#tsuchi in motion

[tsuchinokoroyale]

OKAY last upload from the wedding I swear but someone sent the bride a video of the newlywed couple dancing so sweetly during the couples dance portion of the night, but also managed to capture me and the two besties doing our throuples dance routine in the background ☠️☠️☠️

[wing-ed-thing]

Retail Therapy (Kakuzu x Reader)

Synopsis: Deidara has a new partner for a combined effort with the Zombie Combo. However, something about you has Kakuzu heated.

Word Count: 2,123

Tags/Warnings: Violence, Threat of Violence, Probably Language, Gender Neutral Reader

Notes: Kakuzu content is probably some of the best stuff I’ve ever written. Right now I’m watching a video on fried milk. Ever hear of such a thing? Fascinating.

Kakuzu didn’t like being paired up with Hidan, let alone joint missions where he’d have to deal with even more people. Not to say that Kakuzu hated people, because he did, but he never thought that he’d hate anyone more than he absolutely hated you. He hadn’t even met you yet, but he knew at his very core that you would quickly become the bane of his entire existence.

“Shopping?” Kakuzu asked slowly, the word forming on his lips as if he had an aversion to even speaking it. Deidara leaned back on the large bounder that he settled on and stretched his arms up above his head. The blond nodded with a short groan before his hands came to rest behind his head.

“Yep,” he answered, “And for hours too, so I’d get comfortable.” Hidan plopped down on a patch of dirt below, his back and scythe against the side of the rock. Kakuzu glared down at his partner causing Hidan to shrug. To Hidan, if Deidara thought that the three of them would be waiting a while, he would take his word and make himself comfortable. Kakuzu’s attention turned back to Deidara.

“Hours? What possibly could someone be purchasing that takes them hours?” Hidan gazed up from his spot, head tilted back against the surface behind him.

“And we only came like five minutes late too. Who takes off like that?” Kakuzu almost nodded in agreement, but knowing his partner, Hidan would take any excuse to complain. Deidara shrugged, basking in the warmth of the sun and stayed lounging even as a rustling came from the woods. Hidan’s hand immediately reached up to grip the handle of his weapon and Kakuzu took a defensive stance. Deidara’s eyes remained closed.

“Oh hello, boys! I didn’t know you were here!” You sauntered out of the trees, bags hanging from both arms. They were pushed tightly in a line, every other patch of your skin strained by the handles of a different shopping bag. Even in your altered Akatsuki cloak, Kakuzu took a look at you and immediately decided that you were decorated far too ornately and that he’d like to kill you when he had the chance. You were objectively beautiful, but if Kakuzu had his way, Deidara would have to be assigned another partner soon. “You haven’t been waiting for too long, have you?”

“You shouldn’t have left us waiting at all,” Kakuzu glowered, although not any more than usual. Either you didn’t hear him or you ignored him as you walked up to your partner. You plucked a package from one of your more reachable bags.

“I got you something, Dei-dei!” You threw it up to Deidara weakly but he managed to catch it. He opened the small, folded, paper bag. Deidara glanced down at you with a nod of his head and a fold of his lips. He took the neat band in his hand while you looked at him expectantly. “Aren’t they nice? Hair ties. Silk from a small village in the Land of Water.” Deidara held them up to the sun.

“That’s some great quality you found. Thanks.” Your partner glanced down at you again. “Must’ve been one hell of a fight assuming that you got a good price for it.” Kakuzu looked on at your exchange, increasingly beginning to lose his temper.

“Believe me, I did. And I found a ton of other great finds too. I gotta show you—”

“Enough,” Kakuzu growled and you finally turned your attention his way. Hidan had since passed out against the boulder that Deidara sat on. “You’re wasting all our time. The sooner we start, the sooner we can part ways.” You gave Kakuzu a once over with your nose wrinkled in disgust.

“Well someone’s grumpy,” you mused. You rolled your eyes and pointed your nose upward. Huffing, you threw your shopping bags into the air and as they fell, you swiftly unfurled a scroll. Your new items disappeared one by one. You rolled the paper back up, scowling as you slipped the scroll into one of many slots that you wore strapped to your clothing. The pockets ran down the small of you back and you latched the bundle of paper in place with a flip of your nimble fingers. Kakuzu frowned back, tentatively wondering if all the scrolls you carried contained the same amount of shopping bags. You approached him with crossed arms. “Okay then, tough guy. Let’s get started.”

You sat down and summoned a map of the next village. It laid out in front of you and placed your hands on your knees in challenge. Kakuzu sat down on the other side of the map, eyes boring into you. You didn’t budge. And as you began to speak, it was hard to focus, at least for Deidara. Though he supposed he’s seen you this fired up before.

“It would be easier if we lure the jinchūriki outside of the village,” you said, gesturing to the small, unnamed village on the map. It wasn’t large, but just big enough to serve as a maze for your prize. At least you knew the woods better and a jinchūriki was bound to stand out among the trees.

“I can get up some traps,” Deidara added and you nodded.

“Back them into a corner and cage them into a small space—” You nodded again— “We can use some explosives around the area… maybe here?” You pointed to a section of the map outside of the village. You looked up at Deidara. “You’d be our last line of defense when the jinchūriki tries to run.” Deidara smirked and puffed out his chest.

“Leave it to me!”

“We’ll need someone to drive the jinchūriki out of the village,” Kakuzu cut in, not particularly liking how you dominated the strategizing. “I’ll go with Hidan.” While Kakuzu thought that he would stop at nothing to get away from the Jashinist, this had to be a regrettable first. Hidan napped a few feet away.

You raised an eyebrow and scoffed, “You and Hidan? Psh… might as well have Deidara set off fireworks in the sky that spell out ‘single, hot jinchūriki in your a—”

“I can do that!” Deidara cut in before immediately backing down at Kakuzu’s pointed glare, not that he’d show it. You locked eyes with Kakuzu, taking his fiery stare off of your partner.

“I’ll go. You’re too conspicuous and, really, have you seen Hidan? You two would be spotted a mile away.” Kakuzu almost snarled.

“And you wouldn’t?” You let out a short, bitter laugh. Your left arm supported your weight as your knees touched together on the right side of your body. Kakuzu scowled at your blatant lounging. Everything about you challenged him and he hated you for it. Your lids narrowed in a smug smile.

“I’m not the one—” who’s fuckin’ jacked — “ with big-ass black stitches across my whole body.”

“And four faces on his back…” Hidan called out, still half asleep. You turned back to Kakuzu.

“And four faces on his back,” you repeated, much to Kakuzu’s vexation. The sass in your blinks was lost on the older shinobi. He stood, causing you to stand too. Deidara took a hint and retreated. Kakuzu crossed his arms over his chest and he planted his feet on the ground about the same width apart as his broad shoulders. He pointed two fingers at you harshly.

“And you’re—” Gorgeous. — “a brat. I should just kill you right here.” You stood your ground, daring to slap Kakuzu’s hand out of your face.

