. Sasuke stood over to one side, Yukimura beside him. I was also surprised when I saw Asuna there as well. "I'm surprised you came, Ava." Asuna said, looking at me.

"Well, I was looking for Shingen when I ran into Yoshimoto and he explained to me what was going on." I answered. I then looked over at Sasuke. "So, Kenshin wouldn't take no for an answer?"

"Does he ever?" Sasuke remarked. "I couldn't even get him to calm down with sake, pickled plums, and a banquet."

I nodded.

"I'm really surprised to see you here, Yoshimoto." Yukimura said.

"And miss the chance to witness the Tiger of Kai and the God of War, legendary rivals, face each other?" Yoshimoto replied. "Besides, Kenshin's blade is a piece of art. Seeing it in action is the only way to truly appreciate such a master-piece of a sword."

We were all then turning our attention to Shingen and Kenshin. When I looked at them fighting, I was reminded of the first time I ever saw Shingen in a fight, from the back of Nobunaga's horse. I smiled as I remembered how even though he had been the enemy commander at the time, how I couldn't take my eyes off of him...and how he had flirted with me even in the midst of battle.

The memory brought a smile to my face as I recalled the way he had winked at me. And just as then, now I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I watched as he used both hands to grip his great sword and swing it powerfully. I could see the beads of sweat forming on his brow. I could see his powerful muscles even beneath his clothes and armor.

I felt my breath catch in my throat and my heart picking up its pace. The intense look on his face, the way he fought, the way he moved, the strength I saw...Damn...is it hot in here or is it just me? I thought to myself.

"Ava, would you like to borrow my fan?" Yoshimoto's voice reached me.

I felt my face turn red with embarrassment. "Well...uhm...yes...that would be nice... thank you." I said as I took the offered fan from him and opened it.

"I don't think that fan is going to be enough." Asuna said. "I think I might need to go get a bucket of cold water to dump on her."

"That's enough." I replied, though I couldn't look at any of them. I could only keep my eyes on Shingen. Oh God, this is torture! I thought as I watched him. He's so...just woah...and Asuna still hasn't lifted her ban on sexy time!

Shingen and Kenshin's blades were locked. Shingen turned his head slightly, his eyes instantly found me. He smiled at me and gave me a wink just as he had in that first fight. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me, which only made his smile widen.

Shingen then pushed Kenshin back with everything he had. The fight continued, neither of them making any win against the other. It went on for what felt like forever and I swear the room continued to get hotter. Asuna sighed as she went over and got in the middle of the fight, stopping it.

"I think that's enough. If this goes on any longer, you're both going to wear yourselves out and I think poor Ava might just combust." She declared.

I was furiously fanning myself by this point. "What? It's just...hot in here...plus pregnant women are prone to hot flashes." I remarked as I continued to use the borrowed fan.

Asuna looked at me. "Please, you started heating up the moment you looked at Lord Shingen."

My face began to turn red and so I hid behind the fan. Shingen just smiled.

"If Ava is getting too hot, perhaps she should just leave and let me finish this fight." Kenshin remarked looking at me.

"You know, last I checked I lived here and this is my home. You're the guest." I remarked.

Shingen's smile widened. He was then turning to Kenshin. "I gave you your fight, Kenshin."

Kenshin let out a huff. "Alright, but you'd better have some good sake and pickled plums."

"I already sent out for some after you walked in." Yukimura said. "It should be in the banquet hall right now."

"See, Yuki's on top of things." Shingen remarked.

Kenshin huffed. "Fine, I'll join your stupid alliance with the Oda."

Everyone began to file out of the training hall then. I turned to Yoshimoto to return his fan. "Thanks for letting me borrow this."

He held up a hand and shook his head. "No, I think you should keep that. I have plenty...besides I think you may need it more than I." He was then gracefully walking out of the room.

Shingen was walking over to me, taking my hand in his and bringing it to his lips. His eyes were on mine, warm and whispering seduction. "Had I known I would be showing off in front of my goddess, I would have tried harder." He said, his tone playful and flirtatious.

I suddenly had to start furiously fanning myself again.

"Do I need to dump cold water on both of you?" Asuna said, from behind Shingen.

I started having forgotten that she was even there.

"You dump it on Ava and I'll take care of Lord Shingen." Yukimura said from beside her.

"Are you suggesting we can't control ourselves?" Shingen asked.

"It just might be easier." Asuna replied.

I sighed. "It's been a month. I'm fine. The baby is fine. I keep getting a foot or something in my ribs." I said. "I've been taking it easy and following all of your instructions...can't you loosen up on this?"

"Ava..." Asuna began.

"Come on, you've been looking after me very closely since it happened. I've had no cramps, no bleeding. Everything is just fine. I feel fine."

Asuna let out a sigh. "Fine, but on the condition you guys take it slow and gentle. And if you even feel the slightest discomfort or anything, you stop."

"I would never be rough with my goddess." Shingen replied.

"What if your goddess asked?" I replied, unable to help myself.

Shingen smiled at me. "Well..."

"Yeah, well even if you do want to ask you can't tonight." Asuna said. "Gentle and slow. Got it you two?"

Shingen and I nodded. "Yes."

"I'm guessing you two won't be joining us for the impromptu banquet then?" Yukimura asked.

"No...and let everyone know to not disturb us for the rest of the day." Shingen answered. He was then scooping me up into his arms. "Shall we my princess?" He asked me, his voice pure seduction.

Despite the fact that we weren't alone, I found that I didn't care. I smiled up at him as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "To our room?"

Shingen grinned at me and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. "As you wish." He was then carrying me out.

As we exited the training hall, I could hear Yukimura and Asuna. "I should probably warn everyone that they're going to want to stay away from that part of the palace."

"Probably not just for tonight but for the next few days." Asuna agreed.

Shingen carried me all the way to our room. Giving me light kisses on my forehead, lips, cheeks, and neck as we went. I returned his kisses with kisses and touches of my own, kissing his cheek, the side of his neck, the notch at the base of his throat, and the exposed part of his chest.

I could feel him shiver delightfully at the touch of my lips. "You've no idea what that does to me." He whispered in my ear.

When we finally made it to our room, Shingen shifted my weight so that he now held me with one arm. He used the other to slide the door closed behind us. I had to admit, him holding me with one arm was impressive, especially considering my increased weight from pregnancy. It was also a major turn on, adding fuel to the fire already burning within me.

Shingen took notice of this and lifted his free hand to gently stroke my cheek. Once again, even that gentle touch trailing heat over my skin and sending desire pooling low within me. "Are you enjoying this, my princess?" He asked me.

"You're the expert at reading people. What does my face say right now?" I replied.

Shingen smiled. "Your face says that you want me as badly as I want you." He answered.

"That would be a good read." I replied.

He carried me over to the futon and sat down. He then lowered me into his lap. "I promise, I will be gentle and take this slow." He told me, his fingers tracing along my jaw before coming to rest beneath my chin.

"I know." I replied, relishing in the feel of his touch.

"If anything feels off or you feel uncomfortable in any way, tell me my love." He spoke now, the love and concern in his eyes.

"I promise." I replied. "But I don't think anything is going to feel off...nothing feels more right than being with you."

Fire burned in Shingen's eyes as he gazed at me. He slowly drew in closer. "When you say things like that...it really tests my restraint." He replied, his warm breath washing over my lips as his hovered just millimeters away.

I couldn't wait any longer. I closed the short distance, pressing my lips to his. He smiled into the kiss as his arms wound around my waist. I flicked my tongue out over his lips until he parted his lips and welcomed my tongue inside and meeting it with his.

While we had shared many kisses and embraces since my rescue, there had been restraint there. The kisses hadn't been this passionate and I hadn't realized just how starved for Shingen I was until I finally had him. We parted after an immeasurable moment, both of us panting.

"I have missed kissing you like that." Shingen said to me, echoing my own thoughts.

"You're reading me once again. I was thinking the same thing." I replied. I was then turning in his lap so that I completely faced him, my legs wrapping around his waist.

Our lips met in another hungry kiss. He pulled back after a few moments only to bring his lips to my neck, trailing sweet and sensual kisses as he went. His hands found my sash and undid the knot, pulling it away. I pulled my kimono open for him, eagerly wanting his hands on my bare skin.

He pulled back from my neck and smiled at me, as he traced a finger along my collarbone. "I thought we were supposed to be taking things slowly, my angel." He teased.

"It's been too long." I replied. "I need your skin on mine." I was then reaching to undo his kimono.

Shingen chuckled warmly, his laughter washing over me like waves on the ocean. He didn't fight me as I undressed him. "It has indeed been too long." He agreed, pulling me back for another kiss once we were both bared.

The feeling of his flesh against mine, his hands roaming over my body, lavishing my curves with tender affection. His lips moved down my neck and to my breasts, where he tenderly nipped at the hard buds. I was so hot and already wet. "Shin...gen...please..." I moaned.

"Mmm...as you wish my love." He told me, as he gripped my hips. He guided me onto him.

A cry escaped my lips at the feeling of him inside of me after so long. He continued to lavish me in kisses as I bounced up and down on him. We both moaned as our pleasure continued to build.

In the next moments, Shingen had moved us so that I was now lying back on the futon. He was then thrusting into me. My hand sought his and we laced our fingers together as he continued to sweetly love me. Each thrust was long and deep. I could feel every last inch of him as he moved.

"Ah...mm...yes! Shingen...yes!" I cried out.

"Ava...my angel..." He called back.

We continued on for a while before finally cresting that last wave together. The pleasure was so intense, I was still twitching afterwards as we lay in the futon holding each other. Shingen kissed my forehead tenderly. "Are you feeling alright, my love?" He asked me.

I smiled. "Oh, I feel more than alright." I answered.

"I am glad to hear that."

I snuggled closer, enjoying the afterglow of our love-making. I could feel my eyelids growing heavy, though it was only midday. My body exhausted from finally getting the release it had been craving for weeks...or that may have just been the pregnancy...or a combination, I wasn't sure.

Shingen began to rub soothing circles in my back as he held me tighter. "Feeling tired?" He asked me.

"Maybe...just a little." I answered. "But I don't want to go to sleep yet."

Shingen chuckled. "Feel free to rest peacefully in my arms, my love." He told me. "If you wish, I can wake you with a kiss after you've napped for a while."

"But sleeping seems..." I let out a yawn then. "...like such a waste, when we finally got the all clear."

"I will just love you more when you wake up." He replied, kissing my brow once again. He then lifted a hand to the back of my head and began to massage my scalp.

"Mmm..." I murmured, my eyes closing. "That...feels...nice."

"Rest well, my princess."

Safe, warm, and satisfied, it wasn't long before I was falling asleep in Shingen's arms. Sweet dreams awaited me.

Shingen lay there holding his wife in his arms, gazing at her lovingly. The early afternoon sun spilled in from the open window, casting a heavenly golden glow about her. A tender smile came to his lips. "You truly are a sleeping angel." He whispered to her. "Definitely no siren."

After laying there for a while, just watching her sleep, Shingen gently untangled himself from his love and climbed out of bed. He knew she would likely be waking up soon and would probably be hungry. He put on his kimono and stepped out to find one of the maids. He requested food be brought to them in an hour before turning back to his sleeping wife.

He sat there and reached his fingers out to gently play with her now short strands of hair. It had already started to grow back out just a bit below her chin now. No matter what, he couldn't help but to feel that she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

The food was brought what seemed like a short while later and the smell was soon wafting over to their futon. Shingen could tell the moment the aroma reached Ava as she began to stir. "Hmm...that...smells...delicious." She muttered sleepily.

Shingen watched as her eyes gently fluttered open. They soon came to focus on him and he gave her a smile. "Did you sleep well?" He asked, his fingers still playing in her hair.

She returned the smile. "Yes...but what happened to you waking me up with a kiss? And why aren't you still in bed with me?" She asked, pouting playfully.

"I had a feeling that when you awoke, you might be hungry." Shingen answered.

Ava pursed her lips. "Well...I'm kind of always hungry right now so that was a good guess."

Shingen chuckled. "I did expect that I would still be able to wake you with a kiss though, but it appears I should have done that before the food arrived."

Ava's cheeks reddened. "It's not my fault...pregnancy can heighten a woman's sense of smell you know."

She's so adorable right now. Shingen thought. I can't help myself. He was then leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

She looked up at him, her cheeks still red, but a smile on her face. She appeared to warm beneath his loving gaze. "What's that look on your face?" She asked.

"Just thinking about how adorable my wife is." He answered.

Ava was about to say something when her stomach let out a growl. "I guess the baby is telling me to eat." She said, a smile on her face.

