#or that some big super well trained and skilled shinobi would find him so

[dahtwitchi]

I have fever and have deliriously ended up thinking of Iruka and the concept of him having more fat on him than he much likes, he would be decently well trained under it all he just happen to be one of those. And also don't say no to a treat or fifteen while grading.

And then I thought that Tobirama just happen to think it looks nice and squeezable

Iruka can't quite comprehend chiseled tobirama find it distracting, Tobirama can't quite comprehend he said it out aloud. If he thought he was gonna be less distracted once he got to know it, he was wrong. And knowing Iruka knows somehow makes him feel more embarrassed.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

The u know whos have been harassing me all day can i please request some more HC for both your knight and skill reversal AUs regarding how kakagai reationship grows to forget about them? Thank you mun 🤍

Why are they harrassing you? Who do I have to fight? i will fight them all omg. LEAVE THIS POOR PERSON ALONE YOU JERKS.

Royalty Au

Kakashi and Gai have known each other since childhood. It’s an outcome of Kakashi’s father, Sakumo, being the royal guard to King Dai. That plus Sakumo being an only father since his wife's death, and he finds himself having to have Kakashi by his side a lot growing up. He could get someone to take care of his son, but Kakashi keeps running them into the ground and scaring them off.

Thankfully, the king is very understanding and loves that his son has someone else to play with.  Most people who interact with Gai treat him like a porceline. Like they have to be super careful around him or he might shatter. Kakashi doesn’t do that. He respects Gai of course. Calls him ‘your highness’ and always bows when they greet each other or say goodbye, but otherwise, he considers Gai his friend. They run around the garden together, learn together, play together. Everything that Gai does, Kakashi does with him. Sometimes Kakashi will even be able to help Gai with his learning, being a quick learner himself who can explain things better for Gai than his tutor.

As they grow up, they continue to hang out. Even when Kakashi starts to train under Lady Kushina as a page at the age of 7, Kakashi will often use his time off from training to spend with Gai.

Gai is the first person Kakashi ever tells of his dream to become a great knight. Not just like his father, but even better. He wants to prove that he’s talented and smart and that he can protect the Kingdom and the Prince from anything and anyone. Gai feels a little sad that day, even though he loves the excitement in Kakashi’s voice when he hears about his dream. But knowing that Kakashi is going to put himself into a job that could get him killed young, all to try to prove himself. that hurts Gai’s heart.

When Kakashi is promoted to Squire at the age of 11, it’s a huge celebration. People are amazed by this kid's progress. the standard age for becoming a squire is 15, and Kakashi’s already well on his way to becoming the youngest knight in history. Even with his extra duties though, he makes sure to always visit Gai in the garden at least twice a week. They still have race’s around the place, and sometimes Kakashi will show Gai how to sword fight. Gai does get lessons from a tutor of course, but he finds that he learns easier from Kakashi. Kakashi just has a way of talking to him that helps him understand quicker. Plus Kakashi always lets him make things into a competition, which helps a lot with getting him pumped and ready to learn. 

When Kakashi is knighted at the age of 16, Gai’s not sure how to feel. He’s excited for his old friend of course. This was part of Kakashi’s dream. He’s already making a name for himself separate from his father. But at the same time, Gai’s terrified that this means he won’t have any time with Kakashi anymore. Kakashi will be too busy to visit him, and he’ll be alone with no one to hang out with but the people who treat him like porcelain.

Of course, Dai won’t have that. Kakashi is immediately made Gai’s royal guard. Partially to keep him out of the field where he might find nothing but a young death, and partially to keep Kakashi and Gai close. He knows how important the two are to each other already, and he refuses to be the one to tear them away from each other.

When it comes to marriage at the age of 20, Gai is not excited. He can’t think of anyone he wants to marry, and he always finds problems with the people that he is presented with. Genma is too pessemistic, Obito is too... well, Obito. Him and Kisame just want to rip each others throats out most of the time, and while he gets along fine with Rin the two of them both agree they’d prefer to be friends.

It’s not until someone mentions to Kakashi that he should also be looking to settle down that Gai realizes why he can’t choose a marriage partner.

He doesn’t want anyone else. He wants to be with Kakashi. To have Kakashi by his side, not just as his knight, but as his partner. 

He knows it’s not conventional. Most people marry royalty from other lands to strengthen treaties or secure partnerships. But his father never married. He found other ways to do those things, so surely Gai can too. Right?

He’s afraid to bring it up to his father. Terrified that he’ll be rejected. But when he finally does, Dai just laughs and tells his son that it’s about time. That he just needed to tell him what it was he wanted, and he would make it happen for him.

Gai and Kakashi don’t get married right away. Neither of them is in a rush.

But when they do it’s a big event, and Kakashi is not pleased about this fact.

Both of their fathers are standing by their side, proud that their sons have found each other and can be together. That they know who’s side they belong at. Kakashi can’t imagine Anyone else protecting Gai, and Gai wouldn’t have anyone else standing beside him as his husband or as his royal guard.

Kakashi’s position does not change at all. There are people of course who are adamant that the King's husband cannot be his royal guard. that the position is too dangerous. 

But Dai knows that neither of the boys are going to let anyone else take Kakashi’s position, and he’s alright with that. Kakashi has always been the one to protect Gai, and he always will be. 

Skill Swap Au

Kakashi and Gai still meet outside of the academy, but it’s Kakashi who has been turned away. Denied entry because of his lack of skill in Ninjitsu or Genjutsu. Gai feels bad for the other boy. He looks so sad standing there by his father's side, the White fangs side, knowing that he can’t get into the academy because he has been deemed ‘not good enough

Seeing something in Kakashi that no one else did, Gai decides to challenge him to a spar. It takes a few attempts, and Kakashi gets annoyed really easily at his challenges and tries to remind him that he’s just going to lose to ‘the genius’, but finally Kakashi caves.

And Kakashi loses, badly. But when he crawls to his feet and stuffs his hands into his pockets determined to leave, Gai stops him and tells him that they should spare again.

And he doesn’t stop challenging Kakashi. No matter how many times Kakashi wants to give up. No matter how often the two of them hear that Gai’s ‘wasting his time with a failure’. Gai never gives up on Kakashi.

He knows what Kakashi could be capable of. He has seen his own father train her to be strong, and he has seen Kakashi training on his own. Kakashi is not a quitter. He works his butt off and always comes home bruised and tired from his efforts. Gai knows if they just keep at it, that Kakashi can become strong.

Ultimately, with Gai’s help and a lot of perseverance, Kakashi finally makes it into the academy. It’s a moment of celebration for them both and Gai can’t stop congratulating Kakashi.

Halfway through the year, Sakumo’s mission goes terribly wrong, and suddenly ‘the white fang’ is a name no longer spoken with pride. It’s a name that people spit venom at. And that loss in pride hits Kakashi hard. After Sakumo’s death, Kakashi disappears from the academy.

Gai’s terrified that Kakashi has given up. That he’s just going to let those hateful people’s words win and stop trying to become a great shinobi.

He’s wrong. Oh so wrong. Kakashi’s more determined than ever to prove himself. to show the village that he can be a great Ninja no matter what they say. Every day from dawn to dusk Kakashi trains endlessly. Pushing himself to near collapse just to get stronger. 

It’s at this point, after finding Kakashi unconscious in a field after a long day of training, that Dai decides to show him the eight gates.

Having Kakashi around the house a lot more is pretty weird, but Gai also really enjoys it. Kakashi’s not always the friendliest person, but he’s always helping out around the house with chores. 

Gai graduated from the academy at the age of five, setting the record for the youngest shinobi to become a genin ever. Choza Sensei decides when he’s six to have him compete in the chunin exams, and he is promoted before any of his classmates even make genin.

Kakashi graduated at the age of seven, which is still really impressive given the fact that people have always said he would never amount to anything. 

Gai gets placed on team choza with Ebisu and Genma, while Kakashi gets placed on Team Minato with Obito and Rin. Kakashi’s still very ‘by the rules’ because of his father, but rather than fighting with Obito over who’s stronger, Kakashi and Obito get along a bit better.

By the time they’re 11, Kakashi has actually managed to beat Gai in a fight. It’s no surprise to Gai when he becomes a chunin along with the others, even as Gai is promoted to Jonin ahead of them. 

Team Minato still gets the Kannabi bridge mission, but they’re given another Jonin to lead the mission while Minato takes care of his part of it. When Rin is kidnapped, Obito convinces Kakashi to go with him to get her even though they’re going directly against Jonin’s orders. 

Kakashi still loses his eye protecting Obito, Obito still awakens his sharing, and then Obito ‘dies’ saving Kakashi from being crushed by a bolder.

Kakashi is blamed for the mission going wrong when they get back to Konoha, but instead of allowing it to eat at him, he decides to keep training. To become stronger and show the village that he’s not the failure they think he is.

Gai is determined to help him in this mission and starts making their competitions into training sessions together. 

Whenever someone gets rude with Kakashi or blames him for Obito’s death, they usually find themselves meeting the end of Gai’s foot. Kakashi may not be willing to stand up to them, but Gai is more than happy to do it for them.

Rin doesn’t die in this au because of Kakashi. Instead, recognizing that she has no other way out, she uses Kakashi’s distraction while fighting the enemy shinobi to take her own life. 

Obito’s still mad at Kakashi for not being able to save her, and Kakashi still see’s her blood on his hands in his nightmares. But that’s because he actually held her body while she bled out. 

Recognizing his student’s strength and hurt, Minato decides to shove Kakashi into Anbu. Something that’s frowned upon by many until Kakashi starts going out onto missions. They’re surprised by his sheer strength and ability in the field. 

When Minato dies against the Kyuubi, Kakashi sinks deeper into depression and tries to push everyone away, including Gai.

Of course, Gai doesn’t allow this. He refuses to let Kakashi suffer alone and always tries to keep up with their competition and spars.

When he realizes just how bad Anbu is affecting Kakashi’s mental health, Gai decides to try and join so that he can be with him. But he’s turned away because of his personality (just like in Canon)

So instead, he decides to get Kakashi out.

Kakashi’s not too happy to be made a join sensei after being shoved out of Anbu, but he takes it as punishment for not being able to help Itachi avoid the massacre route that he chose to take (in Kakashi’s eye since he doesn’t know the truth at this point)

Over the years, Kakashi has grown a lot as a shinobi. Even Itachi was surprised to see just how strong Kakashi was with just Taijutsu and did a lot of training with him to improve his own Taijutsu. 

Come the Chunin exams with Team seven and Team Gai, Neji, Lee, and Tenten are unsurprised to find that Team Seven is extremely skilled in Taijutsu. Kakashi has taught them well, and these three are ready to take names and kick butt. 

Sasuke still loses in his fight against Lee, but Lee’s proud to say that he was taught Taijutsu from their sensei (taught first by Gai, and then improved upon by Kakashi) and that they’re surely going to get stronger with more time under him.

The month that Kakashi spends training up Sasuke’s taijutsu is possibly the worst month of Sasuke’s life. He’s introduced to Kakashi’s personal training methods and it is not fun. Not one bit. 

And after the chunin exams, while the village is trying to repair itself from the Konoha crush and settle into some sense of nromality, Itachi and Kisame show up. This time, it’s Gai who faces down Itachi and ends up in a 72 hour genjutsu. Itachi knows better than to allow the genius time to come up with a plan. But then just as Kisame is about to swoop in and finish Gai, Kakashi shows up and kicks him away. A genius and the best taijutsu master of Konoha? Itachi is out. This is not worth the hassle. 

Sasuke finds out about Itachi's appearance in the village while Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma are watching over Gai while he's resting from Itachi's attack. Kakashi of course goes after his student

Kakashi also gets to the the 'dynamic entry' against Jiraiya, kicking him in the face and away from his students. He recognizes Jiraiya of course, but damn he'd be lying if he said that didn't feel good.

[teawithshruti]

How did I keep myself sane amidst a pandemic - My thoughts on books, anime, and restaurants.

Yet another review of The Shining

A plot so well written you would want to go in room 217

Hi there! This blog comes to you from a bored 19 year old who has a knack for reading crime thrillers, watching murder documentaries, and loves watching MasterChef just to see Gordon Ramsay. LOL. And did I mention that she also happens to be a Stephen King fan, because who isn’t? So here is where I try and convince you that The Shining  is the best book ever written and how Stanley Kubrick completely butchered the screenplay, as well as why pasta is life.

Welcome to the Rockies!

The story takes place in the town of Boulder, Colorado, where our main protagonist Jack Torrance gets a job as a caretaker of the famous Overlook Hotel. Winters in Boulder are harsh, and the hotel remains closed as travel is not permitted with all the heavy snowfall. Now Jack is a recovering alcoholic with anger issues which led to him breaking his son’s arm prior to where the story begins. This made Wendy, his wife, question her marriage and the safety of their five year old son,  Danny. Danny on the other hand isn’t your average five year old who just watches cartoons and plays with toys. He is aglow with a psychic voltage, and has frequent blackouts. In the words of old Mr Hallorann, the hotel’s head chef, Danny’s a shiner. When the Torrances meet Mr Hallorann, he feels an instant connection with Danny. He warns Jack about the hotel and its sinister secrets and how the previous caretaker, Delbert Grady, killed himself and his family. But Jack is sure that this huge and lonely hotel with its splendid views is just what he needs in order to earn back his family’s trust. But going to a haunted hotel with a troubled marriage and a psychic son? Maybe not the best idea. But in his defense, Jack doesn't believe in ghosts. Little does he know that’s about to change.

Snowbound at The Overlook

The Torrance's begin settling in the Overlook. But as winter closes in and the blizzards cut them off from the outer world, the hotel seems to develop a life of its own. Meanwhile, Jack starts growing restless, craving for a friendly drink with each passing day. He also starts experiencing hallucinations, and wonders if they are withdrawal symptoms. Danny on the other hand is experiencing his own share of ghostly sightings, like the terrifying lady in the bathtub of room 217 who seems to have never checked out of the hotel. In one instance, he witnesses her climbing out of the clawfoot tub and advancing towards him with her bloated belly and dry hair as he stands frozen in fear in a blood covered presidential suite. This narrative by King with all its details is the truly the most spine tingling I’ve ever read.  Later when Danny’s parents find him in the room, a thumb in his mouth, that is when Wendy truly realizes that they are not alone in that strange big hotel. Jack goes and sees the tub for himself, but the lady from before doesn't want to greet him. Wendy, in tears, sees that both her husband and her son are being tormented by this place and begs Jack to quit the job. Danny later calms his mom down, who is weeping uncontrollably, by telling her not to worry as his daddy doesn't have the shining, so there is nothing to worry about.

Have you never heard of REDRUM?

Sure you have. Read it backwards.  Yes, you got it right. And so did Danny after seeing this word in his visions countless times. It so turns out that Danny is much stronger than he looks and after failing to possess him, The Overlook has turned to an easier target - Jack. As Jack slowly starts to lose his mind, he gives in and starts drinking again from the bar in the ballroom. His hallucinations keep getting worse to the point he actually sees Mr Grady, the previous caretaker / murderer,  and even has a talk with him. Danny sees his changing behavior and so does his wife, who just doesn't see the man she fell in love with in his cold, distant eyes anymore. With everything going on, Wendy takes Danny to their apartment in the employee wing of the hotel and locks them inside in fear of Jack, who is slowly slipping away from reality. But turns out this move from her proves to be disastrous, as Wendy keeping Jack away from his own son is the last straw for him. In one of his many hallucinations, Jack  meets his predecessor,  his buddy Mr. Grady and the two have a disturbing conversation about how fun it is to kill your wife. Yes , no one trumps King when it comes to the unique combination of horror and psychological thrillers packed into one nail-biting plot!

In other words...

The only thing I liked about the movie was Jack Nicholson’s excellent acting. Apart from that Stanley Kubrick let go of many crucial parts which were essential to the story. He eliminated the hedge sequence in the book, which was terrifying to just read. The ending was just a complete mess.  I get that you can’t exactly get all the details right of a 500 page book, but at least do justice to the ones you have chosen. Anyways I’m gonna go sulk in my room over this. Bye

.  

Is it too late to start Anime?

Hi there! Good to have you back! Ever since pandemic began, everyone’s been locked in their own house. So this led to me taking up a few hobbies like sketching and painting and binging on a whole lot of sitcoms.. My personal favorite is the alluring world of Anime. Several of my friends began watching it and I cannot exactly term it as peer pressure, but I did give in and start watching Anime too. And now my watchlist includes just a bunch of 2D characters with powers that even Superman himself can't fight. So this is my take on how a kryptonian can be defeated with Jutsu, as Mr Naruto would say. Lol. This one is for all the weebs out there. 

Manga and Anime are not the same!

To put it simply, manga is a Japanese term for comics and graphic novels, whereas Anime is the term for Japanese animations.. There are many similarities  between them, as they both have been created by Osama Tezuka, who is considered as the Japanese version of Walt Disney. Now have you ever seen a simple comic book? The one with black and white newspaper illustrations - like Garfield. Manga is just like that -  A book of illustrations. Now we arrive at the perennial question - Manga or Anime, which is better. Both of them are equally interesting, but I personally have a soft spot for anime. The intro theme songs, intense background music, and the beat dropping right before a big fight move, all these factors pack a punch. You don’t get that adrenaline rush from just a book.

