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captnjacksparrow · 3 years

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SNS Dynamics - Sasuke's Perspective

Lengthy post ahead

On completing my rewatch of Naruto part I and part II, many things which never made sense started to make sense. One among them is the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke. I used to ask why Naruto is going so far for Sasuke. And why Sasuke is helping out Naruto even though he wants to kill him. And I used to think that Episode 478 was retconned to make the final battle ends in a draw and Sasuke somehow made to reconcile with the titular character. Yet, I instinctively felt, ‘Something is very different about them’. But on careful rewatch, all the clues which consolidate their relationship was there. The way they love each other is totally on a different level and the creator very carefully planned this from the beginning of the Manga.

Though I really don’t like the ending for making every characters into a child rearing machine at an age of 20 to make way for an abomination called ‘Boruto’, I still loved everything till Episode 479.

I wanted to discuss about both Naruto and Sasuke's perspective. But that cannot be accommodated in a single post. So, I decided to start with Sasuke. Since Naruto's side of SNS is very open and vocal, we clearly knew what is going on in his mind. But Sasuke's side is usually very subtle but much more intense than Naruto which makes it worth analyzing.

Before getting to that, for most of the characters in the Naruto universe (I mean 99%), Sasuke is a person who looks cool, aloof, rude, overbearing, blunt, genius and emotionless. And that’s the truth. Except for Itachi and Naruto. So when I say he is rude or arrogant, it is from the people’s POV. And since I always see myself in Itachi, I see Sasuke as that adorable innocent child who is very honest but forgiving.

I strongly feel that Sasuke has some innocent enchantment towards Naruto ever since he lost his family which later transcended into a bond which cannot be put under Friendship or Bromance. Enchantment, here I meant by, is not in a sexual way but more like the unconscious need to be in the presence of other person. Like walking beside each other eternally. Or even warming up next to a campfire near a chilly beach. You don’t want to fall into the fire but just enjoy the warmth. It maybe totally a platonic love like many claims to be. But his absolute disinterest in any other characters (even just as a friend) and the following traits he shows only to Naruto are clearly not just distinctive of platonic love either. It’s completely beyond platonic.

The following are the traits which Sasuke shows only towards Naruto, could have been avoided or delegated to other characters if the creator really wanted to assert their relationship as just friendship. There are lot of subtexts and emotions which I cannot accept it under the guise of bromance or friendship. It’s just not possible. If someone you like shows all these traits to another person, you should stop thinking about that person and move on.

The traits are :

Preferential Treatment

Attentive

Protective

My body moved on its own

One and Only

Powerful Eyes

Unconscious Closeness

Preferential Treatment

This is the very basic and first thing you show to someone whom you love. Meaning, I will treat this person much different from everyone else. When I was exploring this trait, I couldn’t stop laughing in many places. Because Sasuke is such a trolling machine who mercilessly trolls people who are in his way. He also inspire certain amount of fear which makes him even more unapproachable.

He has this cold bearing where people find it extremely difficult to manage or approach him. It comes off as very rude most of the times. One such example is Sai told Sasuke that he will get along better with him than Naruto. Sasuke put a Genjutsu on him for comparing himself with Naruto. LOL.

What's more funny is most people (Sakura, Orochimaru, Kabuto, Sai, Hinata) usually talk to him politely with honorifics like 'Sasuke-kun'. But he didn't give two shits about them and shitted them all mercilessly.

Here is the infamous proposal from Sakura in part 1.

Well she deserved this one to be honest. Throughout the entire conversation Sasuke never saw her face and responded very bluntly even though she was pouring her heart out crying. There was no visible distress or sadness from Sasuke’s side.

Whereas with Naruto, in the final Valley of The End, we saw him turning towards Naruto and answer him properly when Naruto asked the same question of what Sakura asked. There were so many emotions throughout the battle and Sasuke’s pain of leaving Naruto was clearly shown. Which explains the difference of where Sasuke keeps Naruto in his heart.

The following is the one from Chunin Exams prelims where Sakura is begging for him to quit with tears. The response is an usual 'Stay out of my business'.

Me: Sasuke!!!! Even I don't know how to approach you!!!! I understand you don't like to talk unnecessarily so you just shitted on Sai. But Sakura is your teammate, isn't it?

And then there is this little orange blonde who literally trolls Sasuke.

I really thot Sasuke was going to trash Naruto too, like he could have easily said, 'Naruto, you should also stay out of my business'.

But then

These words are something precious for Naruto. He wished for these words to come from Sasuke someday in his lifetime. But not at that time. And he was truly shocked and very excited. Believe me, when watching that scene, it was really great. But while making analysis like this, it’s absolutely hilarious.

This dynamics is similar to

Sakura: *cries unbearably* Sasuke-kun, I am worried about you. Don’t act so strong.

Sasuke: Shut up. Mind your own business.

Naruto: Bastard! She is worried about you.

Sasuke: Alright, I love you. Now shut up.

ROOOFFFFL :-D

I thought all these childhood bickers were over by part 1 and we will never see it in part 2.

Nope. I was wrong. Kakashi and Sakura were the scapegoats here.

Here's another round of applause from Naruto.

And I honestly cannot comprehend what was going on in Sasuke's mind and why he is really rude to Sakura and Kakashi. It seems he was really irritated by their presence or he maybe thinking they were useless or both.

When Naruto asks him something, he responds without any insults. What baffles me most is that during Infinite Tsukuyomi, Sasuke wanted to kill Naruto for his Revolution and awaiting his fated battle. And yet he answers him properly.

Can you see the pattern here?

He shits on people asking some question even with an utmost polite attitude but when Naruto asks the same question he was like "Alright Sweetie, Am gonna answer anything you want and say anything you like".

The following is the beginning of everything where Naruto can't even swear properly but still Sasuke couldn't even bother.

In short, the way he treats Naruto is quite different and hilarious when compared to the others. With his cold bearing, he absolutely has no need to put up with Naruto's outburst but he still accepts without a care every time. RIP to those souls who got the short end of the stick.

He must have an extreme tolerance towards Naruto's tirades to the point where he can never insult him back. And I also believe 100% that, nobody dares to make such frequent insults on Sasuke to his face except Naruto.

I know SK shippers jump in here to say Naruto is not the only one. But still the dynamics between Karin and Sasuke is simply a mirror image of Naruto and Sasuke, probably she reminded him of Naruto and hence made some exceptions for her because Sasuke never gives a damn about any other clan other than his own, but when Kabuto tells him Karin belongs to Uzumaki clan, he was shocked. I am pretty sure the only other Uzumaki member he knew is none other than Naruto.

Now, does this means he is in super love with Naruto? No.

But the way he treats every other characters and how he treats Naruto exclusively speaks volumes and this trope shouldn’t have existed in the first place. The creator should have made Sasuke treat both of his teammates equally which could’ve deflected the shipping angle.

Attentive

Am not talking about how attentively he analyzes his enemies in the battles. Of course, in that department, Sasuke flies high. This is about how attentive he is to Naruto to the point where he can deduce what Naruto thinks and how Naruto looks without the need to communicate with him.

I know Sasuke suspected Sakura was acting strange before Chunin Exams when she said 'Good Morning' with some hesitation. But the difference here is that Sasuke can identify Naruto without even talking to him.

Funny thing here is that Sasuke was sitting somewhere far behind from Naruto and yet he could pick up Naruto getting freaked out without seeing his face.

Who could forget about the famous ‘Where’s real Naruto?’ episode during Chunin Exams?. It would’ve been fine if this happened once. But the creator went ahead and made this thing happen twice under entirely different situations. And everytime Sasuke can find fake Naruto without fail. This scene conveys Sasuke is very observant towards Naruto’s appearance & fighting skills (the way he evades an attack).

Now, being attentive to someone is not a special thing which attributes to love. But considering Sasuke’s personality who is aloof and focused on his own world, knowing Naruto like the back of his hand is way too descriptive. Only someone who really understands the other person or constantly paying attention can find out such subtle changes. It doesn’t end here.

This is the battle between Gaara and Naruto. Where Naruto was literally confused about how to save his friends from Gaara who is much more powerful. And yet Sasuke can find Naruto’s mood just by seeing him.

Me: Yes, Sasuke!!! Gaara happened to pass by Naruto and forgot to kill him on a whim!!! So, Naruto is scared to the shit!!

Also Me: You guys always bicker with each other and are not best of friends. Sasuke!!! How could you analyze his mood just by looking at Naruto????

In Shippuden, There’s no inner monologue like the above, but whenever Naruto appears before him (Orochimaru’s hideout, Bridge, War arc), Sasuke gives his undivided attention to him. He even went so far as to advice him to pay attention to the battle. And I was like “Wait!!! you wanted to kill him... why pay attention to him at all? Geez”.

As much as you want to think that Sasuke doesn’t care about anyone, he does care about Naruto to the point where he doesn’t want him to be worried. How thoughtful just for a ‘teammate’.

How did Sasuke knew that Naruto would worry about him?, I wonder.

But all these things started from this

This boy has been noticing Naruto from way back when he was around 7 when he lost his family. Of course he would know every little things about Naruto because for some undefinable reason he couldn’t stop paying his attention to Naruto. A lineup of girls vying for his attention because of his cool appearance, whereas Sasuke simply loved Naruto without any reservations but because of his childish and warm personality which reminded him of his family.

‘I couldn’t stop paying attention to you’ and in some translations the words were ‘I couldn’t take my eyes off you’. Either way, these words are not for someone you see just as a friend let alone a brother.

Protectiveness

I can go on and on about how protective Sasuke is towards Naruto. I can write a separate post about it. This is the most important aspects of this ship which makes it sail higher than any other ships.

Of course, this is the Ninja world where people wants to protect each other and at the same time kill each other too. Sasuke protecting Naruto and Naruto protecting Sasuke is not too special. In fact, one of the weak and pathetic character like Sakura was saved once in every three episodes by Naruto or Kakashi or even by Sasuke sometimes.

And yet here I am mentioning protectiveness as the most important aspect of this ship. So what differentiates?

The way Sasuke protects Naruto is one of the intense thing I’ve ever seen. When I watch this series, I gained this immense ability to put myself in other characters mind just like Naruto. When I put myself in Sasuke’s mind whenever he tried to protect Naruto under different conditions, I simply cannot put their relationship under Friendship.

Here, Naruto is fighting Gaara in part 1 and Naruto was repelled by his own attack from the paper bomb. Sasuke being already battered by his curse mark bruise and he couldn’t move an inch. And yet he is shielding Naruto even though it is completely unnecessary because Naruto bumping into a tree log is completely normal. The creator even went under a lot of pain to draw that panel which took 40% of the page.

Now you may question, many characters even died protecting someone. What’s so special with just shielding?

Like Hinata jumping in for suicide before Pain, Iruka blocking Mizuki’s attack, Tsunade blocking Orochimaru, Neji dying as a ‘Love Cupid’ for hinata and Naruto.... I can cite many things here. What’s common among them all is that they were all perfectly capable of moving around and yet decided to save Naruto.

But that’s not the only point.

Is there any need for him to save Naruto? No.

Will Naruto die if he didn’t shield him? No.

Then why? He could have spent that energy trying to do something for Sakura rather than do a pointless shielding.

And then there is Kushina.

Naruto’s mom was already on the verge of dying as she had Kurama extracted from her body and Jinchuriki without a Tailed Beast will die. Because of Uzumaki clan’s strong life force, she could hold off for a bit longer. When kurama attacked Naruto, she shielded him with her body and saved her son from an imminent death.

Even though Sasuke didn’t die shielding him, but there is a semblance.

Both protected Naruto even when their body condition is worse. That is, Protect at all cost attitude.

I intended to put Land of the Waves arc here as it is very similar to what happens with Kushina. But that’s for an upcoming section.

Now, as a Mother her instinct to protect Naruto is very strong.

But who is Naruto for Sasuke? What makes his instinct so strong to protect someone who is not even related by his blood? Until and unless you love that person dearly you won’t do it.

That brings me to the next thing.

Yeah, it kind of looks ‘very friendly’ to give a 3 layered protection to someone who is already powered up like you and most importantly you want to kill him.(Can I say that looks really romantic?). Anyways my point is different.

What really happens here is this

It is a well established fact that Minato, the Yellow Flash is the fastest shinobi in Narutoverse. It wasn’t surpassed yet. He uses the Hiraishin No Jutsu to teleport at the speed of light. It was invented by none other than Tobirama Senju who is the fastest shinobi of his time.

We basically have two fastest shinobi in the battlefield here. And Minato being the fastest among them, definitely don’t want to blow up near his son for whom he died protecting him once. He wanted to teleport somewhere away and before he could do it, Tobirama teleported the bomb back to Obito.

What many fails to notice here is that all these things are happening in mere seconds. But Sasuke realized it real quick as usual and protects Naruto in an instant. How fast his instinct you may ask? Quicker than the two fastest shinobi on the battlefield and one among them is Naruto’s dad.

What I want to say is Sasuke’s protective instinct is quicker than Naruto’s father and similar to Naruto’s mother.

And you know, I questioned myself during the Chunin Exams arc “I think in the Zabuza arc, Naruto conveniently happened to be near Sasuke, So he protected him at the cost of his life. What if Sakura happens to be there? Would he have done the same? Maybe he would’ve died protecting her too.”

But all of my questions were thrown into drain by Sasuke as if he was able to read my mind. The answer is “Hell! I don’t care if she died. That’s her loss. I will not die for her sake.”

This is really confusing, hilarious and romantic at the same time.

Me: Sasuke!!! I understand why you want to save Jugo... Even though you abandoned him in the Land of Iron. LOL. What are you going to do with Naruto anyway when the whole world is blasted off?

He proved this again in the Kaguya’s Lava dimension too. Before you tell me that he saved Naruto because he needs him to seal off Kaguya, the previous scenario nullifies your argument.

And SS wankers shamelessly defending that Sasuke don’t want Sakura to die by Kaguya’s hands, that’s why he left her to die. Geez!!! Who the hell is Sakura to Kaguya anyway? Even if she were to die by Kaguya’s hands, it would almost look like how Obito died. It’s not bad at all. But falling into the lava pit, burning, screaming.... sssshhhh. Wake the f**k up!!!

Now how can you convince me that this is just Friendship? What’s more funny is Sasuke wanted to kill Naruto later at some point. Throughout the War Arc I was always confused as to why Sasuke even care about Naruto at all? He didn’t care about him ever since he left him 3 or 4 years ago and he doesn’t have to. After all everyone have their own paths to walk on.

Even if I put myself in Sasuke’s mind and see Naruto just as a friend whom I want to kill, I wouldn’t go under so much pain to save him. I would feel like it’s better for him to die by something else rather than me. Because I can’t bring myself to kill someone I know well.

These scenes are not just put there by chance.

Such a strong reflex to protect someone is only possible when you consider that person’s life more than yours.

Does any other ship has such things to show? I’ll wait.

Yeah Sasuke protected Sakura from Orochimaru and Gaara. But he also went so far to wait for Karin and awakened a new power to protect her. So does this means he love those girls?? No. He was just showing a team camaraderie. But it’s funny that later, he tried to kill those girls knowing full well they are unprepared to fight him. While with Naruto, it always comes with a warning. Try to understand this difference. Which is exactly why I didn’t put Sasuke saving Naruto during his Chakra training, or falling from the waterfall and many more. Because they are just a team camaraderie.

I don’t even have to compare with other ships, did Sasuke ever protected anyone like this in the whole series?. These are the things which could’ve been avoided or handled in a different way, like there was no need to emphasize on saving Naruto alone while ignoring others.

My body moved on its own

I don’t need to explain this any deeper. There are many people who says Sasuke is incapable of showing his true feelings. He is cold, rude, aloof and stoic so he always hides his feelings for everyone (mostly this line was used by Sakura wankers who wanted to portray that Sasuke always loved Sakura deeply but never shows). But they fail to understand the irony that one of the most beautiful line in this entire series was told by none other than ‘Sasuke Uchiha’, “My body moved on its own”.

Yet I find Sasuke shows his honest and heartful emotions before the people he loves. If he can show that to Itachi and Naruto, why not with Sakura?

I know those wankers try to say Sasuke repressed all his feelings until Chapter 698, so he has some romantic feelings for Sakura too. Bullshit!!!

Even though he repressed those feelings in his mind, his body always betrays him in the end and his feelings pours out from time to time. That is what this section explores about.

Man, this is the most painful GIF I have ever made.

In his battle with Itachi, he was completely consumed by the feeling of revenge and hatred for his brother. But when Itachi approached him in his final moments with an intention (seemingly) to snatch his eyes, he still couldn't push Itachi away though he could have. Sasuke just looked into his eyes and let him do whatever he was about to do.

Why?, Because he loved his brother so much once that he don't know what to do but simply embrace that moment. These are the moments your mind says to close your eyes or even run away (he totally could have) but his body will not allow him to.

This is what I meant by your body betrays yourself. Even in your darkest moments, you cannot fake. You always show your true emotions towards the person you love. The more you suppress, the more it will burst out.

Here Sasuke’s hatred is glaring through his eyes because Sakura is persuading him to not do something he wants to (as always). His only motivation is to kill that man. His resolve is a real deal.

But in a matter of minutes after giving that long hateful speech with some heavy determination, when he saw that hungry blonde boy who was tied up for trying to steal food, Sasuke just acted on his own and served him food even though he was told not to which could jeopardize his career.

This bipolar dance is something to notice throughout the series and is always interesting to explore. When Sakura tries to dissuade Sasuke from something, he always retorts to insults or an angry stare. But when Naruto accidentally stands in Sasuke’s way, he always involuntarily helps him out.

In short, towards Sakura he was like “Even you cannot take that path away from me” but when turning towards Naruto, he was like “Well, I can risk everything for you at the cost of my path”.

This seals the real deal for SNS ship.

At this point, for us viewers, Naruto is just an orphan who has no friends but always carries his life with a positive spirit hoping that someday he will be accepted by everyone.

