#this is from itachi 'explaining' the clan massacre to sasuke everyone say thank you sasuke again

[everyizuna]

[babybottlepop96]

Eternity Together Itachi Uchiha x Reader

Warning: Pregnancy (If that counts as a waring), angst, kinda fluffy if you really look.

A/N: This kinda made me tear up a bit writing it.. so... yeah. Hope you enjoy!

Itachi Uchiha, a criminal, a brother, a son, a loving boyfriend, and now…. Soon to be a father. Only, he didn’t know yet. He had no idea, and you had no idea how to tell him. You still lived in Konoha, only able to see him rarely when he was in the area. Lord fifth was the only one who knew about the pregnancy, but you refused to tell who the father was. No one could know that your childhood best friend was also the man you had been in love with for years. 

You two had started dating a few months before the massacre of the Uchiha Clan, being friends since the academy. You, however, were from a different clan, your parents didn’t know you two had officially got together, his parents didn't know either, the only person who knew was Sasuke. Only because he happened to follow the two of you to training and caught you guys sharing a sweet kiss. He made this disgusting noise when he saw and you had to bribe him with training sessions to keep the secret. Your families weren’t friendly in the slightest. They had this.. Rivalry. Probably because you happened to be a descendant of the Senju Clan.

After the massacre had happened, you were terrified, beyond scared that Itachai and Sasuke were killed. But when Sasuke showed up at your door the night of, you were relieved. But when you asked about his older brother, his eyes watered and his eyes grew angry. He explained that it was Itachi who had killed everyone. To say you were shocked was an understatement, there was no way your Itachi could have done such a horrible thing. But when you confronted the Hokage about it, he only confirmed what Sasuke had said.

It was then that you decided to take in Sasuke, despite your family’s disapproval. They had disowned you and forced you to move out. You didn’t care though, you had your mission savings to buy yourself a decent two bedroom apartment for you and Sasuke. 

It wasn’t until a few months later did you see the older Uchiha again. You could barely look at him. But he held you and made you look at him. He explained that it was a mission from the Hokage. He had to stop the coup d'état his clan was organizing. He thanked you for everything you had given up to take care of his brother. This was the beginning of your small rendezvous with the older Uchiha. It wasn’t until Sasuke had left the village that getting togethers with Itachi had grown even rarer than before.

The last time you saw him, was the first time you had gotten to do the dirty.  “I need you, my love. I’m afraid that this may be the last time I’ll be able to see you for awhile.” It was sweet and slow. It was full of love and passion. It felt like it was straight out of the most romantic movie you knew. You never wanted it to end, to stay wrapped in his arms and in the covers of your bed for the rest of your life. But when you awoke the next morning, he was gone. You stayed in your apartment for a few days before Lady fifth came to check on your. You were one of the only Senjus left after all. 

After a couple months you started to feel sick, running to and from the bathroom to vomit, you even started craving things you never liked before. Tsunade quickly looked you over, scared that the stress and sadness of losing Sasuke to Orochimaru was finally catching up to you. But what neither of you expected, was you to be carrying a baby, not one, but two. Twins. You were carrying Itachi’s twin babies. You couldn’t believe it, not one bit. Tsunade tried to get you to tell her who the father was, but you couldn’t. You had to find a way to get to Itachi, you NEEDED to get to Itachi. He had to know, but you weren’t able to get to him in time.

Word came around that Itachi Uchiha had died at his brother’s hand and you didn’t take it well. It was then that Tsunade had figured it out. “It’s Itachi’s babies, isn’t it?” She asked as she held you close. All you could do was nod in response, clinging to her like your life depended on it. Soon the war had begun and you had to stay behind, being pregnant and all. Ino and Sakura’s mothers were very helpful. They always made sure you were comfortable and had what you needed. 

Then came the time to push, word that the war was over came to the village, but you were too busy trying to birth your twins. A boy and a girl, happy, healthy babies with raven hair and your nose. When Sasuke had walked into your hospital room, you were as shocked as he was. You thought he would be angry at you, for not telling him you were still seeing his brother, even after everything that happened. But he wasn’t, he was.. Happy, sad, ecstatic. He agreed to help take care of the twins like you had taken care of him. He was the happiest uncle you had ever seen. 

The twins grew up too quickly in your opinion. Just like their father, both had entered ANBU at young ages. They were kind and helpful. They were even beginning to have families of their own. You laid on your bed one night, talking to Ichahi like you have done every night since their birth. You felt like this would be the last time you would do this in this world. “I’m coming, Itachi. I’ll be with you soon.” You never opened your eyes after that night. At least not in the world you just left. But in the world you had awakened to, you were met with a pair onyx eyes and raven hair. You smiled at the Uchiha and hugged him tightly.

“You did so well, my love. You raised the twins into excellent ninjas.” He spoke as he embraced you. “Now, let's spend eternity together.”

[angeliise]

Day 1- The Beginning of Us

If you had told me this was the beginning of the end, I would have believed you. 

If you had told me that this was the beginning of us, I wouldn’t believe you. 

I didn’t want to believe you. I didn’t want to believe you because… it would mean that I could have my happy ending. 

And I couldn’t believe that. 

He had done it. He knew that Itachi’s corpse was slowly withering away next to him, but that’s all he saw before his own eyelids shut down. He couldn’t say he was happy. But he wasn’t sad either. If this was the end, then so be it. Let it be the end of the Uchiha Clan. He had avenged his Clan, his parents… and yet… he hadn’t done anything for himself. 

He had avenged the Uchiha in him. But he was Sasuke. His name was Sasuke. Tsk, why did he stress over that? 

Because your name is Sasuke, right? 

Hn. He was going to die here, anyway. This was the end. And he was okay with it. At least he was far away from Hinata. He knew… Sasuke knew that if Hinata had any chance of reaching him she could abandon all else just for him. That was who she was. That was what he knew her for…

That was what he loved her for. 

And he was happy that he, at least, wasn’t going to get in her way anymore and worry her endlessly. 

Hinata… And to think he was going to die, knowing that his name was worth something outside of being an Uchiha. 

____________

~ 9 years ago

Sasuke fiddled with a pebble in his hand. He was sitting at his usual spot by the river stream in Konoha. 

“Uchiha Sasuke. Got nothing but his clan’s name going for him”

“The lone survivor of the Uchiha Clan.” 

“An Uchiha, huh? Tsk, he’s probably full of it.” 

“Uchiha… Sasuke?”“Uchiha Sasuke?! He’s so cute! Everyone knows who Sasuke is, he’s an Uchiha, afterall!” 

“Uchiha”

“Uchiha” 

“Uchiha”

He was nothing but a name to them. A name that wasn’t even his. A name that didn’t speak for who Sasuke really was. A name that- Sasuke vehemently shook his head. He was a proud member of the Uchiha Clan. Being a part of the Uchiha Clan was one of the highest honors any shinobi could ask for. And he was one. The Uchiha’s were revered as being one of the most powerful Clans. Their Kekkai Genkei, Clan secrets, clan techniques were all highly sought after by enemies. He was going to restore the pride of the Uchiha Clan, and remind everyone that the Uchihas continue to be a fearful force to be reckoned with!

*Quak, quak, quak* 

Sasuke launched the pebble into the river stream, scaring the ducks away. Tsk, there shouldn’t be any ducks in this snowy weather. He sat down, knees against his chest. 

Sasuke! I’m going to defeat you, dattebayo!

“Sasuke-kun! Erm… I… You know, I… I lo-”

“Sasuke-kun, well done. I expected nothing less from a member of the Uchiha Clan” 

He was nothing but his Clan’s representation for them. His name, his being, his existence was nothing if it weren’t for his Clan’s name. If it weren’t Uchiha, it was (Uchiha) Sasuke. Never Sasuke. 

“You’re nothing but a Hyuuga snob!” 

Huh? Sasuke turned his head in the direction of the voice. Out of curiosity, he followed the cries of a girl in the name direction.

“Look at those eyes! They are so creepy!” One said. 

Sasuke was hiding behind a tree. He peeped his head and spotted 3 boys surrounding a girl on the floor. As he squeezed his eyes to get a better look of her another one spoke.

“I know, right?! Who do the Hyuugas think they are? Parading Konoha as this prestigious clan when they look like this?!” 

“T-That’s not- Ah!” A palm flew across her cheek. 

“Shut up! You are no better than the Uchiha Clan.” 

….

“Yeah, good riddance to that Clan. They were nothing but a bunch of snobs!” 

“Yeah, your clan should be next.”

“N-Next?” 

The boy closed in on her. Hinata crawled away until she came to a stop thanks to the third boy. 

The boy in front of her threw a malicious grin her way. “To be massacred!” 

Ha ha ha!!

“H-How could you say such-” - “Haaa?! Didn’t I tell you to shut up!-” 

BANG..

BAM.

BASH! 

BANG!! 

BANG!!! 

BANG!!!! 

BANG!!!!!

She heard the blows. She heard the fists connect. But she felt nothing. All she felt was an overwhelming presence standing before her. When she opened her eyelids, the first thing she saw was a fan. A fan was all she got to see before the figure poofed in thin air. 