My first anime - Demon Slayer

The story begins with the main character Tanjiro, who returns home after selling charcoal in town to find his entire family murdered by demons. Pretty intense right? His sister, Nezuko, survives but there’s a twist - she turns into a demon herself.  This makes him vow to take revenge and he sets off to train with Sakonji, who has trained many of the elite members of the Demon Slayer Corps. After many years of training and a painful exam called the final selection, Tanjiro finally becomes a demon slayer and is off on missions along with his sister, who unlike most demons doesn’t consume human flesh. On his missions he meets Zenitsu and Inosuke, who both have excellent powers of their own. My favorite story arc was when the highest ranking slayers, known as the pillars, were introduced. But my words won’t do justice to their powers they possess. So simply get your geek on by watching this short yet amazing series.

The Tale of Naruto Uzumaki

The hidden leaf village is not so hidden anymore! The series I am currently watching is one of the most popular anime from 2020 - Naruto.   The story is set around the shinobi villages and their ninjas and how Naruto Uzumaki plans on being the next Hokage [the most powerful shinobi] of the leaf village. He is trained by some of the best ninjas the village has ever seen. Before graduating from the academy, he was a hyperactive boy with lots of energy who just wanted to be the best. After graduation, he was placed in team seven, along with Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. This team was trained by Kakashi Sensei who is known for wielding his Chidori and even the Sharingan. The sharingan, to put it simply, is a trait passed down in families. The Uchihas are known for their sharingans and hence it naturally comes to Sasuke as well. The mystery still remains unsolved as to how Kakashi got his sharingan, as he is not an Uchiha. But Naruto does have a super power as well. Not technically his powers per se,  but we can cut him some slack. After all it's not everyday you get to see a beast like the nine tailed fox sealed away in an 11 year old boy. In my opinion the story picks up Orochimaru’s entry, and it paves the way for Sasuke’s powers in the future. My favorite character has to be Sasuke Uchiha. With his effortless fighting skills and sarcastic yet cool personality, he definitely is an excellent shinobi. You have to start this show right away because once you have seen him use his fire style fireball jutsu.....the world just doesn't look the same anymore.

In other words...

My current watchlist includes Naruto Shippuden, Black Clover, One Piece, and a few other naruto spin offs. Anime was something I never thought I would like, but now as it turns out I can't get enough of it. So bye for now, if you need me I'll be at Ichiraku’s eating ramen with barbeque pork. And if you get this reference, have a bowl of ramen on me. K bye.

Home in a faraway land

Good to see you again ! Do you ever get that feeling of an intense craving for your favourite dish? Like say pasta or pizza? My favorite is pasta, but being raised in India, I can’t say no to a classic plate of butter naan and chicken tikka with a glass of buttermilk or chaas if you please. Of Course you can’t beat the taste of a home cooked meal, but let me tell you about the time I went to this amazing little Indian restaurant in Dubai with my family, and how the food there was absolutely heavenly. 

Out and About in Dubai

Skyscrapers, Sleepless nights, Gold Souks and gigantic malls - these are the visions  you'd usually get when someone mentions Dubai. Well, they're mostly right! I went there with my family about 5 years ago. We stayed at the Ramada, which was right next to the Dubai Mall.  The mall happens to be strategically placed next to the Burj Khalifa and we got lucky enough to see mesmerizing musical fountain shows night after night. The streets are spick and span, and everyone follows the traffic regulations dutifully. We also went for the desert safari, which was no less than an actual roller coaster ride. We also visited the Gold Souk, and oh boy. The name definitely fulfills its purpose, as the entire street is occupied entirely by gold stores. Huge gold ornaments are on display like clothes on hangers. I personally don’t have a thing for gold jewellery, but my mom had the time of her life there fawning and gasping over every store we came across. Shortly after our visit here, we came across this beautiful little Indian restaurant, and you can call me old school but at the end of the day, this girl needs a desi meal, because trust me room service gets boring after a while.

Peshwa - Not your typical 5 star restaurant 

Situated away from the hustle of the main city, this place still remains quite underrated. We stumbled across this hidden gem which saved us the efforts of getting back to the hotel for an overpriced lunch. As soon as we entered the restaurant, we could smell the aroma of a classic dal makhani  [ a simple gravy consisting of lentils infused with aromatic spices and hints of burnt chillies ] in the air. So we got a table and had a look at the menu and it was almost like being back home. The endless variety of gravies with paneer in almost every single one of them, to at least 6 different types of rotis, a little piece of heaven in this concrete jungle! We went ahead and ordered a simple meal of rotis and some paneer delicacy, along with dal and rice. Apart from the taste of the food, which was just heavenly, the overall ambience of the place in one word, was exquisite. The restaurant lived up to its very ethnic maharashtrian name. The food was served in those traditional style cutlery, reminding us of a simpler time.

A dish you just can’t miss 

If you have a sweet tooth like me, you definitely have to try the coconut barfi from this place. Made from desiccated coconuts, sweetened condensed milk, a finely ground cardamom, and a hint of saffron, this dish is a match made in heaven. It was freshly made and we could tell it by the intoxicating aroma of pure ghee [clarified butter]. So just for a day, give yourself a break from watching calories and try this mouth watering dish because here’s something to live for.

In other words…

The next time I’m in Dubai, the first thing I will do is find out if the restaurant is still there. And probably avoid the Gold Souk this time. I will most certainly go for the desert safari, because it’s not everyday you get defy gravity and drive through the sand dunes like in a Fast and Furious movie. Lol.  Also thanks for bearing with me throughout this blog. See ya!

[ulittuq-writes]

a bullet point sakura au I will not write b/c I have enough projects going already

After the chunin exams, Sakura is desperate to be better and stronger and she’s tired of surviving off of luck and the whim of her enemies

Because she thought she learned after Wave, after she shook and shook and got her first taste of the blood and death that comes with a shinobi life and she still wanted it but she didn’t know how to get there (because she was the top of her Academy class, but she knows now that means very little, in the face of violence)

And she thought she learned again after the Forest of Death, when she cut the hair she spent years caring for because she wanted to be pretty and delicate but now she knows those are just kinder words for weak

Only she’s still just-Sakura, all soft hands and trembling legs

(She’s more than that, of course. She’s on a team of legends and gods-in-the-making and it takes a certain kind of resilience, a certain kind of strength, to withstand that. But she’s just thirteen and insecure and hateful.)

So she makes a plan, because she’s a paper ninja okay? She likes plans and lists and seeing a path written out neatly.

(She’s not the best at following through, sometimes, because she gets angry and impulsive in her anger, but she’s more stubborn than angry, most of the time, so it works out.)

There’s a brief moment, after the chunin exams and between Naruto leaving to bring back Tsunade and Sasuke being retraumatized by his brother and the fight on the hospital roof, when team seven still has training and Sakura learns to hate Kakashi, a little.

Before, she had been grateful that training didn’t amount to much, because it meant she had more time to try to talk to Sasuke and less time spent sweating.

But now she sits to the side while the boys spar and she remembers Kakashi saying “looks like the kunoichi has better chakra control then either of you” and it had felt like praise scrapping the wrong way, because he didn’t say it to her, because he used it to motivate the boys.

Because his eye never really settles on her and, sure, he’d give up his life for her, but he won’t train her

But then Sasuke leaves her on a bench in the dark

But then Naruto leaves and Kakashi in still in the village but she never sees him

So one day, Sakura is training and she stumbles on Anko being badass and

Look, Sakura looked the godaime hokage in the eye, in a different world, and demanded she train her

And that’s not this world, but she still has the courage to stare into the eyes of a woman who could kill her with the flick of a finger and demand to be taught

And Sakura is goddamn persistent. She spent years obsessed with the same boy and tried to shape herself into an image he could love. She is relentless.

Of course, when she asks Anko to train her, the answer in “no way in hell” but again, Sakura doesn’t take no for an answer

Eventually, Anko relents and says “okay, show me what you can do” and Sakura becomes a badass eventually but she’s not a badass now, so all she’s got in the barebones of techniques and her own stubbornness

(Anko’s heard about team seven, of course, so she knows that this kid was trained by Hatake, but it doesn’t fucking seem like it and the next time she sees Hatake she’s going to burn his porn)

It’s a situation of “ah fuck, someone’s gotta teach this kid so she doesn’t end up dead and goddamnit looks like that someone’s gonna be me”

So reluctant-teacher Anko who is not getting attached nope, she’s not! Sure, she gives the kid shit like premixed poisons and explosive seals and some goddamn sensible clothes, but she’s not getting attached!!

And Sakura is simultaneously having the time of her life and regretting all of the decisions that led to this

Because she’s finally learning and getting strong and she can be useful! But she wakes up and goes to bed sore and she’s got bandages on her hands because of the blisters and she doesn’t have the energy to look pretty (because old habits die hard) only there’s no one to look pretty for and she’s alone and she trains more to drown out that thought but training means Anko (either Anko herself, or using the supplies Anko helped her pick out and practicing the techniques Anko taught her) and Anko means she’s not alone

(Sakura has a little puppy crush on Anko for a hot minute because Anko is pretty and terrifying and apparently Sakura has a type but almost every ninja is pretty and terrifying and Sakura is a hopeless bisexual and suffering (on that note, her and Ino are something approaching friends again and Sakura is resolutely ignoring how pretty and smart Ino is because she is not going to loose Ino’s friendship again when she’s just got it back) (Ino, for her part, is finding harder to ignore her own feelings))

Sakura’s just big mess of emotions and puberty is only making it worse

Anko had no clue what to do with all these emotions, but like, she can’t deny she’s attached now, so she needs a Responsible Adult

Enter Genma

Who’s not like super emotionally healthy but he’s slightly better than most shinobi and he’s leagues ahead of Anko (fuck Orochimaru)

So Genma joins in on the training and Sakura now has two (two!!) adults who are invested in helping her

Genma is the one to bring up learning medical ninjutsu because Sakura has such good chakra control

At first, Sakura is reluctant, because she doesn’t want to be confined to being a medic. Medics usually stay behind the line and Sakura’s been training to fight, she wants to fight and not be regulated to the sidelines

But Anko says, “let them try stopping you from fighting” and Genma points out that “frontline medics are a thing. Our Hokage is one. Besides, you don’t have to specialize, just learn the basics.”

So Sakura learns the basics of healing (she learns enough to patch people up enough to get them back into the fight or keep them alive to possibly reach real medical attention) but mostly she focuses on becoming as terrifying and strong as Anko and as steady and lethal as Genma

When Naruto comes barreling back and says “we can save Sasuke” Sakura’s immediate reactions is “no” because she’s spent the past years with Anko and would gladly dismember Orochimaru and anyone who willingly abandoned the village for that snake doesn’t deserve saving

But she’s a little conflicted because team seven could have been something great and she caught glimpses of it during the forest of death and the invasion and how they worked together but

She’s not just a teenage girl full of dreams anymore, she’s a shinobi and she has ghosts that follow her and she once had her hands inside of someone’s gut trying to heal them (she had to let them die because the battle was still going and she needed every iota of chakra to get out alive herself) and team seven was only ever a dream

So this Sakura is more bitter and cynical and doesn’t keep childhood crushes alive and she can’t stave of death with a spark of chakra but she can weave illusions without the twitch of a finger and she keeps poisoned senbon in her hair and she’s gotten into the bad habit of putting them in her mouth (but that’s okay, Genma’s done it before too (and she used to make fun of him so much for it but then it happened to her and was like “FUCK”)) and she’s made herself a weird little ninja family

The thing is: Sakura has always had a soft heart and she still does because part of her will always be that little girl who wore her heart on her sleeve, but now Sakura is soft for only a select few and now she holds her heart in her mouth where she can let it smile and laugh and love, but most often hides it behind bared teeth

She still goes with Naruto to bring Sasuke back partly because she loved him once (even if maybe she only ever loved the idea of him, loved the idea of someone important and special loving her—whatever it was, she spent years with it and that has to count for something) and partly for what team seven could have been (they were like celestial bodies, pulled in by each other’s gravity only to slingshot away) but mostly because she was ordered to and there’s something poetic about the people Sasuke abandoned bringing him back

Of the people the boy-avenger deemed too weak to brother with breaking him down and dragging him home

And Sakura’s a little (okay, a lot) bitter and angry and maybe breaking Sasuke’s legs will make her feel better (which is not the healthiest approach, but shinobi aren’t known for their healthy coping mechanisms)

And if they run into Orochimaru well, that’s just a bonus (Sakura had crashed at Anko’s place enough times to know that all of her nightmares feature her former teacher)

Sakura recognized Tenzuo because she’s run a few missions with him in anbu (she doesn’t run anbu missions regularly, but Konoha’s still scrambling a bit from the crush and she has a very applicable skill set so she’s been pulled for a few missions)

She doesn’t recognize Sai, but she recognizes the emptiness in him, how he was scooped out a hollowed until there was nothing left but a weapon (there’s a certain mindset necessary to run anbu missions (a mindset Sakura is good at, because Inner isn’t prominent anymore, but she still remembers how to separate parts of herself and lock them away) and she works part-time at T&I—she’s seen empty people, she’s emptied people)

Sai calls Naruto dickless and Sakura ugly and Sakura just laughs

Because she doesn’t care about being pretty, not anymore, and she knows she has a big forehead and her limbs are gangly in the way only a teenagers can be, but she’s a good shinobi and she can protect the people she care about, the people she’s soft for—and that’s what matters

[stellarrmoon]

Black Sand and Copy Cat

Pairing: kakashi x reader

Genre: smut; 1/???

Warnings: get some water.

Status: unedited

Background: you're a sand shinobi sent to the leaf village in order to learn some new skills. Except, you dont look like everyone else; and that catches the attention of the Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake.

I settled into my room nicely, being escorted by a Jonin ninja to my quarters and left to my own space. It was only 4 in the afternoon and I was feeling ready for dinner. I didn't know how I could go into the village without raising as much curiosity as much as I did in front of Lady Tsunade.

I was clearly different from the people here and some wouldn't take kindly to me purely because I was clearly foreign. But I had a solution to limit the uproar. I had only come with a backpack filled with one day's change of clothes, weapons and bandages to wrap around my face.

Lady Tsunade assured me that I wouldn't have to worry about anything during my stay and I trusted her word, seeing as how she and her ninja accepted me quite quickly. I heard a knock on my door and opened it to reveal the Jonin who brought me to my room.

"A few of us would like to invite you to dinner tonight. Since you don't know anyone, we thought it was the best way to get you to meet a few people in the village so that you're not completely lonely."

I could tell that he was still curious about my origins by the way he looked at my hair but I didn't think much of it. "Thank you, I'll be there."

"That's great!" He beamed, "I'll send one of my friends to come escort you."

I spent about an hour in my room carving the few weapons I had brought with me. About 3 knives had already been sharpened and there were only 2 left, counting the one in my hand. I was in my own peace until I was interrupted by a knock.

That must be my escort.

I shouted that "I'm coming!", and wrapped bandages around my neck and the lower half of my face so only my eyes and forehead were shown. When I opened the door, I was met with the same white haired man who startled me earlier. "Oh, it's you."

He was reading a book as he leaned against the wall across my door, not caring that I wasn't pleased to see him. "Yes, it is me. I take it you're ready to go, Ms Amabel."

I narrowed my eyes, "How do you know my full name?"

"I asked around." He said as he flipped a page in his book, "Let's go, or else they'll finish all the meat."

I closed my door and followed the man - "Kakashi" - outside of the building and onto the street. This time, he didn't bother making conversation

"So what is the reason that you are so closed off that you can't even entertain a tiny conversation with me?"

Or so I thought.

You resisted the urge to scoff, his attitude was too nonchalant for your liking. He asked like it wasn't weird for him to be so curious about a visiting resident. "Come on, Ms Amabel, don't leave my poor soul hanging."

"I can hear your smirk inside your stupid mask."

"Ooh, a fiesty one, aren't you?"

"Are we there yet?!"

He closed his book and put it into one of his vest pockets, "Patience, bunny."

"Excuse me?!"

"Kakashi!" A loud voice called before I could continue, and it was coming from the entrance of the shop we were standing in front of. The voice belonged to a man donned in a green jumpsuit and vest with a shining bowl cut and bushy brows. "You're late to the dinner which makes me the winner of the race!" He exclaimed quite excitedly.

I heard Kakashi sigh beside me, causing my lip to quirk as I thought of him being irritated by something as pretentious as this guy in front of us. Suddenly, the intense man turned to you and came incredibly close to inspect me. I was weirded out already as he invaded my personal space but when he wiped his thumb on my forehead, I screamed. He responded by screaming as well and jumped back.

"Kakashi! What is this?"

He asked as if I wasn't clearly a person. Kakashi cleared his throat, "She's the representative of the Sand village we were told about last week, Guy."

"B-b-b-but... she's..."

"I'm what?" I asked softly, looking the now fearful man in the eye, daring him to say what was in his mind.

Aside from that startling question, I had a fairly good dinner. The jonin I met were all kind, even the super weird guy with his big brows. It gave me a slight sense of home and how all my comrades would find ways to make our table the loudest whenever we ate out.

Kakashi took me back to my place and by the end of the night, my thoughts about him had changed. At first, I was just skeptical about the sneaky guy and a tad irritated by his joking demeanor, but something about him seemed so genuine that I decided to give the guy a chance. I couldn't say he was attractive, purely because I couldn't see his face at all but something about his aura intrigued me about him. Why was he a mystery?

Scolding myself for thinking about him, I shook my head and gathered my things to get ready for the day. Since it was winter, the mornings were still dark but I estimated it was around 5 o'clock. I mentally thanked myself that I had braided my hair last night because who knew what state it would be in after my sleep.