“As much as I’d like to see you try, tough guy, I’d actually like to do some quality work and get the hell away from you as quickly as I can.” Kakuzu huffed, gritting his teeth underneath his mask.

“Nice to hear that we’re on the same page.”

And with neither of your partners wanting to deal with either of you pissed off, you and Kakuzu were paired together.

***

Deciding that your cloaks were too noticeable, you sealed yours away. Kakuzu kept his draped across his arm, distrust of you evident. You walked down the road together under the late afternoon, waiting for nightfall. You hoped that striking at night would give you not only the surprise advantage, but also minimize the number of clueless civilians that would no doubt wander in your way. But as soon as your eyes fell onto the market, Kakuzu quickly began to wonder if his stubbornness landed him with an even larger headache. But his usual, standoffish demeanor remained the same. Kakuzu’s eyes drifted to their corners as he scowled down at you.

“No.” That was all he said, as if you would actually listen to him and not immediately march in the direction of the market. He reluctantly followed, every reach to hold you back by your robes falling just a bit short each time. By the time you were stopped, too many people surrounded the two of you for him to pull you away without drawing attention. Normally, attention from others wasn’t anything that Kakuzu would be concerned with, but your two teams had their orders and Kakuzu would be damned if he had to spend anymore time with you.

You stood in front of a booth with your hand on your chin. Kakuzu stood next to you, following your gaze to a simple, but sturdy-looking sword. You gingerly picked it up, carefully studying it’s craftsmanship. The man behind the booth leaned over his table, motioning to the piece of merchandise in your hands.

“Ah, you have a good eye, mercenary.” You glanced up at him.

“Land of Earth? Lots of excellent craftsmanship comes from there, I’m not surprised.” You ran your thumb across the dull of the blade. “Antique too, but still hardy.” The merchant nodded pointing to a few spots across the weapon.

“Could get you out of a bind too. Reliable smithing comes from Tsuchi no Kuni.” Kakuzu looked on at the show in front of him. In stark contrast to earlier, you seemed poised and he found you knowledgeable. You appeared calm and competent enough to handle yourself and for a second, Kakuzu became lost in your analysis.

You stepped back, turning the sword around in your hand to feel out the balance. The blade whipped around your body with ease. The seller softly applauded your embellished practice. Kakuzu almost rolled his eyes, but took some comfort in the fact that you were looking to purchase something of quality and not just anything at the very least. You looked down at the weapon with a nod or two before asking the dreaded question.

“So what’s your price?” The merchant didn’t hesitate.

“A hundred thousand ryō.” Kakuzu almost left right there, but a dominant part of him wanted to know what you were going to do. His hands grasped his biceps, his cloak still hanging from his forearm. Kakuzu watched you closely. You shook your head.

“You’re going to give it to me for twenty-five thousand.” The merchant gaped at the outrageous price you named. He sputtered a few times.

“That price is far too low for this quality. You must be joking if you think I’d sell this fine piece of equipment for practically nothing.”

You did name a ridiculous price. Not even Kakuzu could see getting what you wanted for that price without a fair bit of violence and intimidation. But you ripped into that merchant. You ripped into this poor seller like nothing Kakuzu had ever seen before. He didn’t even know if he could call it bartering, but whatever it was, it was likely one of the most skillful things that Kakuzu had ever seen.

He folded his lips under his mask. You didn’t yell. Kakuzu didn’t even find your appearance intimidating in the slightest, yet every point and number the merchant brought up, you countered. And by the end of the intense conversation, if Kakuzu didn’t know any better and had less of a spine, he’d likely be handing the sword over too. The man had long since started sweating, tugging at his collar. If Kakuzu didn’t see it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it as you handed over exactly twenty-five thousand ryō. He almost overlooked the complete waste of money as he still stood stunned, though not outwardly showing any such emotion.

You nestled the sword by your hip and the seller let out a breath of relief by the time you walked away. Kakuzu followed wordlessly next to you as you strutted off in triumph.

Perhaps he misjudged you. He stared, not noticing as he did so.

Yes, you were going to save the organization a fortune.

Notes: “oH mY gOd KaKuzU sAiD hE wAs GoNna KiLl rEader! wHy wOuLd yOu wRiTe sOmEtHiNg sO tOxIc???”... They’re criminal terrorists, Susan.

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed and otherwise supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

[limitlessgojo]

Blood Bound: Red Strings of Fate (Ch 3)

Warnings: Action, Coarse Language, Fighting, Descriptions of Blood

Previous Chapter: The Rebirth

Next Chapter: Cherry Blossom Storm

Tags: Soulmates AU, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Fem!Reader

Taglist: @lessie-oxj, @rizzo-nero, @whoreuc

Notes: If you want to be tagged for every update, please mention it in the comments below ty.

Chapter 3: What's Your Ideal Type?

Todo senpai looked you over and was seemingly checking you out thoroughly. ‘Are all the seniors like this here?!’ You wondered.

You tried to hide behind Noritoshi senpai who put a hand over you protectively. His sleeve was wide enough to block out your entire body from view. At this, Todo’s eyebrow raised. Oh? Noritoshi's interested in a cute girl?

“I’m sorry senpai, what do you mean by that question?” you asked, thinking that you just misheard him. "Exactly what I meant. Who is your type?"

"Todo" Noritoshi said in warning. There was a dark edge to his voice and his entire body tensed as he prepared to fight.

"Answer me. Or else I'll beat you." He smirked and ripped off his jacket.

You stared agape and clung onto Noritoshi's spread arm sleeves. "Eh? EHHH?! I don't want anyone to get hurt. But I don't want to say something so personal to a stranger."

"Todo Aoi. 16 years old. I like tall girls with big cute butts. My favorite idol is Takada-chan. Call me Todo Senpai. Pleasure to meet you. Now we are friends." He grinned maniacally.

You shook your head in a daze. This man is insane. "I guess I can tell you… but only when the both of us are alone."

Noritoshi looked at you affronted and slightly offended. Why would you leave him out of it?! "Ah as much as possible I don't like telling people such things, because I'm a bit of a private person. But since Todou senpai also shared his type of girl, I feel like I can share my ideal man." You reasoned, seeing how Noritoshi senpai felt left out.

"Fine with me. Let's go outside the building then." Todou smirked.

Alarm bells were ringing in Noritoshi's head. Last year, back when he first met Todo, he got beat into a pulp for not answering said question.

He stood protectively over you, blocking you from Todo's view and said, "No. You'll just end up hurting her."

"Tch, don't get in my way Kamo. You're always such a huge pain in the ass. You never even answered my question and it's been a year. I'm pretty sure you have a boring ideal type." Todo huffed out.

"I'll beat you up then." Todo grinned as Noritoshi made no moves to leave your side.

Todo rushed forward, ready to hit Noritoshi, while Noritoshi held onto a blood bag to defend himself. But you moved the fastest. You quickly stood in front of Noritoshi, moving past him silently, and held out a single hand.