Shingen was then helping Ava to get up and she slid on a robe before they sat back down to enjoy their meal together. She happily dug into the food, smiling the entire time. How can one person be so adorable? Shingen thought as he watched Ava eat the fish, rice and steamed vegetables. Everything she did was so cute.

She looked over at him as she finished her last bite of food. "That was delicious. I'm glad you had it brought in."

"Anything for my princess." He replied. He was then reaching up his hand to place his fingers beneath her chin. He traced her lower lip with his thumb. "Are you still hungry?" He asked.

He watched as Ava's eyes darkened in an attractive alluring way. Her lips parted and a slight gasp escaped them. "Not...for food." She answered.

Shingen smiled at her as he snaked his other arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "Good...we have a lot of time to make up for." He then captured her lips in a passionate kiss that was the beginning of yet another round of gentle love-making.

Reach Chapter 12 below:

https://writingwhimsey.tumblr.com/post/657335615431524352/the-tiger-and-the-oda-princess-ch-12

[depressedkakashihatake-fics]

Fond Memories

Hatake Kakashi (No Ship)

1563 Words

For: @caffeinatedshinobi

Spending his night out with friends was a rare occurrence, one that was meant to be treasured and remembered fondly on a bad day, or during the last precious moments of life.

Instead, Kakashi was trying to get drunk, and fast.

“Whoa slow down,” Gai’s hand came down over his glass, preventing him from shooting back his third cup of sake. “What is the rush, Rival? We’re supposed to be relaxing.”

“I don’t think ‘relaxing’ is a word that exists in Kakashi’s vocabulary,” Glaring over at Asuma, he huffs when his friend simply responds with a playful smile. “You know it’s true. Your idea of ‘relaxing’ is reading that book of yours.”

“That is relaxing for me,” He grumbled, though it was sort of a lie. Most days he just read his book because it was easy to do. It didn’t involve a lot of energy, no emotional investment since he knew what was going to happen, and it kept his mind occupied. “Fine, let’s do something ‘relaxing’ then. What’s relaxing?”

He looks to Kurenai for an answer. There’s no way he trusts whatever idea comes out of Asuma’s mouth, and he’s pretty sure Gai doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘relaxing’. The only time he relaxes at all is when he has a stick of dango in his hand.

Taking the hint, Kurenai leaned back in her chair and took a moment to think about the request. After a few minutes a small smile started to pull at the corner of her lips, meaning she had come up with an idea.

“Let’s share memories,” she leaned forward, her smile so big it could almost rival Gai’s regular toothy grin. “Talk about our favorite memory with our team. How about it?”

That didn’t sound nearly as exciting as she made it seem.

“Does anyone even have a favorite memory?” He asked, relaxing into his chair and watching as everyone turned to look at him. “What?”

“Surely you have a favorite memory of the time you have spent with your team, Rival,” There’s a worried look on Gai’s face.”A time when you looked at your students and couldn’t help but smile, or feel like everything was perfect for just a few minutes.”

Bold of Gai to assume he liked his students.

“Even if you aren't particularly fond of your students,” Good old reliable Asuma. He always seemed to know what was on Kakashi’s mind in moments like this, and he held no judgement unlike a certain Taijutsu expert currently gasping in disbelief. “There must be one moment where you looked at them and thought ‘huh, they’re not so bad’”

Not so bad?

That was possible, though he’d have to think about it to remember such a scenario since most of his memories with Team Seven involved endless headaches. Naruto being a constant pain in his ass, Sasuke being...well, Sasuke. Sakura was in there somewhere too but she didn’t stick out as much.

It was a downfall of not being a complete monster, but he appreciated that there was at least one normal person on his team. It was also a result of being the smartest out of the three, so he didn’t have to worry so much about her doing incredibly stupid shit.

He’d have to think really hard to come up with a fond memory that didn’t involve contemplated murder.

“Oh no, he’s making the thinking face.” Asuma’s voice cut through his thoughts, followed by Kurenai’s laughter and the distant sound of Gai asking him if he was alright.

He ignored it all, determined to find just one fond memory with his team of gremlins.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ichiraku Ramen

Not his favorite place to eat out at, but these days it was the one he saw the inside of the most. All thanks to one orange clad genin currently in the middle of screaming about how he’s going to be Hokage one day.

Quite the dream to have, for a kid who can’t keep his trap shut on a mission.

“You don’t believe me?” Taking his chopsticks, Naruto poked Sasuke in the nose. “It’s true. I’m going to be Hokage and i’m going to prove to the whole village that i’m the strongest there is.” 

“You might want to focus on learning how to throw a kunai properly first,” Sasuke swatted the chopsticks away from his face. “besides, what are you going to even do as Hokage? Make it a law that everyone has to eat at Ichiraku Ramen every day?”

He didn’t need to hear Naruto’s enthusiastic ‘yes’ to feel sick to his stomach. He was already eating more Ramen than he could handle. How Naruto survived on the stuff every day was beyond him. 

“I think the most important thing you’re forgetting here is that a Hokage should be a good leader,” Sakura spoke up. “How can you be a good leader when you can’t even get along with your own teammates?”

Point for Sakura, again.

So far she was winning in his ‘who gets to be my favorite’ competition.

Not that it was hard with teammates like hers.

“I can learn,” Naruto protested. “Besides, we have the best Sensei out of all of them! We’ll be the strongest in the village, all three of us.”

He can’t tell if Naruto is just being nice, or if he actually believed what he’s saying. If it’s the second one he has to question Naruto’s logic in calling HIM the best sensei in the village.

That title clearly went to Gai, but it might help that his students were less determined to put him in an early grave.

and that he had actually wanted to be a Sensei, unlike Kakashi.

“You’re not wrong there,” Sakura beamed. “Kakashi-Sensei’s far from perfect…” rude. “but he’s an amazing Sensei. Don’t you agree Sasuke-kun?”

Ok, he could forgive the rudeness for that one.

Turning his eyes towards Sasuke, he waited for a response to Sakura’s question. A smile pulled at his lips when he saw the Uchiha glaring over at him.

“He’s not terrible,” Sasuke admitted in a hushed tone. “I’ve learned from worse.”

It wasn’t the best compliment, but he was willing to take it.

“Hey, Sensei,” Naruto nudged him in the side. “You like teaching us, right? Showing us how to be the best shinobi in the village.”

How had he ended up with Minato-sensei 2.0 staring up at him with bright blue eyes and a smile that could melt any heart

Well, any heart that wasn’t his.

His heart and soul thrived off of being the guy that showed affection through insults and jabs. Probably not the best trait to have when one is a Jonin-sensei.

“Of course i like teaching you,” he turned his attention to the bowl of still untouched Ramen sitting in front of him. “There’s no other students dumb enough to get hit with the ‘thousand years of death’ twice.” 

No, he was not going to let Naruto live it down after he had successfully used his father’s goofy old attack on the kid again during training today.

“S-sensei…” Naruto’s head hit the counter, his voice full of shame and defeat.

Good.

He was getting too comfortable. Too chummy.

“Best Sensei maybe,” Sasuke grumbled beside them “biggest ass hole for sure.”

Well, at least they were starting to understand him. They couldn’t fully appreciate his personality if they thought he was just socially awkward. They needed to accept that their sensei was a bully just as much as they were.

It’s what made them all a perfect team, even if he did want to murder them all most days.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Smiling to himself, Kakashi turned his attention back over to Kurenai, who began to look very concerned as soon as he did.

“D-is everything ok?” She asked cautiously. “Did you come out of your thoughts in one piece.”

His friends were just as much ass holes as he was, and he loved them for it. 

“I thought of a fond memory,” he informed her, laughing to himself as he thought back to it once again. “I guess i do have one of those.”

Gai’s hand came down on his shoulder hard, shoving him forward suddenly and forcing him to reach out and grab hold of the table for support.

“That’s great, Rival!” Gai’s voice boomed in his ear. “Tell us! What is this fond memory of your team you found?”

“Mmmm, i don’t think I will,” there’s a sense of pride that bubbles up inside of him when all three of his friends slam their hands down on the table in protest. “It’s my memory to enjoy all on my own.” 

“You can’t just…” Asuma’s words devolve into a string of nonsense while Gai starts screaming about ‘youthful passion’ and ‘rivalry’. Meanwhile, Kurenai just leans back into her chair with a groan and closes her eyes, clearly done with the entire situation.

This.

This was relaxing for him.

Annoying all of his friends with little to no effort and watching them react with a variety of different emotions.

This is why he hung out with them.

Because they made his life interesting, and they never got so used to his trolling horrible ways (As Asuma liked to refer to it) that they stopped reacting.

This is what he loved about these three and he never wanted it to change.

[tarithenurse]

Nightingale - 21

Fandom: Naruto Pairing: Hatake Kakashi &/x Fem!OC Contents: Some...niceness? Oh, that’s gotta be a mistake! Curious Naruto (that’s a warning all on its own). A/N: Work is fucked (not so noticeable during night shifts, though, and I (+ many colleagues) feel horrible about it all (we’re supposed to do rehabilitation but it’s bare basic care)...and so I’ve got a job interview tomorrow and I’m freaking OUT because I didn’t expect to be taken into consideration! ARGH! As usual, ASK or REBLOG for tag!

Ch. 21

Kakashi had refused to leave the woman behind at first. It wasn’t until the Hokage had stepped over and threatened with constant missions abroad that the blue nightingale finally snapped out of her stupor, glared at her protector, and told him not to be a bloody idiot that he accepted leaving her behind – and even then, his thoughts constantly sought her out.

He had not had the motivation to think of something for Team 7 to do as training, but he also knew he needed the distraction.

“Perhaps,” he had contemplated, “you could do better in the bell-test this time?”

Of course, Naruto had complained: “Why’s it always you get the easy part of holding on to things? It’s not fair!”

“You rather be the one defending the bells?” An idea had formed then. “Fine, you three will have to protect three bells from me...if you succeed saving just one, then there might be a prize -”

“Yipeee!”

“...if you fail twice, though...” he had let the threat hang in the air, knowing that would be plenty of motivation.

...

Dirty, tired, but happy. The three students’ chatter surrounds Kakashi, bringing an unseen smile to his face. Naruto’s recount of his apparently more amazing moves than anyone had witnessed is a high-speed noise compared to the more dignified analysis of the other two. Gotta remember this exercise, the sensei promises himself as he picks a stick from his unruly hair.

“Must admit...the first round was over so quickly, I thought you hadn’t even learned anything from it,” he teases, earning groans and contradictions in return.

“But we did it! I never give up!”

Sakura sighs. “We know, Naruto, now quit yelling!”

“Butbutbut! What do we win?!”

That stops all three students who look to their leader.

“Ah, right. I did promise something, didn’t I?” Oops, shouldn’t have let my attention slip at the end. “Well then, how does a stop at Ichiraku’s sound?”

Apparently, that sounds good to more than just Naruto who always can eat, and they set off towards the best ramen-bar in town.

He hears the angry voice before the student do, and though the distance still is too great to pick out the individual words it's clear from the tone that most must be threats of sorts. As a jōnin, it may not be his explicit task to investigate the matter – there's the local police corps for civilian crimes and misdemeanours – but the presence of a shinobi such as him tends to have a calming effect on any hotheads.

Skidding around the corner with the kids hot on his heels, the scenery in front of a bakery unfolds with theatrical clarity: the matron, standing on the stoop to her shop with a broom in hand and both arms and hair flying wild on the rage she's spewing; the crowd, a mix of customers from the bakery and passers by, simultaneously intrigued and appalled as they take in the drama; and finally the demure figure with the hands clasped before her and the cascade of blue hair obscuring the face that's lowered towards the sandy ground. No one, to stop the verbal abuse from the shop owner – although Kakashi doubts the newcomer has been allowed to walk around the Village without a shadow.

"Hai, what seems to be the issue here?" he interrupts gently, placing himself between the two women.

The baker smiles coldly. "About time," she fumes, "this...this girl has the audacity of asking for continuous employment even after the ANBU came this morning to ransack the room she was renting!"

"I believe there has been a verbal agreement between the two of you that part of the rent was payed in labour?" Glancing at Uguisu, it worries the jōnin that she's not raising her voice to speak up for herself.

"If I'd known she was a criminal then I'd ne-"

Kakashi fully turns to the woman. "Criminal?" His disapproval is palpable in the air. "If she was a criminal, then she wouldn’t be allowed to walk around freely anymore."

Tugging away a few of the errand strands which leaves white flour smeared across black hair, the baker glances at the surrounding people who do nothing to help her out. "Well...she's been lying to me about her identity...even disguising herself! If I'd had any idea then I wouldn't have rented the room to her!"

"Not everyone has the luxury to freely announce their presence wherever they go." He ignores the halfhearted attempt at a protest from behind him. "Now, for the rent...I believe you are owed?"