I wrapped a towel around my body and grabbed my toiletries to go to the communal bathrooms. Of course, I had to use shoes inside because I didn't know what could infect me. Unfortunately, I didn't know which way to go and I stood, confused, at the at the top of a staircase at the end of the corridor.

"Wanna know where the bathroom is?"

"Shit!" I jumped at the voice right beside my ear, turning around to face a muscular, bare chest that belonged to none other than Kakashi. I looked up to his masked face and scowled. "Stop sneaking up on me."

"Where's the fun in that, Bunny?"

"Bunny? Why do you call me Bunny?"

He chuckled as if it was obvious. I couldn't stop myself from looking at his exposed torso and internally gasping at how well-built he was. "I call you that because you're so jumpy..." he leaned down beside my ear again. This time, I sensed him take off his mask so his lips brushed against my ear as he said, "...Bunny."

I couldn't move, even when he pulled away and walked past me.

"Bunny?" I quickly turned. "Aren't you coming to wash up?"

I almost cursed at his tilted head, "Fine."

As hard as I sounded on the outside, I was actually losing my mind at what just happened. He was so close to me and with only a towel around his waist. I couldn't deny that his body was amazing, and it had been a while since I last felt the touch of a man. Who knew what this guy could do with his hands, and a small part of me wanted to find out.

Two flights of stairs later and "We're here. The bathrooms aren't separated into male and female so everyone can see everyone. But lucky for you, it's just the two of us up this early."

Lucky? What's lucky about being naked around a guy I met a day ago?

It's a hot guy you met a day ago, my subconscious said.

Kakashi entered the bathroom swiftly, choosing a showerhead right in the middle and getting to his business. I took the showerhead opposite his because it was the best way to hide my body from him; if I chose one to the sides, he could easily have peeped over. I set the water to piping hot, turning around to let it hit my back just the right way and solicit a dragged out moan from me.

"That's an interesting sound."

I opened my eyes to see Kakashi facing me and his hair was drenched, falling over the one side of his face that wasn't exposed. "Eek! You pervert!"

I hurriedly overed my body with my arms and hands, turning back around and trying not to freak out. "I'm not the one who chose the shower closest to me."

It wasn't long until I felt his presence right behind me and something poking my lower back. Holy shit. "Nice ass, Bunny."

Without another word, I heard Kakashi leave the bathroom and I let out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding. "What the hell just happened, Ama?"

It had been a weak since I had arrived at the Leaf village and I was still thinking about that moment I had with Kakashi in the bathroom. 1st of all, I didn't even know he was living in the same lodge as me, and 2nd, the man pretended as if nothing happened. He wasn't escorting me to places anymore due to how he had his own group of young ninjas to train and look after, which made me sad a little but I figured that the less we spent time together, the better.

I attended training every single day, spending a total of 12 hours learning techniques and the basics. I had a kind mentor named Anko and she was patient with me. She praised the fact that my body was in good enough shape to handle the training and questioned me about why my chakra was so strong for someone who wasn't a shinobi at my age of 19. I didn't know anything except for the fact that the woman who found me as a baby, was a witch who gave me power to survive in Japan.

She looked after me while she stayed in the Sand Village and it was only recently that she left on her "next quest", she put it. I was sad that the woman who moulded me into who I am today had to leave but I understood her reasons.

It was only midday and Anko had taken me to the forest to do target practice with my knives and shuriken. We had been going at it for a while until a ninja disturbed us, whispering to Anko about something I was obviously not supposed to hear. "Ama. I have to leave."

"What? But I haven't finished my training for today."

She sighed and started walking backwards as the other ninja ran, "I know, I'm sorry. But they've sent someone here to help you for the rest of the day!" Her voice drifted as she got farther away.

I huffed and rolled my eyes, a bit bummed that she wouldn't be here later to spar with me.

"Aww, don't pout, Bunny."

I looked up to see Kakashi hanging from a tree. "What the hell is up with you and sneaking up on me? Do you enjoy seeing me lose my breath?"

"Of course I do!" He jumped down to stand right in front of me, "I wanna try another way of making you do that, though."

My jaw dropped as soon as he said the suggestive words, "How can you be so relaxed about saying words like that?"

"I have nothing to lose, Bunny." He started going to different trees and marking them with Xes as he spoke to me.

"What about your job?"

"Why would I lose my job for giving you an extra warm welcome?" He looked at me. "It's not like you don't enjoy it."

"...Liar." I hesitated.

"Is that why your nipples were so hard in the bathroom last week?"

He had me speechless, I didn't know what to do in front of this guy. He was too good at being himself.

"Anyways, let's carry on with your training, yeah?"

"You're Anko's substitute?" I resisted the urge to laugh but I ended up letting out a chuckle at the thought of this guy teaching me. "You have to be kidding me. You can't be as good as Anko."

"No, Bunny, I'm better. Have you not heard of my reputation?" With each word he spoke, he took a step closer to me, "I'm one of the Leaf Villages best ninja. See this eye right here," He lifted his headband to reveal his left eye which was a bloody red colour and decorated by a long scar running vertically down the skin over underneath, "this eye lets me figure out my prey's moves before they can even make them. They call me the copy-ninja because I always catch my prey, and Bunny..."

He did something I wasn't expecting and placed his cold hand on my exposed midriff. "Kakashi."

"You are my most enticing prey."

I only saw pale skin for a second when Kakashi pulled his mask down, before he crashed his lips into mine and started kissing me like he was starved. My body reacted on its own as I melted into his body and let his arms support me while I let him suck on my tongue.  This kiss was unlike any I had ever had; it was full of hunger and want and passion, most of it coming from him but it was a moment where I couldn't deny my strong attraction to him.

One of his hands travelled to my thigh, which he hiked up and wrapped my leg around his waist. The other quickly followed and he leaned me against a nearby tree to make things easier. Soon, his lips moved from my lips to my jaw to my neck and it wasn't until they reached the top of my cleavage that I had to stop him.

"Kakashi, wait."

He stopped. He leaned his forehead on my chest and I could feel his grip on my thighs loosening. In the next minute, Kakashi had put his mask back on and let me stand on me feet, leaving space between us for me to talk.

"I don't want to do this here."

"I can see that. Let's get to your training, shall we?"

I couldn't sleep. No matter how hard I tried. For the past 3 days, I couldn't get the image of that kiss I had with Kakashi in the forest and I was yearning for more. Fed up, with the cycle, I grabbed the nightgown I had bought a few days ago and wore it before stepping out. I knew there was a rooftop so I headed up the stairs and stepped onto the gravel before I noticed, at the rail, none other than...

"Kakashi." I breathed out.

His figure turned and as he did so, the moonlight shone on his body, making the muscles look better than ever. "Ms Amabel."

I chuckled as I walked towards him, "What, no 'Bunny' today?"

He smiled and that's when I noticed that he had his mask off. I couldn't see much because of the dark but I could tell that he was beautiful. He had a long, pointed nose that was slightly upturned and his lips were soft but plump, exactly as how I felt them against mine. He had a mole next to his bottom lip that made him look even more charming. This man was a dream. "You like it when I call you Bunny?"

Suddenly, I got shy and looked down, playing with my thumbs. "Well... yeah."

He grabbed a hold of my waist and pulled me flush against his body. Even though he was wearing long pants, I could feel his hard-on against me. "If I call you Bunny, what do you call me?"

This man seemed hellbent on fucking me. The way he spoke and the way he held me - the way he looked at me. It's like I was... his prey.

"Well?"

I looked into his differently coloured eyes and found myself getting lost in them. "Kakashi..."

He laughed boisterously, "Really? You're gonna stick with Kakashi?"

"No... I was thinking maybe, Daddy?"

He let out a groan and his grip was tighter on me, "Don't joke with me, Bunny."

"I'm not." Now I looked at him more intently. I needed us to get into a room now. "Let's go." I whispered into his chest.

Before I could say another word, he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

"Kakashi!" I giggled while he snickered. He basically jumped down the stairs until we reached his room and he slammed the door shut with his foot.

I was thrown onto the bed, resting back on my forearms to admire his physique. Moonlight peaked though the window and highlighted his body. "You're staring quite a lot, aren't you?"

"Got a problem with it?"

"Not if you'll let me return the favor." He grabbed a chair and made himself comfortable, manspreading right in from me.

Usually, I was a person who liked to keep to myself but when it came to pleasing a partner - especially one who made me as aroused as Kakashi - I had no boundaries. I figured I'd tease him a little bit before I got to showing him what he wanted to see.

"Come on, Bunny, don't make me beg." His voice was soothing as he watched me let down the straps of my nightgown one by one. He followed my hands as they played with the hem and started lifting it up. The closer I got to exposing myself, the more Kakashi leaned forward, but I pulled it back down at the last moment, giggling at Kakashi's shocked face.

I knew it! "You're a perv, Mr Hatake. But that kinda makes me excited."

Finally, I pulled the dress over my head and threw it on the floor. I felt my boobs bounce as I let Kakashi drink in the sight of me. "It's gonna be hard for me to keep my hands to myself if I watch you."

"Then touch me, Daddy."

Kakashi swiftly glided to kiss me, holding my hands to the bed by my wrists as he pushed his tongue into my mouth. I was already a bit wet from feeling his dick earlier but he was making me wetter. He wasted no time getting to kiss every inch of my body, from my neck to my boobs, my tummy and legs. He paid special attention to my boobs and thighs, saying they were "fucking amazing" which only led me to yearn for him more.

The way his hands were all over my skin made me burn up and his voice as he praised my body made me all the needier. "Kakashi..."

"Yes, baby..."

His hand travelled to my mound which caused me to gasp as he cupped it.

"I'm gonna make this mine, Bunny."

A slim finger slid up my slit, collecting the sticky wetness that had already collected there. I watched as he started to play with my pussy. Kneeling in front of my open legs, Kakashi circled and pressed against my clit in such a way that had me squirming. He was taking his time with me but all I wanted was to feel him deep inside my heat.

I was only letting out soft, sweet moans; back arched and head thrown back when he started to tease the area around my opening. "Please..." I sounded like a whore.

He pushed the fingers I fantasized about in the past into me, making me tense in pleasure. In and out, he started to maneuver them, making me writhe from his touch and play with my own boobs.

"Ah... yes, Kakashi, just like that." I mewled as I felt his fingers curling inside me; they kept hitting a spot that made me go crazy, and my sounds seemed to encourage him.

"You look so beautiful right now, Amabel. My hand's covered in your juices and they're glistening in the moonlight right now, baby. That's how wet I made you, you know that?"

Kakashi himself was breathless as he watched my body shine with sweat while I kept myself from screaming at his touch. With the pace getting faster, so did the frequency of my moans.  "Ah...ah! Oh my God, Kakashi, please make me cum."

Those words triggered him to grant me my wish as his mouth latched onto my clit and he got to licking and sucking. I felt it coming soon and struggled to keep my hips on the bed, Kakashi's hand on my lower belly the only thing keeping me steady. He moaned, the vibration causing me to still as I felt my stomach twist into the tightest knot.

"Kakashi, I'm cumming!!!"

I cried through my orgasm as I rode his fingers and face. I opened my eyes through it and he was watching my pussy convulse and pulse as kept pumping his fingers. "That's it, Bunny. Cum for me more."

He had a sadistic smile as he watched me lose control, finally deciding it was time for him to feel you around his length. Kakashi pulled out his fingers, before suddenly slamming his hard dick into my tightness. I silently screamed, rolling my eyes to the back of my head as he tried to burrow deeper inside me.

"Fuck, baby, it won't fit."

He took a deep breath before starting to roll his hips. They moved in waves, a continuous rhythm that had his penis entering and pulling out of my pussy in regular intervals, the squishing of my wetness very prominent in every thrust. "Ka-ka-shi..."

I purred into his ear while he buried his head in my neck, biting and kissing at my skin while one hand fondling a breast. "You feel so good, Bunny. Fuck, it's so tight."

"Mmmm Daddy, please go faster." I pulled his hair one last time before he lifted himself off my upper body and started thrusting at a greater speed. The sound of our skin slapping along with our moans and groans and cries made the room as erotic as ever.

"I'm gonna make you cum so hard, Bunny. Just look Daddy in the eye and make sure you let me know just how good I'm making your pussy feel."

Right when he placed my legs over his shoulders, I did what he said and good God, did his Sharingan eye not make me cum. "Daddyyyyyy!!! Ughhhhhhh!!!"

I screamed his name while the eye glowed and tears flowed down my face since he kept going and pounding me relentlessly as I orgasmed. I felt another one coming when he kept hitting my g-spot and tightened around his thick shaft, my walls keeping him locked in his position. I could feel him throb inside me. "You're so amazing, baby. Daddy's not even close to being done with you."

He pulled out, making me see just how big he was. He had to be at least 10 inches, with a good girth as well. I couldn't admire his appendage long enough because he flipped me over with ease and like before, rammed into my already sensitive heat. My juices were already coating my thighs and the area above his dick, I wondered how long he could go.

"Kakashi!" The man held my arms behind my back with one hand and grabbed my throat with the other. As soon as he pulled my body up, he didn't stop fucking up into me. We kissed as I felt another one coming, the lack of control I had over myself turning me on to the maximum. I felt the blood to my head stop circulating and felt my eyes closing.

"You wanna pass out taking my dick, Bunny? Hm, you wanna go to sleep knowing I own your pussy like this?" His voice was gruff, as if a monster had taken over him.

"Yes Daddy, please. Make me yours now. I'll do anything to feel it again, just use my body how you want!"

His grip on my neck tightened and again, I looked at his red eye. As if he saw what was coming next, Kakashi widened his eyes and gave one last thrust into me and we both came. His eye glowed brightly as he coated my walls with his seed and held my body as I shook from my most intense orgasm.

Surprisingly, he still felt hard inside me so he gave one last thrust that triggered something in me causing my body to let go of so much liquid it wet most of the sheets. It went on for a few moments as my strangled moan came out while my pussy spasmed again. "Fuuuuuck Kakashi!"

He kissed me deeply for a few seconds before delicately, guiding my body off his dick. I felt our combined cum spill out of me but I didn't have the energy to worry about it. Instead, I turned to look at Kakashi who had the biggest smile on his face as he looked at me.

"Where are we gonna sleep?" I inquired.

[bakubabes-tatakae]

The Uchiha In The Leaves (Part Three)

Author’s Note: If anyone wants to be in a taglist for this feel free to let me know! Happy to do it for anyone!

(Kakashi Hatake x Reader)

Summary: What happens when Y/N finally returns to the Village Hidden in the Leaves? Her life is flipped upside down when not only does she find the man that’s awaited her return, but she finds someone she thought she’d never see again.

AO3 Link

Part One, Part Two:*NSFW Ahead!*

Part Three:

Word Count: 4537

The next morning came around and we headed to the training spot. I felt bad doing this to my brother, but Kakashi felt it was the best way to master some training with them. We popped up in front of them without even announcing ourselves. “Good morning everyone, ready for your training?” Kakashi waved at them.

Sakura and Naruto jumped up and spoke together. “Hey! You’re late!”

“Well, a black cat crossed our path so we had to take the long way.” They were both fuming. “Well, let’s get started.” Kakashi put a timer on the log in front of us and looked at all three of them. “It’s set for noon.” He held up two bells attached to strings. “Your assignment is very simple. You have to take these bells from me. That’s all there is to it.” He looked over at me. “And since this is Y/n’s first year training with me, I think one of these will go to her as well.”

He handed one of them to me and I tied it around my belt loop of my pants, Kakashi doing the same with his. “If you can’t get them from us before noon, you go without lunch. You’ll be tied to a post and you’ll have to watch use at lunch in front of you.” I gave them an apologetic smile.

Sakura noticed a major detail. “Wait a minute, there’s three of us, why are there only two bells?”

Kakashi smiled. “Well that way at least one of you will end up tied to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing the mission. That one goes back to the academy. Then again… all three of you could flunk out too.”

I didn’t like what Kakashi was saying, but I knew for us to co-train as a team I had to go with it so I made my own rules. “You can use anything you want, including a shuriken. If you aren’t prepared to kill us you’ll never take the bells.”

Sakura spoke up. “Those weapons are dangerous Sensei.”

Naruto pointed to Kakashi and started to laugh. “Especially since he couldn’t even dodge that eraser.”

I had to hold back my laughter again as I saw Kakashi smirk before he spoke. “Class clowns are usually the weakest links. You can safely ignore them, lowest scores, losers. When I say start you can begin.” Naruto looked pissed now. Naruto grabbed a kunai knife out of his pants and started running at Kakashi, clearly steaming about the class clown comment. When Naruto got right next to Kakashi, Kakashi grabbed his wrist and spun him around. He held his head with one hand and his hand that had the kunai with the other. The kunai was pointed toward the back of Naruto’s head. “Don’t be in such a hurry. I didn’t say start yet.”

Naruto fought against Kakashi and Sakura and Sasuke stepped back some. When Kakashi finally let go of Naruto he was fuming again. “But you came at me with full intentions of destroying me so… how can I say this? I’m actually starting to like you guys.”

I smiled from behind Kakashi. “Get ready…” The three of them got ready to jump away. 

Kakashi built up the anticipation before saying anything. “Start!”

The five of us went our separate ways. I stayed close enough to Kakashi that I could see him, but far enough away that I wouldn’t have to worry about the chance of the kids seeing us together. After searching for the kids for a couple of minutes we regrouped and began to talk to them, knowing they were all hiding well. Kakashi began to teach and I had flashbacks of us from when we were kids, learning with our Sensei, Minato, in this same exercise.