“Was that?...” Hinata looked to both of her sides, but nothing. She stood. Looking behind her, and then in front. 

He wasn’t there. She wanted to thank him. Had it not been for him, she would have been… again. Although premature, she raised her finger to her face. 

Byakugan!

Hinata couldn’t explain this desire to thank him. He had just saved her and  she was indebted to him. They would find all types of ways to isolate her and- found him! 

She ran, ran, and ran some more. The closer she got, the more desperate she became. She had heard from her mother about the Uchiha massacre. Though she never spoke to Sasuke, she never saw him hanging with anyone. He left as quickly as he came. He kept to himself during classes, lunch, break, activities - everything. No one, even his pursuers, knew anything about him. All they knew about him was that he was an Uchiha. All the things they said about him were nothing but a false image that his clan pushed to the public. His intelligence, his skills, his demeanour. None of what they said described the boy underneath the ‘Uchiha’ label. 

To be massacred!

[...] good riddance to that Clan.

They were nothing but a bunch of snobs!

As if she wanted to shut her ears out, Hinata’s eyelids dropped. Such cruelty. And to think Sasuke heard that. A part of her couldn’t help but blame herself for this. She… she wanted to apologise. She wanted to thank him and apologise. She- “Sasuke-ku-!” 

*Thumb* 

Despite the throbbing pain in her knee, and the cold snow singing her face with cold, she scrambled to push herself up. In the moment she raised her head, she saw obsidian eyes staring into hers -- there was nothing. “E-Erm… I’m-”

“Go away.” 

She blinked. “Eh?” 

“If you thought I saved you, then think again. Now, go away.” He turned his heel and took a step forward. 

“W-Wait. I wanted to-”

In an abrasive, yet throbbing tone, he yelled. “Go home!” 

“S-Sasuke-kun-” 

“I said!” Sasuke said. With the twist of a heel, the spin of a body and… rain. Sasuke screamed. 

“Leave!” 

It had started to rain. Despite his insistence on her leaving. Despite the aggressiveness, sternness and furiness behind his tone. Despite the frown on his face. Despite every single body part that said otherwise, his eyes did not lie. His eyes were wavering, shaking, and defeated. 

Hinata stood. 

Clank

Clank

Clank

Clank 

Clank

“But,” she raised her hand and slid her finger from his chin up to his eyes, “you are crying.” 

In a jittery tone, Sasuke uttered a silent ‘huh?’ 

Hinata wiped another tear from his cheek, and then another one. She didn’t stop until the tears were no more and his face dried with the remnant teardrops. A tiny whimper escaped her petite lips, and before she knew it, her cheeks felt the imminent streams of water flow down. 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered in a low cry. Her fingers were still rubbing his cheeks clean of nothing. 

___________________

That had been the beginning. 

___________________

~ 6 years ago

At a faraway grassfield, lay an upset Sasuke. Yet another fight with Naruto. Yet another headache from his fangirls.. Yet another day has passed and he wasn’t one step closer to the power thanks to his useless sensei, Iruka. There was no one Sasuke could rely on. No one that wouldn’t run him off with their… way of being! No one. Not even -- No, especially that girl. 

She would always sit a row behind him, stand close to him during lineups, and volunteer to be his sparring partner when the fangirls weren’t looking. And when she wasn’t chosen, she had that look of concern. Why she would go through all this trouble is beyond him. 

Since that winter day, she wouldn’t leave him alone. No matter how many times he had told her to leave, she would just stand there with that look. A look that he couldn’t read no matter how hard he tried. He knew she was always somewhere lurking, and he couldn’t understand why. He never did anything for her. Nothing! 

Who is this ‘she’? Sasuke didn’t know himself. He never bothered remembering her name. Why would  he want to remember her name, anyway? She’s a nobody. She’s nothing to him. She’s a Hyuuga-- Hinata--. She’s weak. She cries too much. She’s, she’s, she’s-!

“Oi, Hinata! Why are you standing over there?” 

“E-Eh?” 

~ Moments later 

An exacerbated sigh escaped Sasuke’s lips as he felt every nerve in his body relax- 

“Sasuke-kun, well done. I expected nothing less from a member of the Uchiha Clan” 

Or not. 

“Hinata,” he started.

“What does my name mean to you?” Hinata finished. 

Sasuke threw a sharp look her way. 

A tiny smile arose on Hinata’s face. “You always ask this question when you are upset, Sasuke-kun.” 

One thing he couldn’t stand about Hinata was the simple fact that she knew him well. A little too well. He was angry, or so he thought he was. Actually, he couldn’t be angry. He had never gotten angry at her. He couldn’t get angry at her. No matter how much he tried. She was no different from the fangirls with all the stalking, so why would he open his doors to her? Why was she the only person he could- he didn’t want to finish that sentence.

“Hmph! That wasn’t what I was going to ask.” 

Hinata giggled, bringing her knees to her chest. She closed her eyes, lamenting on the day he saved her from the bullies. Ever since then Hinata has tried to find a way to owe him the favour. But she didn’t know how to… is what she kept telling herself for years. She knew how to owe him back. She could buy him a month's worth of tomatoes. She could cook him all his favorite treats. She could do so much for him, but what she wanted to do- what she wanted to be for him- was a person he could shoulder his burden on. 

Why? Her shoulders shrugged. She didn’t-- her eyes fell on Sasuke whose eyes were closed. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt her cheeks heating up. 

Hinata’s head fell a tad bit. Who was she kidding? How was she any different from the fangirls that pursued his every move. She was no different from them. She would say she was worse than them because of how persistent she was, but… how couldn’t she think she was different when he--

“You’re blushing again.” 

-- when he is this way! Unlike the others, he would let her stay by his side. Unlike the others, he would let her talk to her and actually listen to what she has to say. She never did anything for him. She has yet to thank him for-- wait! She never even thanked him for saving her that day! She-

“But really,” Sasuke said, sitting up.

“H-huh?” 

This time Sasuke locked his eyes with hers. “What does my name mean to you?” 

“Your name… means a lot to me.” She smiled. Sasuke was taken aback. 

“You saved me. But that’s not the only reason. That day… the day you cried.” Sasuke winced, tightening his fist. “I just couldn’t leave you alone-”

“Why?!” He lashed out. “Everybody is the same, after all! Everybody sees me as nothing more than an Uchiha who needs coddling!” He looked down at Hinata who was getting up herself. 

She closed the distance between them in seconds. He watched as she raised her finger to his cheeks, making her way up to his teary eye. 

“That’s not true.” She whispered. 

“You are no better than the Uchiha Clan.” 

She wiped another tear as another fell. “That’s not true..!.” 

“Yeah, good riddance to that Clan.”

The words were sharp yet voluptuous. More tears kept falling and vision became blurry. “That’s not-!” 

“Hinata.” She felt a warm hand upon hers. “That’s enough.” 

“B-But. What they said was mean!” 

“That’s-

“No!” She shook her head. “I… I… I’m so happy I got to meet you in this lifetime!” 

…..in this lifetime...

….this lifetime…!

….lifetime!

________________________

“Lifetime, huh?...”

_________________________

~ 3 years ago 

The night was particularly quiet. But that figures because Sasuke was about to leave her-- Konoha. He was about to leave Konoha. 

The note he held in his hand would do the job, he thought. It didn’t need more. She would understand. Hinata would- 

I’m so happy I got to meet you in this lifetime!

The sleeping princess in front of him was glowing in the moonlight. He knew he owed no one an explanation. He knew that he had to do this. He knew that he couldn’t- Sasuke knelt down and took his time to take in every last detail he could. This would be his last time. This would be the last time he would get to be this close to her. He drew her hair strands away from her face. The knuckles that caressed her cheeks as he did so felt warm against them. 

Hinata. The only one who seemingly cared about Sasuke as a person. The only person who saw him for who he was. Someone that even he didn’t know. This was going to be the last. He gave her small hand with the note a tiny squeeze before standing up. 

“Thank you,” he said as he turned around, “Hinata.” 

________________________

Sasuke couldn’t feel anything around him. Not the concrete his back was leaning against. Not the blood dripping from his forehead, not the pouring raindrops on his skin, nothing. He couldn’t hear any of the outside world. That is what he said against the warm source around his chest.

“-uke-kun!” 

He wasn’t supposed to feel anything with his chakra levels being so low, so why? 

“Sas… kun!”

Why was she here?! 

“Sasuke-kun! Stay with me!”

Why?! He felt the droplets of rain tip against his eyelashes. That damn Hyuuga! He didn’t want to. He didn’t care! He didn’t want to see that face. He had resigned to a void of eternal darkness as his final moment. So, why? Why did his eyes flutter open to find a concerned Hinata desperately wording his name in tears? 

It hurts everywhere. 

“Sasuke-kun, stay with me!” 

Why? Why are you crying? Why do you always do this for me? Did she not read the note? Did the note slip away? Why? Why, why, why?! 