Unbeknownst the fact that he already has one person who was willing to die for him and putting all his dreams into fire.

Important thing to notice, It’s entirely at Naruto’s fault for them being in this situation. If Naruto had used a bit of brain to attack from outside the mirror, they wouldn’t have been in this situation. But still Sasuke plunged into the trap without any regrets. That’s the beauty of this scene.

What’s more thrilling is that the creator told us Sasuke loved Naruto in the very next chapter itself.

How?

By making Haku jump before Zabuza knowing full well that he is going to die which is not very different from how Sasuke shielded Naruto.

And not only that, but by making Naruto say “He really loved you”. I got to say the creator may sucks at writing Sakura and Hinata for God only knows for whatever twisted reasons. But when it comes to male characters like Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi, Obito... he was just amazing and on another level.

How?

By indirectly drawing parallels between Sasuke and Haku in a matter of successive chapters.

By dropping indirect hints and crumbs like these to tell us, the audience, the motivations of the characters.

I always had the thought why did he risked his life for a boy who always fights with him? This became more emotional when we get to know the real reason for why Sasuke risked his life much later in chapter 698.

Having faced all the turbulent things in his life, somehow seeing Naruto doing all those childish stuffs made him feel relieved. That warmth was what he needed at that time. He wanted to escape from it but couldn’t. That’s why he embraced his warmth unknowingly in his Team 7 days by constantly reaching out to him starting from asking tips, concerned about having breakfast and training with him to climb the tree.

Sasuke even come to like Naruto more than himself and that’s why he was willing to die for him.

This feeling is definitely not a bromance or friendship. It’s an innocent enchantment you hope to last forever. Which again explains why he tolerated Naruto’s insults and hostility all those times. Because Sasuke knew those childish things were the ones he got attracted to him ever since his childhood. Rather than saying tolerated, I should use the term enjoyed. He really enjoyed those moments being bugged by Naruto for no reason.

Because just like Itachi said to Sasuke once, ‘If you are excellent you become alienated and arrogant even though you were sought after at the beginning’ . But Naruto pestering him means he is very curious about Sasuke which no one else tried. He was adored by those girls for his coolness and revered by those boys for his excellence but nobody really tried to befriend him. But Naruto tried to befriend him through Rivalry. That’s why Sasuke unconsciously started to like him. This also explains why he roasted Sakura for badmouthing him even though Naruto attacked him and tied him up earlier.

If Sasuke can show all these feelings even though he was trying to suppress it towards Naruto and Itachi, Why can’t he show a single normal feeling towards Sakura??? Because there isn’t one. Except for an old Team 7 camaraderie where he saw her as an acquaintance and nothing more.

Many NH shippers claims, but Hinata loved her ‘Naruto-Kun’. She jumped in front of Naruto to save him from Pain, when in reality she just acted selfishly and couldn’t pull out the Chakra rods. Meaning she failed whatever she was about to do.

Another interesting thing to cite for NH shippers, they claim for Naruto, Hinata is the most important person his life. Since when? With that shitty movie called ‘The Last’ with shitty retconned stuff? In all the 699 chapters he always claimed Iruka Sensei and Sasuke were the important people in his life. And you know what? For Hinata to like Naruto, he has to jump in to save her from the bullies. But for Sasuke he just saved Naruto without any validation. He saw Naruto and liked his presence and just did it.

When you could accept that failed attempt as a love, why not accept Sasuke loves Naruto when in fact he succeeded in saving him and that too unconditionally?

This is one of the tropes which should have been avoided if the creator wanted Sasuke and Naruto to be just friends.

One and Only

This is something very special that is offered to that one person in his life. That is Naruto. Even Itachi knew it. That is the Power to influence Sasuke’s heart. This is the fact even Sasuke himself knew it and that’s why he wanted to kill him.

Now don’t compare this with the manipulation shit which Orochimaru and Obito were doing. It’s not that. Many Sasuke fanatics always blame Naruto that he is also manipulating Sasuke just like everyone. That’s totally wrong.

Manipulation is something you do by talking about some twisted facts and make the other person to do what you want to.

Naruto never did that. Ever. Whenever Naruto and Sasuke meet, they always talk about themselves and how they feel. Not the world, not Team 7 or anything. Which is exactly why Sasuke himself willingly left that space in his heart for Naruto when he left him in the Valley of the End which he badly wanted to destroy. Sasuke, of all people, know Naruto is also very honest.

Sasuke lost all his rationality when he went into darkness by stabbing Karin who was helping him in his battle with Danzo. She even replenished his chakra many times. He not only just stabbed her, after when he found her still alive, he decided to finish her off with his Chidori.

And then the pink haired bitch appears before him and started to concoct lies with malicious intent to kill him. This provoked Sasuke more and more to reach this point.

Believe me, when you are lost in darkness, all you need is a small light which can show you a path. Someone who can extend helping hands to lift you up with honesty.

Sakura, being a crass woman, riled up Sasuke further with full of nonsense.

If you want to picture the darkness,

This is exactly how Sasuke feels. He is in so much pain and don’t know how to face it or deal with it. So he started to destroy everything he sees. For him Karin, Sakura, Kakashi are all just some pebbles in his way and want to trample them as he goes. His entire life has become farce after knowing his beloved brother’s real pain and miseries. Now he has no one left from his family.

Until Naruto appears.

He may not be his family, but he is the only person left for him in this world. Which is established in many Naruto endings and even Sasuke himself accepts this with Sage of Six Paths.

But my Cherry Blossom queen really loved Sasuke, she only wanted the good of him. My question is ‘Then why the fuck she tried to kill him? She looked at Sasuke and find that he changed. She didn’t even bothered to find out what’s going on from his side.’ Then how is this considered as wanting only good for him?

Surprisingly Sasuke calmed down a bit, the moment Naruto appears and even started to respond to him which he didn’t before with Kakashi and Sakura. Deep down Sasuke himself knew in his heart that the path he is going through is Self-destructive. Just like Kurama tells Naruto ‘Destroy everything you see’ in the Pain arc when he sprouted upto Eighth Tail, Sasuke’s traumatic mind tells him to ‘Destroy Konoha’.

All he needed was someone to extend an helping hand to tell him what to do without any malice. Naruto did that. Just like what Minato did for Naruto in Pain arc.

After clashing Rasengan with Chidori ,they meet inside the White bubble space and Naruto talks to Sasuke which evoked all his past memories which he never wanted to awaken.

That’s why Sasuke was visibly shaken with Naruto’s words. Because those were the words which mirrors exactly how Sasuke feels too. He was surprised and shocked that Naruto also felt the same way without him ever openly confessing those feelings.

When everyone tried to kill him for his monstrosity, Naruto is the only person standing there seeing him as his friend. Just like how Iruka saw Naruto way back in 1st chapter.

Believe me, even at the depth of darkness, when you see the person you love so much, you will stop and rationalize.

That is exactly why Itachi left Sasuke in Naruto’s hands. He even admitted to Sasuke that his words will not reach him no matter what.

Sasuke may not have abandoned his ambitions at that point. But Naruto gave him a clear path. That is ‘Show all your hatred on me’ and then do whatever you want.

I know SS shippers will claim that back hug from Sakura changed his murderous behaviour during the Chunin Exams. Yes. That’s true. But right after that, when Sasuke was fighting Yoroi in a one-on-one combat, his Cursed Seal flares up again. He retracted that seal out of his sheer will and thought about both Sakura and Naruto who was freaking out without even knowing about the seal. So, it’s not only a Sakura exclusive moment. The creator even went ahead and drawn a panel asking Sakura to not say anything about the Curse Mark to Naruto. Why do that?

As far as I understand, Sasuke saw Naruto and felt the warmth of his family. He singled that out in chapter 698. When Naruto was placed in the same team as him, he started to extend his good side to his other team members as well. But the moment he decided to leave the village, he severed the ties with Sakura (was there ever one apart from considering her as a teammate?) by saying Thank You. Meaning, you helped me many times so thanks for all of that. What’s more pitiful is, he didn’t even look at her face for the entire conversation except for saying ‘You are really annoying’. There is nowhere in the manga where Sasuke singled out Sakura for making him feel anything and did something for her exclusively. It’s all in the context of Team 7.

If Sakura is the most important person in Sasuke’s life, he should have stopped the rampage the moment he saw her but instead he got riled up more and more. Which explains where Sasuke kept her in his heart. Literally nowhere. He threw her into the trash. LOL.

If Hulk can calm down after seeing Betty Ross and you call that love, why not accept Sasuke loves Naruto??

Powerful Eyes

You know, Even in real life, Our eyes always reflects our true feelings, just like how your body betrays your mind , your eyes even betray your body.

Just like how Itachi could never fake his evil brother act in his final moments.

Just like how Sasuke couldn’t turn away from Itachi when he was approaching him to seemingly snatch his eyes.

Uchiha boys being a romantic bunch, always expose their awakening/ reawakening/ evolving their Sharingan in a most distressed situation. Just like Madara and Sasuke exposed their brimming eyes for Hashirama and Naruto. But in this department, Madara is wildly romantic as always. LOL. Despite losing 3 brothers, he awakened his Sharingan only when he was breaking up with his ‘friend’. And Sasuke, he reawakened / evolved Sharingan when trying to save / breaking up with his ‘friend’. Such a Biological defect!!!!

Poor Sakura pathetically fails in this department.

Anyways this part is not about Sharingan anyway. It’s about how such a powerful eyes becomes powerless before those Blue Eyes.

Eye Symbolism is something I really enjoy exploring in this ship.

Like I mentioned earlier, Sasuke has never shown his emotions atleast starting from Part II. He usually never shows any positive emotions like happiness, laughing, pouting, love, excitement (although he has shown all these towards Itachi and Naruto) and is known for negative emotions like anger, annoyance, hatred.

Look at how Sasuke is glaring with hatred for her insensitive words. She deserved this to be honest.

Now, is there any need to show your fury towards Kabuto?

Since the beginning of the Shippuden, some facts have been established strongly:

1. Sasuke has changed by leaps and bounds in terms of his attitude and hatred.

2. Sharingan is pretty dangerous. Many characters including kurama acknowledges it. Sasuke is very adept at using his Sharingan.

Orochimaru maybe right. But he doesn’t know the weakness. LOL

His hatred has reached to a point where he couldn’t think anything rationally and started to kill everyone, just like how Naruto kicked Sakura in his 4 Tailed Kyuubi Mode engulfed with the hatred of Kurama. Meaning, to reach his goal, Sasuke will kill anyone in his path without any hesitation. This shot is the representation of this.

And yet when he saw those particular Blue eyes, he stops his rampage immediately and visibly shocked even. That’s the look of ‘why is that blue eyes here?’

You have every right to accuse me that I am over exaggerating this scene. I am not. Even I wanted to think that way too that I am deluding myself. The creator has only consolidated my view pretty strongly.

There’s no need to emphasize on eyes at all. The anime team has went under so much pain to animate this scene in a satisfying and compelling way.

What’s more? The creator even went under further extent to draw a whole page in the manga focusing on their eye contact after the Rasengan vs Chidori clash. Meaning, Sasuke has calmed down visibly and became very easy to reason with.

Trust me, even in your darker / vulnerable moments, your eyes will reflect your true feelings to the person you love. You cannot be stubborn.

Now did it stop here?? Nope, it happened again in the Final Valley of the End battle too.

Sasuke is usually confident of his Sharingan (rightfully so) and likes to flaunt his eyes just like Madara. He was very sure that he was going to win.

While Sasuke had a clear resolve to kill Naruto when he was showing his back, but the moment he comes close with those Blue Eyes, his heart even pounded strongly (in the anime), and lost the resolve completely which made his Sharingan retract itself unconsciously. Meaning, his eyes betrayed him.

It’s funny that not even a minute ago he was very proud of his Visual Prowess as an Uchiha and his victory is inevitable but the moment he saw those Blue eyes, he just lost. You think I am again exaggerating?. Nope!!!

Oh Dear!!! This doesn’t get more romantic than this. An inescapable gaze from those blue eyes he loved all along.

Sasuke!! What happened to your proud Uchiha eyes?. You just stole Chakra from Naruto, isn’t it? Hints like these are really heartwarming, to be honest.

My entire point is, every character from every arc hypes up Sharingan starting from Zabuza, Haku, Rock Lee, Orochimaru, Kabuto, Kurama and many more, but why put a weakness for Naruto’s eyes?

What I really loved exploring is the way Sasuke totally expressed everything through his eyes in Episode 478.

Sasuke shows his vulnerability towards Naruto with just his eyes. These are not something you show to everyone. Even when Itachi departed finally after releasing Edo Tensei, Sasuke looked sad, shocked and pained but didn’t cry. He accepted the reality of it. The last time when we saw him crying, it was after knowing the truth of Itachi, facing towards the beach and was weeping unbearably because there was no one else for him in this world. But this time, he is next to the person whom he feels truly loved and he doesn’t mind showing it with his eyes.

Well, on multiple rewatches, the clues for their love was already dropped in the 1st Valley of the End fight itself. Sasuke already lost his resolve to kill by balling his chidori fist rather than ramming through his chest. So the feelings inside the bubble are their honest emotions like always.

The pain on the verge of their separation inside the white bubble is clearly evident from their eyes even in their monstrous form. Even in the manga it was mentioned that ‘I can’t turn my back Vs I am not letting you go’

But what they really wanted to be from their childhood was this.

Look at Sasuke, how entranced he was on looking at that innocent boy. Now put yourself at Sasuke’s mind. Will you ever look at your friend like that??? Now, they are probably just 7 here, am not romanticizing. But Sasuke looks enthralled innocently.

But somehow, their paths separated them for who knows how long. But the pain in both their eyes is unbearable. Even the databook, mentioned that separating from Naruto is like ripping half of his body. Well, this proves it.

Now, if they really wanted to portray this as friendship, they never should have given Eye symbolism at all. They should have gone with ‘I was always jealous of you’ thing, like they portrayed in that filler episode 450.I would’ve gladly accepted it as friendship. Because that’s how friends behave when they are jealous and I wasn’t feeling any romance at all. There’s no need of that lengthy monologue on how he was always looking at Naruto and felt pain.

I am telling you, I won’t be looking at my friend like this.

Unconscious closeness

Remember, I’ve written in the beginning of the post that Sasuke enjoys the warmth from Naruto. Meaning, he likes that person’s presence unconsciously and want to be near him. Sasuke proved this many times.

This is the most intense and confusing section I have to dissect for this post. But it’s the most entertaining nonetheless, atleast for me.

Starting from the Land of the Waves arc, here Sasuke is speed walking to match up with Naruto.

Initially I thought, he is trying to be competitive. But instead of walking ahead of Naruto to show who is faster, he just walks beside him. I find this really hilarious and adorable. This just shows Sasuke likes Naruto’s presence so much so that he wants to walk beside him.

Now many SS shippers tries to make this scene for themselves, when it is clearly not.

If you notice Sasuke in the Bell Training, he compares his strength difference with Kakashi and determines to get stronger. Same with Might Guy, he compares Might Guy’s speed with his own Sensei. Meaning, he respects people with strength. Naturally, he should’ve asked her and Sakura would have given him tips wholeheartedly. Because she really succeeded in that training.

Why bother to ask a deadlast?

The only reason I could find is that he wants to befriend him in his own stubborn way. But Poor Soul!!! He didn’t get the tips anyway. LOL. But despite getting the short end of the stick, he never hold it against him. Just like he never held anything against Naruto when he tied him up in Episode 3. All he did was just flaunt how he escaped.

Pretty cool for a 12 year old kid. Because If I were Sasuke, I would hold it for sure.

Once again Sasuke proves how he can care Naruto in his own adorable way.

He could’ve said ‘I am going to train too” if he really intended to train. There is no need to say ‘Going for a Walk’ and ask Naruto about breakfast. This explains that Sasuke simply missed the boy’s prolonged absence and reached out to him in his own cute way.

Now all these doesn’t mean he was in love with him. It’s just a childish attraction which makes him act like that involuntarily.

I just added this GIF to compare with the next scene.

Now Shikamaru falling on Naruto in an unconventional way doesn’t look anywhere romantic. Instead it’s the opposite. They are pretty friendly here.

But Sasuke’s approach to Naruto does looks undeniably sensual and I couldn’t deny the sexual tension that brings with it. (Even when I watched it for the first time having no idea of shipping anyone, I lowkey got creeped and thought, ‘Sasuke!! What have you become? ’)

This scene is something even I can’t dissect. Because honestly I don’t know. Sasuke is a person who never appreciates physical touches nor does he initiates either.

I get this crazy femme fatale vibe when seeing Sasuke with his sexy costume landing at a speed of lightning with his hands wrapped around Naruto and taunting near his ear about what was he doing there? The only reason I could think of is that maybe he missed him for 3 years which made him go unconsciously so close near Naruto. It’s also funny that he could’ve shoved his sword into Naruto’s heart before landing and no one could’ve batted an eyelid.

Damn you, Kishimoto!!! Is this scene absolutely necessary??? What are you trying to convey? Why do you give Sasuke, a sexualized aura?? I understand you love this character so much and you want this character to be desirable among women. Yeah, you succeeded by making Karin behave like a woman in heat, the moment they met. But instead of letting her get close to him, you made Sasuke to say ‘You... Don’t get so close’ whereas with Naruto, you made Sasuke to go willingly touch him in a half hugging stance. Geez!!!

Here comes the most interesting part in this section.

It may seem irrelevant at the beginning but trust me, it will make sense later.

Before that, I would like to appreciate the creator and especially the anime team to bring the battle sequence so lively and different in its own way. If you notice the purpose of every battle that happened in Naruto series, each carries it own meaning and deliberately distinguished. How you ask?

The fight between Deidara vs Sasuke.

Logically Deidara should be dead in the Gaara retrieval arc itself. There is no point for him to chase Sasuke who killed Orochimaru to whom Deidara had nothing to do with. It didn’t impact the story in any way. But the purpose of that battle is to show how far Sasuke has grown up in those 3 years. The way he can use his Sharingan to analyze his enemies abilities and weakness so quickly and take multiple steps ahead, the way he can use Genjutsu and other incredible jutsus in his arsenal were a visual treat.