Todo froze. Literally. He couldn't move his hands, arms, legs. He can't activate his cursed technique like this, and you knew it. The use of hand movement is a very significant part of Jujutsu Techniques.

Your technique gave you an edge above the rest, making you very effective at combat against other Jujutsu sorcerers. Which is why an esper as capable as you only appears once in every 200 years in your family.

Noritoshi stood impressed. Your cursed energy output was very steady. "Todo senpai. I'm so sorry and pardon me for immobilising you, but let's take this outside and leave Noritoshi senpai out of it."

With a snap of your fingers, you released him from your technique and he staggered to the ground. His muscles felt all tight and painful.

You turned to Noritoshi. "Noritoshi senpai, it's okay. I'm quite capable at defense. He won't be able to reach me." You confidently stated with a smile. "Are you okay?" You checked on him.

He gave a slight scoff, "I should be the one asking you that! This man here is dangerous…. And he also happens to be a classmate of mine." Noritoshi sighed out.

Todo grunted. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here. Cmon lets go outside and just answer my question already."

"After you Todo senpai." You motioned, then followed him outside. As soon as you were a certain distance from Noritoshi, you activated a cubical barrier which blocked off sound.

Todo looked impressed. "You're a first year?! At this level? Color me amazed little girl."

You were unamused. "I'm not a little girl. I'm currently 15 years old and my ideal type is a guy who is at least a head taller than me. Black hair. Cute sleepy eyes. Nice big hands. Someone who may come off as cool or detached to others but is warm with me. The gap Moe is the most important part." By the end of it you were rambling.

Todo looked at you with a knowing glint. "Big hands? That's all?" You flushed thinking about abs and pecs. "Ahh uhmm, the other things aren't really ….. appropriate for me to say??"

"Don't hold back. I won't tell anyone else and I don’t judge. I just want to size you up. You can know a person just based on their fetishes."

Fetishes?! "Uhhh… a nice set of abs… and pecs…. But he doesn't have to be too muscular, I like a fit guy who is on the slender and graceful side…."

"Do you realize that Kamo fits your ideal type?!" He howled out with laughter. "SHHHH TODO SENPAI SHUSHH". You screeched, momentarily forgetting that you had a barrier up.

"Wait … Does he have nice abs?! Oh man I'm not gonna be able to get that image out of my mind now…" You groaned.

"You have good taste. Finally, someone who has a decent fetish, Tsuchi Chan." Todo grinned down at you. He patted you on the shoulder. "Good luck with him. He's as dense as they come. I'm also still looking forward to sparring with you."

"I-im not interested in Noritoshi Senpai!" You huffed out with red cheeks. "Please don't assume things." You were in denial. And Todo senpai knew it.

"I don't think that's how it works, Tsuchi Chan." He was still laughing at you.

You harrumphed. "Also why are you so interested in sparring with me anyways?"

"You have a lot of cursed energy. Way more than anyone else here in Kyoto Jujutsu High. I sensed that and with my brilliant IQ of 135000, I am assuming you would be a powerful opponent. Which was why I felt like I wanted to battle you." Todo said truthfully.

Oh. That's nice. "Well I hope to do so also when we have training together." You clapped your hands and the barrier fell apart.

Noritoshi rushed over to you and hovered his hands over you. You turned to him with one hand up, "I'm all good. It's all good Noritoshi senpai." You smiled up at him.

He scanned your eyes before nodding and face darkening when he turned back to Todo, who was staring at him intently. "Are you done interrogating her Todo?"

"It wasn't so much interrogation as it was a good chat hey?" He smiled at you. You tilted your head in a meh kind of way and stood to hold onto Noritoshi's sleeve. "It was okay, but it's still weird to ask people about their fetishes after meeting them for the first time."

Noritoshi's heart fluttered when you took hold of the edges of his sleeve.

"So, are you going to tell us who's your type Kamo?" Todo asked.

Your heart skipped a beat as you let go of the sleeve as you took a step backwards. "Uhhh I'm not sure if I'm supposed to intrude on this convo..."

"Someone who I can trust. Someone honest and who will stay by my side for a long time." He said coolly. You drank in his words, forever etching them into your memory.

Trustworthy. Honest. Loyal.

"Boooooring. You’re a boring person Kamo." Todo yawned and stretched. "Only Tsuchi Chan is interesting so far. Everyone else has shitty taste."

Noritoshi looked over at you curiously, but you pointedly avoided his gaze. "Todo senpai it's a secret between us you promised." You pouted.

But he only waved his hand, "I'm not that much of a bad sport. A secret will stay a secret, and it's safe with me."

You nodded and sighed in relief.

"So are you both out on a date right now? I've been meaning to ask." Todo senpai smiled.

Evil. He is evil. You and Noritoshi both flushed bright red and stammered out, "No no no."

"I was showing her around the campus."

"Noritoshi senpai is kind enough to bring me around campus."

"Hmmmm… then would you mind if I join the two of you?" Todo asked.

"Yes we do mind. I'd prefer it if it was only the two of us." Noritoshi irritably spoke. He just wasn't in the mood to deal with Todo right now.

You quickly whipped your head to face him in surprise. He jolted at your movement, and his face softened when your eyes met. "Of course if you don't mind or want him to tag along he can. I just want to help you familiarise yourself with the campus.”

You stammered out something ineligible but you were saved by Todo senpai.

“I was only kidding. Takada chan has a live stream in 10 minutes and that is way more important. Enjoy your not-date around campus.” Todo called out with a wave of his hand as he turned back to the dorms.

“What on earth just happened?” you laughed out loud as you and Noritoshi made your way to the classrooms. He shook his head. “I don’t even want to think about it anymore.”

Feel free to ask me anything if you have any questions about the fic and the characters. I will answer as long as it won't be a major spoiler^^/ 💜Mon

Blood Bound: Table of Contents

[purple-possibilities]

Like Father, Like Son

Rating: Teen

Warnings: mentions of death, mentions of prostitution, like slightly dark? Gritty maybe is a better descriptor, Naruto world taken seriously.

Length: 1888 words

Pairing: MinaKushi, Minato’s Canonical Dad x Minato’s Canonical Mom

Genre: romance, drama, slight angst (we know how these two ended up), crack taken seriously

Summary: the story of Minato’s parents, and how that influenced Minato’s decisions, and his courtship of Kushina. Inspired by this post about Minato being extra.

Like many children in ninja villages—and truly, just children in general, since the Warring States Era and the formation of the Ninja Villages—Namikaze Minato is an orphan. His father was a self-taught ninja from a small village on the boarder of Kaze no Kuni, while his mother was a kunoichi from Tsuchi.

Though Minato's parents had died when he was young, he was old enough to remember them. He was old enough to understand why his parents were forced to hide away from their home countries, old enough to know when and why he had to hide and lie.

He was old enough to understand why tousan had to escape in the night while he and kaachan had to flee in the cover of tousan's sacrifice distraction.