Her eyes hadn’t changed. That same look that she used to give him for years. That look that he couldn’t read in all those years. Why, what were those eyes that were tearing huge drops of water telling him? 

“Hinata… why?” 

“Why?” She repeated with her shoulders trembling. “Because,” she locked her eyes with his, “because…” she bit her lower lip. “Because I love you!” 

Despite his weakening body, Sasuke felt a heavy pump in his heart. 

“Sasuke-kun, you’re mean. What was that note? ‘Don’t come for me’? Why wouldn’t I come for you? When you let me into your world, I promised myself that I wouldn’t be a burden to you! That I wouldn’t make you regret it and yet… you left. I… I…!” 

Sasuke pushed through the aching pain in his arm to reach for cheeks. He wiped as many tears as he could in the moment that was filled with Hinata’s low whimpers. “That’s enough.”

“No, it’s not- I! I-” Her words were cut short by the sudden push she felt from behind her head, and before she knew it her face was pressed against his chest. 

“Thank you.” 

“Eh?...” 

“Thank you.” 

Hinata felt another set of tears stream down her cheeks. She gently wrapped her arms around Sasuke’s back. She began the healing process again. “D-Don’t die, Sasuke-kun. Please… don’t die.” 

He stroked her head. “Hinata...” 

Hinata raised her head to find- a tear from above dropped to her cheek. 

“Thank you.” 

___________________

Thank you for reading ^^

@sasuhinamonth

[leportraitducadavre]

What are Naruto’s character flaws in Part 2 ? Did even growth at all during the timeskip or did he get worser ?

Naruto did not develop much after the first part, most of his characterization was based on his impulsive, reckless attitude that was shown to us before the time-jump, but little did they try to establish a more mature Naruto in Shippuden. After the time-skip, the first thing Naruto -actively- does is spar with Kakashi alongside Sakura, there’s nothing there that show us some growth in his behavior (or what humor is) when talking to Konohamaru, and his feelings for Sakura hadn’t changed (still in love with her and asking her on dates despite not seeing her for two years). His tactic to defeat Kakashi is effective, but little have to do with maturity, I know it was planned more for comedy purposes, but it still establishes a Naruto that differs from his former version only by his design, and little bit at that.

During the Gaara’s Retrieval Arc, we again see a reckless Naruto that jeopardizes the mission on occasion in order to get to Gaara, his heart is in the right place, and we already saw how Naruto feels about jinchurikis during the first part. This arc seemed to be more about establishing three things: Gaara’s position of power -despite his tailed beast, which introduces the idea of Naruto having a possibility of getting the position-, Naruto and Gaara’s friendship (and hence, Suna and Konoha), and Suna’s relationship with their Kazekage. Chiyo’s character was presented to serve as the “old vision” of the jinchurikis, being antagonistic to Naruto’s views but ultimately changing thanks to “our hero” and sacrificing herself for Gaara, and to be the second mentor to Sakura to show her development in other circumstances that aren’t sparing with her former teacher.

With that, Naruto’s characterization in the second part has been established, his reaction to Sai's enlistment in team 7 as Sasuke's replacement differs nothing to how he would have reacted during the first part. It could be said that two years are short to change a person’s personality, but Naruto’s development hasn’t moved nor forward or backward, it’s stanked in what seemed to be the most highlighted traits of his personality and the ones the fans recognized him for the most. 

There was an attempt to establish a more mature, more in-depth Naruto during the Pain Arc and later on with the Dark Naruto, but little did succeed, quite the contrary. They tried to show the mature way in which Naruto handled a situation that at another time would have caused another reaction on his part, but the resolution was pure nonsense and their attempt relied on the destruction of a deeper, smarter character like Pain. Naruto “changed” Pain’s view of the world because he quoted a phrase from the book Jiraiya wrote that was inspired by something Nagato said as a child, and that was pretty much it. The reply to the question Pain asked (how would you face this hatred [the world’s hatred, their desire to revenge those who were killed] in order to build peace?), was:

“I believe in what Jiraiya did”. 

There was no depth in that response, there was no argument against what Pain believed in, there was nothing that put Naruto above Pain or showed him to have grown enough to reason with him on the same moral or intellectual level. In that sense there was no growth, Naruto responded that he believed in what his former sensei did, which was already established before, the fact that Konoha was the responsible for the despair of small countries like Nagato’s is completely overlooked in that moment not to be addressed again during their meeting.

Here’s the thing that differentiates Pain or even Sasuke from Naruto: Their traumas. I’m not trying to diminish Naruto’s feelings about the things that happened to him, but everything that was thrown his way was quickly overcome and had little effect on his actions later on. We start the series by knowing that Naruto was an outcast and was despised by the village for things he couldn’t control, like the Kyuubi being sealed on him when he was born, and that he didn’t know who his parents were -hence, his identity, which is something a dictatorial system does, did, and will do and there are no red flags there for the fandom?-. His personality, a loud boy that tried to get everyone’s attention, was explained by those reasons. He was desperately trying to get some control over what was happening around him, he was trying to get whatever acknowledgment he could (whether it was good or bad). His goal and dream, becoming the Hokage, was explained by that same desolation and loneliness, since becoming the ultimate leader of his village would guarantee everyone’s respect, or at least, acknowledgment. During the first part, that worked.

Throughout the series, they wanted us to believe that the dream that began with the simple desire to be loved by his own people morphed into something even deeper when Naruto gains knowledge of the shortcomings of the system and wants to modify them, but that reason falls flat when Naruto doesn’t acknowledge Konoha’s responsibilities, nor on other countries’ miseries, nor in the slaughter of their own people (UCM) during the second part. Losing Jiraiya presented another trauma for Naruto, since it was the first time a person he “truly” bonded with and represented the grandparent figure -being the official connection with his parents- died during combat, but that trauma is “resolved” and never brought back after Pain’s Arc.

Naruto never overcomes his main trauma. He never overcomes the need to be loved and acknowledged, the “trauma” is resolved when he’s considered a hero for the same people that despised him and suddenly, since he can control Kurama and is the weapon he was intended to be from the very beginning, he’s not that bad. The “Dark Naruto” that was introduced to show us how Naruto grew from being the boy that was impulsed by the hatred he felt for the rest of the villagers to the man that forgave them for what they did, translates more accurately as the transformation of the “boy who wanted to be acknowledged and did everything to show he was worth it” to the “man who will do anything to show them they weren’t wrong about trusting him”. 

There’s no morph in his dream or ideals. He’s still dependable on the views others have of him, on his “usefulness”, during Shippuden, rather than overcome it, the need deepens, which is the major modifier of his character. Sasuke went from wanting to kill Itachi to revenge his clan, to understanding that there was a system that cemented the basis of the coup and allowed, encouraged, and covered the Uchiha massacre; so he went from wanting to kill a man, to want to take down the system that put him in that position to begin with (Itachi is a more complex character so I’m not going to enter in that area now). Nagato witnessed the killing of his parents at the hands of Konoha shinobi -the country that started the war in the first place-, and Yahiko later on by Hanzo -helped by Danzo-, and went from wanting to bring peace without the use of brute force (Jiraiya and Yahiko’s view), to achieve peace through justice (stripping the countries of their most powerful weapons to control the system and bring it down). Naruto went from wanting to be Hokage to be loved, to wanting to be Hokage to bring peace, but without acknowledging or trying to understand and offer solutions to the problems presented by the two most important characters to the plot (Pain and Sasuke) there was no solid base to build that peace, it would be, at best, temporary. 

His idea of peace is exactly the same that Nagato saw was fruitless, and there’s nothing a single Hokage can do to change the shinobi political bureaucracy around the globe, convincing the present leader of a village does exactly nothing when the system they have to move around is the exact same that it was since the clan wars, and that’s the sole problem if we are kind enough to believe everyone will listen and act as Naruto wants. The idea of the Chain of Hatred that was the basis of Pain’s beliefs was offered no response by Naruto or his ideals, while Sasuke acknowledged the problem and suggested that the solution was for everyone to focus their hatred on just one person (himself), and start all over again, without ties to that oppressive past. Naruto replied exactly nothing to that issue, and once Pain died, he cared no more about it. Not only that, but the only time it was brought up again was when Karui physically assaulted him because of Sasuke's actions against her sensei. Naruto single-handedly decided that he deserved to be the one to receive the hatred of everyone in order to stop the “Chain of Hatred”, a solution almost identical to the one presented by Pain and Sasuke, but when fighting Sasuke during the final arc he condemned the idea of a single person carrying that weight. The contradiction of his statement a few Arcs before being beaten up for Sasuke is completely irrational writing-wise.

Sasuke grew from his hatred and wanted a revolution, Naruto did not. His characterization wasn’t allowed to become “somber” because that will shatter the reason fans were so enamored with him, will ultimately destroy the fandom’s idea of their “golden, relatable boy”. Naruto is the exact opposite of his rival, not only on his ideals but also in personality and design, if Sasuke is the one who represents the most “radical” responses and embodies a stoic personality, Naruto has to be the opposite, particularly in Shippuden when we see how Sasuke’s beliefs morphed into something entirely new. 

