WHICH UPPER MOON ARE YOU?

Kaigaku

Anger and rage, hatred and scorn. You might feel this on a worryingly high number of days. Sometimes you let these take the best of you and you end up lashing out against others that don't deserve it, you may even have a harder time saying "sorry". You feel that you are destined for greatness, but sometimes you also have a harder time finding the motivation to achieve your goals. You feel jealousy or anger when you see others earn what you think should be rightfully yours. These unwarranted bouts of rage take so much energy out of you... your life hasn't been easy, and often times you find yourself stuck to the past. Let go of past grudges. Stay strong and remember that not all emotions deserve to be held and kept close and could be actively impeding your own improvement.

Tagged by: @tcntoumushi (like 5 months ago I'm so SLOW)

Tagging: @goresugars (Yoiite) @lightningstrickcn @fallesto (Shinobu) @yasashiiku (Shou) @manneatcr @never-surrender (Kiyo) @incinxrate @lunarscaled @ofmistnmoons @dxllhcuse (Kuroyuri)

rainy days and wet shirts - naruto x reader (modern au)

in which you and naruto go back to his house after being drenched in the rain

“hurry up y/n-chan! we gotta get to the arcade, kiba told me they got a new game!” your boyfriend of 6 months, naruto, urged you as you were packing up your school supplies and papers. the last class of the day had finally ended and you and naruto were planning on spending this friday together at the arcade. you weren’t that good at the games, but you liked to see naruto stick his tongue out from the corner of his mouth in concentration whenever he was gaming, it was adorable. also he often did this cute happy dance whenever he won a game that was especially hard. honestly, you just tagged along for moral support, and also because you wanted to be with your boyfriend.

“okay, okay! i’m ready to go!” you said as you slipped on your backpack and grabbed your thin jacket in one of your arms as naruto grabbed the other, leading you out of the classroom door. his hand was much bigger than yours, a bit rough due to all of the sports he did. his favorite sport was soccer, he loved playing it with his best friend sasuke uchiha. you made sure to come to all of their games, cheering naruto on. whenever he won the game he would break away from his team and run to you with a big grin on his face, picking you up and twirling you around while he kissed you.

“i won because you were here~” he would always say playfully before pecking you on the cheek, watching you smile as you rolled your pretty e/c eyes. 

“what’s this new game?” you asked while looking up at the blonde boy.

“it’s called ‘darkness’, kiba said that it was super good though! i can’t wait to play it! i bet i’ll get high score!” he looked down at you, a playful grin on his lips.

“i know you will! all you do is play videogames after all~” you chuckled as you saw naruto’s pout.

“y/n-channn! don’t make fun of me! i’m your boyfriend!” he said, puffing his chest out a bit.

“huh? when did you ever become my boyfriend? naruto, are you okay?”

“you’re too cruel y/n-chan, too cruel.” he shook his head while you laughed at his antics.

you guys finally made it outside and walked outside the school gates, taking a left towards the arcade. it wasn’t a long walk, maybe about fifteen minutes away from naruto’s house? you guys often went over to the arcade to hang out, sometimes meeting up with sasuke and sakura. sakura wasn’t too much into gaming either, so you two just talked and ate pizza while sasuke and naruto played the arcade games.

“naruto?” you called out to your boyfriend while looking up at the sky.

“yes?” he replied, looking at you.

“did you check the weather app today? it looks like it’s going to rain and we don’t have umbrellas.”

his cerulean eyes glanced up towards the grey sky to see you were correct, the sky was a dark grey and it looked like there was going to be some heavy rain. he groaned, “maybe if we walk faster we could still make it!”

his long legs picked up the pace, yours following his steps as you both speed walked to the arcade that naruto so desperately wanted to go to. 

unfortunately, mother nature had other plans and decided to greet you a light drizzle of water, wetting your hair and clothes.

“eek! naruto, it’s raining!” you said, as you put your jacket above your head.

that poor cotton jacket had no chance against the rain that was coming down harder with every step you and naruto took towards your destination. your clothes were drenched at this point, clinging onto your cold body. your white shirt was no doubt see-through, and your skirt was clinging onto your thighs. you glanced over at naruto to see his white uniform shirt becoming more and more transparent, exposing the tan skin hiding underneath the shirt. his hair was wet as well, with some bits clinging onto his forehead. you watched as a dribble of rainwater fell onto his soft cheek, making its way down his neck to seek haven underneath his shirt.

“y/n-chan, looks like we’re going to have to put a pause on our arcade date! my house is right there, we can stay there until the rain stops!” naruto said while tugging your hand, jogging towards the direction of his house.

he pulled out his house key and aligned it with the door knob, opening the door while his teeth were chattering. you weren’t fairing any better, you were freezing cold and wet from the rain. you both stepped inside the house, taking off your shoes and leaving them beside the door. you decided to leave your socks in your shoes; the feeling of walking in wet socks was one you did not want to experience any time soon.

“i’m sorry y/n-chan! i should’ve checked the weather before school but i guess i was too excited!” naruto said while offering a sheepish grin, hand scratching the back of his neck.

you gave a smile, “it’s okay naruto! as long as i’m spending time with you, i don’t really mind!”

oh boy did that make naruto’s heart flutter. the effect you had on this boy was unreal really. any small compliment made him short circuit, his face would get hot as well. he couldn’t help it! you were just so pretty and sweet! everyday naruto felt like he won the lottery whenever he saw your pretty face. his heart would skip a beat whenever you smiled that gorgeous smile at him. sasuke would always snort at naruto whenever the blonde boy was watching you with a love struck expression.

“oi, naruto! heh, you sure are whipped, aren’t you?”

he really was. which is why the minute he made eye contact with your see-through shirt his face exploded in a blush. your thin white shirt did little to hide the bra underneath. naruto felt his throat go dry as he gulped, was that lace? oh god, this was too much for him to handle! you two have gotten frisky before, but never have you two actually done the deed. it was just an unspoken conversation that naruto suddenly decided he wanted to have.

his eyes trailed down to see the skirt cling to your thighs, accentuating your figure. there were still droplets of water on the smooth skin of your thighs, falling down your legs until they met the floor of his house. goodness, the rain was really doing wonders today. he was suddenly thankful he didn’t get to go to the arcade.

he cleared his throat, “u-um, are you cold?”

you nodded, wrapping your arms around yourself as you shivered. naruto frowned at this.

“here, i’ll give you some of my clothes to wear, okay? we can cuddle and watch a move afterwards or something, sound good?” he smiled at you.

you only nodded, following him as he walked to his room. his room was slightly messy, with a few shirts and magazines decorating the floor. but overall it wasn’t that bad. naruto opened his closet and picked out an old graphic t-shirt of some old band he used to listen to and a pair of basketball shorts that would fit you.

“hopefully this fits you, you can go change in the bathroom. i’ll be waiting for you on the couch!” he handed the small pile of clothing to the girl, going back to the closet to pick out some clothes for himself. 

as you were walking toward the bathroom you couldn’t help but smell naruto’s clothes; it smelled of his usual laundry detergent. opening the door to the bathroom, you stepped inside, careful to stand on the mat so you didn’t wet the floor of the bathroom much. laying the clothes down on the counter of the bathroom sink, you peeled your wet clothes from your body. left in only your undergarments, you decided to take your bra off as well, the white shirt you were wearing did little to nothing at protecting your bra so it was soaked as well. 

keeping your mostly dry underwear on, you pulled on the basketball shorts that naruto sometimes donned during practice. they were a bit big on you, but luckily they didn’t fall from your waist. you then put on the shirt that fell to your mid-thigh. looking at yourself in the mirror, you felt a bit nervous. his clothes were a bit big on you; you looked so dumb.

but after deciding that these clothes were better than the wet uniform you were in, you put your clothes in the hamper. walking outside of the bathroom, you made your way to the living room.

“hey y/n-chan i got us some snacks-” naruto started to say as he heard your footsteps coming towards him. he was cut off when his eyes made contact with you. naruto felt his breath hitch in his throat as you took you in, you who was all clad in his clothing. his clothes were a bit big on you, which only made you look ten times more adorable. he could feel his face get hotter by the second and his heart beating faster against his ribcage as he saw that you were lacking a bra; you were still cold from the rain it seemed.

‘t-they’re touching m-my shirt-’ was the only thought going through his mind as he gazed at you shamelessly. he didn’t realize how good you would look in his clothes.

your hair was still wet and you seemed to have a small blush on your face. you looked too damn cute for him to handle. oh god, naruto did not think he would be able to contain himself for the rest of the night.

“i um- your clothes are kinda big on me, huh? i look pretty dumb hehe…” you said, looking away to avoid his gaze.

naruto blinked at this, ‘dumb…?’ who were you talking about? you? looking dumb? in his clothes?

“N-NO-! i mean- you look the total opposite! you look so cute in my clothes! the fact that they’re big on you just makes you look even cuter! i...i really like you wearing my clothes y/n-chan…” he said earnestly, holding your hands in his own hands.

your face flushed as you gazed up at him, “thanks naruto-!” you meekly said, embarrassed by his staring.

a moment of silence passed before naruto spoke up, “um, i had a movie ready for us to watch if you’re still interested.”

you grinned at him and naruto felt his heart burst, “of course i am! whatcha playing?” you asked as you sat down on the couch beside him.

“guardians of the galaxy volume 1 of course!” he grinned as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder.

you rolled your eyes, “geez naruto...you’ve seen this movie like twelve times already!”

“can you blame me? this movie is way too good!” he laughed.

ten minutes into the movie and naruto was beginning to lose his focus. how could he pay any attention to the screen when you were sitting so close to him, wearing his clothes? he could smell your shampoo and the familiar scent of his laundry detergent lingering on your clothes-- or rather, his clothes.

“naruto, this is like your favorite movie, yet you’re not paying attention to it.” you said as you looked up at him with your head on his shoulder.

“yeah… i’m fine… it’s just uh-” he coughed into his hand.

you knitted your eyebrows in confusion, “huh? naruto, are you okay?”

he gulped and nodded, “yeah it’s just…. seeing you wearing my clothes makes me really happy. you look really good.”

you raised your eyebrows in surprise. you had earlier though that you looked silly, but here naruto was, not being able to focus on his favorite movie because he thought you looked so good in his clothes.

“oh- uh- thanks naruto.” you said, a bit embarrassed because of how intensely he was staring at you.

“naruto are you oka-” you were interrupted by naruto suddenly tackling you into a hug, effectively pinning you to the couch.

“naruto!” you said with a hot face, as the said boy snuggled into your neck. he couldn’t help it, you were just too irresistible to him at the moment.

“i’m sorry y/n-chan… you just look too good in my clothes… i don’t think you realize the effect you have on me… especially when....” he trailed off, mumbling something too quietly towards the end.

“especially when what?”