He was old enough to understand why he and kaachan had to lie about their ninja training when they immigrated into Konoha with forged papers so realistic that not even Konoha's infamous T&I, or their renowned Yamanaka clan could tell the difference.

He was old enough to understand why kaachan was forced to work in the way she did, why strange people would spend an hour or two, or sometimes even the whole night behind the door to his mother's room, why she made him leave when some specific visitors stopped by, why he eventually came home to find her laying in bed, blooms of red and shocks of shiny white against her cold, still skin.

He was old enough to remember it all—to want to change it all, one day—but his mind would always take him back to one specific memory.

His most precious memory of all.

The love in his parents' eyes.

Minato could recite the story word for word, with how much his kaachan told it—how much more she would cling to the words after tousan was gone.

Kaachan was from Iwagakure, having sworn her life to the Tsuchikage and the Tsuchi no Kuni daimyou as a kunoichi of the Rock. Touchan truly had no allegiance—his skills had come from a talent with chakra and a necessity for self-defense.

So when touchan had seen a group of Suna-nin abducting a woman, he did what any good man would do.

He saved her.

Touchan had followed after the Suna-nin in secret, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Touchan was not sure he could defeat the two Suna-nin on his own, but he knew that with the help of the right environment and a few tricks, he could come out victorious.

With his wind chakra aiding him in both speed and his strikes, touchan caught the first nin completely off guard. As the second nin—the one holding kaachan—noticed his partner listing to the right—before the dead body could hit the ground—touchan had just as swiftly eliminated the other, catching kaachan in his arms.

Unwilling to linger at the scene, touchan carried kaachan away, until it was safe for them to stop. When touchan untied kaachan's binds, she couldn't help herself.

Kaachan pulled touchan into a kiss.

It was in that moment that kaachan fell in love with touchan. Both were alone in this cruel ninja world. The shinobi nations were in the midst of the second Great Ninja War. People were dying left and right, hundreds every day.

Who would miss one kunoichi? Who would recognise one self-taught man from the edges of Kaze no Kuni?

Who would give up on the chance of happiness, love, and family, when the world had taken so much from them?

He remembers asking his parents how they knew they were in love after just one meeting.

His mother always answered, “A selfless act of kindness in a cruel world is a rare thing to be treasured. When you find that, especially when you're alone and hopeless, it's easier to leave behind the entirety of your harsh, unfriendly life for even just a single moment with such a person."

When Minato asked his touchan, his father always answered, "There is not much kindness in this world, not much any single person alone can do to fix that. We work hard, we may try to help others, but that's not going to get any one man very far. Kaachan has a fire in her, a toughness, a resilliance which cannot be crushed. She is fierce in her mind, body, and soul. As a man forced to grow and survive on his own, I know just how valuable, and how rare those traits are. I had desperately craved for companionship, for a family, and your mother has the strength and resilliance to ensure our story will be longer than most."

At the time, Minato didn't truly understand what either of his parents meant. But as an orphan, as a boy all alone, who had witnessed the worst of the world and wanted to make it better, who had his world stripped from him in a place that should have been safe, with the weight of his parents sacrifices on his mind and the desperate urge for a family once more...

Minato fell in love.

All he knew about love was what he'd seen from his parents. With no advice, no one to turn to, Minato did the only thing he could:

He emulated the fond, much told memory of how his parents fell in love with the percotions, strong-willed, resilliant Uzumaki Kushina.

And like a blessing from beyond, like a gift from his absent parents, Uzumaki Kushina—who had only ever glared and grumbled at Minato before then—had fallen in love with him.

It hadn't been hard to use the shadow-clone jutsu and then henge them into Kumo-nin. It wasn't hard to find Kushina all alone, after tricking the ANBU who followed her with a genjutsu laid out by Uchiha Fugaku's sharingan.

It wasn't hard for Minato to gently disable (but not disperse!) his own clones, to catch Kushina in his arms, to take her to "safety" (as if she were in any danger at all).

It wasn't hard to attract her heart and capture it—not with his boyish good looks, his patience, and most damning of all—

Kushina's lonliness and desire for connection.

With her home village destroyed and Mito-sama recently deceased, there wasn't a better time for him to put his ploy in motion. Maybe to a civilian that might seem callous, but to a ninja, that was just smart planning.

What did it matter if he was using her grief and loneliness to his advantage? His company would heal that for her anyways.

(Besides, it was his grief and lonliness which drove him to do it).

Minato would grow up to be a lot of things: a hero and a curse, a soldier and a leader, a husband and—just briefly—a father.

Minato would not go on to share the story of how he got Kushina to love him with his son. Minato would instead go on to emulate his father, sacrificing himself in the hopes of giving his child a shot at a better life.

But that was for later. In this moment, in the shoddy comfort of the bachelor apartment allotted to orphaned ninja-in-training, Minato put the pieces of his plan together.

Minato was old enough to retain memories of his life before Konoha, before his parents were taken from him, but only one memory stood out.

And so he remembered.

And so he took the past and made it his present with dreams of the future on his mind.

Fun Facts!

I imagine Minato's mom to be blonde like he, Naruto, and Deidara are, while his dad has red hair similar to Kushina and Gaara. His mother's hair was smooth and straight while his father's was spikes like Minato and Naruto.

The ninja who killed Minato's father were sent after his mother for desertion. Another Iwa-nin had caught sight of her and reported back to the Tsuchikage. The nin were sent to kill Minato's parents but were instructed to bring Minato back alive in case he was useful. I kind of puts Minato's massacre of those thousand Iwa-nin during the Third War into a new light...

Fugaku only agreed to help Minato because when he initially refused, Minato accused Fugaku of not being able to do it. Fugaku, like a certain other Uchiha we know, was desperate to prove himself. Minato didn't tell Fugaku about his plan, he just dared Fugaku to trick the ANBU.

Minato had to practice with his clones for weeks to be able to fight them without them "popping." He ended up having to use a seal on them to make them more resilliant. It was his first time working with fuinjutsu, and what sparked his love for it. Kushina's interest only heightened his own.

Yes, Minato's dad only went along with kaachan's feelings because he was lonely and she was strong. Relationships have been built on less. He was a very pragmatic man. He did genuinely fall in love with her though.

When Minato and his mom immigrated to Konoha, she had to pretend to be a civilian with no ninja training to avoid suspicion, and be offered asylum as a Hi no Kuni refugee. As a foreigner (even one posing as a Fire Country citizen) and with the growing number of refugees, it was hard for her to find a job, so she became a prostitute. She was killed by a nin who was triggered and experienced a panic attack/flashback. He fled the scene after, and ended up letting himself get killed during his next mission. The case of her murder remains unsolved—not that the police did much investigating. There were more pressing issues to deal with at the time.

The harsh life Minato lived—as a fugitive and then a refugee and orphan—is what led him to want to be Hokage. He wanted to save people from the pain he and his parents suffered.

Kushina's spirit (and declaration to be Hokage) is what attracted Minato to her. His father's words of finding someone strong and stubborn enough to survive in this cruel ninja world is what made him decide she was the one for him.