"Yes."

"Perhaps we can reach an arrangement...I'll be willing to supervise until the remainder of the debt has been payed off in the form of cleaning. Would that be acceptable?" Hesitantly, sure, but Kakashi wins the acceptance and only a slight huff when the baker finally returns to her business. "Alright. Nothing left to see here, people!"

The onlookers scatter slowly, muttering as they go but not daring to be too obvious in their curiosity while there still is a ninja present.

"You didn't have to do that," Uguisu points out softly.

Maybe not. "Where will you be staying now?" he deflects.

"A room at the dorms."

The trio of kids have edged closer, one of them cowering under a death glare from Sakura, proving that she at least has some tact and managed to stop the usual flow of obnoxious questions. Sasuke has stuffed the fists deep into his pockets and pretends a pebble is much more interesting, but their teacher is well aware that the kid is soaking up any and all information.

"We were headed to Ichiraku’s for a celebratory ramen dinner...want to come along?" Regret is plastered across her face, a shrug growing into a shake of the head, but Kakashi has made a decision. "My treat, of course, can't expect you to stick it out with the number one knucklehead there otherwise."

Her crooked smile alone would be enough for the man to live for.

Introductions are quickly managed on the way to Ichiraku, and though Uguisu dishes out an impressive amount of non-answers the kids stop pushing for information as soon as they get their food. Blue hair pushed to one side, the former mystery has laid claim to a seat at the end, allowing her to sit at an angle that grants a better view while her back is protected and Kakashi sits as a buffer between her and the kids.

"Celebration?" Mr. Ichiraku, the patron of the eatery, looks between the guests.

"Hai!" Somehow, Naruto manages to be talk and eat at the same time. "We beat Kakashi at his own game!"

It earns a smile from the chef who gladly engages with the kid.

The teacher glances to the added guest only to find her attention glued on Sakura. "Haruno-sama," Uguisu begins, "would it be possible for me to borrow your Academy books from before the Genin exam?"

The question silences everyone, underlining the sudden hectic stuttering from the girl in answer.

"Why do you need them, hey, lady?" Naruto demands, voicing the question everyone else is thinking.

Before satisfying their curiosity, the woman takes a sip of water, her brows wrinkling slightly as if she’s thinking of the best way to say whatever is on her mind. “Sarutobi Hokage has decided the best way to ensure my past training is by having me sit in with the Academy Recruits -”

“Whaaat?!”

“Shut up, Naruto!”

“- meanwhile my warden will plan an alternate chunin exam.” She bites softly into the bottom lip, momentarily lost in thought. “I suppose that’s for the best.”

To Naruto’s credit, he really has been trying to hold back for several seconds, but now the scratchy laughter escapes him in a sputter that makes his comrades cringe visibly. “Hahaaa! You’re gonna be learning with the kiddies! Eheheheeee-”

He’s efficiently silenced by Sakura once more. This time probably for longer as he’ll have to nurse an oncoming lump on his head.

Looking past Kakashi, the girl attempts a placating smile. “Hai, you can borrow them. And please excuse Naruto who’s a moron.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Let me get them right away!” The rose-haired girl rushes off before Uguisu can stop her, leaving three guests and a cook behind with a dazed boy.

[sweet-sammy-kisses]

Cream Puffs and Puppies Chapter 2

For TimKon week Prompt: Matchmaker. I went in a different direction with the prompt. I hope you enjoy.  Pairings: Kon/Tim, Jason/Roy/Kory, Cass/Cassie, Dick/Wally, Diana/Bruce, and Jon/Damian You can also read it on AO3

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." Jason Todd growled as he glared at his two lovers and then his little sister.

"Come on Jason, you have to admit that it is clear that Bruce, Dick, and even the little demon miss Tim, and Tim misses them greatly." Roy reminded the growling man.

"I know that! I just don't get why we have to do this at a stupid con or why we have to dress up!" Jason hissed back as he tugged at his costume, at least it wasn't something ridiculous. "And why the hell can't I wear a shirt?"

"Because Dante doesn't wear a shirt." Kory happily informed Jason stealing a quick kiss. "How do I look?" She asked twirling around in her cosplay outfit.

"You look amazing." Roy came to stand beside Kory they both ended up going as Neo Queen Serenity and Neo King Endymion both looked amazing as their characters.

Cass had decided to go as Sailor Mars and Jason had a feeling a big part of her choice had to do with the fact that Cassie was going as Sailor Venus.

"Just so you know the only reason I am doing this is because I want to see what Blondie and Babs picked for Bruce, Dickie, and the demon spawn," Jason informed them as he crossed his arms over his chest.

A wide grin appeared on Roy's face as he clapped Jason on the back, "Sure Jay whatever you say."

Jason glared at Roy then turned his attention to Elizabeth, who he ended up adopting after his fifth visit when Tim rolled his eyes and shoved the adoption papers in his hands and told him to just fill them out already, gave him a doggy grin full of love. "Fine, let's get this over with."

+*****+

"You look amazing my space husband." Tim beamed at Conner who had finished putting the final touches on his costume. In Tim's opinion, he made a very handsome Shiro.

Tim had decided to go as Keith Kogane when Conner surprised him with tickets to a comic con and every Keith needed his own Shiro.

Conner could only smile as he pressed his lips against Tim's he knew his lover was obsessed with Voltron and what he called the epic love story of Keith and Shiro, he refused to accept the ending that neither Keith and Shiro or Lance and Allura ended up together.

"How dare they deny them their happy ending." Tim hissed as he watched the final seasons.

Conner had kept a close on Tim after that, the last thing he wanted was for him to do something drastic like buy the studio and redo the entire last season himself.

"The last time I went..." Tim trailed off the last time he went Dick had been there, they even managed to get Bruce to come along with them.

"Come on we better get going to meet the others." Conner stole a kiss from Tim, he hated the pain in Tim's eyes, he knew that he still missed his family. 'Please let this plan work.'

+******+

Barbara Gordon wasn't someone you messed around with, she rolled into the Batcave with Alfred and Stephanie both behind her.

"If you want to win back Tim this is your chance," Barbra informed them as she passed them their outfits. "You have half an hour to get ready before I call in reinforcements in the form of Wally, Jon, and Diana." Grinning as her threat had the effect she wanted she rolled herself out of the Batcave, she had her costume to pack.

With Bruce having his own plane it was easy to get them to San Francisco in time. Of course, Barbra had left out the little fact that Wally, Jon, and Diana would still be joining them. She rather enjoyed watching Jon appear in front of Damian and hug him.

Barbra made sure to get photos she had no clue how Diana convinced Bruce that yes he had to dress up as Wesley from the Princess Bride to her Buttercup but she had managed to do so. She had a feeling the black outfit helped.

Jon had picked Sasuke for Damian and Naruto for himself. Damian's scowl matched Sasuke's perfectly while Jon was just as happy as his character was.

Wally and Dick, well Babs was impressed at how much Dick managed to look like Tony Stark while Wally looked like a stupidly in love Steve Rogers as he gazed at Dick. 'Perfect for them.'

Barbra had chosen to go as Captain Marvel (Carol) and she rather pleased with how her costume had turned out.

Stephanie looked amazing as Spider Gwen, she looked unrecognizable.

"Now remember that our goal is to talk to Tim and prove to him how much we miss him." Dick reminded them. Guilt had eaten at him when Jason returned Red Robin's suit and everything to them. He had failed his little brother.

"Indeed." Damian, after Jon, pointed out how he talked and treated Tim had been wrong, had come to realize that both he and Tim were loved and wanted. He needed to make amends for his past treatment of Tim.

+*****+

"Wow, you guys look amazing." Tim praised as he caught sight of everyone's costumes. Raven looked amazing as Gamora and Gar looked like he was having a blast as Star-Lord. Bart was hopping around as Spiderman and Cassie looked amazing as Sailor Venus.

"Let's go," Jason growled as he stalked towards the entrance.

Linking hands with Conner Tim pulled him to follow after his older brother.

+****+

They had been there for about an hour when Conner got the text he was waiting for.

We are here.

Giving the signal to the others they followed Cass who would easily find her family.

"Look," Tim whispered to Conner as he walked behind his sister and friend.

Conner grinned as he spotted the link hands between Cass and Cassie and the faint blush on both of their cheeks.

"Hey Spiderman, looking good." Spider Gwen appeared out of nowhere, nudging Bart in the side.

Tim blinked he would know that voice anywhere. "Steph?" He had been so focused on being happy for Cass and Cassie that he hadn't been paying attention to the fact that he had been lead into a room.

Tugging off her hood Stephanie grinned at Tim, "Hey, ex-boyfriend long time no see."

It took Tim one glance around the room to see who else was there and his chest clenched. "What are you all doing here?"

Dick took a step towards Tim, "We are here for you Tim. To ask for a second chance to make things right with you. To prove that we love you, that you are part of our family. I know I haven't been the best brother to you and I want to fix that."

Bruce followed Dick and came to stand next to his oldest, "You are my son and I am sorry that I should have never made sure you knew that."

Jon nudged Damian who rolled his eyes as he followed his family, "I owe you an apology, Drake... Timothy. I was wrong in how I treated you and I wish to get to know you as my brother."

Dick gave Tim a a pleading look, "I love you, Tim, we all do will you give us a second chance?"

Tim had missed them all so much, yes they had hurt him deeply but he couldn't deny them that he missed them and wanted them back in his life. "Okay, I missed you all and I want my family back."

Dick moved and engulfed Tim in a tight hug. "I have missed you, little brother. And I'm not going to lose you again."

Tim clung to Dick, he had missed his hugs, "I missed you too big brother."

Jason rolled his eyes as he spotted Bruce's hands twitching, "Oh hug him already." Jason wasn't in the mood to watch him brood.

Tim and Dick were engulfed in Bruce's warmth as he hugged them to his chest.

Jon looked at Damian, "I am not hugging them." Damian informed his boyfriend.

A sweet smile appeared on Jon's face, "You're here that is a good start."

Once the hug broke Tim turned to face Conner, "Was this your idea?" He asked.

Conner grinned sheepishly, "It was a joint effort. We could see how much you missed them. You weren't whole without them and from what Stephanie and Barbra said they were even more miserable than you. Besides, I figured you would want your father to walk you down the aisle."

The room went silent as everyone stared at Conner.

Tim's eyes were wide, "Are you asking me to marry you?"

Conner fell down to one knee and pulled out the ring box he had been carrying around with him for a month, "Timothy Drake-Wayne since the moment I met you my life was changed for the better. I couldn't imagine my life without you. The day I met you was the day I met my soulmate and I want to spend the rest of our lives together and be able to call you my husband. So will you marry me?"

Tim lunged at Conner, wrapping his arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.

"I think that is a yes," Bart commented.

Bruce let out a distress noise that had Diana linking their hands together, "I think this is wonderful a union blessed by the Gods. Their souls have always been meant to be one." She whispered to Bruce who could only grunt.

Wally shook his head as Dick looked torn between happy that Tim was getting married or upset that his baby brother was getting married. "Conner is good for him and he will treat Tim the way he deserves to be treated." Wally did his best to comfort Dick.

"Don't worry I already gave Conner a long and very detailed list of what will happen to him should he hurt baby bird." Jason drawled out.

"What! You knew?" Dick whirled around and glared at his brother who just let out a crackle than a curse as Dick tackled him.

While chaos broke out behind them Tim broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Conner's, "The answer, by the way, is yes. Thank you for bringing my family back to me."

"Anything for you my space husband."

[amenomiko]

Ah, My Dear Daughter...

Him and his beloved daughter.

Nobunaga - "Papa, please groom me!"

Obviously it's a first time for him to do it but since his wife is not around, well, he will just do it then.

He randomly put some powder here, a bit of lipstick there, and some eyeshadow here.

Of course, it's MC's make up items that she brought from the future for the first time.

Her daughter is excited and couldn't wait for her mother to come home from her visit in town and so the father is her only hope.

He grinned and nod confidently to himself. "Ooooh what a masterpiece."

She beamed. "Really??" Then she took a mirror and her smile immediately disappear. She sees nothing but a thick white powder, plump lipstick all over her lips, purple eyeshadow and smudge eyeliner on her eyes. Not to mention the HUGE, ROUND blush on her cheeks.

Even Geisha wouldn't make up like this.

She pointed at her face. "This?"

He nodded. "Yes." His smug is still there.

"This? Masterpiece?" She glared.

"Oh yes, not even your mother could win over your beauty. Hmh."

MC went pale at the doorway, and the rustling sound of fallen fabric took both of their attention.

Hideyoshi - No..! It's Dangerous!