Kakashi had always been the type to take control in any situation and always followed by the book. He was always the one that was willing to teach someone the way something should be done if you weren’t doing it right the first time. As kids he was always the one telling me how to do things, we had been in the same squad as kids. Our class in the academy had been a big class, so our suad was one of the only squads to be made up of four students, instead of three. Rin, Obito, and Kakashi had been my very best friends. On top of that I had never gone past Chunin in my training until I reached the Village Hidden in the Mist, where I became a Jonin.

Kakashi spoke loudly, assuring they would hear him. “Ninja must know how to conceal their movements and hide effectively.”

We looked around as I spoke softly to Kakashi. “Well, they understand that much. They’re hidden well.”

Suddenly we both looked up, Naruto stood before us. “Right now, you and me, fair and square. Let’s go.” Naruto pointed to Kakashi. I jumped into a tree above them, Kakashi could handle the class clown.

“You know, compared to the others you’re a little bit… weird.”

“Oh yea… the only thing weird here is your haircut.” Naruto took off at a brisk run for Kakashi. He stopped right before he got to him. 

Kakashi talked to him. “Shinobi battle techniques part one. Taijutsu, the physical part.” Kakashi reached into his side pocket of his small gear bag and grabbed his book. Naruto looked very confused. “What are you waiting for? Make your move.” Kakashi had always been very cocky, a trait everyone knew him by when we were kids.

“But, why… I mean… Why are you reading that book?” Naruto couldn’t spit out what he wanted to say.

“Why?... To find what happens in the story of course. Don’t let it bother you. With you weak attacks it really doesn’t matter if I’m reading or… whatever.” There was that cockiness again…

Naruto ran at him. “I’m going to crush you!” Naruto jumped at him and Kakashi held his hand out, blocking Narutos’ punch. While still reading his book, Naruto kicked, and Kakashi bent down. Naruto went to punch him one more time, but when his fist should have connected with Kakashi’s face, he was gone.

As Naruto finally figured out what had happened Kakashi was already ready. “Don’t let your enemy get behind you all the time.” I knew what was going to happen next and I cringed. He put his hands together with two fingers on each hand pointing out.

Sakura yelled from somewhere in the distance. “Naruto, get out of there quickly. He’s going to destroy you!”

Before Naruto could react Kakashi made his move. “Too late. Leaf Village secret finger jutsu!” Kakashi jabbed Naruto in the rear end and sent him flying into the sky. “Thousand years of death!” Naruto went flying into the stream that we were standing by. Kakashi picked his book back up. “Okay, where was I?” Suddenly two ninja stars came flying out of the water where Naruto had just landed. Kakashi held out two fingers and caught the stars around them. 

Naruto climbed out of the water. “What are you doing now?” Kakashi looked down at him. “You know you wont get lunch if you don’t take a bell by noon.”

“I know, I know. You told us already.”

“You looked pretty wobbly for someone that’s going to pass the Hokage.” I jumped down from my tree and next to Kakashi, who put his arm on top of my shoulder and leaned on me. 

“You told us not to eat breakfast. How can I fight when I’m starving to death?” Kakashi started to walk away. “So you caught me off guard, that’s all it was, believe it.” Naruto stayed on his knees on the ground. “I’m so hungry that somehow I don’t have any strength somehow. I’m going to pass the test and I’m not going back to the academy. I will become a ninja.” The water behind Naruto started to swirl and then suddenly six other Naruto’s came flying out. Kakashi turned around. “You’re overconfident Sensei. That’s why you weren’t ready for a shadow clone attack, my best jutsu.”

Kakashi looked from the clones to me. “Looks like the rumors are true. He CAN make shadow clones.” My mouth began to hang open and Kakashi reached over and shut it for me. “It’s a forbidden skill, he defeated Mizuki with it.” Kakashi looked at Naruto. “Great technique, I don’t think you can maintain it very long.” They all started to run at us. “You talk like you’re the best Narutp, but you’re still the worst student.”

I looked over at Kakashi, trying to seem calm, knowing that Sasuke and Sakura were somewhere looking on as I talked to him in almost a whisper. “Time to get out of the way, stop working him up.”

“You can’t beat me with this jutsu.” Suddenly I saw the bell on Kakashi’s belt loop jingle and a clone popped up on his back. “What? He got me from behind?”

I jumped backwards as fast as I could, jumping into a nearby tree again. I wanted to help Kakashi so bad, but two Jonin against a Genin wasn’t fair at all.

Naruto taunted Kakashi. “Didn’t you say don’t let your enemies get behind you? Good advice Sensei, believe it.” All the other clones jumped on his legs and the real Naruto jumped in the air toward him. “I had one of my clones come up out of the river and then sneak up behind you super quiet.” As he fell toward Kakashi, he was ready to get his revenge. “And this is for getting me in the butt earlier! You’re mine and so is that bell.”

As Naruto went to hit Kakashi once again, he was gone. Naruto hit his own clone, making him hit the ground. “It’s you, you’re Kakashi Sensei, aren’t you? You transformed into me using a jutsu, didn’t you?” All the clones began to hit each other until all that was left was the real Naruto. He had undone his jutsu to figure out which was the clone, Kakashi had gotten him with the replacement jutsu.

Kakashi jumped into the tree next to me during all of this. “Hey baby.”

I slapped his arm. “I thought you had really been caught by him. I was going to make fun of you for it all day.” Kakashi began to laugh. I looked at his belt and realized that he didn’t have his bell. “Kakashi, where’s your bell?”

He pointed to the ground. “Watch this.” Naruto had spotted the bell on the ground and was on his way to pick it up. His feet were lifted from underneath him and he was left hanging in a tree by a rope. Kakashi and I began to laugh. We jumped down and he grabbed his bell. “Think before you use a jutsu or else your opponent might use it against you.” He grasped the bell in his hands and smiled. “Oh, and if the bait is obvious, don’t take it.” Naruto started to steam. If it could have come out of his ears it would have.

I looked at Naruto. “A ninja must see through deception.”

“I get it!” Naruto was flailing around. “Why am I listening to you anyway? You’re not even a leaf ninja, you’re a mist ninja.” He pointed at my headband.

“I might be from a different village, but this is where I live now and the Hokage asked me here personally.” I glared at him. “I’m telling you this because you don’t get it! You think you get it, which is not the same as actually getting it… get it.?” As Kakashi watched me, shuriken came flying from the tree line and right into him. Kakashi hit the ground. I stepped in front of him. “The next one is mine.” I didn’t know who it was, but I was hoping I did.

Naruto confirmed my suspicion and I readied myself. “He just blasted him with shuriken. Are you out of your mind Sasuke? That was too far.”

As what we had thought was Kakashi hit the ground the kids saw that it was a log. Kakashi and I jumped into a tree and we began looking for him.

“Are you sure you want this battle? It’s your brother.” Kakashi looked over at me as we ran through the trees.

“I want to see what he’s made of.”

I could hear Sakura talking in the bushes, clearly trying to be quiet. “Sakura, turn around.” She turned around to look at me, screaming.

Kakashi blew the bushes away from around her, leaving her in the open. We had both disappeared, leaving her by herself. I transformed into a version of my brother, something very easy to do for myself since we share the same bloodline. I laid on my knees on the ground with a shuriken in my back. “Sakura, Sakura, please help me.” Sakura stopped and looked at me, screamed, and fainted. I transformed back into myself and jumped back into the tree branch next to Kakashi. “I think I might have overdone that a bit…”

“She’s got to learn to see through these things.” Kakashi flipped to the next page in his book in his hand.

“Let’s go find my brother.” I knew that he was around and he had seen it so I began to talk. “Shinobi battle technique number two, the illusion jutsu. Sakura studied it in class, but she still couldn’t see it coming.”

We jumped down behind Sasuke, not making a sound so he wouldn’t know we were there. “I’m not like Sakura and Naruto.”

“Say that when you have one of these bells little brother.” Sasuke turned around to face me, determination showing in his eyes. Sasuke grabbed more shuriken and threw them at me. With one swift move I jumped to the side, dodging them all. “There’s no point in using normal attacks.” I hit the ground and started to slide across the dirt. I saw him throw another shutdown and before I could stop, I hit a rope laying across the ground. “A trap.” More shuriken launched at me and I jumped away from the tree just in time, all of them embedding in the trunk.

Suddenly Sasuke was behind me. He swung a kick at me which I barely blocked by putting my arm up. I grabbed his ankle and he swung a fist at me. I used my free hand to grab it. His other foot came barreling at my head and I let go of his fist to grab his other leg. He reached for my bell on my waist since my hands were busy holding his legs. I let go of his legs and jumped backwards as fast as I could. He’s fast, no denying he had the Uchiha speed. Sasuke landed across from me. He started with hand signals, something I knew wasn’t good. Our clan had the fire jutsu running through our veins. I prepared myself as I noticed what he was signing. I had to think of something quick. Genin aren’t supposed to be able to do the fireball jutsu, it should take up too much chakra, it could even drain me if I didn’t use it properly.

When fire came flying at me I knew I was wrong. I barreled myself into the ground and when I knew Sasuke was squirming from trying to find where I was I grabbed his ankle from under the ground. “Where?” Sasuke’s face turned to terror. “I’m where you least expect me.” I dragged Sasuke down and left him in the dirt up to his head. “Right under your feet.” I bent down and smiled at him. Kakashi jumped down from the tree next to me.

“Earth style, headhunter jutsu. Can't move, huh? I taught your sister that one.” He smiled at me. “That was ninjutsu, the third shinobi battle skill. You have talent, and you’re right, you are different from the others, but different isn’t always better.”

I stood up. “They say the nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down Sasuke.” He glared at me. “Sorry little brother, maybe next time.”

When Kakashi walked away I bent down again. “I’ll get you out Sasuke, but this is exactly why I don’t want you getting it stuck in your head that you’re ready to face Itachi. You couldn’t even take me on and think about how much stronger than me Itachi’s always been. You’re not ready.” Sasuke said nothing to me. “I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s for your own good. I don’t want him to hurt you… not again.”

Kakashi came back. “Come with me.” 

He jumped back into the trees.I punched the ground in front of Sasuke to loosen it for him and then took off after Kakashi before he could get himself out. When Kakashi stopped he pointed down. On the memorial where we left the two lunches for the two kids that passed sat Naruto. Hadn’t we just told him not to fall for setups like this? Kakashi jumped down on top of the memorial. “Hey there.”

I jumped down to the left of Naruto and smiled at him. Naruto screamed and looked straight ahead, not wanting to look at either of us. “I was just joking, Sensei.”

“Nice try.” I grabbed Naruto and we pushed him against a post. Kakashi wrapped a rope around him and once it was secured we heard the timer go off. None of the kids had gotten a bell. I was a little disappointed. I was only helping train them, when it came to whether or not they were to keep training it was all on Kakashi. I hoped he would go easy on them.

Sakura and Sasuke came out of the woods and back to the meeting spot, sitting down in front of Naruto on the post. We could hear their stomach’s growling. Kakashi taunted them. “Uh-oh, stomach’s growling, huh? That’s too bad.” The food set in containers was now sitting in front of all of them. “Oh, by the way, about this exercise… I’ve decided I won’t send any of you back to the academy.” They all seemed excited at those words and even began to smile.

Naruto started to kick his feet. “That means all three of us? All three of us!?”

Kakashi smiled. “Yes. All three of you are being dropped from the program… permanently.” They all stopped and their faces dropped.

I couldn’t help myself. “Kakashi!”

Naruto began to speak. “Drop us from the program? That means we’ll never become ninja! You said if we couldn’t take the bells we’d be sent back to the academy. You can’t just change your mind and kick us out, why would you do that?”

“He’s right Kakashi, that’s not fair.”

Kakashi turned to me. “I make the decisions. Just because your brother is one of them doesn’t mean I give him special treatment.”

“That’s not what I’m saying. You saw them, they showed promise.” I tried to plead with him, not just for my brothers sake, but for all of them.

“Enough Y/N.”

I glared at him. What was going on with him? I had never seen him like this, usually he always took what I said into account.

“It’s because you don’t think like ninja, you think like little kids… like brats.”

Before I could stop him, I saw Sasuke stand up and run at Kakashi. Kakashi grabbed him and sat on him, holding his arms back. I was beginning to get angry. “Kakashi, get off him! Leave him alone!”

Kakashi didn’t even look at me. “You think it’s all about you.”

Sasuke was squirming underneath him. Sakura spoke up. “Get off Sasuke, you can't step on him like he’s some bug!”

“You don’t know what it means to be a ninja.” I could feel my anger welling up inside of me as he spoke.

My brother was squirming underneath Kakashi and there was nothing I could do. “You think it’s a game, huh? Why do you think we put you in squads? Did you consider that for one moment?”

Sakura calmed down a little. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I mean you never realized what this exercise was all about, not even close.”

Naruto was in shock. “What do you mean what it’s about?”

“Yes. That’s what determines whether you pass or fail.”

Sakura hung her head. “But that’s… that’s what I wanted to ask you about from the beginning.”

“Use your head. Three people in a squad. Why do you think we do that?”

“How are we supposed to know why you picked three people? We didn’t make the rules?” Naruto squirmed more.

“It’s so basic… teamwork.”

They all looked dumbfounded, especially Sakura. “Just working together? Is that what you mean?”

“That’s what I mean. It’s too late now, but if all three of you had come after us.” Kakashi looked back at me. “You might have been able to take them. Well, anyway, it’s over.”

“You set it up with three people and two bells. If we worked together and got the bells only two of us could keep them and that would lead to group conflict and the squad would break up.”

“Exactly. I purposefully pit you against each other. I wanted to see if you would overcome that and put the squad above yourselves. A Genin should have a natural feel for teamwork. But you, it never even crossed your mind.” He looked at each of them. “Sakura, you obsessed about Sasuke the whole time when Naruto was right in front of you and you wouldn’t lift a finger to help him.”

He looked at Naruto. “Naruto, you do everything on your own. Everything.”

He pushed Sasuke’s head farther into the ground, enticing my anger once again. “And you Sasuke. You thought everybody else was so far beneath you they were worthless. Arrogance. Ninja missions are carried out in squads. Of course you need individual skills, but teamwork is the most essential element. Every shinobi understands this. When individuals put themselves above the squad this can lead to failure and death.”

Kakashi reached into his bag for a kunai. “For example.” He put the kunai on Sasuke's throat. “Sakura, kill Naruto now, or Sasuke dies.” Naruto looked between Sakura and Kakashi.

I had had just about enough. I jumped up in the air and toward Kakashi, he anticipated my moves and threw me to the side. I hit the tree behind me with a force so hard I could feel it vibrate through my teeth. I knelt down and stared at him.

I saw Sasuke squirm under Kakashi, staring intently toward me. “That’s what happens on a mission. An enemy takes a hostage and you’re faced with an impossible choice and someone ends up dead.” Kakashi got off Sasuke and walked over to me, holding his hand out to help me up. “On every mission your life’s on the line,” I took his hand and stood, leaning on him some. “Did you look at this stone and all the names on it? They are all ninja that are honored as heroes in our village.”

Naruto spoke up. “That’s it , that’s it, that’s it. Now I know. I’ve decided I’m going to have my name engraved on that stone. I’m not going to live and die for nothing like a dog. I’m going to be a hero.”

“They’re special kinds of heroes.”

“What kind of heroes are they? Come on, tell us.”

“They’re KIA.”

“That sounds really cool.” Naruto was more excited than he should be.

Sakura looked over at him. “It means killed in action. They all died.”

Naruto’s face dropped as Kakashi spoke. “This is a memorial stone. The names of my closest friends are engraved on here.” I knew exactly who he meant. Kakashi turned to face them. “Alright, I’m going to give you guys one more chance.” He turned to me. “But we’re going to make it much harder on you.”

I looked at him and nodded. “You have three hours to get a bell. Eat lunch and build up strength, but Naruto doesn’t get any.” Naruto growled at me. “It’s your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat it yourself.”

Kakashi continued. “If anybody tries to feed him that person will immediately fail.” He looked at each one of them. “I make the rules, you follow them. Get it?”

Kakashi and I sat in a tree on the edge and watched them, making sure they understood what he had said. What we saw made us proud. Sakura and Sasuke both gave Naruto some of their meals. We had to make it seem like it was a big deal. Kakashi blew the dirt up around them, coming out from it as he yelled. “YOU!”

Sakura and Naruto began to scream and Sasuke stood his ground, ready for anything. When the dust cleared I jumped down next to Kakashi. “You broke the rules. I hope you’re ready for your punishment.” Kakashi began to make hand signs using his lightning strikes to turn the sky black and make thunder and lightning crack and flash. “Any last words?”

I began to make hands signs as well, getting my fire ready in my hands. They each cowered except Sasuke. Naruto began to talk. “But you said…”

Kakashi looked at him with piercing eyes. “Yes?”

Naruto started to yell. “You said that there were three of us, that’s what you said and that’s why Sakura and…” He trailed off.

Sasuke picked up where he left off and I could never be more proud of him. He had always been a selfish one. “We’re all on this squad and we’re all in this together.”

Sakura got brave. “Yea. That’s right. We gave our lunch to him because the three of us are one.”

Naruto squirmed in his ropes. “Yea, yea, yea. Believe it. That’s right.”“The three of you are one, that’s your excuse?” We walked toward them and my flames grew higher. They all stared back, expecting a fight. Kakashi smiled. “You pass.” They all looked puzzled. He said it slower. “You. Pass.”