There’s not a significant change in Naruto because he doesn’t need to, his traumas are brushed aside because people started to like him, so the reason why they hated him in the first place stopped being important and it became what gave him enough strength to become remarkable and to be relied on during the war. The system that tortured him and used him as a weapon now pats him on the back, calls him a hero, and puts Sasuke down (the one who used to be loved when he was functional to them), so now Naruto feels accepted and beliefs himself to be the one morally capable of “accepting” others into that system. Destroying it will mean questioning that “meritocracy” that put him there in the first place, because he played by its rules and it paid off, so the others should too, no matter how unfair it is. 

[saskaykun]

Sakura Haruno Analysis : Sakura, a Kishimoto’s writing mistake?

From the beginning, Sakura is bad introduced. 

Let me explain, if you take Naruto and Sasuke’s backgrounds.

Naruto, the one who never known his parents, hated by everyone for being Kurama’s host, wants to be hokage so everyone in Konoha will recognize his value, and finally see the person he is, not only the monster who lives inside him.

Sasuke, the one who lost his entire clan and family after the Uchiha massacre, coldly murdered by Itachi, his own big brother. Wants to become stronger than anyone to kill Itachi and finally put the past behind him and start to live his new life.

Sakura, the one who is in love with Sasuke.

Do you see what I mean? 

Their backgrounds defined Naruto and Sasuke as characters. Kishimoto had something to write about them, their determination, their personal stories, their rivality.

But why Sakura wants to become a shinobi? We never get the answer, and I think Kishimoto doesn’t know the answer either.

Maybe her love for Sasuke? But why she is so obsessed with him? She doesn’t even know a fucking thing about him and his life. It would have been cool if Sakura’s feelings for Sasuke had a real explanation, a sense, and if her feelings were returned but no for a reason, we don’t get it at all. SasuSaku’s romance is fucked up from the beginning.

Kishimoto would have saved Sakura and her feelings for Sasuke if he told us that Sakura, one day, woke up and realised that she only loved an idealized version of Sasuke, but no. Once again, she seems to love him so much more, no matter Sasuke’s bad actions and the times she get rejected by him.

Sakura is a main character but she is useless, mostly in the first part.

She is here, commenting every actions, beating Naruto’s ass, yelling Sasuke-kun and waiting Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto to save her ass everytime.

Kishimoto tried to highlight her, with the fight against Oto’s shinobis, but once again, she failed. Thanks Rock Lee, Ino, Shikamaru and Choji.

Again, when she fought Ino during the Chunin Exam.. Sakura’s motivation to fight Ino? Sasuke - AGAIN.

She was so bad-written. She is so narratively weak because her motives are weak. She was so bad-written from the beginning, and Kishimoto himself, didn’t even care to introduce her properly that he lost interest in his character, he had nothing to develop about her, so quickly.

Even Kishimoto’s reasons to put Sakura in Team 7? there are no explanations, or bad-written explanations.

In Shippuden, she became a medic, and get Tsunade’s strength but she only wanted to train herself because Naruto and Sasuke left to become stronger than even. Even Kakashi started to lose interest in her.

Still the same question, what are Sakura’s motives in Shippuden?

- Get Sasuke back in Konoha, but all above, in her life.

- She felt guilty about what she asked to Naruto. But she didn’t understood that Naruto had his personal reasons to get Sasuke back.

After all, she only became a medic. She never saved Sasuke, Naruto did.

Kishimoto tried to make us love Sakura in a forced way, but failed.

She has nothing to say, in comparaison to other characters in Naruto as Gaara, Zabuza and Haku, Shisui, Itachi .. even Chino and Nowaki had a better story than her in Sasuke shinden.

Naruto is about war, sacrifices, strong bonds.. and we got Sakura, the girl who is in love with the handsome boy in her class.

After all, she got her happy end with the boy she loved from the beginning but once again, he left her,  let her raise their daughter alone, and he didn’t care about them in 12 years, and when he comes back in Konoha, he goes at the Uzumaki’s house. 

What can I add? 

PS: Sorry for this fucked-up english but it’s not my mother tongue. Hope you get my point after all.

[darth-salem-emperor-of-earth]

Here is my next entry for Day 4 of @naruto-fantasy-week​! I went with the prompt “Japanese Folklore” because I wanted to do something with the conflict between the Sun Goddess and Moon God and how their bloodlines influenced imperial monarchies from opposite kingdoms and what would it take to bring two opposing nations together (albeit begrudgingly). I had to prevent this idea from running away with me and focused on a small section in Itachi and Sakura’s courtship. That way, I could actually finish the little fic in time. XD 

Fanfic title comes from the song “Sun and Moon” from the Broadway musical “Miss Saigon”. And yes, I was not trying to be creative with kingdom names. I just went with good ole “Solar” and “Lunar” because the names worked. XD

Summary: With the bloodline of the Sun goddess running through their veins, the Uchiha dynasty had reigned over the land for endless decades. But their power has waned, the populace no longer adores them like they used to, and opposing kingdoms watch and wait for their decline. Now, the imperial family is desperate and the only way to cement their power is to marry one of the imperial sons off to someone who has the bloodline of the Moon God, the brother and foe of the Sun Goddess. Naruto Fantasy Week, Day 4. Prompt: Japanese Folklore. [Itachi x Sakura] 

Text:

Flashback

Thoughts

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Love, that is all the earth to lovers—love, that mocks time and space,

Love, that is day and night—love, that is sun and moon and stars,

Love, that is crimson, sumptuous, sick with perfume,

No other words but words of love, no other thought but love.”

 — Walt Whitman, The Mystic Trumpeter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The midday heat continued to beat down on the guards and servants who attended to their duties in the open foyer, where a cooling, welcoming breeze managed to infiltrate the open windows and doors and alleviated some of the humidity plaguing its working inhabitants. Sakura could already feel her inner layers soaked with sweat, cleaving to her body like a sticky second skin. Small tendrils of her hair plastered to the back of her neck and along the outline of her forehead, also damp from perspiration. Her chief lady-in-waiting, Ino, already had to reapply her blush and lipstick, knowing how much Emperor Fugaku, ruler of the Solar Kingdom, would judge the Crown Princess of the Lunar Kingdom, for simply sweating on a hot summer day after he kept her waiting for over a half hour. 

The princess sensed the reason for the delay and inwardly, Sakura was fuming at the blatant disrespect the Emperor, even now, was showing her. It was well known the Uchihas boasted having the blood of the Sun Goddess flowing in their veins, granting them divine rule over their subjects and they always looked down scornfully at those who were heralded to be descendants of the Moon God, the brother and rival of their precious Sun Goddess. But the last few decades, mayhap century, was not kind to the Uchiha rulers, as many of the Uchiha men (and sometimes, women) who succumbed to the unspoken but well known disease called ‘Mangekyō Madness’, reducing the afflicted into a bitter, paranoid mess cursed with blindness and rife with contempt for other clans, especially the so-called inferior ones. Everyone around them became an enemy to vanquish or subdue and usually, there was no cure or chance to regain sanity if the healers hadn’t taken steps previously to mitigate the effects of the illness. There were rumors this madness struck the Uchihas because of a crime one of their ancestors committed, Uchiha Madara, when he almost successfully wiped out the Senju clan to expand his kingdom’s territory. The Senju clan never forgot nor forgave the Uchihas for that massacre, especially since emperors after Madara vehemently denied the Uchihas were a part of such carnage and that Madara acted alone and was considered a ‘blight on Uchiha sun’. 

And thus, the imperial prestige slowly declined and now, Emperor Fugaku faced a dilemma: an unhappy, discontent populace, and watchful neighboring nations who were sharpening their weapons and honing their political strategy to see how much longer the Uchiha dynasty would last. Fugaku needed a strong alliance, once cemented by the bonds of marriage. So he begrudgingly entered negotiations with the Emperor of the Lunar Kingdom, Sakura’s uncle. Both parties agreed Sakura, the uncontested heir of her uncle’s great country, would marry one of the Emperor’s sons when she came of age. Such a celestial marriage would not only bring two mighty, prospering nations together but also join two royal bloodlines blessed by divinity. 

Sakura was thirteen when she caught wind of these negotiations and decided it would be her that decides which Solar prince she’d marry, not her uncle or her future father-in-law. And when the imperial family from the Solar Kingdom arrived a few months after her fourteenth nameday, Sakura began to enact her plan. 

Many of her entourage believed she would pursue the younger son, who was her age, but even though he was cannily pretty (most Uchiha were), Sakura cared not for his cold stares and the way he ignored everyone else if conversing with them was beneath him. He treated her best friend Ino brusquely when she tried to engage in several casual conversations to learn more about his character for Princess Sakura’s sake. Her final report on the second prince was less than glowing. There was that and the fact Ino swore to the Moon God that she witnessed him whispering in Karin’s ear, a medical apprentice who served the Uchiha family, and the girl kept blushing and smirking, taking the chance to suggestively stroke the young prince’s arm before he brushed her off to resume training. Even if there was nothing going on between them, Sakura sensed any relationship with him was doomed to fail. So she focused her attention on the older brother, Itachi.