Hideyoshi has just finished with the war council, now on his way back to his chamber.

Then he paused, he smells something delicious where it came from the kitchen.

He could hear voices not too far from the place he were standing. It was Masamune and.. A woman's voice? It must be one of the maids--

"What are you doing??"

His daughter jumped. "F-father..! Don't just appear out of no where like that..!"

His eyes wheeled from the hot pot, to grinning Masamune, and to his daughter, and the KNIFE IN HER HAND???

"Wh- what is that thing you are holding now??"

"F-father, obviously this is a knife--"

"It's dangerous! Masamune, stop laughing..!"

"Oh please, Hideyoshi. Your daughter is the one who insist to learn on how to cook from me, and besides, she is very good in handling knives so you don't have to--"

He immediately take the knife away from her. "Don't cut it..! Let me do it!"

"Oh come on, father, I've been doing it all the time when I help mother in the kitchen..!"

"That won't convince me. What if you cut your finger and the bacteria spread all over your body and your face gets swollen??"

His daughter smack her forehead to his overly concerned nonsense while Masamune is laughing so much at this, until his cheeks is cramping.

"Ah, just let your father be. There's always next time--" Hideyoshi glared to the carrots in front of him, "There will be no next time..!"

Masamune shrugged. "Alright, alright, just relax, Hideyoshi. Hey..!" He poke Hideyoshi's butt cheek lightly.

Hideyoshi: Ah--

He cut his finger.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH OAO!!"

"KYAAAAA QAQQQ!!!"

Masamune: Oh f-- I'm screwed (ㆁᴗㆁ✿)

Masamune - Daddy, I have a boyfriend!

CLATTER.

MC went "Oh my." to the tea cup that just fell from her husband's grip.

"You-- what??"

He rushed to his daughter, gripping her on the sides of her arms.

Please, please, please, anything but that! God, let him misheard it, she didn't say that she--

"I have a boyfriend Daddy!! His name is Kei and he is sooo handsome!! Ehehehe I'm so happy (ू•ᴗ•ू❁)!!" His daughter, who is barely 6, said it happily and cup her cheeks giddily.

"What- b-b-b..!" Colors has left his body.

MC have to do something before her husband faint. "Anata, it's just a crush among the kids, oh you know, it's just the sweet things between children when they were small-"

"Never underestimate childhood love, my wife." He is all serious now. "This kind of thing must NOT be taken LIGHTLY!" He clenched his fists.

"Ah, no.. Anata-"

"How dare that brat..! He really got the guts to get the heart of my baby kitten..!"

"Anata.. Hello.. Can you hear me ʕʘ̅͜ʘ̅ʔ?"

"This can't do!! There is no other HANDSOME PERSON in this world other than ME \(UAO)/!!

"Is that the main problem here ((((;゜Д゜)))??"

Ieyasu - What are you wearing?

Ieyasu's daughter likes to create a new kind of fashion, a habit that she pick up from her mother.

Not that Ieyasu mind about it.

But he DO mind when the daughter wears it.

For example, she created a new fashion for female ninja like the ones she ever saw in those animation (source: Her Uncle Sasuke OBVIOUSLY) of which the ninjas wear a short yukata where the length reached until their upper knees.

She was so happy with her creation. Twirling herself in front of the mirror, giggling happily whenever she brushed her fingers among the fabric itself.

Ieyasu simply look up from his documents, and goes "Hn." When his daughter showed him the yukata. (MC pursed her lips from holding back her laughter, knowing how contrary her husband's "Hn" is).

Until she said "Okay! Since Uncle Sasuke is around the town I'm going to--"

He raised one of his eyebrows. "..And where do you think you are going?" His tone is grim.

"Well, it's to show Uncle Sasuke this yuka-"

"NO ONE is going out of the town with THAT kind of yukata."

"A-Anata.."

"But-"

"What are you displaying? There's NOTHING to show today or NEVER."

"But I'm not--"

"No BUT'S, nothing, end of conversation."

"Ughhh!!" She stomped her feet, "FATHER YOU- YOU-..!"

He raised another of his eyebrow. "I'm what? Now go and feed the fish at the pond. Go elsewhere but the town." He glared.

Now she is pouting, trembling with anger. "FATHER YOU-- YELLOW WIRE BRUSH (/QAQ)/!!"

"Ah.. And there she goes. Looks like you've earned a new name this week hm? What was it last time? Scrubber for toile-"

"....Stop." He continued to read his documents with (-"-;) face.

Mitsunari - Nabe.

Mitsunari loved his daughter more than anything in this world. She is his angel, his blessings, his gift from God, the flower to his life. Until..

"Father, this is my fiancee, ____! Hehehe he just proposed to me yesterday..!"

She brought her fiancee to meet her parents.

MC was shocked by it, but she was happy. Yet, she is worried for her husband. It might be a big impact for him as his face is still frozen the moment both of them stepped into the room.

Her daughter's fiancee bowed to MC, and when he bowed to Mitsunari, the tactitian still has no any expression on his face.

When suddenly a smile curved on his lips. "Ah, ____. Welcome. Perfect timing of you to come today. We are having Nabe for our dinner."

MC breathe a sigh of relief, but somehow she is still worried because..

Mitsunari's smile didn't reach up to his eyes.

They sat at each other's places, and his "smile" is still there.

"Wow..! We are having meat for tonight?" His daughter cheered. "Yay! Is it from Kobe? Really, Mother?? Yay!!" She turned to her fiancee, "Isn't it great?"

Her fiancee chuckled, "Hahaha you are so cute."

Somehow MC noticed that there's a slight twitch to Mitsunari's smile.

"Oh, allow me to serve you, My Lord." Her fiancee about to take the meat to place on Mitsunari's bowl when he cut his words with "It's alright. You are a guest here. Let me do it."

"Ah, but I insist--"

With the same smile on his face, Mitsunari put a vegetable on the man's bowl of rice instead.

"O-oh, thank you--"

And another. And again, and again,...and again. Until his bowl is FULL of vegetable, while some of it fell of from the bowl itself.

"Uhm-- My Lo-"

Mitsunari gasped softly. "Ohh..! I'm so sorry."

"N-no..! It's alright--"

"It seems to be lacking of more vegetables! Here you go..!" He take the raw vegetables plate and POUR all of it in front of the man.

"F-father / Anata...!" MC and her daughter said in unison.

"Young man has to eat a lot of vegetables don't you think?" His violet eyes darkened. "Hm?"

"Y-y-y-y-yes..!"

Silent anger is more scary than anything indeed.

Mitsuhide - It was an accident!

It took a while for his daughter to convince her father to meet her boyfriend.

Well.. "Boyfriend" because the condition of this meeting is that..

Mitsuhide will decide if the boyfriend is worthy enough to be called as her fiancee.

...And he only agrees because MC is the one who persuade him to do so.

"Anata, it's about time. Come on."

He smiled. "Another one scroll for me to read, my beloved wife."

"..You said the same thing few minutes ago."

Meanwhile, Mitsuhide's daughter and her boyfriend be like:

"I can do this, I can do this,...*takes a deep breath* I can. Do. This." Her boyfriend tremble in fear, his nails dig into his knees.

"I'm so sorry ____. My father is very stubborn." She sighed. "But first, let's have a drink. Just a little bit. Okay?"

"A-a-a-alright..!" He's about to stand when his knees gives in from his nervousness, as well as the cramp from sitting too long in a same position. "WAH (/OAO)/!""Kya- OAO..!" *BAM*

Where at the same time, few seconds ago, MC has been pushing her husband to walk towards the hall, "Unnf come on already! Anata..!"

"I'm just testing his patience, my little mouse, I want to see how long he can-"

A clattering sound startled both of them. "..Anata..?" She started. "It came from the hall..! Is it the enemy??"

"..Stay here." Mitsuhide immediately run towards the meeting hall, slamming the shoji screen open "____..!"

"Ah-""Uh-"

..Only to found his daughter's boyfriend is on top of her and she's at he bottom of him.

MC catch up to her husband since she found him frozen at the doorway "Anata..? What's wro-" She gasped. "Oh my-" Then a low chuckle together with a sound of "click" took her attention. "..Oh no."

"F-F-FATHER! WE CAN- I CAN EXPLAIN..!"

"YES MY LORD, IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!!!"

"Stop breathing starting from now." He grinned creepily, his eyes gleaming with the eye of a killer.

The very same day, their castle is full with the sound of firing gun and a girlish scream.

Kenshin - Daddy, when I grow up..

"I want to marry Uncle Sasuke..!"

His sake cup paused mid-air the moment his beloved daughter suddenly announce her fantasy dream in the middle of tea time.

"Oho? Well, well, isn't this interesting?" Shingen grinned. "What do you say, Sasuke?"

Sasuke, who has been playing with his Lord's 6 years old daughter were surprised at it but it doesn't last long as he knew that it is just a part of kid's usual thing to say.

Especially when he is indeed the closest Uncle for her since she was small where at times he had helped with baby sitting the girl whenever Kenshin is busy or MC is busy tending to their youngest son.

She loved her other uncles too but Sasuke is always her favorite. Therefore this kind of thing is not really surprising. It's something to be expected of because at times the daughter would always say "I love you..!" cutely to her ninja Uncle.

Despite this.. Sasuke still choose to tease his Lord. And MC knew about it yet choose not to spoil the fun of watching her husband's interesting reaction.

Because Kenshin is still not giving any respond to his daughter's words.

"Anata? Are you alright?" She breaks the silence, holding back her laughter.

"....."

"Well if I am still available by then, yes, let's get married." Sasuke added with the most stoic face ever. As usual. Then he continued with "So, I will have your blessings to have your daughter by then." He bowed.

Shingen snorted and immediately covered his mouth.

"Hmm but this could be a problem."

MC feign a serious expression. "Why, Sasuke?"

"If I marry Kenshin-sama's daughter now, it could be a crime. You know, it's like marrying a loli. Hm.." He nods. "MC. I will take responsibility."

She nodded as well, pursing her lips, she pull out an 'invisible phone' and make a 'call', "Hello police? There's a criminal here."

Yukimura: ʕʘ̅͜ʘ̅ʔ... These two are at it again.

Kenshin, after a few minutes: ...Fine.

MC: HE APPROVED--

Sasuke's own eyes widened. "He approved- oh. Uhm.. Kenshin-sama, my apologies, I was just teasing you."

His Lord frown, followed by a sigh. "You are complicated sometimes." He sip his sake, "You are my ninja and so I trusted you more than any other vassal. What else other than approval would you want?"

"Anata.. That's not the case here." MC, currently stuck in between a surprise or wanted to laugh so bad from her husband's interesting reaction.

Shingen couldn't take it anymore and laugh out loud until he coughed all the dango from his mouth, and were nagged by Yukimura for imitating a hamster.

Shingen - Just WHAT are you wearing??

Everytime MC and her husband travel through time, their daughter will take this chance to hang out with her modern era friends.

One thing about MC's only daughter is that, she is fashionable and is into fashion designs like her mother. Therefore, mostly her wardrobe will be full with her own designs.

Except.. It can be kind of revealing. Unlike Ieyasu's reaction to his daughter when she wear something "revealing", Shingen's will be dramatic.

So there's one time where they had to attend an event to celebrate Sasuke's new invention and the warlords, especially MC and Shingen were invited.

"Oh Anata, I will get back to you to help for your necktie, give me a few minutes alright?" MC resumes her make up before calling for her daughter who is still in her room, "Honey, we are going soon, won't you be late for your outing with your friends?"

After a good 10 minutes she comes out from her room with a crop top and a skirt. "I'm ready~ how do I look, mother?" She beamed.

MC opens her mouth and close it back with a smile. "Yes, it was cute. How about you show it to your father as well? Oh, could you help with his necktie? You know how much your father is not used to it yet." She winked.

"Okie dokie~" She hops to her father, who is still focusing to adjust his necktie, "Father let me help you with that..!"

"Ah, Thank you my beloved ange--AHH OAO!"

She gasped. "What..? What's wrong?"

"Y-you-.. What do you think you are wearing??"

"Oh dear, you scared me, father..!" She huffed and roll her eyes.

"I scared you? Excuse me-- why is it so short??"

"Please, father..! It's the fashion here..!" She's about to turn around and her father were startled once more "AHH OAO!!"

"What now, Father??"

"T-that..! What is that??" He pointed to her bare back.

"Oh it's the latest trend," She whispered, "It's 'backless'."

"Backless- what- MC..! Come here..! Your daughter is--"

"Goodbye~~~ see you tonight Mother~~"

"MC- WAIT- MY ANGEL IS-"

She shushed him. "How about I wear it?"

"Ah, that would be nice-- wait- OAO!"