Now, let’s analyze Sasuke’s arsenal of Jutsus. He can do Teleportation Jutsu, a decent Genjutsu, Chidori Senbon (needles), Raikiri (Chidori sword which ranges to 5 metres), Chidori Nagash (Chidori from his whole body), Transformation Jutsu, Substitution Jutsu Shuriken Jutsu with wire works, Kirin, Gokakyu No jutsu, Sword fighting, basic Hand-to-Hand fighting (I’ve never seen him do it ever since the Chunin Exams with Orochimaru), Archery fighting, Susanoo, Amaterasu and all the Rinnegan abilities.

Based on the jutsus he learned so far and how he applies in every battle, it all confirms two things:

Sasuke is a Medium-Long Range Shinobi

Sasuke’s battles are usually based on his Cleverness

Let’s go for Naruto. He can do Teleportation Jutsu, Sexy Jutsu, Harem no jutsu, Rasengan, Rasen Shuriken, Oodama Rasengan, Biju Dama, Tailed Beast Mode, Kage Bunshin No jutsu, Sage mode jutsu, Frog Kumite, Better Hand-to-Hand combat skills (better than Sasuke), Transformation Jutsu, Substitution Jutsu and all his Six path abilities.

Compared to Sasuke, Naruto’s jutsu variety is very less. But for every 4 punches from Sasuke equals 1 powerful punch from Naruto. Analyzing all of them,

Naruto is a Close-Range Shinobi except for his Rasen Shuriken

Naruto’s battles are usually based on his Jutsu Timing and Unpredictability

Now, Let’s rewind back to 3 years and look at the 1st Valley of the End battle. That battle was cleverly choreographed which carried very intense emotional baggage. Things we never knew about those boys until then were openly admitted and acknowledged. That is, for Sasuke, Naruto became his closest friend. For Naruto, he always wanted to be Sasuke’s friend way back when he was 6 or 7. For both, they already have some unexplainable bond by just looking at each other and smiling secretly.

The theme of that battle started as Am going on my own path vs I can’t allow you to tread on that dangerous path and ended up with I want to break our bond vs I don’t want to.

Now, this posture represents, Naruto is the one who pursues Sasuke to stop him from whatever he was about to do. Meaning, Naruto is the one who is constantly reaching out and Sasuke as usual kicks him out violently, that is he is pushing him away. That’s the essence of the whole battle.

Considering all the battles in the Naruto universe, I categorize them as follows:

Best Calculated (and emotional) battle - Itachi vs Sasuke

Best Hand-to-Hand combat - Kakashi vs Obito (what a fight it was!!!)

Best Mega Powered Up battle - Hashirama vs Madara

Best Emotional battle - Naruto vs Sasuke (1st valley of the end)

Best Unpredictable/Entertaining battle - Naruto vs Pain

Despite having all the potential to fulfill the above categories, The Final Valley of the End Battle never bested in any of them.

As analyzed before, the boys have grown up to greater heights. I expected a battle between Cleverness of Sasuke Vs Unpredictability of Naruto

But what I observed was something so intense. That is Unintentional closeness.

This battle symbolizes one thing: I am going to kill you to get lonely vs I won’t let you kill me because you will be alone.

Being a long range fighter, I expected Sasuke to go for this.

If you have to kill someone you love, it is best to keep your distance. Sasuke knows this full well when he battled with Itachi. Except for some Sword fighting, he maintained a certain distance to fight Itachi throughout, until the very end.

But when fighting Naruto, all I got was this.

That’s when I finally understood that this posture means, the fight is very personal. Which means, Sasuke or Naruto won’t be fighting by sitting on top of each other with their enemies or anyone else. That’s just between them alone.

There was no analysis or cleverness from Sasuke’s side or any Unpredictability from Naruto. It was very bland and Sasuke looked clueless throughout the fight.

It started with some boxing style combat, including stealing hand seals and then some power punches. Very quickly it propels to Susanoo vs Tailed Beast mode. I expected some Hashirama vs Madara level power battle.

But all we saw there was this.

I mean, Come on!!! Man. Even the most Crazy and openly Romantic Uchiha, Madara himself never fought like this in Susanoo with Hashirama (Though Madara must be thinking ‘Damn Hashirama! I should’ve tried this with you’. LOL). Those mega battles carried variety of tactics.

Another thing I noticed was, Sasuke is the one who does lots of talking and constantly pursuing Naruto. Whereas Naruto is uncharacteristically quiet for the most part.

And finally it leads to this.

Sasuke was unconsciously getting closer and closer to Naruto which is the opposite of what he wants to do. Because of that very closeness, he couldn’t look at his eyes with his Sharingan and eventually got an uppercut. It’s like Sasuke was screaming, ‘Hate me’ and Naruto was like ‘Keep talking’.

Every jutsu he had for attacking from a long-range were forgotten. He didn’t even try to put Naruto under Genjutsu. I mean with his Rinnegan, he was capable of putting all the 9 Tailed Beasts into a powerful Genjutsu. Why didn’t he try that with Naruto? There was no Chidori Stream or Lightning Blade.

I can imagine Naruto doing close range fights with someone or even sitting on top of the enemy. Example, part I, Naruto head bumped Gaara. He was literally fighting with his Shadow Clones against a Monster so he had to get closer. Naruto monstrously punching Deidara not knowing the fact that it was a clay clone.

But Sasuke??? Can you imagine Sasuke sitting on top of the enemy and punching to pulp??? No way. Not a chance.!!!

In one way or other way, Sasuke was always in the close proximity with Naruto throughout the battle and touching each other which is totally uncharacteristic of him when compared to his other battles.

Every battle he ever fought was always at a distance which is the clear representation of his own character. He is calculative, analytical, precise and moves fluidly with a flair like a true Ninja unlike Naruto who is always reckless, noisy, powerful and clumsy.

Sasuke is someone who never lets his emotions get ahead in the battle, unlike Naruto. This is evident from the War when he was yelling at Naruto to stop worrying about Hokage as they were Edo Tensei who can regenerate. Even when fighting with Itachi, he calculated every move and attacked Itachi without any emotions except at the very end. Sasuke in this final battle forgot who he was and telling us viewers “Am just gonna get closer to Naruto and punch him hard”.

In short, Sasuke completely forgot all his battle tactics he had with Itachi and let his emotions get ahead of his cleverness and got himself closer to Naruto which eventually ended up weakening his resolve to kill him. This is what I meant by Unintentional Closeness.

Anyways, what I understood was, the creator didn’t put all this by without any meaning. It’s all very deliberate and drawn carefully.

Moving onto the final and the most defining moments of SNS.

When I watched this scene for the first time, I can’t comprehend the exact meaning. And I forgot about this later because of my excitement to know what happens next. But what I understood on my rewatch is that, the feelings exchanged here is very pure and innocent but distressing.

Sasuke already lost his resolve to kill by not ramming Naruto with Chidori instead balled up his fist. So he is not contemplating whether or not to kill Naruto.

Sasuke made every effort to leave Naruto and succeeded in it too. But somehow, accidentally, when faced with a person whom he considers so precious in such a close proximity, despite have a stinging pain in his arm, he is feeling the warmth he once felt. He just wants that warmth to prolong for some more time and he can’t able to evade it. So he totally gave in to that desire and feeling it unconsciously. Sasuke always watched Naruto (unbeknownst to him) and felt warmth, relief and weakness. This scene is the symbolic and innocent representation of all those feelings when he saw Naruto and he is exeriencing it for the final time.

Does this means, does Sasuke wants to kiss him? No.

But every symbolism of that being happening is there. It’s just all open to interpretations. The creator could show us how Sasuke fell on his knees and staring at Naruto intently but never intended to show when he got up and left. I don’t understand this twisted mind of the creator.

Added to that, Sasuke was about to say ‘Naruto, I....’ God only knows what he was about to say. But every possibility of Sasuke confessing and kissing is there.

I know the creator cannot approach this directly considering the situations he worked under. But is there any necessity for such an intense scene? Even the anime creators loved this scene and made their own version of making Naruto’s eyes wide open and even more closer.

I wont be watching my friend or sister like that.

That explains all the way back to this fated accidental scene.

There is nothing special about this scene. It’s all very clear that the kiss was accidental. It was really funny. But my point is why Sasuke never beat him to pulp or even push Naruto away like he did with Sakura and Karin? Why did he stood up for Naruto before Sakura? Why did he let go off Naruto even though he tied him up? Too many leeway for a single person in a single episode. And the most important part is, Sasuke thought it was intentional and remembers the taste. LOL.

Does this means he enjoyed the kiss? Not at all.

Most probably he was shocked to see Naruto in such a close proximity after seeing him from a distance for all those years. And he enjoys this as just another prank from Naruto in his own innocent way. But he won’t mind getting another one from Naruto either.

So, to conclude

I believe I made this post from an objective standpoint without making crazy theories and I don’t have to..... since canonical resources were plenty. Obviously my own bias will also be there which is unavoidable. But I tried to question the creative choices of why this scene even exist in the first place many times. Because those are the scenes which made the most impact inside me.

My first watch of Naruto gave me the benefit of doubt that ‘Are they in love? Nah... They are friends. Maybe I am just overthinking... but why does it feel different??’ and that too only after finishing episode 478. After rewatching it again and again, it only consolidated my view.

For Sasuke, his worldly ties are pretty thin and runny. He was always a loner from the beginning even when he had his family. He never bothered to make any friends nor did anyone tried to befriend him. He was pretty close to his family especially Itachi. When he lost everything, somehow he got attracted innocently to Naruto and started to like him. But beyond Naruto he never bothered to add anyone in his heart. He considered Kakashi and Sakura were like his acquaintances who helped him a lot and that’s all.

Then after using Orochimaru, he gathered some high skilled shinobi for killing Itachi. But he made it clear that there don’t need to be any understanding but just co-operation would be enough. But along his way, he just abandoned Jugo, Suigetsu somewhere. He openly said to Karin that she is nothing but a burden to him. When his hatred reached upto a maximum boiling point, he didn’t even hesitate to kill Karin, Kakashi or Sakura. But the moment Naruto appears he calmed down. The proof? He was shocked to see Naruto at first. Then Naruto calls, ‘Sasuke!!!’, to which Sasuke responds with, ‘What?’. Despite becoming a maniac, he could find it in his heart to listen to Naruto.

It took an Edo Tenseified Itachi to bring him some rationality to question his beliefs about destroying Konoha. When Jugo and Suigetsu appear again, he casually asked them, ‘What do you want with me at this point?’, I mean, Come On, Man. LOL. Even during the war arc, when things were about to blast off he only cared about Jugo (who helped him many times, so understandable) and Naruto (Geez!!! LOL).

Even after their final battle, the anime went so far as to create a scene where they were alone in a bright Konoha. But Sasuke looked very peaceful and listening to Naruto intently. When Naruto freaks out about Infinite Tsukuyomi, he casually laughs off and says ‘you still care about the world’. Meaning, he is happy there spending time alone with the person he loves. Doesn’t give a rat’s ass about missing anyone else. (How romantic!!!). Honestly, Sasuke wouldn’t mind if they were to stay that way forever. He would gladly listen to Naruto all day. But when Naruto disappears he freaks out and starting to make up his mind about joining his brother.

It’s very clear that the people he adores are Itachi and Naruto. Towards Itachi, it’s super understandable, because he is his own brother. But Naruto??? Why should the creator go so far as to make Sasuke adores Naruto even after breaking up with him?

And why make Sasuke possessive about Naruto’s life? When Obito was about to kill Naruto with that Black Orbs, Sasuke blocked him and said ‘You are not the One to sever the past, I am’. I understand the logic behind Sasuke’s possessiveness on Itachi’s life because he destroyed his family, childhood and even Itachi wants Sasuke to be the one to kill him. But why possessive on Naruto? He is not related to him by blood. Naruto never did anything wrong to Sasuke to warrant any hate either. You will become possessive on something only when you truly hate it or wholeheartedly love it. There is no middle ground. My point is why put Naruto here at all in the first place?? Believe me, If Sasuke never paid attention to Naruto in the War arc, I would be the first person to jump out of this ship.

Just to give you a basic example, Imagine you are living in a place far away from your family, friends and that loveable person. When Corona hits everywhere and forced Lockdown to travel outside the city, and the situation is getting worse day by day. Whom would you desperately reach out first? You would reach the person whom you are connected well in your family and that loved one. You will prioritize your friends only later. This is the Universal truth. Sasuke was seen showing that same instinct in the War arc towards Naruto whom he was not related by blood. And you all just want me to believe Sasuke sees him as just a friend?? Give me a break!!!

If all those traits I’ve mentioned above have been avoided to a greater extent, I would be happy to believe that they are friends. If not all, at the very least delegate some of the tropes to other people or share some of the tropes with other people along with Naruto. But dumping it all on Naruto alone makes me only curious and incredibly romantic too.

It’s no wonder, Naruto would go so far as to reach out Sasuke even at the expense of his life.

Oh, Did I forget about the cutest and most exclusive trope to SNS?

U-SU-RA-TON-KA-CHI, the most personal word which carries its own meaning and is only for Naruto. So funny that Sasuke has to spend a certain amount of energy to call Naruto using a 6 syllabic word rather than NA-RU-TO, a 3 syllabic word which is much easier.

Disclaimer: This post constituted everything from from Chapter 1 to 699 or Episode 1 to 135 (part 1) + Episode 1 to 479 (Shippuden) excluding fillers. Though Sasuke shinden novel was made into anime, I don’t want to consider that here. As much as I loved the prologue in that novel, I still don’t want to cite that here, as I consider everything after 699 is $$$$ making bullshit.

FUN FACT:

If you put yourself in any character in the Naruto Universe except for Naruto, and ask them, ‘What do you think about Sasuke?’. You know the answer from Sakura, she will say ‘Sasuke-Kun looks very cool and acts aloof, that’s why I love him’. Kakashi will say ‘My favorite student’. And all the other people will say somewhat similar, ‘He is an excellent Shinobi who belongs to the proud Uchiha clan and Naruto’s rival’

But Naruto will be the only person to say this.

“Lot of fun to be around” ....... LOLLLLL.

Me: No, Naruto!!! Clearly not. No one in your universe can have fun with him except you. Go and Ask Sai, Team Taka or your own Team 7. They adore him for being Cool and Talented. But Fun is not the word that equates with Sasuke unless there is no You, Naruto.

Thanks for reading :-D

#sasunaru #narusasu #sasunarusasu #sns #naruto #sasuke #naruto uzumaki #sasuke uchiha #anti sakura #itachi #anti sasusaku #anti naruhina #naruto analysis #naruto and sasuke arent brothers as they never shared a womb #if you see your friend with all these traits then you are no longer just friend

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cozymoko · 3 years

Note

Okay, so how would yandere Sasuke and Naruto (Separate) react to the reader having to go to some other place for a conference/ meeting with other ninjas and someone makes the mistake of flirting with her but she's too innocent to notice?

SASUKE UCHIHA • うちはサスケ

🍙 He couldn't believe his eyes, there's no way. Something told him to trust his gut and he didn't. Sasuke isn't living behind the scenes long, still not verbally announcing your quite obvious relationship. He's more than pleased to accompany you silently, even standing a bit closer than usual.

🍙 Sasuke's glare should be more than enough to make them stop in their tracks. If it isn't, he'll resort to PDA though it isn't his thing hell likely drape his arm over your shoulders, pulling you to his side. Not bothering to acknowledge the idiotic looks on the other ninja's faces.

🍙 If he didn't love you he'd be far angrier than he is now. Some might argue that he should be mad at the man and he is. However, he cannot excuse your actions in the situation, you're his and he is yours. There should be no explanation for you to let worthless men even breathe the same air as you.

🍙 Your obliviousness will be the death of him, and whomever takes advantage of it. Sasuke truly can't stand it. How can a ninja be so close-minded, so oblivious? It wounds him to imagine what could happen if he weren't there to save you from such people. Though it's not like he'll see the day.

NARUTO UZUMAKI • うずまきナルト

🍜 Naruto is rather oblivious himself. Thus, it might take someone like Shikamaru or Gaara to tell him what's going on. Only then will an overwhelming feeling of guilt washed over him. Just the thought of someone even touching you pisses him off, not to mention the horrid things they probably said to you.

🍜 Clingy Naruto has entered the scene! Now you have a personal ninja, clutching to your side every waking moment. With no intentions of injuring anyone, he'd rather indicate that you're off-limits. His hands are any and everywhere, PDA doesn't bother him.

🍜 Unlike Sasuke, Naruto can and will be fairly direct with how he feels. Probably making some sly jokes about how into they are, though he's less than pleased about it all. You have to laugh off the pain, correct? After all, it'd be terrible for his already crippling image if he acted on his anger.

🍜 This moment in particular dawned on how naive you can be and oh is it nerve wrecking. Now having a newfound fear of you being taken advantage of Naruto can barely think straight. He must protect your innocence, your purity, and there's no way in hell he'll allow another man to taint it!

#naruto imagines #yandere naruto shippuden #yandere naruto #yandere naruto headcanons #sasuke imagines #sasuke x reader #yandere sasuke x reader #yandere naruto x reader #yandere+sasuke+x+reader #yandere sasuke

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seriousmilkcarton · 4 years

Text

A Small Essay on Why I Ship Naruto & Gaara

As requested by @marcceh, and to prove my point that I really do make up essays in my head defending the ships I feel strongly about, here is an essay about why I ship Naruto and Gaara.

I do not want to demean any other ships, I truly believe that shipping wars are basically nonsense because we are all part of the same fan community and everyone is entitled to their opinion and should be accepted for it (unless you’re racist, homophobic, transphobic or any other kind of intolerant, then your opinion doesn’t mean shit to me). So these are just my opinions, my experience of watching Naruto and the reasons I ship them and not anyone else (as much).