Kushina is dumb. So dumb. Didn't catch on even once. Fell for the plot hook, line, and sinker. Even when, years later, Minato shared the story of how his parents met with her, Kushina did not piece his plan together.

Due to Minato using "Kumo"-nin to carry out the abduction, he made their already poor reputation in Konoha worse. This was further exasterbated when real Kumo-nin actually tried to kidnap Hinata.

Minato sacrafied himself that night when Kurama was unleashed on the village, because all he could think of in that moment was the way his father sacrificed himself to save Minato and his mom. It clouded his judgement from more logical options, like, I don't know, not casting a suicide jutsu to trap half a tailed beast in his minutes old son and his soon to be dead body.

Kushina was delirious from pain meds, having an tailed beast extracted from her, and her own hotheadedness. It was a bad mix.

In the end, Naruto learnt that rescuing a girl is the way to her heart, following the Namikaze family tradition of courtship.

AN: So, uh... This got darker than I thought. The post that inspired this was so cute too. I wrote this a few weeks ago on a night I was too busy for this bs and yet it would not let me rest until it was released. I wrote this after being challenged prompted by @books-n-guns, as crack is my apparent specialty (we been knew, I know. After the LeeKaguya fic I think I solidified my place in this fandom). I hope you enjoyed it!

[tropical-gothic]

@pyra-kantha || Early present? Not sure how much I would be able to finish so I’m sending this one out now

There were seven kinds of tea in front of him—- one for each day of the week and each made in villages far far away from Kaze no Kuni. If he sold this tea, he could feed a family or two small ones for a month (maybe more). Perhaps, he could add it to their dwindling budget to permanently changing the pipes into a sturdier material. All it would cost him is a spoiled child’s temper tantrum.

“It’s not too late to have Seiko kidnapped and a ransom demanded,” Charis was putting away the seven year old’s clothes. She wouldn’t be able to wear any of those dresses— not in Suna where the winds are harsh and the sand even harsher. Dresses made of the finest silk and gold threads woven into a belt. Rasa could feel it.

“I was not thinking that.”

“You looked like you wanted to sell her precious teas. I would leave the green one with her— it’s her preferred one. She barely touches the others.”

“Those tea only grow in a single mountain in Tsuchi no Kuni and is protected by armed guards. Even just 10 grams of that would cost a fortune— and she has about 100grams along with 6 other expensive teas in her bag. One bag. Gods know—”

A laugh cut through his anger. “Rasa, I’m sure nothing would please you more than to audit everything this girl is bringing into Suna.” Charis strode to the other side of the office to retrieve two glasses and a bottle of bourbon. “All that would do is confirm that the Daimyo doesn’t give a shit about this village. He’d buy a dress for her that cost twice Suna’s budget without blinking an eye.”

But what good would knowing the little details do? The Daimyo’s lavish lifestyle was no secret. Charis poured Rasa a glass—something he only does when he’s sure something is deeply bothering Rasa. (It’s almost tradition: from genin days when they snuck the alcohol and drank too much too fast, to chuunin days when they wondered if they’ve really gotten this far. To a shot or two just to get through the war, wondering which of your friends’ blood stained your jacket, your hands, your cheek. To weddings when the thought of normalcy and a life outside the war was more frightening than the battle field itself.)

Staying quiet would be as useless as denying that Suna was hidden in the sand.

“The Daimyo makes decisions for the whole country.” Rasa picked up the glass of bourbon, swirling the liquid around as if it had all the answers. “Alliances. The budget. Privileges we get as a main hidden village in Kaze no Kuni. Laws that govern the whole damn country, even if he’s never set foot in half its places.”

“Which is why it would be our administrations’ priority to…” Charis swirled the bourbon exactly the way Rasa did. Leaned on the chair in a posture that mirrored the Kazekage’s. Plus, he put on a comically exaggerated frown— one he insisted was Rasa’s /resting bitch face/. Whatever that meant. “ ‘convince’ the Daimyo that he ought to stop outsourcing jobs to other villagers. Charis, this is your assignment— it’s an A-ranked diplomatic mission. Whether you need to sweeten the pot or put a knife against his throat is up to you. And collateral.” He motioned to the general direction of the North wing where Seiko and Yashamaru were having a tea ceremony with her court of porcelain dolls. “We need collateral.”

This time Rasa was the one who laughed. He dipped his fingers into the bourbon and flicked some of it to Charis’ direction. Charis returned with a mock gasp, “Who are you? The Rasa I know wouldn’t waste a drop of water that could have gone to a Suna-citizen in need.”

“Shut it. I do *not* sound like that.”

“We can argue about how you sound like all night. But you were about to tell me why the plan we set up weeks ago suddenly doesn’t sound good—“

“It isn’t this plans’ efficacy in changing the Daimyo’s pattern of assigning jobs. It’s the after.”

“You said it yourself: if the shinobi get more jobs; they have more buying power; they buy from civilians who are also now making money; the traders come back; the village stays afloat long enough to—”

“But what if it doesn’t?” Rasa shook his head and put his drink down. He hasn’t taken a sip yet. Instead, he ran several different scenarios in his head. What if he shinobi keep their money instead of spending them? What if the traders don’t come back? They still have the issue of not having enough budget as a government to allocate for projects that aren’t bandage solutions. Like leaking pipes. He has to replace those pipes without touching security or healthcare. “It’s almost half a decade into this administration and we’re still putting out fires.”

Charis emptied his cup. “Isn’t that what being a Kazekage is all about?” He furrowed his eyebrows, as if wondering where all the bourbon in his cup went, before pouring himself another glass. “Hah! Strongest in Suna.”

Rasa opened his mouth to refute that but Charis stopped him. “I am not sitting here, at 6pm in the evening, to listen to another one hour lecture on the politics of being a Kazekage. For the last time, Rasa, we know they didn’t pick you for your good looks but for your blood.”

The Kazekage rolled his eyes. “They didn’t have much of a choice. Mayumi and Reizei are dead. Ryozen is,” he sighed, heavy as lead, “presumed dead. By all accounts. No one has seen him since after the wedding.”

Charis leaned over the desk and tried to rummage through a couple of papers. “What, no cousins? Seriously, I’ve never seen your family tree but don’t you guys have like some creepy wall with all your names etched on it? Accomplishments and shit— that’s why you’re so obsessed with Temari figuring out how to unlock the crib a few years ago. Poor Karura but good for Temari.”

“Wait—“

Rasa stood up and walked to a nearby shelf. The book he pulled out was large and old. Dust flew at the turn of every page. No, they didn’t put the whole family tree in some wall— but they had it written down. His cousins occupied a few seats in the council. Conventionally, there was one or two for every founding family. More recently, only the Honored Siblings were the council members who have lived before the village and who were part of the original founding families.

Majority of the council came from his family. Uncles he was barely introduced to on family gatherings. He had cousins who were around the Sandaime Kazekage’s age. Cousins who had been at the ranks of generals in the war.