Yukimura - Sneaky Little Girl

Yukimura had made a rule within himself even before MC is pregnant,

That he will treat his children equally.

Boys or girls, there will be no difference. There will be no special treatment.

"Papa..! I want that." His son said as he pointed to a fabric doll of a bear.

"We have it at the castle."

"But Uncle Shingen is not a doll!" He pouted to his father, while MC snorted "What are you, Anata? Asian mom wannabe?"

"What- what do you mean- no, ___ I won't get you that doll- Hey MC don't buy that for him ୧( ಠ Д ಠ )୨..!"

His sleeves were tugged gently. "...Papa."

Yukimura's face immediately changed from ୧( ಠ Д ಠ )୨ to (ू•ᴗ•ू❁) with "Yesss?"

Both MC and their son: ಠ_ಠ....

"I want that." She pointed at the sweets shop.

"Ahh, you want the chestnut bun? Or the dango? Or the mochi? Or-"

MC coughed. "Anata."

He immediately turn back to "normal". "Uhh. No, can't do. You will get a bad stomach ache. And a cavit-" He froze to his daughter's teary eyes. "..ties.. You will get cavities..! D-don't show that face to me. D-"

"...." She is tugging on her mother's yukata now,..with the same teary eyed look.

"No, you won't convince me otherwise no matter what. You won't--"

"Papa.. You are so evil.." She rub her tears with her small arms. "I just want one of it.. Y-you even bully big brother for not buying him the toy.." She sniffed into her mother's thighs. "Awww honey. I will get it for you okay?""No..! Papa has promised us..! Unn I hate Papa (PД`q｡)!!"

"GAHHHH FINE ୧( ಠ Д ಠ )୨!!!"

The moment Yukimura goes off to buy those things that his children wanted, he didn't know the two of them (which include his own wife) shows "thumbs up" and a high-5 with one another behind his back.

Sasuke - I want to learn to use..

"A sword."

He paused from drawing glasses on his wood block. "Come again?"

His daughter, age of 6, pursed her lips, clenching on her knees and repeat it again, "I want to learn on how to use a sword."

It has always been a dream of his, to make a 'Ninja Squad' with his children. But the moment he got a daughter after 2 sons, he find himself go against the idea. Practically, his daughter is his princess and a princess that must be protected all the time.

"It's nice, but it's still dangerous for you right now." His first born, who has his personality answered in his father's place.

"Agreed. Even if you are learning it now, we won't allow you to use it right away." His second child added.

She pouted, turning to her mother for help, but she only smiled at her daughter. "Your second brother already answer for me, honey." -"This is not fair..!"

Sasuke tried to look away from seeing her upcoming tears, and to make it worse, she scoffed at him with "Fine! I will ask Uncle Kenshin then!"

"Anything but that- alright, I will teach you on how to use ninja bombs then..!"

"Hmph! Ninja bombs is lame!!" She shouted and stomp away angrily.

It's like a lightning struck to Sasuke and his sons : ฅ(๑⊙д⊙๑)ฅ!!

MC: My my (ㆁᴗㆁ✿)

[fourangers]

Kakashi’s exposé

Dedicated to @rivaille-plisetsky that suggested the prompt: 

Post-War shenanigans with Kakashi being the only one with knowledge of their relationship

So here it is! I hope you’ll like it. SNS, with a tiny bit one-sided Sakura --> Sasuke, and sex insinuations. Comedy and it’s a lil to the side of crack.

AO3 link

==.==.==

Somehow, some way, it just clicked. Maybe it was due to exhaustion, or Sakura's confession still fresh in his mind but Kakashi witnessed the way Sasuke was looking at his best friend/rival/nemesis, how affection warmed his black eyes mixed with longing and burning intensity and it was just…oh. Oh. OoooooOooH.

Everything made sense now. It's no wonder he was so desperate to cut off his bonds with Naruto and why it brought him so much pain to do so. 

Kakashi just stood mildly shocked as his eyes followed his previous students' behavior, from Sakura's relieved smile, Naruto's wide beam and Sasuke's gaze constantly trained towards the blond nin. 

Ah…to be young and naive.

⏤.⏤ 

Kakashi had a hard time feigning surprise when he saw both boys tucked together, blissfully sleeping on the small bed at the hospital. Sakura, on the other hand, was so happy about Sasuke's return that she didn't connect the dots yet.

The next few months was a cumbersome process of finding solid proofs about the Uchiha's massacre tying with Konoha's higher office corruption, since the elders were eager to throw Sasuke in jail while he was still recuperating from his wounds. Fortunately Naruto called Shikamaru for help as they searched in the archives with Tsunade's permission. 

Soon enough all the guilty were charged for conspiracy in ethnic cleansing and thrown behind bars. Sasuke also spent some time in jail for multiple attempts of murder against the 5 kages, but thankfully due to his contributions in ending the latest ninja war and Naruto’s constant nagging with Tsunade, he was set free.

Naruto and Kakashi both expected that Sasuke would bolt out of Konoha the second he was unchained. However, much to their puzzled astonishment, the last Uchiha had decided to settle down. He even took the chuunin exams with Naruto as some sort of proof that he desired to get back being a Konoha citizen. As if there was something(someone) that rooted him to the ground.

When Sasuke reached 18 years old, Kakashi gifted him a special Icha Icha book with prim pride.

Sasuke glanced at the title, glared his ex-teacher with his face bright red, and promptly hid when they noticed Naruto’s chakra close by. Several comrades joined in afterwards, some were part of the rookie nine, other were Sasuke’s current teammates, all gathered to celebrate his birthday.

Through the course of that night, wherever Sasuke would go, Ino and Sakura were on his toes once again, vying for his attention. It was a confusing realization for Kakashi, that even if Sakura was now an accomplished medic-nin and jounin, she would revert to her pre-teen self once Sasuke was around. Kakashi simply observed in between sips of sake while Sakura fussed over Sasuke with her doe-eyed expression, and Sasuke tolerated her presence with the smallest furrow on his handsome face. Black eyes flickered towards Naruto’s back, before he exhaled a heavy sigh, calling Sakura much to Ino’s annoyance.

On the next day, the news about Sasuke and Sakura dating was the talk of the whole town. Or rather, how Sakura was running behind her beloved wherever they go, emerald eyes glimmering like a little girl winning the affection of her idolized popular boy.

This is bizarre; Kakashi concluded watching the one-sided interactions. Those youngsters were just too much for him sometimes.

Naruto swore that he welcomed this new development with open arms, really, like…really. He’d accept no one else but Sasuke, if he was going to lose Sakura’s hand to another man. But Kakashi could notice the tightness of his grins whenever team 7 would reunite, but whether he was jealous over Sakura or Sasuke, no one would ever know.

Months have passed and Sasuke was slowly entering a dangerous territory, returning to his personal darkness that few could reach. Maybe it was due to Sakura’s impatience that their relationship got stuck since day one, or how she finally broke the illusion that her idol was just a regular man, so she was currently much more content spending her time with Ino nowadays. Maybe it was because his friendship with Naruto was becoming strained over the days. Maybe the Hyuuga’s heiress bold approach towards his best friend was grating Sasuke’s nerves.

Kakashi sighed. They were so much cuter back when they were little genins.

But Kakashi was; he hoped, wiser now. The accumulated experience he built up all over those years brought him a wider scope about how he should handle human emotions and its complexities. He wouldn't make the same mistake he had done before, unlike last time when he failed talking some sense to pre-teen Sasuke. 

He stood up, hopping on the direction towards Naruto’s house.

⏤.⏤ 

One year later… 

Konohamaru cleared his throat, knocking on the door. He heard grumbles, quiet steps and then the door was pried open with a pair of glaring eyes.

He gulped. “Good morning. Is Naruto-niichan nearby?” 

Sasuke thinned his lips, turning around. “Cooking breakfast.”

Konohamaru gave a brisk nod, striding towards the kitchen and being greeted by Naruto’s wide gin.

“Hey Konohamaru! ‘Sup?”

“Naruto-niichan! It’s your first day in the Hokage’s apprenticeship, are you excited?”

“Sure am! Man, can’t believe that Tsunade-baachan is going to pass the torch to me, I thought for sure they were going to choose Kakashi-sensei that⏤”

“Oh? Talking about me?”

Konohamaru and Naruto shrieked when they heard Kakashi’s sudden chime, Sasuke stood leaning on the wall unimpressed. 

The older man said. “Ah, here I was coming here to congratulate my former protegée, and all I hear is Naruto-kun talking behind my back. You’re hurting my fragile heart.”

“Can’t you knock on the door like a regular person? You almost gave me a heart attack dammit.” Naruto complained, rubbing his chest. 

“Another reason why I’m questioning Konoha’s decision to make you the next Hokage. I assumed the prerequisite for such an important job was to master basic moves like noticing someone’s chakra when they are close by, dumbass.” Sasuke scoffed.

“Say what, you asshole⏤”

“As much as I’d love to get down the memory lane watching you boys bicker, I’m here to give you a gift, Naruto.” Kakashi placed several books on the table. “My entire Icha Icha collection. All signed by Jiraiya-sama.”

Naruto stared wide-eyed once the information sank in, picking up one book as if it was the most precious thing in the world. He leafed through pages, smiling fondly when he read Jiraiya’s message. They let Naruto take his time browsing through the books, even Sasuke curbed his usual teasing barb too.

The Uchiha nin seemed to realize something, coughing. “Well, since Kakashi already gave you his present, I suppose I should also give you mine.”

Naruto’s eyes were narrowed and suspicious. “And what exactly you’re gonna give me, bastard?”

Sasuke smirked, throwing his arm around Naruto’s shoulder and directing to their bedroom. “You’ll enjoy it, for sure.” 

Konohamaru and Kakashi watched as Naruto was dragged by Sasuke. Konohamaru muttered. “Well, I guess I’ll wait here until they are done. I was also gonna give Naruto-niichan my gift.”

Oh. “Ooooh, there’s no need for you to wait this long Konohamaru-kun. You can give him once we’re in Konoha’s headquarters.”

“What? I can wait a little, I mean⏤”

Kakashi patted the younger nin’s shoulder as he hurried them to the exit. “I have a feeling they are going to take a while, so we better go.”

Several months had passed and Naruto was beginning to get used to the hectic schedule of being Tsunade’s apprentice. The assistants were also smoothly adapting with his working style too, most comfortable with his friendliness.

The rare exceptions were when Naruto’s best friend would go to a long term mission, and the sunny personality will cloud to a petulant pout. 

“Naruto.” Everyone jumped startled from the familiar baritone voice, swiveling their heads to see Sasuke perched on the window.

Naruto instantly brightened up, turning back to face their assistants as he declared. “Hey guys! Sasuke is here so I’m gonna go ok, ‘s gonna be really quick I swear. Be right back, be right back!” Both Naruto and Sasuke disappeared in a cloud of poof.

The assistants shrugged, some even rolled his eyes while they resumed their work. 

⏤.⏤ 

How odd it was that whenever Sasuke was around though, Naruto would always blink out of their eyes. For someone who wore neon orange outfit and had bright golden hair in midst of an ocean of dark heads, Naruto could disappear without an effort. 

Saeko rubbed her shoulders while she searched the aforementioned blond nin, seeking his signature. She’s way past her prime to be able to find a strong shinobi like Naruto-kun. 

Fortunately for her, she spotted Kakashi from afar, calling him. “Kakashi-kun!”

Kakashi acknowledged her with a nod.

“Have you seen Naruto-kun? I really need his signature to authorize a new mission.” She sighed.

Kakashi chuckled. “Well…in case you can’t see him, I guess you could look around and try to find Sasuke instead.”

“Ah right…Uchiha-kun right.” Saeko shook her head. “They are almost attached to the hip.”

“Right.” 

“Such a beautiful friendship between those two boys, right?”

Kakashi stared the old lady before settled with a hum.

“They need to settle down and find a good ladies in their lives though.” She quipped with chiding tone. “Why are they taking so long to get married, I wonder. Youngsters those days are in no hurry to build a family, they are exactly like that Yamanaka girl; living with her best friend Haruno-chan.”

Kakashi hummed absentmindedly once again.

Almost as if he was reading their minds, Sasuke exited the toilet in front of them, licking his lips as his finger wiped his mouth.

“Ah, Uchiha-kun!” Saeko tightened her steps, approaching him. “Have you seen Naruto-kun anywhere?”

Sasuke glanced at her back, then gazed Kakashi’s amused eyes, shrugging. “Behind me.”

“Behind y⏤?” Lo and behold, the future Hokage opened the door a little breathless and disheveled, hand combing through his golden hair. 