1. Gaara is my baby and I want good things for him.

I knew Gaara was going to be my baby the moment he first appeared in the chunin exam arc. I was actually so thrilled and felt so badass because my babies usually aren’t the “bad boys/villains” so having a psychotic killer as my baby, I felt like I just stole from the local convenience store and got a lip piercing. It was very much a “there my baby goes, killing people again (hearteyes)”-situation. So what happened. My only villainesque baby (ever?) became a soft boi. And why? Because Naruto showed him the light. I mean, Naruto was such a fucking inspiration, Gaara went through a 180 degree change from a punk who doesn’t give a fuck about others and kills people for fun to the most innocent and awkward soft boi who just wants to protecc. Naruto being good influence is an understatement.

2. Gaara loves Naruto more than sand (and really doesn’t make a secret of it).

You know how every time Gaara is on screen, he just babbles on about how Naruto changed him and how he wants to be like him and how he is so happy to be his friend? (basically how much he loves him?) He is so blunt about it, I love it so much. Like – “I think they changed the recipe of the frappé. It tastes different somehow” – “You know what also changed? My view on life. Naruto taught me the meaning of love and friendship. It was when fighting him, I learned the importance of bonds with people. He gave me hope for what lies ahead. I wish to be such a beacon of hope at a point in the future, too. “

3. I am just a sucker for healthy relationships.

They believe in each other, they support each other, they are good influences on each other, they have the greatest respect for each other but do not shy away when they aren’t in unison about something (i.e. Sasuke). In summary, they stand up for each other and they stand up for themselves. The importance of that in a healthy relationship I cannot stress enough. Also, they are happy when around each other and bring out the best in the other. I cannot find a single toxic trait in their relationship and that just makes me happy.

4. This show is just too gay (for me to ship straight ships).

Generally, it’s not like I am only into slash ships. I think I am actually quite balanced there. My OTPs in various animes like Fairy Tail and Fullmetal Alchemist are straight. Why? Because there are some nice heterosexual relationships that are worthy of my hype. In Naruto? Not so much (in my opinion [except Shikamaru X Temari]). I mean, yes, of course in the end boy ends up with girl, because that’s the show it is. But the story and the emotion revolve about 98 % around males. Because 1) it’s a shounen and 2) the author was not good in showcasing female talent (Don’t get me wrong, there are female characters with… potential. The show just seldom displays it, unfortunately). So in conclusion, I don’t really have straight ships in Naruto (except Shikamaru X Temari).

5. It actually changed my mind.

Obviously, as it was not apparent from the start, I didn’t ship NaruGaa from the beginning. In Part 1 I actually shipped Naruto and Sasuke. And usually, once I start shipping something, I never let go of it, for better or for worse (many times worse). My kinda ship is often is the sort of “I would never admit my affection for you, but I actually deeply care for you and would definitely take a bullet”. And I felt a lot of that in Part 1 in SNS (up to the point where Sasuke left the village). I held on to that ship for longer than it did me good, but when Sasuke tried to actually kill Naruto (don’t remember if it was 1st or 2nd or 3rd time), I gave up on it, too. Partly because I saw there was another option, including my baby, including a both-sided love and care. Because like I said, I’m just a sucker for healthy relationships.

6. They are SO SOFT with each other!

Gaara and Naruto’s interactions are of 3 sorts: “protective husband”, “proud husband” and “soft husband”. Obviously, I love all 3 of them, but let’s talk about the third, because that just makes my heart melt every time. Naruto and Gaara are both very strong and could each bring down armies, respectively, but with each other they are just so SOFT. Alone them saying each others’ names. Best example; when Gaara comes back to life and the first thing he sees is Naruto. Prime example of soft name calling AND super soft look, especially on Naruto’s side. Best example of soft interaction; in the end of that same arc, when they marry shake hands. This was the softest interaction I have ever seen. If I marry at some point, I would be okay with a handshake instead of a kiss, as long as it is THIS LEVEL OF HANDSHAKE.

And that, my friends, is why Naruto X Gaara is a god tier ship.

#naruto #narugaa #gaanaru #gaara #sabaku no gaara #gaara of the desert #anime #ship #otp #naruto shippuden #naruto gaara #shikatema

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thefairyletters · 4 years

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Could you answer this question? I went through a bunch of Sakura fics, many recommended by yourself (many good ones, thanks for your excellent taste!) but I also explored on my own, which is how this question spurred. I was wondering why so many ppl want Sakura to have wood release? &, because it's been a while so my memory's foggy, wasnt wood release sort of a bloodline thing? They had to infuse Hashirama's cells w/ Yamato for him to use it. It seems a little...I guess radical to give it to her? I LOVE Sakura, which is exactly why it kind of throws me off. I think she's already strong as is, & I think being able to utilize genjutsu & slug sage mode are logical expansions of her abilities, so wood release seems very...Idk how to put it but it seems like erasing Sakura. I'm discovering that I truly really dont think I like BAMF Sakura fics a lot bc it just doesnt read AS Sakura. It's like the author's are ashamed of her. Also I dislike when they use Strong!Sakura as a tag on ao3 bc she IS strong that HASNT changed & there's a canonical version of BAMF!Sakura in everything before the Pein arc. Everything after the Pein arc turned the entire series in a bad fanfiction for everyone in itself.

Thank you, I'm happy to know you enjoyed my recs!

That's a good question.

This is what I think makes Sakura badass ➡ here

I love Sakura the way she is, as well. Her development, however, is lacking not in terms of her personality but her skillset. She has impressive chakra control, monstrous strength and is one of the two frontline medics and one of the best healers in the world. She has impressive feats under her belt as well, two of the most remarkable include her byakugo seal and her fight with Sasori alongside Chiyo. But it pales in comparison to her teammates, including Sai and Kakashi. I don't mind that too, because her journey is different than others, excluding Lee and possibly Tenten. She isn't seen much involved in fights, her attacks are repetitive in the show, she isn't bestowed many techniques under her belt and her best moments are in games and novels. It is not her character's fault but Kishimoto who just doesn't use her strength and intelligence which he (and other characters) have mentioned she has.

She is genjutsu type – but has she ever performed one, or even gotten out of one easily? Whats the use of such information if Kishimoto doesn't use it?

She has near perfect chakra control – she should be easily able to perform many techniques and practice different elements, especially water, but earth style and cloning is what we mostly ever see her use.

She has good foundation in Taijutsu – and that should increase her stamina and therefore her chakra coils, and that in turn will ensure she is able to use many techniques.

Her medical and research skills are only next to Tsunade – and we wish to see her revolutionize the medical field which she has but in Borutoverse. That is time skip. That doesn't really relive you much.

She has resistance to mind jutsus, thanks to her inner personality – and theoretically she should be able to even evade strong genjutsus like she did Ino's clan technique (something never been done before) but Kishimoto only used that incredible ability once. ONCE.

She has massive chakra storage and exceptional chakra control and sensitivity – she should be able to master Senjutsu, a field which is all about chakra. Anything that has to do with chakra control is Sakura's playground.

She is more or less an unofficial poison expert – but we didn't see her playing with poison expertly (a poison that even Suna's poison experts failed to break) after Gaara's retrieval arc.

She is the smart and responsible one of team 7 – but Kishi often makes her look both stupid and selfish. We don't see her use her intelligence much. I hate that more than her lacking in the expansion of the skills.

She trained under a political leader – that itself makes her and Shizune great administrators and governors. So, out of everyone, Sakura is the one of the best Hokage material. Hokage is said to be the strongest fighter of the village but that requirement failed us when Tsunade became the fifth Hokage.

She has yin seal – the strongest seals one can make, in their own body no less. It also shows her expert control of her chakra. She can summon one of the big 3 summons. Sealing is more or less code that requires high intelligence and great chakra control that can be fused into the ink. As far as I can tell, she is one of the best candidates to learn Fuinjutsu.

With all these possibilities of her growth – because it is not something we make up but something Kishi has implied she has but never explored – how can one not exploit it? It doesn't mean one doesn't love Sakura for who she is but that its because they love her that they want to give her what she has the right to. She doesn't have to be expert at something to be powerful, just her putting her skills to best use is admirable as it is. I love Sakura for who she is and who she could be.

Now, onto the question as to why people seem to favour giving Sakura wood release, this are the following reasons that I think could be it:

Does it have to be bloodline limit?

Kishimoto gave Hashirama a unique bloodline limit that apparently cannot be inherited by any other Senju. That defeats the purpose of bloodline limit. What makes Senju clan so different? Without Hashirama in the picture, you cannot distinctly identify a Senju clan member aside from their strong chakras. Tobirama is identified for his water techniques. Tsunade has perfect control of her chakra that allowed her to exhibit monstrous strength and incredible healing abilities. How come wood release is a bloodline limit but is not passed down the line?

It is complicated because Tsunade is also renowned for her perfect chakra control just like Hashirama. So, some stories make Sakura a secret Senju clan member because of her uncanny resemblance to Tsunade and Senju clan in general. Pink hair can be a diluted version of Red (Mito) and her chakra control originating directly from Hashirama's lineage.

I personally don't like this because I love Sakura being a civilian child.

It's not a bloodline limit:

So, assuming wood release is not a bloodlimit but a very hard technique requiring precise chakra control and mastery of dual elements Earth and Water, then it is possible for Sakura to practice same technique because of her prodigious chakra control. By that logic, we can also assume that Tenzo inherited Hashirama's unique chakra control to use wood release. Because Orochimaru could have used Tsunade's DNA too if it was only about clan blood. So that rules out bloodline limit.

I love the idea of Sakura practising wood release because it is possible for her to do so. So if an author gives Sakura wood release that she hones with practice and control (ref. fanfic: Labyrinthine) instead of having been gifted with it, I'm digging it.

Nature chooses the wood user:

Naruto universe has many references to spiritual entities such as gods/goddesses, reincarnation and celestial bodies. It is conceivable to make nature an ethereal entity that has its own will. Sakura looks like the embodiment of spring with her petal hair and green eyes, and Hashirama can be compared to wood with his warm personality and appearance, these attributes can make them look distinctly attractive to nature. No other characters remind me strongly of nature than these two so I suppose they can be uniquely selected to be blessed this ability. Tenzo's abilities is the result of human experiment by Orochimaru who always cheats on nature so he is an exception.

I only like this because I like the idea of Sakura being Nature's child.

Most stories that I love don't give her a special edge and only give her more techniques under her arsenal. It is very rarely that I love an OCC Sakura who has a bloodline, a clan or godlike abilities.

After Pein's arc, Naruto turned into a joke. Everyone in team 7 (barring Sakura, Sai and Yamato) and long list of antagonists seemed to get power ups left and right. Sakura got hers in the last moment as a last ditch effort to reunite team 7 as one, a moment that felt so hasty that I couldn't take the show seriously at all. I was so disappointed with the whole war arc. I cringe just thinking about it. I sometimes think if it would have been better for everyone to just die with happily ever after in their mind. That would be tragic but a fitting end because Madara became too OP and Kaguya ridiculously so.

The reason people add 'Strong', 'BAMF', 'Smart' prefixes before Sakura is the reason why people add extra qualities to Sakura's character. They are not satisfied with how Sakura handles herself in fights and many base her fights with the one she had with Sasori. After that, did you see her actively participating in any major fight, barring her attempts to make a score on sidelines? Usually, these fanfictions also justify why she is Tsunade 2.0, something the Naruto failed to show.

By the way, many stories have BAMF tag for Shikamaru, Naruto and Sasuke as well. Are they not already strong af? They don't use Strong tag for them though, and that's because their fighting prowess is already seen. Shikamaru is not much of a fighter as much as he is a strategist and a leader. He is a cool and sly character. Naruto and Sasuke have flashy moves with flashy names under their belt with absurd power levels that puts them in god tier. Sakura has none of that – no signature move that is uniquely her, no clan to back her, no move with a name (barring game moves) – and she is seen useless because she is a healer which is a non-offensive, background job even if it is the most crucial and taxing job. It's significance is even more reduced when people point out how her work is futile because they are again sent to the fight/missions once they are up to go. Most fans only care for visual aesthetics, regardless of how rare and in-demand medics are because of the lack of qualified people who can muster and use medical chakra properly.

Sakura is more than just a healer but in canon she is more or less reduced to that. To make things worse for her, both Ino and Hinata are also shown to have healing techniques. They both also have clan techniques (vastly unknown) with them which makes them appear more 'useful'. Sakura is literally in the shadow of her mentor and her friends.

In Boruto, she is said to be the most powerful Kunoichi of her generation and quite possibly the greatest medic in the world but in Shippuden it is severely undermined. This is also why Boruto fans love Sakura but a bunch of Shippuden fans don't.

I mostly don't judge BAMF/Strong Sakura fanfictions, but I mostly avoid Anbu Sakura fanfictions if I can because I personally don't belive Sakura to be an Anbu material.

I want to add more, but I think I got my point across. Thank you for reading this far. I hope I answered your question adequately.

#sakura #sakura haruno #answered #at least thats what I think #let me know what you feel about this #im so happy to know you loved my recs #naruto #haruno sakura #bamf sakura #she is always bamf #ao3 tags #fanfictions #opinion post

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madara-fate · 3 years

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(This is long and I’m not a native speaker so wanted to warn beforehand)

I don’t agree with most of what they wrote about the shipppuden part where they claimed madara, obito and nagato was right (although I don’t really agree with their motives I believe thay had %100 rights about being angry at the village and the system) But You cannot honestly deny that most of the part I in naruto and the flashbacks it’s always naruto that starts to lash out violently at sasuke (when he doesn’t get to show off or couldn’t manage to throw shurikens as good as sasuke does) and sasuke just doesn’t cara he doesn’t even fight back he just dodges and naruto feels even more humiliated because of sasuke, it’s not sasuke’s fault that he feels inferior also sasuke could’ve bolted from orochimaru in the forest of death it was clear that even if he fought he couldn’t have beaten him and backup was coming if they would have tried to run maybe sasuke wouldn’t have get bitten (I’m not sayin it could have worked but it was a more reasonable solution than let’s fight the creppy snake dude who wants sasuke’s magic sharingan eyes and his pretty body) but you see naruto thought his pride and the exam was more important than his comrades he gave some encouragement and then passed out leaving sasuke to fight such dangerous person and sakura called him a coward that naruto at least does something and she didn’teven do anything whatsoever just watched while the love of his life nearly got killed??? ( don’t get me wrong i like sakura and she did placed herself against gaara and sasuke was prepared to die for him and she got plenty better afterwards and I would never deny her growth that’s why she is my second favorite character but at the forest of death she did nothing and accuse someone who always does the most work of doing nothing) back to the point is i don’t understand why naruto feels it’s sasuke’s fault when he clearly is the one who starts the fights oh and don’t give me that ‘but naruto was 6 hes a child of course he gonna get jealous’ card kakashi was chunnin at that age which brings to another set of problems being that how can they send children to a war and such when they are so young and inexperienced

Look at it from that perceptive your father commits suicide because he saves his comrades instead of doing the mission wich if he was able to save his comrades that must mean they can’t have been that much of a large number (why send so little people to such a dangerous mission in the firs place even if it was a stealth mission and there was war going on why can’t you prioritize your ninjas lives over mission why can’t you have teams that can back them up now I understand sacrifice for the better good but to a village that always brags about teamwork and comrades it sounds too hypocritical to me) Sakumo feels shame not because he saved his comrades but because his status falled ridiculously so much and he was mocked despised for his decision (that was the reason he died because of people he couldn’t take it that was the said reason in cannon) but for some reason kakashi instead of feeling resentment to the village that took his family becomes their most loyal trusted asset I understand why people feel disappointed at his character that doesn’t mean he can’t be loyal to something but he never once doesn’t seem to question why the purpose to all of this loss (please don’t talk about children they send them to wars when it’s convenient to maintain the status quo cuz they have to show their power it wouldn’t stop once there’s peace if there’s any war they still would send them.The strongest village, I remember someone said about Konoha that it’s the biggest ninja village and have the most ninja population so there can’t be that much civilians and kids that aren’t ninja Konoha makes the most money from missions it’s a ninja village not an civilized village)

Now I myself like naruto and kakashi I just don’t like what they represent that you must be ready to sacrifice everything for the village and if someone you care about dies along the way you have no right to be angry at the village because ya know that’s treason I think that anon wasn’t especially angry at naruto himself more than his fans. His fans that doesn’t see a broken child born out of neglect that’s ready to do everything for acknowledgement,bonds,family and friends that he’s blind to what lays underneath but thay see this perfect being that could do no wrong who had it worse than everyone but now he is just an perfect hero no longer that lonely child

Our problem with naruto isn’t naruto himself but people who refuse to see his arrogance (that even itachi pointed out in the war) that they are too far gone they undermine all others pain and suffering to uplift naruto (their precious self-insert)

That’s what i think anyway i’m not trying to impose my opinion on anyone but I just wanted to hear your opinion on those matters but feel free to ignore it if you don’t have anything to say on those matters I understand that not everyone would want to delve that deep into fiction it’s for our enjoyment at the end of the day and everyone could interpret fiction in their own way some might not want to deal with them by saying it in a fictional world it doesn’t work like ours so children going to war is okay there because the narrative doesn’t make a big deal out of it but I don’t believe that I think every fiction mirrors our own world and problems somehow but I get that it’s an escapism and you want to keep that away from that fictional world that has no flaws,it’s different for everyone and i don’t mind honestly

So you created an account just to say this? *Sigh*, okay then.

I'll begin by saying how I have a lot less to say about your ask in comparison to the original Anon, because the original's was just filled to the brim with utter nonsense, while yours isn't. However there are still several things wrong here.