There was a sinking feeling in his gut. He had been the only one from the direct line of the last Kazekage. But Rasa had also been the youngest and most inexperienced in the batch.

“We, commoners,” Charis started, “aren’t quite privy to how a Kazekage gets chosen. Only that they should be from a single bloodline. But I’m guessing—“

“The Council makes the list.” Rasa closed the book and put it back on the shelf. “The Daimyo picks the Kazekage… and the council.”

Rasa’s stomach churned at the thought. How had he missed it? He had missed it like he missed how little military power the Daimyo held. Missed that he was the leader of a military village with a black ops under his command. People depending on him to keep the village afloat. Missed it because he believed in a system— a rotting facade of a system.

They never thought he could do it. They were prepared for Suna to sink into the ground and keep the spoils for themselves— them and their expensive teas and lavish dinners while citizens of this village starve. They made a fool of him and he proved them right.

Up to this point.

Charis handed Rasa his cup, still untouched. He said nothing and Rasa kept the silence for all of three minutes.

“Assassinating the Daimyo is a crime.” He meant it as a joke— something to replace the /need/ to break something. (But that would be wasteful and what kind of Kazekage would he be if he treated something useful as disposable?)

Charis shrugged. “It’s only a crime according to the law. If they can’t prove it’s you—-“ then he started snapping his fingers, trying to catch a memory. He had it; he had it very distinctly in his… “Your brother mentioned moving chips around to neuter the position of Daimyo. Except he got distracted by Murasaki and—-“

“Murasaki?”

“The Daimyo’s other daughter? By another wife. Long black hair. Pale skin like she’s been living in the dark—“

“I know who Murasaki is. Wasn’t she married though?”

“Rasa, your brother’s exploits are a secret to know one but you.” He keeps his gaze leveled with Rasa. “Point is, the Daimyo is probably shitting his pants thinking you’re torturing his poor child.”

“The only one being tortured here is Yashamaru. I am sure he has weathered much worse— though I cannot imagine how he stands the child.”

These days, Yashamaru alternated between being in the Kazekage’s office, the Kazekage’s mansion to take care of Gaara while Karura slept, and the hospital when he has his duty. How that man manages to still know where all the files from this administration and the previous administration are, Rasa will never understand.

“Coordinate the specifics with Yasha. If my brother tried to do this before, either he has a written record of it or Yashamaru would know about it. Or know someone in ANBU who does.”

The sun was just setting and Rasa could see Charis smile from his periphery. “I’ll make a list with Yasha then. I can also be the one executing the list.”

The list, of course, would contain names of who to pay off, who to blackmail, who to threaten, who to send to remote outposts, who will fall mysteriously ill, who to outright kill. Assassination of the Daimyo was a crime that made shinobi into missing nin.

One by one doing away with his support and anyone who might help him? 100% legal.

“What is the exact goal, Kazekage-sama? Are we creating a puppet out of him or—“

Rasa raised his glass to Charis. “To abdicate. To name a successor.”

A laugh and Charis poured himself another cup. “Have him retire by the sea with a small allowance?”

“Take back control of the country.”

Cheers. They set the plan to motion once the last drop of bourbon was consumed.

[vantablade]

❚ ⋮ ☆ 007: Of Heaven & Earth

Ametsuchi is comprised of “rain” (Ame) and “Earth” (tsuchi), and while can literally be read as “rain earth” is more commonly read as “Heaven and Earth”ー alternatively interpreted as the Universe. The name represents the Ametsuchis being the first clan to unite Earthlings with a native alien species (humanーand othersーwith the Living Sea).

TL;DR : The Ametsuchi clan are synonymous with their species (the Umushi), and are headed by Kazumi, the High King. Once, their numbers were great; but after the High King massacred most, and experimented on the survivors until only a handful remained, they are now more desolate than they had ever been. Typically, they are regarded as enigmatic, odd and inevitable. Kazumi’s violence has not harmed her public relations, and instead she is adored, due to class tension and clever manipulation. But rebellion stirs from within.

Nocturne belongs to the Ametsuchi familyーthe singular royal family of Izanami, with a unique tie to the Living Sea. Each and every single Ametsuchi (bar one) is an Umushi, and the circumstances for how this species came into existence is laid out in the referenced headcanon. There areーas of this pointーno noble families within Izanami besides the Ametsuchi family, because once upon a time they were entirely, utterly dominant. They had been widespread, with various branches that dictated their proximity to the throne, and thus their power. Some had barely been related, but were known by their clan name due to the fact that it was synonymous with their species. However, since the Massacre that took place long before Nocturne’s time, the family has never been smallerーexcept in its genesisーand this is all due to the fact her Motherーthe current High King of Izanamiーstaged a coup d’etat in alliance with another planet that rendered the majority of its people null, thrown to the mercy of the sea. A treacherous event of this level had never before occurred, and it sent a cultural shockwave throughout the country. What Ametsuchi that were not slaughtered indiscriminately bent the knee, but most of them succumbed to a fate worse than death due to Kazumi’s experimentations with Chaos Magic. 

Chaos Magic is (likely) a temporary title, and it is, at this current moment, the most actively dangerous magical force in the entire Cosmos. Kazumi is not playing with any large amount; she is incapable of using it directly, certainly not capable of intramagic, and her continued usage of it over the years has subjected her to her own mutations, albeit her growing skill in utilising it has made the alterations subtle. She is, in her mind, the Chosen of the Goliathー the Eldritch Abomination that is the reason the Milky Way has ceased to exist (to our understanding)ー who decided, on a whim, to let Kazumi have a taste of Chaos. She has used her minute amounts to experiment on her own kind, and her earliest experiments were... highly unpleasant. Chaos, in this context, is not the Chaos of our own Universe; it is not the fabric in which the world has been created out of. It is entirely and utterly alien, incomprehensible on a microcosmic level, and when exposed to creatures of the Universe it is usually the dominant force. It seeks only to reproduce what it understands, and its concept of life and existence is completely and utterly foreign to us; it is unlike anything that we know, and evades description entirely. So you can imagine the mess that Kazumi made.

Of the survivors, there are very few; currently, the (named) Ametsuchi are Kazumi, who reigns supreme; Hitomi, her eldest daughter and the Oracle; Kimiko, her rebellious heir, who currently allies herself with Nocturne; Nocturne herself; Ryuko, Kazumi’s right-hand woman; Karasu and Hato, twins who are the primary religious leaders in Izanami; and Rainotori and Suzume. There is a bastard, due to the fact Kazumi did make a literal deal with the devilー to sacrifice a child, like all fairytales, and while she assumed her daughter died, she most certainly has not. All of the current, surviving Ametsuchi have some sort of genetic mutation that adds to their existing abilities; all excepting Ryuko, who is the one of two Umushi to be incapable of aquakinesis. So while there are less, they are more powerful than those who had passed.