“er… especially when you’re not… wearing um… a bra…” his hot breath hit your ear as he mumbled into it.

“h-huh?” you were traumatized; you hadn’t realized that your hardened buds were so visible under your shirt! naruto suddenly shifted his body so he was hovering over you, his eyes briefly meeting your chest once more.

“i just… i don’t think i can hold back any longer y/n-chan, with you looking this cute underneath me… is it okay if we take it to the next level?” the blue-eyed boy said, his face inching closer to yours.

“y-yeah. i want to take it to the next level as well naruto.” you whispered, looking into his beautiful eyes. his face broke out in a huge smile as he heard your answer, leaning down to capture your lips in a passionate kiss.

his soft lips met your own, moving in a passionate dance as his hands travelled down your body, finding your hips. the space between your lips was nonexistent as naruto kissed you with a fierce fervor. naruto bit your bottom lip, relishing in the small moan you let out before he suddenly pulled away with half-lidded eyes, a small smile on his face, “let me show you how irresistible i find you.” 

and then met your lips one again, the movie in the background left unwatched as the young lovers explored each other’s bodies.

Peace: a shikatema fanfic

Chapter One: Shikamaru

Since I was a kid, I was never the type to engage that much. I wasn’t adventurous or outgoing. I kept to myself and wrote stories as I watched the clouds go by. People never interested me. I didn’t mind going to school and talking to no one or even minded being the last pick for a game of dodge ball. Honestly, I would rather sleep more than anything.

           It always worried my parents so, they pushed me to play with their friends’ kid who was the same age as me. I met Choji. He was a… plump guy. Very friendly and had a big heart for butterflies. He’d always chased after them in attempt to get a hold of one, but it never worked out. When he’d get sad, I’d always treat him to his favorite BBQ chips and share a few good laughs. We were fast friends and soon enough he introduced me to his other friends.

           Choji was one who would get picked on a lot because of his weight. So, that would make it hard for him to make friends, but over the years, He eventually did have the luck of meeting some that excepted him for who he was…. Not the best choice at first, but still it was something.

           Naruto and Kiba were the loudest trouble-makers you could ever meet. I seriously thought they were insane and had a peanuts for a brains. The only reason you would find me late after school was because I was suffering the consequences of tagging along with them. But I can’t lie… I did have some great times with them.

           As we approached middle school, we met Neji and Saskue. I was grateful for them because for the longest time I was the father of the group. Neji and Saskue knew how to keep Naruto, Kiba, and at times, Choji in line.

           Neji and Saskue were both very intelligent but at times Naruto could bring them down a notch. I think his stupidity is at times contagious. Saskue had more of an anger issue more than anyone. Neji seemed almost perfect but, push his buttons right and you’ll get something out of him. For the most part he’s a bit like a stone wall.

           We’re an unlikely group, but I’m really happy to do life with them at least. We’ve gone through thick and thin. School fights (guess the two who started those), many detentions, festivals, Kiba’s breakups, supporting each other in sports: Saskue and Neji in Jujitsu (hence how they met), Naruto in Baseball, Kiba plays on the soccer team, and Choji…. After weeks of pestering him- respectfully! We convinced him to try sumo. AND IT’S NOT BECAUSE OF HIS WEIGHT!

           “Choji we’re not saying to go for it because you’re f-…..fluffly- I was going to say fluffy.” Naruto reassured. “We all just thought that you would be a good fit and a great talent for this sport.”

           “The guy even said He’d put you on the team easy.” Kiba contributed.

“No, you guys just think I’m fat!” Choji pouted.

“No-“Neji tried to console him but Choji’s cries over powered him.

           “Look Choji,” I said. “We’re in high school now. And if we want to get into K.U., sports look good our applications. We think Sumo is good for you because you got the proper build for it and out of everyone in this room, you’re the one with the greatest brute strength.”

“Really?”

           “Yeah… and you’re one hell of a bulldozer.” Saskue is speaking from experience.

           We all laughed and Choji finally joined the High School Sumo team. He loves it cause after every match they go to his favorite BBQ spot.

           As my first year of High school progressed it was time for me to the choose something. Which was a surprise for everyone cause I barley even run. I’m the Lazy-ass of the group. You can find me in the dorm room sleeping at any given time. School is a bit of a breeze from me since knowledge is my trump card. I carry an IQ over 200+ and have been invited to get into prestigious academic programs but turned them down. It’d be too troublesome in my book. And I like where I’m at right now.

My favorite teacher and personal mentor Asuma-sensei convinced me over a game of Shoji to take on Boxing. He’s the coach for the team and throughout the years of knowing me, he clams I could make it. I looked at him as if he was mental. I mean- sure my dad showed me some stuff throughout the years to stand-up for myself but, boxing…for real. I don’t know about all that.

           An incident that happened our second year of middle school is something he likes to use as backup to prove his point, always comes to mind.

           We (meaning the gang and I) were on our way home, taking our usual route before we have to split up, walking and munching on some onigiri from our favorite “Go-go” mini mart. And as we were on our way some guys from school had caught up and cornered us in a back ally. We had no idea what was going on until one of the kids spoke up and said:

           “Naruto you bastard, you better take back what you said!”

“ME! What did I say?” we all looked at him with a fierce look.

           “Guys, I promise I didn’t do anything.” He told us.

“Look, if this only pertains to Naruto. We’ll gladly be on our way.”

           “NEJI!” Naruto exclaimed.

“Nah, I think we’re good with pumbling all you assholes to the ground.”

           They all began cracking their knuckles with sinister laughs as they began approaching closer to us.

           Saskue and Neji assumed fighting positions. Naruto slowly grabbed a stick on the ground. Kiba pulled out Akamaru out of his book bag. Choji began to brace himself as I stood behind them simply standing. You could say I’m the eyes of the group in case something goes south.

           “Thanks a lot Naruto.” Saskue whispered.

“If I miss my piano lesson, your explaining this to my dad.” Neji hissed.

           “I don’t even know what that hell this kid is angry about guys! I swear!” Naruto said.

           With a shout they charged. It was four kids against us five. For a moment it was fair fight because I was just standing watch. Neji dodged one kid’s punches and then swiftly gave him an uppercut. Saskue caught the others foot in mid kick and knocked him on his butt by kicking his foot out from underneath him. Kiba sent Akamaru to charge and keep his attacker at bay as he went in with a running start to RKO the kid. Choji simply belly bumped the kid who charged up against him. And Naruto was having a hard time with his opponent as they were duking it out through various punches. The leader was getting more punches in than Naruto, but Naruto still could take it as he finally got the winning shot and knocked the kid off his feet.

           “Lets Go! Quick!” Naruto shouted.

And we were off. We ran out of the alley and made a break for it. Choji was a little behind so, I slowed down to his tempo. He was heaving as he then suddenly realized. “I think I dropped my inhaler back there.”

“Are you serious?” I said. We came to a halt.

“Hey guys! Choji dropped his inhaler. I’m gonna go get it!”

           The guys came back towards us.

“Don’t you think they’re still there?” Kiba asked.

“Well, you want Choji to die? It’s okay Shikamaru. We’ll stay with Choji.” Neji said.

“And I don’t think they’re still there. I saw one of them leave after us in the other direction.” Saskue said.

           “Alright.” So, with that I left and went to retrieve Choji’s inhaler. As I got back to the alley, I found his inhaler on the ground and picked it up. As I was about to leave, I found the Leader still there. I guess his friends left him. He looked at me as he held his chin in pain.

“What the hell do you want?” he shouted. “Come back for more?”

I lift my hands up to show peace. “I don’t mean any trouble. I just came-“

           “I don’t want your apology!”

“I did-“

           “And who needs those looser friends anyway! I just called for real backup! My brother’s coming to kick your ass.”

And not a second later a shadow overcame me. I slowly turned around to see a boy who looked a couple years older than me, with slicked back silver hair, red eyes, towering over me. I saw that he had the high school uniform on.

           “Is this the little shrimpy kid who kicked your butt, Hido? Wow! I can’t believe it.” He laughed.

I got nervous. Maybe I should’ve got Neji or Saskue to come with me. Dammit! What the hell am I going to do?

           “Look here kid, my names Hidan.” He crotched down to my level. “I don’t really appreciate anyone messing with my family. So, I want you to pay very close attention-“

           My eyes shifted to where his hand was reaching for. He had a knife in his coat pocket.

The guy looked as if her was only a year or two older than me- what the hell was he doing with a knife?

           At the sight of it I panicked and without a thought I went into a stance and gave a right hook to the center of his face. He was caught off guard and started falling backward so, to help him out I finished him with an uppercut with my left and ran as fast as I could.

           I never found myself in that type of situation before. Only in hypotheticals with my dad and even then, I wasn’t putting out full blows. Just pretend with my dad.

I ran as fast as I could back to the guys, not giving a single glance back no matter how many voices I heard shouting after me. The guys came back to my line of vision and as they saw me approach their faces looked frightened. I was about to call out but, then a hand grabbed my arm.

           “Hey, slow down there kid!”

I looked to see Asuma-Sensei. Where the heck did he come from?

           “Asuma?” I said. “Wh-“

“If you’re gonna fight, don’t do it next to my store.”

           That was the day I found out that after school Asuma-sensei ran/owned a convenient store. He allowed me to return Choji’s inhaler to him but, I had to go back and explain to Asuma what happened. I was the only one caught so, Naruto said to not rat them out. But Neji dragged him to his house to explain to his dad why he missed his piano lessons.

           When I returned to Asuma, he explained to me that I broke the kids nose and badly bruised his jaw with my punches. He only knew the other guys side of the story so, it looked like I was the attacker.

           “He was about to pull a knife on me so, I panicked.” I simply explained.

           We made it back to the incident and the kid was getting treated by one of Asuma’s workers.

“Is that so?” Asuma said. “Hidan!”

           The silver headed boy looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

“You got a weapon on you boy?”

           His eye filled with panic for just a split second, but he kept his cool as he covered himself up.

“No sir.” He said. “Look, I told you, my little brother called me saying he and his friends were getting jumped. So, I ran over here to help him. I get here and that little shit was still on a rampage and out of nowhere attacked me!”

           ‘Rampage’ was not the word to describe me. Asuma knew that. So, in a single movement he got the knife out of his pocket.

“You bring weapons to school?” Asuma questioned him.

           Instead of Hidan expressing an emotion of guilt, he starred at me with what felt like a murderous intent. I looked away quickly and asked Asuma if I could leave. But he was already making a call to the school’s deputy. When deputy came, he questioned us again and it all ended with Hidan and his little brother being put in the back of the cop car with handcuffs. Turns out they both had a pilling record on their heads. Soon after the deputy left another cop car pulled in. It was Saskue’s dad. He offered me a ride home but before I left Asuma said:

           “And before I forget. Nice right hook.” He smiled and waved as we drove away.

           He saw the whole thing.