Sakura stared at us. “What do you mean we pass? How’d we pass?”

Kakashi and I stopped our jutsu and he explained. “You’re the first squad that ever succeeded. The rest just did what I said and fell into every trap. They couldn’t think for themselves.”

I stepped forward and wrapped my arm around Sasuke. “A ninja must see through deception. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. That’s true, but… those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.” Naruto looked like he would cry.

Kakashi gave them a thumbs up. “The exercise is over, you all passed. Squad seven starts its first mission tomorrow.”

I put my hand in Sasuke’s hair and ruffled it like I used to when we were kids. He looked up at me and smiled. “Let’s go home.” As we walked I kept my eyes on Sasuke. “I’m proud of you little brother.”

Taglist 💕 @nubiadethemyscira @nimeryaa @o-franzii-o @chidori-mint

Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight: *NSFWish Ahead!*

Updated: 5/1/2020

[sagemoderocklee]

∞ 🌻

as per my last fill of these prompts, im super sorry i left this sitting in my inbox for a million years :( this one isn’t tied to any greater idea i’ve been mulling over, but it did end up longer than anticipated so i’m breaking it up into two parts because it’s taken me much longer than i expected! i’ll try to get the next part out tomorrow! and i’ll probably polish it up and post it to ao3 since it’s so long lol

originally for:  PUT A “∞” IN MY ASK BOX AND I’LL SHUFFLE MY MUSIC PLAYER AND GIVE YOU MY FAVORITE LYRIC FROM THE SONG THAT COMES UP.

[ao3 // kofi]

---

song: Sunlight by Hozierlyrics: At last can grant a name/’til buried in a burning flame/is love in its decisive pain, oh my/sunlight, sunlight, sunlight

---

There it was again: warmth suffusing him; an awareness of his heart beating, rapid and uncontained, a wild wind in his chest; his eyes rooted to the shape of the Sun, human and solid, standing before him as a man--not divine, yet wholly and inexplicably empyrean. 

It was impious. Not that Gaara was particularly concerned with the superfluous rules of Suna’s religions, but he’d also never had reason before to compare the mundane to the divine. 

Considering Rock Lee mundane felt like more of an insult to the gods than comparing one of their own to Rock Lee. 

He shook the thought--and all other’s relating to Rock Lee and their accompanied feelings--away, forcing his heart to return to its normal rhythm with practiced ease. “Rock Lee.” He greeted Lee with a faint smile and a small nod, exactly the same way he’d done every visit for the last five years. Lee was not the Sun, he was just a man--an extraordinary man, certainly, but a man. 

“Kazekage-sama.” Lee’s radiant smile insisted that Gaara’s summation of Lee was inaccurate--or at the very least lacking. “It is good to see you. I did not expect to see you today.” 

“I had some free time.” He hadn’t. Though he was never behind on work, there was always work to do. He’d simply decided to skip it. 

“That is excellent news!” Lee’s round eyes closed, his smile broad with his joy. 

“I take it your journey was easy,” Gaara said, ignoring Lee’s smile and the warmth that refused to leave his chest. “You made good time.” 

“I did!” Lee agreed with a laugh. “There was a sandstorm just past the boarder, but I had no trouble after that. I was hoping to beat my record, but I think I missed it by a hair.” 

“You came close,” Gaara confirmed. “If you’d been twenty minutes earlier.”

Lee punched the air, his mouth a determined line. “Then I shall just beat it on my return journey!” 

“No self-inflicted punishment for not making it here earlier?” 

Lee shook his head, dropping his fist in defeat. “Unfortunately there is no time. Well, I suppose there is--but I would much rather spend it with you!” 

There it was again, haunting him, hunting him. That feeling bit at his heels, chasing him down, wearing him out. He wanted to curl a fist into the fabric of his robes and yank his wretched heart from his chest. 

“How long before you have to leave?” he asked instead. 

“I only have until tomorrow.” Lee’s shoulders had dropped until he looked like a wilting flower, despondent in the midst of a dry season, wanting for rain where there was none. 

“Perhaps you can spare more time on your return to Konoha,” Gaara offered. 

“Are you sure?” Lee asked, perking up. 

“You’re always welcome here.” They’d done this countless times. Gaara could almost predict this particular exchange. Lee never wanted to impose, never wanted to assume, but he always wanted to stay for as long as Gaara would have him. 

Gaara would have kept him forever if he could. 

The thought--sudden and complete clarity--lodged itself somewhere at the front of his mind, shimmering its truth in front of Gaara, like glass casting rainbows upon a wall. 

He kept his expression neutral, flat, quiet, but the realization had inspired a tempest in his mind. 

“Do you want to grab lunch?” Lee asked, unaware of Gaara’s turmoil, and continuing to cast radiant smile after radiant smile in Gaara’s direction--mocking him, tormenting him, beckoning him.

“I promised Temari I’d eat lunch at home today.” 

Like clockwork, Lee’s smile dimmed, like clouds rolling by to obscure the sun. “Oh, of course. I would hate to interrupt family time.” 

“You know you’re welcome to join us. Temari would be insulted if you didn’t stop by, and Ruri will be happy to see you.” 

Lee’s smile returned, as if on cue, and his eyes filled with tears. “Ruri-chan! I could not leave without saying hello to her! Is she still teething?” 

“Most of her teeth have come in by now,” Gaara said. “There are still some issues, but Temari and Shikamaru manage it well.” 

“I would expect nothing less from them!” Lee declared. “Ruri-chan is lucky to have such devoted parents! And such caring uncles,” he added, glancing to Gaara. “Is Kankurou-san around?” 

Gaara snorted, shaking his head with amusement. “He should be--along with one of his friends.” 

Lee blushed, vibrant and high on his cheeks. “O-oh, I thought he stopped bringing his uh... friends by?” 

“He did,” Gaara confirmed. “But he insists this one is serious.” 

“How is Temari-san handling that?” 

“In stride. I believe she’s hopeful.” 

“And you?” 

“I don’t have any thoughts on the matter. What Kankurou gets up to in the bedroom isn’t my concern, so long as it doesn’t have any impact on Ruri--and as far as Ruri is concerned, he’s in agreement. I think he’s trying with this one, but I’m not an expert on romance--” His stomach dropped, a knot forming in his chest where his heart should have been. He glanced to Lee’s earnest face, his gaze glued to Gaara as he hung on his every word. 

“For Kankurou-san’s sake, I hope he finds someone who truly makes him happy,” Lee said with all the sincerity of a hopeless romantic--which Gaara knew him to be, though he’d never understood it. “Love is a wondrous thing, in all its forms! It would be a shame if he did not find that special someone!” 

Gaara couldn’t help wondering, his stomach curdling, if Lee had found that special someone. “A shame indeed,” was all Gaara could think to say. 

By the time they reached his home, in the south-west section of Suna, built into the walls of the plateau, Gaara and Lee had fallen silent. To Gaara, it felt heavy with unspoken intention, and he worried that Lee would sense what he’d discovered. 

It was an irrational fear--Lee, for all that he was a wonderful man and a skilled shinobi, was not known for his observation skills. 

Inside, the smell of simmering meat and fresh fruit filled the air, and the sounds of a babbling toddler echoed from the kitchen. Beside him, Lee sighed, content and sad all at once. 

“It smells wonderful,” he said, voice light. “It is always so nice being here.” 

“Do I hear Rock Lee?” Temari called. 

“Did you hear that, Ruri-chan?” Shikamaru cooed. “Uncle Lee’s here.” 

The excited squeal that followed told Gaara that Lee was most likely going to spend lunch with a baby in his lap. He smiled to himself, his own contentment purring like a cat in his chest. 

“Ruri-chan!” Lee exclaimed, entering the kitchen, arms thrown wide, just like his smile. “Did you miss me?” 

Ruri babbled excitedly, holding her arms up and waving her hands in Lee’s direction. “Iiiii! Iiii!” She hadn’t quiet figured out all her sounds yet, and Lee’s name was only a series of high-pitched shrieks, which never failed to bring tears to his eyes. 

Lee scooped her up without a moment’s hesitation, and was met with an enthusiastic, slobbery, open-mouthed kiss to the cheek. 

“Careful, she’s got most of her teeth by now.” Shikamaru handed Lee a cloth, smiling up at his daughter from the table. “How was your trip?” 

“Excellent!” Lee declared, wiping at the spittle on his cheek. “I almost beat my record!” 

“He missed it by twenty minutes,” Gaara added. 

“And yet you’ve graced us with your company before a rigorous workout?” Temari asked, the arch notes of her voice belied by the amused smile on her face. “Kankurou’s just finishing up in his workshop--oh, and he has a friend--well, I suppose a girlfriend.”

“Her name’s Kougen,” Shikamaru cut in, coming to his wife’s rescue. “She’s from the Puppet Brigade, so I have to assume he’s serious about her.” 

Lee listened intently, bouncing Ruri on his hip while Shikamaru brought him up to speed on Kankurou’s love life, Ruri’s progress (to which Ruri had much to say), and the general happenings in the village. Gaara watched from the other side of the kitchen, his eyes trained on Lee’s expression and his heart in this throat. 

“Gaara, can you help me?” Temari asked from the pantry, pulling him from his contemplation of Lee. He forced his gaze away from the smile on Lee’s face, and followed Temari’s voice into the pantry. 

“What do you need?” 

Temari snorted a laugh. “Nothing. Just saving you from embarrassing yourself.” She held out a jar of preserved lemons, shaking it at him vigorously. “I know Lee’s not the brightest, but he’s not an idiot--you know should know that by now.” 

“What are you talking about?” Gaara bit off, heat rising in his face. 

Temari thrust the jar of lemons into Gaara’s chest. “Don’t play dumb. First of all, I’m your big sister; second, I am literally your diplomatic liaison.” 

Gaara clutched at the jar, staring into Temari’s amused and exasperated expression. “What--what are you talking about?” 

Temari’s expression softened, her smile slipping. “Gaara, I know how you feel--”

Gaara stepped closer, his eyes going wide. “I--”

Temari held up a hand, cutting him off. “You don’t have to talk about it, and I’m not judging you. I know it’s...complicated,” she said delicately, “but if you ever want to tell him, I’m here for you.” 

Gaara rarely found himself caught off guard or speechless. He swallowed, holding the jar of lemons closer, as if to protect himself as he said, “I...only just realized.” 

Temari opened her mouth, then closed it with a snap. “You’re joking.” 

Gaara gave her a flat, unamused look.

“Winds damn me for opening my big mouth. Gaara, I’m so sorry. I really thought you knew--I mean, all these years of him coming over--he’s practically family!” she whispered frantically. 

“He’s our friend.” 

“Yes, he is. But you also stare at him like the Moon herself sent him here,” she said. “I just thought you weren’t ready.” 

“I wasn’t,” Gaara said. 

“What made you realize?” 

Gaara shook his head, closing his eyes at the memory of his treacherous thoughts. 

“Never mind,” Temari said, allowing him to keep this for himself. “I’m sorry I even brought it up.” She grabbed another jar of spices, shooing him from the pantry. 

“--show coming up,” Kankurou was saying, leaning over the chair Kougen was sitting in, one hand idly playing with a loose strand of her hair. 

“I wish I could see it,” Lee said. “It sounds as though the Genin have put quite a lot of effort into it!” 

“The kids are great,” Kougen said. “I think this is our best group of Genin in a while. Last year, a lot of the new ones weren’t interested in performing.” 

“Kids these days,” Kankurou grumbled, a cheeky grin on his face. “Hey, sis. Hey, Gaara.” 

Kougen jumped up suddenly, bowing in greeting. “Kazekage-sama, Temari-sama.” 

Behind him, Temari sighed. “Kougen, how many times do we have to tell you that’s not necessary?” 

Kougen blushed, returning to her seat. “I’m sorry. Old habits.” 

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, babe,” Kankurou muttered. “Lee still calls Gaara by his title, and they’ve been dancing around each other for years.” 

“Kankurou,” Temari snapped, teeth bared. “Help. Me. Cook.” 

“What? But it’s not my turn--” Catching the look on Temari’s face, Kankurou’s mouth closed with an audible clack. “Right. Helping.” 

At the table, Lee was beet red, staring at a particular spot on the wood, mouth pressed into a thin line. He was so focused, he barely acknowledged Ruri as she tugged on his hair, her tiny hands holding onto the black strands in tight fists. 

“So, Lee,” Kougen said, her voice tight as Gaara found a seat at the table. “I’ve heard a lot about you. I mean, everyone in Suna knows who you are, of course, but rumors are so different from actually knowing someone, aren’t they?” 

“There are rumors about me?” Lee asked, still looking at the table. Ruri gave a decisive tug that did nothing to make Lee move, though he did finally look up. 

“Well, everyone knows about your fight against the Kazekage during the Chuunin exams, and we all know you visit often. You’re a bit of an urban legend. The--oh, what is it they call you in Konoha? The Beast?” 

“The Beautiful Blue Beast,” Lee corrected. His gaze slid from Kougen to Gaara, but he quickly looked away when he met Gaara’s gaze. 

“That’s right!” she said with a slap to the table. “I try not to listen to rumors too much, but you do have an impressive reputation here.” 

The flush in Lee’s cheeks from earlier returned, softer than before, and a pleased smile eased the tight line of his mouth. “Well, I hope it is a positive impression.” 

“Absolutely! Any friend of the Kazekage is welcome in Suna,” Kougen declared. 

They passed the next thirty minutes with idle chatter while Temari berated Kankurou behind them in hushed tones and finished preparing lunch. Once lunch was served, Ruri was returned to her highchair so Lee could properly eat, though she cried for the first five minutes until Lee scooted closer and offered to feed her. 

Kankurou glared at his lunch, mullish over Ruri’s clear favoritism. Though he would never admit it, Kankurou had wanted desperately to be the fun uncle. 

By the end of lunch, Gaara knew he’d pushed his luck and was bound to return to his office and an even larger stack of paper work than when he’d first decided to shirk his duties in favor of seeing Lee. He weighed the consequences of pushing his work til later, knowing Lee only had until the morning, but decided against the obviously irresponsible choice. 

Lee had hardly looked at him since his return from the pantry, and Gaara was sure that he would have time to see Lee on his way back to Konoha. 

“I should return to the office,” Gaara announced, voice low so as not to disturb Ruri, who had passed out in Lee’s arms. 

Lee looked up at him, the sunshine in his smile fading like the sun setting beneath the horizon. “Already?” 

“Unfortunately,” Gaara confirmed. “I’ll be sure to see you off before you leave.” 

“I would like that.” 

Gaara held onto the image of Lee smiling up at him for the rest of the night, keeping it close for warmth in the absence of the Sun. 

[unwiltingblossom]

koukishido replied to your post “I came across a random stupid comment about how Sakura was so weak,...”

I’m sorry, but Sakura may be not weak, that doesn’t mean she’s well written. Yes, she’s freaking strong, but all his story arc is about how she desperately love a killer in hope he change, even if she know he’s bad. She has strong abilities, but each time, it’s like « yeah, she can do that, but hey, I have other character to develop and make flash back about ! ». BUT, if you have another opinion about it, I will gladly read it. It’s good to see the character being loved for once.

Is she badly written, though? She doesn’t get much focus, this is objectively true and because of the fact that Sakura-haters would send Kishimoto a truckload of hatemail every time he tried to give her focus, but is what’s written bad? I don’t think so.

First off, her story arc isn’t actually about her love for Sasuke. Arguably a big part of Naruto’s story arc are his feelings of brotherly love and rivalry and etc with Sasuke, but this is not so for Sakura. Her love for Sasuke is a constant through her arc, but it’s not what it’s about.

Sakura’s arc is actually all about her insecurities and struggle to keep up on a team full of:

1 - The Copy Ninja, a legendary figure in the legend who fought in the previous war while still a child, possesses a Sharingan, and has 1000 jutsus stolen from his enemies, He trained under the 4th Hokage and became the 6th Hokage.

2 - The last Uchiha, a genius close to the level of Itachi Uchiha, with natural sharingan able to copy any technique he sees, huge wells of chakra, a natural talent for genjutsu that surpasses anyone not born with an ocular jutsu, and heir to his clan even if it hadn’t been massacred.

3 - Naruto Uzumaki, son of the 4th Hokage, jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails, the kid with a freakishly huge chakra pool capable of using a forbidden jutsu in an almost infinite way no one else can use, with augmented regeneration and the ability to become progressively stronger at the cost of his self control via nine tails mode. Eventually became the 7th Hokage, the Hero of the Leaf, and basically the #1 hero of the modern age

4 - Yamato, the genetically modified ROOT soldier who is the only person still (known to be) living possessing Hashirama’s genes, allowing him to use legendary wood jutsu.

5 - Sai, a ROOT assassin with an entire bingo book full of high profile VIP enemies he’s assassinated by the time Sakura became a genin, who uses some kind of unique ink jutsu style no one else is seen to use.

Sai is the most normal person ever on her team, and he’s a super ninja assassin that’s murdered hundreds of people and uses a unique form of ninjutsu no one else ever uses.

Comparatively, Sakura comes from nobody important, and her grades in the academy aren’t anything notable, she has no family techniques built up, no blood jutsus associated with her, and nothing grafted into her. She spent her childhood playing around and being girly, not training to kill people, and she’s not a genius capable of learning things in a snap.