His cheeks were tinged red but he soon recomposed himself when he saw the old lady. “Oh hey, Saeko-san, Kakashi-sensei! Why are you⏤”

“Naruto-kun, you’re going to be the death of this old woman, I swear!” Saeko interrupted him, shoving the papers on his face. “I know that Uchiha-kun is your best friend but do you really need to have him next to you 24/7?”

“I’m sure that Naruto-kun would happily perform his tasks as the Hokage apprentice, normally…” Kakashi muttered. “But I guess Sasuke just missed him too much.”

Sasuke glared, rolling his eyes. “I’ll see you soon Naruto.”  

Saeko concluded that their friendship is really one of a kind, watching Uchiha-kun’s back as Naruto was signing her papers. Gossip around town said that a female shinobi might disrupt such cozy relationship, even though Sasuke kept turning down every date request. There was a bet about which man would find a girlfriend first, however, Kakashi almost zeroed his bank account with the belief that his former students wouldn’t find any girl whatsoever.

Every female shinobi dedicated their time to seduce either the last Uchiha or the future of Hokage of Konoha. This also meant that they were thinning Sasuke’s very limited patience, their constant pestering wouldn’t give them some time for themselves.

⏤.⏤ 

“Naruto-niichan! Wow, you lucky dog!” Konohamaru chirped when he spotted his friend in the corridor, punching the tanned arm playfully. “I can’t believe this⏤!”

“Believe what, Konohamaru?” Naruto questioned. 

“Haven’t you heard? Tomoko Saiyuri, the most gorgeous woman of all Konoha is actually going to ask you on a date!”

“He’s not interested.” Sasuke grunted.

“Oh, c’mon Sasuke-niichan, I know you might be sore because she chose Naruto-niichan instead of you, but there’s no way Naruto-niichan wouldn’t be interested because⏤”

“But he’s not interested, he’s not available, he won’t do anything with her.” Sasuke hissed.

“Uh, yeah…Konohamaru, why would I be interested?” Naruto squinted his eyes puzzled. “I’m honored, honestly, but where did you get the idea I would⏤”

“You know that this is your fault right.” Sasuke snapped towards Naruto. 

“What?” Naruto grumbled.

“You give too many openings, people are still thinking you’re available.”

“Uh…wait, Naruto-niichan, does that mean you’re actually seeing someone⏤?”

“Wait, don’t put the blame on me, asshole. Where in the hell did I show that I’m available?”  

“Well, you’re such an oblivious dumbass, that you wouldn’t realize yours and anyone’s feelings even if it’s right under your nose.” Sasuke muttered under his breath. “Maybe this is the reason why everyone is also blind about us.”

Naruto stared for a while with his jaw slacked, before blurting out. “We live together, I thought everyone knew.”

“Most think we’re just roommates, some still believe that you’re guarding me while I’m on house arrest.”

“What? We share a bed.”

“They think we didn’t find a good house with two bedrooms.”

Konohamaru interjected tentatively. “Um, Naruto-niichan, what exactly are you talking about⏤?”

Naruto however, couldn’t listen to him, blue eyes still trained towards Sasuke. “I don’t get it, we haven’t seen anyone else so far ever since we decided to live together, I thought⏤”

Sasuke sighed. “They think we’re just taking our time to find a girl to settle down.”

Naruto nodded numbly, scratching his head. “Oh. Is that why Momiji-san wanted to cook me some obento?”

Sasuke grunted, his glare darkening. “And you almost fell for it, hook line and sinker.”

Naruto gazed back, studying the Uchiha’s activated Sharingan. Everyone was staring with growing confusion until Naruto snorted. “Are you jealous Sasuke-chan?” He laughed.

“No, absolutely not.” Sasuke promptly defended himself, raising his chin. “I’m staking my claim, that is all, since someone else is not making any effort over this relationship.”

“Awwww⏤you’re really jealous!” Naruto grinned.

“I’m not jealous, usuratonkachi, I just feel like you should have made everything clear to everyone so I can avoid all those troublesome harpies and⏤” When Sasuke saw the determined blue eyes, he tensed but all of a sudden, Naruto grabbed him and hoisted over his shoulder.  "Naruto, what the hell are you doing, I swear I'm going to fry your sorry ass if you⏤Naruto⏤!" The door slammed shut.

Then, silence. All ninjas on the vicinity didn’t know whether they should intervene whatever skirmish because Naruto was going to be the Hokage, but still, since he’s the future Hokage, he didn’t need anyone to defend him, right?

Their thought process was interrupted when he heard a moan. But not any moan, it was specifically Sasuke’s moan. Every face was colored red. As the moans and groans were increasing in speed and volume, the shade of their blushes were darkening, and everyone froze on the spot. 

A constant thumping noise joined in, eliminating whatever doubt they might had out of the window, in concern with the activity they were doing in the Hokage’s office. The banging grew faster and louder, that at this point everyone in the building could hear it out.

A guttural scream ripped from Naruto’s voice, that made all women fan to themselves and all men shuffle uncomfortably. Another pregnant silence reigned in the building, until Naruto opened the door beaming ear to ear, holding Sasuke’s hand while the latter was scowling, limping his steps.

“So!” Naruto proclaimed cheerfully. “As you can see, Sasuke and I are unavailable for any possible dates at the present and future moment. We’re pretty busy screwing each other, after all.”

“I am screwing you next time, usuratonkachi.” Sasuke grumbled darkly.

Naruto chortled, unaffected by his threat. “He’s so sweet right. I can’t ask for any better boyfriend.”

Sasuke kicked his legs. Naruto retaliated by slapping hard his back. As their skirmish was growing more violent, everyone scurried away from the couple.

Those two are insane.

(Kakashi later appeared in Konoha’s headquarters, ready to collect his money from the bet. It’s more than enough to secure a very nice retirement. The news about Naruto and Sasuke’s relationship reached to Tsunade’s ears but she was wholly unimpressed. She did punch her protegée to seven foot below ground for soiling her office though.)

[a-strange-inkling]

SASUSAKU MONTH DAY 2: Patterns

Rated T (for suggestive content and language)

Summary: Only in another life would Sakura ever hate Sasuke, and even then it’s debatable. Though in a different sky, the stars always follow the same pattern (RTN AU, First Chapter of Story that I’ve been working on) 

 Annoying

"You aren't mad at me, are you Sakura?" 

Ah. There they were. 

Uchiha Sasuke's infamous Puppy-Dog Eyes. 

Haruno Sakura held back a sneer as she turned her attention back to the romance novel she was currently indulging, not in the mood for any of her overly hormonal team mate's antics.  The sweet, childlike innocence in those round, onyx orbs of his was as sincere as a tray of fucking cheese. Sasuke knew better than anyone that she was mad at him. 

She was always mad at him. 

"Sa-ku-ra..." he cooed, trying again for her attention, speaking her name at a low and chilling octave, knowing she hated when he did that.

The Fourth Hokage's daughter only snorted at the sound of her name rolling seductively off his lips, before pivoting her entire body away from him, crossing her legs with a steely grace.  

Sasuke rolled his eyes, unable to repress the smirk that had been playing at the corner of his mouth. "Well, I must have really hit close to the mark this time, you're even pulling out your age-old Ice Queen persona." 

Sakura simply glared at the written text in front of her, refusing to get in yet another spat with the arrogant boy. However, the young Uchiha had not quite given up yet, he knew one particular trick that would get to the cold young woman.

"You know, no one has mastered the silent treatment quite like you, Sakura-chan."

"Don't call me that." Sakura hissed quickly, shooting him one of her nastiest looks. She never let him call her that.

Sasuke's smirk deepened. "Seems there is still some room for improvement though." 

"Look, there is a pair of breasts right over there, Sasuke!" she exclaimed with feigned excitement, pointing to a fairly pretty brunette who was making her way down the street. "Why don't you go bother them for a while?"  

Sasuke eyed the passing young woman thoughtfully, mildly interested, before shaking his head and turning his attention back to the spunky rosette. "Shouldn't do that, you might get jealous, then you'd be even madder at me." 

Sakura stood then, abruptly, closing her book with a resounding snap, as she put distance between herself and the young Uchiha. 

"Come on, Sakura!" he called after her, growing annoyed as the kunochi went to find another place to wait for the rest of their squad. She was secretly pleased that his voice had an agitated edge to it instead of the usual carefree ring that usually resounded from his mouth. "Are you going to be like this the whole mission?" 

Silently, with her unparalleled grace, the kunochi leapt up several branches of a nearby oaktree, before settling back down with her book.  It was all of nine seconds before Sasuke was perched behind her, peering over her shoulder. 

"...how's your latest 'Kiss Handsome Boy' book?" he asked coyly. 

"The hero is not handsome, he's deformed," Sakura replied with a roll of her eyes.  "What's compelling about him is how deeply he loves and how loyal he is... Something you wouldn't know anything about." 

"Deformed as in one side of his otherwise attractive face," Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Oh, is there a scar over one of his eyes? Or is he missing a limb?" 

Sakura looked skyward in agitation. 

"Heh." Sasuke smirked. "He's just missing a limb isn't he?" 

"Would you just leave me alone, please?" Sakura asked him with a sigh, shifting down the branch. 

"Oh, come on, aren't you going to tell me more about your hero?" the Uchiha asked smugly. "I bet he's all brooding and tortured with a tragic past, and I'm sure only you can save him." 

Sakura growled in agitation before closing the book once more and placing it in her back pouch before turning her jade orbs on the Uchiha playboy.

"Okay, Sasuke, you win," she said, crossing her arms. "You have my attention, now what the hell do you want?" 

"Hey," Sasuke put his hands up in surrender. "I'm just trying to find out why you're mad at me, Sakura-chan, it's not good for a team to go on a mission with unresolved issues." 

"I'm not mad at you, Sasuke." she said evenly. "I just genuinely can't stand you." 

"Aw." Sasuke chided, swinging his legs over the branch to let them swing. "We both know that's not true, we used to be friends once, you even used to call me Sasuke-kun, remember?" 

"I was just a stupid kid back then," she replied. "Now, would you leave me alone, it's bad enough I have to spend a whole week with you." 

The infamous playboy placed a hand over his heart. "Ah, you wound me, Sakura-chan... Don't you care at all about the importance of teamwork?" 

"Oh, are you going to lecture me about teamwork?" she asked him. "You, the one who abandoned the team to flirt with that busty nimrod last time?" 

"You're so high and mighty, you know that?" He scoffed. "Sorry that I like to enjoy myself once in a while and talk to people, unlike Menma who can barely form coherent words around women, and you, because you're too busy trying to keep up you're frigid bitch facade." 

"Wow, Sasuke." Sakura gave him a mocking grin. "And you wonder why I don't like you." 

"That's your problem, you don't like anyone," Sasuke explained matter-o-factly. "That's why you're so lonely all the time." 

She felt her breathing hitch and her whole body stiffen at the word. 

What did he just say?

Lonely...

"How would you know?" she asked lowly. "You don't know a damn thing about being alone."

"Sakura..." he began, realizing he had gone a little overboard.  She was just so harsh sometimes, he couldn't help it. "I didn't mean it like that, I just..." 

"You're so damn annoying! Acting like you actually know me!" she exclaimed, so angry she didn't know what to do with herself. "Why don't you just keep your mouth shut about things you don't understand!?"  She stood up and leapt down from the tree, unwilling to wait around with him a moment more. 

Luckily, Menma appeared, walking up the cobbled path, giving her a shy smile. "M-morning, Sakura-chan."

"Hello, Menma." she replied with a sigh of relief. "It's so good to see you." 

"It really is," Sasuke replied, jumping down from his perch. "I'll have a witness in case Sakura-chan tries to do me in." 

Menma sighed to himself. It seemed this would be another mission of tension between his two teammates.  "Hey, Sasuke... M-my mom made cookies for the journey if you guys want some," he told them, holding out a brown paper bag where his mother had drawn a lopsided smiley face.  It was an immature tactic to make peace, but it was effective more times than not. 

"Ah!" Sasuke exclaimed, helping himself. "Let me at 'em! Kushina-san's cookies are always the best!" 

"Sakura-chan?" Menma encouraged her to take one, trying not to blush. 

"No thanks, Menma." Sakura replied, putting up a hand.  "I'm on a cleanse, but they smell delicious." 

"A cleanse?" Menma asked. 

"Probably for the best." Sasuke nodded. "They’re too sweet to share with someone so bitter. Not to mention you've been growing a little thicker around the middle." 

Menma cringed in fear. Did Sasuke just call her fat? Did he dare? So much for his peace cookies. Maybe he should try dumplings next time.

A sort of dark shadow fell over Sakura's eyes as she shot a deadly glare up at her raven-haired teammate. 

Sasuke smirked in response. "Sorry, koishii, that doesn't work on me." 