So, my first year of high school I took on Boxing per-Asuma-sensei’s request. And… I don’t hate it. It’s a good stress reliever.

           As the year went on it was just me and the guys as usual. Doing our thing. Until… Ino.

           Ino was a girl I saw almost every single day since elementary school. I knew our parents knew of each other but, she had so many friends Choji and I never really mingled with her. Whenever I saw her outside of school it was a single “Hi” and “Bye”. I’d be lucky if I got one in school though.

           But the point is that whenever I saw her I knew that I liked looking at her and my friends could obviously tell. For the longest time they urged me to go and really talk to her but, I never took the shot. I was okay with just looking at her.

           I didn’t know much about romance and never thought about it ever but, when I saw her I tried to imagine what it would be like. She seemed nice…. That all I could get from her. The guys didn’t know much about her either- only that she was best friends with Sakura…. Who had a huge crush on Saskue. Sakura was an acquaintance of ours and was relatively nice but, she refused to let us know anything about Ino. She said something about paying respect to some stupid girl code. And Saskue refused to put anything on the line if it meant talking Sakura.

           Sakura and Ino were- for the longest time- and still are part of the ”Popular”s. Top of the social ladder and they liked their place there. So, going out with a guy like me or Naruto or Kiba or Choji meant Social suicide. Saskue and Neji made the cut because apparently their good looking but, don’t care for social status or people so they gave them the middle finger.

           But one day, after Biology class, Ino came to me. I was quite surprised she even knew my name when she approached me.

“I need your help, Shika- Shikamaru? Right?”

           “Yea.” I said.

“I’m failing this class and if I don’t pass, the teacher is threatening me with summer school. I heard you’re the top of our class so, do you think you could help me?”

           She asked me in a pretty straight forward way. No hair flip or puppy-dog eyes. She just simply asked. I could see the desperation in her eyes so, I agreed.

           She had already set days that’s she had free so that we could be able to meet up and study. Afterwards I met up with the guys at lunch and they claimed it was fate…. Well, Naruto and Kiba. Choji was happy for me and gave me a pat on the back. But Neji and Saskue simply nodded and told me to be careful. To them they took my liking towards Ino as quite a surprise. They said they didn’t see me with a girl like her but, weren’t gonna put up a fight with my choice.

           As time progressed and I tutored her. The time came to the mid-quarterly exam. She passed with flying colors and Thanked me. Nothing happened over our study dates. It was strictly Biology. But, at the end I got the courage to ask her to the Winter Festival but, she turned me down.

           I didn’t know that it got to me until my boxing match came up. I was up against some guy from Sound High. He was pretty good and in the beginning of the match he was landing a lot of good hits on me. But when the second round came in, he gave a nice jab that woke me up real good. After that I just lost it. I didn’t give him enough time to block or recover and I won the match with a KO.

           The day after, Kiba told me that I was the “Talk of the Town” saying that everyone was talking about my match last night. And a couple days later Ino and I had plans for a date.

           Our relationship happened suddenly, and I quickly got blinded by her. I only saw her and nothing else. I could care less about the popularity and all the people she had around her. I just wanted to know what she was about, her likes, interests, things that made her happy, or sad. Everything.

           I wasn’t one to show PDA at school and I made if very clear to her. She respected my boundaries and I respected hers. The only perk to all this (to Naruto and Kiba) was that we got into all the parties now. Choji used this opportunity to become more of a social butterfly. So, it was kind of a win-win situation because Neji and Saskue would sometimes attend those parties which made Sakura and a bunch of other girls happy.            

           Very quickly we were no longer losers. All in the span of our first year in high school. Choji went with the flow. Kiba loved it. Naruto was through the roof. Saskue could care less but, I do see the way he looks at Sakura at times. And Neji… I’m surprised he’s even still around.

           The beginning of Ino and I’s relationship was great. I had no problem. I didn’t really know how to do all this so, I was just following after her lead while also getting tips from the guys…. Which helped… more or less. Until one day, I asked Asuma.

“What do you see in Ino, Shikamaru?” He asked. “Why did you choose her?”

           I thought for a minute. “Well, I never really thought of girls until I saw her. I saw her and I thought she was beautiful. She was the first girl I ever saw that made me…pause.”

He nodded and then asked. “How did you feel when you kissed her for the first time?”

           “Pretty good.” I said.

He nodded. “Honestly, Shikamaru. I’m not surprised by your answers…. But, If you want my opinion. I don’t think Ino is a nice a choice… for you.”

           I stayed quiet.

“She’s a nice girl. All around personality with a face to match it. But if she’s the one you like- I can’t really tell you how to live your life. But I will I give you this advice: When you know you’re with the right person, it all just comes naturally. Without a second thought.”

________________________________________________________________

Thank you guys for being so patient! It was so hard to get this out on time with school getting in the way. I hope you like the first chapter. The second one will be out soon! Where you’ll see a little bit of Temari’s back story. And art too!

What do you think about ShikaIno? How did this chapter make you feel for the most part? I’d love feedback.

Chapter Two: Temari

-MissVGJ98

ssm day 5: festival

SasuSaku Month Day 5 Rating: T (for language) Title: Cat Raffle Disclaimer Day’s Notes: posting tonight because my family plans on making sure I leave the house tomorrow, even though I kind of hate going to the beach. This fic is dedicated to and was inspired by @cherrydangome who told me that there was a club at her university that was dedicated to feeding the cats that lived on their campus. I really made this to fulfill my desire for more SasuSaku + Team Taka College AUs. It’s super short but I hope you enjoy it!

Cat Raffle

He was running late.

Sasuke sighed, shifting his backpack higher on his shoulder adjusting the weight. He had meant to arrive earlier to his university before the rest of the circle members did so he could supervise them as they set up their booth. There was no telling what trouble they could get into if he left them alone.

Being the president of his circle was a lot more responsibility than he thought it would be, especially considering the last president had assigned him the job because he was the only one that could remember all of the names of the cats and the only one that could tell them apart.

Kiba was in charge of fixing the ruined the banner with his girlfriend Tamaki...Suigetsu was in charge of picking up extra charcoal for the grill…

Sighing to himself again, Sasuke mentally went over all of the jobs the members had for their festival booth. The vice president, Uzumaki Karin, had given him a schedule with a typo and if he hadn’t noticed it that morning he would have been running even more late and would have only arrived after the festival had started.

The original plan was to run a cat cafe inspired by the fact they were the cat circle that cared for the cats that lived on campus but the idea was vetoed as soon as they had suggested it due to the fact the festivities would be outdoors and they wouldn't be able to set up shop in the small area they were assigned for their stand.

“If our circle was one of the sports clubs we could have a better spot too,” Karin had complained.

She had planned to use Sasuke as bait to trade for a more favorable stand location but Sasuke was having none of it. It was already hard enough dealing with circle applicants that only wanted to join to flirt with him instead of making sure all of the cats were fed.

They really needed more funding to take care of all of the cats. Sasuke knew he was to blame for switching the food they originally used to a more expensive but healthier option. And it didn’t help that the amount of cats they were responsible for went up when one of the cats ended up becoming a mother.

“Hey Karin,” Sasuke spoke into his cell phone after he heard her pick up. “I’m almost there but is there anything we still need? Jugo was supposed to━”

“What do you mean you’re almost here!?” Karin shrieked through the speaker. “How far away are you?”

“I’m at the uni’s train station. Well, actually I’m away from it now. I should be there soon.” Sasuke stopped talking and listened to the scramble on Karin’s end. She had shouted at someone that was whimpering about money. “Are you shaking down customers? Don’t do anything illegal.”

“Festival isn’t open yet. Just how long until you get here?”

“I should be at the stand in about five minutes.” Sasuke pulled his phone away from his ear when Karin shrieked again and started barking orders at their fellow circle members. He sped up, knowing if he didn’t get there soon that she was bound to traumatize one of their underclassmen.

A lot of the other circles were still setting up their booths. He scanned them as he made his way to his own, keeping his eye out for anything that would give away the astronomy club or the color pink…

Unfortunately he didn’t find the astronomy booth. Instead he found a large crowd gathering where his circle’s stand was supposed to be.

What the fuck? The festival doesn’t even been open for half an hour.

“Oh, shit!” Kiba spotted him first. He was wearing the cat ears and tail the club members were supposed to wear for the festival but he was holding a sign that he didn’t want Sasuke to see━or at least that’s what seemed to be the case considering he crumpled it and tried to shove it behind his back.

“What are those dumbasses doing now?” Sasuke muttered under his breath, pushing through the crowd. “What the hell is that?”

Sasuke grabbed the plastic fishbowl Suigetsu  was trying to hide under the table next to their stand. He pried it out of his grip only to be tackled by a short person in a mascot costume.

“I’m assuming the child sized cat is Karin.” The mascot batted its paws at him in a pathetic attempt at punching. “Definitely Karin. No one else would fit in that.”

Sasuke pulled himself, standing Karin up in the process and removing the giant cat head she was wearing. Her messy spikes on the right side of her head were in more of a disarray than usual due to helmet hair and her face was sweaty and a shade of red that could rival her hair.

“You’re overheating in that thing. I thought Kiba was supposed to wear the costume?”

“He was!” Karin huffed, taking a deep breath of air. “But some asshole━” she turned and glared at Suigetsu, “━rented a costume in the wrong size!”

“Speaking of him,” Sasuke made to grab the fishbowl full of tickets again but it had disappeared, “what the fuck are you guys up to?”

“It’s a raffle,” Jugo answered from behind the grill where he was cooking up yakitori. Sasuke had wanted to prepare dango but the astronomy club had beaten them to the punch. It would have been more ideal to prepare something sweet even though it wasn’t to his taste.

“A raffle for what?” Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the obvious mastermind of the raffle idea. Karin crossed her arms in front of her chest and pointedly looked everywhere but at him. “What did you guys raffle off?”

Kiba coughed into his fist and pretended to look for Tamaki. Suigetsu moved behind their stand, guarding the raffle tickets they had collected. Their underclassmen were smart enough to make themselves scarce and find things to do elsewhere.

“What. Did. You. Guys. Make. The. Prize?” He looked around at his classmates and shook his head. “No. I’m not doing it. What is this, a bad shoujo manga? Put a stop to this now.”

“It’s too late.” Shino appeared from within the crowd. “We sold all of the tickets. We’re not returning any of the money, it’s too much and the cats need it. You will just need to make the sacrifice as our club president.”

“Yeah! Do it for the cats, Prez!” Suigetsu snickered.

“Besides,” Karin adjusted her glasses back on her face, “Sakura-chan bought a ticket.”

“I don’t know why that would make a difference,” Sasuke mumbled, averting his gaze. “She must really like the campus cats.”

“Riiiigghhtt,” Karin dragged out the word, giving him a sly grin.