Basically...Sakura Haruno is just normal on a team of super heroes, and she knows it. Her character arc is about her confronting this inferiority, addressing the handicap she faces and the pervasive, all-consuming sense of frustrated hopelessness she experiences facing all these things that endanger the people she cares about (who are all endowed with insane skills and magical tricks she lacks).

Sakura Haruno’s story is about a girl who goes from nothing to a legendary sannin figure all on her own power. She learns confidence, she finds peace with her inner and outer self so she doesn’t have to hide her true feelings behind a mask all the time, she finds something that she excels at and she devotes herself completely to mastering it so that she can help the ones she loves. In Wave, all she can do is stand there and try to protect the bridge maker from death even at the cost of her own life. When facing Kaguya, she’s healed the entire shinobi army consisting of 50k men multiple times, fully refreshed Naruto (and his giant chakra tanks) multiple times, personally kept Naruto alive through her own sheer effort alone, rescued Sasuke from wandering an entirely different dimension, and even punched a goddess so hard that the woman ends up stunned long enough to be captured.

Sakura goes from kneeling in the dirt crying because she knows she can’t do anything, while another girl mocks her for keeping her hair long, to falling through the sky toward certain death, readying her fist to punch the origin of all chakra, shouting at her not to underestimate a fellow woman. That’s her character arc.

Now, yes, there’s more to her. She also struggles with the pain, grief, and guilt associated with Sasuke leaving them, with the knowledge that Sasuke is ‘bad’ but the inability to stop loving him anyway, with the guilt of watching Naruto be harmed and blaming herself for this because she assumes is hunt for Sasuke is because of her begging him to bring Sasuke back when she was younger, with her self-loathing for being unable to get Sasuke back herself and unable to kill her love for him enough to dispatch Sasuke as she feels is her responsibility, but that’s not really the basis of her character arc.

Sakura never hoped Sasuke would change because of her love, she loved him knowing it was hopeless, because love doesn’t care if the person is ‘worthy’ of it or not. Though it’s worth noting Sasuke’s hardly ‘a killer’. He kills some samurai in his way after he warns them and he kills Danzo, who is better known as ‘that awful guy we blame everything bad that happens on, especially the Uchiha massacre’. He’s either uninterested or unsuccessful in killing anyone else.

Now, post war she does eventually marry him, settle down, have kids, build a facility to provide mental help to children affected by the Shinobi wars, and become the most prestigious medical ninja in Konoha - possibly the world - but most would argue the main thrust of her arc was finished when she proved herself to be equal to Naruto and Sasuke by contributing equally to sealing away Kaguya - or, perhaps when she saves both Naruto and Sasuke’s lives, and by extension the whole world’s, by closing their life-threatening amputation wounds after their squabble.

Perhaps it’s both. She proved herself their equal and she saved them both, exactly what she always wanted and needed to do.

I do agree that there wasn’t NEARLY enough focus on Sakura and her history (and I wanted more Sasusaku focus), and that she should have been a part of the final showdown with Sasuke, as basically every narrative hook up until that point including what she says to Naruto after the Sasuke retrieval mission failed pointed to her doing it, but that’s not really ‘bad writing’ per se. That’s just the insane Sakura hate squads gradually wearing Kishimoto down until he made sad jokes about how he never bothered to explore her past because it ‘would only make people angry if he tried’.

[raendown]

Happy birthday @officerjennie! Was I more subtle than you were? XD

Pairing: ItachiShisui Rated: G Word count: 2865 Summary: Shisui was only out here training because his sensei had told him to improve skills he already thought were pretty good. He's insulted and tired. Then he's confused and maybe a little bit frightened when he makes an incredible discovery simply by being in the right place at the right time and saying the right thing.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

KO-FI and commission info in the header!

Smoke Without Mirrors

Training was boring. Alright, not all training was boring and Shisui was usually rather good at it but he found standing in one place and doing the same thing over and over again to be very much not fun. Doing something he was good at would have been fun. Instead he was stuck here blowing one fireball after another because his sensei said they weren’t big enough.

“Grand Fireballs are supposed to be grand,” she’d told him with a scoff. “You’re better than this. Practice until they’re the size of Fugaku-sama’s.”

Shisui kicked at the grass under his feet a few times, irritated just remembering how the shame had burned through him at her words, then took his stance again and reached deep in to his rapidly emptying chakra reserves. His Grand Fireballs were just fine as they were. So what if they weren’t as big as his clan head’s? There weren’t many in the whole of their clan who could match his fireballs and he didn’t know why his sensei thought he, a sixteen year old, would be able to do so. Sometimes it was more obvious than others that she had not grown up as part of a clan. Civilian born, an excellent soldier, but she had frighteningly little concept of how clan jutsu worked.

Letting his irritation fuel him, Shisui ran through the hand signs he had memorized years ago and brought his fingers to his mouth, blowing through the circle with little regard for how the heat of the flames stung his hard-earned callouses. He had about three and a half seconds to stare in awe as pride welled up inside his chest upon seeing how massive that fireball was. Then he realized he had aimed poorly in his anger and the only tree in this barren muddy field was now alight with happy little flickers of orange and yellow.

“Ah crap,” he muttered under his breath, reaching down to his hip where there should have been a skin of water for just such an occasion. He was no expert at water jutsu but he’d bullied the Hatake kid in to teaching him something simple once; all he needed was a source of water and he could put out small blazes like this.

The only problem lay in the fact that his water skin wasn’t there on his hip. Shisui twisted to glare at his belt, personally offended by the sudden realization that he had left it by the river when he refilled it earlier.

“Well that’s not good.” Lifting his head again he gnawed on his lip indecisively. “Uh…please stop burning? Damn it, I’m gonna be in so much trouble if I burn down another tree.” It wasn’t his fault everything around him was always so flammable. And it wasn’t like he did these things on purpose, it was always an accident. Trouble just seemed to follow him around like a clingy ex-lover some days.

Shisui twisted his fingers together and wracked his brain as he watched the smoke grow and collect – much more smoke than such a small flame should warrant, he noted without really thinking much of it. He definitely started thinking more about it when the smoke billowed out and rushed back towards itself like a sentient cloud. A thick plume shaped more like an arm wrapped itself around the small fire until it was no longer visible, holding in place for a few breathless moments, and then dispersed to reveal that the flame had been completely smothered. Which should have been good news except all Shisui could do was stare as the smoke rushed back inside the tree.

His legs trembled underneath him with fear. In his short career as a Konoha shinobi he had seen some really weird stuff but nothing like this – and all the weird things he had seen until now had always had an explanation, a human will behind them casting their jutsu and manipulating the world to their benefit. There was no one here now but him.

“Always has to be me,” he grumbled. “I always find the weird shit. No one’s going to believe me that the tree smoked its own fire out. Not that it matters; whatever the hell that was is clearly going smother me too when I turn my back. Great. Wonderful. Death by smoky tree, just how I wanted to go!”

“I won’t hurt you.”

“WHO SAID THAT!?” Shisui didn’t think his eyes could get any wider but he proved himself wrong just then as he spun in circles trying to find the source of that voice. He was no sensor but every shinobi worth their salt could tell when they weren’t alone and he was absolutely sure that he was alone – or he had been up until about five seconds ago.

His useless search came to a halt when he noticed that the tree had once again began to smoke. Shisui could have sworn the fire had been completely smothered but even if there were still some lingering coals left burning they definitely should not have been enough to make that much smoke, a good-sized plume billowing out rather than up and then dropping to gather an inch or so above the ground. He was just wondering if this was all a very strange prank – one of his teammates thought she had a great sense of humor even though she really didn’t – when the weird smoke contracted within itself and coalesced in to the shape of a human.

From somewhere within the shifting darkness two eyes opened, burning red and black in a mirror of the Sharingan.

“What the fuuuuck,” Shisui whispered to himself. His feet shifted back a step, preparing the run, but he stopped when the red eyes in the smoke blinked at him sadly.

“Oh, I frightened you. My apologies.” Whatever it was, it sounded sad. Shisui found that sort of offensive in a way. Nothing so unnatural had any right to feel sad about frightening him. It was too innocent of an emotion and he really didn’t want to stand here thinking about how cute that was.

He still paused, even knowing how stupid it was.

“Uh…thanks for putting out the fire I guess, Mr. Smoke Demon Thing. Please don’t eat me?”

“I’m not going to eat you.” The human shape tilted its head. “And I am not a demon. I am an Enenra.”

“Oh. Hello…Enenra.”

“That’s not my name.” Red eyes crinkled softly with amusement and Shisui wondered if he was going crazy, seeing things that weren’t really there and giving them emotions they shouldn’t be able to feel. “I am made of smoke and…well, I suppose you could call me a demon after all.”

He looked saddened by the admission and even though he knew it was crazy Shisui couldn’t help but want to take that sadness away. It was in his nature, to the dismay of his clan head, although he had never understood why kindness should be a bad thing. A shinobi should also be allowed to be human. Fugaku-sama had seemed to agree when Shisui was younger but after his firstborn son passed away only a few days after being born he had changed, become insular and more aggressive with little time for his dreaming nephew.

“So if Enenra isn’t your name then it’s your…species?” he guessed, trying for a cheerful tone. “Do you have a name?” His efforts were rewarded when those pretty red eyes brightened.

“Yes. My name is Itachi.”

“Well that seems like a silly name for smoke. But I think I’ve heard it somewhere else before.” One hand rubbed at his chin in thought as he wracked his brain for why that sounded so familiar. He almost missed the way sadness crept back in to Itachi’s eyes, his form wilting and blurring around the edges.

He got an answer before he could ask. “I suppose you probably have. Most in the clan would have heard my name, though I doubt many would recognize me now.”

“No I don’t think I’ve heard any legends about smoke creatures. I just think I knew a guy once. Hey, do you do anything super scary? Like, you’re not going to fill my house with smoke now that I’ve seen you and kill me in my sleep are you?” Shisui clapped his hands against his cheeks with horror. “You’re not going to take over my body or anything are you? I swear I’m too pretty to die like that!”

Itachi’s form twitched and a moment later he began to laugh quietly.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not going to do any of those things,” he said. Shisui drooped with relief.

“Good, good. I mean, I had sort of planned it all out, you know? A nice heroic death on the battlefield when I’ve reached a good age so I can sacrifice myself nobly and go out as a legend. That sounds pretty good don’t you think?” Mostly joking, Shisui was startLed when Itachi seemed to be giving his words some serious thought.

“I think any death is a terrible one.”

Pinching his lips, Shisui tilted his head. “Alright so if you’re not going to eat me then why did you…show yourself to me?”

“You asked the tree to stop burning. I was going to hide in the smoke so I could go find somewhere else to wait for nightfall but you were so polite and I didn’t want you to get in trouble. You seemed worried about that.” Leaning forward, Itachi’s body seemed to densify even more until Shisui could make out the faint outlines of an earnest expression.

“Huh. You look more human now.”

“Oh! I hadn’t realized!”

“Realized what? Whoa!”

The hand he had lifted in a thoughtless jerked back instead when Itachi’s vague shadowy form gave one final twitch and solidified completely. Instead of being human shaped he now looked like a human, fine details and skin, clothing and all. His long hair was dark and pulled back in to a low ponytail, wispy fringe hanging down to frame large eyes and deep tear tracks. Pouty lips were twisted to one side in an anxious grimace while his long thin hands twisted themselves together.

If Shisui had met this boy on the street he would have said he were another Uchiha. He would have thought ‘damn he’s cute’ and gone to talk to him – especially if he were toeing the ground in the adorable manner he was now. What he would not have thought was that the boy in front of him was anything other than human, so good was the disguise.

“Gotta admit,” he mumbled. “That is as impressive as it is scary.”

“I thought it would make you more comfortable,” Itachi said.

“Hm. It sure made me more something.” Tilting his head side to side, Shisui decided that the transformation was seamless. Nothing about the boy in front of him showed any hints that he was, in fact, an Enenra.

The smile Itachi gave him was disarming and dangerously adorable. “You’re funny.”

Shisui nodded and said nothing for a minute. Now that he had taken a closer look he realized that Itachi really did look like an Uchiha. Every detail from the smooth dark hair to the pale skin to the way he held himself, there were more than a dozen people Shisui could have guessed he was related to. It was eerie, suspicious, just out of place enough that he couldn’t set it aside as a mere coincidence.

Not that he had to say anything; it seemed Itachi noticed him noticing.

“Ah. Are you, perhaps, wondering where you might have seen me before?”

“Something like that,” he admitted. Itachi nodded and his expression saddened once more.

Turning his head to look off towards the center of the compound he said, “You might have met me, I wouldn’t remember, but it would not have been in this body. I was…much younger then.”

“Eh?” Shisui tilted his head. When Itachi beckoned him closer as though intending to tell him a secret he went without questioning it. Later he would realize how stupid that had been, of course, doing whatever a strange entity told him to and coming close enough to be attacked – or worse, possessed. He was lucky that this time it turned out the smoke creature wanted nothing more than to whisper to him quietly in a field where they were already quite alone.

“Do you know a woman named Mikoto?” Itachi asked. “Or a man named Fugaku?”

“Yeah, they’re my aunt and uncle.”

“I see. And did you know their…their son?”

“You mean Sasuke?” Shisui asked.

He was startled to see Itachi’s eyes widen with shock. “They…they had another child, then?”

“Another? Oh!” Shisui bonked his own forehead with the heel of one hand. “You meant their first child! They did have another son years and years back but he passed away of some sort of sickness. I think he had underdeveloped lungs or something. Don’t really remember his name though, it’s been so long. It was something like…like…”

The blood in his veins ran cold and Shisui felt a tingling running up his spine. Itachi, he noticed, watched his eyes grow wide with no sign of surprise on his own face. He didn’t seem too worried about having his secret figured out.

“You…that was…but…how?” By the end of his spluttering Shisui’s voice was coming out as a frightened whisper.

“As you said, I was sick. But I was not ready to leave this world just yet.” Itachi shook his head and sighed, turning his gaze back towards where Shisui now realized his clan head’s house would be. “Father believed in following tradition. When he cremated my body – he didn’t mean for anything to happen I’m sure but – my spirit was released in to the smoke from the pyre and I have been here ever since, watching. You’re the first person I’ve spoken to in…I don’t know how many years it’s been since I took this form.”

“Fourteen,” Shisui provided faintly.

“So many? It doesn’t feel like that many years have passed.”

More than one thing raced through his mind at once and Shisui felt a little woozy trying to process them all. Firstly that he was speaking with the spirit of a dead boy who had attached itself to a new form made of smoke and then had the audacity to grow up regardless of whether he was still alive or not. Secondly that he had mentally called a dead spirit cute because that also seemed important at the moment and he couldn’t help but still think Itachi was on his way to becoming a damn attractive teen.

And thirdly, the most important, that he had known Itachi. They had met several days after the baby was born, though Shisui was so young he remembered little more than a tuft of dark hair and the worry on all the adults’ faces when the baby wouldn’t cry. For some reason he felt responsible for this boy, dead or alive, and he had to fight the urge to invite Itachi home with him.

How he would have explained a smoke demon to his mother was beyond him – not to mention he had no idea whether Itachi slept, let alone where they would have found room for an extra futon.

“So…what’s being dead like?” he ventured after enough time had passed that the silence was getting painfully awkward.

“Lonely,” Itachi answered.

“I, uh, should have guessed that.” Scratching at the back of his head he made an offer without stopping to think it through. “Maybe I could, like, come hang out sometimes? Do you always spend your time in trees?”

“No, this was just the first place I thought to conceal myself when you came in to sight.”

Shisui snickered, breaking out in to true laughter when Itachi gave him an affronted look. “Well I guess it wouldn’t be the most terrible thing to come see you again. You seem like an alright guy. And hey, it’s not like we don’t know each other, right?”

He tried very hard to deny the flutter of his heart when Itachi granted him another smile. It was a really nice smile, so sue him. Getting to see it again wouldn’t be the worst thing that ever happened to him. And if he got to keep that smile to himself for a while until he figured out how to handle the fact that their dead clan heir was still hanging around with a body made of smoke? He’d done stupider things, he had to admit.

When Itachi shyly reached out to touch his arm Shisui’s heart made a good effort to leap straight out of his chest. Knowing they could physically touch made it all the worse.

“Would you like me to give you a few pointers on how to perform the Grand Fireball Jutsu you were working on?”

And he was intelligent? Shisui closed his eyes and wondered vaguely whether Itachi would taste like smoke if they kissed. He was so screwed.

[asunokami]

Yuki, what is it about Neji that you find so attractive? He seems kinda awkward and boring to me!

“Really? You don’t know him very well at all then. Allow me to enlighten you with Nine Reasons why Neji is Amazing (and none of them are that he’s beautiful, though he definitely is);

1. He’s a fighter; Neji always stands up ready to fight, even when he can’t win. He protects those he cares about, even if he has to sacrifice himself. Heck, he even does it for people he doesn’t care about (cue Sasuke Retrieval Mission 1).

2. He’s a survivor; Neji has an undoubtedly horrible lot in life. Born with the misfortune of being part of a clan with terrible, outdated traditions akin to enslavement. And he just....he kept a sense of self-worth that people in way better situations would struggle to keep. Even if he thinks his ‘fate’ is inevitable, he doesn’t shut down and roll over, ready to die.

3. He’s smart; So, so smart. A prodigy, a genius. That’s not something everyone can claim. He thinks on his feet, he’s studious and diligent. And that doesn’t just apply to fighting. He understands things in ways that are foggy at best to me. He understands the world, what’s wrong with it, but he also sees the brightness of it. It may take him a while to see it, but he gets there.