You cannot honestly deny that most of the part I in naruto and the flashbacks it’s always naruto that starts to lash out violently at sasuke (when he doesn’t get to show off or couldn’t manage to throw shurikens as good as sasuke does) and sasuke just doesn’t cara he doesn’t even fight back he just dodges and naruto feels even more humiliated because of sasuke, it’s not sasuke’s fault that he feels inferior

Yeah that's true, but do you think that makes Naruto a terrible person or something? Or a "detestable child" as the other Anon so eloquently put it? No one with a good head on their shoulders thinks that Naruto was a saint as a child. He was a troublemaker with a bad attitude who got up to no good, people know and acknowledge that. However, we also acknowledge the reasons he became that way, and don't form conclusions regarding his worth as a person based on his juvenile antics as a child who was starving for any form of attention.

but you see naruto thought his pride and the exam was more important than his comrades he gave some encouragement and then passed out leaving sasuke to fight such dangerous person

Explain to me how on earth you reached the conclusion that Naruto apparently thought that his pride and the exams were more important than his comrades from this? Please explain that to me. How does Naruto fighting back against Orochimaru, giving Sasuke a pep talk, and then passing out, somehow equate to him prioritising his pride and the exams above the lives of his comrades? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Quite frankly, that is a preposterous conclusion to reach from that scenario. Opting to fight rather than flee does not automatically equate to caring more about your pride than the lives of your friends. I also love how you word it as Naruto "leaving" Sasuke to fight such a dangerous person, as if that was his intention - To get Orochimaru riled up, and then just leave Sasuke to deal with the consequences because he's just such a prick. Yeah that's not what happened.

and sakura called him a coward that naruto at least does something and she didn’t even do anything whatsoever just watched while the love of his life nearly got killed??? ( don’t get me wrong i like sakura and she did placed herself against gaara and sasuke was prepared to die for him and she got plenty better afterwards and I would never deny her growth that’s why she is my second favorite character but at the forest of death she did nothing and accuse someone who always does the most work of doing nothing)

This I agree with and I've made this point before - about how wrong it was for Sakura to have called Sasuke a coward in that situation, despite the fact that he was the one fighting while she was doing nothing. However, I've still always remained firm that Naruto had the right to label Sasuke as a coward in that situation (just as Sasuke had the right to label Naruto as a coward previously during the Land of waves). Naruto was right to do so, Sakura wasn't.

back to the point is i don’t understand why naruto feels it’s sasuke’s fault when he clearly is the one who starts the fights oh and don’t give me that ‘but naruto was 6 hes a child of course he gonna get jealous’ card kakashi was chunnin at that age which brings to another set of problems being that how can they send children to a war and such when they are so young and inexperienced

You don't understand why Naruto feels that what is Sasuke's fault? Naruto never once expressed the idea that Sasuke was at fault for any of their confrontations at the Academy. Furthermore, I can very much give you the "Naruto was just a child" card. You think using Kakashi's maturity at the same age justifies your assertion that people can't use that excuse? As if everyone was just like Kakashi when they were 6 years old? No it doesn't work that way. Naruto was behaving how you'd expect a 6 year old child with no parents to behave. Kakashi was the anomaly here, not the rule of behaviour.

I'm also not gonna get into the whole "child soldiers" debate because that's a whole other discussion and was never part of the original topic. The point of this was to address the original Anon's absurd claims regarding Naruto, and that's where we'll stay. So everything you said about the child soldiers was interesting, but is for another day. What I'll say regarding Kakashi and Sakumo though, is that Sakumo's treatment at the hands of the village following his mission's failure was never portrayed positively. You asked...

but for some reason kakashi instead of feeling resentment to the village that took his family becomes their most loyal trusted asset

Well I'll tell you why - It's for exactly the same reason why Sasuke eventually became one of Konoha's top protectors despite the ordeal with the Uchiha massacre. It's because the people who are currently residing in the village, are not the same people who wronged Kakashi's father. The current village has nothing to do with Sakumo's suicide, just like how the village itself was not responsible for the Uchiha massacre. The current village no longer abides by those outdated beliefs that the mission must be prioritised above all else. So why would Kakashi feel resentment towards those who had absolutely nothing to do with his father's suicide? There's something you can ask yourself. The village as it is now, is not the same village it was back then; people come and go, as do ideals.

That is not a view that has ever been highlighted in the series, so I really don't know where you got that one from. No one ever stated or indicated that you can't be angry or frustrated with the village hierarchy when a comrade dies during a mission because that would apparently be seen as treacherous. It's actually very ironic that you would say this in an ask criticising Naruto, because Naruto is actually the one who disproves your assertion in this case. If you recall, when Naruto was informed of Jiraiya's passing, he went on a tirade against Tsunade, saying that it was her fault he died, berating her for sending him to such a dangerous place alone etc.

Now during this entire ordeal, was Naruto ever depicted as the one in the wrong? No, he was portrayed as the sympathetic figure who was deeply grieving the loss of his beloved master. Everyone who saw Naruto as he was mourning, acknowledged that he had every right to feel that way, so of course no one was going to reprimand him for lashing out at Tsunade in the manner that he did.

I think that anon wasn’t especially angry at naruto himself more than his fans. His fans that doesn’t see a broken child born out of neglect that’s ready to do everything for acknowledgement, bonds, family and friends that he’s blind to what lays underneath but thay see this perfect being that could do no wrong who had it worse than everyone but now he is just an perfect hero no longer that lonely child

Well as I said before, those with a good head on their shoulders know that Naruto is far from a perfect being, but also know that everything the previous Anon was saying about him was bullshit, simple as that. That being said, I'd rather you didn't speak for that other Anon, because according to everything they said, they most definitely did have a major problem with Naruto himself.

That’s what i think anyway i’m not trying to impose my opinion on anyone but I just wanted to hear your opinion on those matters but feel free to ignore it if you don’t have anything to say on those matters I understand that not everyone would want to delve that deep into fiction it’s for our enjoyment at the end of the day and everyone could interpret fiction in their own way some might not want to deal with them by saying it in a fictional world it doesn’t work like ours so children going to war is okay there because the narrative doesn’t make a big deal out of it but I don’t believe that I think every fiction mirrors our own world and problems somehow but I get that it’s an escapism and you want to keep that away from that fictional world that has no flaws, it’s different for everyone and i don’t mind honestly.

I won't ignore what you said. I asked for someone to respond with their account and you did, so the least I can do is give credit where credit is due, and fulfil my end of the agreement. I had some things to say on the matter as well, but I'll reiterate that the child soldier stuff is far too big a topic to delve into here, and it would be going on a tangent that I'd like to avoid. All I wanted to do here was to see someone actually try to explain and justify the ridiculous accusations the initial Anon was throwing in Naruto's direction, but you didn't actually do that, you took a more understandable approach which I can appreciate, despite still finding issues with a lot of what you said.

#Naruto Uzumaki #Kakashi Hatake #Sasuke Uchiha

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sasodei-is-real · 4 years

Text

I'm here!)🦂🐥Before analyzing, I would like to tell you how I started shipping Sasodei and why I decided to create this blog.

So, I already said that this blog will be dedicated to sasodei. For the most part, I created this blog to show their canonicity. If you are careful, then their reverent attitude towards each other becomes very obvious. Therefore, Sasodei is quite popular. Especially in Japan, among all Naruto's ships, Sasodei is the seventh most popular. And the bottom line is that they don't just look good with each othee. These relationship is multifaceted, based on trust and concessions due to affection for each other.Throughout the anime, they develop

as characters thanks to each other. Their relationship is multifaceted and interesting. Their interaction every time shows the struggle of their life choices between attachment to each other. They are two people who have felt the same pain and loneliness. They seem to be different, but are very similar. Their philosophy is both opposed and complementary; they are two people who understand each other and at the same time oppose. They are the only attachments in each other's life.They are a student and a teacher. A protector and a boy who needs the attention of his Master. They are rivals and irreplaceable people for each other. One cannot can not be the same without the other. All their development revolves around each other (especially the development of Deidara as a character). They had strong feelings for each other, but they did not accept them due to personal internal conflicts. The conflict of each was symbolized by their "art". After Edo Tensei, when they accepted the truth and nothing prevented them from expressing their feelings, it was too late. They were dead.

In Japan, Sasodei is considered canon. Since both in the anime and in the manga, we saw the manifestation of feelings, care and trembling for each other, but did not see physical actions from their sides, I myself considere them a half canon ship.

All this is what their relationship is based on. That is why they have become attached to each other. But many do not notice it all. Therefore, this blog started. All that I said above, I will prove with the help of official sources.We will prove their canonicity with the help of Naruto anime and manga, chibi manga and anime, official games, databoocks, art books, official novels, interviews and comments from Kishimoto and its co-authors. We will analyze them as characters and their relationship.

How did I come to Sasodei?

I watched Naruto this year and discussed all my thoughts with my friend, who is a huge Naruto fan and who loved this anime for like 5 years. I was on Sasori and Deidara's filler series and wrote to him, "God, I can't believe how much these two complement each other. How unique and beautiful their relationship is." Moreover, at this time I did not even think of them as a ship. I just saw two characters that are made for each other. A friend of mine wrote to me as a joke "What if you start shipping them?" After that, I just wondered if there was such a ship? And there certainly was. It all started with interest. So, I googled Sasodei and started collecting information about them. I learned that Sasodei is a canon ship in Japan and that Kishimoto said that "they had something for each other." From that moment on, I thought if i was inattentive. Yes, even then I saw that they were ideal for each other, but this is not enough to defend this ship as canon. I thought maybe I was just not paying attention? So,I rewatched Naruto, analyzed Sasori and Deidara as characters. Their warm and unique relationship to each other became apparent. And that was true.I even know why many of us simply do not notice their connection and affection for each other. ☝️ Firstly, when there are characters who openly shout about their feelings and demonstrate them (like Naruto himself), you lose the habit of being attentive to the interaction of characters and understand their relationship with others with the help of psychology and the type of the character who they are.Sasodei is such a ship. There is a certain understatement in their relationship. Silent and quiet understanding of each other. After all, both Sasori and Deidara have their own philosophy that goes against their affection. Accordingly, they will not openly show their feelings. Especially Sasori. He often covers his concern for Deidar with anger and various excuses. By this they remind me of Sasuke. These characters have disowned people for their own principles and got confused themselves. Sasuke wants to kill Naruto in order to renounce his attachment to him. Sasori tries to push Deidara away with his rude behavior. Have you noticed that Sasori is polite and even nice to everyone? With everyone except Deidara. (But he called Kankur a cute kohai, and a minute later he poisoned him).

✌And secondly, let's be honest. When you watch shippuden for the first time, you think what will happen to Gaara and when you will see Sasuke . And the new characters of the third plan do not focus on themselves.

So, then,I saw their attitude towards each other and that they really are one of the most grounded couples in Naruto. And from that moment, after I saw their validity, I began to ship them (yes, I do not like unreasonable and non-canon couples. This is important to me. That is why I plunged into Sasodei only after I saw that are reaoen).

But many do not notice this. Although sometimes it's obvious. Because sometimes, people who are simply not attentive speak absurdities. It's so absurd, for example, to say that Sasori doesn't trust Deidara. Yes, there are different interpretations. But there are facts that cry out for mutual trust. And in this case, to deny these facts is simply stupid. But in most cases, people do not reject these facts, but simply do not notice or see them. And this blog was created to show that facts about their feelings.And that's why I created this blog. I will clearly show the moments and their relationship, where their cononicity is shown. With the help of official materials and analysis, we will show the reality of Sasodei.

#sasodei #sasori #deidara #akatuski #naruto #naruto shippuden

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mexicancat-girl · 4 years

Text

Still Waters Run Deep

A birthday fic for @chadsuke / @ftcoye !

The last time I've written serious Naruto fanfiction was 2015, so I blame them for this.

I wanted to write something as a thank-you for them being one of the best writers for the Naruto fandom. Their fics always bring me joy. Their characterizations are amazing. Their wlw fics are galaxy brain.

AO3 Link (here)

...

Mei Terumi could feel a headache coming on.

It was not over the current war effort, thankfully. Mostly because said war effort had managed to defeat their opponents, ie: a snake-possessed necromancer, a thought-to-be-dead megalomaniac, an impossibly hard-to-kill plant man, a self-made Jinchuriki, and a literal rabbit Goddess.

Truth be told, anyone should be having a headache from such an insane repertoire of God-like beings managing to cripple five nations worth of forces. Or, well, any sane person—and Mei likes to think herself as rightfully sane, thank you very much.

She is, after all, the person who stopped a tyrannical Kage from furthering destroying her home nation from the inside out. And, you know, committing even more genocide. So, there was that.

Thankfully, she is the current Mizukage. The Fourth Shinobi World War is done and over with. They have won. They are alive.

But Mei hasn’t survived this long without being able to see the big picture or think a few steps ahead. She wouldn’t have been able to dismantle Yagura’s forces and managed to beat him down and kill him, otherwise.

Every nation has suffered great losses from this war. They’d nearly been fighting an unwinnable battle ten times over. All the current survivors were no doubt suffering from massive psychological if not physical damage, having had to watch their comrades fall before them in variously gruesome ways.

That’s without accounting for the people who watched as their dead comrades and family were raised from the dead to fight against them. Then with them. Then having their bodies crumble as the jutsu keeping them going burned out, the stolen minutes with loved ones lost making things either healing or unbearable, depending on the person.

Quite frankly, it was an exhausting debacle for all involved, in ways that most of them had not—could not—have accounted for. They were all pushed to their limits physically, mentally, and emotionally.

And while the threats were finally vanquished, it’s not over yet. Not by a long shot.

Because after this, they must bury the dead. Heal their wounded.

Then after that, they have to figure out where the hell to go from here. How to just…move on.

Sure, the shinobi nations all teamed up together against this major threat. But what comes after…?

How will they deal with war criminals like Orochimaru of the Sannin? Like Kabuto Yakushi? Like Sasuke Uchiha?

How will they go about making a peace treaty? Will there be a peace treaty? They’ve come together to fight in this war, yes, but that was out of necessity. So that the entire world did not fall into chaos. This rare show of unity can hardly erase decades of bloodshed and ill will and complicated history between the Elemental Nations.

It’s all a rather nerves-inducing line of questioning that, sadly, they must consider. Especially those in positions of power and authority. Since Mei is Mizukage, she’ll no doubt have to weather all of that.

For any and all possible talks of peace, the Kage will be involved, of course, because that’s a no-brainer. But who else will be pulled into the discussions? The war tacticians? The Nations’ daimyo? The very teenagers that felled a God and saved them all? Probably. Most likely.

Mei Terumi can barely stand talking to Water Country’s daimyo on a good day. Add in the daimyo of the other Nations—all ridiculously spoiled, ludicrously rich, greedy old men—will eat away at her will to live. No doubt they’ll bicker over who will cover the costs of reparations, and about how much aid should be granted to their shinobi villages, and blah blah blah.

Kill her now…

Mei likes to think that she is perfectly reasonable. That she can keep a level head, and bullshit with the best of them. That she is strong enough to get her point across without being callously cruel—and that just because she has compassion, it shouldn’t be considered a weakness.

Her nation has lived under tyranny and pain and tumultuously bloody waters for far too long. She does not want to rule with an iron fist, but still wants to be strong and cutthroat enough to protect her people and keep others in check. She’s sure she can lead her village—her country, her home—to a better tomorrow.

She’s sure that not everyone else thinks that. Many people see what they like to see, and they see a beautiful woman who acts coquettishly and dresses up. They see a woman who happens to have two powerful kekkei genkai. She must have gotten lucky, right? She must have seduced and swayed enough men to her side to do her bidding, for her to be Mizukage. She must have gotten in a good shot with her two bloodlines, to take out the previous Mizukage.

Mei is a perfectly reasonable person, and she is competent, and she is strong, and she happens to be quite a good leader thank you very much.

She’s also fairly certain that no matter how hard she tries, she will not be held in the same regard simply because she is a woman in a world of men.

Case in point: even if the daimyo don’t get involved with the peace treaties, there’s the other Kage to worry about. Mei would like to think that she’s got the patience to deal with them and the coy poker-face to back it up, but they’re all rather…hm. Eclectic is the most diplomatic word she can think of.

Onoki is an old coot who wouldn’t know innovation and progressiveness if it bit him on his fat red nose. Ā is, quite frankly, a bullheaded asshole who has negative tact and is constantly grandstanding to compensate for his probably small dick. Two patronizing, utterly misogynistic bastards that would rather butt heads and yell for an entire meeting than take any form of suggestions because they had sticks shoved that far up their own asses.

They were downright incorrigible.

There was also the third male of the group to worry about, though admittedly in a completely different sense.

Gaara speaks carefully and is perfectly polite, very willing to listen to others on top of that. He’s proven himself to be a good leader and oddly fantastic motivational speaker—kid could probably move an entire mountain range if he asked the ground nicely enough— strong in his own right. But there’s still the fact that he’s just a teenager.

He’s only been Kazekage for about, what, two years? Sure, that’s longer than Mei’s been Mizukage by double, but she’s been spearheading the Kiri Rebellion for a solid number of years before-hand. She’s led squadrons and held the lives of hundreds in her hands while Gaara was still stuck in school or private lessons. Suna scrambled in the time it took to train up a replacement after their Kage was assassinated by Orochimaru, lucky enough to find someone as strong as Gaara to take the mantel. But that doesn’t hide the fact that he’s the most inexperienced of them, made a Kage all at sixteen, barely seventeen now.

Despite everything he’s done to prove himself in the war—and having proven himself at least a good five times over, at that— Gaara’s age will always be an obstacle he has to overcome. Onoki and Ā certainly didn’t consider him a threat to their grandstanding and bullshit for just that reason, using seniority as to why they considered their own peon brains to be greater than Gaara’s.

Gaara is someone who’s willing to listen to reason, but Mei cannot count on him to be her main support. To act as a tiebreaker, possibly. But Onoki and Ā look down on him nearly the same amount as they look down on Mei herself. The fact that he is young puts him on the same level of Mei being a woman, in their misogynistic views.

The only person she can count on to have any Gods-forsaken sense is Tsunade Senju, and for good reason.

Tsunade is older than all of them but Onoki, and she certainly has the strength and experience to back herself up. She hasn’t been a Kage for as long as Onoki and Ā, but her strength is literally legendary and she’s well-travelled and intelligent, which is more than either man can claim. She’s one of the Sanin, and she revolutionized Medic Ninjutsu across the entirety of the Elemental Nations, for Gods’ sakes.