Sasuke was really good at keeping secrets but nothing ever got past Karin. It didn’t take long for her to figure out that he had a crush on her best friend. She had practically dangled Sakura in front of him any chance she got ever since they were first years. He thought, maybe, because Karin had joined the Cat Circle that she would drag Sakura along with her to apply, but Sakura joined the Astronomy Club instead.

As much as Sasuke would have liked the act of buying a raffle ticket to be about him, it was more likely that Sakura just wanted to show support for her friends and because she adored the campus cats. She was always the first one to like the photos Sasuke posted on the circle’s twitter account when he photographed one of the cats.

But if she wins, maybe we can hang out without Karin for once...

“Statistically, buying one ticket does nothing for her odds of winning,” Shino reminded him, instantly crushing any hope Sasuke had. He knew it was a long shot but hearing it out loud made the improbability even more real.

“So you’re going to wait until the end of the festival to announce the winner?” Sasuke accepted his fate. In the end, he could always have the winner follow him around as he tended to the cats and hope that they would get bored with all of the chores.

“Nope!’ Karin put her cat head back on and grabbed a megaphone from behind their yakitori stand. “I’m going to announce the winner right now. The raffle was only open to the students anyway so we should wrap it all up before we open to the public.”

Karin stood on a wooden crate even though it didn’t help much to give her more height. She turned on her megaphone and let the feedback from the mic squeal in order to get everyone’s attention.

“We’re announcing the winner now.”

Karin gestured with her head, nodding Suigetsu over to her with the fishbowl. He dug his hand in to the bowl and swirled his hand around before pulling out one of the tickets. He handed the winning ticket over to Karin and she announced the number to everyone.

“Two thousand three hundred and seven!” Karin looked around the crowd as they all began to murmur amongst themselves trying to figure out who won. Karin clicked the megaphone back on, not caring about making sure it didn’t pick up any of the horrible feedback. “If that’s not your ticket number then scram!”

The crowd started to disperse, not without a few loud complaints from students that had bought multiple tickets. Soon all of them were off to enjoy the rest of the festival and to tend to their own booths except for one person. Sasuke did a double take, not sure how he had missed the rose gold hair in the crowd. Despite her small stature, the color always made her stand out.

“Um, I think I won.” Sakura held up her ticket, a blush blooming on the apples of her cheeks. “I wanted to walk around the festival with Sasuke-kun, but if you don’t want to━”

“You won fair and square,” Sasuke cut her off. “We can set up a time to meet up later.”

The members of his circle watched as he walked Sakura back to her booth, waiting for him to get as far away from their stand as possible.

“Thank God that worked, huh?” Kiba sighed, throwing away the battered sign into the trash bin. “How much did we make anyway?”

“Enough to buy cat food for the next two years.” Shino counted the raffle money and locked it in their cash box. “And some. Good job, Karin-san.”

“Rigging the raffle was way too easy.” Karin’s voice came muffled through the cat head helmet. “Those idiots are just so goddamn slow, they would have graduated without any progress.”

“So senpai won’t be mad at us, right?” One of the underclassmen asked, wringing a towel in his hands.

“We’re just going to have to hope Sakura-chan distracts him.” Suigetsu clapped a hand on the underclassman’s shoulder reassuringly.

Karin was about to make her rounds for advertisement again when her phone’s message tone rang from her costume’s apron. Picking it up she unlocked it read a message from Sasuke.

Don’t think you guys aren’t going to get it later.

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Seventeen: Ignite ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uchiha Itachi, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Inuzuka Kiba ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Healing Waters and Scorching Flames ] [ AO3 Link ]

Just because the war is over doesn’t mean they’re safe.

After all he’s seen her do - both as her enemy, and her ally - Sasuke knows Hinata is no longer a timid little waterbender in need of defending. She’s poised, smart, and strong. If anything, at times, she’s more apt and able to defend him. Fire is a powerful element...but water is versatile. It can heal, attack, defend...all he’s ever known his power to do is destroy.

But, he still holds some kind of...instinct to help her. Sasuke isn’t sure if it’s a simple motivation of male versus female, or perhaps his element’s aggression? But any time there’s a perceived slight against her, it flares his temper, and he often acts before he thinks.

He’s...still working on that. His anger isn’t what it used to be, but it still needs a bit of cooling.

Thankfully, Hinata is patient. Typically his outbursts are met with a hand on his shoulder and a weary smile. “It’s all right. I can handle it.”

But he doesn’t want her to handle it…! She shouldn’t have to! After all, she’s got enough on her plate. With the end of the war, Hinata has taken it upon herself to begin the efforts to rebuild the Southern Water Tribe. That means constructing (or in many places, reconstructing) villagers, creating new ports...and helping the waterbenders displaced by the Fire Nation raids. She’s been putting her power and new influence to use bettering her lands.

As he has tried to do.

True, Sasuke isn’t Fire Lord. Nor does he trust himself to be. Not after the lengths he nearly went to in order to acquire the title. But he does his best to support his brother in any way possible. With Shisui working full-time with the White Lotus, Sasuke takes it upon himself to become Itachi’s closest and strongest bodyguard. After all he did...it’s only right.

On occasion, Itachi asks for his input on this matter or another. Sasuke replies cautiously. He still doesn’t trust himself to make wise decisions. True, it’s still his brother’s call in the end. But being in proximity to power still makes him...nervous.

“Why so timid, Sasuke?”

“...what?”

Itachi gestures. “You have lost your edge.”

“I’m not sure that’s a bad thing, in all honesty.”

“No...I do not refer to your temper. I mean your certainty. Your confidence. You seem to walk upon eggshells in my presence. Is something wrong…?”

“No! No, nothing is wrong. I just...don’t want to be given a chance to repeat my mistakes, brother.”

“But how are you to be my advisor if you do not speak your mind?” The elder brother gives a tired smile. “...I trust you. The changes you have made will not be so easily reverted. You have much that motivates you to remain as you are now. You fought too hard, endured too much, to think of going back.”

A long pause blooms. “...you may trust me...but I can’t yet trust myself.”

“What would it take to earn that trust?”

“...I don’t know.”

“Well...you will have time to find it. But I must warn you, Sasuke: a large diplomatic meeting is fast approaching.”

“...oh?”

“Yes. Representatives from all four nations will be present. And I want you to be there as my advisor. This means I will require your input.”

“...I see.”

Itachi studies his brother for a long moment...and then heaves a light sigh. “Your friends will be here. Naruto, Sakura, Kiba, Hinata...they too are key parts of all of the rebuilding our world is going through. Is it not fitting, then, that you join them…? You were an integral player in the end of the war.”

“I also tried to aid the Fire Nation in conquering the four nations,” is Sasuke’s bitter reply.

“As did all of our soldiers,” Itachi counters gently. “And yet...we must all move forward. Realize our mistakes, and work to correct them. Repay our debts. While we should not lose pride in ourselves, our land, our element...we must atone. And learn. And grow. As you have done, and as you will continue to do.”

Sasuke just heaves a sigh. “...I’ll attend the meeting.” Whether or not he’ll trust himself to speak much is yet to be seen. But he’ll go, if only for his brother’s sake.

“Thank you, Sasuke. I’m sure the others will be delighted to see you.”

Remembering Naruto’s incessant talking and Sakura’s short temper, he can’t help a small wilt. “...yeah, they sure will.”

Two weeks later, the representatives arrive. It’s a bit odd to see many of them done up in their nation’s traditional clothing. Naruto because, well...there simply aren’t any other air nomads left to see. Sakura because her rough-and-tumble nature means that nice clothes rarely last long.

Kiba and Hinata are the most recognizable. They’ve seen each other sparingly during the last few years after the war, and Sasuke finds himself...nervous.

...he’s not sure why.

Greetings are exchanged, everyone all smiles. As he finds himself in familiar company, no matter the time passed, even Sasuke manages to relax a bit.

“It’s so nice to see everyone again,” Hinata offers, always the polite and guiding one.

“Yeah, feels like it’s been forever since all of us were in one place!” the Avatar replies jovially. “I mean...we’ll be talking a lot of serious subjects, but we’ll have time to just spend some time together, right?”

“I believe so,” Itachi offers, hands in his sleeves as he smiles at them all. “The preliminary plans for Republic City will be held in many stages. This is only the first. The rest of your stay you can use however you wish. Please, enjoy yourselves in our fair city.”

Sasuke’s brow furrows ever so slightly He’s only heard vague snippets of this plan: some new city-state along an edge of the Earth Kingdom, a place for all nations to be able to live together. A sort of trial to see how such an arrangement would truly work.

The guests are scheduled to remain for a week, and Itachi guesses that - though they will meet daily from their arrival to their departure - evenings should be free for the non-natives to simply enjoy in the Fire Nation capital.

“I can’t wait to try more Fire Nation food!” Naruto enthuses as the group leaves for their first night off.

“Just don’t make yourself sick,” Sakura chides, arms folding. “If we have to start late because you have a bellyache, I’ll be upset.”

“R...right. I’ll be careful!”

“I’m with Naruto on this one!” Kiba howls. “I wanna try every meat dish there is!”

“Best you be mindful too, Kiba,” Hinata cautions. “You’re not used to food that spicy.”

“This stomach can handle anything!”

“They’ll be all right,” Sasuke offers, stepping up beside her. “If they do get sick, Itachi’s healer can surely handle it.”

“Well, I’d still rather spare her the trouble…”

“So, what about you? Feel like doing anything in particular?”

“Well...I’m not sure, honestly. I’m not really one for spicy food, sadly. What would you recommend us to do?”

He mulls that over. “There’s typically a lot of booths and stalls to peruse in the evenings, when it’s cool. We could go look, if you’d like.”

“I would. Maybe I can find a trinket to take home!”

They move to a more crowded street, the others all moving first to the food stalls. Hinata and Sasuke, on the other hand, visit ones selling wares. Hinata quickly gets lost ogling some jewelry made from fire opals and volcanic rock.

Sasuke, however...keeps an eye on their surroundings. Something doesn’t feel right…

“What do you think about this one?”

He spares a brief glance. “Looks nice.”

“You hardly even saw it!”

Not replying, Sasuke tenses as a spark of light catches his eye. With a jab, he blocks an incoming strike from a firebender, some of his own igniting in the dark of the evening.

Around him, people gasp, watching as the man cries, “Pride for the fire nation! Send that waterbender back where she came from!”

Along with his bending, Sasuke’s temper quickly sparks. With hardly any effort, he spars the attacker into submission, eyes flashing dangerously as he finally pins him down. “...a word of advice: don’t ever attack that woman again. Or I’ll kill you.”

Guards quickly approach, offering to take the man to the city’s prison.

“Throw him in a cell...I’ll deal with him later.”

Looking aghast, Hinata quickly asks, “Are you all right?!”

“Fine...he didn’t even touch me. All he really did was make me mad. Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m...I’m okay. You reacted so quickly...!”