Sakura smiled to herself as she recalled the first time she and Itachi encountered one another. It was a formal setting, a simple tea ceremony and later, a meeting for her uncle, Itachi’s father, and the ambassadors to discuss treaties and politics. Sakura found herself seated next to Itachi, the Crown Prince. Their discussion was, at first, cordial, ranging from her inquiring about how his stay in the Lunar Kingdom was faring and him saying he was enjoying the various landscapes he saw during his sojourn. Eventually, she learned he suffered from an unknown but not fatal physical ailment, which left him exhausted and tired often. In light of this information,  Sakura then recommended several teas with medicinal properties that would help boost his strength and energy if he drank them regularly. Three days later, Itachi returned to her to thank her personally for her sage advice, saying the teas she suggested were already showing some promise, and asked if she wanted to take a walk around the royal gardens and give him a tour. With a pleased grin on her face, Sakura whole-heartedly accepted, relieved to see Itachi was nothing like his younger brother, for simply being around the Solar heir put her nerves at rest and she soon found how easy and relaxing it was to talk to Itachi.

By the time Itachi had to return home, they already agreed to exchange letters to one another to continue their budding friendship. For four years they secretly exchanged letters back and forth, the friendship slowly melting into a clandestine romance, to the point they both vowed the moment Sakura entered the Solar Kingdom and stepped on soil from the imperial castle, the two of them would wed in secret. They couldn’t take a chance to leave the decision of Sakura’s groom up to Emperor Fugaku, for he was more partial in giving his second son, the spare, to the Lunar Princess because he believed his heir deserved a far more rewarding match. And to quell the rumors that Sasuke no longer had eyes for the noble girls his father tried to parade in front of him and was far more interested in a wandering, compassionate hedgeknight who often rescued or offered his services to the commonfolk amidst the Uchiha lands. He possessed eyes like the ocean blue and hair the color of the golden sun itself and Emperor Fugaku refused to let him on Uchiha grounds.

Within her first week in the Solar Kingdom, Sakura and Itachi were wed, their only other witnesses besides the presences of the Sun Goddess and the Moon God, the imperial family’s kannushi (who was entrusted to bless and formally bind the lovers together in a legal marriage), were Sakura’s chief lady-in-waiting and best friend, Ino, and Itachi’s cousin and confidante, Shisui. Her wedding night with Itachi was pure bliss and now that they were officially husband and wife, they had planned to break the news to the emperor tomorrow morning. 

Itachi went in first, knowing best how to pacify his father’s rage once he realized his original schemes were thwarted. He was also prepared to carefully explain to Emperor Fugaku why this matrimonial choice would suit all parties–Fugaku in particular. From her previous encounters with that rigid, unyielding ruler, Sakura suspected her father-in-law was the type of man who didn’t appreciate when events didn’t go his way or would balk at the idea of admitting that he made a mistake either in his reign or on his judgment. 

The doors leading inside the palace burst open and Itachi smoothly strolled out, the force of his gait causing his dark ponytail to swing around and collide with his left shoulder before resting there. Itachi’s expression remained stolid but the concern and disappointment marked in his obsidian eyes carried enough emotion and information for Sakura to surmise that Itachi’s conversation with his father did not go well at all. 

“Sakura, I am so sorry to have kept you waiting,” he apologized, grasping both of her hands to kiss them, his gaze never leaving hers. Sakura’s ire at her father-in-law steadily ebbed away, savoring Itachi’s touch and sweetness in their private, intimate moment together. “My father refused to come and greet you as my wife, and declared we are to be banished for a few months for marrying without his permission. He also rebuked me for falling prey to your wily charms.” He spoke the last part wryly and Sakura tossed her head back to laugh at the absurd accusation. Of course Fugaku would lay the blame squarely at her feet, for not falling in line and waiting to wed his second son simply so the Solar Emperor could feel far more superior over her and the Lunar Emperor. He may be hailed as a fierce warrior and shrewd monarch, but he also was such a petty man. 

“Banishment away from your father and all those prying, sneering nobles at court, where we can be left alone to our own devices?” Sakura mused drolly out loud, leaning in to plant a loving kiss on her husband’s cheek. “Are you sure the Emperor is punishing us?”

A half-smile spread itself across Itachi’s pale features, his eyes alight at her good humor. “He thinks you will be aghast to be away from such a pinnacle of power and influence and hopes when we return, you’ll be more of a demure, modest wife who will listen to his orders next time.” Both he and Sakura chuckled, imagining Fugaku’s future disappointment that his daughter-in-law was not so easily cowed.. “But we know that will never betide.”

“Of course not,” Sakura agreed, wrapping her hand around his as they sauntered out of the outside foyer and to the guest wings to pack all of Sakura’s effects before they started their journey to Itachi’s estates for their temporary exile. “If I was, then the Sun Goddess would never agree to our match during our covert marriage ceremony nor would have the Moon God made his presence known as well.” 

“I, the Moon God, father of the great lineage belonging to the Lunar Kingdom, come before you all today to bless this joining between a man of the Sun and a woman of the Moon. Do not forget the courage and willpower you had to make this moment possible, you shall need when the crowns sit on both of your heads.”

“I, Amatersau, the famed Sun Goddess, mother of the grand lineage from the Solar Kingdom, am here before you all today to also bless this joining betwixt two mortals, one of the Sun and one of the Moon. Bring back the prestige to my royal line and let the next generation of Uchiha men and women be stronger than ever!”

The words of both sibling deities still echoed in Sakura’s mind, a wish they claimed that only a couple of their caliber would bring to fruition. The Moon God and his sister, the Sun Goddess, a pair that was always at odds with each other since the dawn of time, somehow had their goals aligned when it came to influencing and blessing the union of two mortals who carried their divine blood. Albeit Itachi and Sakura truly didn’t need the blessing of two deities to know the true power and love of their union, despite how awe-inspiring it was to hear the loud, imposing voices of both the Sun Goddess and the Moon God all around them. Even if no one outside their small matrimonial ceremony believed their account, the future for the two of them seemed fortuitous indeed.

“Are you ready to go to your new home, my beloved wife?” Itachi’s face softened as he spoke. Those kind, mesmerizing eyes of his often took on a subtle but nonetheless elated luster whenever he continued to refer to her as his wife, and right now was no exception. Sakura’s heart swelled up with a mixture of pride, joy, and love towards him. They were indeed fortunate and blessed to have found each other even under the shadow of an arranged marriage.

“Yes, darling husband, I am,” she replied, giving his hand an affectionate squeeze. After all, a several month banishment with simply Itachi and her together, managing their estates, while devoid of haughty in-laws and other Solar nobles, sounded like the perfect honeymoon.

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Thirteen: Another Day ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uchiha Itachi ] [ SasuHina, pregnancy ] [ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ] [ AO3 Link ]

It’s just another day. Just gotta get through one more day.

So has been the approach of Uchiha Sasuke regarding his life after the war. And it’s not been easy. At first, he found himself completely stripped of his purpose. Losing to Naruto - or rather, conceding to Naruto - had signaled an end to a phase of the avenger’s life. One that - though changing - had remained a constant for a decade. Have a goal. One goal. Stick to it until reaching the end. Adjust as need be.

First had been vengeance against Itachi. Then justice in his brother’s name against the village that had used him. After their meeting in the war, and the discussion the the Hokage, he’d had one last iteration: bring the battle to an end...and then use the circumstances to wipe clean the slate of shinobi. Remove the Kage. Ensnare the beasts. Use his newfound power to bring peace absolute, even if it meant resigning himself to the shadows.

He’d accepted that role. Made peace with it.

But, as usual...Naruto got in his way.

It was for the better, he supposes...even if some aspects, to him, remain necessary. Mostly regarding the shape and path forward of the shinobi world. Once he’d been healed and made whole (physically, at least), he’d left Konoha behind with a pilgrimage in mind. With plans to see the world and its new beginnings in every land, every village.

But then he’d gotten a bit...sidetracked.

And now, here he is, with not only a brother returned to him, but a cousin as well. And a police force under his command, in joint effort with the Hyūga. Which had led (at least in part) to his meeting the woman he wakes up to on this fine day.

Hinata’s still asleep, lying on her back as to best compensate for her rather voluminous stomach. Within grows their future firstborn, who’s finally letting her sleep in for once.

Managing to spare a few minutes to watch her, Sasuke eventually has to concede to a need to rise. Even if his wife is on maternity leave, he still has a job to do...bright and early, as he does nearly every day.

His morning routine is quick and basic, up and out the door in less than half an hour. As she always does, Hinata’s left him a breakfast to eat on the road to the station. He finishes just as he reaches the front door.

“Uchiha-sama!” A young Hyūga recruit snaps to attention. “The captain of the ANBU was here earlier, sir! He requested an immediate audience.”

...shit. That’s not good. Suddenly far more awake, Sasuke presses for details. “Where?”

“I...I think he’s just been waiting in your office, sir.”