If not for Tsunade being temporarily incapacitated during her tenure, she’d have a spotless record.

As it is, she cuts through bullshit like a sharpened kunai through butter. Nothing cows her. No men will get her to back down, and certainly not men she could crush with her bare hands.

Tsunade is so competent and amazing, Mei’s possibly even a little in love. But that’s natural, isn’t it? It’s Tsunade Senju, after all. Mei’s sure everyone is a little starstruck when in the presence of such a force of nature.

In fact, Mei quickly finds that the first post-war meeting with Tsunade is probably the smoothest and most productive meeting between the Kage yet, no doubt since the founding of the Hidden Villages themselves!

And it’s all because Tsunade Senju takes no prisoners. When she sets out to do something, she gets it done.

Onoki and Ā are quick to start bickering about reparation costs and whining about treaties like the utterly braindead, paranoid bastards they are.

But, oh no. That doesn’t long very long with Tsunade around.

The blonde woman slams her palm on her desk with careful restraint, as the wood doesn’t shatter on impact. She leans over it, stares straight into Onoki and Ā’s eyes with an intensity that would make lesser men shit their pants.

And then, speaking in a tone that brooked no argument, “My grandfather, Hashirama Senju, God of Shinobi, could tame the Tailed Beasts. He first created the Ninja Villages for peace. He was literally re-animated to fight by our side, in the flesh. Alongside my student, one of the teenagers that helped kill a God because the world couldn’t shut the fuck up for two seconds and stop fighting. We. Are. Going. To. Have. Peace.”

Both men closed their mouths, in-synch, with audible clicks of their teeth.

For once, they are silent, and it’s utterly delightful.

“As someone who stopped a bloody civil war and the massacre of bloodlines, in order to bring peace to their own Village, I concur,” Mei agrees calmly, flashing a sweet smile with a hint more teeth than polite. Normally, she would have more constraint, but she is so damn giddy, she can’t help herself but jumping at the weakness like a shark smelling blood.

(She may be kinder than the past Mizukage by leagues, but she is still the leader of the Bloody Mist. She’ll find a way to reform her Village so it’s no longer known as the Bloody Mist, but they are still the most ruthless of the Ninja Villages by far.

That is to say: when Mei sees an obvious weak point, a chance to sink her teeth it, well. She’ll take it. She’s not all looks, after all. She’s as ruthless as the rest of them.)

Onoki and Ā narrow their eyes at Mei, their lips thinned as they frown disapprovingly and grumpily at her—no doubt for her daring to speak.

But before they can protest, Gaara comes in clutch, as the tiebreaker that Mei had been hoping for.

Hands clasped in front of himself and looking much older than his seventeen years, the Kazekage nods solemnly. “I agree.”

One meeting.

One meeting is all it takes to make the peace talks officially under way, and Mei cannot be more relieved.

She might just have to send Tsunade a complimentary fruit basket or something, as a thank-you. The Sanin has managed to nearly singlehandedly dismantle the bullshit of grandstanding and dick-measuring that the meetings would have devolved into, if not for her directness.

Besides, it was impossible for Onoki and Ā to ever compare, anyways.

After all, Tsunade very obviously had the biggest dick out of them all, just by proxy of how she conducted herself alone.

It’s also helpful to have someone that the saviors of the world so clearly respect and look up to. Sakura Haruno was literally Tsunade’s student. Naruto Uzumaki calls her ‘granny’. Sasuke Uchiha is wary around her and stands as far as possible from the woman that he can— without both appearing rude and leaving the side of his friends.

So yes, it was an absolute blessing to have Tsunade as the Hokage, if only because it made everything so much easier for Mei to handle as the Mizukage in political meetings.

Women have to stick together, after all, in a world of men.

But hopefully, they’ll help usher in a future where women are given the opportunities to be able to be equals with men. Being female Kage certainly helps start that.

The future is looking bright to Mei already.

...

#gift fic #mei terumi #tsunade senju #Sabaku No Gaara #onoki (naruto)#A (naruto)#naruto shippuden #post canon #naruto fic #chadsuke #ftcoye #implied femslash #wlw #femslash #sorry for the lateness of this #but im posting this and crashing #mexicat writes #me being dumb

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silverfootstepswrites · 5 years

Text

Amaryllis | Chapter 9

< Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10>

+++

The moment it was known that the Duchess had returned, the island was even busier than normal. It had been a year and a half since the Duchess had been home. Everyone insisted on a grand feast. Sakura wasn’t feeling particularly festive. But she had come to understand that celebrations were just as much for the hosts as they were for the guests. She wouldn’t begrudge these people an evening of fun just because she was tired.

Itachi and Sasuke sat on the back terrace of Sakura’s apartment. Outstretched legs dangling over the water as they watched the servants running back and forth. One shouted something that sounded like a warning. A man lost his footing and slipped off the walkway, into the ocean. Laughter and jeering rose around him. Some of the other servants stopped what they were doing to haul him out of the water, along with a basket of sopping laundry.

“You lolo. Now we have to wash those again,” someone scolded.

Sakura stepped out of the salon to join them.

“That man just fell into the ocean,” Sasuke informed her. Like she wouldn’t have been able to figure that out on her own. Sakura laughed.

“He must be new,” she commented.

She took a seat between the brothers. Folding her skirt around her legs.

Sasuke glanced over as Sakura reached for a bowl. It was filled with silvery-blue flowers. He watched her lift a bloom to her mouth.

“I don’t understand how you eat those,” Sasuke griped. He grimaced as Sakura offered him the bowl. He shook his head.

“I wonder how that works,” Itachi thought out loud. He hesitated when Sakura held the bowl out to him. Slowly, his fingers closed around the smallest flower.

“I just… chew?” he asked her. Sakura nodded.

Itachi’s eyes widened as he took his first bite. The flavor was sweet, but delicate. It was different from the flavor of the tea that came from the leaves. Seeing his brother eat, Sasuke cringed. He eyed the bowl one more time before he turned his nose up at it again.

Sakura heard a faint creak. Glanced over her shoulder.

Temari stood in the shadows by the door. She leaned on the handle of her spear, staring out at the waters as if daydreaming. But when Sakura reached back with her arm, Temari’s dark blue eyes flickered to her. Sakura motioned for her. Temari stepped forward. The sound of the butt of her spear on the floor made the brothers start.

“Prince Itachi, Prince Sasuke, allow me to introduce my dear cousin, Lady Temari Haruno,” Sakura announced. Temari, fist over her heart, bowed.

“A pleasure,” replied Itachi, his eyes widening.

“Yes, we’re pleased to meet you,” Sasuke agreed. His eyes lingered on the vicious curve of Temari’s blade.

“An honor, Princes,” was all she said. Her eyes rested on each of them for longer than necessary. Her unvoiced threat was clear.

"Temari, there's no need for you to stand the whole time. No one is going to assassinate me here," sighed Sakura. But Temari's eyes narrowed.

"No one has managed to precisely because I am here, Lady Sakura. I will stand guard. I can only be at ease when I am personally seeing to your safety," the other woman insisted. When Sakura didn’t push any further, Temari took a few steps back into the shadows to resume her vigil.

"She's normally much more relaxed. She's nervous because she's unfamiliar with all of you. I'm sure she'll feel better after a few days," Sakura explained in a low voice. Her gaze darted back to Temari for a moment and Temari cracked a smile.

"You said she was your cousin? I thought it was just you and Sasori," Sasuke questioned.

"Technically, we're second cousins. But they've lived here since we were so young that we were simply raised as family," explained Sakura with another fond look in Temari's direction.

"She's the eldest. She has two brothers who I'm sure you'll meet tonight. It's a rarity. Women of the Haruno family have very few children. Three is almost unheard of," added Sakura. And though her expression suddenly became very sad, neither brother knew how to ask anything else. They sat, enjoying the sounds of the ocean. Itachi asked a few questions about the island. Sakura replied. Sasuke eyed the two of them without saying anything.

“Your Grace?” a voice interrupted them.

Sakura turned to find a servant standing by the door. When Sakura beckoned, he approached. He whispered into her ear. Sakura nodded every once in a while.

“Very well. Send word that I’ll see to the matter myself,” she replied. He bowed. And then he disappeared back into her apartment. And then, without looking, Sakura held her arm out. Itachi turned to look as Temari stepped forward. She grasped Sakura’s forearm, clasping near the elbow. Sakura did the same. Temari pulled her to her feet as if she weighed nothing.

“Please excuse me. I need to attend to some urgent business,” Sakura said.

Sasuke cast his brother a sidelong glance. And then he stretched his arms over his head.

“Good. I’d like to enjoy this view for a little longer,” Sasuke said.

“Please take your time, General,” Itachi added.

Sakura gathered her pale yellow dress, sweeping the skirt behind her. And then she strode off, Temari on her heels.

As they headed down the walkway, Temari’s expression relaxed somewhat.

“Interesting guests you’ve brought home,” she commented.

“Do you disapprove?” teased Sakura. “They’re both actually quite witty. I think you’ll like them, Temari.”

“I’m sure. As long as they stay alive long enough for me to grow so fond. Lady Sakura, about your security…” Temari began. And a long sigh left Sakura’s mouth.

“World travels quickly, I see.” She offered her cousin a smile before she asked: “Alright. What do you suggest?”

“Increased guards. More frequent patrols of the island,” Temari listed without hesitation. Like she had considered these ideas many times before. Which she likely had.

Sakura turned them over in her head.

“Very well. Increased guards would be good out of consideration for our guests. But the patrols I cannot accept,” Sakura decided.

“Lady Sakura.”

“No. Increased security in the market will only make everyone nervous. And inspections of the cargo will discourage merchants from using the port,” Sakura explained.

“Is gold worth your safety?” muttered Temari.

“Yes. And we’re safe here, Temari. You needn’t worry so much,” answered Sakura. She started when Temari reached out and grabbed her forearm.

“If anything were to happen to you, what would happen to Gaara?”

A soft smile crossed Sakura’s face. She guided the arm Temari held until her hand rested over Temari’s heart. Sakura shook her head.

“I’m indestructible, remember? I won’t leave you all behind,” she promised before she turned and continued walking. Temari hesitate for just an instant. And then she squared her shoulders to follow.

When they reached the throne room, the two women heard a loud gasp.

"My dreams have come true. Is this the vision of the lovely Lady Sakura before me? And has she become even more beautiful than before?" gushed Kankuro as he crossed the room in long strides to kiss her cheeks. And then he took both her hands and pressed a kiss to each palm.

"Honestly, I don't know who's worse- you or Sasori," sighed Sakura even as she smiled at him. But then she caught sight of someone else over his shoulder and pulled out of his grasp. Positively beaming, Sakura almost ran across the room to envelop Gaara in an enormous hug. The acting lord, in the middle of reading a document, hadn't noticed her approach. He tensed, shoulders rising up to his ears and his back stiffening until he twisted his head to see pink hair. His look of unease melted into a smile.

"Welcome home, Your Grace," he greeted her.

"Thank you, Gaara. It's so wonderful to see you. I feel like I've really come home now that I've seen you," replied Sakura in a voice that radiated warmth. She kissed his cheeks, her fingers lacing with his.

"Am I an invisible existence then?" muttered Kankuro. The butt of Temari's spear smacked him in the shin. Eyes watering from the pain, Kankuro shot his sister a glower.

"Preparations are going well, Your Grace. Some of the men wanted to catch a boar for you but we managed to convince them to settle for a goat. Temari assumed that you would be sick of pork by now," Gaara reported. As dutiful as ever. But Sakura shook her head. She linked her arm through his.

“That can wait. Walk with me,” she said instead.

No one protested as they followed her out of the throne room. Gaara had held his usual session in the morning, listening to the people's troubles and offering aid when he could. With all that taken care of, there was just enough free time to relax for a bit.

"So, tell me. How have you been?" asked Sakura as she and Gaara headed down the wooden walkway together, hands still linked.

Temari and Kankuro walked behind them. Their expressions were deceptively relaxed. Even Kankuro had his arms crossed behind his head as he moved. But Sakura knew they were watching for any danger. Kankuro had chosen to focus his talents on administration, but he was still quick with a dagger.

"Me? I've been very well, Your Grace. I wrote to you often," Gaara responded with obvious confusion.

Gaara's hair was a mop of red on top of his head. The tips curled and waved slightly. His bright viridian eyes were always outlined with kohl, making them pop more against his fair skin. Overall, Gaara had a very pretty face. Sakura had only seen one or two portraits of his mother but she could tell right away that Gaara took after her. After all, Gaara's father was a desert man through and through with his dark hair and his tendency to tan dark during the summer.

"You wrote to me about the island. Not about you. The job isn't always pleasant, is it?" Sakura clarified.

It was a testament to Gaara's good manners that he did not immediately agree. Sakura could see him arguing with himself before he met her eyes again.

"It can be trying at times," he divulged. But Sakura's smile stayed the same.

"Good. Nothing in this world worth keeping is simple," Sakura responded before they moved on to a different topic. She pretended not to notice Gaara's hand tightening around hers as they walked.

“Your father?” she asked as they took the right path.

“Irritable,” Kankuro remarked.

“Drunk,” snorted Temari.

“Difficult,” Sakura guessed as she caught Gaara’s expression. “Is he still hitting you?”

“No, Your Grace. He hasn’t laid a hand on me since I’ve been made your regent,” answered Gaara.

“Good. I’ll still have a talk with him. Don’t endure things when you don’t need to,” Sakura promised, patting the back of Gaara’s hand. “I won’t have that man harassing my baby cousin. Uncle or not,” she then muttered. And though Gaara kept his eyes on his feet, a smile crept up on his face as he listened to Sakura’s lecture.

“Now, what’s this business?” she then asked.

Kankuro took a few steps forward to walk beside her now. He pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket. “It’s about the Caldera. I wanted to consult you about something.”

Dinner was at sundown.

Servants had spent all day bringing supplies down to the beach on the southern tip of the island. The market was bright, despite the late hour. People had traveled the entire day from the Caldera up north to join the festivities.

The feast was held on the shores, where the white sand still held some of the heat from the sunlight. And as it cooled, it grew noisier and noisier. There were long tables groaning with wine, fruits, and a variety of steaming dishes. At the far end of the beach, men and women dug in the glowing sand to pull out the food that had been roasting for hours. The sounds of drums and flutes danced through the air as people ate and chattered.

The table at the very front of the celebrations sat empty. Draped with a length of dark cloth. Candles flickered in the middle. Plates and cups sparkled in the firelight. Waiting.

Sasuke was the first to arrive, along with Itachi. The brothers were unused to spending this much time together. But in a strange place with strange people, it felt better to at least have each other. They didn’t speak much. Sasuke noticed that as he fumbled to find topics, he often found his brother’s eyes wandering until he found Sakura, who was often speaking to her cousins or directing the servants. And Sasuke found himself watching her too. Maybe it was the reflection of the sunlight off the ocean that made her sparkle here.

To their surprise, the servants waiting indicated that Sasuke sit to the right of the centermost one. The place of honor. And then Itachi was directed to the seat to the left of the middle. They sat on the cushion. They regarded each other through the empty spot that Sakura would eventually occupy.

Servants appeared to fill their cups and their plates with hot food. They recognized some of the fruits by now, but others remained a mystery.

As the citizens continued their merry conversations, the members of the Haruno family trickled in to join. They were garbed in rich silks that made the the fine gowns in the Mountain Kingdom look like rags in comparison.

Kankuro strode up, chest puffed out and eyes gleaming brightly through the dark kohl lining them. His shirt was nearly transparent and his baggy pants were deep purple that almost bordered on black. From his neck hung several different golden chains that matched the three bangles on his left wrist. The scarf around his head was dark red with tiny golden rings dangling along the lower hem.

"Evening, gentlemen. Have they brought the goat out yet? I would hate to have missed the butchering," greeted Kankuro with a lopsided grin. He stood behind Sakura's empty seat and Itachi noticed that his feet were bare.

"Ah, not yet, I suppose? I'm not quite certain but I haven't noticed a goat," Sasuke replied with some confusion.

"He's teasing. He tries to make everyone think that we kill animals in front of guests," Temari sighed as she appeared and nudged her knuckles into her younger brother's head. Still chortling, Kankuro reached over to accept a glass of wine from a servant. And then he nodded toward them before he began striding down the sand.

“Dry your tears, ladies! I’m here!” he called as he approached a group of women. Laughter greeted him. He nudged into the conversation with ease.

“Is he not…?” Itachi trailed off, puzzled.

"Kankuro doesn't sit with us," answered Temari without even needing to hear the full question.

They all stood watching Kankuro. Someone said something that made Kankuro throw his head back in a raucous laugh. He said something before he strolled off to join another conversation, shoulders still shaking with laughter.

"He likes the people. He enjoys spending time with them and learning about their lives," she said. And then her gaze refocused and she gave an odd sort of smile.

Temari's dress hung from a golden choker around her neck and ended at her feet. It was a long sheath of lilac fabric that made her look even taller than she actually was. Her bare arms and shoulders shone with a dewy glow in the low light except for what looked like a black sun etched into her skin across her left collar bone. Her sandy hair was down, hanging around her face in loose curls. On her arms were stacks of bangles that tinkled musically each time she moved.

She crossed her arms over her chest.

“It’s odd, but Lady Sakura likes it. He is supposed to take over Father's position as Lady Sakura’s chamberlain. He says that if he's going to spend the people's money, it's good to know where it comes from and where it's going," added Temari. She bowed to them. And then she walked over to sit at the far end of the table.

Sasuke looked over at Itachi again. But the older brother was looking over at Temari.

"She was barefoot as well," observed Itachi in a low voice that Sasuke nearly missed.

That was the last thing either of the brothers uttered to one another for a long time.

Soon, Sasori arrived, his presence announced by the fragrance of sandalwood.

"You're not eating," he simply said without any previous greeting.