“Gut instinct.”

“Well...thank you. Normally I’d want to defend myself, but…” She flashes him a grateful smile. “You handled it splendidly.”

“...I’m sorry about what he said. I -”

She shakes her head. “No...I expected as much. There are still dissenters on all sides, believe me. And there always will be. It wasn’t your fault. If it weren’t for you, I’d likely have gotten hurt.”

He doesn’t argue, even if his distaste lingers. “...do you want to head back for the night?”

“I...think that might be wise.”

“I’ll escort you.”

The others all grumble, but agree it might be for the best to lay low for the rest of the night.

“What a jerk!” Naruto seethes. “You sure you’re okay, Hinata?”

“Yes. Sasuke kept me safe,” she assures the others.

Sasuke feels a strange warmth in his chest at her words.

Going with Hinata to her quarters, he bids her goodnight. “Hopefully tomorrow will be better.”

She nods, looking a bit weary. “Yes...I hope so, too. Goodnight, Sasuke. And...thank you again.”

“...you’re welcome.”

                                                            .oOo.

     Blugh, tired...and this doesn't feel like a great piece, but...it's done?      Been feeling some burnout, I think cuz irl's been pretty busy. Hopefully that won't last and I can be a bit more timely with my prompts so I'm not writing at three am, RIP.      Anyway, just...more AtLA stuff. I love this verse, and I should do more with it. I just...don't lol      But yeah, that's all from me tonight. Thanks for reading~

Hope you're doing well! I have another question. Who in Naruto generation do you feel would make great senseis?

Aw thank you ^^ I’m doing well, just returned to my dorm and I’m trying not to nap off ^^’‘

But hey, another great question! Time to go into detail…

Naruto - Oh Naruto. Does anybody remember that thing he said to Jirayia while he tried to learn the Rasengan? Or the thing with Killer Bee? That he doesn’t need explanations, but just to try it out over and over again until he gets it right?

He doesn’t change much over the years. Sure, his attitude is great (”Hell yeah, you can learn this super hard jutsu, just try it out!”), but if he needs to explain something… The poor children. Lots of gesturing, lots of grunting and strange noises, but no actual words and explanation happening there. Also, if you’re more of the strategic type (like Shikamaru) and not into raw power, Naruto is probably not the sensei for you. He’s just not that clever to pull something else off than the use of his shadow clones with a variation of his rasengan.

Sasuke - Actually, he would be a pretty good sensei. As he knows that there a different learning types and students, he probably can relate to students with difficult pasts more, but actually speaking with them and finding the right words… Yeah, no. He’s not the one with words, that’s Naruto’s part and trying to reach out to his students isn’t in his repertoire of teaching methods. He comes off as cold and standoff-ish, what makes it hard for softhearted students to approach him if they have a problem.

But he’s very good at explaining stuff, is hard but fair to his students, even though he never really seems to warm up to them. On the inside though, he’s probably really proud of the achievements of his students, especially if they make it to the rank of jonin or even ANBU.

Sakura - Out of Team 7, she would be the best sensei. She’s understanding, caring, tries to find fitting subjects for her students to study. The best is, she can actually give her students the best of both worlds, just like Tsunade gave both to her, battling and healing. If there’s someone extra interested in healing, though, she will be over the moon.

But, just because she was trained by Tsunade, her lessons can be a bit harsh. Some would go as far to call them brutal. But hey, they work, her students are alive and getting stronger, and it also helps with the respect they have for their teacher.

Shikamaru - Poor genius he is, he mutters more often than not his “troublesome” under his breath. But he’s actually one of the best sensei out of the entire generation. He’s clever, analyzes the style of his students, actually helps them out with a positive attitude, but is also if needed harsh and hard. He out of the Konoha 12 knows and understands the best what it means to be a sensei, just because he and Asuma had such a good relationship and connection.

Choji - Even though Choji is nice and friendly towards his students, he’s not really teaching material. He lacks the hardness which is sometimes needed for a teacher, to command his students if needed and make sure they listen to him if he has to say something. He’s soft and probably will hang out more with his students than train with them, inviting them out for barbeque or in general, to any other restaurant in Konoha.

Ino - Honestly, Ino’s ability as a sensei is really hard to guess, but personally, I like to believe she would be better than Choji, but sometimes she’s too harsh on her students? Especially when there’s a competition with Sakura’s team possible. (This would also affect Sakura and her team, of course.) Other than that, she would be another hardliner, but on the lawful side? She’s fair, but sometimes a bit harsh and jumping on decisions, but in the end, she’s a nice sensei which is respected by her students.

Kiba - Oh boy. I hope the students he gets like dogs and have no allergy, because dog hair will be everywhere and anywhere. No questions asked. Kiba and Akamaru are only available as a pair, so, the students really should be good with dogs. Otherwise, he’s on a similar level as Naruto. They are both a bit clueless, just like their personalities are pretty similar. All in all, he’s an okay-ish sensei, but is easily bribed with dog treats for Akamaru. Good for the students to get out of hard lessons, in the short run.

(But don’t think Kiba will let them go that easily. The next time Akamaru has the fleas, he will order his students to wash his oldest friend, all the while he’s watching over them.)

Shino - Right alongside Shikamaru, he’s one of the best sensei’s of their generation. He’s patient, willing to instruct his students according to their learning attitudes and styles and thinks about his students personally. He would always do what is best for his students and placing them before anything else. The only thing which is kind of hidnering him is that his students sometimes overlook him when they are supposed to meet him somewhere and go alone, while he sulks in a corner. But these incidents also lessen the longer they work together, to the point his students are the ones to think always about Shino first.

(“Okay, do we have every-?”

“SHINO-SENSEI IS NOT HERE!”

“…shit, not again.”)

Hinata - Oh Hinata. Gentle, poor soul. Unfortunately, she’s on the same scale as Choji, due to her shyness and missing backbone. Sure, instructing her students is easy, but if one of them wants to argue…? Oh boy. There’s no help for her. In her later years though, she will stand up for herself and her teaching methods, but getting her students to work again is still a pretty hard task.

But with her difficulties on her own ninja way, she’s awesome in dealing with students who have problems with training, learning or have other, social problems due to clan dynamics and disabilities like stuttering and such. In that regard, Hinata is top-notch.

Lee - Buckle up kids, this sensei may be a good one, but also intense and hyped like no one else. In true Gai-sensei-fashion, with the bright smile, the thumbs-up and the green bodysuit, Lee is taking off the teach his students in the best way possible (minus nin- and gen-jutsu). Due to the fact that he can’t use any other jutsu, he can’t teach his students any other techniques. Probably, he will get help from another sensei who is more versed in the nin-jutsu way, because even though he can’t do anything else, means he would get in the way of the nindo of his youthful students!

In his passion, Lee is unrivaled. But sometimes, that can be a bit too much (like Gai sometimes is a bit too much) but in comparison to his sensei, Lee will be a bit more rational and can relate to his students on their level.

Tenten - Tenten, oh Tenten. At first, she’s a bit clumsy with the kids she suddenly has to teach (”what am I going to do with them? Hopefully I won’t mess up…”) Soon enough though, after some advice of her own sensei, she gets the gist of it. Of course, she can teach her students more about weapons than anything else, and because she’s so excited about weapons, she sometimes goes a bit overboard and tries to basically push her students to like them. Sometimes, when her passion drives her especially strong. But she relents everytime when her students all don’t want to pick up her way (she out of all people knows that feeling, for her is Tsunade her idol and she oculdn’t directly follow her path), but if one of them or even all of them are excited to play with some sharp weapons… Ho boy.

And tbh, she’s more of a big sister to her students. Capabale of being nice and friendly, but is also able to reign her students in with a hard hand.

Neji - Just like Sasuke, he’s a bit on the hardheaded side. His students have to train hard and if they slack off, they will be severely punished. He expects the best of them and that they try to improve themselves. Still, sometimes, he gifts them with a rare smile or a nice gesture, like a little camp-out in the woods so they learn some survival skills, all the while regular training is on hold. Especially in his later years, (his ending didn’t happen at all, I don’t give a fuck) he grows softer on them, but never to the point that he spoils them unnecessarily.

I hope that explained my view on your question! It was interesting thinking about it and it was good to see you again in my inbox :D

[ Kalon || @sasuhina-renaissance-week ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Healing Waters and Scorching Flames ] [ A beauty that is more than skin deep - beautiful, as an outward sign of inward good, noble, honorable character. ]

If you’d have told him where he’d stand today only a handful of years ago, Sasuke would have laughed...and then scorched your skin for such an insult. Him? A prince of the Fire Nation? In love with a measly waterbender? Please. It’s not only a remark against his heritage of pureblood firebenders, but a personal one as well. As if he’d ever let one of those weak, water-blooded fools anywhere near him unless on their knees, pledging allegiance to the new empire.

...but much can change in such a short amount of time.

His mission had been to capture the Avatar: one he’d accepted gladly for glory in his father’s eyes. Second born behind a sick and frail elder brother, he thought that enough favor from their father would have usurped Itachi’s birthright and granted him the title of Fire Lord. He’d not always been so lustful for power...but time had seen him torn between worry for his brother’s health...and ridicule that a weak man would mean a weak nation. Better he to lead.

But in the end, he’d abandoned that wish for power, and instead helped the Avatar himself master firebending, and overtake Fugaku to bring the war to a close at last. It hadn’t been an easy path - they’d clashed more than once, as well as the rest of his little entourage. The temperamental earthbender, Sakura; a nonbender from the south pole, Kiba, and his polar bear dog; and the little waterbender, Hinata.

The last had been of little consequence at first. Benders were so rare in the south after their raids, she had no one to teach her. But every time they met, she got a little stronger - a little surer. And eventually, Sasuke could no longer ignore her strength - both in bending, and in spirit.

The war’s closing meant slowly beginning to amend the damage done. While Itachi tends to the Fire Nation, Sasuke remains with his new band: touring the lands he helped conquer under his own’s banner.

Things are...stable now. But far from as they were before Madara’s conquest began. Sasuke has every intention of amending what his family has done. And he’s glad he doesn’t have to do so alone.

For the moment, they’re back in his homeland. Naruto has brought leaders from the other nations to address Itachi and begin putting new laws and sanctions into place to assure this never happens again. As always, Sakura remains at his side as an anchor for his...often-lofty ideas. Kiba, ranking in his nation’s navy now, is part of the negotiations and ensuring Fire Nation military downsizing.

And Hinata is among her land’s council as steps toward peace continue.

Sasuke, still a prince to his brother’s title of Fire Lord, mostly lingers in corners. Itachi at times seeks his advice, but Sasuke doesn’t yet trust himself near positions of power. Not after what he nearly did for it. What he nearly sacrificed.

Most don’t seem to notice, too involved in their new roles. But one spares the time to ensure he’s not left alone too long.