A nod. “Thanks.”

He wastes no time in striding down the hall, entering the proper room and locking it behind himself. Itachi leans in a corner, dressed in ANBU gear, minus the mask. “Itachi? What -?”

“I need your assistance on a case.”

“...me as an officer, or me as an Uchiha?”

“The latter.”

Sasuke’s visible eye narrows. “...it happened again?”

“...it did. Worse this time.”

“Where?”

“My front door.”

“What?!”

A hand raises against his loud tone. “Thankfully that means it’s really only visible to us, tucked away in the compound. I’d like to keep word of it that way, as well.”

Sasuke pauses, trying to think. “...what did it say?”

“The usual. Threats, a list of our crimes...but no one claiming it. Whoever it was, must have been skilled. Someone would have noticed them otherwise. This wasn’t some run-of-the-mill dissenter against the Uchiha. This was someone serious.”

“I take it you moved your family?”

“I did. I’d have done the same for you, but the words were rather specific in targeting me this time. If you’d like, I can still have Hinata fetched. Shisui took the rest to the Hokage tower this morning.”

Sasuke runs an irritated hand back through his hair. “So much for having this be just another day…” Pause. “...I think that’s best. Until we can go over the scene and find out more. I don’t want to run in the face of a threat, but…”

“I know. I feel the same. We have people we can’t dare to risk.” With that, Itachi replaces his weasel facade. “I’ll dispatch a few of my officers. If things get bad enough, the missus suggested taking herself, the kids, and Hinata to her home in the mountains.”

“With the pair of them pregnant?”

“She’s capable, and you forget her teacher lives there as well. They’d be safe, and far from harm’s way...not to mention under rather strict defense.”

Sasuke can’t help a scowl. “...I don’t want our clan driven out of Konoha again.”

“Neither do I. But their safety is priority.”

“...I know.”

With that, the pair abandon the station and return to the Uchiha compound, the only three structures standing out rather obviously in the otherwise-empty district. Giving his home a glance, Sasuke instead follows Itachi to the main manor.

And then balks.

Carved into the front door is a vulgar message, within which is contained a number of threats, and foreboding warnings against Itachi’s “betrayals”.

“...she didn’t see it, did she?”

“No. I was up far earlier, and ordered her and the twins out the back with Shisui. They didn’t need to see that. He took them to the Hokage tower for now, to keep an eye on them while on shift with Kakashi. Hinata should be there by now as well.” Itachi’s face declines slightly. “...I should not be surprised, and yet…”

“It’s nauseating,” Sasuke agrees before his brother has to speak. “...and pisses me off. What do they mean, betrayal? You were working on behalf of the village! Everyone knows that now!”

Rereading the message, Itachi slowly shakes his head. “...I’m not sure. It could be that I betrayed the Uchiha...but who beyond us would be left to feel anger in that regard?”

“I dunno…”

“...there was Akatsuki, I suppose...and…” He fades out to silence.

“...what?”

“You remember what was reported about Root? There was no actual list of active members. And it was suspected some refused to report back to Konoha to be reassigned and reintegrated after Danzō’s death, and the faction’s dissolution.”

“...yeah…”

“This is only a theory, but...perhaps those remnants of Root are those who have been targeting us. Think about it: it makes sense. It could be said that I ‘betrayed’ Danzō. You and Shisui as well. Shisui’s eye was stolen, but he escaped, and has been revealed to have been living in secret despite Danzō’s order for his death. You fought him and drove him to suicide in an attempt to stop you and Obito. And I...I brought the truth of his actions to light with my return and pardon. All of his work has been revealed. His role in the massacre. Danzō’s life, reputation, and wishes have all been made moot by the three of us.”

Sasuke can’t help a humorless huff of breath. “...so you’re telling me we have an unknown number of ANBU-level nutcases still loyal to a dead asshole looking to get revenge on us?”

“As I said, it is only a theory. But it would explain why we can’t seem to catch them. It could be just one person. It could be a hundred. We have no records of Roots numbers, let alone how many turned their backs after Danzō’s death. They were brainwashed to be loyal to him. A few managed to resist, but…” Itachi gestures almost apathetically. “That may be the root of our problem.”

“...I’d expect wordplay like that from Shisui, not you.”

“He’s not here. Someone had to do it.”

Sasuke drags a hand down his face, sighing and staring at the splintered door. “...if that’s the case...we need to be damn careful. Hinata’s a jōnin, but also pregnant. Your wife’s a non-combat medic in the same boat with two kids. How the hell do we protect them without quitting our jobs to guard them day and night, and fortifying the houses?”

“...I don’t know. I will speak to Kakashi on the matter, as I’m sure Shisui has already begun. He may have more insight, and have help to offer. But I cannot assume what resources he would be willing - or able - to spare.”

The pair lapse back into silence, each lost in their thoughts. Anger slowly begins to boil in Sasuke’s blood. How dare they...how dare they come after his family...after all they’ve already been through? When will it end?!

“...for now, we’d best reconvene in the Hokage’s office. One of my squads will gather evidence in the meantime. And we’d best put the compound on lockdown. No one in or out.”

“Hn…”

There’s sympathy in Itachi’s gaze through his mask. “...we’ll get through this. As always...we live to fight another day.”

...but how many more will we need?

     OOF. This one's posted before midnight (my time) - yay! And also is a little bit heavier than usual!      This is another canon-ish snippet from a major WIP fic of mine that I'll probably never actually finish. SH is a side pairing in it, with focus actually being on a few RPCs of mine. And the epilogue (having been planned before Boruto's creation) focuses instead on major conflict surrounding the Uchiha, and a faction called "New Root"...which, as we can see, is causing the tiny clan some major issues.      'Issues' being a rather light word for it.      Anywho, Itachi just might be on to something with his Root theory...which is actually a much bigger problem than their first assumptions of simple villagers being upset with his return (as well as Sasuke's) given their past behavior. Which leads to a lot of drama and tension down the road!      But, this is just a snippet for the challenge, ahaha - so that's where we'll have to leave it for now. But, either way, I hope you enjoyed reading, and thanks as always for stopping by!

[naruot]

Itachi Uchiha

Oh lord all the itachi stans are gonna hate me

I hate itachi And I blame this on kishimoto I’m gonna explain why

In the beginning I loved itachi he killed his family and tortured his brother just because! itachi was just an evil person and no one could figure out why

And then kishimoto wanna come out with this bullshit saying that itachi only did all of that to protect sasuke like what??? There were 100 other ways itachi could’ve saved sasuke and not fuck with him mentally

Like how was itachi protecting sasuke when he was torturing him!! I even remember one episode when itachi came back to the village just to torture sasuke some more like I don’t understand how does he think torturing the kid suppose to help him?

There was even a time when I think he put sasuke under a genjutsu that had him in a coma I just don’t understand itachi’s reasoning behind it like kishimoto thinks he can just say okay itachi is good now and everyone will believe him um no there is so much you need to explain

And no one can convince me itachi cared for sasuke he really didn’t either way you spin it him going crazy and killing his family or even him being a “fallen hero” he never did care for sasuke you don’t fuck with someone that badly and say you care for them Idc what itachi was trying to do

Itachi use to be a really good character until they told that story about how he actually loves sasuke and did all that to protect him

And when they showed us that flash back when itachi killed his clan and he was walking away from sasuke with tear rolling down his eye I wanted to throw my tv away like wtf? It’s just not believable! I will never believe itachi cared for sasuke

Also itachi was a HUGE konaha wanker he loved his village and saw nothing with them ordering him to kill his entire clan? Like that made me hate him even more he saw what the leaf is capable of he went through and he saw how much sasuke suffered because of it but at the end he still cared more for the leaf then sasuke because he asked naruto to cover up the massacre like WTFFFFFFF he doesn’t give a shit about sasuke because if he did he would let everyone know about it and then let sasuke get the justice and peace he deserves

So to recap what I said: Itachi WAS a good character but went to shit ever since they showed him as a fallen hero

Thanks for the ask ✔️

[phantomflower42]

Naruto OCs: Surviving The Uchiha Clan Massacre

This is a serious topic in the Naruto fandom.  People seem to froth at the mouth if you even think of having an Uchiha OC post-massacre.  

But, I am not one those people.  There is a little leeway for Uchihas to live after the Uchiha clan massacre.  It just takes some creative thinking.   There are several holes that can be taken advantage of.

Before I go any further, allow me to explain to those unfamiliar with Naruto or its sequel series Boruto what the Uchiha clan massacre is, the basics of the Uchiha clan in general, and why living members of the Uchiha clan after this event are unlikely.

The Uchiha clan were a founding clan of Konohagakure (Hidden Leaf Village) alongside the Senju clan.  The Uchiha and the Senju were enemies before they made a truce, and founded Konoha.  The Uchiha were said to have had a greater capacity for love than other people.  

However, they inherited a bloodline called the Sharingan that literally evolved with extreme emotions.  The extreme emotions in question often ended up being the death of a close friend or family member.  The Sharingan was born out of the pain of that loss.  Several Uchiha went off the deep end after losing too many comrades.