"Wouldn't it be rude to eat without the host?" queried Itachi in return. At this, Sasori put his hands on his lips and laughed. The stack of three bangles on his right wrist shifted with the movement.

From head to toe, Sasori was the very picture of relaxed comfort. Sasori wore a linen shirt that he had only bothered to button-up about halfway. On top was an azure vest made from a shimmering, iridescent fabric. The intricate patterns of gold and silver beads along the collars and down the back glittered in the firelight. His trousers were made from the same smooth fabric, coming to a tapered fit just above his ankles. And beneath the edge of the hem, there was a single gold band.

“A party is for the guests, not the host. You should eat,” Sasori urged them. He took a seat. He raised his hand to Temari in greeting, who returned the gesture.

Naruto joined them shortly after, with the same vaguely flustered expression he had been wearing upon first stepping foot on the island. When one of the servants directed him to the spot between Sasuke and Sasori, the red-head barely managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Still, Sasuke politely engaged the other prince in conversation. His parents had reminded him to build bridges, not to burn them. And Sakura was right. Naruto was a little oblivious, but kind. He wasn’t an unpleasant person to deal with.

Without warning, Temari rose to her feet. Sasori caught the beginnings of her movement out of the corner of his eyes and also rose. Itachi and Sasuke stared at one another before Itachi shook his head; the brothers chose to remain seated. Naruto rose, though, his eyes glimmering with wonder and confusion.

"Gaara, you don't have to escort me everywhere. I can get around on my own," laughed Sakura as she approached.

Itachi's mouth had opened so that he could greet her properly. But all words left his mouth and he was left gaping at her like a fish out of water.

After the summer festival in Ispolin, Itachi had believed that he had a relatively good understanding of the fashion of the Southern Tea Isle. It hadn't occurred to him that perhaps Sakura was erring more on the side of modesty for the sake of her hosts.

The top half of Sakura's dress was completely sheer, sleeves slipping from her shoulders and falling to her elbows. On her wrists were thick gold cuffs that matched with the large golden suns dangling from her ears. Her white skirt fell in translucent folds that hinted at the lines of her thighs.

The cousins greeted each other. Kisses on the cheeks. hands gripping each other’s forearms. Kankuro, down on the beach, spotted the commotion. He sprinted up to kiss Sakura’s cheeks too.

"No shoes?" Sasuke observed out loud, his eyes darting to his older brother. Itachi nodded.

Instead, the stack of bangles on her left ankle jangled merrily as Sakura moved toward her guests.

“Sasori, didn’t I tell you to let them eat?” Sakura scolded as soon as she saw their full plates.

“I did,” Sasori defended himself.

Gaara sat between Itachi and Temari. Temari ruffled her youngest brother’s mop of curls. He was the most modestly dressed of his siblings in a purple tunic and matching pants. The only thing that stood out on his person was the series of gold rings on his fingers.

"Try the goat when it comes out. You’ll swear off pork forever," Sakura advised Sasuke as she nudged him with her elbow.

“Come, Prince Sasuke. They might be carving it now,” Sasori invited, holding out his hand. Sasuke glanced over at Sakura, who nodded. Sasori pulled Sasuke to his feet and began guiding him down the beach.

With Sasuke gone, Naruto had a clear line of sight to Sakura. She looked at him too.

“Um… are there any table manners I should know about?" questioned Naruto after a brief silence. His eyes remained fixated mostly on the tabletop, only briefly flickering over to Sakura every now and then.

That surprised Sakura. That he would even think to ask something like that. His carelessness had always irritated her.

As Sakura held out her glass for a servant to fill with wine, Sakura thought.

“Eat. Don’t leave food on your plate. And don’t forget to thank the people who serve you,” said Sakura. With her last statement, she dipped her head to the servant girl who smiled shyly and backed away from the filled cup.

A grin brightened Naruto's face at those simple words. Something about that look stung her. Sakura turned away from him, cutting off anything else he wanted to speak to her about.

And to her left, sat Itachi, who was staring at the large pile of mussels that had just been placed in front of them.

"Unfamiliar with these?" she asked, pulling him from his surprised stupor.

"Ah. Well, I've read about them," admitted Itachi. Sakura reached over his arm to grasp the serving spoon. When she began spooning the food onto his dish, her hair brushed against his cheek. It was out of the slick ponytail she always seemed to wear. Her hair was longer than he had anticipated. It fell past her shoulders, waving slightly and gleaming with whatever fragrant oils had been combed through it.

"See how the shells are open? They open up when they're fully cooked. You just pull them apart and then eat the flesh inside," she explained in a low voice, leaning against him to point out the parts of the foreign creature.

Her eyelashes were dark and her lips were almost smiling. And the smell coming from her- floral and perfumed was so pleasant. Itachi found his eyes glued to her mouth as she spoke. When she finished speaking, she caught his gaze focused in on her lips.

“Do you need me to feed you, Your Highness?” she teased.

Slowly. Almost too slowly. His eyes moved back up to hers.

He shook his head a little. “Forgive me. It’s just… you look so happy,” he said.

“I”ll be even happier once you eat. Let me help you with this first one,” she quipped.

Itachi leaned in to watch as she snapped the shell apart. And then she lifted half to her mouth to suck the mussel into her mouth.

“Oh. That’s so simple,” he observed. When he copied her, his eyes widened.

“Good?” she asked.

He nodded as he chewed.

The rest of dinner was pleasant. By the time the food was gone, everyone leaned back in his or her seats to enjoy the feeling of being almost uncomfortably full. Then the performers who had been singing and playing their drums and pipes throughout the night suddenly started again with renewed vigor. The drums were louder, almost insistent in their pounding tempo.

Sakura's face lit up as she noticed the change. People began to rise from their tables, pulling each other toward the sand. Kankuro’s roar of laughter rose. He was one of the first people moving his body to the beat. He ran around, grabbing people and pulling them along with him.

Sakura finished her drink. Once she set down her glass, she held her hand out to Itachi.

"Dance with me?" she asked. Itachi stared at her, into the expression of glee that he had never seen on her before. Then, with reluctance, he shook his head.

"I…cannot," he responded as he put his hand over his chest. Disappointment deflated Sakura's look as she remembered his physical condition. And then she nodded.

“My love, shall we?” Sasori instead offered. He pulled her to her feet, fingers lacing with hers as he guided into the gathering group of dancers in the middle of the festivities. Itachi watched her hair whip around her head as she spun and clapped her hands. The jingle of her and Sasori's bracelets filled the air with another kind of music. She laughed with her mouth opened wide. Her skirts flew up around her legs as she twirled around and around. And following along with the fast beat of the drums, her feet led her in intricate patterns over the sand.

Even Gaara and Temari got out of their seats to join in. And as soon as they approached the edge of the group, hands pulled them in.

There was childish delight in Sakura's face as she raised her arms high above her head. She grasped the hands of people as she twirled past them, meeting and separating just as quickly as she moved. There were no set routines or patterns to this dance. It was just movement, Eyes meeting in a flash of shared joy. Even children ran around their feet, spinning in wild circles until they grew dizzy and toppled over in the sand.

Firelight flickered across Itachi's face as he watched her. Sasuke looked over and the look of stark longing on his brother's face surprised him.

"Sasuke!" Sakura called out in the middle of the chaos.

Sasuke raised his eyebrows when Sakura beckoned for him. When he hesitated, Sasori also appeared from the crowd to motion for him to join in. Sasuke looked over at his brother again for a long moment, at his thin silhouette and the slump of his shoulders. Sucking in a breath, he rose to his feet. Kicking his feet off into the sand beneath the table, Sasuke moved around the table to join them.

A joyous cry greeted him.

Sakura grabbed his hands and dragged him around and around in circles. Without regard for the rhythm or the lyrics of the song, she moved him until all he could focus on was the dizzying blur of the white stars circling around in the black sky. The smells of woodsmoke and food and perfume mixed in his nose in an almost overwhelming combination. And when Sakura's hands let him go, Sasuke found that someone else was taking his hands now.

He didn't realize that he was laughing until he felt the cool air in his open mouth.

When he looked again at the table, Itachi's spot was empty.

+++

The time difference between Goliaf and Sami was challenging. And no one had told him that being at sea would make it so difficult to adjust to the usual patterns of sunrise and sunset. By the time he woke, it was almost the afternoon. And when he fell asleep, it was usually to the chirping of the birds that liked to perch by his window.

That was quite alright with Itachi.

Because he liked to stay awake until dawn. Just so he could hear Sakura wake.

The apartment she had provided for him was actually in the western wing. Where members of the Duchess’ family lived. It was a great honor, according to one of the attendants assigned to him. And while the place was beautiful, one of his favorite things was that his bedroom window had a direct line of sight to Sakura’s apartment. The only reason he had discovered this was that one morning, he saw her climb out of her window. And without hesitation, she plunged feet first into the ocean.

The morning after the feast on the beach, Itachi woke. Sunlight slanting in through the window. Warming a spot on his blanket. When the servants arrived to greet him, he requested breakfast out on the terrace.

Sakura found him as he had his first meal. Which was difficult to call breakfast given the late hour.

He sat examining the food on his plate. His left hand tucked under his chin as he glanced back and forth between his meal and a book in his lap.

“They’re called bananas,” Sakura said.

Itachi started. His hand twitched as he tried to decide whether to hide the book or not. She held her hand out. Itachi relinquished the book to her. It was an old text with a battered spine.

“Ah. Exotic Flora and Fauna of the Orient,” Sakura read the title. She set the book down on the table as she took a seat across from him. “Although, this might not be in there. This is native to the island.”

“I haven’t seen this before,” he confessed as he looked down at the food again.

“They’re soft and sweet. Children love these especially,” Sakura informed him. She picked it up and peeled away the bright yellow exterior. Revealing a creamy white fruit. She held it out to him. Itachi grasped the bottom of the odd yellow object.

“Take a bite,” she encouraged.

Itachi’s eyes widened as he chewed the alien fruit. It melted in his mouth. Sakura watched his wondering expression and laughed. She pointed out a strange, spiky thing called a pineapple. And a bright orange fruit with a surprisingly mellow sweetness.

Once Itachi had finished his breakfast, Sakura got to her feet. She held her hand out again. This time, not for a book.

“I have someone I’d like you to meet,” she said.

Itachi looked into her eyes. At her eyes that seemed so bright. He took her hand.

They traveled on the sun-bleached walkways. On the way, they passed a gazebo that sat by itself. Unattached to any other building. Light purple flowers wrapped up each of the pillars supporting the roof, which was also covered in the vines and petals.

They passed another gazebo. A woman with dark hair sat in it. Sakura raised her hand in greeting. The other woman returned the gesture.

“Why are these isolated from the rest of the palace?” Itachi queried.

“These are private rooms. Where we eat or relax. And on occasion, see guests. That one was my mother’s favorite,” Sakura said, pointing to the one they had passed with all the purple flowers. When she lowered it, it brushed against Itachi’s. They both murmured apologies without really meaning.

“This one is my favorite. The Lily Garden,” Sakura then directed his gaze. There was a smaller gazebo that seemed to float on the waves. White water lilies surrounded the gazebo.

“My grandfather gave them as a gift to my grandmother. They’re bred to live in saltwater,” she explained. Lengths of white cloth wrapped around the beams of the building. The inside was filled with cushions and a variety of rugs that should have clashed. And yet it was charming in its own way.

“I don’t mean to be rude. I truly am enjoying this tour. But… where are we going?” he wondered.

“Here,” she replied. And then they stood at the entrance of a building. There was a beaded curtain across the archway. Sakura pushed her arm through it. The wooden beads clattered against each other like chattering teeth.

“Yashamaru,” she called.

“In here, Your Grace,” a man’s voice replied.

Sakura waited until Itachi took a step toward her before she ducked past the curtain. Inside the building was Yashamaru’s lab, which also served as the infirmary. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling in neat bunches. The displays lining the walls were filled with a rainbow of tinctures and balms. The long work tables in the middle of the room held books and a variety of glass containers. One bottle sat bubbling over a low flame. A man with fair hair stood bent over one of the tables. He raised his chin.

“Yashamaru,” Sakura greeted him first.

“My, my. I wondered when you would stop by,” Yashamaru said with a smile. He reached out with both hands. Sakura grasped his forearms. They kissed each other on the cheek. When Sakura drew back, Yashamaru’s smile faded.

“Ah, look at my sleepless liege. And I should take a look at that back of yours,” he observed.

“At a later time, Yashamaru. For now, I’d like you to see to my friend,” Sakura redirected his attention. She gestured to Itachi, who gave a cautious nod. Yashamaru bowed in response.

“Yashamaru is my physician,” Sakura announced as she took a seat at one of the stools without asking permission.

“Prince Itachi of the Mountain Kingdom,” Itachi introduced himself. But before he could extend his hand, Yashamaru placed his palm over his heart and dipped his head even more deeply this tije.

“An honor, Your Highness. How may I be of service?”

Itachi glanced back at Sakura, who had her elbow up on the table now. She peered at the boiling flask. It took a second for her to notice his gaze. And then she raised her eyebrows.

“Tell him about your condition. Yashamaru can work his magic on anyone,” Sakura urged.

“As I’ve said before, Your Grace, it’s not magic. Simply a comprehensive understanding of the workings of the human body,” he sighed. And then his eyes lit up as Itachi began describing his illness since childhood. As Itachi spoke, Yashamaru nodded, his hands clasped together.

Sakura watched as Yashamaru then began flitting around. He took Itachi’s pulse, listening to his breathing. He checked his eyes, even the colors of his tongue. And then he began rummaging around in his vast stores of herbs and roots.

“Oh, this is a challenge. It doesn’t seem congenital. But childhood onset… hm…” Yashamaru muttered to himself.

Sakura recognized that look. She got to her feet.

“We’ll leave you to your work,” she half-declared, half-suggested.

Yashamaru gave a distracted wave. “Tomorrow,” was all he said.

Sakura turned to Itachi. “In the meantime, come to the bazaar with me. There’s more than bananas to try,” Sakura offered.

“You must be quite busy being home after so long. It wouldn’t be an imposition?” Itachi inquired, even as his eyes lit up.

“My cousins have done an excellent job keeping things in order. And this is part of work. No one knows money better than the people who earn it.” And with that, Sakura held out her hand.

Itachi took it. “I would like that,” he responded.

Two guards fell into step behind Sakura as they made their way out of the palace. Past the archway marking the entrance. And out into the bustling city. For Itachi, who had grown up with the barrier of an entire mountain to separate the castle from the people, the closeness was jarring. But for Sakura, to have her beloved citizens within arm's reach was comforting. And the people seemed equally pleased about the closeness.

“Duchess! Come try this new pastry!”

“Your Grace, welcome home. I’ll discount this silk for you.”

Sakura slipped her arm into Itachi's, resting her hand inside his elbow. Her hand was warm and her gold bangles were cool against his skin. And she only laughed a little when he started at the contact. His face turned a little pink.

"So we don't get separated," she explained before she led him on through the crowds.

Her hair was loose, falling down her back in soft waves. There was a thin chain of gold around her neck that draped down between her shoulder blades. Her blouse was transparent enough that Itachi could see the soft tan of her skin underneath. But underneath, she wore the thick breeches and lace-up boots of a soldier.

There was a certain dissonance to Sakura. Pink hair and a decorated military uniform. Dangling gold earrings and a sword hanging from her belt.

Feeling the stare on the side of her face, she tilted her head to look at him.

"Are you alright? Do you need to sit and rest?" Sakura asked. Itachi shook his head.

There was no way he was willing to pull her out of this strange new world where she seemed to fit in perfectly.

His second time in the bazaar was just as chaotic and fascinating as the first. He lingered at a stall where two women sold silk the same color as the ocean. When he noted this out loud, they both burst into laughter. Sakura, who had been standing at another stall, turned toward the noise.

“Your Grace brought home a charmer!” one of them teased.

“He compares rags to the great seas!” the other hooted.

Sakura stepped over to join them. Her arm naturally looping through Itachi’s again. Like it had always been there. She leaned in to examine the bolts.

“Nonsense. The color truly is lovely this time around. I’d like a dress made of this,” Sakura declared. And as Sakura reached into her pouch for gold, they began squabbling about the prices. The women moaned about how their duchess was cheating them out of money. How they would die of hunger at these rates. But in the end, when money changed hands, everyone was smiling.

“Could you send this to-” Before Sakura could finish her sentence, the women were nodding.

“The kane with the gold hair,” they guessed. And Sakura spoke with them a little while longer before they moved on to the next stall.

They strolled down the twisting path of walkways until Sakura spotted a few children standing near a big building. At Sakura’s approach, their eyes lit up.

“Tita!” they called, rushing toward her.

Sakura knelt to greet them. They smothered her in hugs. And when Sakura lifted one into her arms, the rest crowded around her. Pressing tiny hands to her legs.

“Have you been good?” she queried.

“Yes! I drew something for you!” one yelled in response. And then the rest were clamoring to yell about what they had made for her too.

Sakura chuckled. “Alright. I’ll come visit you soon,” she promised.

Itachi couldn’t stop staring at her open smile. At the softness in her expression as she spoke with them.

Soon, it was time to continue their stroll through the market. And as he listened to Sakura stop and ask some questions to a group of merchants, he felt a pain bloom in his right temple. His chest felt a little too tight.

Suddenly, there were so many people around him. It felt so cramped and then the sky was falling and spinning the wrong way. Sucking in a breath, he only felt the invisible hand constrict more and more around his lungs. As he let out a shaky cough, Sakura, who had been facing away from him, turned her head slightly to him. She could feel her eyeing him for a moment. And then she faced the merchants with a smile.

“Please excuse me,” was all she said. And then she was leading Itachi through the crowd, her hand grasping his so tightly that he was sure that everything would be alright.

She guided him all to the way to the far end of a dock. Where only an empty fishing boat sat tied to a post. She helped him take a seat there. Away from the noise of the marketplace. The chatter and din was just a faint background noise from here.