It’s evening, the capital dusky as negotiations carry on into the later hours. Elbows leaned against a balcony railing, he turns at the sound of the door behind him, expecting a summons from Itachi.

Instead, he sees Hinata.

Dark brows lift slightly in surprise. “...have they finished for the night?”

“No...but it’s a topic I’m not part of.” She moves herself abreast him, hands daintily mimicking his arms.

Sasuke finds himself shying from her slightly. “...looking for fresh air?”

“Mm...and some less argumentative company.” She gives him a glance, a slightly glint of humor in her gaze. “I know this is all important, but...sometimes I just need a little time away from it all. And most of the talk from my nation comes from those older than me, anyway. I’m really only here because I traveled with the Avatar…”

“It gives you good insight.”

“I suppose...but part of me wishes I wasn’t so sought-after. I’ve not had a quiet day since then, and it’s been...what, five years now? I’m just...tired.”

He considers her for a moment. There’s none of the posture he saw when they first met. No longer is she timid, unsure, or avoidant. She stands with a kind of regality even now, though he’s sure she doesn’t intend it. It’s simply...natural. Her gaze is a thousand miles away, staring out over the city and not noticing his staring.

...it’s then it really hits him how beautiful she is. And not just on the surface. Her strength, so hard-won after her struggles. Her patience at all she’s faced. Her grace inherited from the flow of her element.

The pit of his stomach drops as he realizes...he’s grown quite fond of her over the years. Naruto is a good companion - his liveliness and positivity balance out his own brooding and pessimism. Sakura doesn’t mince her words - he can always expect what he needs to hear from her. Kiba...well, the nonbender is obnoxious, but loyal - he’s taught the prince a lot.

But Hinata…

At first, like the others, she didn’t trust him. Perhaps more so - she’d been quite smitten with Naruto back then, and as the boy’s primary threat, she’d reeled on him with a tenacity he’d not expected. But in the end...they had far more similarities than differences. Though driven, Sasuke has never been brash. The other three are far more outspoken than he.

Not Hinata.

At the base of their natures is a similar quietude. Though he’s been arrogant, and at times scorching like his element, what’s been left in the wake of his new path is...different. His temper has cooled. No longer does he seek attention, or recognition, or power. He merely wishes to make his amends, quietly, without fuss or flare. After so long of feeling torn, and angry, and looked down upon, he wants nothing more than to find peace. For himself, and the world he owes.

...she’s been good company in that regard.

Water can be violent. It can drown what angers it. And true, Hinata has a fierceness to her, but only when necessary. Otherwise, she’s been a quiet pool to calm the rest of her companions. The voice of reason and caution, but just as strong when there are no other options.

He wishes he could be half the person she is. He wishes for her patience, her resilience, her level head and her steadfastness.

She knows who she is. What she wants. Even if part of it has fallen through, she adapts with that same grace, head held high. She’s grown into a woman of beauty, inside and out.

“...Sasuke…?”

A blink. “...yes?”

Her head tilts, looking to him in concern. “...are you feeling well? You were a bit...vacant for a moment.”

Sasuke glances around - how long was he…? “...I was just lost in thought.”

She softens, but only just, in understanding. “...there’s been much to think about lately,” she agrees quietly. “Who knows how long we’ll be here...these talks have potential to last weeks.”

“...I’ll not mind them so long as it means you’ll be here.”

Her gaze widens slightly, and he realizes he’s said too much.

“...you balance out that blond buffoon,” Sasuke attempts to amend, tone rushed in an obvious excuse. “This will all be tedious enough without his volume and...enthusiasm.”

At that, Hinata can’t help a laugh into her sleeve. The sound brings him a small flutter of contentment. “...well, I’ll do my best. It’s good he has the energy, though. Otherwise I fear we’d all be asleep in our seats!”

His lips twitch. “...fair enough.”

Silence falls between them, but it’s neither unwanted nor uncomfortable: amiable, and a pleasant change of pace. Only once some time passes does she murmur, “...I should let you retire for the night. And I’d best do the same - I could be called back for anything at any time.”

Sasuke swallows back a tinge of disappointment. “True...Naruto can only keep you awake through so much.”

She smiles. “...I’ll see you tomorrow, Sasuke.”

“Until then...Hinata.” Watching her go, he only turns back once the door shuts behind her with a soft clack.

Her absence is deafening.

Still leaned along the balcony railing, Sasuke heaves a sigh.

“...what are you getting yourself into, you fool…?”

     This feels a little off, but I haven’t written this verse in quite some time ^^; Apologies if I’m a little rusty lol      I’ve had this verse for a while, though it normally only has one set pairing. But what’s an AU unless you have like ten branching AUs from it? So in this one, we’ve got SasuHina, taking place a few years after what would be the ending of AtLA.      But, I won’t ramble too much - I’ll probably do AUs for all of my entries for this lil ship week (because honestly they’re so much more fun for me to write than canon verses lol), so keep an eye out for them! Some are crossovers, but some are also based on my original novel work. We’ll see what each prompt best fits as the week goes on!      Happy shipping, fellow SasuHina lovers :3 See y’all tomorrow!

Promise Baby, You'll Love Me Forevermore

So uh hi. ive never written a naruto fic before this really so i guess this is a good start. 

word count: 1961

Rating: T i guess 

inspired by this fic right here and my contribution to kiba week. give jaz some love this fic is amazing. also be nice to me maybe idk okay here goes

@princejellychu @ino-buta @for2buns

It’s a fine, nearly spring day when Kiba first lays his eyes on what has to be the finest boy he’s ever seen. 

The dogs are running low on food and Kiba’s been sent to fix that. It’s a good long walk usually canceled out by a car he’s no longer allowed to use. At least til his momma forgives him. He spots Naruto’s bright yellow hair as he enters the store and resists the urge to tackle him. Naruto’s not alone and Kiba has some kinda home training. “Que pasa pendejo?!” He yells across 3 aisles. Home training never included an inside voice. The group turns around and Kiba recognizes the redhead; Gaara, knows how to party, always brings coke but exclusively for Naruto. The tall blonde with the large space puffs that are out of this world he doesn’t recognize but she fits the description of the girl Shika’s so hung up about. Kiba thinks he understand, her legs do go on forever. He doesn’t focus on her for long because last boy, dressed in all black from his beanie, to his fingerless gloves, to his combat boots has his attention in a vice grip. If the outfit wasn’t enough the boy has on dark purple lipstick he’s matched to his eyeshadow. Kiba dubs him “sexy goth” and needs his name immediately. The sudden wave of dehydration makes him trip over his own feet. He doesn’t fall, thank god, his reflexes are usually on point. He smoothly gathers himself making his way over to Naruto. “Gonna scare all the customers with that racket, dog breath.” Naruto says with a smile slinging his arm around Kiba’s neck in a not so gentle hug. “I’m sure Lee wouldn’t mind.” Kiba replies when Naruto releases him. “Who do we have here?” “Well you know Gaara. This his brother and sister.” Naru says pointing to each respectively. “Temari,” the blonde says waving with the bag of chips in her hand. “Kankuro.” Sexy goth says, and offers his hand to Kiba. Kiba takes it with a lopsided grin. “Kiba. My mom owns the kennel, good friend of Naruto’s. Single.” Kankuro raises his brows, impressed. If Kiba takes too long to let go of his hand he doesn’t say. “You didn’t tell me your Suna friends were fine as hell.” Kiba says to Naruto in Spanish. “You never asked.” Naruto says. — Later when everyone gathers at the Namikaze house his friends shake their heads at him. “You ever met a bitch named shame?” Shika asks. He’s propped up against Naruto’s bed nursing a can of beer. “We’re not on speaking terms right now.” Kiba shrugs from the beanbag in the corner. “I cannot believe that worked.” Chouji says. “What can I say? I am a gentleman.” “If you’re a gentleman I’m fucking lawyer.” Naruto says from the edge of his bed. They all crack up and Ms. Kushina yells that they better laughing over that homework. — The next time he sees Kankuro it’s two days later and he’s working his shift at the kennel. He’s mostly waiting for lunch time. The dogs are clean and in their cages waiting to be adopted. Hana’s in the back serving them lunch when Kankuro stomps in donned in another all black outfit. Same boots, same fingerless gloves, but a black hoodie and baggy black jeans. Kiba notes he painted his nails the same purple as his eyeshadow and lipstick. Favorite color. Noted. “Welcome to Inuzuka Kennel,” he drawls and gives that same lopsided grin. “What can we do you for? A dog? A friend? Both?” He’s never been one for subtlety. Kankuro pretends to consider this. “I guess bit of both.” Kankuro matches Kiba’s grin and leans over the counter. Well then. The tension is strong and pulled taught. “I’m heading out for lunch Kiba you want anything?” Hana yells on her way out. Kiba doesn’t break eye contact with Kankuro and answers, “two pork shoulder sandwiches from Akimichis.”  He hears his sister confirm and the door shuts. “Why don’t you step back here and we can see about that?” — Hana comes back in exactly half an hour, ever punctual. Kiba is has his chair tipped back and his feet in the desk which his mom hates and Kankuro sitting on the desk which Hana frowns at. She hands Kiba the bag with the food and he hands Kankuro the other sandwich. “Aight, get back to work before Mom makes you scrub this whole place down.” Hana says. Kankuro takes that as his cue to go. “I think I might come back another time.” “Oh did you see one you liked?” Hana asks. Both boys smile. “Sure did.” — “I hope ya momma busts ya ass for fucking on the clock.” Chouji says throwing a couch cushion at him. “Speaking from experience?” Kiba says catching it easily and sticking his tongue out. He doesn’t tell them Hana slapped him upside the head twice but was merciful enough not to tell his momma. — “You sure you not moving too fast?” Naruto asks one afternoon in detention. Its almost summer. Almost vacation. He wears his mesh shirt to school because it’s just that hot and thinks the detention is worth it. Iruka sensei lets them do whatever for the hour as long as they don’t make too much noise or leave the room. Shika’s there for snoring in trig, Ino for skipping gym, Naruto got into another fight, and Sakura, apparently cussed out the history teacher. “Maybe,” Kiba says. They’ve only been on two dates at this point and yes Kiba is counting that time at work. He hogs the phone every other day just to talk to Kankuro. He never thought of himself as someone who could manage a long distance relationship but here he is. Except- “We’re technically not exclusive yet.” He confesses. Ino practically shouts, “Why the fuck not?” Iruka looks up from his newspaper and gives her a look that says, “Really?” Kiba shrugs and that only makes her more mad. “What’s the hold up? You like him, he likes you, you both are only seeing each other so what’s the problem?” She says waving her perfectly manicured nails around. (The elephant in the room blares but neither her or Sakura hear it) “There ain’t no problem. It’s just never come up.” Kiba doesn’t usually feel insecure but right now he’s uneasy. It’s too soon to say he’s in love, but he’s never had a relationship like this. “You should probably get on that quick then,” Sakura says. “It’s different when you can’t see them everyday.” Kiba doesn’t like the implication at all. His stomach sinks a bit and Iruka sensei dismisses them for the day. — Kiba doesn’t really ask for much for his birthday. He appreciates a good party even when it’s a few days late and loves being surrounded by friends and family. Even when certain friends abandon him for their new boytoys. Fucking typical. “Are you pouting, birthday boy?” Kiba looks up to see Kankuro and to say his face lights up is an understatement. “You came!” He all but tackles him and almost knocks the both them into Shinos table. Kiba can’t see his glare behind his shades but knows it’s there. He doesn’t care. “You’re surprised? Why wouldn’t I?” “Well,” Kiba starts. God since when does he get nervous? “We never really talked about being official or anything-“ “We haven’t? I’ve been telling everyone my boyfriend lives in Konoha.” At this Kiba laughs wholeheartedly. “That answers that.” “Sorry for not being explicitly clear, Scotty.” He presses himself impossibly closer and kisses him longer than ever necessary. “I also came bearing gifts.” “You mean you weren’t my present?” “Well yeah. Consider it my apology for not being able to stay.” Kankuro hands Kiba a tiny bag and smiles. “Only the best for the birthday boy.” “Holy shit I love you.” —