The Nidaime Hokage Senju Tobirama realized this.  He did not trust the Uchiha.  He put them in charge of Konohagakure’s police force to keep them out of politics.  The regular villagers treated the Uchiha clan okay, but the high ranked ninja of the village kept an eye on them.  The Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen and his advisers forced the Uchiha to all live together in a compound after one of them was suspected in the Kyuubi attack.

The Uchiha clan grew bitter towards Konohagakure thanks to the Hokage and his advisers’ actions towards them.  They started making plans for a coup d’etat.  The clan leader’s eldest son Uchiha Itachi started spying on his clansmen for the village.  With the assistance of a disguised Uchiha Obito, he killed his clan upon orders from his village at age thirteen for their impending treason.  Only his younger brother Sasuke was officially spared from the slaughter.    

While the massacre has been on orders, Itachi was forced to defect from Konohagakure right after.  He joined the terrorist group Akatsuki.  The regular villagers of Konohagakure thought the massacre was a random tragedy.  Few knew the truth until after Itachi’s death around eight years later.  

Note the second-to-last sentence.  Most of the villagers thought it was a random tragedy.  That means that no one knew the truth about the Uchiha clan being marginalized or that they were plotting treason.  Any actions the higher-ups took against the Uchiha clan had to be discreet.

With that in mind, I will list the most likely ways for a member of the Uchiha clan to survive or otherwise exist after the massacre.  Note that since the elders ordered the Uchihas’ deaths that your OC would likely not stay in Konohagakure afterwards.

1) Becoming a missing-nin before the massacre, preferably before the Kyuubi attack.

Madara, Obito, Itachi, and Sasuke do not have a monopoly on being defectors.  Other Uchiha would have good reasons to defect as well.  They could be tired of how their clan is treated, or may not agree with the Will of Fire.  I suggest defecting before the Kyuubi attack as the Uchiha clan were kept a very close eye on after that. 

2) Retiring from ninja work and moving away from Konohagakure pre-massacre.  

The Hokage has say over ninja in their active roster, but that authority diminishes once a ninja goes into retirement.  Not every ninja stays on for life.  An Uchiha could decide to settle down, pursue a civilian job, and raise a family like anyone else.  The situation would become more plausible if the Uchiha in question moved some distance away from Konoha.

Hiruzen could try calling the Uchiha back after the Kyuubi attack, but his authority would be minimal at best.  The process could become complicated.  The retired Uchiha could have a business they run at this point, be employed, have a spouse, and may have produced children with said spouse.  

That even presumes the retired Uchiha can be located.  Evidence in the Naruto series points to the Uchiha breeding among themselves for the most part.  It’s presumably to keep the Sharingan to themselves.  An Uchiha with an outside spouse might be disowned from the clan.  Such an Uchiha might not be able to be traced from letters or other communications if their clan cut off communication with them.  

It would take time to close down a business or otherwise put notice into the Uchiha’s place of employment, a new place might need building in the compound so the Uchiha and their family has a place to live, the Uchiha would have to do something with their current residence, the Uchiha’s family would need a cart to carry their belongings, and any children or spouses would need immigration papers.  This would add up very fast.  Forcing the retired Uchiha to move back to Konohagakure would become impossible if they moved to another country altogether.  

The elders may want every Uchiha dead, but they appear pragmatic.  They might decide that wasting a lot of time, money, and effort on one Uchiha would not be worth it.  Shimura Danzo could attempt sending his ROOT agents, but they would be in big trouble if local ninja caught them.  The Hokage and his advisers might not even know the retired Uchiha’s current address.  They will probably drop the issue.

3) Coincidentally being on a mission at the time of the massacre, preferably some distance away from Konohagakure.

Remember how the Konohagakure citizens thought that the Uchiha clan massacre was a random tragedy?  While Hiruzen and the elders got away with confining them to a compound, they could not prevent normal business like Uchiha ninja going out on missions with their teammates.  Missions keep on coming as Konohagakure’s source of income.  Barring all Uchiha ninja from missions with their teammates just before the massacre would have looked a little suspicious, yes?

The important thing to remember is that Itachi fled Konohagakure soon after he killed everyone in the Uchiha clan compound.  He joined Akatsuki shortly afterwards.  He was declared a traitor, so he would not have been able to stick around for any late-comers.  He would not have been able to go on a killing spree of Uchiha on missions across the Hidden Countries, either.  It would take too much energy out of him.   An Uchiha on a mission would mainly be on the lookout for Danzo’s ROOT agents.

An Uchiha’s chances of survival increases the further away they are from Konohagakure at the time.  They certainly have a chance of defeating ROOT ninja sent after them.  Keep in mind that the ROOT ninja will have their work cut out for them if the Uchiha is in another country.  While the seals on their tongues will prevent them from spouting secrets, their masks and other ANBU regalia could link them back to Konoha if local ninja detain them.  That would be bad.  

Plan on how Hiruzen will deal with all of these Uchiha who suddenly have to fear death if they come back home.  He may well deliver communications with an altered version of what happened, and order the Uchiha and/or their whole squad to fake the dead.  The Uchiha could be placed under a special ninja witness protection program or given a new identity.   If he decides on the first option, he will probably set up the basics for the Uchiha’s new life as a sort of severance pay.   

4) Traveling away from Konohagakure around the time of the massacre.

Being a ninja does not prevent someone from going out on vacation as long as they approve the vacation days with their village leader first.  Uzumaki Naruto and Jiraiya had participated in a festival while searching for Tsunade; no one batted an eye at them despite their forehead protectors.  Several Konohagakure clans have allies they occasionally meet with outside of the village, including the Uchiha.  Forbidding an Uchiha from taking vacation days would look just as bad as barring them from missions.

An Uchiha in this situation would have to look out for ROOT ninja.  Should they make it back to the village, the Sandaime would likely sit them down to explain what happened.  The Uchiha would be informed that they could no longer reside in Konohagakure for their own safety.  They would probably fake their death on orders, and move somewhere else.  Other options would be placing them in ninja witness protection program of some kind, or changing their identity.

5) Being a civilian Uchiha out on business at the time of the Uchiha clan massacre.

This one is simple.  Not all Uchiha are ninja.  Non-ninja have more of a range of movement than shinobi do.  People that are part of certain industries will sometimes need to travel to business meetings.  Hiruzen would not have that much authority over them.  

If Hiruzen knew of such an unaccounted for Uchiha civilian, he would probably order a ninja to escort them to Hiruzen’s office upon the civilian Uchiha’s return.  The Uchiha would then be given an account of the massacre, and warned that staying in Konohagakure was no longer safe for them.  Hiruzen might even help them find a new place to live depending on the circumstances involved.

6) Faking the dead during the massacre, then fleeing the village.

This one would take some skills and good luck to pull off.  But, if the Uchiha could render their breathing undetectable and stayed still for a while on the bloodied ground, Itachi, Obito, and Danzo’s ROOT ninja would stop paying attention to them.  Even an Uchiha loyal to Konoha would understand that this was no longer their home with other Konohagakure ninja attacking them.  They would probably be roughing it for a while, but would eventually find another place to live.   

7) Being conceived between an Uchiha and an outside party when the Uchiha was on a mission.  Preferably, a long-term one that happened a distance from Konohagakure.

Do you think that the Uchiha were free of indiscretions?  The Hokage’s advisers would have trouble targeting a half-Uchiha baby for death if even the Uchiha clan is not aware of their existence.  The Uchiha parent would likely do everything they could to conceal their child’s existence.  Even a female Uchiha would not have much trouble doing so if she left the baby with the father’s family.

Uchiha usually have either black or brown hair and black eyes.  That look is so common that a half-Uchiha in a non-Konoha location would not be given a second glance.  The chance of being recognized as one decreases if they inherited their non-Uchiha parent’s hair or eye color.  The Sharingan might activate, but the half-Uchiha would likely be a teenager by then at minimum.  Mission babies are probably as safe as it gets.  

8) Being born outside of Konohagakure from any of the previous groups.

People reproduce.  It’s a fact of life.  If an Uchiha has had a baby outside of Konohagakure’s walls, and the Uchiha parent is already off the grid, there’s not a lot the elders could do.  Uchiha from any of the previous situations could settle down and have children away from their original village.  The Uchiha child may or may not know about their bloodline or clan history depending on the circumstances.

There is one thing that will be universal, however.  The child will likely be warned to avoid Konohagakure like the plague after the massacre if they can help it.  Most Uchiha in the situations above will know that their former home is no longer safe.  That could apply double post-Fourth Shinobi World War thanks to Sasuke, Obito, and Madara’s actions.    

Having a living Uchiha OC after the massacre is possible.  You just have to be careful on how you plan it out.  Do not make them closely related to Sasuke and Itachi unless it’s an AU.  A third Uchiha sibling would change the canon story significantly.

Remember not to make too many post-massacre OCs.  While there are holes to be had, Itachi, the elders, ROOT, and Obito were as thorough as they could be considering the different variables.  Have a nice day.