4. He’s funny; And sharp. It’s the kind of humour you don’t expect, really, from someone who looks so dignified. Maybe his time with his ridiculous sensei and teammate softened him up. Or maybe it didn’t, because he can still burn someone (me) to the ground with two or three words said in the right tone. He dismantles people he doesn’t like, and roasts those he does.

5. He’s understanding; Despite all of the anger he used to feel and the loneliness he knows, he’s still capable of being selfless and supportive. He can see past his own trauma and see the bigger picture, and that’s not something common among shinobi. 

6. He’s composed; It must be terrifying to live your life, knowing someone could take it away from you on a whim, without a fight, without a choice. It must be hard to let the same people that tortured your father and yourself and countless other people you care for call themselves your family. Neji keeps his shit together. He’s dignified. Even though by all rights, he should be a festering pit of spite.

7. He’s competitive; Neji likes to train and spar and that means constant improvement. There’s always something new to try out. Just because it isn’t flashing lightning or some big display of bonfire chakra doesn’t mean his skills aren’t impressive. Oh, and he’s not just competitive on the field...

8. He’s not so uptight as he looks; There’s more to Neji than the beautiful exterior. You really think a man can spend so much time in the company of Gai, Lee and Tenten without seeing some strange things and having them rub off on you somehow? Neji just does a good job of keeping it behind his composure. Also did you know that he can’t eat anything remotely spicy? And that he’s super picky about his hair? Little things you don’t see...but once you get to know him, you can’t not notice them.

9. He deserves better; Neji deserves so, so much love and respect and this world is short of it. He’s lonely even within his family, he struggles to make meaningful relationships, struggles to find his purpose without his rage. He deserves to grow up and settle himself and live to see his clan changed, just as was promised to him. The world...it is unkind. I’ve learned much about that from Neji. He’s taught me more than anyone. He reminds me that you don’t need to change the entire world if you’ve made a difference to one person you care about. Not everyone is born to be some sort of hero, but everyone can change the way they deal with their own fate. Neji is my measure of the world; all I need to be content, no matter how dire life gets. My love for him is immeasurable.”

“...and yeah he’s pretty too.”

[theultimateegghead-blog]

Noble or Nefarious, some of gaming’s greatest Ninja warriors!

Ninja’s. the warriors of shadow. They lurk in the darkness before striking. Often armed with powers considered magical, or weapons that require great skill. These Ninja are no longer in the shadows, as they are taking the spotlight. As a rule for this list, no Ninja that originate from anime will be on this list, so namely, no Naruto characters. (Also, for anyone who does not know… Kunoichi means female ninja, keep that in mind.)

Ryu Hayabusa (Ninja Gaiden) One of gaming’s most legendary Ninja. Ryu Hayabusa has gone on several death defining journeys. He has saved the world from men and demons alike. Armed with a wide assortment of weapons and ninjutsu, Ryu dispatches his foes with no mercy. Ryu does not fear death, nor does he hesitate in striking down his foes. In the ninja gaiden series, Ryu fight hundreds of brutal opponents, he utilizes acrobatics and masterful swordplay. In the Dead or Alive series, he relies on skillful hand to hand combat. When not in combat, Ryu is a Curio shop owner and is the love interest of a female American agent. Ryu has appeared in various other games either as a guest character or a cameo as well.

Joe Musashi (SHINOBI) Sega’s response to Ryu Hayabusa. Joe Musashi is one of the main characters of the SHINOBI series. A ninja from the Oboro clan. Joe is half American half Japanese and is quite the skilled warrior. Proficient at ninjutsu and shuriken throwing, Joe has fought evil since his early twenties. Joe is a righteous man who strives for world peace and has clashed with the evil terrorist syndicate Zeed on several occasions. He would eventually become the head of his clan and would continue defending the world from evil.

Scorpion & Sub Zero (Mortal Kombat) Scorpion and Sub-Zero, one of the most iconic rivalries in video games. The Sub-Zero we all know and love is the brother of the original Sub-Zero. Scorpion is a wrath obsessed with revenge and can rarely see past his own anger. Sub zero can control ice and can use it to freeze opponents solid while in battle. Sub-Zero is calm and calculated and is the leader of his own people. He tries his best to be a good leader but is not afraid to bust some heads while doing so. Scorpion is a fallen soul that was given a second chance to enact revenge. While the target of his revenge is Noob Sabot, he tends to target the current Sub-Zero. Scorpion is adept in his knife throwing and has decent manipulation over fire. Scorpion is undead and very angry, rarely listens to reason and tends to be the one who stats fights. In some cases, the two put aside their differences and work together, when that happens they become near unstoppable.

Grey Fox (Metal Gear Solid) Frank Jaeger, also known as Grey Fox is a mercenary turned vengeance fueled cybernetic ninja. Frank made an appearance in the first Metal Gear title as the infiltrator of outer haven, he was captured and rescued by Snake. He would disappear after the supposed Death of Big Boss. In Metal Gear 2 he reappears, this time as Snake’s enemy. Having sided with the real Big Boss, Fox tries to drive Snake away several times but ultimately fails. The two engage in a fist fight and Fox loses and supposedly dies. Later, in Metal Gear Solid, Fox returns in his famous cyborg ninja garb. A man obsessed with fighting Snake once more, he is a rogue card in the Shadow Moses incident. He eventually turns to Snake’s side and dies in the games finale. His death would carry a legacy that plays a large role in MGS4. As a cyborg ninja, Fox can render himself invisible and deflect bullets with his sword. He strongly prefers fighting hand to hand.

Kat and Ana (WarioWare) Not every Ninja is a shadowy warrior that leaves behind a trail of bodies. Kat and Ana are two young ninja in training. Their name is a pun on the word Katana. When they are not in school they are training to become professional ninja, but usually something silly happens in the process. Their microgames in the wario ware series vary from game to game, covering themes such as nature, ninjas and everyday life. They also appear as an assist trophy in the smash series.

Ibuki (Street Fighter) A young Kunoichi in training from the street fighter series. Despite her training, Ibuki acts like a normal teenage girl. She is not to fond of her training and finds it bothersome but takes it seriously nonetheless. She tends to sneak off and skip her duties to do her own thing. She desires to meet cool and handsome guys and will often judge her foes based on the way the look, act and dress. At some point she fights an immortal hermit named Oro, and even though she lost, it was considered her final test and she was granted a pass. She then went to university for ninjas.

Kaede (Onimusha) A ninja assassin who would dive headfirst into combat regardless of the risk. At some point in the past she was sent by an unknown benefactor to assassinate a mane named Samanosuke Akechi. She instead became his ally and eventual lover. The two would travel together over the next couple years. She plays a role in several Onimusha games, usually aiding her lover or searching for him when he went missing. Eventually she would fall in combat at the hands of Gargant. After her death, she is still remembered fondly by her widowed lover.

Rikimaru (Tenchu) A young master class Ninja assassin. Raised and trained by the man who killed his parents, Rikimaru was turned into a deadly warrior since an early age. Stoic and ever so serious, Rikimaru is loyal to Lord Gohda. He has helped quell rebellions and has fought off rival ninja clans to ensure Lord Gohda’s protection. A detached man, Rikimaru is very rarely influenced by emotions. He is skilled in many forms of combat and swordsmanship and is the current head of his clan.

Yuffie Kisaragi (Final Fantasy VII) A teenage kunoichi thief who desires to restore her homeland of Wutai. She is one of the secret characters of FFVII and makes her debut by trying to steal Cloud’s materia. A spunky, emotional girl, Yuffie can act quite childish at times. She tends to get on her allie’s nerves but can be a skilled comrade in battle. Yuffie fights with a giant shuriken. As the series goes on, Yuffie grows up and matures a bit but still has an immature demeanor at times. She also appears in Kingdom Hearts as one of Sora’s first allies.

Strider Hiryu (Strider) A master spy and an active Strider agent. Hiryu’s name, nationality and age are all top secret. The most info on him other than his appearance is that he was born in 2030. Hiryu is extremely skilled and collected in combat, often considered to be the top Strider agent to date. Being able to dodge bullets and defeat tons of enemies without showing fatigued, Hiryu is often the one who is left standing. Eventually the other Striders are whipped out, and he is the sole survivor. While he could easily flee, he chooses to fight. It is this bravery and tenacity to survive that make him an excellent Ninja.

Izuna (Legend of the Unemployed Ninja) A 16-year-old kunoichi who is down on her luck. Izuna and her clan were kicked out of their castle because their leader thought Ninja were obsolete. Stubborn and somewhat clumsy, she winds up accidently offending the gods and must go on a quest to set things right. Surprisingly enough, she is a gifted individual that can allow gods to leave their shrines and support her. While not the most skilled ninja on this list, she is a kunoichi nonetheless.

Shadow Man (Mega Man) A ninja robot master who originated from Mega Man 3. A skilled martial artist hwo loves to sneak up on people, Shadow man is surprisingly impulsive. He has a variety of attacks, such as creating a clone or using a smokescreen in battle. His weapon is the shadow blade and he is weak to the incredibly useful top kick. He reappears in several other games as well which further his ninja skills. Shadow man is possibly alien in origin as well.

Wonder White (Wonderful 101) A superhero and a ninja in training. Wonder White, known by his real name Momoe Byakkoin and his other super name, the claws of calamity, is one of the heroes of Wonderful 101. Armed with special weapons passed down from generation to generation, White is a speed oriented fighter. A man who enjoys long entrances and spouting philosophy, he can be somewhat of a nuisance. While calm and cooperative, Wonder White is very talkative… Not very fitting for a ninja.

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Sorry this one took a while. I was sick for the past day or so and typing just wasn’t going to happen. This list took me a while to write as well but hey! Its done! Thanks for reading, next time we will either look at some factory levels, or… If we reach 30 followers (we are at 29!!!) I will start my 5 part follower appreciation special! See you next time!

[weirdbananasblog]

MOST POPULAR ANIME CHARACTERS

Firstly, An anime’s popularity highly depends upon its characters. Here are some anime characters which is popular over time. Secondly, Almost every time anime series comes with new characters like a cool guy, shy girl, badass villain, expressionless character. And other Anime girl characters.

1. LELOUCH LAMPEROUGE

Code Geass is maybe one of the most liked anime of all time. War tactics, intelligence, action-packed episodes, and intense story plot have helped it reach its global fame and fandom. And obviously the main protagonist Lelouch is one of the most beloved characters and popular anime characters you would find.

He is extremely wicked and his intellect helped him overcome every situation. In the series, Lelouch is a former prince from the superpower Britannia who is given the power of the “Geass” by a witch known as C.C. Using the Geass and his genius-level intellect, Lelouch becomes the leader of the resistance movement known as The Black Knights under his alter ego zero to destroy the Holy Britannian Empire, an imperial monarchy that has been conquering various countries under control from his father.

Anime: Code Geass

Character: Lelouch Lamperouge

Power: Geass, hypnosis, and brainwashing

Creator: Ichirō Ōkouchi

2. MONKEY D LUFFY

As we know, Luffy is the most beloved Popular Anime Character. One piece has become the longest-running anime series of all time. And Monkey D Luffy has become the most loved character. Firstly, Luffy is the captain of Straw Hat Pirate. He is the Grandson of infamous Vice-Admiral Monkey D Garp and Son of revolutionary army leader Monkey D Dragon.

In addition, He has a jolly and fun character. When the time comes Luffy will go against everyone to protect his loved one. However, Luffy went against numerous global powers. Starting with fighting the most powerful pirates in the East Blue and moving to clashes against the Marines, and moreover, Seven Warlords of the Sea, World Nobles, and addition, even the Four Emperors in the Grand Line.

Anime : One Piece

Character : Monkey D Luffy

Devil Fruit : Gomu Gomu no Mi

Abilities : Gear 2nd, Gear 3rd, Gear 4th, Gattling, Haki, and so on.

Pirate Group Name : Straw Hat Pirate

First Crewmate : Roronoa Zoro

Ship name : The Thousand Sunny

Creator : Eiichiro Oda

3. L LAWLIET

Death note is 37-episode anime television series, which is written by  Tsugumi Ohba. And, the core concept is the “Death Note” itself, a black notebook with instructions (known as “Rules of the Death Note”) written on the inside. Moreover, It allows anyone to commit a murder, knowing only the victim’s name and face. In short, The storied director said that it is inspired by ancient Japanese concepts.

Meanwhile, Yagami Light found the notebook (death note) and started to provide justice to the world by using Death Note. Above all, he was killing people which he shouldn’t and, using the notebook in the wrong way. In conclusion, To spot that kind of violence L came into action and contradict Yagami Light.

Anime : Death Note

Character : L

Work : Detective

Creater : Tsugumi Ohba

4. LEVI ACKERMAN

Attack on Titan has recently become popular anime throughout the year. In other words, It is popular for various reasons like animation, direction, cinematography, character development, story. Levi is the captain of the squad lit ‘leader of the soldier he has shown his true potential after defeating the Beast titan in season 3. However, he is quite short. But, his physique is well-developed in musculature from extensive vertical maneuvering equipment usage.

He usually doesn’t show his expression so, he is expressionless. In short, he is the cool guy character of the anime attack on titan.

Anime : Attack on titan

Character : Levi Ackerman

Post : Survey Corps Captain

Abilities : 3D Maneuver Gear, strategies making and keen judgment, and so on.

Squad : Special Operations Squad

Creator : Hajime Isayama

5. NARUTO

Naruto is one of the most diverse anime with lots of different characters. So, Hand down it is one of my favorite anime. Firstly, Naruto Uzumaki is a shinobi of Konohagakure’s Uzumaki clan. Secondly, He has a carefree, energetic, and hopeful personality. Due to, having the power of nine tail fox other villagers didn’t want to get close to him. So, he wanted to do something big in his life. In short, His only dream is to be Hokage of the leaf village.

Meanwhile, At his early age, Naruto is assigned to Team 7, in which he meets his rival Sasuke Uchiha, a taciturn and highly skilled “genius” of the Uchiha clan; Sakura Haruno, who is infatuated with Sasuke and has Naruto’s attention and Kakashi Hatake, the quiet and mysterious leader of the team. In short, Their team name is team 7.

Anime : Naruto

Character : Naruto Uzumaki

Abilities : Nine tail fox, Rasenshuriken, Shadow Clones Jutsu, Sage Mode, Summoning Giant Toads, and so on.

Team mate : Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno

Leader : Kakashi Hatake

Creator : Masashi Kishimoto

6. SAITAMA

In this paragraph, I am going to talk about Saitama(One punch man). Saitama can literally defeat the enemy with only one punch. As mention in the series, he didn’t have hair and he is just ordinary looking blad guy. However, he faces a self-imposed existential crisis similar to depression and anxiety. As a result, he work out very hard. In short, his workout includes 100 Pushups, 100 Sit-Ups, 100 Squats, and a 10KM Run every day. After all, he loses all his hair by hard training. But, he is actually a funny and dedicated character.

Anime : Saitama

Character : Caped Baldy

Ability : Punch

Creator : artist ONE

7. GOKU

Son Goku is a fictional character and main protagonist of the Dragon Ball manga series. As an early 2000s kid, I clearly remember Goku is the main character of the series Dragon Ball. It was the most popular anime series back in the days. So, his character is based on Sun Wukong (Monkey King), the main character in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. In short, Many experts say that he is considered to be one of the greatest manga and anime characters of all time.

Anime : Dragon Ball

Character : Son Goku

Abilities : Kamehameha, Super Saiyan, Spirit Bomb, Dragon Fist, and so on.

Creator : Akira Toriyama

8. RINTAROU OKABE

Steins;Gate is an anime series about time travel. In addition, Okabe is a self-proclaimed mad scientist who often goes by the pseudonym Kyouma Hououin. He spent most of his time in a lab and has dubbed himself Lab Member No. 001. So, by spending more time in the lab he learns that he is the only one who possesses the ability to determine changes between different timelines, which he dubs “Reading Steiner”.In short, Steins;Gate is anime series of a variety of characters and my favorite character is Mayuri Shiina.

Anime : Steins;Gate

Character : Rintarou Okabe

Ability : Scientist , to determine changes between different timelines, and so on.

Creator : 5pb. and Nitroplus

9. EDWARD ELRIC

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is the story of two brothers. Brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric search for the Philosopher’s Stone hoping to restore their body from Philosopher Stone. When they attempted to use their alchemy skills to resurrect their deceased mother. Edward, who lost only limbs, joins the State Military, which gives him the freedom to continue the search of the stone. In short, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood has been popular for its strong variety of character and strong flow of the story. Actually, a strong villain can make anime 10 times better.

Anime : Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Character : Edward Elric

Ability : master of alchemy, can manipulate the environment and form weapons to fight, and so on.

Creator : Hiromu Arakawa

10. YAGAMI LIGHT

Death note is crime drama anime series. A high school student Yagami Light finds a notebook outside his highschool. Later on, he found out that he can kill people just by writing names of people and remembering his/her face.So, He tries to take action on his own and started to feel like a god. However, His main agenda is to kill criminals. He is brilliant, calculating, and manipulative.

Anime : Death Note

Character : Yagami Light

Ability : Notebook

Creator : Tsugumi Ohba

[recentanimenews]

THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH Heats up with the Legendary Sannin Battle in Episodes 92-98!

  It's that time, y'all. It's time for the GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH! I'm Nicole Mejias, and I'll be your host this week as we make our way through all 220 episodes of the original Naruto. Last week, we tackled episodes 85-91, introducing us into the arc of Tsunade's path to becoming the next Hokage. This week, we've got episodes 92-98 on the docket, so let's get to it!