In a month or so momma Inuzuka will let Kiba take his permit test and Kiba will be allowed to borrow the car again. The first thing he plans to do is book it to Suna and spend a week in Kankuro’s bed. It’s just not fair he doesn’t get to go to Suna when Kankuro gets the privilege of travel from being a mayor’s son. Speaking of mayors sons-

“Ya boys are here to spring you.” His mom says as he’s finishing up a mornings worth of dog grooming. Naruto has the bright idea to take Shika to Suna to get him laid. Kiba doubts it will happen but now he owes Naruto big time and wonders if he should ask if he can read minds.

Kankuro’s tracing the scars on Kiba’s arms. They don’t hurt anymore but it’s still an ugly reminder. Kiba had called it “a present from Konoha’s finest,” always defaulting to jokes to keep the mood light.

Kankuro had given Kiba a brief tour of his room; from the various posters of metal and punk bands hung haphazardly to the small woodworking projects he’s accumulated over the years.

(This tour obviously ends with Kiba’s tongue down Kankuro’s throat. While Kiba enjoys hearing his boyfriend enthuse about his projects, that’s not really what his friends drove through a windstorm for)

“D’ya think Shika’s has any luck with Temari?” Kiba says comfortably snuggled up to Kankuro’s side.

“Nope. Which is sad because they’d probably be good together.”

“What’s the holdup?”

“It’s not him. It’s her and the fact that she’s currently into Hinata.”

“Shit, she is hard to compete with.”

“Just hope she doesn’t crush his heart into tiny pieces. That would make things awkward for us wouldn’t it?”

“Meh. Inconvenient more like.”

“Oh yeah I have something for you.” Kankuro suddenly remembers and Kiba pouts when he gets out of the bed.

“Why are you always the one getting me stuff.”

“I just like spoiling you.” He reaches into a drawer on his desk and Kiba hopes he’s not blushing too hard. “Plus, you did come all the way out here and it’s not like Suna weather is nice to you city folk.”

“Said the goth in the desert.”

“I’m committed to my art.” He holds up a chain with a single charm on it. Kankuro continues before Kiba can ask.

“My granny Chiyo gave this charm bracelet a long time ago. Don’t usually wear it because I’m afraid of losing it.”

“And this charm?” Kiba asks placing his hands under it.

“Is my favorite.” It’s a skull, painted a metallic purple with two black gem for eyes. “You gonna turn around so I can put it on you or just stare?”

Kiba’s never been one for jewelry but there’s no way he’s ever taking it off.

—

+

“So this is famous novio.” Tsume says as Kankuro steps out the car.

“Miss Inuzuka-“

“Please call me Tsume. I don’t know what my son has told you but I’m not that old. Is this for me?” She says pointing to the present in Kankuro’s hands.

“That it is. Kiba said you were also a fan of this brand. Thought you would appreciate it.”

“Oh boy you didn’t have to butter me up I already liked you.”

“It’s no problem Miss Tsume.”

“Come on in Hana just made dinner.”

Kankuro slips into the house and Tsume catches Kiba by the back of his collar. “You didn’t defile my car did you?” She asks him in Spanish.

“Who do you take me for?” Kiba asks, scandalized.

She hooks an arm around his neck and rubs her fist against his head. “I take your for my son.”

Kiba groans but he can’t argue. Lying to his momma is useless anyway. The inevitable punishment is worth it.

storytime

So, look.

It’s time I kinda come clean, a bit. I’ve kind of been rushing over a few people in storytime who have been really present and, well. Kind of some of the most important to me during my stay in BTG, and absolutely why I even went as far as entering the Chi-scape.

...For Nathan, I’ll kill the joke. It’s because that’s really the best way to describe him. Nathan was the generic Protagonist of our group. He was the Faceless Male. He was... honestly, bar that one rape-thing incident a good friend and really unnotable. Which just made that whole shit even more striking.

But he’s really bland and unless you want me to describe anime protagonists for a post I don’t think I need to. I mean, get back to me if you really want me to.

But.

For Resaiyu, that’s because to talk about Resaiyu really was to me and who they were I had to set the scene first. I really, really had to introduce all these people and things.

So that’s today.

And because it’s today, step back with me to the very beginning.

The first time I actually met the infamous Miss Montclaire was in a Final Fantasy game Jin was running, because everyone had... basically already established relationships and friendships when I joined. The game was closing and like, Boton was there, boasting about how she had fucked all the people which like

Remember, she was like 20+ and we were all minors. That woman had issues, seriously.

And I was kind of there...standing on the outskirts, not really knowing anyone.

And then Miss Montclaire happened (once Boton stopped boasting about all the hot erp they had) and I had a friend? And that’s it.

Resaiyu just -made- friends with me, and I don’t even know how it happened. Sometime between the start of JIn finishing this shit up because the man could not keep a story going, and boton storming out for some reason we were friends. Like that was nothing new.

And like, then I found out they were a ~girl~ and oh no teenage hormones and I was a tsundere in their Harem, too. Within the span of maybe like 3-4 hours.

And while not to downplay that- It’s also time I like, properly address that.

I’ve said kind of for a while I was the Tsundere of the Harem, and shit, as if I just straight liked her and wasn’t saying it to her face.

But that’s not fair, because even Little Bun Blue is me, and frankly this may sound strange- but I am usually 90% right.

And I think even for the ridiculous Tsundere Act, Little Bun Blue was right. I don’t think I REALLY liked Resaiyu, in the end. I think there may have been Chemistry I Missed in hindsight, but I think, honestly, I was more In Love with the Idea of Being In Love. Not to even mention Little Bun Blue had trust issues and an even worse view on Romance than present Me, owing especially to his parents just getting divorced.

But like. If you asked me, with a gun to my head, to list three people I had a crush on in my lifetime, Resaiyu would’ve been straight after the obvious.

And even if I frankly didn’t ‘Like’ her, I sure as hell played the role of the lovesick Tsundere the most. I think everyone, as we all belonged to the Resaiyu Harem, played a love interest to her at some point. But I -bid- for that role probably the most, and I think bar one exception (which ended with a LOT of tragedy and mangst, which somehow ended up the closest thing to a good RP in a Chi game, but that’s maybe a side story if people want to actually get an idea what a chi game was like) I never actually played the role, because I was a tsundere and denied it.

Okay maybe there was another time, but somehow I ended up with a baker but that’s a really, really, later story.

But yeah, after that Resaiyu started showing up everywhere. Even though I had never met them before while I was hanging with Beamed, they showed up there now. Resaiyu was an ALLFORCE of BTG, which is part of -how- they built their Harem. The only person close to being in as much of everything was Nathan, but even then Resaiyu clearly just... did more.

The honestly, clearest sign you were sunk in BTG, such as when Gal finally gave up, was when Resaiyu stopped showing up. Because everyone followed her. Bar like, Me an Nathan in that case I guess.

In short, having Resaiyu’s favor was the lifeblood of BTG for a while. Like, before Chi happened and that didn’t matter. And, like, in hindsight? I think that’s actually a lot of why I managed to accumulate so well into the community. I was non-threatening and nice, but I was also non-threatening, nice, and favored by the literal goddess of the community because we were all horny nerdbros and there was one girl tbh

so like, I’ve said a lot about Resaiyu- but like

None of this actually -describes- Resaiyu.

This is what she was to BTG. Not... as a person. And that’s a lot of why I say I think I was just kind of... Not really ‘actually’ crushing on them or whatever?

A lot of this was just Resaiyu being a Girl in a mostly male Community. Especially after Boton was chased the fuck off and M kinda disappeared. And if nothing else, I think that was why I focused so hard on them.

They were kind of like me I think. Or more that, really, in context of everyone else I was like Resaiyu with a slight twinge to aggressiveness. Resaiyu was just kind of softspoken, kind of shy, and overall a nice person.

In hindsight, I’m not convinced they weren’t actually Amra remembering how much they liked Monster Girls, but that’s the booze talking.

But like, that’s not saying a lot. When I say that and I refer to myself- I fully realize that’s because I did not express myself much early BTG. I don’t think anyone I played with, even Resaiyu, who like- was probably the actual closest to me, actually KNEW me.

I acted like this because I didn’t want to reveal who I was. I thought that, on the internet-  you just... acted like a blank slate? Not you. I was afraid if I revealed too much of who I was (while being me) I would somehow get like

Tracked down and murdered.

...and okay, I’ve been doing a subtle lie the entire time, because I KNOW why they were kind of like me. Because they were explicitly hiding something.

And I’ve been -intentionally- obscuring that.

See.

Hensou and Kiba for the most part, were radical figures. I don’t think Hensou was a good person, but they had a point in that BTG was being stagnant and had a lot of fuckin’ problems, and Resaiyu was kind of... one of them.

An unhealthy devotion to a single girl? Yeah, maybe we should stop.

and like.

Remember how I talked about Jin and Ookami? And how in BTG, you REALLY didn’t trust people to be who they said they were? Everyone had to be a white pasty nerdbro like us, ebin early 2000s internet culture dude.

...so like, See.

I think you kinda get it.

So, someday in the later half of the Chi era, I come into the server and Kiba and Hensou are like rapidly Pming me until I say just take this shit to public and before I know it they’re all like ‘Resaiyu is Actually A Dude And We Have Receipts’.

Which, bar none, is probably one of the clearest parts I can remember of BTG for a lot of reasons.

The two were fucking ecstatic, and they had pretty much hard proof and were like

Ready to boast and start shit and make everyone drive off their beloved ‘goddess’.