[celxstialclanarchive]

🔥 Spill some salt XD

The Salt is spilleth on:

Konoha’s treatment of just everything

Ok, I love Konoha as much as the next guy, but please explain why all their poorly concealed mistakes are the best kept secrets and their sheep mentality is never questioned, or at least called out.

I will never understand why Sakumo was vilified for something that is common sense in ANY. TEAM. Keeping your team alive at the expense of the mission would be a bad thing, yes, BUT! Without them, Sakumo himself may not have been able to return to at least report the mission’s success. And not to mention they were total assholes. I’d like to think I’d be grateful to the man who saved your life, but they didn’t stick around to look after the son of the man you wronged after commiting suicide, which I am sure tarnished his name in Konoha’s books even more. Good. Keep away from the second person you made suffer for being ungrateful little shits, but Kakashi isn’t safe from my salt. At least the Land of Water was honest with themselves about having teammates betray each other so deeply ingrained in their culture, as wrong as it is, as many minor antagonists have pointed out *coughrememberZabuzacough*. You can expect to see disloyalty because the Land of Water’s culture before Mei came into office is so fucked up, and she probably was the only Mizukage to start social change to fix these issues, in which won’t resurface for another fifty to seventy years at best. But Konoha is supposed to be a safe haven for children, right???

A lot of antis have already mentioned their spectacular track record with orphans, especially considering a great deal of them were by their own doing. Kakashi? Konoha. Karin and other displaced Uzumaki? Not necessarily Konoha, but why was Uzushio so thoroughly destroyed if Konoha was an ally and the first and fourth Hokage’s wives once called that place home?? Never really made sense so if someone can explain that hmu. Yahiko? Konoha. Kabuto? Konoha. Sasuke and Naruto? Do I even need to say it? DON’T GET ME STARTED ON DANZO AND ROOT!

The Uchiha. Neither side did the right things to settle the tension, lbr. All out genocide, guys? Really? Sending a thirteen year old with PTSD thanks to his father to do all your dirty work instead handling things like the mature adults you’re supposed to be? If Itachi is adult enough to be a double agent and dish out genocide on orders of elderly people, actual adults are adult enough to have discussions and peaceful protests to make light of the discrimination with those same elderly people. Peaceful protest would have been more plausible to do than a coup, because less room for vilification later on.

How did NO ONE question the murder of an entire noble clan in one night, with a seven year old survivor, and the reason Itachi gives is basically ‘lol just felt like it’? I don’t care if people didn’t like them, it’s too convenient, especially considering no other children were spared along with Sasuke, also a child. As a child myself, I knew something was wrong, based on logic alone and when the plot reveal came, I was not surprised that my suspicions were true. Kakashi is one of the few living who knew Itachi to some extent before the massacre, and considering that he knew his status in ANBU, this genius should have had some concerns. I headcanon that the thought police slowly started becoming a thing to keep things quiet, and enough people had been hurt and silenced by Root that to even think of questioning it in the privacy of your own home was a near death wish.

Which brings me to my next point- Kakashi Hatake.

For someone who has been severely wronged by Konoha, you’d think he’d be more aware of what Sasuke was going through after being told the truth. Kakashi was orphaned by everyone acting like being a decent teammate was a terrible thing. Hiruzen talks about the village being like a family, but since when is it wrong to watch out for said family, or actually treat everyone like family? Sakura to this day, has no idea why Sasuke did what he did so long ago and neither Kakashi nor Naruto felt bothered enough to tell her, their teammate. I’m more disappointed in Naruto for this since they both wanted Sasuke back. Naruto can point out a false love confession, but your crush’s crush’s reason for being public enemy number one isn’t worth mentioning? Yeah ok.

Kakashi constantly undermined Sasuke’s feelings and would changing the shinobi system really be a bad thing if someone who was like minded in believing it needed change actually got in contact with Sasuke to discuss more plausible ways to do so and make Konoha’s elders own up to all their injustices up until that point? And apparently he made Yamato watch Orochimaru? Dude what the ever loving fuck? WHY 👏 WOULD 👏 YOU 👏 DO 👏 THAT? That’s like working for the people who killed your family- wait.

Orochimaru. Fucking Orochimaru. Enough said.

The Kurama incident. Again, nobody putting two and two together and saying, “isn’t it coincidental that our new jinchuuriki is a blonde orphan, our now dead Hokage was a blonde and looks kinda like him, and was so conveniently born on the same day the Hokage died? Hey, wasn’t his wife pregnant and expecting really soon, too? What’s up with that???” Just… gah.

Honestly, at this point, I think it’s fair to say that anything hugely harmful like the above mentioned kept secret isn’t because nobody is alive to question it. No one is smart enough to. *mic drop*

[this-is--amaterasu]

O—->>Naruto Tag Game <<—-

I was tagged by @maj-cutiepatootie, thank you!! you weren't joking about this taking an hour though

F A V O R I T E

Female Character: Sakura, pre disaster ending. Before she was degraded into a Sasuke fangirl once again she was everything. She was strong yet compassionate. I love her. Male Character: Sasuke Uchiha. He deserves everything, he is so misunderstood. He was shown his family being killed thousands of times and people can't understand why he would want revenge. Then the village literally allowed the destruction of his clan? but dat kl.  Sensei: Gai, he showed that his students didn't need to come from a prestigious clan to achieve greatness. Hokage: Tsunade. Queen. Helped keep the whole of the Konohagakure alive. Kept the Kage alive. First female Hokage.  Kage: Gaara. Didn’t let his past affect his future. Village: Kirigakure. Just yeah, scary swordsmen and all that Akatsuki Member: Itachi (low key love him) or Pein Jutsu: Kirin. Lightning + Sasuke = yes Episode/Chapter: Episode 476 & 477. Final battle. heck yh Fight Scene: Minato vs Obito aka Masked Man. Like Minato is so cool. Or Naruto and Sasuke’s final battle, the feels during that whole thing makes me cry. Fanfiction: It Started Over Coffee- Rasengan22  Story Arc: Turtle Island? Where Naruto learns to control Kurama and meets Kushina. I sobbed like a baby during that whole thing Filler: The Worst Three-Legged Race/ A Special Mission (kakashi’s face saved me)

What is your…

OTP (explain why): SasuNaruSasu they in love. and have development. i ship that. NoTP (without being a dick, explain why): Naruhina, no development other than her trying to fight Pein knowing she would die. and her loving Naruto’s warm hand after her cousin died loooooool SasuSaku, though they were in team 7 together they virtually know nothing about each other. This whole ‘annoying’ being a term of endearment is so stupid. He called her annoying because Sakura literally was bitching about Naruto having nobody and being alone. Sasuke’s whole family was in a massacre, he wasn't saying it to be flirty.

Crackship/s: I don't have one? I don't think BroTP: nah OT3: nada Crossover ship: nooope

M I S C E L L A N E O U S

Do you have any headcanons?: sure do.  Are you happy with the ending? Would you have done things differently?: How do you feel about the Next Generation?: Happy with the ending: absolutely not. If you’re going to put characters together make them have development, they should not need to movie with fake moments to make them make sense. It should have been clear from the outset. As for the next generation, I have mixed feelings, I really like Boruto the Movie but I feel everything from this point out is going to ruin what Naruto is. So i’ll be staying away from it. Say something about your favorite character. Good and bad: He was willing to let everyone hate him so he could try and save the world from what happened to him, so I think he is brave. Bad: stop trying to kill Naruto bebe xoxo What would a child between your OTP look like? How would they behave as parents?:  Naruto’s whiskers, Sasuke hair colour and eye shape. Probably a total goof like Naruto but super serious when Papa Nar goes too far. Sinnamon roll. Say something genuinely nice about your NoTP: SasuSaku: I love both parts of your ships as individuals :) NaruHina: It’s impossible, sorry. Say something negative about your OTP: Sasuke stabbed Naruto a lot, and thought killing him was somewhat acceptable which of course it isn't. Is there any way you could be convinced to ship your NoTP? What would make you change your mind about the pairing?: If Hinata had left that tree for one second and spoke to Naruto. That would have been cool. What makes you mad about the series?: that bullshit ending If you could see anything happen in the series, what would it be?: Sasuke and Naruto being free (dead)  What would you say to Kishimoto if given the chance?: have u heard of development? In your opinion…

Most attractive male?: Sasuke and Kakashi Most attractive female?: Sakura and Ino  Most overestimated?: eh idk Not appreciated enough?: RIN NOHARA. SHE LET HERSELF BE KILLED SO SHE WOULDNT HURT ANYONE WITH THE THREE TAILS. What is the greatest thing about Naruto?: SNS The worst?: they didn't get married or die The saddest moment?: Naruto literally not having anyone and not knowing why. Sasuke literally having no one and knowing why. Only they know each others pain. The most defining?: Sasuke Smiling. Fucked me up man. Rant about anything… WHY NEJI DIE. FUCK U KISHI>

I tag: @cherry-blossom-queenn @saucegayuchihayyyy i don't expect you to do it hahah unless you wanna type for an hour?