She inhaled deeply through her nose. Exhaling in a long motion. Inhaling. Exhaling. And gradually, he felt his own breaths calming. He listened to her, tried to match his own rhythm to hers. When the world finally ceased tilting on a strange axis, he tightened his grip on Sakura's hand. Which he hadn’t even realized that he was still holding.

When he could finally think straight again, Itachi noticed that Sakura sat with her feet in the water. At some point, she had taken off her boots. They sat lined up on the other side of her.

“Are you alright?” she asked when she felt him actually looking at her. Not just seeing her.

“Yes. Much better.”

"I'm sorry. That must have been a little overwhelming for you," said Sakura after a long silence of listening to the waves crash on the shore.

"I actually enjoyed it very much. This is something I've never had a chance to experience before," replied Itachi. Then he glanced at her.

"I'm the one who should apologize. I interfered with your work," he added. Sakura waved a careless hand at the very idea.

"The merchants will be there today and the day after and for many days after. I would have returned tomorrow anyway," Sakura assured him.

As she spoke, she swung her legs back and forth. Itachi stared at them. And then he looked down at his own feet.

“May I also…” he trailed off. Pointing to his legs.

“Of course.”

And then he was slipping his bare feet into the water. A sigh of relief left him as the cool waves washed over his skin.

“Your island is very beautiful. And your people adore you,” he observed.

Sakura was smiling again. But there was something sad about the look she gave him. She turned their hands over until it was his knuckles facing the sun and not hers.

“And I adore them as well. If only everywhere could be like this,” she sighed.

And then she looked over at him. Her voice and expression light-hearted once more. “You’re a charmer, aren’t you?”

“I was taught to be polite, above all us. So I should hope so,” he replied. He laughed too.

And Itachi was, to be honest, quite beautiful. He had long eyelashes and shining dark hair that framed his face. His nose was straight and his cheekbones high. Sakura looked down at their joined hands. Her tanned skin looked so much darker than his. She could even see the blue lines of his blood vessels trailing up from his wrist.

“Your hands are so white,” she marveled at them.

Itachi turned their hands back over.

“Yours aren’t so dark,” he protested.

Sakura’s gaze grew distant again. That odd smile returned to her lips.

“My hands are more stained than anyone else’s, Your Highness,” she confessed in a soft voice. Her eyes returned to him when she felt his hand give hers a gentle squeeze.

“Aren’t we past the point of such titles… Sakura?”

That was the first time he had used her name as she had requested. She couldn’t help but smile a little. A real one, this time.

“… I suppose you’re right… Itachi.”

She leaned in, pressing her lips against his.

“Someone will see us.”

“They will.”

“They’ll gossip.”

“They should.”

The sunlight warm on their foreheads. The screech of a seagull swooped past them. Cheeks flushing, eyelids fluttering, they leaned closer together and just laughed.

+++

A few days after the duchess’ return to the island, a bottle went rolling across the floor.

“Father, please be reasonable.”

“You think I don’t know what you’re doing?” Rasa slurred.

His breath reeked of something sour. He teetered to one side, hip colliding with the edge of his desk. He leaned there, breathing heavy. And then his glare flickered up to his youngest son. Who stood there. His hands gripping the tray so tightly that his hands turned white.

“Coz-cozying up to that girl. Trying to push me out… you wretched boy,” Rasa went on.

Gaara set the tray down. In slow, measured motions. Much like how someone would move in the presence of a rabid animal.

“Father, perhaps you should get to bed. You must be exhausted after all your hard work,” Gaara said in a low, soothing tone. Still, Rasa’s hand whipped out. He grabbed Gaara by the hair.

“Don’t tell me what to do, boy. You think just because you have a title now that you can order me around?” Rasa spat. And then he wrenched Gaara’s head back so he could stare down at him.

“You’ll never be above me. Remember that,” he hissed.

Rasa jerked back when a shadow fell through the doorway. And then a woman filled it. Her eyes sweeping across the room with its broken glass and the overturned chair at the far end.

“My. What a mess you’re making in my home,” Sakura commented. She took a step into the room. Then another. Two guards blocked the archway behind her. Their spears glinting in the torchlight.

“Your Grace,” Gaara gasped. He took a step away from his father. Head hanging. As if he was the one caught doing something wrong. Rasa bowed too, His hand still gripping the neck of a glass bottle. He tried to hide it behind his body.

Sakura said nothing.

“I… please forgive me, Your Grace. I…” Gaara fumbled for words as he looked around the mess in the room too. “I tripped.” His lie must have fallen flat, even to his own ears. He fell silent.

Sakura took a step. And then another step. Her sandals crunching over broken glass. She stopped directly in front of Rasa.

“Dear Uncle, I believe I’ve spoken to you about this matter. About not touching my things,” she stated with a smile.

“I am merely disciplining my son, Duchess. Hardly a thing to be reprimanded for,” Rasa replied.

Sakura’s smile faded. She was still for just a moment. And then there was a flurry of movement. The bottle shattered, sending wine sloshing across the tile. It stained the floor like blood as Sakura lunged at Rasa.

Rasa’s head slammed against the wall. Sakura’s forearm pressed to his throat until he began to strain to breathe. She smirked.

“And I’m merely disciplining an insolent little rat that doesn’t know his place,” she replied in the same, pleasant tone. When Rasa reached up, Sakura held up her free hand, wagging a finger at him.

“Ah-ah. Be a good boy and listen, Lord Rasa,” she warned. Her eyes flickering to the guards in the doorway. They hadn’t moved.

“Now, as I’ve explained this before, you need to drink in moderation. Which you’ve, clearly, failed to do.” Sakura’s gaze flickered to the spilled wine. And when she refocused her attention on Rasa, she gave him the same dismissive look.

“Perhaps your wine-addled brain forgot this. But Lord Gaara is my proxy in my absence,” she added. And then something in her eyes changed as she leaned in. “Which is why I warned you before I left- keep your goddamn hands off him.”

“I am your uncle-”

“Your wife was my cousin’s aunt. You are nothing to me,” she interrupted, her hand slamming down on the wall just beside his head.

“Just as you are nothing everywhere else,” she added. Watching the way his eyes narrowed. “The last, forgotten son of a prince who refused to die. You clawed your way into a marriage with a woman with ties to the Haruno family. I suspect you expected to live out your days in luxury and comfort.”

And then Sakura’s smile returned. “It’s a very clever plan. And it worked. We kept you because you are quite useful with numbers.”

Just as she felt Rasa begin to relax a little, she pressed her arm harder. Listening to the breath wheeze from him. “But I will not keep you if you cannot obey a simple order. Do. not. touch. my. proxy.”

“B-”

Sakura shushed him, leaning in closer. “Or else I’ll gouge those beady little eyes from their sockets. And then I’ll snap those fingers you so love to use to count all my gold.”

“You cannot. My father-”

“Your father will tell my great-uncle?” Sakura guessed. She smirked.

“Oh dear. How can you have been playing this game for so long and not know?” she sighed. She drew her arm back. Rasa collapsed to the floor, wheezing and grasping at his throat. Sakura stare down at him. “Lord Rasa. Do you really think I would get more than a slap on the wrist? Know your place, little rat. And perhaps I’ll let you continue to ride on my coattails.”

With that, Sakura turned to Gaara. Who stood, trembling in the corner. Staring down at the encroaching puddle of wine like it would burn him. Sakura stepped right through it.

“Come. Let’s get you cleaned up,” she said, offering her hand to him.

Gaara’s hand shook as he took hers. She wrapped her arm around him as she ushered him out of the room. Not even sparing Rasa another glance. The guards parted for them in the doorway. A few servants lingered just behind them, casting Sakura nervous looks.

“We heard… noise, Your Grace,” one of them explained.

“Please clean this mess. And have…” Sakura paused, gaze flickering meaningfully back, “that taken to his room.”

The servants bowed. “Yes, Your Grace,” they replied. And then they hurried into the room to begin picking things up and setting them into place. One carried a stack of towels to mop up the mess.

Sakura heard Gaara sniffle. She paused. She pulled her jacket off to wrap it around Gaara’s shoulders. And then she put her arms around Gaara, too as they continued walking.

“You should have called for me,” Sakura said.

“I’m sorry,” she heard him whisper.

“Hush. I’ll take care of everything,” she assured him.

Kurenai came hurrying down the walkway, her two attendants in tow. “Goodness, how noisy this is,” she remarked. And then she fell quiet as she noticed how Gaara hid his face in Sakura’s hair.

“Oh… what happened?” asked Kurenai, looking at Sakura instead.

“Lord Rasa decided to indulge in wine and make a scene of himself. I thought you were keeping an eye on him,” Sakura replied.

“I was. He’s been quiet in your absence,” Kurenai defended. And then she glanced around before she looked at Gaara again. “Dry your tears, my love. Put on your best face on. What if a guest sees you?”

“The only shameful thing here is Lord Rasa,” Sakura snorted. And then she lowered her voice. “I won’t tolerate this, Aunt Kurenai. I will not have him near Gaara.”

Kurenai’s gaze flickered to Gaara. And then she nodded. “I’ll see what can be done,” she agreed.

With that, Sakura pulled Gaara along the path, seething until she thought steam would rise from her skin and hair.

An hour later, she stood at the foot of Gaara’s bed, watching as he slept. Temari and Kankuro had come running when a servant had informed them of what had happened. Gaara’s head lay in his brother’s lap. Kankuro stroked his hair. Temari stood by the window.

“He said your father wasn��t hitting him anymore,” Sakura was the first to speak.

“That’s what we thought, too,” Temari sighed. Her expression tightened as she heard Gaara sniffle softly.

“Will you kill him?” asked Kankuro.

“No. I’m having him sent back to the Arids. I don’t want to have to explain to my great-uncle why I’m starting a war by executing a prince’s son,” Sakura answered, her fingers touching her temple, “I’ll explain the situation. And I’ll send over some tea and gold to smooth things over.”

They were quiet again. For a while. And then Temari bowed to Sakura.

“I’m so sorry. For all this mess when you have important guests,” she apologized.

Sakura frowned. “Oh, Temari, I would rather this mess than for anyone to think that I don’t take care of my family.”

And for the first time that night, Kankuro smiled. “That’s why we love you, Your Grace,” he sighed.

Around this time, Sasori sat with Naruto, Itachi, and Sasuke. He wasn’t sure why, but he had received a request from Sakura to keep their guests entertained for a while. He would get his answers later.

For now, they sat enjoying tea and snacks after dinner. The conversation had just reached a pleasant lull when Itachi took the conversation in an odd direction.

"Admiral, you're quite close to the General, are you not?" questioned Itachi. Eyebrows rose. The older sibling was not usually the first to initiate conversation. However, Sasori replied.

"Correct, Prince. Is there something on your mind?"

Sasuke looked intrigued as well.

Itachi looked down into his teacup. There were flower petals drifting on top of the dark red liquid.

"The Gene- Sakura told me earlier today that her hands are more stained than anyone else's. I thought that you, of all people, would know the story behind that," he picked the words delicately.

There was another pause. Sasuke also looked expectantly toward Sasori. Only Sasori took a long sip of his tea, his dark gold eyes as unreadable as ever. He slowly set the teacup down on the table before he turned to Naruto.

“Do you know the story?” he questioned.

It was so rare for Sasori to address him directly. Naruto jumped a little. He found all eyes on him. He nodded.

“How do the mainlanders tell it? I’m curious,” Sasori prompted.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, it’s… they called Sakura ‘The Heartless’.”

“The Heartless?” Itachi repeated. “That doesn’t sound like her.”

“Um… the stories are probably exaggerated. But they say that she killed so many during one battle that they ran out of places to bury the bodies. And I heard that sometimes she would kill prisoners of war if opposing armies didn’t do what she said.”

A chill fell over the room.

“What’s the big one everyone tells?” Sasori continued to urge him.

Naruto’s eyes darted around.

“I… I don’t think I know that one,” he lied.

“Sakura executed three of her own officers,” Sakura announced instead.

“What?” Sasuke whispered.

“They raped a civilian woman. She executed them herself. There were some that were upset by that, but she upheld the law,” Sasori responded. “Some call her a monster, but I call her just. There are other things she did during the course of the war, but none of them were easy. And I suppose that’s why so many are so loyal to her.” He shook his head, chuckling. “One might even call it fanaticism.”

A servant arrived then. He knelt to whisper something in Sasori’s ear. Sasori listened. Nodded.

“Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me. Business calls,” Sasori added before he got to his feet. He was gone.

It took several more minutes for the remaining men to move or to speak.

“Uh… I…” Naruto fumbled for words. Sasuke and Itachi turned to him.

“Sakura really believes in doing what’s right. She never says, but the war must have been really hard for her,” he said.

A sick feeling twisted deep inside Itachi’s belly as he nodded.

“I… think I might go for a walk,” he heard himself say before he left the room.

He had no way of knowing where Sakura would be. When he found the kitchen, it was busy, despite the late hour. Women stood scrubbing plates and pots. Others sat preparing linens in neat stacks for the following day’s meals. Others sat enjoying cups of tea, their voices rising and falling in easy murmurs of gossip.

“Excuse me. Could you tell me where I could find the Gene- Duchess?” Itachi queried to one woman standing closest to him.

The woman bowed her head. But then her dark eyes darted back before she looked at him again.

“I’m sorry. The duchess is very busy…” she said, her tone more apologetic than it should have been. But then she inspected Itachi’s expression. She blinked a few times.

“Little brother. Come,” she raised her voice a little.

And one of the women scrubbing dishes raised her head. Tucked hair behind their ear. Itachi recognized the little servant girl Sakura had taken such a shining to. His mother had offered Sakura the servant as a parting gift. He hadn’t really seen the child much in the last few days.

“Brother?” Itachi muttered to himself.

The child ran over. Dark eyes widening. It was the same servant.

“Yes?”

The servant girl put her arm around his shoulders. “The Prince wants to talk to Her Grace. Go ask. If can, come back and bring His Highness.”

Haku listened. His wide eyes darted to Itachi and then back to the girl.

“She’ll say yes,” he replied. As if it were already a fact.

The girl tilted her head. “They say she seemed bothered.”

Haku shook his head. Smiling, he turned to Itachi. “If you’ll please follow me, Your Highness.”

Since the sun had set, it had begun to grow a little chilly. Itachi followed Haku through the palace, marveling at how the child navigated the twists and turns with ease already. He almost forgot to notice the beauty of the warm glow of the candlelight in windows as they moved.

“You’re…” When Itachi hesitated, Haku’s steps slowed.

“You’re the same servant girl,” he half-asked, half-stated.

“Yes, Your Highness,” answered Haku.

Itachi considered his words before he then questioned: “Is this a matter you will speak candidly on?”

Haku smiled a little. “No, Your Highness.”

They were quiet for a while as they continued walking. Just the waves splashing and the wood creaking under their feet.

“Are you adjusting well here? Any difficulties?” queried Itachi.

That took Haku by surprise. His eyebrows rose. Mouth falling open. And then he shook his head.

“I’m very well here, Your Highness. Everyone has been more than welcoming,” he answered. And then they stopped just at the doorway of a room. Its fluttering white curtain blurring out a lone figure sitting inside.

Haku’s clear eyes stared right up at Itachi’s. “You’re very kind. I can see why she likes you, Your Highness.”

Before Itachi could respond to such a brazen observation, Haku bowed and went on his way.

Itachi watched the boy run off. And then he took a deep breath before he pushed past the curtain.

Sakura sat leaning back on her hands. A piece of paper lay crumpled by her foot.

“There you are,” he sighed with relief.

She started. And as she recognized the voice, she turned to look at him. Eyes wide.

“Good evening,” she greeted him.

“Good evening,” replied Itachi. He stepped into the room, taking a seat at her right. There were no chairs, but the floor was covered in an array of rugs and pillows. It was soft. And the patterns of the rugs clashed in a strange way that almost matched.

“What are you thinking about?” he wondered.

He looked down. Found her hand resting on top of the rug. He put his hand over hers. It took a moment, but she flipped it over, twisting her fingers with his. And even though they were both looking out at the summer sea and taking in a soft breeze, Itachi could swear he could taste winter in her words.

“When I was little,” Sakura whispered, “I swore to the heavens that I would become as big as my father.”

And everyone knew the story. Her father had been a massive man. A warrior through and through. His silver hair was a mane around his head that made him seem like some ancient, mystical lion. Itachi remembered seeing him once as a boy. This giant man with a booming voice who had come for a diplomatic visit.

"It wasn't until I grew a little older that I understood that that was a silly dream. I’m so little,” sighed Sakura.

"In stature, perhaps," Itachi agreed. But something in his voice made her look at him. When their eyes met, Itachi offered a weak smile.

"You've always looked like a giant to me," he added.

Shaking her head, Sakura laughed a little. Itachi could feel her lean in, pressing against his arm. And then she turned her head towards him.

The soft press of her mouth against his felt cold in the warm night.

+++

Dear Sakura,

Imagine my surprise when Naruto wrote me to inform me that he would be going to the Tea Isle with you. It warms my heart to know that you two are spending more time together. I hope that this message finds you in good health and in good spirits as the journey from Ispolin to Plumeria is not a short one.

In all the recent excitement here at the capital city, your uncle and I forgot that it was the anniversary of the late King Jiraiya and Queen Tsunade's passing. My deepest apologies for having been so thoughtless. Though these words are late, I am sure that they would be proud to see the fine lady you have become.

In other news,

Sakura didn't finish the letter. Crumpling it up in her shaking fist, she quelled the rising urge to scream. And just as she felt the hot hatred boiling up from her gut and into her chest, she heard his voice, as serene as the ocean breeze.

"There you are."

Had anyone ever said those words to her before with such relief?

Had anyone ever sat and not presumed? Just asked. Listened.

His hand was so soft in hers. He couldn’t swing a sword. He couldn’t best her in battle. But as her lips found his, Sakura was struck by how little she cared of such things.

+++

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#amaryllis #fanfiction #itasaku #courtly intrigue! au #writing #haruno sakura

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