And Resaiyu comes on, the receipts are pulled, and everything is silent and.... Res just admits to it all with no fuss. Straight up admits to doing it all because they thought they’d fit in better with everyone if they did, which like, yeah.

Honestly, wow did that pan out.

Everything is like, dead silent.

And then, collectively, everyone straight up goes ‘alright, well cool whatev’. And not even remotely halfheartedly.

Hensou and Kiba go fucking nuts because without even a second thought, we all just straight up ignored their big revelation and everything just went on anyway with the knowledge Resaiyu was a guy named Paul on the other side of the screen.

The harem kind of like

Wasn’t even a factor anymore, because frankly it was already basically down to me and Nathan at this point. And Nathan was ~TOO COOL~ to act like he cared, and that gave me all the exodus I needed to justify my year of tsundereness.

So in short, They got away scot-free because fuck it they were our friend anyway, and we all got to watch Kiba and Hensou be REALLY MAD we didn’t freak the fuck out and exile one of like 5 people left playing with us.

And I had a fucking smile on the entire time because it made Hensou upset.

...for the most part, I don’t think the whole thing changed how I acted around Resaiyu either. I had been such a good tsundere I honestly hadn’t even considered I liked them until I started Storytime.

Like, yeah. Still easily one of the top three friends of BTG. I don’t know if I’d want to meet them again but... like. It’d be cool?

idk.

Not sure how to end this one. But like- in short: BTG was such a weird community the one woman we didn’t kick out and like everyone crushed on was legit actually a guy (atleast at the time, no idea where they’re at now.).

And man.

That is one of the biggest rides I wish I could’ve properly taken you all on of BTG.

The Preliminary Rounds

Kind of a filler chapter, just the Hokage and Hayate giving an explanation of the preliminary and third rounds. The real fun starts next chapter!

“What do you mean they’re disqualified?!” Naruto cried out, “They made it here in one piece, didn’t they?!”

Sasuke, on the other hand, had turned his focus to Nanashi, “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you got hurt?!” Nanashi just shrugged, grinning sheepishly, “You’re worried about me and yet you were hurt badly enough that you couldn’t make it here on your own?”

Nanashi started to try to explain herself, but Anko cut her off, shouting, “Save it for later! We have to continue!” The three Genin fell silent immediately. “Now. Congratulations to all of you that passed the second exam! Alright, now pay attention, Lord Hokage is going to explain the third exam to you! You better listen carefully, maggots!” She turned to the Hokage, bowing her head respectfully, “Lord Hokage, they’re all yours.”

He stepped forward, clearing his throat. “First, before I tell you what the third exam entails, I want to explain something about the test itself. Listen closely, now. It’s something that all of you need to understand. I’m going to tell you the true purpose of these exams. Why do you suppose our country holds these exams in conjunction with our allies?” His only response was Naruto making an ‘I don’t know’ sound. “To raise the ability levels of the Shinobi and increase friendship between allied nations, to be sure. But it’s important that you understand its true meaning. The exams are, so to speak…” He paused to take a puff from his pipe, “They’re a representation of the battle between allied nations.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Tenten questioned.

“Now,” The Hokage continued, “If we look at our history, all the countries that we’re currently allied with were once neighboring nations that continuously fought with each other for power. In order to avoid destroying each other’s military strength meaninglessly, those nations picked champions to do battle on behalf of their countries at a mutually selected location. That was how the Chunin Selection Exams originally began.”

“Well, that’s great, but why do we have to go through these exams, then?” Naruto asked. “I mean, it’s not like we’re doing this to pick Chunin to go fight.”

“Well, actually, there is no question that part of the point of these exams is to select Shinobi worthy of becoming Chunin. That’s just not the whole story. These exams also allow for a place where a Shinobi can carry the pride of their nation on their backs, and fight against other ninja for their very lives!”

“The pride of their nation..?” Sakura repeated quietly.

“Many leaders and people of prominence from various countries are invited to attend this exam as guests, and also possibly to seek Shinobi to work for them. This exam could determine the course of your ninja work from here on out. And more importantly, those rulers will watch your battles and take note of the strengths that each ninja and each nation is developing. If there is a gap in power between the countries, the strong nations are inundated with job requests for their ninja. And conversely, requests to countries that are deemed weak decline. The stronger our nation is, the better our position when it comes to negotiating with neighboring countries. So it’s important to show how much military strength our village has.”

“Okay, but even so, why is it necessary for us to risk our lives?” Kiba asked.

“The country’s strength is the village’s strength. The village’s strength is the Shinobi’s strength. And the true strength of the Shinobi is only achieved when it’s pushed to its limits, such as in a life and death battle. This exam is a chance for each nation to display the strength of its Shinobi, and hence, the strength of the nation itself. It’s because this is an exam where your life is on the line that it has meaning! And it’s for this very reason and for the strength of the nation that your forerunners fought in this exam! It’s truly a dream worth striving for!”

Tenten interrupted him with yet another question, “But then why did you use the expression, ‘friendship’, before?”

“You’ve only remembered half of what I said! You also mustn’t have the wrong idea of the exam’s meaning. This is a custom in which balance is preserved by fighting and dying. In the world of the Shinobi, that is friendship. The third exam is a fight for life with the pride of your village and your own dreams at stake!”

Naruto ‘hmph’ed. “Well, he sure convinced me!”

“Any test is fine,” Nanashi turned to Gaara in surprise when he spoke up, “Just tell me what the details of the exam are already. I can handle anything you throw at me.”

“Very well, then!” The Hokage replied, “Now listen closely, I’m going to tell you exactly what you’ll all be doing on the third exam!” He paused to cough into his hand, but before he could continue, another Shinobi appeared in front of him, kneeling.

“Lord Hokage. Before you do, please allow me, Hayate Gekko - Appointed as proctor of the third exam - to speak first.”

“So be it.”

Hayate stood, “It’s nice to meet you all.” He turned to face the Genin, coughing. “There’s something I would like all of you to do before the third exam.” He fell into another coughing fit, causing various expressions of concern to grow on everyone’s face. “Uh… We have to have a preliminary exam before we can move on to the real one.”

“A what?” Sakura asked softly.

“Preliminary?!” Shikamaru shouted, “Just what do you mean by that?!”

“I-I’m sorry,” Sakura continued, “Sensei, excuse me, but I really don’t see the point. What’s this preliminary all about? Why can’t we just move on to the third exam?”

‘If you would just wait, you guys, he would have explained it by now…’ Nanashi thought, frowning.

“Uh… Well, you see…” Hayate replied, “The first and second exams might have been too easy… The fact is, we never expected so many of you to still be here. According to the rules of the Chunin Exams, a preliminary round can be held at any stage. In order to reduce the number of candidates remaining.”

“But… Is that fair?!”

“It’s just that at this stage, we have to speed things up a bit. As Lord Hokage said, a lot of important guests will be watching. We can’t afford to waste their time. They’ve come to see only the best,” Hayate stated. “So if there are any of you who feel like you’re not in top physical condition, now is your chance to--” He interrupted himself with another coughing fit. “Sorry about that… As I was saying, any of you who don’t feel up to this, now is the time for you to bow out. The preliminaries will be starting immediately.”

“Come on!” Kiba exclaimed angrily, “You mean right now?!”

“We just finished barely surviving the last exam, don’t we get a break?!” Ino whined.

“Man, what a drag…”

“When do we eat..?”

“Oh yeah...” Hayate muttered, “The winners will be determined by one-on-one combat, sudden death. So, like I said, if anyone doesn’t feel up to it, now’s the time to raise your hand.

After a moment of suspenseful silence, Kabuto suddenly raised his hand. “Okay, you got me! I’m out!”

“But… Kabuto..?” Naruto muttered in surprise.

Hayate turned a few pages on the clipboard he had in his hand, searching for something. “Um… Kabuto Yakushi of the Leaf Village, right? Okay, you can go on and step back.”

As Kabuto started to walk off, Naruto turned around to him, “Kabuto! Hold on a second, you can’t quit! I don’t get this, what’s going on?!”

Kabuto turned back to look at the blond, “Oh, Naruto, I’m sorry, but my body’s just too beat up. I can’t hack it. The fact is, ever since orientation and that dust-up with the Sound Village team, I’ve had no hearing at all in my left ear. And now to put my life on the line. To fight again, right away without a break. I can’t do it.” Naruto hung his head in sorrow, and Kabuto fell into a whispered conversation with his teammate. He waved to Naruto with a smile before leaving for good.

Hayate coughed into his hand, “Now then… Does anybody else wanna quit?” He paused to give them a chance to raise their hand, “Alright then, we’ll now begin the preliminary round. This round will consist of one-on-one individual combat, at full battle intensity. This is not an exercise. There are twenty of you remaining, so that means we will need ten matches. The surviving candidates from these ten matches will advance to the third exam. As for the rules, there are none. You will fight until one dies, or concedes defeat, or is rendered physically incapable of continuing the contest. Naturally, those who are losing are urged to concede defeat promptly to avoid a fatal outcome. Furthermore, as proctor, I’m given a certain amount of leeway in judging the matches. I might occasionally intervene if a match seems hopeless to save as many lives as possible. Now it’s time to reveal what fate has been chosen for you.”

He nodded to Anko, who returned it before speaking into the headset she wore, “Open the panel.” A panel on the wall that Nanashi hadn’t noticed before opened slowly, revealing a screen behind it.

“The names of each pair of opponents are chosen completely at random. Before each match, these names will appear on the display behind me. As there’s nothing more to say, let’s begin. In a moment, the names of the first two opponents will appear.”

The screen flashed yellow a few times, before two names appeared.

‘Yoroi Akado vs Sasuke Uchiha’

Nanashi’s eyes widened, and she turned to look at Sasuke in surprise, ‘Seriously, right off the bat?’ The look Sasuke gave her told her that he was thinking the same thing. The only difference was that he looked excited about it. She frowned in concern when he suddenly winced, gripping his shoulder.

“Alright now,” Hayate spoke up again, “Those whose names have been drawn, come forward.” Sasuke and Yoroi stepped up. “You have been chosen for the first match. Yoroi Akado and Sasuke Uchiha. Are there any objections?”

Sasuke answered immediately, “None here.”

“No,” Yoroi followed suit.

“Uh… Alright then, let’s begin the first match. Okay, everyone other than the two opposing candidates will now clear the area and move to the upper level.”

As the others started making their way up, Nanashi approached Sasuke with a wide grin, fist-bumping him. “Good luck, Sasuke. Kick his ass for me, he looks like a jerk.”

Sasuke smirked, “You got it.”

“Miss Yamamoto,” Hayate addressed the girl. “I can arrange for someone to take you---”

Nanashi was already walking up the stairs, “No thanks, I’m good!”

As the black-haired girl leaned against the railing beside Temari, Hayate began to speak again, “Then if you’re ready…”