Kazumi has remained entirely unchallenged by the public. One might assume that due to her sheer, unparalleled violenceー against her own kind, no lessー that someone might have stood against her, but the truth is that the public adore her. Her only enemies come from within her family, because Kazumi, violent as she is, is not an idiot. Her motivations for the Massacre were purely, utterly, for power. If she had turned the world against her, she would have never gained any amount of power. Rather, she had waited for the world to turesponding torn against her targets: her mother was feared (not loved), and while highly respected, the charming Kazumi was seen as infinitely a much kinder, benefic ruler in comparisonー an underdog, especially when she rid the world of her disliked elder sisters, who were the closest to being rulers. It was not a small logical leap in the minds of the public to accept her matricide necessitating the murder of her siblings, because they would have rathered her than them, and there was no democracy in place. The fact that she spared her youngest sister and their children also added to her good reputation. The slaughter of her other relatives was marketed, instead, as responding to violent rebellions against her. It helped that Kazumi had interplanetary alliesー it helped her branding as forward-thinking, as someone who would bring the then-struggling Izanami into a bright and wonderful age. She waited until her people were angry, until they were starving, until they were neglected by their rulers, and then she claimed the title of “hero”. While her experimentations went on behind closed doors, because the public numbers did not go down, she went entirely unseenー for the Ametsuchi had always been private in their affairs, and the public were accustomed to mysteries when it came to the royal family. All that mattered was that her actions did make things better; she was a good ruler, because her power complex relied on it. 

Hence why the only rebellions against her come from within, and she is aware of two of them. She is biding her time. While not a rebellion, her actions are inspiring a strain between the Ametsuchi and the Living Sea. So while the people of Izanamiーparticularly Yomi, its capitalーfeel they are thriving under a great, compassionate ruler... the heat death of their country is set in motion, and an entropic death is inevitable. The only question is how everything is going to fall apart.

[wrathful-spark]

God of Vengence

Most God’s underestimate just how powerful Kotetsu is. He isn’t a God of War anymore, nor is he a God that seems all that threatening. He is quite lanky and he is without a doubt the most cheerful God of all. That is, until his happiness had been taken from him. Kotetsu searched far and wide for his friends killer. He searched through every single mansion in Takemagahara until he had found who had done it. In a way, he was relieved to know who did it. At the same time. He was furious just to know the name of the man who he would releasing all of his wrath.

He decided to confront the man in front of many of the other Gods, including the God’s of Fortune themselves. There was a gathering of God’s to discuss their bonds and the bonds of humans. This has many names, one of them is matchmaking where the Gods get to choose what humans ends up with what human and the same can be said for the God’s. Kotetsu had never participated, however, today neither would this filth that walked the streets of Takemagahara. Never again would he be able to laugh happily. Never again would he be able to live a life of happiness for Kotetsu would kill every incarnation of him for all time.

Riding his small cloud to the proceedings, dark clouds overhead followed like well trained pups. Each looked dangerous enough, except they all combined as they crashed together, blocking out the sun and forming a gigantic cloud darker than that of a black hole. It didn’t take long before he found his target. His eyes glowed a bright blue, his relaxing shade of green replaced by the electricity surging through his body. Each footstep on the floor left black scorch marks from the outpouring amounts of static. His muscles bulged in anger, every vein visible. 

He walked right up to the man, the man who stood next to Bishamon and Yatogami like nothing was the matter. But something was the matter. They all stared at the God unsure of what to do or what was wanted of them. Kotetsu was taller than this pitiful excuse of a God by a solid 5 inches and he used it to his advantage, shoving his face into the others. When it came to his electrical powers, this man was far his senior. But physical strength and knowledge of the martial arts? No one but Bishamon could best him.

“Takemikazuchi.... Be a good boy... and die”

Swinging his fist as fast as he possibly could, he sent the man flying, the shorter man shattering every wall and slamming into the mountain nearest them, the side of said mountain crumbling under said weight. It all happened in slow motion to Kotetsu. His fist collided with the other instantly shattering 3 ribs and breaking 2 more. The moment his skin left the other shirt electricity was sent in every direction though it didn’t harm anyone, only damaging the decor. 

Walking slowly in the direction of where Takemikazuchi had flown, not a single God had attempted to stop him, his face said it. That he would slaughter any that dared get in his way.

Taking a step out into the open air, a cloud formed out of thin air to carry him to where his adversary lay, still as a cadaver. Landing on the uneven mountainside, Kotetsu grabbed the man up. Gripping the front of his kimono, he slammed him against the side of the rock. 

“Feel the pain..... Tsuchi felt”

For 30 minutes he slammed his fists into the man, electricity and thunder roared like never before. Every fist fall caused a blinding light so hot it seared the entire mountain. Once he was done the body of Takemikazuchi was nothing more than a blackened charred remain of a once “great” God and the mountain they had once been standing at was no longer there. Kotetsu had eroded an entire mountain with nothing but electricity. 

Turning back to where he came from, he entered the room once more. Most God’s looked at him with horror, others were trapped in an understandable fear induced tremor.

He looked around the room calmly. No hate or desire to kill anyone present.

“Takemikazuchi killed my shinki. If anyone would like to take me to trial, please do. I doubt Amaterasu would want to kill her old dog anyway.”

[limitlessgojo]

Blood Bound: Red Strings of Fate (Ch 6)

Warnings: Action, Coarse Language, Fighting, Descriptions of Blood

Previous Chapter: Special Grade

Next Chapter: Bird of Flame

Tags: Soulmates AU, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Fem!Reader

Taglist: @lessie-oxj @rizzo-nero @whoreuc @fkngkumiko @isl3t @gojoussunglasses @onepotatostand-blog @s-t-f-u-b-i-t-c-h @sunaswife

Notes: If you want to be tagged for every update, please mention it in the comments below ty <3

We are finally past the introductions and getting into the bulk of the story🥰💕 excited for this to unravel.

Chapter 6: Speed of Sound

You had a physical and cursed energy examination along with the second years the next day. Much like when you had your height and weight measured at the clinic. But this time, it was your power, speed, stamina, defense level, and flexibility with and without your cursed technique that they were measuring.

“Ugh, it’s so windy out today.” Mai complained. The sun was really bright as the four of you first years stood there.

“Y/n.” All of you turned to look at the source of the voice. You smiled brightly upon hearing him. “It has been a while.”

“Noritoshi senpaii~” you skipped your way towards him with a huge smile on your face. “How have you been?”

Noritoshi was always busy, with clan affairs, missions (now that he got recommended for grade 1 and is enroute to a semi-grade 1) and studies that you only had a short time to say hi whenever you passed by the other in the hallways. But he always secretly looked forward to seeing you.

He nodded his greeting to the other first years before turning to smile down at you as you came up to him. “Not too bad. Hope you’ve adjusted well to campus life?” he murmured, eyes softening.

“I’m okay, don't worry about me. Shared class today, this is my first time. I wonder how it will go?” You excitedly said.

“The usual, you might find it boring. Ah, and I’ve heard that you were given the title Special Grade. Congratulations.” He said.