Sakura had a talent for scaring off her many admirers with that dark look alone, however, that frightening attitude of hers had an opposite effect on Sasuke.

 He wasn't afraid, only amused. 

"Heh," she replied, startling him a bit and switching gears as an easy smile spread across her face, mirroring his own. That may not work on him, but she knew something that would. "On second thought, I would love a cookie."

She strode past him then, with a little extra swing of her hips, purposefully knocking her shoulder with his own as she did so, and took a large round cookie from the offered bag."Thanks, Menma-kun, you're so sweet!"

Surprising both her male teammates, the kunoichi leaned up and brushed her lips against Menma's cheek as a token of her appreciation, making the blonde turn seven different shades of red and Sasuke's smirk diminish a little. 

"Da...uh... N-no problem, Sakura-chan." the poor boy stuttered, his hands clenching around the cookie bag, lost somewhere between pure joy and mortification.  His mom was right.  Sweets were the way to a girl's heart! 

Sakura turned and smirked triumphantly at Sasuke, glad to see his own had melted into a displeased frown, as she took a slow enticing bite of the cookie.  "Mmm... you're right, Sasuke, these really are the best." 

"Hn." he hummed. "Careful you don't choke, Sakura."

"Good morning, students!" Kakashi greeted, interrupting the spat. 

"Ah, right on time as always, Sensei." Sasuke waved before shoving his hands in his pockets. "Where are we off to today?" 

...

"Tell me." 

"No, go away." 

"C'mon, just tell me what's bothering you." 

"No! Stop that! Get the hell away from me!" 

"Sakuraaaaa."

"Sasuke." 

"Look, I'll stop bugging you for the rest of the journey if you just tell me." 

"No!" 

"Please, Sakura," Kakashi begged from where he was leading the three teenagers. "For all our sakes, take him up on that offer." 

Menma nodded in agreement.  It was hard to focus on reading the map with those two bickering behind him. 

"I'm not giving in to his whining." the rosette replied angrily.  "...I'm going on ahead to scout." 

With that, she leapt away into the trees and disappeared from sight.  Sasuke moved to jump after her. 

"Sasuke, give her some space,"  Kakashi commanded.  

"Heh, she's not getting away that easily." was the ninja's careless and insubordinate reply.  

Whether she wanted to admit it or not, Sasuke knew Sakura. He had known her his whole life and she really wasn't the icy, badass bitch she made herself out to be.  She had been putting up with his normal bullshit for years with the usual scoff or roll of the eyes, whatever he had done most recently must have really upset her.  

And, truth be told, he wasn't all too happy with her either. 

"I can't really be sorry for something if I didn't even know what I did, you know?" he told her once he caught up with the angry kunoichi.  "Come on, I genuinely want to know what's wrong." 

"You, genuine?" she scoffed. 

"Okay, I don't deserve that," he told her. "We're not thirteen anymore, your lousy attitude is not going to send me into the corner feeling bad about what I did. I'm human, I make mistakes.  Not all of us can be perfect like you..." 

"You see, that's exactly what gets on my nerves." she turned on him then, her finger pointed right into his face. "You think everything is about you." 

"Well, isn't this about me?" he asked. "Isn't that why you haven't spoken to me for days, this morning, and that stunt with Menma you did to try and get me jealous." 

"Ha! Don't flatter yourself." 

"Well, you were." he laughed. "Unfortunately, I'm not the jealous type like you." 

That earned him a glare. "Whatever makes you feel better, Sasuke." 

"Look," he sighed. "Is this really going to be the whole mission? Can we just..." 

"Ino is not one of those girls!" she exclaimed. 

"What?" Sasuke asked, dumbfounded. 

"Ino," she remarked. "You know, my best friend? She's not like those girls you hang out with, the ones who enjoy flirting with you as much as you enjoy flirting with them.  She's shy, even more so than Menma, anytime a guy gives her any attention she takes it to heart. She took you flirting with her seriously." 

"Who are we even talking about?" he asked, confused. 

"INO!" Sakura exclaimed.  "She's been in every class with both of us since the Academy. Blonde haired, blue-green eyes, wears five layers of clothing." 

"Ohhhhh." Sasuke realized. "The stuttering girl... she's your friend still, huh?" 

"Kami." Sakura hissed, turning and jumping to another branch.  

"Look, Sakura, wait," Sasuke called after her. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean anything by it, it was Shikamaru's idea, it was all just a joke." 

"Just a joke?" Sakura asked him. "Hurting a girl's feelings and making her feel foolish for believing you were actually genuine is not a joke... do you know how hard it was for me to tell her what you're really like, that you didn't actually like her, you were just messing with her?" 

"Look, it was stupid," he sighed, jumping and landing beside her once more. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, you tell her that next time you see her," she quipped. "Maybe she'll forgive you." 

"Fine, mama bear, I will."  he sighed, placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. "As usual, you're blowing this way out of proportion." 

She shoved his hand away and crossed her arms. "I told you what was bothering me, wasn't that the deal? Now stop bugging me for the rest of the trip." 

With that she jumped away again, not slowing down, leaving Sasuke to stare after her. 

Kami, that girl. She drove him absolutely crazy. 

... 

They set up camp and Team 7 had fallen into a not so easy silence.  Sasuke had been true to his word and let Sakura alone, but the tension from before was still sizzling in the air as they went about their tasks. It was all standard teenage shit for Kakashi, but Menma was always uncomfortable with any sort of discourse, especially between his only two friends, and found himself actually missing their bickering. This competitive silence was somehow worse. 

Once they all settled around the fire, Menma had calculated that no one had spoken for an hour and twenty-three minutes. While he was a quiet fellow, himself, this was just ridiculous. He turned to Kakashi with a pleading look. 

Do something, Sensei! 

But the silver-haired jonin was looking over their map, planning for the next morning, quite content with the silence, no matter how awkward it was. Menma turned to his right to see Sakura at the farthest end of the fire, her nose in her book, legs crossed and body pivoted away from them all.  To his left sat Sasuke, sharpening his kunai, a full pout on his face as he watched Sakura's back. Menma had never seen him so grumpy. Though bothering Sakura was his lifeblood, being cut off for even an hour seemed to have negative effects. 

Menma, knowing it was up to him to break the ice, squeezed his cookie bag in dread. He hated bringing attention to himself, but if it was for the good of his team, he would do it.  He glanced around before choosing the member of his squad he currently liked best to try to engage with.  While it was a wide known fact that Sasuke was his best friend, Sakura-chan was very pretty. 

Plus she had kissed him that morning, he still felt it burning beneath his skin.  

"How is your book, Sakura-chan?" he chirped, feeling blood rush to his cheeks. The sound of his soft, raspy voice was like a piano crashing from the sky on top of them all. He felt Sasuke's glare burning a hole in the back of his head and realized that he may have betrayed a rule of comradery between them that he had been unaware of. Apparently, if the Uchiha wasn't talking to Sakura, he wasn't allowed to talk to her either.

Forgive me, brother!

Sakura lowered her book and gave him a rare sweet smile over her shoulder. "It's a work of genius." she sighed dreamily. "The hero just proposed to his dying lover." 

"Oh, that's um... nice," Menma replied, though he wasn't sure if it was. He wasn't one for reading, and certainly couldn't manage a thick romance novel without dying from secondhand embarrassment, but Sakura never went on a mission without one. It was the funny riddle of her being for her teacher and teammates, that someone as cold and crass as the village Ice Queen read sappy paperbacks. 

Sasuke scoffed from behind, but Menma didn't even dare to face him. "There's one more cookie, if you want it, Sakura-chan." he offered, holding out the crumpled bag once more. If he was going to have to speak, he might as well try and get another kiss for his efforts. Sakura beamed and not only accepted his offer, but set aside her book before rising and coming to sit beside him. "Thanks, Menma." she beamed, making him turn a full shade of scarlet. "You are so thoughtful." 

That set the Uchiha off, he tossed his kunai aside and rose to his full height. "Why does she get the last cookie?" 

"I-I uh..."

"You don't have to explain yourself to him, Menma." Sakura told him firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder, making his soul leave his body a little. "Despite what he thinks, he's not the boss of you." 

"Oh, wow," Sasuke started to laugh, thoroughly pissed off now, but refusing to acknowledge her before she acknowledged him. "Real nice, Uzumaki, leaving me high and dry for a pretty face." 

"Sorry..." the blond began, feeling awful. 

"Don't apologize to him!" Sakura exclaimed. “Like he’s one to talk.” 

“Look, here’s a little free advice, Menma.” Sasuke went on regardless. “Cute as she is, she’s just going to chew you up and spit you out, there are a lot of way nicer girls around.” 

Menma felt Sakura’s hand squeeze his shoulder unintentionally and knew that comment had more than stung the kunoichi. He felt something foreign in his chest flare up all of sudden. 

“Sakura-chan is nice!” he told him, taking a tone with his friend he never had before. “She’s always nice to me!” 

“Only cause it serves a purpose.” Sasuke rolled his eyes, unsure how the kid could be so clueless. 

“Kami, you really are the most arrogant, hypocritical, egotistical, delusional fuck boy to ever grace the planet!” Sakura all but screamed at such an accusation. It was all she could do to not send a fist into his nose. 

“Ah, there she is!” Sasuke grinned triumphantly.  

Kakashi sighed, looking toward the heavens. It had been such a glorious hour and a half.  Perhaps he had summoned some sort of karma for foolishly hoping to finish his work before they both started back up again. 

“You’re such a horrid friend to him, do you know that?” she stood up and strode right up to the boy that loomed over her about a good seven inches. “You’re always telling him what to do and making him feel like he’s second best to you.”

“Yeah, well it’s better than you not even letting him speak up for himself.” he pointed out. “Stop trying to be everyone’s mother.” 

“Excuse me?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips. 

“Look, if you’re so concerned about Menma and his feelings, then why don’t stop using him as fuel to get to me?” 

“Oh, get over yourself, Sasuke!” 

“That’s enough!” Kakashi intervened. He considered himself an even-tempered man, but he could only take so much of the ongoing saga of Sasuke and Sakura. Honestly, he’d come to wish they’d get it over with and just fuck or do each other in. The older they got the more their bickering and sexual tension was getting out of hand. “Both of you, go blow off some steam, Sakura go North, Sasuke go South, I don’t want to see either of you back here until you can both be amiable comrades to one another and stop pulling Menma into the middle of your immature spats.” 

“But, Sensei…” 

“Now, Sakura!” He commanded, pointing his finger, making her huff as she grabbed her bag and leaped off. 

“Whatever.” Sasuke shrugged, turning and taking her leave as well, leaving the silver hair ninja with his remaining student. He ruffled his blond hair tiredly. “What are we going to do with them, huh, Menma?” 

“Don’t know, Sensei.” he shrugged. “They really hate each other, don’t they?” 

Kakashi’s mouth formed a line. “If only it were that simple.” 

…

Sakura knew it was stupid to think that Sasuke would, for once, listen to Kakashi and actually put some distance between them, but she would have liked at least a second to herself. 

“You’re really something else, you know that?” he asked coming up behind her. 

“Didn’t you hear Sensei? You’re supposed to go South.” she shot back heatedly, storming off faster, knowing it was pointless. If there was one thing she’d admit that Sasuke had on her it was speed. He was soon walking alongside her. 

“Who cares what he says?” he huffed. “I’m not done with you yet.” 

“Yeah, well I’m done with you.” she retorted. 

“No, you don’t get to call me out on leading your friend on, when you’re doing the same thing to Menma, and then call me a hypocrite,” he told her. “That’s not how it works.” 

She stopped abruptly and turned to face him. “I’m not leading him on.” 

His face went deadpan at that, before taking on a persona that she assumed was herself. 

“Oh, Menma-kun, I’d love a cookie!” he gushed as high as his deep voice would let him go. “You’re so sweet! You’re so thoughtful! I’m not just using you to get under Sasuke’s skin at all!”

She turned and kept walking at that, enraged that he would make such an accusation, and even more so because he was not completely wrong either. 

“Ever thought about how that will make Menma feel?” he asked. “You know how he feels about you.” 

“What are you talking about?” she stopped and turned around. 

“He’s in love with you!” Sasuke exclaimed as if she were an idiot. 

Sakura felt something snap like a twig somewhere inside her. “No, he’s not.” 

“Yes, he is.” Sasuke nodded reassuringly. 

“No, he’s not.” 

“Yes he is!” he nearly yelled in exasperation “Most men are! Have you seen yourself?” 

“...Kami” she whispered slowly, wishing the earth would just swallow her up right then and there. She hadn’t realized that Menma had a crush on her, let alone loved her. How could someone who spent so much time with her be in love with her? That was insane. 