Last week we started to learn more about Tsunade, the woman who may become the next Hokage. This batch of episode leads us through her decision and the conflicts that arise from it, with a heavy focus on the three legendary ninja: Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade. Naruto is sort of just along for the ride here, but we get to see the birth of his signature ability: The Rasengan! Kabuto also makes some serious impressions here, and at the end of the episodes, the Leaf Village finds themselves with a new leader. We also start to learn a bit more about the fate of Rock Lee after the disastrous results of the Chunin Exam, and things don't look very good for him. 

Let's see what the Crunchyroll Features team thought of this week's slew of episodes!

These episodes deal heavily with Tsunade's struggle to decide whether to accept the title of Hokage or not. How do you feel about Tsunade as a character after this resolution of her introduction arc?

Kevin: Based on her arc and characterization, I have no doubt that she will care about the Village, however I’m not convinced that she’s actually a good choice for Hokage. It seems more like no one outside of the Sannin are famous enough to be recommended for the position.

David: She’s definitely one of my favorites at this point. Regarding her arc so far, I’m glad the story let her have a moment where she stands up and assumes responsibility, without going back and pretending she doesn’t have any of her character flaws anymore. Change is a slow process.

Paul: Tsunade gets some heroic moments and we learn enough about her past and the traumas that she's overcome to get a good idea about her character, but I'm still not sure how she'll cope as the Fifth Hokage, as the position doesn't seem to fit her personality very well. I'd like to see more about her perspective as a field medic. What would it be like to be a super-powered doctor in a world crawling with deadly ninja?

Noelle: I think Tsunade’s pretty great! It’s not easy to step up and take charge, and it’s definitely not easy to push past long-existing traumas, but she manages to do just that. It��s also not something shown as easy, which I appreciate. I think it might take her some getting used to, but I think somewhere down the line, she can be a good leader.

Joseph: I still think it’s wild to have a medic ninja with a fear of blood but I dig Tsunade. She has some real struggles to cope with and I like that she had to see firsthand the threats her people are up against to make her big decision.

Jared: I liked her more as these episodes went on compared to last week. Like others here, I’m curious to see how she is able to handle the responsibilities of being the Hokage. Especially with regards to all the turmoil the village is dealing with and having to rebuild from what happened.

Kara: Definitely still liking Tsunade, but I love the extra context here. The English major in me also loved how her overcoming her fear coincided with her healing herself. Very nice. And again, I am cool with a Hokage who’s willing to throw down against a kid.

Danni: I think she’ll contrast well with what we saw of the Third Hokage. I dig her a lot right now, especially since she got over her fear of blood. It was a nice dose of irony, but it kept becoming an excuse to have her cower in the corner, which honestly sucked a lot considering she’s like the strongest woman in the world.

Naruto succeeds in using the Rasengan here! What's your opinion on Naruto's growth throughout the series? He seems to get the most 'on-screen' training, but sometimes still seems outclassed by everyone somehow. What do you think about the successful execution of the Rasengan?

Kevin: The Rasengan is the first time we’ve seen Naruto truly struggle with training, and even when he pulled it off this first time, it was a spur of the moment inspiration, rather than definitely mastering the technique ahead of time. As for Naruto’s growth thus far, I’m a sucker for Shounen training so I’ve had a good time with it. He doesn’t really change as a character, but I like the worldbuilding and expanding magic system that comes from more in-depth training arcs.

David: Watching Naruto grow is genuinely satisfying, largely because it almost never feels like he is granted said growth simply because the story calls for it. He’s a good kid who is constantly working hard to achieve his goals. His quick thinking on successfully performing the Rasengan makes perfect sense given how he usually works out problems, and the aftermath of its effects on his body proves he has ways to go yet.

Paul: We've seen Naruto grow in terms of his Chakra-manipulation and Ninjutsu skills, but my favorite moments have been the ones that emphasize Naruto's growth as a character, such as when he steps back and lets Sakura have her moment with the newly-revived Sasuke. There's a heavy focus on Naruto's sense of empathy, which is more interesting in my opinion than his combat prowess. Regarding training, going forward I'd like to see Naruto develop a completely original Jutsu rather than just putting a creative spin on an existing technique.

Noelle: Naruto really deserved this moment. Some shonen it really feels like protagonists get their powers out of nowhere, either too easily or merely when the plot calls for it, but Naruto actively struggles. The show devoted quite a bit of time to showing how the Rasengan is complicated, hard to master, and not very intuitive. As such, when Naruto finally gets it, that’s purely satisfying.

Joseph: I know Naruto’s inner powers give him a massive advantage over almost all his opponents, but I love how genuinely hard working he is. He’s gone from being annoying to imo a total sweetpea over the course of 98 episodes and I think they’ve done a great job carrying out both his training and personal growth.

Jared: I really enjoyed seeing him go through all of the training to finally figure out a way to make this technique his own. You could see the struggle he had to go through to get to that point, and when it finally pays off, it’s wonderful. He’s definitely undergone a lot of growth throughout the series which has been enjoyable to watch, such as giving Sakura and Sasuke a moment when he wakes up. It was a rather mature moment from him which isn’t what you expect from the beginning of the series.

Kara: Creativity with jutsus, both making them work in the first place and how they’re used, is something I’ve been enjoying consistently about Naruto. I also haven’t been giving this kid nearly enough credit for his lateral thinking skills. Yeah, he keeps on cranking out Shadow Clone Jutsu, but it’s his favorite and one he can do in his sleep, so it makes a lot of good sense for him to recontextualize difficult techniques from a familiar starting point. I kind of want to show these training sequences to my teacher friends; I think they’d appreciate them.

Danni: I was amused by how they managed to walk the line between having him master this near-impossible to master technique in two weeks without having him master it the RIGHT way so he can still be the underdog. I’m glad he has some more tricks up his sleeve now with the summoning and the Rasengan. I like him a lot as a protagonist and can’t wait to see him start using his newfound abilities in *checks schedule* the weeks and weeks of upcoming filler.

Kabuto makes a lot of waves in these episodes, showing off his particular strengths. How do you feel about Kabuto here? I remember when I first watched this that I found Kabuto a lot cooler than I think I do now.

Kevin: *Insert laughter with growing insanity* Oh Kabuto, you started out as a simple henchman. So far, he seems like a legitimate threat, at the level of a Jonin and combat skills on par if not above Tsunade while also being such an unknown that he was able to take the Chunin exam with the main cast. Later on… well, we’ll get to that eventually.

David: I’m honestly kind of frustrated he is so powerful that he can stand up to a Sannin like Tsunade, and the only real explanation for that so far is basically “well he works for Orochimaru, so…”. Hopefully this gets explored more in the future.

Paul: Kabuto is such a gigantic dork. He's like the kid in a tabletop game of Risk who grabs Australia and turtles up, turning the entire game into an inevitable nine hour slug-fest. I'll be happy when someone finally gives him the shinobi equivalent of an Atomic Wedgie.

Noelle: I do love my antagonists, so ruthless Kabuto ranks much higher to me than friendly Kabuto. Like Kevin says, it’s best to just judge him at the moment, and so far, he’s pretty okay. I’m not that impressed overall, for him being able to do hard damage on Tsunade seems a little bit much, but I guess they had to establish him as a threat.

Joseph: Kabuto is kind of corny. I did like him being recognized as the battle against Orochimaru began, but I could take or leave him at this point.

Jared: The way they’ve been able to position him as this guy who looks out for Naruto to now wanting to murder him has been very good, because it made his eventual turn that much better. I don’t know how much I buy him being as accomplished as he seems, but I guess him being recognized by Orochimaru is a good endorsement. Although, I still feel like I’m waiting for him to do another double cross at some point.

Kara: I’ve watched enough giant robot anime to know what happens to right hands. I’d like to be able to take time to appreciate him, but I just keep wondering when he’s gonna get killed, betrayed, used as a meat shield, sacrificed for some greater purpose, replaced, demoted…

Danni: The more evil and cool they try to make Kabuto the more he comes across as a lame tryhard. I feel like I’ve heard at least in passing heard of or seen every single character in Naruto EXCEPT him, which probably means he isn’t all that important.

Let's address a somewhat unfortunate problem: the way Tsunade gets depicted and looked at in this show. I noticed it a lot more than I did when I watched this originally, and I was curious if you think the focus on boob jokes and such harms Tsunade's character, especially since she's the new Hokage?

Kevin: I definitely noticed it as a kid. It’s not great, but mostly only lasts a few seconds at a time and then she reestablishes either how much ass she kicks without even trying or reminds everyone that she is the one in charge. I’m not sure if it hurts her character or not, but it definitely doesn’t help. Luckily, she at least has more characterization that being just a boob, gambling and drinking gag on loop.

David: I don’t mind the drinking and gambling; those seem like real character flaws tied closely to her trauma and commitment issues. The constant focus on her looks from basically every other character is a problem though, one that unfortunately extends to how the show treats its entire female cast. It wouldn’t be as bad if, say, it was just a quirk of Shikamaru’s, but when everyone in the whole show does it to some extent or another, there’s clearly a more fundamental issue at play.

Paul: Maybe I've been poisoned by decades of anime fan-service, but I found the stuff surrounding Tsunade to be rather restrained at first. She spends most of her introductory episodes wearing that huge jacket, so the camera doesn't really have much opportunity to leer at her body, although when the jacket comes off we get a Powergirl scenario, where I swear they draw Tsunade's breasts larger in every subsequent cut just to see what they can get away with. It also took them something like 10 episodes for someone to face-plant into her cleavage, so...progress?

Noelle: Unfortunately, this isn’t a Tsunade-only problem—Kishimoto really isn’t that great at writing women overall. This is just one example of that larger problem. As for her specifically, I’m not going to pretend it’s good. Framing things like this is an author’s choice, and a deliberate one. That being said, as uncomfortable as it is, it’s not as bad as some fanservice other series pulls. That doesn’t mean it’s good though, I’d rather Tsunade not be framed like this at all, but this is what we get.

Joseph: I, too, have anime poison, because I didn’t think much of it. I also remember that aspect from when the series first aired and it seems pretty tame as far as not including too much nonsense fan-service goes.

Jared: I said this last week that I’m not surprised that they’d write her kind of poorly after what we’ve already seen with Sakura. I guess it could be worse and be something like Jiraiya just perving after her all the time, but trying to build her up as getting over her trauma to finally taking the position of Hokage, to then having Konohamaru face plant into her cleavage is not great.

Kara: I don’t think I’m un-poisoned but I must have an unpleasantly high threshold. Nothing about Tsunade’s depiction bothered me up until Konohamaru motorboated her, and then I just kinda died inside.

Danni: I’m honestly surprised by how few boob jokes there’ve been. The only one I can recall is when Konohomaru bumps into her and just starts motorboating. What really sticks out to me though is all the guys being jerks about her age. Like, a hot woman in her 50s who can kill me with one hit? That’s the IDEAL woman.

So, these episodes leave us with some bad news in terms of resolution: Rock Lee's ninja career seems to be over. I know people are pretty partial to Rock Lee, and I remember being pretty upset when he got so hurt during the exams. What are your thoughts about Lee's future? (Feel free to talk about how great of a character Lee is!)

Kevin: Tsunade, if you ever talk to my ninja son like that ever again, you’ll wish you had stayed in that tourist town. Seriously though, that revelation was so well choreographed (especially Lee’s reaction) that I remembered almost the exact wording, even years after previously seeing the scene. It makes going back to the Third Exam Preliminaries even tougher to watch, since throughout Lee’s fight against Gaara, we see the failure struggle against impossible odds and know that not only will he fail, but even after seeing him raise to continue fighting while unconscious, the damage he inflicted on himself created what is basically a coin flip whether he can pursue his dream or die trying.

David: I know there’s been a lot of arguably more important things going on, but this continuous stretching of Lee’s suffering is almost getting to be too much really. His fight was fifty episodes ago, and he’s constantly working on getting better, yet every time we check in on him things just look worse. But really this comes from a place of caring—stop teasing us, if he’s gonna get better, I wanna see him get better already!

Paul: Lee is a lovely good boy, and I'm surprised that they've kept him out of commission for as long as they have, but if Sasuke can survive two brushes with death without permanent repercussions on his health, then I have to believe that Lee will pull through somehow, too. The state of his injuries weeks later makes me angry at Might Guy for allowing Lee to push his body past the breaking point, though.

Noelle: Give Lee a break! I didn’t really pay much attention to him during my first viewing years back but Lee really does deserve better. He does nothing but try hard, and has gotten this far on the power of hard work alone. Seeing geniuses get by with relative ease but Lee getting the short end of the stick hurts. Do I think this is going to be a permanent thing? No, I doubt it, but the fact that he has to deal with this in the first place—give this boy a vacation.

Joseph: Definitely a heart-breaker, but I have confidence that Kishimoto won’t relegate such a good character to the sidelines. Right? RIGHT?

Jared: Rock Lee is still the best boy in this entire dang series and I really hope we get to see his triumphant return. If it goes that route, it won’t be easy, but that boy can totally do it with how mentally tough he is. Plus, if that’s where it does go, I’m expecting some pro wrestling style injury return hype videos.

Kara: I can’t believe they’d bring a badass medical ninja to town, make her Hokage, and then have her not be able to help my best boy. I’m with Paul—as much as I appreciate Might Guy sticking to the sports anime hardcore training aesthetic, I’m not pleased with him letting Lee mess himself up to this degree. He knows Lee will fight ‘til he’s burger unless someone stops him, and sometimes that’s not a good thing. This is largely, if not entirely, on Guy.

Danni: Like I said before, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Rock Lee.

And, as always, what are the high and low points in this week’s set of episodes?

Kevin: High point - Up until the end of the final episode, I was going to give it to the Sannin fight, since we finally see full-fledged ninja fighting all out, but we also know that none of them are at full strength and so know that this isn’t even as crazy as it can get. Lee getting notified by the top medical ninja that he should give up his dream takes the top spot though. It was absolutely heart rending to hear, even knowing full well that it was coming and how it resolves. Low point - Shikamaru and his dad. It was a short moment, but really guys? Women are basically just around to give the men a reason to do good things, and even the sharpest edged one will show a soft side to the one she loves? Mister Nara, please update your morals a bit.

David: High point is Naruto inheriting the First Hokage’s necklace. After all of her backstory, that moment more than anything else is proof of both Naruto’s perseverance and growth as well as Tsunade’s renewed faith in both herself and the future. Low point is basically the entire “Naruto kidnapping” episode, not because I think it was entirely pointless or bad, but because it really didn’t need to be a whole episode and the pacing of this show is otherwise much better than that.

Paul: My high point is a tie between Gamatatsu, the adorably inept Frog Summon with the sunny disposition, and Katsuyu, the gigantic Slug Summon with the gentle voice and extremely respectful manner of speech. I love both of those characters. My low point is a tie between Jiraiya giving himself heatstroke in an attempt to be a perv at the mixed bathing hot springs and Shikamaru's continued low-grade misogyny. Tsunade is the Fifth Hokage, and you will treat her with respect, young man!

Noelle: High points, the Sannin fight, from giant kaiju battles to everyone going one on one. Tsunade riding Gamabunta’s sword and slamming at into Manda’s mouth was something I loved as a kid and I sure do love that now! Tsunade throwing hands is also completely delightful. Low point, Shikamaru’s not so subtle misogyny. Really, Shikamaru? Really?

  Joseph: High point: Gamatatsu is my new favorite Naruto character. Low point: The C-grade hot spring episode I almost completely tuned out during.

Jared: Naruto catching Kabuto’s knife in between his fingers was the most hardcore and metal thing he’s done in this entire series and it was AWESOME. Low points would be the hot spring episode which was just there and Shikamaru’s monologue about women.

Kara: High point is absolutely Tsunade making Orochimaru into her own personal punching bag, especially when she was just whipping him around by the tongue. Close second is good boy Gamatatsu having a lovely first day out. Low point was the show bringing Jiraiya’s perv aspect right back into play after that awesome fight. I’d nearly forgotten about it, but here we are.

Danni: Low point goes to Shikamaru and his dad. For real, guys? You’re both pretty cool, but there’s no excuse for misogyny. High point was easily watching Tsunade just beat the everloving crap out of Orochimaru for like 5 minutes.

COUNTERS:

"I'm gonna be Hokage!" count: 16 Bowls of ramen consumed: 2 bowls Shadow Clones created: 17 + 1 uncountable scene

Total so far:

"I'm gonna be Hokage!" count: 48 Bowls of ramen consumed: 35 bowls + 3 cups Shadow Clones created: 314

And that's everything for this week! Remember that you're always welcome to join us for this rewatch, especially if you haven't watched the original Naruto! Watch Naruto today!

Here's our upcoming schedule:

- April 26th will have DAVID LYNN take us to the Land of Waves in episodes 99-105.

- May 3rd features PAUL CHAPMAN, who will walk us through the inevitable Naruto vs Sasuke in episodes 106-112.

- May 10th, JOSEPH LUSTER will give us the deets on the Sound Four.

Thank you for joining us for the Great Crunchyroll Naruto Rewatch! Have a great weekend, and we'll see you all next time!

Have anything to say about our thoughts on Episodes 92-98? Let us know in the comments! Don't forget, we're also accepting questions and comments for next week, so don't be shy and feel free to ask away!

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Nicole is a features and a social video script writer for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

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