“Is that something to be celebrated?” you asked while tilting your head to the side. “Thank you though.”

He mimicked you, tilting his head in the same direction and leaning forward so that your eyes were both still in line with each other’s, “It’s proof that you’re strong and that’s also a good thing.”

You hummed in thought. “I don’t really care about rankings to be honest. I just need to be strong enough to protect the ones I love.”

Noritoshi’s eyes slightly widened at that. He was about to speak when he was rudely interrupted.

“TSUCHI CHAN! You owe me a fight.” Todo senpai boomed with Momo sighing tiredly beside him. You jumped about 4 feet into the air at the sound and Noritoshi protectively held a hand in front of you again. “That’s enough Todo. It’s still early in the morning.”

“A fight, or else I will reveal who your ideal type is to everyone here.” He grinned.

Oh no he didn’t. The winds picked up around you as your cursed energy flared dangerously. Everyone except Noritoshi took a step back from you.

You looked up at him with the coldest eyes you have, “You promised you wouldn’t senpai. But I am not backing down from a fight. Don’t cry too badly when I bury you 6 feet underground.”

“There it is! Her dark side.” Miwa cried out. “You’re gonna die senpai.” But Todou just laughed. “I knew you were interesting the moment we met Tsuchi chan. It’s settled. A fight later after class.”

“Todo’s gonna die later. I look forward to seeing it.” Mai yawned nonchalantly as Mechamaru just nodded. Momo just laughed as she settled in beside Mai.

Soon Utahime called you all to attention and you went on with the activities. You were competing with Todo for almost every measurement (with the use of cursed energy of course. You were not so strong without it).

You just laughed at yourself as you found out you had the weakest physical punching power among the first years. Yep, you rely too much on your cursed energy to back you up.

You had the highest score though when you used your cursed energy. You warped the space around your hand in a spiral motion, the wind picking up around your fist, before you propelled yourself to punch the target. BAANG! It was pushed a number of meters back further than Todo’s target.

Todo just clapped. “Well done.” And the entire time, Noritoshi was closely monitoring you, staying by your side and asking questions about your technique.

At that, you tugged on his sleeve and he smiled and bent down for you. You told him quietly that you would tell him more about it later when you’re alone. His eyebrows raised, but his smile widened, “Thank you for that. I don’t mind telling you about mine too.”

The others were just silently watching you both out of the corner of their eyes.

“Mai chan, wanna bet as to when those two will get together?” Momo whispered. Everyone else except the two of you heard her.

“Depends on what you wanna bet on. But I’m willing to bet they’ll get together in the next maybe 4 months or so.” she smirked.

“3 months” Miwa piped up quietly.

“Maybe 2 months lol.” Mechamaru said.

“No. They might take… a few weeks. 3?” Todo said seriously.

Utahime cleared her throat out loud gathering all of your attention. “Last activity. Running laps. This track field is 400 meters long as you all know. Finish 1 lap. First without then with your cursed technique. Nishimiya and Tsuchimikado flying is permitted.”

You perked up at that and clapped your hands excitedly. Then stopped and thought about it remembering your father’s words:

“ ‘You don’t have to max out your abilities. We keep our clan’s abilities as much of a secret as possible to prevent any information leakage that may be used against us. Remember to use your technique wisely. You’re the strongest in our clan, sweetheart.’ You nodded, ‘Okay papa.’ ”

So God speed mode of a Mach 4 is out of the picture. Mach speed 3… maybe out. ‘No I can limit it to just under the speed of sound.’ you thought determinedly.

You zoned out the next hour until it was time to run with your cursed technique. “Are you okay? You look a bit pale.” Noritoshi put a hand on your back to support you.

You quickly shook your head “I’m fine, no worries.” He didn’t look like he believed you but let you go ahead.

“Tsuchimikado. It says here on your report that you can move at mach speeds.” Utahime spoke. FUCK. Oh well. You turned to her with the stiffest smile on your face as she realized you didn’t want the information disclosed.

You took your starting position, still determined to keep it under half the speed of sound. “Ready… go!” You whipped around the entire trackfield in just under 3 seconds.

“Tsuchimikado. 2.4 seconds.” You nodded and jogged back beside Miwa who gave you a high five. “That was sooo cool, you need to let me fly with you next time.” She excitedly said.

You laughed. “I’m not the best at holding people with me when I move at high speeds. But slow flying is fine.”

“Why don’t you go faster?” Todo asked. Everyone quieted down as you turned to him. “I have a feeling you've been limiting your output. You’ve obviously been holding back this entire time, are you not taking it seriously? We are here to challenge ourselves, there is no need to hold back.”

Your eye and finger twitched. “That’s not it.” This man was amazing at pushing your buttons. But you sighed as there was no reason to hide it anymore. “Utahime sensei can I-”

“Go ahead. When you’re ready.”

You took your starting position again. You could push Mach 5 if you wanted to, though just above Mach 1 should be enough.

But you can feel Todo just silently egging you on from the sidelines. And it honestly worked. “Start!”

There was a loud BANG! You were back in the starting line in less than a second. The only proof of your movement was the smoke and dust rising above the tracks.

“I am so sorry, but I didn’t catch that. I physically can’t. That was less than a second. Your speed please?” Utahime called out. “Mach 2.”

You stepped right up to Todo with a challenging glint. “Prepare yourself for later.” He just huffed out a proud smile, then you stood aside with Miwa and Noritoshi.

“Was that, just now a sonic boom?” asked Noritoshi. “No it was my ringtone.” you deadpanned. The others choked a laugh out at that.

He turned to you with a pout, but you just bumped his hip with yours and laughed “It’s called sarcasm Noritoshi senpai~” He quietly chuckled along, which he was surprised at how easy it was to do so whenever he was with you.

You all finished up. Momo was also pretty fast, going at 10 seconds around the track. Noritoshi senpai blew you out of the water to be honest. His record was 35 seconds on foot. How. That was over the world record for men’s running.

You noticed a red marking forming over his eye and remembered seeing it for a bit when it came to the strength measurement test earlier. He was just a bit behind you, Mechamaru and Todo in terms of power.

And Mechamaru and Todo were largely… disproportionate to him, being way bigger and bulkier. But he could somehow manage.

“Are any of you going to spar after this? If so I will be supervising.” Utahime sensei called.

“We will.” Todo senpai motioned between the two of you. Noritoshi surprisingly spoke up too, “I also wanna have a go against y/n if that’s fine with you.” He turned to you with a concerned look. You just smiled, “Of course it’s fine Noritoshi senpai!”

“Okay, try not to break anything, limit the damage here on campus please. I will be calling a close if it gets too bad.” Utahime warned.

“There's no need for that.” You smiled to yourself.

Author's Rambles: Mach Speed (AKA Supersonic speed) is described as a speed greater than the speed of sound. Mach X means that the speed is X times greater than the speed of sound. A Mach 5 would be categorised as Hypersonic speed^^. O/C uses her Psychokinesis to move her forward as fast as she can.

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