She thought of all the times she had sent him attention just to spur Sasuke and never felt so low. While it was not often and never harmless, it was flirty and could have easily made him feel that she was interested in something more than friendship. She was no better than the Uchiha, 

“Yeah, it’s true, so stop playing with his feelings.” 

As guilty as she felt, she couldn’t bring herself to admit defeat to him, not three times in one day. She’d make things right with Menma, but Sasuke didn’t have to know that. “Maybe I’m not playing.” she shrugged coyly, turning and continuing on her way. 

“...what?” Sasuke muttered in confusion. 

“Maybe I’m in love with him too,” she suggested with raised palms. “I mean…” 

Sasuke was suddenly in front of her, making her almost walk head first into his broad chest. “You’re not in love with Menma,” he stated as if it were the most basic fact of life, like the rising and the setting of the sun. 

“Why not?” she asked with a raised brow, genuinely asking herself as much as she was asking him. Why hadn’t she ever thought of Menma as something more? “He’s handsome, considerate, sensitive and always good to me, why wouldn’t I be in love with him?” 

“Because you’re in love with me,” Sasuke told her just as simply. “That’s why.” 

She stared up at him, lips parting wordlessly at such a claim. Where there was a snap before now felt like she had been struck by a bolt of lightning. To her surprise, as well as his, she began to laugh. She laughed so hard she bent over, hugging herself around her middle. Sasuke remained stoic, emitting only a small smile when anyone else would have been more than wounded. 

“I’m not in love with you, Sasuke.” she told him when she straightened up and caught her breath. Where had the clueless bastard got that idea? He was just watching her with a knowing, adoring look in his eye, his hands tucked snuggly in his pockets. She tilted her head up so that she was looking directly into his eyes. “I hate you.” 

Honestly, what planet had he been living on? 

Suddenly he took her face gently into his hands and made her still, all mirth and smugness abandoning her. She stared up at him in shock, eyes wide and sparkling in the darkness as he kept her there, not two inches from his face. Blood rushed to her face so fast that it felt as if she were burning alive from the inside. Why was everything so quiet all of a sudden?

“What was that, Sakura?” he asked with an easy smile, seeing everything he needed to see, rolling her name around the way he knew drove her crazy. “I didn’t quite hear you.” 

“I-I said,” she breathed out shakily, wondering what the hell was wrong with her voice. It sounded so soft and unsure. Like it was someone else’s entirely. 

He had caught her off guard with this play. Nothing in her body was working like it was supposed to. Damn it! Why did he have to be so fucking beautiful? And tall? And sexy? 

It wasn’t fair. 

But, it didn’t prove anything, she assured herself. He was Sasuke. Everyone was attracted to him one way or another. That’s the only effect he had. Attraction wasn’t love. She wasn’t in love with him. In fact, this only made her more angry at him. If she could feel her hands she would have sent a fist straight into his perfect jawline. 

She swallowed thickly. “I said, I hate…”

Kami, was he going to kiss her?

She stiffened as she felt his thumb brush along her cheekbones as he loomed over her all the closer, his hot breath spilling over her face. 

“What?” he hummed softly. “Go on, say it.”

She stared at his lips, contemplative for a moment of what it would be like to kiss someone, but quickly remembered just who she was dealing with and snapped her gaze back to his dark eyes, so close now she could count his lashes. 

“I hate you.” she whispered, her eyes darkening, it was hard to breathe at this angle he held her. But, she did it. She got it out. 

She won. 

He smiled then, looking so pleased that for a moment she wondered if she had said the wrong thing. The opposite thing. 

He leaned forward ever so slightly, hands slipping down to her neck, and she nearly jumped out of her skin, but his lips took an alternate route gently and brushed over the hollow of her cheek, the same place she had bestowed a kiss to Menma for his sweets. 

He pulled back and she watched him, flushed and frustrated by his brash action and by the burning in her face centering around the focal point where he had touched her.

“You too, Sakura-chan.” he told her with a wink before turning and going on his way, leaving her alone like she wanted.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Let's Save the Day

Word Count: 1809

Characters: Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, Maito Gai, Nohara Rin

Warnings: None

Summary: It's the middle of a world-ending war, everything is going wrong, and Obito can't help but think that things might work a bit better in their favour if an old friend showed up

All eyes were on him. Everyone was expecting him to save the day. To put a stop to Madara and Sasuke’s plans and prevent the world from being put into an infinite dream. He could feel the weight of all those expectations on his shoulder, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t figure out what to do.

There was no plan forming in his mind, and brute strength wasn’t helping him win the fight. He was outmatched, even with the entire shinobi army standing behind him ready to fight by his side. After everything he had done to protect all of his friends, it was starting to feel like a lost cause.

“We can’t give up,” Gai’s hand came down on his shoulder, pulling his attention to his side where his friend was now standing by his side. “We have to keep fighting.”

“I know that,” of course he did. It was just starting to feel like a hopeless fight. Like they were doomed to loss, no matter how hard they fought. “We need a plan. Throwing punches at them without one isn’t working.”

“That is true,” Gai sighed. “If only Kakashi we’re here-”

“Well, he’s not here!” Obito snapped. For years he had wished for Kakashi to come back and fight alongside them. To prove the village wrong about him by their side, but he refused. No matter how many times Obito tried to get through to him, or how many times he told him the villagers' opinions didn’t matter. Kakashi always turned his back to him.

“Don’t give up so fast, Obito,” Throwing his signature thumbs up pose out towards Obito, Gai beamed. “Kakashi will be here, I just know it. Until then I’ll keep These two weirdos back while you recharge.”

“Rich words, coming from someone looking like you,” If he wasn’t in the middle of a battlefield, Obito might be tempted to laugh when Uchiha Madara, one of the strongest shinobi known in history, stomped his feet and yelled at Gai. “I might just have to teach you a lesson before I deal with Hashirama, you little brat!”

“Just rest,” Gai continued, completely ignoring the angry god-like shinobi yelling at him. “By the time I’m done, Kakashi will arrive.”

Obito’s eyes widened when he realized just what Gai was saying. “Gai, Wait!” But it was too late. With a calm breath, Gai suddenly burst with chakra. The sixth gate bursting open and his power multiplying exponentially.

Obito had only seen the gates in action once before when Gai opened the fourth gate during the fight against The Akatsuki in Konoha. It was nothing compared to this. So brilliant and bright, Obito found it difficult to look at his friend as the sheer power of his chakra surrounded his body.

“Gai, wait!” Rin ran past Obito, but it was too late. In a burst of incredible speed, Gai was gone. Headed directly towards Madara, determined to hold him off. “Damn it! He’s going to get himself killed!”

She wasn’t wrong. There was no way that Gai would be able to beat Madara on his own, but at the same time, they didn’t have much other hope. They had tried everything. Fought with all of their energy, and they weren’t any closer to winning.

At least Gai was trying something new.

He hadn’t given up, which was more than Obito could say for others. Just looking around the field he could see all of the hopeless, broken expressions. Looks that wrote a story of doubt and fear.

“He has to try,” he whispered, smiling up at Rin when she looked his way. “He’ll be fine. It’s Gai after all.”

Nothing could take Gai down, no matter how hard it tried.

“Well, I hope you have a plan forming in that head of yours,” Turning her attention back towards the fight, she watched as Gai threw a punch towards Madara’s head, just barely missing as the man ducked under his hand and struck a blow to his stomach. “And fast. I don’t know how long he’ll last.”

Unfortunately, he was all out of plans. No matter what he had come up with, it didn’t work. Madara and Sasuke were always one step ahead of him, and Naruto-Sensei hadn’t been able to pull himself out of his slump since finding out who was behind that ugly blue mask.

They were doomed.

“Gai!” Looking up, he watched as Gai took a kick to the chest and was sent flying off to the side at top speed. Apparently, their time was already up.

Digging his heel into the ground, he prepared to run after his friend. To at least be there by his side when he came to a stop if he couldn’t catch him. Before he could though, a burst of orange went flying past him. Brilliant and hot, he watched as it ran between everyone until finally reaching Gai.

Only then did Obito finally see who it was.

The person surrounded by such a brilliant, bright chakra.

“Kakashi…”

Watching as his old friend caught Gai mid-flight, he couldn’t help but smile. After giving up hope and setting his goals on saving the world by himself, Kakashi had finally shown up. He’d made it to the battlefield, and Obito couldn’t be happier.

Together, there was no doubt in his mind that they could beat Madara and put a stop to a war that had already taken so many lives.

“I can’t believe it,” Rin’s voice was soft when she spoke, her eyes glued on the scene in front of her just like Obito’s. Watching as Kakashi pulled Gai close to his body and dug his feet into the ground to slow down their movements until finally coming to a stop. “He actually came.”

Kicking himself for doubting his friend, Obito forgot about Madara and Sasuke for the moment and rushed towards him while Rin followed close behind. For three years he had been chasing Kakashi. Trying to get him to come back home to Konoha and find his peace with his friends once again, and finally, he was here.

He was back.

“You’re late!” Coming to a stop beside Kakashi, Obito threw a punch into his shoulder. Not hard enough to hurt him, but enough that it forced him to take a small step back. “Of all the times to be late! And to think you’d always give me a hard time about being late to training, just to pull this?”

He’s not sure what he expects. Maybe a scolding for ‘wasting time’, or a sharp reminder that it was more than just training he had been late for. What he’s not expecting, though, is to see the way Kakashi looks at him with eyes full of sadness and regret.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, fingers curling into Gai’s shoulder as he stands there. “I...Got lost on the path of life.”

For a moment Obito’s stunned. Unsure of how to respond to Kakashi’s words, but it passes quickly and laughter starts to bubble up in his chest. Slowly, he lets it spill out. Small chuckles at first, and then bright and happy laughter that fills the air around him.

“You’re so…” closing his eyes, he gave his head a shake. “Please tell me you have a plan.”

“Wait, seriously!?” Rin grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around to face her. “After everything he has done, we’re just going to trust him!?”

“He’s our teammate,” Obito reminded her with a soft smile. “Isn’t that right, Bakashi?”

Returning Obito’s enthusiasm with an unimpressed look, Kakashi sighed when the Uchiha didn’t budge an inch. “I guess,” he whispered before turning his attention back to Gai. “That was dumb of you. I expect dumb things of Obito, but you Gai?”

“H-hey!”

“Sorry,” The shocked look that had made its home on Gai’s face as soon as he saw Kakashi disappeared suddenly and was quickly replaced by that signature blinding smile of his. “But it worked. I knew you’d show up if I help him off a little longer, and here you are.”

The logic was flawed, but the results had worked. He was willing to give Gai that.

“Just don’t do something stupid like that again,” Kakashi continued to scold Gai, his hand lingering on his shoulder for a moment longer while that brilliant orange chakra slowly transferred over and started to surround Gai’s body as well. “If we’re going to beat these idiots, we’re going to need all of us.”

A plan. That meant that Kakashi had a plan!

“Before we start,” he cut Obito off before he even had a chance to ask him what his plan was, his hand reaching out towards him. “I need to make sure everyone’s safe.”

Safe.

“You mean…” looking down at the hound hovering in front of him, Obito thought about it for a moment. Kakashi wanted to share his Chakra. To make sure everyone was safe.

What had gotten through to him after all of this time? Why was he suddenly changing his mind about being here with them? Protecting them.

“We can talk about it later,” Meeting Kakashi’s eyes, Obito searched for any sign of ill intent. Something that would tell him that Kakashi wasn’t here for them. That he’d turn against them as soon as Madara and Sasuke were dealt with.

No matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find anything.

“Alright,” grabbing his friend’s hand, he inhaled sharply as a comfortable warmth spread over him while Kakashi’s chakra engulfed him. Covering every part of his body in a protective body of chakra. “What is…”

“Kurama’s chakra will help keep you going,” Kakashi assured him. “He’ll also protect you, even when I can’t.” Once he was done sharing the chakra with Obito, he turned to Rin and held out his hand towards her. “You don’t have to trust me. You don’t even have to like me, but right now I need everyone or this plan isn’t going to work.”

Watching as Rin glared at Kakashi, Obito waited patiently to see what she would do. Out of the three of them, she had the least reason to trust Kakashi. She had been the one to give up on him first, and the one who had tried to attack him when Iwagakure put his name in the Bingo book believing that he had killed their Jinchuriki.

“I trust you,” She whispered, reaching out to grab his hand and gasping when the chakra started to surround her. “But I hope you know that If you betray us-”

“You’ll find a way to bury me six feet under the ground?” Kakashi cut her off, a playful look visible in his eyes. “I don’t doubt it. For now, though, let’s focus on saving the world from the worst plan I have ever heard of.”